*The Lottery* Film

Plot

I like how there is a surprise and shocking ending in the short story. A lottery usually has a positive connotation, but it is negative in this case. The irony in the short story really throws the reader off and keeps them guessing. If I were to make a film adaptation, I would also keep the surprise ending. However, I would continue following the crowd after Mrs. Hutchinson was chosen. I would continue on after the story trails off, because I would be curious to see how the people reacted once Mrs. Hutchinson was dead. I would want to know what her family does. Do they just move on like nothing happened? Are they upset? Do they grieve, or just accept things as they are? By continuing the movie for a short time after Mrs. Hutchinson is chosen for the lottery, I would hope to answer these questions that I have for myself and for other viewers that may feel the same way. I would also possibly tie in some of the history of the ritual and the significance or purpose of it. This would show how quickly the characters turn on each other and how they blindly accept tradition.


Point of View

The point of view during the short story is third person omniscient. This is done on purpose by the author because of the impact it has on the story. The detached narrator intensifies the cruelty of the story. It also shows acceptance and blind faith regarding the tradition of the lottery. The narrator is only factual and gives no sympathy for the characters going through the lottery. However, I would change the point of view to focus either on Mr. Summers who runs the lottery or one of the Hutchinson children. I think that either one of these changes would be interesting. If emphasis were placed on Mr. Summers, I think more tradition and more history of the lottery could be revealed. Also, if the focus was on one of the Hutchinson children, the viewers could see the ritual of the lottery from the perspective of a young child. Another possibility would be to change point of view as the plot develops, jumping from the minds of person to person.

Characterization

Characterization in the short story is done through thoughts of various characters or interactions and reactions of characters. In addition, some characterization is done through dialogue between characters. I would convey the personalities of the characters through conversation with others around them for the most part. If I took the approach of jumping back and forth from the minds of characters, their personal thoughts, feelings, and reactions would also convey what the character is like to viewers. I think by characterizing through thoughts, the theme of questionable trust between characters is emphasized. This would also show that the people of the village value tradition and habitual routine over real friendship and civilization.


Setting

The setting for the village in the short story is not very descriptive or lengthy. Not many details are given in regard to location. If I were to create a film adaptation for this short story, I would maybe add more detail to the setting. I would allow viewers to know where the plot is taking place. In the short story, I don't think any names of cities or towns are given. I also didn't see any clues that were given that would give the reader an idea of where the village was. I don't think that the setting is extrememly important to the plot and overall meaning. But if I had to decide where I would put the town, I would place the village on an island somewhere. I think the island location would emphasize their separation and differences from the rest of the modern world around them.

Theme

There were multiple themes that could be applied to the short story of The Lottery. Some of these themes include the random chance of persecution and blindly following traditions and rituals. Another theme that I would emphasize is the fleeting trust between the people in the village or the betrayal of friendships. By adding more to the plot, these two themes would be tied into the ending of the film. Including the death of Mrs. Hutchinson and life for the villagers after would show how disloyal the people were to each other when it comes to the lottery. Showing the family and close friends of Mrs. Hutchinson attacking her would show how quickly and easily people turn on each other. I wouldn't change much regarding the overall meaning or themes of the story, I would just add more to that section in the film adaptation.

A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story! :)

Plot

The plot of the short story is a little different than the plot of the movie. Many of the same things happen in the movie that happen in the short story, but the movie adds more childhood experiences in the weeks leading up to Christmas. For example, the movie shows when the family car breaks down and Ralphie attempts to help his father fix it. Also, the movie includes Ralphie's family eating out at a chinese restaurant on Christmas. The short story ends after Ralphie's mother believes that an icicle falls and hits him in the eye. In addition to more details and experiences in the movie, the short story and movie have shared events in a different order. For example, the order in which people tell Ralphie "you'll shoot your eye out" is different in both works. In the movie, Ralphie hears this daunting statement from his mother first, his teacher second, and from Santa at the toystore last. In the short story Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid, Ralphie hears the same statement from his mother first, Santa second, and his teacher last. His teacher also gives him a B on the theme in the short story and a C+ in the movie.

Point of View

There are no differences in the point of view in the film and the short story. In both works, Ralphie is telling the story. The first person point of view remains constant. In addition to first person point of view, both works incorporate the literary device of a flashback. Ralphie looks back on his experiences leading up to one particular Christmas during his childhood that was very special to him. The short story and the movie resemble each other in point of view. In fact, many exact quotes and lines from the short story are taken and incorporated in the narration of the movie. The only difference is what actually leads his mind to travel back to the specific Christmas season when he was younger. In the short story, a sign that states "DISARM THE TOY INDUSTRY" causes Ralph to conjure up distant memories of the Christmas he received a Red Ryder BB gun, which relates back to the sign. In the movie, there is no real inspiration for the adult Ralph to look back on Christmas as a child. Nothing influences this and no action causes this.

Characterization

Like the point of view, the characterization in the short story and the film are relatively similar. Many of the characters are characterized in the movie and story through Ralphie's thoughts and narration as an adult as well as his interactions with them. Because most of the story and movie involve a flashback, the plot doesn't start at one definitive point in time. Because we are introduced to characters in the middle of things, characterization is different. I think that the short story characterizes the characters with great detail, but I think that the movie gives a viewer a better perspective on Ralphie, his family, and his experiences. Instead of just being described with words, the appearances and body language that the movie offers fully convey the personalities of the characters. All movies tend to emphasize action and drama, and I think the movie A Christmas Story does the same thing. Details and events from the short story are exaggerated in the film, creating a dramatic feeling which leads to humor for the viewers. For example, Ralphie's grade on his theme and the "you'll shoot your eye out" comment from his teacher are embellished in the movie much more than in the short story. (video above)

Setting

I think that the film adaption did a good job with sticking to the same settings that are in the short story. The only difference is that there are more settings in the movie than there are in the short story. Because Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid is fairly short, the movie adds more action to the plot to make it longer and to also create humor. COFEE SHOP For example, the chinese restaurant trip on the day of Christmas occurs just in the film adaptation. Also, the confrontations between Ralpie, his friends, and the two bullies on the way to and from school take place only in the movie. In the story and the film, most of the plot takes place at three main locations. The most important spots for the setting in both works are Ralphie's home, Ralphie's school, or the toystore in Ralphie's town. There may be multiple important settings in the story and the movie, but the setting never expands beyond Ralphie's hometown of Hammond, Indiana.

Theme

Both the story and the movie share the same theme. Even if the story and the film adaption have some small discrepancies and differences, the overall meaning of the story does not change. Like I stated in the previous blog regarding the short story, I think there are two key themes that are conveyed through these works. The two themes are unforgettable childhood memories and the joyous season of Christmas. Both of these create a happy and cheerful story for the reader or viewer to enjoy. They take me back to childhood memories from my own past and special Christmas celebrations spent with my family and my friends. Reading the short story as well as watching the movie make me count down the days until Christmas! I love the holidays, and these works revolving around the Christmas season make the season so much better :)

You're Ugly, Too

The plot of this short story is really slow and seems to drag out. The thing that really helps move the story along is the characters, the protagonist in particular. Zoe has many eccentricities that I don't like about her. For me, they make her less sympathetic as a character. However, her quirky sense of humor with her jokes, her situation as a single and middle aged woman, and her positive attitude through her struggles move the story along. The only action that ever takes place in the story is when Zoe is invited to go visit her sister's home in New York to go to a Halloween party. Even though Zoe's jokes carry the plot of the story, they are taken too far in the final scene of the story. When Earl, the recently divorced man that Zoe meets, makes a stab at her by saying "he shouldn't try to go out with career women" and that he would "do better with women who have part-time jobs", Zoe reacts in a rash and exaggerated manner. She shoves Earl from behind as he looks out over the balcony, and he backs away from her after being horrified. Zoe says that she is "just kidding", but I think this choice takes Zoe back to square one where she began. I feel bad for Zoe because she is alone and single, but I think that she does it to herself because of her eccentricities and strange behavior.

The Drunkard

Like Popular Mechanics, the plot of The Drunkard can be connected and tied to the experiences of the author. Growing up in Ireland, Frank O'Connor went through a similar experience during his childhood. Also, there is situational irony when the dad throws a fit when the son is drunk and making a scene. A shift and a role reversal takes place. The child acts like the adult in the situation, while the father acts like the child. There is also irony in the mother's reaction to her son's decisions made on the day of the funeral. She is happy and proud of her son for being his father's "guardian angel", even though her son is drunk and feels terrible. The mother saw his actions as taking the bullet for his father, because he knew his father's condition as an alcohol and his tendency to relapse. The father's explanation for why he drinks contains irony as well. He says that he feels embarrassed and ashamed after he has a drink, so he takes another to make himself forget. Why would he keep repeating himself and doing the same thing if it only makes him feel worse? Like the other two stories, irony is a key part that influences the overall effect and meaning of the work.

The Lottery

Similar to the story Popular Mechanics, The Lottery also has some irony incorporated through the plot and characters. When people usually hear the word "lottery", it has a positive connotation. However, in this situation, the lottery is the furthest thing from positive. Instead of longing to win and be chosen for the lottery, the lottery is avoided at all costs by the people in this situation. There is also irony in a certain character's opinions and beliefs regarding the lottery. Old Man Warner states that "there's always been a lottery" and that the village that is considering giving it up is a "pack of crazy fools". He thinks that not having a lottery would basically be uncivilized, but their tradition of stoning someone through the lottery is really uncivilized and barbaric. In addition to Old Man Warner, Mrs. Dunbar's behavior at the lottery shows irony. At first, Mrs. Dunbar is talking with Mrs. Hutchinson in a friendly manner. But as soon as Mrs. Hutchinson's name is picked for the lottery, Mrs. Dunbar quickly forgets their friendship and takes part in the ritual without even thinking twice about Mrs. Hutchinson. This shift in opinion and personality shows how the people turn on each other so quickly and easily.

Popular Mechanics

So does the child get ripped in half and die or what? I didn't like how the ending of the story just trailed off and left the reader guessing what happens. I think this short story is very ironic. The two spouses are fighting and are going through some serious turmoil, but I think that they are too focused on defeated and outscoring the other one. It's ironic that they stoop so low to fighting over their child. By doing this, they are showing their concern for themselves and self-absorption rather than concern for the well-being and happiness of the child. The parents both think that they deserve the child, but are careless while trying to get the child. I think the symbolism in the argument over the child shows the child as an object of victory and possession, rather than a human being. The circumstances of bad family life and relationships in this story can also be tied back to their author, who experienced the terror of divorce first hand during his life.

Red Ryder Nails The Hammond Kid

Plot

The plot of the story revolves around the sign "Disarm the Toy Industry" (page 473 & 475) that the main character sees. This sign makes Ralphie think back and reflect upon his childhood. The specific memory that is evoked from's Ralphie's past was a specific Christmas where all he wanted was a "Red Ryder BB gn with a special sight and a compass in the stock with a sundial" (page 486). The plot of the story moves pretty quickly from Ralphie's adult environment back to his experience as a child. The diction during the flashback is much different from the diction during the small portion of the story that is Ralphie's adulthood. The author's word choice during the beginning is more complex and modern because of the certain point in time and because of Ralphie's age. Sentences that show Ralphie's placement in time as well as his maturity include "...out-of-work seal trainers, borderline bookies, ex-Opera divas, and panhandlers trying hard to look like Madison Avenue account men just getting out of the cold for a few minutes" (page 473). Another example of maturity and knowledge embedded in the flashback is the sentence that contains "...my father had taken me and my brother out in the Graham-Paige to 'pick up a bottle of wine'" (page 489). This shows that Ralphie now knows that his father did this to hide the secret of Santa's existence from him. "Maybe that was it! My mind reeled with the realization that maybe Santa did know how rotten I had been..." (page 486). shows youth and innocence in the middle of the flashback. The progression of time during the flashback also goes by quickly. A month goes by in the flashback throughout only twenty pages.

Point of View

The story is told in first person point of view by the main character, known as Ralphie during his younger years. Ralphie gives the reader an inside view of a Christmas experience and memory from his past through the incorporation of a flashback. The context of the flashback contains both childish and innocent thoughts and word choice as well as mature and developed thoughts and word choice. Both sides of Ralphie, himself as a boy and himself as a man, are shown throughout the story. His child side is shown when all he can say while visiting Santa is "Uhh...ahhh..." and "yeah" (page 486). However, when Ralphie describes the time that he knocked out his basement window with a sled runner, he uses the phrase "...and then compounding the idiocy by denying it when all the evidence was incontrovertible". No child would speak with language that is that advanced. Also, In random spots during the flashback, the author staggers various present thoughts from the main character. While describing waiting in line to see Santa, Ralphie talks about a time when he is older. "I was well into my twenties before I finally have up on the Easter bunny,..." (page 484). The point of view is unique because it incorporates Ralph, or "Ralphie", as a whole by incorporating various parts of his life.

Setting

There are multiple settings in this story. The first setting is Ralph sitting and eating in an H & H at a table with an older lady. The beginning of the story takes place in Mahattan. The interaction and conversation between these two leads into the flashback of Ralph's particular Christmas during his childhood. The setting changes during Ralph's flashback. As he goes back in time, Ralph goes back to his hometown in Indiana. The settings during this flashback in Indiana get even more specific. These include Ralphie's house (i.e. "living room", "bedroom", "kitchen") <>, the school ("Warren G. Harding School") <>, and "Goldblatt's" <>, the toystore where Ralphie visits Santa. Even though the flashback and the present part of the story are in different parts of the country, they both take place during the Christmas and winter season. The setting is important because Ralph's environment and surroundings in Manhattan on that particular day bring him back to a similar environment in the past during his life.

Characterization

The author uses the method of indirect characterization in this short story. The characters through their actions and reactions to certain events. Characteristics of the main character, Ralphie, are also shown through Ralphie's interactions and conversations with other minor characters that surround him. Ralphie's inner thoughts that are stated in the text allow the reader to understand Ralphie's true characteristics and qualities. Ralphie's two different character forms, his adult life and his childhood, are both displayed through these inner thoughts incorporated in the story. For example, Ralphie is visiting Santa in the toystore during the flashback, but the author adds in a thought from Ralphie looking back on the experience from the present. He states, "Even now there are times when I'm not so sure about the stork" (page 484). These types of quotes show that Ralphie has grown up and now looks back on the memory. Another example of this during Ralphie's youth when the author adds the internal thought "(A lie)" in between the sentences "Even though Flick is getting one" and "I guess...I guess...I sure would like a Sandy Andy, I guess" (page 480). These quotes show how Ralphie was persistent about his dream of a BB gun. They show how clever and witty Ralphie was as a kid to get what he wanted for Christmas that year.

Theme

I think that there are a few themes that can be applied to this story. One theme that I thought of is the universal joy of Christmas and the timeless memories that come with it. Even as a man who has grown up, Ralphie still can call to mind "...another Christmas, in another time, in another place, and a gun" (page 475). In an instant, his mind can be taken back to a happy time during his life that revolved around the memory of Christmas. Another theme that could be applied to this story is the innocence of childhood. Throughout the flashback, Ralphie references the classic childhood experience Christmas. These include visiting Santa, wishing for that one particular gift that we can't live without, and buying and wrapping presents for our families. The two themes of unforgettable childhood memories and the joyful season of Christmas create an enjoyable and lighthearted story that makes me ready for Christmas :)

Eveline

I thought that the story of Eveline was somewhat ironic and sad. Since the author James Joyce is from Dublin, Ireland, I think that Eveline's story can be connected to the struggle that many women experienced in Ireland during the time of the author. Even though Eveline is not happy at home because she deals with her abusive dad, she still has trouble deciding whether or not to leave. Her lover Frank, a sailor, wants her to marry him and move with him to Buenos Aires. Frank has done everything for her and has treated her well, yet she gets cold feet at the dock when they get ready to leave for their new life. Even though good times with her father occured less than the bad times, Eveline cannot stop thinking about the positive memories of her father. Also, I think Eveline feels tied down to her home and to her father because of her promise to her mom before her death. Personally, I feel bad for Frank in this situation. He has done everything right in their relationship, but he ends up getting the short end of the stick when Eveline leaves him at the dock for Buenos Aires. I think that this story is about seeing the difference between recognizing the need for change and actually making it happen as well as the comfort and connection to one's home.

A Worn Path

This story really confused me, because I couldn't figure out the point. I was also confused about the main character, an old lady Phoenix Jackson. During our small group discussion today, we couldn't figure out if Phoenix was blind or if her eyesight was failing. We picked up on small details such as her cane "tapping on the earth", her wavering balance, and her hearing everything around her. We also discussed the relevence and importance of Phoenix's grandson in the story. We thought that he could maybe be dead and she could possibly be going insane. We had a theory that she went to get the pills for her grandson so that she could take them. We got the idea that she had some mental issues when she talked to the animals and the scarecrow on the way into town. However, we also thought that her grandson could really be alive and the story could be centered around dedication, sacrifice, and love. Even though Phoenix is old and faces her own problems, she sacrifices her time and puts her grandson's needs before her own. She is willing to make the long journey, steal a nickel, and buy a windmill all for her grandson.

Once Upon a Time

I thought that Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer was a fairytale story gone wrong. There are certain aspects of fairytales in this work such as the witch, the family that lived "happily ever after", and the perfect world in which they lived. However, the realization that the world is no longer a perfect bubble as the story continues and the twisted ending of the story turn this fairytale into a horror story. There are multiple themes conveyed in the short story such as happiness and perfection, segregation, and fantasy versus reality. The story also contains ironic situations in the end. As the family sees the threats around them, they begin to realize that their world isn't so perfect after all. They decide to isolate themselves from the others who are different than they are, which ties into the theme of segregation. The family tries so hard to protect themselves and their home, but that protection ultimately ends up killing their son. I also thought that the phrases "you have been warned" and "dragon's teeth" were both capitalized. I saw this as almost a foreshadowing of the barbed wire bringing tragedy a bad omen to the family.

Miss Brill

There are numerous themes that are conveyed throughout the work Miss Brill. These themes include lonliness, rejection, and reality versus fantasy and illusion. The main character of the short story, Miss Brill, conveys the theme of lonliness. Her fixed and monotonous routine each and every Sunday show how truly desperate she is for connection to people and for the company of others. When she goes and listens to the band play in the same spot each week, Miss Brill soon feels like she belongs. She feels like she is essential to this scene, which she soon sees as a play. This environment with others is something that she can reach out to in order to feel like she belongs. However, a new couple come and sit down by her and she listens to their conversation. While doing this, Miss Brill hears them make fun of her and becomes upset. She feels rejected by the one thing that she cherished the most, which ties in the theme of rejection and denial. She is extremely saddened after this occurs, but it created a desire for change within her. Miss Brill began to realize the difference between reality and fantasy that day. She didn't stop by the bakery like she usually did, and she put the old fur that she was wearing away in the box. I think this symbolizes a shift in Miss Brill's view on the world around her as well as a transformation of her self-image.

Irony

After studying all three of the works from this unit, I noticed that there were many ironic situations incorporated throughout the stories. The stories that I noticed the irony in the most were "Everyday Use" and "Hunters in the Snow". In "Everyday Use", Dee (known as Wangero), is trying to find and emphasize her heritage. She takes a new name, wears African style clothing, and wants to continue growing closer to her African past with the quilts that belong to her mother. Even though she is trying so hard to become in touch with her family's past, she is forgetting her roots and where she came from. She does not like her family's home or the traditions of the deep south African Americans. This is ironic because she seeks to be connected with and more like her ancestory, yet she denies her family, which is the essence of who she really is. In addition to the irony in Dee's life, all three characters in "Hunters in the Snow" are placed in ironic situations. All three men talk about how they are such good friends to each other at one point or another in the story, yet their actions don't show this. Frank and Kenny constantly make fun of Tub until Tub stands up for himself and wins Frank's respect in a confrontation. Also, Frank and Tub completely disregard Kenny after he is shot. Without think of the pain that Kenny is experiencing, they decide to stop to warm up and get food and coffee. As Kenny is dying in the bed of the truck, Tub is saying that he always supports his friends and has their backs. Irony is strategically placed in both of these stories and allows them to be even more effective.

Bartleby the Scrivener

The story of Bartleby the Scrivener is told from the point of view of the lawyer, who is looking back on his experiences with Barleby. When Bartleby is employed by the lawyer, he slowly begins to act strange compared to the other employees at the office. Even when Bartleby refuses to comply with his requests, the lawyer keeps him around just out of curiosity to find out more about him. When Bartleby simply does not listen and decides to quit, he still stays around the office. The lawyer is not bothered by this, until it starts to affect his business. Bartleby is arrested for continuing to stay in the office even after the lawyer moves his business. After visiting Bartleby in prison and later finding him dead, the lawyer finds out that Bartleby previously worked at the Dead Letter office. Throughout the course of this story, I noticed two themes. The themes that stood out to me were charity and selfishness. These themes were incorporated through the actions and motives of the narrator. He continues to give Bartleby chances and allows him to keep his job even when he continues to say "I would prefer not to" constantly. The lawyer also allows Bartleby to stay in the office even after Bartleby quits his job. However, the narrator is selfish because of his motives. He helps Bartleby to feel better about himself. As soon as Bartleby begins to negatively affect his business, the lawyer can no longer help Bartleby. He sees Bartleby as a burdon rather than a charity case. The narrator's view suddenly changes, and Bartleby is ultimately affected with the consequences.

Hunters in the Snow

I think this story is all about selfishness and self-absorption in the friendship of the characters. The three friends, Tub, Frank, and Kenny, all have issues in their personal lives or flaws that they have to deal with. Tub is overweight because of his eating habits, but blames it on "gland problems". Frank is considering leaving his wife for their family babysitter, who happens to be only fifteen years old. Lastly, Kenny just doesn't care about anything or anyone. This is shown when he nearly hits Tub with his car when he and Frank come to pick Tub up. The plot of this story is so important because it shows shifts in relationships and alliances within the group of three friends. At first, Tub is isolated by Kenny and Frank when they make fun of him and call him fat and dumb. Then, Kenny and Tub come together after Frank is shot when they share their personal problems with each other. They stop to warm up and grab coffee and a bite to eat while Frank is bleeding to death in the freezing cold outside. At the end of the story, the twist comes with the last two sentences. Frank and Tub took a "different" turn. Different and wrong have two completely different meanings when placed in that context, which mean that the two men driving didn't really care what happened to Kenny. The point of the whole story is to show the shift in friendships as well as the overpowering trait of selfishness that each of the three characters is guilty of possessing.

Everyday Use

This story is told in the point of view of "mama", the mother of Maggie and Dee. Although Maggie and Dee are sisters, they are foil characters throughout the entire story. While Maggie is shy, self-conscious, and close to her mother, Dee is outgoing, confident, and distant from the culture of the deep south. Dee embraces part of her heritage, but she also isolates herself from the other part. She takes a new name, Wangero, because she wants to identify with her African heritage and history. She avoids the deep south, where her family resides, and only visits them rarely. I also saw the mother in the story and Dee as foil characters. Dee has been given the opportunity to receive an education, which has ultimately distanced her from her background, true heritage, and family life. Mama never had the chance to receive an education because her school was shut down, and I noticed that her vocabulary and diction were at a lower level. She lives a simple, southern life and values her personal history as one of her main treasures. The quarrel over the quilts is a defining moment for these two sets of foil characters. Dee doesn't understand the true value of the quilts that were passed from generation to generation to tell the story of their ancestors. Mama sees the quilts as one of her most prized possesions, because the quilts are all she has left of her extended family from the past.

A Rose for Emily #2

After I read the story, I thought that I would have a better understanding about the title. Why did Faulkner choose a rose, of all flowers to give to Emily? When I think of roses, I think of happiness and love. However, Emily is portrayed as the complete opposite of this. She is alone in her house, secluded from the rest of the town. She is judged constantly by those around her, and she doesn't seem to be happy all by herself. I looked through the story twice and couldn't figure out why the author came up with the title. Is the rose a symbol for something possibly? I thought that maybe it had something to do with the fact that people felt sorry and had sympathy for her. Then I thought that maybe the rose had something to do with funeral flowers, because that is the only time that flowers were mentioned. I know the rose has to have some significance, but I just can't figure it out.

A Rose For Emily

The plot and structure of A Rose for Emily was extrememly important to the overall effect of the piece. The story is told from the point of view of some townspeople, which also adds to the tone of the work. The story is being told after Emily's death, so it is not in chronological order. It is looking back on the past events of Emily's life after the people have realized that she is dead. The fact that the story is split into five sections that jump from one point in time to another add suspense and mystery. Because the people from the town told the story, I was curious to see how different Emily really was compared to their opinions, thoughts, and rumors about her. If the story were told from Emily's point of view, the plot would have changed drastically. Emily seems very distant and isolated because of the point of view chosen by the author. The way the story is told out of order and the point of view without Emily's thoughts or feelings creates a huge climax that ends the story and leaves readers shocked.

Interpreter of Maladies

Interpreter of Maladies is all about the Das Family, Mrs. Das in particular, and Mr. Kapasi crossing paths during the Das family vacation to India. Although this short story deals with relationships like How I Met My Husband, the point of view of the two stories are different. This story is told in third-person limited point of view. Instead of revealing the thoughts and feelings of all characters this narrator only delves into the perception of Mr. Kapasi. When the Das family is separated from Mr. Kapasi in different parts of the story, the narrator stays with him. I think the plot of this story revolves around the progression of familiarity between the two most important characters, Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi. At first, Mrs. Das views Mr. Kapasi exclusively as an employee with little or no interest in him. As the story continues, Mrs. Das becomes intrigued by Mr. Kapasi's other job as a translator for a doctor. She starts to warm up to Mr. Kapasi when she offers him gum and puffed rice, asks for his address to send him a picture, and even confides in him with her biggest secret that she hasn't told anyone else. Because the action is seen in the eyes of Mr. Kapasi, I began to see how he misconstrued Mrs. Das's interest in his services as a translator as infatuation. Using his point of view, Mr. Kapasi makes the problem about himself. Because he is unhappy in his own marriage, he thinks that the best solution for both himself and Mr. Das is to be together. I came to understand his feelings about Mrs. Das when he described her in his thoughts and began to act differently around her.

"How I Met My Husband"

This short story is told in chronological order from Edie's point of view. She is looking back on her past, which gives the piece a nostalgic tone. The structure of the story revolves around the actions of two main characters, Edie and Chris Watters. Edie is the protagonist of the story, and Chris Watters is a pilot who shows up to give plane rides for a fee. Although the thoughts and feelings of Chris Watter are not expressed in depth or detail like those of Edie, I understood his importance to the plot. Edie's reactions to Chris Watters conveyed by thoughts and feelings in the story show how central Chris is to the overall plot. The point of view of this story is first person, told from the perspective of Edie. Edie's mind-set added into the story allowed me to feel sympathy for her in diffferent situations in the story. An example of this would be when she was worried about Chris telling Mrs. Peebles that he saw her dressed up. I felt anxious and worried for her because of the huge importance of her first job. Edie telling the story also shows a transition between the young and maturing Edie versus the now mature, experienced, and knowledgeable Edie. The point of view in which Edie looked at the experience from the past created a twist in the plot. I would have never guessed that she married the Carmichael mailman and not Chris Watter, but the whole point of the story was to show Edie's shift from Chris, immaturity, and infatuation to her current husband, maturity and true love.

"Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night"

Unlike many other poems that talk about the subject of death, this poem has a tone of resistance and defiance toward death. Many authors or speakers take an attitude of acceptance toward death, but this speaker has a completely different idea. Aging and death are seen in a very negative way in this poem. The tone of resistance is made clear by the repetition of two phrases throughout the entire poem. By repeating the message of raging against death and not going gently into the night, the author encourages people to fight death instead of give up and accept it. The structure, known as a villanelle, also plays a vital role in conveying the message and attitude of the speaker. In addition to the theme of approaching death, the poem is also about how different people live their lives. The auhor compares "wild men" to "good men" to "grave men" in the piece. The poem becomes personal to the speaker, because the father of the narrator is directly adressed in the final stanza. This made me think that maybe the speaker's father is close to death, and the speaker wants his father to put up a good fight before dying. Maybe the speaker feels so strongly about death because he is placed in a situation in which he and his family could possibly be greatly impacted by death as it approaches his father.

"Death be not Proud"

This poem written by John Donne is a direct address to death. Through the use of Donne's pronouns in the piece (thou, thee, and thy), one can infer that death is being personified. I viewed this almost as an argument poem, because the speaker sees death as insignificant and cowardly. Therefore, the tone of the poem is ridiculing or belittling toward the subject of death. In lines 7 and 8, the speaker talks about the difference between the body and the soul after death. The speakers states that the bones "rest" and the soul is "delivered". The speaker believes that even though the body is dead, the soul lives on after death. This conveys that the speaker may possibly have great faith or conviction in his or her religion. According to the speaker, death cannot have pride because humans don't really die because of eternal life or life after death. Other things in the world can create similar effects on a person like death, so death has no reason to feel strong or mighty. The example of the poppy given by the author adds to the condescending tone of the poem. The author ends the poem with a paradoxical phrase, "Death, thou shalt die". The statement is ironic because death cannot actually die.

"Lonely Hearts"

The structure and tone of this poem stood out to me as very important and effective. The first five stanzas reminded me of ads in the newspaper looking for responses. The tone of this poem is one of lonliness and longing for companionship and love in life. Each of the first five stanzas in this poem expresses a different person and his or her needs or desires in a partner or companion. It is almost as if the multiple speakers in the poem are soliciting love from others. The author repeats two phrases four times each during the poem, because the poem is in a villanelle structure or format. The two phrases repeated are "Do you live in North London? It it you?" and "Can you make my simple wish come true?". I think that these questions are repeated over and over again because they emphasize the tone of desire, longing, and lonliness. These phrases create sympathy for the lonely and needy speakers, which is an example of pathos used by the author. The last stanza of the poem gives an address for a response and asks three questions in the end.The speaker states, "who knows where it may lead once we've begun?". I think this shows that the speakers continue to have a positive attitude and perseverance. Therefore, I think that this last stanza gives a sense of hope and optimism for the future.

"Elegy for My Father Who is Not Dead"

This poem is about a father with very strong faith and conviction. However, his son, the speaker of the poem, can be viewed as somewhat of a pessimist or a doubter. Throughout the poem, the father and son and their attitudes juxtapose each other. The author's use of a metaphor and strong contrasts in the piece make the poem effective. The father has a positive attitude toward death and life after death, but the son has a negative attitude and perspective about what he thinks will happen. Like many other people, the son in the poem sees his father's view of death as a journey or trip into a new and different world. I see this as an extended metaphor that continues throughout the rest of the poem. At the end of the poem, when the son describes two conflicting scenes with a ship and a deck, there is a clear difference shown between the opinions and beliefs of the father versus those of his son. These lines that discuss the boat and deck setting basically reveal that the father believes in life after death and reuniting with God and his family once again, while the son is hesitant and uncertain about what occurs after death. I think that this poem, like two of the other poems from the past unit, utilize hope with different meanings. The father in the poem has hope that is defined as conviction without doubt. On the other hand, the son has hope that is defined as wishing without real expectations.

"The Apparation"

After reading this poem for the first time, I was really confused about what it meant. After the group discussion today, we figured out that the narrator of the poem is trying to persuade and seduce the woman in the poem. Because Donne incorporated the word "solicitation", I began to understand the relationship between the two people in the poem. My group also questioned whether the narrator is dead or living in the poem because of the reference to death and ghosts. As we read closer though, we began to comprehend that the reference to ghosts and death was all figurative language. The repetition of those two words or themes in the poem also allowed me to better understand the tone of the piece. The narrator in the poem shows great anger and frustration toward the woman, which creates a tone of haunting and vengeance. Basically, the speaker was trying to convince the woman that he would haunt her as a ghost in the future if she did not give him what he wanted. There is also a suspenseful side to the poem, because the speaker states "what I will say, I will not tell thee now, lest that preserve thee". If he told her what he would say or do, then she would be able to prepare herself. Lastly, the title of the poem adds to the overall tone, because apparition means a ghost or an invisible spirit.

"My Mistress's Eyes"

When I first read this poem, I thought that the speaker was just completely insulting his love. I thought that Shakespeare was basically calling her ugly through different physical features and comparisons. But after looking further into the meaning of the poem in discussion, I realized that Shakespeare made this poem a satirical piece. During this poem, he was making fun of all of the cliché compliments that men tell women who they are in love with. Through the comparisons of his love to other superior things, Shakespeare shows honesty in this poem. He is being a realist;therefore, he does not flatter his love with things he does not mean or compliments that simply aren't true. There is a transition or shift in the poem in lines thirteen and fourteen. Even though he realizes that his love is not perfect or anywhere close to perfect, he still considers her as "rare". Shakespeare basically states that his love is as beautiful as any of the other women who have been compared falsely. Shakespeare refuses to lie to his love, which is a quality that many women would appreciate greatly in a relationship.

"Crossing the Bar"

This poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is all about how the speaker wants to die when his time comes. The speaker uses the metaphor of seeing death as a journey or a voyage out to sea. The author makes the attitude of the speaker toward death known through the metaphor of the journey, which extends throughout the entire poem. The speaker realizes that each person is given a certain amount of time on earth, and he or she believes that God knows when time is up. The second line states "and one clear call for me", and this line implies that the speaker will understand when it is his or her time and will accept it. In the second stanza, the speaker wants the tide that he takes to "seem asleep" with "no sound and foam". From these lines, the speaker in the poem clearly wants to die a peaceful and calm death. In the third stanza, the speaker describes how he wants others to react after he passes away. He doesn't want "sadness of farewell" when he takes his journey, so he wants people to celebrate his life and look at the positive. The last stanza of the poem incorporates the faith of the speaker. When the speaker says that he or she hopes to "see his Pilot face to face", the reader can infer that this is an symbol for God, especially since the word "Pilot" is capitalized. The meaning and connotation of the word "Pilot" is also significant. When people think of a pilot, they usually think of someone that they trust to guide them and lead them to a final point or destination. The speaker definitely believes in everlasting life or life after death as well as reuniting with God in peace and happiness.

"Letting Go"

This poem is all about a married couple who are dealing with the trials and tribulations of a divorce. The author employs similes that describe the relationship of the couple and irony that describes the couple's end. The author compares the couple to "inmates". When I think of this word with a negative connotation, I think of a prison. This made me think that the couple felt trapped in their marriage. Also, I thought that this could be interpreted as possible violence because it is followed by the phrase "beat the walls". The other simile occurs in the second stanza of the poem. The author speaks of the behavior of the couple as "heaving words like furniture". This statement also brings about the idea of violence and high levels of anger and frustration within the couple's time together. Even though the majority of the poem talks about the dissension between the two spouses and why it was best for them to separate, the end of the poem focuses on the positive note and happy days of the relationship. The only detail of the marriage before it collapsed, the matching hair and eyes, is in this last stanza. This stanza is where the irony of the poem comes. Even though the couple knew it was best that they separated, they cried on the final day before their divorce. As they parted, they held on tight to each other and then let go. This is ironic because the two spouses were so unhappy, yet wanted to hold on as they went their own ways.

"next to of course god america i"

When I first read this poem, I didn't like E.E. Cumming's punctuation styles and methods. There are only two words that are capitalized in the entire poem, but they are outside of the quotation marks in the piece. This was very strange for me because the title of the poem was not even capitalized. Words that are emphasized with respect such as God and America are not even capitalized in the poem. Overall, I wasn't a fan of the lack of punctuation and capitalization of Cummings. Although I didn't like Cumming's writing style and format, I did appreciate the meaning of the poem. I liked how the author incorporated allusions to two famous patriotic songs, The Star Spangled Banner and My Country 'Tis of Thee. I liked the fact that the author basically called out people who say things just to say them but don't actually mean what they say. I saw this poem as criticizing a politician who is giving a speech. The idea of a glass of water at the end of a rapid speech just reminded me of a debate atmosphere or setting. Also, politicians are known for saying what people want to hear and saying what sounds good, so I think this poem was a satirical piece emphasizing the practices and methods of politicians in society today.

"Sorting Laundry"

Through a metaphor of daily routine and daily life, the author describes her feelings for her lover. The author's relationship with her lover is very precious and important to her. When the author says that she wants to fold her lover into her life, the reader becomes aware of how deep her appreciation and passion is for relationship. The author incorporates small parts of a household such as pillow cases, sheets, and towels and gives them significant meaning when those items belong to two people in love. The woman in the poem seems so happy, delighted, and captivated by the joy she gets from the little things in life. However, there is a change in tone in stanza fourteen. The speaker of the poem brings up a "strangely tailored shirt left by a former lover". The author then trails off after this statement, so this format and change in punctuation stood out to me. The woman in the poem then talks about how even her daily life would change drastically if her lover left her. The imagery given about the mountain of unsorted wash not being able to fill the empty side of the bed showed how alone the woman would feel without her lover. That picture presented by the author shows that the woman's life without her relationship with her lover would be meaningless. An unfixable void would take the place of her happiness and love. I liked the fact that this poem showed how the simple things in life can make us happy and give meaning to our lives.

"APO 96225"

I think the title of this poem could be considered an allusion. APO 96225 was an address of one of the most important bases in the Vietnam War. This allows the reader to better understand the context and setting of the poem. Along with the title, I also thought that the form or pattern of the poem was extremely important. The way that the author separates the stanzas shows the progression of the depth and truth of the son's letters to his mother. At first, the son is very brief and chooses not to reveal any gorry details of the war. As the poem goes on and the parents of the soldier beg and beg for more information, the son finally cracks and gives his parents vivid and graphic descriptions of his daily activities. The next stanza is the dad's response to the son telling the truth. This part of the poem is ironic because the parents continue to ask the son for more information, but when he is blunt and to the point they don't want to hear about it anymore. His parents change their mind because they cannot handle the depression and sadness of the war, so the son goes back to talking about the weather. I think this poem symbolizes the distance of the soldiers who actually experience the reality of the war and those back at home who know little or nothing about what war is really like.

"Barbie Doll"

This poem was very ironic, and a remorseful and reproachful attitude and tone are conveyed by the poet. The title of the poem itself shows how ironic the piece is. This girl "with a great big nose and fat legs" was stereotyped by others around her. Everyone looked past her positive traits, and they always emphasized the negative attributes of her. The poem shows remorse and sadness as its tone because of the setting of a funeral in the final stanza of the poem. Marge Piercy incorporates even more irony throughout the poem by calling the girl pretty and describing a happy ending when she was dead. The major use of irony in this poem shows that the poet is trying to criticize society's idea of a stereotypical girl. The world today expects so much from women, but, in reality, women are different from barbie dolls. We cannot be perfect, because we all have our weaknesses and flaws. The barbie doll in the title is an inanimate object without thoughts and feelings, but the girl in the poem is a human being with a desire to be accepted for who she is. The title chosen for the poem and the way the author portrayed the progression of the girl's life created the effective tone of the piece.

"Pink Dog"

This poem by Elizabeth Bishop is both satirical and criticizing. The poet begins with an address to a dog by using an apostrophe. The poet, with the eyes and viewpoint of society, looks down upon the dog and sounds very condescending. By doing this, the poet conveys that society treats the dog as an outcast because he is different from everyone else. The people of society stopped and stared at the dog because he didn't meet their standards. Bishop then compares the treatment of the dog in the poem to the treatment of the beggars. The society described in the poem makes a huge joke out of the poor, so the poet is concerned about what they will think about the dog and how they will react to his presence. By making a connection between a dog and the poor, Bishop turns a fictional problem into a nonfictional problem that can be applied to Rio de Janeiro, where the poet is from. Bishop attempts to give the dog advice in the piece. She recommends that he change himself in order to fit in or conform to society. The poet's image of the hairless dog allows the reader to understand how narrow-minded society can be. The people in this poem are conveyed as superficial, and the poet emphasizes this social issue that she thinks needs more attention.

"February"

In this poem, Margaret Atwood places emphasis on her cat immediately from the beginning. She then jumps to the actions of other cats, which she describes in a very negative manner. She blames cats' behavior for ultimately "finishing us off in the long run". By saying this, the poet begins to equate cat behavior and human behavior. Atwood then goes on to say that human love and relationships are what we have to blame for reproduction. From the title of this poem, the reader knows that these thoughts and feelings from the poet are all taking place in the month of February. When Atwood describes the month of February as "the month of despair", she adds irony to the piece. When people think of February, many come up with happy thoughts of love and, most importantly, Valentine's Day. Instead of looking for love, the author of this poem is looking for some "french fries with a splash of vinegar". Although the tone of this poem seems depressing up to this point, the author changes her mindset in the end. Through advice given to the cat, the author indirectly advises herself to search for the positives and happiness in life. She has a new desire for "spring", or new beginnings.

"Bright Star"

In this poem, John Keats expresses the positives and negatives of being a star. Keats likes the fact that the star is unchanging, constant, and can always see what is going on below it. Also, he thinks that seeing all of the beauty of the earth from a panoramic view would be enjoyable. Although this is true, Keats does not think that being alone and living a life of solitude like a star would be something that he would long for. He doesn't like the idea of being distant from others, especially his lover. In the end of the poem, Keats poses a question, both for himself and for the reader to think about. Would you rather live forever, or would you rather experience love and die when love is at its peak? I really like the fact that Keats would choose a short amount of time with love in his life rather than all of the time he could ever ask for without those feelings or experiences. It shows how passionate Keats is about love. I also liked this poem because it makes me think of life in a whole new way. Keats helped me understand that life may be short with many ups, downs, positives, and negatives, but the relationships and memories created and built during that time make the journey worth it.

"I taste a liquor never brewed" #8

The tone that is conveyed in this poem is exhilaration, elation, and lighthearted. From the very beginning of this poem, Emily Dickinson establishes these feelings toward earth and nature, but uses drunkness and intoxication to do so. Dickonson compares the "liquor" that she is experiencing to the value of a pearl,which is very precious. She describes the "liquor" as better than the wine of the Rhine, which is a very respectable wine. The "liquor" that Dickinson is referring to is a metaphor of the beauty of nature. The reader begins to realize this in the beginning of the second stanza. Dickinson states that she is "inebriate of air" and "debauchee of dew". Through these phrases that are combinations of nature and drunkness, the reader can infer that Dickinson has a great appreciation for nature. By finishing stanza three with the phrase "I shall but drink the more", Dickinson shows the reader that this tone or attitude toward nature will exist for a long time. The tone of this poem is achieved through Dickinson's figurative language and powerful imagery.

"Dreams Deferred" #11

Throughout this entire poem, Langston Hughes uses figurative language to get his point across to the reader. There are five similes and one metaphor used in this poem. When a dream is compared to a raisin in the sun, the author means to say that the opportunity for action is now. The dream is then compared to a sore that festers, meaning that it could spread profusely among people if shared with others. The third simile, that compares a dream to rotten meat, symbolizes the fact that dreams that are not taken into action can leave a person with a feeling of unforgettable regret. Next, the author compares a dream to a syrupy sweet. In this simile, the author is implying that deferred dreams can cause people to sugar coated their circumstances, which would result in no change or action. In the final simile, the dream is equated with a heavy load. I think the author is trying to say that a dream left inside of one's head can weigh a person down or inhibit them from reaching their full potential. The only metaphor used in this poem is separated from the rest of the piece. It is italicized, and therefore stands out as the stressed point of the poem. In this metaphor, the dream actually explodes. This has a very negative connotation, especially after learning about the background of the poet. The figurative language in this poem convey's the writer's attitude toward dreams. Through his combination of similes and metaphors, he calls the reader to action so their dreams can become reality instead of becoming deferred.

"Those Winter Sundays"

After studying the collection of eigth poems, I thought that this poem was one of the easiest ones to understand. I really liked this poem because of the nostalgic point of view of the speaker looking back on his or her past experiences. I could relate to the regretful and ashamed tone of the poem, because I have been in situations that are similar to the speaker's situation numerous times in my life. I also liked the fact that there could be more than one interpretation of this poem. When I initially read this poem by myself, I took it very literally. I saw no symbolism or deeper meaning. But when my small group discussed the poem in class, one member of my group thought that the father in the poem represented God and the son or daughter represented all of God's children on earth. I thought it was very interesting that there could be two completely different opinions about the meaning of the work. I'm not positive which one is correct or if either of them are correct, but I loved the universal message behind both interpretations. I liked how the poem gave the advice or the message to be thankful, grateful, and appreciative of the many things that others do for us.

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" #15

After reading this poem a few times by myself, I was very confused about what was going on in it. When I went back through the poem and looked for patterns that stood out to me, I saw that there were sound repetitions incorporated in the work. This occurs three times in three different stanzas of this poem by Dickinson. In the first stanza, the word "treading" is repeated back to back. Following that, in the second stanza, the word "beating" is also repeated twice right next to each other. Finally, in the last stanza, the word "down" is used twice in the same line. Because these terms were used more than once, I realized that they were supposed to be emphasized and had further meaning. After reading the poem again in class with my small group, I realized that the poem should not be taken literally, and those repeated phrases started to make more sense. My group came up with the idea that the speaker was talking about his or her progression from reality and sanity to madness and insanity. All three of the repeated words collectively make me think of a huge weight on someone's shoulders. "Treading", "beating", and "down" make me picture someone losing a fight to some burden, problem, or issue in his or her life that they can no longer control. These significant examples of sound repetition helped me as a reader better understand what occurs in the poem. For my interpretation, they served almost like context clues by helping me fill in the blanks for what I didn't understand.

"The Convergence of the Twain" #6

I think that the central purpose of "The Convergence of the Twain" is to point out and ridicule human vanity and human glory. I think that Hardy understood that the sinking of the Titanic was a serious accident, but I don't think that is the main focus of his poem. Many people who read this poem probably thought Hardy was looking back and reflecting on the tragedy of the Titanic, but there is a deeper meaning than that. He does not go into depth or detail about the deaths of passengers on the boat, about the moment that the ship and the iceberg collided, or about the actual destruction and sinking of the boat. Hardy's main focus is on the luxury and elegance of the boat. In the fifth stanza, the fish that are near and that are looking at the boat ask "What does this vaingloriousness down here?". Of all the things that the fish could have noticed and said, Hardy chose for them to ask question why the boat was the way it was. In addition to the fish, Hardy also brings attention to "the Pride of Life" that planned and created the boat. Hardy's main point of this poem is to criticize human desire for pride, material things, and invincibility.

"The Widow's Lament in Springtime" #8

When I first read this poem, the tone was one thing that stood out to me from the very beginning. The tone of this poem by Williams is grief, anxiety, and entrapment. This tone is achieved throughout the piece through Williams' diction and repetition. The wife in the poem who is grieving for her husband shows her emotions by using words such as "sorrow" and "cold fire". She implies that she is trapped in her grief and other mixed emotions when she states that the cold fire "closes round me this year". Also, telling how long she had been with her husband (thirty five years) added to the tone because it made the longing for the past that much stronger. Lastly, her desire of "falling into the flowers" and "sinking into the marsh near them" can be linked to death as her only option to get away from her negative emotions. The repetition used in this poem plays a key role in contributing to the tone. The phrase "masses of flowers" is used in the twice right next to each other. This repetition emphasizes the amount of flowers present in the spring. After focusing on this, Williams then compares the widow's grief to the masses of flowers. Her grief is said to be stronger than the number of flowers, which makes the tone of the poem so much more effective. The second word that is repeated in the poem is "today". I think the purpose of this use of repetition is to compare the widow's reactions to and feelings toward spring now and in the past. "Today", the widow has no appreciation for spring. In the past, parts of spring were her "joy formerly". The tone of anxiety and grief in Williams' poem is made clear through both rhetorical strategies of repetition and diction.

"Spring" #9

I think that Hopkins' diction is a very important component of his poem. His diction serves two main purposes in this poem. First, Hopkins' diction paints a picture of the beauty of spring and why he appreciates the season so much. He conveys what goes on during spring, including the activities of plants and animals. Hopkins expresses his love for spring by calling it "beautiful"and comparing it to "juice" and "joy". He also describes the weeds as "long and lovely and lush". In addition, Hopkins conveys how pleasant spring sounds by describing the song of the birds and the enthusiasm of the people who hear that song. Second, Hopkins' diction suggests that he is from a strong Christian background through his references to holy figures and his symbolism. He talks about "Christ, lord" as well as the "Eden Garden", which are very strong and apparent allusion to religion. I think that the lamb mentioned in the poem is a symbol and stands for the Lamb of God, or Christ. Lastly, I think that this poem not only expresses love for spring, but also appreciation for new life, new starts, and renewal.

Perrine Poetry Blog

Before reading this essay, I had the typical view of poetry analysis. I thought that poetry means whatever you as an individual want it to mean (within reason), so different types of people could potentially see different meanings for the same poem. While reading the beginning of this essay, I had the impression that Perrine was narrow-minded in his methods to poetry interpretation. His chosen diction (critical commonplace and critical heresy) in the second paragraph may cause readers to take offense. But after reading Perrine's essay, I now understand poetry and its meanings in a new way. One of Perrine's ideas that struck me and opened up my mind was his opinion on symbols. Perrine states that "the cone of light is the area of meaning". This metaphor and vidual picture definitely made sense to me. It showed me that there may be multiple interpretations of an idea, but some interpretations are more correct and closer to the point of the cone than others. I think that this view of literary analysis can allow me to be less intimidated by poetry units this year in class.
Although there were multiple methods of ideas introduced by Perrine that I agreed with and liked, there were a few strategies and concepts in his piece that I did not agree with. The one idea that bothered me the most and stood out to me was his criteria used for judging an interpretation of a poem. I hated the fact that two answers can be correct. What also irritates me is that one answer is more correct than the other. If they are both correct in some way, then how can one be superior to another. That concept is really hard for me to grasp, understand, and apply. If poetry is going to be this way, as well as other tests, how can I learn to tell which interpretation or answer is more correct? I don't recall Perrine going into depth or explanation of how to do this. If our class is going to be working with poetry for the remainder of the first quarter, than I want to be able to better understand and utlilize this concept that Perrine introduces in his essay.

The Sun Also Rises: LAST BLOG

Before I even started reading this book, I was worried that I wouldn't like it or take anything away from it because of the things I heard about it, especially the things I heard about the author. Until I did some research and started looking for answers, I never knew that Hemingway was a World War I veteran. That alone changed some things for me. Instead of looking at him as a distant author not connected to his story, I viewed him as I viewed Tim O'Brien. I saw pieces of Hemingway incorporated in the book even though he was not a character. As I was reading something about Ernest Hemingway, I learned that he was seriously injured and wounded in Italy. Then I put the pieces together and thought that maybe the character Jake Barnes was a representation of himself. The both had things in common such as their involvement in WWI and their battle wounds. I got to thinking about it and wondered if maybe this story was Hemingway's outlet and way of expressing how he dealt with the postwar world. Maybe he wanted his unhappiness off of his chest but in an indirect way. Maybe this was him reaching out for help with his problems. I guess we'll never know now because he has passed away, but I thought it was interesting how Hemingway put a little bit of himself in a character.

The Sun Also Rises: Quote

"You're really about the best friend I have, Jake."

After Cohn and Barnes got into a little fight, this quote was said by Cohn. I feel bad for Cohn, because I know that Barnes definitely doesn't feel the same way. For the most part, I feel like their friendship is superficial and fake. Like I mentioned before in one of my blogs, Cohn never really fit in with the crowd that Barnes hung out with. I never really understood how the two started hanging out together in the first place. Like Cohn and Barnes, I think that there are also other false relationships in this book. For example, Montoya takes care of Barnes because he is a great and enthusiastic fan of bullfighting. At first Barnes returns respect and loyalty to Montoya, but I think in the end he betrays Montoya when he helps Brett be with Pedro Romero. Montoya tried to keep Pedro with his people and away from outside influence, and Jake completely messed that up when he introduced Brett to Pedro Romero. I think that many people in this book all needed to learn how to be a better friend.

The Sun Also Rises: Quote

"You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another."

I think this is a very powerful quote. These words are said by Jake to Cohn when Cohn is trying to get Jake to go with him to South America. Cohn obviously isn't happy at this time in his life, but I don't think it's because he is in Paris. Apparently, Jake and I think the same thing. I think Jake's void in life and habit of going through the motions can be attributed to his experience in the war. I think it also has something to do with his crazy social life and drinking habits. Cohn most likely thought that he could escape the real world and walk away from his existing problems by moving locations. However, I think that when he and his crew travel there are actually more problems created. The bottom line is that Robert Cohn thought he could step away from reality, but Jake set him straight and made him realize that one has to face reality wherever they are.

The Sun Also Rises: Quote

"Oh, Jake," Brett said, "we could have had such a damned good time together."
"Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?"

I liked this quote on the last page of the book really made me think. I tried to apply the quote to my own life, and I came up with something. I feel like many people, including myself, let many opportunities and experiences pass by. This leaves them pondering the unknown with a feeling of regret. I think a lesson that I learned from this story is to take all of the chances that I can in life and to not be passive. I realize that everyone says this and it's such a chiche, but life goes by so quickly. I don't want to be like Brett and Jake asking what if questions about my life. When I look back, I want to know that I made decisions that helped me get to where I will be.

The Sun Also Rises: Montoya

I really liked the character Montoya. He was no doubt a very avid fan of bullfighting. I loved the fact that Montoya was so genuine and really cared about the sport of bullfighting. He knew bullfighting very well, and I loved how he was so dedicated to the one thing that he was really passionate about. I also liked how Montoya was a loyal and true friend to Jake because Jake was also an aficionado. He looked out for Jake and made sure he was taken care of. In addition to being there for Jake, Montoya also looked out for Pedro Romero. He was a father-like figure for Pedro. Montoya sheltered Pedro Romero from fame and any form of media from that time. Montoya did his best to keep Pedro Romero close to his people and always had Pedro Romero's best interest in mind. I like Montoya because he put others before himself.

The Sun Also Rises: Reaction to the book

Going into this book from The Things They Carried, I thought this book would talk more about the war. The Sun Also Rises didn't even have any part of the war in it. I felt like it was just all about following the social life of a war veteran. I don't really see how this book got great reviews and is viewed as a masterpiece. I don't see anything powerful about it, and I don't understand how it helped make Hemingway one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. I definitely thought that Tim O'Brien's story was more inspirational. I really wasn't able to connect to any characters or parts of the plot in The Sun Also Rises, but I felt like I went through some of the same problems and emotions as the people in The Things They Carried. I think that maybe the time period difference between the two books had some impact on the way I feel. I usually prefer books that are set in modern times. The Things They Carried is set closer to present day than The Sun Also Rises is. I guess I just expected this book to be better than it was because of how prestigious and well-known Hemingway is.

The Sun Also Rises: Conclusion

So, I finally finished this book, and I don't really understand the conclusion. I'm not even sure you could say that there really was a conclusion. I feel like Hemingway just leaves the reader at a random point. I hate books and movies like that. Nothing irritates me more than not knowing and having a cliffhanger ending. Does Brett end up being with Jake after all? Or does she end up going back to Mike? Would he even be willing to take her back? I still have unanswered questions about what really happens in the end with all of the characters. I don't know if Hemingway does this on purpose, but it makes me really mad. I liked the other book way better, because it actually ended at a definite point. There was no confusion and no questions asked.

"Isn't it pretty to think so?" THE END.....?

The Sun Also Rises: Situational Irony

When Brett's fiance Mike finds out that Brett had an affair with Robert Cohn, he was angry and upset to say the least. After he heard the news, he would go out, party, and drink excessively. Mike would get pretty drunk, and then he would say things to Cohn that made him feel uncomfortable and discriminated against. One night, things escalated and a fight began between the two men. Even though Cohn was antagonizing Mike about the affair, Cohn didn't even think to put any of the blame on Brett. Even though it was Brett who invited Cohn to go to San Sebastian, Mike doesn't really take much of his anger out on Brett. I thought Mike's reaction would be completely different because Brett's actions really caused the problem in the first place. The whole affair could have been avoided if Brett wouldn't have invited Cohn to travel with her. I think this could be classified as situational irony because I expected Mike to be extremely upset with Brett and call the marriage off right away. What actually happened was completely different from what would be appropriate to happen.

"I'm not clever. But I do know when I'm not wanted. Why don't you see when you're not wanted, Cohn? Go away. Go away, for God's sake. Take that sad Jewish face away." -Mike

The Sun Also Rises: First Person Point of View

When I first starting reading The Sun Also Rises, I was confused about many things. But one of the biggest things that I struggled with was figuring out who the narrator was. Even though the first chapter is short, it wasn't until the end of that chapter that I figured out who the narrator was. I had to look at the conversation between Cohn and the unidentified character at the time in the cafe. When Robert Cohn said, "good-night Jake", I realized that Jake was telling the story. The Sun Also Rises is told from first person point of view. As I've been reading this second book, I have tried to compare different aspects of it to the first book I read, The Things They Carried. Even though the style of the two authors of these different novels couldn't be more different, the point of view from which the writer actually tells the story are the same. I just thought it was interesting that the two stories are extremely different, but their narration style is exactly alike.

The Sun Also Rises: Theme

Throughout the course of the entire book, all of the main characters are involved in a crazy love triangle. Jake loves Brett and Brett loves Jake. But Brett won't be with Jake. Robert loves Brett, but Brett doesn't love him back. Brett also loves Pedro Romero, but then she decides that she can't be with him. There are so many connections and relationships in this book that just don't work out. A theme in this novel is sex creating only problems for people. For example, Cohn and Brett's relationship upset both Mike and Jake. After Cohn and Brett had an affair, Jake and Mike became jealous. Jake mostly kept his feelings to himself, but Mike became so annoyed and irritated in the end that he started a fight with Cohn. Lastly, Jake's war injury that prevented him from having sex was the reason that Brett wouldn't be with him. Overall, sex in the novel only added to the disfunction in the characters' lives.

The Sun Also Rises: Stereotype

From reading about The Sun Also Rises on the sparknotes website, I learned more about the time in which the story took place. I found out that the time period in which the characters lived was called the Lost Generation. The Lost Generation began after World War I when people lost direction in life after experiencing such a difficult and scarring chapter in their lives. Hemingway incorporates the stereotype of people living life during the Lost Generation in The Sun Also Rises through many of his characters, especially those who were war veterans. The main character and protagonist of the novel as well as many of his friends fall under the category of this stereotype in the novel. These people seem to be going through the motions in life. They have no real goals that will lead them anywhere and no set priorities that will better their futures. What used to be important to them is now no longer significant to them. I think Hemingway does a pretty good job of tying this fixed idea of the way people were during that time into the plot of his story.

The Sun Also Rises: Motif

Wherever the characters are and whatever they are doing, drinking always comes up and becomes a part of their plans. These people literally drink everywhere. Most of the people that Jake hangs around with and associates with are alcoholics. When this group of friends goes out, there tends to be a recurring situation that occurs. Alcohol can bring out the worst in people, and the characters in this book are examples of this statement. When they are drunk, they tend to get in fights with each other and say things that shouldn't be said. At first, I never really understood why they continued to participate in these crazy nights if they only ended in chaos and arguments. But after thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that these characters were happier with alcohol. After going through a terrible war and living during the Lost Generation, characters who were affected by it, especially Barnes, could take time away from the real world while being drunk. Alcohol was a way to escape their problems, so Hemingway incorporated it as a motif in the novel.

"Do you think you amount to something, Cohn? Do you think you belong here among us? People who are out to have a good time? For God's sake don't be so noisy, Cohn!" -Mike

The Sun Also Rises: Jake Barnes

During the entire novel, I felt bad for Jake Barnes. Like many of the people that he socialized with, he struggled with self-motivation and life purpose. He went through a difficult war, and it impacted every aspect of his life and his future. His injuries from the war alone even destroyed his chances of being with the one woman that he loved. Even though he knew that he had no chance of ever being with Brett because she was not willing to make sacrifices, Jake stuck around in Brett's life and let himself suffer. He watched the woman that he loved become infatuated with a number of other men. I think that Jake was a very strong person because even through all of these tough times, he was still there for Brett when she needed him the most. Even when Brett went to Jake for help when she knew she could, Jake never let her down. I think Jake is really a good person with good intentions, but he constantly battles issues from his past that hold him back from his true potential.

"LADY ASHLEY HOTEL MONTANA MADRID ARRIVING SUD EXPRESS TOMORROW LOVE JAKE"

The Sun Also Rises: Robert Cohn

When Cohn was made fun of by Barnes and all of his friends, I felt sympathy for him. But after he fights Barnes, Mike, and Pedro Romero, I started to dislike him. I am not a huge fan of the way Robert Cohn worries too much about what people think about him and how people discriminate against him. I don't agree with the fact that people discriminate against him, but I think that he could react in a much better manner. Also, I think Cohn tries too hard to be accepted by the crowd of people that Jake hangs around with. I would think that Cohn could take a hint that he isn't really wanted and doesn't really fit in with the rest of the group. I understand that he was in love with Brett and could be upset by her ignoring him after they went away together and had an affair, but he doesn't handle the situation very well. Cohn uses his affair with Brett against Mike because that is the one thing that he has that can upset Mike. Cohn then expects everyone to forgive him immediately after he seriously hurt them. When that doesn't work out, he takes the easy way out and leaves with his problems unsolved.

"I'm going away in the morning." -Cohn

The Sun Also Rises: Foil Characters

From the time that Pedro Romero came into the story, I really liked his character. He is motivated and enthusiastic about bullfighting. Pedro Romero is passionate about what he does, and he is a very hard and determined worker. As soon as his character showed up in the plot, I immediately thought that he was a foil character to Jake Barnes and all of his crazy friends. While Pedro Romero is dedicated to his bullfighting, Barnes and his party crew live lives of corrupt chaos. Romero is someone who can be viewed as a role model with high standards and expectations for himself. He expects nothing but the best from himself, while others from his time were willing to settle for less. I think Pedro Romero is a noble and honorable character in a time that it was very difficult to be able to accomplish something like that.

The Sun Also Rises: Mike Campbell

From the time that Mike was introduced into the story, I never really liked him. I feel like Mike just goes through life aimlessly with no purpose or motivation. Being a drunk and a bankrupt, I think the only thing that Mike has to look forward to is marrying Lady Brett Ashley. But then his hope is somewhat crushed when he finds out that Brett had an affair with Robert Cohn. I would be extremely upset if I found out that my fiance was with someone else, but Mike did not handle it very well at all. Instead of dealing with the issue in a mature manner, Mike went out and drank even more than he already did before he found out the bad news. He also didn't approach Cohn in an appropriate way. Instead, he made fun of Cohn in public in front of all of their friends and was completely immature. I think it's not very smart of Mike to make it such a huge priority to get even with Cohn, but not even make Brett take any responsibility for her part in the affair when it was probably her idea in the first place. I think that Mike would be a lot better off if he was willing to make some serious changes in his life.

The Sun Also Rises: Lady Brett Ashley

Throughout the entire book, Lady Brett Ashley has proven herself to be a very independent yet selfish woman. There are parts about her character that I like, and there are parts about her that I can't stand. I love the fact that she is so independent and does her own thing. She isn't concerned with how others view her or with what others think about her lifestyle. However, I don't like how Brett isn't up front with herself and her feelings. I hate how she is obviously in love with Jake Barnes but won't let herself have a relationship with him because of his war injury. She takes the easy way out by having affairs with numerous men. You can't get much more selfish than that. Overall, I think Lady Brett Ashley's priorities are not in order. But she is not the only character in this book with this problem, because that was the case with many people during the time period in which Brett lived.

The Sun Also Rises:Style

I have about 100 pages left in this book, but I've noticed that Hemingway has a particular way of writing. After reading Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, Hemingway's style is extremely different and somewhat hard to adjust to for me. Throughout his writing, Hemingway uses short and simple sentences most of the time. O'Brien, on the other hand, uses long and descriptive sentences. Even though they both write about the similar topic of war, their methods of doing so couldn't be any different. Personally, I prefer O'Brien's style to Hemingway's style. There were few, if any, points in O'Brien's novel where I misunderstood something that happened or was confused. However, with The Sun Also Rises, I have been confused trying to follow the characters since the very beginning of the book. I feel like O'Brien was so much more straight forward and got to the point in his story, while Hemingway gives every unimportant detail in a monotomous manner. Even though I like O'Brien's style better, I'm hoping that this book gets a little better at the end and that I will understand everything about it in the end.

The Sun Also Rises: Stream of Consciousness-Page 102

As Jake Barnes reminisces about his time in Spain, he gives the reader a view of how his mind works. Hemingway incorporates a stream of consciousness in his character Jake that shows how chaotic Jake's inner thoughts are. I think that this stream of consciousness helps readers realize, if they already had not before, how confusing and disordered Jake's life really is. I've been confused about Jake and the plot of the story since the beginning of the book, but now I somewhat understand. Being a veteran of war, Jake went through an experience that no one who hasn't experienced war can understand. Like Tim O'Brien in his book The Things They Carried, Jake had to go through the transition of war to peace. However, I think that Jake and Tim O'Brien dealt with the change very differently. While O'Brien went through the transition with ease, Jake Barnes has struggled with his battle wounds, which I think are not only physical but also mental. War is such a powerful thing that can create havoc in a person's life, and I think that Jake Barnes is an example of this. Reading about Jake's crazy friends and drinking habits as well as this incorporated stream of consciousness, I have a better understanding about Jake's life and the reason why he is the way he is.

"That has nothing to do with the story. Anyway,..."

The Sun Also Rises: Page 27-Vernacular

So far for me, this book has been really confusing. I feel like Hemingway's style of writing and structure throw me off. I think he jumps from one scene to another without transitions, introduces characters that are difficult to remember, and incorporates confusing settings and plots. Even with all of these factors that make the book challenging for me, the vernacular of the characters still stood out to me. With all of the chaos from the numerous characters and the plot that shifts quickly, the vernacular is one thing that helps me comprehend the story a little bit better. As the story takes place in Paris during this particular part of the book, Hemingway incorporates French vocabulary and diction into his writing. When I saw the words such as bal musette, fiacre, and poules in the text, I was able to better understand the plot as well as the culture and language of where the story took place. I think this allowed me to connect to the book in an easier way. Hemingway's placement of French words in the book made the story seem less distant and more relatable to me.

"The dancing-club was a bal musette in the Rue de la Montagne Sainte Genevieve."

The Things They Carried: Conclusion

Even though the ending of the book was really sad, I really did like the book. I liked the fact that I could see what was happening when he retold war stories. I enjoyed never knowing what was coming next and how he kept me guessing. I liked the way that O'Brien incorporated the entire spectrum of war in his book, both good times and bad times. Also, I thought that O'Brien's honesty made the book seem so lifelike and real. I feel like I was able to learn a decent amount from this book. After reading it, I know not only more about the way war really is but also how to write with passion, emotion, and inspiration. O'Brien's style and method of writing really appeals to me. I love the fact that he was motivated by a tragedy, but he kept moving forward to make something positive out of the experience. Overall, O'Brien's storytelling was very interesting and inspiring to me.

"I'm skimming across the surface of my own history, moving fast, riding the melt beneath the blades, doing loops and spins, and when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy's life with a story."

The Things They Carried: Motivation-Linda

Even though the character Linda only appears in the book for a short amount of time, I think that she is a very important part of the book as well as an important part of O'Brien's life. Although their time together was short, Linda had a lasting impact on O'Brien's life. Linda allowed O'Brien to experience and learn about true love, and she also inspired him to keep the dead alive with stories. She was O'Brien's motivation to dream and write. Maybe if O'Brien never had Linda in his life then he wouldn't be the author that he is today. I think that it's amazing that O'Brien felt like he really loved someone at such a young age. I'm almost double O'Brien's age at that time, and I still struggle with the concept of being in love. After realizing that he was in love, it must have been devastating for a nine year old boy to have to cope with the death of the girl that he was in love with. In my opinion, O'Brien turned a terrible situation into something amazing, and his life has changed because of it.

"I just loved her."
"Even then, at nine years old, I wanted to live inside her body. I wanted to melt into her bones--that kind of love."

The Things They Carried: Ghost Soldier

Even though Bobby Jorgenson messed up when O'Brien was shot the second time in the butt, I felt sorry for him. I understand where O'Brien was coming from when he was extremely upset with the medic for taking so long to treat him, but he didn't handle his emotions very well. After all, Jorgenson was inexperienced or "green". He was scared and had no idea how to handle himself. He even admitted that he made mistakes that day that O'Brien was shot. He apologized and tried to ask for forgiveness from O'Brien. I think that guilt alone was enough of a punishment for Jorgenson, but O'Brien hated him so much for what happened that he felt like he had to get his own revenge. In my opinion, scaring a fellow soldier was completely uncalled for. Even Mitchell Sanders told him it was the wrong thing to do, but O'Brien had so much anger towards Jorgenson that no one's opinion really mattered to him. At Least after the prank was finished, I thought it was good that the two men called it even.

The Things They Carried: The Ghost Soldiers-Azar

Ever since the character Azar was introduced in the book, I had a bad feeling about him. In all of the stories that he was in, I never once got a good vibe from him. Azar never proved himself as a good friend to anyone during the span of the war. From the beginning, Azar had the biggest mouth. He was always making completely unnecessary comments in terrible situations. Azar especially made me angry when he made jokes about Kiowa's death. I don't understand how a fellow soldier could be so heartless and disrespectful during such a terrible crisis. What really made me hate Azar was when he and O'Brien were trying to mess with Bobby Jorgenson. When O'Brien wanted to stop, Azar wouldn't listen to him. Though the men had already made their point, Azar just kept pushing and making the situation worse. While he did that, Azar also managed to treat O'Brien like he was garbage. He even kicked O'Brien in the head after the prank. I wonder if Azar knew that people didn't care for him, because I can't find any other explanation for why he was the way he was.

"Nobody cared for him, including myself." -O'Brien about Azar

The Things They Carried: Field Trip

I think that it's very interesting that O'Brien took his daughter Kathleen that was ten years old to Vietnam. I was amazed at how well his daughter was behaving at such a young age. I think that trip was a good chance for Kathleen to learn about a war that her father fought in that was so distant to her. Also, I think the trip was a great opportunity for O'Brien to have closure from the war. I felt that O'Brien seeing Vietnam at peace really allowed him to be at peace as well. Even though the trip was a pretty positive experience in my opinion, there were parts of the trip that were extremely difficult for O'Brien. Visiting the places where combat and fighting took place must have been unpleasant and hard to endure. Having to remember all of his times in Vietnam, both good and bad, must have been an indescribable experience. Even twenty years after the war ended, I was amazed at the fact that O'Brien still was able to recall the memories like they happened yesterday.