 This is a photography series called Reflection. Where old people look in the mirror and think back of the persons they were when the were younger. All captured in one photograph.          | ||
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Sometime with rudeness 'n' Sometime with love..... Sometime with perception 'n' Sometime with surprise... Sometime with worry 'n' Sometime with Hope... Life goes on.........
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Young Reflections Of Old People
Unhappy Meal
Unhappy Meal
Creative Writing Paper One
Aaron lit a Basic brand cigarette as Amir pulled his beat up 1976 snot green Chevy Nova into the crowded parking lot of the McDonalds on Route 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts. He always seemed to do this to himself; lighting cigarettes when he'd just have to snipe them out on the bottom of his tattered army boot. He put his pointer finger to his head and pantomimed shooting himself. Amir glanced at him uneasily, then scanned the lot for an open space.
Aaron drew hard on his cigarette, filling his lungs with as much smoke as possible. He needed to get as much nicotine as time allowed. He shut his eyes, flicked his tongue against his sterling silver lip ring, spinning it in the hole. It hurt a little. "Probably fuckin' infected," Aaron chuckled, thinking of the night he pierced it himself, using only a heated up safety pin and a bottle of Smirnov vodka for a pain killer.
Amir pulled into a handicap spot. "You can't park here," Aaron said.
"Sure I can," Amir replied. Aaron studied the face of the Bosnian Immigrant. Amir had fought for two years in the war against the Serbs. His face was remarkably pleasant, although his eyes looked as if they belonged to a forty year old man and not a seventeen year old boy. His tan skin and wide smile seemed out of place when one took in Amir's mohawk and torn black t-shirt.
"It's a handicap spot."
"Exactly," Amir said with a smirk. "I got you in my car, and you're a retard."
"Fuck you," Aaron said, "I'll blast you Sylvester Stallone style."
Amir burst into hysterical laughter. "You watch too much television."
Aaron shrugged and slowly exhaled through his nose, decorated with a silver hoop ring through his septum (also self-pinned). He caught sight of himself in the rearview mirror. He felt cold.
His eyes were alert, almost piercing. Around those fiery, stabbing eyes were lines of sadness, although he was also only seventeen. His hair was bleached blonde and messy --Johnny Rotten messy. His face was long and thin, a result of many days of not eating, either because he had no money for food or because he simply forgot to eat. He was menacing, with his facial piercings and angry eyes, but there was something about his mouth, a kind of innocent smirk that gave hint of something real within his hard, rough punk rock shell.
Amir got out of the car slowly, stretching out his arms. Aaron caught glimpse of something wild and almost ancient in Amir's eyes. He got out, too, and tossed his cigarette. Aaron slammed the Nova's door. "Let's go get some meat."
"Cow Burger." Amir said, gingerly placing his hands in his pockets.
Aaron looked through the window. Sitting at a table was a family of four. That looks like my father, he thought, and tried to forget about the many beatings and harsh words he endured over the last seventeen years. "Amir, it says no dogs allowed. You'll have to wait here."
"Eat me," Amir said and opened the door. Aaron shoved past him playfully, and was hit by the overpowering stench of fried, greasy food sizzling under heat lamps. His mouth watered.
Behind him he heard the click of Amir's Doc Martin boots, and the jingle of the chain, safety pin, and padlock belt that the Bosnian wore. He felt all the customers' eyes on them, felt the disdain in their uneasy stares. He sent it back, and shuffled through the line. Amir was silent behind him, unusual behavior for his normally talkative friend.
Aaron ordered a #4 extra value meal, supersized, and pulled a few wrinkled bills out of the pockets of his torn army pants. Chuck Norris Action Pants, he called them. This was all the money he had, change left over from the 30 pack of coors he bought with his last paycheck as a paperboy in Lynn. Aaron hated that job. He would walk down the street and pretend he was some kind of Terminator robot, blowing up houses and cars with bionic missile attachments.
They threw his food on a tray as the pimply faced girl behind the register totalled his order. He paid, and was pleases to discover he still had enough money for another pack of generic cigarettes.
Aaron took his tray and Amir moved up to the register. In the back room, the french fry machine beeped endlessly. "God that sounds like the air raid siren!" Amir said grimly.
Aaron surveyed the dining area for a seat. Behind him, Amir started screaming chaotically, "Mutha Fuck FUCK FUCK!"
Aaron laughed. "Amir, what the hell..." His face, mind, and words all froze as Amir pulled a pistol from his pocket.
"Fuck you bastards!" Amir fired, and Aaron saw in slow motion as the bullet ripped the pimply girls left cheek off her face. She fell gurgling and twitching.
"Just like a movie," Aaron said aloud, as he watched Amir unload the pistol's clip into the middle aged manager. Somethin in his mind couldn't see this as real.
Amir leaped over the counter and pistol whipped the deep frier attendant, and then shoved his victim's face into the hot grease. Aaron dropped his tray as Amir disappeared behind the packaged burger rack. He could hear screaming followed by more gunshots. Customers crawled to the door, whimpering like maimed animals.
Aaron caught sight of the man who resembled his father, trying to get his family out the door. Aaron pulled out his switchblade, and thinking of Steven Seagal's dramatic knife fight at the end of Under Siege, rushed towards them.
He didn't stop stabbing, even when he felt the man's blood splash into his face.
Amir emerged from the smoking hell he created, covered in gore, his gun in his twitching hand. He pointed and fired, killing the rest of the family of four. As he reloaded, Aaron threw his knife like Woody Harrelson did in Natural Born Killers. Amir fired again, and Aaron felt a bullet rip through his kneecap. He turned and saw Amir level the gun.
"Wait!" Aaron cried as the gun went off.
Behind him he heard
Creative Writing Paper One
Aaron lit a Basic brand cigarette as Amir pulled his beat up 1976 snot green Chevy Nova into the crowded parking lot of the McDonalds on Route 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts. He always seemed to do this to himself; lighting cigarettes when he'd just have to snipe them out on the bottom of his tattered army boot. He put his pointer finger to his head and pantomimed shooting himself. Amir glanced at him uneasily, then scanned the lot for an open space.
Aaron drew hard on his cigarette, filling his lungs with as much smoke as possible. He needed to get as much nicotine as time allowed. He shut his eyes, flicked his tongue against his sterling silver lip ring, spinning it in the hole. It hurt a little. "Probably fuckin' infected," Aaron chuckled, thinking of the night he pierced it himself, using only a heated up safety pin and a bottle of Smirnov vodka for a pain killer.
Amir pulled into a handicap spot. "You can't park here," Aaron said.
"Sure I can," Amir replied. Aaron studied the face of the Bosnian Immigrant. Amir had fought for two years in the war against the Serbs. His face was remarkably pleasant, although his eyes looked as if they belonged to a forty year old man and not a seventeen year old boy. His tan skin and wide smile seemed out of place when one took in Amir's mohawk and torn black t-shirt.
"It's a handicap spot."
"Exactly," Amir said with a smirk. "I got you in my car, and you're a retard."
"Fuck you," Aaron said, "I'll blast you Sylvester Stallone style."
Amir burst into hysterical laughter. "You watch too much television."
Aaron shrugged and slowly exhaled through his nose, decorated with a silver hoop ring through his septum (also self-pinned). He caught sight of himself in the rearview mirror. He felt cold.
His eyes were alert, almost piercing. Around those fiery, stabbing eyes were lines of sadness, although he was also only seventeen. His hair was bleached blonde and messy --Johnny Rotten messy. His face was long and thin, a result of many days of not eating, either because he had no money for food or because he simply forgot to eat. He was menacing, with his facial piercings and angry eyes, but there was something about his mouth, a kind of innocent smirk that gave hint of something real within his hard, rough punk rock shell.
Amir got out of the car slowly, stretching out his arms. Aaron caught glimpse of something wild and almost ancient in Amir's eyes. He got out, too, and tossed his cigarette. Aaron slammed the Nova's door. "Let's go get some meat."
"Cow Burger." Amir said, gingerly placing his hands in his pockets.
Aaron looked through the window. Sitting at a table was a family of four. That looks like my father, he thought, and tried to forget about the many beatings and harsh words he endured over the last seventeen years. "Amir, it says no dogs allowed. You'll have to wait here."
"Eat me," Amir said and opened the door. Aaron shoved past him playfully, and was hit by the overpowering stench of fried, greasy food sizzling under heat lamps. His mouth watered.
Behind him he heard the click of Amir's Doc Martin boots, and the jingle of the chain, safety pin, and padlock belt that the Bosnian wore. He felt all the customers' eyes on them, felt the disdain in their uneasy stares. He sent it back, and shuffled through the line. Amir was silent behind him, unusual behavior for his normally talkative friend.
Aaron ordered a #4 extra value meal, supersized, and pulled a few wrinkled bills out of the pockets of his torn army pants. Chuck Norris Action Pants, he called them. This was all the money he had, change left over from the 30 pack of coors he bought with his last paycheck as a paperboy in Lynn. Aaron hated that job. He would walk down the street and pretend he was some kind of Terminator robot, blowing up houses and cars with bionic missile attachments.
They threw his food on a tray as the pimply faced girl behind the register totalled his order. He paid, and was pleases to discover he still had enough money for another pack of generic cigarettes.
Aaron took his tray and Amir moved up to the register. In the back room, the french fry machine beeped endlessly. "God that sounds like the air raid siren!" Amir said grimly.
Aaron surveyed the dining area for a seat. Behind him, Amir started screaming chaotically, "Mutha Fuck FUCK FUCK!"
Aaron laughed. "Amir, what the hell..." His face, mind, and words all froze as Amir pulled a pistol from his pocket.
"Fuck you bastards!" Amir fired, and Aaron saw in slow motion as the bullet ripped the pimply girls left cheek off her face. She fell gurgling and twitching.
"Just like a movie," Aaron said aloud, as he watched Amir unload the pistol's clip into the middle aged manager. Somethin in his mind couldn't see this as real.
Amir leaped over the counter and pistol whipped the deep frier attendant, and then shoved his victim's face into the hot grease. Aaron dropped his tray as Amir disappeared behind the packaged burger rack. He could hear screaming followed by more gunshots. Customers crawled to the door, whimpering like maimed animals.
Aaron caught sight of the man who resembled his father, trying to get his family out the door. Aaron pulled out his switchblade, and thinking of Steven Seagal's dramatic knife fight at the end of Under Siege, rushed towards them.
He didn't stop stabbing, even when he felt the man's blood splash into his face.
Amir emerged from the smoking hell he created, covered in gore, his gun in his twitching hand. He pointed and fired, killing the rest of the family of four. As he reloaded, Aaron threw his knife like Woody Harrelson did in Natural Born Killers. Amir fired again, and Aaron felt a bullet rip through his kneecap. He turned and saw Amir level the gun.
"Wait!" Aaron cried as the gun went off.
Behind him he heard
Unexpected Horizons
Unexpected Horizons
Wow! I love going deep sea fishing on our boat. I was excited when my dad had
asked me if I wanted to go this weekend. We departed that Saturday morning after almost
a week of sheer anticipation, our destination, Port Canaveral, home of of some of the best
fishing on the east coast of Florida.
The sea is a very dangerous place when riled by a storm, even a mild one, so we
always made sure the day would be at least close to perfect before we ventured out into
the blue darkness of the open sea. My dad and I had seen the destruction careless boaters
could get themselves into, and we did our best to avoid it. That Saturday, though, looked
as if it were a perfect offshore fishing day. The sky was clear as glass, with a couple
straggling cirrus clouds, but nothing worth paying attention to, and above that, the fish
were supposedly hitting offshore. All-in-all, the long awaited perfect fishing day had
come, at least in our minds it had.
In the meantime, my dad backed the boat into the salty murky water as I got the
boat ready for our day long journey. I set the navigation system to a favorite fishing spot
of ours which was about twenty-five miles out called the Pelican Flats. We headed out on
the gently, quiet, rolling blue monster's back as our twenty-two foot vessel handled the
one to two foot ocean swells with sheer ease. Finally, after an hour long haul, and fifteen
fishing minutes later, we ran into our first sign of action.
"Fish on starboard!!" screamed my younger brother.
"Fish on stern, grab 'em!", bellowed by dad from the steering wheel.
Instinctly, my brother and I had quickly grabbed the poles as the line screamed off
and the tips bent almost to the water. Soon enough, both of us had fish on, very large fish
from the feel. About half an hour of sweat and a good workout, we finally got the fish to
give up their fight for life. That was the first time we had ever encountered a double
hook-up, which happens when two fish of a considerable size are hooked simultaneously,
and it happened in less than fifteen minutes. We ended up fishing for about four more
hours and landed an incredible number of large fish, and we wanted more. The three of us
scanned the surface for more action, and found nothing of interest but what looked like a
storm cloud moving towards us at an unknown velocity about fifteen miles north of us, so
we decided to start heading in towards shore. About half an hour later and about seven
teen miles out, still not enough to see land, we realized that the storm had actually been
moving toward us, almost intercepting our course toward the port. Without any doubt
we'd pass it before it crossed our path, we proceeded onward in the same direction.
"Damn, I'd hate to get stuck in that storm", we said to each other as we watched
the lightning and complete darkness of it as it overtook about a five mile radius of ocean
surface. But as we watched this awesome sight from a short, but safe distance, we
realized that it was moving a lot faster than we were. From that point on our confidence
level started diminishing and our fears of the ocean started escalating, we weren't going to
get by this storm. My dad punched the 200 horsepower motor and our hearts and
adrenaline were pumping incredibly. Soon the storm had yet engulfed us in it's fury and
rage. The light turned to utter blackness, the sunshine turned to pelting rain and a light
show courtesy of the lightning bolts flashing at least every five seconds, the one to two
foot swells had turned into an entourage of seven to eight foot white caps which our boat
was incapable of handling, and more importantly, our confidence from a good day of
fishing had turned into a handful of desperate pleas for help. The rain had been so harsh
and plentiful that I could barely look up to see what was happening to our boat, or more
significantly, our lives. Less than a minute later, I couldn't see any light at all, except when
the electricity showed it's presence, which was close to nonstop. All three of us were
scared, confused, and desperate, which is a bad combination of feelings in this situation.
Our first reaction was to radio for help, so my dad frantically grabbed the CB from the
radio, but all for not. The beating the boat was taking had managed to snap our marine
radio antenna in two, limiting our communication methods to only flares and a whistle,
both of which were useless in this kind of weather. Someone would have to be near us for
those methods to work, and any sane person would have been miles from "our" storm.
Also, our navigation systems were not working. It was displaying to us that we were
thirty-five miles out and heading east, which we knew to be wrong. We were still about
12 miles out and heading in toward land, but we didn't know where on land we were
heading. Our chances of defeating this mighty beast had slimmed greatly, and the storm
was putting a beating on our bodies, our boat, and our overall morale.
After fifteen minutes of complete horror, our navigation devices started working.
The fact that we actually knew exactly which way to head had taken some of the evilness
away from this sadistic act of treachery we had gotten ourselves into. Our cries of despair
had turned to sighs of relief when the fringe of the storm had passed over our heads. The
car ride home was very quiet. The only thing I inferred from the trip home was that we
wouldn't be visiting the infamous Pelican Flats any more. The next day, my dad put our
boat up for sale, and, ironically, we hadn't been out of sight of land for about six months.
Wow! I love going deep sea fishing on our boat. I was excited when my dad had
asked me if I wanted to go this weekend. We departed that Saturday morning after almost
a week of sheer anticipation, our destination, Port Canaveral, home of of some of the best
fishing on the east coast of Florida.
The sea is a very dangerous place when riled by a storm, even a mild one, so we
always made sure the day would be at least close to perfect before we ventured out into
the blue darkness of the open sea. My dad and I had seen the destruction careless boaters
could get themselves into, and we did our best to avoid it. That Saturday, though, looked
as if it were a perfect offshore fishing day. The sky was clear as glass, with a couple
straggling cirrus clouds, but nothing worth paying attention to, and above that, the fish
were supposedly hitting offshore. All-in-all, the long awaited perfect fishing day had
come, at least in our minds it had.
In the meantime, my dad backed the boat into the salty murky water as I got the
boat ready for our day long journey. I set the navigation system to a favorite fishing spot
of ours which was about twenty-five miles out called the Pelican Flats. We headed out on
the gently, quiet, rolling blue monster's back as our twenty-two foot vessel handled the
one to two foot ocean swells with sheer ease. Finally, after an hour long haul, and fifteen
fishing minutes later, we ran into our first sign of action.
"Fish on starboard!!" screamed my younger brother.
"Fish on stern, grab 'em!", bellowed by dad from the steering wheel.
Instinctly, my brother and I had quickly grabbed the poles as the line screamed off
and the tips bent almost to the water. Soon enough, both of us had fish on, very large fish
from the feel. About half an hour of sweat and a good workout, we finally got the fish to
give up their fight for life. That was the first time we had ever encountered a double
hook-up, which happens when two fish of a considerable size are hooked simultaneously,
and it happened in less than fifteen minutes. We ended up fishing for about four more
hours and landed an incredible number of large fish, and we wanted more. The three of us
scanned the surface for more action, and found nothing of interest but what looked like a
storm cloud moving towards us at an unknown velocity about fifteen miles north of us, so
we decided to start heading in towards shore. About half an hour later and about seven
teen miles out, still not enough to see land, we realized that the storm had actually been
moving toward us, almost intercepting our course toward the port. Without any doubt
we'd pass it before it crossed our path, we proceeded onward in the same direction.
"Damn, I'd hate to get stuck in that storm", we said to each other as we watched
the lightning and complete darkness of it as it overtook about a five mile radius of ocean
surface. But as we watched this awesome sight from a short, but safe distance, we
realized that it was moving a lot faster than we were. From that point on our confidence
level started diminishing and our fears of the ocean started escalating, we weren't going to
get by this storm. My dad punched the 200 horsepower motor and our hearts and
adrenaline were pumping incredibly. Soon the storm had yet engulfed us in it's fury and
rage. The light turned to utter blackness, the sunshine turned to pelting rain and a light
show courtesy of the lightning bolts flashing at least every five seconds, the one to two
foot swells had turned into an entourage of seven to eight foot white caps which our boat
was incapable of handling, and more importantly, our confidence from a good day of
fishing had turned into a handful of desperate pleas for help. The rain had been so harsh
and plentiful that I could barely look up to see what was happening to our boat, or more
significantly, our lives. Less than a minute later, I couldn't see any light at all, except when
the electricity showed it's presence, which was close to nonstop. All three of us were
scared, confused, and desperate, which is a bad combination of feelings in this situation.
Our first reaction was to radio for help, so my dad frantically grabbed the CB from the
radio, but all for not. The beating the boat was taking had managed to snap our marine
radio antenna in two, limiting our communication methods to only flares and a whistle,
both of which were useless in this kind of weather. Someone would have to be near us for
those methods to work, and any sane person would have been miles from "our" storm.
Also, our navigation systems were not working. It was displaying to us that we were
thirty-five miles out and heading east, which we knew to be wrong. We were still about
12 miles out and heading in toward land, but we didn't know where on land we were
heading. Our chances of defeating this mighty beast had slimmed greatly, and the storm
was putting a beating on our bodies, our boat, and our overall morale.
After fifteen minutes of complete horror, our navigation devices started working.
The fact that we actually knew exactly which way to head had taken some of the evilness
away from this sadistic act of treachery we had gotten ourselves into. Our cries of despair
had turned to sighs of relief when the fringe of the storm had passed over our heads. The
car ride home was very quiet. The only thing I inferred from the trip home was that we
wouldn't be visiting the infamous Pelican Flats any more. The next day, my dad put our
boat up for sale, and, ironically, we hadn't been out of sight of land for about six months.
Tragic Heroes Willy Lomans Fall
#2) Discuss Willy Loman as a tragic hero: Based your understanding of what being a hero means. You are, of course, free to differ with the designation.
No one has a perfect life. Everyone has conflicts that they must
face sooner or later. The ways in which people deal with these personal
conflicts can differ as much as the people themselves. Some insist on
ignoring the problem as long as possible, while some attack the problem to
get it out of the way. Willy Lowman's technique in Arthur Miller's play
Death of a Salesman, leads to very severe consequences. Willy never really
does anything to help the situation, he just escapes into the past, whether
intentionally or not, to happier times were problems were scarce. He uses
this escape as if it were a narcotic, and as the play progresses, the reader
learns that it can be a dangerous drug, because of it's addictiveness and
it's deadliness.
The first time Willy is seen lapsing off into the past is when he
encounters Biff after arriving home. The conversation between Willy and
Linda reflects Willy's disappointment in Biff and what he has become, which
is, for the most part, a bum. After failing to deal adequately with his
feelings, he escapes into a time when things were better for his family. It
is not uncommon for one to think of better times at low points in their life
in order to cheer themselves up so that they are able to deal with the
problems they encounter, but Willy Lowman takes it one step further. His
refusal to accept reality is so strong that in his mind he is transported
back in time to relive one of the happier days of his life. It was a time
when no one argued, Willy and Linda were younger, the financial situation
was less of a burden, and Biff and Happy enthusiastically welcomed their
father back home from a long road trip. Willy's need for the "drug" is
satiated and he is reassured that everything will turn out okay, and the
family will soon be as happy as it was in the good old days.
The next flashback occurs during a discussion between Willy and Linda.
Willy is depressed about his inability to make enough money to support his
family, his looks, his personality and the success of his friend and neighbor, Charley. "My God if business doesn't pick up , I don't know what
I'm gonna do!" is the comment made by Willy after Linda figures the
difference between the family's income and their expenses. Before Linda has
a chance to offer any words of consolation Willy blurts out "I'm Fat. I'm
very--foolish to look at, Linda". In doing this he has depressed
himself so much that he is visited by a woman with whom he is having an
affair. The woman's purpose in this point of the play is to cheer him up.
She raises his spirits by telling him how funny and loveable he is, saying
"You do make me laugh....And I think you're a wonderful man.". And
when he is reassured of his attractiveness and competence, the woman
disappears, her purpose being fulfilled. Once again the drug has come to
the rescue, postponing Willy's having to actually do something about his
problem.
The next day, when Willy is fired after initially going to ask his boss to
be relocated is when the next journey into the past occurs. The point of
the play during which this episode takes place is so dramatic that willy
seeks a big hit of the flashback drug. Such a big hit in fact, that he is
transported back to what was probably the happiest day of his life. Biff
was going to play in Ebbets field in the All-Scholastic Championship game in
front of thousands of people. Willy couldn't be prouder of his two popular
sons who at the time had everything going for them and seemed destined to
live great, important lives, much more so than the "liked, but not well
liked" boy next door, Bernard. Willy's dependency on the "drug" is becoming
greater by the hour, at this rate, he cannot remain sane for much longer.
Too much of anything, even a good thing, can quickly become a bad thing.
Evidence of this statement is seen during Willy's next flashback, when the
drug he has been using for so long to avoid his problems backfires, giving
him a "bad trip", quite possibly a side effect of overuse. This time he is
brought back to one of the most disturbing moments in his life. It's the
day that Biff had discovered his father's mistress while visiting him on one
of his trips to ask him to come back home and negotiate with his math
teacher to give him the four points he needed to pass math and graduate high
school. This scene gives the reader a chance to fully understand the
tension between Willy and Biff, and why things can never be the same.
Throughout the play, the present has been full of misfortune for the most
part, while the opposite is true for the past. The reader is left to wonder
when the turning point occurred. What was the earth-shattering event that
threw the entire Lowman family into a state of such constant tension? Now
that event is revealed and Willy is out of good memories to return to. With
the last hit of Willy's supply of the drug spent, what next?
The comparison between Willy's voyages into the past and the use of a narcotic
is so perceptible because of it's verity. When Willy's feeling down, or
life seems just too tedious and insignificant, or when things just aren't
going his way, why not take a hit of the old miracle drug, memories. The
way he overuses his vivid imagination is sad because the only thing it's
good for is enabling Willy to go through one more day of his piteous life,
full of bitterness, confusion, depression, false hopefulness, and a feeling
of love which he is trying very hard to express to his sons who seem
reluctant to accept it.
No one has a perfect life. Everyone has conflicts that they must
face sooner or later. The ways in which people deal with these personal
conflicts can differ as much as the people themselves. Some insist on
ignoring the problem as long as possible, while some attack the problem to
get it out of the way. Willy Lowman's technique in Arthur Miller's play
Death of a Salesman, leads to very severe consequences. Willy never really
does anything to help the situation, he just escapes into the past, whether
intentionally or not, to happier times were problems were scarce. He uses
this escape as if it were a narcotic, and as the play progresses, the reader
learns that it can be a dangerous drug, because of it's addictiveness and
it's deadliness.
The first time Willy is seen lapsing off into the past is when he
encounters Biff after arriving home. The conversation between Willy and
Linda reflects Willy's disappointment in Biff and what he has become, which
is, for the most part, a bum. After failing to deal adequately with his
feelings, he escapes into a time when things were better for his family. It
is not uncommon for one to think of better times at low points in their life
in order to cheer themselves up so that they are able to deal with the
problems they encounter, but Willy Lowman takes it one step further. His
refusal to accept reality is so strong that in his mind he is transported
back in time to relive one of the happier days of his life. It was a time
when no one argued, Willy and Linda were younger, the financial situation
was less of a burden, and Biff and Happy enthusiastically welcomed their
father back home from a long road trip. Willy's need for the "drug" is
satiated and he is reassured that everything will turn out okay, and the
family will soon be as happy as it was in the good old days.
The next flashback occurs during a discussion between Willy and Linda.
Willy is depressed about his inability to make enough money to support his
family, his looks, his personality and the success of his friend and neighbor, Charley. "My God if business doesn't pick up , I don't know what
I'm gonna do!" is the comment made by Willy after Linda figures the
difference between the family's income and their expenses. Before Linda has
a chance to offer any words of consolation Willy blurts out "I'm Fat. I'm
very--foolish to look at, Linda". In doing this he has depressed
himself so much that he is visited by a woman with whom he is having an
affair. The woman's purpose in this point of the play is to cheer him up.
She raises his spirits by telling him how funny and loveable he is, saying
"You do make me laugh....And I think you're a wonderful man.". And
when he is reassured of his attractiveness and competence, the woman
disappears, her purpose being fulfilled. Once again the drug has come to
the rescue, postponing Willy's having to actually do something about his
problem.
The next day, when Willy is fired after initially going to ask his boss to
be relocated is when the next journey into the past occurs. The point of
the play during which this episode takes place is so dramatic that willy
seeks a big hit of the flashback drug. Such a big hit in fact, that he is
transported back to what was probably the happiest day of his life. Biff
was going to play in Ebbets field in the All-Scholastic Championship game in
front of thousands of people. Willy couldn't be prouder of his two popular
sons who at the time had everything going for them and seemed destined to
live great, important lives, much more so than the "liked, but not well
liked" boy next door, Bernard. Willy's dependency on the "drug" is becoming
greater by the hour, at this rate, he cannot remain sane for much longer.
Too much of anything, even a good thing, can quickly become a bad thing.
Evidence of this statement is seen during Willy's next flashback, when the
drug he has been using for so long to avoid his problems backfires, giving
him a "bad trip", quite possibly a side effect of overuse. This time he is
brought back to one of the most disturbing moments in his life. It's the
day that Biff had discovered his father's mistress while visiting him on one
of his trips to ask him to come back home and negotiate with his math
teacher to give him the four points he needed to pass math and graduate high
school. This scene gives the reader a chance to fully understand the
tension between Willy and Biff, and why things can never be the same.
Throughout the play, the present has been full of misfortune for the most
part, while the opposite is true for the past. The reader is left to wonder
when the turning point occurred. What was the earth-shattering event that
threw the entire Lowman family into a state of such constant tension? Now
that event is revealed and Willy is out of good memories to return to. With
the last hit of Willy's supply of the drug spent, what next?
The comparison between Willy's voyages into the past and the use of a narcotic
is so perceptible because of it's verity. When Willy's feeling down, or
life seems just too tedious and insignificant, or when things just aren't
going his way, why not take a hit of the old miracle drug, memories. The
way he overuses his vivid imagination is sad because the only thing it's
good for is enabling Willy to go through one more day of his piteous life,
full of bitterness, confusion, depression, false hopefulness, and a feeling
of love which he is trying very hard to express to his sons who seem
reluctant to accept it.
The use of clothing in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching Go
Uses of Clothing in the Novel Their Eyes Were Watching God
by
Zora Neale Hurston
In the novel Their Eyes were watching God Zora Neale Hurston
portrays a woman named Janie's search for love and freedom.
Janie, throughout the novel, bounces through three different
marriages, with a brief stint at being a widow in between.
Throughout these episodes, Hurston uses Janie`s clothing as a
visual bookmark of where Janie is in her search for true love
and how she is being influenced by those around her.
Janie's first article of clothing is an apron that she wears
while married to Logan Killiks as a hard working sixteen year
old. Logan, who Janie describes as looking like "an `ol
skullhead in de grave yard," (pg. 13) marries Janie to fulfill
the role laid down by Janie's grandmother, a mule. Janie goes
along with this for nearly a year, until change comes walking
down the road in the form of Joe Starks. Joe is a "citified,
stylish man with a hat set at an angle that didn't belong in
those parts," and he wants to take Janie away. Joe's dream is to
become "big man" and pleads Janie to take part in his dreams of
the future. He proposes marriage to her, and arranges a
rendezvous at the bottom of the road at sunup the next morning.
Janie is torn because Jody "does not represent sun-up pollen and
blooming trees, but he spoke of the far horizon....The memory of
Nanny was still strong." (pg. 28) When Janie decides to leave
the next morning for, if nothing else, a healthy change, she
looks down and sees the apron which has stood for all the things
she has had to do for Logan," and flung it on a small bush
beside the road. Then she walked on, picking flowers and making
a bouquet." (pg. 31) When Janie threw the apron on the bush, it
represented a major change in Janie's life, and a progression
from Logan. Janie is continuing her search for true love,
although she knows already that Jody is not the perfect
fulfillment of her dream, and how she has been affected by Jody
already.
Life with Jody was a disappointment from the beginning of their
marriage. As soon as they arrived in the sleepy burg of
Eatonville, Jody was trying to gain power and clout in the town,
and had a clear image of where he wanted Janie in that equasion.
Jodie built the town's first store, and soon had Janie working
in "exalted" position of shopkeeper. After one incident where
one of the store regulars was witnessed by Jody feeling Janie's
luxurious hair without her knowledge, Jody, overcome by
jealousy, forced her to wear her glorious tresses in a head rag,
like those worn by old women with hair that really needed to be
kept in a head rag. This head rag came to typify their whole
marriage, with Jody's selfish appearance loving demands taking
precedence over Janie's needs and dreams. Obviously Janie had
not found true love with Jody either, for soon their marriage
broke down into a silent stalemate. After dying a broken man,
Janie faced life as a young and well off widow. The head rag
through the "Jody" period of her life clearly showed her
position is her search for love and how she was influenced by
those around.
After Jody died, Janie began to be the object of the "aims" of
other men, mainly because of her dollar value. Janie dismisses
most of these claims, but eventually a man named Tea Cake came
along, and brought another phase of her life into swing. "She
couldn't make him look like just another man to her. He looked
like the love thoughts of women. He could be a bee in blossom--a
pear tree in blossom in the spring. he seemed to be crushing the
scent out of the world with his footsteps. Crushing aromatic
herbs with every step he took. he was a glance from God." (pg.
102) When the author uses words like these to describe the
thoughts of Janie towards Tea Cake, the conclusion can be safely
made that Janie was well down the path to love with tea Cake.
And travel that path she does. It is now that Janie changes her
attire from the garments of widowhood to something a little
brighter. ""Folks seen you out in colors and dey thinks you
ain't payin' de right amount of respect tuh yo' dead husband."
"Ah ain't greivin so why do I hafta mourn? Tea Cake Love me in
blue, so Ah wears it. Jody ain't never in his life picked out no
color for me. De worl' picked out black and white for mournin',
Joe didn't. So Ah wasn't wearin it for him. Ah was wearin it fo'
the rest of y'all."" (pg. 107-108) In this passage, Janie
clearly moves on from Jody by shedding the husk of mourning
black and emerging wearing a blue dress and in love. Tea Cake
represents the first man who truly appreciates Janie for who she
is, and enjoys her for herself. Every other Significant Other in
her life previously has tried to shape her into a mold; Logan
into the role of the housewife or mule, and Jody as an
accessory, much like an ottoman. With Tea Cake, Janie
experiences true love and self expression, both of which are
symbolized by the blue dress.
Eventually, Janie and Tea Cake get married and move away, down
"on the muck" in the "'glades." There, Janie and Tea Cake have a
house which is a "magnet, the unauthorized center of the "job.""
There, many gather to have fun and gamble. "Sometimes Janie
would think of the old days in the store and the big white house
and laugh to herself. What if Eatonville could see her now in
her blue denim overalls and heavy shoes?" (pg. 127) This passage
is a slice of Janie's new life on the muck, but is catalogs her
change of clothes again into blue denim overalls and heavy
shoes. This type of clothing was practical for working on the
muck, so she wore them. At this time she began to work with Tea
Cake in the fields because Tea Cake couldn't bear to spend a
whole day without her. Janie goes along willingly because "It's
mo' nicer than sittin round these quarters all day. Clerkin in
dat store was hard, but heah, we ain't got nothin to do but work
and come home and love." (pg. 127) This passage is almost a
summary of their time on the muck, for it was full of love and
hard work. This whole time can be summarized by the blue denim
overalls and heavy shoes, for they represented Janie's
relationship with Tea Cake and showed that she had found true
love and it was blind.
All of Janie's clothes represent her search for true love and
her relationships with those around her. When you look around,
that is true most of the time in the real world, too. We all
wear our clothes a silent messengers, and Hurston used this tool
clearly and well in her novel.
by
Zora Neale Hurston
In the novel Their Eyes were watching God Zora Neale Hurston
portrays a woman named Janie's search for love and freedom.
Janie, throughout the novel, bounces through three different
marriages, with a brief stint at being a widow in between.
Throughout these episodes, Hurston uses Janie`s clothing as a
visual bookmark of where Janie is in her search for true love
and how she is being influenced by those around her.
Janie's first article of clothing is an apron that she wears
while married to Logan Killiks as a hard working sixteen year
old. Logan, who Janie describes as looking like "an `ol
skullhead in de grave yard," (pg. 13) marries Janie to fulfill
the role laid down by Janie's grandmother, a mule. Janie goes
along with this for nearly a year, until change comes walking
down the road in the form of Joe Starks. Joe is a "citified,
stylish man with a hat set at an angle that didn't belong in
those parts," and he wants to take Janie away. Joe's dream is to
become "big man" and pleads Janie to take part in his dreams of
the future. He proposes marriage to her, and arranges a
rendezvous at the bottom of the road at sunup the next morning.
Janie is torn because Jody "does not represent sun-up pollen and
blooming trees, but he spoke of the far horizon....The memory of
Nanny was still strong." (pg. 28) When Janie decides to leave
the next morning for, if nothing else, a healthy change, she
looks down and sees the apron which has stood for all the things
she has had to do for Logan," and flung it on a small bush
beside the road. Then she walked on, picking flowers and making
a bouquet." (pg. 31) When Janie threw the apron on the bush, it
represented a major change in Janie's life, and a progression
from Logan. Janie is continuing her search for true love,
although she knows already that Jody is not the perfect
fulfillment of her dream, and how she has been affected by Jody
already.
Life with Jody was a disappointment from the beginning of their
marriage. As soon as they arrived in the sleepy burg of
Eatonville, Jody was trying to gain power and clout in the town,
and had a clear image of where he wanted Janie in that equasion.
Jodie built the town's first store, and soon had Janie working
in "exalted" position of shopkeeper. After one incident where
one of the store regulars was witnessed by Jody feeling Janie's
luxurious hair without her knowledge, Jody, overcome by
jealousy, forced her to wear her glorious tresses in a head rag,
like those worn by old women with hair that really needed to be
kept in a head rag. This head rag came to typify their whole
marriage, with Jody's selfish appearance loving demands taking
precedence over Janie's needs and dreams. Obviously Janie had
not found true love with Jody either, for soon their marriage
broke down into a silent stalemate. After dying a broken man,
Janie faced life as a young and well off widow. The head rag
through the "Jody" period of her life clearly showed her
position is her search for love and how she was influenced by
those around.
After Jody died, Janie began to be the object of the "aims" of
other men, mainly because of her dollar value. Janie dismisses
most of these claims, but eventually a man named Tea Cake came
along, and brought another phase of her life into swing. "She
couldn't make him look like just another man to her. He looked
like the love thoughts of women. He could be a bee in blossom--a
pear tree in blossom in the spring. he seemed to be crushing the
scent out of the world with his footsteps. Crushing aromatic
herbs with every step he took. he was a glance from God." (pg.
102) When the author uses words like these to describe the
thoughts of Janie towards Tea Cake, the conclusion can be safely
made that Janie was well down the path to love with tea Cake.
And travel that path she does. It is now that Janie changes her
attire from the garments of widowhood to something a little
brighter. ""Folks seen you out in colors and dey thinks you
ain't payin' de right amount of respect tuh yo' dead husband."
"Ah ain't greivin so why do I hafta mourn? Tea Cake Love me in
blue, so Ah wears it. Jody ain't never in his life picked out no
color for me. De worl' picked out black and white for mournin',
Joe didn't. So Ah wasn't wearin it for him. Ah was wearin it fo'
the rest of y'all."" (pg. 107-108) In this passage, Janie
clearly moves on from Jody by shedding the husk of mourning
black and emerging wearing a blue dress and in love. Tea Cake
represents the first man who truly appreciates Janie for who she
is, and enjoys her for herself. Every other Significant Other in
her life previously has tried to shape her into a mold; Logan
into the role of the housewife or mule, and Jody as an
accessory, much like an ottoman. With Tea Cake, Janie
experiences true love and self expression, both of which are
symbolized by the blue dress.
Eventually, Janie and Tea Cake get married and move away, down
"on the muck" in the "'glades." There, Janie and Tea Cake have a
house which is a "magnet, the unauthorized center of the "job.""
There, many gather to have fun and gamble. "Sometimes Janie
would think of the old days in the store and the big white house
and laugh to herself. What if Eatonville could see her now in
her blue denim overalls and heavy shoes?" (pg. 127) This passage
is a slice of Janie's new life on the muck, but is catalogs her
change of clothes again into blue denim overalls and heavy
shoes. This type of clothing was practical for working on the
muck, so she wore them. At this time she began to work with Tea
Cake in the fields because Tea Cake couldn't bear to spend a
whole day without her. Janie goes along willingly because "It's
mo' nicer than sittin round these quarters all day. Clerkin in
dat store was hard, but heah, we ain't got nothin to do but work
and come home and love." (pg. 127) This passage is almost a
summary of their time on the muck, for it was full of love and
hard work. This whole time can be summarized by the blue denim
overalls and heavy shoes, for they represented Janie's
relationship with Tea Cake and showed that she had found true
love and it was blind.
All of Janie's clothes represent her search for true love and
her relationships with those around her. When you look around,
that is true most of the time in the real world, too. We all
wear our clothes a silent messengers, and Hurston used this tool
clearly and well in her novel.
The Unforgetable Man
Derek Achterfeldt
Eng 101
10/14/96 Remembered Event
Revision
The Unforgettable Man
Being an orderly at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital was a fun job that required a strong heart. The hospital was a great place for me to experience the beauty of life and the unwanted death of humans. Throughout my year of employment at the Community Hospital, I was able to enjoy my work by interacting with many kinds of interesting patients. Without the hospital, I would have never imagined to be carrying on conversations with most of these people. Aiding curses required many long exhilarating hours of work each day, but I loved experiencing the daily recovery of patients, in which I was able to be some part.
The night of August sixth became a different story. Just as my shift was coming to a normal close, a nurse¹s call light from one of the patient¹s rooms had illuminated. On one of my many repetitive walks down from the station to a patient¹s room, I had nothing else on my mind except for my evening plans with friends. I was extremely happy that this would surely be the last call light I would be answering that shift. As I entered the room, a crying relative came yelling at me. ³He is going, something happened, do something, do something now!², demanded the distressed lady standing right at the bed side. I had seen this man before, although I had never spoken to him. I had know idea that he was not in a stable health.
³All right, all right,² I replied in frustration, not knowing exactly what to do first. I looked at the 84 year old overweight male patient. He appeared very pale with his brown colored eyes half shut looking desperately at me for some sort of help. My mind was becoming blank, as I could not believe what I was about to experience. In training we were told this could happen from time, to time, but I never thought with me. We were also told how to deal with the death of a patient, although I never thought I would be a part in this type of situation. Regardless, I could not think straight. I could not move as I started to panic. I looked around before I noticed that I was the only help available. I became scared. I then all at once, ran out of the room, screaming for help to any one that would be able to hear me, ³Code Blue, Code Blue, room 219 now!² Running back into the room, I stepped behind the bed and pulled the call light on again. The high pitched sound was louder than ever. I stood there waiting, it seemed forever not knowing exactly what I should be doing. The young lady relative was looking at me expecting that I would bring this man back to life. I wanted to do just that, but I did not know exactly how.
Finally, two registered nurses and then a third came veering into the room.
³What¹s happening?,² the first nurse exclaimed.
³The man just stopped breathing,² I announced to every one.
I reported to the nurses that I was unable to find a pulse and the patient¹s respiration rate could not be seen. As I backed off two nurses came racing up to the patient trying to locate a pulse. ³Nothing, nothing,² a nurse concluded as two of them began performing CPR. Within five extremely long minutes, the oldest nurse whispered, ³It¹s too late.²
Right on the spot, the nurse had pronounced the patient dead. I could not believe this scene was actually taking place. For the first time I saw a human die right in front of my own eyes. The death to me did not sink in my head, until a nurse ordered me to call the funeral home, while she would be talking to the family. When I hung up the phone I was again in the room alone with a corpse who seemed to just stare at me. The room now seemed to carry a different indescribable scent that I will never forget. Nurse Jane then walked in the room. She wanted me to clean the body before the coroner would arrive.
Before cleaning the body, I first had to remove the IV line out of patient¹s left arm. Removing the IV itself was an experience. I did not imagine that a dead person would still bleed. Being unprepared for the stream of blood, a puddle splashed out onto the spotless, white tile floor. I grabbed a towel immediately and began applying pressure to the IV site. After a few minutes, I tried sticking a band-aide on the cut, but blood still came gushing out. I was about to remove the oxygen tubing from the patient¹s nose when I felt that this man was still alive and watching me. I became extremely nervous. It looked as he was analyzing our hospital procedures. I started trembling as I removed the bloody towel off the bed. His eyes were still half shut as I tried to avoid any eye contact. In my mind I was telling myself that this man was just sleeping and not to worry.
Ten minuets later, a coroner arrived pushing in an old black stretcher. He asked me to help him lift the body up with the under sheets onto a hard board. The coroner then hid the body under a thick vinyl plastic sheet. When the body was removed from the room I was still not at ease. I felt that maybe I should have done more, or done something differently. This was the first time I have ever had an experience with a dead body on the job. Hospital workers always say, you encounter many, but your first one is always the unforgettable. After experiencing this event, I spent a lot of time with myself thinking. Thinking about how precious life really is. I began to think of how important it is for me to experience everything that I want to, for one day I would run out of time. Life and death became more than just words to me. They had a special meaning with a lot of motivation behind them. From that day on I have spent more time spelling flowers and having fun, because I know one day I will not be able to.
Eng 101
10/14/96 Remembered Event
Revision
The Unforgettable Man
Being an orderly at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital was a fun job that required a strong heart. The hospital was a great place for me to experience the beauty of life and the unwanted death of humans. Throughout my year of employment at the Community Hospital, I was able to enjoy my work by interacting with many kinds of interesting patients. Without the hospital, I would have never imagined to be carrying on conversations with most of these people. Aiding curses required many long exhilarating hours of work each day, but I loved experiencing the daily recovery of patients, in which I was able to be some part.
The night of August sixth became a different story. Just as my shift was coming to a normal close, a nurse¹s call light from one of the patient¹s rooms had illuminated. On one of my many repetitive walks down from the station to a patient¹s room, I had nothing else on my mind except for my evening plans with friends. I was extremely happy that this would surely be the last call light I would be answering that shift. As I entered the room, a crying relative came yelling at me. ³He is going, something happened, do something, do something now!², demanded the distressed lady standing right at the bed side. I had seen this man before, although I had never spoken to him. I had know idea that he was not in a stable health.
³All right, all right,² I replied in frustration, not knowing exactly what to do first. I looked at the 84 year old overweight male patient. He appeared very pale with his brown colored eyes half shut looking desperately at me for some sort of help. My mind was becoming blank, as I could not believe what I was about to experience. In training we were told this could happen from time, to time, but I never thought with me. We were also told how to deal with the death of a patient, although I never thought I would be a part in this type of situation. Regardless, I could not think straight. I could not move as I started to panic. I looked around before I noticed that I was the only help available. I became scared. I then all at once, ran out of the room, screaming for help to any one that would be able to hear me, ³Code Blue, Code Blue, room 219 now!² Running back into the room, I stepped behind the bed and pulled the call light on again. The high pitched sound was louder than ever. I stood there waiting, it seemed forever not knowing exactly what I should be doing. The young lady relative was looking at me expecting that I would bring this man back to life. I wanted to do just that, but I did not know exactly how.
Finally, two registered nurses and then a third came veering into the room.
³What¹s happening?,² the first nurse exclaimed.
³The man just stopped breathing,² I announced to every one.
I reported to the nurses that I was unable to find a pulse and the patient¹s respiration rate could not be seen. As I backed off two nurses came racing up to the patient trying to locate a pulse. ³Nothing, nothing,² a nurse concluded as two of them began performing CPR. Within five extremely long minutes, the oldest nurse whispered, ³It¹s too late.²
Right on the spot, the nurse had pronounced the patient dead. I could not believe this scene was actually taking place. For the first time I saw a human die right in front of my own eyes. The death to me did not sink in my head, until a nurse ordered me to call the funeral home, while she would be talking to the family. When I hung up the phone I was again in the room alone with a corpse who seemed to just stare at me. The room now seemed to carry a different indescribable scent that I will never forget. Nurse Jane then walked in the room. She wanted me to clean the body before the coroner would arrive.
Before cleaning the body, I first had to remove the IV line out of patient¹s left arm. Removing the IV itself was an experience. I did not imagine that a dead person would still bleed. Being unprepared for the stream of blood, a puddle splashed out onto the spotless, white tile floor. I grabbed a towel immediately and began applying pressure to the IV site. After a few minutes, I tried sticking a band-aide on the cut, but blood still came gushing out. I was about to remove the oxygen tubing from the patient¹s nose when I felt that this man was still alive and watching me. I became extremely nervous. It looked as he was analyzing our hospital procedures. I started trembling as I removed the bloody towel off the bed. His eyes were still half shut as I tried to avoid any eye contact. In my mind I was telling myself that this man was just sleeping and not to worry.
Ten minuets later, a coroner arrived pushing in an old black stretcher. He asked me to help him lift the body up with the under sheets onto a hard board. The coroner then hid the body under a thick vinyl plastic sheet. When the body was removed from the room I was still not at ease. I felt that maybe I should have done more, or done something differently. This was the first time I have ever had an experience with a dead body on the job. Hospital workers always say, you encounter many, but your first one is always the unforgettable. After experiencing this event, I spent a lot of time with myself thinking. Thinking about how precious life really is. I began to think of how important it is for me to experience everything that I want to, for one day I would run out of time. Life and death became more than just words to me. They had a special meaning with a lot of motivation behind them. From that day on I have spent more time spelling flowers and having fun, because I know one day I will not be able to.
The Subtle Humor of Jane Austen
The Subtle Humor of Pride and Prejudice
Of all the novels that Jane Austen has written, critics consider Pride and Prejudice to be
the most comical. Humor can be found everywhere in the book; in it's character descriptions,
imagery, but mostly in it's conversations between characters. Her novels were not only her way
of entertaining people but it was also a way to express her opinions and views on what
surrounded her and affected her. Her novels were like editorials. Austen uses a variety of
comic techniques to express her own view on characters, both in her book and in her society
that she lived in. We, the readers are often the object of her ridicule, and Austen makes the
readers view themselves in a way which makes it easy for the reader to laugh at themselves. She
introduces caricatures and character foils to further show how ridiculous a character may be.
Pride and Prejudice has many character foils to exaggerate a characters faults or traits. Austen
also uses irony quite often to inform the readers on her own personal opinions. The comic
techniques caricatures, irony, and satire, not only helped to provide humor for Austen's readers,
but they also helped Austen to give her own personal opinion on public matters.
When an action is exaggerated on stage by an actor, it becomes all the more noticeable
to the audience. An author can exaggerate a character in order to make fun of them. Austen
exaggerates many of her characters and therefore makes caricatures of them in order to
emphasize their ridiculousness. Mrs. Bennet is such a character. Her extremely unpleasant
manner and reactions causes readers to delight in the situations which Mrs. Bennet places herself
into. Mrs. Bennet's harsh tongue and simple mind causes the reader to laugh, because it is so
exaggerated that the reader thinks that such a person cannot exist. Mr. Collins is another
exaggerated character in the novel. But would such characters seem humorous without
somebody to react to them? Not at all. Such exaggeration works only when you place them
besides another character who seems very real. Mrs. Bennet is placed besides her husband to
make her look all the more ridiculous and Mr. Collins, when placed especially by Elizabeth,
seems to be unbelievable at times. His proposal to Elizabeth would not be as humorous without
Eliza's reaction and response to him. Therefore, caricature, the exaggeration of character is an
essential tool to Austen as means of portraying irony in the novel.
Irony is an excellent way for authors to combine wit and drama at the same time. It
works well in many parts of Pride and Prejudice. Irony can be found in the gradual revelation of
Darcy and Elizabeth's feelings for each other. It provides humor for the readers, yet at the same
time, it revolves around the basic plot of the story. It is a great balance between ironic dialogue
and movement towards the scenes in the climax of the novel, when the relationship is developed.
Another great example of her ironic wit can be found in the first chapter of the novel, when Mrs.
Bennet and Mr. Bennet discuss the new tenant of Netherfield Park, Mr. Bingley. Every
sentence of that conversation can come back to the opening line of the novel: "It is a truth
universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of
a wife." (p.1) Now for this sentence, Mrs. Bennet begins by giving one definition of 'universally',
while Mr. Bennet gives another.
"Is he married or single?"
"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune of four or five thousand a
year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? how can it affect them?"
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know
that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
"Is that his design in settling here?"
"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so!" (p.2)
Mr.Bennet's conversation is quite ironic and very satirical, because of his extreme
politeness and playful innocence, which in result, upset Mrs. Bennet. That provides humor for
the reader as a result of her dramatic character. Mrs. Bennet's character is not ironic in the
least, but it is the blending of both characters that bring about the irony. Such foils points out to
the readers the ridiculousness of human nature.
Pride in Prejudice is also very rich in satire. Satire, in it's simplest form, is a "wit, irony,
or sarcasm, used for the purpose of exposing or discrediting vice or folly". Satire is commonly
used for many reasons, including ridiculing public opinion. Austen disapproves of the way that
public opinion always considers itself to be above all other opinions. She demonstrates the
arrogance of public opinion in the matter with Darcy and the ball. Darcy "drew the attention of
the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report which was in
general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The
gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared that he was much
handsomer than Mr. Bingley."(p.7) The reasons which cause the ladies to consider him much
handsomer than Mr. Bingley is because his income is much more handsome as well. Public
opinion considers Darcy to be a great man, simply on account of his large income. However,
once public opinion hears of Darcy's pride and supposed arrogance, it immediately states that it
knew Mr. Darcy was a horrible man, and that it always assumed so. Elizabeth, throughout the
majority of the novel, follows public opinion on the view of Darcy. She's simply a sheep,
following the rest of the herd. Austen demonstrates that public opinion is so quick to change
minds that it often develops an opinion without informing itself of all the details or facts. This
becomes, to the readers, something to laugh at, although most readers do follow public opinion,
one way or another.
The great display caricatures, character foils, irony, and satire of provides humor for
Austen's readers. Many of the characters that Austen writes about are often subjects of ridicule.
The characters and situations that Austen enjoys satirizing were real for her in her time as well.
However, the ultimate irony falls on us, Austen's readers, who laugh at Austen's characters. We
are the characters in the novel to Jane Austen. We recognize ourselves in the characters that
Austen enjoys criticizing. It's that recognization of ourselves that we laugh at and what we find
amusing is the fact that Austen makes us view ourselves this way. We laugh at our own faults.
Of all the novels that Jane Austen has written, critics consider Pride and Prejudice to be
the most comical. Humor can be found everywhere in the book; in it's character descriptions,
imagery, but mostly in it's conversations between characters. Her novels were not only her way
of entertaining people but it was also a way to express her opinions and views on what
surrounded her and affected her. Her novels were like editorials. Austen uses a variety of
comic techniques to express her own view on characters, both in her book and in her society
that she lived in. We, the readers are often the object of her ridicule, and Austen makes the
readers view themselves in a way which makes it easy for the reader to laugh at themselves. She
introduces caricatures and character foils to further show how ridiculous a character may be.
Pride and Prejudice has many character foils to exaggerate a characters faults or traits. Austen
also uses irony quite often to inform the readers on her own personal opinions. The comic
techniques caricatures, irony, and satire, not only helped to provide humor for Austen's readers,
but they also helped Austen to give her own personal opinion on public matters.
When an action is exaggerated on stage by an actor, it becomes all the more noticeable
to the audience. An author can exaggerate a character in order to make fun of them. Austen
exaggerates many of her characters and therefore makes caricatures of them in order to
emphasize their ridiculousness. Mrs. Bennet is such a character. Her extremely unpleasant
manner and reactions causes readers to delight in the situations which Mrs. Bennet places herself
into. Mrs. Bennet's harsh tongue and simple mind causes the reader to laugh, because it is so
exaggerated that the reader thinks that such a person cannot exist. Mr. Collins is another
exaggerated character in the novel. But would such characters seem humorous without
somebody to react to them? Not at all. Such exaggeration works only when you place them
besides another character who seems very real. Mrs. Bennet is placed besides her husband to
make her look all the more ridiculous and Mr. Collins, when placed especially by Elizabeth,
seems to be unbelievable at times. His proposal to Elizabeth would not be as humorous without
Eliza's reaction and response to him. Therefore, caricature, the exaggeration of character is an
essential tool to Austen as means of portraying irony in the novel.
Irony is an excellent way for authors to combine wit and drama at the same time. It
works well in many parts of Pride and Prejudice. Irony can be found in the gradual revelation of
Darcy and Elizabeth's feelings for each other. It provides humor for the readers, yet at the same
time, it revolves around the basic plot of the story. It is a great balance between ironic dialogue
and movement towards the scenes in the climax of the novel, when the relationship is developed.
Another great example of her ironic wit can be found in the first chapter of the novel, when Mrs.
Bennet and Mr. Bennet discuss the new tenant of Netherfield Park, Mr. Bingley. Every
sentence of that conversation can come back to the opening line of the novel: "It is a truth
universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of
a wife." (p.1) Now for this sentence, Mrs. Bennet begins by giving one definition of 'universally',
while Mr. Bennet gives another.
"Is he married or single?"
"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune of four or five thousand a
year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? how can it affect them?"
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know
that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
"Is that his design in settling here?"
"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so!" (p.2)
Mr.Bennet's conversation is quite ironic and very satirical, because of his extreme
politeness and playful innocence, which in result, upset Mrs. Bennet. That provides humor for
the reader as a result of her dramatic character. Mrs. Bennet's character is not ironic in the
least, but it is the blending of both characters that bring about the irony. Such foils points out to
the readers the ridiculousness of human nature.
Pride in Prejudice is also very rich in satire. Satire, in it's simplest form, is a "wit, irony,
or sarcasm, used for the purpose of exposing or discrediting vice or folly". Satire is commonly
used for many reasons, including ridiculing public opinion. Austen disapproves of the way that
public opinion always considers itself to be above all other opinions. She demonstrates the
arrogance of public opinion in the matter with Darcy and the ball. Darcy "drew the attention of
the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report which was in
general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The
gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared that he was much
handsomer than Mr. Bingley."(p.7) The reasons which cause the ladies to consider him much
handsomer than Mr. Bingley is because his income is much more handsome as well. Public
opinion considers Darcy to be a great man, simply on account of his large income. However,
once public opinion hears of Darcy's pride and supposed arrogance, it immediately states that it
knew Mr. Darcy was a horrible man, and that it always assumed so. Elizabeth, throughout the
majority of the novel, follows public opinion on the view of Darcy. She's simply a sheep,
following the rest of the herd. Austen demonstrates that public opinion is so quick to change
minds that it often develops an opinion without informing itself of all the details or facts. This
becomes, to the readers, something to laugh at, although most readers do follow public opinion,
one way or another.
The great display caricatures, character foils, irony, and satire of provides humor for
Austen's readers. Many of the characters that Austen writes about are often subjects of ridicule.
The characters and situations that Austen enjoys satirizing were real for her in her time as well.
However, the ultimate irony falls on us, Austen's readers, who laugh at Austen's characters. We
are the characters in the novel to Jane Austen. We recognize ourselves in the characters that
Austen enjoys criticizing. It's that recognization of ourselves that we laugh at and what we find
amusing is the fact that Austen makes us view ourselves this way. We laugh at our own faults.
The Present
The Present
Theme: Greed and stupidity.
"Mysterious Fires Breaking out Across Prince Rupert, British Colombia"--John Reeves
"I can't believe there is another one" read surprised Henry Peters. "That must be 5 houses in the last 2 months. Why would anyone do such a vapid thing?"
"Dad, they don't even know if someone is setting them yet!"
"Oh Billy, wake up and smell the smoke. Fires like that just don't start themselves."
Billy knew that as he was walking away, but since he was the cause of all the fires he did not want anyone to know. He felt ashamed that the only way he could make money was to set fires and then get called in to the fire station as a part time worker. He had no other way to make money for his girlfriend and her Christmas present. He tried to keep living this life for as long as he could but he was not sure how long he could keep it up. If he were to ever be caught Lord only knows how long he would be locked away for.
Coming from a small town nobody was used to all the buzz going around. It made Billy nervous. That was all everyone talked about on the small shaded streets of Prince Rupert.
"Billy, Billy!" Henry yelled.
Snapping out of his dream world Billy relied "What?"
"Go down town and pick up some eggs would ya?"
"Yeah sure Dad."
As he walked down the street Billy pondered if he was really doing the right thing. He had convinced himself that since Christmas was the time for giving and he was just getting a little extra cash so he could give some more to his girlfriend; he was doing the right thing. As he looked around the normal hang out spots like the barber shop, he noticed the grim look on all the old-timers and could not really put two and two together to figure out what was going on. He saw the peoples' faces drop lower and lower. No, he thought it isn't me, I have nothing to do with it.
He finally made it to the store where he saw old Jim Hubley.
"Hey Jim, got a dozen eggs for my old man?" Asked the immature boy.
"Yeah in the back fridge." Said Jim with a very sad look on his face.
"What's the problem Jim?"
"Haven't you noticed all the sadness going around the town Billy? Its supposed to be Christmas time and there are now so many people with out a house. How is that supposed to be happy and cheerful?"
"Yeah, uh, I was thinking the same thing." Said the very surprised boy.
Billy was still convinced that he was doing the right thing. It wasn't really his fault that they had nothing and besides he needed the money more than they did.
Walking home he saw a couple people including What looked to be like a father, mother and two sons. They were standing inside a porch of the liquor store. He wondered to himself what they could be doing. Then he saw the sign "Please support the needy." He wondered to himself if they could have been one of the families that he had made homeless. But, if he was making them homeless then it was his fault. He could not worry about that now though, he had to pull off one of his biggest jobs, the MaCellar mansion. He knew that if he were to be called in for this one that he would get more than an eight hour job.
He noticed the same thing on the way home. Everywhere he looked things seemed to be too gloomy for what was supposed to be a fun and happy time. Still he kept walking towards his house not even thinking that it might be his fault and that Christmas is not really a time to take from others so that you can give to someone.
"Got your eggs dad."
"Yeah just put em in the fridge, I'll make the bread later."
"Why didn't I just buy the bread dad?"
"Times are getting hard son and I can't really afford that much. Would I ever hate to be one of those people without a house around these times."
"I know what you mean. You should see everyone around town, there so depressed dad."
"Yeah well so am I son. Can you imagine what it would be like to not have a house on Christmas?"
Still, Billy was determined to make one more person homeless just so he could give the best Christmas present to his girlfriend. He would have to pull it off soon though, Christmas was just around the corner. Maybe it would be tomorrow night.
He approached the mansion planing to burn it to the ground. Everything seemed fine and it did not even look as if there was anybody home. That would make his job ten times easier. He bent down to start the fire on the side of the house when he saw a dog run by him. He thought he would be caught for sure this time, then a small boy came around the corner. The boy looked puzzled. At that moment eighteen Christmas' flashed by Billy's eyes in about 5 seconds. He could remember all the times that he ran down the stairs to rip open the presents. Then the little boy ran back around the corner. Billy took off through the woods quicker than he had ever run before, he did not know what else to do.
Feeling that he was doing the right thing he went to the police station and gave back all the money that he had made from the fires. He also turned himself in.
"Billy do you know what this means?" Asked the chief of police Sergeant Bilks.
"No, what's gonna happen to me?"
"Well Billy depending on what the jury's gonna say, you could face capital punishment. But until then I'm afraid were gonna have to keep you in a cell."
"But officer that's not fair." Pleaded Billy.
"Sorry Billy, sometimes life's not fair."
Theme: Greed and stupidity.
"Mysterious Fires Breaking out Across Prince Rupert, British Colombia"--John Reeves
"I can't believe there is another one" read surprised Henry Peters. "That must be 5 houses in the last 2 months. Why would anyone do such a vapid thing?"
"Dad, they don't even know if someone is setting them yet!"
"Oh Billy, wake up and smell the smoke. Fires like that just don't start themselves."
Billy knew that as he was walking away, but since he was the cause of all the fires he did not want anyone to know. He felt ashamed that the only way he could make money was to set fires and then get called in to the fire station as a part time worker. He had no other way to make money for his girlfriend and her Christmas present. He tried to keep living this life for as long as he could but he was not sure how long he could keep it up. If he were to ever be caught Lord only knows how long he would be locked away for.
Coming from a small town nobody was used to all the buzz going around. It made Billy nervous. That was all everyone talked about on the small shaded streets of Prince Rupert.
"Billy, Billy!" Henry yelled.
Snapping out of his dream world Billy relied "What?"
"Go down town and pick up some eggs would ya?"
"Yeah sure Dad."
As he walked down the street Billy pondered if he was really doing the right thing. He had convinced himself that since Christmas was the time for giving and he was just getting a little extra cash so he could give some more to his girlfriend; he was doing the right thing. As he looked around the normal hang out spots like the barber shop, he noticed the grim look on all the old-timers and could not really put two and two together to figure out what was going on. He saw the peoples' faces drop lower and lower. No, he thought it isn't me, I have nothing to do with it.
He finally made it to the store where he saw old Jim Hubley.
"Hey Jim, got a dozen eggs for my old man?" Asked the immature boy.
"Yeah in the back fridge." Said Jim with a very sad look on his face.
"What's the problem Jim?"
"Haven't you noticed all the sadness going around the town Billy? Its supposed to be Christmas time and there are now so many people with out a house. How is that supposed to be happy and cheerful?"
"Yeah, uh, I was thinking the same thing." Said the very surprised boy.
Billy was still convinced that he was doing the right thing. It wasn't really his fault that they had nothing and besides he needed the money more than they did.
Walking home he saw a couple people including What looked to be like a father, mother and two sons. They were standing inside a porch of the liquor store. He wondered to himself what they could be doing. Then he saw the sign "Please support the needy." He wondered to himself if they could have been one of the families that he had made homeless. But, if he was making them homeless then it was his fault. He could not worry about that now though, he had to pull off one of his biggest jobs, the MaCellar mansion. He knew that if he were to be called in for this one that he would get more than an eight hour job.
He noticed the same thing on the way home. Everywhere he looked things seemed to be too gloomy for what was supposed to be a fun and happy time. Still he kept walking towards his house not even thinking that it might be his fault and that Christmas is not really a time to take from others so that you can give to someone.
"Got your eggs dad."
"Yeah just put em in the fridge, I'll make the bread later."
"Why didn't I just buy the bread dad?"
"Times are getting hard son and I can't really afford that much. Would I ever hate to be one of those people without a house around these times."
"I know what you mean. You should see everyone around town, there so depressed dad."
"Yeah well so am I son. Can you imagine what it would be like to not have a house on Christmas?"
Still, Billy was determined to make one more person homeless just so he could give the best Christmas present to his girlfriend. He would have to pull it off soon though, Christmas was just around the corner. Maybe it would be tomorrow night.
He approached the mansion planing to burn it to the ground. Everything seemed fine and it did not even look as if there was anybody home. That would make his job ten times easier. He bent down to start the fire on the side of the house when he saw a dog run by him. He thought he would be caught for sure this time, then a small boy came around the corner. The boy looked puzzled. At that moment eighteen Christmas' flashed by Billy's eyes in about 5 seconds. He could remember all the times that he ran down the stairs to rip open the presents. Then the little boy ran back around the corner. Billy took off through the woods quicker than he had ever run before, he did not know what else to do.
Feeling that he was doing the right thing he went to the police station and gave back all the money that he had made from the fires. He also turned himself in.
"Billy do you know what this means?" Asked the chief of police Sergeant Bilks.
"No, what's gonna happen to me?"
"Well Billy depending on what the jury's gonna say, you could face capital punishment. But until then I'm afraid were gonna have to keep you in a cell."
"But officer that's not fair." Pleaded Billy.
"Sorry Billy, sometimes life's not fair."
The Number One Hit man
The Healing Process
This is a brief psychological overview of the healing process. The image of healing is best described by Gloria Vanderbilt in "A Mother's Story" when she talks of breaking the invisible unbreakable glass bubble which enclosed her that kept her always anticipating loss with echoes of all past losses. She wrote, for example (Page 3),"Some of us are born with a sense of loss there from the beginning, and it pervades us throughout our lives. Loss, as defined, as deprivation, can be interpreted as being born into a world that does not include a nurturing mother and father. We are captured in an unbreakable glass bubble, undetected by others, and are forever seeking ways to break out, for if we can, surely we will find and touch that which we are missing".
This concept of healing was also described by Philip Berman in "If It Is Not Good Make It So" as changing positively from the unhappy attitude of(Page 48) "we never got the habit of happiness as others know it. It was always as if we were waiting for something better or worse to happen".
Psychological theory of change suggest it is possible to heal, to break out of the glass bubble, to develop the attitude of happiness. For example, in "The Process of Change: Variations on a Theme by Virginia Satir says on Page 89 that "successful change-making turns out to involve struggle, necessitating skill, tenacity and perspective". The struggle occurs when a foreign element produces chaos until a new integration occurs which results in a new status quo. Kurt Lewin echoed this view in saying that an old attitude has to unfreeze, the person experiments, a new attitude develops and a refreezing occurs.
Janis and Prochasky suggest a person starts in relative complacency, is presented with challenging information, the person evaluates the new challenge to habit or policy and reviews alternate policies to create a new policy or return to the original one,
The psychological theories focus on perspective and rational thought. The significance of the therapist is in giving a new perspective and in aiding self-esteem in order to break down resistance to change. Otherwise, Satir suggests people are likely to revert to their trance like state of automatic thought and previous habits.
Maslow (1991), on the other hand, theorized that inherent in each human is a self-actualizing instinct. This was "not merely a matter of fulfilling one's own particular talents; it also involves actualizing those potentialities that one has as a human being" The key for Maslow in engaging in this process was that of openness. People must be (Page 117) "receptive and responsive to information from the world and from themselves. They do not repress or ignore uncomfortable facts and problems and their view of these facts and problems is not distorted by wishes, fears, past experiences or prejudices". This freshness of perspective permits spontaneity, creativity which then promotes growth. Growth is perceived as being open to one's self and to others which leads to empathy.
Maslow felt that the purpose of therapy with its "unconditional positive regard" was to lead the person to such growth and that the result would be love, courage, creativeness, kindness and altruism. Breaking the old habits was the key. Page 127 "To the extent that one is open, one rises above the level of an automaton and becomes more of a creative, autonomous subject. And by these means, openness helps give us a sense that our lives are rewarding".
Most psychologists seem to feel therapy is paramount in the process of change. Schoen, says for example,(Page 52) that before therapy "we are walled off in ourselves, often with evident obstinacy, at the same time, we may puff ourselves up, with obvious arrogance. We are in pain". He theorizes that there is a miracle in therapy. He says (page 53) that the act of appreciating the person actually produces a chemical change that permits a freedom of the soul to stop defending all the conditions that maintain it in its pain. "The new creation is a flexible ego that can be new, fresh and express passion and compassion from the place of a new variableness in existence" (Page 54).
Morrow and Smith describe the healing process as strengthening the person to move beyond mere survival to wholeness and empowerment, from managing helplessness and being overwhelmed by threatening and dangerous feelings to problem focused strategies.(Page 32). Therapy permits the therapist to understand that the "profusion of dysfunctional symptoms really can be seen as rational and reasonable coping strategies".
Bugental discusses that therapy is useful in showing how we all imprison ourselves. He theorizes that when this recognition is deeply experienced, "the world is already beginning to change-because the crippling element in these definitions is the belief that they are and can be the only way one sees them.."(Page 27)
He says we cripple ourselves by making us into objects and forgetting our subjectivity. In therapy we learn to recognize and respect our needs, emotions, anticipations, apprehensions and our sense of concern. But we learn not to be dominated by them.
We learn the frightening quality of relationships, that of the lack of control adds to the richness of relationships. We learn to invest in life and that relinquishment can be a sign of something right not necessarily something that has gone wrong. We learn that laws and mores are not absolutes but open to constant revision as we are to do with our inner selves.
Psychology seems to share the ideas that a person in emotional pain is stuck in a self made prison which can be escaped through unconditional positive regard and a fresh perspective. What isn't clear is how rational thought combined with 'love' enters the person's heart and soul.
Bibliography
Bugental James,F.T. "Lessons Clients Teach Therapists", J. of Humanistic Psychology Vol.31 No. 3 Summer 1991
Mittleman Willard "Maslow's Study of Self-Actualiztion: A Reinterpretation" Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 31 No.1, Winter 1991 Pages 114-135
Morrow Susan L. and Smith Mary Lee,"Survival Coping by Sexual Abuse Survivors", Journal of Counseling Psychology 1995 Vol 42, No.1, pages 24-33.
? "The Process of Change:Variations on a Theme by Virginia Satir", J. of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 34 No.3, Summer, 1994 Pages 87-110.
Schoen Stephen MD "Psychotherapy as Sacred Ground", J. of Humanistic Psychology, Vol 31 No.1, Winter 1991 Pages 51-55
Vanderbilt Gloria, "A Mother's Story", Alfred A. Knopf, N. Y. 1996
This is a brief psychological overview of the healing process. The image of healing is best described by Gloria Vanderbilt in "A Mother's Story" when she talks of breaking the invisible unbreakable glass bubble which enclosed her that kept her always anticipating loss with echoes of all past losses. She wrote, for example (Page 3),"Some of us are born with a sense of loss there from the beginning, and it pervades us throughout our lives. Loss, as defined, as deprivation, can be interpreted as being born into a world that does not include a nurturing mother and father. We are captured in an unbreakable glass bubble, undetected by others, and are forever seeking ways to break out, for if we can, surely we will find and touch that which we are missing".
This concept of healing was also described by Philip Berman in "If It Is Not Good Make It So" as changing positively from the unhappy attitude of(Page 48) "we never got the habit of happiness as others know it. It was always as if we were waiting for something better or worse to happen".
Psychological theory of change suggest it is possible to heal, to break out of the glass bubble, to develop the attitude of happiness. For example, in "The Process of Change: Variations on a Theme by Virginia Satir says on Page 89 that "successful change-making turns out to involve struggle, necessitating skill, tenacity and perspective". The struggle occurs when a foreign element produces chaos until a new integration occurs which results in a new status quo. Kurt Lewin echoed this view in saying that an old attitude has to unfreeze, the person experiments, a new attitude develops and a refreezing occurs.
Janis and Prochasky suggest a person starts in relative complacency, is presented with challenging information, the person evaluates the new challenge to habit or policy and reviews alternate policies to create a new policy or return to the original one,
The psychological theories focus on perspective and rational thought. The significance of the therapist is in giving a new perspective and in aiding self-esteem in order to break down resistance to change. Otherwise, Satir suggests people are likely to revert to their trance like state of automatic thought and previous habits.
Maslow (1991), on the other hand, theorized that inherent in each human is a self-actualizing instinct. This was "not merely a matter of fulfilling one's own particular talents; it also involves actualizing those potentialities that one has as a human being" The key for Maslow in engaging in this process was that of openness. People must be (Page 117) "receptive and responsive to information from the world and from themselves. They do not repress or ignore uncomfortable facts and problems and their view of these facts and problems is not distorted by wishes, fears, past experiences or prejudices". This freshness of perspective permits spontaneity, creativity which then promotes growth. Growth is perceived as being open to one's self and to others which leads to empathy.
Maslow felt that the purpose of therapy with its "unconditional positive regard" was to lead the person to such growth and that the result would be love, courage, creativeness, kindness and altruism. Breaking the old habits was the key. Page 127 "To the extent that one is open, one rises above the level of an automaton and becomes more of a creative, autonomous subject. And by these means, openness helps give us a sense that our lives are rewarding".
Most psychologists seem to feel therapy is paramount in the process of change. Schoen, says for example,(Page 52) that before therapy "we are walled off in ourselves, often with evident obstinacy, at the same time, we may puff ourselves up, with obvious arrogance. We are in pain". He theorizes that there is a miracle in therapy. He says (page 53) that the act of appreciating the person actually produces a chemical change that permits a freedom of the soul to stop defending all the conditions that maintain it in its pain. "The new creation is a flexible ego that can be new, fresh and express passion and compassion from the place of a new variableness in existence" (Page 54).
Morrow and Smith describe the healing process as strengthening the person to move beyond mere survival to wholeness and empowerment, from managing helplessness and being overwhelmed by threatening and dangerous feelings to problem focused strategies.(Page 32). Therapy permits the therapist to understand that the "profusion of dysfunctional symptoms really can be seen as rational and reasonable coping strategies".
Bugental discusses that therapy is useful in showing how we all imprison ourselves. He theorizes that when this recognition is deeply experienced, "the world is already beginning to change-because the crippling element in these definitions is the belief that they are and can be the only way one sees them.."(Page 27)
He says we cripple ourselves by making us into objects and forgetting our subjectivity. In therapy we learn to recognize and respect our needs, emotions, anticipations, apprehensions and our sense of concern. But we learn not to be dominated by them.
We learn the frightening quality of relationships, that of the lack of control adds to the richness of relationships. We learn to invest in life and that relinquishment can be a sign of something right not necessarily something that has gone wrong. We learn that laws and mores are not absolutes but open to constant revision as we are to do with our inner selves.
Psychology seems to share the ideas that a person in emotional pain is stuck in a self made prison which can be escaped through unconditional positive regard and a fresh perspective. What isn't clear is how rational thought combined with 'love' enters the person's heart and soul.
Bibliography
Bugental James,F.T. "Lessons Clients Teach Therapists", J. of Humanistic Psychology Vol.31 No. 3 Summer 1991
Mittleman Willard "Maslow's Study of Self-Actualiztion: A Reinterpretation" Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 31 No.1, Winter 1991 Pages 114-135
Morrow Susan L. and Smith Mary Lee,"Survival Coping by Sexual Abuse Survivors", Journal of Counseling Psychology 1995 Vol 42, No.1, pages 24-33.
? "The Process of Change:Variations on a Theme by Virginia Satir", J. of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 34 No.3, Summer, 1994 Pages 87-110.
Schoen Stephen MD "Psychotherapy as Sacred Ground", J. of Humanistic Psychology, Vol 31 No.1, Winter 1991 Pages 51-55
Vanderbilt Gloria, "A Mother's Story", Alfred A. Knopf, N. Y. 1996
The Nightmare
It all began one day when I was over my friend Susan's house. Her parents had
just left for vacation to Texas, leaving her home by herself. I was allowed to stay that
weekend while her parents were away. Susan and I were sitting down eating when she
got a call from the house where a new family just moved into. The Smith's had asked her
to babysit for them. They said it was all right if I came too. They wanted us to come
over about six that evening.
When we got over there Mrs. Smith introduced her two year old daughter named
Julie to us. Mr. and Mrs. Smith didn't leave right away because they wanted Julie to get
to know us better. Mrs. Smith told Susan and I that Julie could stay up until 8:00 P.M..
She also told us she had been having problems with her telephone. There must have been
something wrong with the connection because when it rang there would be no one on the
other end. Someone was coming tomorrow to take a look at it.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith informed us that they would be a little late coming home
because it was their anniversary and they had a long night planned. We told them to have
a nice time and they both grabbed their coats and left.
Julie started crying just as they closed the door. We gave her a bottle and put her
down to watch some TV. Then the phone rang and Susan and I looked at each other,
seeing who was going to answer it.
I answered the phone but no one was there. I said hello again, but still no answer.
All I could hear was someone breathing heavily. It was loud, gasping, and very
frightening. I said hello again and heard a faint, masculine voice. As I began to tremble,
the voice whispered, "I'm coming."
All of a sudden the lights went out. Susan, Julie and I let out a loud shriek. I ran
over to Susan and Julie and hid my head. Susan started laughing and told me it was
probably because of the storm outside. We both looked out the window when a bolt of
lighting struck across the sky. Julie began to cry and we comforted her and told her it
would be all right.
Susan was going to go down into the basement to find the fuse box so she could
turn the lights back on. It was time for Julie to go to bed so I grabbed a flashlight and we
went up stairs. I tucked her in and read her a short story.
All of a sudden I heard a loud screech. I jumped up and ran down into the
basement where Susan was. I hurried down the basement steps where I saw Susan's still
body laying on the floor and her head on top of the fuse box. I froze with astonishment,
when I saw written on the wall with blood "YOUR NEXT." As fast as I could, without
thinking, I ran up the steps frantically. I got up the steps trembling and locked the
basement door behind me. I ran up into Julie's room to get her so we could leave the
house. I looked in her room and she was gone from her bed. I heard foot steps coming
from the basement. I called Julie's name a few times, but with no answer, I thought he
had already got to her. I picked up the phone to call the police but the line was dead.
I didn't know what to do so I went to the kitchen to get a knife. There weren't any
kitchen utensils since they had recently moved in and weren't finished unpacking yet. I
saw a small pocket knife on the counter, grabbed it and headed toward the front door. I
thought the best thing to do was to get out of the house as quickly as possible. As I crept
past the steps I noticed a low crying coming from Julie's room. It sounded like Julie so I
dashed up to her room and heard it again. It was coming from her closet. As I opened
the door I saw Julie huddled in the corner of the closet crying. I picked her up and
carefully ran to the front door.
Feeling a little relieved that Julie wasn't hurt, I tried opening the front door but
something was holding me back. Someone from the other end was holding the door. I
looked out the window horrified at what I saw. It was a tall man with dark hair, and an
unshaven, frightful face. He looked as though he was thirty. I knew he was after me so I
raced to the back door knowing he would follow.
The back door was unlocked so I took Julie and ran into the woods. When I
thought I got far enough away from the house I put Julie down and told her everything
would be fine. Just when I thought he was gone I heard the rustling of leaves and heavy
breathing. I took Julie's hand and was as frightened as ever. We ran as fast as we could
trying not to look behind us. Julie kept tripping over rocks so I picked her up. When my
arms got too tired to carry her any longer I stopped. I looked back hoping he wasn't there.
When I saw the man coming closer to me I put Julie down and pulled out my
pocket knife. He didn't seem alarmed. He then pulled out a large butcher knife from
behind his back. Then all I could think about was seeing Susan laying dead in the
basement. I stepped backward holding Julie's hand. Julie let out a huge shriek which
startled me, leading me to trip over a rock behind me. I got up quickly as the man started
chasing me again. When I went to turn around to start running again there was a huge
cliff in front of me. I lost my balance and fell right off the edge. I felt myself falling in
the air looking down at what I might hit. Just then I woke up in my bed with sweat
dripping from my head and realized it was all just a nightmare.
just left for vacation to Texas, leaving her home by herself. I was allowed to stay that
weekend while her parents were away. Susan and I were sitting down eating when she
got a call from the house where a new family just moved into. The Smith's had asked her
to babysit for them. They said it was all right if I came too. They wanted us to come
over about six that evening.
When we got over there Mrs. Smith introduced her two year old daughter named
Julie to us. Mr. and Mrs. Smith didn't leave right away because they wanted Julie to get
to know us better. Mrs. Smith told Susan and I that Julie could stay up until 8:00 P.M..
She also told us she had been having problems with her telephone. There must have been
something wrong with the connection because when it rang there would be no one on the
other end. Someone was coming tomorrow to take a look at it.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith informed us that they would be a little late coming home
because it was their anniversary and they had a long night planned. We told them to have
a nice time and they both grabbed their coats and left.
Julie started crying just as they closed the door. We gave her a bottle and put her
down to watch some TV. Then the phone rang and Susan and I looked at each other,
seeing who was going to answer it.
I answered the phone but no one was there. I said hello again, but still no answer.
All I could hear was someone breathing heavily. It was loud, gasping, and very
frightening. I said hello again and heard a faint, masculine voice. As I began to tremble,
the voice whispered, "I'm coming."
All of a sudden the lights went out. Susan, Julie and I let out a loud shriek. I ran
over to Susan and Julie and hid my head. Susan started laughing and told me it was
probably because of the storm outside. We both looked out the window when a bolt of
lighting struck across the sky. Julie began to cry and we comforted her and told her it
would be all right.
Susan was going to go down into the basement to find the fuse box so she could
turn the lights back on. It was time for Julie to go to bed so I grabbed a flashlight and we
went up stairs. I tucked her in and read her a short story.
All of a sudden I heard a loud screech. I jumped up and ran down into the
basement where Susan was. I hurried down the basement steps where I saw Susan's still
body laying on the floor and her head on top of the fuse box. I froze with astonishment,
when I saw written on the wall with blood "YOUR NEXT." As fast as I could, without
thinking, I ran up the steps frantically. I got up the steps trembling and locked the
basement door behind me. I ran up into Julie's room to get her so we could leave the
house. I looked in her room and she was gone from her bed. I heard foot steps coming
from the basement. I called Julie's name a few times, but with no answer, I thought he
had already got to her. I picked up the phone to call the police but the line was dead.
I didn't know what to do so I went to the kitchen to get a knife. There weren't any
kitchen utensils since they had recently moved in and weren't finished unpacking yet. I
saw a small pocket knife on the counter, grabbed it and headed toward the front door. I
thought the best thing to do was to get out of the house as quickly as possible. As I crept
past the steps I noticed a low crying coming from Julie's room. It sounded like Julie so I
dashed up to her room and heard it again. It was coming from her closet. As I opened
the door I saw Julie huddled in the corner of the closet crying. I picked her up and
carefully ran to the front door.
Feeling a little relieved that Julie wasn't hurt, I tried opening the front door but
something was holding me back. Someone from the other end was holding the door. I
looked out the window horrified at what I saw. It was a tall man with dark hair, and an
unshaven, frightful face. He looked as though he was thirty. I knew he was after me so I
raced to the back door knowing he would follow.
The back door was unlocked so I took Julie and ran into the woods. When I
thought I got far enough away from the house I put Julie down and told her everything
would be fine. Just when I thought he was gone I heard the rustling of leaves and heavy
breathing. I took Julie's hand and was as frightened as ever. We ran as fast as we could
trying not to look behind us. Julie kept tripping over rocks so I picked her up. When my
arms got too tired to carry her any longer I stopped. I looked back hoping he wasn't there.
When I saw the man coming closer to me I put Julie down and pulled out my
pocket knife. He didn't seem alarmed. He then pulled out a large butcher knife from
behind his back. Then all I could think about was seeing Susan laying dead in the
basement. I stepped backward holding Julie's hand. Julie let out a huge shriek which
startled me, leading me to trip over a rock behind me. I got up quickly as the man started
chasing me again. When I went to turn around to start running again there was a huge
cliff in front of me. I lost my balance and fell right off the edge. I felt myself falling in
the air looking down at what I might hit. Just then I woke up in my bed with sweat
dripping from my head and realized it was all just a nightmare.
The Inn from Hell
Inn From Hell
It all started on a dark a stormy night just outside of the Paris city limits at about
11:00 P.M. when Doctor Bleed and his assistant checked into the old run down inn. You
see the weather was so bad that they could not even make it all the way over to Spain so
they had to stop.
They walked in with thier clothes soaked from the rainfall, when they first walked
in they realized that there was nobody at the desk to wait on them so they just took it
upon themselves to get a room for the night. That was thier first mistake. As they walked
up the creeky stairs they peered around every corner looking for an open room so they
could relax in peace. When the end of the hall grew near they both spotted an open room
with a light on in it and both of the beds with all of the blankets all folded up nice and
neat, almost as if they were expecting us to arrive that evening. Without even thinking
about anything else they both entered the room and agreed that it was probably too late to
go wake up the inn keeper so they would just go down and pay him in the morning. After
removing the soaking wet clothes they put on thier night clothes and not even five
minuites after hopping into bed they were both asleep. That was thier next mistake.
Now like most people Doctor Bleed just had to get his drink of water in the middle
of the night or or or .......Well thats funny I dont think that he has ever not had his
refreshing drink of water in the middle of the night. Oh well, I sure hope he gets it. Like
normally the Doctor woke up at about 2:00 A.M., now with the doctor not knowing the
house he just took off in any old direction which he should not have done because he did
not know what he was about to get himself into. As the doctor roamed the inn he started
to swear like a mad man because he still could not find any water. He thought to himself
"What kind of an Inn is this". He would soon find out. Just then The doctor spotted what
appeared to be a bathroom with the lights on, he would be sure to find some water in
there. As he looked around the bathroom for the faucet he heard this soft chant coming
from another room across the hall. It almost sounded like the Theme Song from
"Barney", he caustiosly tip toed across the hall desperatly hoping to catch a glimpse of
whatever is making that horrible noise. He opened the door and there standing right in
front of him dancing around and singing songs like a fairy was a huge purple dinosaur.
Right away the Dinosaur spotted the doctor and grabbed him by the arm and attempted to
get him to dance to the theme song from "Barney". Scared to death from the words of the
horrible song he decked the dinosaur straight in the left eye, that gave the doctor time to
run. As he ran he could hear the dinosaur clodding behind him repeating the words
"Come back! All I want to do is sing my song". Quickly looking for a place to hide the
Doctor Dove into the laundry room and watched the giant purple dinosaur jog past him,
A sign of relief the Doctor thought to himself, or maybe not because right when he turned
around he saw a strange man doing his laundry. The Doctor decided to go closer for a
better look at the man, as he peered over his shoulder he saw that it was "PEE WEE"
Herman!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh no the Doctor has ran into that moron with his very own playhouse
and talking furniture, the doctor knew he had to get out of there fast. Before he could get
out of the room "Pee Wee" pulled out a gun and made the doctor sit down and watch old
reruns of his show which was a total flop. After watching just one of the episodes the
doctor pinched himself just to make sure that this was no dream, And what do you know
it wasnt.
Now the doctor was still craving that drink of water that he wanted over an hour
ago, and this moron showing him the movies was not helping one bit. Then the doctor
began to change....HE WAS GETTING BIGGER....HE TURNED BLACK......and the
next thing he knew he was wearing boxer shorts that said Tyson on them. His hands
turned into boxing gloves and wasting no time he jabbed "Pee Wee" right in the gut
leaving him laying in aftershock. Now it was payback time for that purple threat to the
world "Barney". The doctor found "Barney" in the exact same place as before and doing
the exact same thing as before, Acting like a fairy! The doctor dove right on top of the
purple friek and hog tied him with his very own tail, but that wasnt enough for the doctor
so he began kicking the dinosaur everywhere. With every kick he shouted "And this one
is for teaching my kids to sing your stupid song 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. As the
doctor paused he spotted a glass of water that "Barney" had been drinking on so the
doctor walked over and chugged every drop in the glass, I mean it wasnt like "Barney"
was going to be wanting anymore. About 20 seconds after he drank the water he began to
morph back into his previous form, now after all that work the doctor decided to go right
to bed and deal with the mess in the morning. Now the doctor would never have to worry
about bad dreams again, that being because he was his own bad dream, and with that in
mind he closed his eyes and had a wonderful rest.
The next morning doctor Bleed's assistant woke him up early so they wouldnt have
to pay the inn keeper, obviously the assistant did not even realize anything that went on
last night. Oh well the doctor didnt really feel like telling anybody anyway. As they drove
away the doctor saw that there was a full moon last night.......COINCEDENCD I THINK
NOT!!!!!!
It all started on a dark a stormy night just outside of the Paris city limits at about
11:00 P.M. when Doctor Bleed and his assistant checked into the old run down inn. You
see the weather was so bad that they could not even make it all the way over to Spain so
they had to stop.
They walked in with thier clothes soaked from the rainfall, when they first walked
in they realized that there was nobody at the desk to wait on them so they just took it
upon themselves to get a room for the night. That was thier first mistake. As they walked
up the creeky stairs they peered around every corner looking for an open room so they
could relax in peace. When the end of the hall grew near they both spotted an open room
with a light on in it and both of the beds with all of the blankets all folded up nice and
neat, almost as if they were expecting us to arrive that evening. Without even thinking
about anything else they both entered the room and agreed that it was probably too late to
go wake up the inn keeper so they would just go down and pay him in the morning. After
removing the soaking wet clothes they put on thier night clothes and not even five
minuites after hopping into bed they were both asleep. That was thier next mistake.
Now like most people Doctor Bleed just had to get his drink of water in the middle
of the night or or or .......Well thats funny I dont think that he has ever not had his
refreshing drink of water in the middle of the night. Oh well, I sure hope he gets it. Like
normally the Doctor woke up at about 2:00 A.M., now with the doctor not knowing the
house he just took off in any old direction which he should not have done because he did
not know what he was about to get himself into. As the doctor roamed the inn he started
to swear like a mad man because he still could not find any water. He thought to himself
"What kind of an Inn is this". He would soon find out. Just then The doctor spotted what
appeared to be a bathroom with the lights on, he would be sure to find some water in
there. As he looked around the bathroom for the faucet he heard this soft chant coming
from another room across the hall. It almost sounded like the Theme Song from
"Barney", he caustiosly tip toed across the hall desperatly hoping to catch a glimpse of
whatever is making that horrible noise. He opened the door and there standing right in
front of him dancing around and singing songs like a fairy was a huge purple dinosaur.
Right away the Dinosaur spotted the doctor and grabbed him by the arm and attempted to
get him to dance to the theme song from "Barney". Scared to death from the words of the
horrible song he decked the dinosaur straight in the left eye, that gave the doctor time to
run. As he ran he could hear the dinosaur clodding behind him repeating the words
"Come back! All I want to do is sing my song". Quickly looking for a place to hide the
Doctor Dove into the laundry room and watched the giant purple dinosaur jog past him,
A sign of relief the Doctor thought to himself, or maybe not because right when he turned
around he saw a strange man doing his laundry. The Doctor decided to go closer for a
better look at the man, as he peered over his shoulder he saw that it was "PEE WEE"
Herman!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh no the Doctor has ran into that moron with his very own playhouse
and talking furniture, the doctor knew he had to get out of there fast. Before he could get
out of the room "Pee Wee" pulled out a gun and made the doctor sit down and watch old
reruns of his show which was a total flop. After watching just one of the episodes the
doctor pinched himself just to make sure that this was no dream, And what do you know
it wasnt.
Now the doctor was still craving that drink of water that he wanted over an hour
ago, and this moron showing him the movies was not helping one bit. Then the doctor
began to change....HE WAS GETTING BIGGER....HE TURNED BLACK......and the
next thing he knew he was wearing boxer shorts that said Tyson on them. His hands
turned into boxing gloves and wasting no time he jabbed "Pee Wee" right in the gut
leaving him laying in aftershock. Now it was payback time for that purple threat to the
world "Barney". The doctor found "Barney" in the exact same place as before and doing
the exact same thing as before, Acting like a fairy! The doctor dove right on top of the
purple friek and hog tied him with his very own tail, but that wasnt enough for the doctor
so he began kicking the dinosaur everywhere. With every kick he shouted "And this one
is for teaching my kids to sing your stupid song 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. As the
doctor paused he spotted a glass of water that "Barney" had been drinking on so the
doctor walked over and chugged every drop in the glass, I mean it wasnt like "Barney"
was going to be wanting anymore. About 20 seconds after he drank the water he began to
morph back into his previous form, now after all that work the doctor decided to go right
to bed and deal with the mess in the morning. Now the doctor would never have to worry
about bad dreams again, that being because he was his own bad dream, and with that in
mind he closed his eyes and had a wonderful rest.
The next morning doctor Bleed's assistant woke him up early so they wouldnt have
to pay the inn keeper, obviously the assistant did not even realize anything that went on
last night. Oh well the doctor didnt really feel like telling anybody anyway. As they drove
away the doctor saw that there was a full moon last night.......COINCEDENCD I THINK
NOT!!!!!!
The House of the Seven Gables1
The House of the Seven Gables
THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
"The House of the Seven Gables" is a romantic novel set in a grand and rustic, old house with seven gables in New England town. The story opens with its history, beginning in the 1690's, when witch-hunting was rampant. Afterwards, it revolves around the course of one summer in the 1850's.
At his housewarming party, Colonel Pyncheon, the socially noted owner of the house was mysteriously found dead in one of the rooms. Although he was highly esteemed for his wealth and high position, legend has it that he usurped the land on which his house stood from a poor fellow named Matthew Maule. Maule was a nobody. Furthermore, he was rumored to be practicing witchcraft. For this, he was hanged and it was rumored that Pyncheon was responsible for it because he wanted the land for himself. However, his social prominence and Maule's infamy allowed him to get away with the crime smoothly. Before Maule died though, cursed him saying, "God will give him blood to drink."
For years, the Pyncheon-Maule dispute carried on. The long line of Pyncheons struggled to keep the land from their rivals. Though they succeeded in this, their greed became their own undoing. Alice Pyncheon dies because her father, Gervayse, allowed her to be hypnotized by a Maule also named Matthew, because he believed him when he said that he needed Alice's mind to find a the hidden Pyncheon treasure. Clifford Pyncheon was another victim of the greed of his cousin Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. He framed him and sent him to prison for killing their uncle so that he could have the Pyncheon fortune to himself.
However, after many years, the once talked-about mansion was eventually forgotten, and the story focuses on the time when Hepzibah Pyncheon, an old and lonely spinster inhabited it. She was often feared for the scowl on her face that was actually only the result of a chronic squint due to her poor eyesight. Proud and without talent for practical matters, she is a symbol of decaying aristocracy. She grieves for her beloved brother, Clifford, who was framed and imprisoned. She had a boarder named Holgrave. He is an attractive and imtellectual young man with modern views and notions. He preaches about social reform to Hepzibah and Phoebe.
When her money was running out, Hepzibah was forced to open little bakeshop in the front gable of the house and abandon her illusion of aristocracy. This only adds to her misery until her young niece, Phoebe, comes from the country to live with her in the house. Like a ray of sunshine, she lights up the house with her beauty, simplicity, and free-spiritedness
After 30 years in prison, Hepzibah's brother, Clifford, is released and comes home to the house of seven gables. He has a love for beauty but the years of seclusion had drawn out the life from him and he became bitter and spiritless. Then he develops a special bond with Phoebe. Despite the complexity of his personality, she understood him.
A frequent visitor was Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. He resembled his ancestor, the colonel physically and in his greed and pretentiousness as well. Yet, he pretends to be good-natured and amiable. He insists that Clifford possessed the knowledge about a hidden Pyncheon fortune. However, the truth of the matter is that Clifford has long since forgotten the secret.
One day , Judge Jaffrey comes again, looking for Clifford. He manages to force Hepzibah to let him see her brother and she goes up to fetch him. He is not in his room and when she comes back to tell the judge, she finds him dead. And Clifford is standing beside him. Afraid that he would be accused of murder again, Clifford flees, bringing Hepzibah along. In their absence, Holgrave and Phoebe fall in love.
Eventually, it was discovered that Jaffrey's death was a result of a stroke, and everything is cleared and resolved. Clifford and Hepzibah return and Holgrave asks Phoebe to marry him. She agrees and he discloses that he is a descendant of Matthew Maule. The secret treasure turned out to be the deed of the territory, which was now useless. It was hidden inside a vault concealed by the painting of the colonel which hung on the wall of the house eversince it was built.
Hepzibah, Clifford, Phoebe, and Holgrave all decide to leave the house and live in the country, where they inherited an estate from Judge Jaffrey. And that was the end of the Pyncheon - Maule dispute.
The story presents us with several themes. Firstly, that the sins of the forefathers are passed on to the next generations, and they become branded for life. Although one cannot undo what have already been done, he can still strive to break the curse, and free himself from the spiral of sin. Secondly, man cannot live alone. Isolation can draw out life from a being. Clifford and Hepzibah who had been living n seclusion for many years had become bitter and lifeless, but when they were re-united and Phoebe came into their lives, they became alive again. Third, man should not be divided by social classes. Hawthorne was obviously against aristocracy for he preaches through Holgrave that wanting to be above the rest leads to isolation and division. Lastly, Hawthorne tells us not to be deceived by appearances. "Do not judge a book by its cover", as it is commonly said. The judge's beatific smile is as misleading as Hepzibah's scowl.
The themes of the story present valuable lessons relevant even today. Hawthorne's style of writing is very relaxed and personal. By using the present tense, one feels as if he were within the story as it unfolds before him. With this, one particularly feels the relevance of the irony of his novel today.
He plays up the novel by embellishing it with mischief like the disappearing skeleton hand and ghost who plays the harpsichord. He also filled with symbolism. For instance, the withered with odd markings symbolize the fading eminence and odd traits of the Pyncheon family. The organ grinder and the little figures in his box represent the concept of individualism --- each figure, dancing to the same tune accomplish nothing. The image of the cracked porcelain vase hurled at the granite column represents Clifford, in all his frailty versus Jaffrey, to whom he does not stand a chance against. The house itself symbolizes the human heart. It may be stone-cold but when warmed with love (Phoebe), it will blossom.
Word Count: 1096
THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
"The House of the Seven Gables" is a romantic novel set in a grand and rustic, old house with seven gables in New England town. The story opens with its history, beginning in the 1690's, when witch-hunting was rampant. Afterwards, it revolves around the course of one summer in the 1850's.
At his housewarming party, Colonel Pyncheon, the socially noted owner of the house was mysteriously found dead in one of the rooms. Although he was highly esteemed for his wealth and high position, legend has it that he usurped the land on which his house stood from a poor fellow named Matthew Maule. Maule was a nobody. Furthermore, he was rumored to be practicing witchcraft. For this, he was hanged and it was rumored that Pyncheon was responsible for it because he wanted the land for himself. However, his social prominence and Maule's infamy allowed him to get away with the crime smoothly. Before Maule died though, cursed him saying, "God will give him blood to drink."
For years, the Pyncheon-Maule dispute carried on. The long line of Pyncheons struggled to keep the land from their rivals. Though they succeeded in this, their greed became their own undoing. Alice Pyncheon dies because her father, Gervayse, allowed her to be hypnotized by a Maule also named Matthew, because he believed him when he said that he needed Alice's mind to find a the hidden Pyncheon treasure. Clifford Pyncheon was another victim of the greed of his cousin Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. He framed him and sent him to prison for killing their uncle so that he could have the Pyncheon fortune to himself.
However, after many years, the once talked-about mansion was eventually forgotten, and the story focuses on the time when Hepzibah Pyncheon, an old and lonely spinster inhabited it. She was often feared for the scowl on her face that was actually only the result of a chronic squint due to her poor eyesight. Proud and without talent for practical matters, she is a symbol of decaying aristocracy. She grieves for her beloved brother, Clifford, who was framed and imprisoned. She had a boarder named Holgrave. He is an attractive and imtellectual young man with modern views and notions. He preaches about social reform to Hepzibah and Phoebe.
When her money was running out, Hepzibah was forced to open little bakeshop in the front gable of the house and abandon her illusion of aristocracy. This only adds to her misery until her young niece, Phoebe, comes from the country to live with her in the house. Like a ray of sunshine, she lights up the house with her beauty, simplicity, and free-spiritedness
After 30 years in prison, Hepzibah's brother, Clifford, is released and comes home to the house of seven gables. He has a love for beauty but the years of seclusion had drawn out the life from him and he became bitter and spiritless. Then he develops a special bond with Phoebe. Despite the complexity of his personality, she understood him.
A frequent visitor was Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. He resembled his ancestor, the colonel physically and in his greed and pretentiousness as well. Yet, he pretends to be good-natured and amiable. He insists that Clifford possessed the knowledge about a hidden Pyncheon fortune. However, the truth of the matter is that Clifford has long since forgotten the secret.
One day , Judge Jaffrey comes again, looking for Clifford. He manages to force Hepzibah to let him see her brother and she goes up to fetch him. He is not in his room and when she comes back to tell the judge, she finds him dead. And Clifford is standing beside him. Afraid that he would be accused of murder again, Clifford flees, bringing Hepzibah along. In their absence, Holgrave and Phoebe fall in love.
Eventually, it was discovered that Jaffrey's death was a result of a stroke, and everything is cleared and resolved. Clifford and Hepzibah return and Holgrave asks Phoebe to marry him. She agrees and he discloses that he is a descendant of Matthew Maule. The secret treasure turned out to be the deed of the territory, which was now useless. It was hidden inside a vault concealed by the painting of the colonel which hung on the wall of the house eversince it was built.
Hepzibah, Clifford, Phoebe, and Holgrave all decide to leave the house and live in the country, where they inherited an estate from Judge Jaffrey. And that was the end of the Pyncheon - Maule dispute.
The story presents us with several themes. Firstly, that the sins of the forefathers are passed on to the next generations, and they become branded for life. Although one cannot undo what have already been done, he can still strive to break the curse, and free himself from the spiral of sin. Secondly, man cannot live alone. Isolation can draw out life from a being. Clifford and Hepzibah who had been living n seclusion for many years had become bitter and lifeless, but when they were re-united and Phoebe came into their lives, they became alive again. Third, man should not be divided by social classes. Hawthorne was obviously against aristocracy for he preaches through Holgrave that wanting to be above the rest leads to isolation and division. Lastly, Hawthorne tells us not to be deceived by appearances. "Do not judge a book by its cover", as it is commonly said. The judge's beatific smile is as misleading as Hepzibah's scowl.
The themes of the story present valuable lessons relevant even today. Hawthorne's style of writing is very relaxed and personal. By using the present tense, one feels as if he were within the story as it unfolds before him. With this, one particularly feels the relevance of the irony of his novel today.
He plays up the novel by embellishing it with mischief like the disappearing skeleton hand and ghost who plays the harpsichord. He also filled with symbolism. For instance, the withered with odd markings symbolize the fading eminence and odd traits of the Pyncheon family. The organ grinder and the little figures in his box represent the concept of individualism --- each figure, dancing to the same tune accomplish nothing. The image of the cracked porcelain vase hurled at the granite column represents Clifford, in all his frailty versus Jaffrey, to whom he does not stand a chance against. The house itself symbolizes the human heart. It may be stone-cold but when warmed with love (Phoebe), it will blossom.
Word Count: 1096
The Hobbit 2
Title: The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Setting: The setting of the story takes place in the lands of Wilderland. It is through Wilderland that the hobbit and the dwarves travel to retrieve their lost treasure. As they move on through Wilderland, they encounter different people and different problems, making it more of an adventure.
Characters:
protagonists:
Bilbo Baggins- he is the main character of story. The tiny hobbit is convinced by the great wizard Gandalf to undertake a long journey with thirteen dwarves to help them retrieve their lost treasure. Bilbo, at first, seems to be of no use to the dwarfs, almost getting them killed by the giant trolls. Eventually he shows his value to dwarves by saving them numerous times from death and imprisonment.
Thorin- He is the most important dwarf. His father was the king under the mountain of Lonely Mountain. After the fall of his kingdom, the treasure that belonged to his father was lost to the evil dragon Smaug. He leads the other twelve dwarfs in hopes of regaining the treasure and his kingdom.
Gandalf- He is the great wizard who helped organize the adventure. At first he travels with the dwarves and the hobbit but leaves them because he has other business to attend to.
Beorn- is a large man who can change shapes into other animals. He lives by himself in large house with animals who he can speak to. He helps the dwarves and the hobbit after they have escaped from the goblins. He later joins them in the Battle of the Five Armies to help defeat the goblins and and the wargs.
Bard- He is the man who slays Smaug and becomes the new master of the town where the men dwell on Long Lake.
antagonists:
the trolls (Bert, Tom, Bill)- they capture the dwarves and Bilbo with the intention of eating them. They are saved when Gandalf creates confusion between them (the trolls) allowing the adventurers to escape.
Goblins- they also capture the adventurers but not before Thorin could kill the Great Goblin and then escape. This caused them to pursue the group and their anger towards them led to the cause the Battle of the Five Armies.
Smaug- He is the evil dragon who takes over Lonely Mountain and all its gold within it. He is stirred from his sleep by Bilbo and while trying to destroy the town on the river, he is killed by Bard.
Exposition: The general situation is revealed by the narrator who tells the story in the third person. The narrator makes direct comments usually explaining parts of the story that won't be made clear until later in the novel. Maps show the lands in which the group of adventurers is traveling.
Type of Conflict: there is a person vs. person conflict between the dwarves and Bilbo at the beginning of the story. It is gradually resolved after Bilbo proves his usefulness to them. There is also a person vs. person struggle between the adventurers and just about everyone else they encounter in their travels (trolls, goblins, spiders, and Smaug), including some who would later become their allies (wood elves, and the men).
Inciting Incident: This occurs after Gandalf introduces the thirteen dwarves to Bilbo. He convinces Bilbo to undertake a journey with them knowing that Bilbo will be of much use to them later on in their travels.
Turning Point: After Bilbo escaped from Gollum and the Goblins, the dwarves had new found respect in Bilbo. They began to listen to his suggestions and follow his actions. Their respect in him helped Bilbo find worth in himself.
Climax: The climax of the novel comes at the Battle of the Five Armies. Here the dwarves, wood elves,and men join in fighting against the goblins and their allies. Resolution:occurs after Thorin dies and and his cousin Dain is crowned king. All the goblins of the land have mostly vanished and each of the separate groups live in peace and unity.
Plot Summary: After the inciting incident, the group comes upon three trolls who capture them but are later turned to stone when Gandalf confuses them, causing them to stay outside when the sun comes up, turning them into stone. After seeking refuge in a cave, they are captured by the goblins but escape after some of the goblins are killed including the Great Goblin. While fleeing the goblin tunnels, Bilbo is left behind and he meets up with Gollum. This is where he finds the magic ring and uses it to escape the Goblin tunnels and Gollum himself. That incident resulted in the turning point of the novel. The goblins quickly tracked down the travelers and almost killed them but the eagles had came to their rescue carrying them far from the goblins. They sought refuge in the house of Beorn where they rested and then replenished their supplies. While traveling the group was captured by the giant spiders. Bilbo used his ring to help his friends escape but not before Thorin was captured by the wood elves. Later the rest of the group (except for Bilbo) was also captured by the wood elves. He once again used his magic ring to free all the dwarves and devised a plan to help them escape. Each of the travelers were fitted into a barrel (except for Bilbo) a floated down the river. There the group was nursed back to health by the lake men and began the trip to Lonely Mountain to reclaim the kingdom and the treasure. After they reached there they encountered Smaug. He would be later slain by Bard when he tried to destroy the town. News of the treasure reached far and wide and the wood elves and the men went to try to claim it. This led to a conflict which almost led to battle. Before the dwarves and the wood elves and men could fight though, the goblins, wargs, and wolves attacked them. The next incident is the climax which is followed by the resolution. Bilbo returns home to his hobbit hole after more than a year of traveling and adventure.
Reaction: I thought that the novel was one of the best novels I've ever read. It was suspenseful yet entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book to others. The combination of magic, personal triumph, and adventure made it great to read.
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Setting: The setting of the story takes place in the lands of Wilderland. It is through Wilderland that the hobbit and the dwarves travel to retrieve their lost treasure. As they move on through Wilderland, they encounter different people and different problems, making it more of an adventure.
Characters:
protagonists:
Bilbo Baggins- he is the main character of story. The tiny hobbit is convinced by the great wizard Gandalf to undertake a long journey with thirteen dwarves to help them retrieve their lost treasure. Bilbo, at first, seems to be of no use to the dwarfs, almost getting them killed by the giant trolls. Eventually he shows his value to dwarves by saving them numerous times from death and imprisonment.
Thorin- He is the most important dwarf. His father was the king under the mountain of Lonely Mountain. After the fall of his kingdom, the treasure that belonged to his father was lost to the evil dragon Smaug. He leads the other twelve dwarfs in hopes of regaining the treasure and his kingdom.
Gandalf- He is the great wizard who helped organize the adventure. At first he travels with the dwarves and the hobbit but leaves them because he has other business to attend to.
Beorn- is a large man who can change shapes into other animals. He lives by himself in large house with animals who he can speak to. He helps the dwarves and the hobbit after they have escaped from the goblins. He later joins them in the Battle of the Five Armies to help defeat the goblins and and the wargs.
Bard- He is the man who slays Smaug and becomes the new master of the town where the men dwell on Long Lake.
antagonists:
the trolls (Bert, Tom, Bill)- they capture the dwarves and Bilbo with the intention of eating them. They are saved when Gandalf creates confusion between them (the trolls) allowing the adventurers to escape.
Goblins- they also capture the adventurers but not before Thorin could kill the Great Goblin and then escape. This caused them to pursue the group and their anger towards them led to the cause the Battle of the Five Armies.
Smaug- He is the evil dragon who takes over Lonely Mountain and all its gold within it. He is stirred from his sleep by Bilbo and while trying to destroy the town on the river, he is killed by Bard.
Exposition: The general situation is revealed by the narrator who tells the story in the third person. The narrator makes direct comments usually explaining parts of the story that won't be made clear until later in the novel. Maps show the lands in which the group of adventurers is traveling.
Type of Conflict: there is a person vs. person conflict between the dwarves and Bilbo at the beginning of the story. It is gradually resolved after Bilbo proves his usefulness to them. There is also a person vs. person struggle between the adventurers and just about everyone else they encounter in their travels (trolls, goblins, spiders, and Smaug), including some who would later become their allies (wood elves, and the men).
Inciting Incident: This occurs after Gandalf introduces the thirteen dwarves to Bilbo. He convinces Bilbo to undertake a journey with them knowing that Bilbo will be of much use to them later on in their travels.
Turning Point: After Bilbo escaped from Gollum and the Goblins, the dwarves had new found respect in Bilbo. They began to listen to his suggestions and follow his actions. Their respect in him helped Bilbo find worth in himself.
Climax: The climax of the novel comes at the Battle of the Five Armies. Here the dwarves, wood elves,and men join in fighting against the goblins and their allies. Resolution:occurs after Thorin dies and and his cousin Dain is crowned king. All the goblins of the land have mostly vanished and each of the separate groups live in peace and unity.
Plot Summary: After the inciting incident, the group comes upon three trolls who capture them but are later turned to stone when Gandalf confuses them, causing them to stay outside when the sun comes up, turning them into stone. After seeking refuge in a cave, they are captured by the goblins but escape after some of the goblins are killed including the Great Goblin. While fleeing the goblin tunnels, Bilbo is left behind and he meets up with Gollum. This is where he finds the magic ring and uses it to escape the Goblin tunnels and Gollum himself. That incident resulted in the turning point of the novel. The goblins quickly tracked down the travelers and almost killed them but the eagles had came to their rescue carrying them far from the goblins. They sought refuge in the house of Beorn where they rested and then replenished their supplies. While traveling the group was captured by the giant spiders. Bilbo used his ring to help his friends escape but not before Thorin was captured by the wood elves. Later the rest of the group (except for Bilbo) was also captured by the wood elves. He once again used his magic ring to free all the dwarves and devised a plan to help them escape. Each of the travelers were fitted into a barrel (except for Bilbo) a floated down the river. There the group was nursed back to health by the lake men and began the trip to Lonely Mountain to reclaim the kingdom and the treasure. After they reached there they encountered Smaug. He would be later slain by Bard when he tried to destroy the town. News of the treasure reached far and wide and the wood elves and the men went to try to claim it. This led to a conflict which almost led to battle. Before the dwarves and the wood elves and men could fight though, the goblins, wargs, and wolves attacked them. The next incident is the climax which is followed by the resolution. Bilbo returns home to his hobbit hole after more than a year of traveling and adventure.
Reaction: I thought that the novel was one of the best novels I've ever read. It was suspenseful yet entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book to others. The combination of magic, personal triumph, and adventure made it great to read.
The High Waymen
The Highwayman
Their journey to London was not a long one, but in the night, it was a treacherous one. A rolling fog covered the land, one couldn't see twenty feet ahead, but in the still, quiet night, sound carried for a mile. They began their trek in the early evening, the sun had yet to dip below the horizon. The passengers needed in London, could not wait for the next morning. The stage driver was the best to be found, his fee large, but his experience was priceless. He was accompanied by another man with a large rifle. The Rifleman had keen eyes and his ears were at attention, listening over the horses for oncoming riders; for the Highwaymen who prayed on the stages.
Long after the sun had set, not a sound had been heard over the consistent clip-clop of the horses. Their hooves hit the dirt road, broadcasting a message for nearly a mile of the nearing prey. The sound alerting all the nearby predators to keep a good watch, to be ready, for the prize will soon be in their grasp.
The fog, like a blanket spreading it self out on the land, concealed all stars, the only light was from a lantern suspended above the stage driver. The passengers nervous, expecting to hear shots fired. The jumped at every bump in the road that the wheels struck. Clutching their baggage close, they prayed that the night would pass quickly.
The Highwayman, alerted to the approaching stage, was hidden by the road, and concealed by the fog, he was not yet able to discern the light from the quickly approaching lantern. Clutching his pistol, his only weapon, he planned to take all the that he desired from the stage. His family was at home, sitting by the fire. His late night occupation provided their home, food and clothing. During the day he works in a stable for the nearby English noble. Feeding and grooming their horses, only he knows the stable well enough to "barrow " a horse. Not every night, but often enough for his family to live better than most.
Passing through a small wooded area, the stage continued at its rapid pace, the horses sweating, pulling the large stage coach and its five passengers. The Rifleman, ever intent, tenses, telling the driver to push the animals even harder. The two horses, running as fast as they can, try to comply, but they gain no speed. The passengers, jumping at every bump in the road, wishing the ride over, holding fast to the coach, expecting any minute for the stage to roll on its side. They were waiting for the Highwayman to strike.
Behind a wall of fog that hides him from the stage, not making a sound, he waits. He is waiting for the right moment to ride forth. He knows that quickly he will see the light and the stage that brings it. And then they will be able to see him.
His rifle is ready in his arms, ready to rise to his shoulder, take aim, and fire. The lantern throws ghostly shadows as the coach rushes by the surrounding trees. The experienced eyes of the Rifleman, watching everything as it flies by, waits for that movement, that shape, that does not belong. He listens to the sound of air rushing past, the sound of the horses, listening to their hooves as they strike ground and gulp for air in the night. He listens for the sound that does not meld with the others, the of beat of a third horse.
He can see the light now, his anticipation building, his heart beating, over powering the sound of the stage, smothering the sounds of the horses pulling it. His pistol ready, in his shaking hand. His other hand holds the reigns, his feet ready to propel the horse onward, to overtake the stage. Waiting for the right moment, waiting to strike.
The Rifleman waits, scanning the forest as it streaks past, his nerves building a lump in his throat.
The Highwayman can now see the stage in its entirety. The Rifleman ready, will see him. Now is the time to strike. He is surprised at the speed of the coach, the cargo must be must be important.
The passengers pray that they complete the trip, curse the driver for the speed. Not knowing of the dangers out side, clutching to each other, they sit on the floor of the coach. Scared, they wait for the hellish ride to end.
Kicking his horse, he bursts from his hiding place, flying toward the coach, his pistol raised, ready to fire. He banks from left to right as he intercepts the stage. The Rifleman raises his weapon, looks down the long barrel at the approaching Highwayman. Tracking left to right and aiming at the Highwayman, he glances at his pistol, then he centers his rifle on the Highwayman, and hesitates, knowing that he has only one shot. Though the pistol at his side reassures him, because should he miss, he is not out of the game.
The Highwayman takes aim with his pistol. He looks down the barrel at the Rifleman, his weapon pointing back at him. He rides straight, aims, and fires.
The bench explodes next to the Rifleman as a bullet drives it self in to the stage, closely missing him. He continues aiming at the bandit, looks him in the eye, breathes out, holds his breath, and fires.
The Highwayman does not feel the bullet enter his chest, so much as the force knocking him off his horse. He crashes to the ground, his horse riding away in to the night. He lays there dying, breathing in his last breaths, says a silent good bye to his family, and the air escapes from his lungs, never to return.
The passengers huddling on the floor of the stage. The gun shots scaring them so much, they fear the worst. They begin saying goodbye to each other and to their loved ones, as death is imminent. The stage continues.
The stage breaks through the forest on to the plains. The fog lifting, they can see the light of the soon to rise sun, though day is still hours a way. London is not far, they have completed their journey. The driver slows the horses to a gallop. The Rifleman sinks back in the bench, spent. The game is over.
The passengers begin cheering that they have not been killed, and that they have reached London unhurt. Relieved and exhausted, they collapse on their benches.
Their journey to London was not a long one, but in the night, it was a treacherous one. A rolling fog covered the land, one couldn't see twenty feet ahead, but in the still, quiet night, sound carried for a mile. They began their trek in the early evening, the sun had yet to dip below the horizon. The passengers needed in London, could not wait for the next morning. The stage driver was the best to be found, his fee large, but his experience was priceless. He was accompanied by another man with a large rifle. The Rifleman had keen eyes and his ears were at attention, listening over the horses for oncoming riders; for the Highwaymen who prayed on the stages.
Long after the sun had set, not a sound had been heard over the consistent clip-clop of the horses. Their hooves hit the dirt road, broadcasting a message for nearly a mile of the nearing prey. The sound alerting all the nearby predators to keep a good watch, to be ready, for the prize will soon be in their grasp.
The fog, like a blanket spreading it self out on the land, concealed all stars, the only light was from a lantern suspended above the stage driver. The passengers nervous, expecting to hear shots fired. The jumped at every bump in the road that the wheels struck. Clutching their baggage close, they prayed that the night would pass quickly.
The Highwayman, alerted to the approaching stage, was hidden by the road, and concealed by the fog, he was not yet able to discern the light from the quickly approaching lantern. Clutching his pistol, his only weapon, he planned to take all the that he desired from the stage. His family was at home, sitting by the fire. His late night occupation provided their home, food and clothing. During the day he works in a stable for the nearby English noble. Feeding and grooming their horses, only he knows the stable well enough to "barrow " a horse. Not every night, but often enough for his family to live better than most.
Passing through a small wooded area, the stage continued at its rapid pace, the horses sweating, pulling the large stage coach and its five passengers. The Rifleman, ever intent, tenses, telling the driver to push the animals even harder. The two horses, running as fast as they can, try to comply, but they gain no speed. The passengers, jumping at every bump in the road, wishing the ride over, holding fast to the coach, expecting any minute for the stage to roll on its side. They were waiting for the Highwayman to strike.
Behind a wall of fog that hides him from the stage, not making a sound, he waits. He is waiting for the right moment to ride forth. He knows that quickly he will see the light and the stage that brings it. And then they will be able to see him.
His rifle is ready in his arms, ready to rise to his shoulder, take aim, and fire. The lantern throws ghostly shadows as the coach rushes by the surrounding trees. The experienced eyes of the Rifleman, watching everything as it flies by, waits for that movement, that shape, that does not belong. He listens to the sound of air rushing past, the sound of the horses, listening to their hooves as they strike ground and gulp for air in the night. He listens for the sound that does not meld with the others, the of beat of a third horse.
He can see the light now, his anticipation building, his heart beating, over powering the sound of the stage, smothering the sounds of the horses pulling it. His pistol ready, in his shaking hand. His other hand holds the reigns, his feet ready to propel the horse onward, to overtake the stage. Waiting for the right moment, waiting to strike.
The Rifleman waits, scanning the forest as it streaks past, his nerves building a lump in his throat.
The Highwayman can now see the stage in its entirety. The Rifleman ready, will see him. Now is the time to strike. He is surprised at the speed of the coach, the cargo must be must be important.
The passengers pray that they complete the trip, curse the driver for the speed. Not knowing of the dangers out side, clutching to each other, they sit on the floor of the coach. Scared, they wait for the hellish ride to end.
Kicking his horse, he bursts from his hiding place, flying toward the coach, his pistol raised, ready to fire. He banks from left to right as he intercepts the stage. The Rifleman raises his weapon, looks down the long barrel at the approaching Highwayman. Tracking left to right and aiming at the Highwayman, he glances at his pistol, then he centers his rifle on the Highwayman, and hesitates, knowing that he has only one shot. Though the pistol at his side reassures him, because should he miss, he is not out of the game.
The Highwayman takes aim with his pistol. He looks down the barrel at the Rifleman, his weapon pointing back at him. He rides straight, aims, and fires.
The bench explodes next to the Rifleman as a bullet drives it self in to the stage, closely missing him. He continues aiming at the bandit, looks him in the eye, breathes out, holds his breath, and fires.
The Highwayman does not feel the bullet enter his chest, so much as the force knocking him off his horse. He crashes to the ground, his horse riding away in to the night. He lays there dying, breathing in his last breaths, says a silent good bye to his family, and the air escapes from his lungs, never to return.
The passengers huddling on the floor of the stage. The gun shots scaring them so much, they fear the worst. They begin saying goodbye to each other and to their loved ones, as death is imminent. The stage continues.
The stage breaks through the forest on to the plains. The fog lifting, they can see the light of the soon to rise sun, though day is still hours a way. London is not far, they have completed their journey. The driver slows the horses to a gallop. The Rifleman sinks back in the bench, spent. The game is over.
The passengers begin cheering that they have not been killed, and that they have reached London unhurt. Relieved and exhausted, they collapse on their benches.
The Great Gatsby 9
The Great Gatsby
Doesn't it always seem as though rich and famous people, such as actors and
actresses, are larger-than-life and virtually impossible to touch, almost as if they
were a fantasy? In The Great Gatsby, set in two tremendously wealthy
communities, East Egg and West Egg, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby
as a Romantic, larger-than-life, figure by setting him apart from the common
person.
Fitzgerald sets Gatsby in a fantasy world that, based on illusion, is of his
own making. Gatsby's possessions start to this illusion. He lives in an
extremely lavish mansion. "It is a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in
Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy,
and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden." (5)
It models an extravagant castle with a European style. Indoors it has "Marie
Antoinette music-rooms and restoration salons." (92) There is even a "Merton
College Library, paneled with imported carved English oak and thousands of
volumes of books." (45) There is even a private beach on his property. He also
has his own personal hydroplane. Gatsby also drives a highly imaginative,
"circus wagon", car that "everybody had seen. It is a rich cream color with
nickel and has a three-noted horn." (64) It has a "monstrous length with
triumphant hat-boxes, supper-boxes, tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of
windshields and a green leather conservatory." (64)
Amidst Gatsby's possessions, he develops his personal self. His physical
self appearance sets him apart form the other characters. His smile is the type
"that comes across four or five times in life. One of those rare smiles with a
quality of eternal reassurance in it." (48) He has a collection of tailored shirts
from England. They are described as "shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and
fine flannel." He has shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and
apple-green and lavender and faint orange, with monograms of Indian blue."
(93) Gatsby wears a unique "gorgeous pink rag of a suit" that sets him apart as
a "bright spot." (154) Gatsby's mannerisms are different too. He gives the
"strong impression that he picks his words with care." Gatsby is an "elegant
young roughneck whose elaborate formality of speech just misses being
absurd." (48) Gatsby also has a particularly distinct phrase which is "old sport."
Further, at his parties he stands apart from the other people. Unlike everyone
else, he does not drink any alcohol. Also, there are no young ladies that lay
their head on his shoulder and he doesn't dance. During his parties he either
sits alone or stands on his balcony alone, apart from everyone else. Gatsby
even creates himself a false personal history that is unlike anyone else's in order
to give him the appearance of having old money. He says that he is the son of a
wealthy family in the Middle West, San Francisco, and he was educated at
Oxford. Supposedly after his family had all died he "lived like a young rajah in
all the capitals of Europe collecting jewels, hunting big game, painting and doing
things for himself." (66) During the war he was apparently a promoted major
that every Allied government gave a decoration to." (66) However, the medal
he received seemed to be either fake or borrowed.
The fantasy world that Fitzgerald gives Jay Gatsby also concludes with
parties that are practically like movie-like productions. These parties are so
fantastic that they last from Friday nights to Monday mornings. His house and
garden is decorated with thousands of colored lights, "enough to make a
Christmas tree of his enormous garden." (39) "Buffet tables are garnished with
glistening hors-d'oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of
harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold." (40)
He has famous singers that entertain his guests whom are the most well known
and richest people. There is an orchestra with "oboes and trombones and
saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos and low and high drums." (40)
People do not even have to be invited to come to his parties. Car loads of
people arrive at his celebrations. Movie directors, actresses and many
celebrities attend his extravaganzas. All these things make his parties well
known by everyone.
Apart from the fantasy world of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald also invest his
quest with a religious motif. The author portrays him as a worshipper of his
"holy" love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby made a covenant reminiscent to Daisy of
the Old Testament when he climbed to her and kissed her. The promise is that
he will be with her again. He climbs the sidewalk blocks that "form a ladder and
mount to a secret place above the trees" that can be connected to Jacob's
Ladder to heaven "and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down
the incomparable milk of wonder." (112) He devotes his life to trying to get
Daisy back into his life by first becoming rich and then by getting her attention
with his possessions and parties. He even builds his house directly across the
bay and facing the Buchanan's house. Gatsby is also likened to a chivalric
knight. His outrageous car may be paralleled to a great white horse of a knight.
His quest for Daisy is identical to the quest of medieval knights who sought the
Holy Grail. At night he stands out in front of his house with his "arms stretched
out" toward Daisy's green dock light. (21) Comparable to a knight's vigil,
Gatsby also stays at Daisy's window all night staring at the light trying to protect
her from Tom and watching over her. Fitzgerald also likens him to other
romantic figures in history that were larger-than-life. One of these was Benjamin
Franklin. Franklin was an exorbitant person who did many remarkable things
during his life. He is a person in history that seems make-believe because he
was so prestigious. Gatsby is also compared to Hoppalong Cassidy. Both
Hoppalong and Gatsby were trying to improve their selves. Gatsby evens has a
schedule and "general resolves" that he followed. Hoppalong is remembered to
this day because he was a fantasy character like Gatsby.
Because of the portrayal of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby he is seen as
a larger-than-life Romantic figure.
Word Count: 1060
Doesn't it always seem as though rich and famous people, such as actors and
actresses, are larger-than-life and virtually impossible to touch, almost as if they
were a fantasy? In The Great Gatsby, set in two tremendously wealthy
communities, East Egg and West Egg, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby
as a Romantic, larger-than-life, figure by setting him apart from the common
person.
Fitzgerald sets Gatsby in a fantasy world that, based on illusion, is of his
own making. Gatsby's possessions start to this illusion. He lives in an
extremely lavish mansion. "It is a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in
Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy,
and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden." (5)
It models an extravagant castle with a European style. Indoors it has "Marie
Antoinette music-rooms and restoration salons." (92) There is even a "Merton
College Library, paneled with imported carved English oak and thousands of
volumes of books." (45) There is even a private beach on his property. He also
has his own personal hydroplane. Gatsby also drives a highly imaginative,
"circus wagon", car that "everybody had seen. It is a rich cream color with
nickel and has a three-noted horn." (64) It has a "monstrous length with
triumphant hat-boxes, supper-boxes, tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of
windshields and a green leather conservatory." (64)
Amidst Gatsby's possessions, he develops his personal self. His physical
self appearance sets him apart form the other characters. His smile is the type
"that comes across four or five times in life. One of those rare smiles with a
quality of eternal reassurance in it." (48) He has a collection of tailored shirts
from England. They are described as "shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and
fine flannel." He has shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and
apple-green and lavender and faint orange, with monograms of Indian blue."
(93) Gatsby wears a unique "gorgeous pink rag of a suit" that sets him apart as
a "bright spot." (154) Gatsby's mannerisms are different too. He gives the
"strong impression that he picks his words with care." Gatsby is an "elegant
young roughneck whose elaborate formality of speech just misses being
absurd." (48) Gatsby also has a particularly distinct phrase which is "old sport."
Further, at his parties he stands apart from the other people. Unlike everyone
else, he does not drink any alcohol. Also, there are no young ladies that lay
their head on his shoulder and he doesn't dance. During his parties he either
sits alone or stands on his balcony alone, apart from everyone else. Gatsby
even creates himself a false personal history that is unlike anyone else's in order
to give him the appearance of having old money. He says that he is the son of a
wealthy family in the Middle West, San Francisco, and he was educated at
Oxford. Supposedly after his family had all died he "lived like a young rajah in
all the capitals of Europe collecting jewels, hunting big game, painting and doing
things for himself." (66) During the war he was apparently a promoted major
that every Allied government gave a decoration to." (66) However, the medal
he received seemed to be either fake or borrowed.
The fantasy world that Fitzgerald gives Jay Gatsby also concludes with
parties that are practically like movie-like productions. These parties are so
fantastic that they last from Friday nights to Monday mornings. His house and
garden is decorated with thousands of colored lights, "enough to make a
Christmas tree of his enormous garden." (39) "Buffet tables are garnished with
glistening hors-d'oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of
harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold." (40)
He has famous singers that entertain his guests whom are the most well known
and richest people. There is an orchestra with "oboes and trombones and
saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos and low and high drums." (40)
People do not even have to be invited to come to his parties. Car loads of
people arrive at his celebrations. Movie directors, actresses and many
celebrities attend his extravaganzas. All these things make his parties well
known by everyone.
Apart from the fantasy world of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald also invest his
quest with a religious motif. The author portrays him as a worshipper of his
"holy" love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby made a covenant reminiscent to Daisy of
the Old Testament when he climbed to her and kissed her. The promise is that
he will be with her again. He climbs the sidewalk blocks that "form a ladder and
mount to a secret place above the trees" that can be connected to Jacob's
Ladder to heaven "and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down
the incomparable milk of wonder." (112) He devotes his life to trying to get
Daisy back into his life by first becoming rich and then by getting her attention
with his possessions and parties. He even builds his house directly across the
bay and facing the Buchanan's house. Gatsby is also likened to a chivalric
knight. His outrageous car may be paralleled to a great white horse of a knight.
His quest for Daisy is identical to the quest of medieval knights who sought the
Holy Grail. At night he stands out in front of his house with his "arms stretched
out" toward Daisy's green dock light. (21) Comparable to a knight's vigil,
Gatsby also stays at Daisy's window all night staring at the light trying to protect
her from Tom and watching over her. Fitzgerald also likens him to other
romantic figures in history that were larger-than-life. One of these was Benjamin
Franklin. Franklin was an exorbitant person who did many remarkable things
during his life. He is a person in history that seems make-believe because he
was so prestigious. Gatsby is also compared to Hoppalong Cassidy. Both
Hoppalong and Gatsby were trying to improve their selves. Gatsby evens has a
schedule and "general resolves" that he followed. Hoppalong is remembered to
this day because he was a fantasy character like Gatsby.
Because of the portrayal of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby he is seen as
a larger-than-life Romantic figure.
Word Count: 1060
The Good Earth
Wang Lung was the son of a peasant farmer. When it came for him to marry, his
father chose a slave girl from the house of Hwang who was hardworking. O-lan, Wang
Lung's wife was a good wife for Wang Lung. She did not waste anything, and made
items such as shoes for the family so Wang Lung could save his money for other things..
She worked endlessly for Wang Lung and his father, and even helped Wang Lung plow
the field. One day while helping on the field, O-lan went inside and bore their first child.
Luckily, it was a boy. Girls at that time were always slaves, or married to other family's
sons. They named him Nung Wen.
Before leaving the house of Hwang earlier, O-lan promised to bring their first child
to pay respects to the house. That year, the harvest was good, so Wang Lung bought new
clothes for O-lan, the baby, and himself. After paying their respects, Wang Lung made a
deal with the house of Hwang and bought a plot of good land just outside the house. One
year later, another boy was born and was named Nung En.
Wang Lung's third child was a disaster. Not only was it a girl, but she was born
retarded. That summer, a drought hit the area where Wang Lung lived, and it did not rain
for months. There was little harvest, and soon all of the wheat was gone. Starving, Wang
Lung had his ox killed for food, but could not bear to watch because the beast had been so
faithful to him. Not having any money, Wang Lung sold the furniture in his house for a
few silver pieces. His fourth child was born in the drought, and was born dead. The
family was forced to move South to find food, so with the money he made from selling the
furniture, Wang Lung paid train fare to go down south.
On the train, Wang Lung spent some more money to buy material so they could
build a hut when they reached the city. At the city, they built their hut, and discovered a
kitchen where for almost no money at all, a person could eat all of the rice they wanted.
Wang Lung bought enough rice for his family, and they ate it heartily. Now, Wang Lung
needed money again, so the next day he rented a ricksha to transport the rich around the
city for money, and O-lan and the children begged for money. After paying the rent for
the ricksha, Wang Lung did not make a lot, but it was enough to support his family for
another day or so. They did this all through the winter, each day earning just enough
money to make it to the next.
One day, after the rich men left, soldiers came in and fought with the enemy that
was approaching them. The poor took advantage of this, and raided the rich man's house.
O-lan, knowing the ways of the rich, found a secret stash of expensive jewels, and Wang
Lung got a handful of gold after threatening a rich man who was hiding. With this money,
Wang Lung returned home with his family.
When Wang Lung got back, he repaired his home which was damaged by weather.
Within the next six years, Wang Lung bought much more land from the house of Hwang,
his first two sons began attending school, and he hired seven men to work the land
including a neighbor Ching, and O-lan had borne him twins, a boy, and a girl. Wang Lung
also discovered that O-lan had hidden a pouch full of expensive jewels from him that she
found in the rich man's house. When Wang Lung found the jewels, he took them all from
her except for two pearls that O-lan liked.
So the men worked well until there was a great flood. All of the land was flooded
and could not be farmed. It was then that his uncle, his uncle's wife, and son came to live
with Wang Lung. During this flood, the neighbor's houses were robbed, but Wang
Lung's house was not. He found out that his uncle was second to the chief of the robbers.
Knowing this, Wang Lung was forced to let his uncle's family live with him, or he would
be robbed or even murdered. Not being able to farm, Wang Lung began visiting the city
for entertainment. He discovered a tea shop where he fell in love with a woman named
The Lotus Flower. After a month of seeing Lotus, he bought her from the tea shop and
took her home as a concubine. O-lan did not like this, but Wang Lung would not let
Lotus live anywhere else, so he built a courtyard with adjacent rooms for Lotus to live in.
The courtyard had a small pool, and Wang Lung bought only expensive foods for his
Lotus.
When Wang Lung found out that his older son was seeing Lotus when he was
away, he decided to have him married to a grain merchant's daughter. The wedding took
place, and shortly afterwards, O-lan died of a stomach illness, and soon afterwards, Wang
Lung's father died. Wang Lung then apprenticed his younger son to the grain merchant
Liu, and his youngest daughter was betrothed to Liu's young son.
Thinking of a way to get rid of his uncle and his wife, he persuaded them to start
smoking opium that he had paid for. Once they became addicted, they were too busy with
the drug to bother Wang Lung. But, his uncle's son did not take the opium, and began to
annoy Wang Lung's older son's wife by talking dirty and walking around with his robe
open. Seeing this, Nung Wen became very angry and Wang Lung rented a portion of the
house of Hwang. The uncle and his wife were left in the country with their opium, and the
uncle's son left to join the army.
When Ching died, Wang Lung stopped farming and rented out his land, hoping
that his youngest son would tend the land, but when he took a girl that his youngest son
liked, his youngest son ran away from home and joined the army.
When Wang Lung's death came near, he moved back to the country to be with his
land. He brought only his slave Pear Blossom, that his youngest son loved, and his first
daughter that was simple. One day as he was looking at the fields with his sons, he heard
them talking about how they were going to spend their inheritance and what they would
do with the money they would make from selling the land. Wang Lung cried out that they
must never sell the land because only with land could they be sure of earning a living. But
Wang Lung did not see his sons look at each other over his head and grin.
father chose a slave girl from the house of Hwang who was hardworking. O-lan, Wang
Lung's wife was a good wife for Wang Lung. She did not waste anything, and made
items such as shoes for the family so Wang Lung could save his money for other things..
She worked endlessly for Wang Lung and his father, and even helped Wang Lung plow
the field. One day while helping on the field, O-lan went inside and bore their first child.
Luckily, it was a boy. Girls at that time were always slaves, or married to other family's
sons. They named him Nung Wen.
Before leaving the house of Hwang earlier, O-lan promised to bring their first child
to pay respects to the house. That year, the harvest was good, so Wang Lung bought new
clothes for O-lan, the baby, and himself. After paying their respects, Wang Lung made a
deal with the house of Hwang and bought a plot of good land just outside the house. One
year later, another boy was born and was named Nung En.
Wang Lung's third child was a disaster. Not only was it a girl, but she was born
retarded. That summer, a drought hit the area where Wang Lung lived, and it did not rain
for months. There was little harvest, and soon all of the wheat was gone. Starving, Wang
Lung had his ox killed for food, but could not bear to watch because the beast had been so
faithful to him. Not having any money, Wang Lung sold the furniture in his house for a
few silver pieces. His fourth child was born in the drought, and was born dead. The
family was forced to move South to find food, so with the money he made from selling the
furniture, Wang Lung paid train fare to go down south.
On the train, Wang Lung spent some more money to buy material so they could
build a hut when they reached the city. At the city, they built their hut, and discovered a
kitchen where for almost no money at all, a person could eat all of the rice they wanted.
Wang Lung bought enough rice for his family, and they ate it heartily. Now, Wang Lung
needed money again, so the next day he rented a ricksha to transport the rich around the
city for money, and O-lan and the children begged for money. After paying the rent for
the ricksha, Wang Lung did not make a lot, but it was enough to support his family for
another day or so. They did this all through the winter, each day earning just enough
money to make it to the next.
One day, after the rich men left, soldiers came in and fought with the enemy that
was approaching them. The poor took advantage of this, and raided the rich man's house.
O-lan, knowing the ways of the rich, found a secret stash of expensive jewels, and Wang
Lung got a handful of gold after threatening a rich man who was hiding. With this money,
Wang Lung returned home with his family.
When Wang Lung got back, he repaired his home which was damaged by weather.
Within the next six years, Wang Lung bought much more land from the house of Hwang,
his first two sons began attending school, and he hired seven men to work the land
including a neighbor Ching, and O-lan had borne him twins, a boy, and a girl. Wang Lung
also discovered that O-lan had hidden a pouch full of expensive jewels from him that she
found in the rich man's house. When Wang Lung found the jewels, he took them all from
her except for two pearls that O-lan liked.
So the men worked well until there was a great flood. All of the land was flooded
and could not be farmed. It was then that his uncle, his uncle's wife, and son came to live
with Wang Lung. During this flood, the neighbor's houses were robbed, but Wang
Lung's house was not. He found out that his uncle was second to the chief of the robbers.
Knowing this, Wang Lung was forced to let his uncle's family live with him, or he would
be robbed or even murdered. Not being able to farm, Wang Lung began visiting the city
for entertainment. He discovered a tea shop where he fell in love with a woman named
The Lotus Flower. After a month of seeing Lotus, he bought her from the tea shop and
took her home as a concubine. O-lan did not like this, but Wang Lung would not let
Lotus live anywhere else, so he built a courtyard with adjacent rooms for Lotus to live in.
The courtyard had a small pool, and Wang Lung bought only expensive foods for his
Lotus.
When Wang Lung found out that his older son was seeing Lotus when he was
away, he decided to have him married to a grain merchant's daughter. The wedding took
place, and shortly afterwards, O-lan died of a stomach illness, and soon afterwards, Wang
Lung's father died. Wang Lung then apprenticed his younger son to the grain merchant
Liu, and his youngest daughter was betrothed to Liu's young son.
Thinking of a way to get rid of his uncle and his wife, he persuaded them to start
smoking opium that he had paid for. Once they became addicted, they were too busy with
the drug to bother Wang Lung. But, his uncle's son did not take the opium, and began to
annoy Wang Lung's older son's wife by talking dirty and walking around with his robe
open. Seeing this, Nung Wen became very angry and Wang Lung rented a portion of the
house of Hwang. The uncle and his wife were left in the country with their opium, and the
uncle's son left to join the army.
When Ching died, Wang Lung stopped farming and rented out his land, hoping
that his youngest son would tend the land, but when he took a girl that his youngest son
liked, his youngest son ran away from home and joined the army.
When Wang Lung's death came near, he moved back to the country to be with his
land. He brought only his slave Pear Blossom, that his youngest son loved, and his first
daughter that was simple. One day as he was looking at the fields with his sons, he heard
them talking about how they were going to spend their inheritance and what they would
do with the money they would make from selling the land. Wang Lung cried out that they
must never sell the land because only with land could they be sure of earning a living. But
Wang Lung did not see his sons look at each other over his head and grin.
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