"Young Goodman Brown" Literary Element 1

The entirety of “Young Goodman Brown” alludes to a spiritual battle within every person. Through the classic use of “dark" and “light” highlights the contrast between good versus evil, and even the ambiguity, the “grey area” if you will, between the two.

 Firstly, the name of Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith, alludes to the religious/spiritual undertones of the story. Brown’s closeness to his wife translates to an assumed strong faith that he has. But when Goodman Brown gives into curiosity and temptation, he departs on a nighttime journey into the deceptive forest, his faith, and will, is tested by evil. As he departs, and gives into the evil temptation he mistakenly says to Faith, “no harm will come to thee.” It is at that point that he, for once and for all, leaves the lightness of his wife’s love and into the “dreary road, darkened by… the gloomiest trees of the forest,” therefore leaving his spiritual faith indefinitely. In fact, when met by the first embodiment of evil temptation in the forest, Goodman Brown states that he was “kept back a while by faith,” meaning his pure spirituality kept him from consenting to corruption (going into the forest).As Goodman Brown goes further into the forest and further and further away from his faith, it gets increasingly harder for him to turn down temptations from other travelers.

Through analyses of “Young Goodman Brown” one is assured to stay true to themselves and their beliefs, thus straying away from those who tempt evil in everyday life, and sticking to one’s own faith.

"The Story of an Hour" Literary Elements

Option 2: "Chopin is an artist in her use of irony. Preparation for the ending is provided by clues or foreshadowing embedded in the story. Identify these and explain how each contributes to the conclusion."

    Separate examples of foreshadow lead to the conclusion in their own unique way and through different techniques exemplify individual elements of the ending. The majority of the foreshadowing, though, is directed towards Mrs. Mallard's death. 

    The first example of Chopin's use of foreshadowing is the development of Mrs. Mallard’s character. The simple fact that "Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble" is foreshadowing in its own rite. When this statement is taken literally and figuratively, both hint at the conclusion of the story. When the metaphorical implications are analyzed, Mrs. Mallard’s heart disease or “heartbreak” provides justification for the temporary elation she experiences upon hearing the grave news of her husband’s passing. Labeling the heartbreak of Mrs. Mallard’s marriage a “heart disease” also suggests that, like heart disease, heart ache is not easily cured; which, therefore, foreshadows her dramatic reaction to seeing her husband. The foreshadowing of the literal “heart disease” is much more apparent. Mrs. Mallard’s physical ailment is ultimately the direct cause of her “[death] of heart disease.” Symptoms of cardiac episodes, breathing “tumultuously,” “pulses beat(ing) fast” and “coursing blood” also foreshadow her death.

    Another exhibition of foreshadowing is how Mrs. Mallard senses “something coming to her.” This could possibly refer to her “knowing” or at least sensing her impending death. The seemingly perpetual joy she models and experiences parallels many peoples’ perception of death—freeing (“Free body and soul free”), unceasingly approaching (“creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through… the air”), untimely, unexpected, and, ultimately: frightening (“[Mrs. Mallard had] a look of terror”).

    The entirety of the short story is ironic. The majority of the irony is in the briefness of Mrs. Mallard’s bliss. Just as Mrs. Mallard truly feels she has her life to herself, where “there would be no one to live for… (and) she would live for herself,” all of her hopes are destroyed. Just as life is worth living, her life is taken away by the “joy that kills.”

    Through exploration of literal and metaphorical analyses of “heart disease” and of commonly assumed aspects of death, the reader can accurately foreshadow Mrs. Mallard’s death long before it even takes place. 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin (Reading #2)

   The subject that I'd like to discuss within this chapter, is the hypocrisy of society within the book, how the common goal of society seems to be distorted. 

   The way that Pap interacts with Huck speaks wonders about what Twain would like to reflect about parenting throughout this novel. Not only does Pap ridicule every little thing that the Widow and Ms. Watson preached, he physically punishes Huck for even considering the proper way of life. The physical and verbal bashings that Pap gives Huck ridicules the “proper” parenting that the widow and Ms. Watson instills and the complete lack of parenting that Pap represents.

   Secondly, the Grangerford vs. Shepherdson battle is much like that of William Shakespear’s rendition of Romeo and Juliet; both samples of literature are accusatory of the hypocrisy of society of the time period. To summarize, in each situation, although the families are prosperous and well to do within their communities, they continue to oppose their rival family for no apparent reason! This rivalry stretches to the extent that generations upon generations teach their children to despise the “enemy” although none of the family members can even recall in the slightest why the families began feuding in the first place. In the case in “Adventures of Huckleberry Fin,” The Grangerfords oppose the Shepherdson so incredibly much that they preach to a complete stranger, Huck, that the Shepherdson are just wretched people. The irony in the situation, though, is exposed when each the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons religiously attend church on Sunday, and the preacher’s homily addresses equal and brotherly love.

    Another set of characters that seem to embody the distorted American way, is the Duke and Dauphin. These characters seem to present deception to their core, for they lie about the most basic elements of human identity: their names, heritage, and history. Not only that though, but these con artists also threaten Huck and Jim by saying that they’d expose Jim’s runaway status for a profit. The Duke and Dauphin thrive on nothing more than pure lying and greed.

   The more we, the reader, connects with Huck, the more we personally can feel the effects of the evil characters and evilness of society. 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin (Reading #1)

     What intrigued me most about the first reading was how Huck's naive ways influenced how he perceived everything in his world, which, in turn directly influences what the reader sees of the story. Since Huckleberry is unable to understand certain things fully, it becomes apparent that he is not a completely trustworthy narrator. 

    For example, right away in the story, he and Tom Sawyer, and his other buddies go to start a gang where they vow to rob and then kill hundreds of people. Not only do they not understand what consequences would surface from such actions, but also they don’t even understand how the process works.  For example when the group was setting up the “plan of attack” for say they didn’t know what “ransomed” was, they just went by what Tom Sawyer read in his pirate novels.  “Maybe it just means to keep ‘em till they die!” To the reader, it’s obvious that they have a farfetched definition of the word and therefore a distorted view of the world.

     Another thing that labels Huckleberry as an untrustworthy narrator is his uncanny belief in superstition. Thinking that Jim’s hairball “from the fourth stomach of an ox” had “a spirit inside… that knew everything” is probably one of the childish things we hear from Huck throughout the entire first section. Some may say that this reliance on superstition is simply a representation of the time period, but, to me, it reveals how incredibly foolish Huck is. It makes the reader wonder if anything he says can be taken at face value.

    The second thing I’d like to discuss is the possible biblical reference when Jim and Huckleberry are resting at Jackson’s Island. Once the pair is reunited, everything, at least temporarily, seems perfect. Huck describes his experience as “powerful lazy and comfortable.”  Jim and Huck hardly have any troubles in the world on this lush island. They have access to any food they need, are free of the people that would otherwise keep them captive, and no longer are lonely! This reminds me of the story in Genesis of the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve are in their paradise. Like Huck and Jim, Adam and Eve have no worry of becoming hungry and have each others’ company. This extreme bliss for Huckleberry and Jim seems to foreshadow latter events of uncertainty and unease. 

The Things They Carried Blog #4

Multiple times within these final chapters, small happenings seem to reflect bigger things. The ending of this novel added a new outlook on the entirety of the book! For example in "Field Trip" the reader and other non-veterans are indirectly compared to Kathleen, the "New-by" in the war scene. Starting with the title, a field trip is nothing more than a childish voyage, an unappreciated trip. "This is stupid," (pg. 186) is how Kathleen described her experience, not being able to appreciate the incredible historical and emotional feelings that the veterans can. Neither the reader, nor Kathleen, nor anyone else who has been in war, can truly appreciate the significance of the Vietnam War and the emotions behind the battle field. I think this is one of O’Brien’s main points he wants to get across throughout the book: that no one can truly understand and empathize with those who have experienced warfare. 

Lastly, a line that really struck home with me was “stories can save us.” (pg 225) I think that is another deep theme throughout the novel that O’Brien wants to emphasize. He wants to convey that the soldiers’ telling of stories can be their saving grace. That getting the brutal war stories off of their chests can relieve an enormous emotional pressure.

All in all, I believe what the reader should take away from this book is that veterans’ emotional turmoil cannot be understood fully by civilians, and that that is ok. 

The Things They Carried Blog #3

   Paralleling the death of Lavender in previous chapters, the way the author discusses the Vietnamese man's death  in The Man I Killed very similarly. Rather than discussing the death in first person, like in most other stories, O'Brien tells this tale from the point of view as an outsider looking in. I think he might do this to distance himself from the reality that he just brutally killed someone. Focusing on the pleasant details, if any, within the scene, such as "small blue flowers like bells (pg.128)," or "the butterfly on his [the dead man's] chin (pg. 124)," O'Brien is able to block out the horrific details. On top of that though, he also makes up details about "John Doe," his life, dreams, and even love connections.
    This theme of making the best out of less-than-pleasant situations continues into the chapter Style. Within this chapter O'Brien tells a story of a teenage girl dancing with "a graceful movement of her hips (pg. 136)" even though her entire family had just been burned in their house. Traditionally, dancing has been associated with happiness which really contrasts the bitter mood of the scene. It is quite unexpected for someone to be "quiet and composed," all the while DANCING, directly after tragedy overcomes their life!
    Another example of hiding from the events of the war is when Norman Bowker went home after the war. Just like in The Man I killed, the character creates fake scenarios about people in his imagination.  In this example, Bowker “tells” his war stories to people back home when, in actuality, his mind is just playing out the scenario in his head. Not only does he retell the stories to himself, he does so in such a way that he still sounds courageous and humble to the nonexistent listeners, “keeping his voice cool (with) no self pity (pg. 145).” On top of that he also imagines his “listeners” reactions and emotions, which seems to actually parallel his self value, or lack thereof. In the case of his father, Bowker imagines that his father “would have sighed, folded his arms, and waited.” Bowker may just feel inferior or needing to prove himself. 

The Things They Carried Blog #2

     A theme that seems to be surfacing within this book is the crumpled psychological state of the American soldiers in the Vietnam War.

      One thing that distinctly struck home for me in the chapter "On the Rainy River" was the indecisive "battle," for say, that O'Brien was mentally having with himself. He had a "moral split" where "[he] couldn't make up [his] mind" about whether to go to war or to rather run away to Canada. When he ventured out into the wilderness and stayed at the Tip Top Lodge, O'Brien was experiencing immense amounts of emotional turmoil. Between not wanting to disappoint family, friends, and his country, and simply not wanting to go to war, O'Brien was forced to consider the pros and cons of following through with his draft notice. To me, this chapter is on a very relatable level to almost anyone. Personally though, this parallels the pressure put on us high school students to go to an acceptable college to major in an acceptable subject.

     Another element of this section that I'd like to discuss is the blurred line between allies and enemies. The fight between Jensen and Strunk parallels the war in Vietnam (Where it is quite unclear which Vietnamese people are enemies and which are civilians).  In actuality the two soldiers in this situation are allies, but emotional stress causes the men to turn on each other in the chapter "Enemies."  The concept of "enemies everywhere" creates distrust throughout their team (Which is ironic simply because their fellow soldiers should be their most trusted allies.) Almost instantaneously after the fight, however, in the chapter "Friends" the bond between the men is repaired. The extreme and sudden contrast in emotional states exemplifies the fact that the young soldiers in Vietnam were incredibly unstable on a emotional level and felt the need to release that stress in some way.

      Emotional tyranny is shown yet again in this section on page 79 where Rat takes a great deal of time shooting the baby buffalo “not to kill; to hurt.” In this case the buffalo is vulnerable and helpless possibly paralleling how Rat feels in his situation in the war. Do Rat and his fellow soldiers feel like they’re being “blown to pieces” bit by bit as Rat is doing to this animal? Or possibly, has Rat become emotionally and morally numb by the immense killing he and his fellow soldiers are ordered to do and therefore feels no regret in torturing the buffalo? Lastly, maybe killing the baby buffalo was Rat’s way of symbolically killing off the enemy, ceasing the war all together.

     The final example of psychological decay within this section is Mary Anne. To summarize, she arrived at the American’s base camp in Vietnam as “over clean” with “bubbly personality and happy smile” basically any positive and optimistic characteristic a person could think of, but because of the intensity of the war, she left “dirty” and “never the same.”  So dramatically different that she wore a “necklace of human tongues.” This incredible shift in personality emphasizes the terrible intensity of the Vietnam War, and extent of stress it places on those people that experienced it.

      Example after example of mental and moral distress is shown throughout this section and, after a while, it seems almost poetic in nature. In each incident, the soldiers are symbolically releasing stress created by the chaotic scrambled emotions about their morals and relationships. As we can clearly see “the terrible things” that the young American soldiers are put through are hard to cope with, causing spontaneous outbreaks of destruction and recklessness. 

The Things They Carry Blog #1

The Things They Carry
     As we the reader are introduced to Lieutenant Cross, the first thing that struck me was the incredible detail Tim O'Brien spent listing the weights of the different personal items and/ or job related items that each soldier carried with them: "flak jacket which weighed 6.7 pounds; an illustrated New Testament that had been presented to him by his father." The individual "carryons" per say, must have special importance placed on them for a soldier to deem them worthy of taking up the precious weight upon their backpacks during war, because "necessity dictated." If an item was not significant to a soldier, it wouldn't make the cut. The things they carry make them who they are, an individual, and the continuous listing of said items aids in the readers familiarizing with the characters. Ironically these things that are labeled necessities and whose purpose is to build a soldier up,but, ultimately, weigh them down.
     Another thing that struck me about this idea of carrying your morals, was how Lieutenant Cross reacted when he thought of his love for Marsha. When he is in his dream world, "walking barefoot along the Jersey shoe, with Martha," he physically feels light "carrying nothing." In his real world, filled with war, where every necessity or belonging weighs him down, simply the thought of being with the one he loves lifts that burden.
     The final thing I'd like to discuss is the amount of repetition found within this book. Every time there is a major indentation, the following paragraph begins by talking about the things the soldiers carry. Where as this repetition, I'm sure, is used to emphasize the importance of the items they bring along with them, other repetitions aren't as clear to me. For example many times when a character is brought up within the story line, a fact or tidbit about them is also brought up. Whenever Henry Dobbins is discussed, so is the fact that "(he) was a big man." When Ted Lavender is talked about, he is described as "scared." At this point in the book, I don't know if this repetition is used just to familiarize the reader with all of the characters, or whether this adds to another part of the story. Does the narrator have some type of short term memory loss, and occasionally repeats himself? Or are those characteristics just so important that they basically define who that character is, therefore necessitating to say that Henry is big or that Ted is scared?

Love:
This short Chapter left me with numerous questions, and not a whole lot of answers. Who is the narrator of this section? Could it possibly be the same one as the first chapter? All I know about this person is that he served in the war with Lieutenant Cross, and knows about Martha. Also what did Lieutenant Cross mean by, "don't mention anything about--?" What is this understood unspeakable event?

The Great Gatsby Chapters 8-9

    The first thing I'd like to discuss in Chapters 8 and 9 is the reoccurring phrase of "ash heaps." I find Fitzgerald's use of the phrase, like on page 167, really intrigues me. My best guess is that ash heaps in the landscape, shows the denigration of not only the city around the characters, but also the moral wasteland. The comparison adds great emphasis to how horribly trashy the characters are in the book.
   Another reoccurring symbol is "Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's eyes." I've discussed this before in other blogs, but haven't been entirely sure of its' meaning until now. Within chapter 8, Wilson reflects on the fact that his wife, Myrtle, was in an affair. Michaelis and Wilson have a conversation about it. When observing the advertisement, Wilson makes the statement, "God sees everything." I've come to the conclusion that this is the moral of the whole book. Although the characters are completely unaware of their unmoral state of mind, God, or the voice of reason, is always watching. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg represent how disappointingly degraded society was at this time, and how God is observing the calamity of the world.
   The next thing I'd like to discuss is Gatsby's funeral. I found it incredibly ironic how all of the reporter and paparazzi reacted to his death. The amount of untrue, distorted stories that surfaced about his death were unreal! To me this parallels the gossipy stories that went around during the beginning of the book (Gatsby's parties.) If you recall, the people that went to his parties really didn't know much about him other than the stories they had heard. Similarly, the press distorted the story of way Mr. Jay Gatsby died. Is this not how every society reacts to famous people? Do we let the media influence what we hold to be true? This again, adds to the theme of a corrupt society.
   Great Gatsby really has gotten me thinking about the way society runs, and yet how nobody realizes how incredibly rotten we've gotten. "God sees everything," good or bad, and whether we realize it or not; a bad deed is a bad thing whether we are caught in the act and accused or not, and I believe that is what Fitzgerald really wants us readers to take from this book. We as a society can either ignore our God, the true voice of reason, and do whatever we want,  or we can fight for a clear conscience by doing what we know is right.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 6-7

   Throughout Chapter 7, numerous symbols stood out to me. The first of these was the heat that Fitzgerald described in great detail, over a whole three page spread. From the beginning of the chapter, “the day [was] broiling” to the point where “[the] seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion,” and “people lapsed despairingly into deep heat.” The descriptions of the heat of the day are so immense that it makes the reader really question what the significance of this heat is. Maybe the boiling heat simply symbolizes some type of passion or other strong emotion that will transpire within the chapter. Or possibly the warmth represents a fiery build up of events, maybe an explosion (of sorts), like a fight or other intense situation.

   To find out, the steaming heat lead up to Wilson and Tom realizing that their wives were in affairs with other men. Neither of the men takes this realization well. Wilson actually gets physically sick at this fact. This situation is incredibly ironic simply because both of the men have also been in affairs throughout the complete book. How hypocritical is it that the men hold their wives to higher standards than they hold themselves to? Neither of the men really thought marital affairs were immoral, rather just a part of their upper class lives. How easily a person of this time period would jump from one relationship to another really astounds and confuses me! For example when Gatsby and Tom Buchanan get into a fight about who Daisy loves, Gatsby claims that, “[Daisy’s] never loved you (Tom Buchanan). She loves me (Gatsby).” Throughout this, though, Daisy goes back and forth between her love for Gatsby and for Tom. By the end of the fight she, surprisingly, goes to her husband, but yet Gatsby is still willing to sacrifice everything for her. (Willing to take the blame for Daisy killing Myrtle) How ridiculous! Does Daisy only like Gatsby for his money and possessions? Is she just as greedy as everyone else? Can any of the characters, but Nick, be trusted?

    The last symbolism I’d like to discus is one that had appeared earlier within the book, but that I hadn’t processed: the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. I personally don’t understand the entirety of this symbol yet. Is this an actual doctor from somewhere in America’s history? Do the eyes symbolize God looking down upon the moral wasteland of America? Is this an actual character we readers will meet later on? What significance does Fitzgerald want the reader to realize? 

The Great Gatsby Chapters 3-5

     Within chapters 3 through 5 there are numerous symbolic examples that aid in Fitzgerald's telling of the story which I am would like to discuss. 

     The first symbol I found interesting is the presence of the green light that was mentioned in a previous chapter. When I first read of the green light in Chapter one, I thought that it might simply refer to Gatsby's mysterious character, but as it reappeared in this reading, other possible meanings were revealed. The green glow of the light that "burns all night at the end of [Daisy's] dock" may symbolize a beacon of hope for Gatsby's love for Daisy. Because loved her to the extent that he even “bought [his] house so that Daisy would be across the bay,” I find this the single best explanation of the light. But if that is the true meaning, the significance of the light dissipates as Gatsby's dream of being with Daisy is fulfilled so I’m not positive this is the correct meaning of  the symbol.

     Another plausible meaning behind the light may simply be the hope of people to become significant, to mean something, to be someone. People of the thirties, especially in this community, put a enormous emphasis on possessions, social status, and social presence within the popular high class people.  

    The final possible symbolism behind the glow is America's striving for individuality, financial stability, and freedom. "Americans, while occasionally willing to be serfs (lower class,) have always been obstinate (determined) about [not] being peasantry," or in other words constantly refuse to be "below" or under the control of their peers. Like a distant light, the possibility of freedom was visible along the horizon but yet so out of reach.

    Gatsby’s personality is another item that intrigues and confuses me as a reader. As the reader blatantly knows from the proceeding chapters, Gatsby lives an obscured life of luxury. Between hosting drunken parties, his unorthodox business operation, and his non-conclusive back story, Gatsby is, as Nick states a "character," we just cannot trust. The “increasing rain” that suddenly appeared shortly before Gatsby and Daisy's date demonstrates an important shift in the story. As Gatsby fulfills his dream of being with Daisy, though, we observe a personality metamorphism. He was symbolically cleansed of his narcissistic behaviors! This is not apparent until after the rain ceased and “there were twinkle-bells of sunshine in the room.” Fitzgerald described Gatsby with a series of similes: “[Gatsby was] smiling like a weather man, like an ecstatic patron of recurrent light.”

   All though I’m not certain that Gatsby’s new personality will stick around, I’m hopeful that he will get rid of his frivolous old behaviors. 

The Great Gatsby Chapters 1 and 2

Chapter 1:
   The Great Gatsby opens by discussing moral lessons and concepts that the main character has been taught.  As in this lesson that piqued my interest, "Conduct may be founded on hard rock or the wet marshes, but after a certain point [he doesn't] care what it's founded on." This statement offers insight to the speaker's philosophy on life. Not only does the statement suggest that conduct is important in society, it also conveys that the moral conducts of society can be either set in stone, "on hard rock" or completely unstable and topsy-turvy, "...the wet marshes."
   We readers were also introduced to "Gatsby," presumably a "gorgeous" man who may or may not have had a dark side. Although, "Gatsby turned out all right in the end," the character says, "it's what preyed on Gatsby that... temporarily closed out [his] interest in the ... sorrows and... elations of men." We also learn that, like the main character, Gatsby is pretty well set in the financial department. As a reader, the speaker's conservative description of Gatsby and his life style really adds some obvious foreshadowing about Gatsby's character.
   Along with introducing some of the characters like Gatsby, Miss Baker, Daisy, Nick, and Tom Buchanan, the first chapter really sets the stage for what is to come. Not only is the time frame set, "in the Spring of [nineteen] twenty two," but also the setting, "east,"the eastern New York area in a very opulent district of town. Symbolism is present in the "a single green light," along the waterline which may have some significance possibly referring to a mysterious character or setting.
Chapter 2:
   The second chapter opens by explaining in detail some different things. For example the "grey" setting with the "ghastly creak," adding foreshadowing to the story. The melancholy setting emphasizes a dreary event that may happen within this scene. The way that Nick describes, Tom's woman, "Continually smoldering " also provides foreshadowing and insight to the story. The events in chapter two elaborate the lifestyle of the characters, very elegant and beautiful. Also within the chapter we see how low the morals are of these people, especially Gatsby.They live eloquent lives on the outside, but have hugely corrupt morals. Between affairs and drunken parties, these characters thus far, other than Nick, live a facade life as Nick was "amazed at the elaborateness of the lie," told by his peers.