The Catcher in the Rye 8

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

I decided to spend my last blog for ap lite ranting because it's more fun.  First of all, what happens to Jane and Sally?  From the first few chapters, I really liked Jane because she and Holden had had a thing, and I think that he still likes her.  After Stradlater had taken her out, Holden grew very upset and jumped on him.  Jealousy?--I think so.  Possibly, Holden wanted to figure himself and his mind out before contacting her, or maybe he actually didn't like her.  We won't find out because the novel only takes place over the course of a long weekend.
      And what problem, exactly, does Holden have?  That was also annoying to the reader--that he never explicitly states his mental condition.  I think that in the present, he may still be struggling and in denial of a problem since he still won't openly talk about.  Since we are privy to only Holden's thoughts and recollections, we see only a biased perspective, and maybe he hasn't admitted the problem to himself yet.  However, he does mention several times that he's crazy or "a madman" (Salinger, page 199), but I don't think he's seriously diagnosing himself then.  [My mind= Hello Holden! you are a madman]  Although this novel takes place within like four days, it's classified as a Bildungsroman (Yay German class!) because Holden really does mature, well sort of, and obviously realized that he needs some help.  That is why he decided to go to a mental institution to "take it easy" (Salinger, waaaay back on page 1).

The Catcher in the Rye 7

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

So my WTH!? moment in this section was Holden's visit with Mr. Antolini.  He mentioned him before going over to his house and claimed he really admired him.  However, once he started petting Holden's head, Holden flipped.  That was amazing to the audience because it seemed innocent enough, and he completely over reacted.  When I first glanced at this passage, I thought that his touchings must have been somewhere inappropriate.  But seriously, it was on his head.  Echoing my opinion, Mr. Antolini asked Holden "what's the matter with you?" (Salinger, page 192).  As he later recounts the day's events, he changes his mind yet again and starts to see the innocence of the petting/patting.  Seriously?!?!  At least try to stick to your mind...
      On a more serious note, Holden includes some passages where he behaves as an adult in generalizing children and their behaviors.  However, more often than not, he is the child-like one in the situation.  Holden tries to fit in with both children and adults to get the best of both worlds, but he tries to find a balance between both.  But we see with an outside perspective that one can only have all the benefits and less favorable consequences of being a child or of an adult: there is no middle ground for Holden Caulfield.

The Catcher in the Rye 6

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

Holden Caulfield's growing depression is also an important aspect int he novel that depicts his life in just a few days.  From what he's telling the audience through the story, everything makes him sad.  Even things that would normally make people happy or excited upset him and mature his depression.  At several points throughout the work, Holden claims to hate movies, yet he goes to see about three of them just within a few days.  This inconsistency is slightly annoying to the audience because it seems more difficult to characterize him.   However, his hypocracy may in fact offer more details about his character because we are starting to think he has a mental illness.  At one point, he considered killing himself and just cast that aside as if life were trivial.  I think that he made that claim just to frighten people and because he's a bit crazy.
      I don't really understand why Holden seemed to like Mr. Spencer in the beginning of the novel and hates him in the fourth section.  On page 16, he calls him "phony," yet he seemed to respect him when he went over there for a visit.  We talked about his wishy-washyness a little in class, and our group thinks that he constantly changes his mind because he desires to be a child, yet also an adult simultaneously.

The Catcher in the Rye 5

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

In the fourth section, Holden's diction remains important to the purpose of this novel.  He still uses words that promote his story telling to some audience, and the informal language remains consistent.  Holden also curses a bit less as the story progresses, and Laura had a theory about this in our small group.  She thought that Holden uses certain words ("goddam" and "sonuvabitch") when he's around his peers to connect with their immaturity.  His informal speech also includes using second person as if directing the conversation toward a third party.
      Another major aspect of Holden's diction is all his exaggerating and assumptions and generalizations.  On pages 159-162, Holden uses phrases such as "a mile long bed," "three cartons of cigarettes," and "two seconds."  He also uses "ten million garbage pails" on page 180.  These exaggerations show a little bit into Holden's mind and demonstrate his mental instability.  Although Holden has not yet identified what his mental state is, we can see that there is something a bit off in his mind.  Holden also often generalizes people and events to distance himself away from them.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

So, I finished this book over a week ago, so I'll have to focus this post on only ideas from the second section.  Holden has to have some kind of mental illness or problem.  An important idea in this section was his indecisiveness.  He seems to enjoy people one minute, and then the next he dislikes them and begins telling lies.  This was annoying to the audience, yet I believe it has significance to the overall point of the novel.  Several times, he chooses to do one thing, then does a 360 and changes his mind.  In chapter 8, he claims "he didn't feel like it" (Salinger, page 54) when talking to Mrs. Morrow.  At one point, he says he wants to pray, but then he doesn't because he changes his mind.  Another specific point in this section was when he called on the prostitute then didn't use her [ahem] services because he changed his mind yet again.  I think this all contributes to his mental issue as he cannot maintain a stable mindset when making decisions.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

Also prevalent in section two is his interactions with others.  He first meets Mrs. Morrow who he claims to like, yet he still lies to her and offers her a fake name.  This doesn't really make sense, but maybe it has something to do with his mental problems.  Chapter ten also includes the first real description of Phoebe, Holden's younger sister.  Holden really seems to like her, which is a nice treat for the audience who has to constantly listen to his complaining about other people who he changes his mind about liking.  He also goes on to meet the three women at the bar who are all stupid to New York City.  He is also very immature when talking to these women--"I"m big for my age" (Salinger, page 72).  He wants to prove himself to them as well because he is after-all only seventeen and can dance well for his age.
      Don't even get me started on the prostitute!  I just could not follow his thought process in this situation because he seems to want her in the elevator, but then when she comes, he changes his mind.  That was annoying, and then he actually paid for her when nothing happened.  That was just weird--the whole chapter.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

The character of Holden Caulfield really develops further in this chapter as we see him interact with more people, importantly people who are older.  In the beginning of section 2, he meets Mrs. Morrow and starts "shooting the old crap around" (Salinger, page 55) with her.  That was one of my favorite phrases in the book because its funny and not heard in our time.  He appears to like her, yet he continues to lie to her and make up stories about her son.  That was weird, but it begins to explain his relationships with others, which is continually weird throughout the rest of the novel.
      An interesting part of chapter 9 was his constantly talking about sex, even though he had never "given the time" to anyone (lol).  Several times, he describes himself as sexy and a sex maniac, which we see as extremely weird, but I think that it contributes to his mental problem, whatever that may turn out to be.  He also says a few times that he doesn't really understand sex, which is the opposite of what he says other times.  Maybe, he is trying to mature himself with talking about sex, almost as if he's trying to prove himself to whomever he's telling the story to.  We still don't know exactly who that is, but I do have a few theories.
      His repeating himself constantly may also add to his problem because he feels the need to reiterate what he has already stated.

The Catcher in the Rye Section 2

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger

The diction in this novel is easily recognizable, and it is one of the first things I noticed when I read it.  Most importantly, the diction promotes an informal tone because Holden often uses simple words and phrases to describe what's going on around him.  Practically every other sentence, he says "goddam" (every page...) and calls something or someone "phony."  While extremely entertaining to the audience, these words have a larger meaning in the novel.  I think that he uses these words to prove himself to the other boys because he is younger than them.  However, he does use them still when he is by himself, so perhaps he just uses them subconsciously.  Another important aspect of the novel is the way Holden appears to be telling a story. I just don't know yet who he's telling his story to.
      Some words are italicized which also add to the story because they show Holden's opinions and how he views other people and certain events.  His sarcasm is hilarious, but sometimes he appears mean, like when talking to the three women at the hotel.  I think he's a blast, but I still wonder exactly where this book is going.  What exactly does the plot contribute?

Dover Beach

"Dover Beach"
Matthew Arnold

This poem had a unique structure with four stanzas of differing lengths.  The first stanza discusses the sights and sounds of Dover Beach on the English Channel, which goes from positive to negative aspects.  "Grating roar" (Arnold, line 9) marks the shift in the first stanza and the speaker's opinion of the water and life in general.  I think that he sees the beauty of the beach but then the truth comes out when one hears the sounds which portray it in a negative light.  The second stanza is much shorter than the first and depicts the Aegean Sea and includes a reference to Sophocles who brings a common factor.  Humans have felt the same even thousands of years ago, and human nature does not change.  The third stanza offers a metaphorical body of water, The Sea of Faith, which is in stark contrast to the other two bodies of water mentioned earlier in the poem.  This sea is diminishing and degrading as time goes on, while the other two were full and prosperous.  Most people would expect a solution to re-attaining the faith that has been lost, but Arnold chooses instead to offer a means of dealing with the problem.  The last stanza explains simply that people need to stick together and find others to love and survive life with.        Kind of depressing, actually...

I taste a liquor never brewed

"I taste a liquor never brewed"
Emily Dickinson

This just cracked me up!

I completely missed the point of this poem the first couple times I read it and did not understand the whole nature aspect before I came to class yesterday.  Now that I know that she means nature as her liquor, I can begin to really analyze her diction and other rhetorical devices.  Most noticeable is probably her use of words such as "liquor" (Dickinson, line 1), "tankards" (line 2) and "alcohol" (line 4).  This diction usually speaks of intoxication, but here it is used to describe her feelings and experiences with nature.  This piece is an extended metaphor for her intoxication after being around nature.  Words such as "pearl," "summer," and "blue" disprove any ideas that she is really drinking liquor, but describe instead what she experiences outdoors.  Also notable is the random capitalization because it highlights some of the more important terms in the poem.  Dickinson's piece also has dashes at the end of many lines which break apart the sentences but also lead right into the next line.  The poem has a specific structure and follows a set rhyme scheme--the second and third lines rhyme throughout each stanza.  The exact nature of the poem consisting of four stanzas contrasts with the craziness of nature.

The Convergence of the Twain

"The Convergence of the Twain"
Thomas Hardy

Couldn't help myself...

When I first read this poem I immediately noticed that there are eleven stanzas.  I looked up the time the Titanic sank, and numerous sources claimed it was at 11:40, which would give significance to the number of stanzas in the poem.  The physical structure of the poem actually looks like either the ship itself or possibly the iceberg.  Like a real ship or iceberg, the largest part is at the bottom, and the top is rather smaller.
      The poem is very beautiful, regardless of the fact that it covers a gruesome topic which caused much suffering and many deaths.  It is very interesting that the narrator does not even touch on that aspect of the sinking of the Titanic, since it touched so many lives.  He instead chooses to focus on the physical appearance of the ship and claims that the "vaingloriousness" (Hardy, line 15) should not be so, and vanity will not help any situation.  77777IT is also kind of creepy that he insinuates that God, or even nature, created a mate for the titanic, even though it was so vain.  However, I think that he is just over-exaggerating here-- he claims vanity meets its downfall (the iceberg).  "No mortal eye"(line 27) also suggests that God or a higher being created the iceberg as vanity's downfall, and humans are unaware or unable to see it.

Sorting Laundry

"Sorting Laundry"
Elisavietta Ritchie

This poem is an extended metaphor as the items in the laundry symbolize her presumable relationship with a man.  She begins in the first stanza with "folding you into my life" (Ritchie, lines 2-3), meaning that she has taken him in and made him an important aspect of her life.  She includes "king-sized sheets" (line 4) which further emphasizes their closeness, as a couple would have a bigger bed than a single person.  She acknowledges that their relationship has had some problems, but they have made it through the struggle and survived as a couple.  The towels demonstrate their relationship's more wild side and unwillingness to compromise its individuality.  That is one of the reasons they have lasted so long as a couple, and the narrator further explains their love as she wonders what would happen if they split up.  She explains that "a mountain of unsorted wash could not fill the empty side of the bed" (lines 46-48), which is a hyperbole that explains her feelings.  She would be deeply saddened if he left, and she could only fold her own laundry.
      The overall structure of the poem follows a pattern as the narrator first folds large items (sheets) and ends with going through the pockets of clothes.  This resembles how people analyze the circumstances, even when the situation is good.

A Jury of her Peers

A Jury of her Peers
Susan Glaspell

A major theme in this short story is the assumption of gender roles in society.  Since it was written nearly a hundred years ago, many things have changed and adapted in our modern society.  The kitchen was the place for women in this time, and they assumed the role of housewife and homemaker.  Interestingly, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters determined Mrs. Wright's state of mind from the way she had left her kitchen.  The men don't get much out of this because they are so used to just having women take care of those sorts of things.  "I shouldn't say she had the homemaking instinct" (Glaspell, page 413) expresses Mr. Hale's judgement of Mrs. Peters.  His wife subtly disagrees and further explains Mrs Peters' role in making their home.
The first question in the book is also interesting because I hadn't given that much thought.  Men were only granted the right to a jury of peers.  The plot of this short story is ironic because the women are the ones to discover the truth and try Mrs. Peters when the men were the ones with the original right and were thought of to be more intelligent and intuitive with matters of the law.

Barbie Doll

"Barbie Doll"
Marge Piercy

This is probably the weirdest piece we're reading in this unit.  The questions in the book were interesting, so I'll focus on some of them.  She is different from a barbie doll in that she changes through the "magic of puberty" (Piercy, line 5).  She also has a big nose and fat legs, which is nothing like the image of a usual barbie.  She is also healthy, intelligent and strong, which demonstrate her deviation from the stereotypical barbie-like woman.  The bittersweet ending proves her having accomplished looking so pretty, but she never got to appreciate it while alive.  No one could see past her imperfections when she was younger, but they all claimed her to be so pretty after she had passed away.  The third question is also interesting--I think the author used those phrases to prove her willingness to persevere and change herself.
The structure is also important because it does not really follow a set pattern for poetry.  There are three stanzas, and each one is longer than the previous one.  This adds to the depth of the barbie doll character in that she changed and adapted as she grew.

To his Coy Mistress

"To his Coy Mistress"
Andrew Marvell

This poem was hilarious, mainly because the person who had my book previously wrote some awesome comments in the margins.  He crudely translated many of the lines with hilarious modern phrases, but I think his analysis is a bit off.
The first thing I noticed with this poem is the hint at prose it offers with the indented paragraphs.  This breaks up the poem into three segments, which I would not necessarily call stanzas.  The first section presents the speaker's view that he and his mistress would be together if they only had more time--possibly, he means another life.  Like, he wants to be with her, but he knows that it's not possibly in the current situation.  The middle part of the poem demonstrates his longing for their relationship, but he always hears "Time's winged chariot hurrying near" (Marvell, line 22).  This section ends with his expressing that he could only be with her in heaven, but no couples "embrace" in the afterlife.  [Or as the prior owner of my book would say, "let's bang in a cemetery".  I think that's slightly off, though... ;)]  The last part of the poem shows his desire to live life now and enjoy the present because they may not have a future relationship.

Hunters in the Snow

Hunters in the Snow
Tobias Wolff

This story is awful in that the main characters are so mean to each other and they show no regard for their supposed friends.  While funny, many of the comments, such as "it's the first diet I ever heard of where you gained weight from it," (Wolff, page 189) are very offensive disrespectful to each other.
A major element in this short story is the characterization of Kenny, Tub, and Frank. Tub is described as being fat, which is constantly brought up by his two friends in an offensive manner. The audience often feels sympathy for this particular character because he is made fun of so often by Kenny and Frank and he seems to have a serious problem with eating. Frank is an interesting character who is apparently in love with a fifteen-year-old babysitter. Kenny is annoying and the most aggressive in my opinion; he immaturely runs around and randomly (well, not really...) shoots the old dog.
All three are characterized as children because of the way they behave and treat each other. After the shooting incident, they immaturely point fingers at each other and get nothing solved. They also make fun of each other constantly and seem to have no respect, much like young children.
I couldn't really determine the exact ages of the three men because the author left out certain details in the story. We can guess approximate ages, but it seems important to the actions of the characters, such as in Frank's case with his declaring his love for a fifteen year old babysitter...

Othello

Othello
William Shakespeare

I want to spend my last post covering the change between Act I Othello and Othello at the end of the play.  In the first Act, he is calm, rational, and even tempered when dealing with difficulties and problems.  He had also proven himself in his accomplishments in certain battles and in how he treated his wife, whom he loved.  When Barbantio freaks about his daughter's having married the Moor, Othello remains level headed and calmly asks for Desdemona's explanation.  I loved that scene because their love was evident and felt by both (at the time).  Of course, Iago had to come around and  screw everything up, and Othello was never the same.  By the final Act, things have changed dramatically, and Othello behaves viscously and murders the woman he had once loved so dearly.  "Killing myself, to die upon a kiss" (V.ii.359) ends his life and explains his sorrow for having murdered his love.
Obviously, I have many theories as to Iago's motives throughout the entire play, and I heard Mr. Litz claim that Iago is gay, which would actually make a lot of sense.  In Shakespeare's time, I'm sure no one openly spoke about it, so it makes sense that Iago wouldn't either, and he does seem to be after the men who would be the ones more likely to judge him.  Maybe, he was secretly attracted to Othello...  Anyway, he did come up with the story of Cassio kissing him and putting his thigh on his while sleeping, so I dont know...

Othello Act V

Othello
William Shakespeare

Finally, some action!...  As with all tragedies, there were many deaths in this final scene, but I must say that I was expecting at least one death to occur within the first half of the play.
Lines 294-295 explain the irony of the situation by claiming Othello to be an "honorable murderer," which seems to be a paradox.  Usually, people who kill other people are seen to have no honor because they don't have respect for life, but really it applies in this situation as Othello killed Desdemona in order to preserve his, and possibly, her honor.  Obviously, I don't think he should have killed either one of them, but the title is fitting in his case.
I am glad that Othello learned that Des had not been unfaithful because I would have been furious if he had died without that important knowledge.  Maybe, he wouldn't have even died yet if he hadn't found out.  I think he would have been able to convince others that she deserved what happened, and I don't think they would have had a problem with it.  That doesn't matter now that he killed himself, but I just wanted to say I was glad he learned the truth.  Too often in tragedies the protagonists die without even knowing the truth...
And no, I don't think Iago deserves the title of Greatest Villain of all Time because he did not murder hundreds of people, as other villains have done.  However, I believe praise is in order for his amazing ability to deceive others and manipulate them.

Othello Act IV

Othello
William Shakespeare

Scene 2 opens with what I think to be a misunderstanding between Othello and Emilia who are discussing his wife with Cassio.  I think Othello is asking about their intimacy when he asks "What, did they never whisper?"(IV.ii.6), and I think Emilia assumes he means normal speech.  Othello is now looking for reasons to distrust and incriminate Des, so I think he assumes the worst and wants a reason.  Even Emilia's constant assurances that Des is loyal and a faithful wife cannot convince Othello, as his even more loyal companion Iago has already fed him a string of lies--which he believes of course, or this would not be a Shakespearian tragedy...  I alays hate scenes like this, where the audience knows one character is being honest, yet the other character does not believe her.   Well,  I guess we don't know for sure if she is being faithful or not, but I think she is because we are privy to only the protagonist's thoughts, which include orchestrating lies about Desdemona.  I am confused about a couple parts of their conversation--why did she bring up her father?  I think I might have missed part of the connection between him and Othello, or maybe I misread that part of the conversation.  Also, she claims that she understands his fury...she just doesn't understand why he is furious a her.  That does not make sense because we have no previous knowledge of her thoughts, and why would she think his anger appropriate.

Othello Act IV

Othello
William Shakespeare

The fourth act was the most interesting so far because it finally gave some direction as to where the play was finally headed. Throughout the first three acts, we see nearly every character make plans, but we don't really find out exactly what's in store until the fourth act.  One of my favorite scenes so far is when Iago tricks Othello into thinking that Cassio is  talking about Desdemona, though he is really speaking about Bianca.  This scene is pivotal in convincing Othello of Desdemona's affair with Cassio because it also offers ocular proof--the handkerchief.  This scene also displays some of Iago's best work, namely his deceit and false loyalty.  The stage directions and ques are also important in this scene because they allow the audience to know which characters know what and hear what.  In the film version we watched in class, Iago whispers "Bianca," so Othello does now know when the conversation switches from Desdsemona to Cassio's mistress.  That was a good interpretation because it further demonstrated Iago's wit and ability to smoothly other people.   One of my favorite lines is when Iago says "With her, on her; what you will," (IV.i.43)because it's hilarious to begin with but also gives Othello the chance to imagine his wife with Cassio, which further adds to his rage.  Iago knows precisely what will trigger a response from Othello and he advantageously uses this knowledge to convince him of Desdemona's unfaithfulness.  As I have said in almost every entry, I am still waiting for him to earn the title Greatest Villain of all Time...

Othello Act III

Othello
William Shakespeare

Here we finally see the important symbol of a handkerchief, which we knew was important though we hadn't seen it so far.  The handkerchief first appears in Act III when Des drops it--Othello had given it to her on their honeymoon, so it is very important to both of them.  This symbol of their love and unity is dropped both literally and figuratively.  Emilia then delivers the handkerchief to Iago, who sees a different meaning behind it.   Of course, word comes around that Cassio has it, which would greatly upset Othello.  I love the line "What will you do with "t, that you have been so earnest To have me filch it?" (Shakespeare, III.iii. 315-316) because it shows how others begin to see Iago.  He plays into the major theme of jealousy and hatred as he is the one to tell Othello.  While he appears to be the honest, loyal friend here, the audience knows his terrible, selfish motives behind his actions.  I still don't understand how Iago is supposed to be so evil, when he doesn't actually kill people or do terrible deeds.  I'm waiting for this terrible thing to happen, but he's just manipulating other people and trying to achieve his own ends.  I definitely would not call him the most evil villain.

Othello

Othello
William Shakespeare

The characterization is very important to the play and its overall meaning because the characters are so interesting, especially Iago.
Iago is interestingly the main character in the work, but he is also the antagonist which does not happen in many plays.  Normally, we are privy to the thoughts, feelings, and motives behind the protagonist, so that makes this play more interesting and unique.  Iago claims he is "honest"(Shakespeare, like every other line...), but the audience knows the truth because we hear his thoughts and motives.  He acts as though he is loyal to Othello and Roderigo, but we know that he has his own selfish reasons in mind.  One of my favorite parts is when he claims he does not know for sure if Emilia has been cheating on him, and then he claims that he will act as if it's true.  That cracked me up, but it was really not good because it will probably cause someone's death in the future.
Othello, the protagonist, is portrayed as similar to Iago, but we know that only one of them is genuine.  Othello is valiant, confident, and calm/rational, as we've seen from his accomplishments in battle and his dealings with others.  I also love his love story with Des because it further proves his genuine motives and confident manner.

Othello Act II

Othello
William Shakespeare

The second act includes further stereotyping and comments regarding specific gender roles, which was probably very common in the time period.  Iago is the main culprit in this situation because he has some pretty interesting views of women and their roles in marriage.  This is demonstrated by his actions toward and concerning his wife Emilia, who he often seems to ignore and even dislike.  Even though she only speaks several times in Act II, Emilia comes off as a normal, polite women, yet Iago claims she is "pictures out of doors" (Shakespeare, II.i.109).  He also talks about the four different types of women and offers compliments for each type.  These are hilarious, but on a deeper level, they explain the real thoughts of Iago who believes all women manipulate men.  I think that maybe Emilia either tricked him, or maybe her father or something.  Well, she seems nice and polite, so I don't know about her having manipulated him, but we'll see.  We don't know anything about Iago's father, but maybe his home as a child influenced his views of women and their roles in life--making babies and keeping households.  That was also funny, but kind of a serious problem because some people unfortunately still hold similar beliefs.

Othello Act I

Othello
William Shakespeare

A major theme prevalent in the first scene is racism and stereotyping.  From the first conversations, we see the manner in which Othello is portrayed by his friend, Iago.  He refers to him as simply "the Moor" and often "black" because he is from Morocco.  When Iago talks to Barbantio, he claims that "an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe," (Shakespeare, I.i. 88-89).  While this made us all laugh because of the sexual implication, it further demonstrates Iago's negative view of Othello and foreshadows something--most likely his death later in the play.  Barbantio goes right along with Iago's claims about Othello because he does not want his daughter to marry someone without his consent.  He does change his mind, however, when Des says she really does love Othello.  I really enjoyed this scene because it was a nice little love story, which hasn't ended in tragedy yet.
      And I don't really understand why some people say Iago is the greatest villain of all time because he really hasn't done anything terrible yet.  Normal villains kill many people and perform terrible deeds, yet he has just betrayed and manipulated others who thought him to be so "honest."  While I know this play is a tragedy and many people are likely to die by the end, I wonder what Iago will actually do next...

Getting Out

"Getting Out"
Cleopatra Mathis

I also liked this poem because it mimicked the separation in "Popular Mechanics," but it did not have such a horrible, graphic ending.  The imagery of prison is central to the first stanza--"inmates who beat the walls" (Mathis, page 896) suggests the unhappy, monotonous nature of the couple's marriage.  Both wanted they happiness they thought they found, yet they both felt trapped in the marriage.  "Escaped" and "laps" also suggest the repetitiveness of their actions and the inability to find changes and make things work.  Several similes in the poem demonstrate how the couple felt trapped and bored in the relationship.  The middle stanza was a bit harder to understand because it included images of his leaving and wanting to stay and work things out.  The last stanza includes the details of their matching, which was the problem in their marriage.  While they probably did not actually have matching hair and eyes, it is a metaphor for their similar personalities.  They were both so similar that the marriage just didn't work out.  The end of the poem was sad because they both still loved each other but felt the divorce was necessary for happiness.

You're Ugly, Too

"You're Ugly, Too"
Lorrie Moore

This story was just super annoying and I do not like Zoe at all.  All of her little jabs and jokes were not funny and she just came off as a bored, weird, old lady, even though she is not really that old.
The plot in this story is almost non-existent, as the story relies on the characterization of the main character, Zoe.  From the very beginning, she is characterized as "almost pretty" (Moore, page 353) and "sarcastic" (Moore, page 353). Throughout the piece, Zoe cuts at everyone and insultingly jokes with them--I think she just tries to entertain herself.  That is pretty evident as she didn't entertain me, or anyone with whom she was speaking and/or making fun of.  I guess that's understandable as she was a single, middle-aged woman who just doesn't quite have her life figured out yet.  That did evoke pity because her younger sister was happy with her boyfriend/fiance, while she wasn't even close herself.
Another main aspect of the story is the italicized sentences thrown in throughout the piece that suggest quotes from students or others.  She often remembers one then goes on to defend herself because they are often critical of her work or something of her personal life.  While entertaining for the reader, these statements also further characterized Zoe and her "achievements" in life.

Popular Mechanics

"Popular Mechanics"
Raymond Carver

This story was a bit crazy, to say the least.  Most noticeable in this story was the lack of quotation marks whenever either person was speaking.  While annoying to the reader, the lack of marks throughout the piece further adds to its harsh, grim nature.  This was a terrible story, but I understand the couple's trying to mend their marriage with the only thing left holding them together--the baby.  That was difficult to read because I kept picturing the fight in my mind, which I suppose was Carver's intent.  His descriptions of the fight were obviously creepy and showed both his and her emotions and reasons for wanting the child.
The last line of the story--"In this manner, the issue was decided" (Carver) was very important and to answer the first question on the sheet, the "issue" is who gets custody of the child.  I think that the man got the baby because of his physical dominance over her and the child.  The tone of the story is grim and morose, as the few details imply an extremely unhealthy relationship and his desire to leave.  The fourth question on the sheet was interesting because it asks about why the couple is splitting up.  We don't really get a feel for why, but obviously if they are willing to physically fight over their baby, things aren't so hot between them.  The question also asks if it matters, and I don't think it does.  We still get a feel for their relationship and we can understand the fight and their problems with each other.

This video is an adaptation of the story and is suggestive of the baby's outcome.  It's pretty funny because of the acting and scenery, but it is horrible like the story because it shows the couple fighting over the baby and the baby's falling in the end.

The Story of an Hour

"The Story of an Hour"
Kate Chopin

This was by far my favorite piece from this unit of literature because it was funny, interesting, and concise.  I first noticed the descriptive diction in this piece because although it was very short, Chopin still managed to include descriptions of each scene.  Phrases such as "the storm of grief"(Chopin, paragraph 3) and "physical exhaustion"(Chopin, paragraph 4) suggest Mrs. Mallard's hardships after hearing of her husband's death.  However, "free, free, free"(Chopin, paragraph 11) suggests her happiness with finally being released from the burdens of her marriage.  While her marriage had not been terrible or particularly abusive, Mr. Mallard had stifled her, and with him gone, she was finally able to taste freedom.  In the time period of this story, marriages were probably not very healthy, and men often controlled important aspects of their marriages.  Mrs. Mallard symbolizes many women in that age who could only find freedom in the absence of their husbands.  It is hard for us to imagine because our culture is so different than that of this time period, and most relationships today are not as oppressive.
The end of this piece was an evident paradox--"of joy that kills"(Chopin, paragraph 23).  It makes perfect sense, though, in context as Mrs. Mallard had been so happy to hear that her husband was gone and could not fathom living under him again, so she died after seeing that he was alive.

Delight in Disorder

Delight in Disorder
Robert Herrick

The first question in the book asks for definitions of two words used in the poem.  Wantonness usually means a lack of restraint or control, and stomacher, according to dictionary.com, is some sort of stiff cloth.  I did not really understand the poem at first, but I think I have a better understanding after reviewing it several times.  The diction in this poem is really beautiful and although I misread several parts, it is still enjoyable and pleasant for the reader.  Love is probably the main theme in the poem, and Herrick meant that the non-peaceful love is more exciting and interesting than normal love.  The second question in the book involves oxymorons--my all-time favorite literary device.  The phrase "wild civility" (Herrick, page 980) is an oxymoron that really emphasizes the feelings of love in this poem.  He thinks that that bewitches him more than the preciseness of other feelings.  By using contrasting words together, Herrick better explains love.
      The image of clothes is prevalent in the short poem, and I like that it better symbolizes love.  Perhaps, he's implying that love is all around and surrounds us as clothing does.

Couldn't resist......Love Actually

Lonely Hearts

Lonely Hearts
Wendy Cope

This was extremely entertaining and one of the most interesting poems we've read so far in class.  The first stanza describes a male biker who is looking for a woman who would be able to accompany him on his adventures.  The second stanza involves a "gay vegetarian" (Cope, page 973) who represents a stereotype in my opinion.  The third presents a boring executive who wants something fun.  This was interesting because we don't often read pieces involving bisexual women...  But anyway, the fourth description is of a single mother who wants her wish to come true as well.  The fifth person is obviously younger than the others and specifies a young, non-smoker.  To wrap up, the last stanza begs a response to the five people and their "personals."  The form of this villanelle is appropriate for the subject matter because real personals are only just a few sentences long and give only the briefest of descriptions.  The repetition of several phrases also contribute to the poem's meaning because personals do often sound similar or repetitive.

Eveline

Eveline
James Joyce

This story was very annoying and I really did not enjoy it at all because Eveline made me mad.  I did not relate well with her because I wanted to run away with him, and he's not even real...  But seriously, her reasons for staying did not make sense and I was pretty mad at her.  However, by reviewing the beginning of the story, I realize that she really loved her home and all the little things that made it "Home!" (Joyce, page 218).  She then describes the hardships in her life, including the many struggles with her father.  And in the beginning, she talked about Frank as if she were definitely going away with him.  However, by the end she started reconsidering and changed her mind.  Number six in the book was an interesting question, and I believe that she did not make a conscience decision to abandon Frank.  I think she just knew that she didn't want to and couldn't bring herself to leave what she had always known as home.  Also, she must have had reservations about Frank or else she would have gone away with him right away.

How I Met My Husband

How I Met My Husband
Alice Munro

I really enjoyed this piece, mainly because I knew that she would not end up with Chris Watters, but I kept expecting her to.  The structure Munro utilized created suspense and allowed me to forget that there would be a major twist in the plot.  The second question in the book asks how the plot creates suspense.  The first part of the story, the description of the plane's arrival, creates suspense because we do not know who the pilot is, but I did think that that would be Edie's [first] love interest.  Also, the drawn-out descriptions of her home-life and the Peebleses create suspense because they leave the audience thinking about their importance  to the story of Edie's meeting her husband.  Alice Kelling's arrival on the scene creates suspense because we don't know much about their relationship and wonder if there's any truth to her "fiancee" claim.  The scene which creates the most suspense is the "intimate" (Munro, page 144) scene between Edie and Watters.  The audience really doesn't know if she was going to go further and have sex with him, and that greatly adds to the suspense because if she would have gone all the way, then Chris would have probably stayed with her and possibly become her husband.
      I really enjoyed this story because it was funny and entertaining, but I was thoroughly upset with the ending because the mailman was cute and I wish we could have seen more of him.