Sunday, May 6, 2012
TPCASTT Themes
Sonnet 130: There exists love in which physical attraction is of no significance
The Passionate Shepard to His Love: When one loves an individual and everything about them, particularly their environment, it is then that living together and a greater relationship is plausible.
To The Virgins, to Make Much of Time: Beauty is fleeting and should be enjoyed while it is possessed
Death Be Not Proud: Death, for all its inescapable-seeming nature, isn't permanent
The Author To her Book: In any art, the work is always imperfect to its creator
To His Coy Mistress: In love there is no time for games, seeing as the vigor of youth is very temporary
Sound and Sense: Great writing flows from a nebulous sense and understanding of what makes beautiful art
The World is Too Much With Us: The beauty of nature is so evident and omnipresent that humans do not even realize how beautiful their environment is
She Walks in Beauty: There exists those whose beauty would seem to be a conglomeration of all that is beautiful in this world
Ozymandias: All of man's tests to withstand the passage of time and preserve themselves eventually prove futile.
When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be: In the end of everything, things like fame and love will not matter
The Children's Hour: Relish play with children always, and hold that love forever; long after those children have grown up
Annabel Lee: Love, if it is powerful enough, lasts well after death
O Captain!, My Captain: Victory sours with the realization that instrumental players in the struggle to win are dead
I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died: In death, one realizes the most insignificant things, and that death isn't an experience like people generally imagine
Dover Beach: There exists nothing of significance but an appreciation of the natural splendor of the world
Dulce Et Decorum Est: There is an inherent horror to war, and any beautiful description of it is nothing more than a lie
Mending Wall: There are those that seek seperation so that coexistence might be possible
Mirror: A mirror's true effect isn't to show those that peer into it, but rather to slowly destroy those that over value their own beauty
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Action Project!
What I had wanted to do, involved obtaining an answer from a large food corporation on why there are amounts of ingredients, like sugar or fat, in individual servings of certain products which exceed the daily value of that specific ingredient. I couldn't understand how this is allowed and just how those amounts of the specifics ingredients are decided. Ultimately I was left destitute on any answers from actual employees or proponents of my chosen company, Coca-Cola, and really left to analyze the web-site in order to answer my questions. I certainly have figured out answers to my question, and I'm left a bit disappointed afterwards.
During my first ever-contact with the Coca-Cola corporation I chickened out miserably. Then i called back and asked a version of my initial question. "How are the ingredient amounts determined?" Somewhat patronizingly the representative remarked at the high quality of my question. She put me on hold then returned a minute or so later, "Sir the answer to your question is on our web-site. Have a nice day." I was disappointed and then for the first time i checked out the web-site. To my dismay the web-site did indeed have the answers. Coca-Cola extensively tests their products to ensure that their consumers are purchasing products which consist of high quality ingredients composed in a manner which formulates tastes that the consumers have come to know and love. I called after with miscellaneous health questions, but every attempt ended only with the response that the answers to my questions were on the web-site. After awhile I came to realize that almost any question I could ask regarding health and nutrition information was on the web-site if I really wanted to look for it. Initially I thought that this was probably a result of the fact that so many food producers, especially those that produce foods whose over-consumption are most often linked to obesity, have been under fire lately. But then I began to consider the possibility that Coca-Cola almost seeks to gently dissuade consumers from pursuing direct contact with the company in an attempt to ultimately contact those in management positions. If you can have all of the questions answered before they're asked, then you've done quite an effective job of protecting yourself from exposure.
Of course if you analyze the web-site for answers, especially those regarding nutrition you'll be quite impressed and surprised. I was. The company effectively focuses more on what it would take to maintain a healthy diet and habits such as exercise rather than focusing on the fact that many of their products are unhealthy. In fact they never address the high amounts of sugar in their products, but merely what one should due to maintain a healthy lifestyle should they consume high-sugar foods within reasonable amounts. There are guidelines on exercising and brushing your teeth. What I perhaps enjoyed most was the assertion at the end of one section: Coca-Cola can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. I was upset at first because I felt that this was untrue but in actuality it's completely true. Coca-Cola doesn't make people drink soda five times a day. They don't make people drink gallons of soda. All of that is unhealthy. They make a product which many enjoy, and they have written guidelines on how the consumer should consume their products. What the consumer does after that, well, that's their prerogative.
What I mainly think Mr. Currin intended for us to draw from this project was, the fact that attempting to ask questions higher up in management is difficult and ultimately to think about the idea of, "Who do we shoot?" In the Grapes of Wrath the men and women being displaced from their land want to find who's responsible, kill them, and then be let alone. The problem is, and perhaps very few people realize this, there isn't one group or group of people to blame. Everyone is to blame. For example in the novel, the bank displaces the farmers. But the bank must do so because of the poor economic times and failure in business. I actually think this is what's being referred to when Steinbeck mentions the abstract, "East." The big businesses in cities like New York that were failing at the time. Of course this leads the farmers to search for work which is rare, and the big landholders that own the land are only concerned with profit. The part about burning crops because doing so would lose less money than selling cheaply really brought home this concept. Of course the lack of jobs leads to competition amongst the farmers and each one offering to work for a lower wage than the next man, until you have an intense hatred brewing amongst the displaced men. But in the end everyone has contributed to the problem. This is the same with Coca-Cola experience. So much sugar is put in the products because of the people and what the consumers enjoy. Because the soda is so enjoyed some consume too much and become unhealthy. They want to blame Coca-Cola but the company never made them drink those exorbitant amounts of soda, and can you really blame the company for making a delicious product? Can you blame them for doing what the have to so that they can survive? Absolutely not. And this exact situation is at play in the Grapes of Wrath. Everyone, the bank, the farmers, the East, are all vying to survive the depression that is sweeping the country. But unfortunately for one to survive another must suffer, and that, I think, is a major theme in the novel, and one that this project has really helped to illustrate.
During my first ever-contact with the Coca-Cola corporation I chickened out miserably. Then i called back and asked a version of my initial question. "How are the ingredient amounts determined?" Somewhat patronizingly the representative remarked at the high quality of my question. She put me on hold then returned a minute or so later, "Sir the answer to your question is on our web-site. Have a nice day." I was disappointed and then for the first time i checked out the web-site. To my dismay the web-site did indeed have the answers. Coca-Cola extensively tests their products to ensure that their consumers are purchasing products which consist of high quality ingredients composed in a manner which formulates tastes that the consumers have come to know and love. I called after with miscellaneous health questions, but every attempt ended only with the response that the answers to my questions were on the web-site. After awhile I came to realize that almost any question I could ask regarding health and nutrition information was on the web-site if I really wanted to look for it. Initially I thought that this was probably a result of the fact that so many food producers, especially those that produce foods whose over-consumption are most often linked to obesity, have been under fire lately. But then I began to consider the possibility that Coca-Cola almost seeks to gently dissuade consumers from pursuing direct contact with the company in an attempt to ultimately contact those in management positions. If you can have all of the questions answered before they're asked, then you've done quite an effective job of protecting yourself from exposure.
Of course if you analyze the web-site for answers, especially those regarding nutrition you'll be quite impressed and surprised. I was. The company effectively focuses more on what it would take to maintain a healthy diet and habits such as exercise rather than focusing on the fact that many of their products are unhealthy. In fact they never address the high amounts of sugar in their products, but merely what one should due to maintain a healthy lifestyle should they consume high-sugar foods within reasonable amounts. There are guidelines on exercising and brushing your teeth. What I perhaps enjoyed most was the assertion at the end of one section: Coca-Cola can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. I was upset at first because I felt that this was untrue but in actuality it's completely true. Coca-Cola doesn't make people drink soda five times a day. They don't make people drink gallons of soda. All of that is unhealthy. They make a product which many enjoy, and they have written guidelines on how the consumer should consume their products. What the consumer does after that, well, that's their prerogative.
What I mainly think Mr. Currin intended for us to draw from this project was, the fact that attempting to ask questions higher up in management is difficult and ultimately to think about the idea of, "Who do we shoot?" In the Grapes of Wrath the men and women being displaced from their land want to find who's responsible, kill them, and then be let alone. The problem is, and perhaps very few people realize this, there isn't one group or group of people to blame. Everyone is to blame. For example in the novel, the bank displaces the farmers. But the bank must do so because of the poor economic times and failure in business. I actually think this is what's being referred to when Steinbeck mentions the abstract, "East." The big businesses in cities like New York that were failing at the time. Of course this leads the farmers to search for work which is rare, and the big landholders that own the land are only concerned with profit. The part about burning crops because doing so would lose less money than selling cheaply really brought home this concept. Of course the lack of jobs leads to competition amongst the farmers and each one offering to work for a lower wage than the next man, until you have an intense hatred brewing amongst the displaced men. But in the end everyone has contributed to the problem. This is the same with Coca-Cola experience. So much sugar is put in the products because of the people and what the consumers enjoy. Because the soda is so enjoyed some consume too much and become unhealthy. They want to blame Coca-Cola but the company never made them drink those exorbitant amounts of soda, and can you really blame the company for making a delicious product? Can you blame them for doing what the have to so that they can survive? Absolutely not. And this exact situation is at play in the Grapes of Wrath. Everyone, the bank, the farmers, the East, are all vying to survive the depression that is sweeping the country. But unfortunately for one to survive another must suffer, and that, I think, is a major theme in the novel, and one that this project has really helped to illustrate.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
TFA Reflection
Honestly, this is the first time that I've read a review and felt inclined to exclaim, in the middle of reading it at the kitchen table while a myriad of other family activities were taking place, "Wow! This is really interesting!" Achebe is a gifted novelist, a point which is evident after reading Things Fall Apart, but he is a similarly gifted essayist. I was predisposed in the the first time I heard Achebe's argument to feel as though he was being overly critical, but after reading his essay my opinion has been changed, although not entirely.
What makes Achebe's assertions so provocative and compelling is the fact that he always backs everything he says up, in some way, and, as he did in his novel, he presents a bit of both sides of his argument. I though his comment on the way Conrad portrays the action and humanity of the Africans to be especially interesting. He makes a point of how Conrad only describes the Africans as doing wild things in his work, and additionally he only grants a slightly brighter description to the Africans he feels have "the merit of being in their place." Achebe displays the segment about the African fireman, who is undoubtedly not in HIS place, and Conrad's description of this character is notably disagreeable. As far as Conrad's assertion as to the humanity, or rather the sort of 'sub-humanity', of Africans goes, Achebe reflects on Conrad's effort to elicit a disquieted response from his reader's at his suggestion that even they have a "remote kinship" to the wild Africans which Conrad describes in one passage. While I hadn't considered it earlier, it is especially interesting that Conrad utilizes the words "remote kinship." This as far as he will go in description of his relation to the Africans and what he describes as, "Ugly." This is especially provocative for me, making me almost upset, and I feel it is one of Achebe's most gripping and compelling arguments. Achebe also utilizes a recounting of Conrad's own history in arguing that he was an unwavering racist and again, the evidence is significant. He describes his first encounter with an Englishman, asserts Achebe, in unconditionally positive light while remarking on his introduction to a man of a darker complexion as having quite unsettled him. Achebe's argument that this is undeniable evidence that there was a sort of racist predisposition in Conrad is convincing, as such.
I really also loved Achebe's argument that there is a psychological attitude of Africa, as the portrait is to Dorian Gray. For those unfamiliar with it, the Portrait of Dorian Gray is a novel in, on a most basic level, where a portrait accrues ages and years instead of the novel's namesake. To assert that Africa is a sort of dumping ground for the shortcomings and evils of European society is, to me, innovative, as I have never heard such a thing before, and logical. European society, and as an American perhaps I should lump myself into this, makes the assumption that Africans are inferior and primitive, even prehistoric. As Achebe points out we even assume initially that Africans don't possess a language as highly evolved as our own when in actuality,as is partially revealed by Achebe's novel, they possess a language and culture as deep and which even potentially predates our own.
While my reflection has been overwhelmingly positive up to this point, I'd like assert a few criticisms. I feel that there a moments in the essay where Achebe stretches to assert that everything in the novel is nearly irrelevant in light of Conrad's racism. He describes discourse where someone argued that the intention of Conrad's novel was not to paint a racist image of the Africans, but rather to make a criticism of the European colonization movement in the continent. Achebe glosses over this and states that Conrad's intent only contributes to the fact that the novel is racist, which is a point I think is underdeveloped. What's more is that while Achebe agrees, with a sort of glowing accord, that Conrad was a highly gifted writer he feels that the literary and artistic merit of Conrad's novel is diminished to a point where it has none of other because of either. There is a school of thought which suggests that art should be judged indefinitely independent from intention, a sentiment that I partially agree with, but the fact of the matter being that Conrad wished to present the concept of the fallibility of the human heart, I feel that his being racist (he almost certainly was in my opinion) does not tarnish the artistic merit of the work.
As I have stated throughout this reflection, I felt Achebe's essay was incredible. It was well written and compelling. While not free from some questionable assertions it was thought-provoking, and in the end: isn't that what any good essay should be?
What makes Achebe's assertions so provocative and compelling is the fact that he always backs everything he says up, in some way, and, as he did in his novel, he presents a bit of both sides of his argument. I though his comment on the way Conrad portrays the action and humanity of the Africans to be especially interesting. He makes a point of how Conrad only describes the Africans as doing wild things in his work, and additionally he only grants a slightly brighter description to the Africans he feels have "the merit of being in their place." Achebe displays the segment about the African fireman, who is undoubtedly not in HIS place, and Conrad's description of this character is notably disagreeable. As far as Conrad's assertion as to the humanity, or rather the sort of 'sub-humanity', of Africans goes, Achebe reflects on Conrad's effort to elicit a disquieted response from his reader's at his suggestion that even they have a "remote kinship" to the wild Africans which Conrad describes in one passage. While I hadn't considered it earlier, it is especially interesting that Conrad utilizes the words "remote kinship." This as far as he will go in description of his relation to the Africans and what he describes as, "Ugly." This is especially provocative for me, making me almost upset, and I feel it is one of Achebe's most gripping and compelling arguments. Achebe also utilizes a recounting of Conrad's own history in arguing that he was an unwavering racist and again, the evidence is significant. He describes his first encounter with an Englishman, asserts Achebe, in unconditionally positive light while remarking on his introduction to a man of a darker complexion as having quite unsettled him. Achebe's argument that this is undeniable evidence that there was a sort of racist predisposition in Conrad is convincing, as such.
I really also loved Achebe's argument that there is a psychological attitude of Africa, as the portrait is to Dorian Gray. For those unfamiliar with it, the Portrait of Dorian Gray is a novel in, on a most basic level, where a portrait accrues ages and years instead of the novel's namesake. To assert that Africa is a sort of dumping ground for the shortcomings and evils of European society is, to me, innovative, as I have never heard such a thing before, and logical. European society, and as an American perhaps I should lump myself into this, makes the assumption that Africans are inferior and primitive, even prehistoric. As Achebe points out we even assume initially that Africans don't possess a language as highly evolved as our own when in actuality,as is partially revealed by Achebe's novel, they possess a language and culture as deep and which even potentially predates our own.
While my reflection has been overwhelmingly positive up to this point, I'd like assert a few criticisms. I feel that there a moments in the essay where Achebe stretches to assert that everything in the novel is nearly irrelevant in light of Conrad's racism. He describes discourse where someone argued that the intention of Conrad's novel was not to paint a racist image of the Africans, but rather to make a criticism of the European colonization movement in the continent. Achebe glosses over this and states that Conrad's intent only contributes to the fact that the novel is racist, which is a point I think is underdeveloped. What's more is that while Achebe agrees, with a sort of glowing accord, that Conrad was a highly gifted writer he feels that the literary and artistic merit of Conrad's novel is diminished to a point where it has none of other because of either. There is a school of thought which suggests that art should be judged indefinitely independent from intention, a sentiment that I partially agree with, but the fact of the matter being that Conrad wished to present the concept of the fallibility of the human heart, I feel that his being racist (he almost certainly was in my opinion) does not tarnish the artistic merit of the work.
As I have stated throughout this reflection, I felt Achebe's essay was incredible. It was well written and compelling. While not free from some questionable assertions it was thought-provoking, and in the end: isn't that what any good essay should be?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Critical Essay Critique- The Awakening
In the article that I read the author, Sandra Gilbert, proposes that her intention is to elaborate on the ways in which The Awakening is a work of pure feminist fantasy that projects the idea of Edna as a reborn Aphrodite, in lieu of a contrary image of Jesus and patriarchy. The authors main vehicle for her debate are similarities between the mythology surrounding Aphrodite and the circumstances surrounding Edna Pontellier. Gilbert argues that the similarity in a most sense exists in descriptions of Edna. She is often described, mainly after her swim at the Isle, as emitting a sort of shine and exuberance outward through her physical appearance. Gilbert argues that this is a bit suggestive of imagery often used to detail deities of old, and Aphrodite in particular. What's more is that Gilbert asserts that the dinner party scene, which prevailing lines of criticism hold as being largely insignificant, is one of the, "longest sustained episodes in the novel," and additionally one of the most significant. She argues this because of the description of Edna at the head of the dinner table, her paired regal appearance, and the magical-looking drink of which everyone is partaking. In Gilbert's mind this asserts that Chopin has intended to sell an image of Edna that is both regal and divine, and allusive to the goddess of love. The emotion that the sea elicits from Edna is often cited often by Gilbert. Apparently in mythology the ocean has some central significance in the origins of Aphrodite, and likewise, Gilbert maintains, the ocean is pivotal in the rebirth of Edna. The author goes on to present how Edna feels utterly changed after her first ever swim, and what soon follows within the novel is the first instance of Edna directly defying Leonce, who Gilbert defines as a symbol of the prevailing patriarchal society in the world. In the same vein, and what I found very compelling is that when one considers the piano-playing of Mademoiselle Reisz, the singular phenomena that has any irrevocable significance to Edna outside of the sea, it is images of the ocean and its power that are evoked in Edna's mind. Thus, the significance of the sea cannot be overstated. On an ending note, and what i find to be one of Gilbert's better arguments, is the human impossibility of Edna's eventual aim. Near the novel's controversial conclusion, Edna asserts that she wishes to give freely of herself where and whenever she pleases. Of course if Edna were perhaps, I don't know, a prostitute, this aim wouldn't be at all impossible but given the actuality of the circumstance it is. In mythology Aphrodite solely operated upon this aim however, and Edna's desire to do so as well does give previously unfounded strength to the argument that Chopin wished to present Edna as a newborn Aphrodite.
In my opinion the article wasn't entirely coherent and ultimately the premise, was a bit too far fetched. At one point Gilbert makes an attempt to argue that Edna's dinner party is intended to mirror the last supper and to me that's a bit ridiculous. Of course I am consistently a skeptic, but the fact that Gilbert herself calls her essay a bit, "hyperbolic" didn't help sway me. Also as the essay progresses the author makes a jarring departure from impartiality, especially in the sense of an undercurrent of atheism and sympathy for the amoral actions of characters. A tone arises in which it becomes evident that the author is harbors some disagreement with the theology and dismisses as fiction based solely upon it's patriarchal roots. She sides with amorality, because she dismisses Robert's ultimate departure from Edna as the result of an imagined obligation to what is, "fictionally 'right'," a statement which I was quite taken aback by. What's more is that she condones Edna's final actions on the basis of it being the only manner in which Edna could, "assert her autonomy." In doing so she says that it is okay for a woman to selfishly commit suicide because of an incapability to cope with emotions, and in doing so, to leave children and a husband who ultimately wished her no harm. Of course, Gilbert finally asserts that Edna didn't even die, but rather was more likely reborn in the sense of becoming a new Aphrodite, and embracing a lucid divinity. This last argument I feel is the least compelling of Gilbert's,and additionally one that she rather stubbornly champions, trudging through the mires and pits of glaring unlikelihood. This being said I certainly disagree with Gilbert's ultimate point, although I do believe that Chopin did intend to construct parallels to Aphrodite but in a much less literal or pervasive sense than a full on apotheosis. Sandra Gilbert's essay does have undeniable value though, both as an exhaustive reflection of Chopin's ubiquitous employment of suggestive imagery, and an exercise in attempting to prove a particularly radical viewpoint.
In my opinion the article wasn't entirely coherent and ultimately the premise, was a bit too far fetched. At one point Gilbert makes an attempt to argue that Edna's dinner party is intended to mirror the last supper and to me that's a bit ridiculous. Of course I am consistently a skeptic, but the fact that Gilbert herself calls her essay a bit, "hyperbolic" didn't help sway me. Also as the essay progresses the author makes a jarring departure from impartiality, especially in the sense of an undercurrent of atheism and sympathy for the amoral actions of characters. A tone arises in which it becomes evident that the author is harbors some disagreement with the theology and dismisses as fiction based solely upon it's patriarchal roots. She sides with amorality, because she dismisses Robert's ultimate departure from Edna as the result of an imagined obligation to what is, "fictionally 'right'," a statement which I was quite taken aback by. What's more is that she condones Edna's final actions on the basis of it being the only manner in which Edna could, "assert her autonomy." In doing so she says that it is okay for a woman to selfishly commit suicide because of an incapability to cope with emotions, and in doing so, to leave children and a husband who ultimately wished her no harm. Of course, Gilbert finally asserts that Edna didn't even die, but rather was more likely reborn in the sense of becoming a new Aphrodite, and embracing a lucid divinity. This last argument I feel is the least compelling of Gilbert's,and additionally one that she rather stubbornly champions, trudging through the mires and pits of glaring unlikelihood. This being said I certainly disagree with Gilbert's ultimate point, although I do believe that Chopin did intend to construct parallels to Aphrodite but in a much less literal or pervasive sense than a full on apotheosis. Sandra Gilbert's essay does have undeniable value though, both as an exhaustive reflection of Chopin's ubiquitous employment of suggestive imagery, and an exercise in attempting to prove a particularly radical viewpoint.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Wallpaper Yellow
Immediately after I had finished the short story I was a bit taken aback, because, in a general sense, the story is quite peculiar. Of course the strong oddness of the work is possibly a combination of its occurring in a different time period, and the fact that the central character's mental stability is questionable. Undoubtedly, a large factor in the overall odd nature of the story, was the relationship between the main character and her husband. As the story progresses two separate accounts of the husband and wife's relationship emerge, and eventually even the one account diverges. Of course course the first version of the relationship's nature is provided by the main character, in her early calm, and conciliatory state. She remarks that her husband loves her very much, and in his prognosis of her condition has only sought the best situation for her. Contrarily, the second account is that of the reader, who develops a more lucid interpretation from the facts. The husband has locked the main character in a room by herself, with the command to do nothing all day, for a lengthy stretch of time. He will not let her talk to him about it, or even right about how she feels. What's more is that she can see no one, for her husband asserts that contact with "stimulating" people would be bad for her in her current state. Whether this whole set of occurrences appears as add to the reader due to a new more modern general sense of medical knowledge that has clearly grown since the story's time or otherwise, there is a definitive connotation that in actuality the main character and her husband don't have a great relationship. The intentions of the husband in the marriage can be debated, but I feel that he is certainly leaving his wife to her own devices instead of aiding her. The third account of the relationship is given again by the main character, except in this account she has sort of "lost it." A previously hidden animosity towards her husband emerges, and in the instance with hiding the key and that collection of events, she's quite nearly making an attempt at a sort of retaliation in my mind. As a result of this and other circumstances, the relationship isn't a positive one. The husband is overbearing and overprotective as with a dim-witted child, however, he doesn't offer any aid directly. The yellow wallpaper is a very interesting example of a dynamic literary symbol. Initially, I feel that the yellow wallpaper is a physical representation of the main character's mental state. Consider, for instance, she notices only a few blemishes on the stuff until she gradually finds even more flaws, and ultimately ends by ripping it up entirely. The destruction of the wallpaper directly coordinates to the gradual deterioration of the woman's grip on reality. However, with the appearance of the woman behind the yellow paper the symbol takes on a new form. At the time of the woman's appearance behind the wallpaper, the wallpaper becomes a link to general oppressiveness and entrapment, suggested by the fact that it ultimately appears to the main character as bars. Additionally, the imagined woman is basically a projection of the main character's conceptualization of herself, in her current predicament. This can be inferred because there is concise instant in the story where she stops referring to the person formerly behind the paper in the third person, and instead refers to herself as the escaped woman. From the diminutive and unassuming connotation I received from the title, "The Yellow Wallpaper," I could never have assumed that the story would turn out like it did. In the end Gilman has left readers with a stark representation of the effect of confinement and a husband's effect on his wife, all in the scaffolding of an allegory for the oppression endured by women, and the inevitable escape from their bonds despite circumstance.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Critical Essay Response
The essay that I chose was the one in which the author debates the appropriateness of categorizing Ethan Frome as a work of modern tragedy. He presents several interesting arguments to support his point of view, and through reading it I have certainly developed my own position on the issue.
The author contends that Ethan Frome is indeed a modern tragedy, especially when one considers the definitive aspects of tragedy and what Wharton has put in her novel. A tragedy is generally a work in which characters suffer as a direct consequence of the main character's tragic flaw or hamartia. Typically, when thinking about works of tragedy, several works of William Shakespeare are brought up, generally including Macbeth. The author asserts that Macbeth is obviously a tragedy because Macbeth is a potential, but as he is overtaken by his hamartia of lusting for power, he kills Duncan and several others before he meets his end at the hands of MacDuff. The author then asserts that Ethan Frome is similar in a couple of ways. He is a potentially benevolent infallible example of heroism, a characterization provided by Wharton's early description's of Frome, including: "Ethan Frome drove in silence, the reins loosely held in his left hand, his brown seamed profile, under the helmet-like peak of the cap, relieved against the banks of snow like the bronze image of a hero." However, he has a tragic flaw, albeit one that isn't quite so obviously terrible as Macbeth's. In providing an example of Ethan Frome's hamartia the author cites the scene in the novella where Ethan is sitting with Mattie outdoors. "He looked at her hair and longed to touch it again, and to tell her that it smelt of the woods; but he had never learned to say such things." This line, according to the author, articulates Frome's inability in the articulation of himself, a manifestation of his tragic flaw. The consequences of this are evident because, as in any other work that is considered a tragedy, other characters are harmed, namely Frome himself, arguably Zeena, and ultimately Mattie.
After reading the critical essay, I feel that the author was very effective in conveying his position, and his argument was well presented. I say this because the author's goal was to prove that Ethan Frome was a modern tragedy and, taking the simplest route, he provided components and examples of classic tragedy and displayed how Ethan Frome possesses many of the same critical characteristics. As a result I feel the argument that provided the basis for the essay shouldn't even exist. Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is as much a tragedy as Macbeth or the stereotypical scenario of Romeo and Juliet. Ethan Frome is a character with a capacity for heroism, but contrarily overwhelmed by his hamartia; one that results in the suffering of multiple characters besides himself. In my mind, a more debatable question would be whether Ethan Frome is the protagonist or antagonist because it has been said that, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing." What did Ethan Frome really do to combat his situation, and in the end; despite intentionality, isn't he as much to blame for the final circumstance as anyone else? These would be my "other thoughts."
The author contends that Ethan Frome is indeed a modern tragedy, especially when one considers the definitive aspects of tragedy and what Wharton has put in her novel. A tragedy is generally a work in which characters suffer as a direct consequence of the main character's tragic flaw or hamartia. Typically, when thinking about works of tragedy, several works of William Shakespeare are brought up, generally including Macbeth. The author asserts that Macbeth is obviously a tragedy because Macbeth is a potential, but as he is overtaken by his hamartia of lusting for power, he kills Duncan and several others before he meets his end at the hands of MacDuff. The author then asserts that Ethan Frome is similar in a couple of ways. He is a potentially benevolent infallible example of heroism, a characterization provided by Wharton's early description's of Frome, including: "Ethan Frome drove in silence, the reins loosely held in his left hand, his brown seamed profile, under the helmet-like peak of the cap, relieved against the banks of snow like the bronze image of a hero." However, he has a tragic flaw, albeit one that isn't quite so obviously terrible as Macbeth's. In providing an example of Ethan Frome's hamartia the author cites the scene in the novella where Ethan is sitting with Mattie outdoors. "He looked at her hair and longed to touch it again, and to tell her that it smelt of the woods; but he had never learned to say such things." This line, according to the author, articulates Frome's inability in the articulation of himself, a manifestation of his tragic flaw. The consequences of this are evident because, as in any other work that is considered a tragedy, other characters are harmed, namely Frome himself, arguably Zeena, and ultimately Mattie.
After reading the critical essay, I feel that the author was very effective in conveying his position, and his argument was well presented. I say this because the author's goal was to prove that Ethan Frome was a modern tragedy and, taking the simplest route, he provided components and examples of classic tragedy and displayed how Ethan Frome possesses many of the same critical characteristics. As a result I feel the argument that provided the basis for the essay shouldn't even exist. Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is as much a tragedy as Macbeth or the stereotypical scenario of Romeo and Juliet. Ethan Frome is a character with a capacity for heroism, but contrarily overwhelmed by his hamartia; one that results in the suffering of multiple characters besides himself. In my mind, a more debatable question would be whether Ethan Frome is the protagonist or antagonist because it has been said that, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing." What did Ethan Frome really do to combat his situation, and in the end; despite intentionality, isn't he as much to blame for the final circumstance as anyone else? These would be my "other thoughts."
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Ethan Frome
My favorite example of imagery presented by Wharton in the novel occurs when she writes: "About a mile farther, on a road I had never traveled, we came to an orchard of starved apple trees writhing over a hillside among outcroppings of slate that nuzzled up through the snow like animals pushing their noses out to breathe." I chose this section because I not only really like the imagery presented, but I also enjoy the manner in which it effectively elicits emotion in order to provide a better understanding of one of the novella's underlying themes. The theme represented is certainly one of how the town of Starkfield has an inherent tendency of stifling life, suffocating it in its literal winters and in its emotional oppressiveness. The cold environment leads to isolation in the winters and an intelligent individual would seek to escape the area at the earliest opportunity, as asserted by Harmon's statement, "Most of the smart ones get away." This concept of imagery eliciting emotion connects directly to, and aids in, understanding the real purpose of imagery. On its face, of course, imagery is simply the description of something observable in a manner that appeals to a reader's senses. Observation of masterful authors, and I'm assuming that Wharton is one of these, will reveal quickly that imagery is a tool capable of doing much more. As I mentioned before, imagery can also appeal to the emotions of the reader, and in so doing, make a connection to themes beyond observable phenomena. Edith Wharton uses the imagery of Starfield's winter as a larger allegory for general stunted potential, loneliness, and sadness. More significantly the winter is a metaphor for the modern state of the novella's namesake, Frome, who has been left as cold and desolate as the Starkfield winter's by yet untold circumstances in his emotional past. Clearly Wharton understand's the true might of imagery and, undoubtedly, more examples of this literary technique shall appear as the class delves deeper into the wintry past of Ethan Frome.
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