Frankenstein and "Tintern Abbey"

I thought that the allusion to “Tintern Abbey” in Frankenstein is actually very significant. Shelley makes this reference to Wordsworth’s poem after the monster meets Victor and tells him his story. Alienated and lonely, the monster demands that Victor create him a female companion otherwise he will wreak havoc and destruction upon the world. Fearing the worst, Victor sets to work on the monster and goes to London with his dear friend Clerval. Shelley seeks to highlight the contrasting attitudes of the two friends in London with the inclusion of “Tintern Abbey.”

In “Tintern Abbey,” the speaker has almost three selves, each respectively representing the past, the present, or the future. When the speaker is younger, nature is “all in all” for him, and, as a boy, the speaker finds great pleasure and joy in being with nature. In fact, the speaker ponders memories in which he needed nothing but nature and could genuinely and fully appreciate nature. While he no longer has that same boyish love, he sees some new young appreciation in his sister, his friend. The two people in ‘Tintern Abbey” are significant in Frankenstein because they parallel Victor and Clerval.

First of all, both works show the main element of Romanticism, the love of nature. Clerval is actually very representative of the speaker when he is younger. Clerval, like the speaker, almost has an appetite for nature and simply revels in the joy of being with nature. Thus, the poem highlights Clerval’s passion for nature. By including a poem, the emotions of the speaker become reflected in Clerval. But then, just as the older speaker differs from his younger self, Victor differs from Clerval. Although Victor isn’t physically older than Clerval, Victor is mentally older because he has gone to college and has definitely experienced the darker aspects of life. While Victor does appreciate nature, he doesn’t love it with the same passion that Clerval does. By making the parallels and connections between the two poems, I see how Victor’s burdens make him so different from the inexperienced Clerval. Victor actually can understand the “still, sad music of humanity.” Perhaps then, Shelley is criticizing experience and the darker aspects associate with it. I also thought that Clerval could then be a parallel to the younger sister. Victor actually finds delight in his Clerval’s joy in the same way that he old speaker that his sister has a passion for nature in its beauty. Then, the poem also acts as a way to characterize both Victor and Clerval and show some of the evils of age and knowledge.

I also had a few questions about Frankenstein—Is the monster evil? Or is he just a product of Victor’s own evil? What really is the significance of the blind man? Is the blind man, in fact, the only own that’s not blind to the monster’s goodness? In addition, how then does the misery of the De Lacey family affect the monster? This book really makes me think about the responsibility of own’s actions and the meaning of a higher being.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein tries to act like God and that leads to disastrous consequences. For example, he says, “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” (52). Thus, Frankenstein is trying to break the boundaries of life and death. While life could be represented by the “torrent of life” while death could be represented by the “dark world,” the outcome of Frankenstein’s creation is ironic. Instead of producing a torrent of light and life, the monster brings even more misery into Frankenstein’s life. When Frankenstein takes tries to take on the godlike role, nothing good comes out of it. Thus, Shelley could be criticizing man’s attempt to live beyond the limits. In her criticism, technology is very much connected to crossing the preset boundaries. Frankenstein’s creation represents a new type of technology that does more harm than good. Such technology is found everywhere in the modern world. Television and video games often produce more harm than good.

As Frankenstein tries to act like God, he sins more and more. One of his worst sins is indirectly killing William and Justine. By creating a monster and then taking no responsibility for it, Frankenstein is very naïve. He simply lets the monster go into the wild with little concern for its safety or the safety of others. Thus, Frankenstein is very selfish. Because of Frankenstein’s unconcern, William dies. Furthermore, when Justine is murdered because the town thinks that she is the murder, Frankenstein does little to stop it. Once again, he has trouble accepting responsibility for his actions. Because of his naiveté and negligence, two murders occur. In fact, Frankenstein is more responsible for the murders than the monster is. It is thus hard to discern whether Frankenstein is a good or evil character.

Beowulf vs. The Dragon

Two characters in Grendel that are very similar are Beowulf and the Dragon because the both change Grendel and directly affect Grendel. The Dragon leads Grendel to start contemplating the meaninglessness of life. He says that things are simply “swirl[s] in the stream of time. A temporary gathering of bits, a few random dust specks, so to speak…..then by change a vast floating cloud of dustspecks, an expanding universe.” Grendel, although very confused, eagerly listened to the dragon, soaking up the news. The Dragon focuses on death and time passing. He even says that an apocalypse is “Not a real ending of course, nor even a beginning. Mere ripple in Time’s stream.” Grendel then believes that he is a “mere ripple” in the world, which is a pretty depressing thought. However, Grendel then seeks his own meaning. He wants to be a standard for the Danes. Later on, he even says that he doesn’t finish off all the Danes because then he wouldn’t have anything to do and won’t have any purpose.

However, when Beowulf comes, Grendel’s world is turned upside down. From the beginning, there are indications that Beowulf is different. Perhaps, Beowulf could even be a monster, at least to Grendel. Grendel has instances in which he is actually afraid of Beowulf begging the question: Who, or even what, is Beowulf? Is he a human? Is he the dragon? I become even more curious about Beowulf’s origins when he starts quoting the dragon. Specifically, he says, “A meaningless swirl in the stream of time, a temporary gathering of bits, a cloud…” Thus, Beowulf understands or at least appreciates the dragon’s words. Beowulf’s speech after he makes the statement shows that he doesn’t focus on death and passing that the dragon focused on. Instead, he claims, “The world will build green, sperm build again. My promise.” Beowulf brings up images of fertility and the environment instead of death and destruction. So then, I must wonder what Beowulf’s philosophy really is. Perhaps, he believes that there is no central meaning in the world but creation and life gives meaning. His philosophy is definitely harder to pinpoint that the dragon’s philosophy. One thing’s for sure though. Beowulf significantly affects Grendel. Grendel says, “I understand him all right, make no mistake. Understand his lunatic theory of matter and mind, the chilly intellect, the hot imagination…” Grendel believes that Beowulf’s theory is “lunatic” and continually attributes Beowulf’s win to “accident.” Thus, it seems as if Grendel is denial because he can’t believe that Beowulf is right. At the end, I feel like Grendel is closer to acceptance. Still, what really is Grendel accepting?

The last line of the novel is very significant as Grendel says, almost angrily, “So may you all” to the animals that gather around him. This is Grendel pondering the equality in the universe. The passing of time and death that the dragon talked about has finally taken Grendel, and it will take the animals around him. However, there is still the image of fertility and rebirth from Beowulf. Maybe, Grendel’s death isn’t really an end like Grendel though it would be.

Grendel's Spirits

Grendel is a very odd creature. While reading the first four chapters, I always notice that there are some spirits around him whether it’s a “dark chasm”, watchful “eyes”, or a menacing “presence.” What really do all these spirits mean? I think that they are simply manifestations of Grendel, revealing implicit aspects of him. For example, the “dark chasm” could possible represent the existential void, which is part of Grendel’s philosophy. On the next page, the “stars…torment [his] wits towards meaningful patterns that do not exist.” Grendel’s beliefs surely follow the existential philosophy as he can’t (or will not) see meaning in anything. Perhaps, the existential void parallels an internal void within Grendel. Since Gardner is an anti-existentialist, it wouldn’t be surprising that he describes the existentialist Grendel as having a void. Such an interpretation begs the question: What is that void? At the end of Chapter 1, there are subtle clues that point to an emptiness within Grendel. When the townspeople “wail…with a single quavering voice,” they express joy and some sort of communion even after Grendel murdered their fellows. Such a communion torments and even makes Grendel “shake with rage.” His rage is a product of his envy and loneliness. He longs for that camaraderie, the lack of which is creating a void within him. Looking even further into the “dark chasms” also reveals Grendel’s views towards a higher power. Grendel demands the dark chasms to “seize” him “to [its] foul black bowels and crush [his] bones.” If the dark chasms represent God or a higher being, then Grendel is challenging it. After Grendel comments that the chasms have “missed him”, Grendel is mocking God’s lack of power to punish or “seize” Grendel. Clearly, Grendel is skeptical of any notion of a higher power. Thus, when he starts seeing stars in meaningful patterns, Grendel has tormented “wits” because the patterns give evidence to a higher being that creates meaning in the world.


The watchful “eyes” are also a very interesting part of the novel. First, there is definitely a distinction between those eyes and Grendel’s mother’s eyes as he says, “Then all at once there they’d be again, the indifferent burning eyes of strangers. Or my mother’s eyes.” Honestly, I still have a hard time grasping who the eyes are or what the eyes represent. I do have a theory that all the eyes are, in a way, Grendel’s eyes—his search for meaning throughout the world. Before the tree incident, Grendel’s existential philosophy isn’t present, and Grendel really finds meaning in his mother. Thus, “Of all the creatures [Grendel] knew, in those days, only my mother really looked at me.” Since only his mother looked at Grendel instead of through him like the others, Grendel’s mother is the only one that has meaning for him. During the tree incident, the absence of his mother (and “her” eyes) shows that Grendel can no longer see meaning within his mother. Finally, I want to consider that mocking “presence” within Chapter 4. To me, even the “presence” is internal and a part of Grendel. It isn’t an external entity, and is perhaps a manifestation of Grendel’s own self-doubt. The presence responds with “Why not?” to Grendel’s thoughts about the Shaper’s influence and how the “Shaper could enrage [him] so.” It is almost as if Grendel is responding “Why not?” to his own thoughts and beliefs. The Shaper changes men. Why not? The Shaper changes Grendel. Why not? The Shaper changes the world. Why not? With all of the Shaper’s change, he becomes a new God or higher being for Grendel, which contrasts from Grendel’s existential theories. Thus, Grendel doubts his own theories and, as a result, doubts himself.

I always thought that a relationship between Nick and Offred would occur. It seemed so obvious that Atwood juxtaposes Offred’s relationship to Nick with Offred’s relationship with the Commander. I always thought that Offred feels something closer to love with Nick, while the Commander is simply her vessel into the previous world because she needs memories of the older world to survive. During the first time Nick and Offred have sex, Offred says “To cover up the sounds, which I am ashamed of making” (263). On the other hand, when Offred is alone with the Commander, she commands herself to “Fake it…Bestir yourself. Move your flesh around, breathe audibly” (255). Clearly, the physical aspect of Offred’s relationship with the Commander is not as fulfilling as the aspect is with Nick. Such a disparity between the same acts with different men arises from the presence of love. With Nick, she feels as if her act is shameful because it “is a betrayal” to Luke (263). She is started to fall in love with Nick, and the enjoyable sex with him simply confirms that love. In addition, Offred has sex with Nick in the section labeled “Night,” and night is the time of Offred’s freedom. However, she doesn’t feel like she is betraying Luke with the Commander because there aren’t any feelings of love involved in that relationship. Offred partly continues the relationship because the Commander has real power over her. She also needs the connection to the old world that the Commander gives her. However, sexually and spiritually, Offred is simply indifferent to the Commander as she “lies there like a dead bird” in the hotel room with him (225).

In addition, the flower imagery in this part is still ever-present. The most distinctive reference to flowers occurs with a reference to dandelions. Offred states, “Not a dandelion in sight here, the lawns are picked clean. I long for one, just one” (212). The choice of dandelion is very significant. First, dandelions are wild flowers that are very free, and their spread their seeds to a variety of places. Since there are no longer in Gilead, it seems has if there is no longer any freedom, and seeds aren’t spread to a variety of places. Instead, men and women alike must only give their seeds to the people that are assigned to them. Thus, the removal of the dandelions signals the removal of freedom. In addition, dandelions are considered weeds. As a result, the lack of dandelions shows that Gilead seeks to remove the weeds from there society.

Finally, I also want to consider the ending of The Handmaid’s Tale, which is pretty ambiguous and pretty frustrating. At the end, we don’t know whether or not Offred goes into the “darkness” or in the “light.” At first, I, like my Lit Circle members, believed that Offred would forever remain in darkness because she spiritually died in Gilead especially after Moira, her symbol for hope, eventually submits to the new society. Offred even says that Moira is frightening her. Throughout the whole novel, Offred alludes to Moira, and it seems that she is a beacon for strength, but the loss of strength proves to be frightening in the end. But then, I just have started to consider why Atwood would even give the possible of light or hope if there isn’t any in the first place. Perhaps, Offred’s encounters with Nick and secret conversations with Ofglen represent the renewal of life after Offred has been “freezing to death.” Maybe, Offred’s rebellion leads her to bigger and better things, and the light is finally within reach for her. I really want the light to be there for her.

Something interesting I noticed in The Handmaid’s Tale was all the flower imagery. I remember one distinctive scene where Serena Joy is “cutting off the fruiting body” because the “tulips have had their moment and are done, shedding their petals one by one” (153). At first, I really thought nothing of that line. However, upon closer analysis, I realized the hidden significance. Tulips are typically red, and the irises that replace them are generally a blue color. These flower colors definitely parallel Offred’s red dress and the blue characteristic of wives, like Serena. When Serena Joy is cutting of the “fruiting body” of the red tulip, it seems as if she is trying to cut off the womb of the red Offred. Thus, Serena is jealous and feels threatened by Offred’s fertility. In addition, the blue irises replace the red tulips, which could possibly represent Serena Joy’s desire to overtake and control Offred.

Another creative part of The Handmaid’s Tale is Offred’s name. When I first started reading, the meaning of the name seemed obvious. Offred is simply “Of Fred” because she must submit to the Commander, Fred. However, Michael then told me about how the name could also be read as “Off red.” Such reading suggests that she could rid of the red which is the color of “everything except the wings around her face” and “defines” her (8). Therefore, it foreshadows that Offred may become engaged in some sort of resistance and will stop being defined by the red color that she must wear. I finally thought of another possible way to look at the name Offred. The name “Offred” is very similar to the word “offered.” I feel like Offred is offered to the society and people around her. It’s interesting to note that Offred “is offered” is in passive voice, so Offred is perhaps very passive and submits to the men and society around here. Once Offred starts offering something herself, she will be active and assertive. The multiple meanings of Offred really show Atwood’s brilliance.

I also want to discuss the scrabble encounters because they are such and important part of the novel. They seem to be some sort of forbidden sexual desire. Even the dialogue used in the encounters indicates sexual undertones. When the Commander “held it a moment, casually enough, between thumb and finger, as if deciding whether or not to give it to men,” the Commander seems to be offering Offred some sexual object or even his sexual object (156). However, it is simply a women’s magazine that Offred wants “with a force that made the ends of [her] fingers ache” (156). Offred wants the magazine with such a “force” that it truly seems sexual. However, I wonder what the actual relationship between the Commander and Offred is. Are they truly equals? While the Commander flirts with Offred, he also makes some belittling comments. In addition, he also is a father figure because he tries to protect Offred. As I read on, I’m especially going to take note of the relationship between them. Maybe, Offred’s and Nick’s relationship could parallel their relationship.

I definitely did not expect The Handmaid’s Tale to be so explicit and racy. However, Offred’s crude language characterizes her as a unique and strong woman. . One distinctive scene is during the sex in Chapter 16. Offred says “My red skirt is hitched up to my waist, though no higher. Below it the Commander is f******” (94). Considering Gildean’s society, I would think that women are not supposed to use such explicit language. However, Offred’s crudeness contrasts from society’s expectations of weak woman. Such explicitness is also present during Offred’s interaction with men. For example, there is considerable sexual tension between Offred and the doctor. During her visit, Offred asks, “Is that his hand, sliding up my leg?” The doctor goes past the acceptable social norms, and Offred doesn’t yield to him so that she can escape her captivity. This reflects some sort of fear within Offred that might be overcome in the future. I am expecting Offred’s strong internal nature to overcome her fearful external nature.

I found the many biblical allusions in the novel to be very interesting. First, all the names like “Angels,” “Guardians of Faith,” and “Milk and Honey” have biblical origins. In addition, Offred says that there is a “return to traditional values” (13). That return to traditional values accompanies a greater focus of the Bible and the values that are present in the Bible. However, the focus of the Bible also means an increased suppression of women. Perhaps, Atwood satirizes and criticizes the values that are present in the Bible. One particularly distinctive biblical reference is the name, Gildean. The “balm of Gildean” traditionally represents a healing agent. Although the society might think that they are healing from the wrongs of the past, it is ironic that healing can be applied to the women in Gildean. Instead, they are hurting under the suppression. I also noticed that the name Martha also has biblical connotations. In the Bible, Martha and Mary were sisters. Martha was a housewife, while Mary was listened to Jesus. Once again, it is ironic that Jesus admired Mary more than Martha, but the society in Gildean society seems to uphold Martha as the ideal woman. Such an interpretation suggests that Atwood criticizes some interpretations of the Bible especially those that are against women.

Considering the first 100 pages, I thought the most peculiar part of the novel was Offred’s encounter with the Japanese people and the pregnant woman. What is the comparison between Offred and the Japanese women? In regards to the Japanese women, they represent some sort of forbidden desire. It is ironic that the women wearing “open-toed sandals” and the woman with the belly “swelling triumphantly” both represent a desire for Offred. While the pregnant woman adheres to society’s expectations, the Japanese definitely do not. For Offred, the jealousy towards both women represents her internal conflict about whether to follow society or abandon it. In the future chapters, Offred’s transition and relationships to other men and women will be important. I hope that such a suppressive society won’t be in place for long.

Gender Roles in "The Knight's Tale"

After reading “The Knight’s Tale” through a gender lens, I have a few insights to offer about gender roles in the story.

1. Women are treated as objects. In the beginning of the story, the Duke of Theseus takes Queen Hippolyta, his future wife, and her younger sister Emily after the Duke is victorious over the Amazon. The two women are simply spoils of war for the Duke and the Amazon people. Thus, Hippolyta and Emily are two women that represent the traditional view that women are objects.
2. The Duke of Theseus also represents traditional gender roles as he is a strong male leader. He epitomizes the qualities of men that were admired in traditional times as the Duke is an effective soldier and savior. After the Duke encounters the “company of ladies” that are “all clothed in black,” he acts to save the ladies from their misery by attacking King Creon. It seems that the women needed a man to save them.
3. The women who lost their husbands in war also represent traditional gender roles. The eldest woman says, “For sure there is not one among us all that was not once a duchess or a queen, Though wretches now, as may truly be seen…” The ladies were once powerful and rich but have lost almost everything because they lost their husbands. Chaucer shows that women in those times have great dependence on the men, and many women become lost without their husbands.
4. Victorious knights are always men, as Arcita and Palamon are. Knights are always men because of their inherent and natural strength. Thus, women were generally regarded as the weaker sex. The only purpose that women serve in “The Knight’s Tale” is through love and beauty. The main conflict of the story occurs after Arcita and Palamon both fall in love with Emily because of her beauty. The knight’s only care about Emily’s beauty and don’t bother with discovering her wit, personality, or charm.
5. Each of the gods also represents the traditional gender roles. Venus, the goddess of Love, is female. Mars, the god of War, is male. Diana, the goddess of chastity, is female. Females are associated with love and chastity, while men are associated with war and brutality.
6. If we consider the relationships between women and men, then women seem to be simply objects of love for the men as all the women are flat characters. For Theseus, Hippolyta and Emily were simply objects for him to win. However, Theseus does respect their views and opinions at one point in the story. After Theseus is about to kill both Palamon and Arcita for disrespecting his wishes, the women plead to Theseus not to kill them as they get “Down on their knees they then began to fall, Read to kiss his feet as there he stood.” However, this passage also shows that women are generally more emotional. In addition, the women are subordinate to Theseus as they get down on their knees. ‘
7. The men are protectors of the women. Theseus protects the group of miserable ladies, and Arcita and Palamon fight to protect Emily. There is no meaningful relationship between the two knights and Emily. All of them are simply bound be sexual desires and lusts. In this case, Emily represents a sexual desire for the two knights as many women did in those times. In addition, Emily is said to have “womanly compassion” which shows that compassion is generally associated with women.
8. There are some characters and events that represent non-traditional gender roles. At the end of the story after Arcita dies, Theseus “wept upon [Arcite],” and Palamon had garments “stained with many a tear.” Thus, the men are represented as emotional characters especially in times of death. However, Emily, the woman, is the “most sorrowful of the company” even though she barely knew Arcite. It may be because women have some sort of unspoken duty to their husbands.
9. Venus, although she is the God of love, is actually the strongest of the three Gods in the story as the narrator says, “That men might see that neither wit nor wealth, Beauty or cunning, bravery or health Can challenge Venus or advance their worth.” The Goddess is actually portrayed as the strongest, which goes against the notion that males are generally stronger than females.
10. It is difficult to pinpoint Chaucer’s attitude towards these characters. I think that he places love above strength because Palamon eventually wins Emily over Arcite. While Palamon appeals to the Goddess of love, Arcite appeals to the God of War, and love is ultimately victorious in the end. From the beginning of the story, the author generates more sympathy towards Palamon. Palamon sees Emily first, but Arcite still tries to take Emily for Palamon. In addition, Palamon must spend an extra seven years in prison, while Arcite had the opportunity to fight against Theseus.
11. Chaucer also shows that women cannot always be won as objects of war. Although the winner of the war is supposed to win over Emily, Arcite doesn’t actually win Emily. Instead, the one that truly loves Emily wins her. This could be a possible message that love conquers strength and women ultimately conquer men.
12. Despite some non-traditional gender roles, Chaucer still portrays the women as emotional and weak. They cry over their husbands and cry the most at death. In addition, men are the stronger ones as they are knights and the ones that are engaged in death and brutality. Chaucer presents most of the human characters within the rigid gender roles of the time. When he presents the female that has a non-traditional gender role, Venus, she is non-human. Perhaps, Chaucer suggests that human gender roles are hard to break while non-human gender roles are easier to break.
13. There is acceptance of the emotional men within the society so the other characters don’t have contempt for men that stray from their traditional gender roles. Since none of the human women seem to stray from their gender role, it is hard to deduce other characters’ attitudes towards non-traditional roles held by females.

"Loneliness" continued

I’m going to continue my discussion on “Loneliness” from the week before because it’s such an interesting story.

1. On pg. 171, the speaker says, “He wanted most of all the people of his own mind, people with whom he could really talk people he could harangue and scold by the hour, servants, you see, to his fancy.” The quotation is the speaker’s explanation of Enoch’s actions and imaginary friends. Basically, Enoch wanted people to agree with him and think that he is the best. However, I think that there is more. He needs some sort of mutual respect and love as all the characters do in Winesburg, Ohio. Since he has that love and respect through his imaginary friends and then loses it, he could perhaps be one of the most pathetic and loneliest characters in the novel.
2. Enoch then “married a girl who sat in a chair next to his own in the art school and went to live in an apartment house in Brooklyn. Two children were born to the woman he married, and Enoch got a job in a place where illustrations are made for advertisements” (171). The quotation shows Enoch’s confinement during is marriage. The illustrations he makes for advertising must be confined to certain standards. In addition, he “felt choked in a walled in by the life in the apartment.” Why? He can’t be accepted within the society and he must conform to certain standards, and, like a child, he cannot handle that. In the narrow room, he doesn’t feel walled in because he doesn’t have to conform to societal standards with his imaginary friends.
3. How is George Willard significant? George Willard and Enoch Robinson can understand each other because of certain sadness and even need for maturity “sadness was in the heart of George Willard.” In the story, it rained on the evening that they met which could represent a possible Foster connection. It foreshadows some sort of a renewal that Enoch gets by talking to George Willard. It could also possibly deal with his release and catharsis since almost every character in the novel seems to experience a type of release. In addition, the rain occurred in October which means that Enoch is reaching middle age and has finally gained a certain maturity and solemnity.
4. When he falls in love, he gains a certain maturity and can no longer understand and justify his actions with his imaginary friends. However, his newfound maturity accompanies a newfound sadness. In regards to the girl he falls in love with, Enoch says, “I thought that she was bigger than I was in that room” (177) He can’t handle her realness and understanding though, and he was furious when “she had understood all the time” (177). It seems that all he has been searching for understanding but can’t handle it in the end. Enoch would rather crucify himself by letting the girl and the imaginary go than accept the understanding of others. Part of the problem is that she understands his childlike tendencies, and he finally understands it too so he can’t accept his imaginary friends. Why do the imaginary characters leave with the girl and why can’t Enoch accept the girl’s company?

There seems to be so much in the story, and there are still some things that I don’t understand. A really important part of the story is the beautiful girl in the painting, but I am finding it hard to find out what she really represents. I think it might have to do with Enoch’s idea of an ideal woman.

Enoch Robinson

Because we had such limited times during our fishbowl discussions, I am going to share some of my insights concerning the story “Loneliness.”

1. Windows are a recurring item within Winesburg, Ohio. In “Loneliness,” the “farmhouse was painted brown” and “the blinds to all of the windows facing the road were kept closed.” It’s important to note that the blinds were all closed, which shows Enoch’s desire to hide from others and thus explains his loneliness. Even when Enoch tries to connect with others and have human relationships, he isn’t successful. For example, Enoch tries to have an affair with a woman, but, after walking for a bit with the women, Enoch “grew afraid and ran away” (168). He then, “crept off to his room trembling and vexed” (168). Why can’t Enoch interact with others normally? Does he have some sort of mental disorder?
2. There are many indications of mental disorder, as the quotation, “He could draw well enough and he had many odd delicate thoughts hidden away in his brain that might have expressed themselves through the brush of a painter, but he was always a child and that was a handicap to his worldly development. He never grew up and of course he couldn’t understand people and he couldn’t make people understand him. The child in him kept bumping against things, against actualities like money and sex and opinions. Once he was hit by a street car and thrown against an iron post. That made him lame” shows. Generally, those that have mental disorders act childlike and tend to be very creative in one area. Since Enoch seems to excel at painting and hasn’t matured, Enoch could have slight mental disorder, perhaps schizophrenia. However, although he has this mental disorder, he is not the only one that’s lonely. Maybe, his disorder makes Enoch lonelier and that is why the title of the chapter is “Loneliness.” Why would Sherwood Anderson create a character with a mental illness?
3. Why does he invite the artists? For him, the move to New York means getting out of Winesburg, which represents an attempt at maturity. Enoch inviting the artists shows that he wants some sort of communication or understanding with the artists. The reason he becomes an artist is because of his nonverbal skills, and he thinks that he may be able to communicate with other artists. However, there is a major contrast between Enoch and the others. The artists are composed and can articulate their thoughts well (“Words were said about line and values and composition, lots of words, such as are always being said” (169)). However, Enoch cannot talk coherently (“He was too excited to talk coherently” (169)) so there is lack of understanding. As the Enoch’s naïve artist’s inability produce sophisticated speech contrasts with the other artist’s superficial sophistication, Anderson conveys great differences in maturity.
4. The speaker also says, “The room in which young Robinson lived in New York faced Washington square and was long and narrow like a hallway.” Generally, we think of a narrow room as a suffocating experience. However, it is only suffocating when he meets the real people that have a lack of understanding. The room is narrow with what Enoch thinks are narrow-minded artists, but is “long” and perhaps even expansive when it is filled with his “imaginary’ friends.

My insights so far only cover the first few pages of the story, and, next week, I will try to analyze the rest of the story. There are some questions to consider though…

What is the significance of Enoch’s painting and the “beautiful woman?” Who are Enoch’s imaginary friends? Why did he marry a girl in his art school and then leaver her? Does Enoch’s story parallel Anderson’s own story? How can you characterize the understanding between George Willard and Enoch Robinson? Why do his imaginary friends leave? Although most of the characters in Winesburg, Ohio experience a degree of loneliness, why is title of this specific story “Loneliness?”

Morally Ambiguous Characters

Since we just did a timed writing about morally ambiguous characters, I’m going to talk about two morally ambiguous characters in literature.

In Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, Gail Wynand is presented as a morally ambiguous character but according to Rand’s own moral standards. Rand glorifies man and believes that all men should have one single purpose to which they are passionately devoted. Although I think we never really get a sense of Wynand’s single purpose, there is potential for him to be a great man like Howard Roark is. Although Wynand gives up his soul to the public through The Banner, he has an art gallery that represents artistic individualism and integrity. In other words, Wynand understands the significance of individualism and can appreciate it, but can’t put it into practice. However, Wynand is still immoral despite his appreciation of individualism because he eventually compromises his standards and prints a public apology for supporting Roark. To Rand, such a betrayal to Roark is the epitome of immorality. Rand even says that Wynand was the “man that could be.” I always have trouble determining the meaning to the work as a whole, but I think that Wynand’s characterization is important in that it highlights Roark’s strong character when he is compared to Wynand. It shows that Roark is the most moral and the least incorruptible. It may even show that individualism is the key to becoming a moral character when considering Rand’s standards.

I’m also going to discuss Jack for Robert Penn Warren’s All the Kings Men because I wrote about him in my timed writing and would like to be more successful in conveying his moral ambiguity. I think that Jack is morally ambiguous because he is immoral in the beginning and then transitions into a more moral character. When he was younger, he shuts out life and the people around him because he doesn’t want to take responsibility for his actions. The Great Sleep and the Great Twitch are his attempts for apathy, but they just make him more immoral. Disregarding his wife and insulting his father prove that he doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong. In fact, I definitely dislike Jack in his early years, and I think that the dislike arises from Robert Penn Warren’s characterization of him as immoral. Jack becomes morally ambiguous though towards the end because he starts to realize his immoral ways. He accepts the spider web theory as evidenced by his finally finished dissertation. Jack realizes that he was connected to the deaths of Willie, Adam Stanton, and Judge Irwin. His realization shows that he has finally taken responsibility for his actions, and I believe such responsibility equals morality. In my timed writing, I said that his change in morality is significant because it parallels his change in theories. I still need to figure out how it parallels his change of theories.

Morally ambiguous characters are very interesting because they appear frequently in literature, but for different reasons. Later, I would like to talk about other characters, like Esther Greenwood from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and even Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series.

"The Harlem Dancer" Analysis Continued...

Here's my analysis for the next four lines of "The Harlem Dancer":

As the poem progresses, the dancer starts to embody elegance rather than the distaste one would expect of a night club dancer. She is “graceful and calm,” showing that she isn’t part of the excitement around her. In fact, her calmness suggests that she is physically, but not psychologically, in the night club. The dancer is also depicted as wearing “light gauze,” a translucent material that is often used to wrap up wounds. The wearing of gauze could symbolize the presence of emotional wounds. The speaker elaborates on the dancer’s wounds after the seventh line. To the speaker, the dancer was a palm tree, strong and able, and was “lovelier for passing through a storm,” as the dancer became more beautiful through the hardships she faced. The gauze mentioned earlier may represent covering up the wounds from her past suffering. Another contrast is established as the reader learns that the speaker appreciates the dancer for her inner strength while the audience values her for her outward beauty.

"The Harlem Dancer" Analysis

Because analyzing poems are such an important part of AP Lit, I am going to share my analysis for one of my favorite poems--“The Harlem Dancer” by Claude McKay. The following paragraphs introduce the poem and discuss the first four lines. For the next couple of weeks, I will continue my analysis.

Young men hold sleek drinks around a varnished, mahogany floor. Upbeat music floats through the air carrying the laughter and drunkenness of the night with it. But the men aren’t there for the merriment or alcohol. Instead, their eyes are transfixed on the mesmerizing female dancer in the center of the room. The men leer at her while shouting obscene slurs, and the sensual dancer struggles with the lack of respect she finds in the audience. During the Harlem Renaissance, such female dancers, who were often of black descent, were not uncommon in night clubs. Claude McKay’s poem “The Harlem Dancer” is significant in that it typified the discrimination that black women often had to endure during the early 1900s. The poem follows a dancing black girl through a night club while exposing themes such as youth, sex, and promiscuity. By incorporating these implicit themes and revealing hidden emotions within the dancer, McKay successfully conveys the effects of an audience’s prejudices on the objectified yet strong Harlem dancer, who is the victim of cruel misinterpretations.

“The Harlem Dancer” is seemingly about the attractive titular dancer sensually dancing, presumably in a night club, for an excited audience of young men and women. In the first line of the poem, the speaker characterizes the spectators in the club as “Applauding youths” and adds that the youths were laughing. The positive diction initially presents an image of gaiety and innocence. However, towards the end of the first line, the reader is introduced to the “young prostitutes” amidst the audience. The mention of the prostitutes challenges and contrasts with the innocence of the youths. Moreover, these prostitutes are young, and the reader is suddenly and unexpectedly transferred away from youthful excitement into a sordid place where girls prematurely discover their sexuality. The “perfect, half-clothed” Harlem dancer then enters in the second line. The line focuses on the audience watching the dancer’s ideal body, and it is evident that the audience is captivated by her sexual appeal and outward appearance as they “watched her…body sway.” For the youth, the dancer’s perfection lies in her body and sexuality. Being barely clothed, the dancer further characterizes the night club as a seedy place. The portrayal of two contrasting elements, such as sexuality and innocence, governs the rest of the poem.

The next two lines incorporate a simile which contradicts the sexualized characterization of the dancer in the second line. First, the speaker says that “her voice was like the sound of blended flutes.” By establishing that her voice sounded like more than one flute “blended” together, the speaker shows that her voice isn’t one-sided. Instead, the voice is depicted as intricate and complex. Perhaps, the speaker is trying to show that the dancer, like her voice, isn’t as simple as she might seem. The description of her voice also includes an interesting contrast. The speaker uses flutes to distinguish her voices, and flutes are typically found at formal events. Flutes would not be playing at a sleazy night club. Therefore, the speaker illustrates that the speaker’s voice is out of place in the midst of prostitutes and her “half-clothed” body. Through her voice, the dancer displays a refinement that contrasts with her profession. The fourth line of the poem elaborates on the simile in the third. Her voice isn’t just characterized by a multitude of flutes. Instead, the flutes are being played by black players on a “picnic day.” The mention of black players suggests that the Harlem dancer may be African American. In addition, the picnic day shows that her voice is light and fresh against the darkness in the night club. Again, the speaker points out unexpected contrasts, specifically showing that the dancer may not be as immoral as her profession and the night club.

Dreams

Since literature (such as the Bible) often incorporates dreams as symbols and tools for foreshadowing, I am going to talk about three different types of dreams that one may encounter in life or in literature.

At 2 A.M., you are a film director as your subconscious mind creates a sequence of transitory images designed to be seen by only one person--you. Sometimes, it is an action sequence. You are running down a long, dark tunnel from inescapable serial killers until you are suddenly upside down on a roller coaster at Six Flags. Who is that cheery man next to you? Could that be the grocer you met today? No, it’s Harry Potter, and he wants you to have tea with him and Voldemort in Godric’s Hollow. Why does Harry Potter look like your math teacher? More importantly, where did your clothes go? Then, in the middle of tea time, you are unexpectedly awaken by that pesky alarm clock and might or might not remember your odd dream sequence. Dreams are typically characterized by a combination of commonplace realities and outlandish unrealities. Throughout history, dreams have been the subject of speculation among many great thinkers and, recently, people have been able to carry out scientific research on dreams and their significance. Most significant dreams in literature can be categorized in the three categories: the familiar dream, predictive dream, and nightmare. In literature, many of the dreams have an implicit meaning that can reveal anxieties, personality, or future happenings.

The Familiar Dream

The familiar, or recurring, dream is one of the most common types of dreams, and generally reveals a lot about the dreamer. Oftentimes, a recurring dream incorporates themes such as angst, procrastination, or depression. The repetitiveness of such a dream is a signal from a one’s subconscious mind to examine an event in life more closely. For instance, a procrastinator may often experience recurring dreams concerning stress and fretfulness. The stress in the dream is often an indicator of hidden apprehension that corresponds with procrastination. In addition, certain recurring dreams often expose prominent character traits. In literature, stress in a dream may characterize a character’s mental state, and certain dreams may reveal character traits, such as vulnerability or aggressiveness.

The Predictive Dream

Predictive dreams are often treated lightly as it seems ridiculous that a dream can foreshadow a previous life. However, predictive dreams can be important in telling one more about the present than the future. As Sigmund Freud, the famous psychoanalyst, said, “The future which the dream actually shows us is not the one which will occur but the one which we should like to occur.” Therefore, premonitory dreams often reveal our innermost desires and feelings. Oftentimes, premonitory dreams will predict future fight with a relative or friend. In literature, dreams can foreshadow future events in the character’s life.

The Nightmare

Nightmares are common in people and can only do harm psychologically. A nightmare is a distressing dream and involves unpleasant emotions, such as fear, anxiety, anger, or sadness. Children often experience nightmares that reflect common childhood fears, such as fear of strangers, darkness, animals, or heights. Conversely, nightmares in adults are often important indicators of emotions after traumatic events. For example, combat veterans frequently experience nightmares that involve dead bodies and fatal gunfire. These nightmares are the result of the disturbing life of a soldier and can indicate anxiety after wartime. In literature, a character’s nightmare might show hidden fears and anxieties. It can also give insight into a character’s internal mental response to a certain event.

Gender Stereotypes in Children's Literature

Considering our discussion on the role of women in All the King’s Men, I decided to research on gender stereotypes in children’s literature.

It seems that, since ancient times, women have been view as inferior to men. In the Bible, it is Eve, the woman, who convinces Adam to indulge in the fruit taken from the Tree of Knowledge. Greek mythology says that Pandora is a woman that opened the box and revealed all the evils of mankind. Even Roman law states that women will forever be subservient to men. It’s not surprising then that children’s literature has implicit evidence of gender stereotypes and presents preconceived notions of gender roles. In fact, one analysis of titles of children’s books found that male names were present in the titles twice as often as female names were. It also seems that in the children’s stories, girls are frequently acted upon while boys do the acting. While the girls are naïve, ignorant, conforming, and subservient, the boys are demanding, active, and aggressive. Consider the very well-known German fairytale Rapunzel published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. The story is about a young girl that is captured and caged in a tower. We can examine stereotypes first based on the fact that the person who captures Rapunzel is a woman. In this story, it seems that the evil is represented as a woman. In addition, Rapunzel only starts to plan an escape after a prince comes and asks Rapunzel to marry him. Certainly, this reinforces the stereotype that a girl’s main purpose in life is marriage. Then, in the initial versions of the story, Rapunzel is depicted as foolish and ignorant as she gives away her plan to escape. Part of the reason for the prevalence of gender stereotypes in Rapunzel is that the story was published in the early 1800s. However, children continue to read and enjoy the story of Rapunzel, and, therefore, certain impressions based on gender are formed early on in a child’s mind. Such themes of the prince saving the princess seem to be present in many folktales. Only when the prince falls in love with Cinderella is she able to be saved from her evil stepmother and stepsisters. It’s also interesting that the evil characters in Cinderella are all female. In Sleeping Beauty, only the prince’s kiss saves the passive princess from the curse invoked by an evil female fairy. Hansel and Gretel are captured by an evil witch and are fortunate to be returned to their father with their stepmother dead. Gender stereotypes are present in even modern stories for children. For example, in Josie’s Gift by Kathleen Long Bostrom, Josie, a young girl, is completely obsessed with getting a new sweater. Besides showing that girls are supposed to very involved in fashion, the story also shows the hardships that Josie’s family has once her father dies. Apparently, the mother doesn’t have the means to support the entire family, and misery occurs from the absence of a strong male model. Furthermore, upon analyzing the pictures in the story, it was found that most of the pictures depict the mother doing some type of housework. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein also shows some notions of gender roles. The story is about the relationship between a tree and a boy. The tree, shown as a female, only wants to serve and support the boy throughout his life. It can be inferred that the purpose of females is to serve male. A 1970s book by Whitney Darrow entitled I’m Glad I’m a Boy: I’m Glad I’m a Girl! is more obvious in its perpetuation of certain gender labels. While the girls are cook, nurses, and stewardesses, boys are presidents and inventors. While not all stories have gender stereotypes, some can reinforce female and male typecasts in children. The stereotypes do not always present females in a negative light. Oftentimes, males are depicted to be violent and insensitive. In addition, cultural stereotypes can play a role in children’s book. It will be interesting to see the evolution of these stereotypes in future children’s novels.

“Customer Image Gallery for I'm glad I'm a boy!: I'm glad I'm a girl!” Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. .

“Effects of Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Picture Books | Bookstove.” Bookstove | Books, Literature. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. .