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. .

Cass Mastern

In light of the recent assignment to find a literary article on All the King’s Men and the brief mention in class of Cass Mastern’s pivotal role, I have decided to share some of my views and analysis on the Cass Mastern story.

A superficial consideration of the Cass Mastern story might result in the conclusion that Cass Mastern is nothing more than an unrelated character. However, upon a deeper analysis of the anecdote, the reader can discover revelations about Jack Burden’s character and the overall theme of All the King’s Men. We must remember that Jack discusses the Cass Mastern story from a much later perspective than when Jack first researched the story. Jack even says, "I have said that Jack Burden could not put down the facts about Cass Mastern’s world because he did not know Cass Mastern…But I (who am what Jack Burden became) look back now, years later, and try to say why" (266). In this quotation, the reader can see that Jack understands that there is some connection between him and his great-uncle that his former self could not conceive. Still, at this point in the novel, Jack doesn’t understand what that connection was, and his initial ignorance of the story’s meaning is reflected in Jack’s acceptance of the Great Twitch theory. Warren, on the other hand, gives some clues in "Chapter IV" so that the readers will have some insight into the inclusion of Cass Mastern and his relation to Jack. One clue is that the chapter starts with Jack’s reflection on Willie’s desire to find a scandal that could ruin Judge Irwin. The other important part of the chapter is the pronouncement that "[Cass Mastern] learned that the world is like an enormous spider web and if you touch it, however lightly, at any point, the vibration ripples to the remotest perimeter and the drowsy spider feels the tingle and is drowsy no more but springs out to fling the gossamer coils about you who have touched the web and then inject the black, numbing poison under your hide" (266). As the story progresses, the reader, as well as Jack, soon understand the spider web theory. In his Great Twitch, Jack believed everything and everyone to be an independent entity, and that past events have little bearing on the present or future. Jack even believes that his actions will have little effect on the people around him. The spider web theory is the exact opposite of the Great Twitch, and Jack’s eventual acceptance of the spider web theory comes at the end of the novel when he realizes the consequences of his actions. The specific action that seems to have the biggest effect on the plot is Jack’s finding of Judge Irwin’s submission to bribery as it leads to the death of Judge Irwin and indirectly leads to the deaths of Willie Talos and Adam Stanton. It isn’t surprising then that the beginning of "Chapter IV" elaborates on Jack’s quest for the misdeeds of the judge. The reader then realizes that much of All the King’s Men had to do with the consequences that actions bring, and the Cass Mastern story becomes more than just a plot device in that Jack’s account partly reveals a theme that deals with the interconnection between all people. Warren’s insertion of the story proves to be even more effective when parallels between the characters All the King’s Men and characters of Jack’s dissertation are found. One very obvious parallel is between Cass Mastern and Jack Burden. Just as Cass Mastern eventually realizes the costs of his illegitimate affair, Jack Burden transforms and realizes the costs of his actions upon Judge Irwin, Adam Stanton, Willie Talos, Sadie Burke, Anne Stanton, and other, less central characters. The parallel between Jack Burden and Cass Mastern shows that Cass Mastern’s ultimate redemption foreshadows Jack’s rebirth and corresponding realization of the spider web theory. The reader knows that Jack’s finally appreciates Cass Mastern when Jack can open the parcel with "the name Mr. Jack Burden fading slowly" and finish his thesis. Perhaps, the fact that Mr. Jack Burden is fading slowly parallels Jack’s old self fading. An even less obvious parallel may be made between Willie Stark and Jefferson Davis, the politician that Cass Mastern and his brother were affiliated with. Such a connection reinforces the central role that politics plays in All the King’s Men and the similarities between the two tales in the novel.

Although I think that All the King’s Men could have still been a excellent book with the Cass Mastern story, the implicit ideas within the Cass Mastern story relate to the novel in a way that brilliantly highlights the theme.