Often, after aging, people are prone to reflect over their lives and, despite the mistakes they made, attempt to hold onto the past. Similarly, they may try to hide from the fact that they made poor choices or were at fault over an issue or action. In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” the character of Grandmother displays these characteristics, as is seen through her relationship with her children and grandchildren, her endeavors to reminisce about the past with Red Sammy, and her futile attempt to talk the Misfit out of terminating her less than satisfactory life.
O’Connor’s Grandmother, described by Stephen Bandy as “a harmless busybody, utterly self-absorbed but also amusing,” may be viewed in many ways as a failure as a parent and role model (Bandy). Some would argue that “family relationships inhibit growth and contribute to the protagonist’s insecurity; the individual parent/child pair is alienated from the community" (Paulson 46). This phenomenon is clearly perceptible via the character of Grandmother. While
currently living with her son Bailey, it is implied that she has several other children, to whom she is estranged. Throughout the story, Bailey shows a prodigious lack of respect for his mother, while in return she undermines and manipulates him, becoming “the catalyst for the action in the story” (Grimshaw 72). When Grandmother tries to bring along her cat in fear that he would kill himself if left unattended, Bailey flatly refuses simply because he “didn’t like to arrive at a motel with a cat” (O’Connor 445). As a result, Grandmother hides the cat in her valise, and he ultimately becomes the reason for the accident when he suddenly pushes free from the luggage and jumps into Bailey’s unsuspecting face.
Grandmother’s manipulative ways are also seen when she lies to the children about secret tunnels into a house from her past that she want to see in an attempt to have Bailey sidetrack and go see it. As the story progresses, it becomes more and more evident that, perhaps as an effect of raising Bailey poorly, her grandchildren are not being trained properly and similarly lack respect for their elders. Initially, they treat her as a burden, wishing that she would remain at home rather than vacationing with them but declaring that she would not, even for “a million bucks” (O’Connor 445). During the car ride, they are singularly rude, bickering with each other without any thought for the annoyance that it undoubtedly causes her. It appears that Grandmother ignores these obvious instances of disrespect in an effort to ignore her own parenting mistakes, and to manipulate her family for the benefit of her own conscience and personal happiness.
Endeavoring to hold on to the past, which she considers to be the better days, Grandmother reminisces with Red Sammy at his roadside restaurant about the differences between the present evil and the past good. Paulson believes that, many of O’Connor’s characters “struggle for a sense of significance in a scientific/ industrial world that undermines the human capacity for meaningful relationships and defines humanity not in terms of spirituality but as animals, or worse, machines” (Paulson ix). Grandmother and Red Sammy are two excellent examples of this statement as they are engage in a battle with the present scientific/industrial way of life, as they firmly believe that it has impaired the way of life that they have always known, where humans were able to trust other human beings in their relations and interactions with one another. The two mention benefits from the past such as “leaving your screen door unlatched” when you step out for awhile, while decrying the present generation as unscrupulous to the point where one cannot trust “a soul in this green world of God’s” (O’Connor 448).
They also converse about the Misfit, a criminal who has escaped from a maximum security prison and is in their area, and are adamantly fearful of an attack or robbery because of the changing times. Ironically, when Grandmother is about to die later, she continually tells the Misfit that he is truly a good man, despite having discussed earlier the dishonorable and duplicitous nature of people with Red Sammy. While striving to uphold the past and its memory, Grandmother fails to analyze the negative impacts that the past has had on the present.
After reading the conclusion of “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” it undoubtedly comes to the reader at no surprise that “almost half of O’Connor’s published stories end with a shocking death” (Paulson x). As she seeks to preserve her own life at the scene of the accident, Grandmother has a superfluity of flatteries and positive encouragements for the Misfit. She continually tells him that he is “a good man at heart” (O’Connor 451). As denoted by Paulson concerning Grandmother’s true intent however, “immersed in the stream rather than contemplating the end of life, the grandmother judges a ‘good’ man according to superficial first impressions and materialistic values” (Paulson 90).
As she becomes more fearful, she begins to compare him with her own son, suddenly realizing that Bailey could easily have grown up to be the Misfit. Interestingly enough, her attempts at appeasing the Misfit work for a time as, while sending the other family members into the woods to be shot, he allows her to remain for a time and proceeds to tell her his pitiably pathetic life story.
As she begins to pray, interceding for her life, the Misfit scoffs at Jesus and both His own and Lazarus’ resurrection from the dead. As they discourse, Grandmother believes that she is finally hitting an internal nerve of his conscience and as she reaches out to touch him physically, his trance is broken and, returning to himself, the Misfit shoots Grandmother three times. During their discussion, “the grandmother is granted a moment of illumination during which she realizes the emptiness of her faith and extends to the man who is about to kill her true love of Jesus” (Renner). One furthermore is led to feel as though Grandmother and her poor parenting are responsible for the Misfit, but it “does not imply that we are expected to excuse the Misfit's crimes or that they are really the grandmother's fault” (Renner).
According to James A. Grimshaw, “O’Connor sees the Grace working in the Misfit, too; and although the Grandmother loses her life, she has gained that inward moment which may be offered at any time but is not always accepted” (5). As Grandmother approaches her death, it appears that she begins to more accurately consider the past in relation to the future and, realizing the flaws and mistakes throughout her life and desiring to live longer in order to make things right, she clings to whatever she can in an attempt to save herself. Likewise, the Misfit purports to show mercy on her by sharing his doleful tale of injustice, during which time it becomes visible that he is a “foil to the Grandmother’s hypocrisy and illuminate{s} her character as a lady” (Grimshaw 39). Grandmother probably came the closest of anyone to breaking down his defenses, and even he recognized that in the face of death she finally comprehended her flaws and became a good person. One sees that “this sympathy {for the Misfit} is a positive value, even though her gesture of love is brutally rejected” (Paulson 87).
O’Connor’s work “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” displays the “unsettling tension inherent in an unresolvable paradox” that is so typical of her writing (Zornado). As is clearly visible from her relationship with her family, reminiscing with Red Sammy, and desperate discussion with the Misfit, Grandmother had a serious problem with properly connecting the past and the present. The segment of her life depicted in O’Connor’s story shows a woman immovably fixed in the past trying to hide from the present in an effort to disguise her failures and shortcomings. Only when faced with death did she come to realize her flaws and wish to turn around a life full of irreparable mistakes. As the Misfit said, “She would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life”(O’Connor 455).
Works Cited
Bandy, Stephen C. ""One of My Babies: the Misfit and the Grandmother"" Short Story Criticism (1996): 107-118. Literature Resource Center. Emma Waters Summar Library, Jackson, TN. 13 July. Keyword: A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
Drake, Robert. Flanner O'Connor: a Critical Essay. Williams B. Eerdmans Co., 1996. 6-44.
Grimshaw, Jr, James A. The Flannery O'Connor Companion. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood P, 1981. 5-72.
O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Comp. Michael Meyer. Boston: University of Connecticut, 2008. 445-455.
Paulson, Suzanne M. FLANNERY O'CONNOR: a Study of the Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne, 1998. ix-196.
Renner, Stanley. ""Secular Meanings in "a Good Man is Hard to Find"" Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (1982): 123-132. Literature Resource Center. Emma Waters Summar Library. 13 July 2008. Keyword: A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
Shaw, Mary N. ""Responses to God's Grace: Varying Degrees of Doubt in Flannery O'Connor's Character Types." CLA Journal (2001): 471-479. Literature Resource Center. Emma Waters Summar Library, Jackson, TN. 13 July 2008. Keyword: A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
Zornado, Joseph. "A Becoming Habit: Flannery O'Connor's Fiction of Unknowing." Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (1997). Literature Resource Center. Emma Waters Summar Library, Jackson, TN. Keyword: A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Dulce et Decorum Est: The Old Lie
Often, poets use various elements such as images, sound and rhyme, symbols, meter, and many others to help the reader better grasp his or her ideas and understand the theme of his or her work. Via his excellent use of imagery as well as metaphors and similes in his work Dulce et Decorum Est, Wilfred Owen decries war as a gruesome and morbid dispute rather than as glorified patriotism to one’s country.
As imagery may be defined as language that appeals to the senses, Owen’s images in Dulce et Decorum Est cause the reader to feel as though they themselves are present at the scene of action. Owen sets his poem at the scene of a battle and views the fight as well as the departing soldiers. As the men turn to leave, the bombs exploding in the sky behind them are described as “haunting flares,” lights and noises that will never be forgotten (886 line 4). The bootless soldiers are termed “blood-shod”, providing a mental image of swollen feet covered in blisters and abrasions, leaving trails of blood as they trudge along (886 line 6). “Drunk with fatigue,” one pictures men stumbling to and fro with no semblance of order, all trying to get away from the horrors that they have experienced, but to intoxicated with shock and exhaustion to have much control over their bodies (886 line 7). As the soldiers fasten on their “clumsy helmets” at the gas alarm one begins to see the ridiculous nature of their task (886 line 10). The gas comes in as “misty panes and thick green lights,” causing one to picture of a dirty stained-glass window or thick fog in eerie light (887 line 13). As the speaker looks around, he realizes that one of their number did not secure his mask quickly enough, and he watches as the lone soldier is “guttering, choking, drowning”- the sounds of death by poison gas (887 line 16). The soldier’s “white eyes writhing in his face” tell the story of his pain to anyone looking on (886 line 19). “The blood come{s} gargling from froth-corrupted lungs” as his life grotesquely drains out onto the ground with the sound of his flowing blood (887 line 21-22). Although Owen uses primarily visual and auditory imagery, he also uses taste imagery when he describes the soldier’s death as “bitter as the cud ( 887 line 23). Owen ends his gruesome poem by describing how the soldiers have received “vile, incurable sore on innocent tongues” (887 line 25). One visualizes and feels how the soldiers, who are young and innocent, have seen experienced horrendous pain and have been unalterably affected by it. They came in as zestful youth in search of “some desperate glory” only to trudge painfully away, disillusioned by their former idea of the glory of war and changed by the horrible sights which they have seen (887 line 27).
In addition to an abundance of imagery in his poem Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen uses metaphors and similes throughout this work. As the men traipse away from the battlefield, they look “like old beggars under sacks” (886 line 1). This portrays a picture of men dressed in tattered clothing, hunched over under torn sacks in an attempt to either keep warm or shield themselves from whatever may come falling from the sky. To instill
empathy within the reader, the men are “coughing like hags,” providing a still stronger image of a grotesque old woman who is probably terribly ill and should be in bed, but instead is attempting to go about her life (886 line 2). Later, as the helpless soldier inhales the poison gas, Owen describes him as “flound’ring like a man in fire or lime” (887 line 12). Most are taught from and early age that the simple formula for extinguishing fire is: stop, drop and roll. From this simile, readers receive an image of a man falling to the ground screaming in pain and desperately rolling around in an attempt to get away from his unavoidable death. Owen next says that the dead man’s “hanging face like a devil’s sick of sin” (887 line 20). Generally, people do not have a beautiful picture in their head when the devil comes to mind, therefore Owen’s comparison of the awfully monstrous face of the devil if he were to be angry rather than glad about the worst of sins to the face of the dead soldier, is an accurate and effective simile. Owen goes on to further describe the death of the soldier, saying that it was “bitter as cud,” food already digested that certain animals spit back up and chew before swallowing and digesting again (887 line 23). The man’s death is also depicted as “obscene as cancer” (887 line 24). Most people today know or have heard of someone who has experienced what it is like to battle cancer. It is a hopeless battle, with only slight chance of an ultimate cure, and that only at great expense both monetarily and physically to the patient. Often, cancer completely wastes away at the body. In merely comparing the unfortunate soldier’s death to cancer, Owen indubitably evokes feelings of pity and hopelessness from the reader for the lone soldier.
As is seen by the numerous examples above, Wilfred Owen has an amazing ability to use imagery as well as similes and metaphors to allow the reader to truly feel and experience the point that he making. In Dulce et Decorum Est he paints a gruesome picture of war, pointing out the negative and lasting effects that the events of merely one battle have on the soldiers. He openly criticizes the antique idea of war being glorious patriotism and service to one’s country, and depicts the reality of bloodshed and trauma through exceptional imagery, metaphors and similes.
As imagery may be defined as language that appeals to the senses, Owen’s images in Dulce et Decorum Est cause the reader to feel as though they themselves are present at the scene of action. Owen sets his poem at the scene of a battle and views the fight as well as the departing soldiers. As the men turn to leave, the bombs exploding in the sky behind them are described as “haunting flares,” lights and noises that will never be forgotten (886 line 4). The bootless soldiers are termed “blood-shod”, providing a mental image of swollen feet covered in blisters and abrasions, leaving trails of blood as they trudge along (886 line 6). “Drunk with fatigue,” one pictures men stumbling to and fro with no semblance of order, all trying to get away from the horrors that they have experienced, but to intoxicated with shock and exhaustion to have much control over their bodies (886 line 7). As the soldiers fasten on their “clumsy helmets” at the gas alarm one begins to see the ridiculous nature of their task (886 line 10). The gas comes in as “misty panes and thick green lights,” causing one to picture of a dirty stained-glass window or thick fog in eerie light (887 line 13). As the speaker looks around, he realizes that one of their number did not secure his mask quickly enough, and he watches as the lone soldier is “guttering, choking, drowning”- the sounds of death by poison gas (887 line 16). The soldier’s “white eyes writhing in his face” tell the story of his pain to anyone looking on (886 line 19). “The blood come{s} gargling from froth-corrupted lungs” as his life grotesquely drains out onto the ground with the sound of his flowing blood (887 line 21-22). Although Owen uses primarily visual and auditory imagery, he also uses taste imagery when he describes the soldier’s death as “bitter as the cud ( 887 line 23). Owen ends his gruesome poem by describing how the soldiers have received “vile, incurable sore on innocent tongues” (887 line 25). One visualizes and feels how the soldiers, who are young and innocent, have seen experienced horrendous pain and have been unalterably affected by it. They came in as zestful youth in search of “some desperate glory” only to trudge painfully away, disillusioned by their former idea of the glory of war and changed by the horrible sights which they have seen (887 line 27).
In addition to an abundance of imagery in his poem Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen uses metaphors and similes throughout this work. As the men traipse away from the battlefield, they look “like old beggars under sacks” (886 line 1). This portrays a picture of men dressed in tattered clothing, hunched over under torn sacks in an attempt to either keep warm or shield themselves from whatever may come falling from the sky. To instill
empathy within the reader, the men are “coughing like hags,” providing a still stronger image of a grotesque old woman who is probably terribly ill and should be in bed, but instead is attempting to go about her life (886 line 2). Later, as the helpless soldier inhales the poison gas, Owen describes him as “flound’ring like a man in fire or lime” (887 line 12). Most are taught from and early age that the simple formula for extinguishing fire is: stop, drop and roll. From this simile, readers receive an image of a man falling to the ground screaming in pain and desperately rolling around in an attempt to get away from his unavoidable death. Owen next says that the dead man’s “hanging face like a devil’s sick of sin” (887 line 20). Generally, people do not have a beautiful picture in their head when the devil comes to mind, therefore Owen’s comparison of the awfully monstrous face of the devil if he were to be angry rather than glad about the worst of sins to the face of the dead soldier, is an accurate and effective simile. Owen goes on to further describe the death of the soldier, saying that it was “bitter as cud,” food already digested that certain animals spit back up and chew before swallowing and digesting again (887 line 23). The man’s death is also depicted as “obscene as cancer” (887 line 24). Most people today know or have heard of someone who has experienced what it is like to battle cancer. It is a hopeless battle, with only slight chance of an ultimate cure, and that only at great expense both monetarily and physically to the patient. Often, cancer completely wastes away at the body. In merely comparing the unfortunate soldier’s death to cancer, Owen indubitably evokes feelings of pity and hopelessness from the reader for the lone soldier.
As is seen by the numerous examples above, Wilfred Owen has an amazing ability to use imagery as well as similes and metaphors to allow the reader to truly feel and experience the point that he making. In Dulce et Decorum Est he paints a gruesome picture of war, pointing out the negative and lasting effects that the events of merely one battle have on the soldiers. He openly criticizes the antique idea of war being glorious patriotism and service to one’s country, and depicts the reality of bloodshed and trauma through exceptional imagery, metaphors and similes.
Written Composition 112-Journal 4
Record your response to Antigone here. What are your thoughts about the play so far?
Thus far, Antigone is an exciting tale of two brothers fighting for the right to be the sole king of their nation and a sister who loves honor more than life. One thing I find to be particularly intriguing and noteworthy is Antigone’s stance against Creon’s ridiculous rule. She “shows her true colors” by placing more importance on familial justice and following the rites and customs of her culture and religion rather than her own life. Her actions are the epitome of love for one’s family when she risks her own life simply in order to give her brother a proper burial. Interestingly enough, when Antigone asks Ismene to join her in her civil disobedience, Ismene refuses but later pleads with her to share in her punishment. I personally cannot imagine knowing the punishment for my offense (live burial) and still breaking the law, however ridiculous. As a Christian, one is forced to consider the application of this amazing love. Christ loved the world so much that He came, fully aware that He would suffer the worse death imaginable, to save us. Also, one may reflect concerning one’s own faith on how one might respond if the government created laws the illegalized the practice of one’s faith or required actions contrary to the laws of God. Antigone contains many applicable lessons for her readers.
Thus far, Antigone is an exciting tale of two brothers fighting for the right to be the sole king of their nation and a sister who loves honor more than life. One thing I find to be particularly intriguing and noteworthy is Antigone’s stance against Creon’s ridiculous rule. She “shows her true colors” by placing more importance on familial justice and following the rites and customs of her culture and religion rather than her own life. Her actions are the epitome of love for one’s family when she risks her own life simply in order to give her brother a proper burial. Interestingly enough, when Antigone asks Ismene to join her in her civil disobedience, Ismene refuses but later pleads with her to share in her punishment. I personally cannot imagine knowing the punishment for my offense (live burial) and still breaking the law, however ridiculous. As a Christian, one is forced to consider the application of this amazing love. Christ loved the world so much that He came, fully aware that He would suffer the worse death imaginable, to save us. Also, one may reflect concerning one’s own faith on how one might respond if the government created laws the illegalized the practice of one’s faith or required actions contrary to the laws of God. Antigone contains many applicable lessons for her readers.
Written Composition 112-Journal 2
Of the two main characters in "Roman Fever," Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, whom do you think is the most hateful? Do you sympathize with either woman? Why or why not?
In Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever,” both Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade are portrayed as incredibly hateful, jealous, conniving women who, under the guise of friendship, secretly covet one another’s lives, looks and accomplishments and strive to covertly undermine their intimacy with each other.
It is ironic that the two women are considered friends as they unexpectedly meet in Rome and reacquaint themselves while their daughters enjoy the amusements that the city has to offer. As they reminisce about times gone by, it becomes apparent by their thoughts that the writer intertwines in the story that they have an unbelievable animosity towards each other that they have disguised throughout the years. Living across the street from one another in the same city for many years, and keeping tabs on every aspect of one another’s lives, Mrs. Slade admittedly made fun of her alleged good friend without care for the feelings of her old confidante, wishing to leave the view of her apartment behind in exchange for the more exciting environment of the speakeasies. As they make up lost time in a Roman restaurant overlooking the city, each woman secretly evaluates they other’s daughter, scrutinizing the girls for even the slightest of flaws, and quietly and casually jeopardizing the other’s child.
In the course of their conversation, the two begin to unravel bits of the past that they have hidden from one another over the years like dirt that is continually swept under the carpet rather than properly cleaned and removed. Mrs. Slade, seeking to uncover her competition’s past sin, reveals that the love letter Mrs. Ansley received under the supposed penmanship of her then fiancé Delphin Slade planning a rendezvous in the Forum one evening was not truly from him, but rather from herself. As Mrs. Ansley became sick after this scheme was carried out, Mrs. Slade was surprised to discover that Mrs. Ansley had not hidden waiting in the cold for her cleverly crafted lover, but rather that, having replied to the forged letter, Delphin Slade was there and waiting for her in the chilly Forum. In justification of actions and in an attempt to once again obtain the upper hand, Mrs. Slade announces that the whole scheme was merely a joke, and that after all, she was the one who had Mr. Slade for twenty-five years while Mrs. Ansley only had him for one night. In her silently spiteful demeanor, Mrs. Ansley pauses before calmly retorting that she had Barbara all of these years. In other words, she had Delphin Slade’s child through all of those years.
While initially it seems that the more outspoken Mrs. Slade is more hateful than her counterpart, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that the seemingly more soft-spoken and gentle Mrs. Ansley is a cold and calculating manipulator in reality. While Mrs. Slade devises an evil plan to distort her friend, Mrs. Ansley, rather than terminating the immoral deed, decides to go along with it. Furthermore, she not only hides the parentage of Barbara from her husband, but more importantly from her close friend and probably from the child’s true father. While Mrs. Slade more visibly seeks to harm her friend, as it turns out, Mrs. Ansley’s knife cuts much deeper and wounds her friend irreparably. Both women are so incredibly hateful however, that it is quite difficult to differentiate which is the worse.
While at times I felt sympathy for each of the two women during the story, in the end I feel no pity for either of them other than for the green monsters of envy and jealousy that continuously look over their shoulders and whisper in their ears, eating away at not only their friendships but their own lives.
In Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever,” both Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade are portrayed as incredibly hateful, jealous, conniving women who, under the guise of friendship, secretly covet one another’s lives, looks and accomplishments and strive to covertly undermine their intimacy with each other.
It is ironic that the two women are considered friends as they unexpectedly meet in Rome and reacquaint themselves while their daughters enjoy the amusements that the city has to offer. As they reminisce about times gone by, it becomes apparent by their thoughts that the writer intertwines in the story that they have an unbelievable animosity towards each other that they have disguised throughout the years. Living across the street from one another in the same city for many years, and keeping tabs on every aspect of one another’s lives, Mrs. Slade admittedly made fun of her alleged good friend without care for the feelings of her old confidante, wishing to leave the view of her apartment behind in exchange for the more exciting environment of the speakeasies. As they make up lost time in a Roman restaurant overlooking the city, each woman secretly evaluates they other’s daughter, scrutinizing the girls for even the slightest of flaws, and quietly and casually jeopardizing the other’s child.
In the course of their conversation, the two begin to unravel bits of the past that they have hidden from one another over the years like dirt that is continually swept under the carpet rather than properly cleaned and removed. Mrs. Slade, seeking to uncover her competition’s past sin, reveals that the love letter Mrs. Ansley received under the supposed penmanship of her then fiancé Delphin Slade planning a rendezvous in the Forum one evening was not truly from him, but rather from herself. As Mrs. Ansley became sick after this scheme was carried out, Mrs. Slade was surprised to discover that Mrs. Ansley had not hidden waiting in the cold for her cleverly crafted lover, but rather that, having replied to the forged letter, Delphin Slade was there and waiting for her in the chilly Forum. In justification of actions and in an attempt to once again obtain the upper hand, Mrs. Slade announces that the whole scheme was merely a joke, and that after all, she was the one who had Mr. Slade for twenty-five years while Mrs. Ansley only had him for one night. In her silently spiteful demeanor, Mrs. Ansley pauses before calmly retorting that she had Barbara all of these years. In other words, she had Delphin Slade’s child through all of those years.
While initially it seems that the more outspoken Mrs. Slade is more hateful than her counterpart, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that the seemingly more soft-spoken and gentle Mrs. Ansley is a cold and calculating manipulator in reality. While Mrs. Slade devises an evil plan to distort her friend, Mrs. Ansley, rather than terminating the immoral deed, decides to go along with it. Furthermore, she not only hides the parentage of Barbara from her husband, but more importantly from her close friend and probably from the child’s true father. While Mrs. Slade more visibly seeks to harm her friend, as it turns out, Mrs. Ansley’s knife cuts much deeper and wounds her friend irreparably. Both women are so incredibly hateful however, that it is quite difficult to differentiate which is the worse.
While at times I felt sympathy for each of the two women during the story, in the end I feel no pity for either of them other than for the green monsters of envy and jealousy that continuously look over their shoulders and whisper in their ears, eating away at not only their friendships but their own lives.
Written Composition 112-Journal 1
What were your thoughts after reading "A Rose for Emily"? What impressions did the story leave in your mind? How does the author hint at the story’s ending? Were you anticipating that final paragraph?
“A Rose for Emily” was a bit of a shocker. Although I wondered if some prodigious secret lay behind the sealed doorway to the upstairs room, I still did not guess that Miss Grierson killed her last lover. Despite the fact that the horrible stench which caused many neighbors to file complaints should have been a significant clue, I did not consider such a horrific finale. I wonder at what feelings overtook Emily to instigate such emotion as to incite such a deed.
Faulkner’s short story left several impressions in my mind. In beginning, the age-old proverb that appearances can deceive enters my mind. Miss Emily seems to be an old and never married recluse who refuses the company of any but her negro manservant. Sympathy is an initial response to such a poor elderly woman without family, friends, or hope for a better life. Miss Emily’s affair with Homer Barron amuses the town gossips for a time before causing pity to arise amongst them. Faulkner’s story provides an excellent example of the damage that may be done through gossip and the peer pressure that evolves from it, as undoubtedly Miss Emily was well aware of the curious stares and less than silent whispers as she would pass by in the horse-drawn buggy. Perhaps the pressure to uphold the “noblesse oblige” of her family name via a proper marriage and appropriate relationships led Miss Emily to her last desperate attempt to hold on to what she considered her last chance to redeem herself to society.
Although the author hints at the story’s ending on several occasions, I still did not accurately conjecture about the ending. Dependent on the town (to pay her taxes) after her father’s death, Miss Emily undoubtedly experiences social and financial embarrassment at this undesirable fact. Furthermore, before his death, her father squelched what Emily considered her last real chance at love, marriage, and family. When Homer Barron happened along and expressed interest in her, Emily attached herself to him like a leech. The townspeople gossiped and conjectured, but Emily believed that at last she had truly found unhindered love, and in a sense would redeem herself by losing her bachelorette or “old maid” status. Anyone paying close attention should have guessed that Emily simply could not and would not accept betrayal and rejection from another man. After Homer Barron’s disappearance, the overwhelming stench that permeated the walls of her home and so greatly upset her, as well as any passersby, should have been a significant indication that something was not quite normal around Miss Emily’s home and the surrounding actions. In addition, the noticeable disuse of the second floor of her home could have been a clue to and alert and cautious observer.
The scene of the crime was an interesting sight, for not only was the slain body of her lover Barron found, but it appeared that she had lain with the slaughtered for a time, leaving the pillow indented and locks of her own hair behind.
“A Rose for Emily” was a bit of a shocker. Although I wondered if some prodigious secret lay behind the sealed doorway to the upstairs room, I still did not guess that Miss Grierson killed her last lover. Despite the fact that the horrible stench which caused many neighbors to file complaints should have been a significant clue, I did not consider such a horrific finale. I wonder at what feelings overtook Emily to instigate such emotion as to incite such a deed.
Faulkner’s short story left several impressions in my mind. In beginning, the age-old proverb that appearances can deceive enters my mind. Miss Emily seems to be an old and never married recluse who refuses the company of any but her negro manservant. Sympathy is an initial response to such a poor elderly woman without family, friends, or hope for a better life. Miss Emily’s affair with Homer Barron amuses the town gossips for a time before causing pity to arise amongst them. Faulkner’s story provides an excellent example of the damage that may be done through gossip and the peer pressure that evolves from it, as undoubtedly Miss Emily was well aware of the curious stares and less than silent whispers as she would pass by in the horse-drawn buggy. Perhaps the pressure to uphold the “noblesse oblige” of her family name via a proper marriage and appropriate relationships led Miss Emily to her last desperate attempt to hold on to what she considered her last chance to redeem herself to society.
Although the author hints at the story’s ending on several occasions, I still did not accurately conjecture about the ending. Dependent on the town (to pay her taxes) after her father’s death, Miss Emily undoubtedly experiences social and financial embarrassment at this undesirable fact. Furthermore, before his death, her father squelched what Emily considered her last real chance at love, marriage, and family. When Homer Barron happened along and expressed interest in her, Emily attached herself to him like a leech. The townspeople gossiped and conjectured, but Emily believed that at last she had truly found unhindered love, and in a sense would redeem herself by losing her bachelorette or “old maid” status. Anyone paying close attention should have guessed that Emily simply could not and would not accept betrayal and rejection from another man. After Homer Barron’s disappearance, the overwhelming stench that permeated the walls of her home and so greatly upset her, as well as any passersby, should have been a significant indication that something was not quite normal around Miss Emily’s home and the surrounding actions. In addition, the noticeable disuse of the second floor of her home could have been a clue to and alert and cautious observer.
The scene of the crime was an interesting sight, for not only was the slain body of her lover Barron found, but it appeared that she had lain with the slaughtered for a time, leaving the pillow indented and locks of her own hair behind.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Road Not Taken~ Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
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