Frankenstein

So far Frankenstein is pretty interesting. I am fascinated by the parallels that I have seen between Victor and Walton. Walton is on a voyage to discover some magnetic force with a bunch of dim-witted sailors, while Victor has surpassed man’s intelligence by actually creating a human being. Both of these men are on technological journeys that are far too advanced for the people around them, thus leaving them essentially alone in their discoveries. Additionally, both men have women who appear more as companions than as lovers… I can’t really decide why that may be. But anyways, poor Victor seems to be a lost soul. His imagination captivates him to such a strong degree that he literally cannot escape it. If an interesting idea comes to mind, than he is instantly a slave to his creativity until it can be released. I think that in some ways Mary Shelley was like this as well. Some articles on Shelley reveal that the idea of Frankenstein came to her in a vision- as if her imagination took hold of reality and forced her to concoct such a tale. In this way, she and Victor are alike. Also though, Victor is instantly terrified of his creation. I find this kind of odd. He has slaved over this inanimate object for years, nearly sacrificing himself for his vision, yet he is immediately disgusted. Frankenstein’s monster certainly is described in a frightening manner, but one would think that the creator of something so laborious would be a bit more open-minded to the creature. In my opinion, Victor’s greatest sin is not confronting his creation. Of course, it is a terrible sin to defy nature and God by creating a being, but I find that more an act of innocent curiosity. The real harm is when he realized the danger of the creature and ignored it. He put his sweat, blood, and tears into his monster, and he does not even want to study his creation. This is very poor parenting on his part. Just like any child, the monster senses his abandonment. The one thing in life that should love him despises him. I would probably be angry and confused, too. Also, this is very similar to Satan and God. Satan is the fallen angel (in which the creature describes himself) and therefore declares war on all that is good. The creature murders William- an innocent, vivacious, and hopeful young boy. I do not know how many other heinous crimes the creature has committed, but for me, William’s murder is war. Victor represents the creator (whether that be a good or bad thing), and the creature is the devil. Sadly, both Victor and the creature are just confused. Victor should have loved the creature, or at least prevented its destruction, and the monster is so confused and angry that he only acts out in hatred for humanity. So, I guess right now I think that the book is about actions and consequences, and man’s arrogant ego.

Grendel, the Tragedy

Grendel’s growth through the novel is an interesting journey. It seems that he gets too absorbed with meaninglessness. His childhood is like most children’s (relatively speaking). He is adventurous and very attached to his mother- nothing out of the ordinary. It is when he is exposed to man that he changes. He realizes that they are just as barbaric and sinful as he and his mother are, and he and his mother are related to Cain. So, they are partially attached. Beowulf’s biggest change, in my opinion, is when the shaper comes. The shaper makes truth out of lies and creates a world of organization and perhaps meaning. Grendel sees the flaws in the Shaper’s poetry but he is almost enamored by it as well. When he visits with the dragon, his views begin to morph. Grendel begins to slip into a world where he believes nothing to have meaning. Perhaps that is why the dragon says to “seek out gold and sit on it”. In other words, life does not have a purpose, so find what you like and cease the moment. Enjoy the present and do not worry about the future because essentially, everything in life amounts to nothing. As sad as this is, it is true in some ways. Present life amounts to something for those who believe in an afterlife, but for those who do not, the question is: how should one live life? Grendel who realizes the pointlessness of life, is tortured by tedium. I don’t think that he properly takes the Dragon’s advice. The humans are taking the dragon’s advice; they have saught out happiness, and they are protecting it (by fighting Grendel). The humans have found the positive way to seek out gold, Grendel has taken an off approach. He becomes evil in bitterness to the world and maybe because good comes from evil, and he wants good to occur. However, although Grendel believes that he is pretty much “all-knowing”, he is the one who loses. He lives a depressing and nearly loveless life. The only times he finds love is in humanity- Wealtheow and the Shaper. So, even if man lives in a myriad of complex lies, it’s working. Humanity is happy and loving and functioning- unlike Grendel. It is bizarre to think that we live in a world of delirium, but we are here, so we should make the best of it (even if it does amount to nothing… but again we don’t know that either). Essentially, life is a gamble. You can either live life with purpose- even if you don’t know if it will ever amount to anything; or you can live a life of meaninglessness- because you don’t want to put in the effort to work for a purpose that may or may not exist. Both ways are understandable depending on the person, but as we see in Grendel, the society that lives with a sense of purpose thrives. Will those people ever mean anything in the end? I don’t know- nobody does. But it would awfully sad to live a life in bitter refusal just because you are afraid of nothingness.

Grendel Ending

I think Grendel has given me the biggest headache in AP Lit thus far. There is so much stuff going on! I don’t think that I have ever read a book with quite so many confusing layers. All of that being said; I still appreciate the incredible depth and intellect of Grendel. The ending is brilliant. Firstly, I personally like Grendel more than Beowulf. The way that Grendel describes Beowulf is so creepy. I imagined Beowulf and his people as robots or zombies coming from a frozen hell. They are described as “dead” looking and Beowulf’s words do not match up with his mouth. I find this very interesting because it is as if Beowulf is a shell to something else; something inhuman. When Grendel imagines Beowulf with wings, it is as if the dragon is perhaps disguised as Beowulf. This explains the several times that Beowulf is described in a serpent-like fashion. It also describes his unbelievable strength. But anyway, I feel like the ending was super fast. Grendel seems totally baffled the entire time… he barely has time to think. I think that Grendel is a funny guy so although the ending is completely gruesome, I could feel the humor in it all as well. Grendel’s bewilderment lightens the entire episode. One minute Grendel is comically feasting upon a man, and the next he is being taken down by Beowulf. Grendel is of course fearful and in incredible pain, but he also is evidently shocked by the entire episode. He is confident that Beowulf is a lunatic which for some reason makes me like Grendel and find the ending ironically funny. Also, it is ironic that Beowulf, who is essentially described as a machine, is Grendel’s downfall. Grendel despises the mechanics of nature his entire life and he is killed by it. So perhaps mechanics and thoughtlessness is superior to free will in some ways. But also, Grendel’s last words are strange; “Poor Grendel had an accident. So may you all”(174). It almost sounds as if he is cursing them- telling them that they too will die. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it is almost a blessing. Grendel craves death and finds his death possibly joyful. He probably feels this way because he finds life torturously tedious and mechanical and evil so death is the only escape. So, by saying that all of the animals will have an accident, It’s almost like he is assuring them that they will be free of the hellish earth as well. In the end, Beowulf and Grendel are both evil in some ways, but Grendel is the lesser evil. When the shaper dies, history and, consequently, order is destroyed. Although order is nice, it is also lies. When Beowulf arrives, order reoccurs which means that lies prevail over reality. In Grendel’s eyes, Beowulf is clearly insane and clearly evil… so I guess true evil (but outwardly heroic figure) covers up reality/ chaos, and replaces it with order/ lies. Basically, I think that Beowulf is demonic but conveniently is beneficial to the people, whereas Grendel is deep-down a good guy, but is hated by the people because he exposes their evils.  My head hurts.

Conquering that Inner Dragon

Who am I am why am I here? To be honest, I don’t really take myself seriously enough to answer this completely, but I will try. Right now, I can finally say that I have created my own sense of who I am. What I mean is that I don’t feel like I am an echo of my parents anymore, and I credit high-school for this new sense of individuality. “Freshman me” was definitely more of what my parents believe and expect, but now I have challenged those beliefs, and made them in to my own. I think that religion is often times the shape of an individual, so once a person has a solid religion, than they can more in-touch with themselves.  I grew up Catholic and I still am Catholic, but I’m going through a stage where I actually listen to and question what is being preached so that I can decide if Catholicism is right for me. Religion should be a self guided revelation, not something forced upon you. So, I want to make the decision on my own; my parents can certainly be my guides, but they won’t be my determinants. So, right now I’m a bit lost, but I know that I’m headed in the right direction. A year ago, when I really started thinking on my own, I would not have had the slightest clue of who I am or what my purpose is, but it’s becoming clearer. Last year was a year of necessary mistakes (and this year is too- God bless my parents). Some of my past decisions were probably not the best, but I would not be who I am today if I hadn’t made those choices. You live and learn, and those bad mistakes are some of the most important and educational mistakes of my life so far. I have learned to be open-minded and to never judge anybody, because until you have been in a scenario, you have no business judging anyone else’s choices. I have learned that it is worth being nice to everybody; now that I have been open-minded enough to converse with all types of people, I can honestly say that I don’t hate anybody. And I have learned that somebody’s past should not define a person, so don’t let it. So, right now, I am a confused adolescent along with everybody else in my high-school. I have morals that I live by every day, but I am also 17 years old, so I know that those beliefs can change quickly. I am here to impact somebody in a positive light- even if it’s just one person. I am here to save somebody- even if I never know that I helped him or her. We all serve a purpose in life, no matter how miniscule it is. Who am I? I’m an open-minded, accepting, loving, and naive young woman (in a nut-shell). Why am I here? I’m here to make a difference for somebody; to pay it forward. But ask me in five years (or two months), and my answer could be totally different. Right now I’m just going with the flow, making mistakes, and meanwhile having one heck of a time.

Beowulf

It’s almost humorous comparing discussions on Beowulf freshman year compared to this year… quite a difference. So I’m glad we had to reread it, now I have more respect for the book. However, after our discussion in class, I think I’m more confused about the book. Beowulf baffles me- I don’t quite understand his intentions. After looking at the ending, at times it seems like he has unintentionally yet intentionally tricked his people into making him immortal. He doesn’t have a son, the treasure is buried with him, he is solely responsible for defeating the monsters, and he leaves society in a chaotic state. All of these acts have made Beowulf dies heroically and immortally. He will never be forgotten. But at the same time, Wiglaf comes to Beowulf’s aid which perhaps foreshadows another cycle. Also, what’s up with the weapons? The first battle, he refuses to use them and his strength saves him. The second battle one sword fails him but Grendel’s sword and his chain mail saves him. The third fight, his shield and sword fail him. It’s almost as if as he defeats the monsters and dragons, he becomes more physically weak. So, if these monsters represent his ego, then as he becomes more in-touch with himself, he loses his physical strength. Maybe it is his body’s or spirit’s way of telling him that he is done; he has completed the tasks that one must complete in mortal life and it is time to move on to immortality. Although a mere human could never defeat a monster such as Grendel, Fate or Luck is on his side and he wins. I think it is because Fate will not allow him to die until he has fought the battles within himself. The first fight is in a heaven like atmosphere- the mead hall. This is a place of order and happiness and safety and it is invaded by a monster. This shows that Beowulf’s ego is attacking his inner peace. He must defeat it. Later, he goes into a lair under water. As Joseph Campbell says, water represents the unconscious. So, Beowulf is battling his unconscious. Interestingly, the Unferth’s sword does not prove useful but the monster’s does. To defeat monsters, it is apparently necessary to have something more than mortal and that is why Unferth’s sword does not work. The last battle, Beowulf only has mortal weaponry and it is ineffective. He also would have died had Wiglaf not appeared. Wiglaf helps Beowulf defeat his inner self which is sort of ironic that Beowulf could not defeat his own self alone. But maybe that is Fate’s way of appointing a new Beowulf. I don’t know. This book is confusing. Regardless- props to Beowulf. Even if he was just a lucky guy he tricked everyone into thinking he was nearly godly. He also achieved immortality because his people loved him so much. Society is about to go to pieces just because this guy dies. Well played, Beowulf, well played.

Happy Halloween?

This evening, as I attempted to procrastinate my rather large load of homework, I had a very pleasant walk through memory lane as I watched all of the trick-or-treaters stop by. The weather was just right- cool and brisk, I could smell autumn in the air; the pumpkins were carved; the candy was out… but it simply did not feel quite the same as it used to. I obviously could not dress up and go door to door asking for candy, yet I was not completely ready to throw in the towel to the magic of holidays. So once again the fact that I am going through adolescence became apparent and I therefore sulked around in envy of all of the dressed up five year olds getting candy. Now my mind was filled with fond memories of my childhood and of course the what seemed like abysmal amount of homework that I continued to push off. As I racked my brain of my assignments I remembered the blog that I needed to write, which of course reminded me of the literature that we have read thus far, which therefore led me to the sad realization that at this point, my life is way too similar to that of Holden Caulfield and George Willard. Once again life has brought me back to literature and how I relate to it. When I read Winesburg, Ohio and The Catcher and the Rye I had this constant feeling of uncomfort and anxiety. I think it’s because the characters are in such an odd in-between stage of life. It’s just not a good place to be in. Essentially, these characters simply do not belong to humanity- they’re stuck in this incredibly awkward transition from childhood to adulthood. So, that person has to choose whether to be an adult or a child. Unfortunately for adolescents, we want to be both. The idea of wanting two things at once reminds me of Edna. Edna is a young woman and was most definitely prematurely married and a mother. I think that is many ways, Edna did not properly go through the necessary stages of adolescence before becoming an adult. Clearly she has a free spirit, and to be tied down to children and a husband by her early twenties does not leave room for her spirit to be liberated. Her marriage and motherhood is a part of her life that is fake to her. It is this component of reality that is what she is expected of and not what she actually wants from life. If Edna would have been able to live out more of her twenties and make the slow and steady transition into adulthood, then I don’t think she ever would have gone “crazy”. Adolescence is a vitally important part of life where people discover who they are. It is also incredibly awkward and depressing at times. But hey, at least the world has Holden and George to see that most people my age are probably feeling this same bizarre lack of holiday spirit. Happy Halloween!

Poetry, The awakening, etc

So, I started trying to find poems that I “connect” with but it is harder than I imagined. I have never really been into poetry so it’s hard for me to find poems that I really enjoy. But several of the poems that we have read in class have been enjoyable so I’m sure I can find something interesting. I guess I need to start looking at some poetry books or something. Also, I thought that the timed writing went well today. I wrote about the poem “The Century Quilt” and I found the imagery of the leaves very fascinating. I think that the leaves represent something dying. The speaker’s childhood, for example, is something that is over and the memory could be “dying”. However, she makes it seem like because it is put into this material object that her memory is preserved eternally. It was an interesting concept, I liked it. And I’m glad that we wrote that essay on The Awakening because it forced me to completely gather my thoughts. The seminars are good to discuss and hear other people’s opinions but unfortunately they aren’t long enough for me to always establish my position on the matter that we are discussing. However, because I knew I had to pick a side, it was kind of fun to gather all of the support for my claim. I decided that Edna is an artist by the end of the book. It became very obvious to me that she is reborn before she drowns. At that moment, she has come into a world that is new but familiar. So, this means that she has let go of all relationships. No more Robert, and no more family. By letting go of relationships and responsibilities, all of her attention can be put on art which is self-truth. I know that most of my peers hated Edna and I wasn’t a huge fan of her either, but to me she became so much of a symbol of freedom that I sort of disregarded her as an actual person. Also, that imagery of Venus that you noticed at the end of the book was actually mentioned earlier as well. When I was re-reading some of the parts I noticed that Victor describes Edna as Venus. That furthered my conclusion that Edna reaches a rebirth into nature which makes her an artist. She drowns because she is no longer meant for life on earth, Venus has taken over her and she is a part of the sea or freedom. To me, the ending was awesome. It gave me chills a little bit. It was just so dreamlike and entrancing. But anyways, I was surprised to find that I liked the book. I am not a feminist but I think that everybody can relate to Edna’s point in some way or another. We are all prisoners to something at times, and she shows that we aren’t alone.

Saving Herself

Well, just finished The Awakening. I began to actually enjot this book. At first I found Edna whiney but the ending made me respect her. The ending was somewhat predictable but also completely necessary to justify the entire book. Edna drowning herself was the most selfish and selfless thing that she could have done. When she says that “she would give up the unessential, but she would never sacrifice herself for her children,” she exhibits this in the last chapter. If Edna continued on living, she would either selfishly continue only thinking of herself thus disregard her husband and children, or she would give herself up and submit herself to her expected duties in life. So, either way she would not be doing what she promised herself. By drowning herself, some may believe this to be incredibly selfish, and perhaps it is. After all, now she can forget about the stresses and burdens of life. But in many ways, it is selfless. Although her husband and children will be feeling a great deal of pain, one can only imagine the amount of dysfunction and sorrow Edna would cause them had she continued on living her carefree and neglectful lifestyle. She is protecting her family name and her own name by “accidentally” drowning. Also, maybe it was accidental. It seems unplanned- almost as if she is under a spell. The sea is seducing her and she gives in; but she is content with her decision. And what is with all of her lovers? Edna is less than pleasant during her family’s absence, yet Arobin is totally enamored by her. It is as if her essence is mesmerizing. I guess independence is refreshing and attractive to Arobin and Robert. But I wonder why she allows Arobin to caress her. Perhaps she is imagining Robert during those occasions. That scene kind of reminded me of when she describes the sea seducing her.  I’m glad that Chopin included the small parts of Edna with her children. It made me like Edna more and it is reassuring that her children will not grow up thinking that they had a neglectful mother (even if they sort of did). I can see why this book would have been banned from stores during that time period; it’s really quite a powerful book. Chopin lines up everything so that her audience can really understand and feel what Edna feels. So, I can see why society would not have wanted women to get any ideas. For me personally, I found some if it rather annoying and repetitive but when I got near the end, I began to respect Edna more. There is no reason not to respect Edna in the end- she has followed her heart and her values. She has given herself physically up for her children’s sake, but she has saved herself. It ends up being a dark and ironic win-win situation. What can appear to be selfish is quite justifiable and in the end, better for everybody, including Edna.

The Awakening

The Awakening is certainly an interesting topic for discussion and I must say that I am anxious to see how the seminar will go tomorrow. According to the questions you asked us, we have several opposing opinions on gender roles in society that will hopefully be reflected tomorrow. The articles you gave us on all of the etiquette that women were expected to follow are humorous. Edna is doing a poor job at most of it actually. I respect Edna and I obviously understand why she is moody at this awakening moment in her life, but she is definitely annoying me. Her husband is so good to her yet she continually acts difficultly because she is not content with life. Idealistically it would be great if she would balance her independence and domestic duties but I suppose that it is too difficult right now. I can tell that by the end of the book I will probably just think of Edna as whiny but who knows, maybe not. Also, I am trying to figure out Robert’s significance. Clearly there is a mutual infatuation going on. I know that it would be unheard of for Robert to actually pursue Edna, but I wonder what significance he holds to the novel as a whole. Maybe her crush is Edna’s first independent thought for a while. Robert represents an unthinkable possibility and desire and I guess that ultimately that is what she wants in life. She wants the ability to make crazy decisions, whether good or bad, by herself. And now he is in Mexico so maybe that is one way to represent Edna losing what she desires. One odd thing that I am noticing is her lack of attention to her kids. I understand that women had nannies but Edna seems like she is rarely ever taking care of them. Like the day she went off with Robert all day- what were her kids doing? I don’t know but I just think that Edna is a bit too self-centered so it makes me a bit unsympathetic to her situation. And she is simply putting in no effort into anything; she does not tend to her kids, her husband, or any necessary duties… it’s kind of annoying to me. It was interesting though to hear everybody’s perspective on womanly roles. I guess I am very flexible with things- I believe that not all women are meant to be motherly and not all are meant to be bread winners so I think it is a personal decision on how to live life. I want gender equality but at the same time, I think that tradition is important. For example, I think it would be odd to not have the men ask the women out or pay for her dinner but I am sure that some women would be offended by that gesture. Well, I don’t know. Gender roles are confusing- I think that tradition versus modern era will fight back and forth for a long time.

A Cinderella Story

It’s amazing how significant the social class lines really are and how frequently they turn up throughout life. Social class struggle has occurred in every book that we’ve read thus far. All the King’s Men, Willie struggles with the social shock of power; Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley feels intimidated by Blanche because of class; and Winesburg, the entire town is afraid to move on perhaps due to social conflict that they would have to face outside of Winesburg. On Thursday, we read Cinderella, and in the end, Cinderella turns from a working class girl into a beautiful princess. The question is; would she have become a princess had she met the prince as a peasant? I don’t think so. Yes, Cinderella was beautiful and kind, but her dirty rags of clothes would not cut it for a prince. Throughout the entire story, the only times the prince sees Cinderella is when she is magically made to look rich. One of the most climactic parts is when the clock turns midnight and she must run away as fast as possible before the prince can see who she actually is. And again in the end, when the shoe fits, her godmother makes her into a beautiful princess before she can even see the prince. The more that I think about it, the more disturbing this story really is. As far as the audience knows, the prince is never made aware of Cinderella’s actual past. Yikes. Now I wonder what the prince would have done had he known. This story makes it very clear that social class matters and that we should probably fake it till we make it in life. Also, last night I was flipping through channels and landed on “Maid in Manhattan”, yet another Cinderella story. In a heavily emotional part where the future senator tries to win over Jennifer Lopez, JLo points out that he never would have looked twice at her if she had not pretended to be rich. Of course he denies this but we all know that it is true. Would a wealthy social elitist ever think to woo a maid? Probably not. And had Jennifer Lopez not tried on that Dolce and Gabbana outfit, she too never would have tried to woo a future senator. This is because whether we like it or not, social class tends to glue us down to our rightful place in society and it takes a brave sole to break out of that hold. I suppose the glue that holds us down is our pride. Jennifer Lopez nearly does not take the life-altering option to commit to this man because she is proud. Cinderella on the other hand does not seem to have an ounce of pride, but hey, it is a fairytale after all. I definitely was not so attuned to the frequent occurrence of the Cinderella theme in movies and books but our analytical read of Cinderella reminded me of that. Cinderella portrays a classic tale of social class conflict which proves to be a regular occurrence in life and literature.

Sherwood Anderson

Throughout Winesburg, Ohio women are a reoccurring theme. Nearly every woman mentioned in the story is unsatisfied or miserable in some way. It is interesting to me that biblically, women are the cause of man’s downfall and this seems to be apparent in Winesburg as well. In “Respectability”, we see a woman destroy Wash Williams. During Wash’s marriage, he is handsome and well kept and a pleasant man. He has good morals and is devoted and enamored by his wife. On the contrary, his wife is dishonest and disloyal to Wash. Interestingly, Wash did not hate his wife when he found out she cheated on him; he was not pleased but he let it go and moved on because he loved her so much. It was not until his wife’s mom tried to basically whore her daughter off to him that he lost all respect for women. Not only was his wife disloyal but she was also presenting herself as a sex object. Wash wants women to be actual people with feelings and thoughts; the realization that the woman he loved is in fact artificial made him lose faith in humanity- women especially.  His wife is on several occasions described in an angelic way yet she is ironically nothing like an angel. Her dishonesty turns Wash into a hateful, disgusting, and ugly man. So, alluding to Adam and Eve, the woman has led to the man’s downfall. Additionally, none of the women in the book are particularly admirable; everybody just seems whiny. They all have some sort of love issue because they have not allowed self independence. Women are seemed as weak yet semi influential in this book. Perhaps Anderson has had a difficult time with women in his past because it certainly does not seem like he is very fond of them. Anderson’s personal life was severely dysfunctional. He was married three times and had a mental breakdown and left his wife and three children. This episode is probably reflected in his writing because all of the characters have odd marriages and families. I guess Anderson never really “grew up” in some ways; his inability to have a normal life reflects that. Perhaps this is because in some ways he had to grow up so fast. He had several jobs as a young teenager and made a life of his own at a young age. Maybe his book is his way of warning people from missing out on childhood and becoming him. It is not even all about experiencing childhood, but more about truly finding oneself. This is because nobody is really capable of being independent and confident if she or he doesn’t experience self stability. I think that Anderson lacked this step in life and he suffered his entire life from never growing up properly. His mental breakdown was this realization and he wrote Winesburg to warn others and express reason for his failures. Winesburg shows that maturity will come when it is ready to come and nobody should rush this.

Finding Ourselves

For my group’s literature circle, we chose “The Strength of God” section and I am assigned as the “connector”. I’m glad that I got this position because in my opinion, the most fascinating part about literature is deciphering the author’s main message which often time relates to the real world. One thing that I noticed was that Reverend Curtis Hartman is far too timid. At times however, his shyness works to his advantage because people appreciate a less radical approach to religion. But, I also realized that his timidity is creating a barrier between what he truly feels that he needs to express. I think that most people can relate to Reverend in this aspect. I know that for me anyways, it’s hard for me to completely express a thought unless I am comfortable with the listener. Our thoughts are precious and subjective and therefore people do not always feel okay with expressing them. But perhaps it would be better for everybody if more of our deeper ideas were expressed more openly. I also noticed that the reverend mostly marries for ritualistic and traditional reasons. The desire to fulfill society’s expectations is outweighing Reverend’s actual wants. Society is guilty of this for sure. We are all so concerned on following the “path” that society has created that we forget to explore a little. In Alpharetta, going to college really isn’t even a question. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful for this because I have always intended on furthering my education, but I’m sure not everybody feels the same way. Some people in Alpharetta might want to go on to learn a trade or skill; not everybody is meant to go to college. It’s sad though because even the kids more interested in pursuing a trade are probably too intimidated by the high expectations of the Alpharetta culture to ever actually go through with the idea. So, like the reverend, tradition is undoubtedly holding back society from exploring all of life’s options.  Additionally, the minister’s sinful thoughts demonstrate the hypocrisy of the world. It’s discouraging to think that the minister, the man everybody looks up to for moral guidance, is considering giving into his sinful thoughts. Had the reverend not had his epiphany, he would have been just like everybody else. I think that this is Anderson’s way of putting to light the issue of hypocrisy in the world. There is a reason that we are told to “practice what we preach”, and it’s because society has such a difficult time doing this. Maybe Anderson is also trying to tie in religion to this. Unfortunately, religion often times gets a bad name because those advertising their religion tend to also do things that counter those beliefs. Hypocrisy makes people look pretentious and dumb; as a whole, society should be more aware of this. If a person actually believes what they are saying, they will be more likely to follow through with what they say. I guess all in all, Anderson asks us to be more in tune with who we individually are and what that means.

Winesburg, Ohio

I’m glad we were required to read Winesburg, Ohio. All of the stories are quirky, interesting, and meaningful which makes it a very pleasurable read. Although there are many themes presented throughout the novel, I especially noticed the “coming of age” theme. I suppose that’s because I am getting closer to that step from childhood to young adulthood. Some of the words I indexed were “white” and “awkward” which I think have a significant meaning to the text. White connotates to “pure” and “innocent” which describe the blissfulness of childhood. Maybe Anderson wants the readers to really feel the transition from childhood to adulthood by describing as much as possible with his usage of “white”. Also, awkward is a key part of growing up and I noted that most people in the stories were at one point described as awkward. “White” and “awkward” are just a couple of the things described to emulate a childlike feel. Maybe Anderson’s hope is to acknowledge the struggles of growing up but also note the importance of getting over it and embracing adulthood, like George does. I can definitely appreciate that message because right now I certainly don’t want to grow up. But then again, it’s going to happen and I mine as well make the best of it. Additionally the idea of absolute truth is portrayed throughout the novel. Maybe it’s because no one can really feel content without the truth and if you don’t know the truth then it’s hard to move on with life. So George probably has trouble growing up because he lacks truth. All of the stories help him discover his truth. All of the people of Winesburg have been telling themselves lies whether about happiness or loneliness or love or success, these lies make them miserable. George finds out the absolute truth by learning from these people’s mistakes and lies. His knowledge will make him successful in life. In the end “his life there had become but a background on which to paint the dreams of his manhood”(247). This last quotation shows that George has learned a lot from his past. He has taken advantage of the stories his fellow towns people have told him and he is using them for his own success. George knows the truth which has sent him fully armed into manhood. We physically see his manhood when he is taller than his father. This physical change represents his mental ability to become an adult. He also pays no attention to Helen white at the end of the novel. Just beforehand he had been having a wonderful time with her- his lack of interest shows that he is ready to totally and completely move on. Childhood is something holy in some aspects. It’s innocence and bliss and once it is gone, it is gone forever. Anderson shows the importance and extremity of growing up which everybody, especially my peers and me, can relate to.

A Streetcar Named Actuality

“They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and get off at- Elysian Fields!”(Williams 6). Wow, what a fantastical journey that must have been! A street-car called Desire, and the arrival place called Elysian Fields? How perfect. Blanche is looking for some sort of escape, undoubtedly from reality. Her Desire is to leave her past and come to a new heaven-like world thus introducing a major theme in A Streetcar Named Desire: fantasy vs. reality. However, this theme is not something we haven’t seen before. In fact, it’s arguable that this theme reoccurs in nearly every novel. We see Jack Burden struggle with reality when he constructs all kinds of theories such as the Twitch theory or the spider web theory, and it’s obvious that he is trying to avoid reality during his Great Sleeps. Or what about Jay Gatsby’s inability to let go of his fantasy with Daisy? Or Dorian Gray’s inability to face the consequences of his actions? Or perhaps Holden Caufield’s yearning for eternal childhood. Yes, fantasy vs. reality is everywhere in literature, and it is there for a reason. How many times do we push something off, or decide simply not to think about it? I know I am guilty of this. But the authors of these novels are trying to explain that reality will overcome fantasy and that we cannot hide in our dreams forever. The more I think about this, the more it freaks me out because I realize just how often fantasy overcomes my reality. For example, try everyday where I procrastinate finishing my homework. I know that I have to do it, I know that I will do it, but I instead find something else to do in order to avoid reality. Although this is just a minor fantasy, it still is a part of my daily life. But this got me thinking about kids my age in general. The stresses of college and grades and temptations are very real in high school, and the other day I took a special notice to the cliques in my grade and I realized how covered up reality is. On one end we have the Liberal Partiers and on the other end we have the Straightedge Conservatives. Which clique is living in a fantasy? In my opinion it has to be both. The Liberal Partiers are spending their free time covering up the stresses of reality with drinking or various other inappropriate activities, but what are the Straight edge people doing? They’re avoiding the reality of temptation by not even exposing themselves to it. They’re creating a sort of bubble of protection from the negative realities of high school.  Honestly I don’t know which is worse. Both groups are avoiding something and who is to say which reality is more significant. Either way high-schoolers are living in a fantasy that we have decided for ourselves. The authors of these literary masterpieces are warning us of the dangers of fantasy and maybe suggesting we hop off Desire and catch the next streetcar named Actuality.

This Oedipus Complex Theory is freaking me out

I enjoy discussing literature but I must admit that I found this discussion more intriguing then past seminars. I knew that the book is filled with various themes and what not, but it was fascinating to discuss what my other peers had picked up on. I don’t ever think I would’ve thought of the possible Oedipus complex connection between Jack and his mom...  Gross. But after it was mentioned it definitely made sense. I’m curious to know what other “surprises” Robert Penn Warren alluded to. Although the topic was rather shocking, it was absolutely fascinating. Jack seems to dislike his mother and disrespect her due to her various husbands and other life decisions. He does not take her seriously in the least. Yet, in the chapter where he visits his mom, it’s as if her touch is hypnotic. He was very hesitant towards her affection but the second her hand touched his forehead he was immediately relaxed and entranced. It’s as if his mother has this seductive power over him; even if he doesn’t respect her, her charm is undeniable. Also, does he have this complex due to his lack of father figure? Maybe because his mom was the only constant thing in his life he felt some bizarre attraction to her. As we had discussed earlier, her husbands were compared to the constantly changing furniture so I guess having a constant woman in his life made him subconsciously respect her whether he thought her worthy of it or not. Also, I thought it was weird that Robert Penn Warren described his mother as beautiful and Anne as not very beautiful at all. Perhaps his hope was to emphasize inner beauty? Afterall, Anne does have a good personality especially compared to his mom but that’s really only emphasized in her youth. Her affair with Willie seems like something that his mom would do. Both women have issues with men. So maybe Anne is more similar to Jack’s mother then I thought. And if so, then the Oedipus complex is definitely apparent in Jack because he is essentially going after Anne because she is like his mom. And maybe he actually would prefer his mom to Anne and that’s why RPW doesn’t make Anne beautiful. This novel is very strange. On a side note- I’m glad that we were required to read about themes in the text book. I’ve always been a bit facetious towards all of the possible themes and connotations in literature- I mean really, how do we actually know if the author used a certain word, phrase, or connection on purpose? But the article cleared some of that up for me. I’ve learned that a truly gifted writer is able to subconsciously make those strings attach to make a more profound piece. So even if there was no initial objective to using one phrase instead of another, in the end, it will serve a purpose.  So maybe RPW alluded to this Oedipus complex unintentionally and it grew into something that actually makes sense. Just a thought.