The Grandma

Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is a very odd short story. Firstly, the grandma is super annoying. She never seems to stop talking and she passes judgment on everyone and everything. She is incredibly egotistical because she never stops talking about her wants, her needs, or her opinions. Furthermore, her entire family is killed entirely because of the grandma’s actions. Had the grandma listened to the other adults for a second none of the murders would have occurred. She brought her cat when she was asked not to, she lied to the kids, and she did not admit her mistakes. Also, she even fakes an injury to be sympathized with… Her pride and self-admiration is what ultimately kills the family. She also never asks the Misfit to spare her family. She only wishes for him to spare herself. Even after she had ruined everything she is still only thinking about herself. In this story, everything is according to the grandma. Things are good only if she deems them so and she believes that people should live by her moral standards. She basically inconveniences everyone for her own selfish desires. It is interesting because The Misfit is actually a very self-aware and non-judging person. He seems very wise actually. When I was reading the story I really did not mind The Misfit even though he murders people for the sake of it. The grandma’s last line is thought-provoking when she says “you’re one of my own children!”  (508). I think that this is some sort of moment of enlightenment for the grandma. Maybe she realizes that it is not all about her. I think she begins to care about The Misfit just as she should care for her own children. At this moment, I think some of her egocentrism has diminished. O’Connor makes some powerful remarks throughout the story. I think that the main point is to consider others in everything. Nobody is worthy to pass judgment, and those who pass judgment are those who will suffer. The grandma considers herself a good Christian lady, but she is definitely hypocritical. Maybe by the end she is actually a Christian when she realizes that she is equal to The Misfit. I am not really sure what the whole deal is with her being obsessed with being a lady. To her, it is as if being a lady is the best thing a person can be. She even begs The Misfit not to kill her simply because she is a lady. A lady is a woman who obeys societal expectations of a woman: politeness, Christian views, femininity, etc. I guess the grandma believes that because she is a lady, she is superior to most people. This short story is very strange. I like it, but it definitely has a shocking twist to it. The grandma got what was coming to her which was sad but well deserved in some ways. 

The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde was quite the witty character. I never imagined that I would find The Importance of Being Earnest to be so funny. Now that we are nearly finished, it’s cool to see all of the connections. First we have Jack who is interested in Gwendolyn. He is incredibly responsible and has a high moral tone in the country for his ward, Cecily. However, he has a double life. He is also a more care-free person called Ernest. It is obviously ironic that a name such as Ernest would be the name for a double life. Perhaps Wilde is noting that what appears earnest is most likely not earnest at all. Then there is Algernon. He is incredibly sarcastic and cynical, but also the voice of truth about society. Ironically, Algernon is almost never telling the truth about personal matters. He too has an alter ego which he calls “Bunburrying”. So, both Jack and Algernon lead double lives as a way to escape the real world. Next there is Lady Bracknell. She is something else. Lady Bracknell is the epitome of what was wrong with society at the time. Everything trivial she takes seriously and everything serious she takes trivially. She cares deeply about social standing and outer appearance. However, she is rather indifferent to actual feelings. To Lady Bracknell, life is a business deal. Also, we have our dear air-headed young women, Gwendolyn and Cecily. They are essentially the same person. They are dead set on marrying men named Ernest but could not care less if the men they marry are actually earnest. Evidently, the girls care more about how the world sees a person named Ernest rather than the actual character of the person. Both of them are completely lied to by their beaus to the point where they pretty much know nothing about them. Yet, they quickly forgive them once the men express their love for the ladies. Wilde seems to be commenting a bit on the role of women in society. He apparently finds women superficial and dumb. I suppose it makes sense that Wilde was into guys. It is interesting that this entire play is based on materialistic awards. The love that the couples have for one another is halted because a) the men’s names are not actually Ernest b) Jack has no important background or name for himself. Their relationships are fueled by a) Cecily’s million dollar fortune b) their names potentially being Ernest c) Jack’s habit of smoking. Okay, obviously something is wrong with this society. Life at this time period is strictly money, names, and deception. As long as the lie is good, it is acceptable. Basically all society wanted was for society to approve of them. The members of society trapped themselves in a vicious cycle of superficiality and snootiness. Overall, I like this play. It is short, funny, and satirical. It brings up some interesting points about society that are still relevant today and probably always will be.

Middlesex

I really enjoyed reading Middlesex for my free-choice. I have unfortunately not been reading very much on my own this year, so it was awesome to read a book that I would have chosen for myself had I walked through Barnes and Noble. I find it interesting that literally every character has a battle to fight. Desdemona and Lefty are plagued by their incestuous relationship and must live their life in secret and also they must face whatever consequences their relationship might create. Additionally, Milton and Tessie struggle to be successful within American society. Milton struggles to support his family while Tessie struggles to accept her children and embrace their lifestyles. Additionally, they have to deal with Chapter Eleven’s bizarre phases and Calliope’s unique condition. Speaking of Chapter Eleven, the name says it all. The term “Chapter Eleven” can be associated with United States code for bankruptcy. So, Chapter Eleven must deal with the financial ruin that he digs himself into. Also, throughout the novel he tries to find himself through drug experimentation and free thinking. He battles society and himself all throughout Middlesex. And of course Calliope has his/her own battle to fight. She struggles to first be the girl that she is expected to be. She becomes frustrated with her slow physical development and her awkward body appearance. By the end of the book, Callie has become Cal and he thus now battles to be a perfect male. Although Cal has endured all types of difficulties in life, he still struggles to be completely comfortable with himself. Every other character really had an issue of some sort as well. I like that Eugenides includes every character’s personal battle because he is able to include the reader in one way or another. Some of my favorite parts of the novel were the discreet things. I love how Desdemona’s spoon predicts Calliope’s sex even though it appears to be incorrect. It was kind of a battle between old world cultures versus the new world cultures, and in this case, old world wins. I also love that his name is Calliope. In Greek Mythology, Calliope is the muse of poetry. She wrote several epics such as the Odyssey and Iliad. It makes sense that Cal, being named after her, is on an adventure of his own. Attempting to live life as a hermaphrodite is brave and dangerous, just like the men Calliope wrote about in her poems. Also, I like that hair is a symbol throughout the novel. Desdemona is forced to chop her hair when she enters America. This symbolizes the shedding of her old life. Later, Cal discusses the constant waxing that women must endure. Again, hair is used, this time to portray the beginning of womanhood. Lastly, Callie becomes Cal by chopping her long hair into a boy’s haircut. She has abandoned her life as a girl just as Desdemona abandoned her life in Greece. Eugenides’ use of so many minute details makes for a wonderful read.