February 2008 Archives
When asked how old her daughter is the old woman answers ‘fifteen, sixteen’.
Mrs. Crater’s manipulates everyone so her mute daughter will be married. I think this quote shows how innocent she is. They refer to her as an “angel of gwad.” She does marry Tom Shiftlet. I thought it was incredible how she has a prevalent role and yet doesn’t speak. I also noticed the O’Connor‘s theme of religion. They are in a small southern town and I think religion played a role.
“A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something, or creates a range of associations, beyond itself.” ( Hamilton 86)
I think we can get carried away with symbolism. I write in a blog entry a while back on this same topic. In that blog I said how my teacher would praise us for picking the symbols out of a reading and a lot of my peers had similar experiences. “Writer may use such symbols as they stand. An example I liked was about Genesis because I had read that book in the Bible last semester in The Bible as Literature. Hamilton says in the book of Genesis, the snake is a symbol of “entrancing but fatal temptation.”
“A Symbol, in contrast, presents the image but leaves the subject that it represents open to a wide range of possible interpretations.” ( Hamilton 87)
‘There ain’t but one river and that’s the River of Life, made out of Jesus’ Blood. That’s the river you have to lay your plain in, in the River of Faith, in the River of Life, in the River of Love, in the rich red river of Jesus’ Blood, you people’ (O’Connor “The River” pg 34).
Harry is abandoned by his parents’ and chooses to live a religious lifeBa. The River of Life is a baptism. When we are baptized, we are committing to our faith and freeing us from evil. So Harry is being baptized in his faith that will help him have a better life. He can find happiness and not follow in his parents’’ footsteps.
“In a metaphor, a word or phrase that in literal use designates one kind of thing is applied to a conspicuously different object, concept, or experience, without asserting an explicit comparison” (Hamilton 33).
I felt that I had to write on this because in my experience writing, I have always found it difficult to write a metaphor. By reading about them I found that they can be “as simple as one word” or long drawn out comparisons. To me writing a simile is much easier because of the use of the use of ‘like’ and ‘than’. I also thought since we just finished The Merry Wives of Windsor, I can admit something. I have had difficulty finding and understanding the metaphors in Shakespeare.
This is something I always try to improve on. Maybe someone can give me some tips. I feel that by blogging about this I won’t feel so alone in not completely understanding the metaphor.
Falstaff: I do begin to perceive that I am made into an ass.
Ford: Ay, and an ox too: both the proofs are extant.
(Shakespeare Act 5, scene 5 pg 103)
I found this quote to be really funny. It’s one of those moments we dread, the “oh” moment. Mistress Page and Mistress Ford want to fool Falstaff and Mr. Ford. This passage made me laugh. Finally Falstaff is put into their place. They want to scare him and it works. Falstaff sys, “And these are not fairies? I was three or more times in the thought they were not fairies; and yet the guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness of the foppery into a received belief, in despite of the teeth of all rhyme and reason, that they were fairies.” I think this quote sums it up that he was taken by surprise.
My name is Angelica Guzzo. I am a freshman at Seton Hill University. I am an English Literature major and seeking certification in Elementary Education and Special Education. I am currently taking Introduction to Literary Study with Dr. Jerz. I have learned how to blog from taking this course. I have blog entries due every class from Shakespeare, poems, and short stories.
Blogging is a great way to communicate with my classmates. It’s an easy way to see their interpretation of a particular reading. Blogging also helps to develop class discussion of a reading. I feel my blogging has improved. I am starting to feel more comfortable with posting my thoughts and experiences.
Coverage: these entries have a link that goes back to the course web page and a quote from the assigned reading.
Timeliness: These entries were all written at least 24 hours before class.
Who's really Calling the Shots?
Interaction:
Funny Kind of Love received 4 comments
Time was commented on by 6 of my peers
Trusting Soul was commented on 5 times
Novel vs Short Story 5 people commented and agreed with me on this entry
Murder Mystery was also commented on 5 times
Depth: these are examples of my longer entries
Discussion:
Juliana commented on my entry death is kind and I replied on back to her on her entry Thank you Death
“Although Prufrock is not as worldly as Donne's persona, Eliot's character also sees himself in the tradition of courtly love, as a poet lover, he tries to sing his "love song."
Reading this article opened my eyes to the similarities between these two poems. I gathered that both love songs had a similar theme. From what the article says, Eliot's poem was about “the possibilities of obtaining the woman of his desires” but she could be hard to find and keep.
Donne and Elliot’s songs are both about finding love and the beauty that love has. They both love their interest’s flaws and imperfections. That is after all what love is about.
Falstaff: I will not lend thee a penny
Pistol: Why, then the world’s mine oyster, which I with sword will open.
Falstaff: Not a penny. I have been content, sir, you should lay my countenance to pawn.
This struck me as Pistol being honest. I think this passage shows Pistol as a motivated person. By saying the “world’s mine oyster” he is saying he can do anything. Life is his for the taking. I also took this as Pistol saying that he will unlock the truth of what Falstaff is doing. It’s almost like he is holding something over Falstaff’s head and he will drop the ball at any second. He’s putting himself in charge.
Shallow: Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her?
Slender: I hope, sir, I will do as it shall become one that would do reason.
Evans: Nay, Got’s lords and his ladies! You must speak possitable, if you can carry her desires towards her.
Shallow: That you must. Will you, upon good dowry, marry her? (The Merry Wives of Windsor lines 218-225).
I don’t know how I feel about this yet. I think there is going to be some serious drama if the first act has lines like these. I’m thinking there will be a lovers’ quarrel. Maybe someone realizes their true feelings when it’s too late? It appears that Shallow has too much of an interest in Slender’s life.
“I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,/But no such roses see I in her cheeks;/And in some perfumes is there more delight/Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. (Shakespeare 5-11)
When I first read this, I thought he was a jerk. I then saw that Shakespeare is describing her beauty. “Her eyes are nothing like the sun” because she is more than that. I thought this was really sweet. This type of love is “rare.” He loves her, flaws and all. He sees beauty in whatever she does.
Donne describes death as “From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,/ Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, /And soonest our best men with thee do go, /Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.” (Donne 5-8)
This quote meant that our souls live on. I interpreted it as saying our bodies “rest”, but our “souls” move forward. It’s peaceful to think about. It shows that our lives still have meaning even when we’re gone. “Death, thou shalt die.”
Some have the fear, once they pass away, and then that’s it. They want to have a legacy and know their life had meaning.
“Emily Dickinson had seen the ravages of the Civil War. She watched as many of Amherst’s finest young men returned home to a hero’s funeral” (31)
Having lived through the Civil, Emily Dickinson saw tragic things. This influenced her writing. “Victory Comes Late” may have been influenced by the death of a soldier. She wrote to let out her feelings. She questions god when she says, “I have read of Christ’s temptations”.
Our life experiences influences our writing greatly. There is less research to do, if you have lived through it. It also makes us more passionate writers.
“Crumbs fit such little mouths,
Cherries suit robins;
The eagle's golden breakfast
Strangles them.” (Dickinson 10)
This quote made me think of a picnic in the park. I picture eating while “eagles” and “robins” are flying around. The birds are eating the leftovers. To me an eagle represents dominance. The eagle’s food “strangles them” because the robins aren’t as protective. They are also much smaller. Eagles are also more observant birds. They can see where the food is before the robins get a chance.
“BECAUSE I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me”
I liked this quote because it makes the speaker sound determined to live their life to the fullest. They are not afraid of death because death is “kind” to them. Some view death as a way of healing find peace with it. It’s very different to hear someone write about death in a nonchalant way. She’s excepting of what lies ahead, but doesn’t let it stop her from living in the now.
“On one level, everyone who writes anything knows that pure originality is impossible” (Foster 187)
Even in the movies, there are remakes. Directors are looking for ways to make old material better and appeal to a difference audience. The same applies to writing.
"There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet” (Eliot 26-27)
I chose this quote because I thought it meant to embrace life. I took it as a meaning to take your time and things will get done. There is a time and a place for everything. Sometimes we go too fast and forget to embrace the little things. There will be time to meet new people and experience new things, but the time might not be now.
“It isn’t a soul in this green world of God’s that you can trust.” (O’Connor 8)
After this quote we find out that, “he and the grandmother discussed better times.” The grandmother talks about the old days where she could “go off and leave your front door unlatched.” You always hear older people talk about the good old days and they’re right. The world can be a scary place, but I think she was a little extreme in saying there isn’t a soul you can trust.
“Oh sure there are some symbols that work straightforwardly: a white flag means, I give up, don’t shoot. Or it means, We come in peace.”(Foster 98).
In my high school English classes, if someone pointed out that a particular word was symbolic, the teacher praised us. Green symbolized envy or jealousy. White symbolized peace or innocence. A light bulb symbolized an idea. I thought it all was a little silly, but that’s what my teacher was looking for, so I followed her lead. Sometimes I thought to myself, “Couldn’t a white cloud just be a white cloud? Does it have to mean an angel is watching over them?” Yes there are instances were symbolized is in fact true. However I felt as though I learned to overdo it.
“Plot is what happens, the storyline, the action. Jerome Stern says it is how you set up the situation, where the turning points of the story are, and what the characters do at the end of the story.”
I chose this quote because plot is the most important part of the story. Plot sets the stage of events and allows the reader to get excited about what they’re reading. In my short story the plot will be about a boy not being able to hit a run during a baseball season.
Plot allows for an amazing climax and eventually a great resolution. Plot is also important when the writer does not want their conclusion to be known. The adventurous plot can help the reader to draw conclusions on their own.
“The novel, because of its greater length and scope, has more complexity than a short story. Its plot is typically more involved and multifaceted ‘ (Hamilton8). Even though a novel has more characters, I can say I most times enjoy reading a short story more. I find a short story can hold my attention more because a short story has a smaller set of characters and a general conflict. I can concentrate better on one conflict than a lot of little conflicts that are connected.
A novel that I couldn’t follow was The Dante Club. There were so many different meanings and conflicts going on around the main conflict. I was confused when it came to the resolution because I kept forgetting what happened to whom.
"Geography can also, and frequently does, play quite a specific role in a literary work."“
Geography can also, and frequently does, play quite a specific plot role in a literary work” (169). This is true; Geography plays a huge role in a literary work and not just as a setting. Geography allows the reader to picture what the characters look like and envision how they dress. It helps especially if there is a history behind the piece of literature or in the setting. Geography allows the reader to envision the environment and better understand the imagery of the piece.
While reading this story about a woman committed murder, I found myself intrigued by the quote, “Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin' about her preserves”( Glaspell.). I found it to be sarcastic. The sheriff says this after talking to Mrs. Hale about her relationship with Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Wright worried about her fruit freezing in the cold. Even though her kitchen skills and tidiness skills won’t the best, she still cared about her food. Adding sarcasm to the play helps the reader to relate to Mrs. Wright. Being in a bad relationship with her husband has changed her identity and changed how she viewed herself.
“No matter how beautiful or brilliant a girl may be, the reputation of not being frequently cut in on makes her position at a dance unfortunate.”
I found this quote to be interesting because I think a lot of girls can relate to this feeling. Bernice feels like she doesn’t fit in and is uncomfortable in her own skin. Being introverted, Bernice didn’t let people in and maybe the boys didn’t think she was approachable or even wanted to dance. Being at a dance and watching other people have several people to dance with, wears on people’s self esteem. It doesn’t matter what you look like. It’s important to have confidence and that will make people want to dance with you. It’s important to put yourself out there and let people see the real you.
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