Nature

Wildlife in Jewett's essay gave Sylvia a purpose in that particular time of her life.  Sylvia spent her days wandering through the woods with her cow until she came across a man who hunted and stuffed birds for a hobby.  After she decided that she could trust the man, Sylvia made it her goal to find the white heron in order to please the man.  As the story progresses, Sylvia develops admiration for the man, showing her maturity: "She had never seen somebody so charming and delightful; the woman's heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love."  I think that Jewett shows that nature gives a person a purpose and a sense of maturity.  Along with Jewett, Frost also displays that nature gives ones a purpose in life.  In Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" he exhibits the hard work  nature can provide for a man.  The man's job in the poem is to carefully pick apples, preventing them from dropping and bruising: "For I have had too much/ Of apple-picking: I am overtired..." (27-28).  Lastly, Dickinson shows that nature could serve as a religion for some who choose not to attend a church or believe in organized religion: "Some keep the sabbath going to church;/ I keep it staying at home,/ With a bobolink for a chorister,/ And an orchard for a dome" (1-4).  In this poem Dickinson states that one does not necessarily have to be in church in order to experience religion.  Nature, in this poem, is her form of religion. 

Nature is so prominent in these poems because escaping nature is inevitable.  Nature is always going to be around you, so why not make it a key part of your life?  The three authors show that nature can impact a person greatly.  In these works nature serves as a job, a purpose, and a religion. 

Question: does Dickinson write about anything else besides nature?
connection: My neighbors across the street are old fashioned "hippies."  They don't attend church, but they spend hours and hours everyday beautifying their 7 acres of land. 

Dame Blanche

In my opinion, Blanche set herself up for becoming the insecure and lonely person that she is.  She was under the impression that material items, a mansion, and a good-looking husband would give her the complete satisfaction that she needs in life.  When her husband committed suicide, all she had left were her riches, Belle Reve, and the random men she slept with.  The satisfaction of material items and affairs can only temporarily fix the pain of loneliness.  I believe that Blanche began her downward spiral when she realized that she wasn't getting any younger, and she still had not found a new husband.  She became obsessed with her appearance, and wouldn't let anyone near her under a bright light, especially the man she is trying to seduce: "Let's leave the lights off shall we?" (87).  Furthermore, I do believe that her husband, if anyone else, helped lead her to her demise.  I'm sure finding your husband in bed with another man would be rather shocking.  Also, even though Stanley treated her horribly, she came to New Orleans with her selfish personality.  Stanley treated her horribly due to her personality.  Her personality did not form in the weeks she was there; Blanche has always been a self-centered woman. 

I think that Stella is the most likable, followed by Stanley and Blanche.  The readers like Stella and sympathize for her because she is a good wife to an animal-like husband, and a good sister to conceited Blanche.  Stella is always covering up for Stanley's explosive behavior: "She ran downstairs and went back in there with him" (60).  Despite Stanley's drunken rages, is always there to take care of him and pick up the pieces of whatever he has destroyed.  Moreover, Stanley's character is somewhat likable in my opinion.  His sarcastic remarks are funny, and for the most part he treats Stella with respect.  He realizes when he's messed up, and always comes begging for remorse: "Stella! My baby doll's left me!" (59).  Lastly, Blanche is the least likable out of the group.  Her conceited ways just bother me.  She comes to New Orleans unannounced and expects to take up residency with her sister and her husband.  In my opinion, "shacking up" with your sister and her husband is an invasion of privacy.  Also, her continuous bathing must not leave much hot water for Stanley and Stella!  Blanche is entirely too self-centered and egotistical.  She needs to come to terms with her age and make wiser decisions.  Sleeping around is not going to get her anywhere in her life. 

Justice is definitely served at the end of this play, although  I don't agree with Stanley raping Blanche. No one deserves to be raped no matter how annoying or selfish he or she is.  I believe Stanley raping Blanche was the animal inside him being unleashed.  As for Blanche being taken away by a doctor, that was in her best interest.  Blanche obviously had some psychological issues that needed to be treated by someone of more power than Stella.  Stella did all she could for Blanche, and at a certain point authority needs to step in.  Hopefully, Blanche will realize through her therapy that material items and affairs will only leave a person lonely in the end. 

Question: Why didn't Stanley kick Blanche out of their house immediately?
Connection: I couldn't really think of a connection for this play except for the fact that I've read it before. 

The Struggle to Lead an Authentic Life

Prufrock's shy personality and low self-esteem prevent him from being social in his surroundings.  In this poem, Prufrock is attempting to pursue a women, whom he is afraid is not interested in him.  Throughout the entire poem he debates and debates whether or not to tell her how he feels, but intimidation and the fear of rejection stand in the way: "No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be..." (111).  Despite his shy disposition, Prufrock wants to be noticed among society, and especially by the woman he is trying to pursue.  Unfortunately, his indecisiveness and bashfulness impede him: "Do I dare/ Disturb the universe?/ In a minute there is time/ For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse"( 45-49). 

Ginsberg believes that conformity, non-creativity, and traditional American values are driving "the best minds" of his generation mad: "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,/ dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,/ angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry/ dynamo in the machinery of night..." (1-4).  Ginsberg says that conformity has driven "the best minds" to their deviant behavior.  "The best minds" just want to express themselves in a way that is different from what the society sees as normal: "who were expelled from the academies for crazy& publishing obscene odes on the/ windows of the skull" (11-12).  "The best minds" believed in artistic expression, which was not a well received concept during that time period.  Also, in order to express themselves, "the best minds" "howl" like a wolf at the moon, wanting to be heard.  I believe that Eliot and Ginsberg both have pessimistic views of people who want to live authentic lives.   Eliot displays his pessimism through doubt, and Ginsberg expresses his through anger. 

question: What did Eliot mean by the mermaids in the last lines of his poem?
connection: Eliot's poem reminds me of a typical middle school or high school scene where kids are involved in their own cliques and the so called "nerds" or "outsiders" never have a chance to date the popular girls or the cheerleaders. 

The Beauty of Individuality

Emerson and Whitman are both strong individualists; they value the strength it takes to "stand out from the crowd."  In Emerson's "Self Reliance" he states, "...envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide..." (paragraph 2).
By that statement he says that envying what someone has is foolish, and imitation is just unimaginative.  I think he's trying to say that you might as well not have a brain to use if you are just going to use it to imitate someone.  You probably won't get very far in life if you solely rely on mimicry to build your personality.  Emerson also implies in his poem that people should accept the life that God has given them: "Accept the place the divine has found for you...."Emerson feels as if people shouldn't alter the life God has set out for them. 

In the first few lines of his poem, Whitman invites the readers to take a look at his life.  In stanza fifty-one, Whitman states that he has many personalities: "I contain multitudes" (8).  His many personalities make him the individual that he is.  Also, Whitman shows his individuality through his voice: "I sound my barbaric yawp on the roofs of the world" (stanza 52).  His "yawp" sets him apart from other peoples' voices.

Mrs. Mallard has a heart attack upon discovering that her husband is alive.  She can no longer live because her newly gained freedom has been swept right out from under her.  I believe that Chopin's story does affirm
Emerson and Whitman's notion of individuality because Mrs. Mallard becomes an individual the minute she finds out her husband has passed.  She is excited for the new found freedom she has gained: "She said it over and over under the breath: 'free, free, free!'" (paragraph 10). 

question: I wonder if Mrs. Mallard was unfaithful to her husband during their marriage?
connection: Whenever I think about individuality Forrest Gump always comes to mind.  Forrest was always sort of an "odd ball" in his society, but his individuality was what made him so charming.  

The American Dream

In my opinion, the American Dream consists of good health, a comfortable home to live in, a decent paying job, and friends and family to share your happiness with.  I believe that through hard work and determination, anything is possible.  Britney Spears on the other hand, lives a different version of the American Dream.  Her idea of the American Dream includes talent, fame and wealth.  Her voice has easily led her to the materialistic lifestyle she lives today.  Even though she owns fancy cars and multiple mansions, those objects do not complete her life.

Walter Younger's thirst for owning his own business  is similar to Will Smith's character's dream of a better lifestyle.  Both Younger and Smith dream of a better, richer lifestyle, and will do most anything to make their dreams come true.  Smith's quote "You want something. Go get it. Period." is applicable to Walter and Beneatha's view of life.  Walter and Beneatha are both chasing their dreams of owning a business and saving lives.  Walter attempts to achieve his dream by constantly meeting with his "business partners" and performing numerous amounts of paperwork, whereas Beneatha attempts to achieve her dream by going to school and dating intelligent men.  Unlike Walter and Beneatha, Mama seems to be very content with the humble life the Youngers are living in their cramped apartment.  Mama doesn't seem to have the passion for change and wealth that Walter and Beneatha do: " Oh- so now it's life.  Money is life.  Once upon a time freedom used to be life-now it's money.  I guess the world really do change..." (74).  Mama believes that the thought of money and a better lifestyle is consuming her childrens' thoughts so much that they have forgotten who they really are.  Mama, in a way, is holding her children back from achieving their dreams.  As well as Mama, poverty is holding the Youngers back from achieving a better lifestyle.  For example, Ruth doesn't even have fifty cents in her pocket to send with her son to school.  Furthermore, being African American held the Youngers back from chasing their dreams: "You mean you ain't read 'bout them colored people that was bombed out their place out there?" (100).  During that time period in Chicago, whites formed angry riots that would harm the African Americans living in their areas.


I believe the end of the play brings about a feeling of hope for the Youngers.  They already conquered one obstacle: moving out of the shabby apartment, and I believe that they are capable of conquering many more.  I envision Beneatha moving to Africa to pursue her dream of being a doctor, I envision Ruth having a new baby and caring deeply for it, I envision Walter finding a new job, and I envision Mama planting her poor plant in a beautiful garden where it will soak up the rays of sunshine with Travis by her side.  Being able to move into a new house should give the Youngers a strength inside of them that they never knew existed.  Sometimes having something good happen fuels a family to want to pursue more greatness. 

Unfortunately, the economic downturn has discouraged many families from living their version of the American Dream.  I think that if a family has a strong sense of determination, they can achieve what they want out of life.  Peoples' American Dreams may not be as elaborate as they used to be during this time of economic hardship, but if a family has food, shelter, a paying job, good health, and support, they should be living a happy life full of blessings. 

Question:  Was Mama's plant a symbol of herself?

Connection:  I really like how we had to answer a question about the movie The Pursuit of Happyness.  This is one of my favorite movies, and I was able to see the area in San Fransisco where they filmed the movie last summer!  Will Smith's struggle for a better life is an excellent comparison of the Younger family's struggle to make ends meet day by day.

Race and Equality Continued (sorry my computer seems to be having major issues)

question: I wonder why Cullen didn't do anything to the boy who referred to him in a derogatory manner?
connection: My junior year of High School I read a novel called Kindred.  This novel is about an African American woman who is taken back in time to live through the hardships of slavery. 

Race and Equality

After reading today's selected poems and essay, the authors' feeling of pride really stuck out to me.  All four authors display strong feelings of pride throughout their pieces, especially McKay: "If we must die, O let us nobly die" (If We Must Die 5).  McKay wrote this poem during a time in which many riots against African Americans took place.  He believes that if African Americans must die, they deserve to die in a just manner.  In addition to McKay, Hurston's essay displays how proud she is to be an African American: "BUT I AM NOT tragically colored.  There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes.  I do not mind at all"(paragraph 6).  Hurston's use of diction in the previous quote shows how she does not pity herself for being black; she is proud of it.  Furthermore, Hughes shows her determination in life through her poem "Mother to Son."  In this poem Huges shows a mother who is advising her son to push through the struggles he may face in life, and if he turns back, his journey will be even harder: "Don't you set down on the steps/ 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard./ Don't you fall now-/ For I'se still goin', honey,/ I'se still climbin' (15-19).  She shows her son how she is still fighting for equality, despite how hard her journey has been.  Moreover, Cullen demonstrates a feeling of pride in his poem "Yet Do I Marvel" when he is awed by the fact that God would give him the gift of poetry: "To make a poet black, and bid him to sing!"  Cullen is surprised that God would give an African American the ability to write poetry, despite the fact that the man holding the pen is black. 

I feel that McKay is the more passionate and angry of the four writers.  His poems reflect a sense of turbulence, unlike the others: "If we must die, let it not be like hogs/ Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,/While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,/ Making their mock at our accursed lot" (If We Must Die 1-4).  McKay states that African Americans deserve to die in a civil manner, not like an animal being tormented and slaughtered. 

I believe that McKay's poems are more in line with the ideas of the authors from yesterday's reading, especially Thomas Paine. The inequality existing in America creates a fiery feeling inside McKay, which makes him want to rebel: "Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,/Giving me strength erect against her hate"(America 5-6).  As well as McKay, Paine instills a passionate feeling within the colonists to encourage them to rebel against the British. 

Equality in America continued (my computer crashed)

Furthermore, Paine believes that God will not let America be destroyed: "I have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent" (Paine paragraph 3).  Lastly, Wheatley believes that God does not discriminate according to peoples' color; Everyone has the right to go to heaven: "Their colour is a diabloic die" (6).  I agree with the authors notions of equality in America because America is a land of limitless opportunity. 

question: Were all of the Founding Fathers religious?
connection: Just as the colonists showed frustration with the government, the tea party movement of today shows the same frustration with the government.

Equality in America

The ideas of equality originated throughout the colonists who were desperate for freedom from the King of England.  The colonists were tired of having their lives controlled by the king's rule.  Jefferson displays his feelings toward equality and democracy through The Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (Jefferson paragraph 2).  Jefferson believed that everyone was born of equal rights, and America's colonies deserved to exercise independence from Great Britain.  Crevecoeur exhibits freedom in America through a letter describing the rights of Americans.  In America, everyone is considered equal, there is no dictator ruling society, everyone has the right to modernization, and people coexist despite the mixture of races: "We have no princes, for whom we toil, starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.  Here man is free; as he ought to be; nor is this pleasing equality so transitory as many others are" (Crevecoceur 50).  Americans are free to exercise their independence, making them more appealing to outsiders. Paine demonstrates his ideas of equality and democracy through his writings, which are aimed to unite Americans to fight for their freedom from Great Britain: "Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated (Paine paragraph 1).  Through this quote, Paine attempts to incite Americans to fight, and be proud of a worthy cause.  Wheatley's poem shows that blacks and whites have an equal chance for salvation: "Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,/ May be refin'd and join th'angelic train" (7-8).  Jefferson believes that all men are created equal, Crevecoceur defines equality as having the same opportunities, Paine defines equality as fighting for a just cause and enduring difficult times, and Wheatley defines equality when she expresses that everyone has an equal opportunity to get to heaven. 

By Jefferson's use of the word Creator, not God, he is allowing the colonists to choose their own religious path.  Crevecoceur's religion is the belief in the new American who has vast potential. 

Individuality

When I first began reading "Bartleby the Scrivner," I honestly didn't really understand the direction Melville was going with the story.  At first, I thought that Bartleby was just stubborn and perhaps mentally unstable since all he seems to say is, " I would prefer not to" (paragraph 23).  His preference to not perform the tasks assigned of him becomes an everyday occurrence and bewilders the narrator.  I even began to wonder why Bartleby refused to perform the work asked of him.  It was not until the end of the story that I realized why Bartleby refused to complete his work.  Bartleby is obviously an individual in his society.  He declines every task expected of his except for scribing, because he has no interest to do anything else.  He would "prefer not to" do extra tasks asked of him, therefore; he stands out in his workplace through his disobedient nature.  The other workers, Turkey, Nipper, and Ginger Nut, are very obedient and always perform the work expected of them. When the narrator asks Nipper what should be done about Bartleby's disobedience he replies: "Excuse me, that is for you to decide, sir.  I think his conduct quite unusual, and indeed unjust, as regards Turkey and myself.  But it may only be a passing whim"( Melville 125 ).  On the contrary, Bartleby's refusing nature was not a "passing whim."  Bartleby's laid back, quiet, and stubborn attitude was just his true personality, and he was not about to change it for anyone, especially after his previous, depressing job of reading Dead Letters.  Bartleby's refusal to work, and his refusal to leave the office, despite how many people threaten him, makes him the non-conformist that he is. 

Ginsberg displays non-conformity in his poem "Sunflower Sutra" through the existence of a lonely sunflower among a rapidly changing society.  The time period of the poem suggests that America is experiencing a great deal of technological growth, which impacts the natural beauty of the land.  The sunflower standing all alone is a representation of hope for America and one of individuality.  Despite the many changes occurring throughout America, such as the modernization of technology, America can still hold onto its morals and beliefs.  Just as America withstands its many changes, the sunflower withstands the pollution of the locomotive: ...- and you there/ standing before me in the sunset, all your glory/ in your form!" (58-60). 

I don't think the authors of these two works are celebrating individuality, rather they are subtly hinting at the thought of being an individual in a society full of conformists.  Being an individual in society is not easy.  Bartleby was taken to jail for his individualistic personality, and the poor sunflower was nearly killed in its natural habitat, which was being destroyed by modernization. Being an individual in these works means that you have survived criticism and destruction.  Before Bartleby was sent to jail, he endured the critical remarks of his coworkers.  Furthermore, the sunflower had to endure pollution and smog in order to survive naturally.  The benefit of remaining an individual in these stories means that the character, or object, has stood up to face something more powerful that himself or itself, creating strength within their natures. 

This theme of individuality reminds me of the movie Edward Scissorhands.  Even though Edward was a very sweet man, he was tormented for his individualistic appearance.  Question: At the end of "Bartleby the Scrivener" when he passes, I wonder if he passed due to sadness because no one would accept him, starvation, or loneliness.  

Freedom of Religion

Edwards presents religion in America through a passionate, fiery sermon.  He uses his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," as a scare tactic to force the congregation to accept Christ.  Throughout his sermon he mentions how people are nothing without God, and without God they will receive eternal damnation.  Edwards portrays God as an angry man with great power and wrath, who holds disbelievers in his hand: "The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked "(4).  On the other hand, Stevens presents religion in America in a more calming way than Edwards.  Stevens presents religion in the form of nature, showing how earth's beauty is a religion in itself.  Even though the woman in the poem did not physically go to a church service, she enjoyed the beauty of the earth as her means of a service.  In fact, experiencing nature led her to thinking about Jesus dying and being buried in the tomb: "...A voice that cries,' The tomb in Palestine/ Is not the porch of spirits lingering./ It is the grave of Jesus, where he lay'" (107-109).  "Sunday Morning" relates to Thoreau's Love of Nature.  Thoreau's sanctuary was not within the confines of a church, bur rather under the cathedral of an open sky.  Next, Hawthorne presents religion in America through the journey of a Christian man, Goodman Brown, who takes a walk through the woods with the devil.  During Brown's journey he is shown the hypocrisy of the so-called Christians in his society.  He learns that no one is who he or she appears to be; therefore, he loses all trust in the members of his society: "On the Sabbath day, when the congregation were singing a holy psalm, he could not listen, because the anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear, and drowned all the blessed strain" (paragraph 73).  Brown even loses trust in his wife, whose name is ironically Faith. 

Edwards' sermon differs from Hawthorne's story in that Edwards' sermon ends on a positive note.  Despite the sermon's overall harsh nature, the ending gives the congregation the opportunity to accept Christ instead of going to hell: "And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners..." (paragraph 16).  Unlike Edwards' sermon, Hawthorne's story ends on a negative note.  After seeing all of the hypocrisy within the Christians, Brown is left angry and distrustful of the Christians in his society.  Ironically, having those feelings of anger and distrust are only leading him further from God, rather than closer. 

"Sunday Morning" represents a different kind of religion than the Christianity found within the previous two stories.  In this poem, nature is considered a type of religion.  A basic difference between "Sunday Morning" and the other two works can be found in line one of stanza three: "Jove in the clouds had his inhuman birth."  The difference is obvious, as Jesus came from a human mother, and Jove had "an inhuman birth".


"Sunday Morning" is the most contemporary view of religion in today's society.  The poem implies that true paradise is found in the present tense in nature, not in an uncertain hereafter: "Neither the golden underground, nor isle/ Melodious, where spirits gat them home,/ Nor visionary south, nor cloudy palm,/ Remote on heaven's hill, that has endured/ As April's green endures..." (53-57). 

question: Was Goodman Brown's journey a dream, or did he really take a walk through the woods with the devil?

Freedom

The authors in this section write about the difficulties of attaining freedom in early America.  Bradstreet displays that social freedom doesn't come easy for women through her poems.  In her poem "Prologue" she expresses how men are superior to women: "Men can do best, and Women know it well" (40).  Bradstreet displays the notion of freedom through her ability to express herself in her poems, and her ability to freely love her husband.  She gains her so-called freedom by writing, but unfortunately women in the Puritan age were limited to what they could write about.  Also, her freedom to write was restricted by critics who looked down upon her poems.  I didn't really see how her poem "Prologue" and her poem "The Author to her Book" differed.  In my opinion, both poems expressed her feeling of low self-esteem, and how men were seen as superior to women.  Whenever the Puritan age is mentioned I always think about Hester Pyrnne in  The Scarlet Letter. 

In Irving's "Rip Van Winkle", social freedom was difficult for anyone to obtain; The colonists were under the rule of King George III.  Rip Van Winkle's freedom is not only limited by the king, but by his overbearing wife.  He displays a notion of freedom when he escapes his abusive wife to go hunting deep into the woods.  He gains his freedom when he drinks a potion that puts him to sleep for twenty years.  Upon awakening, he discovers that the Revolutionary War has ended and the colonists are free.  I wonder if Irving is mildly poking fun at the theme of "A man's journey" by having Winkle sleep for twenty years as his journey.  "Rip Van Winkle" falls under the same category of a hero on a journey, like Homer's journey in the Odyssey.

In Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," social freedom is difficult for the narrator to obtain.  Since she is considered "ill," her husband limits her activities and drugs her with medicine every hour.  Her notion of freedom comes about when she starts to study the hideous yellow wallpaper on the wall in her bedroom.  The further she studies the wallpaper, the more intrigued she becomes with figuring out its pattern.  As time passes, she begins to see herself trapped within the yellow wallpaper, desperate to escape its bars.  She gains her freedom when she rips the paper off of the wall, freeing herself, as well as the woman in the wall.  I wonder what happens to her husband at the end of the story when he wakes up after fainting.  This short story reminds me of Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher" when the main character is slowly growing insane due to being trapped in his house.