We've been reading short stories recently, and, much like short films, the thoughts going through my head are much like: "why haven't we been doing this for YEARS?" Short stories are fun, versatile, and sometimes much easier and rich in the intellectual quest for the "deeper meaning" of a work. Theme has more contention, and hieroglyphs are everywhere.
Why HAVEN'T we been doing this for years?
Pretty much 'cuz our teachers think we're dumb, and even more so, we don't understand our full potential. But that's another story!
On another note, so many authors have written short stories but we just decide to read their books. I feel like the value of a long book would be accentuated by the reading of a short story the author wrote first. In the spirit of "show, don't tell," one can get a feel for the author's style and syntax, voice in general, before delving into the full work.
Those are my thoughts. Let me know if you think differently.
Showing posts with label Short Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Short Stories. Show all posts
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Human and Environment Influence in Cell One
I personally thought this was the best short story out of all of them. They all offered interesting themes and developed characters however, this story stuck out to me. From its family ties to the individualism of the brother, it was very striking through its plot. In addition, there are several different emotions and this leads to how each character wants to act in a certain situation.
Nnanambia is initially impacted by the older people at his school who steal. He then goes to to steal his mother's jewelry. The parents often feel worried for their son, but they also give him the benefit of the doubt when he steals things. The father thinks they should've punished him from the beginning but they don't really do anything to him. Throughout the story, the sister is for the most part close to her brother. However, things take a turn when he is thrown in jail a few years later with some other guys. This is when the family begins to worry for their son and wish they would've acted earlier.
They not only fear their son not getting better by stopping his stealing habits, but they also fear his life in jail. The people are treated horribly in there and some people can be transferred to Cell One which is nothing but danger. The family visits him just about everyday.
The part of this story that was really interesting was Nnanambia's reaction to the innocent old man in jail. This old man was tortured for something his son did but his son is nowhere to be found, so they throw him in jail. Nnanambia is devastated by what he has to witness happen to the old man. It's surprising to me how he doesn't feel guilt when he steals or commits crime but he is really hurt by the man getting abused.
The environment of school changed him to act like a thief and the human influences from the old man caused him to feel bad. This paradox is very symbolic to the story as a whole. The family is the same way. They go from feeling very close to their son to almost as if they don't know him anymore. Lastly, the end scene is very striking. The son gets out of Cell One and is speechless. The sister and her parents are always prepared for Nnanambia to make an excuse or tell them a story. Except he was silent. Was he scarred from the old man? Did he feel bad that his family had to go through this? Does he regret stealing in the first place? Is he the same person with the same habits but doesn't want to talk? As the reader, this left me thinking
Nnanambia is initially impacted by the older people at his school who steal. He then goes to to steal his mother's jewelry. The parents often feel worried for their son, but they also give him the benefit of the doubt when he steals things. The father thinks they should've punished him from the beginning but they don't really do anything to him. Throughout the story, the sister is for the most part close to her brother. However, things take a turn when he is thrown in jail a few years later with some other guys. This is when the family begins to worry for their son and wish they would've acted earlier.
They not only fear their son not getting better by stopping his stealing habits, but they also fear his life in jail. The people are treated horribly in there and some people can be transferred to Cell One which is nothing but danger. The family visits him just about everyday.
The part of this story that was really interesting was Nnanambia's reaction to the innocent old man in jail. This old man was tortured for something his son did but his son is nowhere to be found, so they throw him in jail. Nnanambia is devastated by what he has to witness happen to the old man. It's surprising to me how he doesn't feel guilt when he steals or commits crime but he is really hurt by the man getting abused.
The environment of school changed him to act like a thief and the human influences from the old man caused him to feel bad. This paradox is very symbolic to the story as a whole. The family is the same way. They go from feeling very close to their son to almost as if they don't know him anymore. Lastly, the end scene is very striking. The son gets out of Cell One and is speechless. The sister and her parents are always prepared for Nnanambia to make an excuse or tell them a story. Except he was silent. Was he scarred from the old man? Did he feel bad that his family had to go through this? Does he regret stealing in the first place? Is he the same person with the same habits but doesn't want to talk? As the reader, this left me thinking
Thursday, September 10, 2015
When in Rome...
Words can hardly describe my love for "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton. This story, this little slice of fictitious cake, consists of nothing but the purest drama a lover of literature can find. Reading this story is like listening in on the greatest wine mom gossip you've ever listened in on. Reading this story is like drinking the concentrated juice of the juiciest scoop that the guy who's got the dirt on everyone ever dished out. "Roman Fever" is like manifesting the very concept of "guilty pleasures" into a short snippet of great literature. It's the ultimate 411 to end all other 411's. It's enough to make any half-decent scuttlebutt tear up with pure, unadulterated joy. Simply put, "Roman Fever" is the hottest goss to ever grace the canon of short American literature.
From the very start, you can tell that this dirt is gonna be good. The story begins with two women, Slade and Ansley, who see one another "through the wrong end of her little telescope," as the author says. It's clear that each entirely misinterprets the other. By the end of the story, we find out that: a) Slade's husband cheated on her with Ansley, b) Slade wrote the letter that set up Ansley's date with her husband, with the intention of Ansley getting sick from the cold, and c) that by doing so, Slade inadvertently arranged the conception of Barbara, Ansley's daughter that she's so envious of.
From the very start, you can tell that this dirt is gonna be good. The story begins with two women, Slade and Ansley, who see one another "through the wrong end of her little telescope," as the author says. It's clear that each entirely misinterprets the other. By the end of the story, we find out that: a) Slade's husband cheated on her with Ansley, b) Slade wrote the letter that set up Ansley's date with her husband, with the intention of Ansley getting sick from the cold, and c) that by doing so, Slade inadvertently arranged the conception of Barbara, Ansley's daughter that she's so envious of.
Like I said - some super high quality dirt.
When I read the story for a second time, I was amazed by the hints Wharton left for the reader. In the beginning of part II, Slade says, "I always wanted a brilliant daughter... and never quite understood why I got an angel instead," to which Ansley responds, "Babs is an angel too." This is our first hint that Barbara and Jenny (Slade's daughter) shared the same father.
The second big hint to Barbara's parentage is when Slade recounts that "...you were married to Horace Ansley two months afterward [after the affair with Slade's husband] ...As soon as you could get out of bed your mother rushed you off to Florence and married you." This is implying that Ansley's mother was in a hurry for her to get married because she was already pregnant with Barbara.
The beauty of this story is that in the beginning, it seems that Slade has all the information. She has the upper hand when she reveals to Ansley that she wrote the letter Ansley believed to be from Delphin. However, Ansley soon reveals that she in fact is the one with more information. The power dynamic slowly but very decidedly shifts from one woman to another. Because of the hints Wharton worked into her dialogue, the reader guesses what Ansley is withholding from Slade (namely, that Barbara is Delphin's daughter) before Slade ever finds out. This creates an interesting situation where Slade thinks that she is in power when both Ansley and the reader know that the opposite is true.
"Roman Fever" is ripe with irony of all sorts. Wharton creates dramatic irony when she allows the reader to guess at the secret of Barbara's parentage, although the most ironic element is the fact that Slade accidentally enabled the affair that she wanted to end and caused the conception of the girl she's so envious of.
Ansley obviously follows that age old saying: When in Rome, do it in the Colosseum.
No White Hats
Can something be bad and good at the same time? Can we give justification to horrible actions? What does it take to change a person? Cell One by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie raises all of these questions yet leaves it to the reader to come up with an answer.
The story takes place in Nigeria, a country known for its high rates of crime. Although he is the son of a well-to-do and educated family, Nnamabia is not a model citizen of Nigeria. He is a thief, a liar, a cult (gang) member, and maybe even a murderer. Nothing his family does seems to make him change his ways. So what does it take?
After a shooting occurs on a university campus, Nnamabia is imprisoned for possible involvement. But the police are no better than the gangs. They humiliate, beat, and even kill prisoners.
However, it is exactly this injustice that eventually has an impact on Nnamabia and changes him in a way that his parents never could.
After witnessing an innocent elderly father get beaten and humiliated by the prison guards for a crime committed by his son, Nnamabia speaks up. Annoyed at his audacity, the guards cease Nnamabia and take him to the notorious "Cell One" -- where many prisoners emerged only as corpses. When Nnamabia is finally released, he is bruised, beaten, and mentally changed.
So was this injustice justifiable? In the end one could argue that it was. After all Nnamabia was finally changed.
The story takes place in Nigeria, a country known for its high rates of crime. Although he is the son of a well-to-do and educated family, Nnamabia is not a model citizen of Nigeria. He is a thief, a liar, a cult (gang) member, and maybe even a murderer. Nothing his family does seems to make him change his ways. So what does it take?
After a shooting occurs on a university campus, Nnamabia is imprisoned for possible involvement. But the police are no better than the gangs. They humiliate, beat, and even kill prisoners.
However, it is exactly this injustice that eventually has an impact on Nnamabia and changes him in a way that his parents never could.
After witnessing an innocent elderly father get beaten and humiliated by the prison guards for a crime committed by his son, Nnamabia speaks up. Annoyed at his audacity, the guards cease Nnamabia and take him to the notorious "Cell One" -- where many prisoners emerged only as corpses. When Nnamabia is finally released, he is bruised, beaten, and mentally changed.
So was this injustice justifiable? In the end one could argue that it was. After all Nnamabia was finally changed.
Mutual Recognition in Roman Fever
First of all, this story gave me such a shock! Edith Wharton was actually able to make a conversation between two (seemingly) boring middle-aged women exciting. And, aside from being engaged by the plot twists at the end of the story, I also found myself ensnared in Roman Fever due to Wharton's use of the theme of mutual recognition throughout the story.
The two main characters in Roman Fever, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, have huge issues with mutual recognition. A big part of the story hinges on the fact that neither of these women view each other as much of anything aside from a stereotype. The both recognize this on page 44, when the narrator of the story says "for a few moments, the two ladies, who had been intimate since childhood, reflected how little they knew each other". The two women don't know each other past the surface of their personalities, and therefore neither of the two fully recognizes the other as an intelligent, thoughtful human being (although Mrs. Slade is much more guilty of failure to mutually recognize than Mrs. Ansley). Mrs. Slade's lack of mutual recognition for Mrs. Ansely is demonstrated when Mrs. Ansley reveals that she wrote a letter back to Mrs. Slade's fiancé. Mrs. Slade was shocked, because she never thought that Mrs. Ansley would reply to her fake letter. This shows that Mrs. Slade never really thought of Mrs. Ansley as an equal, because she was completely caught off guard when Mrs. Ansely did something many other people would do in that situation. Mrs. Ansley also fails to completely mutually recognize Mrs. Slade. Mrs. Ansley always thought of Mrs. Slade's life as sad, and felt sorry for her because she had many failures and mistakes in her life. Mrs. Ansley views Mrs. Slade through a narrow window, and doesn't give her life any credit; Mrs. Slade had plenty of joy in her life, and viewing her life as a failure is very shallow of Mrs. Ansley.
I found the lack of mutual recognition in this story to be very realistic and engrossing. Roman Fever made me realize that even people who have been friends for years might not actually be true friends; it is very easy to be friends with someone and not truly recognize them as an individual. Just something to think about.
The two main characters in Roman Fever, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, have huge issues with mutual recognition. A big part of the story hinges on the fact that neither of these women view each other as much of anything aside from a stereotype. The both recognize this on page 44, when the narrator of the story says "for a few moments, the two ladies, who had been intimate since childhood, reflected how little they knew each other". The two women don't know each other past the surface of their personalities, and therefore neither of the two fully recognizes the other as an intelligent, thoughtful human being (although Mrs. Slade is much more guilty of failure to mutually recognize than Mrs. Ansley). Mrs. Slade's lack of mutual recognition for Mrs. Ansely is demonstrated when Mrs. Ansley reveals that she wrote a letter back to Mrs. Slade's fiancé. Mrs. Slade was shocked, because she never thought that Mrs. Ansley would reply to her fake letter. This shows that Mrs. Slade never really thought of Mrs. Ansley as an equal, because she was completely caught off guard when Mrs. Ansely did something many other people would do in that situation. Mrs. Ansley also fails to completely mutually recognize Mrs. Slade. Mrs. Ansley always thought of Mrs. Slade's life as sad, and felt sorry for her because she had many failures and mistakes in her life. Mrs. Ansley views Mrs. Slade through a narrow window, and doesn't give her life any credit; Mrs. Slade had plenty of joy in her life, and viewing her life as a failure is very shallow of Mrs. Ansley.
I found the lack of mutual recognition in this story to be very realistic and engrossing. Roman Fever made me realize that even people who have been friends for years might not actually be true friends; it is very easy to be friends with someone and not truly recognize them as an individual. Just something to think about.
If the Pirates and Buccaneers All Got Along, They'd Probably Gun Me Down by the End of this Blog
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie crafts a dynamic story that speaks to many characteristics important to discuss in our contemporary society today. Adichie crafts the story of a boy named Nnambia in a University town in Nigeria. The story is told through the perspective of Nnambia's sister who serves as an interesting narrator recounting the change she sees in her brother as he enters and leaves prison. "Cell One" is littered with topics such as corruption, youth, familial relationships, and redemption. Yet the topic that captivating me was the pervasive nature of Western culture.
In this day and age, communication between people is limitless. Through radio, TV, and media, continents and cultures feel closer than ever. Yet with this, media has a greater impact around the world than I believe most people realize. This is explored in "Cell One". In the story, the narrator introduces the presence of the West felt by Nigeria through showing that the materials stolen from their house in the initial robbery were the "Purple Rain" and "Thriller" videotapes that Nnambia's father had brought from America. Additionally, the narrator states the effect American rap videos had on the university students causing "swagger" to course through their veins and commencing the season of gang like "cults". The violence that occurs in the town are horrific. "It was so abnormal that it quickly became normal" (p.34). The violence that occurs escalates to almost mirror the same violence the students see in their rap videos. And its ridiculous. Adichie does a great job showing this large presence Western culture holds to those around the world by showing the events of her Nigerian University city.
Nnamabia: Good Person or Not?
In our discussion of Cell One, one of the big questions was whether Nnamabia was a good person at the beginning of the story or just at the end. I believe the answer is neither. At the beginning of the story we are given examples of how he robs the family, breaks a window in his classroom, sells exam answers to his father's students, and attempts to make his own key to the family car. I think that part of the problem here is that his mother refuses to punish him, but I believe his constant rule-breaking shows he isn't a good person at the beginning of the story. At the end, one major argument for his becoming a good person is referencing his helping the old man and refusal to dramatize his experiences in jail. The former is harder to argue against, but I believe even the worst people can have moments of humanity. As for the latter, I would say he is broken by his experiences in jail and doesn't wish to relive them.
Nnamabia and The Reality of Death
Situation 1: A school campus, struggling to function under the terrorism of the numerous cults it provides a home too. Nnamabia is, in a word, indifferent. He scoffs at the police's efforts to contain the violence, even seeing humor in the situation. Skipping forward in time, we as the reader are told about an incident in which four cult members stole a teachers car at gun point, killed three students, and drove off. Nnamabia's response is to go out drinking.
Situation 2: Nnamabia is now in prison, where he witnesses an old man - jailed for a crime his son committed - mercilessly bullied by the guards and forced to parade naked in the hall in exchange for water to clean himself. When Nnamabia's family comes to visit, they find their son in an emotional state that was completely unfamiliar to him. He's virtually silent, and refuses to eat the meal they have prepared for him, insisting that some of it is saved for the old man. His entire persona has flipped, or perhaps it's just been shattered.
So question that we have to ask is why? Why does the oppression of the innocent suddenly affects him at such a deep emotional level? Why is only now sinking in? Personally, I attribute this shift to the power of the aftermath. In the first situation, Nnamabia's exposure to the cult violence was primarily through second hand stories and quick glimpses of bodies before they're taken away. But in prison, he is subjected to the entire process. That is the process of breaking a person, both physically and mentally. When he sees the old man reduced to nothing more than twisted entertainment for the guards, all in the hopes of getting something as simple as soap, the reality of the situation finally is finally realized. It shakes the very foundation of his world view, so much so that he is barely recognizable to those who only knew his former self. For better or worse, prison changed him.
Situation 2: Nnamabia is now in prison, where he witnesses an old man - jailed for a crime his son committed - mercilessly bullied by the guards and forced to parade naked in the hall in exchange for water to clean himself. When Nnamabia's family comes to visit, they find their son in an emotional state that was completely unfamiliar to him. He's virtually silent, and refuses to eat the meal they have prepared for him, insisting that some of it is saved for the old man. His entire persona has flipped, or perhaps it's just been shattered.
So question that we have to ask is why? Why does the oppression of the innocent suddenly affects him at such a deep emotional level? Why is only now sinking in? Personally, I attribute this shift to the power of the aftermath. In the first situation, Nnamabia's exposure to the cult violence was primarily through second hand stories and quick glimpses of bodies before they're taken away. But in prison, he is subjected to the entire process. That is the process of breaking a person, both physically and mentally. When he sees the old man reduced to nothing more than twisted entertainment for the guards, all in the hopes of getting something as simple as soap, the reality of the situation finally is finally realized. It shakes the very foundation of his world view, so much so that he is barely recognizable to those who only knew his former self. For better or worse, prison changed him.
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Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Roman Fever Reactions
I thought that Roman Fever was an incredible story. While I was reading it, I was wondering what the main part of the story was going to be. It didn't really have any conflict until the way end besides Mrs. Slade being kind of snippy and thinking mean things. When Mrs. Slade finally confronted Mrs. Ansley, I didn't really think there was anything special about it until the last line. When Mrs. Slade tells Mrs. Ansley that she doesn't begrudge her for that one night with her husband because she had him for 25 years and Mrs. Ansley only had one night, Mrs. Ansley pauses and then says, "I had Barbara." I laughed out loud when I read this. It was such a perfect ending: not only did it reveal that Barbara is Mrs. Ansley's and Delphin's child, but it left us hanging. We are left only to imagine how Mrs. Slade reacted and what happened next between the two women.
I was glad when I read this because Mrs. Slade was being really annoying throughout the whole story. She was so bitter about something that she had caused even when she thought she had triumphed and had left Mrs. Slade waiting in the colosseum the whole night, but in reality Delphin had met with Mrs. Ansley and then they had a kid together. Also she sent her friend there knowing that Roman Fever was killing a lot of people and that she might catch it and die--what a horrible person. I didn't like Mrs. Slade and am glad that the story ended the way it did.
I was glad when I read this because Mrs. Slade was being really annoying throughout the whole story. She was so bitter about something that she had caused even when she thought she had triumphed and had left Mrs. Slade waiting in the colosseum the whole night, but in reality Delphin had met with Mrs. Ansley and then they had a kid together. Also she sent her friend there knowing that Roman Fever was killing a lot of people and that she might catch it and die--what a horrible person. I didn't like Mrs. Slade and am glad that the story ended the way it did.
Adichie's Dark Side
I thought that "Cell One" was an incredible story. The plot was very interesting and intriguing, and I kept wanting to read. Adichie's use of words is always so great; she knows how to put words together in a way different from anything else I have ever read. As much as I loved "Cell One", I thought it was such a dark, dark story. The story was so morose and sad, I was almost surprised that it was written by Adichie.
I read Adichie's book Americanah for summer reading this past summer. Though that book had some sad parts, it was nothing close to how dark and sad "Cell One" was. Americanah was sad in different ways: the main character not being able to get a job in America or her relationships with guys. It was nothing about abuse or the Nigerian prison system. Of course, these are too different stories, but a lot of the time author's books are similar in a lot of ways, whereas with these two, there were similarities, but at the same time, they were so, so different from each other. Everything else I've read or heard from Adichie normally has an uplifting part to it, whereas there was not a lot of that in "Cell One". I just found it strange, but also interesting that the two stories by the same author could be so different from each other.
Awfully brilliant... but not as brilliant as she thinks.
In "Roman Fever," by Edith Wharton, Mrs. Ansley's description of Mrs. Slade is "Alida Slade's awfully brilliant, but not as brilliant as she thinks." Mrs. Slade's assumptions about herself and Mrs. Ansley slowly unravel over the course of the story until they're absolutely shattered. Mrs. Slade is "vivid," and she knows it. Mrs. Ansley is respectable, distinguished... boring. How terribly sad for her. No, wait. Charming and distinguished Mrs. Ansley had slept with Mrs. Slade's fiance, gotten pregnant, and then hurriedly married Horace Ansley two months later.
Mrs. Slade is clearly wrong about Mrs. Ansley-- is she wrong about herself as well? Mrs. Ansley certainly agrees with Mrs. Slade's description of herself as edgy/vivid/full of life. But, for the few moments we see her perspective, she says that "on the whole [Mrs. Slade] had had a sad life. Full of failures and mistakes; Mrs. Ansley had always been rather sorry for her..."
Failures and mistakes? Well, as far as I can tell:
- Mrs. Slade's husband was perfectly willing to cheat on her as her fiance, and easily could have been having affairs throughout their supposedly admirable marriage
- Regardless of her husband's theoretical affairs, she still enjoyed the entertaining and traveling the world that came with his job, and after he died she was left with nothing to do
- Her son had died as a child
- She doesn't understand or relate to her daughter
Also,
- Her friend, who she evidently barely knew at all despite going back for years, slept with her fiance and had his child. One would hope she has better friends than that, but it's possible that nearly all her relationships are that superficial.
The Vague Eeriness of The Swimmer
The Swimmer, by John Cheever, is a short yet intriguing story that left me feeling quite unsettled. The story is told through the third person limited perspective of Neddy Merrill, an ordinary man from a seemingly old-fashioned suburb. One night he decided to go for a swim, claiming he's going to swim across the county. So, he starts in the pool of the neighbor's house which he and his wife are at and has at it.
Though what he's doing seems perfectly normal, there's a strange sort of eerie vibe that the story gives off. For one, Ned is jumping into his neighbor's pools, swimming the length of them, and getting out and running to the next pool- once even crossing a highway where he is ridiculed by passing cars for being only in his swim trunks. This is the first time the readers see that what he's doing isn't received without notice in his suburb. Throughout his swim, the readers get to hear Ned's thoughts and learn about his past experiences. We find out that he and his wife don't go to many social events, there may be trouble with his daughters, and that he may be having financial problems.
Even though most of what's going through his mind seems to be ordinary, he starts to feel uneasy and indifferent once he arrives at the pool of the Biswangers. His feelings are confirmed when Mrs. Biswanger approaches him and rudely calls him a "gate crasher".
Through the limited third person perspective of Ned, the readers are left with quite a few questions. Why is he doing what he's doing? At the end of the story, Ned goes back to his house to find it empty and with no one home. I felt really troubled at this discovery, because it confirmed the gossip people had been saying about him- such as that he has no money, and that something has happened with his family.
After the discovery of his house, Ned vaguely recalls that "it has been some time since they had employed a maid or a cook." We never get any explanation as to what happened to Ned mentally to make him forget like this, whether it was simply repression or something more. For such a simple story, I love how well the tension was built up and how we never quite find out what happened to Ned or his daughters or house.
Though what he's doing seems perfectly normal, there's a strange sort of eerie vibe that the story gives off. For one, Ned is jumping into his neighbor's pools, swimming the length of them, and getting out and running to the next pool- once even crossing a highway where he is ridiculed by passing cars for being only in his swim trunks. This is the first time the readers see that what he's doing isn't received without notice in his suburb. Throughout his swim, the readers get to hear Ned's thoughts and learn about his past experiences. We find out that he and his wife don't go to many social events, there may be trouble with his daughters, and that he may be having financial problems.
Even though most of what's going through his mind seems to be ordinary, he starts to feel uneasy and indifferent once he arrives at the pool of the Biswangers. His feelings are confirmed when Mrs. Biswanger approaches him and rudely calls him a "gate crasher".
Through the limited third person perspective of Ned, the readers are left with quite a few questions. Why is he doing what he's doing? At the end of the story, Ned goes back to his house to find it empty and with no one home. I felt really troubled at this discovery, because it confirmed the gossip people had been saying about him- such as that he has no money, and that something has happened with his family.
After the discovery of his house, Ned vaguely recalls that "it has been some time since they had employed a maid or a cook." We never get any explanation as to what happened to Ned mentally to make him forget like this, whether it was simply repression or something more. For such a simple story, I love how well the tension was built up and how we never quite find out what happened to Ned or his daughters or house.
The Swimmer: Repressing Problems
The Swimmer reminded me a lot of how humanity tries to repress bad things when they happen, and chooses to run away from problems and not face them head on. In the story, Ned takes on what is seemingly a cathartic journey through a four mile swim in each of the pools in his suburban county, only later does the reader find out that Ned is actually trying to somewhat "drown" his pain away. As Ned swims through the last pools, he is unable to stem the memories of his financial and family disasters any longer, and finally faces them head on at the end when he arrives at his empty house. I found parallels to this in real life when we try to turn away from something that we know is inherently bad or that we have caused by trying to convince ourselves that it is not, and not realizing the significance of the problem until it is too late (eg. environmental pollution, the migrant crisis, sexual assault on college campuses).
I think another key component of the story is also seeing how and why the problem that Ned has arose. Ned lives in a shallow and superficial wealthy life without seeing the fragility of it from the outside, or the fact that most of his intrinsic problems that he has are caused by this lifestyle he lives or once lived. This concept is equally important to apply outside of fiction as well to realize the problems we have are ones we created for ourselves.
I think another key component of the story is also seeing how and why the problem that Ned has arose. Ned lives in a shallow and superficial wealthy life without seeing the fragility of it from the outside, or the fact that most of his intrinsic problems that he has are caused by this lifestyle he lives or once lived. This concept is equally important to apply outside of fiction as well to realize the problems we have are ones we created for ourselves.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Does Anyone Escape Cell One?
Throughout Chimamands Ngozi Adichie's short story Cell One, the police brutality/oppression is abundantly clear. The hostile and violent nature of the gangs and police officers in this story are what left an impression on my mind. These themes, of violence and lack of appreciation for innocent human live, are congruent to many other modern works. Current media is occupied by violence, desensitizing modern-day people that are consumers of these products to be less opposed to it. Violent video games and movies encourage people to lash out at authority figures and develop gang-like traits in the virtual world. Unfortunately, it also can become reality in the outside world.
Recently, events of unjust police officers harming innocent people in widely reported events such as the debacle in Ferguson, have become increasingly prevalent. Citizens are becoming increasingly angry and developing a suspicion or fear of government authority due to the unjust actions of some police officers. Images of war and rioting are printed across the front page of the newspaper. I found the parade of a corpse past the crowded cells of the jail in Cell One to evoke the same fear and anger in the prisoners as these photos do to American citizens. The only way, it seems, to escape the ambiguous Cell One was to be killed, is this reflecting our society today? Can our culture stop glorifying violence before complete chaos and catastrophe breaks out on the streets?
Recently, events of unjust police officers harming innocent people in widely reported events such as the debacle in Ferguson, have become increasingly prevalent. Citizens are becoming increasingly angry and developing a suspicion or fear of government authority due to the unjust actions of some police officers. Images of war and rioting are printed across the front page of the newspaper. I found the parade of a corpse past the crowded cells of the jail in Cell One to evoke the same fear and anger in the prisoners as these photos do to American citizens. The only way, it seems, to escape the ambiguous Cell One was to be killed, is this reflecting our society today? Can our culture stop glorifying violence before complete chaos and catastrophe breaks out on the streets?
Why did Sarty Snitch?
In our discussion of William Faulkner's short story "Barn Burning" during class today, there was much disagreement over what the main character, Colonel Sartoris Snopes', purpose was for telling Major de Spain that his father was setting out to burn his barn. Quite a few people were in agreement that Sarty's main motive for telling Major de Spain about his father's intentions was so that he could receive the proper punishment for his actions. At first, I believed this to be a reasonable explanation for Sarty's actions, however I was soon dissuaded.
The previous argument would, in my opinion, explain why Sarty chose to reveal Abner’s plan, only if Abner had not received punishments prior to this occasion. At the beginning of the story, Abner is tried in a different county for burning the barn of his previous landlord, Mr. Harris. Even though Mr. Snopes is never proven guilty of this crime, the Snopes family is still forces to leave the county due to his aforementioned actions. Later in the story, Abner is brought before a judge after he ruins Major de Spain’s rug by attempting to wash it with harsh, homemade lye. Abner is deemed guilty and is required to pay 10 bushels of corn of his crop to Major de Spain at the end of his harvest.
From this, we can see that Sarty’s father has been punished many times for his actions, yet has seen no considerable growth in attempting to correct his mistakes. I think that Sarty’s only motive for telling Major de Spain of his father’s intentions was simply because he felt like de Spain did not deserve to have his father enact such unjust means just to get even with him. Although my answer to the question may not be quite as complex as some of the other possibilities, it still serves to fill a gap in the information we are given directly from Faulkner’s short story.
The previous argument would, in my opinion, explain why Sarty chose to reveal Abner’s plan, only if Abner had not received punishments prior to this occasion. At the beginning of the story, Abner is tried in a different county for burning the barn of his previous landlord, Mr. Harris. Even though Mr. Snopes is never proven guilty of this crime, the Snopes family is still forces to leave the county due to his aforementioned actions. Later in the story, Abner is brought before a judge after he ruins Major de Spain’s rug by attempting to wash it with harsh, homemade lye. Abner is deemed guilty and is required to pay 10 bushels of corn of his crop to Major de Spain at the end of his harvest.
From this, we can see that Sarty’s father has been punished many times for his actions, yet has seen no considerable growth in attempting to correct his mistakes. I think that Sarty’s only motive for telling Major de Spain of his father’s intentions was simply because he felt like de Spain did not deserve to have his father enact such unjust means just to get even with him. Although my answer to the question may not be quite as complex as some of the other possibilities, it still serves to fill a gap in the information we are given directly from Faulkner’s short story.
Swimming in Shallow Swimming Pools
In "The Swimmer", the main character, Ned, struggles with his loss of power as an upperclass suburban man. The story starts out with Ned being super happy with how his life is going. For some reason, he decides to travel all the way home by swimming in all the different swimming pools on the way home. It seems that with every pool he swims in, he starts to become more and more upset. He deals with his neighbors and peers and friends being mean to him because, as we later find out, he's lost all of his money. I think this just represents the shallowness of the upperclass society in some cases. On the outside, it seems great, but in reality, people just like you for your money.
Parents/Children: Mutual Recognition in Victory Lap
My absolute favorite story in George Saunders' Tenth of December, was "Victory Lap." I think I enjoyed reading it because it was an easy and fun read, but mainly because of the character Kyle.
I definitely feel pity for Kyle, but Kyle is also someone I strive to be more like. Kyle does not have a mutual recognition relationship with this parents, which would be extremely hard for a teenager. His parents have all these rules for him, which may be just trying to keep him out of danger, but they're over the top and excessive. For example, not being able to go outside when a stranger is in the neighborhood? That's absurd! I don't know how Kyle has lived such a sheltered life without going crazy before Alison is kidnapped.
Before the very end of the story, Kyle is the hero that many seek to be. He goes against everything he has been taught is right, to do what he knows is the right thing. It is unclear if at the end of the story Kyle ends up throwing the rock at Melvin's head, but even if he did I can't blame Kyle. His whole life it doesn't seem as though he has done a single thing wrong. He obeys his parents insane rules and I blame his parents for him maybe going crazy on Melvin. If they did not shelter their child but mutually recognized him, Kyle would not have felt the need to hurt Melvin after Alison escaped.
Before the very end of the story, Kyle is the hero that many seek to be. He goes against everything he has been taught is right, to do what he knows is the right thing. It is unclear if at the end of the story Kyle ends up throwing the rock at Melvin's head, but even if he did I can't blame Kyle. His whole life it doesn't seem as though he has done a single thing wrong. He obeys his parents insane rules and I blame his parents for him maybe going crazy on Melvin. If they did not shelter their child but mutually recognized him, Kyle would not have felt the need to hurt Melvin after Alison escaped.
Good Country People
In class, we discussed how Hulga (Joy) represents us, the readers, in the story "Good Country People." Hulga believes she is above her mother, the Freemans, and even Manly Pointer. She has intellect! And a PhD to prove it. We're educated and we have a preconceived idea of what country people are like, just like Hulga.
However, in class we failed to assess and analyze all of the superiority complexes in the story. In the beginning of the story, O'Connor begins by explaining the relationship between Mrs.Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman. Mrs. Freeman hires Mrs. Hopewell reluctantly because she is a nosy, annoying woman. Freeman feels that she is smarter and more clever than Mrs. Hopewell and uses the woman to the best of her abilities. Freeman describes Mrs. Hopewell and her family as innocent, good country people. Conversely, Mrs. Hopewell believes that she holds insights that no one else has, showing that she feels superior to those around her, including Mrs. Freeman.
Like Hulga, Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freemen also consider Manly Pointer to be a kind, innocent country boy. In addition to feeling superior to Manly Pointer, Hulga also considers Mrs. Freeman's daughter to be too back country for her liking. She judges Carramae for marrying so young and Glynese for having so many suitors This story contains the illusions of all of many of the characters, although the focus of the story is on the relationship between Hulga and Manly Pointer.
As the readers, we relate most to Hulga because she most directly witnesses the exposure of a good country boy and through Hulga we are able to experience this event as well. However, she is not the only character in the story who has unfounded ideas about good country people.
However, in class we failed to assess and analyze all of the superiority complexes in the story. In the beginning of the story, O'Connor begins by explaining the relationship between Mrs.Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman. Mrs. Freeman hires Mrs. Hopewell reluctantly because she is a nosy, annoying woman. Freeman feels that she is smarter and more clever than Mrs. Hopewell and uses the woman to the best of her abilities. Freeman describes Mrs. Hopewell and her family as innocent, good country people. Conversely, Mrs. Hopewell believes that she holds insights that no one else has, showing that she feels superior to those around her, including Mrs. Freeman.
Like Hulga, Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freemen also consider Manly Pointer to be a kind, innocent country boy. In addition to feeling superior to Manly Pointer, Hulga also considers Mrs. Freeman's daughter to be too back country for her liking. She judges Carramae for marrying so young and Glynese for having so many suitors This story contains the illusions of all of many of the characters, although the focus of the story is on the relationship between Hulga and Manly Pointer.
As the readers, we relate most to Hulga because she most directly witnesses the exposure of a good country boy and through Hulga we are able to experience this event as well. However, she is not the only character in the story who has unfounded ideas about good country people.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Sisyphus and The Swimmer
As I read "The Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus, I found myself comparing Sisyphus to Neddy, the protagonist of "The Swimmer" by John Cheever. I think that Neddy resembles Sisyphus at a time before Camus' analysis of him: a prequel to Camus' essay.
Camus takes interest in the time that Sisyphus spends descending the hill as the rock rolls down. Camus describes this time as a tragic "hour of consciousness" in which Sisyphus is acutely aware of the futility of his labor. Yet, Camus believes that, by acknowledging his suffering and seemingly purposeless existence, Sisyphus becomes superior to his own fate. Thus, he describes Sisyphus as victorious.
In "The Swimmer," Neddy approaches this "hour of consciousness." Unlike Sisyphus, he is so hopeful and driven by the goal of accomplishing his task that he is blissfully ignorant of his own suffering. He continues to swim towards his imagined home, unaware of his social and mental degeneration. Only when he reaches his empty house does he realize the gravity of his situation.
Perhaps Sisyphus was once like Neddy: hopefully pushing the rock up the hill with a sense of purpose and believing that he might actually complete the task. And maybe, like Neddy at the end of the story, he had a moment when he realized that his labor truly had no purpose other than to distract him from the reality of his suffering.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Foreign Language
After analyzing "The Language of Men" in class, I realized that many people face the identity struggle that Carter deals with. Carter did everything in his power to make people love him and want to be around him, but ultimately he still failed.
I think many people deal with this struggle, especially in middle school and high school. The desire to fit in is something that the majority of people deal with at some point. This struggle made me think of Beyonce's song and music video "Why Don't You Love Me". In this song, Beyonce is talking about her desire to be desired in a relationship. I think this relates to the story we read in class because like Beyonce, Carter tries almost everything to be wanted by the people he associates with and it still does not work.
Along the way, I think that Beyonce and Carter learn that originality is key to finding your identity and being accepted. They both have unique qualities that will eventually be desired an accepted. I think this is applicable to middle school and high school. People who feel like they don't fit in during their younger years go on to do amazing things in their adult lives and are surrounded by great people who accept them.
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