"The Story of an Hour"
Kate Chopin
The opening sentence of "The Story of an Hour" foreshadows the loss of love somewhere in the story. The heart condition from which Louise suffers serves multiple purposes within the context of the short story. First, it establishes the manner in which she would be told of her husband's death; it portrays her as a weak character unable to withstand traumatic information. Obviously, a person suffering from heart troubles could not handle any news which would be too exciting or too depressing. This information makes it even more strange that Louise's "pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every bit of her body." By adding this detail, the author refutes that her heart is the source of her troubles. In fact, her heart comforts her during her time of sadness and subsequent joy by relaxing her weeping body. Yet, again, this makes her death at the conclusion of the story ironic even though it can be interpreted in the first sentence of the short story. The doctor's claim that she had died because of overwhelming joy at the sight of her living husband is ironic because it was actually the shock from the loss of her joy and freedom that had been her downfall. Thus, the irony lies in that it should not have been the news of her husband's death that worried Louise's sister, but instead the confinement of her marriage.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Popular Mechanics
"Popular Mechanics"
Raymond Carver
Throughout "Popular Mechanics," symbolism is used to help convey the emotional struggle between the story's two main characters.
The first symbolic representation is in the form of the snow at the beginning of the story. "The snow was melting into dirty water." Snow, in its fresh state, is white. The color white carries the connotation of purity with it. This purity comes from the origin of the marriage, hinting at an earlier time of happiness and freedom from emotional distress. However, now, the snow, like the marriage, is becoming polluted. It is losing its purity, losing its innocence, and instead becoming contaminated by the world around it.
The next main point of symbolism is also the climax of the story. The physical fight over the baby is symbolic of the emotional fight existing between his parents. As the man and woman fight over the child, pulling him in different directions, they are giving a physical representation of the emotional distress that is tearing the child apart from the inside. By presenting the audience with a visual altercation, the author is able to illustrate an otherwise intangible struggle. Both of the parents continue the struggle, and the child is unable to do anything to shield himself from the consequences. Likewise, he is helpless in the prevention of the emotional challenges experienced by his parents.
You're Ugly, Too
"You're Ugly, Too"
Lorrie Moore
p352
If the life of Zoe Hendricks was to be summed up into one word, it would be ironic. To begin, Zoe is completely unsatisfied with almost every aspect of her life, yet she does little to actually change it. She is not happy with her job situation, and the insertion of comments made by students in italics show the toll that it takes on her mental situation. "Just because Professor Hendricks is from Spain doesn't give her the right to be so negative," (354). Zoe is also uncomfortable with her living conditions in her "mint-green ranch house," (357). For some reason, she is restless within the house and cannot seem to furnish it in a manner that suits her. Also, the color of the house implies its ordinariness; mint-green is a pastel, almost bland, color which is suggestive of the boring and simple nature of Zoe's own life. Zoe's wardrobe of "gray-green corduroy" also suggests this idea (356). To add to her plainness, Zoe's physical appearance is not exactly extravagant either.
Another ironic aspect of Zoe's life is that for having such a strong personality, she is incredibly insecure. Her insecurities are so prevalent that it suggests that her sarcastic interaction with others is to make up for her own shortcomings. For example, all of the three men that she dated while in Illinois were pushed away by her own doing. Zoe complains about not having anyone significant within her life besides her sister, yet she is the one who does not allow a relationship to form. Zoe's own misery comes directly from her own doing. To put it in cliche terms, she is her own worst enemy.
Lorrie Moore
p352
If the life of Zoe Hendricks was to be summed up into one word, it would be ironic. To begin, Zoe is completely unsatisfied with almost every aspect of her life, yet she does little to actually change it. She is not happy with her job situation, and the insertion of comments made by students in italics show the toll that it takes on her mental situation. "Just because Professor Hendricks is from Spain doesn't give her the right to be so negative," (354). Zoe is also uncomfortable with her living conditions in her "mint-green ranch house," (357). For some reason, she is restless within the house and cannot seem to furnish it in a manner that suits her. Also, the color of the house implies its ordinariness; mint-green is a pastel, almost bland, color which is suggestive of the boring and simple nature of Zoe's own life. Zoe's wardrobe of "gray-green corduroy" also suggests this idea (356). To add to her plainness, Zoe's physical appearance is not exactly extravagant either.
Another ironic aspect of Zoe's life is that for having such a strong personality, she is incredibly insecure. Her insecurities are so prevalent that it suggests that her sarcastic interaction with others is to make up for her own shortcomings. For example, all of the three men that she dated while in Illinois were pushed away by her own doing. Zoe complains about not having anyone significant within her life besides her sister, yet she is the one who does not allow a relationship to form. Zoe's own misery comes directly from her own doing. To put it in cliche terms, she is her own worst enemy.
Getting Out
"Getting Out"
Cleopatra Mathis
p896
Focusing on the failed marriage and consequential divorce of a couple, "Getting Out" by Cleopatra Mathis utilizes flashbacks to the relationship and imagery to convey the speakers conflicting feelings between her heart and her mind.
The first two stanzas of the poem are flashbacks with each one offering small details about the condition of the marriage that led it to failure. It also sets up the length of the marriage: "That year, we hardly slept" implies that the couple was only together for a year before problems arose in the marriage (896). Through the flashbacks into her mental state, the speaker demonstrates her reasoning as to why divorce was the best option for their own sanity. "Walking like inmates," "escaped," and "locked" all convey a feeling of imprisonment within the marriage, implying that the married were trapped within their relationship rather than remaining by free will (896).
This feeling of imprisonment is the basis for the conflicting feelings of the speaker. In her mind, she is not happy, and both her husband and herself recognize that divorce would be the best solution to their marital problems. However, within her heart, the speaker knows that love for her husband does exist, but it is just not enough to keep the marriage continuing. These feelings are reflected in the third stanza of the poem which is set in the present. The speaker still holds on to fragments of their marriage, knowing that love was there and is still in the background of her heart. With the last line of the poem, though, she demonstrates her maturity by accepting that it was the best for themselves.
Cleopatra Mathis
p896
Focusing on the failed marriage and consequential divorce of a couple, "Getting Out" by Cleopatra Mathis utilizes flashbacks to the relationship and imagery to convey the speakers conflicting feelings between her heart and her mind.
The first two stanzas of the poem are flashbacks with each one offering small details about the condition of the marriage that led it to failure. It also sets up the length of the marriage: "That year, we hardly slept" implies that the couple was only together for a year before problems arose in the marriage (896). Through the flashbacks into her mental state, the speaker demonstrates her reasoning as to why divorce was the best option for their own sanity. "Walking like inmates," "escaped," and "locked" all convey a feeling of imprisonment within the marriage, implying that the married were trapped within their relationship rather than remaining by free will (896).
This feeling of imprisonment is the basis for the conflicting feelings of the speaker. In her mind, she is not happy, and both her husband and herself recognize that divorce would be the best solution to their marital problems. However, within her heart, the speaker knows that love for her husband does exist, but it is just not enough to keep the marriage continuing. These feelings are reflected in the third stanza of the poem which is set in the present. The speaker still holds on to fragments of their marriage, knowing that love was there and is still in the background of her heart. With the last line of the poem, though, she demonstrates her maturity by accepting that it was the best for themselves.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Delight in Disorder
Robert Herrick
p979
The main point of the poem by Robert Herrick is that often times the most beautiful things can come out of imperfections. The speaker even claims that the imperfections of the woman whom he admires "do more bewitch me than when art Is too precise in every part," (Herrick, 979). He describes her dress as a "sweet disorder" which covers her "here and there" and even "careless," (Herrick, 979). In modern day terms, the woman sounds like a "hot mess," meaning that she is disheveled but in a manner that adds to her attractiveness in some fashion. Although the name can sometimes carry a negative connotation with it, it would apply nearly perfectly to the woman that is described within the poem.
But something else that also adds to her beauty is the confusion that the speaker experiences when he looks at the woman. This confusion is conveyed through the oxymoron "wild civility" in line 12 (Herrick, 979). Within this oxymoron, the speaker reveals that the woman is actually very refined, but this state in which she currently exists adds a sort of wild aspect to her appeal. The speaker admits his distraction by the woman which also helps to contribute to the reader's understanding of the abnormality of this particular woman's appearance. However, the speaker cannot deny that she is beautiful, even more beautiful than if she were to have been perfectly put together.
Lonely Hearts
"Lonely Hearts"
Wendy Cope
p974
Question 2 Why is the form of the villanelle so appropriate for the subject matter and structure of this poem?
First, according to the Google dictionary, a villanelle is a nineteen-line poem with two rhymes throughout, consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, with the first and third lines of the opening tercet recurring alternately at the end of the other tercets and with both repeated at the close of the concluding quatrain.
The structure of this poem suits its content because it mirrors the origin of the tercets of the poem. The title "Lonely Hearts" refers to the personals section of a newspaper. This section normally includes brief descriptions of an individual and what they are searching for in a companion. Being a villanelle, the poem is able to mimic the short paragraphs posted in this section of the newspaper which adds to the overall effectiveness of the poem by creating a realistic feel, as if the reader is literally reading personal ads.
As far as the content contained within the poem, the villanelle is an excellent medium through which to convey the point of the poem. The separation of the tercets allows each one to function as the voice of each of its individual speajer. Also, the tercets are all unrelated materially, but they are tied together by the refrains "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" and "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" (Cope, 974-975). Through the repetition of these phrases, the poem is able to connect what would otherwise be separate posts; it allows for a better flow of the poem and to emphasize the loneliness of each individual.
Wendy Cope
p974
Question 2 Why is the form of the villanelle so appropriate for the subject matter and structure of this poem?
First, according to the Google dictionary, a villanelle is a nineteen-line poem with two rhymes throughout, consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, with the first and third lines of the opening tercet recurring alternately at the end of the other tercets and with both repeated at the close of the concluding quatrain.
The structure of this poem suits its content because it mirrors the origin of the tercets of the poem. The title "Lonely Hearts" refers to the personals section of a newspaper. This section normally includes brief descriptions of an individual and what they are searching for in a companion. Being a villanelle, the poem is able to mimic the short paragraphs posted in this section of the newspaper which adds to the overall effectiveness of the poem by creating a realistic feel, as if the reader is literally reading personal ads.
As far as the content contained within the poem, the villanelle is an excellent medium through which to convey the point of the poem. The separation of the tercets allows each one to function as the voice of each of its individual speajer. Also, the tercets are all unrelated materially, but they are tied together by the refrains "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" and "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" (Cope, 974-975). Through the repetition of these phrases, the poem is able to connect what would otherwise be separate posts; it allows for a better flow of the poem and to emphasize the loneliness of each individual.
Eveline
"Eveline"
James Joyce
p218
First mentioned in the beginning paragraph of the story, Eveline "sat at the window watching evening invade the avenue...in her nostrils was the odor of dusty cretonne," (Joyce, 218). This first image illustrates a rather stagnant woman unchanged, unmoved by time. She is reluctant to accept any change in her life, and this is reflected in the dust collecting on the old-fashioned fabric. However, the narrator lets us know that she is ready to make a drastic adjustment, which leads the reader to question whether or not the "dusty cretonne" was symbolic of the old Eveline who is now ready to move forward.
This seems like a very plausible occurrence until page 221 when the reader is again presented with the image of Eveline sitting "by the window...inhaling the odor of dusty cretonne," (Joyce, 221). The placement of the recurrence of the image is especially key to its meaning. As Eveline is about to leave to travel half way around the world with Frank, she again smells the familiar fragrance. This second presentation of the image represents her still unchanged heart and foreshadows her refusal to leave with the sailor. Also, following along with the doubling of images, Eveline is first depicted as looking out over the street and last depicted by looking out at Frank. This, again, reinforces her stolid nature.
How I Met My Husband
"How I Met My Husband"
Alice Munro
p137
As the story begins, the audience is presented with the character of Mrs. Peebles, and with this description, she seems to fit the role of foil character to Edie. However, a more appropriate foil character would be that of Alice Kelling, the supposed fiance of Chris Watters.
To begin, Alice possesses a very delusional view of the world; she fails to recognize the "end" of her engagement and foolishly chases her fiance around while he seduces women in each town he visits. Her engagement ring, even, "was a tiny stone," (Munro, 139). The size of this diamond is symbolic of Watters' love that he has for her, little and almost irrelevant. Kelling also fails to answer Loretta Bird when she inquires about the length of her engagement; a common social move to avoid talking about a sore subject. To top off her disenchantment with reality, Alice wears sunglasses, representative of the film through which she sees her world.
Edie, on the other hand, is the most realistic character of the story. She has knowledge of both how the rich and the poor live, and she can easily determine the difference. Edie may not be intelligent, but she certainly knows what is going on around her unlike Alice Kelling. Even though Edie claims to have forgotten "all about Alice Kelling and her misery and her awful talk," Kelling had a lasting effect on her own character: she subconsciously realized what she did not want to be. After seeing the near pathetic life that Alice had lived, Edie decided to not live the same life, and with this subconscious decision, settled to no longer wait for the letter from Watters and marry the mailman instead.
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