The Sound and the Fury

This book is interesting. Faulkner, yet again, explores the theme of southern aristocratic values and the south's inabilty to forget the past. The South entered a changed reality after the war. Faulkner masterfully uses stream of consciousness to reveal the thoughts of four individuals who were dealing with that change. It's amazing how Faulkner exposes a situation through so much complexity. The difficulty of the book may keep readers away but it is truly a great book and an accomplishment once it's completed.

LORD OF THE FLIES

The well-known plot of boys lost on an island has not been deemed an original idea because of the many adaptations of it that have been written and published. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, however, does not fall under the category of another children’s adventure story. Considered one of the Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century, Lord of the Flies is built on complex themes of human brutality, structure of society, tyranny versus democracy, and many others. Golding has a pessimistic view toward mankind and human nature, which has made the book controversial for many. There are innumerable critics who have written about the novel, two in particular, Bernard F. Dick and Kathleen Woodward. World War II played a large role in influencing the novel, as did William Golding’s life.
When the book was published in 1954, it was an instant bestseller in England and then rapidly gained popularity in America. Due to its widespread success, translations were made throughout Europe, Russia, and Asia. Soon it became “one of the most familiar and studied tales of the century” (Baker, James R. 1). Over time, however, two general opinions have formed in response to the novel. Some critics and readers felt that it was insightful on the past and predicted the future in the hands of mankind. Others regarded William Golding’s observations on human nature as pessimistic and antiquated.
Bernard F. Dick was one such critic that compared Golding’s works with Greek tragedies. While Dick agreed with many of Golding’s thoughts on human nature, Dick also made many arguments against Golding’s opinions. While he discussed Lord of the Flies, Dick made constant arguments for or against Golding’s themes. Bernard F. Dick argues that the “suppression of the Dionysian”, or “brute” side of man causes the societal breakdown in Lord of the Flies. Dick agrees with Golding that “evil is indigenous to the species” (Dick 15).
Another critic is Kathleen Woodard, who also comments on Golding’s underlying themes in the novel. While Dick argued that the “suppression of the beast within leads to its eruption” (Dick 13), Woodward argues that the indulgence of it does. In her article, “The Case for Strict Law and Order,” Woodward argues that Lord of the Flies presents a convincing argument for the “imposition of strict law and order to suppress violent behavior” (Woodward 93).
The question of human nature has been debated for centuries, and through the development of the novel, readers discover Golding’s opinion of mankind. The ending of the novel appears to be predictable, which may imply our own acceptance of original sin. By observing the interaction between Ralph, Jack, and Piggy, readers see the struggle for power develops because of the boy’s fear of being weak. Survival of the fittest is what drives the boys to becoming savage and murderous, because they fear of becoming the underdog. Golding’s observation of original sin is not as off base as some critics perceive, because the themes in Golding’s novel were apparent in the world around him after WWII, and have been common themes in novels and stories for ages.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison’s bestselling novel Beloved is said to be one of the best books of all time because it brilliantly encapsulates the passion, the horror, and the magic of what African Americans endured during 1800’s America, a time period when slavery was a fashionable institute of United States culture. Although it is the twenty-first century and slavery is often viewed as a tale of a nation’s past, the memory of slavery still plays a fundamental role in the way ethnicities of American society function today. Therefore although it may be difficult to recognize some of the most warped foundations that actually helped establish the United States decades ago; Morrison proves through her story Beloved, the benefits of acknowledging the past in order to be freed from its memories in the future, which ultimately helps one grasp a better understanding of self-identity and culture.
Beloved serves as one of the most profound novels of American Literature because of Morrison’s unique use of literary devices such as diction, fanciful imagery, and remarkable shifting angles of opinion to transform a nightmare of American history into a beautifully written story of growth, love and the magic of the human soul. Truly understanding slave stories can be difficult at times, especially when most people haven’t the slightest idea of what the gravity of life for African Americans was like before the Emancipation Proclamation. Nevertheless, Morrison does a fantastic job of depicting the toils of life in the past, through the eyes of free-slaves recollecting memories of when they were literally worked to the bone, raped, beat and mercilessly killed arbitrarily. Despite the negative connotations that encompass slavery, Morrison provides a novel with an underlining positive tone, using the story of Beloved as a way to embrace the flaw of a nation’s past. Beloved inevitably becomes such a powerful book because not only does it function as a literary movement for African Americans, but also as a memento of what life in the past was like, and how every American (despite race) can appreciate the present due to the previous mistakes of the nation.


By: Rachel V. Tolbert

*** goodbye foxcroft - Yay for College***

"I, Claudius" by Robert Graves

Graves has created an unlikely hero in his chosen narrator of the Emperor Claudius. Born of the Claudio-Julian line, he is both handicapped and has a severe speech impediment making him the whipping boy of his family tree. While deceit, murder, and cruelty plague his family, friends, and the Roman Senate Claudius manages to survive and record the lives of three emperors until his own ascension into power. His keen eye and detached tone serve him well as he watches the tumultous history of his family play out before him; none suspect that "poor Claudius" will ever amount to anything. Graves re-makes the autobiography of the actual Claudius into an enthralling as well as realistic landscape, breathing life into ancient Rome.

Michael Babus

Catch-22

the story takes place in a fictional island called Pianosa during the time of WWII.
Catch-22 does not flow with the sequence, but the story rather proceeds according to lives of each character described in each chapters. In short, Catch-22 is an overall story of soldiers who are lunatic and insane--desperately trying to avoid the military services. Their only goal is to survive. Heller uses a great deal of gags and satires to portray the ugliness of the war. In that, readers feel the horror in the middle of their ecstatic laughs--this condtraditory juxtaposition nonetheless distinguish Catch-22 as one of the best novels of the 20th century. Each soldier is the embodiment of cowardice and absurdity--their lives full of lunatic incidents. However, as the protagonist Yossarian encounters theses minor characters, he learns the life lesson. Yossarian used to be such full of midiocrity; he fakes illness to be out of military activities. In the end, however, his interactions with other midiocre characters teach him the value of humanity--life is not winning or losing. it rather is accumulating experience gained through interactions and interconnection between people. in that, even though Yossarian desperately wanted to be out of military service, he chooses not to take the upper power's offer since he would have to betray his other friend soldiers if he had taken the offer. From a man whose only desire is to survive and getting out of serving military therefore, Yossarian transforms into a man of humanity and compassion. in short, Heller definitely warns the people of futility and horror of the war in Catch-22. however, he further delineates the most important value in our lives.--YJK

The Ginger Man -- J.P. Donleavy

The Ginger Man is the story of Sebastian Dangerfield and his adventures through Dublin.  Dangerfield is an appealing character that has many devious habits, drawing the reader into the novel.  The book deserves to be on the Top 100 Books of the 20th Century because it shows a raw lifestyle, uncensored in every approach.  Although the book had difficulty being published, J.P. Donleavy was able to stand by his work and ultimately be the author of a successful novel.  J.P. Donleavy's life is reflected in the novel through education, culture and beliefs.  The Ginger Man was not one of my favorite books, but nonetheless contains a unique protagonist within a humorous story. EAM

God's mercy

On the wild

Ginger Man.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Huxley's Brave New World is a novel about a corrupt "utopian" society called the World State. It follows the story of Bernard (the "outcast"), Lenina (the stereotypical World State citizen), and John (the "savage"). There is also Mond, the corrupt government official. Huxley's use of irony (for example, the higher officials are the most corrupt) and vast array of characters (each shows a different view of the World State), makes the novel one of the best 100 novels. Huxley's characters are easy to become attached to and the way the utopian World State functions is intriguing and keeps the reader's attention (babies are grown in bottles, promiscuity and orgies are encouraged, and the people frequently take a drug called soma to keep them agreeable).

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone in the class. It is a good story, as well as interesting. A good read! (HCS)

1984

George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 is the epitome of this functional literature. It fully illustrates the imaginary circumstances in 1984, which is about 30 years after the book was written. In 1984, former Great Britain, Oceania is taken over by an oppressive government that does not allow any freedom to its people in order to prevent uprisings. People are always being watched and heard by cameras and radios controlled by the government. They cannot keep documents, marry someone whom they really love, nor study the past. While most citizens are brainwashed by the system and they absolutely believe in the rectitude of the government, the protagonist, Winston Smith, regrets the helpless reality. He even keeps a diary and secretly visits an antique store that sells forbidden goods from the past. Although he knows in his heart that the government should not be allowed to subjugate its people, he hides his feelings for a fear of being “evaporated.” One day, while he was disposing of the documents from the past, he finds a piece of propaganda poster. While he is still hesitant to face the government, Julia, a revolutionary coworker at the Ministry of Truth triggers his will to stand against the corrupted government. The two of them share their opinions on the foul system and try to make a change. There seems to be no problem in their plan to overthrow the government until the very last moment and they even win a sponsor. In the end, however, it turns out that the shopkeeper at the antique store was an employee at the government and that he has been observing the two all along. Even the sponsor turns out to be a member of the government staff. Winston and Julia finally succumb to the inevitable fate.

The Catcher in the Rye

J. D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye is one of the best fictional works of the Twentieth Century. The novel discusses various aspects of teenage life through the author’s main character, Holden Caulfield. Throughout the novel Holden experiences common elements of teenage life such as alienation, nostalgia and depression. He, like many young adults struggles with the transition from adolescence to adulthood finding security in only one part of life, for him it was protecting the innocent. Concepts such as these support various literary strategies within the work such as mythology and teenage culture. Critics have also accepted the novel as a tour de force emphasizing specific aspects as coming of age, Odyssey-like characteristics and the need to defend the innocent. Components such as these support the novel’s timeless excellence and literary appeal. The Catcher in the Rye is Salinger’s magnum opus and by far one of the most influential works of the Twentieth Century providing readers with various universal and personal interpretations to draw them in.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Nominees for the best novel of the 20th Century

To the AP Scholars of 2008: Please add your nominee for literary greatness (your book) to this blog. You can take a look at the short story posts that last year's class did. (Relax: yours can be shorter.) Your entry should be no more than a paragraph or two about your book. You should focus on why you think it is great and or readable. If it has drawbacks, explain those and then, you should tell us if you would recommend it and to whom. Add a graphic if you would like, but it is not required. This will be your note for posterity- your very own AP English time capsule for the ages. Have fun with it!

Richard Wright: The Power of Words

I really enjoyed doing this project on Richard Wright. I looked at his stories through historical criticism and biographical criticism. He wrote during the Harlem Renaissance, which was a flourishing time for writers, especially African American writers, to express their views. I'm including some paragraphs from my paper which I think will help describe Wright's unique short stories. If I had to recommend one of them, it would be "Bright and Morning Star" which is the last story in his collection of short stories, Uncle Tom's Cabin. This story embodies all the messages Wright was trying to convey. "Freedom belongs t the strong" is how Wright chose to end both the story, and the entire collection. I admire Wright because everything he wrote was somewhat of a suggestive message. He was, and still is, extremely influential because of the power of his words.

The power of words proved to be extremely influential at the start of the Harlem Renaissance. After the fall of the stock market, when the Works Progress Administration started hiring people for public relief, there was an organization called the Writer’s Project (Brown 1). The program employed sixty-five hundred writers to travel to twenty-six different states and write biographies on everyone they met (Brown 1). Many flocked to Harlem, which began the massive immersion of creativity in the “black capital” (Brown 2). Some describe the Harlem Renaissance as being, “…promoted by a very small band of intellectuals who had migrated to Harlem along with thousands of ordinary folks who flocked there too” (Brown 2). The Harlem Renaissance was a time when African-Americans found a way to express themselves not only through writing, but through art and music as well.

Richard Wright was among the first African-American writers to obtain national recognition for his writings. A “poster-child” for the Harlem Renaissance, Wright began his career writing for the Federal Writer’s Project, which consequently forced him to endure numerous moves. Wright is well known for bringing his life into his writings. Many aspects of his history can be seen in any one of his literary works. He became interested in the Communist Party in the mid 1920s; when he moved to Chicago in 1927 with the Illinois Federal Writer’s project, he began attending a Communist Party-sponsored organization called the John Reed Club (Shuman 1694). Wright supported those who were a part of the Communist Party because they were working diligently to improve ongoing racial discrimination. One of the prominent Communist newspapers, the Daily Worker, hired Wright to be the Harlem editor in 1937 (Shuman 1694). During this time his short story collection, Uncle Tom’s Children, was published and received a five hundred dollar prize from the Federal Writer’s Project for being the “best work” (Shuman 1694). Wright made it a point to exploit the unknown poverty and racism going on in the South. His characters are often suppressed in more ways than just racially. Wright’s imagery and use of figurative language can be seen in all of his published short stories.

In all of these short stories, Wright explores different ways of dealing with racial oppression. In the beginning stories such as “Big Boy Leaves Home” and “Down By the Riverside”, the protagonists attempt to run away. Every attempt leaves them dead. Wright is perhaps suggesting the black man during this time period could not flee from racial prejudice, no matter the circumstances. In the later stories, “Bright and Morning Star” and “Fire and Cloud”, the reader experiences a different way of handling an inevitable situation. The characters stand their ground; they resist the oppression even though the result will be the same: death. Sue and Johnny-Boy in “Bright and Morning Star” not only stand up for themselves, but for the Communist Party as well. Sue is one of the few female characters in Wright’s works that can be admired for her willpower. McCall brings up a valid point in his criticisms stating, “When the book ends with the cry of black triumph, ‘Freedom belongs t the strong,’ we are to see it not just as the end of that story but as the point toward which all the stories have been moving” (McCall 25). Wright’s writing opened eyes to the actual occurrences taking place in the both the South and in the North. (Simply Fresh)

Truman Capote: A Man Scarred by his Past

Truman Capote can be defined as a man of great personality and vibrancy. His colorful
character affected not only his writing but his fame was as well. Capote’s peculiar childhood and homosexuality caused the themes of his work to follow a common thread; Capote often wrote about loneliness, loss of innocence, and the power of love. Through looking at Capote’s life, one can see why Capote was so fascinated with these topics. Capote’s writing is often known for having two sides, a dark and disturbed side generally seen in his early fiction, and a lighter side. His lighter side can be seen in his novels and novellas like Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where he highlights the life of parties and glamour, while his darker side comes to the surface in his most noted novel In Cold Blood. Capote’s dark side of writing often depicts a lost and lonely character; much like Capote was himself as a child. In his lighter works, Capote’s ephemeral life of fame and fortune mirrors the animation and energy of his characters.
In his short stories, Capote follows the same routine; often his stories chronicle the happy and extravagant life of the wealthy, while some of them contain a friendless and secluded outsider. He was often criticized for a lack of diversity in his work as a result of these recurring characters. Paul Levine, an award-winning author remarks that “The reaction to the amazing success of his early books has relegated Capote to the position of a clever, cute, coy, commercial, and definitely minor figure in contemporary literature, whose reputation has been built less on a facility of style than on an excellent advertising campaign. Even an earnest supporter would have to admit that Capote’s stories tiptoe the tenuous line between the precocious and the serious.” These issues in Capote’s writing can be easily understood by examining Capote’s childhood, and later his life as a celebrity. Levine refutes the view of Capote’s work as trivial, “the attacks on Capote seem more personal than literary.” Capote’s upbringing was not only distressed by the divorce and negligence of his parents, but also the difficulties he had growing up as a homosexual in a small Southern town. Due to Capote's harsh past, his work which on the surface may be interpreted as tenuous and weak, is indeed more meaningful and profound than it seems.
Capote's fame began with the appearance of "A Tree of Night" in magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Mademosielle in 1949. It is one of Capote's quintessential dark stories. The main character, a young girl named Kay, finds herself in the middle of nowhere, alone with two carnival performers. These people torment Kay and try to make her buy a "love charm", but their general appearance is what frightens Kay the most. Kay must decide what to do, but she is completely alone to do so. I would suggest this story because it is eerie and intriguing, and is very typical of Truman Capote because it reflects the intense fear that so preoccupied him. (AF)

Men and Women in Isabel Allende’s The Stories of Eva Luna.

In her short story collection, The Stories of Eva Luna, the Chilean author Isabel Allende introduces unconventional characters to the reader. Though, on the surface, her characters are merely entertaining, it is through these characters that Isabel Allende explores the sexuality of women and men and, not only the place of each in the ephemeral sphere of lifetime, but in the perpetual wheel of humanity. Each of her stories compares and contrasts men and women. Known for her extended sagas about multiple generations in one family, Allende changes pace to give us snap shots into the lives of many in her short story collection. At the end of each tale she adds new concepts to her evolving definition of man and woman. Three of Allende’s stories can be highlighted to demonstrate her take on the differences between the sexes: “Two Words,” “Wicked Girl,” and “Clarisa.”

In her short story “Two Words,” Allende juxtaposes the power of men and women. She also uses description to develop individual characters to differentiate between the universal man and woman. In her main character of Belisa, Allende creates a powerful woman on whom people depend to feel connected to the world around them. In Belisa’s relationship with the Colonel, a feared military man and a symbol of terror in her country, Allend highlights how men and women rely on each other’s strenghs and weaknesses to achieve their highest “power” in society or in humanity in general. She dispels stereotypes of men and women through making her non-stereotypical characters seem realistic.

In her story “Wicked Girl,” while addressing the same themes as in “Two Words”, Allende takes another focus as well. This time she hones in on the discrepancy between women’s and men’s regard of love and passion. Allende addresses sexuality through her coming-of-age main character, Elena Mejias, who centers her pre-pubescent awakening on one of the residents of her mother’s boarding house, a mid-aged man named Juan Jose Bernal. Allende points out the power of adults’ sexual radar. None of the adults take an interest in Elena until she begins to grow into her sexual identity. However, Allende differentiates that sexuality has a tighter grip on the identity of men than it does on women.

Allende’s short story “Clarisa” challenges reality, as all her stories do, in order to prove a greater point about humanity. In this story, Allende analyses the benevolence of womanhood, and contrasts this with the weaknesses and strengths of men. She particularly highlights Clarisa, a saint-like figure with her sloth husband. However, Allende includes Clarisa’s good-natured sons and gives examples of Clarisa’s petty habits to offset the negative and positive focus on men and women respectively.

I recommend to all of you that you read "Two Words" because Allende uses powerful language and discription to butress the discrepancy between the universal man and woman. (SBS)

The Struggle to be Understood

“I’m not a saint yet. I’m an alcoholic. I’m a drug addict. I’m a homosexual. I’m a genius. Of course, I could be all four of these dubious things and still be a saint,” Capote said in a self-interview (Krebs). Capote was a physically odd person, very effeminate in both physique and manner; he spent his entire life trying to prove himself through his writing. His early work exposed through his characters the feelings of isolation and abandonment that he faced when he was growing up. Later, his characters revealed his dream of being accepted into the upper class, then, his rise and fall from grace and finally his return to isolation and near insanity due to drug abuse. Truman Capote is known for his tales of the idle rich and their counterparts, the poor unintelligent southern lower class. In his own lifetime, Capote experienced both life styles. His climb up the social ladder and his ultimate rejection from the upper class is reflected in many of his stories. Though the names had been changed, and the stories slightly spiced up, his characters were instantly recognized; a fact which outraged his social companions who immediately ejected him from their social circle. Capote’s stories portray themes of isolation, deception, contradictions between the classes and later insanity all of which were subjects directly from Capote’s life as well.
Despite seemingly vast differences in style, genre and form, it is the underlying connection between fact and fantasy existing in all of Capote’s stories that make them so intriguing. This blend of fact and fiction was Capote’s claim to fame as well as the catalyst of his self-destruction. One cannot truly understand the meanings of Capote’s works without first having some knowledge of his life because of the omnipresence of his own experiences and emotions in his works. Capote’s life is a part of every story, from “A Christmas Memory” to “A Tree of Night,” Breakfast at Tiffany’s and even In Cold Blood. Capote used his writing first to discover and explain himself, then to plead for the acceptance of others, as his ladder to fame and fortune, and ironically as his slide into self-destruction. Without his writing, the abandoned awkward boy from the South would never have had his prayers answered.
I would recommend most of the stories that I read; however, to those who have not read it yet, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an absolute must. Unfortunately, I was not able to use this story in my paper because it is a novella rather than a short story. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, like many of Capote’s other works is drawn from his own experiences and it is extremely interesting to look for signs of Capote in each of his characters. (WW S)

Influence

Hey guys! I thought I would post my intro, conclusion, and one of the stories I wrote about, which would give everyone a deeper understanding of what I wrote about. I related her other short stories to her life, emotions, and historical time period, all of which affected her work.

Virginia Woolf will forever be remembered and revered as a brilliant writer who achieved great success in spite of a world full of pain and suffering, and a tumultuous personal life. Woolf’s personal life had a great impact on her writings, starting from childhood and her experiences throughout the rest of her life. World War I reared its ugly head and the horror of the war greatly affected Woolf’s already delicate mental state. She lived through the Great Depression where she saw more hardships. Virginia Woolf’s works are multidimensional in that they are all affected by her personal biography, as well as the historical events that surrounded her writing, namely World War I. This is evident in examining selected short stories, “An Unwritten Novel,” “Sympathy,” “The New Dress,” and “Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street.” Through exploring these short stories, one can clearly pick up on the influences from Woolf’s personal life and feelings, and the atmosphere of fear and disruption created by the war.
Mrs. Dalloway is one of Virginia Woolf’s most iconic women. People from all walks of life know Clarissa due to Woolf’s most famous novel, Mrs. Dalloway. What some people might not be as aware of is that Mrs. Dalloway is featured in many of Woolf’s short stories from around the time when she was writing and revising her novel. One of the reasons Clarissa endures as a character is because of her entirely human characteristics. Julia Briggs says, “Clarissa is humanly inconsistent: at once cold and self-absorbed; yet also warm and full of sympathy” (137). The story follows Clarissa as she walks in London to purchase a pair of gloves. On her way to the shop, she runs into various associates who frequent her parties. As she walks along, she enjoys making comments in her head about the different people she encounters, “the fat lady had taken every sort of trouble, but diamonds! Orchids! At this hour of the morning!”(Woolf 155). Clarissa is clearly a woman of the time. She thinks of menstruation as a negative occurrence, and asks, “How then could women sit in Parliament? How could they do things with men? For there is this extraordinarily deep instinct, something inside one; you can’t get over it; it’s no use trying” (153). Clarissa feels that because of the bodily differences, that women and men simply cannot participate in the same activities. It is clear that Mrs. Dalloway is a strong, intelligent woman; she “would have given anything to be like that…talking politics, like a man” (156). But she knows she will never receive that opportunity. This is a combination of Woolf voicing frustration at the social viewpoint of women, and her “impatience with conventions that prevented women writers from writing openly about their own bodies” (Briggs 139).
The encounter between the shop girl and Mrs. Dalloway goes fairly smoothly, though it takes a long time, and finally she gets her gloves. When they split, the shop girl exclaims, “gloves have never been quite so reliable since the war” (158). This comment is an interesting one in that its simplicity holds so much value for many people’s lives. One sentence has the ability to show that everyday life was changed for those who lived during the war, and even something as trivial as gloves had changed forever; nothing was untouched, and this is something important that Woolf wants the reader to identify with and understand. Clarissa realizes that “thousands of young men had died that things might go on” (159). Even if it meant that life would always be a little darker. “Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street” has many influences from both Woolf’s life and personal feelings and the history that surrounds it. Woolf shared with her diary, “how entirely I live in my imagination; how completely depend upon spurts of though, coming as I walk, as I sit; things churning up in my mind” (Briggs 134). Woolf created stories using her opinions and experiences from her life. This short story is a wonderful culmination of influences from all aspects of Woolf’s personal viewpoints.
“Somehow the connection between life and literature must be made by women,” Woolf wrote this in her diary in July of 1922 (109). She firmly believed that literature is a great vehicle for documenting everyday life for posterity and for reflection. Through her short stories, the reader can examine the connections between her life and her opinions, and they both shine through freely. Her aggravation in not being able to freely write of a woman’s body and frustration at women not being able to participate in all aspects of society are seen in “Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street.” Feelings of inadequacy and seeing through the falsities of society are prevalent in “The New Dress” where Mabel does not fit in with the rest of the party. “Sympathy” shows the reader the anxieties that women and society were feeling at the time over death, and the feelings one experiences after hearing of death, at a time when many young men were dying for their country. Finally, “An Unwritten Novel” examines the creative process of a woman writer attempting to create an interesting character. Woolf’s writings are a vehicle for her to express herself in a patriarchal and class-dominated society that had lived through unimaginable horror due to the First World War. MCWR

Margaret Atwood's Woman: The Journey to Define a Gender

What exactly does it mean to be Woman and why does being Woman set one apart? These questions are ones that Margaret Atwood seeks to explore thoroughly and answer, or not to answer, in her works. The Woman that Atwood seeks to find is not one type of woman only, nor is she one woman only. She is the soul of all women, the omnipresent spirit shared by women of all ages and histories. The women of Margaret Atwood’s short stories reflect many of the hardships and struggles of all women, exploring the feminine psyche especially through the lens of the isolation brought on by the very state of being Woman. Just as Atwood has sought to find Woman through her works, so has society turned to Atwood in search of the meaning of Woman.

Margaret Atwood’s works provide a veritable goldmine of fodder for the voraciously ambitious gender critic. Gender criticism seeks to find the underlying meaning of a piece by investigating the social position of women both at the time that the work was written as well as historically and then considering the implications of this history and context on the work. Both Atwood’s own life as a woman and the time in which she was raised have greatly informed her works. Her uncanny ability to communicate the needs of Woman through her characters in a very clear and human manner have made her works popular and relevant for as long as they have been in print. A thorough gender-based criticism of Margaret Atwood’s works must explore both Atwood herself and the histories that inspired her and that continue to guide her readers.
In my paper, I explore Margaret Atwood’s quest to define Woman in the context of Woman’s role in society, as a mother, and as a human being as well as Atwood’s struggle to define herself. “I am not a feminist,” Atwood tells Alan Twigg in an interview, “I am merely a woman writing about women. I have no agenda beyond being a woman (Twigg 138).” Atwood’s tender appreciation for the complexities of the female psyche and the needs of Woman both as an individual and as a member of society make her works believable and relevant to her audience. In addition, the often somewhat sinister aspects of her stories are lit from beneath by a light, amusing brand of humor and a sense for the ridiculous.

Through her stories Margaret Atwood explores the roles of women in society and the limitations that women both face and create for themselves as mothers and wives. The objectification of women, both that perpetrated by men and that contributed by women themselves, is one of the main aspects of womanhood that Atwood addresses, looking into the dynamics of relationships and the effects of these dynamics on women. Atwood’s focus on the role of woman in devaluing herself is one of the most striking features in her woman characters, especially through the characters of Sally, in “Bluebeard’s Egg,” and Sarah, from “The Resplendent Quetzal.” Atwood also addresses the threat of motherhood to a woman’s individuality and the often dehumanizing pressure of creating a family. In spite of the distinct feminist flavors that are present in many of her works, Atwood’s fascination with Woman is the life’s work of one of our era’s most brilliant author’s, not a political agenda or an extremist social commentary; Atwood merely asks that her readers view her women as they would view any woman, give her time, and consider her.

In reading the short stories of Margaret Atwood, I found countless stories that I would love to read again and again. Of the stories that I used in my paper, however, I would most recommend the story "Giving Birth," which follows the young soon-to-be mother Jeanie. Opening with an interesting discussion of the societal role of language and labels, the story progresses to an interesting and touching account of Jeanie's insecurities and fears as she faces becoming a mother and what implications this momentous event bears for her. (CCS)

Photograph by Jim Allen
Watercolors by Margaret Atwood, private collection

The Journey to Forgiveness

Most stories revolve around a hero who must voyage to save the world. To some the journey is more essential to the plot than the actual destination. A journey is more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it can influence a change of the self. Ursula K. Le Guin uses the journey motif in all her works because she enjoys using spiritual journeys in addition to actual voyages. A human mind wanders in much the same way as a traveler and it takes some longer than others to reach a certain judgment. However, to judge others too quickly is also a common fault as well as to form harsh opinions, whether on purpose or involuntarily. How does one find forgiveness? The theme of forgiveness is prevalent in Ursula K. Le Guin’s works especially in her short stories.
One must know himself before he can judge others. Whether it is right or wrong, people automatically judge others. Judgment and forgiveness go hand in hand and one must go through a journey of some kind to find out one’s own standing. In this way, forgiveness is a common theme in works of literature and in our day-to-day lives. To forgive others does not come naturally and sometimes it can be very difficult.
The use of consciousness is the main contributing factor to Le Guin’s popularity and fame. She understands that a mythological book can be both pleasing and informative when it pertains to the human mind and emotions. It is noted that Le Guin often uses a didactic approach to her work. In this way one can compare some of her efforts to how the Bible teaches moral behavior, such as forgiveness. Therefore by combining the psyche and the physicality of both people and nature, she is able to create believable and unique worlds that serve many purposes. JM

John Updike and His Controversial Themes

"When I write, I aim in my mind not toward New York but toward a vague spot a little to the east of Kansas.” This quote from John Updike supports the basis behind each and everyone of his many works. Whether it is his poetry, novels, short stories, newspaper articles or criticism, Updike utilizes common, intriguing, and often funny themes on which to base his stories. He captures the reader’s interest in the first paragraph of every story and holds it until the very end, creating great works for a vast variety of readers. His goal is to capture the interest of the people least expecting to be captured. In John Updike’s short stories, “A&P,” “The Women Who Got Away,” and “The Orphaned Swimming Pool,” he concentrates on writing about common yet unspoken of occurrences such as affairs, divorces, and rebellion. By writing on these topics, Updike entrances his readers by introducing unthinkable ideas that are rarely discussed at the diner table or in any polite social situation.

I chose to use gender criticism as my school of criticism when analyzing Updike's many works. The purpose of gender criticism is to criticize gender as society commonly conceives of it. Updike does not criticize nor look down upon either the male or female parts of humanity, however, he does point out the flaws in both males and females. He bashes the inhumane actions and the twisted morals of all people. He also describes in detail common rebellious actions that the average person typically ignores.

In “The Orphaned Swimming Pool,” the protagonists Ted and Linda Turner are a young and happily married couple. They live in their own house with their own backyard pool. They host block parties, go for midnight swims together and invite everyone they know over for lemonade and cookies. Linda and Ted then begin to suffer from a downward fall in their ever so romantic relationship. They move away, however, their pool still continues to run. The Turner’s neighbors take it upon themselves to fix up the pool and use it continuously throughout the summer. Unlike the pool with its rekindled use and enjoyment, the Turners marriage is hopelessly broken and they get divorced. When they split their belongings, everything gets claimed except for the unmovable pool which remains at the house growing old and dirty. The next owners of the house decide to cover the pool so it can never be used again. The covering of the pool is symbolic of society and its nature to “cover” anything that is out of the ordinary or taboo, such as the Turner’s divorce. Updike writes stories about situations such as the Turner’s to make people more familiar with and able to address and talk about the idea of getting divorced. Nevertheless, Updike is not supporting divorce. He is supporting the idea that if divorce is necessary then people who go through it should not be shunned from society.

This story in particular is just one example of how Updike addresses common yet unmentioned topics in his writings. In Updike’s “A&P,” “The Orphaned Swimming Pool,” and “The Women Who Got Away,” his dualistic literary style and technique are displayed. Updike is a skilled author and an excellent read for anyone seeking entertainment and controversial topics. I definitely recommend reading works from Updike's various genres to gain a real sense of his style and technique. (Elaborate Eucalyptus)

How the Early Works of Willa Cather Focus on the Struggling Artist

Willa Cather's short stories often focus on sensitive, alienated individuals and proceed to examine their varying degrees of success in conflict. In “The Sculptor’s Funeral”, “The Diamond Mine” and “A Death in the Desert”, Cather focuses on struggling artists and how they must make great sacrifices for their work. Each of the main characters faces these hardships in varying degrees due to their gender. While her novels remain at the center of her critical reputation, these three stories show how Cather also deserves recognition as an accomplished short story writer. In these stories the artists must make sacrifices for their art, and therefore are often regarded with a general suspicion and dislike by society.
In “A Sculptor’s Funeral” the body of a famous artist, Harvey Merrick, is brought back to his family upon his death. However, the family does not even have the decency to meet it at the train. The artist, Harvey, is portrayed as the hero of the story who left his unsupportive family in Kansas and went to the city to make his own life. The house and family do not seem to belong to Harvey, and show no trace of love or respect for him. When the neighbors arrive at the house they sit around and talk amongst each other in a friendly manner. After the family has gone to bed, the townspeople begin to degrade and complain about the dead Harvey. After awhile Harvey’s only friend, Jim, puts a stop to the discussion by reminding them of the boys in the town who were pressured to achieve great things and ended up dead. They are all afraid of Jim and listen while he tells of how much better Harvey was compared to the rest of them. The end is abrupt, but the picture has been painted of a young artist who struggled throughout his life. He was recognized as one of the best sculptors in the world, but his family never recognized him for anything but a failure. This theme again shows how the artist is often separated from society and misunderstood
The second story, “A Death in the Desert”, focuses on another death in a small Wyoming town. Everett Hilgarde is constantly being mistaken for his ten year older brother, Adriance. It would not be such a problem except that Adriance is a world famous composer and musician who is known and loved by everyone. In comparison Everett does not match up, even in his youth his mother blatantly preferred Adriance. As a result Everett has become slightly bitter and jealous of his brother. In Wyoming Everett happens upon an old pupil and friend of his brother, the beautiful Katharine Gaylord. Once a magnificent singer she is now bedridden with a sickness in her lungs. She longs for the good old days and goes so far as to request Everett’s company to ease her mind. Everett’s resemblance to Adriance soothes her and helps her believe her old love is with her. As weeks pass Katharine and Everett spend a lot of time together. Katharine reflects on her time in the spotlight and her unrequited love for Everett’s brother. Later it is understood that when Everett was younger he admired Katharine greatly and even went so far as to fall in love with her. The circle of unreturned love becomes a large part of the story and of the lives of these people. Although the reader is never introduced to Adriance, he is a familiar character because both Katharine and Everett revolve around him whether they want to or not. On the night of Adriance’s opening in Paris, Katharine becomes delusional and believes herself to be on the train to New York for one of her performances. Shortly thereafter she wakes only to call Everett by his brother’s name and then dies peacefully. Everett quickly prepares to leave Wyoming. While waiting for the train, a large German woman enthusiastically runs towards him and calls him Adriance. Similar to the beginning of the story Everett rudely tells the woman that he is Adriance’s brother, and with that he boards the train.
The final story “A Diamond Mine” is about a famous Opera singer, Cressida Garnet, who has everything in her life except love. Her fame and money bring false friends and an unsatisfied life. Cressida is heading towards her fourth marriage to a man who regards her as nothing more than a “diamond mine” of beauty, fame and wealth. Possibly the most telling event in the past was her love affair and marriage to a Bohemian named Blasius Bouchalka. He was an impoverished musician and composer with a history of bad luck and no prospects in New York. Upon his meeting of Cressida at a small restaurant he is described as being a wild, unpredictable and passionate man with an incredible talent for music. As he becomes a friend and later lover of Cressida he changes into a more laid back, normal man. Cressida surprises him one night by coming home unannounced and finds him with the maid in the bedroom. After a quick divorce, Blasius tells her he regrets what he did and swears it was only that night, and it is clear that his love and admiration for Cressida never changed. Blasius loved Cressida for her own sparkling personality and talent; he was never after her money, because he of all people knew what it was like to be poor and hungry. The story skips forward and tells of how Jerome used all of Cressida’s money on investments and stock market buys, she never cared for money except to make other people happy, but now must realize her mistake. One day on her way back from England she decides to take the grand sea monster the Titanic back home to New York. Sadly she never reaches her destination and dies with thousands of others. After her death the mad dash for her money begins as her family, friends, husband and son all fight for it. The narrator observes how these people regarded Cressida as a “natural source of wealth; a copper vein, a diamond mine”. The tragic story of this woman’s life is reflected in how hard an artist’s life can be, whether rich and famous or poor and unnoticed. The most significant aspect of Cressida was her diligence and tough exterior, because she did not crumble when others would have. Instead she held her head high and lived her life in the best way she could.
Out of the stories I read, I would recommend “A Diamond Mine” which shows that no amount of money or fame can buy happiness. It can be tricky to read because of the sequence of events, but the message is clear and the story really focuses on the relationships artists have with those around them. All three of these stories have sad endings that give a limited amount of closure to the reader; basically they stress defeat and death. However, Cather writes with a unique style and vast amount of knowledge on the subject of an artist’s life. Cather herself once said “Artistic growth is, more than it is anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness. The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is”. (HW)

Willing Victims

The early works of Fay Weldon, British novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, focus on the domination of male rulers and the plight of women in the patriarchal society. Many of her books exhume “the lives of women trapped by domestic duties, abusive, adulterous or neglectful husbands and the demands of small children” (Patten). Generally, the scapegoats of these situations are men. In some of her latest works, however, she begins pointing the finger at women as those to blame for their submissive, unequal role in society. For years, the male rulers of the patriarchal society have been blamed for the unequal status of women. This argument was valid when men were withholding the right for women to vote; however, Fay Weldon argues that the subtle sexism and the continuing inequality of today are actually caused in part by women.
In Wicked Women, one of Fay Weldon’s latest collections of short stories, Weldon explores why—after so many years of constitutional equality—women are still largely dependent on men, and why “women spend on average 25 hours on childcare and 20 hours on housework a week; men, 256 minutes on childcare, 10 hours on housework” (Dubino). Her investigation confirms that yes, women are the victims of a patriarchal society; however, their dependent mindsets make them the culprits. Although women are free to explore an endless amount of opportunities in society, many women still believe they must find a husband and be morally bound to him forever, they must have children and wait on them hand and foot, they must sacrifice their careers and dreams for the home. Women have been released into society with unlimited freedoms deemed by the government, men, and other women; nonetheless, this dangerous mindset of a woman can take her back centuries.
In End of the Line, the same conflict of women versus women is seen. A woman named Weena Dodds is a notorious seductress who breaks up multiple families. She is described as “the victim of no more than her whiteness, her privilege, as loving a family as she would allow, her education and her looks, all of which have helpless spoiled her until now she is as poisonous as a pampered rattlesnake” (40). In the story, she seduces Defoe Desmond, an aging man who once had glory days in his career, by flattering with him with her superficial interests. Weena immediately sets herself against the wife of Defoe, while encouraging him to be averse to his wife, as well. Weena fights Defoe’s wife, Elaine, through Defoe, who makes a complete 180 degree turn throughout the novel, from first loving his wife and then calling her a bitch, saying he hates her, and wishing she did not live with him. Weena also ruins her best friend’s relationship by sleeping with the girl’s boyfriend. At the end of these affairs, the women are weaker, insecure, and severely hurt. They are degraded and victimized not by men, but by their fellow women.
Nobody likes to be blamed for their own misfortune, but this mindset of women is what is victimizing the female gender. Women cannot fight for their rights, for they do not have a strong, unified front. Ironically, they fight amongst themselves by sleeping with each other’s lovers and calling each other “bitch” and “whore.” Additionally, women suffer from an inferiority complex that leads them to think of themselves as needy and dependent. Because their thoughts place them in this position, they find themselves in dependent relationships in their lives. In order for the female gender to advance, not only must women unite collectively, they must individually change these confining mindsets.
SW