Paper #3 Proposal

For the final paper in ENG 210, I am proposing to write about the social form of freedom.  I will analyze freedom within the texts, "A Mercy" and "On the Rainy River."  Within these two texts, freedom is shown in a variety of manners.  Some of these are a similar fashion, and some are quite different from each other.  For instance, in "A Mercy," there was a problem with the sense of freedom among Rebecca and the only true person with freedom was the Blacksmith.  The characters in this book, mainly the women, lost their sense of freedom when they lost Jacob.  This is contrary to "On the Rainy River" where Tim O'Brien feels his sense of freedom is lost when he is drafted for war, yet takes back his freedom by making his own decision about going off to war.  Although these are two different situations, there are elements within each story which discuss freedom- in different and similar ways.  Throughout my paper I will elaborate on these topics.

The Gothic Style Revisited

                Throughout the book, “The House of Seven Gables,” the Gothic style is represented through darkness, gloom, supernatural events, etc.   The house is strange and the people act somewhat unusual within the story.  Yet, the passage at the beginning of chapter seven shows a section where the Gothic style is not used. 

                Within the first few lines of chapter seven, the reader quickly realizes that the Gothic style is not being used at the moment.  For instance, Hawthorne says, “When Phoebe awoke- which she did with the early twittering of the conjugal couple of robins, in the pear-tree- she heard movements below the stairs, and hastening down, found Hepzibah already in the kitchen” (p.98).  Here, we have a totally different feel from the start of the passage.  It seems much sweeter and innocent with the chirping birds, pear tree, and working in the kitchen.  As the passage continues, we realize that Hepzibah is working in the kitchen to make breakfast which gives the reader a warm feeling inside, contrary to the cold and eerie feeling one gets from reading the Gothic style.  The sense of panic and uneasiness that one feels from reading in the Gothic style has disappeared in this section. 

Although the Gothic style is not sensed in these first few pages of chapter seven, it adds to the mystery of the book, therefore, furthering the Gothic style.  The mystery of the book is advanced because this section gives the reader a glimpse into what life in the house could have been like and therefore, adds to the eeriness of the Gothic style. 

The Gothic in "The House of the Seven Gables"

When I think of gothic, my first mental image is a haunted house.  Yet, upon further thinking and through class discussion, the gothic definition includes themes such as order vs. disorder, guilt, and the forgotten past affecting the future (to name a few).  In addition, some ideas which help build my current understanding of the gothic within literature include darkness, descriptive imagery, and supernatural events occurring.  Within “The House of the Seven Gables,” it is clear that these aspects are found within the text, which makes it gothic.  

In “The House of Seven Gables,” some of the supernatural events that occur are from the house itself.  In this sense, it is almost like the house is a main character also and is a part of the events which are occurring.  One of these events had to do with the well in the front yard.  Although this well was not directly connected to the house (like a door or a window would be), it relates to the supernatural events.  It says, “It was a curious, and, as some people thought, an ominous fact, that, very soon after the workmen began their operations, the spring of water, above mentioned, entirely lost the deliciousness of its pristine quality” (Hawthorne, p.10).  The well stopped working when the Pyncheon family moved onto the land.  It is erie and an ironic occurrence which leads me to believe that it has to do with a curse or something from the Maule family, since they previously owned the land and might be seeking vengeance from the death of Matthew Maule.  I could continue to contemplate this, but, the point is that it is a supernatural event which is occurring and playing a role in the story.  Furthermore, it also shows how the forgotten past affects the future.  Although some may have forgotten about the tragic events between the Maule & Pyncheon families, the situation with the well brings that history back into new light.  

The house itself proves to be spooky looking and it is described with great description by Hawthorne.  This is another sign that this text has the gothic theme to it.  Hawthorne says, 

“Its whole visible exterior was ornamented with quaint figures, conceived in the grotesqueness of a Gothic fancy, and drawn or stamped in the glittering plaster, composed of lime, pebbles, and bits of glass, with which the wood-word of the walls was overspread.  On every side, the seven gables pointed sharply towards the sky, and presented the aspect of a whole sisterhood of edifices, breathing through the spiracles of one great chimney...carved globes of wood were affixed under the jutting stories...” (p.11-12)

As you can see, this descriptive imagery allows the reader to explicitly picture the house which Hawthorne describes.  When I picture this house in my head, it looks like a haunted house with dark undertones and seems creepy.  This also shows the gothic within “The House of the Seven Gables” because one of the aspects which defines the gothic, to me, is darkness.  By the long description, we know that this house will play a large role in the story at hand.  Throughout the text, there are many examples of the gothic within “The House of Seven Gables” and the ones I elaborated on above are just a few.  However, based on the examples above, it is clear that the gothic is present within this book.  

Escape and Survival: Themes in "Big Two-Hearted River"

        When reading through Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River,” it is is written with themes and metaphors which contribute to the overall meaning of the short story.  These include nature/escape and grasshoppers/survival.

At the beginning of the story, we see Nick fishing.  Fishing allowed Nick to leave his thoughts of war.  He is trying to escape his old memories and fishing allows him to do this.  Nick describes how happy he was to be fishing again and how it made him happy.  This suggests that it allows him to escape those old thoughts and traumatic moments of war.  This also relates to the river.  Here, the river is similar to the significance of fishing.  Nick is able to forget about the traumatic events in his past and lose himself in nature; specifically the river.   

The grasshoppers come about on page 982 and are significant to the theme of survival.  In this scene, Nick is overlooking a village burned by a fire.  Here, he sees that the grasshoppers have survived.  They are black which signifies darkness or death.  They have been affected by what has gone on, yet have not been destroyed.  This is similar to how Nick has been affected by the war and has haunting memories, but has not let the memories of war completely wipe him out.  In this sense, we also see that Nick has respect for living things which is based on going through devastating events, such as war.  

As a reader can see by examining the short story, “Big Two-Hearted River,” the themes of nature/escape and grasshoppers/survival play an important role in understanding the meaning of the story.  

Decisions, Decisions: "On the Rainy River" Article Response (#2)

The article, “On the Rainy River,” presented a moral question which Tim asks the audience to self search and either relate to his internal struggle or determine how they personally would have handled the situation.  On page 56-58, Tim describes the many questions which he thought up while he was on the boat.  He was contemplating the decision he had made and whether or not it was one which he wanted to continue with.  As he is thinking about this, he wonders if others feel the same way and sees flashes of his past floating by him.  He sees himself as a young boy who runs around in his cowboy hat, playing little league baseball, attending his first prom, etc.  All these memories haunt him and make him question his decision; as well as, seeing all the important figures in his life, and even famous people.  He wanted to know how this decision would impact his life, his future.  

I would agree with many of his feelings on these pages.  Although serving ones country in war is an honor, I cannot say I would do it without wondering how my life would have been if I was not drafted.  I, too, would look back at my past.  I would remember moments which were special to me.  Such as, picking flowers in the field behind my house, selling lemonade on the corner, homecomings, band concerts, cross country races, or going camping.  I would imagine what I could have done with my life if I wasn’t going off to war.  I would long to be around little kids and teach them!  Just as Tim was going to college to pursue a career and dream, as am I.  If I were drafted and that seemed to be “taken away” from me, I would be sad.  

Similar to Tim, I would think of close family and friends.  These people would include my family (Mom, Dad, brother and sister), best friends, and extended family.  However, it would not be limited to these people.  My mind would wander to favorite teachers, ex-boyfriends, and youth group leaders.  These people all made a significant impact on my life.  It would seem like I am going away and never coming back.  Which, I believe, is similar to how Tim was feeling.  He was not sure whether or not he would come back alive or in the same physical/mental/emotional state that he was currently in.  It is one thing to say that it is an honor to serve ones country, and it is.  However, it is quite another to have hopes and dreams of serving your country in a different manner and being drafted into the war, forced to give up the life you have always known.  

Hamlet Response

Throughout the play, Hamlet, most characters are acting as if they are someone that they are not, but, they are all seeking the truth- including Hamlet.  This type of play is called meta-theatre and is a challenge to claim to be simply realistic.  It refers to the self consciousness of performing in the play itself.  Here, meta-theatre refers to Hamlet directly.  Hamlet is always performing and is under surveillance.  In fact, by viewing the online clips (the surveillance camera soliloquy- also seen in class), it was clear that when Hamlet walks into the conversation with Ophelia and Polonius, he realizes that he is in a play within a play.  Hamlet is an actor within an actor.  He takes on several different roles throughout the play.  Similarly, people take on different role in life and sometimes without control.  This can include family or a place where we are born into and how these things affect us.  Hamlet is born into royalty and must uphold a certain standard.  He must make sovereign decisions for his kingdom and act as a ruler.  Yet, he also takes on the role of revenge-seeker for his fathers death.  He feels this is his duty of being the King’s son and is called to do it.  Furthermore, he takes on the role of being crazy versus normal which is influenced by culture.  Hamlet tries to escape these roles several times and just be alone, yet he finds that someone is always watching.  This was seen in one of the clips where Hamlet tries to smash a surveillance camera in order to be alone.  Yet, even though it seems he is alone, he holds a one-sided conversation, rather than simply talking to himself.  It is as if he is still addressing the audience because he knows he is not alone.  The audience is always watching.  Hamlet decides that the only way to actually escape all these roles is death.  As one can see, this is an interesting factor because it adds more thought to the play and with more thought and interpretation from the audience or reader.  

"Parsley" by Rita Dove

My reaction in reading the poem, “Parsley” by Rita Dove, was different after listening to the poem than through simply reading it.  When I first started reading “Parsley,” it felt like I was reading a history text book.  In addition, I skipped over many of the spanish words.  All of these things changed when I heard the poem read aloud.  After hearing the poem, it sounded much more story-like and made more sense.  I heard the emotion coming through the poem.  I also heard the spanish words spoken and heard how the spanish words impacted the content of the poem.  The Spanish words held a significance throughout the life of the poem.  They emphasized the importance of L’s verses R’s in the Spanish language.  Only until I heard this through the speaking of the poem, did I realize this.  By understanding the Ls verses the Rs as an aspect within the poem, I felt I was better able to comprehend the poem to a fuller extent. 

Throughout the poem, the point of view is in first person, but, it is spoken by someone close to the general.  First person is evident through the text, for instance, Dove writes, “the cane appears in our dreams” (line 15)  and “we lie down screaming as rain punches through” (line 7).  Even though it is spoken in first person, we are unsure who is speaking.  I think this person is someone who is close to the general or even works for him, like maybe a servant or his right hand man.  Another reason this person must be close to the general is because he is able to write the first and second stanza.  In the first stanza, the setting is the sugar cane fields and the second stanza takes place in the palace.  The writer must have the ability to be in both places and close to the general.  In addition, this person also fears him. When Dove says, “the cane appears in our dreams...” it sounds like he is scared of getting killed and he fears the general.  This was my initial reaction while reading to the first section of the poem.  

As I continued to read, I assumed that the speaker in the second section of the poem was the general himself.  However, it wasn’t until I re-read the first line that I realized it says, “the word the general’s chosen is parsley” which clearly indicates someone else is speaking of the general.  It is the same person speaking from part one.  This person is watching the general struggle with the death of the general’s mother.  It is ironic because the general is pacing back and forth about who he is going to kill for the day.  He begins by thinking of whom to kill, moves onto thinking of his mother, and is only reminded he must determine who he must kill when he sees his war boots.  It even seems as though his mother becomes the person he is killing.  Almost as, if his mother (who is of African descent) can roll her R’s then why can’t they (they too of African descent)?  Dove writes, “God knows his mother was no stupid woman; she could roll an R like a queen” (line 58).  By saying this, he is justifying the killing that he is doing.  In the speaking of these words, I noticed that it gives the end of the poem an angry feeling.  I would not have as full of an understanding from when simply reading Dove’s poem, “Parsley,” as I do from hearing the words read aloud and expressed through human emotion. 

"When We Two Parted" by George Gordon

When We Two Parted by: George Gordon, Lord Byorn

When we two parted

In silence and tears,

Half broken-hearted,

To sever for years,

Pale grew thy cheek and cold,

Colder thy kiss;

Truly that hour foretold

Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning

Sunk chill on my brow-

It felt like the warning

Of what I feel now.

Thy vows are all broken,

And light is thy fame;

I hear thy name spoken,

And share in its name.

They name thee before me,

A knell to mine ear;

A shudder comes o'er me-

Why wert thou so dear?

They know hot I knew thee,

Who knew thee to well-

Long, long shall I rue thee,

Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met-

In silence I grieve,

That thy heart could forget,

They spirit deceive.

If I should meet thee

After long years,

How should I greet thee?-

With silence and tears.

When We Two Parted by George Gordon, Lord Byron is a poem written of a broken-hearted lover.  However, it does include sarcastic undertones to the situation which he writes about.  This poem also has a structure which makes it aesthetically pleasing and intriguing to the reader.  The aesthetics of the poem include the rhyming and structure of the poem. 
        The rhyming of the poem is significant to notice here because it follows an A-B-A-B format.  As one can see, there are different types of rhymes within each stanza.  The odd and even verses have differing rhyme structure.  This rhyming format provides the poem with a sing-song or musical sound throughout the stanzas.  Another attribute to the way the poem flows deals with the stress on the syllables in the poem lines.  Each line has two syllables which are accented.  For instance, in line 3, the stress is as follows- “half-broken-hearted.”  This also helps us derive different meanings from the poem itself.  As we can see with this example, the poem does not have a meaning of heartbreak but rather taking a cynical view on the topic of a broken heart.  

Further insight on When We Two Parted can be seen from the structure of the poem.  For starters, the poem is divided into four stanzas and eight verses within each stanza.  Each stanza discusses a different emotion that Byron feels toward his lover.  Furthermore, the poem switches from first person to plural and singular.  In the first and last stanza, there is plural used, however, in the second and third stanza, there is first person used.  An example includes when it says, “When we two parted” in the first stanza (showing plural) and “I hear thy name” in the second stanza (showing singular, first person). It seems as if this shows a sense of the author reflecting as he writes.  Not only that, but there is an element which adds to the aesthetics of the poem.  This element is that of coldness.  In the second and third stanzas this is especially prevalent.  It refers to these elements of cold throughout the poem.  This is a reflection of the mans feelings toward the woman which the poem is written about.  In addition, the first and last verses of the poem are close in wording,  yet, contrasting in meaning.  The first few lines discuss Byron’s passion toward the woman.  Whereas, the last lines suggest how the woman forgot and deceived him.

Overall, the aesthetics of When We Two Parted are evident through the rhyming, structure, and wording.  The canter to the poem and the meaning of the poem are expressed in creative manners which show the artistic elements of which Byron wrote.  All these elements create a poem which is almost musical to read, entertaining to decipher, and sarcastically intriguing.