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| URSULA K. LEGUIN at postdefiance.com |
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| WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE |
Option 1: From which short story in our folder can we learn the most about the human condition? Explain your choice.
Option 2: From which act or scene in Othello can we learn the most about the human condition? Explain your choice.
94 comments:
I think we can learn the most about the human condition by reading the short story, “Barn Burning”. Written in 1939 by William Faulkner, the story is “an examination of a boy’s struggle with family loyalty and a higher sense of justice.” In this story, two characters are complete opposites and are good representations of the different types of people in everyday society. The father, Abner Snopes, is a truly evil man. He is known throughout the story as harsh and emotionless with pebble-colored eyes. He feels that he is able to get revenge on anyone that he feels has wronged him at some point during his life. One of the most evil and biggest mistake Snopes makes is choosing to start the barn on fire. This awful decision of his led to his destruction, rightfully. On the other hand, Snopes’s son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes, known as Sarty is a young ten-year-old boy. He is complete opposite of his father though. His father’s actions make him angry and as much as he doesn’t want to submit to them, he does in order to not get abused. He is more like his mother, gaining her innocence and morality. Towards the end of the story, he tells on his dad to the owner of the barn, ultimately leading to his father’s death. These two characters symbolize two different types of people in this world. There are those out to get revenge and make others lives miserable, but there are also those who have huge hearts and want to do good in the world. A large portion of the human condition isn’t like the dad and these people make the world a better place by helping others.
7 Waldner
We can learn the most about the human condition from Hemingway’s story, “Hills Like White Elephants” because this story reveals the human tendency to want to experience the “pleasure” of sinful acts, but avoid the negative consequences. The man and girl are in the midst of an affair, traveling and having “fun,” but have received a white elephant gift: a baby. The man’s first thought is for the girl to have an abortion. His choice is the same choice that most humans would choose, the quick, easy, and self-serving one. The man doesn’t care about the baby, the girl, or the grandparents who will be losing their first grandchild without even knowing. I think that most people are like this as well. If a student is caught drinking, they don’t want all of their friends and family to know. They want the easiest way out, and for it to be kept quiet. The man in this story is very prideful, and I think pride is what makes us act selfishly like he did when faced with a difficult situation. Pride ruins everything.
I think that Act 2, Scene 1 when Iago is talking about what he thinks about women, he is giving readers insight about the human condition. He says that, essentially, all women are whores. He is doing what we all do naturally, being cynical and assuming things. It’s a lot easier to assume things than to actually do research or try to get to know someone. Even if he is joking, what he is saying can still tell us much about his character. He says that even if a woman is smart but ugly, she will be smart enough to get a guy to sleep with her, and that if she is stupid but pretty, she will be even more attractive to men. He then describes the perfect woman and says that she can only be found staying at home raising babies and clipping coupons(after cleaning the kitchen, of course). He is stereotyping women before trying to understand them, an act that is repeated by so many today as we stereotype gays, Christians, football players, Muslims, straight people, liberals, and conservatives. It is natural for us to be judgemental, because just like the analysis of the short story in my first paragraph, pride keeps us from judging ourselves first. So we criticize our neighbor for having a speck in his eye while we have a huge log in our own. Dealing with ourselves first requires humility, which is learned. Pride ruins everything.
From the few short stories we have analyzed in class, one stood out to me as an explanation to the human condition, Barn Burning by William Faulkner. This story is all about a family who lives under the wing of their father. This story is about the adjusting to life and the environment around you, in which we do everyday. The human conditions we live under gives us all a sense of power, to either rule or abide. Families are a good example of the human conditions because usually a parent sets all the rules. In the story Barn Burning, the father is the dominant character holding evil power over submissive family members, by burning barn after barn after things don’t go quite his way. The family usually steps aside and is forced to move town after town. In life we are raised from the start to abide by our rules given by elders. Just as the young boy abides by his father’s rules, although he has a different perspective on the idea. Some submissive, step up. If the story were to continue on instead of death, I believe the little boy would have stood out to his father.
6 Bose said…
Based upon the short stories we have read so far in class, I believe that we can learn many things about the human condition based off of the short story “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner. This story was one of my favorites. It is a story about a boy with an abusive and controlling father. The boy must learn how to show honor to his family and respect them or do what is right and just. This is difficult for the boy to accomplish because if he does what is just, that is seen as inappropriate or he is shamed by his family and is punished physically by his father. This gives us a good look at good versus evil. It can be hard to do what is right sometimes based upon how we will be judged by others including friends, or in this case, family. You do not want to disappoint your family but deep down you know what is right. The boy is very similar to his mother. They are in the same circumstances as dealing with their father. They both have good mortality and want to do what is right but know that if they do, they will get struck by their father/husband. This shows how the human mind is constantly being pulled in many different areas all the time. Right versus wrong, good versus bad, evil versus heroic, all of these actions take place in our minds everyday and we must decide what to do and what the repercussions may be. These consequences are sometimes more dangerous than the action we are about to take, therefore we do what may not be right but to save us from what may come or happen to us if we decide to do the right thing. This sounds awful but it is a human instinct to save us from danger. This story really brought out those characteristics of the human condition.
As I have previously mentioned (several times), Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite authors so naturally I chose to examine his short story "The Black Cat". This story is one of an unnamed author is who abusive and murderous. The narrator, writing in his prison cell, is scheduled to be put to death by being hanged. This story shows the deterioration of the human mind and the destruction caused by us. The narrator of the story is unable to stop, slow down, or even reverse his mental deterioration. Said unnamed author is destroying himself after the killing of his pets and his wife not far after.
Othello is riddled with subjects such as racism, sexism, hate, and love. Act 3 shows a power struggle between Othello and Desdemona that is causing their love and happiness to slowly break down. Othello wants control over Desdemona, his new wife. Othello uses her love to make her seem vulnerable. Vulnerability is a common theme throughout this play as it shows the vulnerability of people dealing with other people. Emotions and attitudes in this play help develop this idea among characters.
The short story that we learn the most about the human condition is Jacobs’s “The Monkey’s Paw”. The reason why can learn so much from this story is because every person experiences temptation just like the family in this story is tempted by the foreign paw. This temptation comes with a warning, much like the many temptations people come across.
The other lesson taught through this story is that every action has a consequence. The couple wishes to gain wealth and tragically lose their son in order to gain money. Then they wish to have him back and end up with the zombified version of him. These magical wishes are a metaphor for making quick and thoughtless decisions that can impact the rest of one’s life.
These lessons show how humans are most of the time very quick to take action without thinking things through and ending up in a world they could never dream of.
The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs provides the most insight into the human condition of the stories in the short story folder. It shows the arrogance, greed, and thirst for power that encompasses humans and how these lead to the harsh downfall of humanity.
The man is approached with a magic monkey paw that can grant wishes and is told of the danger and power that it possesses, but he is too intrigued to stop himself. He does not heed the warning of the friend who brought the trinket, and uses it to have his wishes granted. He believes that he can use the paw correctly to avoid the misfortune of the previous owner whose third wish was for death.
After realizing the danger of the paw following his son’s death, the father does not want to use the paw for another wish. His wife, however, has an idea in the middle of the night to resurrect their son. She wants to play God. Humans are always in search of more and more power. Humans cannot be satisfied with what they are given. The couple had everything they needed, but the greed and lust for power took their beloved son’s life.
Hours after wishing his son back to life, the couple hear a knock at the door. The wife is eager to answer it, while the husband is fearful. She hurries to answer the door while the father races to find the paw to wish for his son’s death. The story ends with a “loud wail of disappointment” from the wife and then she is comforted by her husband. The pattern of the third wish being for death was followed. History repeats itself if humans do not break the pattern and learn from the mistakes of the past, which is why history is such a critical subject to teach in schools.
“Hills like White Elephants” teaches us about human condition the most because it shows the selfish thoughts a human can have. The man wants the pleasure of the sinful act but does not want to deal with the consequences. He would rather end the consequence without any thought than take responsibility for his actions. The man chooses the quick and selfish way to deal with the circumstance: abortion. The woman dismisses the issue and does not want to talk about it. People often do this, they know that an issue needs to be addressed but instead of confronting the problem we just push it in the back of our mind wishing for it to go away. The couple is living life lavishly and without a care. They do not think about the consequences about any of their actions. Many people live this way. The couple is worrying about their own fun and their selfish ways. The man does not even think about how the woman will feel after the abortion or even that he is taking away a human life. The woman will do anything to keep the man happy and in her life. She even asks if she does this if they will be happy again and if he will love her. Women are being told to submit to men and their happiness all too often. Both the man and the woman is being selfish in this situation. Selfishness can destroy one another.
1 Klumpp
From the short stories we have read in class, I believe we can learn the most from Faulkner's "Barn Burning." This story stood out the most to me out of all the short stories we've read. He struggles to please his family or to do what is right and just. The two main characters in the story are complete opposites. The father is seen as an abusive,cold, and heartless man. While the boy is seen as quiet and innocent. He lives in constant fear of being hit by his father. We typically see parents as our "protectors", while in the Barn Burning the father harms the family. The father is also constantly forcing the family to do things such as pick up and move. We see that the boy eventually gets his "revenge" in the end of the story and simply walks away. He is released from a life of abuse from his father.
Out of all the short stories in the folder that we read, the one I think we can learn the most about human condition would be “Barn Burning” written in 1939 by William Faulkner. This story stood out to me the most out of all them, and enjoyed this one the most. The human condition we live under gives us the choose to either follow the rules or go against them. There are two characters in this story whose personalities differ greatly and have to make decisions that they might not want to in order to avoid harsh punishment. Abner Snopes is the father in this story and is a big part throughout the short story. He is evil throughout the short story and seems to be very emotionless. He views himself above others and overall is a very evil guy. One of the wrongdoings Snopes choose to do, was set the barn on fire. But unlike Snopes, he has a son Colonel Sartoris Snopes. Colonel Sartoris Snopes is very different from his dad, and ends up telling the owner of the barn that his dad burned the barn down, which eventually led to his dad’s death. Sartoris is not evil like his father, but follows his dad’s rules to escape from being abused. He choose to follow his dad’s rules so he would not be hurt, even though he did not want to follow them. Just like the characters in the story, we all make decisions that we may have a different opinion on but choose to do anyway.
1 Peltier
When it comes to relating to the human condition I believe that Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning” connects the best and in fact is one of my favorites. The greatest part is the theme, the conflict between loyalty to his family and loyalty to honor and justice. This is greatly demonstrated through a 10 year old boy. In the short story the young boy, Sarty, has to choose whether to be loyal to his blood family, his dad, or so what he believes is right. Sarty knows that his father was wrong for burning down the barn, but his father constantly reminds him the importance of family and sticking with your blood. His father says, “You got to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.” He is pretty much telling him if he does not stick with his family and back them up he is not going to have anyone to turn to when he needs help. This story relates to the human condition greatly. It may not feel like it but we are faced with choosing to go with what we are taught is right or what we believe to be right everyday. You can either go with what your parents have told you is the right thing your whole life or you can go with what you believe to be right based off of your life experiences. In the back of our minds we wonder if going against our families beliefs will get us shunned from the family. Therefore we usually end up going along with the morals we were taught so that we do not upset our family and then they leave us behind with no one to turn to. This can be one of the most difficult decisions. Another human condition it relates to is abuse. Saltry’s father verbally abuses him, which is relevant to situations that some people unfortunately experience everyday. Fortunately he is able to escape a lifetime abuse from his father. We are taught that family is family and that they will stand behind or beside us our whole lives no matter what. However when it comes to Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” we question all of this, which leaves us wondering.
2 Oren
I believe that we can learn a lot from "Hills Like White Elephants" written by Ernest Hemingway in 1927. This probably will not be a popular choice for people to write about but I certainly think this story shows a lot about human condition. I do not remember who said it but at one point someone said: "We are what we repeatedly do". This does not just isolate the good, but also the bad and the ugly. We can assume that this is not the first time this girl has been in this bind but she keeps letting herself be stepped on because that is what she is used to. As humans we find comfort in what we repeatedly do. Anyone outside of this situation would look at this girl and tell her that she needs to get away from him. She, however, feels fine. As humans when we do something for so long, we become blind to the negative effects that are blatantly obvious to others. To sum it up, human condition is about comfort, we do not like exploring that which we do not know. Even if this means putting yourself in a toxic situation or relationship at least it is what is familiar to you.
2 Brett Hoffman
The short story we can learn the most about the human condition would be "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". Farquhar is sentenced to hang, as he has a rope around his neck and is ordered to walk out onto a plank. As he stands, seeing his death approach, he starts to imagine and put things together seeing that the rope is tethered. He figures once the plank leaves his footing, he will try to fall hard so the rope breaks and he can get into he water and hopefully get away. While the reading presumes, we are feeling as though we are in his side hoping he can escape such a miraculous escape. While the story ends, we figure out that he was imagining the whole thing and ends up dying, which seems harsh to compare to human condition, but, indeed, he had the imagination in which put himself to a position where he wishes that he was. Much like the human condition, we try to imagine life or strive for the best part in life when in reality it may try to kick us to the ground, but it is always a possibility in which it may happen. Sometimes even seem so realistic like it did for Farquhar, yet, that did not stop him from trying his hardest to believe what he was thinking was the actual and complete facts. Human condition is a lot about imagination, somewhere there was a dream for a person in which they may try to follow that dream or just let it kick them and not come true, but still, imagination is massive for humans.
1 Gloege
The story that stood out to me as the best example of the human condition is Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”. The story is set in 1927, which is a time in our history when women did not have a say in nearly anything. It shows how selfish humans can be in the things that we do, and how everyone is prone to putting themselves and their own needs above others. At one point in the story, the man and woman are talking about an abortion. The man says “It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” and the reader can see that he is grouping the two together when talking about his opinion, making it both of theirs. This is seen a lot in many people today. In this time period, it is common for someone to forget that others opinions matter and only focus on themselves and their success. The way that these two chose to handle this situation is also very relatable for some. Instead of dealing with the consequences of their actions, they decide to get rid of it completely. In life this happens often. When things get hard, people tend to give up and stop trying. This is a good lesson to us about how we need to persevere and never quite just because something becomes difficult.
I believe we can learn most about the human condition in “Barn Burning” by William Falkner. The fact that the main character, Sartoris, is the common small boy with no spine with a father that is trying to toughen up his son. As readers, we understand Sartoris’ struggle with trying to be loyal to the law but also his family. Often we feel the need to stick to our family even though we may view things differently. Abner Snopes, Sartoris’ father is also very believable when we see he obviously has PTSD from serving in the war. Many families deal with this struggle when their parents have served in wars and dealt with injuries and stress. Throughout the entire story we can find ways of connecting with the characters on a level of how they act and mannerism they have. Stories like “My Kinsman, Major Molineux” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a very unbelievable story as he is going through some kind of hellish portal and meets a devilish man with horns and red eyes. This is the most believable story I think and was the easiest to comprehend and connect with on a personal level.
We can learn the most about human nature in Othello through Act II, scene 3. It reveals the most evil side of human nature through Iago.
“And what’s he then that says I play the villain?
When this advice is free I give and honest”
In these two lines, Iago is justifying his corrupt ways by saying if my advice is good, how can I be considered evil? Iago throughout the play is two faced and a phony. He deceives his friends throughout the play and makes them truly believe that he is helping them. I'm sure by the end of the play someone will figure out how treacherous Iago is. This is true in real life also; there will be people who come into our lives and trick us into thinking they are our friends. They justify their actions in their head and are left with an inescapable habit of deception. He is selfish and does these unruly acts for the sole purpose of benefitting himself.
I think the short story we can learn the most about human condition would be “The Monkey's Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. One part of human condition “The Monkey’s Paw” touches on is curiosity. The sergeant comes to join them for the night as he just got back from India. He is telling of stories of war and strange people when Mr. White remarks: “I’d like to go to India myself”. To this the soldier tells him he should be better where he is at. This sparks the interest of Mr. White since he was just hearing of all these amazing things. Mr. White brings up the Monkey’s Paw. Quickly the sergeant tries to move on and gloss over the subject, but that only increases the interest of Mr. White. I think this shows our tendency to be curious about things that may harmful or even be more curious the more strange and harmful they could be. I also think “The Monkey’s Paw” teaches about the human nature to be selfish and do stuff for our own gain. This is evident when Mr. White’s first wish is for money. He wants more money so he can move on from this terrible poor life he has (or so he thinks). After he gets this money by having his son die in a machine accident at his work. His second wish is bring him back to life. This is selfish because his son is probably all torn up and a mess from being thrown through the machinery. Their son would be alive but he would always be in pain and look horrible. Lastly I think ‘The Monkey’s Paw” teaches that humans are always trying to have ultimate control over everything. The whole moral of this short story is that tampering with fate is harmful for the tamper. But even knowing what the monkey’s paw was created for Mr. White and the sergeant and the previous man all used their wishes to try to get what they want and to see if they could control their own future.
Finch 1
We can learn most about the human condition from the short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. It tells about a man living in a time where everyone is supposed to be completely and 100% equal. This story tells about how humans have an inner desire to fit in and be treated fairly. Of course, utterly textbook, strict conformity is clearly not the way to go. Unless we want to end up like Nazi Germany. Which we don't. If you want to be different from people, then you can be different from people. It doesn't even matter. Your life shouldn't be dictated by everybody else, or by someone else. In the story, there are no unique skills or talents and everyone is almost exactly the same dull, selfless self. What a boring way to live. If you can even call it living. The fact that it is in 2081 just goes to show that Vonnegut feels human culture is spiraling out of control and will one day run itself head-first into the hard ground, and probably explode on impact, given all the stupidly inane grasps at being offended and desperate pleas for unnecessary equality. Both of which are things that people insist on in an amount that is only increasing as days go by.
6 Sadler
Out of all of the short stories, Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” in particular, stood out to me the most. It requires a great deal of thought to figure out what it is about. And when you finally discover that the story is about an abortion, you want to re-read it and catch all of the details you may have missed the first time. This story best relates to the human condition because women have less of a say in things than men do, especially in the 1920’s--when this story was based. I am positive that situations like this still happen today--men pressuring women to do something they do not necessarily want to do. It also relates to the human condition because women tend to say they are fine even when they are not, just like the girl in this story.
Literature can teach readers a lot about society from the past and present. Authors hide hidden meanings and messages all throughout their works, hoping readers are able to take things from them and apply them to real world situations. In W. W. Jacob’s “The Monkey’s Paw” , I think readers are able to learn the most about the human condition. Much like in society, the novel portrays greed and the desire of power all throughout the story. Even with a warning, the man is eager to make a wish, hoping that his wishes and desires would be granted. It is as if he wants to see for himself if the paw would actually grant his so called wish. His greed also takes over for the desire of pleasure and happiness. This is much like in society, people are skeptical of many things and need to see for themselves. For instance, many of us have been warned millions of times about the effects of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. However, many people still try them. Perhaps they are curios. After the man’s first wish, his son dies. However, their wish was still granted, which was money. After weeks of grieving, the mother has a wish, hoping that her son is able to be brought back. After a loved one has died, many would probably want the same time. However, knowing that the wishes could come true, would you wish for a loved one to come back? She is trying to play the role of God and do something that is impossible. Much of our lives are trying to obtain something like a car or a new house because greed takes over.
2 Nick Rise
In my opinion “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway speaks the most about the human condition. Our behavior is shaped by our uneasiness of bringing up things that are difficult to talk about. Bringing up the “elephant in the room” an obvious expression used clearly within this short story. The reference of the “white elephant” directly correlates to the hidden questions and the desire to know what the other in the conversation is thinking of in relation to it. If they know about it, if they support you or are against you, are definitely important things to know, but are hard to bring up. Another theme to the story may be a little more of a stretch, but it is common within people which is why it speaks to the human condition. Drinking to forget. At first drinking is used to start the conversation and to make everyone a little less agitated or on edge about “elephants.” This later becomes a distraction piece to avoid talking about the subject at hand. It is to be noted I have not referenced the actual subject being talked about (in a way it’s my elephant), but it is unneeded. See the human condition involved in this story is the redirection of giving straight answers and the difficulty in sharing emotional information along with asking about emotional topics that leave one vulnerable or able to be left alone. Of course the human condition truly has to do with abortion and feminist ideals, but to me that is just the story and the message of the story has to do with hiding behind apathy and not showing one’s true thoughts and feelings or not being able to discuss things because they are difficult.
Personally, I think we can learn the most about the human condition from Hemingway’s story, Hills Like White Elephants. When first reading this story I was very confused and did not understand what it meant. Upon realizing the meaning behind it though, I was touched. We learn not just about the human condition, but man and woman as individuals to their core. The man does not have to carry the child and just expects the woman to abort it. But the woman has a human being growing inside of her-a miracle of God. That is not something you can just get rid of in a back alley of Spain. We see a huge difference between man and woman here: woman thinks more and feels more selflessly. The man is being incredibly selfish thinking only of how this baby will affect him. He is forcing the woman into this as men did to women for years. The woman is too scared of living in society without this rich man supporting her to go against his will. Being submissive is something women had been taught for generations while the men were taught they were better simply because of their gender. Why are humans like this? Who said men were better in the first place? We can not know those answers simply from this story, but we can have some insight on the impact these thoughts have on people. A child died in this story simply because one party, the party NOT CARING THE CHILD IN THEIR BODY MIND YOU, did not want it to tarnish their reputation.
I think one example of a short story that we have read that explains about the human condition is “My Kinsman Major Molineux”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It shows the human condition when the mob is going down the street, by showing that we should (as George Carlin said) “never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups”. Another quote that explains the human condition (by Oliver Wilde) is "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth”. When the man paints his face red and black, he becomes a rallying leader for the mob, which follows him blindly. This personally reminds me of “A Tale of Two Cities”, by Charles Dickens, when the mob is blindly trying to attack the people carrying Roger Cly’s coffin, then steadfastly decide to help bury the dead, whilst gaining numbers travelling down the street, like the mob in Hawthorne’s work. Another detail of Hawthorne’s story that stood out to me was the part when Robin (the protagonist, and nephew of the man being carried by the mob) laughs along with the crowd--laughing the loudest, at that.
Another story from our roster that I identified as related to the human condition was “Pantaloon in Black”, by William Faulkner. While playing off stereotypes, this shows a lot about the human condition. The aunt, when told of Rider (the protagonist)’s wife’s death, she offers to console him and tells him that he needs Jesus, showing the human nature of caring for each other (perhaps), but it also shows human nature's dastardly, self-harming qualities when Rider drinks and gambles and smokes, retracting into his prior-defeated bad habits. This may shown how human nature may inevitably be destroyed by ourselves, as when offered help, Rider (man) goes astray from it.
In my opinion, the short story, "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway is a wonderful example of the human condition. Out of all the short stories in the folder, I believe this one truly hits people's deepest emotions. The story is about a man and a girl who are very adventurous. Their plans consist of traveling and having fun, until an unexpected white elephant gift shows up: a baby. The man wants to have it aborted and is constantly trying to talk the girl into it. He keeps telling her that everything will go back to the way it was before. However, she knows that nothing will be the same if she gives up her baby. She is not okay with aborting this baby, but she also doesn't want to the man to leave her. She asks him if he will be happy again and if he will love her again if she goes through with it. It is depressing that the girl has to beg for "love" from this man. This story reminds me of a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship. The poor, young girl is getting pressured into making a life altering decision by a man who doesn't even love her. He would rather have his own life stay the same than take care of HIS OWN BABY. He is willing to commit the sinful acts, but wants a way out when it results in "negative" consequences. There are a lot of teenagers who either have children, or are currently pregnant. In a lot of those type of situations, the father of the child is not apart of the child's life, however that is not always the case. It confuses me that men are not held accountable for the responsibility of their own child. However, if a woman were to do the same thing she is considered a monster. I think this short story has a lot of hidden truth of what peer pressure and pride can do to a person. Your decisions affect, yourself, other people, and your future and I do not believe everyone realizes that.
I think the story “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner is a story that portrays two different types of the human condition. Written in 1939, Barn Burning tells a story of a father and a boy who are much different from each other representing the different types of people in our society. Abner Snopes, the father, represents the evil that lies within man. Every man has some evil lying within but some are more prominent. His son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes represents the pureness, innocence, and courage in man. Sartoris yearns to make the right decision regarding his father's evil behavior but hesitates in fear of being abused. Abner believes, like many people in our society, that if someone wrongs him the only way to respond is through violence in this case burning people's barns to the ground. His son knows his father is doing wrong as does his wife, but they do not want to ruin their family by turning Abner in. Through the progression of the story Sartoris moral check becomes too great to handle so he finally gains the courage to warn the Major de Spain of his father plans. Examining each of the characters you are able to compare them to real life individuals. Some believing in doing the right thing and have strong morals others are evil and believe the only way to resolve a problem is through violence. People like the son are the ones who give hope that not everyone is evil in this world.
Hammond 7
While I enjoy both the short stories and Othello so far, I must go with option 1 and short stories. I haven't read enough Othello yet to make a proper assessment of option 2. I personally felt like "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" explains a lot about humans. It portrayed the human condition in many different ways. The hostility of the townspeople towards strangers akin to people's distrust of the unknown. The bartender's spin on a dime from polite to hostile when he learns about Robin's true purpose for being there. The kindness of the single gentleman. The cult nature of the mob of foreign tongued people. However I feel like the climax with the Major being tarred and feather is the most important lesson and representation. Robin's choice in a way represents humanities choice; do we stick to our guns, or follow social norms? But then Robin could also be described as either selfish, or shrewd. While his choice of laughter saved him, which is shrewd, he forsake his relative who was willing to give him his fortune (what a way to pay him back). The counter argument could then be made that had he not laughed, he too would've been tarred and feather, thus rendering his "good deed" useless. Speaking also from a biological standpoint, in this day and age with our technology and large, developed brains, being altruistic could be argued as pointless. This I think is where humanity comes in. Our brains are both old and new, decisions based on high level society or basic levels of survival are at war, and I think that the short story "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" best shows this war in human nature.
I believe we can learn the most about the human condition through William Faulkner’s short story, “Barn Burning”, in 1939. The two main characters in “Barn Burning” are portrayed to the reader as complete opposites. Abner Snopes is the father who controls his family and is physically violent. Abner’s son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes, had been physically abused by his father throughout the short story. Colonel Sartoris Snopes is a ten year old boy who is reflected as the opposite of his father. “Barn Burning” shows us as readers that even when you are in a tough situation, you do not want to disappoint your family. When Abner was in court for starting a barn on fire and his son was to testify against him, Colonel Sartoris knew what was right but he did not want to disappoint his father and family. Sarty, nickname given for Colonel Sartoris, was scared when asked questions but then he was asked to leave due to the fact that he was being put on the spot for what his father had done. Abner was then told to leave the country and never come back. As readers, we learned that when given another chance use the opportunity wisely to start a new chapter in our lives. Abner did the opposite, he moved out of town but still managed to start barns on fire and fell back into his groove of causing trouble.
The short story that stood out to me the most would have to be “Hills Like White Elephants” and the reason for this is because is has a major live event that people can find interest in. This story ends with the fact that there was an abortion and how the women wanted to continue on with the pregnancy but the man does not think that it is right and wants the abortion. It is just a feud between man and woman. Its sad to hear about stories that are gloomy and surprising as well. But, I like that it had a different meaning than most people believe it is. It is the simple sins that people are pleasured by. It is part of human nature. We all will go through events like this and it is so similar to reality.
I think the short story barn burning is a fantastic story that was not only my favorite but also has an inside view of the human condition. The story’s protagonist, Sarty, is a young boy forced through his father’s issues. I think it is extremely relevant with the fact that it is less common to have parents together than it is to have parents divorced. The aggressive father, with an extremely fearful family--especially mother--puts a lot of pressure on the son. Sarty wants to do the right thing and would rather help than harm. Sarty, unlike many other malleable teenagers minds, understand the difference from right and wrong even though his terrible examples in his life tells him differently. At the end he knows that burning the barn is illegal and tries to go warn the family so they can get their animals out. This boy not only shows patience but also kindness to his father. He thinks of running away and getting away from the negativity of his father--but he is loyal like his father taught/threatened him to do.
6 Bender
He takes more on his mother's side and does not approve of his father’s evil interest in burning. His father’s addiction is compared to other addictions. The story says “that the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his father's being, as the element of steel or of powder spoke to other men.” I find this showing some of the human condition we see today of additions to other things like money and fame and the common drug and alcohol addictions. Human condition is easily tempted to fall to idols that seem to be a good thing at the time. One would think that the father would learn from his first mistake. The son and mother try to keep the father from doing this but he has not learned. Over all this is a great short story with many things to be learned.
1 Wardlow
I think we can learn most about the human condition from the short story “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner. The human condition is the key events and situations that make us who we are. I think “Barn Burning” displays this. In this short story a young boy is the son of a criminal. In one part he lies to the judge. The way the boy talks about lying the reader can tell he has done this before. When describing the boy before he lied to the judge Faulkner wrote “He aims for me to lie, he thought, again with that frantic grief and despair. And I will have to do hit” (2). This makes the reader believe that the boy will grow up to be like his father burning barns and running from the law. Faulkner wrote “the terrible handicap of being young” describing why the boy could not escape from his father even if the boy understood that what the father was doing was wrong (7). The boy’s age prevented him from standing up for himself when his father beat him or made him lie. The events that take place in somebody’s childhood really can shape who they turn out to be in the end. However, the boy in this novel escaped the fate of becoming like his father. At the end of the short story he ran away. He will get a new beginning. The short story takes place in the spring which is a time of new growth and birth for plants and animals. In this short story the boy got the chance at a new life when he ran away from his lying criminal father. “Barn Burning” truly is a coming of age story.
Kribell 6
I believe there is a lot to learn about the human condition in Act 2 of Othello. More so of the evil side of humanity than of the good side. The side where our true inner selves can come out. Our manipulative, cruel, and wicked side. An example is of Iago's manipulation of Cassio. He uses Cassio's weakness (alcohol) to plot against him. Iago even corrupts Roderigo and acts as a friend and mentor but in reality he is just using him. This is why I think Act 2 is a good example of the human condition.
Schroeder pd. 6
Out of several short stories that our class has read this far into this quarter, I would say the one that stuck out to me was Hemingway’s short story, “Hills Like White Elephants”. Hills Like White Elephants was written in the late 1920’s. During this time men were more dominant and women weren’t treated with much respect compared to nowadays. This is very easy to see just in the first couple paragraphs of the short story. The main characters consist of a girl, and a man, both the same age. So it shows us that Hemingway wrote the story about two individuals the same age, but one of their sexes is more dominant.
The man in the story is convincing the women to receive an abortion. The man and girl live a lavish life travelling town to town. The man is trying to convince the girl to “just let air in” and says “it’s natural”. What I gather from this is that he understands the consequences of his actions, but doesn’t want to deal with the consequence when it arises. The man says: ‘‘That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy.” This shows that that really isn’t the girl’s opinion he automatically assumes that it will make her unhappy also. Their opinions are not the same, but she has to be submissive to the man. This attitude is comparable to some because some are too lazy to deal with the consequence so they choose to get rid of it completely.
Family loyalty is one of the main themes in the short story, "Barn Burning". The main character, Sartoris must decide whether loyalty to family or loyalty to law is the moral imperative. In his family, loyalty is valued above all else. The family practically exists outside of society, due to their extreme loyalty to one another. Ironically, Snopes tells Sartoris that if he chooses not to remain loyal to the family, that he will be an outcast. Family loyalty composes the key essentials to a humans existence. Another key element of human condition is conflict. As long as there are people, there will be conflict. "Barn Burning" features violent scenarios, such as when Sartoris turns to defend his family and is brutally hit in the face by another boy. He does not wipe of the blood because he feels it proves his loyalty to the family. Perhaps this is more than just conflict, its war, which is also an ingredient in human condition. With war comes the search for peace, yet another way human condition is expressed in "Barn Burning".
Shakesphere and his ghost writers knew that the introduction to every play is essential to everything else that is written. They knew that without an intensely catching introduction, the reader or viewer is left feeling disoriented and confused, which will in turn, have them looking elsewhere for entertainment. After reading act one in "Othello", I was encouraged to read on. Scenes one and two brought up questions for me that I never thought of asking before; such as why was Othello given his title, even though society is clearly racist to him. There was an explanation to this, saying Othello recieved his power since he himself was so powerful, but it still intrigues me. I just assumed Italy in 1564 would be more racist. And with that in mind, I also began to realize what kind of lesson Shakespeare and his writers were aiming to prove: love has no boundaries. Love is surely an emotion that is out of our own control. Emotions, particularly love and hate, are perhaps two of the most commonly used characteristics of human condition in literature. There is nothing like a story of forbidden love.
Each short story has one or multiple pieces of the human condition within. “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner is the most prominent example of the condition in humans. This story is unfortunately relatable in today’s society. A boy has an abusive father and the father also controls everything about the family. The young boy is torn between civilian law and family law. Honor must be shown to his family while respecting the family name. Many of the father’s beliefs are not approved by the boy. Crimes committed by the father leave the boy wanting to stand up to his father but if he does that he will be beat. The inner conflict of the boy is the whole moral of the story. Battles between right and wrong along with honor and justice tear the boy apart. As much as the boy does not want to be like his father. Poor genetics play a role in the boy’s fate. Instinct of being raised in a poor environment hassles the boy into doing what is right now but eventually if he does not leave his family, he will be exactly like them. “Barn Burning” was the perfect example for the human condition.
The human condition is sometimes a matter of perspective. People who have drinking problems will sometimes say “I am not the one who has a problem with my drinking, it is everyone else who has a problem with my drinking.” Many people would say that their condition is deteriorating, but the drunkard would say that they are just fine. Sometimes, however, the human condition can be defined by a single story. The best of which in my opinion is William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning.” The reason for this is because William Faulkner was able to demonstrate not a single human’s condition, but the condition of society itself.
Humans genetically want a strong leader so that they do not have to make difficult decisions themselves and instead let that leader make those decisions for them. Therefore, many people submit to strong leaders and do exactly what they are told to the letter in order to keep the leader happy. This is not the case in “Barn Burning,” because even though the boy did everything he could to keep his father happy, his father still acted out and ended up dead. This can be said of the human condition. If the leader of a nation or group gets a little too power hungry and decides to act out against someone, they will eventually be terminated from their position in one way or another. After his father dies, the boy realizes that he does not need to be there anymore because there is no longer a powerful force sustaining the natural order in his life. The human condition has a powerful lust to be bliss, so when that bliss was interrupted by his father’s death, the boy ran away in search of someone or something that could restore him to his desired self. The human condition is so strong that sometimes it can drive you away from your family, friends, and home in search for a more suitable place to live.
There is something that can be learned from every story that is in the folder. One can learn a few things about human condition by reading Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw”. This story shows a form of magic, the monkey’s paw. Magic is something most people know isn’t real but deep down hope is real to fix their problems. People can relate to this because if there was a panacea to fix their problems, they would take it regardless if it is a little dangerous. Jacobs also shows a great example of greed. The characters in this want money. Greed, especially dealing with money, is something that most people face in their life, the struggle of wanting more then you have. This story also shows that everything is not what it seems to be. The couple in the story wish for money. They get the money but lost their son as a result. So often people get expectations and the expectations are hardly what actually occurs. Jacobs also addresses consequences. Like stated earlier, the couple got money but lost their son. In life, there are always consequences for our choices, some good and some bad.
I think we can learn the most about the human condition by reading the short story, “Barn Burning.” The story is a depiction of a son’s struggle with his family's’ loyalty and a higher sense of justice. In this story, there are two characters that are complete and utter opposites. They each represent people in our everyday society. The father, Abner, is truly an evil man. He believes that he can get revenge on anyone who has in anyway wronged him. One of the most evil and biggest mistake Snopes makes is choosing to start the barn on fire. This awful decision of his led to his destruction, rightfully. On the other hand, Snopes’s son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes, is complete opposite of his father. His father’s actions make him angry and as much as he doesn’t want to submit to them, he does in order to not get abused. He is more like his mother, gaining her innocence and morality. Towards the end of the story, he tells on his dad to the owner of the barn, ultimately leading to his father’s death. These two characters symbolize two different types of people in this world. There are those out to get revenge and make others lives miserable, but there are also those who have huge hearts and want to do good in the world. A large portion of the human condition isn’t like the dad and these people make the world a better place by helping others.
I think the short story that tells us most about the human condition is " An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". The man telling his story being so close to death came to a realization of what really matters in life. In his final moment he turns his thoughts to his family. When he finds himself trying to escape his instincts and basic human nature come in. He does what ever he can to survive. It shows what is truly important in life and ironically it took death for him to realize that. He found that humans can also be like animals. Hunting each other with one key difference. Animals hunt in order to feed themselves, man was hunting him in order to kill him with no effect on their own lives. This story was not intended to show what true human nature is, however it succeeded in this. Not all human nature is kind and in the midst of death by others trying to kill you instincts come into play. Obviously, this story was not the happy ending everyone hoped (maybe not because if he was such a great man why would he be getting hanged, making the protagonist possibly a murderer) he was dreaming the entire thing in the seconds it took for his weight to pull him down and rope to run out and neck to snap.
In my opinion, the short story that shows most about the human experience is "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway. At first, reading this story seems confusing. It's not until you read over it a couple times before you may realize that they man and the girl are talking about getting an abortion, Though it never comes out and says it plainly. This is a reflection of the human experience because everyone occasionally needs to look back at their life and reflect in order to get the most meaning. Even the most dull-seeming conversations can hold emotion unknown until reflection. The most mundane of observations, such as the one made by the girl about the hills looking like elephants, could hold hidden details and emotions. Looking for them is a choice the reader and the experiencer make. Many can live the same life and find different meanings or none at all. Another parallel can be drawn from this story to the human experience and it has to do with the story's unsatisfactory ending. We the readers will never know for sure if the women decided to receive the operation or not. Perhaps we will never know because there is no right answer. In life most things have no right answer, but all will lie in preference and opinion. Is it right for the girl to get an abortion or not? is her nomadic hotel-hopping lifestyle the best one for her? No right answer. The human experience without a doubt involves making difficult decisions with no right answer. The final relation between life and Hemingway's story I will draw has to do with life being unexpected. The Girl never expected to have to choose whether or not to go through with a pregnancy but life does not care. Hemingway is trying to show that life is an adventure full of unexpected turns. you never can know for sure what will happen in the future, but what you do today will affect it. The girls decision to travel with the man and have frequent sex in their hotels could and did get her pregnant. Life is not always kind.
Schwint 1
The short story “Hills like White Elephants”, by Hemingway, can teach one quite a bit about selfishness which is a negative aspect of the human condition. I chose this short story because it truly conveys to the readers how bad being selfish can truly be and how one person’s selfish desires can harm the people around them. For example, this short story is about a man and a woman discussing something that the man strongly wants but the woman is more opposed to. What are the discussing? An abortion and this man begins to pressure the woman into getting the abortion solely because he does not want a kid even though the woman seems to want the child. I think this story strongly gets the point across that the human condition can be wonderful but the human condition also has a very negative side.
In Act four scene 1 of Othello the readers can learn the most about the human condition. In the act the reader learns how far people will go purely out a jealousy. For example, we see that Iago is convincing Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are hooking up behind Othello’s back. The only reason that Iago wants to deceive Othello is because Iago is jealous that Cassio go a job over him. Othello, after being deceived by Iago, in a jealous rage decided that he wants to kill Cassio and Desdemona. I chose this act because it shows multiple people acting out of jealousy and it shows how different people react to their jealousy.
The short story that we can learn about the human condition the most is Jacob’s “The Monkey’s Paw”. This story tells of temptation and the human mind's ability to neglect to take any repercussions into account. In this story there is a magic monkey’s paw that has the ability to grant its user three wishes. However these wishes are quite verbal. The two main characters make their first wish, which is for money, a sum of over 200 pounds. This money is payed to them in the debt of their son who died earlier that day at work. Even still after this horrible turn of events after wishing with the paw, the family decides to use it later even though the learned the consequences of it after their first wish. This is a perfect example of the human condition of looking for personal benefit without taking the consequences into consideration.
In the story "Hills like White Elephants" by Hemingway, can be a great story to show and enlighten readers as to how the human body can work. There are many examples in the story to highlight the mentality of the human brain in which Hemingway indirectly speaks about the wanting of a child by a distraught girl with a negligent and selfish husband who does not want the child, or even an adoption, but an abortion. The story reflects both man vs. man conflict and internal conflict. The story can relate to people in everyday life due to the fact the many individuals have internal conflict with issues that are going on in their lives, perhaps even abortion itself. This story best describes the human condition in ways of the mind works when dealing with conflict. It also deals with great emotions that can control an conceive a person internally or externally.
Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is a relevant (albeit distressing) indictment of human nature, demonstrating the natural selfishness of mankind. The couple in the story is contemplating an abortion. More specifically, the man is pressuring the woman to undergo an abortion, and he tells her “[the baby] is the only thing that bothers us.” When a person expresses a sentiment like this, with such flagrant disregard for human life, not only has he signalled his disqualification from becoming a father, I think he has also signalled his disqualification from being a good husband, for his attitude disrespects the mother’s body too. The man in the story claims “we can have the whole world,” if only the mother goes through with the operation; but the woman knows this to be false. She responds, “No, we can’t. It isn’t ours anymore.” She realizes it is not the position of the parents to determine whether a child is born or not; the infant in her womb is there on part of conscious decision, utterly helpless and dependent on her for life in the strictest sense. To kill the child would be murder, not to mention an act of extreme irresponsibility. But while the vast majority of readers will find the man’s indifference repulsive (as they should), the alarming truth is that his selfish behavior comes perfectly natural to all humans. Mankind is fallen, and left to its own devices, it spontaneously gravitates towards depravity. And as much as I like to point out the flaws in the man from the story, I know I am just as sinful.
In the story Hills like White Elephants, it depicts a conversation between a man and a woman which seems more than innocent first but yet, confusing. The confusion comes in because whatever you think they were talking about at first is not truly what they are talking about. In reality the man is asking the women if she would like to get an abortion and the woman is very skeptical and is unsure. It seems like in the story the man is rather forceful but yet passive because he seems to be trying to pressure her into it but at the same time says if she doesn’t want to do it she doesn’t have to; he tries convincing her it is harmless. Relating to human nature, this type of behavior is showing that when we want someone to do something the way you would like, you become defensive and do everything within our power to try to convince them without forcing them to do it. We want what we want but at the same time, we do not want to make others feel like we are controlling and selfish. As a reader, not knowing what this story is about at first is also part of human nature. We read the story and we all initially take it very literally and as we read it we are trained to think that because it is confusing, there must be another meaning behind the literature that is in front of us. However, we do not go to believe that it is meaning abortion. It is curious why not. Maybe because it is not a part of our daily lives and lifestyles we do not jump to that conclusion right away versus when I personally originally read it I thought maybe somehow it pertained to the usage of alcohol or drugs. Potentially, my mind could have wandered there first because drugs and alcohol are all around us and are part of everyday society; we see it everywhere. In school we are trained don’t do drugs, don’t do alcohol, but we do not talk about major life decisions such as an abortion. Ever.
1 Peterson
I think that we can learn the most about human condition in the short story, Hills like White Elephants, by Earnest Hemingway. This short story has a deep meaning that can often be misunderstood if not carefully studied. The short story is about a young couple who have found out that they are pregnant. The man does not want the baby and the woman does but will do anything to please her man. This short story shows that the evil sins and temptations in this world at the time seem to be an exciting event to take apart in, but when the consequence comes we quickly want to get rid of the fact of what truly happened. This conflict is not only an emotional trauma but also physical. The obvious reason is the physical part, the woman is not just automatically going to become not pregnant, there is a process that has to take place to physically take the baby out. A process in which I cannot imagine is pain free. Also the emotional part, the woman has to deal with herself that she killed one of her own. Woman who have had abortions often live with guilt and regret for the rest of their lives. The man in the story does not have to deal with all of the suffering as the woman does because ultimately it is her decision to decide what happens.
The human condition is a limitless topic of discussion. The vastness of ideas range from sad and happy, to birth and death, to love and hate, and so on. In the short story "Barn Burning" written by William Faulkner in 1939, the human condition was expressed in ample amounts of manners. To start it all off the father and the son were facing their enemy, the man who was trying to sue the father for burning down his barn in the middle of the night. Then it turned into an inner struggle of the boy not wanting to lie for his father, this is a perfect example of the human condition in numerous ways; inner struggles always occur within people on a daily basis in order to make the right decisions. Some decisions feel almost impossible to make a choice on but no matter what the decision needs to be made for the greater good. At the end of the story the boy was finally able to make up his mind of what he had to do, and he came up with the decision to finish his fathers ways and become his own person.
Life is constantly a struggle and there are endless amounts of decisions to be made in a single lifetime. The father was constantly making wrong decisions, such as being violent to his wife, arrogant to the law, and disrespectful to every person around him. There will always be people like this in the world, but in the long run a correct and necessary decision will be made and life will continue going on with ups and downs, gains and losses, and...you get the point. The human condition is amazing and horrible but that is how it simply must be in order for the world to be how it is today.
I believe that we can learn the most about the human condition in Act 2, because we ourselves do not want to think about the evil in others. Act 2 is when Iago wants Cassio to make moves on Desdemona. Iago is Othello's, Desdemona's husband, right hand man. This shows the true test of friendship. What Iago does, goes against the grain of friendship. Friendship is about trust and can change the human condition. The way many of us act, can be directly related to our friends. The way many of us talk, can be directly related to our friends. The way many of us think, can be directly related to our friends. Many of us believe that our friends are loyal and great friends, however, in this act Iago shows how friends are not always what we want them to be. Every person is unique and it is hard to fully know somebody. In act 2, Othello would never believe that Iago would tell someone to try and take his wife. How is it that some people out there do things that we ourselves would never do? It is a great mystery to many. The human condition is a mystery. We can take this away from Act 2 as we see the interaction between people. We can learn some of the worst things about humanity, many of which we do not like to think about. Lying, cheating, robbing, and other crimes are committed daily. As we ourselves do not believe that we would ever do one of these, there are people out there that do just that. The best way to learn about the human condition is to read act 2 of Othello.
All of the short stories at the class’ disposal have at least one message that can be related to the flaws of the human condition, but “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs is perhaps the best at showing just how foolish we truly are. Evidence of this is seen from the start. In the first paragraph, Mr. White continually played chess with his wise beyond his years son without concern for any piece other than the king. Even an older lady knitting in the background that did not know many of the rudiments to chess was commenting on his foolishness. Because of this, Mr. White lost to his young son.
Secondly, the White family invited a Sergeant-Major Morris into their home. Being hospitable is not a foolish characteristic, but what Morris allowed himself to say and what the Whites were willing to believe were indeed foolish. Sergeant-Major Morris has seen several horrid crimes against humanity in his time in battle, and to cope with his pain,he had acquired a love for alcohol, which may ease the pain of life, but also weakens the mind. After three glasses of brandy, he would talk discuss a topic that was taboo in Imperialistic Britain: black magic. He told the story of the monkey’s paw to the White family, who would find the story to be bogus if they thought rationally, but they let their imagination get the best of them. Before Morris left, he gave the paw to the White family and told them to never use it. They did anyway. It would be one thing if they wished jokingly or thoroughly thought about how they wanted to get their wish, but they did not. Like most humans, they were short sighted and wished without care for any consequences. Soon after their wish, the life of the youngest member of the White family died so that the wishes of his parents could be fulfilled.
Third, “The Monkey’s Paw” reflects the human condition by showing how we try to defy the laws of nature for our own benefit. After the loss of their son, Mr. White uses the accursed paw to try to bring his late son back to life for his wife. Whether Herbert was brought back to life or not is unknown, but the fact that the White family tried to cheat death is. Humanity has known for centuries that trying to completely change the laws of the natural world always has negative consequences, but it seems as though we do not learn.
In conclusion, “The Monkey’s Paw” best reflects the human condition by showing how we let our imagination roam wild, try to defy the laws of nature, and do not seem to think of consequences before we act.
In my opinion, the story we can learn the most about the human condition is William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”. The reader is presented with the story about a young boy--Colonel Sartoris Snopes--and his choice between staying loyal to his family or doing the morally right thing. Sartoris’s father, Abner Snopes, is an abusive, stiff man who takes his anger out on his family, and usually does this by beating them. There is one scene where Sartoris is accused by his father of nearly betraying him and his “blood” by telling the judge what happened with Mr. Harris’s barn. Sartoris had to decide whether or not he would do the moral right, or whether he would do what is morally wrong for his family. Sartoris is later presented with this situation with his father wanting to burn Major de Spain’s barn, and he does choose to warn de Spain about what his father is going to do. I think that the dilemma of staying loyal to your family or doing the right thing is important to our everyday lives. It is essential to be loyal to your family, yet there is a distinct line where that loyalty can be dropped--in this case, Sartoris and his decision to warn de Spain of the criminal actions of his father. However, I believe that this story also offers redemption to the wrongs individuals have done in the past, and that no one else should define you other than yourself. This is evident with Sartoris when he leaves his family behind at the end of the story. Sartoris is not accountable for his father’s actions, and should not be held responsible. Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” is truly a story that will make the reader ponder whether family values trump morals, or whether morals trump family values.
I chose to further examine Hemingway's “Hills like White Elephants.” By far this was the most interesting story to me. In this story we learn that the human race in general is selfish. The man is extremely flawed when he wants the women to get an abortion. It clearly is not what she wants but he does not want to deal with the baggage of having a child. He is selfish in the way that he does not care about her feelings and the lasting effect that this will have. It also shows how the human race never wants to admit they are wrong and usually do not like to be confronted with consequences of their actions. It is easier to just get rid of the problem in the easiest way even if it hurts those around us. The man just wants the problem to vanish and does not want the consequences of his actions. The saddest part is the woman almost believes what he says and does not stand up for what she thinks is right. Those who are selfish can many times overpower the weak.
Polasky 6
“Hills Like White Elephants” was a very interesting and realistic short story that we read in class. Me being a Catholic, I know the perceived notions on what others think we believe in or how strict we are. The Catholic faith as a whole does not believe in contraceptives, just like the girl in the story. The man in the story must seem to understand that but not realize the possible outcome. This shows that like most humans, actions are done and people do not always think of the consequence. They do a certain activity or action because they are living in that one moment, just like in the story. People can also live a life seeking pleasure through sin and possible moral wrongdoing. Premarital sex used to be seen as unheard of or looked down upon, however in today's time is is not viewed the same, good or bad. Another things Catholics do not believe in is abortion. It is a living thing that should have a chance at life. The girl in the book understands that and is willing to accept the outcome from a sinful act. Like many people today, they have to decide on different things in life, not having to be about keeping an unborn child, but picking schools, what they want to be when they grow up, or what activities they want to be involved in. The choice in this short story in relatable on different levels. This girl wants to live the way she was raised because that is all she knows, same for the man. Everyone is like this in society whether it be that they want to live just like their parents or nothing like them because of what they experienced. Human like aspects can be seen throughout this little short story.
The short story that made me understand the human condition the most was in “My Kinsman Major Molineux”. In the story, Robin had come into town asking where his kinsman Major Molineux was. However, every person he asked would not answer back. With this, a part of the human condition can be read here. What can be said from what the villagers do to Robin is that people are not always willing to accept new people into their lives only because of a certain bias against the said person. For example, even though Robin had done nothing wrong, they would still not talk to him because he associated himself with Major Molineux. At another point, when Robin is looking for him, he starts to look at the more extravagant houses because he knows that his uncle is rich. This also implies that anybody with wealth will automatically display it for all to see. In most cases, this is true. Highly unlikely is it to see people with large amounts of money to not be humble about it and like to show off their wealth. At a later part in the story, Major Molineux is being tarred and feathered in the middle of the street. At first Robin laughs, but then the realization that his own uncle is being tortured in public does he stop laughing and become concerned. This shows that humans are still savages of some kind deep down due to the fact that the only reason the people have to be mad with Molineux is that he is richer than they are. In addition, the reason that Robin stopped to see what the townspeople were doing to Molineux was that he had come to town to collect his share of the inheritance. This can also show the greedy side of humans because everything in our society today is based on money. Lastly, was when after Robin had realized what the townspeople were doing to his uncle, the old man in red paint had asked him if he wanted Robin to take his uncle’s place because he did not seem as bad Molineux. Once again, human nature always repeats itself. They all wanted change and so they removed Molineux. However, when Robin inherits the fortune who is to say that he will be different from his uncle. At which point, the townspeople are stuck back in the very situation in which they sought to avoid.
1 Jacobson
The human condition has many different aspects to it. Othello does an excellent job of portraying all of the different angles. Betrayal, deceit, and heartbreak are all show in this play. Lago is full of lies as he tries to trap everyone and uses his deceitful tricks to tear apart the moor's marriage. The most powerful example of the human condition is when Othello himself accepts the fact that Desdemona is allegedly cheating on him. Lago does everything in his power to make this lie seem like a reality...and he succeeds. When Othello has a mental breakdown and believes his wife is a whore, he seizes and goes mad shortly after. He becomes so mad that he wants to kill his wife. This shows how desperate humans are for love and acceptance, and when that gets taken away it can break one's heart into multiple pieces and bring out a monster in some that can never be defeated. It also shows a great example of how trusting or gullible one human may be.
By reading the short stories we have studied in class, I have learned a lot about the human condition. Although many teach us about the human condition, the most valuable one is “Hills Like White Elephants”. This short story teaches us the most because it reveals the human tendency to do wrong things for selfish reasons. The man and young woman have found themselves with a white elephant gift, a child. The woman wants to keep this baby. The man does not. Upon finding out about the pregnancy, he believes the woman should get an abortion. He wants to continue traveling, messing around, and having “fun”. He does not want to trade in booze for a baby. He is showing the human tendency to be selfish. By wanting an abortion, he does not care for the woman’s feelings or for his own child. This is displayed in today’s society every day. It is sad how common and unsurprising this is.
Act 2 in Othello is where we can learn the most about the human condition. This act shows how unsatisfied and judgemental creatures that humans are. Iago complains about his wife Emelia constantly. He consistently calls her ugly and wishes for someone better and hotter. He is not satisfied even though he is married and has a wife that loves him. Many people are still like this today. I don’t understand the discontent that many humans experience. Can’t people just be happy with what they have? Iago is also extremely judgemental and cynical towards women. He explains that women are basically only good for one thing: sex. This is another characteristic displayed in today’s society. Many men still believe women are only good for having sex and babies.
I believe that the short story “The Monkey’s Paw” by Jacob’s allows us to learn the most about the human condition. Everyone strives for greatness. They strive for the best, and now a days everyone wants the best. There is always nicer, newer, bigger things being developed throughout the world. So many people want more money, a better house, more friends that they forget about the things closest to them. They take for granted the great friends they already have. They are ungrateful of the things money can’t buy. Everyone wants a big house, but don’t see everything that comes into that. The parents may work countless hours to the point where they don’t get to see each other or their children. Then is there really much happiness behind the big house? The parents in “The Monkey’s Paw” only thought of the prize they were going to get, and not of the consequence of their actions. They were rash and didn’t think fully of their decisions. Humans are that way as well. We want things in the moment, and don’t think of what the consequence of our actions are. We can learn from this story to be more grateful with ourselves and our loved ones. We can also learn to not make a decision on the spot, and to fully think upon the actions that you plan to fulfill.
Based on the short stories we have read so far in class, I believe that “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner has taught me the most about the human condition. The concept of this story to me was alittle odd, however it was the story that made the most sense to me. The story's two main characters consist of a boy and his crazy controlling father. The father has placed a bad name for the family and the son is trying to save what is left of the name. Aside from what the boys father thinks, he wants to make things right even after all of the wrongs of his father. This is a very hard thing for the boy to do when one of the most influential people in his life wants him to do something completely opposite. It is hard to do the right thing when there is a devil on your shoulder telling you otherwise. This is where human instinct kicks in good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, every story has two sides. Overall I believe that this story does a great job of showing human condition, and how not everyone can think and act the same way.
I believe that the short poem of "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas. It shows how people should not just settle down and quit but to stand up and do what you want to and to rebel against any opposition. Which i believe people need to do to get their point across or to stand for what they think is right or wrong. Most people just settle for jobs and work for that job til the day they die and live a non eventful life and just go silently into a good night at a old age as in passing, but this poem states be different and do what you want to. I think this poem should be spread across schools, locker rooms, and work places to motivate people to be great and to do great things.
I think that you can learn the most about the human condition by reading "Hills Like White Elephants" in this story a man and a girl are talking about getting an abortion. The man wants to have the operation done while the woman doesn't feel as though she should. This shows how men have a tendency to want women to do whatever they want, and that women have a habit of submitting to what the man wants. This also shows how humans can have their minds made up about something without giving it a chance. In this story the man already has made up his mind without even talking to the girl about it. It shows how he just wants to please himself by making the girl get the abortion so he can have more intimate time with her without having to worry about taking care of a kid. He also wants to keep her attention and not let anyone else have it even his own creation. This shows the selfish nature of humans in general, as well as the greedy side of people. The man was clearly wealthy and traveled a lot with the girl this again shows how he was just caught up in his own agenda and not caring about what the girl he was with wanted. Showing great examples of the human condition and nature this story is what I felt made the biggest emphasis on this topic.
When it comes to human condition, “Hills Like White Elephants” is the best short story to be represented by. This particular short story best fits this because people can relate the story with present day. This is probably one of my favorite short stories by far. In the story, it talks about the girl being dependent on the guy because of the language barrier between them. She has to be dependent on him because of the unfamiliar places, faces, and language. The guy security wants to live life free not attached like some guys now a days want to live like. The girl on the other hand wants to live life settled down and have a few kids. Unfortunately, a problem starts to arise and the couple begins to fight about the abortion that may occur. ‘‘No, it isn’t. And once they take it away, you never get it back.’’ ‘‘But they haven’t taken it away.’’ ‘‘We’ll wait and see.’’ Every couple fights but relationships that do not have the same outlook on life will never workout. This the girl knows that is why in the end she says that she is fine. All women say they are fine when things are never fine. The human condition is people hid and kindle up their own emotion into one small word. Fine. The story has many references towards the “real” world.
The human condition in literature is defined as "any thematic concern about human nature, human society or how we live our lives,"(http://learn.lexiconic.net/humancondition.htm). In Earnest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants," we are taught many lessons in the short story. One of the main themes of the story is the difference between talking and actually communicating. In the story the Girl quickly decides she wishes to have an abortion, as does the American. Throughout the story she begins to question her decision and drops subtle hints by talking about small hills and not white elephants, but does not directly communicate her feelings of resentment towards having an abortion. At the end of the story when she is finished with her operation, she fails to tell the truth about her regret and simply says, "I feel fine," which is an obvious lie. If the Girl had spoken sooner of her feelings, she may have been able to save her life which will now be filled with remorse. Drinking to avoid awkwardness and tension is also a symbol in the story. The Girl and the American both drink alcohol to avoid the "white elephant" and hold in their feelings. This is an overbearing issue in today's world. People are afraid of confrontation and pain so they turn to alcohol and drugs to "ease" the pain or all together forget about their lives and responsibilities.
Of the short stories in the literature folder I feel we can learn the most about the human condition from Jacobs “The Monkey’s Paw”. The story starts by demonstrating that we have a tendency to follow that age old phrase reminding us that the grass is always greener on the other side. Despite being warned about the misery the paw brings they still desire for their wishes to be granted. Do not we all wish for our problems to vanish? From simply finishing our manifesto to our future student loans looming over us. A simple solution to this would be unlikely short of winning the lottery or turning to illegal doings for money. As the story goes on and they make wishes and start to see that nothing is free and it always comes at a price. As with our lives you can see this thought present there as well. You may see it with how you go to college and after you have graduated and have been working they would like you to donate money or in order to fill the tank on their car one must pay for gas, nothing is free. At the end the last wish is to get rid of a problem created by one of the other other wishes that the paw granted. This is most similar to the ability to see everything 20/20 in hindsight. Many choices that may have seemed right or good at the time can change with time and what should have been done becomes clearer with time. “The Monkey’s Paw” hits on many of the traits of what it is like to be human and accurately shows how we act most of the time.
Mixell 1
In the short story by Earnest Hemingway, "Hills like White Elephants," there are displays which relate to the human condition. Humans are most certainly bounded by their mistakes, and it would seem that the pregnancy is more of a mistake than a blessing in this story. This man, who travels and courts many women, is suddenly faced with a problem. He chooses to persuade this woman into having an abortion. The fear of having to "settle down" is quite upsetting to him, therefore he is choosing to force his opinions on the woman. The reader feels as if the woman does not want to have the abortion, and she is scared of doing so. Whatever their wants may be, the main characters were unprepared, and ignorant. No matter what they choose to do with the pregnancy, they are most certainly bounded by it, and are forced into a rough situation. The rough situation may force the main characters into making the wrong decision.
I believe that the short story that best explains the human conditions is Jacobs “The Monkey's Paw”. In Jacobs short story he explains wanting and the mistakes people make in their lives. It explains what can happen if you are to greedy and do not think about what could happen next. The whole moral of the story is not to want want want. People always want more than they have and will try to get in any way possible. The man that comes to the door speaks of the evil of the monkey paw but yet the husband and wife are so intrigued they want to use it for themselves. After the man warns them not to use it they decide to use it anyways, they find out fairly quickly that it has no good use. Their son dies for what they thought was just an innocent wish, he died for 200 pounds. The wife then proceeds to wish her son was alive but the husband is not sure if he wants to open the door because he knows it can be bad. This whole story has to deal with what decisions we make and how we can be so greedy about little things.
We learn from the Human condition in the short story “Barn Burning” by Faulkner. In this short story we learn of the growth of a young boy who deals with a criminal father. Through the conflict of the father going through trial and found guilty the son is put through inner conflict. Does he want to repeat his father? Or should he rewrite his future? Towards the end of the story learn that his father is killed by being shot three times. As the son has to come to terms with this, he is also faced with one of the most difficult decisions. He has to decide if he wants to return back to his old life or move on. He makes the courageous decision to go into the woods without looking back. We see through this inner conflict that he made the right decision. The second short story that we learn about human condition is “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway. We learn the conflict between a man and a woman over the debate about her abortion. She leans towards keeping the baby while the ignorant man wants to rid her of the baby. She ends up giving into the man showing that human condition just wants love. She defined herself in that moment that she chose unreal love from a man instead of the unbreakable bond from her child. It shows that taking a step back and looking at the other side to the coin could end up being the better deal.
Out of all the amazing stories we have read, either in class or on our own, “Hills like White Elephants” does a fantastic job reaching out to the audience by teaching us human condition the most. It reminds us how selfish we can, even when it involves someone we care about.The man and his lady friend are traveling the world having all sorts of fun, until she is given a soon to be 8 pound surprise. The man wants the easy way out, as he asks for her to get a "simple operation"... an abortion. He would rather end a life without any thought than take responsibility for his actions. The man chooses the quick and selfish way to deal with the circumstance. The woman dismisses the issue and refuses to talk about it, even though he pesters on and on about it. It is not uncommon for people to run away from their problems, as it is much easier than confronting them head on. The couple is living life lavishly and without a care. They do not think about the consequences about any of their actions. The man is worrying about their own fun and their selfish ways, and he knows that if she has the baby, they will not be able to have as much fun. The man does not even think about how the woman will feel after the abortion or even that he is taking away a human life. He sees this as a minor road block in their fun life. The woman will do anything to keep the man in her life and happy with her. He probably has a lot of money (how else are they traveling so much) and she wants to hang on to him so she can continue having fun. Both the man and the woman are being selfish in this situation. Selfishness is a disease that can tear a couple a part.
There were many short stories we have studied over the semester. The one that says the most about the human condition in my opinion is “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. The story is about an old man, named Mr. White, who gets an enchanted paw from a family friend who served in India. The family friend tells Mr. White about his bad experiences with his wishes but Mr. White takes it any way. Mr. White uses his three wishes to get money wish his son to life and back to death. This story does an excellent job of telling readers about the human condition and more specifically the innate greed found in almost everyone. Jacobs reminds readers of what could happen if they live with their greed unchecked. With their greed forcing their every decision and bringing about so many negative effects.
Othello is one of the most insightful pieces of literature regarding the subject of the human nature that I have ever read, heard or seen. The human condition forms the whole basis of the plot really. The scene in which Othello is apprehended by Brabantio and taken to the Duke is very notable in this fact. Othello is accused of stealing away the daughter of the Senator. Many believe his is guilty before he even says anything because he is the only black man among a population of white europeans. Shakespeare made Othello this way to let readers and people in the audience understand how cautiously Othello has to live his life. He has to because in the eyes of the white people, Othello can only offer is his military expertise and nothing more. Shakespeare clearly disapproved of how non white people were treated in the sixteen hundreds.
Beck 1
The short story that right away pops into my head when thinking about the human condition is “The Monkey’s Paw” By: W. W. Jacobs. One of the main things taught in this story is to not fall into temptation, which seems to happy to many of us here in real life. Temptation is everywhere in the world, it can be something as simple as eating that chocolate bar, or going out and doing something illegal. It can be something that small or that big, everyone has done that in their lives at least once. In the story the characters have the temptation to make wishes with the monkey’s paw, not knowing what the consequences will be until after they make their first wish. Consequences is also another major thing that “The Monkey’s Paw” touches on, because it teaches people by wishing for one thing in your life, it can affect another section of your life in a detrimental way and your life will never be the same. Humans do not really seem to care about the consequences that could happen to them in the moment of doing the specific action. They just care about the right here and the right now. It is not until the deed is done that people finally look back and realize what consequences could happen or what consequences are now taking place from their actions.
Nelson 7
The story that we can learn the most about the human condition is “Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. When Mr. White find out the paw that the Sergeant-Major Morris can grant wishes he becomes greedy and selfish despite his old friends warning. While Mr. White’s wish was based on his son’s suggestion, his first wish is for money. More specifically for two hundred pounds for his house to be paid off. When I think of greed I think of the want for money. It is not until his son dies that Mr. White realizes his mistake. To try and right his wrongs he wishes for his son back. The fact that he believes a mangled version of his son knocking at his door instead of some unrelated visitor shows that he feels guilty for letting his selfishness blur his judgment when he made his wishes. His decision to wish the visitor away with his third and last wish reflects his need to redeem himself for his sins. Also from Mrs. White we see a different side of the human condition. She changes from a happy old lady to a grieving mother. The fact that her son’s death could have been prevented seemed to drive her insane and she convinces her husband to bring her son back. When the knocking at the door is heard, she does not give a second thought to how her son might look. Her change shows how grief and hard times can change the mental mind state of an intelligent person.
The short story that I thought was the most informative about the human condition was "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner. This short story is based on a boy and his father and the conflicts they have between each other and the conflicts between loyalty to one’s family. The young boy has a choice. He can choose to be loyal to his father or he can choose to make his own decisions. He knows that his father is wrong when he burns barns but the boy knows the importance of family promises and secrets. If I was in his position, I would not be sure on what to do. By going against family secrets, there could be major consequences. When there is someone trying to get something out of you, it is not always the easiest thing having to lie to their face. This short story has a lot to do with human condition because of the conflicts with the father and son and how in life there are similar conflicts that humans deal with.
Kyle Horner
The first story that comes to my mind when the words “human condition” come into play would be, “Hills like White Elephants.” The reason for this is that it describes how far we have evolved in today's society and it gives us an image of what life used to be like for women here. This was a time when they had little to no say on matters that could affect the male of the household. The male had the say and that was the end of the question. She obviously was upset that she couldn’t have the child. That is why the white elephant in the room is the struggle between this couple. This short story definitely fits the category of human condition and how selfish we truly can be to others around us. The man can have the easy way out of not being held accountable for what he indeed created. All he has to say is you're getting an abortion and that will be the end of it. He has not thought or concerned about how the equal counterpart feels. The argument to offer up would be could she just leave the man and do what she wants? This would be extenuating on her even more than the abortion would. Number one would be the way to support this child. Women could not find jobs that could support themselves and a child at the same time during this decade. Number two is that she could go out and find another man but who would be willing to take on a kid that they do not have biological connection with. In this story they are both being selfish in their own ways.
Option 2. You can learn the most about human condition in Othello by the way Iago deceives people and how the people react to it. It really goes to show how people act and what their true self is. The way Iago tricks Othello and sets up Cassio is classic in today's nature. There are so many conniving people in today's world who love to turn people against each other for the fun of it. Rumors spread like wildfire, and it is shown in Othello. Othello eats the lies out of Iago's palm like candy, devouring the rich hatred Iago has for them. Othello is quick to judge, yet he was once a noble man. Othello shows how quickly people can change and believe lies.
7 Ullom
I believe we can learn the most about human condition from “Barn Burning,” by William Faulkner. This story is about a young boy who is freed from his abusing father. The boy, being innocent and quiet, know what his dad does is wrong. The father is harmful, cold, and treats his family poorly. When he gets mad at someone he gets revenge. He burns the houses or barns of whomever he is mad at. That's not right, and his child knows it. In the end the boy gets to be free of the abuse and horror his dad gave him. In the story, the boy is found in a difficult decision of choosing to be loyal to his family or to tell the truth to the court about what he knows. It's hard for us to depict what decisions we should make whether it should be to go behind the backs of your family members or be truthful to the law and keep everyone away from the dangers that you know of. What this teaches each of us today is that regardless of the circumstances we are in, there is a right and wrong way to deal or cope with what is going on. Yes, it is understandable to be loyal to your family. But ultimately, good versus evil should prevail and we should always choose what is right and base our decisions upon that. When you’re a child, it is unlikely that this can happen, as you are under the guidance, supervision, and ultimately the control of your parents until you become “of age.” Once that happens, it is imperative that each of us learns to stand up for what is right and just and make our views known, regardless of what others may think and at times become judgmental of us. This story is true for any generation, as all children will come to the realization that there is right and wrong.
Several of the short stories read and analyzed in this semester of Introduction to Literature have reflected on and revealed key components of the human condition, however that which stands out most prominently to me is “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor. I recall reading this story in a previous language arts class and, strangely, felt much more comfortable with The Misfit rather than the grandmother and her family. This peculiar connection may very well have been in response to the nickname “Misfit,” as I at the time of first reading the story and still to this day find that I tend to identify as a sort of “misfit” or “outcast” (though if anyone claims to never have felt they were, similarly, a maverick, I politely believe them ignorant to the fact). I say this connection is peculiar on grounds that I’m claiming to identify with an serial-killing escapee, although I do believe this was O’Connor’s intention. The total backwardness of the whole story plays on the idea expressed in the title: “goodness” is uncommon. The featured family is entirely composed of selfish, whining, manipulative figures. The grandmother in particular likes to perceive herself as a lady, especially in her dress, which goes to show how excessively superficial people often are. Then out comes this headlining escapee, notorious for his brutality, and yet he is by far the most polite, likeable character of the story. The Misfit alone portrays boundless human themes, primarily the maxim that looks are deceiving. Additionally, in my reconsideration of the story, I see a new theme arise: kindness. It pains me to see, now, that all this family did in the time before its end was bicker and destroy itself. From this, the reader should understand the value of kindness, especially toward loved ones, as life and fortune are not promised. And the greatest maxim I pull from this story is not one portrayed in the text, but from my analysis of the text: often one must face troubling times and reflection to understand his own folly.
I think that Scene 1 of Othello has taught me the most about the human condition. The characteristic of conflict is huge in this act. From Othello and his lady getting secretly married, and the disapproval of her father, to Rodrigo being madly in love with Desdemona and Iago pretending to assist him in winning her over when he is only trying to expand his bank account. It portrays conflicts that everyone has in their lives from financial needs, to romance, to approval. The novel has somewhat negative turn outs at the end of the play but so does life. I really think we can all learn a lot from Othello Act 1. It also highlights on the morality portion of the human condion, or lack there of.
I believe that the human condition is represented best by the story “The Monkey’s Paw”. A significant lesson is taught in this story and readers learn a great deal from it. In the story, we see that greed and selfishness are present inside everyone. Even though the family is warned by the sergeant who says, “‘I threw it on the fire. If you keep it, don’t blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the fire again, like a sensible man.’” they still want the paw to make wishes. This is because, although they are quite happy, they still thirst for more, just as most people who have everything do, but, yet, for them it is not enough. Along with greed, curiosity is another quality present in humans that is almost impossible to resist. The curiosity of the family for what the paw could possible do or give them causes them to overlook the advice of the general to not use it. Just after the general throws the paw into the fire, warning them, the father picked up the paw and “examined his new possession closely. ‘How do you do it?’”. The father is highly intrigued by the paw and wants to see for himself what this magical paw could grant him.
I am thoroughly enjoying Othello thus far, and I believe that we can most likely learn of the human's condition in the form of love, sex, and death. Love is that of which Othello and Desdemona love each other and that of Iago and his wife. Death because it is inevitable, we can not escape it. We can simply move more cautiously throughout our lives to put it off. Iago, with his sly, underhanded plot, is quickening the lifespan of Cassio and possibly Desdemona. And sex... come on, this is a Shakespearean work.
Now, Faulkner's "Barn Burning" is a better example of childhood, adolescence, and reproducing. The story follows a little boy born into a dysfunctional family. The childhood of the boy being manipulated by his father, his view of his sisters is utterly destroyed, and his respect for his mother and aunt are nonexistent.
Each of the short stories in the folder bring something different to the table as far as a message goes. The one that struck me the most as a representation of the human condition is “Pantaloon in Black”. This short story stuck out to me as a way of showing how humans are so easily affected by certain actions, emotions, and other humans. First, the story shows how a man had a drinking and gambling problem as many people do in today’s society as sad as it is. The man meets a woman and gets over his addiction, but she dies. The action of her dying drives him to go buy a jug of alcohol and to start gambling again. This shows by the simple action of buying alcohol he has turned back down a dark path of his past. This also shows how humans are affected by other humans. His wife died and she was all he had to live for. She brought out the best in him and he loved her. This woman had the largest impact on his life out of everything he has been through. Finally, emotions drive the ways that humans act in everyday life. They decide how a person acts. Emotions are overwhelming to humans and when they do we are not able to clearly and rationally make decisions. The man in the book is driven by grief. It makes him act the way he acts and in the end makes him choose not to fight when he is being hanged. While all of the stories in the folder present meaning, “Pantaloon in Black” is the one that best describes the human condition.
I believe the scene in which Othello is told about his wife’s betrayal by Iago is a scene in which we can learn a great deal about the human condition. Iago tells Othello lies about his wife because Iago is jealous of Othello and Cassio. Jealousy is one of the most common traits found amongst women and men. Jealousy takes many forms and can be mild or severe, depending on the situation. I have seen many people become jealous and I have seen the harm that jealousy can cause in relationships.
Rage is also a large part of this scene. Othello becomes incredibly angry with his wife and barely gives her a chance to defend herself. He blindly believes and trusts Iago. Iago is most certainly at fault for enraging Othello, but one must admit that Iago is simply adding flames to a fire that must have had a spark already or Othello probably would not have jumped to such outrageous assumptions and conclusions.
Another quality seen within the scene is ignorance. Othello hangs upon every word uttered by Iago, without pausing to question his judgement or loyalty. He does not stop to think about Iago or his possible motives for creating a disturbance in his marriage. Othello may also be a tad bit vain, after considering the previous sentence; he only stops to think of himself and his marriage.
I think Othello is sexist as well. He believes that Desdemona would be unfaithful because she is a woman. Women are more fraught to temptation and betrayal. Iago is never questioned, for he is a man and a man’s word obviously means more to Othello. Shakespeare seems to have little faith in the nature of humans since he portrays them with major faults. As I examine Othello more closely, I do begin to realize that these qualities all play a large part in human nature and Shakespeare is not being overdramatic; he’s simply bringing everyone’s faults to light.
I believe that from Barn Burning, this literate human race can learn the most about themselves. In this short story, a boy is born into his predicament. His father a criminal, the boy is shamed, beaten, and harassed solely due to the reputation his father has built. People cannot control the environment they are born into ,yet too often are they scolded for their parents’ behavior, home, income, appearance and so on. It is assumed by many that if a person grows up surrounded by criminals, they will also grow up to be a criminal. Is there truth to this? Is it possible that you will turn out to be like your parents no matter what? There is fear in this, especially amongst young people. We crave to be different, to lead our own lives and make our own choices, instead of our parents deciding our lives. But what if our lives are already decided? The boy in Barn Burning exemplifies this perfectly. He hates that his father does, does the opposite (telling on him) runs away, but then slowly begins having the same habits as his father. The cycle is obvious and it begs the question: is there a premeditated cycle in all of us? No matter how far away we try to get from the ones who raised us, are there behaviors imprinted into our genetics and personality? That is a scary thought. NO matter how perfect a childhood was, it is crushing to think that you will turn out exactly how the people before you did, no matter the steps you take to change it. I am deciding to look at the situation optimistically. I can take my own path and be whoever I want, just because I decide to. The child in the story cannot control me, nor am I bound to the beaten path.
One story cannot simply express the human condition. Every person is different with multiply variables manipulating them and how they behave. Stories can only give a perspective of the author’s thoughts on the human condition, thus no story can teach us about it better than another. The story with the insight into humanity that I liked the most is “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs. The story starts off by demonstrating curiosity. The family listens to a soldier’s stories of magic and mystery, then the soldier introduces them to a monkey’s paw. He warns them of it, but continues telling how to use the wishes. The soldier exhibits an aspect of his nature by allowing them to use an object that he seems to believe will cause harm to them. The family makes their first wish and let greed take hold. When the parents wish for the son to be alive again, the mother is excited and wants to see her beloved son regardless of any consequences that will come as a result. The father, on the other hand, can only imagine the worst. He does not hope for the son to be perfectly fine, but imagines a grotesque zombie to be what awaits outside. The mother shows the love that is blind and inconsiderate, while the father shows man’s fear of the unknown and lack of control. The story allows a person to believe the wishes were only coincidences, and the parents fell into a greater despair because of their human desire to believe in something larger, greater, or more powerful than themselves.
I believe the short story “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner, read and discussed in class, allows the most knowledge about the human condition. Abner Snopes, the father in the story, burns the barn down which affects not only his human condition but has a lasting affect on the condition of his son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes. The key events that the father presents in the life of his son are hard to escape. Even though Sartoris is not necessarily evil like his father makes out to be, he is in a tough decision of whether to tell the truth to stick up for justice or stand behind to uphold family support. This is a life event that becomes detrimental, leading to the death of his father. The theme of this short story is easily comparable to the qualities that coincide with human condition because of the great conflicts that arise. Many people today deal with the pressure of going along with what is expected from a parent or guardian instead of making the decision they feel is truly right. Because this issue is something that is common today, I believe for readers it becomes easy to understand the perspective very well. A lesson derived from this short story that everyone should follow is that it is crucial to learn how to stand up for oneself, as well as others. Doing the right thing when someone pushes you to do otherwise is a tough situation, but could pay off in your favor if you get through the difficulty you are faced with in the process. This lesson will never become outdated, the same values for self respect as well as respect for others will be present for generations to come.
From the few short stories we have analyzed in class, one stood out to me as an explanation to the human condition, Barn Burning by William Faulkner. This story is all about a family who lives under the wing of their father. This story is about the adjusting to life and the environment around you, in which we do everyday. The human conditions we live under gives us all a sense of power, to either rule or abide. Families are a good example of the human conditions because usually a parent sets all the rules. In the story Barn Burning, the father is the dominant character holding evil power over submissive family members, by burning barn after barn after things don’t go quite his way. The family usually steps aside and is forced to move town after town. In life we are raised from the start to abide by our rules given by elders. Just as the young boy abides by his father’s rules, although he has a different perspective on the idea. Some submissive, step up. If the story were to continue on instead of death, I believe the little boy would have stood out to his father.
I believe scene 3 shows the most insight on human nature in Othello. It gives a real deep insight into what Iago is thinking and feeling and how those emotions are making him do the actions he is doing. He uses long pauses in his speeches to show true emotion whether it is real or not. He has spent a great amount of time building up this “honest” reputation in order to manipulate people into believing what he says. In that specific scene he uses his reputation to manipulate Othello into believing this big devising plan to get him away from his love Desdemona. It really sets the main plot for most of the story and creates the true problem throughout the story. Personally this is why I believe scene 3 shows a mass human condition. It really sets up the main plot and has a lot of drama and action throughout it.
I believe that the short story that we can learn from the most is The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs. This story is all about wanting more and more, but never stopping and thinking of the consequences of your want. The story is all about a who got greedy for money, and the consequences for his greed was the death of his son. He wished for money, and the money he got was from the company that his son worked at. His son died at the company. Afterwards, the mother gets greedy and wants her son back, and wished for him back. He then returns as a zombie. This just shows that human’s are at heart greedy creatures who don’t think before they act, and only act for their own selfish reasons. It also shows however, how distraught people become after the loss of a close family member. The mother basically goes crazy when she wishes for her son to come back, and the father is forced to use the final wish to end the son's life before the woman can see her son. This shows how humans need their family in their lives, but how they also want to protect those close to them from the horrors of life, or in this case, a zombie.
Klumpp 2
The story that stood out the most for me was Barn Burning by William Faulkner. This book is very easy to examine the human condition. The human condition is defined as The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality." The main characters are complete opposites. Snopes the father is a heartless cold man, while his son is an innocent boy who wants to be the opposite of what his father represents. These two characters represent life and struggles in everyday society. They also represent the two different types of people in this world, those who want to make everyone's lives difficult and those who want to make others lives easier. The boy knows his father is truly evil and wants to do what he thinks is right but in the end that decision leads to his father being killed. The struggle in the story is whether the son would do what is right or stay loyal to his family. Sartoris decides to tell his neighbor that it was his father who burned the barn down showing he chose to do the right thing even though his father dies.
The story I feel that we as readers can learn the most from is William Faulkner’s, Barn Burning. It is in Falukner’s short story we are exposed to the conflict of sticking with your family or going and being your own person. The main character, Sarty, must decide on whether he will become a better person and lead a more civilized life, or follow his family and his father who has no morality and is known in the town for burning local barns. By reading this story, readers are shown that we are capable of living a life outside of our family. A main theme that I took from this story is that no matter your background or history, you can always push yourself to be a better you. You can choose how you live your life and no one can determine this for you. I think some people blame where they came from for their problems, but Sarty is a great example that you can come from this sort of awful childhood and leave and make it on your own. You choose what your life can become, you never have to stay stagnant and can always move forward. You also have to be able to stand up for your morals. Sarty knew that what his father was doing was wrong and had to have courage to stand up to him, tell De Spain what his father was planning to do, and then eventually abandon his family to be a better person. The strength that Sarty embodies is one everyone should admire.
I believe that the short story, “Hills like White Elephants” is one of the better stories when trying to learn more about the human condition. Humans are naturally selfish creatures, it is something we are all born with. The difference between us is the amount of selfishness we have. Not one sane human wants anything bad to happen to them but sometimes they do things that hurt them instead of others because that's how they were raised. In the story, the man is a very selfish person. He wants the girl to have an abortion because he does not want to have to deal with consequences of his actions. Another part of the human condition is the ability to follow the normal. The man expects the woman to go with it and the woman truly does not want to have the abortion. She at first was gonna do it and follow what the man said. Then she came to her sense and realized what she was doing.
6 Mullet
I believe we can learn most about the human condition from “‘Repent. Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” by Harlan Ellison. As we grow up, we run on a strict time schedule. This “short” story looks at how it is disrupted. Our society is run by tight schedules that, when messed up by even a minute, seem to fall apart. We do not relax and roll with it. Instead we make a fuss. We do not laugh it off and realize how minuscule these hiccups are. We try to make up for the lost 5 minutes that traffic made us lose. This story really shows how humans have changed from simple cavemen to too-busy people. This short story exposes the structured-ness that we have become and can make the reader wish to stop obeying time. The reader starts thinking about how society would change from this horrific lifestyle.
With every short story we came across this semester on our journey to become literate. There is no time to be myopic when studying these works by some of the biggest names in literature through the decades. But the short story that stuck out was definitely “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs. “The Monkey’s Paw” shows numerous traits of the human condition and it begins with curiosity, which could possibly go hand-in-hand with falling into temptation. When Mr. White has three wishes bestowed upon him, he first resorts to money for the cause of paying off his house. That can relate straight to the human condition for the life of greediness is present in almost everyone. After this desire for pounds is quenched, it immediately darkens from there throughout the short story--- which can be seen as the climax of the short story. The way in which the sum of over 200 pounds is acquired by Mr. White and his wife comes from the debt of their son who died while working on heavy machinery earlier that same day. But with the falling action or resolution of the story, Mr. White fears for what will be knocking on his door after he wished his second wish. He is petrified of the consequence for wishing for his son to come back to the world of the living. Him and his wife believe it to be some mangled unidentifiable form. They take back their wish in the end.
I think the short short we can best learn about the human condition from would be the short story, "Barn Burning." I was quite interested by the way this short story portrayed the way the father and the son are so different, and yet so similar as well. The son does his best to be his own man throughout the story. He can't believe his father could be capable of something as terrible as barn burning. He acts radically different from the way his father does, and could even be seen as a foil by the similar situations they are in and the way they both handle it. Finally, after everything he has gone through, the son is still destined to be just like his father as he limps away in the final scene of the short story.
Othello has many scenes which portray the human condition, but the best would have to be the scene where Iago first plants the seed of doubt into Othello's head. Even though Iago has no proof of wrongdoing on Desdemona's part, Othello is easily deceived. Humans are designed to believe these lies and see the worst in people we should trust. Desdemona has no idea what is going on, and with very little "proof," Iago is able to turn Othello completely against his wife. This teaches us about the human condition in a very tragic way.
1 Hicks
I say that we can learn the most about the human condition in the first act of Othello. In this act we have War and Love, Jealousy and Pride, Hatred and Kindness, Lies and Trust. Point being that humans have numerous capabilities for emotions, both the good and the bad. Many examples in this act show this. War and Love because Othello and Desdemona get married, and then Othello is promptly shipped off for war as the general of Venice. Kinda opposites, Marriage is about being with the person you love (hopefully) and war is about, well, killing the other person before they kill you.
Jealousy and Pride are really obvious, Roderigo and Iago both display this. Pride is the reason that Roderigo is jealous of Othello, who marries the girl he wants. That and Roderigo is a racist SOB who I wouldn't want to marry my daughter either. Iago is Jealous because his pride is wounded because he was passed over for a promotion, like that does not happen to everyone. Hatred and Kindness are also rampant in this act as well. Granted hatred is the most prevalent but when is it not? Roderigo hates Othello, Brabantio hates Othello, and Iago just hates everyone. However, just like in real life, Kindness is there if you look for it. Desdemona shows kindness when explaining to her father that she does infact love Othello.
Lies and Trust are again obvious, and two sides of the same coin. For lies to exist, and to work, trust is needed to break. Trust is also the belief that the other person is not lying to you. Iago is pretty much the lying scumbag who wants to ruin everyone's day. However Othello, Desdemona, Cassio and pretty much everyone else in the play trusts him for some reason.
I think that “Harrison Bergeron” by one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, shows the most about human nature and society as a whole out of any of the other short stories. It shows that we need to have tolerance of our government to a degree. We can not let them totally take over our lives and control every aspect of our being. In the short story, Harrison breaks free of his physical limitations set on him by the government and shows everyone what they can do without the ball and chain or loud ringing in their ear. When he breaks the ballerina dancer free, I’m sure that that was a truly spectacular moment for everyone in the audience to witness. It showed that we can not be submissive and we need to be able to express ourselves in the face of our government. With all the talks of our own government getting more oppressive each day, it is easy to see how it spiraled out of control in Vonnegut’s world, and it makes one wonder if it could happen in today’s day and age.
The act in Othello I think we could learn the most from is probably act V. Showing the complete and utter remorse in Othello when he realizes he has been fooled into killing his one and only love is a great look into our emotions. When he kills himself, it is a literal representation of him dying inside and out. Seeing the other characters reactions to all the death and accusations is also an interesting look at our brain and how it works. How they seemingly forgive Othello when they realize what has happened shows our sense of compassion.
7 Nador
In my opinion the human condition is best described by Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger?". In that short story we are presented a kingdom where justice is served in a barbaric and animal-like manner. Guilt or innocence is determined by luck, say, which door the convict opens. If it is the wrong door, a bloodthirsty tiger jumps out and devours him at once, but behind the other door sits a lady, who will be married to the convict if they open the right door. I find it odd, yet not necessarily surprising how thousands of people (the whole town) go and watch the fate of the alleged perpetrator of a crime. This way of thinking seems distant from humankind, but this is not the first, nor the last piece of writing that implies that humans are attracted to all sorts of entertainment; the more shocking, the better. Other works presenting the same idea are The Hunger Games, "The Lottery", etc.
In the play Othello, I think, the villain Iago is the element of the play that is essential to represent the human condition. He represents the selfish, restless, cruel, and vicious side also know as ID of humans even in today's society. Everyone has an inner Iago, it just depends how long and what it takes to bring out the Iago in someone.
In short stories and the Shakespeare play, Othello, we can learn many ominous truths about the human condition. Humans have an animalistic set of behaviors when we act on instinct, only they are animalistic because society has warped us into “higher beings”. In Othello, we see the character Othello, upset with a multitude of emotions such as jealousy, despair, and anger. Out of this anger, he kills his innocent wife, as he was so easily fooled by another human. He was unable to trust his wife nor examine all possible evidence that his wife was innocent. Not only is Othello at fault, check out Iagio. Iago is extremely evil and consumed with rage just open a hunch that Othello slept with his wife that Iago already treats like filth. He is the cause of multiple deaths and just due to his radical emotional issues. He desires a higher rank in the Venetian army, so ruin the guy who has that rank. This is the thought process of humans when consumed by humanity and not society. This is similar to how William Golding describes man in Lord of the Flies. Human nature is controlled by feelings. When significant events happen that affect us in a negative fashion, , we completely lose our sense of control and kindness. Society i the tool that allows us to love and care for others, and share things and enjoy happiness for everyone.
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