A place for critical reading, compelling writing, and analytical thinking.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Judge—due April 16
Select one short story or poem to praise with 100+ words. Also, select one short story or poem to criticize with 100+ words.
96 comments:
Henry Heiberger
said...
Over the past week, I have had the amazing opportunity to study 15 masterfully written short stories. While some of these stories I loved and some of these stories I only tolerated, I’m glad that I had the opportunity to experience each and every one of them.
One story that I found particularly interesting was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Through this sobering story, Vonnegut offers strong social criticism of American 1960s culture while also providing just enough fiction to keep readers engaged the entire time. Everywhere the reader looks, the book is filled with vivid descriptions of the actions the dystopian government has taken to promote total equality in a way that is reminiscent of the communist governments of the past. Thus, the story serves both as a lesson and warning, imploring to readers that total equality is not as good as they expect and is instead closer to torture.
One story that I was less interested in was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway. In this open-ended story, Hemingway discreetly discusses the controversial topic of abortion and lets the reader form his own opinion about the story's outcome. Nothing within the story is given to the reader. Instead, they must figure out the author's meaning on their own. In addition, unlike in "Harrison Bergeron", Hemingway relies nearly solely on dialogue to move the plot along, starving the reader of much-needed description in several places. Yes, the story is meant to be deliberately vague, but I feel that, by forming the story in this style, the impact of its theme was greatly lessened.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to examine fifteen different short stories. Of course, from their eye-opening symbols and vivid imagery to their abundant figurative language and provocative plot, any of these stories would have been perfect to analyze. However, I found that two of them had the biggest significance to me: Jack London’s “A Piece of Steak” and Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants.”
London’s tale is a provocative message about the struggles of poverty and the inevitability of aging. Its protagonist Tom—a once-famous boxer now struggling against the weakness of old age—is shown fighting in a boxing match with the hope of earning 30 quid so he can support his family. Already, such strong themes keep the reader engaged throughout the entire novel. However, London’s use of vivid imagery and eye-opening symbolism truly make this story one-of-a-kind. The reader realizes that Tom does not care about fame and fortune and is instead fighting for much more: the ability to escape the poverty he is stuck in. Because of this, the reader can easily connect with Tom, hoping that he will win the boxing match by the conclusion of the story. However, in the end, youth does triumph, clearly placing London’s main themes in the eyes of the reader.
In contrast to London’s story, Hemingway’s tale examines a conversation between a girl and her lover at a Spanish train station. They discuss an operation that the girl doesn’t want to do. However, she eventually succumbs to the beliefs of the man and explains that she is no longer worried. At first, such a story seems like the perfect plotline to have a significant impact on the reader. However, Hemingway’s lack of detail and description leaves the reader confused and unaffected instead. Without giving a concrete indication to the nature of the operation, the reader is unsure of its severity and impact. Without discussing the background of the characters, the reader can not relate and feel empathy for them. Yes, the story is meant to be deliberately vague. However, by forming the story in this way, the understanding of the reader—and thus the story’s impact—is greatly reduced.
Throughout the last week I have had the chance to read a multitude of different short stories written by various authors. Each story that I studied provided a great plotline with interesting messages and themes throughout. Ranging from intricate symbolism and vivid descriptions to extensive understanding required to read these thought-provoking stories I have vacillated on my liking for them.
The first story—a story in which I was very fond of—is titled "Harrison Bergeron" and is authored by Kurt Vonnegut, which follows a couple watching TV under the forces of government required and enforced handicaps. This story provided me as a reader both social and political criticisms of America that were quite zealous. Enjoyment stems from my interest in the critiquing of 1960s America—a time where egalitarianism was a full force as they were written in the Declaration of Independence. Vonnegut has this short story brimming with warnings of too literal interpretations of equality; therefore, suggesting to readers to tread with caution as to warn them of the true dangers of a perfectly equal society.
The second short story—one coming to contrast my enjoyment of “Harrison Bergeron”—is titled “The Lady or The Tiger?” written by Frank Stockton which seems much more like a tale and less like a story. Stockton begins his story very slowly eventually drawing the readers in at the end where it leaves the readers to fall off the edge of a cliff. One aspect I was not in favor of was how shallow the characters were, making predicting their actions near impossible. The ending of this story depends on the reader deciding between two doors—one opening to a lady deemed rightful for the person, and the other, a hungry tiger. I was not a fan of the abrupt ending which left readers to fall off a cliff after an intense build-up.
Although there were stories I was not a large fan of, they were all interesting to read and provided me with curiosity and knowledge. Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” ranked higher on my list of more favorable, and Frank Stockton’s “The Lady or The Tiger” fell lower on my list.
I have recently been able to read many short stories and poems and thoroughly analyze them all. Many of the short stories brought a very meaningful message to me, while others fell short of that slightly. The story that I enjoyed most was "Harrison Bergeron" written by Kurt Vonnegut. The story that I did not enjoy as much was "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" written by Harlan Ellison.
The story in which I enjoyed the most was "Harrison Bergeron" written by Kurt Vonnegut. This story created a very strong message and plotline. It is set in 2081 where the United States has everyone set as equal no matter how hard the government has to try. It is a very interesting story to think about because of how crazy it is to think about the "what ifs" of the detailed story. I found that the story resembled the play 1984 by having an equal country and the government trying to harm and degrade anyone who doesn't wish to conform. It brings a lot of emotions at the end of the story where the parents had no memory of what just happened to their son on the television.
The story that I did not enjoy very much was "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" written by Harlan Ellison. From the beginning, this story brought me confusion and required me to wait until the end to try and piece the story back together. I did understand that the man was ruining the master schedule and that ruined everything but I really did not see the theme prevailed to me. There were a few different snippets of other people disregarding the nature of time and order and this threw me off of the direct plotline I was meant to follow. In the end, the Master Timekeeper was told he was three minutes late and then I was even more confused. I think this was to symbolize that even true masters are not masters at all. I am not sure. It was well written, but for me, the story did not bring me much enjoyment and interest.
Even though some stories did not bring much interest or enjoyment to my life, I did find that all of them gave me knowledge in some aspect and kept me pondering about one topic or another. Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" was one of my favorites, while Harlan Ellison's "' Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman" was one of my least favorites.
The 15 short stories we read were all vastly different and unique in their own ways. Each had its own mind-blowing theme behind the words whether I perceived it or not. There were a few short stories in particular that stood out to me, one of my favorites being London's “A Piece of Steak". On the other hand, Hawthorne's "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" would probably be one of my least favorites, and subsequently the easiest to criticize.
I truly enjoyed reading London's piece. First of all, I think the title is fun and simple making it memorable. It reminded me of the phrase 'a piece of cake'. You can relate this phrase to the story and notice how Tom King's fight was not a piece of cake regardless of his immense wisdom. Altogether, this story was a quick and entertaining read. As the reader, it was a rollercoaster reading about Tom King's fight. London would fill you with the hope that King would beat the odds and win the fight, then he'd fill you with doubt and so on until the very end. Lastly, I liked the overall message of the short story. We are blind and oblivious to our own, inevitable aging. It's a universal theme that applies to basically everyone.
Hawthorne's story didn't have the same impact on me as some of the others. The theme and main point of the story weren't too obvious to me. In my opinion, it was hard to follow and keep up with, so it was difficult to become invested in the plot. My teenage mind is easily distracted, and this story did not entertain me or keep my attention. Maybe if I read it a second time everything would all click and my review would be different.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading and analyzing fifteen different short stories. While some I enjoyed reading and analyzing more than others.
One story that I found very fascinating and thought-provoking was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. A story revolving around a futuristic society with total equality. Kurt Vonnegut criticizing American culture of the 1960’s. Kurt Vonnegut warning readers that total equality can fastely turn a capitalist country into a socialist country. Showing readers that total equality will not result in happiness like they might think but instead suffering. I found this story interesting as we had read it earlier in grade school so I got a chance to re-read this story with a much deeper analysis.
One story that I did not enjoy reading and analyzing was “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov. I was not a fan of this story; it was very hard for me to get into and understand. I did not like how Vladimir Nabokov left the story up for the reader to decide how the story should end. I started losing interest as I felt Vladimir Nabokov was giving hardly any information about the main characters to keep the story moving along. With me having too many decisions on my own like who was calling and how the story should end I found it very difficult for the story to keep my attention.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to read a variety of short stories. I greatly enjoyed reading each of these short stories. Each story had a deeper meaning behind it, and a theme that taught the reader a lesson in the end. Many of these stories had a lasting effect on me. I really enjoyed most of the stories that I had read. Whether it was them pulled on heartstrings causing me to strongly feel certain emotions, or having the stories be relatable to current everyday life. One of the short stories that I enjoyed reading was Kate Chopin's "Madame Celestin's Divorce". I liked this story because I felt it had a very relatable, overall theme. This story is about a woman being stuck in a marriage and unable to get out because she is afraid of what others may think of her. In today's times, I feel that many people feel stuck in their lives, and they feel unable to change it because they worry too much about what others think of them. While I did enjoy reading each of the short stories for multiple different reasons, one that had not stuck with me was "Pantaloon in Black" by William Faulkner. While this story was an interesting read, it did not make much of an impact on me. Personally, I felt that it was not as interesting as the other stories had been and it was hard to keep my full attention on the story for the entire time. Perhaps if I were to study and analyze it more, I may feel differently; however, as of now, Faulkner's "Pantaloon in Black" is not as impactful on me.
One short story that I enjoyed, despite the length, was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. William Faulkner ignored all aspects of using correct grammar in his writing, but the flow of the story really drew me into it. The setting for this story was well visualized and had a lot of descriptive details. I also like how Faulkner envisioned the main character, Rider, as being this big strong guy that could pick up and swing logs that would take several men to do. Even though he was this strong guy, Rider showed deep emotions towards his wife after she had died. Rider was a gentle giant that showed real human emotions. Just like all Caucasians, African Americans are just as smart, hard-working, and sympathetic as everyone else. Faulker did a very good job of representing that and wanted white readers to see that. He wanted to show them that racism is wrong.
The second short story that I was not fond of was “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. After being explained what was going on between the man and women the more I dislike it. A man and woman were having an affair and the subject they were discussing was about abortion. The first thing that I did not like in this story was the women consuming alcohol while being pregnant. The second thing was that the man did not care about the woman’s feelings about abortion. He said and I quote, “‘It’s really an awfully simple operation…’”. If he really loved her like he says he would not want to get rid of the baby. Considering the timeline of this story the women probably because she felt overpowered by the man to make her own decision.
After reading the 15 short stories there was one that stood out to me. Harlan Ellison's Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman is a powerful tale about a man who was defying the person of power and was bent on disturbing the order that was set in order to free the people from the oppression that was set. The Harlequin's goal was to get people to stop and look around and enjoy life instead of just focusing on work and always being on a schedule. What really stood out to me was that even though this was written in the 60's it is still applicable today. Ellison's short story causes readers to look at the world today. For me personally, it caused me to look at my daily routine and not to worry so much about where I need to be and getting there on time but to enjoy the trip in between. His story made me think of a quote, "There'll be two dates on your tombstone and all your friends will read 'em but all that's gonna matter is that little dash between 'em"
One story that was hard for me to read was Kate Chopin's "Madame Celestine's Divorce". In my opinion, this story lacks events. It is a story about a woman who is thinking about getting a divorce because her husband is never around. Along with this her neighbor is encouraging her because he has a crush on her. We see the man walk out of his and have a conversation with Madame Celestine every day about her getting a divorce. My preferences in reading are stories that carry action and in this short story, there is none.
Given all of the time to read the short stories, one continues to stick out to me: “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. It is also one of the stories that I hate the most. I can't stand the story because it is very confusing. I do not know what the main reason is for the conversation between the man and the girl. The thing that bothers me the most about that story is that I have no idea who is actually talking and it drives me crazy. It drives me crazy because I really enjoyed that story. With the few sentences that gave visuals, the story seemed to just paint the setting itself in my eyes and it seemed very bright and vibrant. I was able to picture a man and a girl sitting together outside with a wide expanse of the country in front of them. I could really feel the bond between the man and the girl. It's definitely a nice read after all of the disturbing and depressing things we've read before. You don't need to look very far into the book to see that the man cares very deeply for the girl and the girl is her own person while at the same time allows herself to be his. It was a very nice relaxing read and I'm curious to know what the girl had conviced herself to do and what exactly the bond between her and the man was.
Over the last weeks, I have been able to read and analyze several different short stories. As I have analyzed, I have found my favorites and then some that aren't exactly my favorite.
The first is "Madame Celestine's Divorce". This story was entertaining to me, although it wasn't exactly my favorite. I feel that this story lacked events and throughout it, all was the same thing repeating over and over. This story is about a woman who talked to her neighbor every day about a divorce with her husband. She wanted this divorce because he was never around, and her neighbor agreed with her because he liked her. They had a conversation about this every day until all at once everything changed. The ending of the story was entertaining and shocking for me, but I still thought the story was a little tedious.
The other story that stood out to me that I did enjoy, was "The Monkey's Paw". Throughout this entire story, I was questioning what was going to happen next. It includes several different events with foreshadowing, which made it very interesting to read. It also included a lot of imagery and description, which allowed me as the reader to picture the story in my head. This story was about a man who visited a family and told a story about a monkey's paw and the magic it withheld. The family decided to use this monkey's paw to grant wishes, except the paw happens to be very dangerous. This story is packed with action and I was very intrigued.
My favorite short story I read was “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov. This story was easy to understand, but still had lots of interesting symbols, imagery, and other good uses of literary devices. For example, the story started off very dreary and dark. In the end, the story starts to have color and happiness right before the phone rings for the last time which gives the reader hope that the phone call is a good thing. That ending is another reason I liked this story. It is a good cliffhanger that makes the reader guess what happens at the end of the story and who the caller is. Lastly, I liked how this story had lots in common with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, so I could make lots of connections between the two.
The poem that I enjoyed the least was “At the Globe with Shakespeare” by Hicks. This poem is about what Shakespeare would do if he was living today. The author writes about whether he would listen to the Beatles or Mozart, what he would think of movies and tv, and so much more. I do think that it is cool that the author is a professor at Augustana, but I did not find this poem that interesting. Maybe I just don’t understand the poem, but I usually like ones that have more of a deeper meaning. I like poems that I can relate to and ones that make me think a bit more, and this one didn’t really do that.
My favorite short story I have read was definitely "The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton. The idea of having an accused individual choosing life or death is pretty crazy, considering the substantial consequences. That's one of the parts of the short story that intrigued me the most. It's kind of weird that many people would ever want to go to see something like this happen, but that makes it much more interesting. I also enjoyed the part where the King finds out about his daughter's relationship with a boy. His daughter knew what door he'd be coming out of, but we never find out what happened.
My least favorite short story I have read was probably "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. This short story didn't really appeal to me, maybe it is because of the recurring theme of divorce. It is nothing new; I have heard quite a bit of divorce cases whether it would be in a story or in real life. The idea of your husband not being around too much, and the fact that her neighbor also agrees she should get a divorce is kind of strange, mainly because her neighbor likes her. It was an interesting twist, but this story lacked what I was looking for.
The last few weeks I’ve had an ample amount of time to study and analyze different short stories. Short stories are easy to read, but sometimes hard to understand what is going on and if there is a message behind it. Someone is always going to talk badly about short stories while others will praise them. All of the short stories I read were unique in their own ways, but some appealed to me more than others.
My favorite short story was “Madame Celestin's Divorce. Just by the title, I knew it was going to be a story about divorce — in which many have been a part of in their life. Sometimes those not going through the divorce don’t know how hard it is to leave who you thought was the “love of your life.” Madame had two children with her husband, so she probably thought it was good to have their father in their lives even if he was barely around. During the time period that the story was written, people that got divorced were looked down on in the church. Madame’s mother also informed her that she would be shamed if she went through with it causing her to keep second guessing herself. I feel as if many people face such hard times during divorces because of what other people will think. This story helped me to see all aspects of divorce and explain how difficult it is now and how much more difficult it was back then.
One “short” story that I was not too fond of was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. This story was very confusing to me allowing it to be difficult to follow along. To me, this didn’t seem like a short story as I wish it would’ve been shorter which would cut out some unnecessary details that comprise it. The story was about the overcoming of masculinity and shows how Rider overcomes his grief after losing a loved one. This story just shows how important family is, but I feel like it didn’t do the best way of getting that across. I do like some things in this story, but I feel as it is lacking necessary things and has numerous unnecessary parts. This story really needs to use the saying "less is more."
The short story "Harrison Bergeron" was by far the favorite that I have read so far. The creativity and imagination the author had while composing this was incredible. It is so crazy yet, with everything going on today, seems so possible. The fact that the author might be referring to our time period as the "dark age" also interested me. In the story, I just think they have the idea of competition all wrong, but that makes the story that much better. Then, of course, the leader of the nation does not have to have any handicaps which is not fair at all and completely contradicts the idea of it all. Overall, the story was very interesting and was my favorite one to read.
One story that I did not enjoy reading as much was "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabakov. It was really hard to sort of pay attention to the flow of the story when it was not really moving along all that much. The characters could have been described more with more small details included. I also am not a fan of the way the author lets the reader decide the ending. Of course, that is a personal preference, but I just hate not knowing what exactly happens. Overall, I really just was not a fan of the story because it was difficult for me to stay interested throughout the whole thing.
Out of all the short stories that we read, the one that I was most fond of was "The Monkey's Paw" by Jacobs. This short story was not only suspenseful but also interesting. I became invested in the story and wanted to keep reading. The suspense created by the soldier and the paw was very intriguing. Not knowing the true background about where the paw came from really helped fuel the story. I loved the ending due to the lack of closure. In the end, the reader never really knows if the second wish came true, or to what extent. The son may have risen from the grave, or it could have just been the wind or an animal. The lack of closure left me startled and puzzled.
One of the stories that I did not like as much was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Hemingway. This story, even tho professionally and stunningly written, was quite upsetting to me. The first time I read through the story I did not understand what the story was about. Once I learned the whole short story was about abortion, I began to despise some of the characters and the story itself. I did not like the way that the man treated his mistress, especially by belittling the situation. Even tho I did not like the plot line of this story, it was still written nicely.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have had the opportunity to read a plethora of short stories. Some I have enjoyed, but there are some that I thought could be better.
One story that I thought was very good was "Harrison Bergeron", written by Kurt Vonnegut. The story takes place in the future, where the government has decided to pass laws that make everyone equal. Vonnegut is warning readers about this style of government and shows that total equality would be bad for American society. I like that he wrote about this because America at one time was going against these types of countries and Vonnegut proved that this type is bad. I read this story earlier in my school career and I found it interesting to go back and actually analyze it this time. I found this to be the most exciting short story that I read.
One story that I did not like that much was "Madame Celestin's Divorce", written by Kate Chopin. The story takes place in time when divorce was a sin and if you did it you would be shamed. Madame Celestin is stuck in a hard place: her husband left her and she does not know if she should sign the divorce papers. It seems easy for me to decide, but if my significant other just left me and did not come back for a while, I would not just let them come back without any repercussions. The story did not seem to have much happening besides a neighbor walking and talking to her every day before he goes to work. I think the story could have had a little more action to it.
I enjoyed reading and analyzing the poem "The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee. It helped a lot to read it over the Zoom chat with the help of Mr. C giving some helpful advice. This was my favorite poem because it is most relaxed and calm. Lee questions the unknown compared to what is before our eyes. He talks about how he used to lay in his mother's lap during his childhood and how his son now lay in his. He doesn't know what his son is thinking and wonders if he shares his worries. He mentions that there are things in existence that haven't arrived quite yet. Lee's poem was a pleasant read and brought a smile to my face.
A work of poetry that I was not fond of reading was "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin. I found it to be quite opposite of Lee's calming poem referenced above. The language was far from optimistic and he was bashing the burden parents put on their children and how children are a disgrace in general. Larken suggests avoiding having kids of your own in the future and to escape the mess your parents have put on to you. The only thing I did find enjoyable about the poem was the use of rhyming; the writing flowed smoothly.
The first story I decided to read was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. I chose to read this story, and better analyse what Vonnegut is trying to say. I feel as though this story was about a future society with equality. Vonnegut criticizes American culture from the past and warns readers that equality can fastely turn a capitalist country into a socialist one. Maybe total equality won’t always end in happiness, like some may assume. He explores the thought that it might actually bring suffering instead. This story was interesting and kept you, the reader, intrigued with every word you read.
The other story that I chose to read was “The Lady or The Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. I choose to read this short story because it came into contrast with “Harrison Bergeron”, which I read before this one. Frank Stockton built up the plot, like going up a hill on a roller coaster ride. It starts out slow and with each click you get more anxious for the drop, or in this case the plot. It was impossible to decide what the characters were or what they added to the story. The ending was terrible, for me at least. When you choose a door, the lady or the tiger, it feels like you are choosing between right and wrong. The ending was abrupt and left me on a cliff that I did not enjoy.
I actually enjoyed “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut; however, I was not a fan of “The Lady or The Tiger” by Frank Stockton. Vonnegut’s story was interesting, and kept me interested and wanting to read more. Stockton started out too slow for me, and I think that is why I didn’t enjoy his short story as much.
Over this week and last I have been lucky to have the chance to study short stories and poems in a way that I never have before. I will be praising the poem “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath and criticizing the short story “The monkey’s paw” by W.W. Jacobs
A poem that I thought was really interesting is “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath. Most would find this poem a bit unsettling due to the brutal words she used towards her father; however, I think that it shows a raw reaction to their relationship. Most people don't talk about bad relationships with their parents, which is understandable. I think that this poem does a fantastic job at shining a light on the emotional or physical abuse that some parents can inflict on their kids, it shows awareness of the effect it can have on kids. After reading this poem, it makes you think twice about how you treat others because you never know how things are for them at home.
I chose “The Monkey’s Paw” because of the ending to the story. As we read, we know the sad turn of events that the family endures. To me, I thought it was really frustrating to read because of the blatant ignorance that the family showed. Obviously, it is just a story, but i think that there could have been better writing to make the story more entertaining than frustrating. Also, at the end of the story there is an abrupt end. I think that the author should have gone further with the story whether it be at the end or with the wishes that the families took. I thought it was predictable and frustrating to read.
There are many short stories out there that have been very well-written. Amongst these is "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. She included many examples of imagery that appeals to the reader. She also provides an interesting plot. She started the story off like a normal story, slight background into the rising action. Then as readers, we think that the main character gets freed when he is dropped off the railroad. At the very end, we learn it was all his last thoughts as he is hanging by the end of a noose. This gets the reader's attention and makes them realize what they just read and how brutal it is. It also is used as a teaching tool to show people you shouldn't always believe everything you hear, see, or read. Bierce wrote an amazing short story for people to read and learn from.
There are also short stories that aren't as good as others just because of how they are written. A good example of this is "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemmingway. His story provides a lot of different dialogue which can be hard for readers to keep track of. It also has a confusing plot which makes the story drag on. The reader isn't given much background on the travelers that Hemmingway is telling a story about which can also make the story hard to follow. "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemmingway was a very interesting story but it was one that could've been written much better.
Both of these short stories were good but one was better than the other in my opinion. One was written better and had more of a plot that was easy to follow but also mind-blowing at the end. The other story was interesting but didn't have much to it and was confusing at times. Short stories are a great tool to help people learn about the world, some just happen to teach greater lessons than others.
The story I have enjoyed the most so far is "The Monkeys Paw" by WW Jacobs. This story is my favorite because of the mysteriousness of it. It is like a horror/scary story and I personally am a fan of the horror genre. The story has a rising action that grabs your attention and does not let go, starting with the soldier introducing them to the monkey's paw all the way through the wishes. As the events progress, Jacobs begins throwing in suspense, particularly in the scene when there is the knocking at the door. I also enjoyed how the story did not outright say what Mr. White had wished for but rather is implied and up to speculation of the reader.
The story I disliked the most was “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton. I did not enjoy this one as much as the others because it appears to be less of a story and more of a question. It begins like any other story, but when Stockton poses the question of whether the King's daughter chose to send her lover to certain death or to let him live, it makes us question human nature. He leaves us hanging and lets us decide for ourselves, but instead of it being an insignificant thing to decide, it is the whole purpose of the story and it is exactly like being left on a “cliffhanger”. I like a story that tells, rather than one that requires more effort on my part, and I did not enjoy the feeling of an unresolved ending.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to study numerous short stories and poems. All works studied so far have left an immense impact on my life. The two short stories I found most worthy of praise and criticism are "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck and "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe.
I praise the work of Steinbeck in "The Chrysanthemums" as it was a beautifully written feminist short story coming from a male author. The story revolves around Elisa and her intense passion for planting Chrysanthemums. Her husband seems to be constantly at work to provide and tends to avoid praising her in her strengths of gardening and more masculine tasks. While her husband is away in town, a tinker drops by and asks Elisa if there are any pots or pans that need fixing. She continues to reply no until the tinker takes notice in her flowers. Immediately, strength seemed to sweep through Elisa and she was eager in supplying the man with the task of mending an old pot. The tinker mentions how a lady down the road would love some of these flowers and she's been wanting them for a while, or at least the ability to grow plants. Elisa willingly cuts her flowers and sends them with the tinker. After a stop in town, her husband returns and they prepare for a romantic outing. While heading into town, Elisa notices her Chrysanthemums on the road, beaten and broken, but no pot insight. The tinker kept the pot, in this case, her strength, and therefore was unable to move the flowers from the road. Elisa is a rather "masculine" woman for this time and is quite unsatisfied with the role of women, as she wishes they could embark on enduring tasks like men. The only way she can find acceptance or strength is through her gardening. When the tinker dismisses his work as too scary for a woman and dumps her flowers in the road, she cannot help but cry, as the notice of Elisa and brightening of her day is now diminished through the role of a man.
The second short story studied was "The Black Cat" which personally disgusted me as a reader, but also opened my eyes to the reality of mental and internal illnesses with the abuse of alcohol. The story is about a man and wife who own and love their pets; however, the husband seems to have constant conflict with the black cats. As he is a man most often found "committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not." In summary, he ends up killing the two black cats that appear in his life and his wife, ironically, with a cat sitting on the wife's head. The police eventually find out from him stumbling over his secrets and words. Frankly, this short story is graphic and detailed and the narrator seems to be overwhelmed by a spirit of perverseness. The cat is best represented by an external agent that intrudes on the dynamics of the plot, just like alcohol. And the plot twists derive only from the insanity of the narrator. I criticize this short story simply for the blatant abuse towards animals and twisted reading, but also praise it for the awareness it provides.
The poem I have enjoyed the most and has stimulated my brain would be "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats. This poem, although lacking a sense of rhyme and meter, was easy to understand yet challenged me to find deeper meanings in it. The poem was written post World War I, and was claiming that there would be a "second coming" or war. At first, I was confused by this, but Yeats used a Sphynx and gyre to represent what was happening in the world and why we would be punished for it. He stated that humans' morals were like a widening gyre; people started going off of their moral path. He then went on to say that the Sphynx will punish those who do so. Overall, this poem was very intriguing and interesting.
One poem I did not think was great while reading it would have to be "This be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I did like the fact that there was a sense of rhythm, but the content was lackluster and too pessimistic in my opinion. Larkin wrote this entire poem based on the fact that parents ruin their children. He claims that the parents share all of their worst "faults" with their kids and then some. Towards the end of the poem, he states that the reader should not have children. Obviously, this is not always the case when referring to a parent and their child. I can infer that Larkin most likely had a bad or traumatizing childhood if he had the encouragement to compose a poem such as this one.
While reading through the short stories and poems this week, I came across a poem that I liked, What the Drop of Water Had to Say by Yann Martel. I enjoy reading Martel’s works because even though he says it is foolish in this century to believe in a god, he continually returns to religion in his writing. On page five of his poem, Martel says, “Are we not all equal before God?” and “I remind Oil that Jesus on the Cross had only one complaint: ‘I am thirsty.’” Martel also uses less obvious references like when oil is taunting water and says to turn into vapor to save itself similarly to when Jesus, on the cross, was taunted by one of the criminals who hung next to him. Martel also leaves sections up to the interpretation of the reader. For instance, at the ending, Martel says, “A day will come soon, I hope, when we will start over, at peace with water,” which could be interpreted as the end of humanity when water will be reclaimed by the world or when humans finally realize that we are killing the planet and reach a new enlightenment.
Another poem that I read that I was not as fond of was Walt Whitman’s O Me, O Life. I am not a fan of the message that it portrays. Is being alive in a miserable, foolish, and faithless world really better than being dead? Whitman’s poem makes it seem like there is nothing that we can do to end the chain of foolishness and faithlessness and that our only option is to live with it. The “play” that he describes does not seem as “powerful” to me as Whitman believed it to be. The fact that life exists is not enough to make up for the pain that it is experiencing.
Out of the short stories and a few poems we have read as a class together over the zoom calls it is hard to pick just one to favor and extremely difficult to find one to criticize. But anyways, one short story that intrigued me while reading is “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. While reading this well-written story, it made me think of what the princess would think while deciding whether to let her star-crossed lover live and marry her enemy. Or see him go by getting demolished by a tiger. I loved reading this short story to take clues and trying to figure out what the jealous princess would have done. These sorts of circumstances where there is an ultimatum are very interesting to me to try to think of what I would do. The princess did point to her lover that the safe door without the tiger is on the right, but was it?
On the other hand, some poems and short stories caught less of my interest. One poem, for example, is "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I do like the overall way the poem is written with the rhyming scheme and how the stanzas are placed. The content in the poem is what I do not have an appeal for. The entire poem is about how parents put their "faults" or problems onto their kids, ruining their lives. Larkin states, "And don’t have any kids yourself.' Leaving a negative impression after reading it. It has been known that parents must have more kids than themselves to keep the population growing. Larkin must have had some terrible childhood to write a poem that influenced many due to its famousness.
I have never been a huge fan of poetry. It is confusing, abstract, and I like things to be straight to the point. However, a lot of the poems we have read this week have really made me intrigued in poetry and I actually really enjoyed many of them. A lot of them were light and fun, while others were deeper and had a little more darkness to them.
One of my favorite poems that I loved was "The Addict" by Anne Sexton. For me, I really enjoyed this poem because it was about something deep that most people are afraid to talk about. I really liked how its first two verses were just one word. I feel that makes a huge statement and a good way to start a poem to get people intrigued. I really also like how she talked about addiction. How she said, "I make arrangements for a pint-sized journey." and how addiction is a journey but also can be seen as a diet for death. The part that I most liked was she says, "It's a kind of marriage. It's a kind of war where I plant bombs inside of myself." While this is all sad, it is something so important to read and learn about. Addiction is something people really struggle with especially today, and so to write a poem about the struggles of addiction is truly amazing in my opinion.
One poem I was not a fan of was Cummings "a connotation of infinity". I am not going to lie, I have a very small vocabulary. So while I think this poem is really good, I felt like there was just a lot of big words that may not have been needed in the poem. I was also really confused about what the poem was about. I know poems you are supposed to look a little deeper to find meaning, but even reading it twice I still didn't understand what it was talking about. I did like the last part of the poem where it says, "on such a night the sea through her blind miles of crumbling silence seriously smiles" but is it smiling because people are going to die or that people are lonely or that people are doomed in life. Most poems this week I was able to understand, but Cummings I just cannot figure it out and for me, it can ruin the whole poem even if it sounds good and is written very well. I still think it is a really great poem, just not one of my favorites.
Over the course of these last weeks, I have read a lot of short stories and poems that have sparked my attention. One poem intrigued me the first time we read it in class and became a favorite of mine the second time we covered it this week. "The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee did a great job of covering the path of life that we live in between two unknowns. It is a poem that does not take excess re-reads and digging through hidden meanings to find the purpose behind its words. Personally, I enjoy poems that do not over complicate and take picking apart every word to get a simple idea of what it is trying to convey to readers. "The Hammock" was a very simple read supporting a complex idea on life. Additionally, I loved that it ended with giving the readers questions on what waits on either end of the "hammock" and helps to represent the uncertainties in life.
A poem that I understood the message it was trying to convey but disagreed with the mood it presented it with has got to be "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I understood that he was trying to tell readers that we all have faults and a lot of them will link back to our parents or even come from the faults of our grandparents. I feel like the language of the poem hurt it more than it intrigued readers. Hoping for maybe a shock factor, he added a more pessimistic and harsh tone to the poem. Overall, I ended the poem by understanding his purpose but hating his execution. The poem did not leave me with a lot of emotions or questions. It mostly just made me look at him as a pessimist and being negative. Instead of talking about realizing and trying to change our faults, he simply suggests just not having kids.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been able to read countless short stories and poems. Some stuck out to me, and some did not. Some were easy to read, and others needed to be analyzed deeper to find the true meaning.
My favorite short story that I have read over the last few weeks was "The Ones That Walk Away from the Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin. This story follows the joyful town of Omelas during their Summer Festival, but the residents of this town do not realize that their happiness relies on the suffering of a little boy. This story was easy to understand compared to the other short stories. Le Guin uses vivid imagery to describe the people of Omelas and how the child suffers. Le Guin shows readers how some people may "walk away from the Omelas" have a sense of individualism and know the right thing to do. Although their lives are spectacular, they do not believe that happiness in their life should be based on a little boy suffering.
The story that I did not like was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway. This story was difficult to comprehend the true meaning of the story as the story was left open-ended. The story was also about a controversial topic in the United States today: abortion. This story is similar to "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov because both authors leave the story open-ended for the readers to decide the outcome and motives of the story. When the story does not come straightforward it is hard to remain interested for long periods of time. Digging deep for symbols and meanings is fun, but knowing the plot and what is going around makes that feat easier.
The first short story that I found to be the most entertaining was “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton. I thought that the plot and storyline were fascinating and it kept me intrigued from start to finish. It is crazy to me that a person who was accused of a crime, they might not have done it, are getting a life or death sentence. I personally liked how the end of the story is up to you to interpret because it makes you think rather than the story just ending. I think that the jealous princess pointed her lover to the door with the tiger because she would not be able to bear the thought of him having to be with another woman.
The short story that was not exactly my favorite was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. This short story was my least favorite because it was confusing to me and hard to follow along with. I also feel like it was dragging on at some points due to the length. The whole point of the story was to show how important family is but I do not think it did the best at getting that point across. I do like some things about this story; however, I do think that there are many unnecessary details that make the story drag on.
Out of the short stories we have read these past few weeks, the one I'd like to praise is Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat. Of all the stories, I found this one to be quite interesting. Going into this short story, I already knew that it would be dark and bitter, but it surprised me with a sort of fulfilled ending. I absolutely love the idea of the story starting with the narrator at his end, trying to plead with an audience that he is totally sane, before going on a story that counters his words. I also liked the idea of a curse placed on this man for his horrible actions. I find the dynamic of karma used in this story to be quite prevalent, with the new cat having a fur pattern of the gallows, and the fact that this man may be hung for the murder of his wife, which is ironic since he hung a poor cat.
In the pool of short stories we had to choose, I decided to read An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge because the title struck me with intrigue. Although I did like the use of symbolism in the story, it felt just a little too cliche. Specifically, his escape scene was way too convenient for him, that may soldiers missing him with gunfire at that range is impossible, even in the time frame given. It was all too obvious that this wasn't real as he was described to be in so much pain, even when completely free. It was also weird why he would exactly snap out of it if he was in pain and being hung. I suppose it could be from a lack of oxygen, but a lack of oxygen happening AS the hanging starts is pretty much impossible. Pain also brings you back into the moment, not away so I found that to be weird, I assume it was ignored for plot progression.
Over the course of the last week, I have gotten to take some time to read and analyze some short stories. One that I found rather compelling was The Lion or The Tiger. This short story is about a lady choosing the fate of a man she loves and she must decide if she would rather see him get killed by a tiger or have him live but fall in love with a prettier woman. I found the concept the king sets up for the accused to choose their fate rather interesting. One different aspect of this short story is that it ends with a question. "The lady or the tiger?" This then opens up the ending of the story to the reader where they get to determine and think about what door the princess will choose and how the story will play out.
One short story that I did not really enjoy was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway. It was a very well narrated story and I did appreciate all of the dialogue included. It made the story more of a play rather than a short story. The reason I did not like this story because I did not like the concept of it. The man is trying to convince his partner to go through with an abortion and she seems to be against this idea. I think the feminist theory can come into play with this story because the man is trying to control the women and he believes that he is in the right. If the roles were reversed and the women wanted the abortion and the man did not I think she would be seen as cowardly, but in this case the man is not portrayed that way.
While reading, one of the poems that really stood out to me "What the Drop of Water Had to Say". It was written by Yann Martel so you know that it is going to be something special. Yann wrote this poem about a drop of water, something that seems so simple. However, he makes this drop of water out to be much more than that. Martell starts his poem by making a conversation between the sun and the moon. They were arguing about Earth dying, when suddenly Drop of Water comes from Earth and joins in. I like how Martell used personification to make these inanimate objects come to life. The Drop of Water comes in and explains himself and how he is vital to the function of the world. The water explains the problems on Earth with the introduction of different large cities around the world. I like how Martel brought to attention the problems of pollution with the use of outside characters like the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Water.
One poem that I did not really care for was "This be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. This entire poem is dark and gives off a very negative vibe that I do not care to think about. While reading this poem I feel that Larkin is attacking my parents for the problems that his family might have caused him once upon a time. He uses quite vulgar language to describe our parents and says "Get out at as early as you can." When in reality it is the very opposite. I do not see my parents as "F'd up" nor would I like to think of them like that. This poem is almost offensive to read.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been diligently studying short stories for a couple hours of the day, some I have liked others I have not. One story that was not easy for me to read was Kate Chopin's "Madame Celestin's Divorce". The overall story was not bad with an okay storyline. The biggest problem I had with it was the way it ended. I spoke in my reflection about the story ending in an odd way that left too many questions. I thought that it was a bad way to end with so many unanswered questions. I think ending on a cliffhanger for the most part is a good way to make a reader think. But there were too many aspects that were not given, making it hard to come up with a complete thought. It would be more of a guess than a theory with the plot of this story. One story that I found very interesting and attention grabbing was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. A story revolving around a society with total and complete equality amongst each other. Kurt Vonnegut criticizing American culture of the 1960’s. Kurt Vonnegut warned readers that total equality can quickly change a booming capitalist economy into a struggling communist country. Showing readers that total equality will not result in happiness like they may have thought but instead suffering. I found this story interesting as we had read it in grade school, so when I got a chance to re-read this story with a much deeper analysis I thought it was a great option.
One piece of work that has really stood out to me this is week is "At the Globe with Shakespeare" by Patrick Hicks. Though the verbiage of the piece is relatively simple, the imagery created by Hicks's artistry is beyond cool. By using phrases like "metal birds in the sky" and living tapestries", Hicks encourages readers to revert themselves back to a time when airplanes and movies weren't everyday activities. By comparing Shakespeare to modern-day luxuries, the author eliminates the line between the 16th century and current times. If you ask me, Shakespeare would absolutely listen and enjoy The Beatles, as their music has revolutionized the industry time and time again. However, I could also see him favoring the strings in some of REO Speedwagon's best hits. I loved this piece!
The piece that I didn't love this week was "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin. There is no denying this piece packed a punch and is important for everyone to read, but I felt as though the narrative Larkin hoped to push was incredibly one-sided and perhaps unfair. Is human nature is incredibly flawed in need of some serious revitalizing? Yes. Do parents play a massive role in our character and development? Yes. Have there been mistakes made that led to second and third generations plagued by poor decisions? Absolutely. While there is plenty of evil in our world, I thought that assuming everyone's parents were a bad influence was a great example of taking personal experiences out on others. Where there is darkness, there is an equal measure of light and reform. To believe otherwise sounds like a dreadful life filled with pessimism and hatred.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been able to study and analyze many poems and short stories. Each leaves a different impact on me.
The poem that I found was the most interesting was “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath. Personally, I thought that this poem was the easiest to understand. I am not a fan of long poems with hidden meetings. This poem was simply and straight to the point. I did really enjoy all the symbolism in the poem as well. This poem gave the readers the raw emotion that Sylvia was feeling at the moment when she was writing this. This poem showed us the strain that some children go through when experiencing emotional/physical abuse from their parents. This poem makes one think about how everyone has struggles that you may not know about so you have to treat everyone with respect.
A short story that I did not enjoy reading was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. This story was way too long for me where I would not even consider it to be a short story. I believe that throughout this story, there was a lot of unnecessary information given to the reader. Faulkner could have cut the story and made it shorter for his readers while also making it easier to comprehend if he cut out the unnecessary information. The point of the story was to show the reader that family is a very important thing in one's life. I felt like he did not make the point very clear, almost as if he was missing some key details of the story. Overall, I wish it was shorter and the point was easier to get out of the story.
My favorite short story I read was “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. The author did a great job of creating an understandable exposition and creating suspense. Although shocking, I liked how the end of the story did not give a definite answer to how it ends. Instead, each reader must choose their own ending. Did the princess choose the door with the tiger which meant certain death for her loved one, or did she choose the door with the beautiful lady meaning her loved one must marry someone else? No one will ever know for certain, but the answer given can tell a lot about human nature.
A poem I did not enjoy very much was “This Be the Verse” by Philip Larkin. This poem was very negative and pessimistic. The author expresses how all of humanity is messed up, and it just keeps getting worse with every generation. All parents are good for is messing up their children. He pleads with the reader to get out of the vicious cycle and not have kids at all. Larkin must have had a terrible childhood to have come up with such a cynical idea. Yes, it is true that there is no such thing as a perfect parent because everyone has their faults. But that does not mean that every parent is terrible and messes up their children.
The poem I have chosen to praise is "This Be The Verse" by Phillip Larkin. This poem not only has a great pace but it portrays an emotion that I feel myself in a way that makes perfect sense. When reading it on Zoom, we discussed that he might have had a somewhat messed up childhood. I don't think that's the case. I have a wonderful relationship with both my parents and thank them for my wonderful childhood, but I also deeply agree with everything Larkin portrays here. I happen to not want kids of my own with one of my reasons being that you can unintentionally mess your kid up really badly. Kids are so impressionable and take everything their parents say as gospel to the point where I would be afraid to say anything remotely sarcastic to a kid. I just wanted to praise this one because I connected to it on a more emotional level than others we have read.
The short story I did not connect with as well as the others and wanted to maybe criticize a bit was "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I must have missed the overall message because I was sort of confused during the entire time I was reading. Even after finishing, I am confused as to what was happening with Major Molineux at the end of the story. It was not necessarily a bad short story in any way. Though, out of all the poems and short stories we read, this was the one that I did not really have any connection with.
I have several short stories in the past few weeks. They require abstract thinking or an ability to see the deeper meaning. These short stories pack in important detail a meaning in short paragraphs. Short stories have to make every sentence important to the story. I like reading these for that reason and it is for this reason that I chose to read stories.
One of the stories I read was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. This story about a society that forces everyone to be absolutely equal to each other follows George and Hazel, the father and mother of Harrison. George carries several restraints called handicaps that block his thought process and bring down his mobility. Hazel, however, carries none. This is an interesting theme early in the story and draws you in leaving the reader curious about why Hazel has nothing. The whole story is a buildup of curiosity and suspense that has an amazing payoff. Vonnegut shows how America could end up considering the growing interest in Socialism. Harrison Bergeron plays the Jesus figure in this story and preaches about his superiority and the flaws of the government, and in the end dying in front of an audience. This story is incredibly interesting and showing that absolute equality is dangerous.
The other story I read was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. During the time of this story, divorce was frowned upon. Madame Celestin is talking to a lawyer about a divorce with her husband who left her and her kids. As the lawyer falls in love and as she gets closer to having the divorce, her husband shows up and she chooses not to get the divorce which every reader knows is the wrong choice. Along with a sad ending and some symbolism, the story seemed slightly one dimensional. I could be missing something, but I did not like this story as much because of its simplicity. I am sure many like this story because of its simplicity, but not for me.
One poem that I really enjoyed reading was Anne Sexton's "The Addict". Like the drugs she describes in her story, I found the poem to be a powerful trip. Addiction is a harsh subject to discuss but Sexton takes the reader to that place immediately and masterfully at that. I really enjoy the imagery that she describes in the poem, to show how she is at war with herself. The descriptions of how the pills are described are great like how its a kind of marriage or they are like little bombs inside of her. Anne Sexton's "The Addict" is amazing to read because it brings out and invokes a powerful emotional response as the reader feels for this addict.
I don't always understand poetry or catch on to what it is asking/telling so in part I didn't like this next poem because I didn't understand it fully. I did not really enjoy reading Walt Whitman's "O Me! O Life!" While the concept what intriguing at first it started to feel like each line was the same bit of repetition and complaint about life. The lines just grew all too similar in my opinion. Also, I found that the choppy wording that Walt used detracted from the story. To me, it seemed as if he was trying to write Shakespearean and failed. Next, I feel like the answer given at the end does not match the beginning of the poem. If he is happy with identity and life, then the mass of complaints prior to the answer is unwarranted and they don't match.
Over the past week or so I have had to chance to read and analyze short stories and poetry. I have never been a fan of poetry unless it is some little kid poem that rhymes. I think poetry is very confusing and hard to understand most of the time. While reading all of these short stories and poems, I have definitely had some favorites, and some I didn't like at all / didn't understand them.
One short story that I really liked was the "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. I liked the fact that it was in the future and it gave a different perspective on everything. It really got me thinking about what that would actually be like for people to have handicaps based on their abilities in life. This short story has been familiar to me for a couple years, after reading in early on in high school and I think that's why I enjoy it. I think it's interesting to study a short story or any story that I've already read, to read it again but take it apart and really get to know the story. Vonnegut was trying to get the point across that equality could change things, and not for the better. Everyone's differences make them who they are, and if everyone were the same, nothing would work in our country. I like this story for the fact that I understand it more than any other short story or poem we have read.
One short story I didn't really enjoy reading as much, was the "Madame Celestine's Divorce". I understood most of it and it was quite an easy read, I just didn't like how it was very dry. There wasn't a lot of information and detail into everything as most stories. It's about a woman who is getting persuaded by her neighbor to get a divorce so that he can marry her because he has always thought she was beautiful. Her husband is never home and the neighbor notices and always brings it up to get her to follow through with it. I just wish there was more detail in this story because I think it could be good but with extra detail to keep the reader intrigued.
After reading the short stories and poems provided, I analyzed them and wrote down some interesting notes about each of them. These short stories and poems were all pretty interesting, but I definitely had my favorites. My number one choice was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. My least favorite was "Signs and Symbols" for a few reasons.
After analyzing "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, I glanced back at my essay from last semester in composition. My essay with Quinn was about capitalism and against socialism, a very relevant piece to this story. In this story, Vonnegut warns readers about falling into socialism in the search for complete equality. He is trying to emphasize that total equality won't provide everything and it isn't as good as what everyone thinks. After looking between this story and my essay, I started thinking about total equality and what that would do to us as a nation today. I find the subject very interesting and it is kind of scary to think that something like this could happen.
Of all the short stories and poems, "Signs and Symbols" was definitely my least favorite. I had to read the story to myself more times to completely grasp some of the content and I still feel like there is more I am missing to the story. The flow of the story is sort of messy and the descriptions of certain characters and actions were very vague. I like closure in stories and this story did not provide that, which was upsetting because deciding the end of the story is hard for me. I think if he would have put an ending on the story I would have enjoyed it a little more and I think some thoughts would be resolved.
After reading Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil, the poem After Auschwitz caught my eye. The poem is written by Anne Sexton and the poem revolves around the anger felt after people survived Auschwitz. Sexton describes Nazi’s as baby eaters and harshly criticizes mankind and how evil it can be. She beautifully compares the evil of mankind to an innocent object such as a flower and how her anger makes her want to burn the beautiful object. Finally, she ends the poem saying that mankind should never feel comfortable again as the evil of mankind should make them feel ashamed of themselves. This beautiful poem perfectly captures the anger of the people after world war 2 had finished and perhaps makes other people realize the anger felt.
The second poem I read was This Be The Verse by Philip Larkin. The poem revolves around the anger felt about older generations and how they raise the young. However, the poetry comes off cheesy to me as it sounds like an angsty teen. While I do agree that parents do have a large part in how their child turns out, it doesn’t always mean that they hand down their misery and anger to their kids. In fact, I think that all parents should attempt to do the opposite. Finally, in the end it almost sounds like he’s telling people to commit suicide as he tells them to “get out as early as you can”. After that he tells the reader to not have any children of his own which is a really terrible message for the future youth.
The short story that I enjoyed the most was Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut. It is a futuristic story that takes place in 2081. This story was definitely outside the box compared to others I have read. I liked how it made me think differently about our world, government, and society. These people are being held back from all the amazing opportunities and discoveries to be made. Vonnegut wrote this story to make everyone equal. In an ideal world that might actually sound look a good thing so no one is comparing others to themselves. After I continued reading I discovered that being equal isn't a good thing because no one has a personality. They are all just boring in a way and robots.
The short story that I didn't quite enjoy was Madame Celestine's Divorce by Kate Chopin. It was a good storyline but I hated the ending. The whole story is about how she is planning to get a divorce but in the end, she doesn't get one. It defeats the whole purpose for this to even be a story. I wouldn't feel bad for her anyway because she said many times that her husband is unreliable and breaks so many promises. However, I do feel bad for the lawyer. He seemed like a good guy. Yes, he may only be pushing the divorce so hard for Madame Celestine but he really likes her.
Overall I have loved many of the stories that we have read and am excited for what I still have to read. But today I will talk about my favorite and then one that I question on and didn't see the main point those two being The Tiger or the Girl, and Madame Celestin's Divorce
First is the Lady or the Tiger Which I think is a great short story that sets up the main characters very well and gives the story almost a feel of an entire world that you could read about in a fantasy book for several hundred pages, but rather it is just a short story that asks a question of what you think a character should do in their situation, should they knowing were the women who he will be forced to marry or the starving tiger that will definitely eat him give their love to this woman who she despises or kill him? I love that it is left ambiguous to the reader and is up to you to decide what she did.
Next is Madame Celestin's Divorce which is one that I didn't quite understand, it is a story about a man who falls in love with a married woman who's husband is in a different town "working" but is clearly not the breadwinner in the family, with the wife also having to work. The man than throughout the whole book is just trying to convince her to divorce her husband to then hopefully get the "marry" her. But the husband comes back and she tells him that he promises to change and will not be getting a device which clearly crushes him. But what is the theme? Just that he is a man that can't find love and that even when women have the power to rid themselves of a bad man like her husband they won't? It just doesn't have an ending in my eyes, but rather it is a statement for something that just either doesn't land quite as well in this time period, or just flew over my head after re-reading it several times.
after reading some of the short stories and poems this past week there have been a couple that stood out to me. A lot of the short stories were hard to understand because as a reader you have to find the underlying message to it. All the short stories were different in the style they were written and of course, the message they were trying to imply.
The one short story that I did enjoy reading was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. In this short story, Vonnegut criticizes the American culture of 1960. He wrote about equality among everyone and how it would look in the United States. He also conveyed the message that total equality might not end very well if we were to have it. I found this short story to be so interesting because of how it was written. The story made me think about the future and what it may look like someday.
The second short story that I read was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. I did not like this short story because it felt like it dragged on. It was very confusing at times and I just felt like there was a lot of unnecessary information. In most short stories you can grasp the message it is getting across but I did not understand the message in this one. I went to research this short story and found that the story was supposed to emphasize the importance of family. I like the message it is trying to get at but it was a bit confusing for me to understand. I think if Faulkner had not included so much unnecessary information it would have been a better short story.
I really enjoyed "The Monkeys Paw" by Jacobs. I thought this story was really interesting and it made me think about how greedy mankind can be. We are always buying and wanting more than we need. We throw away so many expired products because we bought without the intention of using it right away. This man had everything and even stated that he has all he needs and did not know what to wish for. The father did not listen to the deliverer's warnings. Instead, the family fixated on how they could have whatever they want. They were blind with greed and curiosity. This story taught me to be grateful for what I have and to not ask for more than I need.
One story I did not like was "Signs and Symbols" by Nabokov. I really wanted to read this story and enjoy it. I really love irony and analyzing a story that analyzes stories sounded great! I just wish Nabokov did more with signs and symbols. Such as making obvious signs and symbols and deeper ones that would need more time to analyze. We got some variety but there should have been more in order to emphasize the point. Some of the signs and symbols were just so obvious like the family crying on the bus on the way home. I also wanted more for the ending then what we got. I know that this story is more about the signs and symbols rather than what happened to their son. However, it was such a great setup to have a really great ending but then it just stopped with the phone ringing three times.. and three is a bad number.
One short story I would like to praise would be "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." This short story is wonderfully written with such detail the author could be considered an artist. I can picture the perfect city with people celebrating in the streets, the horses galloping, and the trumpets blaring. It reminds me of a royal wedding in a Disney movie with the grand scenery. But my favorite part about the story is the thought-provoking twist. The innocent city has one serious skeleton in the closet—literally and metaphorically. There is a child that is starved, abused, and neglected in a basement under one of the Omelas homes. The child is a sacrifice for all of the joy, laughter, and success of the seemingly flawless city. I found this to be an extremely intriguing hypothetical situation. I had to think for a few minutes if I were to support the sacrifice or deny it.
A short story I would criticize is "Signs and Symbols." Though the author did a great job setting the mood and setting of the story, I never fully understood it. I could feel the pain of the words but I never got closure or an understanding of what happened. For example, the unknown caller asking for Charlie puzzled me and I still don't know what that could possibly mean. She called 3 times which might have some meaning of urgency but I can't think of what else that would point to. The symbols are so vague that I'm just going to assume the son committed suicide in the mental institution. I wish there was more to the story and it didn't cut off so abruptly but some people enjoy a story with no end—not my thing.
The poem that I liked the most would be “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. I like poems that are more motivational and inspirational and that is exactly what this poem is. After analyzing it I realized it’s hard to figure out almost upon reading the first time so I had to go back and reread to put the pieces of the puzzle together. This poem tells us to not give up or give in and to always stay strong when things get hard. At the beginning it mentions as you get older but this poem can be applied to any age and almost all circumstances. I love how it is almost a challenge to understand what it is saying because when it takes time to understand the main point it comes with learning and picking up on all the small details which is why I love that this poem is challenging but encouraging. A poem that was not my favorite is “This Be The Verse” by Philip Larkin. This poem is about not having children and how we all have aspects of childhood that are not ideal that we give as parents to our children. It is not my favorite because there is no reasoning as to why this man has something against his parents. If he wanted readers to become attached to the poem then he should have appealed to emotion, not just stating that it is bad to have children when that is how our world naturally works and continues. It just seems off and odd how he wants to break this chain because of his past experience that was negative compared to the billions with good childhoods.
Over the break from school, I have read short stories and poems by many different authors.
"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most interesting short stories I read. The story was written in 1961 and is set in 2081, 120 years into the future. The story begins by saying that in 2081, everyone is absolutely equal, making one think that society may be close to a utopia. However, the story continues and the way that everyone is equalized is by handicaps—either in the form of heavy bags hanging from a person, an earpiece that distracts them constantly, or glasses that both hinder eyesight and thinking ability. At this point, the reader can easily see that society is actually dystopian because the way the handicaps are enforced is by heavy prison sentences or death.
I also read "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov, one of my least favorite short stories. The whole story is convoluted with random "signs" and "symbols," none of which really seem to have any meaning. I realize that it is probably the intent of Nabokov to make fun of needlessly putting symbols everywhere, but his story feels too hard to follow. Sometimes it is fun to infer what is going to happen next in a story, but Nabokov's story requires too much inferring to be any fun.
Over the last few weeks, we have been reading a variety of short stories. Many of these stories were great and a really good read but others were slightly uninteresting or hard to follow. Today I am going to explain why I love the story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin, and why I do not love "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs.
The story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin is by far my favorite short story that I have had the chance to read so far. This story sends a message that hits really close to home. On page 2 there is a quote that says, "If it hurts, repeat it. But to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else". This quote is saying that they think that if they embrace the violence that is happening to this little boy, their whole world will be destroyed and miserable. This story is bringing what is happening in the real world out into the light for everyone to see. Everyone in Omelas knows what is happening to this little boy and some of them even feel bad and visit him, but if they are not allowed to help him in any way. The people in Omelas "say everything depends wholly on this child's abominable misery" (6). I also loved that she made up the word "drooz", which I would assume is some kind of drug or alcohol.
I have already read "The Monkey's Paw" in my 10th grade English class and I remembered not really liking back then so I decided to reread it to see if, after two years, I would see the story in a different light. The beginning of this story reminds me of a children's horror story. To me, it felt like Jacobs was trying to make the story suspenseful but I did not feel an urge to continue reading at all. The dialogue seemed really boring and sometimes it was hard to tell who was saying what and the way he said things made it seem like there were a lot more people at their house. I felt really bored and had a hard time getting the motivation to finish it until the end.
A story that I really liked was "The Black Cat" By Poe. I am more into the unsettling tone, and this story was definitely creepy. Poe did an amazing job portraying the mind of the character. He was able to tell it as if it were just a regular conversation, and made everything flow so naturally. I really liked the way he used different descriptive words to describe the people or things in his life. For example, he refers to the cat as a "nightmare" or "beast", which really derives what the reader thinks. Most would think of a cat as cute and sometimes sweet, but when Poe uses these words it gives a new image of this animal to the reader. He does something similar when he kills his wife–which is also something he nonchalantly mentions in the story–by referring to her as a "corpse" or a "body" instead of his wife. His writing is so captivating and seems to like writing a major event in one sentence.
One piece of writing that I did not particularly enjoy was the poem "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats. This poem for me was difficult to understand, and the meaning behind it seemed to be a little fuzzy. It is one of those poems that one would have to read over and over again to understand, which is not a bad thing, but not something I would like to do in order to find the meaning. I understand that he was trying to warn everybody of the second world war, and he uses a lot of imagery to describe it, which is what I actually liked best. Something else I did not enjoy about this poem was how he used different things that only someone with that knowledge would know the meaning of. For example, I did not know what the Spiritus Mundi was until it was clarified. When I read something, I want to be able to know the symbols within it.
Both pieces of literature were very well written and excellent. I just have a particular style that I enjoy more.
Out of all of the short stories I have read in these last few weeks, “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce was my favorite. This story was really intriguing. Bierce kept the reader on edge, reading this story actually gave me chills, because of how well it was written. Bierce used amazing literary tools, mainly imagery. The way he used descriptive words to describe what was happening around Peyton was mind-blowing Another thing I really liked about this story is how open it is. The reader does not know what really happened, it is all up for interpretation.
One story I did not like was “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton. I read all of the short stories, twice actually, but this one was the worst. I personally did not like this story because I think it lacks the luster that the other stories have. This story did not keep me guessing what was going to happen. Also, I feel like it had a very unsatisfying ending. Unlike “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” I did not like the openness of this story. I think the reader needed to know what happens at the, does he pick the door with the lady or the tiger?
Throughout my time reading through the short stories, the one that I enjoyed the most was "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. This story stood out for me as it made the reader think and analyze without even realizing it. The reader was forced to think for themself. The story had the reader interpret whether Peyton died or truly made it home for themself. The overall story was highly intriguing and kept my attention throughout. The plot moved along smoothly and just enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I really enjoyed Bierce's use of imagery and tying the main character's occupation throughout the plant imagery. He was very descriptive and it was easy to follow along with the plot and setting.
Even as there were many short stories I really enjoyed, there were some that I didn't enjoy as much and were harder to get through. The story I enjoyed the least was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. I actually liked this story at first, but as I read it a few more times I found myself enjoying it less and less. After reading through it multiple times I found myself having a hard time with added information that wasn't needed and the ending. I felt there was a lot of extra information throughout the story that had no significance personally. I feel in some aspects that less would've been more for this story. I also didn't particularly care for how the story ended. The story ends with a cut-off ending and leaves the reader wondering what would've happened next. Personally, I like stories better when there is a concluded ending. It doesn't matter if there are multiple possible endings just as long as they are present. I believe the story would've been better with a concluded ending instead of leaving the reader to fill it in themself.
London's "A Piece of Steak" is a powerful story with countless opportunities for analysis. It doesn't drag with exposition, rather begins with a small portion and sprinkles more of it throughout the story so as not to exhaust the reader. It may seem at first as if you're assembling two different puzzles, that of the exposition and that of the narrative, however, upon reaching the end the reader realizes that its all one puzzle, and you've just made two pieces that fit together, each curve running perfectly parallel to its match. I felt myself wishing I could move my eyes faster along the page, hungry for every succeeding word until my gaze fell upon the final syllable and my thirst was quenched. It is an incredibly satisfying read, paced in a way so perfect that it puts shame to mama bear's porridge.
Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" doesn't quite live up to the standard that London's short story set for me. After such a fulfilling piece, Bierce's tale of a southern planter and gentleman's hanging in the civil war felt dry in its surface content with a cliche conclusion. I would say the predictable end is excused due to the work's age, however. What is inexcusable is it's seeming lack of direction to me, there is no takeaway and the story is left just as dead as our protagonist himself. Though it has the strong framework of a textbook "good story", it lacks the meat and feels as if Bierce either lost interest or couldn't bring his thoughts and motivations into words. That being said, this isn't a bad work of art, but after reading such a rich chocolate malt of a story as "A Piece of Steak", Bierce's tale tasted more reminiscent of unsweetened cocoa powder.
Oddly enough I actually liked the poem "This Be the Verse" by Larkin. Normally I would not look at such a dark and negative poem and think it is good or enjoy reading it however I like the fact that Larkin wrote a poem that was so honest. He must have had an unfortunate experience with his parents and I can assume that his childhood was very sad. I can't relate to that because I have had the opposite life experience with my parents and childhood which is why I like trying to understand Larkin's different point of view. Of course, I would enjoy a happy or positive poem but to me, something so sad, personal, and honest can pull on my emotions more which makes it a great poem.
A story I did not care for was "Signs and Symbols" by Nabakov. This story was pretty dull and boring in my opinion. Throughout the story not much happened and there was nothing interesting or exciting that grabbed my attention. I also found a lot of the symbolism to be hard for me to understand. I think it is great that he is able to come up with a lot of intricate symbolism but personally, I was just not into it. Another thing that bothered me was the ending. I wanted to know who called and I wanted to know who Charlie was. I had a lot of questions and then it just ends. Some people may love that about the story but I did not.
The first short story I read was Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw". I liked this story in particular, because the lesson learned and the events leading up to the climax are fairly easy to follow and understand for readers of all age groups. I believe we read this story in middle school at some point, which is another reason why I liked it. The lesson learned from this story is simple: Greed brings with it tragedy, and those who chase money and physical things will experience an empty life. The death of a father's son is the result of a greedy wish from a talisman brought home from a foreign nation by an army friend.
The second story I read was Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants". This story was unappealing to me for a few reasons. First of all, it seemed to be just a conversation between two people in a relationship and about what all they could have, and what they do have. It doesn't seem to have any underlying meaning, or at least if it does, it doesn't pop out to me like other stories. There also doesn't appear to be any climax throughout the short story either. It is just a conversation between a man and a woman, where he tells the woman that he loves her and he would do anything for her.
Out of all of the short stories I have read in these last few weeks, “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce was my favorite. This story was really intriguing. Bierce kept the reader on edge, reading this story actually gave me chills, because of how well it was written. Bierce used amazing literary tools, mainly imagery. The way he used descriptive words to describe what was happening around Peyton was mind-blowing Another thing I really liked about this story is how open it is. The reader does not know what really happened, it is all up for interpretation.
Another poem that I read that I was not as fond of was Walt Whitman’s O Me, O Life. I am not a fan of the message that it portrays. Is being alive in a miserable, foolish, and faithless world really better than being dead? Whitman’s poem makes it seem like there is nothing that we can do to end the chain of foolishness and faithlessness and that our only option is to live with it. The “play” that he describes does not seem as “powerful” to me as Whitman believed it to be. The fact that life exists is not enough to make up for the pain that it is experiencing.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the chance to read a variety of different poems and stories. Each of them is different and has impacted the world in many ways. Having read these short stories and poems I have some favorites and others that are not so much a personal favorite. Each of these has been significant and I am glad that I was able to read and interpret them. Last week we were required to do our Flipgrid on the short stories so I am going to select poems to praise and criticize.
The poem that was my favorite was hard to decide. It is between two. Both of them were read to those that were present on Wednesday. The first one is Hicks' "At the Globe with Shakespeare." Hicks's poem is one that I really enjoyed because it makes you think. His poem is about if William Shakespeare was around today what would it be like. It would definitely be very interesting to see how he would act, what he would talk like, and what he would like to do. This also got me thinking what if other famous people of the past were around in today's world and how interesting that would be. The second is Lee's "The Hammock." This is also one of my favorites because of the way that it is very relatable and it makes you think. Our life is "the hammock and then there's the gap on both sides. On one side is the people and family members that came before us and on the other side is the family of our future yet to come. When he says "I think, Dear God, and remember there are stars we haven't heard from yet: They have so far to arrive." I think that he is meaning that there are children or even grandchildren that will be in our lives that we don't even know of or have even thought of in our lives and it's an interesting concept to think of.
One poem that was not my favorite was Larkin's "This Be the Verse." This one was interesting to me for many reasons. It started off with some quite vulgar language in his poem. To me, the point of this poem is a little unclear. It seems to me that he is a crabby man who had a bad childhood. In his poem, he states, "Get out as early as you can, and don’t have any kids yourself." This quote makes me think about what he has in mind for his goal with this poem. I can agree with the beginning of the poem when he says that people impact the way that we grow and affect our behaviors. However, he seems to have a negative outlook on this factor. There are good people that have positive impacts on people as well as some of the bad ones. I hope to learn more about this author and this poem but for now, it is not one of my favorites.
Positive: I have to praise John Steinbeck for his descriptive writing in “The Chrysanthemums”. The writing presented a clear picture of the characters and setting in my mind as well identifying their emotions. I felt the intrigue found in the story came from the dialogue presented between the Tinker and Elisa. The way they presented their feelings towards their respective work was interesting. The symbolism connecting the chrysanthemums and Elisa was also intriguing as they were an extension of her. Elisa felt a slight connection to the Tinker and offered him a chrysanthemum only to see that he later threw it away.
Negative: Emily Dickonson’s “A Narrow Fell in the Grass” is not a poem I have enjoyed as much as others. I have read the poem multiple times but the meaning behind the poem continues to elude me. The tone of the poem also confuses me as I can not tell if it is mysterious or sad. Comparing this poem to Dickonson’s other work “There is Another Sky” I prefer the latter. Her other poem contains a vivid description of a bright beautiful garden and has the feeling of happiness and fun surrounding it. While I read Dickonson’s first poem I didn’t know what to feel.
I think one of my favorite poems we have read so far would have been "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. I remember reading this back in middle school and I liked it there. When we read it again I realized I liked it even more than I had remembered. Personally, I like this poem because of the suspense and mysteriousness of it. Jacobs grabs your attention from the very beginning with the history of the paw until the very end with the wishes. I am a fan of mystery/horror books and movies so I found this poem interesting. One of my favorite parts would be how Jacobs leaves how the story ends up to the reader. He never gives a clear statement on what happens with the 3rd wish.
Some of the poems we read were less interesting to me and I just flat out did not like. I did not enjoy "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larken. I did not enjoy this poem because of what it was writing about. It seemed that Larkin was writing about how having kids is a bad idea. He explains how parents put their problems onto their children which ruins their childhood. This left a negative impression of me because I think that kids are good and people should have children if they want to and not try to sway others into a decision that is thiers.
For the last couple of weeks, we have been given multiple short stories to read. These stories are all different in their own way and carry different important messages. I like reading these short stories. It has been a nice change from reading long books. I think it is interesting comparing the writing styles between the two different kinds of works.
I have found more short stories that I like than one I dislike. My favorite poem and the one I choose to praise is "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." Ursula K. Le Guin writes the poem using detailed imagery and moving literary devices. The words allow you to picture everything in your head as if you were there. The short story is beautifully written. I like good plots and twists. This story keeps you thinking until the end. When you are done reading it you are still thinking. A child's happiness and life is sacrificed for the rest of society. The story touches on what could potentially be a touchy subject that people face in real life.
It was not very hard to pick out my least favorite poem and criticize it. My least favorite poem in every way was "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. The note of this poem brings the reader down. The message is pessimistic and the author seems to be a glass half empty type of person. In his eyes all humanity is corrupt and continues to worsen with every year and generation. He mentions that a care giver is the reason for all the bad the new generations are bringing. If this is the case he is subtly saying that people should stop populating the world. If there are no new unfit caregivers then there will be less corruption in the world. This is the opposite of how I feel and operate. Not everyone is perfect, people make poor mistakes. It is something we all must learn to deal with and move on.
The short story that stuck in my head was "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton. The open ending drives me insane but contributes much to the story. The story ends leaving readers curious as to what door the princess signaled her lover to choose. Some readers imagine the princess telling him to pick the tiger, others the lady. Yet, another option is that the princess could shake her head as if she did not learn what was behind each door letting her lover pick his own fate. Human nature leads us in our desires to know what is behind the doors. In some cases ignorance is bliss, and knowledge is a. curse. The suspense the author creates heightens a readers imagination and allows each reader to chose their own ending.
One poem that was not enjoyable was Philip's Larkin's, "This be the Verse." Yes, some parents do ruin their children but look at how many succeed with flying colors. The pessimistic view of having children may have been formed by a traumatizing childhood, or experience with children. I work with kids. They have their moments where they are on the floor throwing a tantrum, but they also have moments you would not trade for the world. You see kids picking up trash and scolding their parents if they don't follow suit. Other kids are cute as a button when they try new things. He claims that parents "fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you." Many parents try very hard to avoid making the same mistakes their parents made and by avoiding those parenting mistakes they can avoid creating those same faults in you. Kids will always have some fault, but typically they do not have the same faults as their parents. I possess a very optimistic view of the world so I pity the experiences Larkin had that made him see the world in such a negative way. He tells people to "get out as early as you can." Why? Why would you leave something behind that you created? Because you can not see the beauty in what God has given you. Leaving would be reckless and irresponsible. Raise your kid and raise them right. Do not leave them hanging out of sight!
A short story that I read and was really fascinated with was "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. This short story told so much about the time frame (1890) and the war going on in a short amount of pages. I knew right away that Peyton Farquhar (the man who was about to be executed) had died when he explained falling into the water of the river below and seeing the light grow brighter as he sunk. The adventure of Peyton escaping the bullets of the soldiers shooting at him and himself going under the water uncontrollably was very intriguing and made the read fast. For this, I found this short story to be extraordinary and would recommend to anyone looking for an intriguing, adventurous story.
A poem that we read together that I thoroughly did not like was "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot. The poem itself was very long and twisty—not making much sense in my mind. The title of the poem is totally deceiving, for a love song would be about romance and relationships, not about the love the character was not getting. Instead of the love song, the poem should have been entitled "The Misery Squall of J. Alfred Prufrock" due to his complaints of jealousy with Michelangelo. With this, I found that this poem was my least favorite due to the imbalance of the title with the rest of the poem.
Positive My favorite Poem that we have read up until this point is "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath. The thing that made this so appealing to me was the fact that it was World War 2 related. I have always had an interest in learning about. Though it is a tragic part of our history, it is something that we should learn about. It was also interesting to have it in the perspective of a child of a Nazi. I have always wondered what it would be like to be a defendant, or have relation to somebody that committed such heinous acts.
Negative Another story that I initially found quite interesting was, "The Monkeys Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. The story also has a little bit of history behind it. When talking about the man that was in India when England had colonized it. The reason why I am no longer a huge fan of it is because the story is eerie in a way that I am not necessarily too fond of. I do not buy much stock into magic personally, so while reading I would rather do without. It is not that it is a bad story by any means, it just really is not my cup of tea.
After reading a significant amount of short stories, I have thoroughly enjoyed many of them. One that stuck out to me was “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe. At the beginning of his story, he places himself within it to speak to his readers. Therefore, readers obtain more information about the short story from the author himself. Poe is a remarkable writer, using interesting diction to liven the story. What I believe makes an exemplary short story is how an author uses their words and how they end the story. Poe provides an unexpected ending, and while reading “The Black Cat” you wonder what is real or supernatural. Filled with symbolism and a dark, twisted plot, “The Black Cat” is an intriguing short story.
I absolutely love short stories because of how well-written they are. I find that they are enticing to read, but if I had to criticize one of them it would be “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. It was not a bad short story; however, there were things I did not particularly like about it. It was well-written but it lacked those powerful sentences that bring a story to life. The plot was like the ending of a novel, fast-paced and keeping you on the edge of your seat. However, I think the story could have had a better introduction to the main character. Also, after the long journey of Farquhar trying to stay alive, they just kill him at the end, which was rather disappointing.
Not only did I love “The Addict” by Anne Sexton, I felt it. Although I am not an addict, reading this poem, I felt like one. I admire her not just writing about a subject considered taboo, but being so raw and honest about it, depicting her thought process each night along with the pain that comes with addiction through beautiful metaphors, helping place the reader in the place of someone with a commonly misunderstood disease. I especially love the line, “It’s a kind of war where I plant bombs inside myself.” Wow.
I am intrigued as to the title not being “Addiction,” or something with that word, but rather labeling herself with one word—a word holding many stereotypes. Yet she uses this in favor of herself, as the reader goes into the poem with their ideas just of what an addict is, usually distinguished from the human, and then Sexton introduces the human into their idea of an addict, showing the struggle her mind faces and the pain with the knowledge she is harming herself.
This poem is just something that everybody can relate to. We all have something we rely on that we wish we didn’t as much, or even just bad habits. Each reader can connect certain lines or ideas throughout to their own life.
“Madame Celestin’s Divorce” is not an intriguing title. I don’t know who Madame Celestin is, and frankly, I don’t care about a random lady’s divorce. I don’t want to be too harsh, but this story is just not something I feel compelled to read. In the first paragraph, I already am unsure of a couple things; this might just be because it was written in a different time period. I have not heard of someone wearing a “wrapper,” but I assume it is like a cardigan. What really trips me up is her gallery—what is it of? Is it outside, or does it have a big window, or how does Lawyer Paxton say hi every morning? And is he a lawyer, or is that just his name? The first semicolon of the first sentence of the second paragraph is improperly used. It’s now apparent the guy is a lawyer.
From their first conversation, Madame Celestine becomes happy with the man’s acknowledgment of her hard work. Again—the time period—but I don’t like this, because she should be able to acknowledge and appreciate her own hard work and be happy because of that instead. Suddenly, the lawyer becomes a judge, and they start talking about another character that has not been introduced. If I am in a conversation with two other people, this would be where I walk away, so I only continued reading long enough to see Madame Celestine talking about herself. I am sure the writing makes sense since Chopin is a famous writer, but I might not be intelligent enough to understand it because it just doesn’t make sense to me.
Throughout reading most of the short stories I was able to pick out one of my favorites being "The Black Cat". When reading the story Edgar Allen Poe wrote he made it easy for a reader to interpret also representing what he was going through at that time. In the story, he had the main character as an alcoholic taking his anger out on his animals he had with an exception to his black cat named Pluto. Once he turned on this black cat eventually hanging it there was a clone like a cat with a white spot which reminded him of his cat he brought it home. He ended up trying to kill his cat then killing his wife. This story was a great example of justice and how things can come back to you.
One story that was not as enjoyable as the others as "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. To me the concept of the idea in Harrison Bergeron was great but when reading it the delivery of the idea wasn't the best in my opinion. It seemed that it had edgy criticism about society's desire to make every individual equal. A lot of the message that Vonnegut was going for is a great concept I just feel like the story was flat to me. Maybe after a further read or looking deeper into the story I can find more that I missed when reading it through the first times.
The short story I want to praise is "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton. Overall, this story did not follow any predictions I had made about it and I believe it is very progressive for the time period in which it was written. I liked how Stockton left the story open to interpretation and that the beginning of the story gave detailed background that made the setting feel more realistic. The characters in the story, especially the king's daughter and her lover, were fleshed out and felt like real people. Both of these characters had personality traits and emotional changes in the few pages of the story, which I think is impressive for length of the story.
The short story I want to criticize is "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. To me, the suspense in the story was faulted as the sergeant-major told the White family that the paw was dangerous, instead of them finding it out themselves. Even if they doubted it, as a reader, I could guess that they would face consequences of using the paw. Also, the ending of the story was too open-ended in a few aspects. Not knowing the exact final wish was okay, but the fact we never get a description of how their son looked when he came back was disappointing. Although this story is more mental horror, a bit of gore could have really upped the shock factor for the ending. Additionally, we don't find out if their son was a monster or not, so we don't know if Mr. White's final wish was warranted.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have read and analyzed a variety of short stories and poems. Among them, the short story that stood out the most was “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. Stockton’s story makes the readers think about jealousy, trust, selfishness, and more. “The Lady or the Tiger?” is also great to read in hindsight to try to figure out what the princess’ decision was. The king’s power and ideas of fairness are also points to analyze in the story. The judicial system is totally corrupt and everyone seems to go along with it.
Through reading many stories and poems, the work I enjoyed reading the least is “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe. “The Black Cat” is a morbid story about an insane man and a black cat. I found that “The Black Cat” was often confusing because of Poe’s unique style and the plot was hard to understand at times. Because of the darkness in Poe’s writing, reading the story is also uncomfortable, especially when confused about the story itself. The story made much more sense after doing some research; however, the initial read was the least enjoyable. I think a second and/or third read would be valuable to further understand the story.
William Carlos Williams did an amazing job of creating a fun, humorous, and entertaining poem in just a small cluster of words. He created a little scene in "Danse Russe" and described the family and time of day. He then continues to share that he "dance naked, grotesquely before my mirror waving my shirt round my head and singing softly to myself". Williams is sharing joy. Since I was in the zoom this morning, I saw the reactions of Mr. C and his enjoyment. I myself highly enjoyed it and so did many others I'm sure. Williams found a way to bring a smile to readers' faces with a jumble of a few words.
Vladimir Nabokov composed an interesting short story. Although compelling, I was not completely satisfied. Could we at least know the son's name? Then the fact that he is or is not the "Charlie" the young girl asks for on the phone. There seem to be too many unanswered questions in the story for my liking. Why must the uncle pay the bills? There is a great story there but it seems to be missing too much. That can be intriguing to an extent, but also distracting. It's like when you start a puzzle. The end picture is supposed to be beautiful but you are missing a few pieces. The image doesn't turn out as well as it should and you won't really want to try it again.
After reading around 15 different short stories and poems, I think my favorite was definitely “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. I liked it back in Middle School and it's as good as I remembered. I like books with a lot of mystery, so this was a perfect read. Jacobs uses a good mixture of horror, mystery, and suspense to create a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jacobs also adds a lot of imagery to illustrate a clear picture for the reader. I highly recommend this story as it isn’t very long, but contains a lot of thrill.
One short story that I didn’t like so much was “Madame Celestin’s Divorce” by Kate Chopin. This story didn’t interest me at all. The whole story was Madame Celestin deciding if she should sign divorce papers. Although it was a time when divorce was frowned upon, the answer seemed very clear to me. Why would she stay with a husband who left her for a very long time? It had little mystery and little action, which I didn’t like at all. I’d say this short story would appeal to some readers, but it just wasn’t for me. I’d only recommend it if you aren’t looking for action or mystery.
One of my favorite poems of the selection in the google drive folder was “The Man-Moth” by Elizabeth Bishop. The concept of taking a misprint in the newspaper and turning it into a character with a storyline was very clever. The poem itself felt very melancholic in tone but Bishop’s writing style was very fluid and kept me engaged throughout reading it. The Man-Moth was quite the curious character in and of himself, his infatuation with the moon and trying to escape through it kept me thinking. Even as I continue to reread the poem as I write this, the Man-Moth remains someone that is a little too far off to fully understand, yet I can't help but feel sympathy for him.
A short story that didn't quite pique my interest was “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. While I can appreciate the way that Hemingway structures and writes his stories, the actual plot did nothing for me. Not once did I feel any connection or emotions towards the characters and I wasn't left wondering about it upon its completion. If it was trying to convey a message about the controversial topic of abortion, I personally didn't buy into anything. I'm sure Hemingway desired readers to come to their own conclusion, but even so, reading the story provided me nothing more than a terse conversation.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been studying a variety of different poems––some that are quite pessimistic while others are positive and light-hearted. One of the poems I enjoyed most was “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath. I enjoy authors who tell readers their story, yet only hint at specific ideas so that readers have the opportunity to look deeper into the poem themselves. Plath clearly had a traumatic and painful childhood because of her father, although we do not necessarily know what her father did to her. It is almost like her father’s obituary, but rather than grieving over the loss of her loved one, she rejoices in her father’s death. This poem was simple and easy to read, yet had a multitude of symbolism.
One of the poems I truly disliked was “This Be The Verse” by Philip Larkin. This was not only vulgar but extraordinarily pessimistic. I felt as if this poem had no valuable meaning, simply written by a man angry at the world. Larkin states that you should get out of the house as soon as possible and avoid having kids of your own. It is quite clear that he had an upsetting childhood; however, just because your parents impact you as a person, you still have the power to overcome that influence yourself. I do not mind somber poems as I believe they all have messages we can learn from, although this was one of the most depressing poems I have ever read.
The short story that deserved the most praise, in my opinion, was "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath. This poem is at first disturbing and dark. She addresses her relationship with her father, who died too soon for her. She describes him as a "black shoe" and "a bag full of God" among other things. She also uses the popular nickname, "daddy", that young girls use for their father. This brings a child-like innocence to such a dark poem. I see it as a way of explaining that she wanted to be close to him, even though he was so far from her (physically and mentally). This could be compared to the Oedipus complex, in which she wants to be so close to him that she will do anything to feel that way. She does this by "marrying him" or marrying someone similar to him, in an attempt to kill off the negativity that comes with her memory of him. This is a common way some girls feel about their own fathers, they never felt close enough to them and so they need that figure in the form of a husband or friend. While it was a strange poem, I can understand where her pain flowed through the words she wrote.
The poem I have chosen to criticize is "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot. I expected this poem to be about a romantic love story or vision of love. It was hard to read and confusing at times. With research, I learned that this poem is about a man who is afraid to express his love since he does not think it will be returned. He hates himself and mentions multiple flaws about himself, flaws that I think he focuses on too much because he is used to tearing himself down, as he believes his love does the same. He is so miserable and confused about the love he feels. The poem goes between his hate for himself and his fear of being rejected. Is the poem really a love poem about someone else not returning his feelings? Or is it about him being so worked up over this that he needs to find a way to love himself first? The criticism I have is just the fact that the poem is so confusing that maybe it should've been titled differently. I think this Prufrock person needs to find some self-love before he goes trying to give that love to someone else.
One of my favorite short stories I have had the chance to read was "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. This short story has many literary tools and held me captive while reading it. One of my favorite things about this short story was the imagery and the concepts of time. When Peyton talks about the clicking of watch it is depicted vividly and you can see the pain it causes him. Another thing I enjoyed was the twist at the end. The abrupt end of his life was unexpected and intriguing. It made you rethink every single part of the story that was previously read.
One of the stories I disliked was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. I thought the story was interesting, but it offered many faults in my opinion. The drive of the lawyer was obvious from the start and the rest of the story offered even more filler to suggest my conclusion. I thought the mix of French was put in at odd times and wasn't necessary to the entire story. I feel I could have depicted the actions better without it. I also wish there was a concluded ending, it left most things in the air instead of leaving the reader to depict it in their own way. I think it was tolerable, but much of the story was confusing and not amazing in my opinion.
The first story that I read this week was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. I really enjoyed this story compared to some of the others because of the warning the author is giving in the story. The setting of the story is a future time where everyone was made equal due to new laws passed by the government. Vonnegut recognizes that if this form of government ever happened, it would be very bad for the United States. I found it interesting that he chose the form of a short story to warn society about this terrible situation. Also personally I agree with him that this form of society would not be very good for a country so I was interested to see what he had to say about the effects of this form of government.
After reading several more stories, I came across "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. I really could not get interested in this story. Madame Celestin is a woman who has been left alone by her husband for a long spell. After she hears nothing from him for several weeks, she is trying to decide whether she should file for a divorce. The entire story is basically her going back and forth between whether or not she should file for divorce until she finally decides she is going to go through with it. Then her husband returns and she realizes she should stay with him. The story ends at this point with no real action or storyline to the story. I would have liked to have something more interesting to try and follow than the path of an indecisive woman.
One of the poems I chose to read was Thomas's poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". As I was unable to make it to the reading on Tuesday, I decided it should be one of my poems to praise or to criticize. I have seen the two repeating phrases used before in pop culture both "Rage against the dying of the light" and "Do not go gentle into that good night" but I have heard people say, "do not go quietly into that good night". That may just be a case of the Mandala Effect like Berenstein or Berenstain. While I can defiantly see the effects Thomas's poem has had in everyday pop culture, his poem captures the effect that one should feel when they die—the night meaning death and the light is you, you should feel angry and fight against death however she may come to you. This is an effect of the poem that translates well across time, the meaning still holds to this day but the actual poem was underwhelmingly shorter than I expected and didn't pack as much of a punch as I was expecting, however; I do admit this is partially due to me more than likely having higher than reasonable expectations due to the frequency that it is used—this is not a condemnation rather a very minor problem I had.
The second one I shall give some praise to, not a poem this time, is one of the short stories I read for a previous blog task—Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat". Is that I came to realize something very important about the story when I analyzed it last time. Aside from Poe's classic story beats typically involving gothic terror are some form, in this case being a cat being tortured, a fire, a wife murdered, is that thought was put behind the naming convention of the cat. This when I realized put way more power behind the ending of the story, after all, it ends with an alcoholic abuser being hanged for the murder of his wife that he hid behind a fake wall in the cellar—a call back to "a cask of amontillado" perhaps? But if you new what Poe was alluding to when he first introduces Pluto the cat, mythologically adept readers would know that he was God of worldly wealth and the Underworld. That knowledge would give them new insight as the narrator plunges further into his insanity. This is a fact that really endeared this short story to me, despite the gruesome cat murder that bummed me out.
Out of all the short stories we went over, my favorite one out of all them has to be "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton". It reminded me of the Sherlock Holmes movie a little bit. Part of that was because one of them was named Holmes as well. The mysterious part of the story kept me focused and my mind didn't wander while I was reading this story. I also liked how the ending of the story took place. I did not expect that Holmes and Watson were going to witness a murder and then not turn the culprit in. I thought it was going to be Charles going to jail for all of his illegal activities. I was shocked to see him murdered. Even though he had it coming.
One story I did not care for was "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". I thought it was lacking detail and thought it was a pretty dry story. There really was not too much to it. The fact that the story could have been easily been finished in a couple of sentences is kind of funny. It does show how creative the author is. He literally created something out of nothing. Even after Farquhar "dies", the author could have done anything with his imagination but all he does is swim downstream a little bit and then goes back home. Just to realize that he had been dead the entire time.
We have read 15 short stories and the one I liked the most of was "The Monkey's Paw." I found this story to be fun to read because it was both suspenseful and intriguing. The suspense created by the soldier and the paw was an excellent great part of the story. Something that kept me reading was the unknown origin of the paw. The ending left me wondering and confused if their wish really came true. The son may have risen from the grave or it could have just been the wind or an animal. The story left me wondering and wanting to know more.
Although most stories we read were good stories, one story I particularly didn't like was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. The story was about a woman who wanted to get a divorce. A neighbor of hers, a lawyer, encouraged this divorce because the husband was clearly not a good husband and he wanted to marry her because he was falling in love with the woman. In the end, the husband comes back and the woman decides to stay with her husband. Every reader knows that this is the wrong decision and it left me confused. The story seemed pointless to me after the woman went back to her terrible husband.
I have read and listened to many short stories and poems over the past few weeks and this is the one that I chose to praise. The first story that I am going to praise and complement is going to be the called “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and that short story was written by Ursula Le Guin I have previously examined this story with the flipgrid assignment and I really enjoyed the simplicity of the story. Granted that the story is a little bit different from the one kid that is forced to be punished by being in exile in order for their society to succeed. I enjoyed this story because there were no underlying themes that the reader had to try and figure out. The Omelas have essentially the perfect life and it is all based on the suffering of this child and the Omelas and the Omelas are left with a choice to either walk away from the Omelas and get this child out of suffering and do the right thing. I also enjoyed how easy a read it was and the simplicity of the story made it be my favorite that we have studied thus far.
But, not every short story or poem that we have read was my favorite or fun to read. If I had one short story to criticize it would have to be “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and that was written by Ambrose Bierce, to summarize this story it is basically set during the civil war times and the country was divided into the north and the south and this man named Farquar is about to be hung on the bridge. But the interesting aspect of this story is the way in which the story is written with the parts. The three separate parts add confusion and in my opinion, make the story choppy and not as clear to follow along with. It was a good story but the tempo and the story being told out of order added confusion and that made me not enjoy the story as much.
I got the chance to read a short story titled, "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov. This story quickly turned into one of my absolute favorites. It is a very sobering but entertaining story. It revolves around an elderly couple who has a son in a mental ward for a mental illness called referential mania. The couple is wary of their son being in the ward for much longer because he has actually already almost committed suicide. On the night before they were to go in and pull their son our, the dad was complaining about feeling sick. A few minutes later they received two calls from the same girl and the other insisted she had the wrong number. The story ends when the phone rings a third time. The atmosphere and tone of this story were gloomy and sobering. It was set in the middle of winter and it was a very foggy night. I spent a lot of time thinking about what the last call meant. Then it hit me, it was probably the ward calling to inform the parents that their son had passed away. Maybe that's why the dad was feeling sick, he deep down knew something happened to his son. There are many symbols throughout the book that foreshadow something bad happening. A baby bird drowning in a puddle, a little girl crying, three phone calls. All of these have meanings and Nabokov did an amazing job letting readers figure out what he meant by themselves.
The second short story I read was "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck. This was by no means a terrible short story, it just didn't keep me interested and I felt as if the plot was being drawn out. A 35-year-old woman, named Elisa, is married to a farmer. She grows beautiful Chrysanthemums and takes extreme care of them. This is a reflection of herself. The story tells us that she keeps the farmhouse spotless and she likes to clean herself up too, just like she does with her plants. Throughout the short story, we get the feeling that she is not happy in her current relationship. A tinkerer comes by and Elisa immediately takes a liking to him. He is handsome and seems to like her for her and see her as feminine. At the end of the story her husband takes her out and Elisa asks about fighting and her husband tells her that they can go to one if she wants and she starts crying but makes sure that he cant see. This further proves the point that she is unhappy and not seen as a feminine person/partner because men would only bring their other friends to fights.
Over the past couple of weeks, while reading these short stories, I have found that they have moved me in ways that I did not expect. Each story has a different personality, which means that it can change a person in different ways. The story that I am going to criticize is The Lady or The Tiger; while reading the story I found that the plot was very slow going, but it was starting to build up with great anxiety. I thought that the ending was personally not very good and left me on a sort of cliff hanger that I did not understand. The short story that I am chosing to praise is The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. Out of all the short stories from the zoom meetings and just all the random ones I have found on the internet, this may be one of my favorites. This story is bringing out real world problems and showing them to everyone, this story was different for me because it reminded me of my closest friend and what she sent through growing up. I would say that this story is a piece of art that deserves to be shared with the world.
Out of the stories I decided to read, I think that I enjoyed "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. Throughout the short story, I continually found myself entranced in its words and stopped frequently to think and reorganize my thoughts and opinions on the piece of literature. Its moral debate of equality and how it serves as both an asset and a liability to our society piqued my interest. We are currently living in a world that is full of protestors and very real issues that many people face based on discrimination or from simply being a minority. As many continue to fight for and promote equal rights, this story can also put into perspective the effect that true equality can have on our society socially and economically.
One story that I found on the other end of my interest was "Pantaloon in Black" by William Faulkner. The story itself does contain an important message that discusses the necessary place family takes in our lives and its importance to our well being. However, I find that in short stories I would prefer that the message be a little more clear. Granted, that does take away some of the mystery of the story and putting the theme sprawled out easily on the paper wouldn't be challenging for anyone to comprehend, but I find that stories that are more simple and heartfelt have a greater effect on me than the ones that I have to google about.
One poem that I enjoyed immensely was "The Hammock". I loved this poem because it had an amazingly positive and introspective view of parenthood. I really enjoyed the analysis of it as well. I think that one of the best examples of his very clever writing, is the fact that a hammock was never mentioned, but the metaphor was extremely clear throughout the story. I enjoyed the way he captured the emotions and thoughts surrounding parenthood. The ending of the poem was also very hard-hitting, where he states that it doesn't matter what is on either end of life, the little bit of joy that we have in the middle is all we need.
I was definitely not a fan of Larkins "This be the Verse". I found the message disturbing and the language vulgar and unnecessary. I have absolutely no problem with foul language, but in this poem, I think that it does not add the forcefulness of emotion that it was intended to bring across. I found it distracting from the message of the poem, as it made the entire thing sound like a teenager scribbling tear-filled notes to themself after being told they can't take the Xbox on vacation. The message is sound, although I entirely disagree. Parenthood is not just a burden that society has forced on it. It is a gift to us, to have the chance to take the faults we received from our parents and attempt to make a better generation. A chance to do right what your parents did wrong and make progress in society.
The story I chose to praise is "Black Cat" by Edgar Allen Poe. Similar to a different story written by Poe, "Black Cat" has many elements that are found in "The Raven". This was such an interesting story and I loved reading it. I think Poe's stories are full of surprising plot turns and twists to keep readers entertained. Personally, I love crime shows and movies, and now stories. "Black Cat" was a story about a man that denied he was going crazy and ended up killing a cat and his wife. I thought the most interesting part of this story is when he finds a cat almost exactly the same was the one he had killed months prior, this cat is even missing an eye. The only difference is that this resurrected cat has a white patch of fur on its neck, resembling the gallows that the narrator hung it from. The relationship between the cat, the resurrected cat, and the narrator tell an interesting story of this man going crazy.
"Hills Like White Elephants" is the story I chose to criticize. For me, this story was very hard to follow and not very interesting. The two characters and their relationship was confusing, and I didn't understand if they were siblings, a couple, or just friends. I was not able to be on the Zoom call when we discussed this story, so maybe I am missing crucial pieces. I didn't understand what the drinking or what the color of the mountains meant to the story. I thought the ending was interesting because of how open-ended it was. Overall I think this story would have been more interesting if I understood the true meaning of it.
I have always struggled to read poems. I tend to find them very difficult to read and comprehend. I am not an avid reader and so that might contribute to the fact I do not usually understand what I am reading when it comes to poems. I am trying my best and I think I have found one poem I like and one poem I am not really a fan of.
The first short story I will talk about is “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. This story is quite interesting to me. First of all the biggest reason, I chose this story was because to me it was the easiest to understand. I enjoyed the story as well. I enjoyed ultimatums. The fact that one choice can change the entire path of someone's life is extremely appealing to me. I noticed that it was quite easy to read. There weren't many if any underlying themes in this story. They laid them all out there and I was able to absorb and comprehend the information quite well.
The next story I will talk about is “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. This story was very underwhelming. After I finished it, I thought to myself, "Really? There isn't anymore?" I was very disappointed. It had the bone structure of an amazing short story but it was poorly executed in my opinion. The character introduction felt lazy and the plot did not seem to start until the end of the story. I understand it is meant to be sort of a tragedy with him dying in the end but I still was left with many questions as to why the author chose to tell the story in this way instead of a different way. It lacked the "wow" factor in my opinion. They could have re-written so many different sentences in order to "wow" the audience. Instead, the author chose to be more calm and bland with it. It felt like a roller coaster that looks super scary and fun, but ends up going very slow and its dull.
Over the past weeks, I have gotten to read some very interesting short stories. The two that I chose to write about now are the "Black Cat" and "The Monkeys Paw".
The story that I chose to praise was the "Black Cat" had a lot of amazing twists and turns throughout the whole short story. At times it was confusing but this only caused me to wonder and to come up with more questions about it. I loved how it was a classic horror and it was almost as if a movie was playing in my head the whole time I was reading it. There was much suspense in this story as well, which also added to my liking of this short story. Overall, I thought this was a very well thought out short story that I am happy that I got the opportunity to read it for this amazing class.
The story that I chose to criticize was "The Monkeys Paw". It was a good short story but one thing that I wish the author would have done was used all three of the wishes and not just the two. I think this would have added to the overall plot and storyline of the short story. I am not saying it was not interesting, because it was. I am just saying that if they would have used all three of the wishes it would have created a lot more suspense. If he would have decided to make it all go away with the last wish that would cause relief. Or he could have made things worse by using the last wish. Either way I think it would have been a nice extra touch to the short story.
My favorite story out of the 15 we have read so is Harrison Bergeron. Harrison Bergeron stood out to me from all of the 15 stories due to the plot and time period. Driving the forefront in America today is the call for equality which I believe that everyone can agree is a good thing. This story though takes that plea into an extreme. A plot centered around extreme equality where no one person was better or worse than the other. If someone was born with an "advantage" like extreme athleticism or a brilliant mind would have prohibitions on those. They might wear some steel over there legs and arms to limit the range of motion and limit their athletic ability or for smarts, they would put a radio into your ear and spew nonsense in them to limit your thoughts. In a world where everyone is equal in all facets of life, this displayed just how boring everything would be. There would be no culture, languages, competition, the things that make the world a great place.
"An occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" originally at first caught my attention quickly with its intriguing title. But throughout reading the story, it seemed pretty bland to me. There were no as Mr. Rotherberger calls them "Spicy words" thrown into the story to keep the reader's interest. The plot too seemed a little too perfect for the main character. The fact that almost anytime he was in a pickle a miraculous thing would happen that would let him get out of it. But I guess he did end up paying for it by dying at the end which seemed just and right.
I would like to touch on "Madame Celestin's Divorce." I like how the story is short but impactful. The story is about a fair maiden (Madam Célestin) who tends to her garden and a lawyer(Paxton) who talks to her daily and admires her from afar. The story does not go into detail about Paxton's reason for suggesting a divorce other than his attraction for her. A reader could assume many reasons for his actions which bring about many lessons that can be learned from this story. I like how the vagueness in intentions opens the door for readers to take away different themes from this story. When I read the story, I analyzed Paxton exaggerating the situation so he was able to have her for himself. There would have been issues between him and her husband, as well as the catholic church. The issue with the catholic church was addressed; however, he did not put himself directly into the picture. The theme that picked up on in this story was you should stay loyal closest to you instead of listening to the lies of others (unless you are in a state of mental or physical abuse). Often times we are afraid of being hurt by the ones we love; therefore, we are susceptible to listen to the lies of others. However, sometimes the one you love is only doing what is best for you do not see the good in their actions or you don't trust them enough to believe it. In the end, they end up staying together because Célestin (madam's husband) came home and told her that he was going to be more committed to her. Had she broken off the bond, she may have felt rotten knowing that her husband was trying to fix things or make a better life for her. Furthermore, in my opinion, if a man was trying to get me away from my husband just because he thought I was pretty, I think I'd be treated worse than if I was with my husband. This story also goes to show that just because you go through a rough spot doesn't mean you throw everything away or give up. I think this story teaches two very important life lessons when it comes to commitment; something that a lot of adults these days do not have.
The poem that I have been interested in and is worthy of praise is "Harrison Bergeron" by Vonnegut. The story throws you into the year 2081, where every individual is equal. People have handicaps; mental and physical. We learn about one family in particular, George, Hazel, and their son Harrison. Harrison is taken away by the government which left George and Hazel alone in their abode, having a part of themselves stripped away. After reading the story, I realized that Harrison resembles more than just a character that retaliates the government and brings freedom to the public for a short amount of time. He represents the freedom and will to overpower authority is everyone. No matter who you are or what your situation is, there will always be a fight to have control of your life inside of you. On the other side, we all have some George and Hazel in us; the willingness to comply with the order and to feel safe by abiding by laws and rules. I personally liked this story because it can be related by almost everyone and have a vast amount of meaning behind it.
One story that I found to criticize is "Lady or the Tiger" by Stockton. The story tells about a ruling king and his unique way of determining the guilty or innocence of a man. The man will be presented with two doors; one with a lady that is there to be married and pleasure the man, or a vicious tiger that will eat the man alive. The Princess of king falls in love with a young man, and after finding this out, the king gives the young man a court date to choose his fate. When he gets into the court, the young man looks at the princess and asks her which door. The princess points to the left, but the reader does not get to know what door she referred the man to. I personally find this story to be full of controversy; it is based on the reader and their morals on what door the princess told the young man to go through. I personally have thought about the pain and suffering the princess would feel with either door the young man would pick. If the love of your life would be mauled by a tiger, they would be gone from your life and you would feel responsible, but if they would be married to someone else, you would feel gloomy and heartbroken. I personally just despise and hate situations where all your options possess negative outcomes.
I have read many of these short stories over the past few weeks and am just starting to thoroughly dive into the poems.
The story I chose to praise is "Harrison Bergeron" by Vonnegut. The short story begins by introducing you to a world in 2081 that is in some twisted way "perfect." Everyone is equal. People have different handicaps, whether that be mental or physical, but they all are equal. The story is focused on one family, The Bergerons: George, Hazel, and their son Harrison. George is written to be smarter than everyone else. He can see think of things in a way no one else can, and every time his brain starts to undermine the governments, a radio buzzes in his ear which distracts him. Ultimately, the government took these parents' son away from them because he was rebelling against the government. I found the plot to this story very interesting and ahead of its time because it promotes the idea that the government controls our lives and we must retaliate to make a change.
One of the poems I have read so far was "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin. I did not appreciate this poem in the way that it promoted what seems like a personal conflict with the author. While reading this poem, he uses a great amount of vulgar language which typically indicates someone lashing out their personal feelings. To me, it seems like the author did not have a very good childhood growing up and is trying to force his poor experience with his family as a lesson onto other people to not have kids. To me, parents are what they make themselves out to be. Parents can be controlling and harsh, but they also can learn to respect you and let you grow as a person. I think Philip Larkin had a poor history and used poetry as a way to emote his feelings.
One short story that I really enjoyed was "The Black Cat" because it had lots of twists and turns and was very suspenseful and was a good horror book just like what Edgar Allan Poe is known for best. It was really fun to analyze it and come up with your own side of the story. It was dark and scary and a good classic horror for the people that enjoy stories like that. There are very similar elements from this short story that can be found in other stories of Poe's. This short story kept me entertained.
The second story I read was "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck. This story wasn't terrible It was just not as entertaining as the others and it didn't keep my interest and I thought the plot was just dragged out. The story caused me to be confused and I had to look up and do research on the story to figure out what it was really about and to hep with my analysis thinking.
The story that I decided to write about is "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allen Poe. I've read a few stories by Poe, so I was already familiar with his dark writing style. I thought that this story was masterfully written. The way Poe uses settings and themes to darken the mood of the story really pulled me into the story. While reading, I was not sure whether I should root for or against the main character. In the end, Poe threw in a big twist—the murder of the protagonist's wife. In true Poe fashion, the murderer hid the corpse inside the house, and when the police came, he was overconfident, and his cat gave away the hiding spot. I thought that this was very similar to Poe's other story, "The Tell-Tale Heart".
The poem that I want to write about is "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I thought that Larking must have had a very pessimistic outlook on life. I'm thinking that he probably did not have a great relationship with his parents. Of course it is true that we all get some bad traits from our parents, it is just human nature. However, parents do not usually try to raise their kids in a flawed way. I thought the advice at the end was kind of funny— telling people to leave their home asap and not have any kids hardly seems like good advice, but I guess it works.
I really enjoyed reading “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut expertly reveals the flaws behind “perfect” equality. I thought this was super interesting because people ask for equality, but not exactly to this extent. I was also interested in the handicaps they placed on more advanced people. Couldn’t the handicaps reveal that they were better than others naturally, therefore making them more elite? It also kept me thinking after reading, did fiascos like this occur all the time but the citizens are overall too dull to even remember? I think it's definitely possible, especially because the government handled the situation very quickly and effortlessly.
Out of all the stories we have read, I like “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov less than others. I understand that open-ended stories are intentional by authors to spur the imagination of readers, but this story left almost too much to the imagination that I didn’t even know where to start. I think there are so many small details in the story that almost have no meaning for some reason when you think they should. For example, why did Nabokov have the husband forget the house key? It seems silly to waste time on that detail when the story is so short-- or maybe I’m missing something there.
Recently we have been reading an abundance of short stories, some I enjoyed while others I did not. One short story that I particularly enjoyed was "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. I love this story because it makes you feel a certain type of way. It makes you root for a confederate and his escape from the Union back to his home and family after he was caught trying to sabotage something they were doing. Only to have your dreams crushed when you find out that it was all a dream and that the Confederate was hanged and died. I like it because the ending is realistic and not your average fairy tale happy ending. The second story I read was Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants". This story was unappealing to me for a few reasons. At first, it seemed very bland, just two people talking and was very boring. It didn't seem to have any underlying meaning. There also didn't appear to be any climax throughout the short story either. It is just a conversation between a man and a woman, where he tells the woman that he loves her and he would do anything for her. It was not until later that I found out it was about an affair and abortion I quickly began to dislike the characters.
96 comments:
Over the past week, I have had the amazing opportunity to study 15 masterfully written short stories. While some of these stories I loved and some of these stories I only tolerated, I’m glad that I had the opportunity to experience each and every one of them.
One story that I found particularly interesting was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Through this sobering story, Vonnegut offers strong social criticism of American 1960s culture while also providing just enough fiction to keep readers engaged the entire time. Everywhere the reader looks, the book is filled with vivid descriptions of the actions the dystopian government has taken to promote total equality in a way that is reminiscent of the communist governments of the past. Thus, the story serves both as a lesson and warning, imploring to readers that total equality is not as good as they expect and is instead closer to torture.
One story that I was less interested in was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway. In this open-ended story, Hemingway discreetly discusses the controversial topic of abortion and lets the reader form his own opinion about the story's outcome. Nothing within the story is given to the reader. Instead, they must figure out the author's meaning on their own. In addition, unlike in "Harrison Bergeron", Hemingway relies nearly solely on dialogue to move the plot along, starving the reader of much-needed description in several places. Yes, the story is meant to be deliberately vague, but I feel that, by forming the story in this style, the impact of its theme was greatly lessened.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to examine fifteen different short stories. Of course, from their eye-opening symbols and vivid imagery to their abundant figurative language and provocative plot, any of these stories would have been perfect to analyze. However, I found that two of them had the biggest significance to me: Jack London’s “A Piece of Steak” and Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants.”
London’s tale is a provocative message about the struggles of poverty and the inevitability of aging. Its protagonist Tom—a once-famous boxer now struggling against the weakness of old age—is shown fighting in a boxing match with the hope of earning 30 quid so he can support his family. Already, such strong themes keep the reader engaged throughout the entire novel. However, London’s use of vivid imagery and eye-opening symbolism truly make this story one-of-a-kind. The reader realizes that Tom does not care about fame and fortune and is instead fighting for much more: the ability to escape the poverty he is stuck in. Because of this, the reader can easily connect with Tom, hoping that he will win the boxing match by the conclusion of the story. However, in the end, youth does triumph, clearly placing London’s main themes in the eyes of the reader.
In contrast to London’s story, Hemingway’s tale examines a conversation between a girl and her lover at a Spanish train station. They discuss an operation that the girl doesn’t want to do. However, she eventually succumbs to the beliefs of the man and explains that she is no longer worried. At first, such a story seems like the perfect plotline to have a significant impact on the reader. However, Hemingway’s lack of detail and description leaves the reader confused and unaffected instead. Without giving a concrete indication to the nature of the operation, the reader is unsure of its severity and impact. Without discussing the background of the characters, the reader can not relate and feel empathy for them. Yes, the story is meant to be deliberately vague. However, by forming the story in this way, the understanding of the reader—and thus the story’s impact—is greatly reduced.
Throughout the last week I have had the chance to read a multitude of different short stories written by various authors. Each story that I studied provided a great plotline with interesting messages and themes throughout. Ranging from intricate symbolism and vivid descriptions to extensive understanding required to read these thought-provoking stories I have vacillated on my liking for them.
The first story—a story in which I was very fond of—is titled "Harrison Bergeron" and is authored by Kurt Vonnegut, which follows a couple watching TV under the forces of government required and enforced handicaps. This story provided me as a reader both social and political criticisms of America that were quite zealous. Enjoyment stems from my interest in the critiquing of 1960s America—a time where egalitarianism was a full force as they were written in the Declaration of Independence. Vonnegut has this short story brimming with warnings of too literal interpretations of equality; therefore, suggesting to readers to tread with caution as to warn them of the true dangers of a perfectly equal society.
The second short story—one coming to contrast my enjoyment of “Harrison Bergeron”—is titled “The Lady or The Tiger?” written by Frank Stockton which seems much more like a tale and less like a story. Stockton begins his story very slowly eventually drawing the readers in at the end where it leaves the readers to fall off the edge of a cliff. One aspect I was not in favor of was how shallow the characters were, making predicting their actions near impossible. The ending of this story depends on the reader deciding between two doors—one opening to a lady deemed rightful for the person, and the other, a hungry tiger. I was not a fan of the abrupt ending which left readers to fall off a cliff after an intense build-up.
Although there were stories I was not a large fan of, they were all interesting to read and provided me with curiosity and knowledge. Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” ranked higher on my list of more favorable, and Frank Stockton’s “The Lady or The Tiger” fell lower on my list.
I have recently been able to read many short stories and poems and thoroughly analyze them all. Many of the short stories brought a very meaningful message to me, while others fell short of that slightly. The story that I enjoyed most was "Harrison Bergeron" written by Kurt Vonnegut. The story that I did not enjoy as much was "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" written by Harlan Ellison.
The story in which I enjoyed the most was "Harrison Bergeron" written by Kurt Vonnegut. This story created a very strong message and plotline. It is set in 2081 where the United States has everyone set as equal no matter how hard the government has to try. It is a very interesting story to think about because of how crazy it is to think about the "what ifs" of the detailed story. I found that the story resembled the play 1984 by having an equal country and the government trying to harm and degrade anyone who doesn't wish to conform. It brings a lot of emotions at the end of the story where the parents had no memory of what just happened to their son on the television.
The story that I did not enjoy very much was "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" written by Harlan Ellison. From the beginning, this story brought me confusion and required me to wait until the end to try and piece the story back together. I did understand that the man was ruining the master schedule and that ruined everything but I really did not see the theme prevailed to me. There were a few different snippets of other people disregarding the nature of time and order and this threw me off of the direct plotline I was meant to follow. In the end, the Master Timekeeper was told he was three minutes late and then I was even more confused. I think this was to symbolize that even true masters are not masters at all. I am not sure. It was well written, but for me, the story did not bring me much enjoyment and interest.
Even though some stories did not bring much interest or enjoyment to my life, I did find that all of them gave me knowledge in some aspect and kept me pondering about one topic or another. Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" was one of my favorites, while Harlan Ellison's "' Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman" was one of my least favorites.
The 15 short stories we read were all vastly different and unique in their own ways. Each had its own mind-blowing theme behind the words whether I perceived it or not. There were a few short stories in particular that stood out to me, one of my favorites being London's “A Piece of Steak". On the other hand, Hawthorne's "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" would probably be one of my least favorites, and subsequently the easiest to criticize.
I truly enjoyed reading London's piece. First of all, I think the title is fun and simple making it memorable. It reminded me of the phrase 'a piece of cake'. You can relate this phrase to the story and notice how Tom King's fight was not a piece of cake regardless of his immense wisdom. Altogether, this story was a quick and entertaining read. As the reader, it was a rollercoaster reading about Tom King's fight. London would fill you with the hope that King would beat the odds and win the fight, then he'd fill you with doubt and so on until the very end. Lastly, I liked the overall message of the short story. We are blind and oblivious to our own, inevitable aging. It's a universal theme that applies to basically everyone.
Hawthorne's story didn't have the same impact on me as some of the others. The theme and main point of the story weren't too obvious to me. In my opinion, it was hard to follow and keep up with, so it was difficult to become invested in the plot. My teenage mind is easily distracted, and this story did not entertain me or keep my attention. Maybe if I read it a second time everything would all click and my review would be different.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading and analyzing fifteen different short stories. While some I enjoyed reading and analyzing more than others.
One story that I found very fascinating and thought-provoking was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. A story revolving around a futuristic society with total equality. Kurt Vonnegut criticizing American culture of the 1960’s. Kurt Vonnegut warning readers that total equality can fastely turn a capitalist country into a socialist country. Showing readers that total equality will not result in happiness like they might think but instead suffering. I found this story interesting as we had read it earlier in grade school so I got a chance to re-read this story with a much deeper analysis.
One story that I did not enjoy reading and analyzing was “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov. I was not a fan of this story; it was very hard for me to get into and understand. I did not like how Vladimir Nabokov left the story up for the reader to decide how the story should end. I started losing interest as I felt Vladimir Nabokov was giving hardly any information about the main characters to keep the story moving along. With me having too many decisions on my own like who was calling and how the story should end I found it very difficult for the story to keep my attention.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to read a variety of short stories. I greatly enjoyed reading each of these short stories. Each story had a deeper meaning behind it, and a theme that taught the reader a lesson in the end. Many of these stories had a lasting effect on me. I really enjoyed most of the stories that I had read. Whether it was them pulled on heartstrings causing me to strongly feel certain emotions, or having the stories be relatable to current everyday life. One of the short stories that I enjoyed reading was Kate Chopin's "Madame Celestin's Divorce". I liked this story because I felt it had a very relatable, overall theme. This story is about a woman being stuck in a marriage and unable to get out because she is afraid of what others may think of her. In today's times, I feel that many people feel stuck in their lives, and they feel unable to change it because they worry too much about what others think of them. While I did enjoy reading each of the short stories for multiple different reasons, one that had not stuck with me was "Pantaloon in Black" by William Faulkner. While this story was an interesting read, it did not make much of an impact on me. Personally, I felt that it was not as interesting as the other stories had been and it was hard to keep my full attention on the story for the entire time. Perhaps if I were to study and analyze it more, I may feel differently; however, as of now, Faulkner's "Pantaloon in Black" is not as impactful on me.
One short story that I enjoyed, despite the length, was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. William Faulkner ignored all aspects of using correct grammar in his writing, but the flow of the story really drew me into it. The setting for this story was well visualized and had a lot of descriptive details. I also like how Faulkner envisioned the main character, Rider, as being this big strong guy that could pick up and swing logs that would take several men to do. Even though he was this strong guy, Rider showed deep emotions towards his wife after she had died. Rider was a gentle giant that showed real human emotions. Just like all Caucasians, African Americans are just as smart, hard-working, and sympathetic as everyone else. Faulker did a very good job of representing that and wanted white readers to see that. He wanted to show them that racism is wrong.
The second short story that I was not fond of was “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. After being explained what was going on between the man and women the more I dislike it. A man and woman were having an affair and the subject they were discussing was about abortion. The first thing that I did not like in this story was the women consuming alcohol while being pregnant. The second thing was that the man did not care about the woman’s feelings about abortion. He said and I quote, “‘It’s really an awfully simple operation…’”. If he really loved her like he says he would not want to get rid of the baby. Considering the timeline of this story the women probably because she felt overpowered by the man to make her own decision.
After reading the 15 short stories there was one that stood out to me. Harlan Ellison's Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman is a powerful tale about a man who was defying the person of power and was bent on disturbing the order that was set in order to free the people from the oppression that was set. The Harlequin's goal was to get people to stop and look around and enjoy life instead of just focusing on work and always being on a schedule. What really stood out to me was that even though this was written in the 60's it is still applicable today. Ellison's short story causes readers to look at the world today. For me personally, it caused me to look at my daily routine and not to worry so much about where I need to be and getting there on time but to enjoy the trip in between. His story made me think of a quote, "There'll be two dates on your tombstone and all your friends will read 'em but all that's gonna matter is that little dash between 'em"
One story that was hard for me to read was Kate Chopin's "Madame Celestine's Divorce". In my opinion, this story lacks events. It is a story about a woman who is thinking about getting a divorce because her husband is never around. Along with this her neighbor is encouraging her because he has a crush on her. We see the man walk out of his and have a conversation with Madame Celestine every day about her getting a divorce. My preferences in reading are stories that carry action and in this short story, there is none.
Given all of the time to read the short stories, one continues to stick out to me: “Hills Like White Elephants”
by Ernest Hemingway. It is also one of the stories that I hate the most. I can't stand the story because it is very confusing. I do not know what the main reason is for the conversation between the man and the girl. The thing that bothers me the most about that story is that I have no idea who is actually talking and it drives me crazy. It drives me crazy because I really enjoyed that story. With the few sentences that gave visuals, the story seemed to just paint the setting itself in my eyes and it seemed very bright and vibrant. I was able to picture a man and a girl sitting together outside with a wide expanse of the country in front of them. I could really feel the bond between the man and the girl. It's definitely a nice read after all of the disturbing and depressing things we've read before. You don't need to look very far into the book to see that the man cares very deeply for the girl and the girl is her own person while at the same time allows herself to be his. It was a very nice relaxing read and I'm curious to know what the girl had conviced herself to do and what exactly the bond between her and the man was.
Over the last weeks, I have been able to read and analyze several different short stories. As I have analyzed, I have found my favorites and then some that aren't exactly my favorite.
The first is "Madame Celestine's Divorce". This story was entertaining to me, although it wasn't exactly my favorite. I feel that this story lacked events and throughout it, all was the same thing repeating over and over. This story is about a woman who talked to her neighbor every day about a divorce with her husband. She wanted this divorce because he was never around, and her neighbor agreed with her because he liked her. They had a conversation about this every day until all at once everything changed. The ending of the story was entertaining and shocking for me, but I still thought the story was a little tedious.
The other story that stood out to me that I did enjoy, was "The Monkey's Paw". Throughout this entire story, I was questioning what was going to happen next. It includes several different events with foreshadowing, which made it very interesting to read. It also included a lot of imagery and description, which allowed me as the reader to picture the story in my head. This story was about a man who visited a family and told a story about a monkey's paw and the magic it withheld. The family decided to use this monkey's paw to grant wishes, except the paw happens to be very dangerous. This story is packed with action and I was very intrigued.
My favorite short story I read was “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov. This story was easy to understand, but still had lots of interesting symbols, imagery, and other good uses of literary devices. For example, the story started off very dreary and dark. In the end, the story starts to have color and happiness right before the phone rings for the last time which gives the reader hope that the phone call is a good thing. That ending is another reason I liked this story. It is a good cliffhanger that makes the reader guess what happens at the end of the story and who the caller is. Lastly, I liked how this story had lots in common with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, so I could make lots of connections between the two.
The poem that I enjoyed the least was “At the Globe with Shakespeare” by Hicks. This poem is about what Shakespeare would do if he was living today. The author writes about whether he would listen to the Beatles or Mozart, what he would think of movies and tv, and so much more. I do think that it is cool that the author is a professor at Augustana, but I did not find this poem that interesting. Maybe I just don’t understand the poem, but I usually like ones that have more of a deeper meaning. I like poems that I can relate to and ones that make me think a bit more, and this one didn’t really do that.
My favorite short story I have read was definitely "The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton. The idea of having an accused individual choosing life or death is pretty crazy, considering the substantial consequences. That's one of the parts of the short story that intrigued me the most. It's kind of weird that many people would ever want to go to see something like this happen, but that makes it much more interesting. I also enjoyed the part where the King finds out about his daughter's relationship with a boy. His daughter knew what door he'd be coming out of, but we never find out what happened.
My least favorite short story I have read was probably "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. This short story didn't really appeal to me, maybe it is because of the recurring theme of divorce. It is nothing new; I have heard quite a bit of divorce cases whether it would be in a story or in real life. The idea of your husband not being around too much, and the fact that her neighbor also agrees she should get a divorce is kind of strange, mainly because her neighbor likes her. It was an interesting twist, but this story lacked what I was looking for.
The last few weeks I’ve had an ample amount of time to study and analyze different short stories. Short stories are easy to read, but sometimes hard to understand what is going on and if there is a message behind it. Someone is always going to talk badly about short stories while others will praise them. All of the short stories I read were unique in their own ways, but some appealed to me more than others.
My favorite short story was “Madame Celestin's Divorce. Just by the title, I knew it was going to be a story about divorce — in which many have been a part of in their life. Sometimes those not going through the divorce don’t know how hard it is to leave who you thought was the “love of your life.” Madame had two children with her husband, so she probably thought it was good to have their father in their lives even if he was barely around. During the time period that the story was written, people that got divorced were looked down on in the church. Madame’s mother also informed her that she would be shamed if she went through with it causing her to keep second guessing herself. I feel as if many people face such hard times during divorces because of what other people will think. This story helped me to see all aspects of divorce and explain how difficult it is now and how much more difficult it was back then.
One “short” story that I was not too fond of was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. This story was very confusing to me allowing it to be difficult to follow along. To me, this didn’t seem like a short story as I wish it would’ve been shorter which would cut out some unnecessary details that comprise it. The story was about the overcoming of masculinity and shows how Rider overcomes his grief after losing a loved one. This story just shows how important family is, but I feel like it didn’t do the best way of getting that across. I do like some things in this story, but I feel as it is lacking necessary things and has numerous unnecessary parts. This story really needs to use the saying "less is more."
The short story "Harrison Bergeron" was by far the favorite that I have read so far. The creativity and imagination the author had while composing this was incredible. It is so crazy yet, with everything going on today, seems so possible. The fact that the author might be referring to our time period as the "dark age" also interested me. In the story, I just think they have the idea of competition all wrong, but that makes the story that much better. Then, of course, the leader of the nation does not have to have any handicaps which is not fair at all and completely contradicts the idea of it all. Overall, the story was very interesting and was my favorite one to read.
One story that I did not enjoy reading as much was "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabakov. It was really hard to sort of pay attention to the flow of the story when it was not really moving along all that much. The characters could have been described more with more small details included. I also am not a fan of the way the author lets the reader decide the ending. Of course, that is a personal preference, but I just hate not knowing what exactly happens. Overall, I really just was not a fan of the story because it was difficult for me to stay interested throughout the whole thing.
Out of all the short stories that we read, the one that I was most fond of was "The Monkey's Paw" by Jacobs. This short story was not only suspenseful but also interesting. I became invested in the story and wanted to keep reading. The suspense created by the soldier and the paw was very intriguing. Not knowing the true background about where the paw came from really helped fuel the story. I loved the ending due to the lack of closure. In the end, the reader never really knows if the second wish came true, or to what extent. The son may have risen from the grave, or it could have just been the wind or an animal. The lack of closure left me startled and puzzled.
One of the stories that I did not like as much was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Hemingway. This story, even tho professionally and stunningly written, was quite upsetting to me. The first time I read through the story I did not understand what the story was about. Once I learned the whole short story was about abortion, I began to despise some of the characters and the story itself. I did not like the way that the man treated his mistress, especially by belittling the situation. Even tho I did not like the plot line of this story, it was still written nicely.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have had the opportunity to read a plethora of short stories. Some I have enjoyed, but there are some that I thought could be better.
One story that I thought was very good was "Harrison Bergeron", written by Kurt Vonnegut. The story takes place in the future, where the government has decided to pass laws that make everyone equal. Vonnegut is warning readers about this style of government and shows that total equality would be bad for American society. I like that he wrote about this because America at one time was going against these types of countries and Vonnegut proved that this type is bad. I read this story earlier in my school career and I found it interesting to go back and actually analyze it this time. I found this to be the most exciting short story that I read.
One story that I did not like that much was "Madame Celestin's Divorce", written by Kate Chopin. The story takes place in time when divorce was a sin and if you did it you would be shamed. Madame Celestin is stuck in a hard place: her husband left her and she does not know if she should sign the divorce papers. It seems easy for me to decide, but if my significant other just left me and did not come back for a while, I would not just let them come back without any repercussions. The story did not seem to have much happening besides a neighbor walking and talking to her every day before he goes to work. I think the story could have had a little more action to it.
Poetry intrigues me.
I enjoyed reading and analyzing the poem "The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee. It helped a lot to read it over the Zoom chat with the help of Mr. C giving some helpful advice. This was my favorite poem because it is most relaxed and calm. Lee questions the unknown compared to what is before our eyes. He talks about how he used to lay in his mother's lap during his childhood and how his son now lay in his. He doesn't know what his son is thinking and wonders if he shares his worries. He mentions that there are things in existence that haven't arrived quite yet. Lee's poem was a pleasant read and brought a smile to my face.
A work of poetry that I was not fond of reading was "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin. I found it to be quite opposite of Lee's calming poem referenced above. The language was far from optimistic and he was bashing the burden parents put on their children and how children are a disgrace in general. Larken suggests avoiding having kids of your own in the future and to escape the mess your parents have put on to you. The only thing I did find enjoyable about the poem was the use of rhyming; the writing flowed smoothly.
The first story I decided to read was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. I chose to read this story, and better analyse what Vonnegut is trying to say. I feel as though this story was about a future society with equality. Vonnegut criticizes American culture from the past and warns readers that equality can fastely turn a capitalist country into a socialist one. Maybe total equality won’t always end in happiness, like some may assume. He explores the thought that it might actually bring suffering instead. This story was interesting and kept you, the reader, intrigued with every word you read.
The other story that I chose to read was “The Lady or The Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. I choose to read this short story because it came into contrast with “Harrison Bergeron”, which I read before this one. Frank Stockton built up the plot, like going up a hill on a roller coaster ride. It starts out slow and with each click you get more anxious for the drop, or in this case the plot. It was impossible to decide what the characters were or what they added to the story. The ending was terrible, for me at least. When you choose a door, the lady or the tiger, it feels like you are choosing between right and wrong. The ending was abrupt and left me on a cliff that I did not enjoy.
I actually enjoyed “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut; however, I was not a fan of “The Lady or The Tiger” by Frank Stockton. Vonnegut’s story was interesting, and kept me interested and wanting to read more. Stockton started out too slow for me, and I think that is why I didn’t enjoy his short story as much.
Over this week and last I have been lucky to have the chance to study short stories and poems in a way that I never have before. I will be praising the poem “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath and criticizing the short story “The monkey’s paw” by W.W. Jacobs
A poem that I thought was really interesting is “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath. Most would find this poem a bit unsettling due to the brutal words she used towards her father; however, I think that it shows a raw reaction to their relationship. Most people don't talk about bad relationships with their parents, which is understandable. I think that this poem does a fantastic job at shining a light on the emotional or physical abuse that some parents can inflict on their kids, it shows awareness of the effect it can have on kids. After reading this poem, it makes you think twice about how you treat others because you never know how things are for them at home.
I chose “The Monkey’s Paw” because of the ending to the story. As we read, we know the sad turn of events that the family endures. To me, I thought it was really frustrating to read because of the blatant ignorance that the family showed. Obviously, it is just a story, but i think that there could have been better writing to make the story more entertaining than frustrating. Also, at the end of the story there is an abrupt end. I think that the author should have gone further with the story whether it be at the end or with the wishes that the families took. I thought it was predictable and frustrating to read.
There are many short stories out there that have been very well-written. Amongst these is "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. She included many examples of imagery that appeals to the reader. She also provides an interesting plot. She started the story off like a normal story, slight background into the rising action. Then as readers, we think that the main character gets freed when he is dropped off the railroad. At the very end, we learn it was all his last thoughts as he is hanging by the end of a noose. This gets the reader's attention and makes them realize what they just read and how brutal it is. It also is used as a teaching tool to show people you shouldn't always believe everything you hear, see, or read. Bierce wrote an amazing short story for people to read and learn from.
There are also short stories that aren't as good as others just because of how they are written. A good example of this is "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemmingway. His story provides a lot of different dialogue which can be hard for readers to keep track of. It also has a confusing plot which makes the story drag on. The reader isn't given much background on the travelers that Hemmingway is telling a story about which can also make the story hard to follow. "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemmingway was a very interesting story but it was one that could've been written much better.
Both of these short stories were good but one was better than the other in my opinion. One was written better and had more of a plot that was easy to follow but also mind-blowing at the end. The other story was interesting but didn't have much to it and was confusing at times. Short stories are a great tool to help people learn about the world, some just happen to teach greater lessons than others.
The story I have enjoyed the most so far is "The Monkeys Paw" by WW Jacobs. This story is my favorite because of the mysteriousness of it. It is like a horror/scary story and I personally am a fan of the horror genre. The story has a rising action that grabs your attention and does not let go, starting with the soldier introducing them to the monkey's paw all the way through the wishes. As the events progress, Jacobs begins throwing in suspense, particularly in the scene when there is the knocking at the door. I also enjoyed how the story did not outright say what Mr. White had wished for but rather is implied and up to speculation of the reader.
The story I disliked the most was “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton. I did not enjoy this one as much as the others because it appears to be less of a story and more of a question. It begins like any other story, but when Stockton poses the question of whether the King's daughter chose to send her lover to certain death or to let him live, it makes us question human nature. He leaves us hanging and lets us decide for ourselves, but instead of it being an insignificant thing to decide, it is the whole purpose of the story and it is exactly like being left on a “cliffhanger”. I like a story that tells, rather than one that requires more effort on my part, and I did not enjoy the feeling of an unresolved ending.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to study numerous short stories and poems. All works studied so far have left an immense impact on my life. The two short stories I found most worthy of praise and criticism are "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck and "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe.
I praise the work of Steinbeck in "The Chrysanthemums" as it was a beautifully written feminist short story coming from a male author. The story revolves around Elisa and her intense passion for planting Chrysanthemums. Her husband seems to be constantly at work to provide and tends to avoid praising her in her strengths of gardening and more masculine tasks. While her husband is away in town, a tinker drops by and asks Elisa if there are any pots or pans that need fixing. She continues to reply no until the tinker takes notice in her flowers. Immediately, strength seemed to sweep through Elisa and she was eager in supplying the man with the task of mending an old pot. The tinker mentions how a lady down the road would love some of these flowers and she's been wanting them for a while, or at least the ability to grow plants. Elisa willingly cuts her flowers and sends them with the tinker. After a stop in town, her husband returns and they prepare for a romantic outing. While heading into town, Elisa notices her Chrysanthemums on the road, beaten and broken, but no pot insight. The tinker kept the pot, in this case, her strength, and therefore was unable to move the flowers from the road. Elisa is a rather "masculine" woman for this time and is quite unsatisfied with the role of women, as she wishes they could embark on enduring tasks like men. The only way she can find acceptance or strength is through her gardening. When the tinker dismisses his work as too scary for a woman and dumps her flowers in the road, she cannot help but cry, as the notice of Elisa and brightening of her day is now diminished through the role of a man.
The second short story studied was "The Black Cat" which personally disgusted me as a reader, but also opened my eyes to the reality of mental and internal illnesses with the abuse of alcohol. The story is about a man and wife who own and love their pets; however, the husband seems to have constant conflict with the black cats. As he is a man most often found "committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not." In summary, he ends up killing the two black cats that appear in his life and his wife, ironically, with a cat sitting on the wife's head. The police eventually find out from him stumbling over his secrets and words. Frankly, this short story is graphic and detailed and the narrator seems to be overwhelmed by a spirit of perverseness. The cat is best represented by an external agent that intrudes on the dynamics of the plot, just like alcohol. And the plot twists derive only from the insanity of the narrator. I criticize this short story simply for the blatant abuse towards animals and twisted reading, but also praise it for the awareness it provides.
The poem I have enjoyed the most and has stimulated my brain would be "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats. This poem, although lacking a sense of rhyme and meter, was easy to understand yet challenged me to find deeper meanings in it. The poem was written post World War I, and was claiming that there would be a "second coming" or war. At first, I was confused by this, but Yeats used a Sphynx and gyre to represent what was happening in the world and why we would be punished for it. He stated that humans' morals were like a widening gyre; people started going off of their moral path. He then went on to say that the Sphynx will punish those who do so. Overall, this poem was very intriguing and interesting.
One poem I did not think was great while reading it would have to be "This be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I did like the fact that there was a sense of rhythm, but the content was lackluster and too pessimistic in my opinion. Larkin wrote this entire poem based on the fact that parents ruin their children. He claims that the parents share all of their worst "faults" with their kids and then some. Towards the end of the poem, he states that the reader should not have children. Obviously, this is not always the case when referring to a parent and their child. I can infer that Larkin most likely had a bad or traumatizing childhood if he had the encouragement to compose a poem such as this one.
While reading through the short stories and poems this week, I came across a poem that I liked, What the Drop of Water Had to Say by Yann Martel. I enjoy reading Martel’s works because even though he says it is foolish in this century to believe in a god, he continually returns to religion in his writing. On page five of his poem, Martel says, “Are we not all equal before God?” and “I remind Oil that Jesus on the Cross had only one complaint: ‘I am thirsty.’” Martel also uses less obvious references like when oil is taunting water and says to turn into vapor to save itself similarly to when Jesus, on the cross, was taunted by one of the criminals who hung next to him. Martel also leaves sections up to the interpretation of the reader. For instance, at the ending, Martel says, “A day will come soon, I hope, when we will start over, at peace with water,” which could be interpreted as the end of humanity when water will be reclaimed by the world or when humans finally realize that we are killing the planet and reach a new enlightenment.
Another poem that I read that I was not as fond of was Walt Whitman’s O Me, O Life. I am not a fan of the message that it portrays. Is being alive in a miserable, foolish, and faithless world really better than being dead? Whitman’s poem makes it seem like there is nothing that we can do to end the chain of foolishness and faithlessness and that our only option is to live with it. The “play” that he describes does not seem as “powerful” to me as Whitman believed it to be. The fact that life exists is not enough to make up for the pain that it is experiencing.
Out of the short stories and a few poems we have read as a class together over the zoom calls it is hard to pick just one to favor and extremely difficult to find one to criticize. But anyways, one short story that intrigued me while reading is “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. While reading this well-written story, it made me think of what the princess would think while deciding whether to let her star-crossed lover live and marry her enemy. Or see him go by getting demolished by a tiger. I loved reading this short story to take clues and trying to figure out what the jealous princess would have done. These sorts of circumstances where there is an ultimatum are very interesting to me to try to think of what I would do. The princess did point to her lover that the safe door without the tiger is on the right, but was it?
On the other hand, some poems and short stories caught less of my interest. One poem, for example, is "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I do like the overall way the poem is written with the rhyming scheme and how the stanzas are placed. The content in the poem is what I do not have an appeal for. The entire poem is about how parents put their "faults" or problems onto their kids, ruining their lives. Larkin states, "And don’t have any kids yourself.' Leaving a negative impression after reading it. It has been known that parents must have more kids than themselves to keep the population growing. Larkin must have had some terrible childhood to write a poem that influenced many due to its famousness.
I have never been a huge fan of poetry. It is confusing, abstract, and I like things to be straight to the point. However, a lot of the poems we have read this week have really made me intrigued in poetry and I actually really enjoyed many of them. A lot of them were light and fun, while others were deeper and had a little more darkness to them.
One of my favorite poems that I loved was "The Addict" by Anne Sexton. For me, I really enjoyed this poem because it was about something deep that most people are afraid to talk about. I really liked how its first two verses were just one word. I feel that makes a huge statement and a good way to start a poem to get people intrigued. I really also like how she talked about addiction. How she said, "I make arrangements for a pint-sized journey." and how addiction is a journey but also can be seen as a diet for death. The part that I most liked was she says, "It's a kind of marriage. It's a kind of war where I plant bombs inside of myself." While this is all sad, it is something so important to read and learn about. Addiction is something people really struggle with especially today, and so to write a poem about the struggles of addiction is truly amazing in my opinion.
One poem I was not a fan of was Cummings "a connotation of infinity". I am not going to lie, I have a very small vocabulary. So while I think this poem is really good, I felt like there was just a lot of big words that may not have been needed in the poem. I was also really confused about what the poem was about. I know poems you are supposed to look a little deeper to find meaning, but even reading it twice I still didn't understand what it was talking about. I did like the last part of the poem where it says, "on such a night the sea through her blind miles of crumbling silence seriously smiles" but is it smiling because people are going to die or that people are lonely or that people are doomed in life. Most poems this week I was able to understand, but Cummings I just cannot figure it out and for me, it can ruin the whole poem even if it sounds good and is written very well. I still think it is a really great poem, just not one of my favorites.
Over the course of these last weeks, I have read a lot of short stories and poems that have sparked my attention. One poem intrigued me the first time we read it in class and became a favorite of mine the second time we covered it this week. "The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee did a great job of covering the path of life that we live in between two unknowns. It is a poem that does not take excess re-reads and digging through hidden meanings to find the purpose behind its words. Personally, I enjoy poems that do not over complicate and take picking apart every word to get a simple idea of what it is trying to convey to readers. "The Hammock" was a very simple read supporting a complex idea on life. Additionally, I loved that it ended with giving the readers questions on what waits on either end of the "hammock" and helps to represent the uncertainties in life.
A poem that I understood the message it was trying to convey but disagreed with the mood it presented it with has got to be "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I understood that he was trying to tell readers that we all have faults and a lot of them will link back to our parents or even come from the faults of our grandparents. I feel like the language of the poem hurt it more than it intrigued readers. Hoping for maybe a shock factor, he added a more pessimistic and harsh tone to the poem. Overall, I ended the poem by understanding his purpose but hating his execution. The poem did not leave me with a lot of emotions or questions. It mostly just made me look at him as a pessimist and being negative. Instead of talking about realizing and trying to change our faults, he simply suggests just not having kids.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been able to read countless short stories and poems. Some stuck out to me, and some did not. Some were easy to read, and others needed to be analyzed deeper to find the true meaning.
My favorite short story that I have read over the last few weeks was "The Ones That Walk Away from the Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin. This story follows the joyful town of Omelas during their Summer Festival, but the residents of this town do not realize that their happiness relies on the suffering of a little boy. This story was easy to understand compared to the other short stories. Le Guin uses vivid imagery to describe the people of Omelas and how the child suffers. Le Guin shows readers how some people may "walk away from the Omelas" have a sense of individualism and know the right thing to do. Although their lives are spectacular, they do not believe that happiness in their life should be based on a little boy suffering.
The story that I did not like was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway. This story was difficult to comprehend the true meaning of the story as the story was left open-ended. The story was also about a controversial topic in the United States today: abortion. This story is similar to "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov because both authors leave the story open-ended for the readers to decide the outcome and motives of the story. When the story does not come straightforward it is hard to remain interested for long periods of time. Digging deep for symbols and meanings is fun, but knowing the plot and what is going around makes that feat easier.
The first short story that I found to be the most entertaining was “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton. I thought that the plot and storyline were fascinating and it kept me intrigued from start to finish. It is crazy to me that a person who was accused of a crime, they might not have done it, are getting a life or death sentence. I personally liked how the end of the story is up to you to interpret because it makes you think rather than the story just ending. I think that the jealous princess pointed her lover to the door with the tiger because she would not be able to bear the thought of him having to be with another woman.
The short story that was not exactly my favorite was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. This short story was my least favorite because it was confusing to me and hard to follow along with. I also feel like it was dragging on at some points due to the length. The whole point of the story was to show how important family is but I do not think it did the best at getting that point across. I do like some things about this story; however, I do think that there are many unnecessary details that make the story drag on.
Out of the short stories we have read these past few weeks, the one I'd like to praise is Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat. Of all the stories, I found this one to be quite interesting. Going into this short story, I already knew that it would be dark and bitter, but it surprised me with a sort of fulfilled ending. I absolutely love the idea of the story starting with the narrator at his end, trying to plead with an audience that he is totally sane, before going on a story that counters his words. I also liked the idea of a curse placed on this man for his horrible actions. I find the dynamic of karma used in this story to be quite prevalent, with the new cat having a fur pattern of the gallows, and the fact that this man may be hung for the murder of his wife, which is ironic since he hung a poor cat.
In the pool of short stories we had to choose, I decided to read An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge because the title struck me with intrigue. Although I did like the use of symbolism in the story, it felt just a little too cliche. Specifically, his escape scene was way too convenient for him, that may soldiers missing him with gunfire at that range is impossible, even in the time frame given. It was all too obvious that this wasn't real as he was described to be in so much pain, even when completely free. It was also weird why he would exactly snap out of it if he was in pain and being hung. I suppose it could be from a lack of oxygen, but a lack of oxygen happening AS the hanging starts is pretty much impossible. Pain also brings you back into the moment, not away so I found that to be weird, I assume it was ignored for plot progression.
Over the course of the last week, I have gotten to take some time to read and analyze some short stories. One that I found rather compelling was The Lion or The Tiger. This short story is about a lady choosing the fate of a man she loves and she must decide if she would rather see him get killed by a tiger or have him live but fall in love with a prettier woman. I found the concept the king sets up for the accused to choose their fate rather interesting. One different aspect of this short story is that it ends with a question. "The lady or the tiger?" This then opens up the ending of the story to the reader where they get to determine and think about what door the princess will choose and how the story will play out.
One short story that I did not really enjoy was "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway. It was a very well narrated story and I did appreciate all of the dialogue included. It made the story more of a play rather than a short story. The reason I did not like this story because I did not like the concept of it. The man is trying to convince his partner to go through with an abortion and she seems to be against this idea. I think the feminist theory can come into play with this story because the man is trying to control the women and he believes that he is in the right. If the roles were reversed and the women wanted the abortion and the man did not I think she would be seen as cowardly, but in this case the man is not portrayed that way.
While reading, one of the poems that really stood out to me "What the Drop of Water Had to Say". It was written by Yann Martel so you know that it is going to be something special. Yann wrote this poem about a drop of water, something that seems so simple. However, he makes this drop of water out to be much more than that. Martell starts his poem by making a conversation between the sun and the moon. They were arguing about Earth dying, when suddenly Drop of Water comes from Earth and joins in. I like how Martell used personification to make these inanimate objects come to life. The Drop of Water comes in and explains himself and how he is vital to the function of the world. The water explains the problems on Earth with the introduction of different large cities around the world. I like how Martel brought to attention the problems of pollution with the use of outside characters like the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Water.
One poem that I did not really care for was "This be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. This entire poem is dark and gives off a very negative vibe that I do not care to think about. While reading this poem I feel that Larkin is attacking my parents for the problems that his family might have caused him once upon a time. He uses quite vulgar language to describe our parents and says "Get out at as early as you can." When in reality it is the very opposite. I do not see my parents as "F'd up" nor would I like to think of them like that. This poem is almost offensive to read.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been diligently studying short stories for a couple hours of the day, some I have liked others I have not. One story that was not easy for me to read was Kate Chopin's "Madame Celestin's Divorce". The overall story was not bad with an okay storyline. The biggest problem I had with it was the way it ended. I spoke in my reflection about the story ending in an odd way that left too many questions. I thought that it was a bad way to end with so many unanswered questions. I think ending on a cliffhanger for the most part is a good way to make a reader think. But there were too many aspects that were not given, making it hard to come up with a complete thought. It would be more of a guess than a theory with the plot of this story.
One story that I found very interesting and attention grabbing was “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. A story revolving around a society with total and complete equality amongst each other. Kurt Vonnegut criticizing American culture of the 1960’s. Kurt Vonnegut warned readers that total equality can quickly change a booming capitalist economy into a struggling communist country. Showing readers that total equality will not result in happiness like they may have thought but instead suffering. I found this story interesting as we had read it in grade school, so when I got a chance to re-read this story with a much deeper analysis I thought it was a great option.
One piece of work that has really stood out to me this is week is "At the Globe with Shakespeare" by Patrick Hicks. Though the verbiage of the piece is relatively simple, the imagery created by Hicks's artistry is beyond cool. By using phrases like "metal birds in the sky" and living tapestries", Hicks encourages readers to revert themselves back to a time when airplanes and movies weren't everyday activities. By comparing Shakespeare to modern-day luxuries, the author eliminates the line between the 16th century and current times. If you ask me, Shakespeare would absolutely listen and enjoy The Beatles, as their music has revolutionized the industry time and time again. However, I could also see him favoring the strings in some of REO Speedwagon's best hits. I loved this piece!
The piece that I didn't love this week was "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin. There is no denying this piece packed a punch and is important for everyone to read, but I felt as though the narrative Larkin hoped to push was incredibly one-sided and perhaps unfair. Is human nature is incredibly flawed in need of some serious revitalizing? Yes. Do parents play a massive role in our character and development? Yes. Have there been mistakes made that led to second and third generations plagued by poor decisions? Absolutely. While there is plenty of evil in our world, I thought that assuming everyone's parents were a bad influence was a great example of taking personal experiences out on others. Where there is darkness, there is an equal measure of light and reform. To believe otherwise sounds like a dreadful life filled with pessimism and hatred.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been able to study and analyze many poems and short stories. Each leaves a different impact on me.
The poem that I found was the most interesting was “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath. Personally, I thought that this poem was the easiest to understand. I am not a fan of long poems with hidden meetings. This poem was simply and straight to the point. I did really enjoy all the symbolism in the poem as well. This poem gave the readers the raw emotion that Sylvia was feeling at the moment when she was writing this. This poem showed us the strain that some children go through when experiencing emotional/physical abuse from their parents. This poem makes one think about how everyone has struggles that you may not know about so you have to treat everyone with respect.
A short story that I did not enjoy reading was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. This story was way too long for me where I would not even consider it to be a short story. I believe that throughout this story, there was a lot of unnecessary information given to the reader. Faulkner could have cut the story and made it shorter for his readers while also making it easier to comprehend if he cut out the unnecessary information. The point of the story was to show the reader that family is a very important thing in one's life. I felt like he did not make the point very clear, almost as if he was missing some key details of the story. Overall, I wish it was shorter and the point was easier to get out of the story.
My favorite short story I read was “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. The author did a great job of creating an understandable exposition and creating suspense. Although shocking, I liked how the end of the story did not give a definite answer to how it ends. Instead, each reader must choose their own ending. Did the princess choose the door with the tiger which meant certain death for her loved one, or did she choose the door with the beautiful lady meaning her loved one must marry someone else? No one will ever know for certain, but the answer given can tell a lot about human nature.
A poem I did not enjoy very much was “This Be the Verse” by Philip Larkin. This poem was very negative and pessimistic. The author expresses how all of humanity is messed up, and it just keeps getting worse with every generation. All parents are good for is messing up their children. He pleads with the reader to get out of the vicious cycle and not have kids at all. Larkin must have had a terrible childhood to have come up with such a cynical idea. Yes, it is true that there is no such thing as a perfect parent because everyone has their faults. But that does not mean that every parent is terrible and messes up their children.
The poem I have chosen to praise is "This Be The Verse" by Phillip Larkin. This poem not only has a great pace but it portrays an emotion that I feel myself in a way that makes perfect sense. When reading it on Zoom, we discussed that he might have had a somewhat messed up childhood. I don't think that's the case. I have a wonderful relationship with both my parents and thank them for my wonderful childhood, but I also deeply agree with everything Larkin portrays here. I happen to not want kids of my own with one of my reasons being that you can unintentionally mess your kid up really badly. Kids are so impressionable and take everything their parents say as gospel to the point where I would be afraid to say anything remotely sarcastic to a kid. I just wanted to praise this one because I connected to it on a more emotional level than others we have read.
The short story I did not connect with as well as the others and wanted to maybe criticize a bit was "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I must have missed the overall message because I was sort of confused during the entire time I was reading. Even after finishing, I am confused as to what was happening with Major Molineux at the end of the story. It was not necessarily a bad short story in any way. Though, out of all the poems and short stories we read, this was the one that I did not really have any connection with.
I have several short stories in the past few weeks. They require abstract thinking or an ability to see the deeper meaning. These short stories pack in important detail a meaning in short paragraphs. Short stories have to make every sentence important to the story. I like reading these for that reason and it is for this reason that I chose to read stories.
One of the stories I read was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. This story about a society that forces everyone to be absolutely equal to each other follows George and Hazel, the father and mother of Harrison. George carries several restraints called handicaps that block his thought process and bring down his mobility. Hazel, however, carries none. This is an interesting theme early in the story and draws you in leaving the reader curious about why Hazel has nothing. The whole story is a buildup of curiosity and suspense that has an amazing payoff. Vonnegut shows how America could end up considering the growing interest in Socialism. Harrison Bergeron plays the Jesus figure in this story and preaches about his superiority and the flaws of the government, and in the end dying in front of an audience. This story is incredibly interesting and showing that absolute equality is dangerous.
The other story I read was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. During the time of this story, divorce was frowned upon. Madame Celestin is talking to a lawyer about a divorce with her husband who left her and her kids. As the lawyer falls in love and as she gets closer to having the divorce, her husband shows up and she chooses not to get the divorce which every reader knows is the wrong choice. Along with a sad ending and some symbolism, the story seemed slightly one dimensional. I could be missing something, but I did not like this story as much because of its simplicity. I am sure many like this story because of its simplicity, but not for me.
One poem that I really enjoyed reading was Anne Sexton's "The Addict". Like the drugs she describes in her story, I found the poem to be a powerful trip. Addiction is a harsh subject to discuss but Sexton takes the reader to that place immediately and masterfully at that. I really enjoy the imagery that she describes in the poem, to show how she is at war with herself. The descriptions of how the pills are described are great like how its a kind of marriage or they are like little bombs inside of her. Anne Sexton's "The Addict" is amazing to read because it brings out and invokes a powerful emotional response as the reader feels for this addict.
I don't always understand poetry or catch on to what it is asking/telling so in part I didn't like this next poem because I didn't understand it fully. I did not really enjoy reading Walt Whitman's "O Me! O Life!" While the concept what intriguing at first it started to feel like each line was the same bit of repetition and complaint about life. The lines just grew all too similar in my opinion. Also, I found that the choppy wording that Walt used detracted from the story. To me, it seemed as if he was trying to write Shakespearean and failed. Next, I feel like the answer given at the end does not match the beginning of the poem. If he is happy with identity and life, then the mass of complaints prior to the answer is unwarranted and they don't match.
Over the past week or so I have had to chance to read and analyze short stories and poetry. I have never been a fan of poetry unless it is some little kid poem that rhymes. I think poetry is very confusing and hard to understand most of the time. While reading all of these short stories and poems, I have definitely had some favorites, and some I didn't like at all / didn't understand them.
One short story that I really liked was the "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. I liked the fact that it was in the future and it gave a different perspective on everything. It really got me thinking about what that would actually be like for people to have handicaps based on their abilities in life. This short story has been familiar to me for a couple years, after reading in early on in high school and I think that's why I enjoy it. I think it's interesting to study a short story or any story that I've already read, to read it again but take it apart and really get to know the story. Vonnegut was trying to get the point across that equality could change things, and not for the better. Everyone's differences make them who they are, and if everyone were the same, nothing would work in our country. I like this story for the fact that I understand it more than any other short story or poem we have read.
One short story I didn't really enjoy reading as much, was the "Madame Celestine's Divorce". I understood most of it and it was quite an easy read, I just didn't like how it was very dry. There wasn't a lot of information and detail into everything as most stories. It's about a woman who is getting persuaded by her neighbor to get a divorce so that he can marry her because he has always thought she was beautiful. Her husband is never home and the neighbor notices and always brings it up to get her to follow through with it. I just wish there was more detail in this story because I think it could be good but with extra detail to keep the reader intrigued.
After reading the short stories and poems provided, I analyzed them and wrote down some interesting notes about each of them. These short stories and poems were all pretty interesting, but I definitely had my favorites. My number one choice was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. My least favorite was "Signs and Symbols" for a few reasons.
After analyzing "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, I glanced back at my essay from last semester in composition. My essay with Quinn was about capitalism and against socialism, a very relevant piece to this story. In this story, Vonnegut warns readers about falling into socialism in the search for complete equality. He is trying to emphasize that total equality won't provide everything and it isn't as good as what everyone thinks. After looking between this story and my essay, I started thinking about total equality and what that would do to us as a nation today. I find the subject very interesting and it is kind of scary to think that something like this could happen.
Of all the short stories and poems, "Signs and Symbols" was definitely my least favorite. I had to read the story to myself more times to completely grasp some of the content and I still feel like there is more I am missing to the story. The flow of the story is sort of messy and the descriptions of certain characters and actions were very vague. I like closure in stories and this story did not provide that, which was upsetting because deciding the end of the story is hard for me. I think if he would have put an ending on the story I would have enjoyed it a little more and I think some thoughts would be resolved.
After reading Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil, the poem After Auschwitz caught my eye. The poem is written by Anne Sexton and the poem revolves around the anger felt after people survived Auschwitz. Sexton describes Nazi’s as baby eaters and harshly criticizes mankind and how evil it can be. She beautifully compares the evil of mankind to an innocent object such as a flower and how her anger makes her want to burn the beautiful object. Finally, she ends the poem saying that mankind should never feel comfortable again as the evil of mankind should make them feel ashamed of themselves. This beautiful poem perfectly captures the anger of the people after world war 2 had finished and perhaps makes other people realize the anger felt.
The second poem I read was This Be The Verse by Philip Larkin. The poem revolves around the anger felt about older generations and how they raise the young. However, the poetry comes off cheesy to me as it sounds like an angsty teen. While I do agree that parents do have a large part in how their child turns out, it doesn’t always mean that they hand down their misery and anger to their kids. In fact, I think that all parents should attempt to do the opposite. Finally, in the end it almost sounds like he’s telling people to commit suicide as he tells them to “get out as early as you can”. After that he tells the reader to not have any children of his own which is a really terrible message for the future youth.
The short story that I enjoyed the most was Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut. It is a futuristic story that takes place in 2081. This story was definitely outside the box compared to others I have read. I liked how it made me think differently about our world, government, and society. These people are being held back from all the amazing opportunities and discoveries to be made. Vonnegut wrote this story to make everyone equal. In an ideal world that might actually sound look a good thing so no one is comparing others to themselves. After I continued reading I discovered that being equal isn't a good thing because no one has a personality. They are all just boring in a way and robots.
The short story that I didn't quite enjoy was Madame Celestine's Divorce by Kate Chopin. It was a good storyline but I hated the ending. The whole story is about how she is planning to get a divorce but in the end, she doesn't get one. It defeats the whole purpose for this to even be a story. I wouldn't feel bad for her anyway because she said many times that her husband is unreliable and breaks so many promises. However, I do feel bad for the lawyer. He seemed like a good guy. Yes, he may only be pushing the divorce so hard for Madame Celestine but he really likes her.
Overall I have loved many of the stories that we have read and am excited for what I still have to read. But today I will talk about my favorite and then one that I question on and didn't see the main point those two being The Tiger or the Girl, and Madame Celestin's Divorce
First is the Lady or the Tiger Which I think is a great short story that sets up the main characters very well and gives the story almost a feel of an entire world that you could read about in a fantasy book for several hundred pages, but rather it is just a short story that asks a question of what you think a character should do in their situation, should they knowing were the women who he will be forced to marry or the starving tiger that will definitely eat him give their love to this woman who she despises or kill him? I love that it is left ambiguous to the reader and is up to you to decide what she did.
Next is Madame Celestin's Divorce which is one that I didn't quite understand, it is a story about a man who falls in love with a married woman who's husband is in a different town "working" but is clearly not the breadwinner in the family, with the wife also having to work. The man than throughout the whole book is just trying to convince her to divorce her husband to then hopefully get the "marry" her. But the husband comes back and she tells him that he promises to change and will not be getting a device which clearly crushes him. But what is the theme? Just that he is a man that can't find love and that even when women have the power to rid themselves of a bad man like her husband they won't? It just doesn't have an ending in my eyes, but rather it is a statement for something that just either doesn't land quite as well in this time period, or just flew over my head after re-reading it several times.
after reading some of the short stories and poems this past week there have been a couple that stood out to me. A lot of the short stories were hard to understand because as a reader you have to find the underlying message to it. All the short stories were different in the style they were written and of course, the message they were trying to imply.
The one short story that I did enjoy reading was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. In this short story, Vonnegut criticizes the American culture of 1960. He wrote about equality among everyone and how it would look in the United States. He also conveyed the message that total equality might not end very well if we were to have it. I found this short story to be so interesting because of how it was written. The story made me think about the future and what it may look like someday.
The second short story that I read was “Pantaloon in Black” by William Faulkner. I did not like this short story because it felt like it dragged on. It was very confusing at times and I just felt like there was a lot of unnecessary information. In most short stories you can grasp the message it is getting across but I did not understand the message in this one. I went to research this short story and found that the story was supposed to emphasize the importance of family. I like the message it is trying to get at but it was a bit confusing for me to understand. I think if Faulkner had not included so much unnecessary information it would have been a better short story.
I really enjoyed "The Monkeys Paw" by Jacobs. I thought this story was really interesting and it made me think about how greedy mankind can be. We are always buying and wanting more than we need. We throw away so many expired products because we bought without the intention of using it right away. This man had everything and even stated that he has all he needs and did not know what to wish for. The father did not listen to the deliverer's warnings. Instead, the family fixated on how they could have whatever they want. They were blind with greed and curiosity. This story taught me to be grateful for what I have and to not ask for more than I need.
One story I did not like was "Signs and Symbols" by Nabokov. I really wanted to read this story and enjoy it. I really love irony and analyzing a story that analyzes stories sounded great! I just wish Nabokov did more with signs and symbols. Such as making obvious signs and symbols and deeper ones that would need more time to analyze. We got some variety but there should have been more in order to emphasize the point. Some of the signs and symbols were just so obvious like the family crying on the bus on the way home. I also wanted more for the ending then what we got. I know that this story is more about the signs and symbols rather than what happened to their son. However, it was such a great setup to have a really great ending but then it just stopped with the phone ringing three times.. and three is a bad number.
One short story I would like to praise would be "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." This short story is wonderfully written with such detail the author could be considered an artist. I can picture the perfect city with people celebrating in the streets, the horses galloping, and the trumpets blaring. It reminds me of a royal wedding in a Disney movie with the grand scenery. But my favorite part about the story is the thought-provoking twist. The innocent city has one serious skeleton in the closet—literally and metaphorically. There is a child that is starved, abused, and neglected in a basement under one of the Omelas homes. The child is a sacrifice for all of the joy, laughter, and success of the seemingly flawless city. I found this to be an extremely intriguing hypothetical situation. I had to think for a few minutes if I were to support the sacrifice or deny it.
A short story I would criticize is "Signs and Symbols." Though the author did a great job setting the mood and setting of the story, I never fully understood it. I could feel the pain of the words but I never got closure or an understanding of what happened. For example, the unknown caller asking for Charlie puzzled me and I still don't know what that could possibly mean. She called 3 times which might have some meaning of urgency but I can't think of what else that would point to. The symbols are so vague that I'm just going to assume the son committed suicide in the mental institution. I wish there was more to the story and it didn't cut off so abruptly but some people enjoy a story with no end—not my thing.
The poem that I liked the most would be “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. I like poems that are more motivational and inspirational and that is exactly what this poem is. After analyzing it I realized it’s hard to figure out almost upon reading the first time so I had to go back and reread to put the pieces of the puzzle together. This poem tells us to not give up or give in and to always stay strong when things get hard. At the beginning it mentions as you get older but this poem can be applied to any age and almost all circumstances. I love how it is almost a challenge to understand what it is saying because when it takes time to understand the main point it comes with learning and picking up on all the small details which is why I love that this poem is challenging but encouraging. A poem that was not my favorite is “This Be The Verse” by Philip Larkin. This poem is about not having children and how we all have aspects of childhood that are not ideal that we give as parents to our children. It is not my favorite because there is no reasoning as to why this man has something against his parents. If he wanted readers to become attached to the poem then he should have appealed to emotion, not just stating that it is bad to have children when that is how our world naturally works and continues. It just seems off and odd how he wants to break this chain because of his past experience that was negative compared to the billions with good childhoods.
Over the break from school, I have read short stories and poems by many different authors.
"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most interesting short stories I read. The story was written in 1961 and is set in 2081, 120 years into the future. The story begins by saying that in 2081, everyone is absolutely equal, making one think that society may be close to a utopia. However, the story continues and the way that everyone is equalized is by handicaps—either in the form of heavy bags hanging from a person, an earpiece that distracts them constantly, or glasses that both hinder eyesight and thinking ability. At this point, the reader can easily see that society is actually dystopian because the way the handicaps are enforced is by heavy prison sentences or death.
I also read "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov, one of my least favorite short stories. The whole story is convoluted with random "signs" and "symbols," none of which really seem to have any meaning. I realize that it is probably the intent of Nabokov to make fun of needlessly putting symbols everywhere, but his story feels too hard to follow. Sometimes it is fun to infer what is going to happen next in a story, but Nabokov's story requires too much inferring to be any fun.
Over the last few weeks, we have been reading a variety of short stories. Many of these stories were great and a really good read but others were slightly uninteresting or hard to follow. Today I am going to explain why I love the story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin, and why I do not love "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs.
The story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin is by far my favorite short story that I have had the chance to read so far. This story sends a message that hits really close to home. On page 2 there is a quote that says, "If it hurts, repeat it. But to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else". This quote is saying that they think that if they embrace the violence that is happening to this little boy, their whole world will be destroyed and miserable. This story is bringing what is happening in the real world out into the light for everyone to see. Everyone in Omelas knows what is happening to this little boy and some of them even feel bad and visit him, but if they are not allowed to help him in any way. The people in Omelas "say everything depends wholly on this child's abominable misery" (6). I also loved that she made up the word "drooz", which I would assume is some kind of drug or alcohol.
I have already read "The Monkey's Paw" in my 10th grade English class and I remembered not really liking back then so I decided to reread it to see if, after two years, I would see the story in a different light. The beginning of this story reminds me of a children's horror story. To me, it felt like Jacobs was trying to make the story suspenseful but I did not feel an urge to continue reading at all. The dialogue seemed really boring and sometimes it was hard to tell who was saying what and the way he said things made it seem like there were a lot more people at their house. I felt really bored and had a hard time getting the motivation to finish it until the end.
A story that I really liked was "The Black Cat" By Poe. I am more into the unsettling tone, and this story was definitely creepy. Poe did an amazing job portraying the mind of the character. He was able to tell it as if it were just a regular conversation, and made everything flow so naturally. I really liked the way he used different descriptive words to describe the people or things in his life. For example, he refers to the cat as a "nightmare" or "beast", which really derives what the reader thinks. Most would think of a cat as cute and sometimes sweet, but when Poe uses these words it gives a new image of this animal to the reader. He does something similar when he kills his wife–which is also something he nonchalantly mentions in the story–by referring to her as a "corpse" or a "body" instead of his wife. His writing is so captivating and seems to like writing a major event in one sentence.
One piece of writing that I did not particularly enjoy was the poem "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats. This poem for me was difficult to understand, and the meaning behind it seemed to be a little fuzzy. It is one of those poems that one would have to read over and over again to understand, which is not a bad thing, but not something I would like to do in order to find the meaning. I understand that he was trying to warn everybody of the second world war, and he uses a lot of imagery to describe it, which is what I actually liked best. Something else I did not enjoy about this poem was how he used different things that only someone with that knowledge would know the meaning of. For example, I did not know what the Spiritus Mundi was until it was clarified. When I read something, I want to be able to know the symbols within it.
Both pieces of literature were very well written and excellent. I just have a particular style that I enjoy more.
Out of all of the short stories I have read in these last few weeks, “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce was my favorite. This story was really intriguing. Bierce kept the reader on edge, reading this story actually gave me chills, because of how well it was written. Bierce used amazing literary tools, mainly imagery. The way he used descriptive words to describe what was happening around Peyton was mind-blowing Another thing I really liked about this story is how open it is. The reader does not know what really happened, it is all up for interpretation.
One story I did not like was “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton. I read all of the short stories, twice actually, but this one was the worst. I personally did not like this story because I think it lacks the luster that the other stories have. This story did not keep me guessing what was going to happen. Also, I feel like it had a very unsatisfying ending. Unlike “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” I did not like the openness of this story. I think the reader needed to know what happens at the, does he pick the door with the lady or the tiger?
Throughout my time reading through the short stories, the one that I enjoyed the most was "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. This story stood out for me as it made the reader think and analyze without even realizing it. The reader was forced to think for themself. The story had the reader interpret whether Peyton died or truly made it home for themself. The overall story was highly intriguing and kept my attention throughout. The plot moved along smoothly and just enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I really enjoyed Bierce's use of imagery and tying the main character's occupation throughout the plant imagery. He was very descriptive and it was easy to follow along with the plot and setting.
Even as there were many short stories I really enjoyed, there were some that I didn't enjoy as much and were harder to get through. The story I enjoyed the least was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. I actually liked this story at first, but as I read it a few more times I found myself enjoying it less and less. After reading through it multiple times I found myself having a hard time with added information that wasn't needed and the ending. I felt there was a lot of extra information throughout the story that had no significance personally. I feel in some aspects that less would've been more for this story. I also didn't particularly care for how the story ended. The story ends with a cut-off ending and leaves the reader wondering what would've happened next. Personally, I like stories better when there is a concluded ending. It doesn't matter if there are multiple possible endings just as long as they are present. I believe the story would've been better with a concluded ending instead of leaving the reader to fill it in themself.
London's "A Piece of Steak" is a powerful story with countless opportunities for analysis. It doesn't drag with exposition, rather begins with a small portion and sprinkles more of it throughout the story so as not to exhaust the reader. It may seem at first as if you're assembling two different puzzles, that of the exposition and that of the narrative, however, upon reaching the end the reader realizes that its all one puzzle, and you've just made two pieces that fit together, each curve running perfectly parallel to its match. I felt myself wishing I could move my eyes faster along the page, hungry for every succeeding word until my gaze fell upon the final syllable and my thirst was quenched. It is an incredibly satisfying read, paced in a way so perfect that it puts shame to mama bear's porridge.
Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" doesn't quite live up to the standard that London's short story set for me. After such a fulfilling piece, Bierce's tale of a southern planter and gentleman's hanging in the civil war felt dry in its surface content with a cliche conclusion. I would say the predictable end is excused due to the work's age, however. What is inexcusable is it's seeming lack of direction to me, there is no takeaway and the story is left just as dead as our protagonist himself. Though it has the strong framework of a textbook "good story", it lacks the meat and feels as if Bierce either lost interest or couldn't bring his thoughts and motivations into words. That being said, this isn't a bad work of art, but after reading such a rich chocolate malt of a story as "A Piece of Steak", Bierce's tale tasted more reminiscent of unsweetened cocoa powder.
Oddly enough I actually liked the poem "This Be the Verse" by Larkin. Normally I would not look at such a dark and negative poem and think it is good or enjoy reading it however I like the fact that Larkin wrote a poem that was so honest. He must have had an unfortunate experience with his parents and I can assume that his childhood was very sad. I can't relate to that because I have had the opposite life experience with my parents and childhood which is why I like trying to understand Larkin's different point of view. Of course, I would enjoy a happy or positive poem but to me, something so sad, personal, and honest can pull on my emotions more which makes it a great poem.
A story I did not care for was "Signs and Symbols" by Nabakov. This story was pretty dull and boring in my opinion. Throughout the story not much happened and there was nothing interesting or exciting that grabbed my attention. I also found a lot of the symbolism to be hard for me to understand. I think it is great that he is able to come up with a lot of intricate symbolism but personally, I was just not into it. Another thing that bothered me was the ending. I wanted to know who called and I wanted to know who Charlie was. I had a lot of questions and then it just ends. Some people may love that about the story but I did not.
The first short story I read was Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw". I liked this story in particular, because the lesson learned and the events leading up to the climax are fairly easy to follow and understand for readers of all age groups. I believe we read this story in middle school at some point, which is another reason why I liked it. The lesson learned from this story is simple: Greed brings with it tragedy, and those who chase money and physical things will experience an empty life. The death of a father's son is the result of a greedy wish from a talisman brought home from a foreign nation by an army friend.
The second story I read was Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants". This story was unappealing to me for a few reasons. First of all, it seemed to be just a conversation between two people in a relationship and about what all they could have, and what they do have. It doesn't seem to have any underlying meaning, or at least if it does, it doesn't pop out to me like other stories. There also doesn't appear to be any climax throughout the short story either. It is just a conversation between a man and a woman, where he tells the woman that he loves her and he would do anything for her.
Out of all of the short stories I have read in these last few weeks, “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce was my favorite. This story was really intriguing. Bierce kept the reader on edge, reading this story actually gave me chills, because of how well it was written. Bierce used amazing literary tools, mainly imagery. The way he used descriptive words to describe what was happening around Peyton was mind-blowing Another thing I really liked about this story is how open it is. The reader does not know what really happened, it is all up for interpretation.
Another poem that I read that I was not as fond of was Walt Whitman’s O Me, O Life. I am not a fan of the message that it portrays. Is being alive in a miserable, foolish, and faithless world really better than being dead? Whitman’s poem makes it seem like there is nothing that we can do to end the chain of foolishness and faithlessness and that our only option is to live with it. The “play” that he describes does not seem as “powerful” to me as Whitman believed it to be. The fact that life exists is not enough to make up for the pain that it is experiencing.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the chance to read a variety of different poems and stories. Each of them is different and has impacted the world in many ways. Having read these short stories and poems I have some favorites and others that are not so much a personal favorite. Each of these has been significant and I am glad that I was able to read and interpret them. Last week we were required to do our Flipgrid on the short stories so I am going to select poems to praise and criticize.
The poem that was my favorite was hard to decide. It is between two. Both of them were read to those that were present on Wednesday. The first one is Hicks' "At the Globe with Shakespeare." Hicks's poem is one that I really enjoyed because it makes you think. His poem is about if William Shakespeare was around today what would it be like. It would definitely be very interesting to see how he would act, what he would talk like, and what he would like to do. This also got me thinking what if other famous people of the past were around in today's world and how interesting that would be. The second is Lee's "The Hammock." This is also one of my favorites because of the way that it is very relatable and it makes you think. Our life is "the hammock and then there's the gap on both sides. On one side is the people and family members that came before us and on the other side is the family of our future yet to come. When he says "I think, Dear God, and remember there are stars we haven't heard from yet: They have so far to arrive." I think that he is meaning that there are children or even grandchildren that will be in our lives that we don't even know of or have even thought of in our lives and it's an interesting concept to think of.
One poem that was not my favorite was Larkin's "This Be the Verse." This one was interesting to me for many reasons. It started off with some quite vulgar language in his poem. To me, the point of this poem is a little unclear. It seems to me that he is a crabby man who had a bad childhood. In his poem, he states, "Get out as early as you can, and don’t have any kids yourself." This quote makes me think about what he has in mind for his goal with this poem. I can agree with the beginning of the poem when he says that people impact the way that we grow and affect our behaviors. However, he seems to have a negative outlook on this factor. There are good people that have positive impacts on people as well as some of the bad ones. I hope to learn more about this author and this poem but for now, it is not one of my favorites.
Positive: I have to praise John Steinbeck for his descriptive writing in “The Chrysanthemums”. The writing presented a clear picture of the characters and setting in my mind as well identifying their emotions. I felt the intrigue found in the story came from the dialogue presented between the Tinker and Elisa. The way they presented their feelings towards their respective work was interesting. The symbolism connecting the chrysanthemums and Elisa was also intriguing as they were an extension of her. Elisa felt a slight connection to the Tinker and offered him a chrysanthemum only to see that he later threw it away.
Negative: Emily Dickonson’s “A Narrow Fell in the Grass” is not a poem I have enjoyed as much as others. I have read the poem multiple times but the meaning behind the poem continues to elude me. The tone of the poem also confuses me as I can not tell if it is mysterious or sad. Comparing this poem to Dickonson’s other work “There is Another Sky” I prefer the latter. Her other poem contains a vivid description of a bright beautiful garden and has the feeling of happiness and fun surrounding it. While I read Dickonson’s first poem I didn’t know what to feel.
I think one of my favorite poems we have read so far would have been "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. I remember reading this back in middle school and I liked it there. When we read it again I realized I liked it even more than I had remembered. Personally, I like this poem because of the suspense and mysteriousness of it. Jacobs grabs your attention from the very beginning with the history of the paw until the very end with the wishes. I am a fan of mystery/horror books and movies so I found this poem interesting. One of my favorite parts would be how Jacobs leaves how the story ends up to the reader. He never gives a clear statement on what happens with the 3rd wish.
Some of the poems we read were less interesting to me and I just flat out did not like. I did not enjoy "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larken. I did not enjoy this poem because of what it was writing about. It seemed that Larkin was writing about how having kids is a bad idea. He explains how parents put their problems onto their children which ruins their childhood. This left a negative impression of me because I think that kids are good and people should have children if they want to and not try to sway others into a decision that is thiers.
For the last couple of weeks, we have been given multiple short stories to read. These stories are all different in their own way and carry different important messages. I like reading these short stories. It has been a nice change from reading long books. I think it is interesting comparing the writing styles between the two different kinds of works.
I have found more short stories that I like than one I dislike. My favorite poem and the one I choose to praise is "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." Ursula K. Le Guin writes the poem using detailed imagery and moving literary devices. The words allow you to picture everything in your head as if you were there. The short story is beautifully written. I like good plots and twists. This story keeps you thinking until the end. When you are done reading it you are still thinking. A child's happiness and life is sacrificed for the rest of society. The story touches on what could potentially be a touchy subject that people face in real life.
It was not very hard to pick out my least favorite poem and criticize it. My least favorite poem in every way was "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. The note of this poem brings the reader down. The message is pessimistic and the author seems to be a glass half empty type of person. In his eyes all humanity is corrupt and continues to worsen with every year and generation. He mentions that a care giver is the reason for all the bad the new generations are bringing. If this is the case he is subtly saying that people should stop populating the world. If there are no new unfit caregivers then there will be less corruption in the world. This is the opposite of how I feel and operate. Not everyone is perfect, people make poor mistakes. It is something we all must learn to deal with and move on.
The short story that stuck in my head was "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton. The open ending drives me insane but contributes much to the story. The story ends leaving readers curious as to what door the princess signaled her lover to choose. Some readers imagine the princess telling him to pick the tiger, others the lady. Yet, another option is that the princess could shake her head as if she did not learn what was behind each door letting her lover pick his own fate. Human nature leads us in our desires to know what is behind the doors. In some cases ignorance is bliss, and knowledge is a. curse. The suspense the author creates heightens a readers imagination and allows each reader to chose their own ending.
One poem that was not enjoyable was Philip's Larkin's, "This be the Verse." Yes, some parents do ruin their children but look at how many succeed with flying colors. The pessimistic view of having children may have been formed by a traumatizing childhood, or experience with children. I work with kids. They have their moments where they are on the floor throwing a tantrum, but they also have moments you would not trade for the world. You see kids picking up trash and scolding their parents if they don't follow suit. Other kids are cute as a button when they try new things. He claims that parents "fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you." Many parents try very hard to avoid making the same mistakes their parents made and by avoiding those parenting mistakes they can avoid creating those same faults in you. Kids will always have some fault, but typically they do not have the same faults as their parents. I possess a very optimistic view of the world so I pity the experiences Larkin had that made him see the world in such a negative way. He tells people to "get out as early as you can." Why? Why would you leave something behind that you created? Because you can not see the beauty in what God has given you. Leaving would be reckless and irresponsible. Raise your kid and raise them right. Do not leave them hanging out of sight!
A short story that I read and was really fascinated with was "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. This short story told so much about the time frame (1890) and the war going on in a short amount of pages. I knew right away that Peyton Farquhar (the man who was about to be executed) had died when he explained falling into the water of the river below and seeing the light grow brighter as he sunk. The adventure of Peyton escaping the bullets of the soldiers shooting at him and himself going under the water uncontrollably was very intriguing and made the read fast. For this, I found this short story to be extraordinary and would recommend to anyone looking for an intriguing, adventurous story.
A poem that we read together that I thoroughly did not like was "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot. The poem itself was very long and twisty—not making much sense in my mind. The title of the poem is totally deceiving, for a love song would be about romance and relationships, not about the love the character was not getting. Instead of the love song, the poem should have been entitled "The Misery Squall of J. Alfred Prufrock" due to his complaints of jealousy with Michelangelo. With this, I found that this poem was my least favorite due to the imbalance of the title with the rest of the poem.
Positive
My favorite Poem that we have read up until this point is "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath. The thing that made this so appealing to me was the fact that it was World War 2 related. I have always had an interest in learning about. Though it is a tragic part of our history, it is something that we should learn about. It was also interesting to have it in the perspective of a child of a Nazi. I have always wondered what it would be like to be a defendant, or have relation to somebody that committed such heinous acts.
Negative
Another story that I initially found quite interesting was, "The Monkeys Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. The story also has a little bit of history behind it. When talking about the man that was in India when England had colonized it. The reason why I am no longer a huge fan of it is because the story is eerie in a way that I am not necessarily too fond of. I do not buy much stock into magic personally, so while reading I would rather do without. It is not that it is a bad story by any means, it just really is not my cup of tea.
After reading a significant amount of short stories, I have thoroughly enjoyed many of them. One that stuck out to me was “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe. At the beginning of his story, he places himself within it to speak to his readers. Therefore, readers obtain more information about the short story from the author himself. Poe is a remarkable writer, using interesting diction to liven the story. What I believe makes an exemplary short story is how an author uses their words and how they end the story. Poe provides an unexpected ending, and while reading “The Black Cat” you wonder what is real or supernatural. Filled with symbolism and a dark, twisted plot, “The Black Cat” is an intriguing short story.
I absolutely love short stories because of how well-written they are. I find that they are enticing to read, but if I had to criticize one of them it would be “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. It was not a bad short story; however, there were things I did not particularly like about it. It was well-written but it lacked those powerful sentences that bring a story to life. The plot was like the ending of a novel, fast-paced and keeping you on the edge of your seat. However, I think the story could have had a better introduction to the main character. Also, after the long journey of Farquhar trying to stay alive, they just kill him at the end, which was rather disappointing.
Not only did I love “The Addict” by Anne Sexton, I felt it. Although I am not an addict, reading this poem, I felt like one. I admire her not just writing about a subject considered taboo, but being so raw and honest about it, depicting her thought process each night along with the pain that comes with addiction through beautiful metaphors, helping place the reader in the place of someone with a commonly misunderstood disease. I especially love the line, “It’s a kind of war where I plant bombs inside myself.” Wow.
I am intrigued as to the title not being “Addiction,” or something with that word, but rather labeling herself with one word—a word holding many stereotypes. Yet she uses this in favor of herself, as the reader goes into the poem with their ideas just of what an addict is, usually distinguished from the human, and then Sexton introduces the human into their idea of an addict, showing the struggle her mind faces and the pain with the knowledge she is harming herself.
This poem is just something that everybody can relate to. We all have something we rely on that we wish we didn’t as much, or even just bad habits. Each reader can connect certain lines or ideas throughout to their own life.
“Madame Celestin’s Divorce” is not an intriguing title. I don’t know who Madame Celestin is, and frankly, I don’t care about a random lady’s divorce. I don’t want to be too harsh, but this story is just not something I feel compelled to read. In the first paragraph, I already am unsure of a couple things; this might just be because it was written in a different time period. I have not heard of someone wearing a “wrapper,” but I assume it is like a cardigan. What really trips me up is her gallery—what is it of? Is it outside, or does it have a big window, or how does Lawyer Paxton say hi every morning? And is he a lawyer, or is that just his name? The first semicolon of the first sentence of the second paragraph is improperly used. It’s now apparent the guy is a lawyer.
From their first conversation, Madame Celestine becomes happy with the man’s acknowledgment of her hard work. Again—the time period—but I don’t like this, because she should be able to acknowledge and appreciate her own hard work and be happy because of that instead. Suddenly, the lawyer becomes a judge, and they start talking about another character that has not been introduced. If I am in a conversation with two other people, this would be where I walk away, so I only continued reading long enough to see Madame Celestine talking about herself. I am sure the writing makes sense since Chopin is a famous writer, but I might not be intelligent enough to understand it because it just doesn’t make sense to me.
Throughout reading most of the short stories I was able to pick out one of my favorites being "The
Black Cat". When reading the story Edgar Allen Poe wrote he made it easy for a reader to interpret also representing what he was going through at that time. In the story, he had the main character as an alcoholic taking his anger out on his animals he had with an exception to his black cat named Pluto. Once he turned on this black cat eventually hanging it there was a clone like a cat with a white spot which reminded him of his cat he brought it home. He ended up trying to kill his cat then killing his wife. This story was a great example of justice and how things can come back to you.
One story that was not as enjoyable as the others as "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. To me the concept of the idea in Harrison Bergeron was great but when reading it the delivery of the idea wasn't the best in my opinion. It seemed that it had edgy criticism about society's desire to make every individual equal. A lot of the message that Vonnegut was going for is a great concept I just feel like the story was flat to me. Maybe after a further read or looking deeper into the story I can find more that I missed when reading it through the first times.
The short story I want to praise is "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton. Overall, this story did not follow any predictions I had made about it and I believe it is very progressive for the time period in which it was written. I liked how Stockton left the story open to interpretation and that the beginning of the story gave detailed background that made the setting feel more realistic. The characters in the story, especially the king's daughter and her lover, were fleshed out and felt like real people. Both of these characters had personality traits and emotional changes in the few pages of the story, which I think is impressive for length of the story.
The short story I want to criticize is "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. To me, the suspense in the story was faulted as the sergeant-major told the White family that the paw was dangerous, instead of them finding it out themselves. Even if they doubted it, as a reader, I could guess that they would face consequences of using the paw. Also, the ending of the story was too open-ended in a few aspects. Not knowing the exact final wish was okay, but the fact we never get a description of how their son looked when he came back was disappointing. Although this story is more mental horror, a bit of gore could have really upped the shock factor for the ending. Additionally, we don't find out if their son was a monster or not, so we don't know if Mr. White's final wish was warranted.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have read and analyzed a variety of short stories and poems. Among them, the short story that stood out the most was “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton. Stockton’s story makes the readers think about jealousy, trust, selfishness, and more. “The Lady or the Tiger?” is also great to read in hindsight to try to figure out what the princess’ decision was. The king’s power and ideas of fairness are also points to analyze in the story. The judicial system is totally corrupt and everyone seems to go along with it.
Through reading many stories and poems, the work I enjoyed reading the least is “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe. “The Black Cat” is a morbid story about an insane man and a black cat. I found that “The Black Cat” was often confusing because of Poe’s unique style and the plot was hard to understand at times. Because of the darkness in Poe’s writing, reading the story is also uncomfortable, especially when confused about the story itself. The story made much more sense after doing some research; however, the initial read was the least enjoyable. I think a second and/or third read would be valuable to further understand the story.
William Carlos Williams did an amazing job of creating a fun, humorous, and entertaining poem in just a small cluster of words. He created a little scene in "Danse Russe" and described the family and time of day. He then continues to share that he "dance naked, grotesquely
before my mirror
waving my shirt round my head
and singing softly to myself". Williams is sharing joy. Since I was in the zoom this morning, I saw the reactions of Mr. C and his enjoyment. I myself highly enjoyed it and so did many others I'm sure. Williams found a way to bring a smile to readers' faces with a jumble of a few words.
Vladimir Nabokov composed an interesting short story. Although compelling, I was not completely satisfied. Could we at least know the son's name? Then the fact that he is or is not the "Charlie" the young girl asks for on the phone. There seem to be too many unanswered questions in the story for my liking. Why must the uncle pay the bills? There is a great story there but it seems to be missing too much. That can be intriguing to an extent, but also distracting. It's like when you start a puzzle. The end picture is supposed to be beautiful but you are missing a few pieces. The image doesn't turn out as well as it should and you won't really want to try it again.
After reading around 15 different short stories and poems, I think my favorite was definitely “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. I liked it back in Middle School and it's as good as I remembered. I like books with a lot of mystery, so this was a perfect read. Jacobs uses a good mixture of horror, mystery, and suspense to create a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jacobs also adds a lot of imagery to illustrate a clear picture for the reader. I highly recommend this story as it isn’t very long, but contains a lot of thrill.
One short story that I didn’t like so much was “Madame Celestin’s Divorce” by Kate Chopin. This story didn’t interest me at all. The whole story was Madame Celestin deciding if she should sign divorce papers. Although it was a time when divorce was frowned upon, the answer seemed very clear to me. Why would she stay with a husband who left her for a very long time? It had little mystery and little action, which I didn’t like at all. I’d say this short story would appeal to some readers, but it just wasn’t for me. I’d only recommend it if you aren’t looking for action or mystery.
One of my favorite poems of the selection in the google drive folder was “The Man-Moth” by Elizabeth Bishop. The concept of taking a misprint in the newspaper and turning it into a character with a storyline was very clever. The poem itself felt very melancholic in tone but Bishop’s writing style was very fluid and kept me engaged throughout reading it. The Man-Moth was quite the curious character in and of himself, his infatuation with the moon and trying to escape through it kept me thinking. Even as I continue to reread the poem as I write this, the Man-Moth remains someone that is a little too far off to fully understand, yet I can't help but feel sympathy for him.
A short story that didn't quite pique my interest was “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. While I can appreciate the way that Hemingway structures and writes his stories, the actual plot did nothing for me. Not once did I feel any connection or emotions towards the characters and I wasn't left wondering about it upon its completion. If it was trying to convey a message about the controversial topic of abortion, I personally didn't buy into anything. I'm sure Hemingway desired readers to come to their own conclusion, but even so, reading the story provided me nothing more than a terse conversation.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been studying a variety of different poems––some that are quite pessimistic while others are positive and light-hearted. One of the poems I enjoyed most was “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath. I enjoy authors who tell readers their story, yet only hint at specific ideas so that readers have the opportunity to look deeper into the poem themselves. Plath clearly had a traumatic and painful childhood because of her father, although we do not necessarily know what her father did to her. It is almost like her father’s obituary, but rather than grieving over the loss of her loved one, she rejoices in her father’s death. This poem was simple and easy to read, yet had a multitude of symbolism.
One of the poems I truly disliked was “This Be The Verse” by Philip Larkin. This was not only vulgar but extraordinarily pessimistic. I felt as if this poem had no valuable meaning, simply written by a man angry at the world. Larkin states that you should get out of the house as soon as possible and avoid having kids of your own. It is quite clear that he had an upsetting childhood; however, just because your parents impact you as a person, you still have the power to overcome that influence yourself. I do not mind somber poems as I believe they all have messages we can learn from, although this was one of the most depressing poems I have ever read.
The short story that deserved the most praise, in my opinion, was "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath. This poem is at first disturbing and dark. She addresses her relationship with her father, who died too soon for her. She describes him as a "black shoe" and "a bag full of God" among other things. She also uses the popular nickname, "daddy", that young girls use for their father. This brings a child-like innocence to such a dark poem. I see it as a way of explaining that she wanted to be close to him, even though he was so far from her (physically and mentally). This could be compared to the Oedipus complex, in which she wants to be so close to him that she will do anything to feel that way. She does this by "marrying him" or marrying someone similar to him, in an attempt to kill off the negativity that comes with her memory of him. This is a common way some girls feel about their own fathers, they never felt close enough to them and so they need that figure in the form of a husband or friend. While it was a strange poem, I can understand where her pain flowed through the words she wrote.
The poem I have chosen to criticize is "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot. I expected this poem to be about a romantic love story or vision of love. It was hard to read and confusing at times. With research, I learned that this poem is about a man who is afraid to express his love since he does not think it will be returned. He hates himself and mentions multiple flaws about himself, flaws that I think he focuses on too much because he is used to tearing himself down, as he believes his love does the same. He is so miserable and confused about the love he feels. The poem goes between his hate for himself and his fear of being rejected. Is the poem really a love poem about someone else not returning his feelings? Or is it about him being so worked up over this that he needs to find a way to love himself first? The criticism I have is just the fact that the poem is so confusing that maybe it should've been titled differently. I think this Prufrock person needs to find some self-love before he goes trying to give that love to someone else.
One of my favorite short stories I have had the chance to read was "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. This short story has many literary tools and held me captive while reading it. One of my favorite things about this short story was the imagery and the concepts of time. When Peyton talks about the clicking of watch it is depicted vividly and you can see the pain it causes him. Another thing I enjoyed was the twist at the end. The abrupt end of his life was unexpected and intriguing. It made you rethink every single part of the story that was previously read.
One of the stories I disliked was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. I thought the story was interesting, but it offered many faults in my opinion. The drive of the lawyer was obvious from the start and the rest of the story offered even more filler to suggest my conclusion. I thought the mix of French was put in at odd times and wasn't necessary to the entire story. I feel I could have depicted the actions better without it. I also wish there was a concluded ending, it left most things in the air instead of leaving the reader to depict it in their own way. I think it was tolerable, but much of the story was confusing and not amazing in my opinion.
The first story that I read this week was "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. I really enjoyed this story compared to some of the others because of the warning the author is giving in the story. The setting of the story is a future time where everyone was made equal due to new laws passed by the government. Vonnegut recognizes that if this form of government ever happened, it would be very bad for the United States. I found it interesting that he chose the form of a short story to warn society about this terrible situation. Also personally I agree with him that this form of society would not be very good for a country so I was interested to see what he had to say about the effects of this form of government.
After reading several more stories, I came across "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. I really could not get interested in this story. Madame Celestin is a woman who has been left alone by her husband for a long spell. After she hears nothing from him for several weeks, she is trying to decide whether she should file for a divorce. The entire story is basically her going back and forth between whether or not she should file for divorce until she finally decides she is going to go through with it. Then her husband returns and she realizes she should stay with him. The story ends at this point with no real action or storyline to the story. I would have liked to have something more interesting to try and follow than the path of an indecisive woman.
One of the poems I chose to read was Thomas's poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". As I was unable to make it to the reading on Tuesday, I decided it should be one of my poems to praise or to criticize. I have seen the two repeating phrases used before in pop culture both "Rage against the dying of the light" and "Do not go gentle into that good night" but I have heard people say, "do not go quietly into that good night". That may just be a case of the Mandala Effect like Berenstein or Berenstain. While I can defiantly see the effects Thomas's poem has had in everyday pop culture, his poem captures the effect that one should feel when they die—the night meaning death and the light is you, you should feel angry and fight against death however she may come to you. This is an effect of the poem that translates well across time, the meaning still holds to this day but the actual poem was underwhelmingly shorter than I expected and didn't pack as much of a punch as I was expecting, however; I do admit this is partially due to me more than likely having higher than reasonable expectations due to the frequency that it is used—this is not a condemnation rather a very minor problem I had.
The second one I shall give some praise to, not a poem this time, is one of the short stories I read for a previous blog task—Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat". Is that I came to realize something very important about the story when I analyzed it last time. Aside from Poe's classic story beats typically involving gothic terror are some form, in this case being a cat being tortured, a fire, a wife murdered, is that thought was put behind the naming convention of the cat. This when I realized put way more power behind the ending of the story, after all, it ends with an alcoholic abuser being hanged for the murder of his wife that he hid behind a fake wall in the cellar—a call back to "a cask of amontillado" perhaps? But if you new what Poe was alluding to when he first introduces Pluto the cat, mythologically adept readers would know that he was God of worldly wealth and the Underworld. That knowledge would give them new insight as the narrator plunges further into his insanity. This is a fact that really endeared this short story to me, despite the gruesome cat murder that bummed me out.
Out of all the short stories we went over, my favorite one out of all them has to be "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton". It reminded me of the Sherlock Holmes movie a little bit. Part of that was because one of them was named Holmes as well. The mysterious part of the story kept me focused and my mind didn't wander while I was reading this story. I also liked how the ending of the story took place. I did not expect that Holmes and Watson were going to witness a murder and then not turn the culprit in. I thought it was going to be Charles going to jail for all of his illegal activities. I was shocked to see him murdered. Even though he had it coming.
One story I did not care for was "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". I thought it was lacking detail and thought it was a pretty dry story. There really was not too much to it. The fact that the story could have been easily been finished in a couple of sentences is kind of funny. It does show how creative the author is. He literally created something out of nothing. Even after Farquhar "dies", the author could have done anything with his imagination but all he does is swim downstream a little bit and then goes back home. Just to realize that he had been dead the entire time.
We have read 15 short stories and the one I liked the most of was "The Monkey's Paw." I found this story to be fun to read because it was both suspenseful and intriguing. The suspense created by the soldier and the paw was an excellent great part of the story. Something that kept me reading was the unknown origin of the paw. The ending left me wondering and confused if their wish really came true. The son may have risen from the grave or it could have just been the wind or an animal. The story left me wondering and wanting to know more.
Although most stories we read were good stories, one story I particularly didn't like was "Madame Celestin's Divorce" by Kate Chopin. The story was about a woman who wanted to get a divorce. A neighbor of hers, a lawyer, encouraged this divorce because the husband was clearly not a good husband and he wanted to marry her because he was falling in love with the woman. In the end, the husband comes back and the woman decides to stay with her husband. Every reader knows that this is the wrong decision and it left me confused. The story seemed pointless to me after the woman went back to her terrible husband.
I have read and listened to many short stories and poems over the past few weeks and this is the one that I chose to praise. The first story that I am going to praise and complement is going to be the called “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and that short story was written by Ursula Le Guin I have previously examined this story with the flipgrid assignment and I really enjoyed the simplicity of the story. Granted that the story is a little bit different from the one kid that is forced to be punished by being in exile in order for their society to succeed. I enjoyed this story because there were no underlying themes that the reader had to try and figure out. The Omelas have essentially the perfect life and it is all based on the suffering of this child and the Omelas and the Omelas are left with a choice to either walk away from the Omelas and get this child out of suffering and do the right thing. I also enjoyed how easy a read it was and the simplicity of the story made it be my favorite that we have studied thus far.
But, not every short story or poem that we have read was my favorite or fun to read. If I had one short story to criticize it would have to be “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and that was written by Ambrose Bierce, to summarize this story it is basically set during the civil war times and the country was divided into the north and the south and this man named Farquar is about to be hung on the bridge. But the interesting aspect of this story is the way in which the story is written with the parts. The three separate parts add confusion and in my opinion, make the story choppy and not as clear to follow along with. It was a good story but the tempo and the story being told out of order added confusion and that made me not enjoy the story as much.
I got the chance to read a short story titled, "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov. This story quickly turned into one of my absolute favorites. It is a very sobering but entertaining story. It revolves around an elderly couple who has a son in a mental ward for a mental illness called referential mania. The couple is wary of their son being in the ward for much longer because he has actually already almost committed suicide. On the night before they were to go in and pull their son our, the dad was complaining about feeling sick. A few minutes later they received two calls from the same girl and the other insisted she had the wrong number. The story ends when the phone rings a third time. The atmosphere and tone of this story were gloomy and sobering. It was set in the middle of winter and it was a very foggy night. I spent a lot of time thinking about what the last call meant. Then it hit me, it was probably the ward calling to inform the parents that their son had passed away. Maybe that's why the dad was feeling sick, he deep down knew something happened to his son. There are many symbols throughout the book that foreshadow something bad happening. A baby bird drowning in a puddle, a little girl crying, three phone calls. All of these have meanings and Nabokov did an amazing job letting readers figure out what he meant by themselves.
The second short story I read was "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck. This was by no means a terrible short story, it just didn't keep me interested and I felt as if the plot was being drawn out. A 35-year-old woman, named Elisa, is married to a farmer. She grows beautiful Chrysanthemums and takes extreme care of them. This is a reflection of herself. The story tells us that she keeps the farmhouse spotless and she likes to clean herself up too, just like she does with her plants. Throughout the short story, we get the feeling that she is not happy in her current relationship. A tinkerer comes by and Elisa immediately takes a liking to him. He is handsome and seems to like her for her and see her as feminine. At the end of the story her husband takes her out and Elisa asks about fighting and her husband tells her that they can go to one if she wants and she starts crying but makes sure that he cant see. This further proves the point that she is unhappy and not seen as a feminine person/partner because men would only bring their other friends to fights.
Over the past couple of weeks, while reading these short stories, I have found that they have moved me in ways that I did not expect. Each story has a different personality, which means that it can change a person in different ways. The story that I am going to criticize is The Lady or The Tiger; while reading the story I found that the plot was very slow going, but it was starting to build up with great anxiety. I thought that the ending was personally not very good and left me on a sort of cliff hanger that I did not understand.
The short story that I am chosing to praise is The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. Out of all the short stories from the zoom meetings and just all the random ones I have found on the internet, this may be one of my favorites. This story is bringing out real world problems and showing them to everyone, this story was different for me because it reminded me of my closest friend and what she sent through growing up. I would say that this story is a piece of art that deserves to be shared with the world.
Out of the stories I decided to read, I think that I enjoyed "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. Throughout the short story, I continually found myself entranced in its words and stopped frequently to think and reorganize my thoughts and opinions on the piece of literature. Its moral debate of equality and how it serves as both an asset and a liability to our society piqued my interest. We are currently living in a world that is full of protestors and very real issues that many people face based on discrimination or from simply being a minority. As many continue to fight for and promote equal rights, this story can also put into perspective the effect that true equality can have on our society socially and economically.
One story that I found on the other end of my interest was "Pantaloon in Black" by William Faulkner. The story itself does contain an important message that discusses the necessary place family takes in our lives and its importance to our well being. However, I find that in short stories I would prefer that the message be a little more clear. Granted, that does take away some of the mystery of the story and putting the theme sprawled out easily on the paper wouldn't be challenging for anyone to comprehend, but I find that stories that are more simple and heartfelt have a greater effect on me than the ones that I have to google about.
One poem that I enjoyed immensely was "The Hammock". I loved this poem because it had an amazingly positive and introspective view of parenthood. I really enjoyed the analysis of it as well. I think that one of the best examples of his very clever writing, is the fact that a hammock was never mentioned, but the metaphor was extremely clear throughout the story. I enjoyed the way he captured the emotions and thoughts surrounding parenthood. The ending of the poem was also very hard-hitting, where he states that it doesn't matter what is on either end of life, the little bit of joy that we have in the middle is all we need.
I was definitely not a fan of Larkins "This be the Verse". I found the message disturbing and the language vulgar and unnecessary. I have absolutely no problem with foul language, but in this poem, I think that it does not add the forcefulness of emotion that it was intended to bring across. I found it distracting from the message of the poem, as it made the entire thing sound like a teenager scribbling tear-filled notes to themself after being told they can't take the Xbox on vacation. The message is sound, although I entirely disagree. Parenthood is not just a burden that society has forced on it. It is a gift to us, to have the chance to take the faults we received from our parents and attempt to make a better generation. A chance to do right what your parents did wrong and make progress in society.
The story I chose to praise is "Black Cat" by Edgar Allen Poe. Similar to a different story written by Poe, "Black Cat" has many elements that are found in "The Raven". This was such an interesting story and I loved reading it. I think Poe's stories are full of surprising plot turns and twists to keep readers entertained. Personally, I love crime shows and movies, and now stories. "Black Cat" was a story about a man that denied he was going crazy and ended up killing a cat and his wife. I thought the most interesting part of this story is when he finds a cat almost exactly the same was the one he had killed months prior, this cat is even missing an eye. The only difference is that this resurrected cat has a white patch of fur on its neck, resembling the gallows that the narrator hung it from. The relationship between the cat, the resurrected cat, and the narrator tell an interesting story of this man going crazy.
"Hills Like White Elephants" is the story I chose to criticize. For me, this story was very hard to follow and not very interesting. The two characters and their relationship was confusing, and I didn't understand if they were siblings, a couple, or just friends. I was not able to be on the Zoom call when we discussed this story, so maybe I am missing crucial pieces. I didn't understand what the drinking or what the color of the mountains meant to the story. I thought the ending was interesting because of how open-ended it was. Overall I think this story would have been more interesting if I understood the true meaning of it.
I have always struggled to read poems. I tend to find them very difficult to read and comprehend. I am not an avid reader and so that might contribute to the fact I do not usually understand what I am reading when it comes to poems. I am trying my best and I think I have found one poem I like and one poem I am not really a fan of.
The first short story I will talk about is “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. This story is quite interesting to me. First of all the biggest reason, I chose this story was because to me it was the easiest to understand. I enjoyed the story as well. I enjoyed ultimatums. The fact that one choice can change the entire path of someone's life is extremely appealing to me. I noticed that it was quite easy to read. There weren't many if any underlying themes in this story. They laid them all out there and I was able to absorb and comprehend the information quite well.
The next story I will talk about is “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. This story was very underwhelming. After I finished it, I thought to myself, "Really? There isn't anymore?" I was very disappointed. It had the bone structure of an amazing short story but it was poorly executed in my opinion. The character introduction felt lazy and the plot did not seem to start until the end of the story. I understand it is meant to be sort of a tragedy with him dying in the end but I still was left with many questions as to why the author chose to tell the story in this way instead of a different way. It lacked the "wow" factor in my opinion. They could have re-written so many different sentences in order to "wow" the audience. Instead, the author chose to be more calm and bland with it. It felt like a roller coaster that looks super scary and fun, but ends up going very slow and its dull.
Over the past weeks, I have gotten to read some very interesting short stories. The two that I chose to write about now are the "Black Cat" and "The Monkeys Paw".
The story that I chose to praise was the "Black Cat" had a lot of amazing twists and turns throughout the whole short story. At times it was confusing but this only caused me to wonder and to come up with more questions about it. I loved how it was a classic horror and it was almost as if a movie was playing in my head the whole time I was reading it. There was much suspense in this story as well, which also added to my liking of this short story. Overall, I thought this was a very well thought out short story that I am happy that I got the opportunity to read it for this amazing class.
The story that I chose to criticize was "The Monkeys Paw". It was a good short story but one thing that I wish the author would have done was used all three of the wishes and not just the two. I think this would have added to the overall plot and storyline of the short story. I am not saying it was not interesting, because it was. I am just saying that if they would have used all three of the wishes it would have created a lot more suspense. If he would have decided to make it all go away with the last wish that would cause relief. Or he could have made things worse by using the last wish. Either way I think it would have been a nice extra touch to the short story.
My favorite story out of the 15 we have read so is Harrison Bergeron. Harrison Bergeron stood out to me from all of the 15 stories due to the plot and time period. Driving the forefront in America today is the call for equality which I believe that everyone can agree is a good thing. This story though takes that plea into an extreme. A plot centered around extreme equality where no one person was better or worse than the other. If someone was born with an "advantage" like extreme athleticism or a brilliant mind would have prohibitions on those. They might wear some steel over there legs and arms to limit the range of motion and limit their athletic ability or for smarts, they would put a radio into your ear and spew nonsense in them to limit your thoughts. In a world where everyone is equal in all facets of life, this displayed just how boring everything would be. There would be no culture, languages, competition, the things that make the world a great place.
"An occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" originally at first caught my attention quickly with its intriguing title. But throughout reading the story, it seemed pretty bland to me. There were no as Mr. Rotherberger calls them "Spicy words" thrown into the story to keep the reader's interest. The plot too seemed a little too perfect for the main character. The fact that almost anytime he was in a pickle a miraculous thing would happen that would let him get out of it. But I guess he did end up paying for it by dying at the end which seemed just and right.
I would like to touch on "Madame Celestin's Divorce." I like how the story is short but impactful. The story is about a fair maiden (Madam Célestin) who tends to her garden and a lawyer(Paxton) who talks to her daily and admires her from afar. The story does not go into detail about Paxton's reason for suggesting a divorce other than his attraction for her. A reader could assume many reasons for his actions which bring about many lessons that can be learned from this story. I like how the vagueness in intentions opens the door for readers to take away different themes from this story. When I read the story, I analyzed Paxton exaggerating the situation so he was able to have her for himself. There would have been issues between him and her husband, as well as the catholic church. The issue with the catholic church was addressed; however, he did not put himself directly into the picture. The theme that picked up on in this story was you should stay loyal closest to you instead of listening to the lies of others (unless you are in a state of mental or physical abuse). Often times we are afraid of being hurt by the ones we love; therefore, we are susceptible to listen to the lies of others. However, sometimes the one you love is only doing what is best for you do not see the good in their actions or you don't trust them enough to believe it. In the end, they end up staying together because Célestin (madam's husband) came home and told her that he was going to be more committed to her. Had she broken off the bond, she may have felt rotten knowing that her husband was trying to fix things or make a better life for her. Furthermore, in my opinion, if a man was trying to get me away from my husband just because he thought I was pretty, I think I'd be treated worse than if I was with my husband. This story also goes to show that just because you go through a rough spot doesn't mean you throw everything away or give up. I think this story teaches two very important life lessons when it comes to commitment; something that a lot of adults these days do not have.
The poem that I have been interested in and is worthy of praise is "Harrison Bergeron" by Vonnegut. The story throws you into the year 2081, where every individual is equal. People have handicaps; mental and physical. We learn about one family in particular, George, Hazel, and their son Harrison. Harrison is taken away by the government which left George and Hazel alone in their abode, having a part of themselves stripped away. After reading the story, I realized that Harrison resembles more than just a character that retaliates the government and brings freedom to the public for a short amount of time. He represents the freedom and will to overpower authority is everyone. No matter who you are or what your situation is, there will always be a fight to have control of your life inside of you. On the other side, we all have some George and Hazel in us; the willingness to comply with the order and to feel safe by abiding by laws and rules. I personally liked this story because it can be related by almost everyone and have a vast amount of meaning behind it.
One story that I found to criticize is "Lady or the Tiger" by Stockton. The story tells about a ruling king and his unique way of determining the guilty or innocence of a man. The man will be presented with two doors; one with a lady that is there to be married and pleasure the man, or a vicious tiger that will eat the man alive. The Princess of king falls in love with a young man, and after finding this out, the king gives the young man a court date to choose his fate. When he gets into the court, the young man looks at the princess and asks her which door. The princess points to the left, but the reader does not get to know what door she referred the man to. I personally find this story to be full of controversy; it is based on the reader and their morals on what door the princess told the young man to go through. I personally have thought about the pain and suffering the princess would feel with either door the young man would pick. If the love of your life would be mauled by a tiger, they would be gone from your life and you would feel responsible, but if they would be married to someone else, you would feel gloomy and heartbroken. I personally just despise and hate situations where all your options possess negative outcomes.
I have read many of these short stories over the past few weeks and am just starting to thoroughly dive into the poems.
The story I chose to praise is "Harrison Bergeron" by Vonnegut. The short story begins by introducing you to a world in 2081 that is in some twisted way "perfect." Everyone is equal. People have different handicaps, whether that be mental or physical, but they all are equal. The story is focused on one family, The Bergerons: George, Hazel, and their son Harrison. George is written to be smarter than everyone else. He can see think of things in a way no one else can, and every time his brain starts to undermine the governments, a radio buzzes in his ear which distracts him. Ultimately, the government took these parents' son away from them because he was rebelling against the government. I found the plot to this story very interesting and ahead of its time because it promotes the idea that the government controls our lives and we must retaliate to make a change.
One of the poems I have read so far was "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin. I did not appreciate this poem in the way that it promoted what seems like a personal conflict with the author. While reading this poem, he uses a great amount of vulgar language which typically indicates someone lashing out their personal feelings. To me, it seems like the author did not have a very good childhood growing up and is trying to force his poor experience with his family as a lesson onto other people to not have kids. To me, parents are what they make themselves out to be. Parents can be controlling and harsh, but they also can learn to respect you and let you grow as a person. I think Philip Larkin had a poor history and used poetry as a way to emote his feelings.
Sorry, this is late!
One short story that I really enjoyed was "The Black Cat" because it had lots of twists and turns and was very suspenseful and was a good horror book just like what Edgar Allan Poe is known for best. It was really fun to analyze it and come up with your own side of the story. It was dark and scary and a good classic horror for the people that enjoy stories like that. There are very similar elements from this short story that can be found in other stories of Poe's. This short story kept me entertained.
The second story I read was "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck. This story wasn't terrible It was just not as entertaining as the others and it didn't keep my interest and I thought the plot was just dragged out. The story caused me to be confused and I had to look up and do research on the story to figure out what it was really about and to hep with my analysis thinking.
The story that I decided to write about is "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allen Poe. I've read a few stories by Poe, so I was already familiar with his dark writing style. I thought that this story was masterfully written. The way Poe uses settings and themes to darken the mood of the story really pulled me into the story. While reading, I was not sure whether I should root for or against the main character. In the end, Poe threw in a big twist—the murder of the protagonist's wife. In true Poe fashion, the murderer hid the corpse inside the house, and when the police came, he was overconfident, and his cat gave away the hiding spot. I thought that this was very similar to Poe's other story, "The Tell-Tale Heart".
The poem that I want to write about is "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin. I thought that Larking must have had a very pessimistic outlook on life. I'm thinking that he probably did not have a great relationship with his parents. Of course it is true that we all get some bad traits from our parents, it is just human nature. However, parents do not usually try to raise their kids in a flawed way. I thought the advice at the end was kind of funny— telling people to leave their home asap and not have any kids hardly seems like good advice, but I guess it works.
I really enjoyed reading “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut expertly reveals the flaws behind “perfect” equality. I thought this was super interesting because people ask for equality, but not exactly to this extent. I was also interested in the handicaps they placed on more advanced people. Couldn’t the handicaps reveal that they were better than others naturally, therefore making them more elite? It also kept me thinking after reading, did fiascos like this occur all the time but the citizens are overall too dull to even remember? I think it's definitely possible, especially because the government handled the situation very quickly and effortlessly.
Out of all the stories we have read, I like “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov less than others. I understand that open-ended stories are intentional by authors to spur the imagination of readers, but this story left almost too much to the imagination that I didn’t even know where to start. I think there are so many small details in the story that almost have no meaning for some reason when you think they should. For example, why did Nabokov have the husband forget the house key? It seems silly to waste time on that detail when the story is so short-- or maybe I’m missing something there.
Recently we have been reading an abundance of short stories, some I enjoyed while others I did not.
One short story that I particularly enjoyed was "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. I love this story because it makes you feel a certain type of way. It makes you root for a confederate and his escape from the Union back to his home and family after he was caught trying to sabotage something they were doing. Only to have your dreams crushed when you find out that it was all a dream and that the Confederate was hanged and died. I like it because the ending is realistic and not your average fairy tale happy ending.
The second story I read was Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants". This story was unappealing to me for a few reasons. At first, it seemed very bland, just two people talking and was very boring. It didn't seem to have any underlying meaning. There also didn't appear to be any climax throughout the short story either. It is just a conversation between a man and a woman, where he tells the woman that he loves her and he would do anything for her. It was not until later that I found out it was about an affair and abortion I quickly began to dislike the characters.
Post a Comment