Journal 22 - Hamlet

                William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is a tragedy in the sense that there is no happy ending and that you are meant to feel remorse for the characters. Although the play was written in the sixteen hundreds Shakespeare did a wonderful job of writing the play to be set in the medieval period of Denmark. This play is a classic because of the way Shakespeare was so far ahead of his time and the subject and themes of his plays are universal and timeless.

                The play follows Prince Hamlet after his father has “died” and his mother is remarrying. Claudius, who is Queen Gertrude’s new husband and brother-in-law, is now the reigning King of Denmark. Hamlet discovers from his father’s spirit that Claudius murdered him and, as the king’s eldest born son, Hamlet is responsible for avenging his father so that the late King Hamlet may rest in peace.

                In order to obey his father’s spirit Hamlet decides to play crazy. He takes it far enough so that his “girlfriend?”, Ophelia, believes it and fears him. While Hamlet is pretending to have gone mad he uses a traveling player group to act out a play because ”the play’s the thing wherein I’ll [Hamlet] catch the conscience of the king” (Hamlet, 1739, ll.534-535). Hamlet succeeds, but when given the opportunity to kill Claudius after the play he finds him praying for forgiveness. Hamlet decides that he cannot kill him now or he will go to heaven and that is the exact opposite of what Hamlet wants.

                Hamlet then goes to speak with his mother and during this time feels he is being spied upon and stabs through a curtain. Hamlet believes at first that he has killed the king, but discovers that instead he has killed Polonius, Ophelia’s father and the advisor to the king. Hamlet then tries to hide the body and is caught by the King’s men. King Claudius sends Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and with them sends sealed letters for Hamlet’s arrest and death.

                Claudius’ plan fails and Hamlet makes it back to Denmark. Upon his return he discovers that in his absence Ophelia went crazy and killed herself. When Hamlet sees Laertes jump into Ophelia’s grave it outrages him. Laertes then challenges Hamlet to a duel and Hamlet accepts. Hamlet does not know that Claudius and Laertes have teamed up to achieve Hamlet’s demise by planting a poisoned goblet and a poison-tipped rapier at the duel.

                At the duel Claudius tells Hamlet that if he wins there is a glass of wine with his name on it and a pearl of fortune inside. In fact, Hamlet took the lead and is winning the duel for the most part. In the excitement Queen Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine that was meant for Hamlet. Laertes takes the opportunity of Hamlet’s distraction of his mother to slice him with the poisoned sword. Hamlet puts two and two together, takes Laertes sword and cuts him so that the poison is within him as well. Hamlet also slices open Claudius’ hand with the sword and makes Claudius finish the poisoned wine, just to be sure of his death.

At the end, the entire royal family dies, and there is no longer anyone to rule over Denmark. All of the trouble of killing the King, and then the attempted and achieved murder of the Prince, ended everyone’s right to the throne. All of this is just to show that the desire for power and revenge will never end well.

Shakespeare, William.“Hamlet”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010.1701-1794). Print

Journal 17 - The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd

In Sir Walter Raleigh’s poem, “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”, Raleigh brings the reality into the poem originally written by Christopher Marlowe. In Marlowe’s poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” it seems that the only thing the shepherd wants is someone beautiful to live with and he’ll give her anything to keep her with him as a trophy. It is possible that the shepherd truly loves this girl, but if it is true love he shouldn’t have to act like he’s trying to buy her to stay with him.

 In Raleigh’s “reply” the Nymph, as Raleigh has chosen to characterize the girl, tells the shepherd that “These pretty pleasures might me move/ To live with thee and be thy love”, but that these things are not enough to keep love alive (1224, ll. 3-4”). The nymph continues with this logic, saying, “The flowers do fade, and wanton fields/ To wayward winter reckoning yields” explaining that wilted flowers and dead fields do not appeal to anyone, nonetheless someone who has been given “These pretty pleasures” (ll. 9-10).

The story is the same as any girl, anywhere. We want to be loved for what is inside us, not how young and beautiful we are. We don’t cost as much as men make us out to, but only want true love and a place to call our home. And many times, home is in the person we love.

Raleigh, Sir Walter “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1224. Print

Journal 16 - She dealt her pretty words like Blades-

In Emily Dickinson’s poem “She dealt her pretty words like Blades-“ you think back to the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” and realize how untrue the saying is. In this poem Dickinson explores how bullying can hurt someone more than ever intended, and that we should all think before we speak.

The poem speaks of a girl who is very quick with her sharp words and “How glittering they shone-“ (1164, l. 2). The first two lines can lead one to think that this girl is probably writing letters to someone and using a broad vocabulary. The next two lines explain that every word that this woman produces breaks nerves and hits the bone of the person hearing, or perhaps reading, these words.

In the next stanza we are told that this woman never meant to hurt anyone with her words. As well, that it was never her place to say those words that may have hurt. These words shown on this girl like “A vulgar grimace in the Flesh” making her ugly to all who saw her (l. 7).

In the last stanza we are told how we should react to such behavior. We are told to brush it off and not let it show that we are hurt, “To Ache is human-not polite-“, and that mortality is as sure as the tears in our eyes (l. 9). The last two lines of the poem, “Mortality’s old Custom-/Just locking up-to Die”, tells us that although it is our instinct to run away and hide from our problems, doing so will only slowly kill us (ll. 11-12). Rather, we should brave the world that may intentionally, or unintentionally, hurt us, and that surviving anything the world throws at us will only make us stronger.

Dickinson, Emily “[She dealt her pretty words like Blades]”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1164. Print

Journal 14 - [l(a)[

In E. E. Cummings’ poem, [l(a)], Cummings chooses to inflict an emotion in the reader. In his poem of nine lines, yet only four words, he does an exceptional job. The physical structure actually resembles what the words are saying.

                The whole poem tells us that the speaker is lonely and is watching a leaf fall from a tree. The loneliness that the speaker is feeling is what has drawn him to nature, trying to find anything to satisfy his loneliness with companionship. The speaker looks around him and watches a leaf fall from a tree.

                Many people would say that this poem represents that the reader’s lonliness was only worsened by watching this one leaf fall, but I disagree. I believe that Cummings was trying to tell us that looking at nature can bring us out of our loneliness, perhaps even help us realize that we are not the only thing in the world that matters. When a person is lonely, we can find companionship in our neighborhoods or even in our pets. But when a leaf falls from a tree, drifting alone on the wind, it is separated forever from it’s home, it’s life.

When we are separated from others we do not wither and die as leaves do, but can live and end our loneliness later. But the leaf that fell, it will die alone on the ground without a chance for survival. We can be strong in loneliness and by realizing that there are other things worse off than ourselves often helps us be even stronger.

Cummings, E. E.“[l(a)]”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1035-1036. Print

Journal 13 - Sir Patrick Spens

The poem “Sir Patrick Spens” was written by an unknown author in the 13^th century who knew what he was doing. While reading this poem your mind wanders to the place where you first read “Beowulf” or “The Epic of Gilgamesh” because this poem isn’t an ode, or a lymric, but it’s an entire story, in just a page and a half. This poem gives you a feeling that you are getting the whole story, not just bits and pieces like other poems can tend to do.

                At the beginning of the poem the king is speaking to one of his knights asking him, “O whar will I get guid sailor, to sail this ship of mine?” (Sir Patrick Spens, 1035, ll. 3-4). This knight tells the king that Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor he can think of. The king then writes a letter to Spens telling him that he has been chosen to sail the king’s ship. Sir Patrick Spens is upset with this, “the next line that Sir Patrick read, The tear blinded his ee”, and asked himself, “O wha is this has done this deed, This il deed done to me”, for the seas were tormented with horrible weather (1035, ll. 15-18).

                Nevertheless, Sir Patrick makes the journey despite his own judgement, and takes with him the best crew he can manage. One of the crewmen is brave enough to tell Sir Patrick that he wishes not to take the journey because he fears a vengeful storm will bring them harm.  The rest of the crew rebels, saying that they do not wish to get their expensive shoes wet.

                The last few stanzas tell the story of the sailors deaths, how they drowned and “their hats they swam aboon (above them)” and the families they left behind to mourn for them (1036, l. 32).  The last stanza tells us where Sir Patrick lies, “It’s fifty fadom deep, And there lies guid Sir Patrick Spens/ Wi’ the Scots lords at his feet” (1036, ll. 42-44).

“Sir Patrick Spens”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1035-1036. Print

Journal 15 - In The Kitchen

In the kitchen

They are opposites

The woman preferring to stick with a recipe

While the man wants to create something new.

She wants perfect order

He wants spontaneity.

When she cooks, she desires not to be disturbed.

He, such a trouble maker, wants to distract her all together.

Sometimes succeeding, other times slapped

Both man and woman know the outcome.

For in the bedroom they are one

One body, one breathe, one love

Four hands, four lips,

 A multitude of sweet nothings.

All of the woman’s rules are broken

All thoughts of inhibitions thrown to the wind.

The man is now careful, gentle, and hesitant

Knowing he must control every step of this journey.

Who knew that two people could change so much,

From the first room to the latter.

The hallway forming the only barrier

Between two people and one love.

Journal 21 - Bright Star

The movie “Bright Star” is a movie about the short life of John Keats, his poetry, and the love he shared with Fanny Braun. The casting director decided to go with a very tall actor to play John Keats, who in real life was only about 5’ 3” or so.  Other characters that were important in the movie were Mr. Brown who was Keats’ best friend, Fanny’s siblings, and Fanny’s mother.

                The beginning of the movie gives us background information about Keats and Brown. Keats is staying with Brown because his published poetry is not selling and he cannot afford to rent his own place. Keats was a doctor but he gave up that life to pursue a life of creativity and poetry. We also discover that Keats is the primary caregiver to his eighteen year old brother who is slowly dying of tuberculosis. Fanny, who comes from a well off family, takes interest in Keats and begins finding excuses to spend time with him.

                After taking poetry lessons, visiting Keats’ brother, and spending Christmas night with Keats, Fanny and Keats cannot help but fall in love. The love that these two share continues to grow even after Mrs. Braun and Mr. Brown have expressed their concerns. When Keats’ plans his leave he does not tell Fanny at first. Fanny believes that Keats is untrustworthy because of his secrets. This is where their relationship goes through it’s first test. Throughout the summer Keats and Fanny write to each other and their relationship flourishes, until Fanny believes that short letters mean a short lived fairy tale.

                When Keats returns their love is almost instantly rekindled and Keats gives Fanny a “friendship” ring which later becomes an official engagement ring. This does not happen until the winter after Keats’ return when his own tuberculosis starts showing symptoms. Throughout the battle with the illness, Keats and Fanny only grow deeper in love and Keats wrote the best poetry he had ever written. When Keats died Fanny would read his poems, the poems he wrote for her, especially “Bright Star”.

Journal 12 - When to Her Lute Corinna Sings

In the poem, “When to Her Lute Corinna Sings” by Thomas Campion, there is a wonderful use of word play used. The entire poem explains how every time Corinna sings to her own lute playing it challenges every other beautiful sound there is. At the same time, whenever Corinna sings of unhappy times, such as songs of sorrow, the speaker explains that if her words don’t break the strings of the lute they break the strings of your heart.

The use of sound to give an image of the poem works wonders in this particular piece of work. At the beginning of the poem the speaker mentions that, “And doth in highest notes appear/ As any challenged echo clear;”, explaining that any other sound is but a weak echo in comparison to the sound of Corinna’s voice (Campion, ll. 3-4). Throughout the poem though, Campion has the lines of the second stanza almost in mimicry of the first. By using similar final lines, it’s as though the poem itself is an echo, and attempted copy, of Corinna’s beautiful voice.

With the description of the lute having “leaden strings” and Corinna compensating with her high notes allows the reader to feel the poem while they’re reading it (l. 2). By using such adjectives Campion allows for our own experience of what those words mean to fill the poem with our own life. Someone who has played a stringed instrument, or sung to an accompaniment, will know the feeling of such heavy music along with a light, nearly whispered voice. As well, anyone who has been audience to such a performance knows how the emotion portrayed by the words, sound, and expression used by the performers will be able to put themselves in the place of the speaker, with nothing but admiration for the performer.

Campion, Thomas. “When to Her Lute Corinna Sings”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1016. Print

Journal 11 - A Red, Red Rose

                In the poem, “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns, Burns does a wonderful job expressing the language, environment, and accent of his Country. By changing vowels in certain words, we know, as readers, to change the way we would normally say the word. In the first line of the poem, “O, my luve’s like a red, red rose” Burns replaces the letter “o” in the word love because with the Irish accent an American or British citizen would spell the word with a “u” because of the way it sounds (Burns, 974, l. 1) The way that Burns is able to bring the accent to life by words on paper is amazing to me. Other examples of this are the lines, “Till a’ the seas gang dry/ Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,/ And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;…And fare the weel, my only luve,/ And fare thee weel a while!” where Burns intentionally leaves out the letter “L”, as well as adds the double “E” to the word “Well” as to excentuate the accent that so many people can fall in love with (ll. 8-10, 13-14)”.

An example of how Burns uses the Irish language is in the vernacular that he chooses to use. The speaker refers to the subject of the poem as “my bonnie lass” which is how any man, young or old, would refer to the woman of his affection (l. 5). In America, we sometimes hear this term, “bonnie lass”, but only as jest or tease from a father or significant other to a young woman. The vocabulary used in the poem does not stop with just one phrase. Let us go back to lines 8 and 9, “Till a’ the seas gang dry/ Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,”, where Burns uses the word “gang” which we know does not mean what we, as Americans, know it to mean today (ll. 8-9). In these lines, and in the Irish language, “Gang” means “Go” or “Run”. To any educated person, this line is understood, but knowing that the author won’t dumb something down so that the less educated can understand it lets us know that we are expected to know, or look for, the meaning of a word in common use elsewhere.

In nearly every line the speaker of the poem expresses that his love is something of beauty, something to be cherished. The first two lines, “O, my luve’s like a red, red rose/ That’s newly sprung in June.” , gives us the understanding that the love the speaker has is as amazing and as beautiful as nature , but that, just as a rose fades and dies, his love cannot stay forever (ll. 1-2). This fact is expressed directly in the last two lines, “And I will come again, my luve,/ Though it were ten thousand mile.” , where the speaker tells his love that though I cannot stay now, I will come back, just like the red roses in the Spring (ll. 15-16).

Burns,   Robert. “A Red, Red Rose”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 974. Print.

Journal 10 - To a Daughter Leaving Home

In the poem “To a Daughter Leaving Home” by Linda Pastan, the speaker tells us two stories in one. The initial story we are told is of a mother teaching her daughter how to ride a bike. The speaker tells us the wonder and awe that she had watching her daughter ride away in the lines, “as you wobbled away/ on two round wheels,/ my own mouth rounding/ in surprise when you pulled/ ahead down the curved/ path of the park” ( Pastan, 914, ll. 5-10). The next point of the story is the fear and anxiety that the speaker experiences at that same moment in the lines, “I kept waiting/ for the thud/ of your crash…” (ll. 11-13) The next few lines of the poem revolves around the feeling that she can’t keep up with her daughter and that she cannot protect her, “While you grew/ smaller, more breakable/ with distance,” (ll. 15-17). The last image that the speaker sees of her daughter and is left to contemplate is, “ with laughter,/ the hair flapping/ behind you like a/ handkerchief waving/ goodbye.” (ll. 20-24).

While you read the poem, it is obvious that all of what the speaker is trying to say is not about the first time her daughter rode a bicycle, but the reality that her daughter is growing up and can fend for herself. The entire poem could be translated using a car rather than a bicycle, making the moment not a casual ride in the park, but the daughter being married or leaving for college. It doesn’t matter the situation, this poem is a wonderful peep hole into the wonder and joy of motherhood. Also, the feelings of sadness and pride that coexist in knowing that if your child can make it on their own, you’ve done something right.

Pastan, Linda. “To a Daughter Leaving Home”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 914-915. Print.

Journal 9 - She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways

In the poem, “She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways” by William Wordsworth, the author gives a voice to a young woman’s secret admirer. The first stanza of the poem focuses on where this young lady lives, the second about the girl’s beauty, and the third and final stanza centered on where the girl is buried. It is possible that the speaker in the poems is Wordsworth, given the information that this young woman lives near where our author lives, but it also may be that Wordsworth was thinking about how nice it could be if a woman of this caliber lived near him, or that he knew a woman that lived there a long time ago.

The first stanza tells us that this girl lives where no one travels, “among the untrodden ways/Beside the springs of Dove”, but also that there is a known waterway near her home (ll. 1-2, Wordsworth). The next two lines of the poem tell us that the woman lived either in solitude or near solitude. Perhaps the woman was unmarried, yet had a child, so the woman went into this secluded area to avoid the stares and thoughts of others. Another thought is that the woman chose a life of solitude and had a farm or pets.

The next stanza speaks of how beautiful the girl was, “A violet by a mossy stone/Half hidden from the eye!”(ll. 5-6). This tells us that the girl is a humble beauty, and even perhaps she cannot see her beauty because of where she lives. The next two lines, “-Fair as a star, when only one/Is shining in the sky” mentioning how when nothing else is to be seen her beauty comes through even then (ll. 7-8).

Finally, in the last stanza, the speaker tells that “She lived unknown, and few could know/When Lucy ceased to be;” and this tells us that after probably years of admiration the woman finally passed away (ll. 9-10). The speaker tells us next how upset and broken hearted they are by saying, “But she is in her grave, and, oh,/The difference to me!” exclaiming that this woman’s death has changed the speakers life forever (ll. 11-12).

After rereading the poem again and again, I’ve thought that perhaps the speaker is the child or grandchild of Lucy. Maybe the speaker was given up for adoption and when they finally found their long-lost mother or grandmother it was under a gravestone. I loved this poem, as well as most romantic poets, and cannot wait to read more.

Wordsworth, William. “She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 887. Print.

Journal 8 - Barbie Doll

In the poem, “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, we are immediately given the impression that women are considered objects. By the title, Barbie Doll, we insinuate that the poem will be about how fake perfection is what everyone strives for. The point of view character is the “girlchild” who is not given a name, but is talked about as if she were a new table and chair set that were achieved “as usual” (l. 1, Piercy).

This girl is presented with girl toys such as “dolls that did pee-pee and miniature GE stoves and irons” that the parents hope will in some way train their daughter to the place that is being a woman (ll. 2-3). She was also given “wee lipsticks” stressing the importance, even at this young age, of dolling yourself up and adding something to yourself because the natural beauty needs help getting through (l. 4). And when this young lady is in late middle school or the beginning of high school, a class mate tells her that she has “a great big nose and fat legs” (l. 6).

Although nothing in her past such as health problems or a lag in school would say that this girl is inadequate in any way, she believes that she needs to apologize for her said “short comings” of fat legs and a big nose. People tell her that she should act as if she doesn’t know anything is wrong, but to try and fix the problems with the proper changes in her life. No woman can take this kind of criticism, act as if nothing is wrong, and then try and change herself to make these other people happy without eventually breaking down.

And breaking down is exactly what this poor girl does. This girl “cut off her nose and her legs/and offered them up” (ll. 17-18). Whether these lines mean that the girl literally cut off her nose and legs or cut them to pieces is uncertain. Later in the poem it is said that the undertaker placed a “putty nose” on the girl, which means that either way her actual nose was not in good condition. And here, at the girl’s funeral, everyone says how beautiful she looks. To think, the only thing we, as women, have to do to be regarded as beautiful is to die.

Piercy, Marge. “Barbie Doll”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 855. Print.

Journal 7 - How Do I Love Thee?

In the poem, "How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the writer talks about undying love for the object of the poem. The narrator describes a need for the object of their affection in the line, "I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight" further saying that only a little part of the day with this person isn't enough, but that they need to see or be with this person every second possible (The Norton Introduction To Literature, pg 821, ll. 5-6). The writer describes love as reverting back to that silly childhood trust and faith in people, that quality which we all seem to lose because we see the reality of life. The reality that no one can ever promise not to hurt you, to go behind your back, or to betray you in any way doesn't help at all for us to just give our heart to someone. Lastly, in the final line, "I shall but love thee better after death" makes everyone realize that when there is nothing else to hurt us, when we're already dead and in the grave, we can truly love someone the best because there is no longer trust issues to overcome (pg 822, l. 14).

Browning, Elizabeth. “How Do I Love Thee?”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 821-822. Print.



Journal 6 - A&P

In the story "A & P", written by John Updike, the focus is on Sammy, a sales clerk at the local grocery store, and how he gives up his entire salary and current life to stand up for three young girls. The thought that Sammy is only standing up for the girls is because they are attractive and Sammy wanted these girls to hear him stand up for them. After the manager embarasses the girls very publicly about how "we want you decently dressed when you come in here", Sammy very loudly proclaims that he quits, but not quite loudly enough for the girls, who are leaving the store, to hear him (The Norton Introduction To Literature, 152). At this point, Sammy realizes that he gave up a good job, salary, and possibly his parent's pride, to impress a few girls.

The way that the writer has the narrator point out when things take a turn for the worst helps to move the story along. By using this style the writer makes it possible to skip over watching the girls walk around the store some more and get to the guts of the story. Also, the description of the girls, "sort of oaky hair...done up in a bun that was unracelling...a kind of prim face" gave the readers a wonderful picture of what the girls look like (150).

Updike, John. “A & P”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 149-154. Print.

Journal 5 - Everything That Rises Must Converge

                In the story “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor, the use of symbols is amazing. Throughout the story, Julian is trying to get his racist mother to see the error of her ways and to simply understand that there was nothing wrong with the black people of this world. Julian took his mother to her reducing class every Wednesday night because “she would not ride the buses by herself at night since they had been integrated” (The Norton Introduction To Literature, 520).

This night was different though, Julian was extremely testy and couldn’t tolerate the way his mother talked about the colored people and the pride that he should have for being the grandson of a former slave owner.  Julian’s mother was dressed and ready to go, putting the final touch on the outfit by putting on a hideous purple and green hat, and off they were to the bus stop. Once on the bus, Julian’s mother couldn’t help herself but talk to all the other passengers about how nice it was that “we have the bus to ourselves” (523).

After a few moments, a well-dressed black man stepped on the bus and Julian went to sit with him, but couldn’t seem to get the man to start conversation. A few moments later a large black woman and her young son got on the bus. The woman, gaily dressed, and wearing a hideous purple and green hat, sat beside Julian and her son beside Julian’s mother. The hat, which looked much better on the black woman, showed just how much his mother and black folk were alike. Julian laughed at the thought of his mother seeing that, “the women, in a sense, swapped sons” (526). A hat which cost the same amount as Julian and his mother’s gas bill was bought both by a proud white woman and a black woman who got no respect from the white people on the bus.

When Julian and his mother got off the bus, so did the black woman and her son. Julian’s mother was rushing, wanting to find a nickel to give the little black boy, but could only find a penny. Against Julian’s advisements, his mother attempted to give the boy “a bright new penny” and ended up being punched in the face by the black woman who shouted, “We don’t take nobody’s pennies!” (528). Julian could not see his mother not learn from this experience, and so he told her that it was exactly what she deserved, that not one black person would take the pennies of a condescending white woman. Julian’s mother had a heart attack on the way back home, and Julian blamed himself because of him shattering the world she thought she lived in.

The end of the story centers on Julian’s mother wanting to give the young boy a penny. The penny, which dons Abraham Lincoln’s face, the man who started a war over the immoral thoughts of slavery. The black woman, who was obviously just as well off as Julian and his mother, would no longer take the condescending smiles and stares of white people that thought they were better than herself. Julian’s mother needed to be taught a lesson, it’s only a shame that she had to learn it so close to death.

Work Cited

O’Connor, Flannery. “Everything That Rises Must Converge”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 519-529. Print.

Journal 4 - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

While reading this story, I got to really like Farquhar. I thought he was only trying to do what he thought was right, fighting his side of the war that was underway. I could see him in my mind, standing there, waiting to be hung in perfect appearance, "His features were good,-a straight nose, firm mouth, broad forehead...long,dark hair combed straight back, falling behind his ears to the collar of his well-fitting frock coat...a moustache and pointed beard...and had a kindly expression" and then the happiness and amazement of falling to the river instead of to his death (731). Routing for him the entire way, I was willing the soldiers to miss the poor man trying to swim to his freedom. I felt robbed of the story when, at the last minute, he dies. I wanted him to be reunited with his family, for it wasn't his war to fight. Though his country decided to start a war with itself, and I'm sure he was an owner of slaves, he was only doing his part. Of course, if it were his own allies that had caught him trying to sabatogue the enemy, they only would have helped, and there would have been no story.

I would have loved to hear more about the man that is introduced at the beginning of the story, his perspective of Farquhar being hung, shot at, and dying. To end the story this way, I believe, could have been more effective. It would have been easier to understand that it was only a somewhat dream of Farquhar's that he had survived, fallen into the river, and once again saw his wife.

Work Cited

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 730-736. Print.





Journal 3 - Barn Burnings

Honestly, I did not enjoy reading this story at all. When the story starts, we're in a small town court room where Sarty is crouched watching a trial of his father, a sharecropper, and their master. Sarty's father is being accused of letting his hog run around, eating his master's corn, and then finally burning down his barn. Sarty is called on to be witness, and as Sarty walks up to the witness stand he thinks to himself as his father stares at him, "He aims for me to lie...and I'll have to do hit" (187). 

When the trial ends, Sarty and his family move to a new home where they begin sharecropping all over again. One night, Sarty, his father, and his brother go to the master's home, rudely barging in. As they walk into the home they track muddy foot prints onto a very valuable rug. After Mrs. de Spain asks them to leave, Sarty's father turns around and Sarty follows him home.

The next day, Sarty's sister's are attempting to clean the rug that was ruined the night before, not quite bringing it back to it's former glory. Later in the week, Mr. de Spain brought Sarty's father to court to work out the payment for the rug, which now showed burned-out holes where the stains had been. Sarty's father was charged ten bushels of corn this planting season to pay back Mr. de Spain for the damages and loss.

When the Snopes return home, Abner tells Sarty to, " Go to the barn and get that can of oit we were oiling the wagon with" (196). Sarty knew exactly what his father wanted the oil for, told his father no. After hearing this, his father struck him, threw a can at him, and told his mother to tie him to a bed post so that he could not warn the de Spains of his plan.

Sarty eventually escaped and ran to the master's home to give them warning. After giving Mr. de Spain the warning, Sarty just kept running. After a short rest at midnight, Sarty once again got up to walk, "He was only cold, and walking would cure that...He was a little stiff, but walking would cure that too" (198). Sarty never returned and never looked back.

At the end of all of this, I was both disappointed and amazed. Sarty finally learned that blood may be thicker than water, but doing what was right did not mean lying for your family, no matter how much you love them. Mr. Snopes, Sarty's father, never learned a single thing throughout the entire story. He went on doing whatever he wanted with no thought to his master, and eventually burned the new master's barn to the ground. Sarty's family, minus Sarty, would have to up and leave once again, all because the father was so selfish as to try and make things difficult for the master and try to watch out for his family. This father, who was often compared to steel, hard, cold, heavy, and hard to mold, was exactly that, even to his own family. With the open ending, I just like to think that Sarty grew up differently and raised his own family right.

Work Cited

Faulkner, William. “Barn Burnings”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 186-198. Print.



Journal 2 - Hills Like White Elephants

I chose to write about Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”. I was unsure exactly how this story was going to take place, or even what it was about until I got to the halfway point of the story. At this point in the story you can plainly tell that the couple that the story focuses on is heading to Madrid, by train, that they have been drinking at the bar inside the train station, and that they are talking about something of great importance. The two characters never explicitly tell us what it is they are talking about, like they’re ignoring “the elephant in the room”, and making small talk or talking about the topic of interest as “it”.

The topic of the conversation seems to be something that the woman does not want to go through. The man tries to comfort her saying, “It’s really an awfully simple operation…It’s not really an operation at all”, which makes the event spoken of sound like something of a medical nature (The Norton Introduction to Literature, 167). As the conversation progressed I began to think that what they were talking about was marriage.  Of course, the conversation could also be centering around abortion of an unplanned baby when the woman says, “And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?” (167). The thought of abortion left me when the man says, “I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you”, which sounds like the man promising a commitment to the woman (168).

The thought of the marriage is the one that stuck the strongest with me, even after reading the story for the third time over. It all made sense: the man making sure not to press the subject, even saying that it’s just a simple operation, the woman saying that she doesn’t mind going through with it, but asking the man “Doesn’t it mean anything to you?” (168). Mentions of how other people had gone through this procedure and were very happy also lead to the thought of marriage. I enjoyed the story, and couldn’t help but think that the title was a clever use of the old saying of “ignoring the elephant in the room”.

Work Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants”. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 166-169. Print.

Journal 1 - The Jewelry

Before reading “The Jewelry” by Guy De Maupassant, I knew that I was going to get something out of it. Having read another of Maupassant’s works, “The Necklace”, I knew that his style was to teach us something. In “The Jewelry” a man named M. Lantin is our main character. Through the story we see the love Lantin has for his wife, the annoyance he has for her love of costume jewelry, and his grief and despair in losing her. Eventually, Lantin finds himself in debt and the first solution he thinks of is to sell his late-wife’s jewelry. He decides to do so because of many reasons, but mostly because, “he had always borne a secret grudge against the flash-jewelry” (The Norton Introduction to Literature, 89).

The next day Lantin goes to two jewelry stores to have one of his wife’s necklaces appraised. After hearing that the necklace was in fact real, Lantin brings all of his wife’s jewelry to the store in which it was originally bought, and the final sum offered was nearly 200,000 francs, nearly five years of his current salary. He sells it all, enjoying himself to fine wine, expensive meals, and going to the theater which “for the first time in his life he went…without feeling bored” (92). Six months after Lantin has come into his fortune he marries again, this time to a woman whom has a quick temper and “made his life miserable every day” (92).

What everyone can learn from this story is that money does not give happiness. When Lantin was married to his first wife love made living a poor, humble life worth it. With all of this new found wealth, Lantin lived without a care for a while, but ultimately, without love, ended his life in misery. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the lessons we can learn from it.

Work Cited



De Maupassant, Guy. “The Jewelry”. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10^th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 87-92. Print.