Well now it's time for the Carnival Post...so here goes.
Starting with Uncle Tom's Cabin, it really seems as though most of the class enjoyed reading this famed novel. Many blogs include comments about Tom's faith and how inspirational it is, as well as a few criticisms on the sentimental nature of the book. The highly idealized ending has also been criticized by some classmates. Even with the criticism, though, it seems as though this is a favorite among the stories we have had to read this semester. Many people in the class had never read the novel before, and were surprised by how well-written it is and how much they did like it. There was also a lot of discussion about the different types of slavery represented by Stowe throughout- there were the nice slaveowners like Eva's family, and then there were the horrific slaveowners like Simon Legree. It seems as though many people in the class really liked that Stowe included the stark contrasts in slaveowners and their ways throughout her book. Too often we are given just one view of slavery, and it is really interesting to know that there were other ways that slavery took place in that time period.
Poe is the next person many people blogged amount, and it seems that everyone likes Poe as well. Many people have heard and read Annabel Lee and The Raven multiple times, so those poems can get rather old to keep re-reading. But there were a lot of comments on The Purloined Letter. It seems as though many in the class had not read this selection of Poe before, and really enjoyed it. Some comments I thought were interesting were those saying that this story reminded them of the mystery stories of Agatha Christie and the like. I really enjoy Agatha Christie novels, and so I really liked this suggestion. When I was reading Poe, I didn't really think of it as something related to Christie's work, but when thinking about it now, I can definitely see similarities. So thank you for those comments.
Melville and Bartleby are the next-most blogged about, and there are some mixed reviews on them. Don't get me wrong, most people really enjoyed reading this story. But even though most of us enjoyed reading it, we also didn't really get it. Reading through the blogs, it definitely seems as though most of us would like a lot more explanation from Melville into who Bartleby is. Why would working in a Dead Letter office turn someone into who Bartleby is? For goodness' sake, Melville, help us out here. Many of us also questioned the point of the story. Why would Melville introduce us to a character such as Bartleby and then leave us all hanging? Is the point just to frustrate us? I'm not sure, and it doesn't seem like any of my classmates are very sure either. But we did all mostly enjoy reading Melville.
And last but not least- the poets. It really seems as though everyone loves Emily Dickinson. She is an amazing poet, and most people thoroughly enjoy reading her poems. There wasn't just one poem that many people focused on, it really seems like everyone has a different favorite. This goes to show just how good of a poet Dickinson is, because she has written peoms that suit everyone. I don't think anyone in this class said that they didn't like Dickinson, and that's saying something. Usually at least someone dislikes something about an author, but from those who have blogged about Dickinson thus far, no one seems to dislike her. Walt Whitman, on the other hand, has had some mixed reviews. I think he is more of an all-or-nothing poet. Those who enjoy his fantastic imagery and weighty metaphors from Song of Myself probably enjoy most of his other work too. Those who do not like this poem, for various reasons such as being too "me focused", etc, will probably not like the rest of this works. He is a very different style of poet than Emily Dickinson, and that has been emphasized in the statement that Dickinson is a microscopic poet while Whitman is a teloscopic poet.
I'm sure there will be more blogs written as the semester draws to a close, but there's what I got from the blogs thus far on everyone's pages. It does seem that Dickinson and Stowe have been the favorites of this part of the semester, and I fall into the group that views them as such. Thanks for all of the great posts, everyone, and I hope you all have a great end of semester and a wonderful summer. :)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Walt Whitman
I have never really been a fan of Whitman. I'm not sure exactly what it is about his poetry that I don't like, but it has never really caught my interest. His poem Song of Myself kind-of rubs me the wrong way. I understand that as humans, we are all amazing creatures, but this poem just seems self-centered to me. His saying that there is nothing more wonderful than he, not even God, doesn't resonate well with me. We are all made in God's image, which makes us beautiful, but God is the most wonderful of all because He is the Creator. So maybe it's just Whitman's assertions on this topic that rub me the wrong way. He does use beautiful imagery and metaphors, such as grass being the hair on graves. He obviously loves nature and believes that nature has an impact spiritually on us. And I do like these parts of his poem. However, the more sensual and sexual parts of his poem are quite awkward for me to read. I couldn't really tell if there was a woman involved in the scenes he was describing in his poetry, or whether it was nature that was unbuttoning his shirt or what. Maybe if I understood a little better what he was referring to, it would be less awkward. I don't know. But I do know that it made me slightly uncomfortable to read this type of thing in his poetry. I'm not trying to offend anyone out there who does really enjoy reading Whitman, but as for myself, I'm not really a fan.
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson is probably one of my favorite poets. Her poems are all very short, but they each have a certain amount of weight to them to make them very worth someone's time to read. I read a lot of Dickinson in AP English in high school, so it was interesting to revisit her again in college. I did realize this time around that many of her poems focus on death, or at least have death as a part of them. This was really interesting to me. It really made me wonder if Dickinson may have had a fear of death or something along those lines because of the amount of time she spent writing about it. Death is something that is going to happen to each one of us, and many of us do think about death and what it will be like, especially when someone close to us dies. However, I'm not sure if many of us will say that we think about death as much as Dickinson writes about it. She really seemed to have a fascination with death, and viewed it as a huge event in someone's life. Because of this, I also wonder if she was a Christian. Many Christians seem to accept death a lot more freely than non-Christians because there is the hope in life after death. But in many of her poems, Dickinson seems to view death as an end. I don't really see any sign of a belief that there is more after death in her poems, so I'm curious if she was a Christian or not.
Bartleby the Scrivener
I have to admit that this was one of the strangest stories I've read. I wasn't really sure what to make of it as I was reading it. I have never run into anyone who acts as Bartleby does, and this is one thing I think most of us agree on. Having the answer "I would prefer not to" to every question is not a normal answer. Bartleby very peaceably refused to do any work or to leave the office, and what do you do with a worker like that? This was the question his boss really struggled with, and I think we all have to agree with him that it is a difficult question to answer. I tried to put myself in his place, but I had no idea what I would do with Bartleby either. Bartleby intrigued me, and I really wanted to be able to sit down and get to know him, to understand his past and how he ended up the way he did. But as much as most of us would really like that, Melville gave us no clues until the very end, when it was suggested that Bartleby perhaps had worked on a dead letter office. Even this little bit of information doesn't really say much, because it doesn't really explain why a person woul become like Bartleby and do nothing all day every day. Melville leaves us all guessing, and I'm not really a huge fan of that; nevertheless, it was a very thought-provoking story, and I did enjoy reading it, as strange as it was.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Once again, it's been a really long time since I've blogged. I didn't want to blog in the middle of reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, because I would rather wait until I'm finished with it and then do a blog on what I thought about the book as a whole.
I really, thoroughly enjoyed reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. I had never read it before, and all I really knew of the story came from the movie The King and I. There is one part in the movie where the Kings' slaves act out the story of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and it is quite interesting that they put a Buddhist twist to it because it is set in Siam. But that being said, I really wasn't sure what to expect from the story as I was reading it, and I was really excited to actually get the full extent to the story instead of the small part that I knew.
The emotional appeal of this book is really what most caught my attention. I know this book has been criticized a lot for being too sentimental, but if you really step into the book and the different situations the characters are in, you would react the same way they did emotionally. For example, when Eliza is at the senator's house, she tells that family her story and struggle to escape from slavery. She appeals directly to the senator's wife, asking her if she has ever lost a child. She asks this to emphasize her point, because she had lost children before and couldn't bear to lose another. The senator's wife had just a month prior to this lost her own baby boy, and so this remark really hits home for her. Everyone in the household is keenly aware of the fact that the child is no longer with them, and they all weep together with Eliza. This is a very touching scene. And yet many people laugh at it, or criticize it, or say that things like that would never happen. This is very saddening to me, because if you really try to put yourself in their place, you would probably cry too. And who really has an easy time not crying if other people around them are crying? Many people cry sympathy tears for those who are really feeling the pain the most. So in reality, this type of scene can happen anywhere, at any point in someone's life. I find it really sad that some people who read this write it off as dumb or pointless.
Another part of the book I was really touched by was when Little Eva was dying. Yes, it is true that her death was talked about for a long time before it finally happened, but I didn't find this wearisome as some people do. Little Eva was a perfect example of what it is like to have childlike faith in Christ. She reached out physically to everyone around her (like Topsy, for example) and really, truly loved them. She had a kind word or touch for everyone, and did not hesitate to show the love she had found in God to others. She knew that she was dying, and was excited for that day to come because she would then be with God. It is easy for people to look at this kind of faith and write Eva off as being "too angelic", or "too perfect". But she struggled too. As much as a child can understand the hurt and the pain in the world, she understood it. She was accepting of her death, but she was also afraid of it. There were many times where she started weeping with her father because death is not an easy thing. The only thing that makes it bearable is to know that you will be going to God when you die. And that's what Eva put her hope and trust in. She was but a child, and she had so much faith. We all could learn a lesson from this young girl, even though she is only a character in a novel, about how to really live out our lives following Christ and loving as He loved. I was really moved by Little Eva and her death, which brought so many others around her to Christ.
It is true that Uncle Tom's faith is also one that people should try to achieve for themselves as well, but I was more touched by Little Eva. It was very saddening to have Uncle Tom die as well, but he had lived out his life to an old age. He had been able to help many people he came into contact with with his faith. He's one of the strongest Christians I've ever read an account of, and he struggled a lot, but always came back to Christ. This is very uplifting for many. However, I wasn't as sad at his death than I was at Little Eva's death. I think this is just because it really hit me that Eva was a child when she died. She was young, and hadn't had much of a full life as we would call a full life. She didn't have any opportunities to grow up and marry and have her own children and maybe be a part in setting slaves free. Who knows how her life would have turned out had she had the opportunity to live longer. She could have reached so many more people for Christ. It always makes me incredibly sad to hear about children and young people dying, because they are supposed to be in the prime of their lives at that point. They are supposed to have 50 some-odd years left to live. And for their lives to be ripped out from underneath them at such a young age...it is heartbreaking. Especially think of their parents. Look at how Eva's dad was devastated. Parents are not supposed to have to bury their children. It is so heart-wrenching to know that it does happen like this for many.
As you can probably tell from what I've already said, this book really brought out an emotional response from me. I found it incredibly moving, because I really put myself into the book and thought about things from the character's perspectives. It is sad for me to think that many write this book off as being too emotional and sentimental, because I did not find this to be the case at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and will hopefully be able to reread it sometime later on in my life.
I really, thoroughly enjoyed reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. I had never read it before, and all I really knew of the story came from the movie The King and I. There is one part in the movie where the Kings' slaves act out the story of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and it is quite interesting that they put a Buddhist twist to it because it is set in Siam. But that being said, I really wasn't sure what to expect from the story as I was reading it, and I was really excited to actually get the full extent to the story instead of the small part that I knew.
The emotional appeal of this book is really what most caught my attention. I know this book has been criticized a lot for being too sentimental, but if you really step into the book and the different situations the characters are in, you would react the same way they did emotionally. For example, when Eliza is at the senator's house, she tells that family her story and struggle to escape from slavery. She appeals directly to the senator's wife, asking her if she has ever lost a child. She asks this to emphasize her point, because she had lost children before and couldn't bear to lose another. The senator's wife had just a month prior to this lost her own baby boy, and so this remark really hits home for her. Everyone in the household is keenly aware of the fact that the child is no longer with them, and they all weep together with Eliza. This is a very touching scene. And yet many people laugh at it, or criticize it, or say that things like that would never happen. This is very saddening to me, because if you really try to put yourself in their place, you would probably cry too. And who really has an easy time not crying if other people around them are crying? Many people cry sympathy tears for those who are really feeling the pain the most. So in reality, this type of scene can happen anywhere, at any point in someone's life. I find it really sad that some people who read this write it off as dumb or pointless.
Another part of the book I was really touched by was when Little Eva was dying. Yes, it is true that her death was talked about for a long time before it finally happened, but I didn't find this wearisome as some people do. Little Eva was a perfect example of what it is like to have childlike faith in Christ. She reached out physically to everyone around her (like Topsy, for example) and really, truly loved them. She had a kind word or touch for everyone, and did not hesitate to show the love she had found in God to others. She knew that she was dying, and was excited for that day to come because she would then be with God. It is easy for people to look at this kind of faith and write Eva off as being "too angelic", or "too perfect". But she struggled too. As much as a child can understand the hurt and the pain in the world, she understood it. She was accepting of her death, but she was also afraid of it. There were many times where she started weeping with her father because death is not an easy thing. The only thing that makes it bearable is to know that you will be going to God when you die. And that's what Eva put her hope and trust in. She was but a child, and she had so much faith. We all could learn a lesson from this young girl, even though she is only a character in a novel, about how to really live out our lives following Christ and loving as He loved. I was really moved by Little Eva and her death, which brought so many others around her to Christ.
It is true that Uncle Tom's faith is also one that people should try to achieve for themselves as well, but I was more touched by Little Eva. It was very saddening to have Uncle Tom die as well, but he had lived out his life to an old age. He had been able to help many people he came into contact with with his faith. He's one of the strongest Christians I've ever read an account of, and he struggled a lot, but always came back to Christ. This is very uplifting for many. However, I wasn't as sad at his death than I was at Little Eva's death. I think this is just because it really hit me that Eva was a child when she died. She was young, and hadn't had much of a full life as we would call a full life. She didn't have any opportunities to grow up and marry and have her own children and maybe be a part in setting slaves free. Who knows how her life would have turned out had she had the opportunity to live longer. She could have reached so many more people for Christ. It always makes me incredibly sad to hear about children and young people dying, because they are supposed to be in the prime of their lives at that point. They are supposed to have 50 some-odd years left to live. And for their lives to be ripped out from underneath them at such a young age...it is heartbreaking. Especially think of their parents. Look at how Eva's dad was devastated. Parents are not supposed to have to bury their children. It is so heart-wrenching to know that it does happen like this for many.
As you can probably tell from what I've already said, this book really brought out an emotional response from me. I found it incredibly moving, because I really put myself into the book and thought about things from the character's perspectives. It is sad for me to think that many write this book off as being too emotional and sentimental, because I did not find this to be the case at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and will hopefully be able to reread it sometime later on in my life.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Edgar Allen Poe
I never really knew much about Edgar Allen Poe and the life he lived. Hence why I really enjoyed reading his biography; it gave a lot more insight into the man he was and what his life was like. Everyone has heard of his famous works like The Raven and Annabel Lee. But many people don't fully understand the man behind the work. I don't think I fully understand him either, but my understanding now is a little bit better than it was before.
I have read both The Raven and Annabel Lee before, but I haven't ever read The Purloined Letter before. Annabel Lee is a beautiful poem, in my opinion. Poe did an excellent job with the diction he used in this poem, and the words flow beautifully together. Especially when hearing this poem read aloud, one is drawn in by the grace and fluidity of the words, and it feels like you are really there, by the sea, with both the man and Annabel Lee. The Raven is a darker poem, in my opinion. It is very interesting that Poe chose to use a raven as the bird in this poem-he could have used any type of creature. Ravens, however, are dark, black birds. They are scavengers. They are not pretty. I think this symbolism is quite useful in this poem. I think the raven may symbolize death and despair, and having an actual raven be the creature to portray this is quite perfect. This poem is also beautifully written and very fluid. I really enjoyed re-reading both of these poems.
I have never read The Purloined Letter before, and I thought it was very interesting. I've never really thought about what goes into investigations to recover lost items, so it was intriguing to read a short story about all the thought and logic that has to go into these investigations to be able to find what you are looking for. It was also interesting to see the point made that many police forces are too meticulous in their investigations; sometimes the answer is rather simple. You just have to know your opponent. I think this can be helpful in many different aspects of life, because many times in order to succeed, one must know his opponent and be able to think like him. Poe made a good point with this story, and I enjoyed reading it.
I have read both The Raven and Annabel Lee before, but I haven't ever read The Purloined Letter before. Annabel Lee is a beautiful poem, in my opinion. Poe did an excellent job with the diction he used in this poem, and the words flow beautifully together. Especially when hearing this poem read aloud, one is drawn in by the grace and fluidity of the words, and it feels like you are really there, by the sea, with both the man and Annabel Lee. The Raven is a darker poem, in my opinion. It is very interesting that Poe chose to use a raven as the bird in this poem-he could have used any type of creature. Ravens, however, are dark, black birds. They are scavengers. They are not pretty. I think this symbolism is quite useful in this poem. I think the raven may symbolize death and despair, and having an actual raven be the creature to portray this is quite perfect. This poem is also beautifully written and very fluid. I really enjoyed re-reading both of these poems.
I have never read The Purloined Letter before, and I thought it was very interesting. I've never really thought about what goes into investigations to recover lost items, so it was intriguing to read a short story about all the thought and logic that has to go into these investigations to be able to find what you are looking for. It was also interesting to see the point made that many police forces are too meticulous in their investigations; sometimes the answer is rather simple. You just have to know your opponent. I think this can be helpful in many different aspects of life, because many times in order to succeed, one must know his opponent and be able to think like him. Poe made a good point with this story, and I enjoyed reading it.
Scarlet Letter
So...it's been a while since I last blogged...and instead of doing multiple posts according to the reading weeks for the Scarlet Letter, I'll just do one post now. So here goes.
I really enjoyed reading the Scarlet Letter. I had the opportunity to read it in highschool, so this was my second time through the book. It was very interesting to be able to read it already knowing the end, because I was able to pick up on the more subtle clues into the mystery of who the father of Hester's child was. I think this book has a very interesting way to describe and portray guilt. Hester was guilty of adultery, and had Pearl and the scarlet letter on her chest to show for it. She was secluded from the pious Puritan society, and lived in constant torment and reminder of her sin. However, after many years, she was able to hold her head high and extend her services to her fellow townspeople. Many people came to her for help with matters which they didn't feel they could talk to anyone else about. She made a niche in the society for herself, and apparently lived at least a semi-fulfilling life. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, suffered his sin in silence. He had committed the same sin as Hester, but none of the public knew. He tried to tell the people, but because the people had not actually seen any sign of the sin, they did not believe that he was guilty of anything. He lived this way, dying, for many years, and it was only when he finally showed the people his sin that he was able to let go of his guilt and die. Why is it that Hester was able to cope with her sin and eventually find her way back into the hearts of the people? If Dimmesdale had done the same, would he have been able to live out his life with Hester, the woman he loved? Chillingworth was also a very guilty man, but his sin was that of tormenting Dimmesdale. He became so overcome with this that when Dimmesdale died, he had nothing left to live for, and he died within the year. Was it possible for him to be able to overcome this sin and guilt, and live out his life? I don't know. If one is so taken over by the devil, can he ever come back? Was Hester's forced repentance of her sin worthy of the forgiveness she got?
This book is rather wordy, and the descriptions of minute details very lengthy, but I really enjoy that aspect of Hawthorne's writing. He is so good at painting pictures in your head while you read that it's really like watching a movie. He raised many, many questions about society and sin and community and guilt and forgiveness throughout this story. I've only mentioned a few above. A book that is this thought-provoking truly has a lot of value, because it forces its readers to step back and really wrestle with the questions brought up. You can't just sit back and be entertained by a story like this, you have to engage it. You have to love it or hate it. You have to decide your own answers to the questions raised. That's what I loved about this book, even reading it for the second time.
I really enjoyed reading the Scarlet Letter. I had the opportunity to read it in highschool, so this was my second time through the book. It was very interesting to be able to read it already knowing the end, because I was able to pick up on the more subtle clues into the mystery of who the father of Hester's child was. I think this book has a very interesting way to describe and portray guilt. Hester was guilty of adultery, and had Pearl and the scarlet letter on her chest to show for it. She was secluded from the pious Puritan society, and lived in constant torment and reminder of her sin. However, after many years, she was able to hold her head high and extend her services to her fellow townspeople. Many people came to her for help with matters which they didn't feel they could talk to anyone else about. She made a niche in the society for herself, and apparently lived at least a semi-fulfilling life. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, suffered his sin in silence. He had committed the same sin as Hester, but none of the public knew. He tried to tell the people, but because the people had not actually seen any sign of the sin, they did not believe that he was guilty of anything. He lived this way, dying, for many years, and it was only when he finally showed the people his sin that he was able to let go of his guilt and die. Why is it that Hester was able to cope with her sin and eventually find her way back into the hearts of the people? If Dimmesdale had done the same, would he have been able to live out his life with Hester, the woman he loved? Chillingworth was also a very guilty man, but his sin was that of tormenting Dimmesdale. He became so overcome with this that when Dimmesdale died, he had nothing left to live for, and he died within the year. Was it possible for him to be able to overcome this sin and guilt, and live out his life? I don't know. If one is so taken over by the devil, can he ever come back? Was Hester's forced repentance of her sin worthy of the forgiveness she got?
This book is rather wordy, and the descriptions of minute details very lengthy, but I really enjoy that aspect of Hawthorne's writing. He is so good at painting pictures in your head while you read that it's really like watching a movie. He raised many, many questions about society and sin and community and guilt and forgiveness throughout this story. I've only mentioned a few above. A book that is this thought-provoking truly has a lot of value, because it forces its readers to step back and really wrestle with the questions brought up. You can't just sit back and be entertained by a story like this, you have to engage it. You have to love it or hate it. You have to decide your own answers to the questions raised. That's what I loved about this book, even reading it for the second time.
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