Both of these stories use suspense to build to somewhat bizarre climaxes. Looking at one of the stories, discuss how the ending was foreshadowed by the text, and what sort of lesson the author is hoping for the reader to gain.
"A Rose For Emily"
1. The beginning of this story was kind of confusing and dry.Maybe it because readers arent told who the narrator is and we are left to guess. I really felt like giving up but I had no choice but to continue. So I read on and it turned out to be pretty good. It was a story in which you have to read certain sentences more than once just to make sure you have the point. Some of the situations, ie the arsenic, left readers perplexed because we dont know who is going to die as the result of this poison. I loved the twist and turn Faulkner used that left readers and suspense. When I finished reading , I had so many questions to ask Emily but now its like since shes dead theres a whole lot of unanswered things she left behind. Something that was interesting was that the man who worked in Emily's house walked out as soon as people entered the home. He didnt want blame to be placed on him for anything AND he was the only person who knew the answers to the many questions people would now have for him.
2.Readers are given hints as to who would be harmed and how, but I guess we think since Emily is such an awkward character that she wanted to kill herself. She mightve been depressed after losing her father and numerous love interests, but in the end it seems as this was not the case. We are told about Homer missing, but we ASSUME that he went back north and we assume that Emily wound up using the arsenic for the rats. We didnt want to assume the worst possiblities but in the end, thats exactly what the story was set up for. Emily wanted to be loved so badly that she killed a man to have him as her own. She reached out to him and he said he wasnt the marrying type. I almost thought he was bi-sexual when he mentions how he likes to be in the company of men. That was ODD! There were so many ways this story couldve ended but we learn in the end that Emily went to an extreme just to have someone be with her and cure her lonliness. Faulkner is proving that assumption is something that we should stay away from because we arent aware of the full story. We are only told one persons opinion of what happened (and this is true, because we arent even told who the narrator is)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Blog Numero 4-Bernice Bobs Her Hair
How does Fitzgerald represent the nature of identity in "Bernice Bobs Her Hair"? Is identity a static thing or is it something we can change? What does Bernice's actions at the end of the story reveal about her identity--has she changed?
1. I enjoyed this short story alot!! I read that the original story had a different ending but Fitzgerald changed it because editors would enjoy the new ending more than the old one. Bernice was a beautiful girl but lacked one thing- confidence. Marjorie taught her some tricks on getting the interest of boys and it actually worked. The tricks that Marjorie used proved that she usually lied to the boys at these parties just to make herself look better (when comparing herself to other females). I expected Marjorie to be more empathetic towards Bernice, but she seemed to enjoy seeing Bernice suffer. When Bernice caught the eye of Marjorie's love interest, Warren, that is when the battle begins. Marjorie has already made the decision that she will come up on top and now she tells the boys that Bernice is using simple "pick up lines" to get boys. These lines are simply used to get their interest but Marjorie exposes that Bernice will never live up to these lines. She is not what readers expect out of a family member.
2.The nature of identity includes change-noone will remain the same. This experience makes Bernice a strong,mature, and less naive person. She knows not to trust anyone (even your family members). She realizes that everyone has their self-interest as number one on their priority list and things like that usually dont change. Identity changes because people do not remain the same at 25 as they were at 5 years old. People learn about others, have different expectations and learn how to react to different situations. Bernice reaction shows that she has not matured completely but Marjories action also prove that she is VERY immature. Cutting off Marjorie proves that what goes around, comes around and now Marjorie will probably loose the interest of Warren also.
1. I enjoyed this short story alot!! I read that the original story had a different ending but Fitzgerald changed it because editors would enjoy the new ending more than the old one. Bernice was a beautiful girl but lacked one thing- confidence. Marjorie taught her some tricks on getting the interest of boys and it actually worked. The tricks that Marjorie used proved that she usually lied to the boys at these parties just to make herself look better (when comparing herself to other females). I expected Marjorie to be more empathetic towards Bernice, but she seemed to enjoy seeing Bernice suffer. When Bernice caught the eye of Marjorie's love interest, Warren, that is when the battle begins. Marjorie has already made the decision that she will come up on top and now she tells the boys that Bernice is using simple "pick up lines" to get boys. These lines are simply used to get their interest but Marjorie exposes that Bernice will never live up to these lines. She is not what readers expect out of a family member.
2.The nature of identity includes change-noone will remain the same. This experience makes Bernice a strong,mature, and less naive person. She knows not to trust anyone (even your family members). She realizes that everyone has their self-interest as number one on their priority list and things like that usually dont change. Identity changes because people do not remain the same at 25 as they were at 5 years old. People learn about others, have different expectations and learn how to react to different situations. Bernice reaction shows that she has not matured completely but Marjories action also prove that she is VERY immature. Cutting off Marjorie proves that what goes around, comes around and now Marjorie will probably loose the interest of Warren also.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Blog#3
Examine the narrator from either "The Yellow Wallpaper" or "A & P." What does the narrator reveal about him or herself indirectly? What sort of transformation, if any, does the narrator experience during the course of the story?
1. When I finished reading A&P, i was like that made no sense. I can understand if you disagree the way the boss treated the three girls, but why would you quit your job? When the girls walked into the store I felt that Sammy, the guy at the register, de-humanized them and made them into purely sexual objects. The way he described the girl in plaid backside as a "can" disturbed me. It was an interesting read, but it shows how Sammy's view changes throughout the text. Even though he is the average teenage boy, with raging hormones and all, Updikes explores how men dehumanize women in our society. This seemed to take place in the 1960's and back then women werent seen as equals to men and this short story definitely depict the time period. Even though seeing women as sexual objects, I wondered why the girls came inside without enough clothing. They knew it would be awkward to walk in without shoes and regular clothing but the first girl, "Queeny", didnt care. She encouraged the other two girls to walk in and felt as if her appearance should not affect her treatment,but it did.
2.Sammy, the narrator, reveals how he feels about the opposite sex in the text. He turns these women into sexual objects, but once they are mistreated, something inside his head clicks and he empathizes with them. Through this moment, readers can see Sammy growing into a mature man. He was a man of his time where women werent considered equals but by the end of the story, I feel that he will change with time. He realizes that women shouldnt be treated negatively based on their appearance and this shows maturity. To be plain and simple, this short story shows Sammy's transformation from boy to man.
1. When I finished reading A&P, i was like that made no sense. I can understand if you disagree the way the boss treated the three girls, but why would you quit your job? When the girls walked into the store I felt that Sammy, the guy at the register, de-humanized them and made them into purely sexual objects. The way he described the girl in plaid backside as a "can" disturbed me. It was an interesting read, but it shows how Sammy's view changes throughout the text. Even though he is the average teenage boy, with raging hormones and all, Updikes explores how men dehumanize women in our society. This seemed to take place in the 1960's and back then women werent seen as equals to men and this short story definitely depict the time period. Even though seeing women as sexual objects, I wondered why the girls came inside without enough clothing. They knew it would be awkward to walk in without shoes and regular clothing but the first girl, "Queeny", didnt care. She encouraged the other two girls to walk in and felt as if her appearance should not affect her treatment,but it did.
2.Sammy, the narrator, reveals how he feels about the opposite sex in the text. He turns these women into sexual objects, but once they are mistreated, something inside his head clicks and he empathizes with them. Through this moment, readers can see Sammy growing into a mature man. He was a man of his time where women werent considered equals but by the end of the story, I feel that he will change with time. He realizes that women shouldnt be treated negatively based on their appearance and this shows maturity. To be plain and simple, this short story shows Sammy's transformation from boy to man.
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