Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Perfect Crime- Film Society 3/27
This dark comedy was very enjoyable. It kept me laughing the whole time..at things I shouldn't have been. The main guy character accidentally kills his department store nemesis which become floor manager, the job the main guy wanted. When the main guy tries to get rid of the body he leaves it in the basement to get a butcher knife to chop up the body to burn it. When he gets back the body is gone. The next day the police come to question everyone at the store. The main guy finds out Lourdes one of the ugliest employees has hid the body. The main guy is used to getting the hottest and perfect girls. When Lourdes starts to blackmail him into a relationship he must go along with it. His life ends up being a living hell. He has become a "normal" person, the kind of person he despises. Lourdes ends up being a crazy b***h who will run to the police and tell them everything if the main guy does not do everything she says. The boss that the main guy killed ends up coming back as a ghost and giving him advice of what to do with Lourdes. They come to the conclusion she needs to be killed. The main guy rents movies to try and find a way to kill Lourdes. He comes up with an excellent plan of how to comment the perfect crime.
Readings 3/25
All of the writers in this section wrote about real life situations. Anderson's story dealt with a father being disappointed in his son. Tom Willard ,the father, has a short fuse he thinks he will be big stuff one day. Elizabeth Willard has the role of the defensive mother trying to protect her son. "I will act. There is something threatening my boy and I will ward it off" shows how Elizabeth wanted her son to be safe and she was like a mother bird ready to swoop in and protect. Anderson creates a typical situation that happens among father and son in families. It also portrays a son gaining responsibility. Each character in the story has their own struggle to deal with.
Porter also writes with real life in mind. Flowering Judas deals with politics, lust, and betrayal. Flowering Judas was enjoying to read it had interesting ideas embedded throughout the story. Laura during the story says "it is monstrous to confuse love with revolution, night with day, life with death" she is comparing complete opposites which creates strong imagery. Laura's life begins to become consumed with war. She has a dream where Eugenio tries to feed her flowers and when she eats them he calls her a murderer and cannibal. Laura is deeply effected by the war.
I enjoyed reading Hurston's writings. She was able to write about the problems blacks faced without shoving it in the reader's face. She had a positive attitude and did not feel as if her race needed to be uplifted by her writing. The way Hurston writes allows the reader to feel like they are in the moment with her. Hurston writes " Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me. Slavery is sixty years in the past." She is able to reject others' opinions and keep pride in herself even though people try to keep her down. At one point Hurston says " At certain times I have no race, I am me" She is able to keep her head above and try to create a race free world. Hurston takes a kind of sarcastic approach when she says " Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonished me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me" That is my favorite quote from Hurton's stories. In The Gilded Six-Bits Hurston uses a certain dialect to impose the story on the reader. It makes the story more realistic. Once again this story deals with everyday life.
Hemingway writes about the darker side of human nature. He takes negative situations in real life and puts them in writing. Hemingway's writing had an negative image of women in it. The story ends abruptly with Helen and the hyena outside the tent.
Fitzgerald's writings deal with real life. It is easy for the reader to get through the story and relate to characters. Winter Dreams includes love like most of the stories.
Faulkner like the other writers in this section creates a story that a certain group of people can relate to in some way.
Wright's story contain certain dialect like Hurston. It also deals with problems blacks faced in the past. It is a down home kind of story about issues. The story contains a lot of local color. Dave gets caught up in some bad business. Dave is able to run away to some where he feels he will have a better chance.
In all of the readings there is some kind of conflict but they are all realistic to a certain group of people. Certain stories included a certain local flavor with dialect and actions happening in the stories. I enjoyed all of the readings but, Hurstons were most enjoyable.
Porter also writes with real life in mind. Flowering Judas deals with politics, lust, and betrayal. Flowering Judas was enjoying to read it had interesting ideas embedded throughout the story. Laura during the story says "it is monstrous to confuse love with revolution, night with day, life with death" she is comparing complete opposites which creates strong imagery. Laura's life begins to become consumed with war. She has a dream where Eugenio tries to feed her flowers and when she eats them he calls her a murderer and cannibal. Laura is deeply effected by the war.
I enjoyed reading Hurston's writings. She was able to write about the problems blacks faced without shoving it in the reader's face. She had a positive attitude and did not feel as if her race needed to be uplifted by her writing. The way Hurston writes allows the reader to feel like they are in the moment with her. Hurston writes " Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me. Slavery is sixty years in the past." She is able to reject others' opinions and keep pride in herself even though people try to keep her down. At one point Hurston says " At certain times I have no race, I am me" She is able to keep her head above and try to create a race free world. Hurston takes a kind of sarcastic approach when she says " Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonished me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me" That is my favorite quote from Hurton's stories. In The Gilded Six-Bits Hurston uses a certain dialect to impose the story on the reader. It makes the story more realistic. Once again this story deals with everyday life.
Hemingway writes about the darker side of human nature. He takes negative situations in real life and puts them in writing. Hemingway's writing had an negative image of women in it. The story ends abruptly with Helen and the hyena outside the tent.
Fitzgerald's writings deal with real life. It is easy for the reader to get through the story and relate to characters. Winter Dreams includes love like most of the stories.
Faulkner like the other writers in this section creates a story that a certain group of people can relate to in some way.
Wright's story contain certain dialect like Hurston. It also deals with problems blacks faced in the past. It is a down home kind of story about issues. The story contains a lot of local color. Dave gets caught up in some bad business. Dave is able to run away to some where he feels he will have a better chance.
In all of the readings there is some kind of conflict but they are all realistic to a certain group of people. Certain stories included a certain local flavor with dialect and actions happening in the stories. I enjoyed all of the readings but, Hurstons were most enjoyable.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Terror's Advocate- Film Society
This film was an excellent glimpse into a criminal lawyers life. Barbet Schroeder is able to create a documentary of Verges most controversial trials. At the Beginning of the film it says this is Barbet Schroeder take on Verges, at the end of the film I did not really get a clear vision of Schroeder's opinion of Verges. Verges seems to me to get caught up in his clients lives. He seems to get possessed with their ideas and strong opinions of government. It was very interesting to know he disappeared for 12 years and was just in Paris, yet no one has the whole story on what he was doing during those years. Verges also was married and had kids with one of his clients he represented early in his career. She was an Algerian "freedom fighter" who bombed a cafe and killed lots of people. Verges thought she had done the right thing and was able to get her and the rest of her group off of death row. Verges ended up leaving her and his kids out of the blue, I think he got bored with her since she was still not doing "terrorist" activities. Verges is able to persuade courts into shorting or recalling sentences on his clients. I won't deny his talent as a lawyer, he is someone who would be able to sell ice to an Eskimo.
March 11 Readings
Ezra Pound used images that were not necessarily literal. He was included in the imagism movement. His use of clear language helped convey images stronger. His writings are able to evoke more than a literal image. In his poem In a Station of the Metro he was able to create a contrast between the apparition (ghostliness) of the faces in the crowd and the concrete image of the petals. There is an interesting tension made by having the face not seem like they are there. But when he creates the solid image of "petals on a black bough" saying that is what the faces are like. Pound also uses fragmentation in his writings. He creates a collage of images that connect in some way.
William Carlos Williams is able to look inside a different world in his poem The Young Housewife. The man in the car seems to be some kind of peeping tom. Williams is able to capture this moment in time of the man driving by and the woman doing her daily routine. He creates images that could be displayed in a piece of art. He is also able to capture the young housewife not made up. He speaks of how her hair is falling and she is not corseted. It is interesting how Williams starts with the young housewife and then compares her to a fallen leaf. Towards the end of the poem he mentions dried leaves. He could be saying the young housewife will eventually be one of the dried leaves. The poem leads the reader to believe the man in the car is not totally innocent. The fact that he mentions the exact time of 10 A.M. leads people to believe this is not the first time he has driven by her house. There is much more than what is exposed on the surface of this poem. Many ideas can be created form the images Williams' creates.
The Red Wheelbarrow does not give the reader very much. The poem starts out with "so much depends on." This could mean that poetry, art, or the world depends on his creation. There is a contrast between the white of the chickens and the red of the wheelbarrow.
This is Just to Say; in this poem there is a statement of eating a plum. The speaker is letting someone know they enjoyed a plum and it was delicious. It is a moment of recognition, it goes along with every day activities.
The Dance; this poem involves a lot of movement and feeling. Williams was able to express a painting in words. He used very loose words and simple language to express the painting. There is very little illusion in this poem. Williams is able to write ideas that are opposite from Eliot. The poem tries to capture the "American breath."
T.S. Eliot goes along with the idea that art can re-invent a fragmented world. He is able to take fragments from different worlds and put them together to create a new piece of art. Eliot believed in re-creating whatever was fragmented. He was able to appeal to all and bring people back together.
Wallace Stevens- The Emperor of Ice- Cream
This poem is able to embodies a funeral in a creative style. He uses ice-cream which creates a sort of light childhood state of mind. He takes parts of a funeral and writes them how his mind sees. He tries to express the idea it is bad to be dead because you're not alive. He has the conscience of making life worth living. There are no ideas but in things in this poem. Stevens wants poetry to help people come alive in their every day life.
Anecdote of the Jar conveys the idea that wilderness is living in its own way but when an outside man made object appears it changes wilderness. The jar can be compared to art, art can change anything it is around.
Langston Hughes was very intense in his writings. It does not really fit in with the other authors of his time. He was pushing the envelope with his poetry about being black. His poems were written from experience not his imagination. He uses time and movement to allow his poems to flow. His poems were very political and prophetic. He was able to write about the civil rights movement with a great deal of feeling that he wanted to put out into the world. His poems read very similar to song lyrics. He was not bound by what others thought he should write about even though most of his writings did not get published due to their content.
I enjoyed the readings in this section and how they were able to convey their ideas through as little words as possible but creating very intense imagery.
William Carlos Williams is able to look inside a different world in his poem The Young Housewife. The man in the car seems to be some kind of peeping tom. Williams is able to capture this moment in time of the man driving by and the woman doing her daily routine. He creates images that could be displayed in a piece of art. He is also able to capture the young housewife not made up. He speaks of how her hair is falling and she is not corseted. It is interesting how Williams starts with the young housewife and then compares her to a fallen leaf. Towards the end of the poem he mentions dried leaves. He could be saying the young housewife will eventually be one of the dried leaves. The poem leads the reader to believe the man in the car is not totally innocent. The fact that he mentions the exact time of 10 A.M. leads people to believe this is not the first time he has driven by her house. There is much more than what is exposed on the surface of this poem. Many ideas can be created form the images Williams' creates.
The Red Wheelbarrow does not give the reader very much. The poem starts out with "so much depends on." This could mean that poetry, art, or the world depends on his creation. There is a contrast between the white of the chickens and the red of the wheelbarrow.
This is Just to Say; in this poem there is a statement of eating a plum. The speaker is letting someone know they enjoyed a plum and it was delicious. It is a moment of recognition, it goes along with every day activities.
The Dance; this poem involves a lot of movement and feeling. Williams was able to express a painting in words. He used very loose words and simple language to express the painting. There is very little illusion in this poem. Williams is able to write ideas that are opposite from Eliot. The poem tries to capture the "American breath."
T.S. Eliot goes along with the idea that art can re-invent a fragmented world. He is able to take fragments from different worlds and put them together to create a new piece of art. Eliot believed in re-creating whatever was fragmented. He was able to appeal to all and bring people back together.
Wallace Stevens- The Emperor of Ice- Cream
This poem is able to embodies a funeral in a creative style. He uses ice-cream which creates a sort of light childhood state of mind. He takes parts of a funeral and writes them how his mind sees. He tries to express the idea it is bad to be dead because you're not alive. He has the conscience of making life worth living. There are no ideas but in things in this poem. Stevens wants poetry to help people come alive in their every day life.
Anecdote of the Jar conveys the idea that wilderness is living in its own way but when an outside man made object appears it changes wilderness. The jar can be compared to art, art can change anything it is around.
Langston Hughes was very intense in his writings. It does not really fit in with the other authors of his time. He was pushing the envelope with his poetry about being black. His poems were written from experience not his imagination. He uses time and movement to allow his poems to flow. His poems were very political and prophetic. He was able to write about the civil rights movement with a great deal of feeling that he wanted to put out into the world. His poems read very similar to song lyrics. He was not bound by what others thought he should write about even though most of his writings did not get published due to their content.
I enjoyed the readings in this section and how they were able to convey their ideas through as little words as possible but creating very intense imagery.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
No Country For Old Men (Film)
I did not think I would enjoy this movie. After seeing previews for it on TV I never really grasped what it was about. I finally was talked into going to it with a friend. I really enjoyed the way the movie was filmed. When Ed Bell (sheriff) sets up the contrast between the old days and the present it hints at the violence that will be shown in the movie. I enjoy Tommy Lee Jones as an actor, one of my favorite movies is Men in Black. Jones was able to keep a collected tone throughout the whole movie. He never acted very surprised at anything Anton (the killer) did. When Anton killed the officer at the beginning I knew it could only get better. The casualness in which Anton killed the officer set him up as a conscienceless killer.
When Llewelyn is out hunting and he stumbles upon the bloody scene of a bad drug deal and the Mexican is asking for water I wish Llewelyn would have just gotten the heck out of there. When he finds the money and takes it home I enjoyed how he hid it under his trailer with his guns. He was like a little kid hiding all his treasures. There is a connection between Llewelyn and Anton, Llewelyn has a conscience while Anton does not. Llewelyn's conscience gets him in trouble when he returns to the place where the Mexican asked for water. He was trying to do a good thing by bringing the Mexican some water but ended up getting in trouble for it.
When Llewelyn realizes he is being tracked by someone he gets worried. If I was Llewelyn and I had the money the first thing I would have done was checked for a tracking device. Llewelyn's luck only gets worse from there.
Through out the entire movie there are indications to how chance can affect someones life. Anton wonders into a gas station in the middle of nowhere and ask the cashier to call a coin, heads or tails. The cashier had chance on his side and Anton left. Another theme in the movie is free-will, Llewelyn did not have to take the money he found but he did. His decision to take the money was his own. It could have been chance that lead him there or it was already destined for him to find the money.
I enjoy the movie very much. I thought Tommy Lee Jones did an excellent job and so did Javier Bardem. Javier did a very good job of playing a conscienceless killer who would go through anything to get what was his. I enjoyed the realness of 1980 that was captured in the film.
When Llewelyn is out hunting and he stumbles upon the bloody scene of a bad drug deal and the Mexican is asking for water I wish Llewelyn would have just gotten the heck out of there. When he finds the money and takes it home I enjoyed how he hid it under his trailer with his guns. He was like a little kid hiding all his treasures. There is a connection between Llewelyn and Anton, Llewelyn has a conscience while Anton does not. Llewelyn's conscience gets him in trouble when he returns to the place where the Mexican asked for water. He was trying to do a good thing by bringing the Mexican some water but ended up getting in trouble for it.
When Llewelyn realizes he is being tracked by someone he gets worried. If I was Llewelyn and I had the money the first thing I would have done was checked for a tracking device. Llewelyn's luck only gets worse from there.
Through out the entire movie there are indications to how chance can affect someones life. Anton wonders into a gas station in the middle of nowhere and ask the cashier to call a coin, heads or tails. The cashier had chance on his side and Anton left. Another theme in the movie is free-will, Llewelyn did not have to take the money he found but he did. His decision to take the money was his own. It could have been chance that lead him there or it was already destined for him to find the money.
I enjoy the movie very much. I thought Tommy Lee Jones did an excellent job and so did Javier Bardem. Javier did a very good job of playing a conscienceless killer who would go through anything to get what was his. I enjoyed the realness of 1980 that was captured in the film.
The Awakening
Kate Chopin was able to write a story about how society shapes people's lives and the devastating effects. She was a realist and wrote in the local color style. Chopin wrote about feminist issues and gender issues, analyzing male roles as well. She played with different types of people in her story. She analyzed the roles women were expected to fit in and the roles males take, like trying to control women.
Edna's voice was trapped by the constraints that society put on her. She was unable to break free from the pressure that was thrust upon her to be the perfect wife, mother, and socialite. Robert provided an illusion of freedom for Edna. She was never able to find who she really wanted to be, after trying to be a painter and the other things she tried. When Edna went into the ocean she felt a relief from her life. She returned to a natural state where she could release tension and pressure. The sea was able to speak a languages she wanted to hear rather than the outside language she heard. She longed for the voice of nature. She thought of nature as a maternal figure that was welcoming her back home. In a way Edna wanted to be like the sea, she did not want to be controlled or silenced. The sea was able to seducing her into returning home. In that part of the story it was a positive thing for Edna being seducing by the sea. While Edna is swimming and being over whelmed by the sea she does not think twice about her children. Edna had begun to centralized on her life and what she thought it should be. Edna talked a lot of her childhood, in a way she gave up and tried to return to being a child again. She wanted to return back to childhood due to the fact she had not failed yet. By the end of the story Edna has failed at her life. She is not a good mother, socialite, or wife. The main things in her life. Edna tries to be an individual and tries to distance her self from the rest of society. She stops going to the Tuesday social events. The social expectations are too much for Edna and cause her to become depressed and constantly questioning her life. Edna lacked the courage to try and turn her life around. She ran away from her responsibilities. Edna thinks her life should be like the Romantic style of writing. She doesn't believe she should have expectation put upon her. Edna has a hole that cannot be filled by hobbies or social gatherings. She ends up getting stuck in a pessimistic world, she cannot gather the courage to look forward she always looks back. Edna felt like drowning was the only way out. She had failed at her life, she had nothing more to live for. At least she killed herself doing something she enjoyed. Edna killing herself shows how cowardly she really was.
Edna's voice was trapped by the constraints that society put on her. She was unable to break free from the pressure that was thrust upon her to be the perfect wife, mother, and socialite. Robert provided an illusion of freedom for Edna. She was never able to find who she really wanted to be, after trying to be a painter and the other things she tried. When Edna went into the ocean she felt a relief from her life. She returned to a natural state where she could release tension and pressure. The sea was able to speak a languages she wanted to hear rather than the outside language she heard. She longed for the voice of nature. She thought of nature as a maternal figure that was welcoming her back home. In a way Edna wanted to be like the sea, she did not want to be controlled or silenced. The sea was able to seducing her into returning home. In that part of the story it was a positive thing for Edna being seducing by the sea. While Edna is swimming and being over whelmed by the sea she does not think twice about her children. Edna had begun to centralized on her life and what she thought it should be. Edna talked a lot of her childhood, in a way she gave up and tried to return to being a child again. She wanted to return back to childhood due to the fact she had not failed yet. By the end of the story Edna has failed at her life. She is not a good mother, socialite, or wife. The main things in her life. Edna tries to be an individual and tries to distance her self from the rest of society. She stops going to the Tuesday social events. The social expectations are too much for Edna and cause her to become depressed and constantly questioning her life. Edna lacked the courage to try and turn her life around. She ran away from her responsibilities. Edna thinks her life should be like the Romantic style of writing. She doesn't believe she should have expectation put upon her. Edna has a hole that cannot be filled by hobbies or social gatherings. She ends up getting stuck in a pessimistic world, she cannot gather the courage to look forward she always looks back. Edna felt like drowning was the only way out. She had failed at her life, she had nothing more to live for. At least she killed herself doing something she enjoyed. Edna killing herself shows how cowardly she really was.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Film Society 3/4/08- Rocket Science
I really enjoyed this movie. It kind of reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite due to the music and the goofy way Hal acted. Hal trying to be on the debate team with a stutter was funny. It was sad how Ginny tried to make him believe he could overcome his stutter. Hal's brother was very interesting with always having to have an agenda. Hal was surrounded by failing things. His parents relationship did not last. His mother's relationship with new boyfriend did not work out either. This movie shows how sometimes the hardest times in life can lead you in the right direction. When Hal goes to find Ben (Ginny's old debate partner) I found that very crafty on Hal's part. Hal realized what could hurt Ginny like Ginny hurt him. The movie was a comical view on the unusual years of high school. Hal was able to find himself in the end. He had no need to try and be someone else. He embraces his stutter.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Readings for Feb 26
Gilded Age, trying to achieve "culture"
Jack London- To Build a Fire
Realist version he expresses the thought of humans not being the only ones on earth. There is a lesson to be learned in this story. There are relationships formed. He also gives human beings "agency". The human action matters, humans have freedom and intelligence to make decisions and change the world. Self still matters. In Call of the Wild the story shifts back and forth between two worlds. Returning to the wild is a good thing in a way buck is returning to his true self/ body. It conveys a naturalistic feeling of the north. Again there are relationships formed. It explores the connections formed between animals and humans in certain ways. It was a positive thing for Buck to return home (the wild). Buck does not go back the same, one cannot return to "the wild" the same. There is a question of having a platonic relationship and returning to a primitive state. The story conveys learning the truth about one's self. It ends on an ironically positive note. Nature is all in both stories. Both stories read the way the world really is opposed to the way we want it to be. Natural death= cycle of life. The puritans believe in 3 stages when someone dies. This story does not go through the 3 stages. Buck comes out of the cave into a better world. The rise of science had a large impact on London's writing.
A White Heron- Sarah Orne Jewett
Jewett roots her stories in places she is familiar with. She was an early feminist and was very interested in examing force an how it impacted a women's life. The White Heron has a romantic tone with sentimental tradition. She sets up the white heron as a symbol very quickly. If this story was a realist story the bird would die. There is tension between the heart and heart. She finds herself deciding what is right and what she wants to do. This is a coming of age story, she must choose the bird or the man. She explores whether she wants to grow up or stay in the innocent childhood stage. She rejects the money (growing up) and picks innocence. She picks the ethical thing to do by allowing the bird to die of natural causes. The man stands for the opposite of what she love (nature). She would be betraying herself if she told him where the bird was. The age of the girl has a very big impact on the story. She ends up being a mother earth figure. The story ends up being a kind of romantic mythical story. It is very different from the tone of naturalist stories. This story could also be a story about the nation at that time. It was in between two stages.
Daisy Miller- Henry James
This story shows how class effects ones life. Class shapes the life of humans and their characteristics. Daisy is flirty, forth right, and just wants to live life to the fullest. She is the opposite of Winterborn. His class determines the way he acts. Daisy is not concerned with what is expected of her, she enjoys being with people. She cares more about socializing than rules, standards, or regulations put on her. Daisy wants to experience life without the artificial bonds of society on her. Winterborn is attracted to Daisy but does not know how to approach her. Daisy ends up being a tragic figure due to her adventitious ways. Daisy does not take advantage of other people's knowledge. Daisy is truly naive and ignorant. She would end up doing the same actions if she knew the outcome. She had willful disobedience with an unconcern for consequences. Daisy was scolded for not following the European ways and that cost her her life. Daisy does not effect Winterborn at all it is ironic he is left with none of Daisy's tendencies. This story was realist in its tone due to Daisy dying. This story critiques the power of society to challenge human desire.
Chesnutt & Twain
Both of these writers celebrate American culture. Both produced light cautionary tales. Chesnutt's had deeper meaning. His had bits that can compare to O'Connor's writing. There is a radical shift and surprise ending.
Roosevelt major writer and environmentalist. He was very progressive and conservative.
Jack London- To Build a Fire
Realist version he expresses the thought of humans not being the only ones on earth. There is a lesson to be learned in this story. There are relationships formed. He also gives human beings "agency". The human action matters, humans have freedom and intelligence to make decisions and change the world. Self still matters. In Call of the Wild the story shifts back and forth between two worlds. Returning to the wild is a good thing in a way buck is returning to his true self/ body. It conveys a naturalistic feeling of the north. Again there are relationships formed. It explores the connections formed between animals and humans in certain ways. It was a positive thing for Buck to return home (the wild). Buck does not go back the same, one cannot return to "the wild" the same. There is a question of having a platonic relationship and returning to a primitive state. The story conveys learning the truth about one's self. It ends on an ironically positive note. Nature is all in both stories. Both stories read the way the world really is opposed to the way we want it to be. Natural death= cycle of life. The puritans believe in 3 stages when someone dies. This story does not go through the 3 stages. Buck comes out of the cave into a better world. The rise of science had a large impact on London's writing.
A White Heron- Sarah Orne Jewett
Jewett roots her stories in places she is familiar with. She was an early feminist and was very interested in examing force an how it impacted a women's life. The White Heron has a romantic tone with sentimental tradition. She sets up the white heron as a symbol very quickly. If this story was a realist story the bird would die. There is tension between the heart and heart. She finds herself deciding what is right and what she wants to do. This is a coming of age story, she must choose the bird or the man. She explores whether she wants to grow up or stay in the innocent childhood stage. She rejects the money (growing up) and picks innocence. She picks the ethical thing to do by allowing the bird to die of natural causes. The man stands for the opposite of what she love (nature). She would be betraying herself if she told him where the bird was. The age of the girl has a very big impact on the story. She ends up being a mother earth figure. The story ends up being a kind of romantic mythical story. It is very different from the tone of naturalist stories. This story could also be a story about the nation at that time. It was in between two stages.
Daisy Miller- Henry James
This story shows how class effects ones life. Class shapes the life of humans and their characteristics. Daisy is flirty, forth right, and just wants to live life to the fullest. She is the opposite of Winterborn. His class determines the way he acts. Daisy is not concerned with what is expected of her, she enjoys being with people. She cares more about socializing than rules, standards, or regulations put on her. Daisy wants to experience life without the artificial bonds of society on her. Winterborn is attracted to Daisy but does not know how to approach her. Daisy ends up being a tragic figure due to her adventitious ways. Daisy does not take advantage of other people's knowledge. Daisy is truly naive and ignorant. She would end up doing the same actions if she knew the outcome. She had willful disobedience with an unconcern for consequences. Daisy was scolded for not following the European ways and that cost her her life. Daisy does not effect Winterborn at all it is ironic he is left with none of Daisy's tendencies. This story was realist in its tone due to Daisy dying. This story critiques the power of society to challenge human desire.
Chesnutt & Twain
Both of these writers celebrate American culture. Both produced light cautionary tales. Chesnutt's had deeper meaning. His had bits that can compare to O'Connor's writing. There is a radical shift and surprise ending.
Roosevelt major writer and environmentalist. He was very progressive and conservative.
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