Danielle Martinez @dmartinez1-blog1 - Tumblr Blog

Henry James Assignment #13

What is the role of sexuality in Turn of the Screw?

The Turn of the Screw does not necessarily have any frank descriptions of sexual activity or attractiveness, but it does have some undercurrents of sexuality throughout the text. The governess demonstrates enthusiasm and interest in sexuality. She seems to be in love with the master, and even Douglas indicates that he has seduced her, but it is very unclear whether it was sexual seduction or the master getting the governess to take the job by using his charm. Although, these two characters do not interact as much, the governess seems to want more of him than what she gets. She interprets his failure to write back to the children as flattery to her because she thinks that, “...for the way in which a man pays his highest tribute to a woman is apt to be but by the more festal celebration of one of the sacred laws of his comfort” meaning that she serves him by letting him ignore her. It is possible that the reason she also becomes so interested in the sexuality of others is because of this neglection she receives from the master. The governess also seems to be interested in the fact that Miss Jessel was a fallen woman that now “suffers the torments…of the damned” perhaps meaning that she is envious of a woman that gave in her desires and that is why she fixates on the ghosts. We also can infer Miles sexuality when the governess mentions he is a “unnatural for a boy” and in the end when Miles mentions the reason he got dismissed from school. The governess seems to be reserved about sexuality yet it is intrigued by it. Sexuality seems to somehow hold people’s lives in this book.

Are the children innocent as they say they are?

Throughout the novel, it seems that the governess tries to protect the children from a form of corruption, but it seems that the children are not as innocent as the governess believes they are. The governess believes that Peter and Miss Jessel’s affair has somehow corrupted the innocence that the children once had. She also believes that the ghosts of these characters are haunting the children to corrupt them even more. Miles and Flora also seem to be corrupted because they are basically abandoned by their uncle and left with only servants.

Mrs.Dalloway Assignment #12

How does Virginia Woolf write this novel and how does it affect the reader’s understanding of the novel?

Virginia Woolf writes this novel in a very unique way. When we read it a first time it becomes a little confusing because she switches the character and the thoughts are different. She also has a lot of thoughts going on at the same time. She makes her characters think of the past and somehow brings their thoughts into the present, and eventually makes them think of their past again. Virginia Woolf truly uses stream of consciousness throughout her novel which helps the reader learn through the thoughts of each character who they really are. Woolf doesn’t just necessarily tell you the personality of each character, but one must find it by “observing” them through their thoughts. Woolf uses this technique because it truly portrays how our mind works every day. Virginia Woolf has used her characters’ thoughts to imaginatively symbolize a mind's natural course of thinking and reminiscing.

Why is it that Clarissa chose to marry Richard and not Peter instead?

Clarissa Dalloway chooses to marry Richard instead of Peter because she knew that if she married Peter she had to share everything with him. Clarissa knew that marrying Peter would mean the end of privacy. Clarissa knew that if she married Peter she would have to be intimate with him, and not just in the sexual way, but meaning in sharing each other secrets and private thoughts. Sharing such secrets and private thoughts seems to frighten Clarissa, therefore she ends up marrying Richard because she knows she can keep a basic compassionate intimacy with him. She knew that if she married Richard she wouldn’t have to release all her hopes, dreams, and fears to him.

Ford Madox Ford Assignment #11

What is the significance of Edward and Florence’s “heart” problems?

In the “The Good Soldier” by Ford Madox Ford both Florence and Edward pretend to have a heart condition to get what they want. Florence uses the excuse to betray her husband and keep him subdued. On the other hand, Edward uses it to escape from his duty in the army. In this novel, the trouble with the heart that these characters seem to have really signify that they have metaphorical illness. The heart is used as a social metaphor as a way of depicting how emotionally distant Edward and Florence relationships were. In this specific novel a heart disease can signify the breakdown of a relationship while the character that is having a heart attack can represent the end of a relationship, as seen in the story. Such representations can give the reader the idea of what is happening in the real world, the author depicts a decline in human nature and society. Such theme can make the reader infer how Dowell is questioning and trying to make sense of the events in his life as well as how society can be ruled by the good and eventually fall.

Dowell uses the term normal” to describe people. What does he mean when he uses this term for Leonora and Rodney Bayham?

Dowell uses such term to assign people to categories such as normal, abnormal, passionate, restrained, hero or villain. Such method or labeling and categorizing people seems to allow him to restore order in a morally chaotic world. He considers Leonora and Rodney Bayham as “perfectly normal” individuals that are happy to live up to society’s rules and standards. Dowell seems to relate normality with those who lack a passion and even uses it as a term in condescending manner.

James Joyce Assignment #10

What does the Araby bazaar represent for the boy?

The Araby bazaar can symbolize the disillusions of the boy. The young boy seems to have some type of obsession towards Mangan’s sister. She arouses for the boy to have romantic dreams of them together and even sees her image on the pages of the book he tries to read. The boy has the opportunity to speak to Mangan’s sister and promises her he will bring her something if he goes to Araby. When the boy arrives, he realizes that the place is not what he expected and feels disillusioned. He suddenly falls into the reality of the world he lives in and is “derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger”. It seems that the Araby was also a symbol of the innocence that the boy was holding on to , and only to find that the sad reality.

Who are “The Dead” ones and what is the importance of death in this story?

The Dead can symbolize Gretta’s tragic old lover, Michael Furey, but it can also represent everyone at the Morkan’s party including Michael Fury. Everyone in this particular party seems to be growing old and Joyce seems to illustrate the plot as a ritualism of daily lives will soon come to an end. The characters in this story participate in numerous daily rituals that makes them part of a metaphorical machine. These people basically illustrate that they are living a life that is moving toward death. In a way though, Joyce seems to talk about two different deaths because it seems that Michael Furey although he has physically died, he seems to keep on living. The characters who are physically alive seem to be influenced by Michael’s life and death and realize the monotony of their lives. Joyce also ends his story by illustrating how significant it is to live one’s beyond death meaning , letting our memory live on even though we have physically died.

T.S Eliot Assignment #9

How is “Wasteland” depicted in the poem?

The Wasteland can be depicted as a breakdown of psychological breakdowns. It is a breakdown of marriage, relationships and basically the world that surrounds us. Wasteland depicts a world in which people seem to be sleepwalking through their daily lives. These people seem to have tormented souls whose lives have turned into having no meaning.

What is the narrator biggest fear in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?

The narrator is afraid of not being loved back by someone he chooses to love. In this poem everything seems impermanent and as if everything is going to go wrong if the narrator gives love a chance. It seems that the narrator is afraid of loving someone because he feels as if the person will not love him back. He puts many excuses to why he should not give love a chance. He keeps asking himself, “Do I dare? And Do I dare?” as if loving someone else was horrifying. He is so self- aware of his imperfections that he thinks that they’ll make fun of him. “With a bald spot in the middle of my hair- (They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin!’)”, he is afraid that the people will make fun of his bald spot. The fact that the narrator becomes so self-aware of such things lets the readers know of how paranoid he is of not being loved back. He even asks himself, “Do I dare disturb the universe?” meaning should he even try to express his love.

W.B Yeats Assignment #8

Could the “rough beast” mentioned in the poem be a simple pigment of Yeats’ imagination?

The “rough beast” is more than just a simple character mentioned in The Second Coming. Although Yeats does not mention that the world or universe is necessarily “doomed” , it is heading that way. Yeats uses words such as turning, widening, fall apart, loosed, and drowned all giving the impression of a world that is out of control, or at least will be. In the second stanza, Yeats mentions a rough beast that has the body of a lion and the head of a man. He in a way predicts that some powerful beast would soon be “born” in a symbolic Bethlehem as how Jesus Christ did. This rough beast could represent the chaos that would soon unravel such as Nazi and Ireland’s troubled history.

What themes does Yeats introduce in Leda and the Swan and why is it important?

Yeats introduces the themes of seduction and rape into this poem. The poem introduces such themes by the very vivid and harsh imagery used. It is very vivid that it makes the reader feel as if the narrator was there watching such action and describing it. This theme is quite important because it depicts the ongoing problems happening in Ireland. Ireland was trying to gain its independence from Britain and although the British gave them an opportunity for independence it wasn’t the total and complete independence that the people of Ireland wanted. Proposed treaties by the British just seemed as a way of seduction just how the swan was to Leda. The rape can be seen as a symbol of the control, and violence that Britain exerted unto Ireland. In this proposed analysis, Leda is Ireland who was forcefully violated by a foreign power, Great Britain.

Heart of Darkness Assignment #7

How is madness depicted in Heart of Darkness?

Madness throughout the story is one of the tracing elements that contribute to the emergence of a god-like mentality in Kurtz. Kurtz is an ambitious man that tries to be the god like figure that leads native people into civilization, but because of his greed he ends up making enemies with these natives. Kurtz suddenly develops an extreme sense of self-importance leading him into a ‘disconnection’ from his outside world. Marlow mentions that the wilderness turned Kurtz into a very different man, a mad man. It seems that madness in this literary text depicts how it can change someone that has a lot of ambition and unchecked power.

Why did Marlow view the fireman as an “improved specimen”?

It is clear that Marlow does not consider the Native Africans his equal. He sees them as animals, he describes the fireman as, “a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat, walking on his hind-legs…”. Even though he makes this description, he does mention that he is an “improved specimen” because he is helping them by burning coal in the boiler. Even though he mentions he is an “improved specimen” , he immediately insults him by comparing him to an animal which can tell us that he is just simply being sarcastic. The sarcasm can make the reader infer that Marlow doesn’t truly believe that the fireman is an “improved specimen” but he sees him as an inferior and even treats him as a child by telling him that if the boiler were to become empty an evil spirit would take revenge. This idea of how Marlow saw these native Africans can tell us how these Western Europeans considered themselves as god like figures that were superior to these native Africans that were considered ignorant and stupid.

Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde Assignment #6

What is the significance of Sir Danvers Carew’s murder?

Sir Danvers Carew’s murder was random and a sadistic attack. Dr. Jekyll mentions in his letter for Utterson that it was a blitz attack motivated by the dark side that Dr. Jekyll possessed, Mr. Hyde. The significance of this murder is the fact of evil urges taking over the good side of Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Hyde was able to beat this man with his walking stick merciless, he was “tasting delight from every blow…” (pg 127). After this incident Dr. Jekyll realized that his darker side had gained dominance. This murder is of great significance because it conveys how some of the people living in this Victorian society were so obsessed with manners and reputation that some people might have to live with two different personalities, hiding who they truly are because of fear of being different. As Dr. Jekyll said, he was “cursed with my duality of purpose” (pg 130) meaning he possessed a double personality in which he can receive the pleasure that both parts of his being crave without each being encumbered by the demands of the other.

How does this novel defy norms of the Victorian society?

This novel defies the norms of the Victorian society because as it is clear, this era was obsessed with reputation and social perfection. Dr. Jekyll, in this case, is the one that possesses a good reputation upon the eyes of his society, on the other hand, Mr. Hyde is the character that does not ‘belong’ in this society. Stevenson uses Mr. Hyde to show that Victorian people and society are imperfect and have dualities that Victorian values deny, ultimately leading to the destruction of the repressed person or society.

Dracula by Bram Stoker Assignment #5

What is the significance of the role of women in Dracula?

Mina and Lucy play a critical role in Dracula because they portray how women were seen in this time. Lucy is a gorgeous, vulnerable young lady that everyone seems to love and protect. She even has three suitors that are crazy about her because they think she is so great, but they treat her as if she was just an object of beauty that they absolutely had to conquer. In a way, Lucy is a representation of how most women were treated and seen as. On the other hand, Mina might not be as beautiful as Lucy but she is more modern and efficient. While women are being devalued by men, it is clear that Mina plays an important role. She is the one that assembled this master document of everyone’s journals, she even placed them in chronological order and made it logical. Mina is also the one that creates the map that helps hunt down Dracula, proving that she is not just some useless ‘thing’ but that she is a very clever individual. When we think about the three women in Dracula’s castle, they completely serve as the opposite of what a woman ‘should’ do. These three women are considered impure, radical and evil, totally the opposite of what a Victorian woman isn’t supposed to do. Jonathan even refers to them as monsters. The women pursue and seduce men which goes against the role of women in this era.

What does Dracula tell us about sexuality in this time?

Dracula is ultimately conveying the sexual repression that men and women had during the Victorian era. Women were expected to be pure until marriage and not show any immoral behavior. In this case, we have Lucy with her three suitors. She questions herself why can’t she have all three, and as we know in this conservative environment the thought of even having three men could have been considered immoral. Jonathan Harker’s thoughts and actions during his imprisonment in Dracula’s house also shows contrary to how sex was seen in this Victorian age. The three women are highly sexualized and Jonathan seems to be pretty excited about it since he describes it as such, “ The girl went on her knees, and bent over me, simply gloating….she actually licked her lips like an animal…I closed my eyes in a languorous ecstasy and waited--waited with beating heart.”

Frankenstein Assignment #4

Is the monster that Victor Frankenstein created any less human than Victor himself?

It is evident that Frankenstein in the beginning is very excited with the whole concept of bringing life back from the dead. Frankenstein created an eight-foot giant that was nothing close to handsome. His creation was so monstrous that as soon as his creation was brought to life, Frankenstein became so terrified of it that he ran away into the woods. Frankenstein neglected his creation as soon as it was brought to life. Frankenstein abandons his creation, and develops so much hatred towards it. He mentions how he has so much “abhorrence of this fiend” and by just thinking of him, it gets him extremely furious. Because of the neglection the monster suffered he started killing and basically acting like a real monster. If Frankenstein had not neglected him and at least tried learning more about his creation, it is possible that the monster wouldn’t become so dangerous. This leads to the conclusion that the real monster in this story, is the one that created another one, Frankenstein.

Who is the Modern Prometheus in this literary work?

Prometheus is a character from Ancient Greek mythology. Prometheus was said to be the smartest of all the Titans because he was the one to bring knowledge and enlightenment to mankind. It is said that Prometheus was the one that stole fire from the Gods of Mount Olympus, because of this the Gods punished him severely. Frankenstein was viewed very much like this character since he was able to make the discovery of how to bring the dead back to life. He brought knowledge and enlightenment to the world just like Prometheus. Very much like Prometheus, Frankenstein is also punished, but his punishment is more of an internal one that he must live for the rest of his life, and that is his creation of a monster.

Jane Austen Assignment #3

What do the roles of Emma and Harriet represent in Jane Austen’s era?

Emma is characterized as an independent young woman that has everything a man in this society is “supposed” to. Emma is a strong individual that technically is in the position a man should be. Emma throughout the novel rejects many men that fall for her. Emma represents the hidden part that many women feared showing in this era. Women usually were taught to marry to get financially stable, yet Emma defies this concept, she is wealthy and independent on her own. Harriet, on the other hand, she is characterized how a regular woman should act towards marriage.

What role of women is being challenged in this literary work?

Emma written by Jane Austen is a great piece of literary work because although it may seem like a story written for drama, it conveys the role of women in Austen’s society. Women in this period were stuck in the “cult” of domesticity. Women were issued roles that were considered unequal and in a way, controlled by what was expected of them. Women were supposed to become accomplished in female things, such as drawing, singing, or playing a musical instrument. These accomplishments together with charm were to be used to acquire a suitable husband that would take care of the woman financially. The character of Emma defies this gender role in this society. Emma is an untraditional character that challenges the role of women because she is an intelligent, independent woman. Although she marries in the end, it is with a sincere loving motive rather than a financially seeking one.

Samuel Coleridge Assignment#2

From the poem “Kubla Kahn" what can we infer of Coleridge’s imagination as he describes Xanadu?

Coleridge begins the poem very straight forward, he immediately introduces Xanadu as a “stately pleasure-dome” meaning that this place is a beautiful palace ruled by Kubla Kahn. Coleridge then introduces the Alph river, that runs across underground caves and eventually meets the sea. This place has a vastly amount of fertile ground. Coleridge also mentions the beautiful gardens surrounding the palace, and the sweet pungent trees. Although Coleridge does adopt some features of this poem from real actual history, we can start observing how he is creating this place based off from his imagination. It makes the reader infer that this poem is truly about Coleridge’s own creative imagination. Coleridge truthfully lets his imagination take over, he then describes some “caverns measureless to man, Down to a sunless sea.” such imagery can invoke that Coleridge is trying to describe a recondite place from his imagination. We notice that Coleridge also describes this place “With walls and towers girdled round,” meaning that this place is surrounded which make the readers think that this place in the inside is quite beautiful, cheerful, and safe, but it seems that in the outside everything is the opposite. When Coleridge shifts to the next stanza it seems that the world we are now in is quite scary.

Why is the poem, “Frost of Midnight” different from his other poems?

In the poem, “Frost of Midnight” Coleridge creates this poem in a type of monologue way. Although he is expressing his thoughts during a frigid winter night, he is not only expressing his thoughts during this time of solitude, but he is letting the reader dig in his thoughts. Of course, many poets describe their feelings in their work, but Coleridge was different because he is letting the readers into his most meaningful thoughts. Coleridge also uses the world around him to let his readers know his deep thoughts. He specifically uses Nature and the objects around him, such as the “stranger” that flutters in the room to describe his feelings. This “stranger” is much like his thoughts, fluttering and flickering around the room. Coleridge is able to teach us that , as humans we should reflect on experiences and be able to feel a living connection to the world that surround us.

William Blake Assignment #1

How do both poems of “The Chimney Sweeper” in Songs of Innocence and Experience convey some of the government issues existing in this time being?

The Songs of Innocence and Experience was published in 1794 while the British Industrial Revolution began in 1760 , such event led to a dramatic increase in child labor. In “The Chimney Sweeper” we can see the dark reality of child labor occurring in this time. “There’s little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head, that curl’d like a lamb’s back, was shav’d…” one may wonder why the boy weeps so much for his hair, but the hair itself can represent innocence. When the boy’s hair is shaved it represents the loss of innocence because of the dirty tiring job they must do taking away the joy that a child should have in its childhood. In “The Chimney Sweeper” from Songs of Experience, the somber mood is more direct. We notice that the child seems abandoned by his mother and father, because they “both gone up to the church to pray”. The mother and father doesn’t necessarily represent actual paternal figures, but the government. The government pretending to follow God’s righteous and holy paths while letting the poor suffer more.

Why did William Blake call his work The Marriage of Heaven and Hell?

As humans we have always been taught that in our life spectrum there is good and bad. Many religious individuals have been taught that good people simply go to Heaven while evil people are sent to Hell. Emanuel Swedenborg wrote about this idea in his book Heaven and Hell and for a while William Blake held this same belief but then found himself disagreeing that everything can’t just simply be good and evil. Blake even described Swedenborg as an “Angel sitting at the tomb…”. Could Swedenborg represent the old William Blake whom believed that there was only good and evil in life? Blake believed that there was just more to life than just this simple life spectrum where in one end you have evil and on the other goodness. William Blake believed that this evil and good, both collided and met with each other in some form of energy. William Blake knew that all of us have both evil and good within ourselves which is why he depicted Heaven and Hell, Evil and Good, as an alliance we have within ourselves. An alliance that can be described as a marriage where both heaven and hell (good and evil) come to some type of agreement.

#britlitislit

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Danielle Martinez