Yet another strange poem...

In The Joy of Cooking, Elaine Magarrell talks about chopping up her siblings and eating them.  OR DOES SHE???  At first I was a bit puzzled by the cooking imagery used in the context of the body pars of the narrator's siblings. However, after re-reading the poem, I have a theory as to the method behind Magarrell's madness.  "I have prepared my sister's tongue, scrubbed and skinned...(lines 1 & 2)"  Did the author actually scrub her sister's tongue in preparation to cook it?  Of course not.  I think that the tongue of her sister and heart of her brother symbolize faults in their personalities.  The tongue could symbolize a dirty or cruel mouth, and the heart could represent his unkindness.  Their preparation for cooking represents how the writer wants to fix these faults.  "It resembles muscle more than organ meat and needs an apple-onion stuffing to make it interesting at (lines 12-14)."  Cooking is simply taking different ingredients and making something better.  This is what the narrator wants to do with her siblings.  She wants to make them better people

You killed your "dear" father?... I guess he wasn't THAT dear

One of the most interesting poems was Edward by Anonymous.  I enjoyed reading the poem, mostly because of the way Edward's actions are revealed over the course of the poem.  The first line, "Why does your sword so drip with blood...(line 1)," pulls the reader into the scene.  Then the poem surprises the reader(or at least surprised me) with 2 small climaxes at lines 21 and 53.  He killed his father and wants his mother to bear the curse of hell from him.  Obviously he held some hatred against his parents.  The question is why?  The poem is very vague and illustrates no clear reason for Edward's actions.  He does hint that his mother has wronged him and his mother's reaction shows that she knew what Edward had done from the start.  I also was not sure why everything is repeated in the poem.  Overall, I really didn't get any deep understanding of the poem, but I still enjoyed it for what it is.

POINT OF VIEW!!!! HOORAY!

In The Drunkard by Frank O'Conner, there are many sources of humor.  After discussing this humor in class, I came to the opinion that the primary source was the author's point of view.  O'Conner uses a third person omniscient point of view .  Using this technique, the author illustrates the thoughts of multiple characters.  Their clashing opinions cause the humor.  For example: " 'Ah Jasus,' I said crossly, 'what do I want to go home for? Why the hell can't you leave me alone?'  For some reason the gang of old wopmen at the other side of the road thought his was very funny.  They nearly split their sides over it.  A gassy fury began to expand in me.... (paragraph 66)."  In this passage the boy, in his drunken outrage, causes the nearby women to laugh, making him even more furious.  All the while, his father tries to convince him to be quiet.  He is thoroughly embarrassed by his son.  In the end we witness the opinion of yet another character. The mother is overjoyed by the event.  The child had stopped his father's drinking without even trying.

Obstacles

When I first started reading A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, the most prominent element of the story that I noticed was the obstacles that Phoenix faces on her journey.  Of course, I had no idea if they were symbols and if so, what they could symbolize.  Now that I have finished, I think I have a better idea, but I am still unsure.  I think the obstacles that Phoenix faces are simply symbols of the obstacles that any person faces in life as they pursue a goal.  One key characteristic is that some things she ignored turned out to be obstacles, and some objects she saw as obstacles turned out to be simple objects.  "Old eyes thought you was a pretty green bush (paragraph 9)." I think this reflects the fact that in real life, one cannot clearly see the obstacles ahead of him.  When pursuing a goal, obstacles often go unnoticed until they prevent progress.  Likewise, anticipated obstacles may never show up at all, and all precautions can go unrewarded.  Still some obstacles in the story were familiar to Phoenix, such as the log over the creek, and she easily overcomes them.  Similarly, some obstacles can be anticipated and overcome in reality, especially after personal experience.  I think the whole story could be an allegory of sorts, supporting the story's theme, but I could be way off.  Oh well...

Irony < Steely ?... I'm hilarious

After reading Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer, I was shocked by the gruesome ending of the story.  However, I couldn't help but notice that there was a lot of situational irony caused by this ending.  I noticed many different sources of this irony.  First was Gordimer's presentation of the story as a children's story.  It uses simple diction and syntax as well as a simple and seemingly happy/ideal setting.   This clashes with the bloody conclusion of the story.  Another level was the caused by the means of the boy's death.  The "DRAGON TEETH" metal coils were meant to protect the family and the house.  However, the coils only effect is to kill the boy.  They never prevented any intruders from entering the house.  This irony is drawn further by the last line of the poem.  "And they carried it [the bleeding mass of the boy]- the man, the wife, the hysterical trusted housemaid, and the weeping gardener - into the house (p236)."  The same people who supported the defenses are injured by their installation, and to finish the novel, they carry the boy into the one place they felt was unsafe, their home.  All of this irony seems to serve a dual purpose in the short story.  Primarily, the irony makes evident the foolishness and childishness of the characters' precautions.  Also, it shows how nobody can run from misfortune.  Disaster strikes everyone, and can come in unforeseen ways.   Nobody can live a perfect life.

The Plant

While reading A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, I noticed that there is significant symbolism behind Mama's plant.  When she is introduced in the play, the first thing she does is go to water the plant.  She continues to check on it multiple times throughout the story.  In fact, the play ends with her dashing back in to the apartment to grab the plant off the windowsill.  It seems funny that Hansberry would spend so much time detailing a little plant, but if one examines its symbolism, much can be learned about the Younger family. Mama even talks about the symbolism on page 458 saying "Got to admit they have spirit-Bennie and Walter. Like this little old plant that ain't never had enough sunshine or nothing-and look at it..."  The plant is a symbol of the struggling family.  Just as the plant stubbornly grows despite the lack of sunlight, the Younger family struggles through their own life filled with poverty, bills, and racism.  I think the plant is also a symbol of Mama's dreams and love for her family.  She cares for the plant continuously throughout the play, always doing her best to help it thrive.  It represents her dream of a house where she can plant a garden, a dream which grows closer toward the end of the story.  Once I realized the symbolism of the plant, I started to better understand the play as a whole.  It is about living life through adverse conditions and struggling to fulfill one's dreams in such a situation.  In the end, the only way to thrive is through love.  Just as the Younger family came close to falling apart, in a life without lover, all things begin to fall part.

Under Pressure

While reading A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, I noticed that all of the characters are under tremendous pressure.  The differing values and dreams in the Younger family lead to many tough decisions for each member.  One of the examples I noticed was Ruth's considering of an abortion.  When she realizes that she is pregnant at the end of Act I Scene 1, I'm sure she did not know what to do.  Bennie comments on the fact that there is no room for the baby in their apartment, saying "Where is he going to live, on the roof?"  Walter was guaranteed to be unsure about it, since it would put financial stress on the family.  In addition, Ruth needs to work in order to help pay for the family, which she can't do if she is pregnant or caring for a baby.  It makes sense that she would consider getting an abortion.  Ironically, her family pressures her out of killing the baby.  Mama argues vigorously against the abortion, telling about her husband's love of children and how she can't abandon her family, even the unborn part of it.  Ultimately, Ruth decides against the abortion, but the fact that she considered it, despite her strong moral standings, prove that she was under tremendous pressure.  Sadly, she was not the only one.

Evolution of Walter

I think that the character who changes the most over the course of A Raisin in the Sun in Walter.  Although his fundamental values stay constant over the course of the story, Lorraine Hansberry shows his attitudes and opinions changing drastically.  At the beginning of the story, he argues with everyone in his family, but still works hard to earn the money he vales so highly.  He begins to engage in heavy drinking, trying to escape the stress at home and realize how to fulfill his dreams.  Later it is revealed that he has been skipping work.  Eventually he begins to treat Ruth more kindly, even though he is still drunk and pursuing his dream of buying the liquor store.  When he loses his money to Willy, he in turn loses all hope and pride, deciding that the family must beg MR. Lindner to purchase their house.  Finally, at the climax of the play, Walter overcomes his need for money and chooses to move into the house.  He says "And we have decided to move into our house because my father-my father-he earned it for us brick by brick(p 532).  "In the end, he has an attitude very different than that which he had at the beginning of the play.

Past the Point of no Return

The plot of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry slowly picks up pace, until the beginning of the climax, when Bobo tells Walter that their money was stolen by Willy.  I think that this is the ulitmate turning point of the story.  It is the "point of no return" for the family.  The hopes of the family seem to be completely gone.  They no longer have excess money.  Bennie is short on money for medical school and Walter can't invest in his liquor store.  Walter's dependence on money seems to have betrayed him for good, making him mad.  He had focused all his desire and energy on earning respect and wealth through a new career, and his hope was torn away.  Bennie's dream to help other people as a doctor seems hopeless because she will struggle to pay for school.  Ruth might not be able to leave the apartment which she hates.  Everyone has given up hope, which crushes Mama.  She said "Yes-death done come into this here house (p 529)."  After being so close to achieving their dreams, Willy's threat seems to uproot the pride and hope of the Younger family.  Walter goes as far as too deciding they must resort to begging.  They were so happy to finally reach their dreams and leaving the prison of the apartment that they could not dare to go back to their previous way of life.  The shock of their loss only solidifies the barrier between their past and present.  They must find something to cling on to and celebrate, or risk losing the family to the "death" that Mama spoke of.  If they don't move forward, the family and its values will fall apart.

Walter vs. Bennie

In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Mama's two children are portrayed as opposites of each other.  They could even be considered different enough to be foil characters for each other.  This contrast is set up beginning in scene one of act 1 when Beneatha enters the kitchen and immediately begins to argue with Walter.  There are many great differences between the two.  Beneatha values knowledge, sophistication, and culture, while Walter values money above all else.  This difference is emphasized by Bennie's love of Agasai, despite Walter's approval of the wealthy George Murchison.  She could not stand to marry the shallow Murchison, but she loved Agasai's wisdom and African culture.  Another difference between the two is their careers.  Bennie is studying to become a doctor while Walter is a limo driver who wants to purchase a liquor store.  In terms of their philosophies, Bennie is more of an idealist.  She believes she can become a successful doctor, looks for different ways to express herself, and wants to make a difference in the world.  On the other hand, Walter confesses that he believes life is ruled by people who take from others and that money is the ultimate measure of success.  While he seems, to retract this belief eventually, it does not change the fact that he stubbornly spends his time trying to find ways to reach the top of society.  An example of this is on page 534: "Walter: Girl, if you don't get all them silly ideas out of your head!  You better marry yourself a man with some loot..."  The two characters always contrast each other, even after the story's climax.