"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas's poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" is an influential poem that primarily centers around the battle against death. Just a little background information about Dylan Thomas, he was born in 1914 in Wales during World War 1. He wrote during both World Wars and they seemed to have influenced his writing greatly. Thomas establishes an extended metaphor by paralleling death to the progression of the day. "Do not go gentle into that good night" is an incredibly important line in which darkness actually represents the after life or point after death. He also claims "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" which indicates that sunset represents the point of death. Also, it is interesting to note the incredibly emotional diction that Thomas uses to describe this progression. For example, in the first stanza the speaker claims to "rage" against the dying of the light. Rage has the denotation of violent, uncontrollable anger. Thus, Thomas seems to be indicating (through the battle of night and day) to not go down without a fight against death. Relating back to his personal history, you can easily see Thomas's battle like influence from both World Wars that is reflected within his diction. Starting in the third stanza, Thomas establishes another metaphor between death and the sea. He claims,"Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright/Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,/Rage, rage against the dying of the light." The last wave of men are about to crash on to shore and pass away; however, they are also wondering on how their life could have been if they could live longer. In a sense, the fluidity of the ocean water represents life and the stillness of it represents death. Also, Thomas describes the bay as "green". Green has the connotation of life and growth. Thus, it makes sense to describe the future of their potential lives with this color. In the fourth stanza, Thomas begins to describe a different kind of man known as the "Wild men". These are people who live life to the fullest and truly sing "the sun in flight". However, the world that they cherished and lived to the fullest disintegrates within a blink of an eye. This idea of the shortness of life is further exemplified through Thomas's word choice of "flight". Flight gives the connotation of shortness and truly shows how fast life can be especially during the realization of one's death. In the fifth stanza of the poem, Thomas describes "grave men with blinding sight". This use of the word grave indicates that man is dying; however, despite losing his eye sight he is fighting to "blaze like a meteor" or in other words battle death with a fight. In the last stanza of the poem we find that the speaker is talking about his own father who is fighting the battle of day (life) and night (death) with "fierce tears".

A Doll's House: Transformation

Throughout the entire play A Doll's House, Ibsen portrays his characters as undergoing a transformation or rebirth in a way.  First off, it is interesting to note that one of the main symbols throughout the entire play is the Christmas tree. Christmas is known as the day on which there is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Thus, it makes sense that we see many of Ibsen's characters being reborn. For example, throughout the majority of the text, Nora plays the role of a a submissive "play thing" that withholds the reputation of Torvald and the Doll House. This point is exemplified in the way that Nora is called a "squirrel" or a "lark" almost as if Torvald is treating her as a child. Near the end of the play, once Nora realizes that the "wonderful" will not happen, she shows an immediate transformation when she claims "I have to be myself if I am to find out about myself and about all the other things too. So I can't stay here with you any longer". This quote portrays and immediate shift in Nora's tone from anxious and child like to confident and controlling, which indicates her new found independence as an individual. In a sense, she has been transformed from a child to an adult. I also think that Nora's transformation helps to display one of the main universal themes throughout many pieces of literature: the role of knowledge within society. I like to parallel Nora with Eve in the story of the Genesis. Eve ate the fruit from the Forbidden Tree of Knowledge and was subject to banishment on Earth as her punishment. She lost the privilege of staying on the idyllic Garden of Eden. This is exactly what happens to Nora. Her knowledge of the "wonderful" causes her to leave the idyllic Doll House into the cold, harsh, and dangerous outside world She lost he privilege of an easy and almost paradise life to one with brutal hardships in an antagonistic society. Aside from the birth of Christ, the Christmas tree can also be seen as the progression of Nora's transformation from child to adult. For example, we see at the beginning of Act 2 that the Christmas tree is "in the corner by the piano, stripped shabby-looking, with burn-down candles". It is interesting to note that the Christmas tree has shifted away from the center of the"Doll House" as if it is moving towards the exit. This positional shift indicates the general destruction of the idyllic Doll House. Not only this, the decorations have been stripped away similar to how Nora's "act" in the Doll House is beginning to disintegrate. Her role in the Doll House and thus her role as a child is dying.

Another character that seems to be going through a transformation is Krogstad. He is the "moral invalid" who has a lost reputation; however, his marriage with Kristine causes him to elevate within the society. His reputation is beginning to change and thus he is beginning to achieve a rebirth within society.

Diana and Sirens in The Age of Innocence

The Age of Innocence alludes to many Greek mythological creatures that have an important role in the novel. Ellen Olenska, the black sheep in the society of New York, is a catalyst for the shift in Newland Archer's viewpoint about Old New York. It is interesting to note that Wharton actaully alludes to the Siren Isle from Greek mythology. In their mythology, the Sirens were hybrid creatures-part woman and part bird- who lured sailors with seductive song to shipwreck on their island. They are generally associated with temptation and are incredibly dangerous. I believe that Countess Olenska embodies this dark creature in the story. For example, she seems to be bird like in the way that she wears "eagle feathers" to the van der Luyden's reception and lives in an area where some of her neighbors are "bird-stuffers". Not only this, she seems to be a temptation for adventure and release from routine for Newland Archer. During the conversation Newland and Ellen are having in her room at the beginning of the novel, Ellen analyses the van der Luydens and their "great influence" and Newland reacts with words such as "penetration", "pricked", and "stroke". This sensual diction indicated the almost sex like temptation that Newland has for Ellen at the beginning of the text. Her lack of social conformity and departure from routine also seem to be a temptation for Archer. For example, Archer is "drawn into the atmosphere of the room, which was her atmosphere". The fact that Archer is drawn in to the atmosphere portrays the almost magical temptation and control that Ellen has on Archer. Through this allusion, Wharton could be foreshadowing a potential fate of Archer's.

May Welland seems to represent the Greek mythological creature known as Diana. For example, when both May and Archer are talking about getting married early she begins to show her individualism and had a "face [that ] had taken on a look of such tragic courage that he felt like bowing himself down at her feet". This is one of the first times that May shows her own opinions, which is why Archer is so awestruck and feels the need to literally bow down to her as if she controls him. This represents the inferiority he feels towards her at the time. Diana is known to be the goddess of the hunt and has the power to talk to and control animals. This controlling effect is seen again when May tells Archer that she is pregnant and her "blue eyes were wet with victory". Archer decides to live with her, imprisoned, for the next 25 years. It seems as though both Ellen and May have this controlling effect. For example, Archer goes on to say to Ellen, "I'll say anything you like; or nothing, I won't open my mouth unless you tell me to. What harm can it do to anybody? All I want is to listen to you."Both Ellen and May are creatures that contribute towards the confliction Archer undergoes throughout the text.

William Blake and Grendel

There are many similarities and difference between William Blake's perspective of the paradox through his poems and John Gardner's perspective of the paradox through Grendel. In the poem Infant Joy, Blake portrays the extreme contentedness of a child. For example, the speaker claims, "I happy am, Joy is my name."The excessive happiness is a sign of the innocence that the child portrays within this poem. Not only this, the fact that the child is speaking without any specific identity further exemplifies his innocence. This is similar to the creature in Frankenstein and his innocence right at birth before he was influenced by the environment around him. We see this innocence within Grendel at the beginning of the story just before his foot "was wedged deep, as if the two oak trees were eating it. Black saw-dust-squirreldust-was spattered up the leg almost to the thigh". It is in this chapter that Grendel truly experiences a loss of innocence. First off, it is interesting to note that the denotation of dust is that of human remains. Thus, one can easily infer that Gardner is foreshadowing the figurative death of the child like Grendel who is innocent and naive. It is also interesting to note the symbolism of the two oak trees. The trees can be associated with the story of the Genesis in which Adam and Eve both experienced a loss of innocence when they decided to eat the fruit of the Tree of Forbidden Knowledge. It is here that the two figures were banished to Earth. Thus, Grendel is once again foreshadowing the eventual loss of innocence. Lastly, we see that Grendel is stuck between two oak trees as if he is stuck between the two worlds of innocence and experience. This paradox that Grendel lives him is what seems to be destroying him considering the animalistic characteristics that Gardner gives to the trees when he describes them as "eating". Similar to Gardner, Blake seems to foreshadow the eventual loss of innocence of the child in the poem through the word "befall". This term generally has the denotation of something bad happening to another, and is also a play on the Fall that one takes towards experience. In essence, Blake is portraying the eventual fall that the baby will take to loose his her innocence. Moving on to the poem "Infant Sorrow", it is important to note that both the child and Grendel make a "leap" into the other world as if they are both experiencing the Fall. After experiencing this fall/loss of innocence/leap, both Grendel and the child seem to "sulk upon" their "mother's breast". In Grendel's case, the experience that he achieved allowed him to see his mother how she truly is. She tries to prevent Grendel from the experience and enlightenment. In this same way, the child struggles to go against the "swaddling bands" and is "bound and weary".

The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse

I believe that the story Grendel is centered around the story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The coming of the four horsemen are heralds of an apocalypse that indicate the end of the world or the Last Judgement. The very first horse known as the White Horse is symbolic of conquest. I think Gardner makes a direct parallel between the White Horse and Hrothgar in the novel. For example. he claims, “ He’d shown them the strength of his organization…”. Not only this, Hrothgar is actually described as having a “white beard” multiple times throughout the novel. In this way, Hrothgar represents a foreshadow to the upcoming apocalypse of a system. We can actually see this foreshadow again through the advice of the Dragon in chapter 5. He claims, “ A brief pulsation in the black hole of eternity… a speck of dust”. According to the New England Oxford American Dictionary, the denotation of dust is a dead person’s remains. In this way, the Dragon is foreshadowing the end of a system that unite a group of people. He is foreshadowing the end of the Danish system that both Grendel and the Danes are apart of. The second horse known as the Red Horse represents civil war or mass slaughter. The color red indicates that blood is about to be spilled. One of the characters in the novel is actually named the Red Horse in chapter 8. This chapter tells about the political system of the Danes in a play like format through Grendel’s perspective. The primary concern of this chapter is the lack of an egalitarian society within the Danish hierarchy. The concept that those at the top of the “nut tree” are prosperous and happy while those near the bottom on the ground are “dead”. The Red Horse who is actually an old peasant who talks to Hrothulf tries to convince him of the inequality of the system. When asked about the idea of revolution, he claims, “… I’m here to serve. But as for Universal Justice…” The fourth horseman of the apocalypse is named death and also known as the pale rider. I believe that Beowulf is the final horseman who represents the end of a system in Grendel. For example, it is interesting to note that Beowulf is described as having “pale eyes” and shows a natural propensity to stare at the coast guard’s “horse” at the beginning of chapter 11. Not only this, the fourth horseman is never carrying a weapon similar to how Beowulf did not use a weapon to fight Grendel. To look at this through Grendel’s perspective, Grendel is the hero that tries to prevent the end of a system. A hero who tries to preserve the Danish way of life in order to prevent an apocalypse. For example, Grendel claims that he must meet with the stranger in order to preserve the honor of the Danes and the religion of the priests. In this ironic way, he is their savior. The sad part of this story is that the Danes still view Grendel as a brute who wreaks havoc on their existence while they don’t understand that there can be no Danes without Grendel and no Grendel without the Danes. They are intertwined together similar to the “double trunked” oak tree described in Hrothgar’s dream at the end of chapter 8.

Political System in Grendel

Throughout Chapter 8 of Grendel, Grendel debunks some of the apparent flaws of the Danish system through the story of Hrothulf. To begin with, Grendel portrays Hrothulf's story in the form of a play. For example, he claims, " The nut tree wide above my head, stretching its cool black limbs to take the sun, sends darkness down my chest. Its dappled, high crowned roadways make safe homes for birds; quick squirrels run the veins of its treasure-giving hand; but the ground below is dead". The play like structure shows how Grendel views the system as a type of fiction or illusion, which relates back to the theme of reality versus illusion. Grendel views Hrothulf as an observer and watches the play unfold as if the Danish conflicts are trivial and fake. The tree described above is a parallel to the tyrannical and hierarchal system created by the Danes. A system that is inherently flawed according to Grendel, Hrothulf, and the Red Horse because of its lack of equality. The hierarchy is also given a negative connotation through the personification of its "black" limbs that seem to cover up the sun. In fact, it is interesting to note that the denotation of sun is a person or thing that is regarded as a source of understanding. In this way, the system is trying to cover up this understanding of the fake illusion in order to keep it cyclic. The Zodiac symbol for this chapter also tells a lot about the political system of the Danes. For example, Hrothulf is described as a "sweet scorpion" who "sits between their two and cleans his knife". The Zodiac symbol for this chapter is scorpio and it is characterized by an intense curiosity. In fact, the "stinger" signifies a piercing curiosity that delves into the secrets within or in this case the hierarchal system. Also, the opposing connotations of "sweet" and "scorpion" along with Hrothulf sitting in between two people portrays the idea of a conflicted nature and irony of Hrothulf. He is a prince in the blood line of Hrothgar yet he does not fit in with the other Danes. However, he also does not fit in to the hierarchy of peasants like the Red Horse because of his princely nature which is further shown by him tripping three times on the "ground" beneath a tree (system). Red Horse is actually described as having white hair "around his high empty dome like the beams of the sun". Red Horse is an allusion to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse who represents war and mass slaughter. In Grendel, Red Horse explains to Hrothulf that the system gives power for those who fit the system and enslavement for those who do not. Also, it is interesting to note that his hair is described as the "beams of the sun". This is perfect considering that the sun is representative of the reality that debunks the illusion of the system. This is exactly the role Red Horse plays within this chapter.

"Discovery of the New World" by Carter Revard

Sorry Mrs. Clinch but the poem will not paste on to the blog for some reason. Here is the link to it though: http://homeostaticism.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/discovery-of-the-new-world/

Carter Revard's poem "Discovery of the New World" is about an alien invasion on the human population that seems to parallel the invasion of the Europeans on the Native Americans in the Americas. The poem begins with one of the aliens speaking to a superior as he describes the humans as "creatures" who "marveled at our green skins and scarlet eyes". To begin with, green has the connotation of a lack of experience. Considering that the aliens are paralleled with the English colonists this description makes complete sense. Both of these groups of people did not fully think about their actions and the brutality of them and in this way were blinded by their desire to achieve new land. It is also interesting to note that the "creatures" or humans "marveled" at the appearance of the aliens. The connotations of this word indicate the inferiority that the humans feel in relation to the aliens. In fact, this phrase parallels the actual wording of many historians who claim that the Native Americans were astonished by the colonist's "white skin and blue eyes". After the aliens utilize one of the human brains and see their history, the poem moves and the alien claims, "a curious visual echo in their history of our own coing to their earth; a certain General Sherman had said concerning a group of them exactly what we were saying to you about these creatures: it is our destiny to asterize this planet...". The poem alludes to General Sherman who was an American soldier and a staunch leader in the deleterious affects towards Native Americans. Revard is making a direct parallel between these two dichotic yet unified stories that portray the discrimination and brutality towards others. Revard truly makes us identify with the oppressed individuals within the history and story in order to further understand it. Near the end of the poem, the alien claims, "They'll have to come into our pens and then we"ll get to study the way our heart attacks and cancers spread among them, since they seem not immune to these". The word cancer works on two levels. According to the New England Oxford American Dictionary, the denotation of cancer is a practice or phenomenon perceived to be evil or destructive and hard to eradicate. In one way, the represents the literal cancer that the English colonists actually gave to the Native Americans when they traveled to the Americas. On the other hand, cancer may also refer to this seemingly cycle like nature in which a "superior" group comes to new land to conquer it for personal gain. In essence, the English colonists or in this case the aliens were the cancer that brought destruction and was hard to eradicate. In the very last line Revard claims, "Then we will be safe, and rich, and happy here forever". Revard seems to be using a sarcastic tone here  to describe the ignorance of the English colonists who looked over the brutality of their actions in order to be successful in a new land. The last line is also so effective because of the description of the deleterious actions by the aliens/English colonists previously mentioned in the poem.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave, Grendel, and Batman?

 In Plato's text, the prisoners in the cave are living a different perspective of reality. Once a prisoner is freed, the knowledge of another world changes his reality. The individual experiences a different perspective of reality that he is not accustom to. In fact, when the prisoner ascends towards the other world he immediately experiences the sun and "his eyes will be dazzled". The prisoner is then given this perspective and goes back to his previous world in the cave; however, he is weaker and considered more of a laughing stock in that society. By simply coming back to his previous world, the prisoner has become enlightened. I believe that the prisoners represent humanity, the cave represents the prisoner's world, the shadows represent perception, the light represents revelation, and that the sun represents God or salvation. I also think that both Grendel and Batman relate to this experience of the freed prisoner.

Grendel lives in a cave with his mother in which he is subject to darkness and shadows. Through exploration, he finds the fire snake pit and ascends towards it to enter in to the new world of men. This relates to the prisoner in the way that he enters in to the new world. In fact, right as Grendel enters this new world, he experiences a "moon light" for the first time. Similar to the sun and light from the new world, Grendel experiences the same scenario. He is given a new perspective of reality that he has never experienced before. It is also interesting to note the Genesis symbolism when Grendel darts "from tree to tree". The tree and snakes are allusions to the Garden of Eden and the idea of a pursuit of forbidden knowledge. I don't believe that Grendel has come back to his previous world as somebody enlightened yet because he is conflicted. He is stuck in the "chasm" or existential void that makes him a part of both worlds: the reality of man and the reality of the cave. In fact, we immediately note this conflicting character when Grendel is seen as both animalistic and human. I believe that until he understands his conflicted self, he will not be enlightened to return to his community.

I believe that Plato's allegory also has a direct correlation to Batman in the Dark Night Rises film. Batman suffered a lose from the antagonist Bane and was sentenced to live in a dark prison that was similar to a cave. Within the cave, Batman experiences a different perspective of reality. The darkness, the people, and the environment all give him a distorted reality from his perspective in Gotham. Once he ascends through the prison to the top, he experiences sunlight. He then returns to Gotham and tries to help the community. In this way, Batman is enlightened because of his attempt to save the city of Gotham while viewing a different perspective of reality.

"The Love Story of J. Alfred Prufrock" and Winesburg, Ohio

Both Winesburg, Ohio and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" share many common themes and allusions that help to parallel both of these literary texts. After my first read of the poem, I immediately noticed a connection between "Hands" and the last section of the poem. In Sherwood Anderson's short story "Hands", Wing Biddlebaum is accused of pedophilia in a school in Pennsylvania because he abnormally expresses himself with his hands. He is constantly touching the children and putting his hands through their hair. In fact, Henry Bradford begins to "beat him up with his fists" in response to Wing's accused pedophilia.  I believe that Wing is actually just trying to spread the concept of pursuing one's dreams; however, the fear and paranoia of expressing this desire causes his conflicted nature. In the very beginning of the story we see that Wing wants to see the berry pickers through the "tall yellow mustard weeds"; however, he immediately feels "fear overcoming him" and runs back to his own house. The berry pickers represent Wing's temptation to spread his dream; however, he cannot out of fear of his past experiences. This is further exemplified through the connotation of the color yellow, which indicates warning and hazard. This relates to Wing's conflicted nature, and how he has a nostalgia for his pursuit to encourage children to achieve their dreams. This nostalgia is also seen through T.S. Eliot's poem. For example, the speaker describes himself as lower than "Prince Hamlet", "an attendant lord", and even sometimes a "Fool". Prince Hamlet was a character in one of Shakespeare's plays in which he struggles with whether and how to avenge the murder of his father. This prolonged struggle eventually leads to the death of everyone else. The speaker claims that he is not Prince Hamlet, so not an indecisive individual that prolongs everything, but rather an attendant lord that does whatever he is told to do. This allusion is indicative of how indecision itself is too much for the speaker to handle, so he has to be even less than that. Throughout the last section of the poem, the speaker also claims, "I grow old... I grow old...". This shows the nostalgia and longing for his youth contrasted with the knowledge that you cannot return to that youth. The speaker has already wasted most of his time, and has thus used up his youth. In this way, he longs for his youth even though he still has not realized that he has waisted almost all of his time. We see this nostalgia for youth again through the mermaids. For example, the speaker claims, "Combing the white hair of the waves blown back/When the wind blows the water white and black". The white hair is representative of old age, while the connotation of the "black" water indicates some sort of death. This relates to the idea that the speaker dies of old age because of his "time wasting" attitude that causes him to use up his youth.

"Ballad of Birmingham"

(On the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963)

“Mother dear, may I go downtown

Instead of out to play,

And march the streets of Birmingham

In a Freedom March today?”

“No, baby, no, you may not go,

For the dogs are fierce and wild,

And clubs and hoses, guns and jails

Aren’t good for a little child.”

“But, mother, I won’t be alone.

Other children will go with me,

And march the streets of Birmingham

To make our country free.”

“No, baby, no, you may not go,

For I fear those guns will fire.

But you may go to church instead

And sing in the children’s choir.”

She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,

And bathed rose petal sweet,

And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,

And white shoes on her feet.

The mother smiled to know her child

Was in the sacred place,

But that smile was the last smile

To come upon her face.

For when she heard the explosion,

Her eyes grew wet and wild.

She raced through the streets of Birmingham

Calling for her child.

She clawed through bits of glass and brick,

Then lifted out a shoe.

“O, here’s the shoe my baby wore,

But, baby, where are you?”

Dudley Randall bases this poem on a historical incident in Birmingham Alabama. In 1963, Alabama was the site of marches and demonstrations protesting the racial segregation of schools and other facilities. On September 15, 1963, a bomb exploded during Sunday School at a Baptist church. The bomb killed four children and injured fourteen. Randall writes this poem in order to describe the limitless brutality of adversaries of the civil rights movement. For example, in the very first stanza the child would rather "march the streets of Birmingham" to pursue a movement for freedom than go out to play. This unique attitude of the child portrays the irony of the situation. The child seems to have a desire to be older and more mature in order to have the opportunity to fight for her rights. In fact, the mother refers to her child as "baby" and a "little child" as if she doesn't acknowledge this shift in her child's attitude. This relates to the idea that the child is innocent and naive. She does not understand the magnitude of the situation, which is filled with "guns and jails" and "clubs and hoses". In fact, the child is described as "rose petal sweet" after her bath, which further exemplifies her innocence. The rose generally has the connotation of perfection and love. Thus, the speaker makes it seem impossible to harm such a pure child. In fact, she is described as wearing "white gloves" and "white shoes". The connotation of white is purity. This further portrays the child's innocence as an individual.

I also think that the mother is innocent through her protectiveness. First off, she does not acknowledge the fact that her child has transitioned from a "baby" to an individual that wants to pursue her freedom. However, she denies her child by claiming "For I fear those guns will fire." According to the New England Oxford American Dictionary, fire has the denotation of a fervent or passionate emotion or enthusiasm. She seems to be suppressing her child of expressing the strong emotion of equal rights by denying her from going to the march. Instead she makes her go to church, a place where she believes everyone is safe. After the explosion, the mother looks for her child in the church but cannot find her. This portrays the limitless brutality of the adversaries of civil rights. The idea that their evilness has no limits. I feel that Randall purpose describes the innocence of the mother and child to further contrast the effect of brutality on innocence. The child had nothing to do with the movement, yet she was still a casualty. I also think it is important to note that the brutality of the adversaries of civil rights completely disregarded the sanctity of church. A place used for religious worship was bombed, and this further portrays the limitless nature of brutality with regards to the civil rights movement.

Wing Biddlebaum...A Jesus Like Figure?

"Hands"is an interesting story about a former school teacher named Wing Biddlebaum who lives in Winesburg, Ohio and seems to abnormally express himself with his hands. I believe that he parallels Jesus Christ in the way that he suffers for the expression of a movement. For example, Wing Biddlebaum tells George, "You must try to forget all you have learned," said the old man. "You must begin to dream. From this time on you must shut your ears to the roaring of the voices."Similar to Jesus spreading the monotheistic belief of Christianity, I believe that Wing is trying to spread the concept of pursuing one's dreams. Through the expression of his hands, he is trying to carry a "dream into the young minds" of children. The concept of spreading his movement is further exemplified through passage that describes him as a "one of those men in whom the force that creates life is diffused, not centralized."This also relates to Jesus Christ in the way that many biblical pictures portray him as putting his hand on a child as if he was blessing them. Wing Biddlebaum/Adolph Myers suffers for the expression of his movement when a child becomes "enamored" of him and the whole town of Pennsylvania begins to view him as a pedophile. In fact, Henry Bradford actually began to "beat him with his fists" in response to the false notion of his pedophilia. This beating of fists is parallel to the torture that Jesus Christ went through during his movement to spread Christianity. One of the passages in the story actually seems to allude to the Roman Empire when Wing claims, "In the picture men lived again in a kind of pastoral golden age. Across a green open country came clean-limbed young men, some afoot, some mounted upon horses. In crowds the young men came to gather about the feet of an old man who sat beneath a tree in a tiny garden and who talked to them. Wing Biddlebaum became wholly inspired." This parallel to the Roman Empire helps to support the idea of Wing spreading a movement similar to Jesus Christ. In fact, Anderson seems to be playing on the word "wholly" which sounds similar to holy and further supports Wing as a Jesus like figure.

However, the experience in Pennsylvania causes him to be like an "imprisoned bird". He wants to keep spreading his movement of influencing children to pursue their dreams but is still fearful of his past experience. For example, Wing claims, "Pausing in his speech, Wing Biddlebaum looked long and earnestly at George Willard. His eyes glowed. Again he raised the hands to caress the boy and then a look of horror swept over his face. ith a convulsive movement of his body, Wing Biddlebaum sprang to his feet and thrust his hands deep into his trousers pockets. Tears came to his eyes. 'I must be getting along home. I can talk no more with you,' he said nervously."Actually, his hands clenched in a fist when talking to George act as a continual caveat from his beating in Pennsylvania that he cannot spread his movement anymore to children. Even in the beginning of the story we see Wing looking through the yellow "tall mustard weeds" to the berrypickers. Tall has the denotation of a proud or confident movement, and yellow has the connotation of a warning. Thus, Wing wants to spread his movement but cannot out of fear from his past.

A Conflicted "Mother"

"Mother" is a story in Winesburg Ohio that centralizes around Elizabeth Willard and her conflicted nature. Elizabeth was once very young and "dreamed of joining some company and wandering over the world" to express her interest in stage. However, her passion for it was always neglected by her father who claims that "nothing will come of it". It is this experience that causes Elizabeth to be insecure and selfish of the success of others. For example, Elizabeth claims, "If I am dead and see him becoming a meaningless drab figure like myself, I will come back," she declared. "I ask God now to give me that privilege. I demand it. I will pay for it. God may beat me with his fists. I will take any blow that may befall if but this my boy be allowed to express something for us both." Pausing uncertainly, the woman stared about the boy's room. "And do not let him become smart and successful either," she added vaguely." It struck me as very contradictory that Elizabeth does not want her son to represent her "drab figure", but also does not want him to become successful either. It seems as though George is representative of her former self. She wants him to follow his dreams, but is conflicted because she was able to achieve success in her own endeavors to become an actress. Thus, her selfishness and motherliness conflict to cause her uncertainty. 

Anderson provides a pretty interesting metaphor for Elizabeth's conflict when he describes the relationship between the cat and Groff the baker. For example, Elizabeth claims, "For a long time there was a feud between the baker and a grey cat that belonged to Sylvester West, the druggist. The boy and his mother saw the cat creep into the door of the bakery and presently emerge followed by the baker, who swore and waved his arms about. The baker's eyes were small and red and his black hair and beard were filled with flour dust. Sometimes he was so angry that, although the cat had disappeared, he hurled sticks, bits of broken glass, and even some of the tools of his trade about."Elizabeth has tried to pursue her passion but is constantly beat down by those around her who seem to disregard her. This is why she is able to identify with the cat who tries to pursue his desire, but is also beaten down by those around him. In fact, according to the New England Oxford American Dictionary, the denotation of dust is human remains. Thus, Anderson seems to be indicating that the failure to achieve one's desire may be the cause of Elizabeth's living death. 

When Tom begins to talk to George about his future and tells him to "wake up" to become successful in the future, Elizabeth has a frightening response. She begins to have thoughts of killing Tom Willard with scissors that were held in her hand like a "dagger". After having these thoughts she also decides to take out her old theatre make up and use it. I believe that she does this because she is trying to relive her  past as an actress. In a wider scope, it represents her inability to accept her son's success without her own success. It is this contradiction that causes her extraneous behavior throughout the story. 

Tintern Abbey and Frankenstein?

In the text Frankenstein, Mary Shelley makes an allusion to "Tintern Abbey"which helps to elucidate the idea that Henry Clerval is a past version of Victor. Dejected and lonely, Victor's creature asks Victor to create a female counterpart for him, an Eve that can complement an Adam if you will. Out of fear, Victor eventually consents to the request and decides to go to England with Clerval in order to work on his creation. It is in this scene where Shelley references "Tintern Abbey" and the reader can truly see how the characteristics of Clerval help to further portray the past qualities of Victor and his change over time.

In the poem "Tintern Abbey", Wordsworth utilizes the past, present, and future to describe the substantial changes that occur between an individual and an environment over time. For example, he immediately describes the present at the beginning of the poem when he claims, "Once again do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, which on a wild secluded scene impress thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect the landscape with the quiet of the sky." He remembers the relationship between himself and the environment in the past when he describes how Tintern Abbey was related to his "boyish days". He then touches on the future by pondering over the idea that his sister will go through the same transformation that he is going through in his relationship with the environment.

I believe that Shelley alludes to "Tintern Abbey" with Clerval as a way of describing the monumental change that Victor has gone through as a result of the detriments of a pursuit for knowledge. Clerval claims, "This is what it is to live, he cried, now I enjoy existence! But you, my dear Frankenstein, wherefore are you desponding and sorrowful" (Shelley 138). This quote sets up the current contrast between Victor and Clerval. Victor is unable to enjoy himself because of the burden that he has to make a female counterpart for his creation; however, it seems as though Clerval is enjoying himself to a a point of excessive indulgence. Before alluding to "Tintern Abbey", Clerval's interest in nature is described as an "ardent affection" so much that not even "human sympathies" were able to "satisfy his eager mind" (Shelley 139). Similar to how Victor fell into the excessive indulgence of a pursuit for knowledge, Clerval is falling into the excessive indulgence for the nature that he "loved with ardour". This exemplifies the idea that Shelley is not just commenting on the excessive pursuit for knowledge, but rather the idea of overreaching. The denotation of an overreach is an injury to the forefoot of a horse resulting from it having overreached. Maybe the death of Clerval was fitting as a warning because it metaphorically represents his "injury" as a result of having "overreached" with his love for nature. Shelley actually references a part in the poem that describes Wordsworth's relationship with Tintern Abbey in the past. I believe that she does this to portray how Victor sees Clerval as a past version of himself. To me, the "sad music of humanity" is the dangers of an abnormal pursuit of something. Shelley compares the past (Clerval) and present (Victor) as a warning that over indulging in a pursuit for something can sometimes be for the worst.

Hero's Journey: Toy Story?

In tenth grade I did an in-depth study of the Hero's Journey in Toy Story, and I thought I would summarize some of my interesting and analytical findings of each character in the story and how they fit their role in the Monomyth.

Woody acts as the archetypal Hero in the film Toy Story. Throughout the beginning of the film, Andy creates contrast with Woody and everyone else by wearing the symbolic cowboy hat that Woody wears. In addition, Andy’s bed sheets and imaginative drawings are all representative of a cowboy motif. This evidence allows the audience to infer that Woody is Andy’s favorite toy to play with. Thus, Woody is given more importance when compared to the other characters in the beginning of the film. Another clue that shows Woody as the Hero of the Monomyth is that he is wearing a symbolic sheriff badge on his shirt. A sheriff is generally seen as the leader of a town or group of people. Thus, the golden badge on Woody’s shirt represents his greater importance to the toy community in Andy’s house. One of the most symbolic scenes in the movie for me was when Woody stands on the podium above all the other toys to deliver the morning announcements. This shows that Woody is superior when compared to other toys in the house. 

The Herald is the character or event in the Monomyth that provides motivation, challenge, or alert to the Hero that change and adventure are about to occur. This character or event can be thought of as the agent of fate that delivers the call to adventure. In the film Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear acts as the Herald in the Hero’s Journey. Buzz Lightyear acts as the Herald by providing a challenge to Woody’s leadership abilities and his amicable relationship with Andy. Buzz challenges Woody’s leadership by proving that he can fly around Andy’s room with his eyes closed in front of all of Andy’s toys. In addition, Buzz teaches Rex how to roar louder. Lastly, Buzz begins to rub Slinky’s chin. These examples prove that Woody’s leadership is now being taken over by Buzz. Andy's relationship with Woody also begins to disintegrate as we see that Andy's bed sheets and behavior are more geared towards a Buzz Lightyear theme. 

The Mentor is the character that motivates the Hero to overcome their fear in the Monomyth. The Mentor also instructs, teaches, and trains the Hero once they have accepted the Call to Adventure. Bo Peep, the shepherdess, acts as the Mentor character towards Woody in Toy Story. Bo Peep claims, “Don’t let it get to you Woody. I know Andy’s excited about Buzz, but he will always have a special place for you” (Lasseter 1995). Throughout the appearance of Buzz in the Ordinary World, Woody has felt a fear that he is being replaced by Buzz as Andy’s favorite toy. Bo Peep tries to make Woody overcome his fear by reminding him of the special relationship that he has with Andy. The color pink is symbolic of caring and friendliness. Bo Peep is seen throughout the film as wearing a pink dress; therefore, Bo Peep’s clothing is representative of her role as a mentor character. She cares for the well being of Woody by providing rational logic that inspires Woody to forget about his emotional fear of being replaced. This motivation to overcome the emotional thought comes in to play later on in the First Threshold.

Although there are many characters in the Hero's Journey, these were three of my favorite ones because of the large role they played in the film itself through their Monomyth archetypes. 

 

Superheroes and Frankenstein?

Just the other day I was watching the most recent Spiderman movie (which I absolutely hated by the way...) and reached a realization right as Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider. Superhero movies are actually commenting on the idea of nature versus nurture! Do we act the way we do because of how we are born or because of how life treats us? Which role plays a greater factor in defining a person and his existence?

In my opinion, Shelley uses creation as an unnatural act to emphasize the substantial role that parents, experiences, and one's environment play on an individual. For example, Victor's creature claims, "but where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses..." (Shelley 108). The fact that the creature is elucidating his lack of guidance from his creation till this point in the story reflects Shelley's preference on the idea of nurture over nature. Correspondingly, after watching Batman Begins one time over, I noticed immediately that Batman was truly influenced by his environment. Think about it. Bruce Wayne, coming from an affluent family, is taught the lessons of benevolence, care, and sacrifice for the greater good of others from his parents. For example, Thomas Wayne, Bruce's father, claims "Your great grandfather built the first trains in Gotham. The city's been good to our family-it was time to give something back." Not only this, he witnesses the horrific murder of his two parents and is left to live as an orphan the rest of his life. Wayne did not have any innate instincts to become a hero who fights for and protects Gotham City from villains. He didn't have any radioactive bug bite him, or bathe himself in some sort of toxic bath. The experience and the lessons from his parents influenced his personal values against the villainous corruption of Gotham City and led to his creation as the Batman. Both the creature and Batman are seen as products of their environment.

After thinking about all the superheroes out there, I think a more relevant one to talk about is Superman. The most recent movie Man of Steel placed emphasis on the idea of nature versus nurture right from the beginning. For example, new infants of Krypton were created in vaults with predetermined roles on what their contribution would be to society (similar to a Brave New World type concept). Superman was the exception. His parents partook in the first natural birth on Krypton for over thousands of years, and sent their child to Earth to bridge the gap between Krypton and Earth. I believe that the contrasts of natural and artificial births are used to display the importance of nurture on one's existence. The idea that there is no predetermined role before one's birth that determines one's role in society. Superman's experiences to help those around him influence his role as a hero.

Pursuit for Knowledge. What is the underlying reason? Is it worth it?

Throughout the text Frankenstein, Shelley comments on the idea of the unrestrained pursuit for knowledge and its effects. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Victor does seem to have good intentions with the creation of his eventual creature. for example, he contemplated the pursuit of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter and how it might aid in renewing life where "death had apparently devoted the body to corruption" (Shelley 48). However, the question that remains is whether or not Victor truly was looking out for the benefit of society or whether it was his own human hubris and curiosity that led to his quest? Time and time again throughout our history we see that it seems to be the latter. In the story of Adam and Eve, Eve was influenced by the Satan in the form of a serpent to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan convinces Eve to eat the fruit by claiming, "You won't die! God knows very well that when you eat it you will become like Him - you will know good from evil!" Eve eats the fruit and convinces Adam to do the same, which causes God to banish them both from the Garden of Eden forever. It can easily be seen that it is Eve's human hubris and curiosity led her to eat the forbidden fruit. She was tempted by the superiority of of becoming God himself, a concept that seemed to entice her. 

Does the unlimited pursuit for knowledge truly outweigh the costs? While I was researching a scholarly article for the book, I came upon Robert Oppenheimer, the creator of the atomic bomb, and I actually searched up his reaction to the bomb in an interview. In response to the test detonation of one of his bombs in New Mexico, he quotes the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become death. The destroyer of worlds." His unrestrained pursuit for discovery eventually led to the immediate death of over 300,000 people from Hiroshimi and Nagasaki. Wouldn't the world be better off without the so called 'scientific imperative' to better society as a whole? Oppenheimer described his own creation a "sin" that he would have to live with the rest of his life. We see the detrimental effects of a  pursuit for knowledge again in the discovery of the Americas. Christopher Columbus may have discovered new land; however, his discovery led to the Middle Passage (a brutal trip in which millions of African people were transported across the Atlantic in harsh, disease infested, unhygienic, and crowded boats). Theoretically, one can infer that the discovery of the Americas led to the suffering of millions of African people.

Throughout our history, it seems as though the unrestrained pursuit for knowledge may not outweigh the costs. However, society has also shown the benefits of a pursuit for knowledge through the creation of the first antibiotics. Penicillin has helped millions of patients that have been sick with bacterial diseases, and revolutionized the medical world.  I believe that Shelley's is raising the ethical question on what is the right balance between advancing or transforming our society through the context of a pursuit for knowledge.