QUOTE:
“She thought of Leonce and the children. They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul…Exhaustion was pressing upon and over-powering her” (Chopin 625).
SUMMARY:
Edna ends up committing suicide as a conclusion to Chopin’s, The Awakening. This ending is disturbing, but more due to the oppression felt by Edna that causes her to abandon her life.
RESPONSE:
I had to reread the last few paragraphs over and over again because I was hoping that Edna wouldn’t go as far as killing herself. I think I lost a little respect for her character because I thought that Edna knew how to keep her family from taking over her body and soul, while still alive. I know this had to do with Chopin wanting to represent how Edna’s (or any 19th century woman’s) quest for freedom was futile, but maybe I just don’t agree with how much power Chopin gives to Robert. I think Edna could have been stronger after losing Robert since she had already lost him once, and I can’t help but view Edna as being very selfish.
I may seem very harsh on Chopin’s character, but it’s no one’s fault but Edna’s for how she doesn’t even seem to find any joy from her own children. It makes me think of mothers who have a children that remind them of the deadbeat biological fathers, so they take out their anger towards the fathers on the kids. I think if Chopin wanted to emphasize how little freedom a woman like Edna has, she could have made it harder for Edna to get away from her husband. After Edna was supposedly going to be forced to travel abroad with Mr. Pontellier, she ends up back at Grand Isle alone? Maybe I’m looking too much into what I consider plot holes though, because I actually really enjoyed reading Chopin’s work.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Journal #29 Kate Chopin: Root, Root, Root...For The Protagonist!
QUOTE:
“You have slept precisely one hundred years. I was left here to guard your slumbers; and for one hundred years I have been out under the shed reading a book. The only evil I couldn’t prevent was to keep a broiled fowl from drying up” (Chopin 564).
SUMMARY:
After Edna wakes up and finds Robert reading under a tree, they playfully make up a little story to explain what happened when Edna was overcome earlier.
RESPONSE:
This point in the story changes my perspective of Robert’s character. The previous introduction to Robert makes him seem like a little puppy; a little, annoying puppy. However, Robert now has some charm, and seems to make a better connection to Edna. I think this actually makes the readers accept the potential relationship (even if it means an adulterous one), between Robert and Edna. Perhaps Kate Chopin solved part of the problem she felt she had with The Storm, or maybe I’m thinking about how I could have made the characters and situation in my short story more understandable.
Whether this was her specific intention or not, Chopin seems to have figured out how to make Mr. Pontellier less likable than Robert, which makes Edna’s feelings for Robert more understandable. However, maybe the incident when Mr. Pontellier makes Edna cry only affects the sympathetic readers, or at least the readers who don’t think Mr. Pontellier should treat a woman he expects to stay faithful, the way he did in that incident. Whatever Chopin’s intentions for her characters may have been, I was hoping Edna would be able to leave her husband for Robert at this point in the story.
It’s surprising how one little factor can change my perspective on a character, and change it enough for me to want Edna to commit adultery. Maybe I’m just a sucker for “true love” though, and it seems like Chopin made the Pontelliers’ marriage far from true love. I also think that most readers, as well as I, usually tend to root for the protagonist in a novel, which puts readers in the position to agree with Edna’s feelings.
“You have slept precisely one hundred years. I was left here to guard your slumbers; and for one hundred years I have been out under the shed reading a book. The only evil I couldn’t prevent was to keep a broiled fowl from drying up” (Chopin 564).
SUMMARY:
After Edna wakes up and finds Robert reading under a tree, they playfully make up a little story to explain what happened when Edna was overcome earlier.
RESPONSE:
This point in the story changes my perspective of Robert’s character. The previous introduction to Robert makes him seem like a little puppy; a little, annoying puppy. However, Robert now has some charm, and seems to make a better connection to Edna. I think this actually makes the readers accept the potential relationship (even if it means an adulterous one), between Robert and Edna. Perhaps Kate Chopin solved part of the problem she felt she had with The Storm, or maybe I’m thinking about how I could have made the characters and situation in my short story more understandable.
Whether this was her specific intention or not, Chopin seems to have figured out how to make Mr. Pontellier less likable than Robert, which makes Edna’s feelings for Robert more understandable. However, maybe the incident when Mr. Pontellier makes Edna cry only affects the sympathetic readers, or at least the readers who don’t think Mr. Pontellier should treat a woman he expects to stay faithful, the way he did in that incident. Whatever Chopin’s intentions for her characters may have been, I was hoping Edna would be able to leave her husband for Robert at this point in the story.
It’s surprising how one little factor can change my perspective on a character, and change it enough for me to want Edna to commit adultery. Maybe I’m just a sucker for “true love” though, and it seems like Chopin made the Pontelliers’ marriage far from true love. I also think that most readers, as well as I, usually tend to root for the protagonist in a novel, which puts readers in the position to agree with Edna’s feelings.
Journal #28 Kate Chopin: An Unhappy Marriage?
QUOTE:
“The rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems. Calixta, on the gallery, watched Alcee ride away. He turned and smiled at her with a beaming face; and she lifted her pretty chin in the air and laughed aloud” (Chopin 533).
SUMMARY:
After Calixta is unfaithful to her husband in The Storm, she doesn’t seem to have any remorse for committing this infidelity.
RESPONSE:
It seems as though the conclusion of this story, or the message in this story, is conveying: “What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.” Without thinking about what is most likely considered “morally right,” and if a reader doesn't mind being exposed to anything that society might look down on, The Storm is a surprising and intriguing story. However, if I look at this story as an example of what drives people to commit adultery, I don’t really see the answer, because Calixta goes on and on about how great Bobinot is to her. Could this be just an act brought on by her possible guilt?
This story seems more like a sad tale than anything else to me. Sad, because Bobinot and Bibi spend their time right after the storm cleaning up (as if they weren’t just stuck in a horrible storm), just so they can please Calixta. Sad, because there is obviously something missing in Calixta’s marriage that causes her to be unfaithful, as well as Alcee’s marriage. However, maybe this story has nothing to do with happiness (or unhappiness) in marriage, because maybe it’s more about humans giving in to forbidden desire and getting away with it.
The Storm actually reminds me of a short story I wrote for Creative Writing last year. I remember that during the class critique we had, most of the class didn’t like how it ended with nothing happening to the “dog” of a man, and no consequences for the girl. However, I think my story is quite tame compared to Chopin’s because the characters in my story never actually have a sexual encounter; my story is more about mental unfaithfulness. I guess I understand what kept Chopin from publishing this story, though.
“The rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems. Calixta, on the gallery, watched Alcee ride away. He turned and smiled at her with a beaming face; and she lifted her pretty chin in the air and laughed aloud” (Chopin 533).
SUMMARY:
After Calixta is unfaithful to her husband in The Storm, she doesn’t seem to have any remorse for committing this infidelity.
RESPONSE:
It seems as though the conclusion of this story, or the message in this story, is conveying: “What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.” Without thinking about what is most likely considered “morally right,” and if a reader doesn't mind being exposed to anything that society might look down on, The Storm is a surprising and intriguing story. However, if I look at this story as an example of what drives people to commit adultery, I don’t really see the answer, because Calixta goes on and on about how great Bobinot is to her. Could this be just an act brought on by her possible guilt?
This story seems more like a sad tale than anything else to me. Sad, because Bobinot and Bibi spend their time right after the storm cleaning up (as if they weren’t just stuck in a horrible storm), just so they can please Calixta. Sad, because there is obviously something missing in Calixta’s marriage that causes her to be unfaithful, as well as Alcee’s marriage. However, maybe this story has nothing to do with happiness (or unhappiness) in marriage, because maybe it’s more about humans giving in to forbidden desire and getting away with it.
The Storm actually reminds me of a short story I wrote for Creative Writing last year. I remember that during the class critique we had, most of the class didn’t like how it ended with nothing happening to the “dog” of a man, and no consequences for the girl. However, I think my story is quite tame compared to Chopin’s because the characters in my story never actually have a sexual encounter; my story is more about mental unfaithfulness. I guess I understand what kept Chopin from publishing this story, though.
Journal #27 Sarah Orne Jewett: True Love!
QUOTE:
“And wait! wait! do not move a foot or finger, little girl, do not send an arrow of light and consciousness from your two eager eyes, for the heron has perched on a pine bough not far beyond yours, and cries back to his mate on the nest, and plumes his feathers for the new day” (Jewett 528).
SUMMARY:
Sylvia climbs up the tall tree where she knows she has seen the white heron before. As she ascends up the tree, it seems as though this journey coincides with her understanding of her situation with the young hunter.
RESPONSE:
When Sylvia climbs the tall tree, it seems to represent her reaching the understanding of what true love is, as opposed to infatuation or her “crush” on the ornithologist. She finds the hidden nest, but she remains silent even when her grandmother rebukes her and the ornithologist looks straight into Sylvia’s eyes on her return. I think Sylvia wasn’t quite sure if she was going to give up the nest’s location as she climbed the tree, but once she finds the nest and sees that the white heron has a mate, she witnesses what she considers true love between her friends (even though they are birds).
Sylvia is confronted with her personal values and what is valuable to her grandmother or even to society. In other words, Sylvia’s loyalty to what she considers her beautiful creature-friends, versus an offer of money from a one-time guest in her home. To me, this story explores how a young girl will remain loyal to what is priceless in her life. Even though Sylvia contemplates all of the “treasures” the ten dollars can buy and the hunter is “so well worth making happy” (528), he actually turns out not to be worth it for her to lose the white heron forever. She witnesses the white heron with its mate, and it seems like viewing this representation of love (if this type of mating between birds can be considered love) helps Sylvia realize her own true love for the birds.
“And wait! wait! do not move a foot or finger, little girl, do not send an arrow of light and consciousness from your two eager eyes, for the heron has perched on a pine bough not far beyond yours, and cries back to his mate on the nest, and plumes his feathers for the new day” (Jewett 528).
SUMMARY:
Sylvia climbs up the tall tree where she knows she has seen the white heron before. As she ascends up the tree, it seems as though this journey coincides with her understanding of her situation with the young hunter.
RESPONSE:
When Sylvia climbs the tall tree, it seems to represent her reaching the understanding of what true love is, as opposed to infatuation or her “crush” on the ornithologist. She finds the hidden nest, but she remains silent even when her grandmother rebukes her and the ornithologist looks straight into Sylvia’s eyes on her return. I think Sylvia wasn’t quite sure if she was going to give up the nest’s location as she climbed the tree, but once she finds the nest and sees that the white heron has a mate, she witnesses what she considers true love between her friends (even though they are birds).
Sylvia is confronted with her personal values and what is valuable to her grandmother or even to society. In other words, Sylvia’s loyalty to what she considers her beautiful creature-friends, versus an offer of money from a one-time guest in her home. To me, this story explores how a young girl will remain loyal to what is priceless in her life. Even though Sylvia contemplates all of the “treasures” the ten dollars can buy and the hunter is “so well worth making happy” (528), he actually turns out not to be worth it for her to lose the white heron forever. She witnesses the white heron with its mate, and it seems like viewing this representation of love (if this type of mating between birds can be considered love) helps Sylvia realize her own true love for the birds.
Journal #26 Sarah Orne Jewett: Just A Crush!
QUOTE:
“All day long he did not once make her troubled or afraid except when he brought down some unsuspecting singing creature from its bough. Sylvia would have liked him vastly better without his gun; she could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much” (Jewett 526).
SUMMARY:
Sylvia seems to be developing a crush on the young hunter as she follows him hunting birds. However, she doesn’t like the fact that he kills the birds, so she doesn’t actually help him.
RESPONSE:
Since Sylvia “has been nine years growing” (Jewett 528), which I still consider to be quite young, I think that she merely has a simple crush on the young hunter. Her crush isn’t serious enough to make her act against her personal “blueprint” for her life, or her own set of specific values, however. When Sylvia first realizes that she is somewhat fascinated with a young man who wants to kill the beautiful creatures that she even considers to be her real friends, she becomes very conflicted. Sylvia begins her own small battle inside, weighing out exactly which of her choices carries the most meaning to her. It seems to be a battle that deals with literally “selling out” in order to get ahead in life.
It’s very fitting for Sylvia to be nine years old and having this conflict though. I think she’s young enough to still value her animal friends, almost like “imaginary” friends, but she’s also starting to notice the opposite sex in more of a “dreamy” way. She wants to be “liked” by the young man, but I don’t think she wants him to necessarily like her in a romantic way. This is why I describe Sylvia’s feelings toward the young hunter as a crush, because she has a short-lived infatuation with a new person who happens to be male, and she also seems to be infatuated with the ten dollars the young hunter offers. Everything about the hunter’s plan sounds pretty nice to Sylvia, except for the fact that it involves killing the creatures that she considers to be possibly her true friends.
“All day long he did not once make her troubled or afraid except when he brought down some unsuspecting singing creature from its bough. Sylvia would have liked him vastly better without his gun; she could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much” (Jewett 526).
SUMMARY:
Sylvia seems to be developing a crush on the young hunter as she follows him hunting birds. However, she doesn’t like the fact that he kills the birds, so she doesn’t actually help him.
RESPONSE:
Since Sylvia “has been nine years growing” (Jewett 528), which I still consider to be quite young, I think that she merely has a simple crush on the young hunter. Her crush isn’t serious enough to make her act against her personal “blueprint” for her life, or her own set of specific values, however. When Sylvia first realizes that she is somewhat fascinated with a young man who wants to kill the beautiful creatures that she even considers to be her real friends, she becomes very conflicted. Sylvia begins her own small battle inside, weighing out exactly which of her choices carries the most meaning to her. It seems to be a battle that deals with literally “selling out” in order to get ahead in life.
It’s very fitting for Sylvia to be nine years old and having this conflict though. I think she’s young enough to still value her animal friends, almost like “imaginary” friends, but she’s also starting to notice the opposite sex in more of a “dreamy” way. She wants to be “liked” by the young man, but I don’t think she wants him to necessarily like her in a romantic way. This is why I describe Sylvia’s feelings toward the young hunter as a crush, because she has a short-lived infatuation with a new person who happens to be male, and she also seems to be infatuated with the ten dollars the young hunter offers. Everything about the hunter’s plan sounds pretty nice to Sylvia, except for the fact that it involves killing the creatures that she considers to be possibly her true friends.
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