QUOTE:
“’I never was sick, and I don’t mean to be!’ the Signorina declared. ‘I don’t look like much, but I’m healthy! I was bound to see the Colosseum by moonlight; I shouldn’t have wanted to go home without that; and we have had the most beautiful time…If there has been any danger, Eugenio can give me some pills” (James 427).
SUMMARY:
Daisy has the age-old idea that many young people will ruin their lives believing: that she is invincible. She would rather take a huge risk to do something she thinks will be “cool,” than listen to anyone who may seem dull.
RESPONSE:
If Daisy was in control of everything she was doing, then she must have really wanted to be remembered for the tragic story of her short life. It actually makes sense for her to have wanted everyone to feel completely despondent over her short life because she confesses to her “true love” for Winterbourne, and she asks her mother to make sure that she lets him know. This seems like a pretty lame plan, because the “joke’s on her.” At the end of the story, Winterbourne is back to his old life of “studying” and having a “sugar-momma,” and Mr. Giovanelli obviously never cared too much about Daisy’s safety or life when he took her all around to such dangerous places.
Since I had already stopped caring about what was going to happen to any of the characters in James’ story, I wasn’t moved by the ending very much at all. If anything, I felt bad for Mrs. Miller more than anyone, since she loses her daughter, but maybe she can finally take Randolph home and spend more time worrying about his health (such as his teeth).
I guess I still was entertained by this story though, because I easily read it, and I really did enjoy it. Maybe I got so into it, I was more disappointed with James’ characters ruining their lives (as it seems), than really not caring about their fate. At least it was fun discussing what the real point of this story could be in class.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Journal #34 Henry James: Annoying Characters!
QUOTE:
“Daisy gave a violent laugh. ‘I never heard anything so stiff! If this is improper, Mrs. Walker,” she pursued, “then I am all improper, and you must give me up. Good-bye” (James 416).
SUMMARY:
Winterbourne and Mrs. Walker both try to advise Daisy to get into Mrs. Walker’s carriage instead of walking around town with Mr. Giovanelli.
RESPONSE:
When I read this section, all I could think about was how Mrs. Walker and Winterbourne “lose” Daisy by giving her advice that she never really asks for. I couldn’t decide if Daisy was in control and “playing” Winterbourne, or if she was just a stupid girl; however this behavior of hers makes her seem like a “wannabe” rebel. Maybe Daisy was trying to take a stand against having to do everything the “proper” way, so she makes bad decisions just to prove her point. Not to say that refusing to get in Mrs. Walker’s carriage just to save face is necessarily a bad decision, but in Daisy’s situation of being in a foreign country, I think she would have been much better off listening to her acquaintances.
The choices Daisy makes may be “sticking it” to all of the “stiff” social types, but she really is walking a dangerous path. Mr. Giovanelli may actually be a good friend to her, but that doesn’t change the fact that she doesn’t really know him. If Daisy really feels like making a statement about societal issues, it probably isn’t the best plan to make them so far away from her own country. Not only is there a potentially fatal disease to be worried about, any number of things could happen to Daisy if she puts too much trust in strangers.
Even the trust Daisy puts in Winterbourne isn’t very wise. She doesn’t even know him, and even the readers don’t exactly know him. James doesn’t give full details about what Winterbourne is really like; only that he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to finish “school,” and that he may have some type of “sugar-momma.” At this point in the reading, I stopped caring about what was going to happen.
“Daisy gave a violent laugh. ‘I never heard anything so stiff! If this is improper, Mrs. Walker,” she pursued, “then I am all improper, and you must give me up. Good-bye” (James 416).
SUMMARY:
Winterbourne and Mrs. Walker both try to advise Daisy to get into Mrs. Walker’s carriage instead of walking around town with Mr. Giovanelli.
RESPONSE:
When I read this section, all I could think about was how Mrs. Walker and Winterbourne “lose” Daisy by giving her advice that she never really asks for. I couldn’t decide if Daisy was in control and “playing” Winterbourne, or if she was just a stupid girl; however this behavior of hers makes her seem like a “wannabe” rebel. Maybe Daisy was trying to take a stand against having to do everything the “proper” way, so she makes bad decisions just to prove her point. Not to say that refusing to get in Mrs. Walker’s carriage just to save face is necessarily a bad decision, but in Daisy’s situation of being in a foreign country, I think she would have been much better off listening to her acquaintances.
The choices Daisy makes may be “sticking it” to all of the “stiff” social types, but she really is walking a dangerous path. Mr. Giovanelli may actually be a good friend to her, but that doesn’t change the fact that she doesn’t really know him. If Daisy really feels like making a statement about societal issues, it probably isn’t the best plan to make them so far away from her own country. Not only is there a potentially fatal disease to be worried about, any number of things could happen to Daisy if she puts too much trust in strangers.
Even the trust Daisy puts in Winterbourne isn’t very wise. She doesn’t even know him, and even the readers don’t exactly know him. James doesn’t give full details about what Winterbourne is really like; only that he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to finish “school,” and that he may have some type of “sugar-momma.” At this point in the reading, I stopped caring about what was going to happen.
Journal #33 Henry James: Etiquette First!
QUOTE:
“Winterbourne wondered if he himself had been like this in his infancy, for he had been brought to Europe at about this age” (James 393).
SUMMARY:
Winterbourne meets little Randolph in the hotel’s garden area and is somewhat entertained with the boy’s obnoxious behavior.
RESPONSE:
Since Daisy Miller: A Study seems to look at the behavior of each of the characters and how they deal with certain situations, this section is revealing more about how Winterbourne’s character perceives the obnoxious little boy. At first, Winterbourne tries to suggest how he thinks the boy should be acting, but he soon becomes more amused at Randolph’s mannerisms. Winterbourne realizes that he could be looking at himself seventeen years ago, and since he is also caught up in worrying about proper etiquette (at least in public places), Winterbourne probably doesn’t want to be too critical of the boy if it could possibly seem hypocritical (even if he would be the only person to notice).
Winterbourne soon forgets about proper etiquette though. He begins to realize that Randolph and Daisy are far from “refined” when he starts to ease his way towards a friendship with Daisy. This seems to give Winterbourne extra confidence and even the gumption to think that he could have some kind of romantic relationship with Daisy. I think Winterbourne also tries to relate to Randolph more, due to his interest in Daisy. He definitely doesn’t want to seem like an “old crank” when it comes to kids like Randolph if he is assuming that he may see this kid more often. However, I think Winterbourne also sees how he can “use” Randolph to his advantage. Randolph could help Winterbourne start conversation topics that may seem impolite to someone like Mrs. Costello, which could lead to finding out more about Daisy.
“Winterbourne wondered if he himself had been like this in his infancy, for he had been brought to Europe at about this age” (James 393).
SUMMARY:
Winterbourne meets little Randolph in the hotel’s garden area and is somewhat entertained with the boy’s obnoxious behavior.
RESPONSE:
Since Daisy Miller: A Study seems to look at the behavior of each of the characters and how they deal with certain situations, this section is revealing more about how Winterbourne’s character perceives the obnoxious little boy. At first, Winterbourne tries to suggest how he thinks the boy should be acting, but he soon becomes more amused at Randolph’s mannerisms. Winterbourne realizes that he could be looking at himself seventeen years ago, and since he is also caught up in worrying about proper etiquette (at least in public places), Winterbourne probably doesn’t want to be too critical of the boy if it could possibly seem hypocritical (even if he would be the only person to notice).
Winterbourne soon forgets about proper etiquette though. He begins to realize that Randolph and Daisy are far from “refined” when he starts to ease his way towards a friendship with Daisy. This seems to give Winterbourne extra confidence and even the gumption to think that he could have some kind of romantic relationship with Daisy. I think Winterbourne also tries to relate to Randolph more, due to his interest in Daisy. He definitely doesn’t want to seem like an “old crank” when it comes to kids like Randolph if he is assuming that he may see this kid more often. However, I think Winterbourne also sees how he can “use” Randolph to his advantage. Randolph could help Winterbourne start conversation topics that may seem impolite to someone like Mrs. Costello, which could lead to finding out more about Daisy.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Journal #32 Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Read The Disclaimer!
QUOTE:
“I have found out another funny thing, but I shan’t tell it this time! It does not do to trust people too much” (Gilman 817).
SUMMARY:
The narrator of Gilman’s story seems to be unreliable now. She is completely obsessed with the wall-paper, so this cure may be causing her supposed “condition” to drive her crazy for real.
RESPONSE:
Since this quote makes the narrator seem paranoid and weird, it’s hard to trust anything she says about the wall-paper. In a way, I think this quote just gives the readers some hope for a straightforward explanation or conclusion at the end of the story; however, it may just be a sentence to make it seem like Gilman knows the answer. For some reason, I don’t think Gilman ever thought of a real explanation for what is happening in the story, so her character is free to notice anything and make any assumptions.
At this point, Gilman can have her character think anything without having her make any sense, and yet, the point Gilman is making about the “rest cure” actually does make sense. Forcing women stay in bed without thinking too hard sounds more like a punishment than a way to “get better” from a non-existent illness. This made me think that the main character even purposely acts crazy at the end, just to get back at her husband (to teach him a lesson).
I’m glad that I read Why I Wrote “The Yellow Wall-paper”? after the story though, because Gilman at least tells the “story of the story,” and puts anyone who feels a little more insane from reading it at ease. It even seems like a “disclaimer” that people should read before they read the story! The last sentence especially makes me feel better about Gilman possibly getting some satisfaction from her work, since it seems like her personal life wasn’t very happy.
“I have found out another funny thing, but I shan’t tell it this time! It does not do to trust people too much” (Gilman 817).
SUMMARY:
The narrator of Gilman’s story seems to be unreliable now. She is completely obsessed with the wall-paper, so this cure may be causing her supposed “condition” to drive her crazy for real.
RESPONSE:
Since this quote makes the narrator seem paranoid and weird, it’s hard to trust anything she says about the wall-paper. In a way, I think this quote just gives the readers some hope for a straightforward explanation or conclusion at the end of the story; however, it may just be a sentence to make it seem like Gilman knows the answer. For some reason, I don’t think Gilman ever thought of a real explanation for what is happening in the story, so her character is free to notice anything and make any assumptions.
At this point, Gilman can have her character think anything without having her make any sense, and yet, the point Gilman is making about the “rest cure” actually does make sense. Forcing women stay in bed without thinking too hard sounds more like a punishment than a way to “get better” from a non-existent illness. This made me think that the main character even purposely acts crazy at the end, just to get back at her husband (to teach him a lesson).
I’m glad that I read Why I Wrote “The Yellow Wall-paper”? after the story though, because Gilman at least tells the “story of the story,” and puts anyone who feels a little more insane from reading it at ease. It even seems like a “disclaimer” that people should read before they read the story! The last sentence especially makes me feel better about Gilman possibly getting some satisfaction from her work, since it seems like her personal life wasn’t very happy.
Journal #31 Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Oh The Ambiguity!
QUOTE:
“It was a nursery first and then a playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls” (Gilman 809).
SUMMARY:
The room the narrator stays in seems to have actually been a restraining room for mental patients since the hall most likely used to be a mental hospital. She assumes it used to be a nursery for some very restless, troubled children.
RESPONSE:
When I first read The Yellow Wall-paper, I actually did not pick up on the colonial mansion previously being used as a sort of mental hospital, or asylum. Once that was brought up in class, however, the story seems a lot creepier to me and a little less random. I’m having a hard time deciding if I would have wanted a bigger clue to the mansion originally being a mental hospital though, because I like the ambiguity, and I like how many different explanations can be used to describe what exactly happens to the main character. I think that Gilman probably wanted the story to be just as vague and uncertain as the concept of “Neurasthenia,” which seems more like a “sentence” than a sickness.
I guess that’s what makes The Yellow Wall-paper so interesting and disturbing to read though. There are no answers, which actually can lead to readers even wondering if the main character had actually been to that mental hospital before. It led me to simply thinking that confining “nervous” or “hysterical” people to one room can’t be a good thing. Since this was basically the real “cure” Gilman herself had been told to follow, and since she explains her reasons for writing the story in Why I Wrote “The Yellow Wall-paper”?, it’s probably much easier for readers to draw their own conclusions about the significance of the story to Gilman. My conclusion is that Gilman is addressing the possible similarities between a cause and a cure for a questionable disorder.
“It was a nursery first and then a playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls” (Gilman 809).
SUMMARY:
The room the narrator stays in seems to have actually been a restraining room for mental patients since the hall most likely used to be a mental hospital. She assumes it used to be a nursery for some very restless, troubled children.
RESPONSE:
When I first read The Yellow Wall-paper, I actually did not pick up on the colonial mansion previously being used as a sort of mental hospital, or asylum. Once that was brought up in class, however, the story seems a lot creepier to me and a little less random. I’m having a hard time deciding if I would have wanted a bigger clue to the mansion originally being a mental hospital though, because I like the ambiguity, and I like how many different explanations can be used to describe what exactly happens to the main character. I think that Gilman probably wanted the story to be just as vague and uncertain as the concept of “Neurasthenia,” which seems more like a “sentence” than a sickness.
I guess that’s what makes The Yellow Wall-paper so interesting and disturbing to read though. There are no answers, which actually can lead to readers even wondering if the main character had actually been to that mental hospital before. It led me to simply thinking that confining “nervous” or “hysterical” people to one room can’t be a good thing. Since this was basically the real “cure” Gilman herself had been told to follow, and since she explains her reasons for writing the story in Why I Wrote “The Yellow Wall-paper”?, it’s probably much easier for readers to draw their own conclusions about the significance of the story to Gilman. My conclusion is that Gilman is addressing the possible similarities between a cause and a cure for a questionable disorder.
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