Journal #13 – Edgar Lee Masters Epitaphs (p. 502)
Read “George Gray” and “Lucinda Matlock” and answer the following questions.
1. What object symbolizes George Gray’s life? How is this object representative of him?
In the Epitaph, the object that truly repsents him is the bat waiting to go out and sail. This is s because George is too scared to attempt things in life. It can easily be compared to a boat that has been docked and will not go back out into the water. Like a boat that doesn't want to go out due to the possibility of bad weather, he refuses to take a chance in life that would possibly that something bad will happen to him. He stays in his home repeating the same thins he has done his entire life, which is why his life is easily compared to a boat that will never sail again. The sail of his boat was not opened and his boat left the harbor, describing the fact that he did not take the chances in life that he could have. When his ship did not set sail, he lost the chance to find love, and continue to chase his ambitions in life. If George opened his sail and took many uncertain chances in life, his life would, in the end, be more exciting and meaningful.
2. How was Lucinda Matlock’s life different than George Gray’s? How do you interepret the last line of the poem?
The life of Lucinda Matlock was different than George Gray's laife in many ways. Throughout Lucinda's life, she had many years of excitment through trying new things and taking chances, which caused her to feel fulfilled, rather than the life of George, whom refused to break away from what he knew and attempt new things.
Unlike George, who would never do anything new, Lucinda would try anything she could, because she knew life was short. Lucinda led a good life, rather than George who seemed not happy with the life he lived, wishing he did things that he did not do. To me, the last line of the poem is advice to all who read it. In your life, you must live it to its true potential, or you will not love the life you lived.
3. How are “George Gray” and “Lucinda Matlock” examples of realism?
"George Gray" and "Lucinda Matlock" are perfect examples of realism since both of them deal with situations in everyday life. Both of these people described are normal, average people who face the same everyday situations as us normal people. They are two people who have opposite opinions on the way to live life, how to go about it, and what occured in their lives. Both of them are exact examples of realism because that’s what life is. They are both average people, telling how they lived their lives, and what occured because of it, which is very typical of the average person.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Journal #12
Journal #12 - “Young Goodman Brown”
1. “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory (symbolic narrative). What do the following represent?
Young Goodman Brown – He represents an innocent person with pure intentions, hence the reiteration of “goodman” He represents a young person that is naïve, has the potential to make great mistakes and has not spiritually found himself yet. Human beings being tempted.
Faith- Faith in religion and society.
The Elderly Traveller/Fellow-Traveller – Temptation, The Devil
Goody Cloyse – People who may seem Godly, but have actually fallen into temptation. Hypocrisy, Double-sided people.
The Ceremony – Represents a person’s transition from innocence to the experience after the temptation. A Baptism.
The Pink Ribbon – Represents the purity of a Person(In the story, it is Goodman)
Young Goodman Brown’s Journey – It represents a person’s journey from innocence to being tempted and then the experience afterward and how it affects others. The human’s fall into temptation, while being lured by others.
2. Identify the following for “Young Goodman Brown”:
Theme/ Message of Theme/ Element Used to Establish
Sin Humanity is Innately sinful Plot conflict
In addition, provide three direct quotes from the story that address your theme.
“There is no good on earth and sin is but a name Come, devil; for to thee is this world given”
“Still rushing onward with the instinct that guides mortal man to evil”
“Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness”
1. “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory (symbolic narrative). What do the following represent?
Young Goodman Brown – He represents an innocent person with pure intentions, hence the reiteration of “goodman” He represents a young person that is naïve, has the potential to make great mistakes and has not spiritually found himself yet. Human beings being tempted.
Faith- Faith in religion and society.
The Elderly Traveller/Fellow-Traveller – Temptation, The Devil
Goody Cloyse – People who may seem Godly, but have actually fallen into temptation. Hypocrisy, Double-sided people.
The Ceremony – Represents a person’s transition from innocence to the experience after the temptation. A Baptism.
The Pink Ribbon – Represents the purity of a Person(In the story, it is Goodman)
Young Goodman Brown’s Journey – It represents a person’s journey from innocence to being tempted and then the experience afterward and how it affects others. The human’s fall into temptation, while being lured by others.
2. Identify the following for “Young Goodman Brown”:
Theme/ Message of Theme/ Element Used to Establish
Sin Humanity is Innately sinful Plot conflict
In addition, provide three direct quotes from the story that address your theme.
“There is no good on earth and sin is but a name Come, devil; for to thee is this world given”
“Still rushing onward with the instinct that guides mortal man to evil”
“Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness”
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Journal #11
“Where I Lived and What I Lived For” (232)
Humans are adancing, but he believes that they should stay simple. He chose to live in a very small home by a pond surrounded by nature and away from the advances of human technology. He believes progress takes over our lives and corrupts us. Technolongy results in disconnection and takes away from who you really are. He tells us why he actually went into the woods and where he stays. He feels that the average life of a human is too complicated. He chose to live in the woods because people consume more than what you need, and he only wanted to use what he needed. He wanted to have the essential facts of life becausethere is too much excess in the human world.
Quote:”we do not ride on the railroad, the railroad rides on us”
“Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity”
“Sounds” (234) - The narrator explains the natural sounds that are able to be heard at th pond, but also the manmade sounds of a train. It shows how he wants to stay and live a simple, natural life without all of the noise. This shows that he still wished to live the simple life with the sounds of the ponds, rather than the noisy life of the modern man. As he amires how the earth changes, he realizes that he is not wasting his time, because he is living in the moment. Because he wanted to live in the moment, he sat in the woods and would listen to all of the sounds that surrounded him. He entertained himself by watching and being in the place, listening to the birds and other noises
Quote: “…my life itself was become my amusement and never ceased to be novel”
“Brute Neighbors” (235)
It is like modern day war. The ants are two certain peoples fighting, and is saying that they’ll fight over anything. Because all things are unified, you can see people in all aspect of nature share the same trait as man, fighting over non-important things. He is saying this as a negative aspect towards his “ant” neighbors which are similar to a human neighbor. This passage satirizes war, and shows the brutality and pettiness of causes of war.
Quote: “and the results of this battlr will be as important and memorable to those whom it concerns as those of the battle of Bunker Hill.”
Humans are adancing, but he believes that they should stay simple. He chose to live in a very small home by a pond surrounded by nature and away from the advances of human technology. He believes progress takes over our lives and corrupts us. Technolongy results in disconnection and takes away from who you really are. He tells us why he actually went into the woods and where he stays. He feels that the average life of a human is too complicated. He chose to live in the woods because people consume more than what you need, and he only wanted to use what he needed. He wanted to have the essential facts of life becausethere is too much excess in the human world.
Quote:”we do not ride on the railroad, the railroad rides on us”
“Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity”
“Sounds” (234) - The narrator explains the natural sounds that are able to be heard at th pond, but also the manmade sounds of a train. It shows how he wants to stay and live a simple, natural life without all of the noise. This shows that he still wished to live the simple life with the sounds of the ponds, rather than the noisy life of the modern man. As he amires how the earth changes, he realizes that he is not wasting his time, because he is living in the moment. Because he wanted to live in the moment, he sat in the woods and would listen to all of the sounds that surrounded him. He entertained himself by watching and being in the place, listening to the birds and other noises
Quote: “…my life itself was become my amusement and never ceased to be novel”
“Brute Neighbors” (235)
It is like modern day war. The ants are two certain peoples fighting, and is saying that they’ll fight over anything. Because all things are unified, you can see people in all aspect of nature share the same trait as man, fighting over non-important things. He is saying this as a negative aspect towards his “ant” neighbors which are similar to a human neighbor. This passage satirizes war, and shows the brutality and pettiness of causes of war.
Quote: “and the results of this battlr will be as important and memorable to those whom it concerns as those of the battle of Bunker Hill.”
“The Pond in Winter” (237)
Nature in which creatures live and flourish and only gives the answer of pure beauty, and mother nature shows her true nature through the natural surroundings. Nature looks at rest/peace but even still life is thriving beneath the surface, ready to awaken the next season. This time of year seems dead, but is still full of life and beauty, you just ave to look under the surface to find the beauty of nature.
Quote: “heaven is under our feet as well as over our head”
“Spring” (238)
The narrator describes spring and compares it to the creation of the world. He talks about the weather, the plants, his surroundings, the feel etc. He is describing the changes from winter to spring and how so many things blossom out of something that seems like nothing. Winter is dark, dreary and everything is dead, but then spring comes aroung and everything blossoms into life, everything is brighter, lighter and full of life. The earth was nothing before it was created, and something that was so vast turned into something full of thriving life.
Quote: “The change from storm and winter to serene and mild weather, from dark and sluggish hours to bright and elastic ones, is a memorable crisis which all things proclaim. It is seemingly instantaneous atlast”
“The coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden age.”
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