Monthly Archives: March 2015

Project #1

Young Goodman Brown

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Retelling

‘Little Salem Village’

Today is the day. I take the people of this Salem village and convert them, and expel the ‘love of god’ out of them. This may not be a simple task, since this village is heavily religious, but everyone is capable of being corrupt. This could be proved by the amount of people I already converted. Getting the ones with the weakest faith in god was definitely a good start. Have them attend my gatherings, go back to their village and help manipulate the citizens, making them easier to catch for me when the time comes. If I could maintain this cycle, the people of Salem will be under my arms, and most importantly, my control.

Now, I was on my way to the gathering in the middle of the forest. Then I laid my eyes upon this young lady with a knotted pink ribbon tying her hair, frightened out of her skin. I try to remember if I ever saw this one in the Salem town I found the others, but I can’t recall. I observe her from my hiding spot to hear what she is talking about to herself.

“A dear God, please let him be safe.” she said to herself. “Why did I ever let him out of my hands and make him go in to these dreadful woods? If only a persuaded him more vigorously…”

Who is this man she speaks of? I haven’t encountered anyone in my journey yet. I need to know. When she approached the tree I was stealthy waiting behind, I approach her with a greeting:

“Hello, you seem to be los-”

“AAHHHH” she screamed, as she back peddled, tripping over a tree branch and falling on the ground. Little did she know, she wasn’t alone after all. She’s lonely, afraid and helpless. This will be easier than I thought.

“Oh, Im so sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you, ma’am.”

“Get away from me!” she said. “Who are you?!? and-and why are you following me???”

“Im sorry to have startled you ma’am. If there is anything I could do to help you, I’ll gladly give you a helping hand. Here, let me help you up.” As I extend my hand she starts to crawl back, avoiding me.

“Im looking for my husband. Have you seen him?”

“Can’t say I have. I’ve been traveling alone for a couple hours. What does he look like?”

“He’s a-” she paused and started reading me, trying to figure me out.

“Here, let me help you”

I extend my staff to her so she could get up. Not knowing what powers I possess in my priceless staff, she grabs on and her demeanor, her trust towards me changed.

“Wh-why thank you for helping me, sir.”

“No problem at all. So, you never told me why you’re in this dreadful forest ”

“Well I trying to look for my husband, Mr. Goodman Brown. You and him kinda look alike.”

As we walk side to side, I tell her where this gathering is, and I part ways with young Faith, with her pink ribbon which now has a bit of dirt on it when she fell during our run-in.

I see a figure walking alone. This has to be him. Mr. Goodman Brown. I sneak towards him to hear what he’s muttering to himself.

“-leaving her like this. She tells me she’s afraid and I run off it to this forest? Leaving her to her nightmares? Maybe I sho-.”

He stops walking and looks around him. I know he can’t see me, but it seems like he feels my existence.

“I feel there is evil hidden within these woods. For all I know, an evil presence may be upon me right now.”

He feverishly looks behind him every couple steps, until I present myself as another lonely traveler. If his loved one was as easy to convert, he will be in my hands in no time. If I somehow fail, I guarantee, his experience with me will stay with him for the rest of his life


 

Essay

The point of view that the story is being told in is a major part of how the story flows and how the author wants their messages to be presented.  A tale told in third person has a perspective from an outside source that has no part in the story.  First person narrative has a character that’s apart of the story telling it from their perspective, with it being from the protagonist or someone observing actions of the protagonist. I will be comparing the narrative of ‘Young Goodman Brown’ and my retelling of the story named ‘Little Salem Village’.  Although ‘Young Goodman Brown’’s  third person limited narrator conveys Goodman Browns emotions throughout the story and a perplexing ending,  this retelling uses a first person narrator to highlight the antagonist’s intentions and how they went on to accomplish them.

In ‘Young Goodman Brown’ the story is told in third person limited with the protagonist being Goodman Brown. We follow Brown as he journeys through the woods for unknown reasons. He leaves behind his wife, Faith, even though she admitted she didn’t want him to go and confessed to having bad dreams lately. While walking in the woods, he meets a man and throughout the story, he observes his demon like actions.  The story concludes with Brown going through life in fear unable to trust anyone even his wife until his inevitable death, leaving the reader wondering if everything he experienced actually happened, or if it was a nightmare.

In my retelling, the story is told in first person with an autodiegetic narrator. The narrator is the old man that traveled with Goodman Brown through the woods. He is thinking to himself, recollecting the actions he had done to the villagers of Salem and plans of a ‘witch meeting’. He meets Faith and converses with her until he was able to possess her. The story ends where the original story kinda began, with the old man meeting Goodman Brown in the woods.

Third person limited and first person autodiegetic points of view both have access to the protagonist emotions they are going through. Since this was the case, I wanted to retell the story through someone else’s perspective, giving the reader access to both Goodman Brown in the original story and the old man’s head in my retelling. One instance where Hawthorne displays Brown’s emotion to a situation was when I was alone in the woods, thinking an evil omen was with him. This is also before he sees a figure in the distance that ended up being the old man: “”There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,” said Goodman Brown to himself; and he glanced fearfully behind him, as he added, “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!”” In my retelling, I assumed the old man was following Brown before the final met face-to-face. When the old man observed Brown, he showed similar features as in the original story: “He feverishly looks behind him every couple steps, until I present myself as another lonely traveler.”

Hawthorne ends their story in a way that leaves the reader invested in the story after reading it by having them question whether Brown’s whole experience was a real or a dream.“Be it so, if you will. But, alas! it was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown. A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man, did he become, from the night of that fearful dream. On the Sabbath-day, when the congregation were singing a holy psalm, he could not listen, because an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear, and drowned all the blessed strain. When the minister spoke from the pulpit…and with his hand on the open Bible, of the sacred truths of our religion…then did Goodman Brown turn pale, dreading lest the roof should thunder down upon the gray blasphemer and his hearers. Awaking suddenly at midnight, he shrank from the bosom of Faith…when the family knelt down at prayer, he scowled…and gazed sternly at his wife, and turned away. And when he had lived long, and was borne to his grave
” I assumed since the narrator never disclosed to the reader why Brown was going in the woods, it’s even more difficult to think if it were real or fictional. I find this an advantages to third person limited because it leaves the ending to the mind of the audience, forcing them to analyze the story after reading it. If the original story were told in first person through Goodman’s perspective, I believe the mystery conclusion to the story wouldn’t be present. In my retelling, I tried to do the same thing and leave an open ending, but I found it difficult to do with a first person narrator. “If I somehow fail, I guarantee, his experience with me will stay with him for the rest of his life
” Here, I tried to allude if the old man was actually an evil figure or just a figment of Brown’s imagination that haunts him in his dreams.

In conclusion, these two points of views have their advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on what the author wants to show and how they want their message it be delivered to their audience.

 

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Project #1, Week 7

“The Husband’s Side of Life”

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“The Husband’s Side of Life”

Beep beep beep! “What’s this? She’s in labor. My wife’s in laboreveryone, I must leave at once.” Where’s my keys, John breathe think, oh here they are. This is going to be the longest 5 minute drive of my life.

“Where’s room 309?” “Right down the hall sir.” Said the Nurse

I better slow down I’m running out of breathe.

“John you’re here” says Jane, “of course, now it’s time to have our son.”

After 10 hours of labor we are exhausted. It was a stressful delivery, emergency cesarean. Thankfully mom and baby are in good health. I will have to take over lots of duties in the next week or so while she heals.

“Darling would you like to hold him, I can assist you?” “Not right now I’m too tired” she said.

Days like this turn into weeks, weeks turn into months. I had to hire a stay home nanny and have my sister Jennie move in to look after my family as I had to go back to work.

Work has become my life. At home I didn’t want to be in Jane’s way, all she would ever speak about was the ugly wallpaper in our bedroom. She hasn’t progressed she analyses the wallpaper in a way that she drives herself insane. Not calling my wife crazy, she’s just putting too much attention on unnecessary things instead of her health. I love my wife I want her back, back the way she once was. Writing about beautiful things and places full of life.

Our son is growing, my poor child needs love and affection from his mother. I try as much as I can and Jennie is great trying to play the mother role. But she’s not his mother, it’s a lot for Jennie she cannot have children of her own. Meanwhile Jane bared a child and doesn’t want anything to do with him.

Home is dreadful, but it’s home. I have horrid thoughts while I’m away at work, as soon as I open the estates door I run up to Jane’s room to check on her and hope she hasn’t harmed herself in away. I discussed anti-depressants for her with her brother, he agreed that taking something might actually help her relax. She slept better that night, but she’s still not my Jane. Will I ever get her back?

“Jane dear please go for a walk, some fresh air might do you well” “yes darling” said Jane

Finally she listened, getting out might be good for her. I wanted her gone so I can take a good look at the hideous wallpaper.

First thing I notice it yellow, ugly yellow not a happy bright yellow, with uneven patterns. Ahh that must be what bothers her. It’s not aligned correctly. This paper must’ve shifted with the heat and melted, no one has lived her in years. That can be irritating, there’s no beauty in the room. I thought possibly with this room previously being a nursery she might want to connect with our child.

“Jennie! Please come in here”

“Yes John, please hurry this room isn’t well” she said

“That’s exactly what I wanted to speak with you about. What do you see when you look into this wallpaper.” I asked curiously.

“John, I see Jane. Jane’s somehow lost in there. I notice the yellow and how it stains one’s clothing. Jane’s clothes always have patches of yellow as if she was sleeping on a yellow stained bed. I do wish you would take it down for her.” Said Jennie.

We only have a day left in this house, maybe I should’ve redecorated or listened to Jane and went into another room. Unfortunately I now have to leave for work over night tonight. This can be well for Jane, some closure or at very least happiness that she will never see the wallpaper again.

“Jennie, would you please stay with Jane tonight?”

“I will John, safe travels brother. Don’t worry about us here?” Jennie replied

My dear sister if only it was that easy to not worry. As I worked all I could think of was that wallpaper and what it has done to Jane. She looked at it as if someone was looking back her.

Now to get ready to go home. It’s been a strange 3 months. Let’s see how Jane will be in the comfort her own home. “Let’s get going everyone, the sooner we have everything together the sooner we are out of here”. I yelled.

“Jane dear, it’s John, I’m ready to take you home.”

“John” she said

“Open this door”

“I can’t, but you can from the outside with the key” she replied

I can’t get this door open, she doesn’t sound well. I hope she’s safe and my worst fear hasn’t come true. She cannot be harmed. I need her I love her. Finally it’s open.

“What the matter with you Jane, I nearly had a heart attack for god’s sake your yellow”

“I’m free!” she whispered

Maybe I was wrong for bringing her here and I shouldn’t have left her last night.

“What do you mean by free.”

“I’ve ripped off the wallpaper, so you can’t put me back” she said

Now I understand she was so lost and confined she saw herself in the yellow wallpaper. Oh no what’s that I think I’m having that heart attack now.

 

 

Comparison Essay

“The Yellow Wall-Paper” and “The Husband’s Side of Life”

First person narration is usually the most detailed and informativeform of writing. With this narration you get inside a characters mind and feel their emotions. “The Yellow Wall-Paper” was written in first person point of view narration everything Jane saw and felt, we saw and felt as if we were right next to her seeing the woman inside the yellow wall paper. The retelling “The Husbands View on Life” was written in the first person narration of John, Jane’s husband. We saw how John viewed the wallpaper. We became aware of John’s feelings towards his wife. He loved her and wanted to save her. Only in first person narration we can get most of our questions answered.

In “The Yellow Wall-Paper” Jane comes across a woman trapped inside, “by daylight she is subdued”. Jane sees a world within the wallpaper, she knows it’s ugly but to her it’s full of life. During the day when the sun is exposed and everyone is awake the women in the wallpaper hides in between the patterns and at nightfall she creeps around learning the patterns. Jane is avoiding her family she sleeps during the day and uses all her energy analyzing the wallpaper at night. Jane becomes the wallpaper. On the last night it’s just Jane and the wall paper. She is aware that she is the only person that can set herself free, she destroyed the wallpaper and freed herself.

Then in “The Husband’s View of Life” John sees an ugly old tarnished wallpaper that has uneven patterns, “there’s no beauty in the room”. John thought he figured out why Jane has become so obsessed with the wallpaper. He wished he had listened to her and redecorated or relocated to another room. Maybe she would’ve been the Jane he once knew and not the Jane who sleeps during the day and alive at night. John was finally relieved, it was their last night in the estate, maybe Jane will get better at home, he needed her to get well for their son’s sake, but when he went to get her he saw something else  she was yellow. She was the yellow wallpaper. He saw her as the wallpaper he was afraid and had a heart attack, she was free and he became controlled.

The wallpaper for Jane symbolizes a life that only she can see and relate to. With first person point of view we secretly know that she wanted to keep what she found in the wallpaper to herself, “and I am determined that nobody shall find it out but myself”. Jane felt as if she is the only person that can rescue the woman and set her free. For John the wallpaper is just that a hideous wall dĂ©cor, that he wished he had changed. John wasn’t home often because he wanted to give Jane her space, “at home I don’t want to be in Jane’s way”. He let us know that he loved his wife and wasn’t avoiding her, he only wanted her to progress at her own pace without any pressure with his presence. John couldn’t wait to get his wife as far away from that room as possible, when he went to get her it was too late. He saw she was the wallpaper.

In conclusion with first person narration we are given access to details that are given only to the readers. Jane saw herself in the wallpaper and knew only she can free herself. John saw a yellow wallpaper that controlled his wife and he couldn’t find a way to help her. Jane finally escaped the wallpaper and john became lost in it. John loved Jane and he tried to save her, but the only person that could’ve saved Jane was Jane.

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Project #1

Farewell to My Duty

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Farewell to My Duty

Ever since Miss Emily’s father passed away, she had been staying in her house for years. I was the only connection to the town- but only when I need grocery or something for Miss Emily or for the house. When Homer Barron, a foreman of the construction company, came to the town for paving the sidewalks, Miss Emily started to come out to the town, driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy on Sunday afternoons. I saw the town people were surprised that she actually came out to the town. Not only that, but also it might be a shock that Miss Grierson, with dignity of her family and noblesse oblige, came out to the town because of this day laborer nigger like me. There cannot be any relationship between a nigger laborer and a noble family in any places in the world – even if the Grierson is being corrupted and Miss Emily might be the last person in the Grierson, I think. I grew up with Miss Emily in this house, and I saw her going through hard time after Mr. Grierson passed away, and even before that. I think I knew her feeling better than anyone else because I was the only one who had been staying with her in this house for years. It was just my duty that I have to take care of her and do anything to protect her, but I also have loyalty and compassion to her. So when the people in the town talked about Miss Grierson and Homer Barron, I pretended I did not hear anything as I have done for my whole life.

Miss Emily might know what other people in town would think about her falling in love with Homer Baron. I was sure that she cared about the town’s thoughts when I saw her getting poison. It was arsenic. She even went out to the town to get the poison by herself. If it was for rats, she would have told me to get it. I knew she got the poison because of Homer Barron but I did not know how she would use it. Is she going to kill herself? But I know she is not the type of person to kill herself because she cares about other people’s eyes. She is the tradition and the noble in Jefferson, and she can’t just kill herself because of love for a Northern laborer. But I cannot ask or tell her what to do because I am not in the position; luckily, regardless of my concern, she did not use the poison for herself.

Later Miss Emily ordered a man’s toilet set in silver with the letters H.B. on each piece. She also bought a complete outfit of men’s clothing, including a nightshirt. I wondered what she was planning to do; even her two cousins came over to the house. On the day the cousins came to the house, I overheard that they came because the town sent them a letter saying it would be a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people if Miss Emily and Homer Barron marry. When I looked at them, – they did not see me looking at them because I pretended I was just serving them a cup of tea – I felt like they were little different than Miss Emily. They looked full of egoism and prejudice that they were not even considering Miss Emily as a member of family. Maybe that was why they did not let me be next to Miss Emily when they were talking. And maybe, that was the reason why they left back to their home because they think nothing would happen. And even if anything happen to Miss Emily, it would not matter to them.

After the two ladies left, I had to clean a room in upstairs and furnish the room as for a bridal and Homer Barron came to the house couple of days later. I opened the door for him at dusk, Miss Emily, with sad smile on her face, greeted him. She took him to the bridal room, and that was the last time I saw Homer Barron.

It has been years now, and Miss Emily’s corpse is laid in this house and I know some other corpse is still in the abandoned room. In this morning I announced the town people that there is going to be funeral held for Miss Emily today. There are people coming: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house. Poor my lady, poor Miss Emily, I thought. She had been a tradition, a history, and the last real lady in this town. But now she is laid dead, and the whole town does not look like they really came for Miss Emily’s farewell sincerely. How hollow and meaningless life she had lived! But now, after I have done with all of my duty for Miss Emily, after all these years in this dreadful house, I am leaving the house through this back door, and I say farewell to this house, to this town, and to Miss Emily.

 

Comparison of “A Rose for Emily” and retelling

“Farewell to My Duty” is a rewrite of William Faulkner’s story “A Rose for Emily” in a different point of view. The protagonist of the stories is Miss Emily. While the original story is narrated by the town people as in first person plural, the new version’s point of view is only one person, Tobe. Because the narrator is the town people in the original story, the story is developed by the facts that they observe outside of the house, and the thoughts how they feel about Miss Emily. However in the rewrite, the narrator is Tobe who lives together with Emily, probably for a long time, so he is able to observe her even inside of the house. The new narrator here, Tobe, is probably the one who knows about Miss Emily the most. Therefore the way how he describes about Miss Emily would be different from the town people’s point of view. In the original story, the town people talk about Miss Emily as a neighbor in their town, but Tobe is Miss Emily’s closest person; Tobe supposed to know more about Miss Emily. Therefore the original story shows the relationship between other people in the town and Miss Emily, whereas the new version focuses on describing the relationship with her closest person Tobe as well as with the town people. Therefore the description of the relationship between Tobe and Miss Emily is more credible and detailed in the new version than in the original version.

In the original story, the relationship between Miss Emily and the town people is well-described. In the town people’s point of view, “Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” because Miss Emily didn’t pay tax after her father passed away (section 1, paragraph 3). Even though most of the neighbor didn’t like her, they eager to know about Miss Emily just out of curiosity; some felt pity for her; some expected downfall of the Grierson. The town people care about what was happening to Miss Emily not because they really concerned about her health and comfort, but because they were just curious about her. People in the town considered her as some unsolved topic which they can gossip in gathering over years. Throughout the story, the neighbors knew all the details about Emily. For example, in section 3 paragraph 1, the narrator described the appearance of Miss Emily and Homer Barron with details. “Presently we began to see him and Miss Emily on Sunday afternoons driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy and the matched team of bays from the livery stable.” Also the town people knew that she bought arsenic and that she ordered a man’s toilet set and clothing. As we can see in the original story, the whole town had interests in her but just out of curiosity. Even though she didn’t interact with the people at all, they knew about Miss Emily quite well. Also in the story, the town assumed that Tobe would know everything about Miss Emily and tried to get some information about her from him. However they gave up asking him about her later. The narrator in the original story says “He[Tobe] talked to no one, probably not even to her, for his voice had grown harsh and rusty, as if from disuse” (section 4 second to the last paragraph). The only clue of their thoughts about the relationship between Miss Emily and Tobe was his voice; it was rusty from not using it and people can conclude that he doesn’t even talk to Emily. The original story describes well about the relationship between the town and Miss Emily, but there is a limitation of carrying the details about the relationship of Miss Emily and Tobe.

In the new version of the story, however, the narrator Tobe has access to in and out of the house. He has the ability to hear the gossips about Miss Emily when he goes out to the town, and he can watch Miss Emily’s movement as well. Also Tobe as a narrator can easily express his feelings and thoughts about Miss Emily so there are more details which describe the relationship between Tobe and Miss Emily. When Tobe as a narrator talks about the scene when Miss Emily greeted Homer Barron at dusk in paragraph 4, he describes Miss Emily’s face as “with sad smile on her face”. He already knew Miss Emily had bought a poison and furnished Homer Barron’s room as for a bridal. Also he knew “some other corpse is still in the abandoned room” because he never saw Homer Barron again after he went inside the room. He still didn’t mention it to anybody because of the duty to protect Miss Emily. Yet, it was stressful and gloomy staying in the “dreadful house”, but he still had respect for her and admitted that “she had been a tradition, a history, and the last real lady in this town.” (last paragraph). When Tobe found out that Miss Emily bought arsenic, he questioned to himself “Is she going to kill herself?”(paragraph 2) But soon he assumed that she would not kill herself because of a Northern laborer guy. Later even when she ordered a man’s toilet set and outfit, Tobe was wondering about the reason why she bought them, but he never asked her. He did not have any conversation with her not because he did not care about her, but because he trusted her. Also he knew he was “not in the position” to ask or tell her what to do (paragraph 2). Miss Emily was Tobe’s duty to take care of, but at the same time he also felt loyalty and compassion to her. He was the only one who really had respect for her and cared about Miss Emily. He says in the second paragraph; “luckily, regardless of my concern, she didn’t use the poison for herself.” Also when the town guessed that Miss Emily and Tobe didn’t have much of conversation because of his voice, it is not credible because they were just assuming. But when Tobe as a narrator actually mentions that he is not in the position to have conversation with Miss Emily, the readers can have accurate information compared to the imagination of the town people. Therefore the description of the relationship of Tobe and Miss Emily is more credible and detailed in the new version.

To conclude, the original story’s narrator focuses on the relationship between the town people and Miss Emily, whereas the new version’s narrator describes the relationship between Tobe and Miss Emily more effectively. Each point of view can provide us different information even though it is about a same story.

 

 

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Project #1, Week 7

Comparison Essay Roughneck- A Rose For Emily

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Roughneck that do not care for a Soul– A Rose For Emily

WHEN this woman……. Miss Emily Grierson died, her whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant–a combined gardener and cook–had seen in years.
It was a big, frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been the best street. But due to development of  garages and cotton gins even the august names of that neighborhood have vanished; only her house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps-a degradable sight to see. And now she had gone to join the representatives of those august names where they lay in the cedar-bemused cemetery among the ranked and anonymous graves of Union and Confederate soldiers who fell at the battle of Jefferson.
Alive, she had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town, dating from that day in 1894 when Colonel Sartoris, the mayor–he who fathered the edict that no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron-rid her taxes, the dispensation dating from the death of her father on into perpetuity. Not that she would have accepted charity. Colonel Sartoris invented an involved tale to the effect that Miss Emily’s father had loaned money to the town, which the town, as a matter of business, preferred this way of repaying. Only a man of Colonel Sartoris’ generation and thought could have invented it, and only a woman could have believed it.
The next generation came around, with its more modern ideas, became mayors and aldermen, this arrangement created some little dissatisfaction for Emily. On the first of the year they mailed her a tax notice. February came, and there was no reply. They wrote her a formal letter, asking her to call at the sheriff’s office at her convenience. A week later the mayor wrote her himself, offering to call or to send his car for her, and received in reply a note on paper of an archaic shape, in a thin, flowing calligraphy in faded ink, to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax notice was also enclosed, without comment.
They called a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen. A deputation waited upon her, knocked at the door through which no visitor had passed since she ceased giving china-painting lessons eight or ten years earlier. They were admitted by Tobe an old servant into a dim hall from which a stairway mounted into still more shadow. It smelled of dust and disuse–a close, dank smell. Tobe led them into the parlor. It was furnished in heavy, leather-covered furniture. When Tobe opened the blinds of one window, they could see that the leather was cracked; and when they sat down, a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs, spinning with slow motes in the single sun-ray. On a tarnished gilt easel before the fireplace stood a crayon portrait of her father.
They rose when she entered–a small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head. Her skeleton was small and spare; perhaps that was why what would have been merely plumpness in another was obesity in her. She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough as they moved from one face to another while the visitors stated their errand.
She never offer them to sit. She just stood in the door and listened quietly until the spokesman came to a stumbling halt. Then they could hear the invisible watch ticking at the end of the gold chain.
Her voice was dry and cold. “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves.”
“But we have. We are the city authorities, Miss Emily. Didn’t you get a notice from the sheriff, signed by him?”
“I received a paper, yes,” She said. “Perhaps he considers himself the sheriff . . . I have no taxes in Jefferson.”
“But there is nothing on the books to show that, you see we must go by the–”
“See Colonel Sartoris. I have no taxes in Jefferson.”
“But, Miss Emily–”
“See Colonel Sartoris.” (Colonel Sartoris had been dead almost ten years.) “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Tobe!” Tobe appeared. “Show these gentlemen out.”

Comparison A Rose For Emily The original story

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Project #1

A Story of an Hour – Josephine

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Retelling

It was a nice beautiful afternoon, when my sister’s friend Richard came over to my house and told me about the news of my sister’s husband Brently had died in a railroad accident. “How could this have happen,” I said with a sadden voice. “Have you told Louise about this yet?” Richard just stood there and finally said “How could I break this news to her without breaking her heart. I was hoping you can tell your sister about her husband,” Richard had said with a troubled face.

We went to Louise’s house to tell her about the tragic news about her husband. On the way to her house we had discussed about how we should break the news about her husband and that we had to take caution on the effect that this will have on Louise. As we approached Louise’s house, tears started to come down from my eyes, as I was afraid that this would be too much of a burden that Louise can handle. After calming down and the tears have stopped, we rang the bell on Louise’s house.

The door opens and Louise greeted us with a smile, “Hello there Josephine and Richard.” When we went inside, we went into the living room and Louise brought us a cup of tea. As I was sitting there with Louise, I started to feel tears coming down again when I thought about breaking the news to Louise. I resolved myself to tell Louise the news as I was drinking the tea. When I finished the cup of tea Louise brought, she asked if I wanted more tea. “Louise, you have to listen to me carefully now,” as Louise listened with a calm face “ Your

Husband

..Brently


he was in a railroad accident today.” “Richard found out the news today when he was at the newspaper office and Brently’s name was on the list of those that have been killed.”

Louise calm face suddenly turned pale and she was just sitting in the chair with no expression. Then she started crying like she was a newborn baby and I held her in my arms. Louise cried in my arms for a while and when she stopped crying she slowly went upstairs to her room. As I was following her up to the room, she closed the door and locked it before I can go inside of it.

I waited outside of Louise room, but I did not hear any noise from inside the room and I started to worry about Louise’s health. I started to bang on the door and yell “Louise, are you ok?” “Please open the door.” There was no response from Louise so I looked through the keyhole of the door and I can briefly see Louise sitting on a chair near the window. Louise seemed to be lifeless as she did not move at all. My worry started to increase, as I called for Richard.

“Richard

Richard,” as I yelled the loudest I could. Richard came running up the stairs wondering what was going on. “Louise is just sitting on the chair near the window, I’m worried that her heart is giving her troubles.” As I told this to Richard I asked if he can call the doctor over and find a way to open the door. When Richard went downstairs to call the doctor, I suddenly hear a faint noise from the room and I put my ear closer to the door. “Free! Body and soul free!” I can faintly hear Louise saying this.

I started to panic and wondering what this message can mean so I kneed down and put my mouth by the key hole and started to beg Louise to open the door. “Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door—you will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven’s sake open the door.” Louise yelled back answering my cry for her to open the door “Go away. I am not making myself ill.” I started to worry more and kept wondering what she was doing inside that room. I yelled for Richard, “Richard have you found a way to open the door yet?” Suddenly the door opens and Louise came out of the room. “Louise,” I yelled with a worried face but she seem to not notice my cry for her.

As Louise came out of the room, she did not have a face of one that just lost her husband. Louise looked like she came out of a fight with the devil himself and had the face of a goddess that won the battle with the devil. Louise helped me off my knees and held me by the waist. “Let’s go downstairs,” she said to me with happy face. As we went down the stairs, Richard was waiting for us and said “Louise, are you ok?”

As we walked down the stairs the door suddenly opened and a familiar body figure was at the door.

“Brently!” I yelled as loud as I could. I turned around to look at Louise, but her face turned pale as seen a ghost. Richard tried to block Brently from Louise’s view, but it was too late. Brently stood there with a confused look on his face, as he had no clue on what was happening.

Then a thud sound could be heard and Louise had fallen to the floor. “Louise!” I cried. Louise showed no sign of breathing. “Richard where is the doctor?” I asked while panicking. A few minutes later the doctor showed up and claimed that Louise had died of a heart disease.

Comparative Essay

For the retelling I picked “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, where Mrs. Mallard is told about the death of her husband. In the original story, we get to know the thought process of Mrs. Mallard only and the other characters actions or thought process is just left out in thin air. For the retelling I told the story in the view of how Mrs. Mallard sister Josephine would be feeling in such a situation.

In the original story, we first learn that Mrs. Mallard is told about the death of her husband and how she is feeling when is told about the news. In my retelling I start by showing what kind of day it is and how Josephine learns the news about the death of her sister’s husband. I also show how Josephine feels at the time that she learns the news and how she is approaching the situation. We don’t get to know how Josephine is feeling prior to her telling the news to her sister in the original story, so we cannot assume what she is going through or what kind of feelings are being shown by her.

In the retelling, the part where Josephine is telling the news to Mrs. Mallard there are small details that get added such as how Josephine is feeling really nervous and does not know how to tell her sister about the death of the husband. We also get to know that to calm herself down and tell her sister about the news, she drinks tea and takes her time in telling her in order to not greatly affect her health, in which she has a heart problem. From the retelling, we get to know what kind of character Josephine is instead of not knowing at all in the original story.

After Mrs. Mallard knows about the death of her husband she goes into her room and sits in a chair near the window. In the original story, we get to know how the room is like and what Mrs. Mallard is doing while sitting in that chair. We get to know how Mrs. Mallard is going through the pain of losing her husband to getting happy that she gets to live her life the way she wants to; now that her husband is dead.

In the retelling, we get to see a different view of how the other characters are responding to Mrs. Mallard locking herself in her room. We are first presented that when Mrs. Mallard goes to room to be alone is a standard respond to knowing that a loved one has past away. We get to see the different views when they try to talk to Mrs. Mallard when she is in the room and does not get an answer from her.

In the original story, we know that Mrs. Mallard is going through the process of accepting the death of her husband and how she is going to live her life now. In the retelling of the story, we get to see that the other characters assume that this type of action taken by Mrs. Mallard can lead to one that hurts herself because of her health problems. The only action that is taken in the original story that we know is Josephine calling out to Mrs. Mallard to come out of the room. In the retelling, we get to know that more action other than calling out to Mrs. Mallard is taken. Josephine tells Richard to call the doctor and find a way to open the door. From that we can tell that the other characters are worried to what is happening to Mrs. Mallard in the room since they only thing they know is that she is sitting in a chair without and response from her. From the retelling we get to see the emotions that Josephine is feeling from the moment Mrs. Mallard goes into her room to when she leaves it. We get to know that they took early action in calling the doctor in case something happens to Mrs. Mallard and that they tried to get access into the room instead of leaving her alone in the room.

In the final part of the story, both the original and retelling show is a similar view, when Mrs. Mallard comes out of her room and she goes down the stairs to see her husband which causes her to have a heart attack. The only thing we get to see more in the retelling is how Josephine felt when she saw Mrs. Mallard leave her room and the face she has. We get to see the emotion of Josephine from being worried of what happening to her sister to feeling relieved that she came out of her room just fine. We also get to see that when they walk down the stairs, the emotion that goes on when they see the husband is not dead and the facial expression that Mrs. Mallard express at that moment.

With the retelling of this story, we get to know more about the emotions that the other characters felt during this situation. The goal of this retelling was to show that Mrs. Mallard was not the only one that had to face this painful experience, but the other characters also faced one of their own with how to deal with Mrs. Mallard actions in response to the husband deaths.

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Project #1, Week 7

The Pink Ribbon

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The Pink Ribbon – A retelling of Young Goodman Brown
Edited by Rena

[1] My sweet husband and I came forth at sunset, into the street of Salem village. After crossing the threshold, he turned around and kissed me with his soft supple lips. I felt the wind playing with the pink ribbon in my hair. I felt him pulling me towards the dark side but I refused. I cannot let this happen. I don’t want to go, not yet.

[2] I leaned towards his ear. “Dearest heart,” I whispered softly and afraid, “pr’ythee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed to-night. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she’s afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year!”

[3] “My love and my Faith” replied my dear husband, “of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs to be done ‘twixt now and sunrise. What, my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married!”

[4] I do not doubt you my dearest
 I doubt myself! Please, my dearest, doubt the lone woman, stay with me by my bedside to-night! I wanted to scream these words in my poor Goodman’s ear but he wouldn’t let me. He wouldn’t let me make a sound of my plea.

[5] “Then God bless you!” he forced me to say, “and may you find all well, when you come back.”

[6] It will not be well, and my dear Goodman will never really be back. Neither will I.

[7] “Amen!” cried my poor sweetheart. “Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee.”

[8] I watched as my love pursued his way, until, being about to turn the corner by the meeting-house, he looked back, with a melancholy air hovering behind him.

[9] Then he was gone.

[10] “He’s chosen…” thought I as I walked back into the house, for my heart smote me.

[11] I closed the door behind me and headed towards the window in my dimly lit room.

[12] “The devil!” I screamed as I felt a serpent tail-like stick on my neck.

[13] I turned around and there he was, about fifty years old, with an indescribable air of one who knew the world. I saw his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent. This, of course, must have been an ocular deception, assisted by the uncertain light…

[14] “He has chosen, and so have you my sweet girl!” said he of the serpent.

[15] If my dear Goodman choose to walk with the Devil tonight, I will walk with him as well. I will sell my soul to the devil if it means being with my sweet love.

[16] Just seconds later, I felt trapped in my body. I felt like I was gazing through the eyes of a stranger’s withered body. “Oh how weird this feels” I thought. I was no longer in control as I watched the scenery change from the familiarity of my bedroom to the meeting house where I last saw my love, and finally to the wicked dark forest.

[17] “With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!”

[18] “Who was that?” thought I. “I know that voice. I know that is the voice of my dearest love. My sweet husband has changed his mind. What am I to do, there is no turning back now!”

[19] “Goodman, my sweet sweet Goodman, oh do please hear me! Come take me home with you my dear, so we can sleep in our own bed to-night, and forget about this nightmare!” I uttered with uncertain sorrow.

[20] But his voice was drowned out in the wind and before long I was before a sheet of flame; the smile of welcome gleamed darkly on every visage.

[21] The fiend-worshippers surrounded the flame chanting or screaming … but I couldn’t hear anything. I just looked for my dear Goodman, as hope came into my heart, I trembled.

[23] Then, a wretched man held me with his trembling hands.

[24] It was my dear Goodman. “Goodman, dear, oh how great it is to see you! Take me away from this nightmare, I beg of you” I kept screaming at him.

[25] His mouth seem to be saying my name, but I couldn’t hear anything.

[26] “Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One!”  Resist the wicked one… resist the wicked one…

[27] I lifted my head up.

[28] Twisting and wriggling in a pink ribbon, I saw the great black snake.

 

Young Goodman Brown Versus The Pink Ribbon – A Comparative Essay

In Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the narration is third person limited omniscient. Hawthorne’s narrator follows around the thoughts and feelings of young Goodman Brown. This story is limited to the experience and the views of Goodman Brown. The readers of the story do not understand all the events that may have happened in the story because Goodman Brown does not understand the full events of his experience. Goodman does not know why his wife was at the devil’s gathering. Goodman does not know whether or not he dreamed the experiences of the night. Focusing the narration to Faith’s point of view through first person narration will allow the reader’s to piece together both sides of the story to better understand what happened the night at the forest. Although the original short story’s third person limited omniscient of Goodman Brown conveys vulnerability, mystery, and dominance, the retelling of the story uses first person narration of Faith to emphasize on vulnerability, submission, and love.

Young Goodman Brown showed a sort of dark romance with vulnerability of people whom Goodman thought were innocent and religious. The narrator describes Goody Cloyse and Deacon Gookin with kind words from Goodman’s point of view. This could be portrayed in the quote, “as he spoke, he pointed his staff at a female figure on the path, in whom Goodman Brown recognized a very pious and exemplary dame, who had taught him his catechism in youth and was still his moral and spiritual advisor” (Hawthorne, 1846:4). This could also be portrayed in “The young man sat for a few moments by the road-side, applauding himself greatly, and thinking with how clear a conscience he should meet his minister, in his morning-walk, nor shrink from the eye of good old Deacon Gookin” (Hawthorne, 1846:5). Although the third person narrator is speaking here, readers can understand how Goodman thought of Goody Cloyse and Deacon Gookin by pointing out their role in Goodman’s life.

The retelling of Young Goodman Brown also portrayed vulnerability of people but specifically of Faith. This can be portrayed in paragraph 4, “I do not doubt you my dearest
 I doubt myself! Please, my dearest, doubt the lone woman, stay with me by my bedside to-night!” This shows the vulnerability of Faith herself and how she doubts herself even though Goodman Brown still believed her as pure and innocent. She wanted Goodman to bring her back to the good side because she could not do it herself. This could also be shown in paragraph 16, “Just seconds later, I felt trapped in my body. I felt like I was gazing through the eyes of a stranger’s withered body.” The vulnerability of Faith to stand for what is right caused her to lose control of her body. She was only a passenger on the ride to the communion where she joined the devil. In the retelling of the story, Faith was a lot more vulnerable than Goodman was to walk with the devil. This shows that Faith was submissive whereas Goodman showed dominance.

In the short story of Young Goodman Brown, Goodman repetitively showed dominance to the devil. This can be seen even in the beginning of the story, “too far, too far!” (Hawthorne, 1846: 3). Just at the beginning of his walk, Goodman is already wanting to back out of it exclaiming that they have already reached too far and that his father and his father’s father have never went into the woods for such errands. It can also be seen in “my mind is made up. Not another step will I budge on this errand. What if a wretched old woman do choose to go to the devil, when I thought she was going to Heaven! Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith, and go after her?” (Hawthorne, 1846: 5). Goodman sees that his moral and spiritual advisor has chosen to be with the devil but he stands strong and makes up his mind to stay behind. Goodman makes up his mind to stand against the devil and shows dominance to his decision by standing strong.

Faith, on the other hand, was extremely submissive to the devil. The moment Goodman Brown walks into the forest and away from Faith, Faith followed the devil. In paragraph 14, “He has chosen, and so have you my sweet girl!” With just this quote, Faith lost control of her body and sold her soul to the devil. In paragraph 15, Faith shows submission, “If my dear Goodman choose to walk with the Devil tonight, I will walk with him as well. I will sell my soul to the devil if it means being with my sweet love.” Although Faith chose to follow the Devil it can be seen that she does this out of love. She does this because she wants to be with her love. Even towards the end of the retelling, it showed the ultimate submission to the devil because in paragraph 28, “Twisting and wriggling in a pink ribbon, I saw the great black snake.” Towards the end of the retelling, she followed Goodman’s advice to look up to heaven and resist the devil but she still followed the devil.

In Young Goodman Brown, it wasn’t exactly clear whether or not Faith and Goodman followed the devil. Mystery encompassed the entire short story since the beginning. This can be portrayed in “of all nights in the year, this one night I must tarry away from thee” (Hawthorne, 1946: 1). There is so much mystery in this quote because the readers do not know where he is going and why it must be this night. It could also be portrayed in the paragraph before, “”dearest heart,” whispered she, softly and rather sadly” (Hawthorne, 1846: 1). The reader’s do not know why Faith is sad, and why Faith does not want her new husband to leave to the errand this one night. Finally, readers do not know who the old man that is walking with Goodman in the forest is. This is also shown in the quote, “the elder person was as simply clad as the younger, and as simple in manner too, he had an indescribable air” and “his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought.” (Hawthorne, 1846: 2).

In the retelling of the story, in paragraph 4, “I do not doubt you my dearest
 I doubt myself! Please, my dearest, doubt the lone woman, stay with me by my bedside to-night!” Again, this solves the mystery that Faith does not want Goodman to go to the forest because she knows that he is going to the devil and that she doubts herself to stay faithful to Christianity without him by her side. In paragraph 13, it says “I turned around and there he was, about fifty years old, with an indescribable air of one who knew the world. I saw his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent.” Through this sentence it is understood that the person talking to Faith is the same person that is walking with Goodman in the forest. In paragraph 12, when Faith exclaimed “The devil”, readers understand that it is the devil who is leading Goodman and Faith to the communion.

Although the both the short story of Young Goodman Brown and the retelling had a gothic and dark mysterious vibe to it, the retelling of the story in Faith’s perspective gave readers a lot of answers that they were searching for in the actual text. Young Goodman Brown, being told in third person limited omniscient only allowed a small peephole into the actual events of the story through the eyes of Goodman Brown. Because Goodman was confused with the events of the night, the readers were confused with the events of the night. The retelling of the story through Faith’s perspective is also limited to only her thoughts and feelings but because Faith is more aware of the story, the readers are also more aware of the events that happened. When readers read both versions of the story, they come to a better understanding of the characters of Goodman and of Faith. Readers understand their differences in handling the same situation as well as the outcome of the story, answering some of the vagueness at the end of Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

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Classwork, Midterm Exam, Week 7

Wrapping up Project #1, Working toward the midterm exam

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I ask you to write me a letter addressing the following questions about your work for Project #1 in any order you like. I will then write a letter to you to provide feedback on your work.

  • What are you most proud of in Project #1?
  • What challenged you the most in Project #1?
  • If you had more time, what would you change?
  • If you could have changed the assignment, how would you have changed it?
  • Is there anything else I should know about your work or about you as a writer or as a student?

 

Describing the Midterm Exam:

Part 1:

There will be 8-10 passages from which you will choose 4-5 (I haven’t decided yet). For each, you’ll have to:

  • Identify title and author
  • Identify which concept the passage exemplifies (there will be a list from our discussion of the elements of fiction)
  • Explain why the passage exemplifies that concept
  • Although each passage and each concept can me paired in different ways, you must use each concept only once.

Part 2:

There will be 3 possible essay questions from which you will choose one to offer a comparison. This should be a well-organized essay that begins with an introductory paragraph ending in a thesis statement, followed by paragraphs that focus on evidence (in the form of quotations and paraphrasings) that support the argument you make in your thesis statement, and ending with a conclusion that not only addresses what you have written but aims to show why it matters.

In the most general terms, your essay should answer three questions: what’s up? how come? so what?

We will generate a long list of possible themes and topics for comparison that we will narrow down to 5 possibilities. You will vote on your preferences after considering these questions:

  • What does answering the question allow you to understand about each story?
  • How does the question allow you to further explore the stories?
  • What does the comparison bring out?
  • What examples and quotations would you use in your response?
  • What thesis statement would you include?

I will incorporate these questions into the discussion and homework for Week 8 so that we can continue collaborating on them.

For the exam, you will need to:

  • Study the elements of fiction
  • Review the stories we have read
  • Practice identifying significant passages in each story

 

  • Prepare for at least three of the five possible essay questions
  • Bring a quotation sheet that you can use to incorporate quotations into your essay. I will collect this with your exam. This is an important part of preparing for the exam, and of writing a successful essay.
  • Write your essay about two stories other than the one you wrote about for Project #1.

Margaret Atwood, “There Was Once” 1992

Gary Parks, “Elements of Fiction”

Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour” 1894

William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily” 1930

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Cottagette” 1910

— “The Yellow Wall-Paper” 1899

Susan Glaspell, “A Jury of Her Peers” 1917

Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” 1835

Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis” 1915

Thomas Wolfe, “Only the Dead Know Brooklyn” 1935 (optional)

Illness in “The Yellow Wall-Paper” and “The Metamorphosis”: how people deal with unexpected situations, what that brings out in a person; we could also think about mental illness in “A Rose for Emily” as a result of the way others have treated her, shaped her; “The Story of an Hour” and heart trouble (thinking about how Josephine talks to her, peers through the keyhole–through actions and interactions, delicate treatment)

Compassion: “Only the Dead Know Brooklyn” and “The Story of an Hour”: He had to understand the stranger who didn’t know Brooklyn; Mrs. Mallard wanted to be compassionate about her husband, but also to live for herself. What about “The Cottagette”: Ford had compassion for Malda in her needs and what she wants to do artistically

Think instead about women attaining freedom/ exertion of power: “The Cottagette” (good relationship) and “The Story of an Hour”; “A Jury of Her Peers” (bad marriage) Mrs. Wright ; “The Yellow Wall-Paper”; “A Rose for Emily”

how setting functions: time period: how women spoke, perceived they had to act. “The Yellow Wall-Paper” and “The Cottagette” how women spoke and felt they had to.

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Project #1

My Short Lived Happy Ending

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My Short Lived Happy Ending

I finish my meal, and walk towards the kitchen, when I hear the doorbell ring. I slowly walk to the door. Due to my heart trouble I try not to overwork myself. I open the door to find my sister, Josephine, and my husband’s friend, Richards, standing outside. I invite them in, but they both have a gloomy look on their faces. My sister starts to talk, “Louise, Richards was at the newspaper office when he heard of the railroad disaster.” I nod, wondering what does this have to do with me. She seems to be speaking in broken sentences, and I can hear grief in her voice. As she continues, her voice gets high pitched and cracks, “Among the names of those killed, was Brently Mallard.”

What? The immeasurable pain struck me like a lightning bolt. I immediately scream at the news and threw myself into Josephine’s arms crying. I can’t believe it. My poor husband has been killed. I continue to cry until the grief eased up.  I walk to my room, having no one follow me.

When I enter my room, I quickly lock the door behind me and proceeded to the window. I stood at the open window then sank into the comfortable armchair behind me. My exhaustion troubled me. I observe the landscape outside the window. The tops of the trees are shaking; it must be the new spring life. I take a deep breath and sense the rain in the air. Below in the street, is a peddler. Above, the blue sky is showing in patches due to the clouds that piled up together.

I throw my head back on the cushion of the chair, and remain motionless, except for a sob that came up from my throat and caused me to shake. Why? Why did this have to happen to him? To me?

I thought to myself. I’m a young woman, for my face is clear and calm, the lines on my face show a sign of strength.

Then, I started to feel something come to me. I don’t know what it was, but I feel it creeping up towards me through the sounds, scents, and colors that filled the air.

Now that my husband is gone, I have no one to limit me on my actions. I rise from the chair, and fall back down. I begin to feel empowerment, excitement even. Most women that I know would never feel such a way after their husband’s death. “Free, free, free!” I begin to whisper. My pulses start to race. The terror which had overwhelmed me has dissolved.

I had loved Brently sometimes, though I often did not. I tried to shake that thought out of my head because it doesn’t matter anymore. I knew that once I see my husband at the funeral, in his coffin just lying there, I would grieve once again. Subsequently, the years that I have left will belong to me and no one else. I welcome the time I will have. That power that my husband had, that bended my own, is now gone. Love is an unresolved mystery, which can’t count for the possession of self-assertion that I have just been given access to.

I started to whisper again, “Free! Body and soul free!”

Josephine was behind the door shouting, “Louise, open the door! You will make yourself ill!” I ignore her warning. I am not making myself ill. My husband was who made me ill. “Go away! I am not making myself ill!” I shout in reply.

I think of the days to come, spring and summer days, and all types. All of these days will be my own. I took a deep breath, praying that life may be long.

I finally get up from the chair, and open the door to my sister. I grab her waist and walked down the stairs with her. My newly found freedom has filled me with life. Richards was still here waiting at the bottom.

Then, as we reached the bottom stair, someone opened the front door with a key. My terror returned at the sight of the figure that entered. It was Brently. My heart begins to race and I feel a horrible pain in my chest. I grab my chest and fall, then just pure darkness.

 

 

Comparative Essay – “The Story of An Hour” and “My Short Lived Happy Ending”

“The Story of An Hour” and “My Short Lived Happy Ending” both tell the same story, but with different narration styles. “The Story of An Hour” gives the reader a third person narration. In “My Short Lived Happy Ending,” the reader is given an autodiegetic first person narration. The difference in the narration can change how each story is interpreted.  In the original story, “The Story of An Hour,” the third person limited narrator actually shows the death of Mrs. Mallard, gives access to some of her thoughts, and a view of more than one room in the story, while in the retelling, “My Short Lived Happy Ending,” the first person autodiegetic narrator gives full access to Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts, showing the true reason for her death without actually showing her death, and a view of only the rooms that she is in.

In both the original and retelling the death of Louise was depicted differently. The original states, “It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine’s piercing cry; at Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife. When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease–of the joy that kills.” In this quotation, the narrator is showing the death of Louise, but the characters of the story think she died of a heart attack caused by the joy of seeing her husband alive. The retelling states otherwise. “Then, as we reached the bottom stair, someone opened the front door with a key. My terror returned at the sight of the figure that entered. It was Brently. My heart begins to race and I feel a horrible pain in my chest. I grab my chest and fall, then just pure darkness.” At the sight of her husband, Louise’s heart began to race. She died of fear. Fear that her freedom will be taken away from her once more, since her husband wasn’t actually dead. “My heart begins to race and I feel a horrible pain in my chest. I grab my chest and fall, then just pure darkness.” This line was used to represent Mrs. Mallard’s death. It was difficult to include her death into the retelling, but her heart beginning to race and her chest pain was used to symbolize her dying from the heart disease which she had.

In the retelling, there is access to all of Louise’s thoughts during the course of the story. This shows her true feelings about her husband’s death. “Now that my husband is gone, I have no one to limit me on my actions. I rise from the chair, and fall back down. I begin to feel empowerment, excitement even. Most women that I know would never feel such a way after their husband’s death. ”Free, free, free!” I begin to whisper. My pulses start to race. The terror which had overwhelmed me has dissolved” With this access, the reader can interpret that her relationship with her husband wasn’t something that made her happy. It held her back from living her life. In the original, “Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will–as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been. When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under the breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” The reader is given Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts, but only to some extent. They’re told that after the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard comes to realization that she’s finally free. In both stories, the narrator shows the reader that Mrs. Mallard is full of joy after her husband’s death. One difference is that the retelling shows that joy in more detail.

The main differences between these two stories are the type of narrations. “The Story of An Hour,” is written in third person limited, allowing the reader to know what’s going on in multiple places of the story. “Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhold, imploring for admission. “Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door–you will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven’s sake open the door.” “Go away. I am not making myself ill.” No; she was drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window.”  In “My Short Lived Happy Ending,” this part is told in a different view,” Josephine was behind the door shouting,” Louise, open the door! You will make yourself ill!” I ignore her warning. I am not making myself ill. My husband was who made me ill. “Go away! I am not making myself ill!” I shout in reply.” From Louise’s point of view she doesn’t know that her sister is kneeling behind the door, she only sees the room that she’s in.  In the original, the reader is shown both inside and outside of the room.

In writing the retelling of “The Story of An Hour,” the main goal was to give the reader Mrs. Mallard’s point of view. This helps clear up any confusion about what she’s actually feeling, or the reason for her death. Although, the original shows this, it’s not from Mrs. Mallard’s point of view. Her point of view allows the reader to fully understand her true feelings that she develops after she grieved her husband.

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Glossary

Florid

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florid
adjective
  1. having a red or flushed complexion.
    “a stout man with a florid face”
  2. elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated.
    “florid operatic-style music was out”
    The outside pattern is a florid arabesque, reminding one of a fungus.
    Found in The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Gilman , the word florid tells us that the design (arabesque) of the pattern was very complex.
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Project #1

Project #1

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Retelling

The dream is finally coming together. The beautiful wife, the darling baby, and now we are finally able to afford the renovations that we’ve been speaking about. Sure it’s expensive, and we’ll have to be away for the entire summer, but it couldn’t have worked out better. I found a nice rental home for the full three months, and got a job nearby in the clinic.

Besides, ever since the baby has come along, Jane seems a little on edge, and perhaps a little depressed. This little “vacation” will give her a chance to clear her head, and get a little fresh air. In fact the cleaner air will be beneficial to both her and the baby, such fragile things.

We finally arrive at the house, and it really is perfect. It is set back from the road and is on quite a large property. It has the most beautiful gardens, Jane and the baby can spend hours out there in the wonderful summer air. Jane immediately says the house is haunted, but I know that is just her depression talking. It was sitting empty for a couple of years but that just led to the price being reduced, not to having ghosts in the attic.

We finally got settled. We chose the room on the topmost floor. It has lots of windows, providing plenty of fresh air and sunshine, practically the cure for her symptoms of depression! At first she wanted a room on the ground floor, but I talked her out of that in a hurry. Although she did make a good point about the wallpaper, it really is ugly. Maybe I’ll get around to repapering the room this summer.

Jane has been complaining about her “illness” as of late. What a silly girl, “illness” this is a mild case of depression brought on by the stress of giving birth. I have seen it before and will no doubt see it again. How lucky is she to have a physician as a husband?! With fresh air and lots of rest she will be back to her good old self in no time. She wants to write, and talks about visiting her cousins, but that must wait, rest is what she needs now.

The work at the clinic is really interesting, and challenging. It’s really a shame I have to spend so much time there, and sometimes even late into the night. I’m just glad that Jane is on the mend, this wonderful air is really doing her well. She does have some trouble sleeping some nights, but it’s just her nerves. It’ll pass soon.

My, how Jane can go on about the wallpaper. She speaks of its crazy patterns, angles, and curves, and how it makes her nervous. I would love to repaper it, but we are so very busy at the clinic these days. Besides, to repaper it would be giving in to her wild imaginations and make her fantasies more real. It’s really a great room, all but the wallpaper, but it’s not like we live here. Only for a couple more months. I’m sure she understands that.

Again, Jane speaks about visiting with her cousins, and again how I tell her she needs more time to rest. Her cousins Henry and Julia are very excitable folks and that is too much for her right now. I’m also having suspicions that she might be writing. It’s a good thing my sister was able to come out and help around the house. I’ll be telling her to keep an eye out for Jane’s notebook. Jane needs her rest, we are so lucky to have found such a great house for her to recuperate.

After the fourth of July, Jane’s mother, and sister spent some time here along with her sister’s kids, I thought the company would do her good, but she seems very tired out. If she’s still not 100% by the time we go back home, I’ll take her to see Doctor Weir Mitchell. He has been known to treat hysteria very effectively. But in the meantime I’m very glad Janie was able to stay, and help us out this summer. Jane has to focus on getting healthy, not on housework, and caring for the baby.

What a busy summer this is turning out to be, there is always something going on at the clinic, with lots of late nights. And when I get home, there is Jane’s silliness to deal with. Again she asked me about visiting her cousins but made my argument for me by breaking out in tears during our conversation. They’ll be plenty of time to visit once she gets better, now she needs to rest.

Last night I awoke to find Jane creeping around the room in the middle of the night. She decided that was the time to tell me she wanted to go home. She can be so silly, where would we go, the house is still not ready. In only three weeks we’d be leaving anyway. In the meantime she is getting noticeably better. She seems to think that  physically it might seem so, but mentally she is suffering. It is just that kind of thinking that is making her feel that way. After speaking about it, I’m sure she feels the same way I do about it. If she puts those thoughts out of her head she’ll be better in no time.

Jane seems to be doing much better, and is really getting her rest. Jane and I had a laugh today, about her getting better in spite of the wallpaper. I’m pleased to see she got over those ridiculous fantasies.

Boy, am I tired. After spending the afternoon, packing and getting ready to return home, and spending the whole night at the clinic, I hope to find the time for a short nap before traveling back home.

Finally I arrive home and head to bed, luckily that’s bolted to the floor and does not need packing. As I approach the room, I notice something very wrong, for one thing the door is locked, and from within there are tearing sounds and maniacal laughter. “Unlock the door” I yell to Jane to no avail. The strange noises from inside the room continue. I call to Janie to bring me an axe, I must get Jane out of there. Then I hear her speak, in a very gentle voice she says “John dear, the key is down by the front steps, under a plantain leaf”.

She is just being silly again, “open the door, my darling” I pleaded. But again and again she says the key is downstairs. I send Janie to go check before taking the axe to the door and indeed she comes back with the key.

Bracing myself I open the door, and there is my wife creeping around the room amidst the ruins of the wallpaper. I call to her ask her what she is doing. She turns to me and I will never forget her face at that moment, the crazy look in her eyes. “I’ve got out at last,” she said, “in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, So you can’t put me back!”

The world starts going dark, what is she talking about? I have a very clear thought just before hitting the ground, that crazy women creeping about is not my wife, she looks very much like her, but that is not her!

 

 

Comparison

For my retelling I decided to go with “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I chose to rewrite the story from the protagonists husbands point of view, switching from autodiegetic, to heterodiegetic first person point of view. In its retelling the story changes from an increasingly unreliable narrator, to a slightly uninformed narrator. The new version shows us that even though the “illness” was taking over Jane’s life, her husband only saw it as an overreaction to a mild depression.

In the story, Jane spends a lot of time alone, and has a lot of time to dwell on her thoughts and imaginations. She tries speaking to him a couple of times, saying she wants to be in a different room, but he doesn’t go for it. He has different ideas on how to deal with her issues, but of course he doesn’t realize how bad it is for her.

In the story there are a couple of times when John seems to brush off her concerns. She tries to tell him what bothering her, but he finds an explanation. “..there is something strange about the house, I can feel it…but he said what I felt was a draught, and shut the window.” I tried to show how he really was trying to do the best for her and really felt he knew better. ” Jane immediately says the house is haunted, but I know that is just her depression talking.” He really feels that he is making all the right decisions.

A few times throughout the story John makes a decision for them. In the original it is clear that John made the decision and she was not all too happy about it. “I don’t like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! But John would not hear of it. He is very careful and loving and hardly lets me stir without special attention.” In the retelling however, John says how “we” made the decision. “We chose the room on the topmost floor. It has lots of windows, providing plenty of fresh air and sunshine, practically the cure for her symptoms of depression! At first she wanted a room on the ground floor, but I talked her out of that in a hurry.” I feel this shows that while he is trying to do what is best for her, he doesn’t take the time to listen to her. What he thinks is right. He is, after all, the physician.

In the original, the story ends with the woman behind the wallpaper “getting out.” “I’ve got out at last, in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled of most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!” Although it was in her head, i tried to leave in some of that ambiguity, allowing the thought that someone actually got out to remain in the story. “I have a very clear thought just before hitting the ground, that crazy women creeping about is not my wife, she looks very much like her, but that is not her!”

I enjoyed imagining John’s side of the story, he is a big part of the story and the reason she is in her situation. I feel the original made him seem a little uncaring, and I felt he deserved more credit. I think he really did care, but felt he was doing what was best for her.

 

 

 

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