All posts by aalmanzar

Project #2

Beloved

Leave a comment

In the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison, it’s clear that the main characters in the novel have gone through things that have shaped them up to be the people they are. Sethe killed her child, Denver is ignored to the point her only friend is a ghost. Although these two are the main people of 124, i feel Paul D’s arrival is a pivotal point in this novel. It’s been 18 years since Sethe and Paul D last seen each other, back in sweet home. Before Paul D’s arrival, Sethe and Denver were living with ghost’s that made a large amount of noises. According to Sethe, the noises kept people away from the house, which is why Sethe and Denver never had visitors.

In the beginning of the novel, Sethe and Paul D are talking on the porch, just as they were entering the house, Sethe warns him.

…”  ‘You could stay the night, Paul D.’ ‘You don’t sound too steady in the offer.’  Sethe glanced beyond his shoulder toward the closed door. ‘Oh it’s truly meant. I just hope you’ll pardon my house. Come on in. Talk to Denver while i cook you something.’ Paul D tied his shoe together, hung them over his shoulder and followed her through the door straight into a pool of red and undulating light that locked him where he stood. ‘You got company?’ he whispered, frowning. ‘Off and on,’ said Sethe. ‘Good god.’ He backed out the door onto the porch. ‘What kind of evil you got in here?’ ‘Its not evil, just sad. Come on. Just step through.’ “(Morrison 5, PDF)

In this scene, Sethe starts telling Paul D about the spirit that’s been haunting 124 for the past few years. By reading that paragraph, you can see how hesitant Paul D was in entering the house. Paul D even suggested staying out on the porch. As they spoke in the dinning room, the ghost seemed to have gotten upset of the words Paul D spoke because the house started acting up again.

…”It took him a while to realize that his legs were not shaking because of worry, but because the floorboards were and the grinding, shoving floor was only part of it. The house itself was pitching. Sethe slid to the floor and struggled to get back into her dress. While down on all fours, as though she were holding her house down on the ground, Denver burst from the keeping room, terror in her eyes, a vague smile on her lips. ‘God damn it! Hush up!’ Paul D was shouting, falling, reaching for anchor. ‘Leave the place alone! Get the hell out!’ A table rushed toward him and he grabbed its leg. Somehow he managed to stand at an angle and, holding the table by two legs, he bashed it about, wrecking everything, screaming back at the screaming house. ‘You want to fight, come on! god damn it! She got enough without you. She got enough!’ (Morrison 11, PDF)

I believe that if it wasn’t for this scene where Paul D scared of the ghost, Beloved would of never shown up. Without Beloved there would be no book. Had Paul D not arrived, it would of been an ordinary day at 124 with weird noises coming out of it, the usual. Paul D as we know has suffered as much as Sethe. Sethe had no one to speak to about her problems, which is why it’s a good thing Paul D showed up when he did. The very first day, she told him about the incident where School Teacher’s nephews stole her milk. (Morrison, pg 10-11, PDF) Paul D on the other hand, it took him awhile before he was able to speak about his painful past. Paul D was scar to the point he didn’t allow himself to get too attached to anything. Being at 124 with Sethe helped him open up, and feel loved. Paul D’s arrival was also a pivotal to this novel because he’s the last one that has seen Halle, Sethe’s husband. Paul D explains to Sethe that Halle saw everything that happened to Sethe when she was in the barn with School Teacher and his nephews. Paul D explained how this incident changed Halle, how he wasn’t the same after that. Paul D defended Halle basically by saying Halle was completely destroyed about the situation. (Morrison 40-41, PDF) I think if it wasn’t for Paul D telling Sethe about her husband, she would of never moved on in a way. Sethe this whole time thought that Halle abandoned her when they were supposed to escape together. I guess you can argue he did.

Paul D wasn’t to thrill with Beloved’s arrival. He would ask her questions regarding family, etc.

…” ‘Ain’t you got no brothers or sisters?’ Beloved diddled her spoon but did not look at him. ‘I don’t have nobody.’ “What was you looking for when you came here?’ he asked her. ‘This place. I was looking for this place I could be in.’ ‘Somebody tell you about this house?’ ‘She told me. When I was at the bridge, she told me.’ ‘Must be somebody from the old days,’ Sethe said. The days when 124 was a way station where messages came and then their senders. Where bits of news soaked like dried beans in spring water–until they were soft enough to digest. ‘How’d you come? Who brought you?’ Now she looked steadily at him, but did not answer.” (Morrison 38, PDF)

Throughout the novel, it’s like an all out war for Sethe’s love between Paul D, Beloved, and Denver. Denver her whole life she’s been ignored at home and out in town as well. No one ever spoke to her because they knew what her mother had done. Also because she lives in a house with a spirit who she calls her sister. Paul D and Denver never really got along in the beginning. Denver gave that sort of vibe that Paul D was just going to ruin things with his arrival.

To sum up this essay, my argument is that Paul D was pivotal to this story. Without Paul D, things wouldn’t have happened the way it did. I think Beloved would of never came back if it wasn’t for Paul D. I also believe Sethe wouldn’t have been able to get over her past if it wasn’t for his arrival, and also vice versa.

 

 

 

0
draft, Project #1

Retelling Comparison “A Rose For Emily”

Leave a comment

The original story, “A Rose For Emily” is told in first person plural, my retelling is told in first person singular. The retelling gives a clearer view of Miss Emily and her servant Tobe’s relationship. The retelling is in Tobe’s point of view. I felt Tobe was an important character in the original story because the town didn’t know much about him, also he was the only one around Miss Emily at all times. The retelling is told in order of the events that’s happened.

The original is told in first person plural, specifically in the town’s point of view. Since it’s first person plural, the reader only knows what the town people know. We didn’t know much about both Miss Emily and Tobe. The town even thought his voice has faded because he never spoke. “He talked to no one, probably not even to her, for his voice had grown harsh and rusty, as if from disuse.” The retelling is told in Tobe’s point of view that way the reader has an idea of what type of relationship Miss Emily and Tobe had. Also so the reader has somewhat an idea of both of they’re personalities. Miss Emily in the original story, is a difficult character because we don’t know if she’s the way she is because of everything she’s been through or it’s just the way she is. “She carried her head high enough–even when we believed that she was fallen. It was as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last grierson, as if it had wanted that touch of earthiness to reaffirm her imperviousness.”

In the retelling, Miss Emily’s negro servant, Tobe, is the narrator in the story. I thought it would be great for readers to know a little a bit about both of them. Mostly Tobe because no one knew anything about him, aside from knowing that he worked for Miss Emily, and walked in and out of her house with a market basket. Tobe is a mystery to the town. Miss Emily on the other hand the whole town knows as a “Grierson”, the woman who didn’t have to pay taxes. In the original story, the reader has limited access to what Miss Emily thinks and feels because she doesn’t talk to anyone in the town. With tobe as the narrator, the retelling explores thought’s and feelings of not only Tobe and Miss Emily, but some people from the town as well. In the retelling, Tobe doesn’t talk to anyone from town, just like in the original, but we have access to conversation he overhears.  In my story, Tobe and Miss Emily get along with each other. Its more than a servant, house owner relationship. Tobe has been there for Miss Emily for years, and comforted her when she needed it. The original is a bit limited so the reader doesn’t know Miss Emily and Tobe’s relationship. William Faulkner touches on alot of detail, for example, “It was a big, frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily light some style of the seventies, set on what had once been the best street.” Faulkner has alot of details in the original story when it comes to objects, and Miss Emily’s figure. But we don’t know what Tobe looks like aside from being black.

There’s not much of a difference between the original and the retelling except we see more of Tobe. Although Tobe is black and a servant, In my retelling, Miss Emily treated him as an equal. I personally didn’t like the story being told with the events all over the place. In the retelling, i told my story in the right order, not the same order as the original. I did it like that because i didn’t want to create confusion for the reader. First time i read the original piece, i was kind of confused a little because it starts off with the towns people going to Miss Emily’s funeral to show respect for her death. Would of been better to start off with the agreement Colonel Sartoris and Mr. Greirson had. One thing i did like about the original, was the detailing Faulkner described. “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.” In my retelling, i tried using a bit of detailing as well. ” I heard chatter that concerned Mr. Baron. There were two light skinned women, one was wearing a light blue dress with a matching hat, the other had a yellow dress, with matching ribbons in her hair.”

To conclude this project, my idea was to give the reader a chance to look into Tobe’s character since we don’t know much about him. I gave him a voice that only Miss Emily has heard. I gave him thoughts so that my readers can know what he’s thinking.

0
Project #1

Project 1- A Rose For Emily

Leave a comment

I will be Re-telling the story of “A Rose For Emily” in Tobe’s point of view. Tobe is the negro servant that has been by Emily’s side since the passing of her father.  Through everything that has happened, tobe seems like a loyal servant.

I’ve been on Miss Emily’s side since i was a young man. When her father passed, Mr. Grierson, i came and ran errands for her. After her fathers death, it took a bit for her to accept her father was dead. She didn’t want to allow anyone in the house to dispose of the body. It took three days for Miss Emily to give in and allow for her father to be buried. Miss Emily was a lonely woman. She didn’t go out, talked to nobody but me sometimes, and for her age, she wasn’t married yet. Mr. Grierson is to blame for that. Any man that presented himself to his daughter wasn’t good enough for him. Miss Emily thought china painting classes for awhile. Must’ve been a hobby because thanks to Colonel Sartoris, she didn’t have to pay taxes. Most people don’t understand because they don’t know her, so they judge.  Miss Emily has been through alot, seems like i’m the only one that see’s that. I felt some what happy for her when she started hanging out with a fellow named Homer Baron. I didn’t know much about him except that he works in construction, and moves alot. One day i was on my way to the market to pick up a few things for Miss Emily. I heard chatter that concerned Mr. Baron. There were two light skinned women, one was wearing a light blue dress with a matching hat, the other had a yellow dress, with matching ribbons in her hair. “Have you noticed Miss Emily and Homer Baron hanging out lately?” asked the woman in blue. “I have, i think it’s wonderful she’s finally getting out the house.” stated the woman in yellow.  “But isn’t Homer gay? i’ve heard he goes out to drink with younger men at the Elk’s Club.” said the woman in blue. “I heard something like that too, also that he’s not a marrying man.” said the woman in yellow. “I just hope everything goes well between them, Miss Emily has been through enough.” said the woman in blue. Amazed by what i just heard i rushed to Miss Emily’s home to inform her of what i just heard. She didn’t seem surprised nor upset by what i just told her. Miss Emily just sat there with a emotionless face , as if in her mind she finally snapped. “I’ll be right back.” said Miss Emily. Where are you going? i replied. She didn’t say anything, just walked right through the door. I was concerned so i followed her. She walked into a drugstore, and i saw her talking to the druggist. I’m looking inside from outside the drugstore so i wasn’t quite clear what she was telling him. I saw the druggist go to the back, but he never came back. A negro boy came out and handed her Arsenic. Why would Miss Emily need poison?, i thought to myself. We don’t have any rats, i made sure of that. I headed back home and waited for her there. Once Miss Emily walked through the door i jumped on her with questions. “What’s the poison for?” i said. She didn’t say anything. “Are you okay? you’ve been acting weird since the news i gave you.” She didn’t respond, just looked at me with a scary stare and walked into her room and closed the door shut. After that Miss Emily and I didn’t speak. I would just come in and out the house running errands for her. She wouldn’t permit me in her at all. When she wasn’t there she would lock it so i couldn’t get in. I wonder what she’s hiding from me. A few weeks has passed and i was smelling something horrible from Miss Emily’s room. I couldn’t stand not knowing what was back there, so i broke in while she was bathing. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Homer Baron’s body was laying on the left side of the body. He looked nasty and decomposed. As i was turning around to leave the room, Miss Emily appeared in front of me. I was completely horrified because i thought she was gonna kill me next. Instead she shoved me softly out the room and closed her door. I was in shock because of what Miss Emily has done. She was going about her day as if nothing happened. She wasn’t even worried about me telling someone. And she was right, i  didn’t tell anyone. I wanted to because this makes me an accomplice, but i cared for Miss Emily too much. I feared what would happen to her. Years has passed and we still haven’t spoken a word, Homer’s body was still laying next to her, and she was very ill.  Just before she died  she thanked me for everything i’ve done for her. After her father died, i was the only family she had left, even though we weren’t blood. I informed Miss Emily’s cousin of her death, they informed the town and planned to pay they’re respects. The next day i let everyone in the house. As they were entering, i was leaving through the back door. It was time for me to leave and move on with my life. Miss Emily was a kind woman, i just hate what lack of love pushed her to become.

0
Homework

Young Goodman Brown

Leave a comment

“Young Goodman Brown,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, i believe is about how Goodman Brown not only lost his innocence, but also his view of things changed. The story starts off with Goodman Brown saying goodbye to his wife, faith. According to paragraph 3, they’ve only been married for 3 months.  “What, my sweet , pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married.” Faith has a bad feeling about the trip and asks for her husband to stay. Goodman Brown replied with, “Say thy prayers, dear faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee.” Based on the first few paragraphs, you can see how much both goodman brown, and faith care about each other. After saying goodbye to faith, brown headed for the forest in which he met an old man with a staff. The man claims to know brown’s grandfather and father as well. Turns out the man goodman brown met was the devil himself, at least that’s what the woman referred him to in paragraph 30. “The devil! screamed the pious old lady.” Fast forward through the passage, goodman brown ends up in a evil ceremony in which people he knows, including his wife faith, the minister, and deacon were also apart of. After seeing not only his wife but people he knew giving in to evil, brown himself lost his innocence. The next day is as nothing ever happened. Goodman Brown questions whether all this really happened, or if all this was just a dream. I myself question this as well.

0