Category Archives: Homework

Homework, Week 3

Young Goodman Brown

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I think the story is written mostly in third person omniscient because it seems to have a voice and description for many characters thoughts and reactions throughout the story. At first thought that this story was third person limited because it mainly showcased the thoughts and feelings of Goodman. “With excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himself justified in  making more haste on his present evil purpose.

The reason I was torn between omniscient and limited is because throughout the text you are able to get a visual of many of the characters and descriptions of their behavior. “They turned; and flashing forth, as it were, in a sheet of flame, the fiend worshippers were seen, the smile of welcome gleamed early on every visage”. 

I felt that this style of writing , and most especially the style and language it was written in gave it a very eerie feel. More so than both “A Jury of Her Peers” and “A Rose for Emily”  which were told in third person as well. Within the story of “Young Goodman Brown”, it seems to touch on every character. It seemed easier to gage the intentions and feelings of all those surrounding the main character and opposed to “A Rose for Emily” in which the focus is mainly centered on her. The story talks of her characteristics, habits, attitude and behavior. With “Young Goodman Brown”, one is able to get a sense of each character, and with that, the reader becomes interested in the background of the story as well.

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Homework, Week 2, Week 2

A Rose for Emily

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Emily Grierson from William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is a woman who never married. It was intriguing to see Emily become a recluse. The story is an excellent example of macabre and horror, Faulkner proves if done right you can creep readers out without gory details and intense violence.  The narration [third-point of view] was also enjoyable, I especially liked how the narration used the word ‘our’ to depict the feelings of the town as a whole.

The story started out with Emily already being dead, and then Faulkner starts telling us about the Colonel who made up a story so Emily didn’t have to pay her taxes, it is unclear what is actually happening in the story. However, it becomes clear what direction Faulkner was taking; key moments of Emily’s life in the eyes of the town were recalled and told to us, these events in turn helped with inferring the revelation of Emily’s chilling necrophiliac nature.

The first hint at necrophilia was Emily’s refusal of her fathers death when, for three days, she kept his dead body in her house. Emily wasn’t seen after her fathers death again until around the time construction workers showed up in town. She was seen around town with Homer Barron and the townsfolk thought she would marry him. Much later when she was well over thirty she was seen buying arsenic due to which the townsfolk thought she was going to finally kill herself. Instead she invited Homer to her house after which he was never seen again. Emily after his disappearance became a full reclusive and wasn’t seen again until her death (except for when the men in the town saw her in the window after they sneaked into her house and sprinkled lime all over the doors etc due to the horrid smell surrounding her house and for the brief period she taught china-painting). After her death the story goes back to present and reconnects with the opening passage. The women and men enter her house and go upstairs to the room that they knew was never seen in the last forty years. They see a room decorated as a bridal suite and see a man, whom we can assume is Homer Barron, dead.

The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace, but now the long sleep that outlasts love, that conquers even the grimace of love, had cuckolded him. What was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt, had become inextricable from the bed in which he lay; and upon him and upon the pillow beside him lay that even coating of the patient and biding dust. Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair.

The ending was the second and the most crucial hint at necrophilia. Even so, Faulkner leaves a lot of gaps in the story giving way to various interpretations, I’m sure some of you may have read the end differently than I did.

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Week 2

A Rose for Emily

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After reading “A Rose for Emily”, this story shows Miss Emily has power. When Miss Emily father died, the mayor and aldermen tried to find a way for to pay for her tax but she never did. Due to the fact she was an elderly women and all she had left to her name was her father’s house, they allowed her get away without any consequences. However, the authorities tried to find a way for to pay her taxes by inviting themselves to her house, they showed her respect by standing up when she entered the room. The men were also apprehensive to talk to Miss Emily about the issue when she had enter into room. “She did not ask them to sit. She stood in the door and listened quietly until the spokesman came to a stumbling halt.” Especially since her father had loan money to the town. Another detail that shows that Miss Emily has power is the negro man that is always by her side. “Daily, monthly, yearly, we watched the Negro grow grayer and more stopped, going in and out with the market basket.” This young man was committed to helping Miss Emily and wait on her throughout the years.

Another person who also had power was Miss Emily lover, Homer Barron a new guy that came in town. He took charge in reconstructing The South. “The construction company came with niggers and mules and machinery, and a foreman named Homer Barron.” He also became the center of attention in the town. “Whenever you heard a lot of laughing anywhere about the square, Homer Barron would be in the center of the group.” This means he is more liked which can indicate for more respect which can be shown as a type of power.

I think the authorities shows a lack of power. When neighbors complained about a smell that was coming from Miss Emily house the Judge did not have the audacity to consult her about the odor. So some of neighbors took the matter into their own hands by sneaking onto Miss Emily property and sprinkling lime in all the outbuilding. The also could not get her to pay for her taxes. Every time she stated her comment, it was firm and preserved. “ ‘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.’ ” In the story, she keeps her decision made by giving back the same answer.

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Homework, Week 2

“A Rose for Emily” power dynamic

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In “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, “Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town”(section1, para3) when she was alive. She didn’t have to pay taxes because Colonel Sartoris, the mayor, lied that her father had lent money to the town. Also when the tax notice was sent to Miss Emily later on, she completely ignored. Even when the deputation visited her house and “the spokesman came to a stumbling halt,” (sec1, pa7) she didn’t even talked back to the visitors. She vanquished them in her dry and cold voice. Not paying for taxes, and her reaction to the town and visitors shows that Miss Emily plays a role as power dynamic.

Also Miss Emily’s power dynamic is implied in section 3 of the story when she went to the druggist to get poison. She didn’t even ask the druggist to get arsenic but she just stated that she wants it. And the druggist said “If that’s what you want. But the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for.” Then the narrator describes that Miss Emily didn’t tell the druggist the reason even if it is required by the law. “Miss Emily just stared at him, her head tilted back in order to look him eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the arsenic and wrapped it up.” (section 3 last paragraph) Even though druggist couldn’t sell the arsenic without proper reason of using it by the law, he couldn’t reject her. In this scene the druggist doesn’t have power in contrast to Miss Emily.

The narrator in this story is one of the people in the town. Even though the narrator knows that the town thought of her as a duty or a care, they were not able to say anything in front of her because she is a tradition and last dignity in the town that they have to accept.

Even Miss Emily’s death was powerful. Although some were not there to show her respect, because she had been a tradition and a duty to the whole town that they have to care, the town came to her funeral.

 

 

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Homework, Week 2

Analysis of Power “A Rose For Emily”

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In order to write an analysis on power one must first know the definition. Power is the right to control the lives of people and objects. We know by the narration of “A Rose for Emily” that the Grierson last name had control in the town of Jefferson. She was able to get away with not paying taxes. According to Emily she didn’t owe any taxes. The tax collectors were swiftly escorted out by Tobe her servant, which proves she’s used to getting her way. Another example of Emily’s power was from the rotten smell coming from her home. The Mayor was hesitant to approach Emily with any concerns so instead he took it upon himself and had her yard disenfected with lemons.

The people of Jefferson feared Emily for some reason unfortunately we dont get any facts or inside Emily’s mind. Her life affected theirs. She isolated herself from society people were assuming she was going to kill herself. When Homer Barron came into town Emily resurfaced, that had the town on edge. Some ladies went to the church to inform the congregation that unwed Emily was hanging around with a man, becoming a bad example to the young people. She enjoyed Homer’s company, she did so much she never let him leave continuing her power and control in the story. Homer was powerless he was just enjoying his time with a women and his life was taken away because Emily didnt allow him to leave.

We know Emily poisoned Homer because of her outside affairs, she went to the doctor and asked for arsenic and Homer was never seen again. Well that was until Emily died. When news went around that Emily passed people were once again curious. Some went to her home to pay their respects and look around the home that no one has seen for decades. They entered Emily’s bedroom a corpse was found and beside the corpse was a pillow with a head imprint and a gray strand of hair. Emily was sleeping with a dead man’s body.

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Week 2

“A Rose for Emily” Power Dynamic Analysis

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The narrator in Flaukner story was one of the town’s people who knew Emily. The narrator lived and experienced actions as Emily was alive. The narrator was aware of many things happened that time and that what makes the story detailed and very powerful. When Emily’s father was alive, he was the character with power in beginning of the story. He was keeping everyone away from Emily, which caused her this mental illness that came form loneliness. Afterwards, I believe Emily was having the largest portion of power in the story. First of all, she didn’t pay taxes and she always ignores and disclaims the tax notices.  In the passage, “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,” (Page I, p.4) the author mentions that the sheriff has sent Emily multiple notices and even asked her to reach his office at her convenience. That show the position of power Miss Emily had.

Miss Emily’s power can be demonstrated in the passage where the city authorities were trying to get in touch with her and “She did not ask them to sit. She just stood in the door and listened quietly until the spokesman came to a stumbling halt,” (Page I, p.7).

According to my understanding, Miss Emily was that type of person who was living her separate world applying her own ideas and rules on her life.

 

 

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Homework, Week 2

Power Dynamic with Life

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Choose (and include in your post) a passage or a few related passages that highlight some aspect of the power dynamics at play in the story. Who has power, who doesn’t, how do they interact, how to they negotiate their positions of powerfulness or lack of power?  Other factors to consider: how does narration style, point of view, setting, characterization or other elements of fiction play a role in the power dynamic you’re analyzing?  Much of what was raised in our online discussion touched on power, but in very different ways. If there is a different topic that you would like to address, either see how it intersects with this topic of power, or raise it in our discussion either on the site or in Wednesday’s class

The main character Emily has power, yet she can not help the things that happen in her life. This happens again and again in the story. In the beginning, Emily has the power to stop people from making her do something about her house smelling. This can be displayed with the Judge Stevens repeated failed to confront Emily about the house. Instead of talking to her like the neighbors suggested, he sent people to lime the house on her behalf. Later in the story, Emily has the power to refuse to pay tax (partly because of her father’s influence). She ‘vanquished them’ like she did for the smell.

Another example could be seen in this passage:

The druggist looked down at her. She looked back at him, erect, her face like a strained flag. “Why, of course,” the druggist said. “If that’s what you want. But the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for.” Miss Emily just stared at him, her head tilted back in order to look him eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the arsenic and wrapped it up. The Negro delivery boy brought her the package; the druggist didn’t come back. When she opened the package at home there was written on the box, under the skull and bones: “For rats.”

Even though the druggist knew for a fact nothing required something as strong as arsenic, Emily had the power to make the druggist give it to her anyways.

The only thing she was powerless for was when her father died, and her lover left her. In order to prevent this powerless feeling, she preserved Homer Barron’s love by keeping him by her side forever.

Even more so, people are always whispering about Emily, gossiping about Emily, and talking about Emily. The narration of the story focuses on Emily in a way that tells us that everyone in town also focuses on Emily. This gives the readers a feeling that she was a powerful person, and that she was important. The main power dynamic was between Emily and life.

Ultimately, this was an amazing read! Love the twist and the though provoking writing!

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Homework, Week 2

Analysis of Power in “A Rose for Emily”

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In “A Rose for Emily,” Miss Emily is shown to have more power than frailties. Miss Emily’s power is first seen with her not paying her taxes. During Colonel Sartoris lifetime, Miss Emily was “remitted” for her taxes (Page I, p.3). However, a decade had passed since the Colonel’s death and she still believed his made up story of her father “lending money to the town” (Page I, p.3). When tax notices were sent to her from a new generation of state officials, she refused to pay. The city authorities also came to her home to confront her for her unpaid taxes but she denied the charges and drove them out of her home by stating that “she had no taxes in Jefferson” (Page I, p.8). The taxes were meant for negro women that refused to wear an apron on the streets of Jefferson (Page I, p.3), however, in the time period this story was written, I do not believe Miss Emily could get away with not paying her taxes without getting arrested by the city officials. If Miss Emily was an African American in that period of racial divide and tension, she would be severally punished for not paying her taxes. However, Faulkner addressed Miss Emily as “Miss Emily,” he never called her a “negro or nigga” woman except for the black man that was her housekeeper/maid. So, a question still remains on whether Miss Emily was an African American? Because she got away with not paying taxes until the day she died.

Another way of seeing Miss Emily’s power is when her home started to reek of an unpleasant odor (Page II, p. 3-10). The smell was so bad that people in her town, including her eighty-year-old neighbor would complain to the town’s Judge (Page II, p.4). However, the state officials refused to confront Miss Emily openly, so, four unknown men living in the town secretly sprinkled lime in her cellar door and in all the outbuildings of her home to deodorize the smell (Page II, p.11).

Therefore, I am still unsure whether Miss Emily was an African American because the town did not treat her as an outcast of society (which African Americans were seen as in that time period) but of “a duty; a care, and a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Page I, p.3). The town officials never threaten her with imprisonment, fines, or violations; they saw that they were coming on her territory and they were not allowed to cross. She was so impervious, that she even got away with murdering her unknown suitor (which I believe to be Homer Barron) with poison and keeping the dead corpse as her sense of disillusioned comfort. The only frailty that Miss Emily exhibits in the story was her father refusing her to have a mate. Her father would “drive every young man away from her,” (Page II, p.12) “causing her to still be single at age thirty” and all alone (Page II, p.12).

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Glossary, Week 1

Genial

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Genial adj –
1. of or relating to marriage
2. inborn, native
3.  favorable to growth

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genial
Paragraph 5 in A Jury of Her Peers.
“He was to a dot the kind of man who could get himself elected sheriff – a heavy man with a big voice, who was particularly genial with the law-abiding, as if to make it plain that he knew the difference between criminals and non-criminals.”

The law was sort of native to the sheriff. It can emphasized on hos he was a heavy man with a big voice and that he could get himself elected sheriff. It also says that he makes up for Mrs. Peter lack of resemblance as the sheriff’s wife by being extremely like a sheriff himself.

 

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Glossary, Week 2

Temerity

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Temerity, noun
1. excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.
2. rash or restless act

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temerity

A Rose for EMily: Section II Paragraph 1, Page 2.
“After her father’s death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all. A few of the ladies had the temerity to call, but were not received, and the only sign of life about the place was the Negro man, a young man then – going in and out with a market basket”

The sentence before says that she went out little and that no one saw her. Some ladies had the confidence to call her even though no one else dared to, just asking her servant for information.

 

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