Category Archives: Week 7

Glossary, Week 7

Rebuked

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re·buke

: to speak in an angry and critical way to (someone)

re·buked
transitive verb
1
a :  to criticize sharply :  reprimand

b :  to serve as a rebuke to

2
:  to turn back or keep down :  check
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebukedBeloved page 16 paragraph 3. “Rebuked. Lonely and rebuked.”

In this dialogue, Denver is trying to explain that the ghost of the house is lonely and angry who is always speaking or expressing her anger by shaking the house, and breaking mirrors.
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draft, Homework, Project #1, Week 7

Young Goodman Brown Versus The Pink Ribbon – A Comparative Essay

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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.

 

Retelling: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/rosens2015fiction/?p=1106

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draft, Project #1, Week 7

Comparative Essay “A Rose for Emily” & “Poor Emily”

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The original story, “A Rose for Emily,” by William Faulkner is told using first person narration.  The narrator is a member of the town where Miss Emily lived, who is a minor character not centrally involved in the plot.  This type of narration limited the access of the reader to the thoughts, emotions, setting of events and interaction of the point of view character Miss Emily, with other characters.  In the retelling of the story entitled, “Poor Emily,” the narration used is third person limited.  Tobe, Miss Emily’s servant becomes a central character in the story.   With this type of narration the narrator is able to provide readers with in-depth access to the thoughts and feelings of Miss Emily.  Readers also gain access to the settings and events they were not privileged with in the style of the original story narration.  Also Tobe, a key person in Miss Emily’s life becomes less mysterious.  The reader is able to get a glimpse of his interaction with Miss Emily inside the home.

The original story started with the death of Miss Emily, the narrator opened the plot by stating, “when Miss Emily died, our whole town went to her funeral.”   This is in contrast to the retelling where the plot commenced with the death of Emily’s father, Mr. Grierson.  The narrator stated, “when Miss Emily’s father died Tobe was worried about her.”  The original story is told using the flashback technique.  This technique resulted in plots from earlier events interrupting current events as the story progressed.  For example, although the story began with the death of Miss Emily the author then told the events that led up to the death of Miss Emily before culminating the events surrounding her death.

The retelling, “Poor Emily,” told the story in chronological order.  The plot unfolded to the reader frame by frame as events occurred.  There is however, one aspect of the story where flashback was used briefly.  This occurred when Mr. Grierson’s died and Miss Emily was in denial and refused to bury him.  “Just as the law was ready to force her to release the body Tobe appeared at the coroner’s office.”  “Miss Emily is ready to bury her father was all he said.” The flashback occurred when the narrator stated, “It was not an easy task for Tobe to get Miss Emily to relent.”  “This is wrong Miss Emily.” “He said to her earlier that morning.”  Clearly Tobe went to speak to the coroner before the reader was given access to the event or conversation that occurred before he was allowed by Miss Emily to go there.

The original story had more plots for the reader to follow.  Faulkner started with Miss Emily’s death then he gave us an insight into her life and the various events that occurred.  He gave us an insigt into her life when she was alone and was excluded from paying taxes by Colonel Sartoris.  After the Colonel’s death the new town officials saw through the made up story of a so call loan that Emily’s father had given to the town.  They became adamant that Miss Emily pay her taxes.  Of course she refused stating, “I have no taxes in Jefferson, Colonel Sartoris explained it to me.” From there the story progressed to the death of her father.  Then her life seemed to be renewed when she met Homer Barron her love interest.  The narrator stated on page 5, “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.”   Unlike the original story the retelling has less plot and the chronological order helps the reader to follow the plot much easier.

In the original story the only insight we had into the emotions of Miss Emily is when she became a recluse after her father’s death and again after she killed Homer Baron.  On page 3  the narrator sated, “after her father’s death she went out very little, after her sweetheart went away, people hardly see her at all.”  It is clear that when she was experiencing situations that made her sad she would avoid being seen in public.  In the retelling we get the sense of how devastated she was after her father died.  On page 1 while she was grieving and in denial of her father’s death she angrily spoke to Tobe, “no one is to touch my father!” “as she turned her head tears ran down her cheek.”  This is a moment where the reader gets to understand the level of distress Miss Emily was experiencing.  In the original story the reader could only imply that she was sad because she lost her father and was alone, husbandless and had no family in town.

Another contrasting moment in the retelling and the original story is how Miss Emily met Homer Baron.  In the original story Faulkner gave the reader no insight as to how Miss Emily met Homer Barron.  The reader had an understanding of who Homer Barron was and suddenly Miss Emily started to be seen with him on Sunday afternoons.  In the retelling the reader has a better idea of how they both met.  On page 2 Tobe explained who Homer Barron was, “he is out there with some niggers paving the sidewalks.”   “Tobe she yelled as the noise became more bothersome, fetch me my hat.”  “When she came back inside Tobe thought he saw a faint smile on her face.”  This indicated to the reader that Miss Emily’s first meeting with Homer Barron was a pleasant base on her demeanor.

The mood of the original story is somber and tragic.  Because of the nature of the plot the retelling had to remain in the same tone.  Miss Emily in both stories was sad and lonely.  For a while it seemed as if her prospects was changing after she met Homer Barron, everyone including her thought she was to be married.  However, this was not to be.  Both the original and the retelling ended in tragedy for Miss Emily.  While the original kept the reader in suspense about the whereabouts of Homer Barron after the night Tobe admitted him through the kitchen door.   The retelling gave the reader obvious hints about what happened to Homer Barron.  The narrator stated, “after the meal Homer just sat there as if he could not move.”  “Tobe, take Mr. Barron upstairs to his room said Miss Emily.”  “The next day he thought Homer had left town.”  “He noticed the room he had put Homer in was kept locked.”  Then the overpowering smell that reminded Tobe of when the father had died came back.

 

 

 

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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, 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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Project #1, Week 7

Jane Vs John

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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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draft, Project #1, Week 7

Project one

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I picked the short story “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin (1894). The character I picked was Ms. Mallard being the narrator.

Knowing that I had a heart trouble everyone was very scared on how to tell me the news of my Husband’s death. They tried to break the news to me as Gently as possible.

My sister Josephine told me in broken sentence; my husband friend Richard was near me. It was him who was there in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with my husband name in the list of “killed”. Richard had only took time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message.

I didn’t accept the story as much other women would have, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. I wept once, with sudden, wild abandonment in Josephine arms. When the grief final hit me I went to my room to be alone. At this time I just wanted to be alone and didn’t want anyone to follow me.

I stood there facing the window, a comfortable, roomy arm chair. In this I broke down by a physical exhaustion that haunted my body and reached my soul.

I could see the open square before her house to tops of trees that all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves,

There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window.

I sat with head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, expect when a sob came up into my throat and me, as a child who cried herself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.

Young I was with a fair people will describes me as, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength. I now had a dull stare in my eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It wasn’t a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.

There was something to me and I was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? I really didn’t know: it was way to subtle and elusive to name. But I felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching towards her through the sounds, the scents, and the color that filled the air.

Now I bosom rose and fell tumultuously. I started to realize this thing was approaching to possess me, but I was striving to beat it back , as powerless as my hands has been. While I abandon myself a little voice whispered word escaped my slightly parted lips. I said it over and over under my breath: Free Free Free! The fear that I had in my eyes where no longer there my eyes were keen and bright. My pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of my body.

I wonder if it was a monstrous joy that held me or not. A clear and exalted perception enabled me to dismiss the suggestion as trivial. I knew I would weep again when I saw the kind , tender hands folded in death: the face that had never looked safe with love upon me. Fixed and grey and dead. Being in the situation I was in I looked beyond the bitter sweet moment a long procession of years to come that would me. I opened and spread my arms out with welcome.

It hit me that I would have no one to live for in the years to come. It was time that I now have to   live for myself. There woul be nothing no longer in my way. No power to blending me in that blind persistence with men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon one another. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as I look upon it in that brief moment of illumination.

But yet I stilled love him. Often I had not. What did matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which I sudden recognized as the strongest impulse of my being.

I kept whispering Free! Body Free! Soul.

My sister put her lips near the keyhole wanting me to open the door and let her in. she shouts my name “Louise open the door” she begged me to open the door. She believed that I was going to make myself ill. She continue to trying and reach out to me with asking me what I’m doing? And to open the door.

I couldn’t take it no more, I told her go away. I’m not going to make myself ill. I was dinking in a elixir of life through the open window.

Thinking about what the future holds my fancy running riots along those days ahead. Thinking about spring and summer and the other season to come that I’m going to be on my own.

 

 

 

 

 

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Homework, Project #1, Week 7

The Woman in The Wallpaper vs The Actual Woman

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The Yellow wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a tale of a woman fighting her madness. She[For the purpose of distinction we’ll call her Mary] believes there is a woman inside the wallpaper and ultimately becomes obsessed with wanting to ‘free her’. I saw the woman inside the wallpaper as the part of Mary that was actually trapped in marriage. ‘Mary’ in the beginning thought John was loving and meant well, at this moment the woman in the wallpaper didn’t exist, if anything ‘Mary’ hated the wallpaper and didn’t even want to live in the room. As her madness manifested and she became more obsessed with the wallpaper she imagined there was a woman who was there trapped, she also saw many women outside her window who ‘creep around’ and thought them to have walked out of the wallpaper. At this point she found John to be annoying.

I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes. I’m sure I never used to be so sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition. But John says if I feel so, I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself-before him, at least, and that makes me very tired….. John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him

‘Mary’ begins to realize John isn’t exactly the nicest person. The woman on the other hand, since it is now that  ‘Mary’ noticed her existence, would be the side of her that wouldn’t notice this neglect but rather see it as ‘Mary’ being the reason why John doesn’t spend much time home anymore.

 

I wonder if they all come out of that wallpaper as I did?

This was the most interesting moment, in  my opinion, when the women was no longer ‘She’ but rather became ‘I’. Hence sparking my interest in writing from the so-called woman’s point of view. I didn’t see the woman as an actual physical being but rather the quarreling side of ‘Mary’; the one who wanted to remain in her barrier [wallpaper]. The way I see it the woman is probably just as intrigued by ‘Mary’ as she was by her in the actual story. I felt the woman wasn’t the personification of  ‘Mary’s’ madness but rather her sanity, the madness was ‘Mary’ herself.  The woman didn’t go through the same emotions that ‘Jane’ did but rather saw them happening from the sidelines and found them rather foolish and possibly wished it wasn’t happening. I felt the woman should be both intrigued and intimidated by the madness that was taking over ‘Jane’.

The woman in the wallpaper was the part of ‘Mary’ that was bound by the conforms of society at that time. This story was written in 1899 and women still didn’t have a sense of individuality without men (their husbands). Being that there was a part of her she saw in the wallpaper and frantically tried freeing it can be seen in two ways; the wallpaper woman didn’t want to be freed or didn’t feel like she needed to be freed. In my retelling the wallpaper woman was pretty much powerless she was able to voice her thoughts but couldn’t  anything to control the events nor did she have the capability of reigning the madness. The madness through her eyes was an ugly thing that was taking over ‘Mary’s’ body and literally spilling out of her (into her speech, her journal, and her overall demeanor.) She (the woman) wasn’t pleased with this and though she was powerless she did give her insight about certain things that happened in the actual story. I kept the woman’s periphery limited to what a person would see standing against the wall without moving. She, just like ‘Mary’, wasn’t able to discern the others thoughts and everything was judged by examination. The woman was a threat to ‘Mary’ and vice versa. Think of those movie/tv show scenes where they show your reflection talking back to you and voicing it’s opposition, the reflection wasn’t some supernatural occurrence and nor did you imagine it but rather it was a personification of your inner voice; sometimes you can ignore it and sometimes it can become louder and overcome your will. Standing at a crossroad in life where you have to pick whether you want to continue on the path you were originally on or whether you want to deviate from it is a hard decision to make. There’s always going to be a part of you that is eager to accept the change and there’s going to be a part of you that is reluctant. You battle between these two choices until own dominates the other. In this case, I feel the original story was this inner battle woven within the psychological issue ‘Mary’ became sick from. The madness showcased in the retelling however was not the possible psychological problem of ‘Mary’s’ but rather the desire to break conformity. The woman saw this to be a threatening ugly thing that was slowly creeping out of ‘Mary’ and she didn’t like it one bit.

I kept the original ending of the story because in both point of views these two opposing sides become one after the wallpaper/barrier was broken. It seemed wrong to change any of that so I left it the way it was. The ending was what ties both point of views together and makes them one it also showcases that both the woman and ‘Mary’ are actually the same person. To change it would give the story a different meaning and give you the sense that there was an actual woman.

You can obviously see this story in another way. You would perhaps think that the woman wanted to be free but didn’t have the means to do so but then ‘Mary’s’ madness wouldn’t have shaped itself the way it did. Or, the woman could have just been a figment of her imagination instead of a personification of the side of her that opposed to her desire to escape. This was just the way I read the story and what I thought was happening.

The Woman

The Yellow Wallpaper

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draft, Week 7

Comparison “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin

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In my story retelling, I have chosen “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin. The short fiction story involves four major characters: Mrs. Mallard, her sister Josephine, her husband Brently and her husband’s friend Richards. The background of the story is that great care was taken to break the news to Mrs. Mallard about her husband’s death. In the beginning of the story, Mrs. Mallard was expressing tremendous sadness and deep grief caused by the loss of her husband. Suddenly, the grief turned into happiness and joy after she discovered the missing piece of the puzzle which she didn’t know before the death of her husband. She discovered that she can be free and in control of her own acts. In the original story, Chopin shows more than she tells. The point of view is from Mrs. Mallard but the author uses third person assuming Chopin knows Mrs. Mallard thoughts but does not give the reader full access to her thoughts. I retold the story using first person narration and chose Mrs. Mallard is the narrator. However, I believe that this model of narration gives more access to Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts and can give the reader access to more rooms in the story’s action.
Chopin mentions in the fifth paragraph the transition of Mrs. Mallard’s feelings from grief and sadness to freedom and happiness. “She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air.” (P. 5). In the original story, the writer shows symbolic scenes more than telling about Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts. It is noticeable that rain, blue sky and spring life are tangible things that can be seen. The description of the scene where Mrs. Mallard was sitting and looking out of the window helps us to visualize and feel with our senses the future of Mrs. Mallard without her husband.
In the story retelling, speaking of Mrs. Mallard; her inner thoughts are illuminated when she mentions “I was looking through my open window to see high trees, blue sky and birds flying and singing freely. I could feel the freshness of spring and smell the fresh dirt after rain falls over it. The view out of my window resuscitated me and I have to accept the facts and move on” (P. 4). Using the first person narration to express these inside feelings gives more access to Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts. It also builds up trust in the reader’s perception. In this version of Mrs. Mallard telling the story herself we can understand better these symbolic events and interpret them as feelings instead of looking at them as objects such as the blue sky and flying birds that give a sense of Mrs. Mallard’s freedom and her new life without constraints from her husband.
In Chopin’s story when Mrs. Mallard opened the door to her sister Josephine, it wasn’t clear whether Mrs. Mallard’s tears meant happiness or sadness. It was mentioned “There was a feverish triumph in her eyes” (P. 17). Since the story was told in third person, the reader does not get an evident image of Mrs. Mallard’s expressions. In contrast, these expressions are mentioned in the retelling story where Mrs. Mallard says “I opened the door to my sister, I hugged her with a wide open arms. I felt the joy of freedom” (P. 7). It is obvious from this version which was told using first person narration where the narrator is the character itself that Mrs. Mallard was expressing her joy of freedom to her sister Josephine. The reader can have full understanding of the scene.
Towards the end of the story, Mrs. Mallard got an emotional hit from seeing her husband opening the door. According to Chopin in the original story Mrs. Mallard had a heart attack from the joy that kills and the writer mentions “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease–of the joy that kills” (P. 19). Reading this news with third person narration does not give a serious impression of the harshness of the impact taken by Mrs. Mallard. But using first person narration to retell the story when Mrs. Mallard says “I passed out and they thought that was the joy that makes people unconscious“. (P.8) is helpful to bring the reader’s attention to the seriousness of the event and the truth behind Mrs. Mallard’s heart attack.
Finally, the original and retelling story versions give deeper meaning to different scenes and passages. I find that when a story is told in the first person, it is more accessible to the reader and grabs their attention and it gives clear senses and feelings. In comparison third person narration can make it harder to gain the reader’s trust throughout the story. Additionally, third person narration rarely uses a narrator who is one of the story’s characters- having Mrs. Mallard as a first person narrator opens up her thoughts and feelings for a reader to experience.

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draft, Project #1, Week 7

Retelling comparison of “The Cottagette”

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Although “The Cottagette” conveys a woman’s view on what is a perfect or ideal household and marriage. My version “My Artist Soul”, showed in the perspective of Ford Matthews shows the views of man when it comes to true love and a perfect household. However, in both of these stories towards the ending it shows that there is not a particular way to someones heart. In addition, household labor performed by the woman does not define her femininity and a women should not be confined to the household. This promote the equality of the roles of women and men in society and the household.

“The Cottagette” as well as my retelling of it suggests a practical solution to domestic inequality by expanding the areas occupied by women. Seeing that Mr. Ford Matthews desired Malda to expand her horizon beyond the household and express her artistic views. Not confining her to the everyday household labors of cooking, cleaning, and dusting but encouraging her to work on her drawings as they were not as good as her previous works. Towards the ending of the story as well as my retelling it states,

“I want to marry you, Malda,–because I love you–because you are young and strong and beautiful–because you are wild and sweet and–fragrant, and–elusive, like the wild flowers you love. Because you are so truly an artist in your special way, seeing beauty and giving it to others. I love you because of all this, because you are rational and high minded and capable of friendship,–and in spite of your cooking!”

In this quote, Matthews sees Malda beyond people views of the idealistic woman. He explains to her that their relationship was not based on being a homemaker, but Malda being different and her true self. He tells her all things he loves about her which has nothing to do with her cooking. He wants her to be the true person he knows her to be which is being a true artist.

Due to the fact that the story I made was retold in the point of view of Mr. Ford, certain points from other characters are unable to be mentioned. For instance, the point of view of Malda’s friends Lois, when it comes to an idealistic woman was not shown because she was talking to Malda directly while Ford Matthews was absent.

“Don’t be foolish, child,” said Lois, “this is serious. What they care for most after all is domesticity. Of course they’ll fall in love with anything; but what they want to marry is a homemaker.”

Since Malda felt as though Lois had the experience of marriage she felt as though she should trust what her dear friend has told her. Although Lois has experience when it comes to marriage, she also has experience when it comes to divorce. From this information, I infer that Lois may not have complete knowledge as to everything required to keep a healthy marriage. Malda should have kept this in mind and known that Mr. Matthews loved her for who she truly is and not what she does in the household.

In my retold version to promote the equality of Ford and Malda in their relationship, I had Ford suggest that they complete a project together showing that both of their artistic views are of high quality.

“Malda always shows a way of how passionate she was as an artist…We all like music, which was a powerful statement to us. I asked her if she would work with me on a piece for a project about her interest in art. But, it never came about.”

In this quote, it shows that Mr.Matthews was interested in Malda’s intellect. He admits that he likes her work by wanting to work with her. This was a way they both have similar or mutual work ethnicity. He did not worry about if she was able to cook and clean, he liked Malda because she had a desire of making something out of her life. As stated towards the ending of both of the stories. He technically tells her that he would love her unconditionally or no matter what she does, but he would prefer she would follow her dreams at being an artist and showing her talent to the world. In both versions he told her about his experience with domestic work and he wouldn’t give up following his artistic dream to cook and he wouldn’t want her to either. He goes on to say

“What would you think of me if I gave up my hard long years of writing for the easy competence of a well-paid cook!”

In conclusion, there are noticeable differences between the retold version and the original version. Most of these differences stem from the change in narration from Malda’s point of view to Ford’s point of view. By changing the point of view, we are able to enhance the understanding of Ford’s feelings towards Malda for the reader. In both versions we see the different relationships with Lois. In addition, with the retold version you are able to get a better sense of understanding from another character’s perspective about what they have been thinking or wondering from another angle.

 

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