Blog Seven "Fences"

The title of the play Fences by August Wilson has several meanings. It has a literal meaning because throughout the play Troy and Cory spend a majority of their time together building a fence. The fence can have a symbolic meaning because Troy struggles to keep himself away from everyone else; he wants to separate himself from things. This is evident in the text that follows:

Cory: “Tell mama I’ll be back fir my tings.”

Troy: They’ll be on the other side of that fence.” (2.4.110-2.4.111)

In this texts Troy uses the fence as an actual physical barrier between him and his son.

Troy also uses the fence as a way to guard himself from death. When troy learns that Alberta has died in childbirth, he cries out:

“All right…Mr. Death…see now…I’m gonna tell you what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna take and build me a fence around this yard see? I’m gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me. And then I want you to stay on the other side.” (2.2.55)

The fence symbolizes that Troy will fight and resist death.

Throughout the play Troy uses the fence to keep people out, but his wife Rose uses the fence to keep things in. This is evident in the text that follows:

Cory: “I don’t see why Mama want a fence around the yard nowadays.”

Troy: “Damn if I knew wither. What the hell she keeping out with it. She ain’t got nothing nobody want.”

Bono: “Some people build fences to keep people out…and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you.” (2.1.30-2.1.32)

Bono helps Troy to see that the fence can also be used to keep people in. Rose sees that Troy and Cory are growing apart, and she uses the fence as a way for them to bond. She is afraid of losing her family. It is evident to her that Troy has different motives for building the fence. In the end the fence that Troy builds does him more ham than good.

Blog Six A Man of Pure Evil

Claudius comes off as an evil person in the story. He has an inner struggle between good and evil, and it seems that evil always wins. Claudius is in constant need to gain more power and doesn’t care about what morals he loses along the way. Claudius attempts to portray himself as a good man, yet he constantly contradicts himself. When his brother The King dies, Claudius delivers a speech in which he describes the pain and sadness he feels over the death of his brother. His need for power overrides any loyalty to his brother. Not even a month has passed since his brother’s death, and he has already remarried his wife. He attempts to portray himself as a man who fears confrontation, but in fact his actions are one of a coward. In the beginning of the story Claudius has such a great fear about going to battle with his brother The King, and instead takes action by poisoning him in his sleep. He attempts to show empathy towards Hamlet by comforting him, but instead his actions come off as ignorant and controlling. Hamlet is distraught by the death of his father and by his mother’s incestuous marriage to his uncle. Claudius shows no restraint when showing affection towards Gertrude. He rubs it in Hamlet’s face and doesn’t care about the negative feelings Hamlet has towards their marriage. He speaks to Hamlet as though he were a child. He tells Hamlet that he needs to get over his father’s death, that it is a part of life. In short, Claudius tells Hamlet to stop being a child and grow up. Claudius lacks the capability to show any empathy for Hamlet and the tragedy that he feels over losing his father. Claudius also used the people around him to get what he wants. He will stop at nothing and will sacrifice everything to gain more power. Claudius uses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet.  He once again uses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany Hamlet to England, where he has already planned to have him murdered. Lastly Claudius is also at fault for the death of his wife Gertrude. In Act 5Scene II Line 273 “The Queen carouses to thy fortune.”  The Queen accidentally drinks the poison that was actually intended for Hamlet. Not even at this moment does Claudius make any effort to save the life of his wife. Throughout the story Claudius shows his true colors, he is a conniving and deceitful man who will stop at nothing to be powerful.

Blog Five For the Love of a Father

Hamlet is very disturbed and upset when he came to know about the death of his father. He is filled with grief and is overwhelmed with feelings of anger for his mother and his uncle. His anger is felt even more when his mother remarries only a short time after the King’s death. It seems to Hamlet that his mother never mourned her late husband’s death and didn’t care about him. Hamlet’s mother remarries Claudius, and Hamlet feels that this is a sign of disrespect to his father and fills him with rage. His mother’s statement greatly troubles Hamlet, “Good Hamlet cast thy knighted colour off” (1.2.68). His mother is trying to urge Hamlet to move on from the tragic events and no longer mourn the death of his father. When Hamlet speaks with the ghost it further fuels his desire for revenge. The ghost explains to him “I am thy father’s spirit doomed for certain term to walk the night and for the day confined to fast in fires” (1.5.10). The ghost of Hamlet’s father is destined to suffer, and this fills Hamlet with rage and sadness. The ghost also urges Hamlet to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.25) It is at this moment that it is revealed to Hamlet that his father was murdered. The ghost also reveals to Hamlet who his killer is “Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebona in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pour.” The ghost has revealed to Hamlet that it is his uncle Claudius who is responsible for the death of his father. Hamlet already disapproves of his mother and uncle’s incestuous marriage, and now that he realizes that his uncle is at fault for the death of his father he is determined to seek revenge.

Blog Entry Four Searching For Love

In the short stories “The Lady with the Pet Dog”, by Anton Chekhov and “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter”, by D.H. Lawrence we are sent on two separate journeys of finding love. In Chekhov’s story we are introduced to Dmitritch Gurov. Gurov is a self-proclaimed ladies man. He is married, yet finds himself no longer in love with his wife. He seems proud of the fact that he has cheated countless on times on his wife. Although he no longer loves her he feels trapped because he cannot live without women, yet he feels an inner hatred for them. “It seemed to him that he had been so schooled by bitter experience that he might call them what he liked, and yet he could not get on for two days together without ‘the lower race’ “ (Chekhov).  Gurov uses women to fill the void he has within, and toys with their emotions. He meets a young lady by the name of Anna Sergeyevena, who at first he wants solely because she will meet his sexual and emotional needs, but upon spending time with her he realizes that his feelings for her are growing stronger. Sergeyevena is a married woman who also finds herself no longer in love with her husband. At first their interactions are innocent, but overtime their encounters are becoming more intimate and eventually find themselves having an affair. When Sergeyevena leaves, Gurov begins to realize that he is in love with her, and that she is all he thinks about. “When he shut his eyes he saw her as though she was; and he imagines himself finer than he had been in Yalta”. Gurov began with the intentions of using her and then doing away with her, but he had fallen in love. I believe the message being told is to never lose hope in trying to find love. Gurov had lost all hope in his marriage, but when he met Sergeyevena he was able to find love again.

In D.H. Lawrence short story “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter”, we are introduced to Mabel and Jack. Mabel is a young woman, stricken with grief after the death of her father, and Jack is a doctor. In the beginning of the story, I was under the impression that Mabel and Jack hated each other.  As the story progresses it becomes evident that Jack has romantic feelings Mabel, “He followed her minutely as she moved direct and intent. Like something transmitted rather than stirring in voluntary activity.” (Lawrence) Jack watches her and saves her when she jumps into the pond, in an attempt to kill herself. After spending time alone, they begin to reveal their true feelings for one another, “You love me?” she said, rather faltering. (Lawrence) “Yes.” The word cost him a painful effort. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it was too newly true, the saying seemed to tear open again his newly-torn heart.” Mabel and Jack have are both lonely and in pain, and have found love and comfort in one another.

The statement both authors are attempting  to make about love is, it is never too late to find love .In Chekhov’s story the characters have fallen out of love with their partners and have managed to find love with one another. In Lawrence’s short story the characters are alone, and find comfort and love in one another. Although the approach is different, the need is the same; all four character are in search of love.

Irony Blog Three

Irony is a technique that writers use to set up expectations in the readers mind. In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, he uses both verbal and dramatic irony several times throughout the story to build suspense, and to foreshadow future events in the story for the reader. An example of irony in Poe’s short story would be the character Fortunato’s name. Fortunato’s name is Italian and the translation of his name stands for good fortune and luck. However, it is evident throughout the story that Fortunato is anything but fortunate or lucky. In reality, Fortunato is going to his death. Another example in the story where Poe used irony is when Montresor pretends to be concerned about the cough that Fortunato has. As both Montresor and Fortunato make their way deeper and deeper into the vaults, Montresor says, “We will go back. Your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, and beloved; you are happy as I once was. You are a man to be missed.” (Poe) Fortunato then replies to Montresor that he should not worry about his cough, “The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I will not die of a cough.” (Poe). Montresor then replies to Fortunato, “True-True.” (Poe). At this point in the story it becomes evident to the reader that Montresor is plotting the death of Fortunato.

In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour" we can also find several examples of irony. Mrs. Mallard is an older lady who is told tragic news that her husband has been killed in a train accident. Upon hearing of the death of her husband Mrs. Mallard leaves to her room by herself, and everyone believes that she is completely distraught and mourning the death of her husband, when in reality she is overjoyed upon hearing of his death, “It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.” (Chopin). It seems that her husband was an overbearing man who never let his wife accomplish the things she wanted to do in her life. Another example of irony in the story is the weather, outside it is bright, warm and beautiful which is completely opposite of the situation of her husbands death and the grief that people are meant to be experiencing when faced with such a tragic event in their life. Yet another example of irony in the story is the death of Mrs. Mallard. At the beginning of the story the reader is told of her present heart problems. At the end of the story as Mrs. Mallard is coming down the stairs she is shocked to see her husband walk in through the door, and upon seeing him she dies of heart disease.

In conclusion, both Poe and Chopin used irony effectively throughout their stories.

A Writer is Born Blog Entry Two

In the short story “How to Become a Writer” by Lorrie Moore we are introduced to a young girl by the name of Francie, who by chance and certain circumstances discovers her true passion for writing. Throughout the short story it is clear that the author Lorrie Moore is writing about herself, and all the struggles, criticism and career choices she contemplated on, before finally realizing that writing was a skill she possessed and enjoyed doing. The tension that is created in the story is between Francie, the narrator, and all the people she encountered throughout her life who criticized her choice of becoming a writer. The story would not have been as effective and successful had the author used a different point of view. By using the second point of view, the author is able to engage the reader and have them believe that Francie is speaking about them and the steps that they should take if they want to become a writer.

  

    Francie encounters countless times of tension throughout the story. The tension is between her mother, classmates, and professors. For the most they all try to discourage her from the dreams she has to become a writer. Her classmates, mother and professors all try to discourage Francie from the dream she has to become a writer, “You have to think about what is happening. Where is the story here?” (Moore), or “Francie, Francie, remember when you were going to be a child psychology major?” (Moore)  Throughout all this turmoil and conflict Francie refuses to give up on her dream.

   Throughout the story the point of view that is used, makes the reader believe that they are being spoken directly to by the narrator. With phrases like, “Decide that you like college life,”(Moore) or “You will continue, unfortunately, to view the world in exactly these terms for the rest of your life.” (Moore). Slowly throughout the story it becomes evident that the narrator is not speaking to the reader, but she is telling her personal life story in a humorous tone. She tells her story to the reader in a sarcastic manner, making fun of the idea that a person would actually believe there are steps taken, in order to become a writer. The title of the story “How to Become a Writer”, makes fun of the very thought that a writer can be made, the narrator is actually trying to insinuate that a great writer is born and not made.  

   In conclusion, a different point of view would have changed the story dramatically. A different point of view would have been impersonal, and would not have connected the narrators own struggles with similar hardships that the reader may have encountered throughout their own personal life.