13th posting
9.05 p.m. 1st of September 2008
Even though we know that Miss. Emily is a proud woman, the tone of the narrator is very sympathetic towards her. She is pitied upon even though there is a touch of madness in her. The narrator cleverly takes the readers back and forth so that they will understand and see the character from a point of view and this is a skill that is normally very difficult to put into effect in a story that makes it a page turner.
Miss. Emily's unchangeable ways due to her aristocratic lineage made things very difficult for her without her realizing it. The tax collection part simply showed that she is very aloof and never takes the initiative to wake up and smell the coffee regarding the time change. She still sticks to what Colonel Sartoris had said during her father's time and is very adamant with the 'promise' that Colonel Sartoris made even if the 'promise' has been outdated, obsolete and with Colonel Sartoris being long dead. She is so stubborn when the drug store clerk told her that she needed to tell him what the poison she wanted is needed for, she simply stared at him as if she knows best and need not be questioned as she is one of the most important figure in the society. Her unwillingness to change was further understood from the way she keeps her house, so worn down and rickety. Not only that, due to her attitude and stubbornness, loneliness has caused her, her mental peace as she always feels insecure about her life entirely, whether when she was with her father or after her father's death.
Because of her insecurity and her aloofness and scores of other negative attitudes in her, she has chased away the very few visitors that often visited her. Here, her morality declined as she was turning into a very bitter woman.
The narrator's tone throughout the story is remarkable because he keeps us guessing on what is going to happen next. I had a tough time guessing on the outcome. I had many possibilities running through my mind but nothing seem prepared me for what I was about to find out. The narrator keeps his distance but is never precisely identified. There is an internal conflict which the narrator wants to convey. What a fantastic way to keep the readers glued to the story!
Stay tuned because there is more to be found out.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Position Paper on William Faulkner's ' A Rose for Emily'
12th posting
11.15 a.m. 1st Sept 2008
Lets see what William Faulkner has to offer. I chose one of his short stories ' A Rose For Emily' for my position paper. This story has become one of my most loved stories after I was introduced to it by Assoc. Professor Dr. Rosli Talif. This was how my interest in Literature deepened. The narrator of this story is a non participant narrator and I am again fascinated with the diction used by the author to write this story. It is easy to understand and makes one's reading a pleasure. Now I am given the opportunity by Assoc. Professor Dr. Edwin M. Vethamani to find what is the thesis statement and 5 points of argument and what's more fantastic is that I am given a choice to select a story at my own pleasure. So obviously, I selected one of my favourites, the above title and these are the outcomes:
Thesis Statement: 'Unwilling to change with times due to her stubbornness and pride that led to the acceleration of her moral decadence and Mental Decline'
The five points of arguments why I said so to support my position paper are 1)Point 1- Tax Collection (2)Point 2 – The Visit To The Drug Store That Shows Her Stubbornness (3)Point 3- Emily’s House (4)Point 4- Emily’s Mental Decline and (5)Point 5- Emily’s Decadence in Morality. I have mentioned about this in my 3rd blog.
In the horror story ‘Rose for Emily’, William Faulkner portrayed Emily’s character as a woman who is full of pride and always defying and denying about anything and everything due to her aloofness and her aristocratic lineage. She is a lady of some social standing in that Southern community. She has deemed herself to adhere certain stringent rules that her father and forefathers have instilled in the upbringing of her family as how aristocratic Southerners would have practiced. She is described as a grand lady who never gives away her pride. She does not let go of her past and she can’t seem to come to terms about many things and stays aloof throughout the story. Some might consider her to be abnormal or mad such as when her father passed away, it was a devastating loss for her.
The lines from the story “She told them her father was not dead. She did that for three days,” (Scene II, 11th paragraph ,p.32) conveys the message that she tried to hold on to him, even after his death. Even though, this was a sad moment for Emily, but she was liberated from the control of her father. Despite her newfound freedom, her whole life came to a halt after the death of her father. Nevertheless, she remained much as a person who earns the peoples’ respect. This can be noted from the opening statement by the author describing Emily as “a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument” (Scene 1, 1st paragraph, p. 29)
The other character is Homer Baron who is described as a foreman and a Northerner. He was a day labourer and was courting Miss. Emily which the town's people were not happy at all because he had this weird attachment to men and boys.
I am so excited and I can't wait to tell you more about my findings in my 13th posting.
11.15 a.m. 1st Sept 2008
Lets see what William Faulkner has to offer. I chose one of his short stories ' A Rose For Emily' for my position paper. This story has become one of my most loved stories after I was introduced to it by Assoc. Professor Dr. Rosli Talif. This was how my interest in Literature deepened. The narrator of this story is a non participant narrator and I am again fascinated with the diction used by the author to write this story. It is easy to understand and makes one's reading a pleasure. Now I am given the opportunity by Assoc. Professor Dr. Edwin M. Vethamani to find what is the thesis statement and 5 points of argument and what's more fantastic is that I am given a choice to select a story at my own pleasure. So obviously, I selected one of my favourites, the above title and these are the outcomes:
Thesis Statement: 'Unwilling to change with times due to her stubbornness and pride that led to the acceleration of her moral decadence and Mental Decline'
The five points of arguments why I said so to support my position paper are 1)Point 1- Tax Collection (2)Point 2 – The Visit To The Drug Store That Shows Her Stubbornness (3)Point 3- Emily’s House (4)Point 4- Emily’s Mental Decline and (5)Point 5- Emily’s Decadence in Morality. I have mentioned about this in my 3rd blog.
In the horror story ‘Rose for Emily’, William Faulkner portrayed Emily’s character as a woman who is full of pride and always defying and denying about anything and everything due to her aloofness and her aristocratic lineage. She is a lady of some social standing in that Southern community. She has deemed herself to adhere certain stringent rules that her father and forefathers have instilled in the upbringing of her family as how aristocratic Southerners would have practiced. She is described as a grand lady who never gives away her pride. She does not let go of her past and she can’t seem to come to terms about many things and stays aloof throughout the story. Some might consider her to be abnormal or mad such as when her father passed away, it was a devastating loss for her.
The lines from the story “She told them her father was not dead. She did that for three days,” (Scene II, 11th paragraph ,p.32) conveys the message that she tried to hold on to him, even after his death. Even though, this was a sad moment for Emily, but she was liberated from the control of her father. Despite her newfound freedom, her whole life came to a halt after the death of her father. Nevertheless, she remained much as a person who earns the peoples’ respect. This can be noted from the opening statement by the author describing Emily as “a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument” (Scene 1, 1st paragraph, p. 29)
The other character is Homer Baron who is described as a foreman and a Northerner. He was a day labourer and was courting Miss. Emily which the town's people were not happy at all because he had this weird attachment to men and boys.
I am so excited and I can't wait to tell you more about my findings in my 13th posting.
Kate Chopin's 'The Storm' - That's a Wrap
11th posting
1.15 a.m. 1st Sept 2008
Gosh! Look at the time! But I am not sleepy yet, you know.
Before I wrap up my research on Kate Chopin's ' The Storm' and move on to William Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily' which I have done for my position paper, let me summarize the main events for easy understanding.
In the story ' The Storm', we are first made aware of the impending bad weather. Due to that, Calixta's husband, Bobinot and their son, Bibi were not able to go home as planned but forced to stay back at the store. In the meantime, at home, Calixta becomes aware of the storm and gets ready while, Mr. Alcee Laballiere rides in for shelter. Calixta is unaware of another kind of 'storm' which is about to hit her.
Even though in the beginning, Mr.Alcee and Calixta are very civil to each other but as the storm progresses, one touch leads to another and they become intimate. They recall a short fling in Assumption five years ago when Calixta was unmarried and later due to mutual attraction, had a passionate affair. Calixta and M'siur Alcee parted as the storm ends. Calixta's husband, Bobinot together with their son, Bibi came home expecting Calixta to be over scrupulous as usual, but on the other hand, she seemed concerned and only happy that they are back safely. They had a small celebration with the shrimps Bobinot had bought for her. In the mean time, Mr. Alcee writes a loving letter to his wife Clarisse to stay longer at the bay and that he is getting along well and misses her and their children. Kate Chopin leaves us to infer the underlying meaning of that 'loving letter'.
Well that's about it for the research paper that I did on Kate Chopin's ' The Storm'. I must say I had a wonderful time reading this short story over and over again, all for the sake of my fascination on Chopin's diction. I am always at awe as to how Chopin put her words depicting all the details very clearly and in a very real and spontaneous tone. As I am reading page by page, I just didn't have any idea as to what's going to happen in the next line because of the suspense and thrill that she puts into her story in the way she did.
Sleepy or not, I have to retire anyhow. Will start telling you about my position paper after some hours okay.
1.15 a.m. 1st Sept 2008
Gosh! Look at the time! But I am not sleepy yet, you know.
Before I wrap up my research on Kate Chopin's ' The Storm' and move on to William Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily' which I have done for my position paper, let me summarize the main events for easy understanding.
In the story ' The Storm', we are first made aware of the impending bad weather. Due to that, Calixta's husband, Bobinot and their son, Bibi were not able to go home as planned but forced to stay back at the store. In the meantime, at home, Calixta becomes aware of the storm and gets ready while, Mr. Alcee Laballiere rides in for shelter. Calixta is unaware of another kind of 'storm' which is about to hit her.
Even though in the beginning, Mr.Alcee and Calixta are very civil to each other but as the storm progresses, one touch leads to another and they become intimate. They recall a short fling in Assumption five years ago when Calixta was unmarried and later due to mutual attraction, had a passionate affair. Calixta and M'siur Alcee parted as the storm ends. Calixta's husband, Bobinot together with their son, Bibi came home expecting Calixta to be over scrupulous as usual, but on the other hand, she seemed concerned and only happy that they are back safely. They had a small celebration with the shrimps Bobinot had bought for her. In the mean time, Mr. Alcee writes a loving letter to his wife Clarisse to stay longer at the bay and that he is getting along well and misses her and their children. Kate Chopin leaves us to infer the underlying meaning of that 'loving letter'.
Well that's about it for the research paper that I did on Kate Chopin's ' The Storm'. I must say I had a wonderful time reading this short story over and over again, all for the sake of my fascination on Chopin's diction. I am always at awe as to how Chopin put her words depicting all the details very clearly and in a very real and spontaneous tone. As I am reading page by page, I just didn't have any idea as to what's going to happen in the next line because of the suspense and thrill that she puts into her story in the way she did.
Sleepy or not, I have to retire anyhow. Will start telling you about my position paper after some hours okay.
The other significant characters in Kate Chopin's 'The Storm'
10th posting
4.50 p.m. 31st August 2008
Hello again.
I have been explaining about many issues in Kate Chopin's 'The Storm' but I guess I have overlooked on the other vital characters which have not been given due importance but only given the 'touch and go'. The characters that I am talking about are that of Calixta's husband Bobinot, their son Bibi and the person, where least attention has been given to, Clarisse who is Alcee's wife. All readers will agree that Bobinot is a dutiful and a loving husband. The moment an unexpected storm sets in, he re-enters the store and buys a tin of shrimps which is his wife's favourite. That shows his deep love for his wife. It is as though he wants to make up for not being there with her during the turbulent weather. Poor fellow, he's so naive when it comes to his wife's adulterous ways. Well, it's not his fault anyway. He has never seen the other part of her character before. She has portrayed herself as a dutiful wife at all times. That little son of hers, Bibi, he too always thinks about his mother when he questions his father about how she would be coping during the storm. The little one also never fails to think about his mother especially her safety when some kind of uncertainty befalls and separates them temporarily on that day. Such are the humble traits of the two. We must not forget about Alcee's wife who has just given birth to Alcee's babies. She is a victim too. She never came to know about her husband's adulterous ways. These are the very people who became the innocent victims of this story. Alcee is also an important character even if he only comes briefly in the story. But one must not forget as he is the biggest storm that has hit the whole family by seducing Calixta that led her into being an adulterous. Why I say so is because during this storm, Calixta betrayed Bobinot for the first time or probably for the last time too. Well, this is really up to the readers to infer whether this is the last time she would betray her husband. Alcee actually comes for shelter but he had other agenda as to fulfill his lust. He cleverly seduces Calixta by invoking the burning passion in her for him that had been dormant after her marriage to Bobinot, knowing very well that both of them are committed to their respective spouses by the sacred vows they have taken.
4.50 p.m. 31st August 2008
Hello again.
I have been explaining about many issues in Kate Chopin's 'The Storm' but I guess I have overlooked on the other vital characters which have not been given due importance but only given the 'touch and go'. The characters that I am talking about are that of Calixta's husband Bobinot, their son Bibi and the person, where least attention has been given to, Clarisse who is Alcee's wife. All readers will agree that Bobinot is a dutiful and a loving husband. The moment an unexpected storm sets in, he re-enters the store and buys a tin of shrimps which is his wife's favourite. That shows his deep love for his wife. It is as though he wants to make up for not being there with her during the turbulent weather. Poor fellow, he's so naive when it comes to his wife's adulterous ways. Well, it's not his fault anyway. He has never seen the other part of her character before. She has portrayed herself as a dutiful wife at all times. That little son of hers, Bibi, he too always thinks about his mother when he questions his father about how she would be coping during the storm. The little one also never fails to think about his mother especially her safety when some kind of uncertainty befalls and separates them temporarily on that day. Such are the humble traits of the two. We must not forget about Alcee's wife who has just given birth to Alcee's babies. She is a victim too. She never came to know about her husband's adulterous ways. These are the very people who became the innocent victims of this story. Alcee is also an important character even if he only comes briefly in the story. But one must not forget as he is the biggest storm that has hit the whole family by seducing Calixta that led her into being an adulterous. Why I say so is because during this storm, Calixta betrayed Bobinot for the first time or probably for the last time too. Well, this is really up to the readers to infer whether this is the last time she would betray her husband. Alcee actually comes for shelter but he had other agenda as to fulfill his lust. He cleverly seduces Calixta by invoking the burning passion in her for him that had been dormant after her marriage to Bobinot, knowing very well that both of them are committed to their respective spouses by the sacred vows they have taken.
Signing off for now.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The setting in Kate Chopin's 'The Storm'
9th posting, 9.20 a.m. 31st August 2008
Happy Merdeka!
The setting plays a major part of ' The Storm'. In fact, it plays the most integral part that brought to the climax of the story. It is not clearly defined though where exactly the story took place but the setting obviously is on a farm land, in a small southern town. This can be noted in several lines in the story. In line (10), Part I 'great furrows in the distant field.
Again in line (8), Part II 'were plows and a harrow piled up in the corner'. In line (5), Part III 'signs of their tramp over heavy and wet fields'. Kate Chopin has lived in a plantation for many years and could have based her story on her own experiences. She is also known as a regional writer based on the other stories she has written. Furthermore, the climate plays a vital role. The storm creates an excellent setting for the short story. I find that the setting provides a background for the exposition. Kate Chopin cleverly uses the storm and in turn creates a storm in Calixta's life in the form of Alcee. The climax of the story is also during the peak of the storm. This is revealed from line (20), "The playing of lightning was incessant. A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field. It filled all visible space with a blinding glare and the crash seems to invade the very boards they stood upon.
Calixta put her hands to her eyes and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcee's arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him". Chopin wanted us to see and feel the setting reinforce the events. The setting seems conducive to the rising action and the plot. Finally, as the storm subsides so does the story. We are made aware of the calmness which has come over the characters and Calixta start playing her original role as a wife very well.
We can actually feel the climate as we are reading the story. We can even picture the characters in our mind just by reading 'The Storm'. This simply shows Kate Chopin's capability of captivating her readers through her flawless diction. She has the knack for it!
Kate Chopin is an omniscient narrator in 'The Storm'. She is able to tell the story from the view of each character. She delves the minds of the characters to complete the story for us. She expresses each character's feelings and gives a flow to the story. She is able to bring her readers into the characters world. That's a real difficult thing to do, to actually involve the readers like you and I in the readings of her work!!
Will catch up later ya.
Happy Merdeka!
The setting plays a major part of ' The Storm'. In fact, it plays the most integral part that brought to the climax of the story. It is not clearly defined though where exactly the story took place but the setting obviously is on a farm land, in a small southern town. This can be noted in several lines in the story. In line (10), Part I 'great furrows in the distant field.
Again in line (8), Part II 'were plows and a harrow piled up in the corner'. In line (5), Part III 'signs of their tramp over heavy and wet fields'. Kate Chopin has lived in a plantation for many years and could have based her story on her own experiences. She is also known as a regional writer based on the other stories she has written. Furthermore, the climate plays a vital role. The storm creates an excellent setting for the short story. I find that the setting provides a background for the exposition. Kate Chopin cleverly uses the storm and in turn creates a storm in Calixta's life in the form of Alcee. The climax of the story is also during the peak of the storm. This is revealed from line (20), "The playing of lightning was incessant. A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field. It filled all visible space with a blinding glare and the crash seems to invade the very boards they stood upon.
Calixta put her hands to her eyes and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcee's arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him". Chopin wanted us to see and feel the setting reinforce the events. The setting seems conducive to the rising action and the plot. Finally, as the storm subsides so does the story. We are made aware of the calmness which has come over the characters and Calixta start playing her original role as a wife very well.
We can actually feel the climate as we are reading the story. We can even picture the characters in our mind just by reading 'The Storm'. This simply shows Kate Chopin's capability of captivating her readers through her flawless diction. She has the knack for it!
Kate Chopin is an omniscient narrator in 'The Storm'. She is able to tell the story from the view of each character. She delves the minds of the characters to complete the story for us. She expresses each character's feelings and gives a flow to the story. She is able to bring her readers into the characters world. That's a real difficult thing to do, to actually involve the readers like you and I in the readings of her work!!
Will catch up later ya.
Chopin's style of writing
8th posting
Dr. Edwin clearly meant well when he asked the students to post weekly because most of the students are working. Like me, I have to submit at least 2 postings a day or else I will not be able to complete the whole 2o postings within the stipulated time due to my computer breakdown. Let's come back to the real intention of writing my 8th posting.
I would like to talk about Kate Chopin's style of diction. The story is written in simple prose and it is easy to understand. Chopin has divided the story into 5 parts where each part is chronologically written. Chopin's choice of words can be said to be close to speech. The direct speech makes the story more realistic. Here is an example:
"Mama'll be afraid, yes," he suggested with blinking eyes. "She'll shut the house. Maybe she got sylvie helpin' her this evenin," Bobinot responded reassuringly.
Poor husband and son! They didn't have inkling as the beloved wife and mother was having a blast with Alcee, her ex-boyfriend.
Chopin also gives the readers a detailed narrative to make us see and also feel the atmosphere. For example:
The rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems.
I am positive that a lot of compassion with nature brings readers like you and I, close to the storyline, because we too have experienced a storm. Oops! Don't get me wrong now. I actually meant the mental state that we had gone through in the process of reading this story, Ha! Ha!
The only difference here is that the aftermath of no great a 'storm' is weathered so calmly by the adulterous couple, though this 'storm' has left an indelible mark upon the lives of the characters, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in it's wake.
I guess I stop here for today. I'LL BE BACK! Of course, tomorrow, with more interesting explanation and findings. Have a nice day and goodnight.
P/S: I notice that the time posted after publishing this post is at 3.35 a.m. 30th August 2008
I actually typed this posting at 6.45 p.m. 30th August 2008. Gees! Something is wrong with the timing.
Dr. Edwin clearly meant well when he asked the students to post weekly because most of the students are working. Like me, I have to submit at least 2 postings a day or else I will not be able to complete the whole 2o postings within the stipulated time due to my computer breakdown. Let's come back to the real intention of writing my 8th posting.
I would like to talk about Kate Chopin's style of diction. The story is written in simple prose and it is easy to understand. Chopin has divided the story into 5 parts where each part is chronologically written. Chopin's choice of words can be said to be close to speech. The direct speech makes the story more realistic. Here is an example:
"Mama'll be afraid, yes," he suggested with blinking eyes. "She'll shut the house. Maybe she got sylvie helpin' her this evenin," Bobinot responded reassuringly.
Poor husband and son! They didn't have inkling as the beloved wife and mother was having a blast with Alcee, her ex-boyfriend.
Chopin also gives the readers a detailed narrative to make us see and also feel the atmosphere. For example:
The rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems.
I am positive that a lot of compassion with nature brings readers like you and I, close to the storyline, because we too have experienced a storm. Oops! Don't get me wrong now. I actually meant the mental state that we had gone through in the process of reading this story, Ha! Ha!
The only difference here is that the aftermath of no great a 'storm' is weathered so calmly by the adulterous couple, though this 'storm' has left an indelible mark upon the lives of the characters, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in it's wake.
I guess I stop here for today. I'LL BE BACK! Of course, tomorrow, with more interesting explanation and findings. Have a nice day and goodnight.
P/S: I notice that the time posted after publishing this post is at 3.35 a.m. 30th August 2008
I actually typed this posting at 6.45 p.m. 30th August 2008. Gees! Something is wrong with the timing.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Storm as a symbol
7th posting
Can't seem to stop blogging. Once again, it's about Kate Chopin's 'The Storm'. This time, it's all about the storm itself as a symbol. In fact, I find the storm is the only clear symbol in this story.
The storm is displayed in many facets. It itself can be considered a symbol to the story. It is symbolic because it gives us a clue to the actual situation in the story. The incident in Calixta's life is just like the disastrous weather. The storm comes suddenly and upsets the tranquility of nature. Calixta and Bobinot are peacefully married. Then comes Alcee just like the storm and stirs everything.
Let me show you what points to the symbol and why I said so.
a. Bobinot is left out of the 'storm' from discovering an unfaithful wife.
b. Calixta on the other hand was caught with Alcee in a 'storm' of momentary, burning passion.
c. Adultery in marriage is a wild 'storm' for any marriage.
d. Alcee and Calixta's behaviour, calm after a 'storm' which is considered strange after such a terrible sin. This serious calmness simply shows something has happened and they are not accountable for it even when both of them are married to different people.
The storm is a major element that brought to the very climax of the story. It is unbelievable that Chopin made use of one of nature's elements into the picture to stir a family's peace and tranquility that has put an impact to the stories flow which has made it an absolute page turner. It's a wonderful feeling to know that this story was recognized as one of the most acclaimed work of Chopin's and I am glad that I had the opportunity to actually read, analyze and do a research on it.
There's more to come. See ya!
Can't seem to stop blogging. Once again, it's about Kate Chopin's 'The Storm'. This time, it's all about the storm itself as a symbol. In fact, I find the storm is the only clear symbol in this story.
The storm is displayed in many facets. It itself can be considered a symbol to the story. It is symbolic because it gives us a clue to the actual situation in the story. The incident in Calixta's life is just like the disastrous weather. The storm comes suddenly and upsets the tranquility of nature. Calixta and Bobinot are peacefully married. Then comes Alcee just like the storm and stirs everything.
Let me show you what points to the symbol and why I said so.
a. Bobinot is left out of the 'storm' from discovering an unfaithful wife.
b. Calixta on the other hand was caught with Alcee in a 'storm' of momentary, burning passion.
c. Adultery in marriage is a wild 'storm' for any marriage.
d. Alcee and Calixta's behaviour, calm after a 'storm' which is considered strange after such a terrible sin. This serious calmness simply shows something has happened and they are not accountable for it even when both of them are married to different people.
The storm is a major element that brought to the very climax of the story. It is unbelievable that Chopin made use of one of nature's elements into the picture to stir a family's peace and tranquility that has put an impact to the stories flow which has made it an absolute page turner. It's a wonderful feeling to know that this story was recognized as one of the most acclaimed work of Chopin's and I am glad that I had the opportunity to actually read, analyze and do a research on it.
There's more to come. See ya!
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