Thursday, February 05, 2004
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas provides a very interesting paralel to Christianity. In the story, there's one boy is stuck with sufferring throughout his whole life. There is only one reason for him to suffer, so that the rest of the population of Omelas can live guilt-free, doing whatever drugs they want, living whatever lifestyles they wish. If they were to let this boy out, to let him escape his misery, it would introduce the one thing to the town that no-one wants: guilt. This is where the similarity lines up with Christianity. When one becomes a Christian, one admits that they are guilty in hanging Jesus on the cross. The children and adults who see this child, and walk away from Omelas, are metaphorical Christians. They know about the child, and they realise that they are guilty of sentencing him to that life. The others, the ones who look at him and mock him, are the people living in this world. They don't feel guilty for it, because they either refuse to, or they couldn't handle that guilt.
posted for Owen Thompson
posted for Owen Thompson
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
The Story of an Hour
This story was about a younger woman with a heart problem that has just head news of her husband’s death in a railroad disaster. It shows the reader the emotions of this young woman and her feelings of freedom through the news which was just brought to her.
“Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long”
This passage shows how the main character, Mrs. Mallard felt once the news of her husband’s death had finally gotten to her. This news, rather than giving her feelings of sadness, has actually brought her great joy. Her husband’s death has caused her to feel freedom, and she enjoys the thought of living life in this way rather than the way she would have lived had she still had a husband.
“Some one was opening the front door with a latchkey. It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. He had been far away from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine’s piercing cry; at Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife.
But Richards was too late.
When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of joy that kills”
This passage tells us that nobody knew Mrs. Mallards true feelings. Her feelings of entrapment were obviously private, as people thought she died due to the joy of seeing her husband alive, when really it was the shock and disappointment of knowing she was not going to get to live her life in the way she wanted to that truly killed her.
posted for Michelle
“Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long”
This passage shows how the main character, Mrs. Mallard felt once the news of her husband’s death had finally gotten to her. This news, rather than giving her feelings of sadness, has actually brought her great joy. Her husband’s death has caused her to feel freedom, and she enjoys the thought of living life in this way rather than the way she would have lived had she still had a husband.
“Some one was opening the front door with a latchkey. It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. He had been far away from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine’s piercing cry; at Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife.
But Richards was too late.
When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of joy that kills”
This passage tells us that nobody knew Mrs. Mallards true feelings. Her feelings of entrapment were obviously private, as people thought she died due to the joy of seeing her husband alive, when really it was the shock and disappointment of knowing she was not going to get to live her life in the way she wanted to that truly killed her.
posted for Michelle
Hills Like White Elephants
In the short story "Hills like White Elephants", seems to indicate a means of interpretation of modern literature, by relying on experiences of the life of being human. In Hemingway's short story the roles of gender are shown highly disliked and points out to its greatest in stereotyping of society as patriarchal. Clearly, at the first glimpse of the main characters discussion seems merely to be taking a break from their journey by having a cold beer. However, it seems their conversation has a nature of nervous and stress. Both characters are tentative and uncomfortable about the situation. Nonetheless, the situation is only lightly touched upon and delicately approached. In my opinion, the interpretation of this short story indicates the issue of miscommunication in relationships. Within this story the situation seems to worsen between the two characters because they cannot express their honest opinions to the other. Having lack of communication, there are other problems that gender roles have shaped that force the reader to explore their own knowledge in order to understand the plot.
Another aspect which seemed to hold symbolic meaning in the story was the comparison of hills with white elephants. White elephants appear as imaginary animals that may represent worthless issues; like in the story unwanted baby is critical to the meaning. The symbol becomes the center argument and establishes a disagreement between the imaginative woman, who is moved by the setting, and the man, who refuses to understand with her point of view.
posted for Nastasya Kennedy
Another aspect which seemed to hold symbolic meaning in the story was the comparison of hills with white elephants. White elephants appear as imaginary animals that may represent worthless issues; like in the story unwanted baby is critical to the meaning. The symbol becomes the center argument and establishes a disagreement between the imaginative woman, who is moved by the setting, and the man, who refuses to understand with her point of view.
posted for Nastasya Kennedy
