The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest was in actuality a very well-written book and I greatly enjoyed it. I didn’t realize the underlying connotations within it though, until Ms. Clinch pointed them out to the class. Oscar Wilde was writing to the homosexual society and looking over the play once again reveals this.

The concept of marriage is despised within this play. Algernon consistently bashes it and believes that once one is married, the wine becomes duller and the person becomes less active. The bachelor life is far better for an individual. In Wilde’s sense, being married to a female was against the question, and that is why it was so critiqued throughout the entire play. The life of a bachelor also signifies the hidden life that a homosexual individual would have to live by. Because being gay was illegal in these times, homosexuals would have to pretend to be bachelors, and see their partner in a secret manner. Marriage was not allowed for them in this time period, and so Wilde criticizes society for a married couple.

Also all of the eating imagery is very prominent in this play. Algernon, Jack, Cecily, and Gwendolyn all eat significant amounts of food over the course of the play; and many of the sources of conflict come over eating (Algernon eating the muffins and cucumber sandwiches, and then Cecily’s and Gwendolyn’s spat over cake and coffee). This signifies the tension that is between many of the characters, but in a sexual tone. It suggests that they have other appetites and indulgences that cannot be fulfilled, yet they continually wish for them too (and they fight for them, which is why many of the major peaks of climax usually occur when the characters are eating some sort of meal.

Both the MALE characters also have alternate identities, showing how they cannot live one life perfectly without having the other life to make mistakes in. In Wilde’s society, people of the higher class were expected to be perfect in every way, and because of this continuous strain on the individual, a different life was created so the person could do wrong deeds without being punished by the harsh society. This alternate life though signifies the life between homosexuality and heterosexuality. Wilde had one life that he shared with his wife and children, which was considered his perfect life. The other life that he would call Bunburying, was his life with his partner Lord Alfred Douglas.

The gender roles were also switched in this play. Cecily and Gwendolyn constantly joke about how they run everything and how the males should know better. They place themselves above the males, and the males become subservient to them in return. This society deems that men are higher than women because they make money for the family and are stronger than women. Wilde opposes this though because in his homosexual life, the males are the weaker individuals. He makes fun of the male role and makes the women in this play appear stronger.

Not So Innocent

I look back on Emma and realize that Jane Austen actually had to think a lot harder than I thought she had to in the beginning. In the first volume, the context, plot, and characters were being developed and I was more focused on those characteristics than the actual underlying events that were occurring. I started to realize how well Austen’s style of writing was in the second and third volume when I noticed that I was thinking exactly what Emma was thinking. Looking back on the first and second volume, I realize that I missed a lot of important things, and this exemplified how Austen was considered one of the best authors of the time period.

One of the things that I took away from the seminar though was a different perspective on Mr. Woodhouse. He was always a timid and frightened character that I always saw as a small underlying character. Throughout the seminar though I realized that he was actually very influential in how he manipulated and got his point across.

Emma remained in the house and was determined to be an “old maid” simply because she could not leave her father. Mr. Woodhouse always had people come over whenever HE wanted them to come over. And whenever there was a party or outing, he was always ensured that special events or places were set up for him. Whenever news came in, Emma always had to ensure that her father would not be unsettled by it. Mr. Wood house’s character used all of these techniques to ensure that Emma would stay with him and that others would do as he wanted them to do.

He didn’t want Ms. Taylor to leave and continued to call her “poor Ms. Taylor” because she had to leave his household. Although she was leaving for a happy future he continued to lament about this because she went against what he wanted, which rarely occurs.

Also when Emma decides to marry Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse is deeply opposed. In marrying Mr. Knightley, Emma would be leaving his household and moving in with another man. He would be left alone, which is ironic because they have plenty of money for them to pay for an individual to come live in the house and take care of Mr. Woodhouse. In the end though, Mr. Woodhouse gets his way because Emma and Mr. Knightley end up living in his own house (he never loses Emma).

This realization was very important to me, because it helped me open my thoughts to other characters throughout the book that I didn’t see as major figures. This also showed the complexity of the novel as a whole and opened my point of view on Emma.  

The End of Emma

The ending of Emma, by Jane Austen, was very disappointing to me. I suspected from the beginning the ties and relationships that were going to occur, and in the end, all of my presumptions were correct. I do not enjoy knowing exactly what is going to occur in a novel in the very beginning chapters of the first volume. Ms. Clinch explained it to me though, that in every romantic comedy, no matter the time period, a specific archetype is followed. There are almost always two people that “shouldn’t” or do not want to be together, and then something climatic happens, and in the end, the fall desperately in love with each other, ending the novel or movie. This allowed me to view the ending of the novel in a better light, and I was happier after today’s class.

The most obvious relationship was that of Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax. My first inclination came when they were discussing that Jane and Mr. Churchill had met earlier. Jane quickly changed the topic and did not discuss that matter further. This sparked my suspicion, and after that I was on the lookout for facts that they were in a secret relationship. The next suspicion came when Jane received the piano forte. This came from a secret lover, which sparked everyone’s intrigue. Like Emma though, I began to consider if maybe the secret lover was Mr. Dixon, who was travelling in Ireland at the time. But then I realized that Mr. Churchill was not present. He had departed from Highbury to London, and was not present at the party at the Coles. Although this was not valid evidence, it seemed questionable that he was not there and then suddenly this lovely piano arrived.

The next hint was the largest for me that clinched the fact that they were in a secret relationship. When Frank Churchill at the gathering asked to play with the alphabet he only made one notable word for Jane and that word was blunder. Before this part of the scene, Frank had observed that Mr. Perry did not have a carriage and that he had thought that he was planning on it. Mrs. Bates observes that this was true, but that it was only told to them and it was to remain a secret. Only she and Jane knew about it. He then says this to her in the form of one word later when they are playing with the letters. Jane and Frank must have been in contact with one another quite frequently for this to have arisen in their conversations. This was not a formal letter, or else more important discussions would have taken place. Because these letters must have been constant, small things were talked about like whether or not Mr. Perry was going to pay for a carriage.

All of these facts were not as obvious to Emma though, until she walked to the Weston’s’ house and was told of this engagement. Although she believed that she was to have a relationship with Frank (even though she wanted to remain an old maid), he showed many instances of love for Jane, and although he flirted with Emma, he meant none of it.

Emma

I actually kind of like the novel Emma. When I’m reading, I don’t very much, but looking back on the different chapters that I have read, I find that it actually is quite entertaining. I’m not sure if Jane Austen wanted it to be this sort of humor, but I took it that way. The different characters and the schemes that they work themselves into is what makes the novel so funny. I also like it though because I like this time period. I like learning about the manners and etiquettes that were meant to be followed at this time, and seeing the interaction (or the lack thereof) between the different ranks of people.

The funniest character in this novel is Mr. Woodhouse. He is so petrified of everything that moves, and even things that don’t. He panics over the smallest instances, and you wonder if he is completely sane or capable of higher thinking. When he is talking about the wedding cake incidence and says “he could not but acknowledge that wedding cake might certainly disagree with many” (13), it shows this perfectly. He cannot eat wedding cake because he believes that it is too rich for his stomach. Because of his deep disregard for wedding cake, he expects everyone around him to dislike it as well. He encourages people not to eat it and even tries taking it away from people. This seems strange though, because usually women were stereotyped in this way. Austen characterizes Mr. Woodhouse though as the female character in this novel and Emma as the dominating man. Women in this time period did many things though that were not publicly seen and for the most part ran everything around the house. This is another amusing part of the story. The male character has all the traits of the stereotypical female, while Emma (the expected heroine), leads the house and runs everyone and everything.

Another thing that I enjoy about Emma is learning all about the history of who they could talk to, their dress, and just the manners that surround the people of high rank. It was interesting to me how they asked for marriage. Harriet and Mr. Martin seemed to not have had a ton of interaction and he just wrote her a letter one day asking for her hand in marriage. It seemed so distant, but in this time, that was acceptable. It was also interesting that because he was of a lower social class, first, Harriet should not marry him or else that would look bad on her part, but also because Emma could no longer be her friend. Emma doesn’t seem to have that many close acquaintances, so it was peculiar that she was willing to throw away one of her only friends because she married a man of lower class. But that was expected of her because Harriet would then be a lower class than her (even if they were close friends before the marriage).

Emma isn’t a terrible book. Does it keep me wanting to read more and encourage me to stay up late to figure out whose love life Emma destroys next…..no. But it is an interesting and actually quite a funny book that has many quality aspects that give it literary merit and interesting to read.

Is It True Love?

We have been reading Hamlet for a while now, and the same question keeps being asked; does Hamlet truly love Ophelia, or was he just using her for her body or to help him appear crazy. I believe that he truly did love Ophelia, and although many things have appeared in their relationship, he still cares for her and she still cares for him.

During the famous nunnery scene with Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet exclaims “I did love you once” (3.1.125). Although this is can be taken very literal, there is also an underlying sign that Hamlet shows. He was hurt when Ophelia told him about the remembrances. If the reader takes the play and thinks that Hamlet knows what’s going on, then he understands that Ophelia is plotting against him. He knows that she is blatantly lying in front of his face. This is why many people believe that Hamlet no longer loves Ophelia, but this just shows how deeply in love he was and still is. He was so disappointed and angry when he found out that his love was plotting against him; if he didn’t love her, he wouldn’t have been so angry and so upset.

Another way that someone brought up in class is that Hamlet tells Ophelia “Get thee to a/ nunnery” (3.1.148-149), he is trying to protect her. He understands that Polonius and Claudius are watching behind closed doors, and he might be trying to warn Ophelia of the dangers that are surrounding her. If she gets to a nunnery, she can be safe from the physical aspects of living in this palace. She wouldn’t have to deal with the labors such as her father and Claudius plotting. Hamlet might also be protecting her from men in general. He knows the dangers that men can put on woman, both he and her father are examples of this, and he wants to protect her from the hardships that surround her. Getting her to a nunnery would protect her, and this is an obvious showing of how much he cares for her.

Many people believe that Hamlet no longer loves Ophelia because of the way he treated her before the play that was being presented. He accused her of the same things that her father did earlier; being a prostitute, and selling her body to an assortment of men. But this can be interpreted as his hurt. When his true love stopped all connection to him and then appeared before him lying and deceiving, anyone would be affected. Although it is not polite or decent, few people handle this situation valiantly. Hamlet is an example of this, and once he has cooled down I suspect that apologies will be made on both sides and all reason will persevere.

Who's the Damsel?

Jackson Pearce came to talk to all the literature classes about the different examples of archetypes and how they fit into all of the basic storylines that we know. The archetype that caught my attention was that of the damsel in distress. Pearce made it very clear though that the damsel in distress did not have to be completely incapable or dependent on other characters; just at certain parts throughout the work of literature that they are in, they need help from those surrounding them. At some point, I believe that every character within every work is a damsel that needs the help of others to help them in their time of need.

In the Hunger Games, this was very evident. The stereotypical damsel in distress archetype would be placed on Prim in the beginning though. She is a frail, young girl that needs the help of others to survive even in the beginning of the book. When it is stated that she is supposed to go fight in the Hunger Games, Katniss has to step in and take her place. Prim is the ultimate character that needed saving, but she is not the only character within this novel that is the damsel in distress.

 Katniss can also be considered a damsel in distress as well. Although this would not be the first archetype that readers would place her under, she still has qualities of a damsel in distress. She needs the help of Peeta to survive and finish first in the Hunger Games, and after to support her in the rebellion following. Katniss has her moments of weakness, and although she puts on this act of being a tough individual that is self- reliant, she needs that “warrior” or “protective” figure to stand by her and fight for her in her time of need.

Peeta can also be considered a damsel at times. He was Katniss’ protector and guardian for much of the novel’s series, but in the last book, when his memory is taken away, the roles are reversed. He needs Katniss to remind him of the person that he used to be. He needs her to remain close and act like the figure that he was to her. Peeta is also the softer of the two boys fighting for Katniss, which also makes it easier to place him under this category.

There are always a few characters though that have little to no connection to the damsel in distress archetype. Gale is one of those characters. He is the “warrior” figure and although his attitude about fighting and running away and war have changed since the beginning of the book, his archetype has not. He still wants to fight for those people that he loves and he wants to fight for something bigger than himself. Characters like Gale are needed to oppose the damsel image.

 Archetypes are always found within characters, but some may not be as apparent as others. The juxtaposition between the warrior and damsel in distress must always counteract each other in order for there to be balance in the novel.

Amazing

A Thousand Splendid Suns was an amazing book that everyone should read at some time in their lives. I just finished it and I was shocked it took me so long to read, because I had a hard time putting it down. Although it wasn’t the most action packed book out on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, it was one of the most interesting books that I have ever read.

Warning, I am about to spoil a very important moment in the book! My favorite part of the entire book was how there was always a twist when I was least expecting it. Tariq was dead and Laila was mourning his lose and also how Aziza would never know her true father. I, along with Laila, trusted the “honest” man that came to tell the terrible news, and I have to admit, I was furious when I learned about his death. But then when the times seemed too rough for Laila to handle, Tariq showed back up. These twists always came during the bleakest moments and inspired new hope within the characters.

The connection that was made between the characters was so realistic as well. Khaled Hosseini really personified them well and made me feel that same emotions for different characters that they themselves were feeling. I felt the hatred that Miriam and Laila must have felt toward Rasheed every time that he beat them or spoke condescendingly to them. I felt the sadness that haunted Laila when she had to give Aziza to the orphanage and leave her behind every single day. I felt the tormented struggle to determine the emotions about Zalmai; was he a good child or was he going to turn into the same exact being as his father. All of these aspects of the story really kept me wanting to read more and more.

Another aspect that I liked was that it was realistic. Not everything ended happily ever after, making the connections and the plot seem even more real. Not everyone makes it into the peace time after the long fought wars, and this is shown through Mariam's sacrifice to Laila, Tariq, and the children. She made a decision (which she hadn’t done in decades) and saved all of them and gave them a better life.

The entire book just leaves me wanting to read more and learn how everything turns out; which is weird because I have never truly felt that way about a book that wasn’t drowning in action. I liked that the story didn’t need all of the bells and whistles, it just had the simple facts and the story and that is what I believe made it a truly fantastic book. Like I said everyone should have the opportunity to read this book at some point in their life to see a different aspect on a war that we have been fighting for years.