Everyday Use- Alice Walker
1) The term "everyday use" means the use of daily things passed down from one generation to the other and finding other ways to use them, such as using the butter churn that was made from the tree or the quits that were made out of pieces of the grandmother's dress or the grandfather's old civil uniform. Walker chose this as a title to possibly give the reader an insight to the story or the ending without them reading first, such as Maggie would use the quilts for their intended purpose "everyday use", while Dee "Wangero" would put them on display and not use them for their true purpose.
2) Each character serves as a representation of various aspects of African American heritage. Dee having gained knowledge from going to school would like to preserve artifacts that symbolize her culture. Maggie having grown up learning the ways of her people sees it fit to honor them and keep them close by following tradition and using the things that her ancestors have used before her. Mama has an understanding of both Dee and Maggie's sides and defines heritage as using the artifacts but at the same time preserving them. This is shown with the quilts. The pieces used for the quilt were worn and used before but in order to preserve them they were made into a quilt. Walker wants us to see where each character is coming from but i think she wants her readers to side more with Mama
3) It is ironic that Dee changed her name to Wangero because when she was younger she was ashamed of her past because it was not considered the in thing. She now changes her name to Wangero a more African name to try to symbolize that she is down with culture and appreciate it because everyone else thinks it is cool now.
4) The story would have changed in the sense that if it was Dee narrating it would sound as if she had suddenly found that we need to preserve our culture by putting it on display and if it was Maggie it would seem as if she never gets anything for herself and the quilts were suppose to be her wedding gift. We would not get the real jest of the story if it was someone else narrating, it would be biased.
The Lottery- Shirley Jackson
Literally i think the lottery is an act in trying to control the population of the village. Figuratively, the lottery symbolizes the underlying evil, hypocrisy and weakness of human kind. The fate of the winner is not winning a prize, as i thought because of the title of the story, but death by family and friends. Evil is portrayed in a simple, ordinary, friendly atmosphere which could mean that people are not always as they appear to be. I think Jackson wrote this fiction piece as a way of shocking the public. I think it was a way of informing people that our world is consumed by hypocrisy and weakness and there are many things that we are hush hush about and refuse to acknowledge even if it is not ethical. The message of the story is that people are not what they seem. Hypocrisy is prevalent and so is weakness.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Araby
1) Trace the text's use of light and dark imagery. Quote the text. When is the only time Joyce uses light imagery in the story? What do these images represent in the story?
This story uses plenty light and dark imagery for instance in the 3rd paragraph where she stated that dusk fell and the space of the sky had the colour of ever-changing violet and the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanters.
Also the light from the kitchen windows, hidding in the shadow, the evening when the character entered the room where the priest died it was a dark rainyy evening, the darkness in some parts of the hall when he went to the bazzar portrayed light and dark imagery.
Joyce light imagery in the story when describing the curves of the girl. "The light of the lamp opposite our door caught the white curves of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there..."
2) Araby represents an event that he would enjoy, a way him to get the girl something because she would not be there, a chance to get out of the house , a special event
3) The climax is getting to the bazzar finally and getting in. The narrator eye's burnet with anguish and anger because he got to the vent late when everything was practically over. He realized that he promised the girl that he was going to bring back something for her and the first stall he had visited was not customer friendly. He learns don't make promises, don't depend on people for much, plan better and get to events earlier
This story uses plenty light and dark imagery for instance in the 3rd paragraph where she stated that dusk fell and the space of the sky had the colour of ever-changing violet and the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanters.
Also the light from the kitchen windows, hidding in the shadow, the evening when the character entered the room where the priest died it was a dark rainyy evening, the darkness in some parts of the hall when he went to the bazzar portrayed light and dark imagery.
Joyce light imagery in the story when describing the curves of the girl. "The light of the lamp opposite our door caught the white curves of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there..."
2) Araby represents an event that he would enjoy, a way him to get the girl something because she would not be there, a chance to get out of the house , a special event
3) The climax is getting to the bazzar finally and getting in. The narrator eye's burnet with anguish and anger because he got to the vent late when everything was practically over. He realized that he promised the girl that he was going to bring back something for her and the first stall he had visited was not customer friendly. He learns don't make promises, don't depend on people for much, plan better and get to events earlier
The Tell-Tale Heart
1) Who arethe protagonist and antagonist? How do you know?
In the story I would say that the narrator of the story is the protagonist as he is the story's main character and the one who drives the action of the plot forward. The old man, who is a character, is the antagonist because he is portayed as the villian or someone who is in conflict with the narrator.
2) What is the conflict or struggle that must be resolved?
The conflict or struggle that must be resolved is to carry out the act of murdering the old man because of the way he stared at the narrator.
"I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! he had the eye of a vulture-- a plae blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees--very gradually--I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever."
So the problem wasn't the old man himself or his attitude towards the narrator but the fact that the man had a weird looking eye that the narrator hated.
3) Identify the climax. And how, in the climax, is the conflict ultimately resolved?
The climax of this story is when the thread of light shot from the crevice and fell upon the old man's eye. The narator grew furious as he gazed at it. This propelled the narrator into finally carrying out the act.
The narrator carries out his act of getting rid of what was bothering him in the first place and that was the old man's eye, thats how the conflict was resolved.
In the story I would say that the narrator of the story is the protagonist as he is the story's main character and the one who drives the action of the plot forward. The old man, who is a character, is the antagonist because he is portayed as the villian or someone who is in conflict with the narrator.
2) What is the conflict or struggle that must be resolved?
The conflict or struggle that must be resolved is to carry out the act of murdering the old man because of the way he stared at the narrator.
"I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! he had the eye of a vulture-- a plae blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees--very gradually--I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever."
So the problem wasn't the old man himself or his attitude towards the narrator but the fact that the man had a weird looking eye that the narrator hated.
3) Identify the climax. And how, in the climax, is the conflict ultimately resolved?
The climax of this story is when the thread of light shot from the crevice and fell upon the old man's eye. The narator grew furious as he gazed at it. This propelled the narrator into finally carrying out the act.
The narrator carries out his act of getting rid of what was bothering him in the first place and that was the old man's eye, thats how the conflict was resolved.
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