Day: September 16, 2023

Introduction to “The Minister’s Black Veil”

Although Nathaniel Hawthorne has satirized Puritanism in his story “The Minister’s Black Veil” like other stories such as “The Young Goodman Brown” in which his irony and satire is at the peak, this story has been singled out as the best one in tone that is mild and the satire that is latent in sweet words. The story revolves around the character of Reverend Father Hooper who wants to become an icon of religious piety and wears a black veil in order to prove his piety to the world around him. However, it dawns upon him that this veil is serving a great purpose – hiding his true face from the people who also wear different masks in life. The speculation it stirs among the people range from his own mysterious thinking to his mysterious life and his being a sinner or sense of shame. Even it seems to some a “terrible thinking” (Hawthorne) though not when worn by women. The open and broadminded atmosphere of Milford in “The Minister’s Black Veil”suddenly erupts into abuzz on account this fanciful idea of wearing a black veil and the speculations it causes reaches his fiancé as well who meets him in her final meeting to entreat him to show her his face. However, Father Hooper does not budge and loses her. He continues with this, making the atmosphere more suspenseful and exciting until his end nears where he again tries to save his face and speaks that “every visage a Black Veil” (Hawthorne) by which he means that all are sinners. Through his characters and commentary of the other characters, the story has shown the Puritan’s belief about the existence of evil in the world, but also demonstrates the belief of all people as sinners and that there is a constant conflict between the good and the evil.

 Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

The first point of argument about the commentary on Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is that he has presented the figure of Father Hooper to show how clergymen considered themselves superior to all others that “The first glimpse of the clergyman’s figure was the single for the bell to cease its summons” (Hawthorne). Considering all others inferior in piety, he starts wearing a black veil which rather stirs serious rumors about his personality. In a way, it is his attempt to raise a curtain between his self and the outside world in an attempt to create an aura about his religiosity. In this connection, it seems correct that his assessment of the public reaction proved true in that several sinners “cried aloud for Father Hooper” (Hawthorne) and that it has transformed him into an “efficiency clergyman” a post that he much desired. In other words, both of these references show that he has created his aura of an efficient representative of God whose word is final for the salvation of the all other sinners. This commentary of Hawthorne on the belief that evil exists in the world in the shape of everyone being the sinner. However, it is also interesting that this belief presented in “The Minister’s Black Veil” of being a pious and other sinner is at the heart of the Puritan dilemma.

Double Faces in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

Hawthorne has intended to show that though every person has two faces; the one is good to show to the people and other evil that he tries to hide, the dilemma of the Puritanism is that clergymen often find themselves in odds when facing the common people to whom they consider sinners.  This battle between the sinners and the pious seems to start very early in the start when Father Hooper tries to separate himself from other by drawing a veil on his face. However, this battle continues only in rumors and the impacts that it has on the people. It reaches its peak when Elizabeth tries to ask the minister to come down from his pedestal of piety and remove that veil asking “What grievous affliction hath befallen thee” (Hawthorne). However, he is so much adamant that he does not budge from his stand and simply refuses her، entreating that she should not leave him. As a representative of the uncovered public, she, too, does not withdraw from her position and the ultimately separation happens between the sinners Elizabeth is representing and him, the pious clergy community to whom Father Hooper is representing. This has been wedging of differences drawn by the Puritanism in the community to divide it on religious bases. The division in the community in “The Minister’s Black Veil” led to the war between the religious and the supposedly impious.

Piety in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

In fact, the minister in “The Minister’s Black Veil” has, from the very start, thought of other people as less pious and having drawn masks on their faces. Although it is not an open conflict, it has led to some type of friction between those who considered themselves pious such as the clergymen and those who are the common people of Milford. Father Hooper here separated himself even from the clergymen and ended upon creating conflictual relationships not only with the people but also with his own religious counterparts. This tension between the people and Father Hooper has led to speculations between both the parties; father us generalizing all the people as sinners and masking their evil natures, and people are thinking Father Hooper as a mystery. Elizabeth refuses to marry him on the same ground saying “Lift the veil but once, and look me in the face” (Hawthorne). The other conflict is between him and his counterparts that does not end even when Reverend Mr. Clark tries to remove his veil and Father Hooper springs up to stop him saying “on every visage a Black veil” (Hawthorne). In fact, this is the same wedge of rift created by the Puritanism on which Hawthorne has built his commentary through Father Hooper and his veil.

Conclusion

Briefly stating it, Hawthorne has used not only the description and situation of the story, but also the characters in “The Minister’s Black Veil” to comment on the state of Puritanism and its impacts on dividing the people on religious lines making them against each other merely on metaphysical thinking. The story has shown that it was thought that the world is full of evil and evil exists in the world. This has led the more religious people to think other people as sinners, making them fear God and be obedient. It has also created a sort of war between the supposed pious and supposed sinners, making them to stay at the mercy of the clergymen who consider them less pious. In the merrymaking world of Milford, the veil has torn apart all the notions of Puritanism and laid them bare for the people to see as given in the note about such clerical eccentricities.

Works Cited

1. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Minister’s Black Veil.” PDC. n. d. https://pdcrodas.webs.ull.es/fundamentos/HawthorneTheMinistersBlackVeil.pdf. Accessed 25 Sep. 2022.

Relevant Questions About “The Minister’s Black Veil”: Commentary on
Puritanism

1. How does “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne serve as a commentary on the strict moral and religious codes of Puritanism, and what message does the black veil convey about the Puritan community’s attitudes toward sin and secrecy?
2. In what ways does the minister’s decision to wear the black veil symbolize the isolation and alienation often experienced by individuals who deviate from Puritan norms, and how does this reflect Hawthorne’s commentary on the consequences of nonconformity in Puritan society?
3. How do the reactions of the townspeople to the minister’s black veil shed light on the collective conscience and hypocrisy within the Puritan community, and what does Hawthorne’s portrayal of their judgmental attitudes suggest about the limitations of Puritanism as a moral framework?

Introduction to Theme

Both the literary pieces Henry James’s The Beast in the Jungle and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot deal with the theme of waiting but in a very different way. In fact, waiting has been an important part of human life since time immemorial including literary writings. It has been depicted in different literary pieces in different ways. Since the time when organizations have come into being and man has learned to dominate other men in financial and social ways, waiting or wait has become part of the modern lifestyle in which it has taken different connotative as well as denotative meanings. Wait, even in a person’s romantic lifestyle, becomes an odious time-passing activity if nothing fruitful is gained. In The Beast in the Jungle, Henry James has presented the theme of waiting in the life of a male character, John Marcher, who comes under a spell that his life is to be disturbed by a great event that would change its entire course and this illusion kept him preoccupied throughout his life until his beloved May Bartram leaves this world. However, waiting in Waiting for Godot is entirely contrary to it. It is the waiting of an elusive figure, Godot, who holds complete sway on the lives of the two tramps, Estragon and Vladimir.

Waiting in The Beast in The Jungle

As far as waiting in The Beast in the Jungle is concerned, it is a different kind of waiting. It is the waiting of an egotist person who has supposed that his life is to transform through some great tragedy or some great disaster. John Marcher falls under his self-concocted spell that something is going to happen him sooner or later. Therefore, whoever meets him in life, he dilates upon the same tale that some beast is lurking somewhere to harm or slay him including his much accompanying friend, May Bartram. May Bartram meets Marcher again in London after several years, the details of which he does not remember. Both of them talk much about each other and then they become close friends to stay with each other for a long period of time. It happens that May Bartram becomes ill and meets her fate. It then dawns upon Marcher that his long wait is over now, for he has met the beast in the shape of one passion of meeting that accident in his life that he did not leave any other moment to touch or understand any other person or thing. This transformed his entire life. He now started feeling remorse over his useless waiting which wasted most of his time in a false belief that “Something or other lay in wait for him” which was nothing (Henry 11). In other words, the waiting in the story is nothing but vanity and supposition.

Wait in Waiting for Godot

However, wait in Waiting for Godot, a play, is entirely different. It is the wait of a person named Godot by two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon. Their wait is the wait under coercion. It is because they are to wait or face the consequences. However, it is never clear anywhere in the whole play, who is Godot, why these two tramps are waiting for him, what he holds for them in store or what he would do against them in case they return without waiting for him. Even in the midst of the confusion over everything as Vladimir tells Estragon that “Nothing is certain when you’re around”, they are certain of one thing that they are waiting for Godot (Beckett 09). The wait is such that it gets very difficult to pass the time and this wait of passing the time becomes a great suffering for both of them. They even remember several things, forget several other things and then again remember to have come the day before for the same person, Godot, but again they find themselves at the same place waiting for Godot. It means that their wait is for some messiah who holds something for them to relieve them from this burden of daily coming. Other than this, there does not seem any means though it could be akin to God which seems certain from Godot. But the interesting point comes when a person forgets whether he is waiting at all and if yes, for whom. This happens with both of them. This means it is a useless waiting of humanity as contrary to the useless waiting of John Marcher who is under the vanity of his significance.

Conclusion

In short, the theme of waiting is central to both of these stories, Henry James’s The Beast in the Jungle and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. However, whereas the waiting in The Beast in the Jungle is of a single person for some unknown beast, accident, incident or happening that is to change his entire life, the waiting in Waiting for Godot is about a character, Godot, whom the characters of Gogo and Didi (short names for Vladimir and Estragon) know very well. However, still they do not know any details about him. The difference in both types of waiting is that John Marcher comes to know the pain of waiting very long after the waiting has wasted his prime years, but in Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon know that they are uselessly waiting for a person who cannot change their lives, but still, they cannot do anything except waiting. Their problem is how to pass this time when waiting. In nutshell, in each case, we learn that waiting is not only useless but also very painful.

Works Cited

1. Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Online Literature. n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2022.
2. James, Henry. The Beast in the Jungle. Gutenberg Project. n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2022.

Relevant Questions about The Beast in the Jungle, and Waiting for Godot: Theme of Waiting

1. In The Beast in the Jungle, the protagonist, John Marcher, spends his life waiting for a significant event to occur. How does this perpetual state of anticipation shape the narrative, and what insights into the theme of waiting can be gleaned from Marcher’s experiences?
2. Waiting for Godot is renowned for its portrayal of two characters endlessly waiting for someone who may never arrive. How does Beckett use the concept of waiting as a metaphor for the human condition, and what broader existential questions does this theme raise within the play?
3. Both texts, The Beast in the Jungle and Waiting for Godot, depict characters who seem trapped in a cycle of waiting. Compare and contrast how Henry James and Samuel Beckett explore the emotional and psychological effects of waiting on their respective characters and the impact it has on the overall themes of their works.

Introduction to Horror in “The Cask of Amontillado”

True to his popularity for writing horror stories, Edgar Allan Poe has beautifully placed the atmosphere of horror in “The Cask of Amontillado” with just two characters belonging to the Italian society. As a horror story shows horror through characters, traits of characters, its situation and setting, the story in question shows various elements of horror. It shows Montresor, who belongs to an honorable family insulted by his friend Fortunate thousands of times. He bears all his insults with fortitude and silence but vows to exact revenge and finds him alone during a carnival season wearing a colorful dress. In order to hook him, Montresor makes him jealous of Luchresi, another connoisseur of the wines, by asking him to check a cask of Amontillado for him lying in the catacombs of his mansion. He brings him over there, chains him in a niche, and says him good bye, leaving him there to die. Although he assures him all the way to the catacomb that he takes care of his health and that they should return, but the jealousy of having another connoisseur and flattery of Fortunato that he is the only one to evaluate the authenticity of the wine forces him to insist on going down. During this entire episode, Poe has used not only the character of Montresor to create horror in “The Cask of Amontillado” but also his deceptive techniques and the setting of the catacomb to create elements of horror in the story.

 Characters and Horror in “The Cask of Amontillado”

As far as the character of Montresor is concerned, it becomes clear from the very first sentence that he has borne insults from Fortunato when he says, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could” but then he “vowed revenge” (866). It is because Montresor is fully convinced that he has been wronged and that the wrong must be redressed. This revengeful nature of Montresor creates the atmosphere of horror from the very start when he states that he continues acting normally “to smile in his face” (866) which seems villainous. This also shows the shrewdness in his character in that he does not let Fortunato suspect him that he is going to take his life. To top it all, he knows that Fortunato is a dangerous man and it will risky to try to take his life without success as he is “even feared” (866). Moreover, his one act of sending all his servants to enjoy the carnival shows that he is a crafty fellow and wants to kill somebody in his catacomb. The servants must be knowing this old trick. These early expressions of the character of Montresor creates somewhat less horror, but this less horror continues mounting when the story proceeds and Montresor employs deceptive techniques.

Deceptive Techniques and Horror in “The Cask of Amontillado”

Although smiling itself is a deceptive technique, Montresor uses flattery to arouse jealousy of Fortunato. He knows that Fortunato is very fond of wines and also knows his expertise. He narrates him a story of having a cask of Amontillado that he wants to check and that he is going to ask Lurchesi though he considers him no match to Fortunato. Fortunato becomes haughty as well as impatient and asks him to hurry to the place to check it. Although Montresor has used both of these deceptive techniques successfully, he continues playing with his curiosity with his flattery. He has already given “explicit orders” (867) to his servants to go on leave. He then takes Fortunato to the catacomb constantly inquiring and showing concern about his health, but Fortunato does not suspect. This leads to even more horror when they reach the catacomb and see human bones and remains in the damp and dark place. This setting of the catacomb intensifies the horror and terror.

Environment of Horror in “The Cask of Amontillado”

When they reach the catacomb, it is dark and damp. There is a “white web-work which gleams” in the light of their candles (867). In fact, these are human bones. Fortunato experiences bouts of cough but does not suspect anything. The situation becomes more horrific when Fortunato gives him some Medoc to end his coughing. “The drops of moisture trickle among the bones” (868), which sends a wave of chill down the spine of the readers. It is because it shows that the site has been used for murders in the past. The situation becomes further horrific when they see bones lying here and there and Fortunato is finally led to the place where there is a niche and chain attached to its two sides. It is also that they see human remains on the walls, but Fortunato does not ask or inquire him about it. In fact, all of his tricks have worked wonders on him to bring him to that terrible place. Although they talk with each other in a common way, readers experience horror at the prospect of the immediate death of Fortunato in this somber and fearful place. This setting becomes even more horrible when Montresor starts his work of building a wall to trap Fortunato inside it while “low moaning cry from the depth of the recess” continues coming out (869). They even exchange toasts to each other and say good bye but the horror does not end until the last line where Montresor’s final words in Latin shows that he has said good bye to his friend to die over there.

Conclusion

In brief, Edgar Allan Poe has used not only the character of Montresor but also his manners to create horror in “The Cask of Amontillado”. Moreover, he has made the settings of catacomb even more fearsome by mentioning its darkness, human remains, bones and its dampness. Montresor’s character displays all the features of a horror character such as controlled emotions, monologic expression of revenge, vows to revenge the insults and even the use of deception to kill the opponent. Finally, the catacombs and its atmosphere too are horrible. It is darkness under the ground where the catacombs are full of bones and walls full of human remains. In the midst of this ruination showing horror in “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor is with his enemy who is going to be ensnared with a chain to be trapped in a niche with the wall constructed in front of him. In fact, Poe has used all elements at his disposals to make the story show horror and terror oozing out of its text.

Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado” from Charters, Ann, Ed. The Story and its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. 6^th Ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2003.

Relevant Questions about Horror in “The Cask of Amontillado”

1. How does Edgar Allan Poe use suspense and foreshadowing in “The Cask of Amontillado” to create Horror in the story, making the reader increasingly uneasy as the story progresses?
2. What are the psychological elements that contribute to horror in “The Cask of Amontillado,” particularly in Montresor’s character and his motivations for seeking revenge against Fortunato? How does this psychological Horror affect the reader’s perception of the characters?
3. Discuss the symbolism and imagery of the catacombs and the cask of Amontillado itself in the story. How do these elements contribute to the overall atmosphere of horror in “The Cask of Amontillado” and the theme of revenge?

Introduction Why a Government Uses Euphemisms or Why Would a Government Want to Use Euphemisms

Before dilating upon the literal meanings, it is fair to explain what euphemism actually is and how a government uses euphemisms or why would a government want to use euphemisms. It is a word, or a combination of words, or a phrase, or even sometimes a full sentence used to amuse or make something pleasant that is offensive or makes it positive that is negative. Even sometimes, bland and inoffensive words and phrases are used to replace the phrases or sentences that can instigate the people, or the audience to the point of violence. In ordinary language, straight or plain language sometimes seems quite rude and vulgar. Therefore, people who think that they should adhere to the manners of society, using euphemisms to seem polite to avoid inflaming the emotions of the listeners and audience, shows why would a government want to use euphemisms.

Nuances of Euphemism

Different dictionaries and books have defined the word euphemism differently, but the overall meanings are the same that is the gentle use of words to make something unpleasant pleasant. For example, Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines this term as “the substitution of an agreeable” for some offensive expression (“Euphemism”). It shows that it is the use of agreeable terms, or expressions, or sentences to replace offensive, or disagreeable terms. Before discussing its use in politics by the government and government agencies, it is fair to discuss its initial usage and its usage in society to know how a government uses euphemisms.

Euphemism and Everyday Conversation

Euphemism is used in everyday conversation in every society. There are hundreds of examples used in every culture, language, and society. For example, when somebody is going to die, it is not said that he is going to die but it is said that he is going to kick the bucket and when he is dead, it is said that he has passed away. These euphemisms are quite common in everyday terminology and conversation. It is because if the dead is referred to literally, not only it would sound vulgar, but also it would feel offensive to the relations of the dead person. Similarly, you will be thrashed if you call a person ‘O, a bald man!’ However, if you politely say that you are getting a ‘little thin at the top’ it would not only make him smile. These are linguistic niceties kept in mind when conversing in a society (“Euphemism”) and knowing why would a government want to use euphemisms.

Politics and Euphemism

As far as politics is concerned, it is almost similar to social connections. The governments have connections not only with the public perception but also with other governments which determine how a government uses euphemisms. This is called public relationships or international relations in which euphemisms are considered very important so that something could be said without snapping the relations with some country, or without inciting the public to violence. The use of euphemisms in politics is varied. It is sometimes for propaganda as is happening in the case of the war on terrorism, the war in Gaza, and even in Syria and Afghanistan. However,  at other times it is used to defend a position, or repel the propaganda of the rivals such as Obama is defending himself through such euphemisms for military withdrawal from Afghanistan, or Israel is using to defend its position on the killing of civilians in Gaza invasion by saying that they are “human shields” and hence this killing is inevitable, showing how a government uses euphemisms.

Euphemism in Politics

Writing in her article “Euphemisms in Politics”, Monika Ibi states that it is the “nature of politicians to be considerate and tender of people’s feelings in order to win their favor” (Ibi) because, in the democratization of societies, they are ultimately responsible and accountable to the public, the major reason behind a government uses euphemisms. When the politicians want their electorates to favor them, they use euphemisms for development but they use different euphemisms for negotiations. For example, if their negotiations have failed, or the situation has become tense, they would never say that it is about to break down. They would say that it was a “fairly chilly” atmosphere in the room. It conveys the meaning that the relations are estranged between the warring parties (Ibi). In other words, it is called verbal camouflage in which a person hides what is original to show the same thing in his own words but in a different way, camouflaging it to decrease its intensity.

Political Euphemsims

Commenting on the importance of the use of euphemisms in the political circle, Karam states in his research that it is the “selective usage of words  [that is] widespread as politicians strive to envelop the reality so as not to exacerbate the situation” (Karam 5-6). To save the situation from deteriorating further, they often resort to lies but in straight and plain language these lies become very harsh and vulgar. Therefore, they use euphemisms and it shows how a government uses euphemisms. Euphemisms help them in several ways such as cooling down the temper of the people, saving relations among the nations, hiding real facts behind the rhetoric, inciting violence in strong terms, and even saving the situation with soft words. He further adds that these are types of lies whose objective is to deceive (Karam 5) but he stopped short of saying it doublespeak, which is intended to deceive the public. This also shows how a government uses euphemisms.

Examples of Political Euphemisms

There are hundreds of examples of political euphemisms in which a politician not only saves his own stupidity but also saves his party and sometimes the government, the reason it seems a government uses euphemisms. Recently, Miss Clinton was caught when she said that she had had a close shave from a sniper fire during her arrival to Bosnia which was not correct. However, when confronted by journalists she saved her skin by saying that it was just “misspeaking” on her part (“The art of political euphemisms”).

Another famous example is the war vocabulary of recent years. The death of civilians is now not called the death of so many people but is connoted with just two words that it is collateral damage. Now acts of sabotage are not done by freedom fighters but by terrorists or militants. Now when some government is caught in sabotage in some other country, the blame does not rest on its agents, but on no state actors. It is also that political euphemisms change with time. A country could be an enemy in the past but could be a trade rival now or a military competitor, the reason a government uses euphemisms.

Conclusion

In short, this all depends on the objective, the policy, the situation, and above all the overall demeanor of the person even if he is in a government government uses euphemisms. It is also that sometimes even abbreviations could be used to replace euphemisms such as WMD, MAD for weapons of mass destruction and mutually assured destruction and so on, as it happened in the case of the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan that war on terrorism and WMB proved hoaxes later on. It is clear from this that sometimes euphemisms change their meanings and even the very language based on the situation, circumstances, and who speaks. Here, who means the position of the person. For example, if Obama speaks about something, the press would immediately pick up his words and these words would be popular within no time. However, if the same is said by some minnow politician of the world, he might have to spend years explaining what he meant by it and what the world has understood, or even not understood at all.

Therefore, it is proved that the political world is also like the world of social connections, relations, and behavior. A politician has to be very careful in his choice of words when speaking openly to the public or the media. If he does not mince his words before speaking and does not choose the right euphemism, he could be in hot water like Miss Clinton including his/her government, the reason a government uses euphemisms.

Works Cited

1. “Euphemism.” Merriam-Webster Online. N.d. www.merriam-webster.com. Accessed 08 Aug. 2014.
2. “Euphemism.” Literary Devices. 2010. http://literarydevices.net/euphemism/ Accessed 08 Aug. 2014.
3. Ibi, Monika. “Euphemism in Politics.” n.d. Web. http://www.ibi-academia.com/euphemism-in-politics/ Accessed 08 Aug. 2014.
4. Karam, Savo. “Truths and Euphemisms: How Euphemisms are Used in The Political Arena.” The South Asian Journal of English Language Studies 17.1 (n.d.): 5-17.
5. “The Art of Political Euphemisms.” 05 Aug. 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7541000/7541197.stm>. Accessed 08 Aug. 2014.

Relevant Questions About Government Uses Euphemisms

1. How does the way government uses euphemisms impact public perception and understanding of policies or actions, and what are some notable historical examples where such language has been used to obscure the true nature of government activities?
2. In what ways does the use of euphemisms in government discourse serve as a means for softening or sanitizing potentially controversial or morally problematic decisions and actions? What ethical considerations should be taken into account when analyzing how government uses euphemisms?
3. How can a critical examination of how government uses euphemisms enhance transparency and accountability in political discourse, and what role does the media play in either challenging or perpetuating these linguistic choices?

Introduction to “from ‘Three Dirges”

The narrative part “from ‘Three Dirges” occurs in Requiem Guatemala: A Story of the People. It shows the brutalities of civil war suck the lives of the common people disregard of their religion, faith, race, or any other affiliation or association. Th part “from ‘Three Dirges” is a somber account of death ruling the roost in the Guatemalan village of Comitan. The doom of military dictatorship has befallen the locals of that village to either kill their own siblings or else witness the obliteration of their entire race, village, and homes. It is not just the story of a specific civil war, but of all wars wherever they take place, or have taken place; whether it is Irish, American, or Guatemalan. However, the poignancy of the Guatemalan Civil War is more acute because it took place under the very nose of the torchbearers of human rights and carried on for more than 42 years with casualties of 200,000 civilians, thousands of forced disappearances, maimed, and wounded besides. The cruelest part of this civil war was that the people were forced to kill their own children and mentors mercilessly. Still, they were to live with the wounds they inflicted on themselves under duress. The city mayor, Don Larazo, in this story, to whom the military authorities coerce to convey a message to his village community to choose between two commands; either kill their sons or face complete annihilation. Seeing no way out, they decide to kill their own sons and mourn their deaths in muffled sounds under the eyes of the watching soldiers. The author has captured graphic details of the way they are forced to kill their own loved ones. Murder and killing seem to ooze out of every phrase of the story. This prevalent theme of somber death in “from ‘Three Dirges” peeps out not only from symbols of animate things such as pigeons and roosters, inanimate things such as bells and the valley but also emerges through the climatic signs of fog and mist, human acts of helplessness, muffled sounds, and muted wailings.

Symbols in “from ‘Three Dirges”

Symbols of animate and inanimate Connelly in “from ‘Three Dirges” uses to convey a message of death, destruction, pain, and suffering of the worst order. The very first symbol Connelly uses is the call of the rooster. In Christianity, the call of the rooster is a symbol of the passion of Christ when Peter did not entertain Christ. It is now related to weathervanes, which means constant vigilance against evil. When the city mayor Don Lazaro is called into the army camp to convey the command of the Colonel, “a rooster crowed in a corner of some milpa” (Connelly 1) to announce that evil is lurking somewhere to befall the people. When he is recalled amid the noise of rockets, the “rooster crowed again” (8), announcing that death is looming large over the village of Comitan. The escape of pigeons, which are symbols of peace, conveys the arrival of the worst. Here it means that they are announcing the fleeing peace pointing to the arrival of death to reign supreme in the valley of San Martín Comitán. From the nearby “belfry” (9) “a flight of pigeons fluttered aloft and dispersed to roost somewhere under the fog below” (9). It is a natural announcement about the advent of death, showing it is just a matter of a few moments. Even inanimate things are announcing the arrival of something sinister such as “the bell in the mission of the town began to clap in a flat” (9, 39) to announce that death is just lurking behind them which has terrified “pigeons (9) and “another flock of birds” (9) and they have left the area to find safety. It is quite natural for living creatures to sense danger quite early and flee for safety. However, the inanimate objects seem to human beings presenting a different perspective in such circumstances as bells may announce prayers and off days but death when death prevails. When all these animate and inanimate symbols have combined within the plot of the storyline, they intensify the realization of the looming shadow of death, making the atmosphere as well as the mood of the story somber and sinister. In this atmosphere “even the birds ceased their calling” (39) because they also feel that their lives are unsafe in this valley.

Climate Signs in “from ‘Three Dirges”

Climatic signs from “from ‘Three Dirges” when integrated into the framework of the story, make the situation even worse, more serious, and deadlier, heralding something sinister going to happen. Here two most important symbols used in this connection are fog and mist mixed up with the common climate of the valley. It comes with the first “faint glow of dawn” (9), announcing that something is going to happen. That is why it turns into a “blanket of ground fog” (9) to show that it is going to engulf the valley and reach the village. This is certainly the sign of death reaching the village in the shape of a command Colonel to Don Lazaro issues that “you have to kill them” (1) or else face total annihilation. Within the panoramic view amid “the dark, gray clouds and the flat, black mountains” (9), the arrival of fog is a somber natural move.Black color is associated with death or bad luck, and it is the fate of those five young “catechists” (16) that is sealed amid this sinister climate. Even when this is morning, still this fog is there in the shape of mist when women start weeping under veils in “the heavy mist of the morning” (19). It is a sign that their bad luck is still there. When the deed is done, the blackness is still there in the shape of “black incense” (39), a ritual to be carried out to pray for the dead souls. Then the “dense mist surged forward, enveloping the whole scene” (40) where the dead are to be buried. When this is done, the same mood of blackness, fog, and mist enveloped the mass a wall that is the “dense wall of the congregation collapsed in a mass of wailing bodies” (42), turning all the human beings into inanimate objects, dense wall, in the face of death.

Death in “from ‘Three Dirges”

Death is a phenomenon that turns even ordinary human actions and reactions into something sinister and somber, demonstrating that the situation is not common. Poe, the master of death stories, uses the same techniques in his short stories. However, Connelly has used the words “horror” and “fear” “from ‘Three Dirges” along with several actions and reactions of the village people to show that they are living in the midst of death, honor, and devastation that could befall them at any moment in the shape of murdering their own sons. When Don Lazaro is first told to kill those five young catechists, his reaction is of somewhat helplessness “what’s a man supposed to do” (1), he says. He comments on the order saying that a person is supposed to bring up his sons not to kill them specifically when they are mentors of the community. This shows that they are quite helpless and have nothing to do else except obey this order. When the Colonel called him again, “he frowned” (5) to terrify his victim, Don Larazo was there to witness the “measured formality” (11) of the soldier, “never moving his eyes from the face of the leathery Mayan stooping before his desk” (7).  When he conveys the same message to the villagers, the first reaction comes from the women. When one starts weeping and her “anguish pierced the still” (14) the death seems to have traveled from the camp of the soldiers to the “soul of the village” (14) represented by the women through the mayor. When wailing women and terrified families do not listen to him out of their sorrow and fear, he turns to terrify them through the previous narrative, of the “massacre of Puente Alto” (29). It includes the merciless killing of “women” (29), “men” (29), and “small boys”(30) before them, showing they have nothing else to choose from. Then some others from the speechless audience start abusing the soldiers saying “what bitches have brought these bastards into the world” (32) with somebody else calling “black-souled whores” sheer due to the desperation in which there is not “even a margin of hope” (38). This is similar to a desperate person who is on death row and starts hysterically abusing everybody, who comes his way, seeing no other way to save his/her life. These acts “from ‘Three Dirges”  coupled with several other symbols and signs have further made the atmosphere and tone full of deathly horror. After all, it is natural for a human being to save his/her life in whatever way he can. When all human acts stop due to the prevalent fear of death, only machines work such as “a heavy truck churned and churned” (43) and then the drone of the truck slowly dissipated” (43), leaving death behind and the silent crowd of spectators watching the graves of their loved ones killed by themselves.

Conclusion

In fact, signs, symbols whether they are animate or inanimate, human actions, reactions, and responses to the prevalent circumstances set the atmosphere, mood, and tone of the story. These elements, then, move the reader to feel the catharsis of his emotions of pity, fear, sympathy, or empathy. When there is a theme of death in the story, even its words ooze out fear, terror, and horror as is in Poe’s different stories. The same is the case in this story. Although not written on that level of a horror story as of Poe’s, yet, “from ‘Three Dirges” starts with the theme of death demonstrated not only through all types of symbols but also signs and human acts. The very first paragraph shows the phrase “you have to kill them” (1) and they prove it in the last paragraph that they have killed them and now their “souls of five young men [are] high into the pines” (43). The flight of pigeons from the valley and the flock of birds leaving the place are symbols of peace flying away and death coming fast. The tower, bell, fog, mist, and then human actions of feeling horror, terror, and helplessness; all have set the terrible atmosphere of the story, where death is going to rule supreme. Whether it is deliberate to write about death amid such somber symbols, signs, and acts, it is clear that Connelly has used these techniques very effectively to make the reader feel the horrors that civil war has created for the common people who suffered the most.

Works Cited

Connelly, Marshal Bennett. “from ‘Three Dirges” from Requiem Guatemala: A Story of the People. Guatemala Historical Reclamation Memorial Project, 2019.

Relevant Questions about “from ‘Three Dirges”: Ghastly Atmosphere

1. How does the author create and sustain a ghastly atmosphere “from ‘Three Dirges” and what literary techniques are employed to evoke a sense of dread and unease in the reader?
2. Explore the role of setting and imagery in establishing the ghastly atmosphere in “from ‘Three Dirges”. How do descriptions of the environment and surroundings contribute to the overall tone of the work?
3. In “from ‘Three Dirges”, how do the characters’ actions, dialogues, or inner thoughts contribute to the creation of a ghastly atmosphere, and what emotions or reactions does this atmosphere elicit from the reader?