Tag: short essays

Introduction to Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”

Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist” peeps through every line. The characters in stories, as Foster says, are not what they are. They symbolize something else, as Jane in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a symbol of women who are restricted within their boundaries and face hallucinations because of their restrictions. However, with great artists, it is sometimes different. It happens that somebody becomes too much obstinate to make a name that he not only inflicts injuries to himself but also makes others feel discomfort. The story of the hunger artist told by Franz Kafka is written in the same vein. In fact, it could be stated in Foster’s words that it is quite “unfortunate that genius was harnessed to someone who may not have worn it well” (Foster 139). He was not suited to become this type of artist, or he should have used this intelligence for some other purpose. It has been suggested that this sort of ridiculous relationship is often common as it shows that “this sort of macabre relationship between performer and audience is common” (Lecture 4). At the same time, the hunger artist wants to become a name among his audience so that they should appreciate him. However, when he is at the peak of his career and the interest of the public is alive, his manager cheats on him. When he crosses all of his previous records, the public loses interest in him. The great mistake that he makes is that he tells everybody that “it is the easiest thing in the world” (489). It leads the people to become disenchanted with him, thinking he is not doing any feat. Therefore, the hunger artist symbolizes the loss of the interest of the people through his own blunder though he chooses something that does not have any value, while the relations he builds with his audience are based on his own disenchantment. 

Symbol of Hunger Artist: Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”

The hunger artist symbolizes a person who has no other skill except his hunger or the power to overcome his hunger that he shows to the people through symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”. In fact, these sorts of people are found in a society doing bizarre things to impress others so that they could win the public approval and applause. He thinks that he could always be treated as the cynosure of the people. They also form their own code of honor as they consider themselves artists as in the case of this hunger artist who does not eat because “his code of honor as an artist forbade it” (Kafka 488). A great critic of Kafka, Noami Ritter has termed the hunger artists as the “ultimate symbol of suicide” (Ritter 72) because he knows that if he does not eat, he will die but the intoxication of winning public approval ultimately overpowers him that leads to his death. As stated by Foster, in fact, he is a genius who can overpower his hunger but he uses it wrongly but putting himself to suffering. Therefore, he loses the battle in the end when nobody comes to see him. It is also that he does not see the sudden transformation in times as people have more interesting things to see in the circus. He is also a symbol of eating which attracts people and not what he does for the public.

Public and Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”

The strange thing about the hunger artist is the selection of his medium that he wants to connect with his audience. This is his hunger. Most artist chooses what they have a profession or make some art as their profession to earn their livelihood. However, it is never shown in the story. The only thing that he considered important was the glory that he was winning by fasting as he thought about the people who “want to rob him of the glory of fasting longer” (490) that he wanted to have had. The matter is that the attraction of the artists is built on the validity of the art that stays up-to-date with the changing times. The problem with his art is that it has a limited marketability and its perfection is in death that he would no more be able to enjoy what others see him with pleasure. Gray in his book A Franz Kafka Encyclopedia states the same thing. His view is that Kafka has shown a mirror to the people that an artist does not exist without the public and if he forgets himself, nobody cares to think about him as happened with the hunger artist where Kafka leaves his readers “with the question whether art can exist if there is no audience” and his answer is in negative as the hunger artist is left alone at the end (Gray 7).

Audience and Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”

Although at one point, Kafka is also right. Suffering is involved when it is the matter of audience because sometimes artists and performers die merely because they want to win the hearts of their spectators. However, this is the rule of the plays that the audience wants to see suffering whether it is tragedy or comedy. It is another thing that when there is no audience, the actor or performance becomes his/her audience himself. The idea of Kafka through through symbolism in “A Hunger Artist” is marketability that when a performer loses his/her worth, he/she is no more kept in mind and nobody pays attention to what a great artist that person might have been in the past. This makes the artist turns away from his/her audience. It is a turning point as Celeste Escobar says in her article on the story that “The turning point towards his complete disconnection with the humanity outside begins. This transition is possible through the means of his art that makes him bear life” (Escobar).  By this, she means that he gets disillusioned because the people start ignoring him at the end seeing through this symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”.

Effectiveness of Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”

However, when he is seen in the graphic version of the story, he seems to have aroused sympathy as is shown just a handful of bones at the end when the supervisor gives him his ears (Mairowitz & Crumb 153). However, it is more effective in the prose form where it is told that he does not seem to exist as he has become a straw with straws. It is clear from this that at the end the circus workers came and “poked into the straw with sticks and found the hunger artists underneath” where he is so weak that he even cannot speak (Kafka 496). Therefore, he turns his wish toward his desire that he could not find anything to eat due to which he fasted. It is actually the hunger for popularity that brings him to his grave. Therefore, the prose is more effective with symbolism in “A Hunger Artist” than the picture where he is shown as an active person.

Conclusion

In short, the hunger artist is a symbol of those demagogues and artists who inflict self-injuries to gladden their audience and attract people but they lose their lives in the game. This interpretation through symbolism in “A Hunger Artist” shows that the hunger artist could not assess that the thin thread of his relationship with his audience could break at any time when he loses his worth but he does not know that his art would lose its worth. The pleasure-seeking audience turns their back to him and he becomes satisfied with the perfection of his performance which is his death. However, this is more persuasive and beautiful in prose than in graphics.

Works Cited

1. Escobar, Celeste. “A Hunger Artist.” Panorama. 03 July 2003. Web. 30 July 2015.
2. Foster, C. Thomas. How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Harper Perenial. 2009. Print.
3. Gray, T. Richard. A Franz Kafka Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2005. Print.
4. Kafka, Franz. “A Hunger Artists” Charters, Anne. The Story and Its Writer. New York: Bedford /St. Martins, 2014. 488-494
5. Mairowitz, David Zane & Robert Crumb. Kafka. Fantagrahics Books. Seattle. 2009. Print.
6. Ritter, Noami. Art as Spectacle: Images of the Entertainer Since Romanticism.  University of Missouri Press. 1996. Print.

Relevant Questions about Symbolism in “A Hunger Artist”

1. How does the repeated act of fasting and the barren cage serve as powerful symbols of the alienation and disconnect from society experienced by the protagonist in “A Hunger Artist,” and how does this symbolism contribute to the overall meaning of the story?
2. What is the significance of the audience’s changing tastes and preferences for entertainment as a symbol in “A Hunger Artist,” and how does this symbolism comment on society’s tendency to trivialize and forget the suffering and artistry of those who deviate from the norm, as depicted in the story’s events?
3. How does the symbolism in “A Hunger Artist” surrounding the panther, which replaces the hunger artist in the circus, convey the theme of liberation and the longing for a more primal and authentic existence, and how does this symbolism contrast with the hunger artist’s self-imposed suffering throughout the narrative?

Introduction to Transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game”

The transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game” is in the character of Rainsford. Although in our lives we see several people staying on the same course, several characters do not witness any transformation even in the imaginary world of fiction. They stay flat and the same as they are in the beginning of the story. Even among several such characters, there is an inner transformation manifested in their habits and attitude more than in their outward acts. Such as the stories of Richard Connell have the same characters who do not change their outward actions, but still, they go through a certain psychological or inward transformation. This transformation takes place due to several reasons. This transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game”, presents a situation where a big-game hunter goes through a situation of being hunted by another hunter. Rainsford changes inwardly because he becomes a beast at heart and kills his pursuer, but outwardly he does not change and stays the same hunter who merely hunts.

Transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game”

Rainsford experiences change and psychological transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game” of being a hunted by the end of the story. He starts his voyage with his colleague Whitney to the Amazon to hunt the jaguars which are highly cunning animals. Therefore, they hope to enjoy this “best sport in the world” (Connell) but his friend thinks otherwise. Rainsford shows his true colors saying “You’re a big-game hunter, not a philosopher?” (Connell). These are his exact words and he feels pride at his being a lucky person that they are “the hunters” (Connell). This shows his pride in being lucky that they are among the hunters, but soon he found himself in the other role. He falls down from the yacht when looking out into the forest and reaches the forest where he finds a “palatial chateau” (Connell). As an experienced hunter, he instantly recognizes that there is something sinister in the air and that the forest is “An evil place”(Connell). He realizes that he has gone through these things earlier in his life for “it was not the first time” (Connell), he has been at such a place. But this is something different. He is finding it a mirage “but it was not a mirage” (4). Soon he was with the Cossack general with his dumb and deaf sidekick, enjoying a delicious meal and champagne. However, one thing about him was making him uncomfortable that was “he found the general studying him” (Connell). It ended when he told him that “I hunt more dangerous game” (5). This is the point where he found himself preparing psychologically but this transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game” does not come to fruition as yet. He further added that he had experienced all types of hunting and this no more interests him. Therefore, he may go to pieces if he leaves it like (Connell), he tells Rainsford. This slow narration of the general slowly continued working on him psychologically and it reached its culmination when he told him that he wanted an “ideal animal” (Connell) at which he looked in disbelief at first. However, he wanted to confirm and demurred to which General Zaroff said that “Life is for the strong to be lived by the strong, to be lived, if needs be, taken by the strong “(Connell). He clearly understood what he meant and this was the point he protested to get rid of this but found no arguments working on the general. There were two choices to run and escape but to go to pieces by his sidekick Ivan. However, he chose the second one due to his psychological transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game” that he felt every minute of his life during this chase as an animal being hunted down. He was going through the same fear of pain and fear (1) and even tried several methods an animal would have tried such as cats and foxes. It is where this transformation made him feel “how an animal feels at bay” (Connell) and there he acted but like a reasoning human being and jumped into the sea to reach his chateau before him by swimming. When the general came to sleep in his bed he found the changed Rainsford there smiling saying “I am still a beast at bay” (Connell) which means that he has no reason now not to kill him. This shows how his mind transformed from a hunter to huntee and then “a beast at bay” (Connell).

Type of Transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game”

The other argument that he does not change outwardly and there are no physical signs is also correct. No physical change is ever observed from his signs and polemics which take place in his mind that he has changed. First, he is seen arguing his case with his friend Whitney to tell him that animals do not feel as if they are “no understanding” (Connell) but he alerts him that they, though, understand “fear” (Connell). Then they talk about the place and there is no change whatsoever. Even when he falls down into the sea and makes his way to the sea, he is the same and there is no physical transformation. Then he reaches the “palatial chateau” (5) and faces the general at his dinner table. Again there is no transformation. Even when he is told that he is going to be a huntee, he does not experience any change and tries to deal with it through his reason. However, when he sees that there is no end, he goes through physical exertion by running for two full days in the forest. Still, he holds his mind saying “I will not lose my nerve.” (Connell). This shows that he has not changed physically though at the end he says that “I am still a beast at bay” (Connell) which is a sign of his psychological transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game”. He is the same lucky hunter who hunts down his pursuer.

Conclusion

Summing up the argument, it can be said that Rainsford witnesses a great psychological transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game” from the start of the story up to the end. He becomes a beast at heart and kills his hunter, though at the beginning he claims that he is lucky that he is not a huntee, but at the end, he is a hunter. However, physically he stays the same hunter who merely kills his pursuer. His psychological transformation is the same as an animal has to go through fear and pain of death when being hunted down by the hunters like him. However, he retains his nerves and does not lose his senses. Had he lost all this, he would have been an easy prey for General Zaroff, though he is his huntee, but it is his partly beast and partly human nature that makes him win the game by the end of the day. It means he is a round character though outwardly he is the same, Rainsford. But it is this inner transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game” that matters.

Works Cited

1. Connell, Richard. “The Most Dangerous Game.” 1994. Fiction Eserver. <http://fiction.eserver.org/short/the_most_dangerous_game.html>. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.

Relevant Questions about Transformation in “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

1. How does the transformation of man in “The Most Dangerous Game” reflect the idea that power and privilege can lead to a disregard for human life, as seen through General Zaroff’s evolution from a seasoned hunter to a ruthless predator?
2. What role does the transformation of man in “The Most Dangerous Game” play in conveying the story’s central theme of the thin line between civilization and savagery, particularly as Rainsford experiences a shift in his perspective on life and death?
3. How does the transformation of man in “The Most Dangerous Game” underscore the eerie and unsettling nature of Ship-Trap Island, emphasizing how the isolated and dangerous environment can influence individuals, like the way it shapes the characters’ behaviors and decisions?

Introduction to Poverty in “High Times in Jamaica”

The culture of every place, when seen by outsiders, exposes its beauty and ills in detail like poverty in “High Times in Jamaica”. The natives and locals, generally, ignore routine issues but outsiders even when they are travelers and enjoying life in foreign lands have a critical look. And it gets even more critical when they have an artistic eye and they record their days and nights spent in the lands they visit. They see and comment on everything that comes their way, whether it is the culture, the people, the way of their living and the enjoyments they have, and above all the way they earn their livelihood. “High Times in Jamaica” by Richard Jacobs comprises a stay of one and half weeks of the author and his friend in Jamaica when in March Jamaica won freedom. They went through the capital city of Jamaica and lived a bohemian type of life, staying with the lady and with their girlfriends. The author recorded his reflections and experiences in this short story regarding poverty in in “High Times in Jamaica”, occasionally commenting on what comes his way, on the people and how they are leading their lives. The story not only highlights poverty but also points out the curses accompanying the city of Jamaica.

Observation about Poverty in “High Times in Jamaica”

When the author and his friend Scotty meet their hostess, Aggie, they go to her home with her and take a careful view of her house. It comprises four rooms of a saloon that has been turned into a house with a kitchen and bedrooms for the lady and “her little boy” (Jacobs). When he sees it he is sure that it is “not the best damn place” (Jacobs) they are going to live. This is the poverty reflected in the house of their hostess. Even she serves them poorly and brings “cold beer” (Jacobs) for them. Then they see the girls and start laughing and talking with them to pass their time. The comments and laughs of the girls show that they need something as they live in extreme poverty. “Dark-skinned” (Jacobs) girls are the ones who are out of work and are going to “have a great them staying” (Jacobs) with these travelers to earn their livelihood. This is the situation of poverty. Even when they go out, they see the railway station where “boys [are] making a living by begging” (Jacobs) to earn something. The poverty is acute. There is nothing to earn and it is enough that they get something. The situation of labor and job market is so bad that “You can hardly move without someone asking for a shilling or something to eat” (Jacobs) and when they do not get something they also threaten (Jacobs). This is how they get what they ask at every cost. This poverty in “High Times in Jamaica” is exactly like the “depression of the 1930s” (Jacobs) in the United States. It is running rampant in every nook and corner of the town.

Curses of Poverty in “High Times in Jamaica”

The curses that accompany poverty in “High Times in Jamaica” are also taking their toll on the people as well as the tourists coming to Jamaica. First, it has given birth to the gangs of beggars as the writer suggests in the very beginning of the story. The boys are so poor that they are eight begging or selling petty things or working as guides for the tourists, and every carrying their luggage for something. The second is that girls from different nations are engaged in sex. The author and his friend Scotty are welcomed by Aggie who is running a brothel as he tells commenting about her house that it is “a wh*re house” for it is full of girls (Jacobs). They have also chosen two to stay with them to enjoy their stay in Jamaica. His girl Marjorie is always with him and even another native catches him when they book a theater for a show. She and her friend Scotty’s girl, Blossom, are always with them. When he is taken away by the teenage girl, they stay together and he sees that “She is all sex” (Jacobs) which tells how much sex is there. Again when he sees her standing, she has the “most provocative pose since Cleopatra” (Jacobs). Then they spend their nights together. Poverty has also given birth to crime, robberies, and thefts. Even the author is caught napping in a street, but he takes courage and makes the chasers leave without getting a cigarette but they have said “All want is cigarette” (4). They are so much in want of money that they have nothing else to purchase even a cigarette. Had he not taken courage, he might have been a victim of robbery and gotten a thrashing at their hands, for they would have harmed him had he not given them his possessions. In fact, poverty in “High Times in Jamaica” has brought all these crimes, sex, and beer to this small island.

Conclusion

Although the author Richard Jacobs makes the most of his short trip to the Prince Street of Jamaica, he has presented a short picture of the entire culture. Poverty in “High Times in Jamaica” has destroyed the very social fabric of society and has given birth to several diseases, crimes, and other curses that are ailing that society further. Both he and his friend enjoyed much during their short stay over there. They make the most of their time with their girlfriends Marjorie and Blossom. However, the city is not lacking girls from other origins such as Syria. Even when he and Scotty went to the theater, they see the same accompanying curses of poverty taking their toll on every strata of life. They observe everything that comes their way. The story not only exposes the poverty, but also the crimes and other social illnesses that are making life worse than it was during the Great Depression in America. Although he leaves with his friend after this short trip, his emotional farewell suggests that he was very much moved and wanted to highlight their plight that he did in this short story.

Work Cited

1. Jacobs, Richard. “High Times in Jamaica.” n.d. 03 December 2013. <http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories Accessed  14. Jun. 2020.

Relevant Questions about Poverty in “High Times in Jamaica”

1. How is poverty in “High Times in Jamaica” depicted and explored, and what impact does it have on the lives of the characters?
2. In “High Times in Jamaica,” how does the author address the theme of poverty, and what social and economic factors contribute to the characters’ struggles?
3. Can you provide examples from “High Times in Jamaica” that illustrate the different dimensions of poverty within the story, and how does it shape the storyline and character development?

Introduction to Patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”

During the period when Charlotte Perkins Gilman started writing, social norms divided gender spheres, making men responsible for earning and women for doing household chores, the reason behind the depiction of patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Men were responsible for making critical decisions. They were supposed to be practical and women imaginative. If some individuals from the opposite faction tried to avoid those norms, they were considered unconventional, rebellious, or mentally unstable. “The Yellow Wallpaper” depicts this realization of a female character of those inherent gender norms which not only limit her movement but also muffles her imaginative power. This anonymous wife of Dr. John, who is seemingly suffering from some psychological ailment, thinks on the same conventional pattern. Pitting the practicality of men against the fruitless imaginative ability of women, Gilman shows how gender norms transform women’s psyche, making them think men are always right, become obedient, and are willing to sacrifice their comforts and talents against so-called patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper” showing rationality despite, ultimately harboring a mental conflict.

Patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”

One of the major gender norms of those days was that patriarchal thinking or opinion was always superior to that of women. It is still the same in some societies as it is about patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”. At that time, it was, however, more pervasive. The anonymous wife, though, knows full well the cause of her ailment and its cure, yet she does not speak out to John about why she is being treated in that way. She cannot say it in the face of John, who himself is a physician. And top it all, her brother, too, is a renowned physician, who agrees with John. This is really going to put her at odds if she contradicts their opinions about her situation. Her husband John “does not believe that I am sick,” she says adding, “I disagree with their ideas” (648). She knows the treatment that “congenial work, with excitement and change”, would cure her, but she cannot face both the male doctors. Even she is not allowed to pen down her thoughts. This is a gender norm that a woman should not contradict a rational and practical man and should keep her mum in every case if there are two male members. This clearly means that she is to be an obedient creature, showing the domination of patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”.

Obedience to Patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”

          Obedience to men was also considered a virtue and an accepted gender norm. It means a woman is to be at the beck and call of a man. He can treat her with love or reproach her over nothing. John treats his anonymous wife in the same way. Sometimes he fondles her with love but at other times reproaches her for her suggestions of changing the room or over her thinking about her ailment. This obedience borders submissiveness despite insulting laughs “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage,” she says clearly referring to it as an inherent gender norm (Gilman). She has been taught to expect such sarcasm and tolerate it. Even if she is reasonable in her talk, John flatly refuses to accept her opinion. She knows that he is right, as it has already been set as another gender norm. Her obedience creates a sort of conflict in her mind. Despite her obedience, she stays on the opposite pole, thinking that she has busied herself with her imaginative creativity of fancying the shapes of the yellow wallpaper. The writer has used the extended metaphor of making yellow wallpaper a tool of her creativity to highlight her mental conflict about patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”.

Stifling Creativity Due to Patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”.

Although this creativity does not let her sleep or take a rest and makes her become excited, she has to keep it muffled due to the gender norm of sacrificing everything for men. Despite suffering from such an acute mental illness which could be cured by busying her mind or leaving her alone, she thinks in terms of the gender norm of providing traditional feminine comfort to John. She says, “I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort” and thinks herself a burden on him (Gilman). Despite the fact that she has suggested him change the room and also mentioned the reasons, John does not accept. She then agrees with him in the same conventional way. Although there are conflicts in her mind about these contradictions, she carries on living with these inherent gender norms of not rejecting patriarchal suggestions. The problem of her mental state of mind gets worse so much so that even John faints by the end of the story when he sees her plight of crawling on the floor, a typical weakness of patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”. The conflict has taken its toll on her in worsening her ailment and from John by making him faint to see her plight.

Conclusion

This clearly shows that the patriarchal setup was so much ingrained in women’s psyche that despite knowing themselves as being oppressed not only in keeping their voices muffled but also in restricting their movements and keeping them mental patients, they never tried to break these shackles. The anonymous wife clearly knows the ailment, knows how to cure it, and also knows her creative power, but she does not demure in the face of the so-called suggestions of the two practical male doctors. She harbors a mental conflict, making her mental ailment worse than before, bordering delirium by the end of the story. Gilman, through this allegorical tale, seems to suggest that women, too, can think rationally, and if their suggestions and opinions are treated at par with that of men, they can find solutions to several of their own problems. That is why it is clear that this anonymous wife knows the cure for her ailment – freedom from patriarchy in “The Yellow Wallpaper”.

Works Cited

1. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Literature. n. d. Web. 07 Jul. 2017.

Relevant Questions about Patriarchy in “Yellow Wallpaper”

1. How does the theme of patriarchy in “Yellow Wallpaper” influence the protagonist’s mental state and her perception of reality throughout the story?
2. In what ways does the patriarchal society depicted in “Yellow Wallpaper” restrict the protagonist’s agency and autonomy, and how does this impact her eventual descent into madness?
3. Can you identify specific symbols or metaphors in “Yellow Wallpaper” that serve to critique or expose the oppressive nature of patriarchy in the context of the story?

Introduction to “Dead Man’s Path” as an Indictment

About the phrase that “Dead Man’s Path” is an indictment” it is fair to read Achebe more. For example, in his article “Modern Africa as the Crossroads of Culture” from his book Hopes and Impediments, dilating upon his experience, Achebe states that he was Christian but his whole family was heathen. Despite this, he states, “Those idols and that food had a strange pull on me in spite of my being such a thorough little Christian” (Achebe). He is of the view that sometimes he had to succumb to them. This shows the power of living in a culture and the power of cultist rituals and traditions. His story “Dead Man’s Path” is an Indictment, as it presents the character of a headmaster, Michael Obi, who wins unexpected promotion and feels it his duty to share the “white man’s burden” in spreading the light of education to make the people “just modern and delightful” in his wife’s words (464). However, he little knew what hornet’s nest he is going to move by tinkling with the long-held traditions. He could not sense from other teacher’s view that “there was a big row” over blocking the path (465). Although the story “Dead Man’s Path” is an Indictment is an indictment of such long-held African traditions as much as of the responsibility of the white man, it is also an indictment of the attitude of an enlightened man toward ignorant fellows.

African Culture and “Dead Man’s Path” as an Indictment

It is true that the story derides long-held traditions such as the visit of the dead people and going on the beaten path. Achebe achieves this end through the character of Michael and Nancy who are full of zeal and modern ideas to run Ndume Central School of the Mission authorities. He wants to make an end to these long-held irrational traditions. However, when they join the school, and Michael blocked the village path passing through the school, he faces the wrath of the public through the village priest, Ani, who vandalized the school. In fact, Michael’s depiction in the story is an indictment of Achebe against the irrational traditions because the spread of Christianity has made the “most aspects of traditional life … branded pagan and devilish” as Michael makes fun of the village priest, Ani (Ochiagha 132). However, this does not mean Achebe has left the white man as only the authority with no responsibilities. Hence, “Dead Man’s Path” is an Indictment of white man’s responsibilities as well.

“Dead Man’s Path” is an Indictment of White Invaders

Achebe has rather put the responsibility on the shoulders of the Mission authorities at the end of the story. It is because Achebe has clearly written at the end that when the “white Supervisor came to inspect the school and wrote a nasty report” in which he stated that the headmaster was misguided (466). However, overall it is clear that the headmaster was not misguided. He was very much clear. He was taught to do so, as he was working under the Mission. Therefore, it was his duty to spread the enlightenment. However, here the white man has failed. The indictment of the white man is in this sense as Johathan Peters writes in his article “English-Language Fiction from West Africa” that the major aim of Achebe is to teach fellow Africans the truth about colonialism (18). This is the message that he has given in this story. However, the story also shows that a person should not be arrogant and haughty toward ignorant fellows the reason that “Dead Man’s Path” is an Indictment of all people having authority and responsibility.

“Dead Man’s Path” is an Indictment of Arrogance

In fact, this arrogance is a part of the colonial legacy that comes with the knowledge of the English language. Achebe, in fact, does not like this on the part of locals. In her book, Interrogative Privilege: Reflections of a Second Language Educator, Stephanie Vandrik states her experience of teaching Achebe in an ESL classroom in which she has explained everything but then got the question that “So, missionary means arrogant?” which means that the headmaster has become too arrogant and ironic to be tolerated by the locals (32). That means that his zeal was not misguided, it was his own attitude that needs improvement. In other words, the word “Mission” mentioned earlier shows it clearly that Achebe wants to show the arrogance that the colonial masters exerted themselves or their modern idea-filled teachers like Michael. Therefore, “Dead Man’s Path” is an indictment of this arrogance.

Conclusion

In short, the “Dead Man’s Path” is an indictment of the wrong type of traditions as well as of the attitude of civilized people and the way they handle ignorant fellows by making fun of them. The long-held traditions that are irrational need uprooted. There is no doubt about it. However, people must be first taught to understand irrationality and the importance of education. Deriding them before that happens is as dangerous and harmful as the traditions themselves. In fact, Achebe has highlighted this attitude of the agents of colonialism along with the derision of colonialism in the story.

Works Cited

1. Achebe, Chinua. “Modern Africa as the Crossroads of Culture.” Chinua Achebe. Hopes and Impediments. The University of Michigan. 1990.
2. Achebe, Chinua. “Dead Man’s Path.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. Kennedy, X. J. and Dana Gioia. Pearson Longman. New York. Ed10^th. 2009. Print. 465-470.
3. Ochiagha, Terri. Achebe and Friends at Umuahia: The Making of a Literary Elite. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. 2015. Print. 132-135.
4. Peters, A. Johathan. “English Language Fiction from West Africa.” A History of 20^th Centuries African Literature. Ed. Oyekan Owomoyela. University of Nebraska Press. 1983. Print. 12-18.
5. Vandrick, Stephanie. Interrogating Privilege: Reflections of a Second Language Educator. University of Michigan Press. 2009. 31-35.

Relevant Questions about “Dead Man’s Path” is an Indictment

1. How does the story “Dead Man’s Path” by Chinua Achebe emphasize that “Dead Man’s Path” is an indictment through the character of Michael Obi and his actions?
2. In what ways does Chinua Achebe make it clear that “Dead Man’s Path” is an indictment, using the character of the village priest as a focal point in illustrating the clash of cultures and beliefs?
3. How does “Dead Man’s Path” by Chinua Achebe serve as an indictment not only of Michael Obi but also of the entire village, highlighting the consequences of their inflexibility and their inability to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity?

Introduction to Music in “Sonny’s Blues”

Music in “Sonny’s Blues” is related to blue music, immensely popular among African Americans during the decade of the 50s. The story and characters demonstrate that Blues and Jazz are more than just types of music Baldwin presents. The story revolves around two brothers, the elder family-oriented person, and teacher, and the younger, a musician, singer, and drug addict. The elder man marries a girl, Isabella from a good family. The younger brother loves music but plays truant from school which leads to his expulsion from home, too. When the narrator discovers that his younger brother, Sonny is enthusiastic about music and nothing else, and he gets furious. Like a typical middle-class man, he thinks that after education, a young man can lay his hands upon a decent job to marry a girl like Isabela, have kids, and home. Although the narrator does not seem entirely against music, he seems to think that he should “go to finish school” and pursue some future which Sonny says lies in music (11). Music in “Sonny’s Blues” is associated with an artistic expression devoid of material gain which arouses hostility of the narrator but becomes a passion of life for Sonny and helps readers understand that it assists in communication where language fails.

Artistic Expression of Music in “Sonny’s Blues”

As far as music in “Sonny’s Blues” is associated with artistic expression, some of the narrator’s words clearly show that he does not think that music will give his brother some monetary benefit to live with. When he brings his brother home, they have a conversation about what Sonny is going to do to live, and he says “I can make a living at it” which the narrator does not believe (11). There is a reason behind it because Harlem was the ghetto of New York where African Americans never dreamed of coming out except through education. Sonny’s sudden passionate love for music alerts the narrator that he is going to ruin his career, but little does he know that his brother has already made music his career. When they both talk about music again and the narrator takes some interest in Sonny’s choice, he notices that it does not give him monetary gains, but it does give him a sense of completeness, “In order to keep from shaking to pieces” (16). For Sonny, music in “Sonny’s Blues” is an artistic expression of his sufferings, his pains, and his personal griefs.

Passion of Music in “Sonny’s Blues”

On the other hand, this passion of Sonny arouses a sort of hostility in the narrator for music. This hostility shapes their relationship. Little does enter his mind that music is an artistic expression and that if his brother has decided to pursue it as his career in life, he must support him. He thinks that music is just a pastime, and that Sonny should do something tangible which could bring bread and butter for his family. A typical middle-class person, the narrator, rather thinks about “free will” and beautiful life. It, though, is very interesting to note that despite his antipathy toward music and his resolve that he would not fail his brother, all his pragmatic conversation seems to him “empty words and lies” (17). The narrator, about music in “Sonny’s Blues” feels the hollowness of his anti-music policy toward his brother through his failure to achieve the intended objective. However, as far as Sonny is concerned, he has made it a passion of life, a matter of “life or death for him” (11). It is because the harsh realities of the world have forced Sonny to find refuge in Jazz and Blue. His Harlem context does not let him succeed in the outside world which is “as hungry as a tiger” (21). His view is that if they, the narrator and his family, listen to his music, they would feel free of the suffering, pains, and grief they have gone through in their lives. It is a healing touch that he suggests them will heal their wounds.

Function of Music in “Sonny’s Blues”

Another especially important function of music in “Sonny’s Blues”is that it communicates meanings where language fails to do so. Whenever the narrator tries to become articulate about the career and future of Sonny’s life, both brothers fail to make each other understand what Sonny says and what the narrator wants. Whereas the narrator is concerned, his concern about his brother and his career seems quite genuine. On the other hand, Sonny thinks that his brother does not understand his career choice which has provided him not only refuge but also a healing touch. This conflict reaches its climax when Sonny asks the narrator to see him performing live. It is there in the nightclub that the narrator says, “I understood, at last, that he could help us to be free if we listen, that he would never be free until we did” (21). Both brothers understand each other during this performance and the narrator, finally, feels proud of his brother’s performance. Language could not bridge this gap of communication that music in “Sonny’s Blues” has filled at last.

Conclusion

Baldwin thus leaves this lesson that sometimes arts and artistic skills fill the communication gaps though they hardly become liabilities. Music in “Sonny’s Blues” provides an incredibly good reference that though the music does not provide money, it provides refuge, relief, and communication media to understand each other. By inviting his brother to the nightclub, Sonny finally succeeds to convince his brother that he has chosen music as his career and that it will provide freedom if they listen to him. It does provide freedom to him by the end of the story. That is how music is a great motif of “Sonny’s Blue.”

Works Cited

Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues.” WMV. n. d. Web. 30 Jun. 20.17.

Relevant Questions about Music in “Sonny’s Blues”

1. How does the theme of music in “Sonny’s Blues” contribute to the emotional depth and character development of Sonny and his brother, and what does it symbolize in their lives?
2. In “Sonny’s Blues,” how does the character of Sonny use music as a means of expressing his inner turmoil and finding solace, and what impact does it have on his relationship with his brother?
3. What role does the jazz club in “Sonny’s Blues” play in shaping the narrative, and how does the music performed there serve as a catalyst for personal and emotional revelations for the characters?

Introduction to Communication in “Speech Sounds”

Communication in “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler demonstrates that in the absence of communication, it is all chaos and disorder. Rye, the protagonist of the story, goes through a series of hassles, witnesses dispute in the bus when going to meet the children of her brother in Pasadena, and sees the constraints and consequences of “limited ability to communicate” (02). When the disputes do not end, she finds Obsidian. Finding him a positive person, she leaves with him for his home but on the way meets another accident where a woman happens to shoot Obsidian. She is then left with three children where she comes to know communication and becomes optimistic. Meanwhile, it is clear that the absence of communication in “Speech Sounds” leads to chaos and destruction though its reversal brings hope and the ability to resolve issues.

Lack of Communication in “Speech Sounds”

The lack of communication or better to say the absence of language creates chaos and destruction. Rye has experienced it when going down to Pasadena to meet the children of her brother. The disagreement between two young men on the bus shows her how the lack of ability to speak has affected the people. This causes a commotion in the bus and leads to more disputes and brawls. However, what she carefully observes during this entire episode is that people are unable to communicate. They are talking with fists and punches. Therefore, when she finds the Ford man, Obsidian signaling her, she uses her insight of identifying his good intentions and instantly moves out of this situation where she could have faced problems. Even here communication does not work as “She returned his gaze” when he gazes at her (02). Even the bearded man on the bus shows that he can only “shout in wordless anger” (03) which points to his inability to communicate. It means that lack of communication in “Speech Sounds”  has made characters such as Rye and the bearded man struggle to understand each other.

Understanding Communication in “Speech Sounds”

Lack of communication also means that it takes a long time for characters to understand each other. When Rye sees Obsidian, she does not understand his true intentions. She takes time in understanding him through his looks, his uniform, his ways of dealing with the situation, and with her. She identifies him after a while that as a left-hander he could be trustworthy. When she finally moves with him, their conversation through signals and motions, makes it possible for them to make love and move to some other place. However, it is another thing that Obsidian is killed on the way, but it gets clear that the ability to communicate works faster than the language of signs and moves. Although some signs are universal such as she “shook her head in a universally understood negative” though the man does not pay heed to it (04). This again points to the fact that Rye and Obsidian must struggle very hard to get to each other’s point, while conversation would have taken time shorter than the signals have taken. It also points out the fact that communication in “Speech Sounds”  means a civilized way of dealing with others.

Communication Means Civilization

The fact that communication means civilization becomes clear by the end of the story where Rye finds three children after Obsidian is killed. She is left with the children to take care of them. It is not clear how communication comes back to her after the children speak with each other for “She has lost reading and writing” after the outbreak of the illness (06). At this point, however, when she hears the children talking and the girl says to her to “Go away” she becomes rather startled. It immediately dawns upon her that she can also communicate and exclaims saying “Fluent speech” (11). Then she takes very little time in telling the boy that “It is all right” after she has introduced her as “I’m Valerie Rye” (11). It becomes clear at this moment how she has reacted to the speech sounds of the boy and the girl by making her own meaningful speech sounds regarding communication in “Speech Sounds”.

Conclusion

Concluding the argument, it can be stated that communication is and seems a gift for human beings. It points to the civilized ways of human beings to deal with each other. Rye shows that when there is a lack of communication, people often take up brawls and disputes. It also shows that lack of communication causes a delay in conveying the real meanings as it happens between her and Obsidian. She becomes hopeful when she finds that the children have the ability to communicate and that her ability has returned to her.

Works Cited

Butler, Octavia. “Speech Sounds.” Future-lives.net. Accessed 13 Mar. 2019.

Relevant Questions About Communication in “Speech Sounds”

1. How does the breakdown of communication in “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler reflect the broader themes of isolation and societal collapse?
2. In “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler, how do the characters’ struggles with communication highlight the fragility of human connection in a post-apocalyptic world?
3. What insights does Octavia Butler’s “Speech Sounds” offer into the essential role of communication in maintaining order, empathy, and understanding, and how is this significance emphasized throughout the story?

Introduction to Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

Critique and criticism of Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” is very strong though Nathaniel Hawthorne satirized it in “The Young Goodman Brown.” Yet, he has been singled out as the best one in a tone that is mild and the satire that is latent in sweet words. Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” revolves around the character of Reverend Father Hooper who wants to become an icon of religious piety. He wears a black veil 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 ranges from his mysterious thinking to his mysterious life and his being a sinner, or having a 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 suddenly erupts into abuzz on account of this fanciful idea of wearing a black veil and the speculations it causes reach 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 mask, making the atmosphere more suspenseful and exciting until his end nears when he again tries to save his face and speaks that “every visage [has] a Black Veil” (Hawthorne) by which he means that all are sinners. Through his character and commentary of the other characters, picture of Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” show the Puritan’s belief about the existence of evil in the world but also demonstrates the belief that all people are sinners and that there is a constant conflict between good and evil.

Commentary on 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 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, he attempts to raise a curtain between himself and the outside world in an attempt to create an aura of 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 (Hawthorne). 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 all other sinners. This is the commentary on Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Hawthorne that evil exists in the world in the shape of everyone being a sinner. However, it is also interesting that this belief of a person about himself being a pious and another a sinner is at the heart of the Puritan dilemma.

Double-Faced People in Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

Hawthorne intends to show that every person has two faces; one is good to show to the people and the other is evil that he tries to hide. The dilemma of Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” is that clergymen often find themselves at odds when facing the common people whom they consider sinners.  This battle between the sinners and the pious seems to start very early when Father Hooper tries to separate himself from others 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 ultimately separation happens between the sinners Elizabeth is representing and him, the pious clergy community to whom Father Hooper is representing. This has been due to the differences drawn by Puritanism in the community to divide it on religious bases. The division in the community led to a war between the religious and the supposedly impious minds.

Public and Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

In fact, the minister 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 up creating conflictual relationships not only with the people but also with his religious counterparts. This tension between the people and Father Hooper has led to speculations between both parties; the father is generalizing all the people as sinners and masking their evil natures, and people are thinking of 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 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 Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” but also the characters to comment on the state of Puritanism and its impacts on dividing the people on religious lines, making them turn 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 of 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 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 Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

1. How does Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” influence the community’s perception of Reverend Hooper and his mysterious black veil?
2. In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” how does Nathaniel Hawthorne use Puritanism to explore the themes of sin, guilt, and judgment in the story?
3. What role does Puritanism play in shaping the social and moral context of “The Minister’s Black Veil,” and how does it contribute to the central conflict of the narrative?

Introduction to Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

Kate Chopin has been interpreted in several ways including the theme of “The Story of an Hour”, her representative short story. Having been raised as a girl with access to education better than other girls of her time, Kate Chopin wrote extensively about female oppression in a society where the domestic field was simply the domain of a woman, specifically a married woman, while the external world was the domain of men. However, her views were a bit broader than this simple social convention, for she not only was a deep observer of the female characters from her own family but also around her in society, when Puritanism was having a full hold on every aspect of life. The major conflict she highlighted about identity in “The Story of an Hour” and other short fiction is about “women torn between duty and desire” (Toth 1990) with underpinnings of identity recognition as compared to patriarchal domination. However, with it is the oppression of marriage and subsequent liberation that gives further power to a mother at home after the death of the male head of the family that Louise demonstrates in the story. There also is no indication in the story about Louise whether she is a mother or not. Papke notes in the introduction of her paper that there was the propagation of this concept that women are “lesser beings” dependent on men in every way and this concept has been institutionalized through social norms and conventions in marriage (Papke 1990). The sacred institution of marriage, as Kate Chopin, shows became a reason for the oppression, or at least women with intellectual capability used to think it so as does Louise when she sees the possibility of freedom from this bondage. This situation put women as subordinate to men, which sometimes seems a sort of permanent incarceration. Therefore, identity in “The Story of an Hour” is not only a theme within a patriarchal society but also the story highlights the oppression of marriage and the desire for liberation on the part of women. However, with it is also interlined the assertion of the female identity.

Feminism and Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

In the age torn between approach French intellectual inquiry and Puritan thoughts, Kate Chopin stood upright for feminism, when a woman was judged on the basis of four virtues, “piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity” (Barbara 373). These qualities were used to outline her role as a wife, mother,  sister, or daughter. And no other role was acceptable from the view of those social norms as well as religious beliefs. However, within those social restrictions, Kate Chopin was able to assert her feminine individuality but was also able to reach out for power and happiness. This is the first sign of identity in “The Story of an Hour”. The patriarchal society carved a niche for the women through cautious interpretation of the religious as well social concepts that she could have best conformed had she stayed limited to her role at home. There are ample evidences in “The Story of an Hour” regarding patriarchal dominance and the assertion of feminism. It is only a woman, who can understand the predicament of another woman whose husband has just passed away in an accident and none could better announce it other than a real sister. Yet, in this situation, a male member is required. When Josephine tells her sister the news of the death of Brently, “Her Husband’s friend Richard was there, too, near her” (Chopin) so that he could take care of her. However, the “wild abandonment” (Chopin) with which she hears the news and calms down after a sudden drift of cries, shows that she was seeing something in the future where she would not have the dominance of a male at home. At least, she has an opportunity to assert her identity without the domination of her husband “She could see in the open square” (Chopin) the identity coming to her as “something” (Chopin). Although this thought of “Free, Body and soul free” (Chopin) clearly points to her thinking about her identity coming out through the male domination, yet as a submissive woman, with the habit of accepting the dominance of Brently, she “had loved him” (Chopin). This oscillation starts creating a sort of conflict in her mind between her freedom of having a full feminine identity and power and as a domestic lady. This conflict continued until it reached its peak at the end where she was at the pinnacle of “joy” (Chopin) which ultimately led to her death.

Identity in “The Story of an Hour” and Kate Chopin

The biographical sketch painted by Emily Toth in her book about Kate Chopin states that this story could be read as an illustration of her mother’s marriage. This means she has a firsthand experience of marriage and oppression that leads a woman into depression and anxiety. It also means loss of identity as she points identity in “The Story of an Hour”. Kate Chopin witnessed the submission of her own mother to the will of her father, which led to her rebellion or at least expression of rebellion against this institution. It could be that she considered this as “an institution that traps women” (Toth 10). There are ample similarities in the names she uses in “The Story of an Hour.” It is also that the setting she created also led to criticism that it is similar to the marriage she witnessed at her own home. Although certain facts differ in the story and the real life of her mother, it is stated by her biographer Toth that she had “to disguise reality” (Toth 16) which she ultimately exposed in this story. Louise, when realizes that she is now free from the bond of marriage and oppression, sees a good opportunity as “her fancy was running riot” (Chopin). It is because she sees that there is a full life ahead with a lot of opportunities. She takes stock of her life with her husband and following her death it seems that she is ultimately free. The actual voice of her soul comes out in the shape of the silent words of “free, free, free” (Chopin) which clearly demonstrates that Louise feels marriage an oppression and the death of her husband a liberation from this oppression. This could also be interpreted that she wants to shed off responsibilities the traditions, beliefs, and social customs have tied to women as Barbara has described in her essay. This assertion is actually toward breaking this bond of marriage where only the male has full authority and women are considered or given a secondary role to keep a hold on domestic duties. In fact, the last line which tells that the doctor came is the epitome of Chopin’s thinking about this liberation. It has connotative meanings in that it could be understood as the “joy” of the freedom she won after the death of her husband, and it could be that the doctor was wrong. After all, he was also a male doctor, having full authority to announce his diagnosis. Whatever the cause is, the reality of liberty that she wants from her marriage ends with her death; an indication that this was institutionalized in marriage so strongly that it was not easy to break it open.

Mrs Mallard and Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

In his study about identity in “The Story of an Hour” Berkove states that there is a profound irony in the story, adding that Mrs. Mallard is not considered a heroin but “a victim of her own self-assertion” (Berkov 152). To some extent, it seems true. Her argument seems valid in that he has explored the story from the standpoint of psychological criticism. His argument is that she might have double issues of the heart – for she is suffering “emotionally as well as physically” (Berkov156). And this seems true, too. It is because she could not have recovered from the shock of the death of Mr. Brently, which could have easily killed any other woman of that era. The reason is that “great care was taken to break her as gently as possible the news” (Chopin), which points to the fact that she was suffering from both sorts of sicknesses. The psychologically valid point also finds some evidences within the text where it proves that she was suffering from a psychological problem of self-assertion or identity that she could not think clearly. Chopin has very indistinctly shown her heroin when her thinking is clouded, as she is just in the initial stages of her delusion that her identity is going to be recognized so she can assert herself as an independent and free woman. However, it requires another debate, except for a few references, there is no clear indication that she was a psychological patient. She was good and knew that her husband loved her. However, had she not been disillusioned before that. It is clear that this an hour between the death of Mr. Brently, and her own death. Her thinking journey just takes an hour, and reaches its peak from where it proved fatal for her to come down. However, the major point is that her depiction of this self-assertion is highly subtle as it is wrapped in an innocent desire for freedom and self-hood.

Conclusion: Feminine Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

Concluding the discussion, it is fair to state that Kate Chopin has taken cues from the institution of marriage, the status of women, and the assertion of identity against that male-dominated society to present her views in the stories, specifically in “The Story of an Hour.” The spread of the French idea of intellectual development led to a change in her thinking about the traditional concept of marriage and the roles of women. She has presented the woman going or at least desiring to go against the male-dominated society of that time in the role of Louise. It is also that the character of Louise and her muffled thinking and comments about her freedom highlights the oppression that a woman has to undergo during her married life and the possibility of freedom that she could think about. Psychologically, she has also tried to explore the very idea of female identity and self-assertion in a society where only four areas were given to women with the argument that she could have power and authority but to get within these limits. However, it is another point that her all desires dashed to the ground. The last sentence of the story is an evidence that she must have been harboring this idea since long though it was only an hour that she reached the pinnacle of her joy of having freedom ahead in the future. Leaving aside the outcome of the debate, it is quite certain from her biography and other stories, too, demonstrate that she was the torchbearer of the freedom of women, authority of the women and identity recognition in that setup of social norms, and also that she has asserted those without appearing defiant in this story.

Works Cited

1. Berkove, Lawrence I. “Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.” American Literary Realism 32, no. 2 (winter 2000): 152-58.
2. Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” VCU. n.d. Web. Accessed 21 July 2014.
3. Hicks, Victoria. “Patriarchal Representation and Domestic Liberation: The Home in Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction.” 2009. UNCA. Web. Accessed 21 July 2014.
4. Papke, Mary E. “Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton.” New York:  Greenwood P, 1990.
5. Toth, Emily. Kate Chopin. New York: Morrow, 1990.
6. Welter, Barbara. ”The Cult of True Womanhood:  1820-1860.”  The American Family in the Social Historical Perspective.  Ed. Michael Gordon.  New York:  St. Martin’s P, 1978.  372-92.

Relevant Questions about Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

1. How does the character of Louise Mallard’s evolving feminine identity in “The Story of an Hour” reflect the societal expectations and constraints placed on women in the late 19th century?
2. In “The Story of an Hour,” how does the revelation of Louise Mallard’s true feelings challenge conventional notions of feminine identity, particularly in the context of marriage and societal roles?
3. Can you analyze the symbolism of the open window in “The Story of an Hour” and its connection to Louise Mallard’s exploration of her own feminine identity and newfound sense of freedom?

Introduction to Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

Family is a microcosm experiencing transformation in “The Metamorphosis” representing different characters who witness a strange phenomenon and demonstrate reactions, ranging from initial love and care to extreme anger, and violence and then ostracizing the transformed individual. The major character Gregor sees himself transformed into an abominable vermin. This triggers further transformation in “The Metamorphosis” on minor scales, but these are the other transformations that take up more space than Gregor himself. Although the transformation in “The Metamorphosis”of Gregor is on a physical level, almost all other transformations are on a psychological and mental level. A person completely changes his character to suit the changing circumstances. Even sometimes, some reactions seem absurd, leading the readers to feel empathy with Gregor and wonder at the reactions of the same family members who, a month ago, used to consider him a pivot in the family. Therefore, this is not just a transformation of an individual but it is the transformation of the whole family. The story “The Metamorphosis” by Kafka presents this transformation of Mr. Gregor from a breadwinner to an abominable vermin, a burden on the family, innocent, childish, and perceptive Grete to an assertive head of the family, old Mr. Samsa to a violent old man, and a caring mother to a dependent and acquiesced, old woman, who consents to every proposal suggested for the supposed welfare of the family.

Gregor’s Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

Gregor Samsa is a very responsible family member and a traveling salesman, living with his family in an apartment. The whole family depends on him but a sudden physical transformation of his body into a bug turns his whole plans upside down. His only reaction was “What happened to me?” (Kafka 318). His transformation into a  vermin entails his whole physical transformation, his belly, his head, his legs, and even his sense of smell, but his thinking is the same. He still thinks about his hard work saying, “The next train left at seven” (319) but he also knows that he is unable to get up due to his transformed shape. His responsibility seems to dominate his thoughts more than his physical change. He has the same humanity that he used to harbor for his family members “If I did not have curb on my tongue because of my parents” (318) he would have left that job a long time ago. Even though he knows his problem, he does not think to fix it first but only thinks about his job, his position, and the condition of his parents in which they would find themselves after he is unable to work. He still thinks that his sister is more “perceptive” (320) and that only she has understood his condition even before opening the door. When they decide to remove furniture from his room, although he seems to feel comfortable in open movements, he still does not want to change his human habits but still prides himself on providing “his parents and his sister with such a life in a nice apartment” (328). Despite a highly critical situation, he maintains his calm and composure only to “help his family bear the burdens that his present condition had placed on them” (328). He knows that his family members are transforming and their attitude is quite telling in this connection. But he also knows that “they were surely suffering enough as it was” (329) only because of his transformation in “Metamorphosis”. However, he is surprised but this gradual transformation of his family members that even Grete, the most considerate one, says to her mother “I refuse to utter my brother”s name in the presence of this monster” (343). Yet, he stays the same and “recall[s] his family with deep emotion and love” (345) which shows his mental stability and love for the family until his death.

Physical Transformation in “Metamorphosis”

As far as Grete is concerned, she does not witness any transformation in “The Metamorphosis” on the physical level, but inwardly she changes a lot. She was highly “perceptive” (319) as Gregor says. Then she takes care of his food, his room, and the financial situation of the whole house. She takes up the responsibility of the entire family, shows sympathy with every other member, and starts earning. However, her inward transformation starts when she starts earning and it occurs to her that Gregor has become a burden to them. She has realized that he is creating problems for them and this transformation forces her to concoct some excuse to get rid of him. She says, “Dear parents, we cannot go on like this. Maybe you do not realize but I do. I refuse to utter my brother”s name in the presence of this monster” (343) which is a clear indication that now she is paving the way either to expel him or to kill. This excuse reaches the pinnacles when she finally declares that “I can”t stand it anymore either” (343). In fact, she has some finer prospects that could not have been fulfilled without this transformation. This was inevitable as she was to “find a good husband” (347).

Family Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

The role of Mr. Samsa is, however, almost the same. Although he used to pay homage to Gregor in the beginning when he was not an insect, he changed into a violent person. He used to be a businessman but unfortunately faced severe losses and came under the debt of the company, Gregor is working for now. It seems that they are not on good terms with each other from the very start, but when Gregor transforms into an insect, “he began stamping his feet and waving cane” (326) to show his disgust and even “gave him a hard blow that was truly a deliverance” (328). When for the second time he had had a chance to look at him, he threw an apple and one of them hit “Gregor”s back” (338) which proved deadly and led him to suffer for several days. In fact, as everything was being done by Gregor, “they had gratefully accepted the money and he had given it gladly but no special warmth went with it” (330) and when he turned into an insect, he was tolerated for a few days, but then again there is no warmth. Therefore, his father turns against him.

Conclusion

In short, it is not the metamorphosis of Gregor alone, but it is the transformation in “The Metamorphosis” of his entire family except his mother who accepts fate. It is because she is dependent on others for everything. When she sees him, she is horrified and when she is told that the insect is not Gregor, she accepts it resignedly. Actually, it is the finances that work and Grete takes lead in this connection. When she becomes a responsible member of the family and everything falls on her shoulders, she thinks that if she is carrying on with it she will no longer have good prospects. Therefore, she makes up her mind to get rid of him by showing the reality to other family members and when all agree, her mental transformation is complete. It is another thing that Gregor still feels the same emotions and the same love for the family but he has lost his utility which is the impetus for utility.

Works Cited

Kafka, Franz. “The Metamorphosis.” An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Ed. Kennedy X. J. & Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. Vol. 10. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 318-343. Print.

Relevant Questions about Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

1. How does Gregor’s physical transformation in “The Metamorphosis” affect his relationships with his family members?
2. What are the psychological and emotional transformations experienced by Gregor and his family throughout the story, and how do they contribute to the overall narrative?
3. In “The Metamorphosis,” how does Gregor’s metamorphosis symbolize broader themes of alienation and isolation in society?