Tag: short essays

Introduction

About Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”,  Nathaniel Hawthorne does not directly attack but launches a mildly pleasant criticism against its form prevalent in the United States during the early period of the 19^th century. At that time, people used to pay more attention to religious rituals and considered them yardsticks to judge a person’s moral worth. Like all other literary pieces, the story reflects the cultural milieu in which Nathaniel Hawthorne had to live and present his views about the issues involving religion; a very sensitive issue at that time. Therefore, a direct attack against Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown” would have immediately invited wrath against him for being a heretic. Sensing this, he has sagaciously invented characters and placed them in a situation where their faith and belief systems face an extreme test. The characters find that they are not only ordinary human beings but that all others, too, have the same nature. The faith of their religious piety and devotion to religious causes experience a severe jolt when Goodman Brown finds that almost all characters have the same fallible nature as he himself has. Hawthorne, therefore, has criticized the religious faith of that time, using symbolic characters, ironic dialogues, and creating a dreamy and allegorical story using religious-like characters.

Indirect Attack against Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”

The first mild and indirect attack against Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is in the shape of the characters. The protagonist is Goodman Brown, whose very name is suggestive of goodness but his nocturnal errand is entirely contrary to his name’s expected role. The next in line is his wife who is Faith and he even calls her “my Faith” (672) by which it also means that she is his faith. However, she is also seen in the Devil’s company when he goes to the forest and sees several good characters from his village, “Salem” there. The village name itself is a symbol of peace and religious tranquility. Then he remembers “Where is my Faith?” (679) which is an irony not only about his wife’s name but also about his very faith. The same is the case of Goody Cloyse who is a very good Christian but in the meeting with the Old Man, she reveals she is with him. Even the Minister and Deacon Gookin, a clergyman from Salem, is present in the meeting despite being very good names belonging to the religious hierarchy. Almost all of these names are very pointed ones in the sense that they connote religious meanings but their actions in the forest before the Devil are showing them otherwise. Even in the real world, it happens almost the same that deeply religious people hide their nature from the public. This ironic situation continues even in dialogs against Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”.

Moreover, similar to dialogs, Hawthorne has used a very pointed and ironic dialog of the characters against Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”. When Goodman Brown is going to the forest, his wife Faith whispers in his ears “A lone woman is trouble with such dreams and such thoughts” (672), which is proved when she is found in the company of the Old Man in the forest even before Goodman reaches there. He even implores her not to doubt him “dost thou doubt me already” (672) which shows that he suspects her of knowing his intentions of meeting the Devil in the forest. Another such thinking comes to Goodman when he is going through the forest, knowing that he is going to meet the Devil but thinks that “There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree” (673), which is not only ironic by also hypocritical. When the Old Man asks him the reason for coming late, then again he speaks the same ironic language that is “Faith kept me back” (674), which could also mean that he has misgivings about the Devil and that his religious faith was keeping him back. All these dialogs clearly show how Nathaniel Hawthorne has put the whole belief system of Puritanism to doubt. It is through ironic dialogs that he has criticized the faith of different characters. However, it is very interesting to note all the characters have created a very good allegory.

Situation of Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”

The story has been set in a dream-like situation in which a good young man with the same name leaves his faithful wife having the same name. Both harbors very strict religious ideas due to their being residents of the village Salem, a true village, around which Hawthorne has constructed his story.  Due to the nature of its names and their similarity with the religion of Puritanism, the story is a deep allegory that represents the culture of Salem at that time. In the story, Young Goodman Brown loses his innocence and gullible nature due to having seen all other relations and Christian characters in the Devil’s company. The Devil is successful even in seducing his parents who were considered deeply religious and pious people. The end result is that he feels fully disenchanted with the piety of the people. Therefore, it leaves a moral lesson that no person seems truly innocent until he undergoes a trial and test. Therefore, this entire Christian allegory mocks the Puritan beliefs of those times when it was ruling the roost in Salem and around it and different people were persecuted due to being called heretics on account of their faiths or differences with the religious authorities. Therefore, it is still not such a scathing attack against Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”.

Conclusion

In short, Nathaniel Hawthorne has used his storywriting skills to criticize the religious dogmas of Puritanism and blind faith in religious figures of Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”. He has done this by using symbolic characters and making them speak pointed and ironic dialogs. He has also built his story as an allegory with a moral that no person should be naïve enough to consider others deeply religious when he himself is not as religious as Goodman Brown. The story revolves around the naivety and gullibility that Goodman shows toward his forefathers, his wife, and other religious figures of the village with whom he finds himself in the forest in the Devil’s meeting. Almost all the literary tools in the story are at the disposal of Hawthorne to criticize the religious beliefs of Puritanism prevalent at that time.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.” Norton Anthology of American Literature Edited by Nina Baym and Robert S. Levine. WW Norton. 2012. p. 672-679.

Relevant Questions about Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown”

1. How does Nathaniel Hawthorne depict the influence of Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown,” and what impact does it have on the characters and plot?
2. In what ways does Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown” shape the moral dilemmas and conflicts faced by the protagonist, Goodman Brown?
3. What symbols and allegorical elements are used to represent Puritanism in “Young Goodman Brown,” and how do they contribute to the story’s themes and message?

Introduction about sexual appeal in “A&P”

Regarding sexual appeal in “A&P”, John Updike has woven several different strands of themes together in a way that none is separable from the other. Not only it seems like an ancient romance but also it touches on the conditions of the modern age. It is because now no old heroes come out to fight for the honor of damsels like King Arthur’s knights. Sex, romance, wealth, and democracy have changed the very concepts of love and honor. Wealth, everyday livelihood, and bread and butter are bigger realities staring into the faces of modern human beings. Although Sammy makes the courageous move of quitting the job, he finds himself in hot waters after he thinks that nobody pays attention to him. The reason is that even the girls have nothing to do with “their unsuspected hero” (Updike 452) that he thinks himself to be, and he hopes that “they’ll stop and watch me.” He then feels “how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (459) after he leaves the store. This shows that these heroic and self-centered decisions are made more based on sex and romantic notions rather than reality. About sexual appeal in “A&P”, the story not only shows the sex and sexual appeal of the teenage generation but also the romantic notions the teenagers harbor and the sexual symbols used in this story.

Objectives of Sexual Appeal in “A&P”

Sex and sex appeal in “A&P” are the primary objects that attract the minds of young men. This has further intensified during this modern age because now young minds find more attraction and more beauty. The example of the description of Sammy is a case in point. He states that the first one was “a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft- t” which clearly shows his focus—the queenie that he calls her (457). The same goes for the nameless narrator of “Araby” by James Joyce who sees Mangan’s sister in the same light whenever she comes out of her home to call her brother (Joyce). The look of both teenagers sees the sex and sex appeal in both ways. The next remarks made by Sammy are enough to show how Updike explores the teenage minds that such statements “become the matrix of the story, the backdrop that mirrors and parodies Updike’s society” (Metamorphictin). This shows that even with no sexual purpose, comments of Sammy clearly show that in other cases he would have taken such a bold step. This is because of his age and sexual appeal in “A&P”. This also could be called the romance of the medieval age when the knights used to come out to defend the honor of women.

Teenage and Sexual Appeal in “A&P”

However, this is the modern age and there is no such escapade. Now Sammy is to fight the battle of his livelihood against this modern age where he may have several prospects, but this livelihood does not come easily. However, when the “queenie” enters the story in two pieces, he immediately starts harboring different notions. Lengel, the manager of the A&P, seems to present the reality that is a social convention too that they are living far away from the beach and there is no concept of a two-piece-wearing girl. However, when they come, there is a buzz in the story over which he comes and sees it. This gives rise to a conflict while earlier Sammy has engaged himself in romantic reveries about the girls — specifically the queenie.  Gena Miller Walters in her paper on the comparison between “Araby” and “A&P” states that “Sammy also attempts to win the attention of a beautiful girl by making a chivalric gesture” (Walters). These sorts of gestures were made in the medieval period. However, as it is based on the romantic notion, this is against the reality that is to conform to social norms. This immediately breaks his notion and he starts thinking about his future. To show this romance, Updike has filled the story with sexual symbols.

Symbols and Sexual Appeal in “A&P”

Updike has beautifully used his narrator to use these sexual symbols that make the story seem favoring feministic sexuality everywhere. The quitting of Sammy is in support of the girls because he is affected by feminine sexuality. This is a subjective approach as it affects the protagonist who immediately sees them “in nothing but bathing suits” (452) which is a sexual symbol. Then he uses different words with Stokesie who is also affected by this sexuality. However, George Bentley states in his paper “Sammy’s Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in John Updike’s “A&P”, that there is also male sexuality that is based on status, economic condition, role, power, and authority. Stokesie is a responsible male who is also engaged in role-play with Sammy, “the unsuspected hero (452). On the other hand, the bare condition of the girls, specifically the walking style of the queenie and her leading role is a strong sexual symbol that immediately works wonders on the spectators specifically the teenager, Sammy (Bentley). There are several other sex symbols too that increase sexual appeal in “A&P”.

Conclusion

In short, John Updike has beautifully used Sammy to give his opinion about sex in the modern period and the realities that are spread around the people. In fact, this also borders the sex appeal towards which Sammy gets attracted and quits his job but gets nothing in return. When he comes out the girls have left long ago. His notion of romance that he harbors about the girls, himself as a hero and the people around him as spectators dashes to the ground. He immediately comes to the reality but then it is done. Updike has presented several sexual symbols to bring his readers to his point that these are the modern-day realities that do not let romance and sexual appeal take hold of the world or teenage minds.

Works Cited

1. Bentley, Greg W. “Sammy’s Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in John Updike’s “A&P.” Journal of the Short Story in English. [online]. 43 (Autumn 2004). 17 Sep. 2008. Web. 16 July 2015.
2. Joyce,  James. “Araby.” Online Literature. Online Literature. n. d. Web. 16 July 2015.
3. Metamorphiction. “Sex and Dissent in Mid-Twentieth Century Literature.” Metamorphiction. Metamorphiction. 03 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 July 2015.
4. Updike, John. “A&P”.” Charters, Anne. The Story and Its Writer. New York: Bedford /St. Martins, 2014. 452-459.
5. Walters, Genna Miller. “Joyce’s “Araby” and Updike’s “A&P”: A Culture Hostile to Romance.” UGA. UGA. n. d. Web. 16 July 2015.

Relevant Questions about Sexual Appeal in “A&P”

1. How does Sammy’s perception of sexual appeal in “A&P” drive his decision to quit his job?
2. What role does the girls’ attire play in conveying sexual appeal in “A&P”?
3. How do societal attitudes towards sexual appeal in “A&P” influence the store manager’s reaction to the girls’ attire?

Introduction

If it is stated that the community in “A Rose for Emily” acts similar to a mob against an insect left alone in the colony without any other insect to take care of her. Then the analogy that man is a social animal fits her. The reason is the community a person lives in shapes her/his attitude, lifestyle, and even behavior. When people form a community, they vow to abide by the values the community creates because of long-held customs, traditions, and norms. It does not matter whether these are stupid norms such as in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson or better ones. It is also that the community heightens and increases the status of some in such a way that he/she becomes an icon. Then when the time comes that the person does not conform to the topical and existing social norms and conventions, he/she becomes a butt of jokes, torture, and repression. The people turn into a mob and become hostile against that individual. The victimization of a single individual based on collective torture transforms him/her into a psychological patient suffering from several mental complications. Almost the same happen due to the community in “A Rose for Emily”.

Emily of “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner is such a victim of the antagonist role of society that it turns her into a psychological patient, leading her to kill her would-be husband. In connection with her, the role of the community and social circle around her is highly complicated, objectionable, and hazardous. Although the community in “A Rose for Emily”  has turned Miss Emily into an icon of the elite of the South, it has also insulted her through her victimization with the public attitude of sharp and pointed censure.

Community in “A Rose for Emily”

To understand the inner workings of a person and his/her psychological issues, the role of community and environment is vital. The individuals or families such as Emily Griersons, who lived in the community of Southerners, were first elevated to the elite class. However, then the befallen house for them has become a good place. The narrator says, they feel “respectful affection” for Emily as if she is a hero (52), but the pity is that Emily has left her house for her eternal abode in the end. It is at this point that the narrator states that the women of the town wish to see “the inside of her house” (52) “out of curiosity” (52)  to get more information about their lives, as the women were not allowed to enter their house after Emily finished taking China painting classes. In fact, their house becomes a tradition of status quo, as the people have given much respect to tradition like its inmates. It clearly means that the townspeople have accepted Griersons as icons and elite of the community. Hence, the narrator states that the time came when Col Sartoris remitted their taxes (28) because she was the only remnant of the great Southern part, and it was given because her father did a great charity for the city. However, when he states that the “next generation” came to power, they felt dissatisfied with their elite lifestyle without paying taxes (52) by which the narrator means that they wanted to impose taxes on all and sundry. They did not want to leave any house in the town. However, even when they visited Emily, they paid full respect as the narrator states that “they rose when she entered” (53) and she did not even notice their arrival. Even when she displayed rudeness, they did not demur and accepted her manners as being from the upper class and left her house. The narrator further states that she again insulted them saying her servant to “Show these gentlemen out” (53) which clearly shows that she was placed so high that now it was difficult for her to come down to their level to accept their rude entry. In fact, the community transformed the whole family first into their icon, and then each surviving individual into a status-conscious individual that they became a sort of “noblesse oblige” (53). It means that they became very noble people, and it was beneath their dignity to treat or contact or meet people lower than their status. Hence, they were to be considered above all customs, norms, laws, and transformations. Hence, they could not merge in community in “A Rose for Emily”.

Anti-Individual Role of Community in “A Rose for Emily”

The major point is that the same community turned against the very Griersons whom the narrator has stated as “august names” (52). The very first blow comes from the very authorities, which remitted their taxes years ago. Even the mayor could not stay behind and sent her a letter to make her pay the taxes with offers that he could come himself (52), showing her respect. It is also that when both the daughter and the father used to come out in the past, the young men of the area used to chase them. When her father died, they paid a visit for condolence. When there was a smell, they started complaining, which the narrator says is “another link” between them (54). This link suggests that although the people were hellbent on ending that smell, the city judge did not want to interfere, considering this a taboo. According to the narrator, he did not want to disrupt this long-preserved “tradition” (52).

Narrative and Community in “A Rose for Emily”

It is actually the narrator, who has presented the Griersons and their house as a tradition, becoming a judge by himself to give his verdict about them, commenting that Griersons were haughty themselves. This seems the only reason for their downfall. However, when it is time that the mighty have fallen, it is the same community about which the narrator states that the people feel “sorry for her” that she has turned into a spinster, and nobody was there to marry her (52). However, at the same time, the narrator also thinks that these misfortunes are rather good for her as the lady has “become humanized” (53) for she was left as “a pauper” (53). It appears to have made the community happy which is quite a contradictory attitude. These sudden contradictions in the role of the community in giving them a high status equal to squires and earls of the area and then punishing the Griersons for none of their faults show how callously the community turns against the icons it has elevated to the heights of social status. They feel happy about what is left of her, and also offer condolence for the misfortunes. This victimization leads a person to suffer from psychological ailments and this is exactly what happens to Emily.

The narrator also points out the contradictory censure of Emily Griersons living in the community in “A Rose for Emily”. He states that nobody wants to help her in her misery. It is true that her father did not arrange her marriage but it is also because of the very community. The community realized that there was no young man suitable for her and when her father left her, nobody paid attention to this fact. When she started meeting the northerner, Homer Barron, the narrator states that the whole city seems to realize that “a Grierson” should not marry such a lowly person (53). It seems hypocritical as they did not help her in either way but again started criticizing her choice. When this time is over, the usual comments about her are just that she is a “Poor Emily” (55). However, when her escapades with the Yankee started again, they report it to the church minister and also communicated the same to her relations.  It affects her so much that she was transformed into a reclusive. When she purchased arsenic, the narrator says that the rumor was spread about her that “She will kill herself” (56). The narrator clearly states that “We were a little disappointed” (57) about this event of the going of Homer from her life. This shows the callous attitude of society that there was no rumor and no enjoyment at her expense. However, when Homer was seen again entering and exiting Grierson’s house, it was said that “She will marry him” (56). The community also spread rumors about her lover that he might have been a homosexual as the narrator tells that Homer himself stated that he was interested in men “he liked men” (56). This sort of censure does not leave any option for her except to commit suicide. Even the narrator does not stop saying at the end that “we did not even know she was sick” (56). It means that nobody from the locality has ever bothered to interfere in her life or ask whether she is feeling sick or good. When her funeral is held, the narrator states that “some in their brushed Confederate uniforms – on the porch and the law, talking of Miss Emily as if she had been a contemporary of theirs, believing that they had danced with her and courted her” (58). These comments and chit-chat of the older generation after her death is pointed criticism of the role society played in her horrible death.

Conclusion

In short, it was the role of the whole community in “A Rose for Emily”, including the narrator that proved antagonist to the wishes of an individual. The community was responsible not only for giving them a great status but also for making them a fallen household by gripping them in so-called norms and traditions. It is correct that she started behaving strangely after the death of her father, but it is again the community, which was responsible for this. The people living around the Griersons made them so much high that they enjoyed it for the time being, forgetting that they were also human beings. Society is fully responsible for this and it made her a butt of its victimization and amusement. This constant eavesdropping about her personal life and intrusion into her privacy turned her into a confirmed spinster that she could not even marry Homer Barron which they also disapproved of on the basis of her high status. The people around them consider her coming down to meet Homer a sacrilegious act, tantamount to slandering the very honorable name of the Griersons. Even if she attempts to see a little happiness in life by meeting him, it is rumored and duly reported to her relations and church authorities. This constant censuring transforms her into an individual who suffers not only psychologically but also socially and financially. This becomes clear that the local community treats her with respect and honor as a relic of the past but it also censures and criticizes her and her acts as sacrilegious, which finally leads her not only to kill her paramour but also to commit suicide.

Works Cited

William Faulkener. “A Rose for Emily.” An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Ed. Kennedy X. J. & Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. Vol. 7. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 53-58. Print.

Relevant Questions

1. Social Isolation: How does the community in “A Rose for Emily” exemplify the theme of social isolation, and what are the consequences of Emily Grierson’s isolation on both her and the town’s residents?
2. Community as a Character: In what ways does the town of function as a character in its own right in the story, and how does the collective mindset and actions of the community in “A Rose for Emily”  contribute to the overall atmosphere and outcome of the narrative?
3. Tradition vs. Progress: How does the town’s community in “A Rose for Emily” represent the tension between tradition and progress in “A Rose for Emily,” and what insights can be gained about the South’s changing social landscape during the time the story is set?

Introduction

In her fictional treatise “A Room of One’s Own,” Virginia Woolf creates the character of Shakespeare’s sister, Judith Shakespeare. She is a genius of the same caliber as her brother and also is a great writer in waiting. However, the pursuit of her career led to her ruin and ultimate suicide. It is because she suffered from several social, financial, familial, and religious constraints at that time. These limitations did not let her demonstrate her talent. It is not a surprise that Woolf suffered from the same inhibitions and ultimately met the fate that she chose for her fictional character. In fact, her thesis in “A Room of One’s Own” is based on the independence of a woman having money and room to “write fiction” (Woolf). By this, she means that similar to men, women should also have financial and social independence to succeed in the literary world. Therefore, in the third chapter of her fictional and narrative lecture, she has to create a fictional character of Judith Shakespeare who faces several problems and obstacles, which women of her ilk generally face.

Presentation of Judith Shakespeare

When presenting details of Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf says that suppose he had a sister Judith and she was similarly adventurous and imaginative as her brother, William Shakespeare (Woolf). She means that she must have been as intelligent and genius as Shakespeare, her brother was. However, she faced several problems and obstacles her brother William Shakespeare could not face because of his being a boy, Woolf supposes. The first aspect of her life as seen in “A Room of One’s Own”, is that unlike her brother whose mother, Woolf said, was “an heiress” (Woolf) who got him educated, “she was not sent to school” (Woolf). She means that social conventions and traditions did not let her study. Therefore, unlike her brother “She had no chance of learning grammar and logic” (Woolf). Even when she found time and tried to do some reading, Miss Woolf says that “her parents came in” and tried to make her engage herself in household chores and other womanly activities (Woolf). She was not even allowed to see or flip pages of books of her brother. They told her that she should not dream about reading and learning. The supposition is that if the Victorian Era does breed persons like Beadle who interrupts Woolf’s creative pursuit of having a tug from an idea, then surely Judith would have suffered the same fate at home two hundred years back. Secondly, she was stopped by the librarian from entering the library on the pretext that “ladies are only admitted to the library” with some family member or with a letter of recommendation (Woolf). She is of the view that if male chauvinism barred her, it must have barred Judith and other female writers in waiting. These are social norms and domestic conventions that stop women from pursuing their careers. Their career in domestic work does not pay them. And it is counted as of no monetary or social value.

Observation of Geniuses in “A Room of One’s Own”

Secondly, in “A Room of One’s Own” she is of the view that as she states in the first chapter that geniuses depend on two conditions; social and material. Judith did not learn, nor had a chance to go to school like her brother. Even material conditions did not allow her parents to send her to school even though her mother was an heiress. This material means financial situation and that is what did not allow her parents to let her stay at home. They married her and she was soon with her husband. She tried her best to avoid marriage but she was “severely beaten by her father” (Woolf). Even her husband pleaded with her not to shame him” (Woolf). Hence, she left for London where she could not succeed as compared to her brother who became financially stable and famous. When she entered the theater over there, the “men laughed in her face” (Woolf). It is typical for all males and this is because she was not materially strong and stable. And even when she succeeded Nick Greene exploited her to have his child (Woolf). Thus she ended up bearing a child from that actor-manager. It is because he first exploited her material vulnerability and her talent.

Vulnerabilities of Geniuses in “A Room of One’s Own”

The third is the “contrary instincts” which Virginia Woolf claims in “A Room of One’s Own”, “pulled her asunder” (Woolf) along with vulnerabilities of her financial and social conditions. She suffered psychologically from a religious point of view. It is because, at that time, stress was so much on chastity that no girl could have imagined it to visit London and enter the male company of actors (Woolf). The reason is that it has still religious significance in the life of a girl of such a tender age. To live such a free life must have been “a nervous stress and dilemma” (Woolf) that killed her. And it was not unique to her as other literary sisters also suffered the same conflict. That is why they wrote anonymously so that they should not get stigma on the honor of their families.

Inhibition of Creative Spirit in “A Room of One’s Own”

These three factors, Virginia Wool states in “A Room of One’s Own”, inhibited her creative spirit and thus she could not brook this hindrance any longer. Hence, she cut her life short by committing suicide. As she has committed suicide due to social and financial obstacles and then her own inner conflict, Miss Woolf says that “She lives in you and in me” and every woman doing domestic chores (Woolf). This is central to her argument in that all these obstacles that led to the suicide of her fictional character hinder a creative woman from living the same life as their male counterparts. Ultimately they commit suicide. Her own death is a case in point.

Work Cited

Woolf, Virginia. “A Room of One’s Own”. Adelaide. n.d. Web. 07 April 2014 http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/w/woolf/virginia/w91r/complete.html

Relevant Questions about “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf

1. Character Exploration: In Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own,” how does the character of Judith Shakespeare serve as a symbol or representation, and what key ideas or themes does she embody within the context of the book?
2. Gender and Literature: How does Virginia Woolf use the character of Judith Shakespeare to discuss and shed light on the challenges and limitations faced by women in the field of literature during her time, and how do these insights resonate with contemporary discussions on gender and creativity?
3. Creative Potential: In “A Room of One’s Own,” what does Virginia Woolf’s portrayal of Judith Shakespeare reveal about the potential and possibilities of female creativity, and how does it contribute to the broader discourse on women’s roles in art and culture?

You may read more on Short Essays below:

• “The Story of an Hour”: Irony
• Child Narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”
• Community in “A Rose for Emily”

Introduction

Like the child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square,” when it comes to writing stories in different voices, it seems writers are too ingenious to let readers know their true intentions in using the type of voice they chose. The third person or first person; whatever it is, they use it on purpose. The most interesting, however, is the use of a first-person child narrative as Ralph Ellison has consummately done in his story “A Party Down at the Square.”

Objectives of Using a Child Narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”

Disregarding fulfillment of his real objectives, he has done it very ingeniously to demonstrate that a third-person adult may have ulterior motives, vested interests, or something more to hide due to ethnic bias or racial prejudice. Ralph Ellison has shown that it is difficult for a child of just ten years to hide the malice of a mob when it incites individuals to torture and perpetrate horrific crimes against others. These others are mostly different from the mob such as African Americans or American Indians. The treatment includes burning a human being alive, watching him, and enjoying his suffering. Though it does not appear that the white mob is sadistic, the boy has reported in such an objective manner that it has become their routinized ritual to kill an African American man. It happened even though nature is also showering its fury on them in one or the other way. Despite clear signs of the anger of nature in the form of a storm, the mob does not feel any remorse or prick of conscience. Ralph Ellison uses the child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”to observe every detail minutely, transforming him into his literary device to demonstrate the impacts of mob violence on the children’s mentality, comment on the public mood and report the events with honesty.

Studying Mob Through a Child Narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”

Studying the mentality and psychology of a mob and its violence objectively is very difficult due to racial, ethnic, and familial loyalties. No individual, part of a mob resorting to ritualistic violence, takes the risk of betraying it by joining the bandwagon of rebels to condemn the violence. The best way to unearth such realities is to use a child, as it happens in investigations of crimes where mob violence takes place. Ralph Ellison has adroitly pictured the worst form of racial segregation through mob violence by placing a ten-year-old child from Cincinnati in the middle using him as a child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square.” True to his innocent nature, the boy starts narrating the whole party and how his uncle invites him to see it though he is unaware of the major reason “what started it” (01). By the end, he tells that it must have been a ritual performed after a hiatus (01). The child very minutely observes the mob violence. When he reaches the spot with his Uncle Eds, the violence is taking place right in “front of the courthouse” (01). No adult would have noticed such a point, for it is highly ironic that an innocent person is being burned alive in front of the symbol of justice. This device of using a child is not only innocently proving ironic but also laying bare the very gist of the loud shibboleths of equality, fair play, and justice. More than this, the child narrator also observes mob psychology.

Observation of a Child Narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”

The narrator, when reaches the spot, starts observing the psychology of the mob very minutely. He sees that a person is moving his shotgun at the African American man encircled by the people and is threatening him that he is going to pull the trigger though he does not do so. He hears somebody yelling to enjoy the discomfort of the African American man by suggesting him to “take [his] hands out of … pockets” (02). He sees that when a single person yells, he, in fact, coaxes others to follow suit. “Everybody was yelling crazy,” the child states after this, adding he could not hear any voice of the African American man for which he had to make a way from the crowd to come in the front rows (02). However, he is pushed from this side to the other and he hears yelling again. He observes that people are either yelling or pocking fun at the burning of the feet of the African American man. Even when he sees that an airplane comes down in the clouds, hovering over the heads of the crowd, going past them after striking with the high voltage wires, the crowd does not take notice. They rather carry on torturing the African American man. For the crowd, it is important to continue with their ritualistic torture of the individual from the opposite community instead of saving the life of any one of them, as a woman becomes the victim of the broken electricity wires. The boy says that he does not know what to do in the midst of so many people. However, he observes another striking fact of the mob psychology in that they do not fear the sheriff. And he must have been there to support them, though he only asks his men to pick up the body of the burnt woman and does nothing else. The mob does not move at his arrival, while the mob is exuding its confidence or fearlessness. Even when the African American man tries to tell something to the mob about his wish to die like a Christian, he faces ridicule. It would have been considered blasphemous in some other cases, but for the crowd, it has become a holy response. In other words, the boy, though feels sick of these actions, realizes that the life of an African American man is worthless. He feels deeply about the psychology of the mob and how it turns violent and disregards basic humanity and fundamental teachings of religion. However, as he is a literary device as a child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”, he receives the impacts of this mob violence.

Child Narrator in “A Party Down at The Square” as a Literary Device

The child narrator proves an effective literary device to observe the violence and mob psychology, but he is, after all, a human being and an innocent one. He must have the impacts of such heartrending and merciless burning of an individual alive. Ellison shows this through different comments of the narrator. Although some of his comments show that he is indifferent to the events like the courthouse, the sheriff, the statue of the general, and even the natural storm. It has, however, very shocking impacts on his mind. The first thing that he learns is to watch and see what happens to a man when a mob kills him. This makes his senses, somewhat, numb. When he feels that it is becoming a new normal despite the presence of people, he starts integrating with the mob, “The crowd was running. I ran too” (03). He mixes himself with them, but still, he is an innocent human being. When he faces push from the crowd, he also touches the burning African American man. Thus, he could feel the “taste the blood in my mouth” (03). It makes him feel disgusting. It is because he cannot stand the burning of a human being and that too alive. Another realization to the child narrator is how much torture a person can withstand. Among the common white people, a person must have died of what is being applied in the case of the African American man. “Well, that African American man was tough,” (05) he states which further leaves grave impacts on his mind that African Americans (ne–) are from some other community – which is perhaps a way different from them. That is why it implicitly enters his mind that they are to be killed no matter whether they are right or wrong. He, stoically and silently, hears a person saying that they were to kill two African American men, but one escaped. The child narrator imbibes the mob violence so much so that even his uncle tells him that he is “the gutless wonder from Cincinnati” when he shows him that he is somewhat weak from yesterday’s happenings but the response is “you get used to it in time” (04). It is showing clearly that he is getting in for what his uncle brings him to the square. However, Ralph Ellison’s strategy of using the child narrator has made its impact in objective and honest commentary.

Objectivity Through a Child Narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”

A child is a very innocent individual who cannot think of inventing lies and contriving excuses to hoodwink others and shelve the facts under the carpet. The objective of Ralph Ellison to use a child narrator to report the public mood and incident honestly and objectively seems fulfilled. The child, though, does not state his objective of visiting the square and tells it honestly what is happening over there. He records the actions of different individuals and describes the place, the circumstances, and the mood of the weather. He also reports the landing of the plane, the breaking of the electricity wires, the dying of a white lady, and then the taunting and burning of the African American man. At several places, he displays honesty in such a way that it seems ironic. It seems that the author has intentionally put those descriptions in the narrator’s mouth such as he tells that the incident is happening “in front of the courthouse”, then he tells about the statue of a general, probably of one of the founding fathers of America, and then of the slogan, the crowd raises that “We are all Americans” (03). All these three comments that the boy reports about the crowd honestly are highly ironic due to the severity of the crime being committed in the presence of these symbols of justice, fair play, safety, and security.

Another purpose of using a child narrator is to report the events honestly. The boy, despite experiencing sickness due to the burning of the flesh of the African American man, reports exactly what he feels. He sees when he is burning, reports the comments from the people, and describes different methods of torture. It seems that the child narrator is describing the full detail of how the police are conniving with the mob. It is clear as a sheriff comes there with his men but he hardly notices the burning of the African American man. His final comment “All that in one night, and all of it but the storm over one African American man” is testimony that Ralph Ellison’s objective of bringing honesty and objectivity into the recording of an incident of the worst racial killing has fulfilled to a great extent (04) through his use of a child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”.

Conclusion

Ending the argument of using a child as a first-person narrator, it is fair to laud the efforts Ralph Ellison has made to take the risk of presenting the incident of a racial killing event through a first-person child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square”. It is quite interesting to note that this literary device of using a child narrator and that too in the first person has proved effective in recording and then reporting minute details. The child from Cincinnati, though hardly ten, does well to imbibe the impacts of the mob violence to the point of making him numb. Even he feels sick at times and expresses his disgust openly. What he does best is the honest and objective recording as well as reporting of the public mood as well as the events how, when, and where they happened and how people reacted. In nutshell, Ellison has been highly effective in using the first-person child narrator to prove his objectivity and honesty in his short story.

Works Cited

Ellison, Ralph. “A Party Down at the Square.” UWM. n. d. Web. 21 Jul. 2023.

Relevant Questions

1. Narrative Perspective: How does the use of a child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square” influence the reader’s understanding of the events and themes in the story, particularly in relation to issues of racism and social tension?
2. Character Development: What insights does the child narrator in “A Party Down at The Square” provide into the character development of the story’s adult characters, and how does the child’s perspective enhance our comprehension of their motivations and actions during the gathering at the square?
3. Symbolism and Innocence: In Ralph Ellison’s story in “A Party Down at The Square”, how does the child narrator’s innocence and limited understanding of the complex racial dynamics at play symbolize broader societal ignorance and prejudice, and what message does this convey about the story’s social and political commentary?

Introduction to Comparison of “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

       Like the stories, “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”no two pieces of literature are the same, it happens that sometimes two pieces bear resemblance even though two artists do the same work in different situations, in different environments, and under the influence of different philosophies and ideas. Gabriel Garcia Marques, the proponent of magical realism, has no resemblance with Kafka of the same country as both have lived in different times, yet there are several points in their stories “The Hunger Artists” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” that resemble each other. On the character level, the old man with wings could be compared to the hunger artist of Kafka in that both have bizarre mental and physical traits that a normal person can possess and they differ from each other in this in this connection. At the same time, there is a great resemblance in the setting in which they are set that readers get a different picture from one story as compared to the other. The setting of both the stories in terms of audience differs a great deal. It is also that whereas one is demonstrating magical realism, the other is showing Kafkaesque philosophy of self-inflicted torture only to amuse the readers. It could be stated that the hunger artists have no whatsoever resemblance to the old man with enormous wings but their handlers such as the manager of the hunger artists and Pleyaho and Elisenda bear a resemblance. Both managers and administrators of these two different characters manipulate them to their own ends. The role of the audience, too, is very important in both that in both situations, the people get bored with time and lose their interest. Therefore, the stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”could be compared on the level of setting, the role of the audience, the interests of the handlers of the respective main characters, and then the difference in the philosophy presented in these stories.

Setting in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

Whereas the setting is concerned, it bears a certain resemblance. The hunger artist is dying to win the attention of the public and he succeeds in winning it in the beginning when the people come in queues to see him bearing the pangs of hunger. Kafka clearly states in the beginning that the “audience’s involvement grew from day to day” (Kafka 489), when he starts fasting. The children were keener to look at him. The hunger artist is placed in a rural environment where he can show his skill of bearing hunger to the people. The people come in throngs to watch his feat. A manager is arranging everything for him though he is lying to the people. In explaining the story, Richard To Garry states that “Throngs of spectators are drawn” within the given setting where no geographical point has been given or explained (Garry 132). However, the setting of the story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is entirely different because. There is a geographical location of the village where Pelayo and Elisenda live and the old man, somehow, falls in their yard. However, the situation is almost the same in that throngs of people queue up to watch this with great interest as the whole “neighborhood [was] [there to see the] angel” (Marquez 802). The major difference lies in the geographical location. It is not specified in the case of the hunger artists as he has been taken to tour the entire Europe, whereas, in the case of Pelayo and Elisenda, it is their village where they have become rich enough to have their son treated and construct their homes afresh. However, both of these resemble in narrator that in both there is an omniscient narrator who sits somewhere high above the setting and the character and comments on their lives. Literally, there is a carnival in this story, while it seems almost the same scene in the first one “The Hunger Artist” where it is a game for the people (Pelayo 72). Therefore, to some extent the setting in terms of the carnival type of presentation is similar in both stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.”

Handlers in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

However, the great similarity lies in handlers in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” The handler in the case of the hunger artist is his nameless manager. The artist whispers whatever he feels to the manager who starts or ends his show whenever he wants but against his will of what he wants to say to the people. There was clearly a world of misunderstanding as the artist does not want to convey to the people what he wants to convey and the manager does not convey to the people what the artist wants to say. “This perversion of the truth … unnerved him” (492) though he does not show it to the people but feels it strongly. Although there are not much active audiences in the case of the very old man with wings, still Pelayo and Elisenda have some other people who do the work for them to make it known such as the neighbor woman “who knew everything” (803). She has concluded that he is an angel and has also done the work of spreading the news in the whole village. Several others also comment about him, and Father Gonzaga, too, declares otherwise, the managers set a ticket for the show. Soon they start earning in the same way as the manager of the hunger artist has done. In one way, there is no difference between both the managers as one is completely aware of the lies that are being told disregard of whatever he thinks, while in the case of the old man, all lies have been concocted not by the managers but by the people living around them. However, the interests of all these managers in both stories are the same which is to earn something for a living. It is because the owners, Marquez writes “had not reason to lament” because they have saved enough to “built a two-story mansion with balconies and gardens” (805) while in the case of the hunger artist, the circus hirs him after he loses his worth. The interest is again money in both stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.”

Audiences/Readers of “The Hunger Artist” and “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

Although the writers’ audiences are their readers, both stories “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” have separate audiences. In the first story “The Hunger Artist” the audience comes to see the feat of the hunger artist that he shows them in the shape of fasting for a long time. He is intoxicated with the popularity that he is winning among the people. They are coming to watch him in queues. When the show ends, the audiences are satisfied with what they see but the artist is not satisfied. With the passage of time, the behavior of people changes. It is because the public wants to see something new, not the same old person going hungry for them. Therefore, the hunger artist is “deserted by the pleasure-seeking crowds” (384). It means that the audience has lost interest in him. Therefore, he joins a circus but then the people only come to see the animals placed near him. They do not think to have any interest in him. He loses his worth and his life with time. The same happens with the old man. The people come to see him in queues when they hear the news. However, with the passage of time, they lose interest in him and soon they forget that there is an angel, or a devil in the midst of them. However, at the same time, there is a difference because in the first story the audience does not see a strange creature but a living man like them who is doing a feat of fasting longer than an ordinary man can do. However, in the case of the second, there is a strange creature like an angel that is before the audience and they lose interest after looking at him. There may have been the possibility that the managers would have taken this angel to a world tour and made the whole world take an interest, but it is a farfetched idea. It is merely the use of magical realism to show how people lose interest howsoever strange thing may be there.

Eccentrics in “The Hunger Artist” and “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

However, in the garb of this artist, Kafka has presented the role of people and the nature of some eccentrics who inflict injuries on themselves merely because they want to entertain the people, knowing little that the people always want something new, not caring that the artist is losing his life. It could be that Kafka’s philosophy is to show his own situation he was placed in. A lecturer in English, Bushra Naz, states that “The Hunger Artist” is seen as an ensemble of signs and signifiers” (Naz 71-75). By this, she means that it is the biography of the artist and the conceptualization of his philosophy into his story that is being reflected through his characters. She has also commented on his other novel, The Metamorphosis, to show the inner self of the artist. However, in the case of Gabriel Garica Marquez, it is his magical realism, a technique, with which he presents esoteric and stranger characters in a situation where the willing suspension of disbelief of T. S. Eliot is automatically at work. The people start believing that it could happen to them, too. Magical realism lies at the heart of the storytelling art of Garcia Marquez but at the same time, he does not leave attacking the current realities of life (Kennedy).  Therefore, both stories depict the philosophies and ideas of the writers.

Conclusion

It is also that both the major characters the hunger artists as well as the old man with enormous wings are symbols in the stories, “The Hunger Artist” and “Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” However, in the case of Kafka, the hunger artist is a symbol of an artist who goes through pain to please the people living around him. In terms of setting, audiences, and characters, the stories have certain resemblances but the timing and the purposes could be different for which theoretical purposes could be applied to both stories to have deeper understanding.

Works Cited

1. Kafka, Franz. “A Hunger Artists” Charters, Anne. The Story and Its Writer. New York: Bedford /St. Martins, 2014. 488-494.
2. Garry, Richard, T. A Franz Kafka Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press. 2005. Print. 74-92.
3. Pelayo, Ruben. Gabriel Garica Marquez. Greenwood Press. 2001. Print. 72-73.
4. Naz, Bushra. “Hope of Death as the Possibility of Life: A Psychosemiotic Reading of Franz Kafka”s The Hunger Artist as the Narrative of Existence into Non-Being.” PJSS. 31(1). (June 2011). 65-77.
5. Kennedy. “ The Origins of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Magic Realism.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic. 17 April 2014. Web. 07 Aug. 2015.

Questions:

1. How do the themes of isolation and alienation manifest in “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” and what do they reveal about the human condition in each story?
2. Both “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” feature characters who are outsiders or marginalized in society. How do the authors use these characters to comment on the treatment of those who are different or unusual?
3. In “The Hunger Artist,” the protagonist seeks to express himself through extreme self-deprivation, while in “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” the focus is on the mysterious arrival of a supernatural being. How do these different narrative approaches shape the stories’ messages about human fascination and cruelty?
4. The concept of spectacle and entertainment plays a significant role in both stories, with the hunger artist’s fasting and the old man with wings becoming a sideshow attraction. How do these narratives explore the ethics of exploiting others for entertainment and profit?
5. “The Hunger Artist” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” both challenge conventional notions of reality and the supernatural. How do the authors use elements of the surreal and the fantastical to comment on the limitations of human understanding and belief systems in these stories?

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Introduction to Characters in Pride and Prejudice

A good reading of the characters in Pride and Prejudice in terms of understanding their sketches shows that Jane Austen’s art not only lies in creating natural and down-to-earth real characters but also in demonstrating the qualities that real human beings possess. Her wonderful capability is almost equal to great English writers in making her characters look like real human beings, having shortcomings, strengths, and idiosyncrasies. As a lady of good upbringing, she is not only conscious of the role of minute social mannerisms but also the violation of the accepted norms and values. Though she has confined herself to the country people, she has also sketched yeomen and laborers as ably as she has done other characters. It is also that characters have been created in such a way that the audiences or the readers never know what is going to happen next with which character on account of his action. In this lies the real art of the writer in the making and breaking of the impression of some specific characters. The art of Jane Austen of creating characters in Pride and Prejudice lies in showing good characters doing bad actions and bad doing good actions, making the readers shift their sympathies, liking and disliking simultaneously. Jane Austen’s talent for creating unique and real human characters in Pride and Prejudice lies in creating individuals with specific traits, their revelation through their own conversations, and their exposure through comparison and contrast to other characters.

Special Character Traits

Almost all characters in Pride and Prejudice have their special character traits, which make them unique and stand out amongst the others of their ilk. Just take the example of a typical wife, Mrs. Bennet, who is not only self-indulgent but also vacuous, is always busy finding matches for her daughters. In the opinion of her husband, Mr. Bennet, she is “a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper” (Austen 04). She is a butt of jokes for her husband due to her idiosyncrasies and ignorance, while Mr. Bennet is highly entertaining. He was a “mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character” (04). As a father of five girls, he perhaps shirks their company and lives mostly in his library, but he dares to take up the blame when he could not find Lydia and Wickham in London after their elopement, stating “No Lizzy, let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame” (91). In fact, such a confession of one’s negligence is quite rare even in real life. But it is still real in Austen that despite disparaging Mrs. Bennet, he owns the blame that he could not take care of Lydia’s rash behavior in the case of going fast to marriage. Though Austen has not blamed any other male character, it is typical of her that she has made her character speak out. Even her best characters have their own specific traits such as Elizabeth, of which Austen has a great liking as she has mentioned about her in her letter written to her sister (Austen 1995). She is not only witty and intelligent but also quick in learning and fast in entertaining others with her humor. She has “something more of her quickness than her sisters” (04) as her father likes her for this. Austen adds that “she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous” (08). Austen is not limited to these characters only, for each character in Pride and Prejudice has a peculiar habit and a character trait, which highlights Austen’s art in making all of them real. It is also that they have not been repeated anywhere even in other novels. Despite keeping their individualities intact, she has made them universal in which lies her uniqueness because this is what makes a character memorable and close to reality. Her comprehension of the nature of her characters shows what they are such as Wickham is an unprincipled ruffian, Mr. Bennet is a humoros father, Mr. Darcy is a priggish but thoughtful young man, Elizabeth is a sagacious lady, Mrs. Bennet is a typical mother of girls, and Lydia is a silly and stupid girl.

Conversational Style of Characters in Pride and Prejudice

A person is best known through his / her conversation. Until he speaks, nobody can tell what sort of a person he/she is, how he/she would react and nothing can be predicted about him/her. Perhaps, Austen has this evaluative paradigm in mind when she revealed most of her characters in Pride and Prejudice through their conversation. This makes her portrayal of characters even more realistic and closer to reality than through any other act. Although they seem perfect characters like Elizabeth and Darcy, they are not liked or idealized in such a way that the people start making them paragons of virtues. Therefore, wherever any of her characters speak, he or she speaks with special reference to her own qualities and traits. The conversation between Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet reveals the characters of both in that one is empty-headed and obsessed with the idea of getting her daughters married, while the other is a well-read person, having an eye on the situation around him and a ridiculous outlook of his wife. Referring to her nerves he states, “I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least” (04). This shows that he always sees the funny side of life in his wife. Similarly, Elizabeth and Darcy are always on bad terms in their conversation but ultimately know each other after they are exposed through their dialogues with each other.  Letter writing of Collin and Lydia reveals their characters, while Elizabeth is mostly exposed through her careful way of speaking. As the best exposure is self-exposure, at least two of Austen’s characters find themselves or discover themselves; Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth. The former confesses his fault for his carelessness toward Lydia. He confesses it when he returns from London after not finding them. However, the case of later is different as she could not judge Mr. Darcy and says that she has merely “gratified [her] in useless or blameable distrust” (122). It could be said that though this is a self-discovery, still it is in the hands of Austen to put it into the mouths of her characters in Pride and Prejudice. Another important point is that several characters talk about other characters with somebody else. This also exposes their thinking about others and reveals other characters. This technique is very useful in that it reveals how a character thinks about the other ones, such as Darcy and Elizabeth think quite contrary to each other and comment against each other when they are talking to others.

Colorful Characters in Pride and Prejudice

It is also that the characters in Pride and Prejudice is a gallery of characters, Jane Austen has put several characters in comparison and contrast to others. This technique highlights their strengths and weaknesses,  making them prominent or likable to the readers or vice versa. Their comparison and contrast also balance the character of one person and accentuate that of the others. Mrs. Bennet is well known for her being a butt of ridicule from her husband but Lady Catherine is also there, who not only balances her but also sometimes makes her look a serious thinking lady, because of the latter’s proud and arrogant behavior when meeting others. Similarly, the arrival of Darcy makes Bingley looks pale in his presence, while he proves a foil for him. On the other hand, Wickham serves as a contrast to both of them. Whereas Darcy is a cold type of person, very serious, guarded, and a fatherly figure because of being a distinguished person, Bingley, in comparison to him, seems quite naïve and simpleton. Similarly, whereas Lydia is a romantic and stupid in worldly affairs, Charlotte Lucas, a friend of Elizabeth, just proves very pragmatic. She immediately accepts the proposal of Collins, as she knows, once gone is always gone. However, Jane Austen is not limited to this. She has also presented somewhat three-dimensional characters which makes it easy to understand how a person could be of varied nature at the same time as it happens in life. There is no prediction about any person in real life. In fact, Jane Austen has used a three-dimensional technique that is to use conversation, the point of view of others, and also her own description apart from the actions of the characters themselves. For example, Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet have been described at the end of the first chapter but not before they have revealed themselves through their lively conversation, while Mr. Bennet also reveals his inner goodness of heart through his actions when he tells her that he has already met Mr. Bingley.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, Jane Austen’s characters in Pride and Prejudice are as intricate as other living human beings are because they have been taken from the everyday life of the English countryside gentry. They reveal her minute and comprehensive observation of human nature so that she could depict that in her characters. None could deny that there are no mothers like Mrs. Bennet, no haughty and arrogant ladies like Mrs. Catherine, no sagacious but down-to-earth realistic girls like Elizabeth, and no flirts like Wickham. However, it is her art that she has put every character at the right place with specific character traits, mannerisms, virtues, and vices to play a specific role in the romantic maze of “Pride and Prejudice.” Not only do they expose themselves but also expose others, and reveal their natures through actions toward others and toward themselves. In fact, Jane Austen has done nothing else to pick up real-life characters and wrap them into her own philosophy of the pursuit of conjugal life.

Works Cited

1. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Project Gutenberg Electronic Texts. 2004. Online.
2. Austen, Jane. Jane Austen’s Letters .ed. Deirdre Le Faye. Oxford University Press. New York.  1995. Print.

Questions:

1. How does Jane Austen use a blend of natural and idealized traits in her characters in Pride and Prejudice?
2. In what ways do the characters in Pride and Prejudice represent the authentic human experiences and emotions of their time, despite being fictional creations?
3. Explore the concept of character foils in the novel. How do characters like Elizabeth and Jane, or Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, serve to highlight different facets of human nature and society?
4. Discuss the role of social class and status in shaping the characters in Pride and Prejudice.
5. How does the character development of key characters in Pride and Prejudice contribute to the overall themes of personal growth and self-awareness in the novel?

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Introduction to Humanity in “The Cabuliwala”

Based on an Afghan figure, humanity in “The Cabuliwala” shows Tagore’s art. It is also that a person, if he was from some alien culture, was rarely accepted in the other culture during the previous century, specifically in the Indian sub-continent. Foreigners were either considered occupiers, the British, or kidnappers, the Afghanis, as is the case of Rahman in “The Cabuliwala” by Rabindranath Tagore.  This has been expressed by Tagore’s wife that she considers Rahman as a kidnapper to be kept under “watchful eye” (Tagore 3). However, Tagore discovers a particular charm in him with which he seems fascinated. This fascination for the Cabuliwalla arouses Tagore’s sympathy for the foreigners, his generosity for the poor, and his love for the lower class and their children, showing humanity in “The Cabuliwala.”

Stereotyping in “The Cabuliwala”

When Tagore finds that his daughter is attracted to a common street vendor, the Cabuliwalla, he does not pay much attention to this except to remove the terror of his Mini. It is because she has “a blind belief “ that he is a kidnapper (2). After all, most people from Afghanistan have been dubbed as kidnappers of children. His wife also considers him so, as she questions Tagore on the same grounds. However, Rahman arouses Tagore’s sympathy for him because he proves “very patient listener” (3) to his daughter that he himself is not; thus proving that he is a good human being. Secondly, he offers “brigs of nuts and almonds” (4) to Mini, who is dear to Tagore, showing his humanity in “The Cabuliwala.” In this way, he, despite being a foreigner, wins his sympathy.

Human Love in “The Cabuliwala”

Rahman also wins his generosity though it happens at the end after his long reflection. Tagore only thinks of him as a street merchandiser. Cabuliwala does not touch his heart even when he is arrested though he comes to greet Mini and makes fun of himself to make Mini laugh saying, “I would have thrashed that old father-in-law but my hands are bound” (3) as he is under arrest. “The time passed and he was forgotten” by Tagore as is usual but when he appears at the end, brings gifts for Mini without accepting money, and says “I too have one like her in my own home” (5) this touches Tagore’s heart. He thinks of Tagore’s daughter as his own and then brings hundred rupees out of his pocket though he curtails the festivities of his daughter. This is how Rahman arouses his generosity and Tagore demonstrates humanity in “The Cabuliwala.”

Equality among Children in “The Cabuliwala”

This generosity is also a sort of love for the lower-class people and the lower-class children. Tagore knows that the Cabuliwalla, Rahman, is from Afghanistan, which is quite far away. He cannot go to his homeland due to bad financial conditions as he has lost his prime years in jail. Therefore, when he brings gifts for Mini, he thinks about him as a human being having a heart and then thinks of his daughter and home. His heart melts, and he states, “Tears came to my eyes. I forgot that he was a poor Cabuli fruit seller, while I was…” (6). This difference in class arouses his human heart, which makes him think about Rahman and his daughter, and sacrifice his daughter’s wedding to pay him money. This is another evidence of humanity in “The Cabuliwala.”

Conclusion of “The Cabuliwala”

The story, thus, proves that Tagore has a human heart and his story is an ample proof of his showing humanity in “The Cabuliwala.” He is not only a great writer but also a great human being, who, merely by the good gesture of a street vendor, understands his great heart and assesses his own situation. This made him fascinated even more not by his appearance as he used to be, but by his big heart that he brings gifts for his daughter though he has nothing, while he could not give her anything despite having everything. This is not only a way to make him a good human being but also it is his good gesture that fills him with good emotions and passions that he understands his difficulties.

Works Cited

Tagore, Rabinderanath. “The Cabuliwalla.” n.d. Wyne. http://www.is.wayne.edu/MNISSANI/Fall2003/Cabuliwallah.htm Accessed 04 Nov. 2022.

NOTE: It is a student essay for illustrative purposes only. You can borrow ideas and write your own essay.

Questions

1. How does the character of Rahman, the Cabuliwala, serve as a symbol of humanity in the story, and what does his relationship with Mini reveal about the universal bonds that connect people across cultures?
2. In “The Cabuliwala,” we see moments of both kindness and misunderstanding between the Indian society and the Cabuliwala. How does the story depict the complexities of human interactions and the potential for empathy even in the face of cultural differences?
3. The story raises questions about the impact of time on human relationships, as Mini grows up and Rahman returns after several years. How does the theme of humanity intersect with the theme of time in the story, and what does it suggest about the enduring nature of human connections?

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Introduction to “Araby” by James Joyce as Modernist Story

Before the publication of “Araby” by James Joyce, the British modernist movement emerged between WWI and WWII. New ideas, norms, and traditions were set in literature. The Industrial Revolution, evolution in economic ideas, and new social theories led the writers to write on new patterns. The disillusionment of the wars, massacres, and senseless killings led the writers to explore human nature further because the old styles failed to express their grief, complications, and apprehensions (Rachel 2012). The theater of Absurd and existentialism gave new dimensions to literature. “Araby” by James Joyce demonstrates the transformation modernism brought such as the use of the stream of consciousness technique along with an ambiguous critique of the religious ideas and melting down of social customs.

Stream of Consciousness in “Araby” by James Joyce

The use of the stream of consciousness technique was the first characteristic intended to record the thoughts of the narrator. The nameless boy in “Araby” by James Joyce, tells his story in first person, but mostly this comprises his inner thoughts. The boy narrates the ordeal he faces in his mind. His inner thinking leads him to his epiphanic moment of promising his imagined beloved to bring something from Araby for her but ultimately it proves a failure. His infatuation “When she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped” (Araby 345) shows his use of the first person. This type of technique was creeping imperceptibly into narrations during those times when James Joyce wrote this story. He continues thinking about her until the story ends where he is standing and “remembering with difficulty why I had come” (356). It is through his own narration that the readers know his ordeal, his mental conflicts, and his disillusionment of love which has found its way into his narration (Norris 2003).

Transformation in Religious Ideas in “Araby” by James Joyce

During the writing of this story, the Roman Catholic was ruling the roost in Ireland. The modernist movement challenged trite and tested ideas of religion, which Joyce ambivalently expresses in this story. The different references in “Araby” by James Joyce such as that “Christian Brother’s School” (Joyce 347) in “Araby” are actually an expression of the attitude toward the prevalent religious faith. Mentioning the priest, finding books of the priest at the home, and the boy’s own reference of saving the “chalice” (348) are enough to show that religious dogmas are in the very soul of the boy. Yet, he wants to break up these shackles as he keeps “The Abbot by Walter Scott, The Devout Communicant and The Memories of Vidosq” (348), a modern book according to the standards of those times. The boy’s reference to a hero who “bore my chalice safely” (348) is not a Christian allusion, but a pagan one.

Transformation in Social Norms in “Araby” by James Joyce

The modernist movement also challenged the accepted social norms and turned them upside down even before “Araby” by James Joyce was written. The first sign of this is the boy’s falling in love with the girl who is a bit older. She succeeds in dominating the boy’s senses and holds him in her romantic grip as he imagines her “The life from the lamp opposite to our door caught the white curve of her neck” which seems to him something that arouses his senses (351). This is the exploitation of male sexuality that she attracts him and brings him to the point of a promise he does materialize, and gets frustrated.

Conclusion

These examples show that Joyce was affected by the onslaught of modernism and became a tool to start British modernism through his writings. Ulysses came out much later but before that “Araby” clearly shows his inclination toward the modernist movement. His ambivalent attitude toward religion, his narrative technique, and his allusions demonstrate it in “Araby” which is not the first representative story of this movement.

Works Cited

1. Joyce, James. “Araby.” Edgar V. Roberts, & Robert Zweig. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 10/E . New York: Longman, 2012. 348-362.
2. Norris, Margot. Suspicious Readings of Joyce’s Dubliners. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania, 2003. Print.
3. Potter, Rachel. Modernist Literature. Edinburgh University Press. 2012. Print.

Relevant Questions

1. How does James Joyce use the concept of epiphany in “Araby” to exemplify a key characteristic of modernist literature, and what is the significance of the protagonist’s epiphany in the story?
2. “Araby” is often seen as a prime example of the modernist emphasis on the interior world of characters. How does the narrative perspective and the protagonist’s inner thoughts and emotions contribute to this aspect of modernism in the story?
3. In “Araby,” the mundane and the symbolic are juxtaposed throughout the narrative. How does this interplay between the ordinary and the symbolic reflect the modernist fascination with the subconscious and the exploration of deeper, hidden meanings in everyday life?

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Introduction to “Everyday Use” and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”

“Everyday Use” and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” show themes of racial discrimination, African-American conditions and different narratives. During the first and second half of the 20^th century, there were several African- American writers, who achieved great names in American literature and Richard Wright was among them, though Alice Walker was not in the limelight at that time as she was born in the half of the 20^th century. Richard Wright has mostly written about male characters, being male, but Alice Walker has not only touched on female sexuality but also commented on black feminism, avoiding commenting on the male and propagating female independence. Called the father of African-American literature, Richard Wright was deeply aware of the cultural shortcomings that his compatriots faced in the United States and their ultimate failure. He was also proud of his success but at the same time, he created protagonists who could not succeed as African Americans like Dave in his famous story “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” because he tries to show his manliness in a different way (Rayson). However, Alice Walker, though, came when Richard Wright was long dead, created stories of female sexuality and female independence that she has been hailed as a predecessor of the famous Zora Neal Hurston. Yet she has not created such powerful stories. In fact, she came at a time when African Americans were struggling for their identities and she moved it further. David White is right in saying that “She uses the principal characters of Mama, Dee (Wangero), and Maggie to clarify this theme” (White). However, her characters are very strong like the mother in “Everyday Use.” “Everyday Use” and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” are similar in their themes of racial discrimination against African Americans, and their poor living conditions but different in narrative techniques and protagonists.

Racial Discrimination in “Everyday Use” and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”

The theme of racial discrimination runs deep in both stories. Dave is after a gun from Joe’s store because he daily faces insults. That is why he wants to have a gun so that they “could not talk … a little boy” and he wishes that “a man oughta to hava little gun aftah he done worked hard all day” (Wright 682). Then Joe makes Dave realize that he is a boy and he does not need a gun, but African American slaves do not understand that they are not even considered sane. Therefore, this is his desire that he should be counted as a man, and he buys a gun that he accidentally kills Jenny with and is fined to pay for that. Although his father is with him and he does not interfere except when necessary, he just used to look “at his father uneasily” when he is with his mother pleading to have money for the gun. He comes to know this at the end when he learns that he would have to pay two dollars a month for two years over which he utters his usual “Shucks! Ah’ll be dam!” (689). However, this is not very much clear in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker because she supports feminism instead of racial bias though it is present all around in the story.  The mom in the story tells that she is a “large, big boned woman” (Walker 524) that could be only an African American woman. She then tells about her education that when she left school in 1927, “colored asked fewer questions” which shows that at that time they did not have the right to question (528). They were segregated and set apart from other people but now the situation has changed and she can earn on her own though their living conditions have not improved very much.

Poor Living Conditions in “Everyday Use” and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”

They used to live in very poor conditions. The mother in “Everyday Use” is very clear about the description of the house which shows their financial condition. She, with her disabled daughter Maggie, has cleaned the yard which is “an extended living room” because this is their entire home where they are living. She says that it is made up of hard clay and when it is “swept clean” it becomes comfortable for a person to sit (524). It is not only the condition of the house but also the condition of the things which is showing that they are very poor and it is only because they are African Americans. Although there are three rooms, only the roof is made of tin. There are a few trunks full of quilts and pillows she has prepared for Maggie that Dee wants to get but she refuses because Maggie needs them for everyday use. However, it is clear in Richard Right in the very beginning when Dave tells everything about him and how he works in the fields and gets enough to save for a day. This is also clear from the broken and pidgin English African Americans used to speak. His job is to plow in the fields of Hawkins whose mule he killed when trying to fire his pistol and becomes a slave to earn two dollars each month. His obsession with guns shows it clearly that he tries to hide it at home but could not. This is the situation of a slave that in the end his father and mother make him confess to pay the fine to get rid of it.

Narrative Techniques in “Everyday Use” and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”

Both stories, however, differ in their narrative techniques. The story of Dave in “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” is told in the third person pronoun. The narrator is some omniscient person who sees him above how he lives, acts, and narrates his entire routine. Dave, the teenager is fed up with being called a little boy. He wants to show the people that he is a man and tells his mother that he is going to purchase a gun. The story takes place in conversation but then is told in the third person where some detail is required such as “Dave looked at the floor” and so on (687). There is no first person until the end when Dave leaves the village so that “he could be a man” (689). However, “Everyday Use” is in the first person. The mother of Dee and Maggie tells her own version of the story, inserting her biography here and there to show how careful and independent she is. In fact, this first-person choice on the part of Alice Walker is the demonstration of the assertion of female independence. This is a sort of assertion of a self-respected woman who is proud to have a daughter like Dee but she is also very careful to take care of her disabled daughter. The first-person narrative suits such a character that asserts their self-made personality as she is very open when she says that “I can kill” a hunt and clean it, too (526). This shows she is very strong and brave like men — the reason that she has been able to raise two kids even when she was alone. It means that both authors have put different characters in different circumstances to show different shades of African American community.

African-American Community in “Everyday Use” and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”

These protagonists show that whereas men of the African American community were naturally irresponsible during childhood, women were very responsible and self-assertive in that they had to take care of their children like all protective mothers. The self-assertion of the mother is very much obvious in the sixth to the seventh paragraph where the mother compares herself with men in strength and makeup. She is proud of herself that she has brought up Dee, an educated girl and that she has taken care of her disabled daughter.  Whatever the mother, Mrs. Johnson does and does not do reflects the situation and culture she is living in as it states that she can kill “a hog” (526) which shows that she is habitual of doing this in the male-dominated society (Velazquez). However, in the case of Richard Wright, the protagonist is Dave who wants to assert in these circumstances that he is a man and he knows how to fire a gun. In fact,  he is fed up with the little wages he earns because he is considered a boy. He wants to show them — the owner Hawkins that he is not a child, but a grown-up man. However, in this conflict, he commits the mistake of killing Jenny and is trapped in the loan of paying that amount in two years. This shows that the men’s role in African American community is that of irresponsible idiots since childhood — the reason that they are always caught up in debt in one or the other way. Therefore, Richard Wright has shown a mirror to his community that until men are irresponsible and irrational, Mrs. Johnson like characters, asserts Walker, would continue to bring up their children where there is nobody to take care of them.

Conclusion

Concluding the essay, it could be stated that whereas one story is about Mrs. Johnson, an independent widow, her female independence and her male-like bravery and strength, the other is about a teenager who shows his irresponsible attitude and behavior since childhood and leaves home to prove himself a man. His struggle ends only when he leaves home which is the end of the men in African American community. The techniques also support this theory because Mrs. Johnson states her story in first person narrative, while the third person narrative shows a sort of indifferent attitude as Dave does not share with his father what he needs. Rather, there is another mother engaged in teaching her son the skills of survival though he proves like his father and takes more debt instead of earning. Therefore, both stories show a different angle of the lives of the African American community though there are some similarities in that the characters are shown living in squalor and dirty conditions as they used to live. There are also some similarities in their self-assertion where one is asserting her motherhood by raising children while the other is asserting his manhood by firing the pistol. 

Works Cited

• Rayson, Ann. “Richard Wright’s Life.” Illinois University. n. d. Web. Accessed 09 Aug.2023.
• Velazquez, Juan R. “Characterization and Symbolism in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” Lone Star College. n. d. Web. 09 Aug. 2023.
• Wright, Richard. “The Man Who Was Almost a Man.” Charters, Anne. The Story and Its Writer. New York: Bedford /St. Martins, 2014. 682-689
• White, David. “Everyday Use”: Defining African-American Heritage.”Luminarium. 2001. Accessed 09 Aug.2023.
• Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use.” Charters, Anne. The Story and Its Writer. New York: Bedford /St. Martins, 2014. 452-465.

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