Journal #12 - “Young Goodman Brown”
1. “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory (symbolic narrative). What do the following represent?
Young Goodman Brown – He represents a man who was once good but changes as loses faith.
Faith – Faith represents his religious beliefs as well as the faith Goodman Brown has in others.
The Elderly Traveler/Fellow-Traveler – Represents the devil who temps Goodman Brown.
Goody Cloyse – Represents corruption and hypocrisy because she taught him about God but she herself is really evil.
The Ceremony – The ceremony represents people’s sinful nature. It was like the opposite of baptism. Instead of being cleansed of sin in a Baptism, they are celebrating sin and the converts to sin.
The Pink Ribbon – Represents Goodman’s loss of Faith in terms of religious faith and his wife, Faith.
Young Goodman Brown’s Journey – His journey represents the path from innocence to experience and of knowledge of good and evil.
2. Identify the following for “Young Goodman Brown”:
Theme Message of Theme Element Used to Establish
Theme: Deception
The message tells readers that Goodman tried to do everything right in life but in doing that he was unable to see how people truly are, even people as close to him as is wife. The people in his life turned out to be extremely different than what he originally believed.
Element used: Characterization
In addition, provide three direct quotes from the story that address your theme.
I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that's no trifle to say. I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem; and it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, in King Philip's war. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path, and returned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you for their sake."
That old woman taught me my catechism," said the young man; and there was a world of meaning in this simple comment.
But something fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon."My Faith is gone!" cried he, after one stupefied moment. "There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given."
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Journal 11
Journal 11 - Selections from Walden
Write a summary of the following selections and identify a direct quote that you feel best expresses its main idea.
“Where I Lived and What I Lived For” (232)
- Only to live the essentials
- Essentials
o Water (pond near his home)
o Shelter (15 x 10 simple built shed)
o Food (natural)
o Clothes
- Not to worry about the little things
- Simplicity
- Self-reliant and efficient
-
Quote:
“I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life… and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”.
“Sounds” (234)
In this passage the narrator simply sits and listens to the sounds of the day. He hears the sounds of nature and the sounds of society. He comes to the realization that most of society is in search of amusement. People chase amusments such as going to the theater and socializing. The narrator shares that instead of involving themselves in different actitivties, they would instead be amused by being still and listening to the sounds.
Quote: “I had this advantage, at least, in my mode of life, over those who were obligateded to look abroad for amusement, to society and the theater, that my life itself was become my amusment and never ceased to be novel”
(pg. 244)
“Brute Neighbors” (235)
- The supreme example of trancedental art
- For thematic purposes, Thoreau condenses his two years at Walden Pond into one year (summer-spring)
Quote:
“I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life… and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
“The Pond in Winter” (237)
Pond froze over
- People are fishing in the frozen pond
- We go out into nature to experience it for ourselves. The fishermans’ lives are simple and not artificial
- Nature and life is still thriving even in the winter when everything seems to be gone
-
Quote: “Early in the morning, while all things are crisp with frost, men come with fishing reels and slender lunch, and let down their fine lines through the snowy field to take pickerel and perch; wild men, who instinctively follow other fashions and trust other authorities than their townsmen, and by their goings and coming stitch towns together in parts where else they would be ripped”.
“Spring” (238)
- Everything is starting to renew and change with the beginning of spring
- He could never match the wise old man with his experience and knowledge
Quote: “As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the golden age”
Write a summary of the following selections and identify a direct quote that you feel best expresses its main idea.
“Where I Lived and What I Lived For” (232)
- Only to live the essentials
- Essentials
o Water (pond near his home)
o Shelter (15 x 10 simple built shed)
o Food (natural)
o Clothes
- Not to worry about the little things
- Simplicity
- Self-reliant and efficient
-
Quote:
“I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life… and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”.
“Sounds” (234)
In this passage the narrator simply sits and listens to the sounds of the day. He hears the sounds of nature and the sounds of society. He comes to the realization that most of society is in search of amusement. People chase amusments such as going to the theater and socializing. The narrator shares that instead of involving themselves in different actitivties, they would instead be amused by being still and listening to the sounds.
Quote: “I had this advantage, at least, in my mode of life, over those who were obligateded to look abroad for amusement, to society and the theater, that my life itself was become my amusment and never ceased to be novel”
(pg. 244)
“Brute Neighbors” (235)
- The supreme example of trancedental art
- For thematic purposes, Thoreau condenses his two years at Walden Pond into one year (summer-spring)
Quote:
“I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life… and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
“The Pond in Winter” (237)
Pond froze over
- People are fishing in the frozen pond
- We go out into nature to experience it for ourselves. The fishermans’ lives are simple and not artificial
- Nature and life is still thriving even in the winter when everything seems to be gone
-
Quote: “Early in the morning, while all things are crisp with frost, men come with fishing reels and slender lunch, and let down their fine lines through the snowy field to take pickerel and perch; wild men, who instinctively follow other fashions and trust other authorities than their townsmen, and by their goings and coming stitch towns together in parts where else they would be ripped”.
“Spring” (238)
- Everything is starting to renew and change with the beginning of spring
- He could never match the wise old man with his experience and knowledge
Quote: “As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the golden age”
Journal 10
Journal #10
Othello’s Insight
Write a one paragraph response to the following question:
Often at the end of a play, Shakespeare’s tragic heroes often have a moment of insight. What is Othello’s insight? Look closely at Othello’s last speech before answering this question.
Othello’s moment of insight is displayed in his final speech. He takes the time to speak to the people in the room right before he kills himself. He realizes that he was manipulated by Iago and instead of making excuses for his actions he asks that the others remember the good that he did as well. He is aware that his actions during the last few days of his life make him look bad but he doesn’t want the good to be forgotten either. Othello knows that he was wrong in killing Desdemona and doesn’t try to avoid that. In owning up to his actions, he shows insight and remorse even though he doesn’t stick around to live out the consequences. His final speech lets the audience see his true character and the pain and troubles that Iago’s mind games had caused to him.
Othello’s Insight
Write a one paragraph response to the following question:
Often at the end of a play, Shakespeare’s tragic heroes often have a moment of insight. What is Othello’s insight? Look closely at Othello’s last speech before answering this question.
Othello’s moment of insight is displayed in his final speech. He takes the time to speak to the people in the room right before he kills himself. He realizes that he was manipulated by Iago and instead of making excuses for his actions he asks that the others remember the good that he did as well. He is aware that his actions during the last few days of his life make him look bad but he doesn’t want the good to be forgotten either. Othello knows that he was wrong in killing Desdemona and doesn’t try to avoid that. In owning up to his actions, he shows insight and remorse even though he doesn’t stick around to live out the consequences. His final speech lets the audience see his true character and the pain and troubles that Iago’s mind games had caused to him.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Journal 9
Journal #9 - Free Will vs. Determinism
Free Will - The power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will.
Iago: “'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our
gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners” (1.3 361-3).
Determinism - The philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedents, such as genetic and environmental influences, that are independent of the human will.
Othello: “Yet ‘tis the plague of great ones … ‘tis destiny unshunnable, like
death” (3.3 313-16).
Using the above definitions, write a paragraph that argues in support of each of the terms. In your paragraphs, use specific examples from Othello to support your ideas.
Free will was demonstrated throughout many of the characters’ actions throughout Othello. Iago was often looked at as the villain who was the cause of the fallouts in relationships between characters as well as the deaths that occurred in the end. This could be argued as free will instead. Iago may have been a force in putting ideas in Othello’s head but Othello had the choice to believe what he was being told or not and further, act on the things that he had no concrete proof of. In reality, the proof Iago gave to Othello was very broad. Othello played into Iago’s plan without doing much thinking on his own. He chose, with his free will, to believe Iago. He took this even further to do what Iago suggested to him and kill his wife to get rid of problems that never really existed.
Determinism could also arguably be the cause for different situations in Othello. The first situation that comes to mind is the initial relationship between Othello and Desdemona. There was no solid answer throughout the play of whether the two were actually meant to be, which would be the explanation of determinism. Determinism would argue that fate brought Othello and Desdemona together. This could definitely be the case as they were both aware of the differences between them when they met but did not let that stop them from moving forward with a relationship. They went off of fate until free will came into play between their relationship.
Free Will - The power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will.
Iago: “'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our
gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners” (1.3 361-3).
Determinism - The philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedents, such as genetic and environmental influences, that are independent of the human will.
Othello: “Yet ‘tis the plague of great ones … ‘tis destiny unshunnable, like
death” (3.3 313-16).
Using the above definitions, write a paragraph that argues in support of each of the terms. In your paragraphs, use specific examples from Othello to support your ideas.
Free will was demonstrated throughout many of the characters’ actions throughout Othello. Iago was often looked at as the villain who was the cause of the fallouts in relationships between characters as well as the deaths that occurred in the end. This could be argued as free will instead. Iago may have been a force in putting ideas in Othello’s head but Othello had the choice to believe what he was being told or not and further, act on the things that he had no concrete proof of. In reality, the proof Iago gave to Othello was very broad. Othello played into Iago’s plan without doing much thinking on his own. He chose, with his free will, to believe Iago. He took this even further to do what Iago suggested to him and kill his wife to get rid of problems that never really existed.
Determinism could also arguably be the cause for different situations in Othello. The first situation that comes to mind is the initial relationship between Othello and Desdemona. There was no solid answer throughout the play of whether the two were actually meant to be, which would be the explanation of determinism. Determinism would argue that fate brought Othello and Desdemona together. This could definitely be the case as they were both aware of the differences between them when they met but did not let that stop them from moving forward with a relationship. They went off of fate until free will came into play between their relationship.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)