Fifth Business

Author:Robertson Davies

Setting:Canada

Significant Characters: Dunstan Ramsay, Percy (Boy) Staunton, Mrs. Dempster, Diana Marfleet, Leola Staunton, Liesl Vitzlipützli

Analysis: 

Each one of the main roles represent a character in the Bible:

•  Mary = Jesus' mother
•  Paul = Jesus ("magician") 
•  Boy Staunton = Angel? (caused the birth of Paul, is seen as perfect and glorious) 
• Liesl = Satan/The Devil: Gives Dunstan the fruit of knowledge - reveals to Dunstan that he is just Fifth Business and that his whole life was lived for other people.
• Dunstan = St. Dunstan: Literally pinches the Liesl (Devil) in the nose just like the saint did, and always acts like a saint by doing things for other people

Author's Style:

• Point of View:Dunstan
• Tone: Critical
• Symbolism: The snowball = immaculate conception?  The pebble found in Boy's mouth = the guilt that he lived and died with.

Important Quotes:

1.) “Life itself is too great a miracle for us to make so much fuss about potty little reversals of what we pompously assume to be the natural order.”

2.) “Having me in the dining-room was almost the equivalent of having a Raeburn on the walls; I was classy, I was heavily varnished, and I offended nobody.”
     This is just a little glimpse of how Dunstan views himself in a pompous manner. Even though he was never as successful as Boy and always lived in his shadow, Dunstan is constantly trying to make excuses and explain as to why he never reached the level of success that Boy did. Throughout the novel, Dunstan tries to portray himself as a saint just so we can think that he is better than Boy in a spiritual way. In the end though, I think he was just out of excuses and praises himself way too much.

Theme:
Small world religion vs. worldwide religion, the power of guilt, and the importance of rebirth.

Hamlet

Author: William Shakespeare

Setting: Kingdom of Elsinore, Denmark

Significant Characters:Hamlet, Ophelia, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Laertes, King Hamlet's Ghost

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Summary:

• Hamlet is killed by Claudius
• Claudius marries Hamlet (Jr.)'s mother, Gertrude and takes the throne as king of Denmark
• Hamlet's ghost haunts the kingdom of Elsinore and tries to reach his son
• Hamlet (Jr.) is told by his father's ghost about what truly happened and Hamlet goes mad with thoughts of revenge
• Ophelia, being Hamlet's lover, is told by her father Poloneous to not be involved with Hamlet anymore and she obeys
• Hamlet kills Poloneous, thinking he is Claudius after confronting his mother in her bedroom
• Ophelia goes insane
• Hamlet is sent off to England to be hanged because he killed Poloneous
• Hamlet returns, and sees that Ophelia has died
• Hamlet challenges Ophelia's brother Laertes to a duel - Claudius then plans to make Laertes kill Hamlet by poisoning his dagger
• Gertrude knows something is wrong and drinks the wine that is offered to Hamlet
• Gertrude dies
• Laertes cuts Hamlet with the poisoned sword, Hamlet kills Laertes and Claudius and then dies

Analysis:

• Repeating patterns of incestuous behavior play a significant role in the storyline - because Claudius and Gertrude marry each other, it is religiously an act of incest since Claudius is the brother of Hamlet...making it so Gertrude is technically marrying her brother. Hamlet and Gertrude also have a relationship that hints of incest and this also applies to Ophelia and Laertes. Maybe this motif shows their misconception of love and the boundaries between romantic or family relationship.
• Hamlet is also up for analysis because his character is an enigma within itself. Hamlet seems to be have a brilliant mind, but we oftentimes find him babbling on about the same things. His obsession with avenging his father and the concept of death possesses him into think about doing irrational things, but seldom does he follow through with his plans. The only time Hamlet actually acts irrationally is when he kills Poloneous, which was not thought out beforehand and was a mistake. This shows the nature of Hamlet's character and that he isn't as high and mighty as he plays himself to be. 

Author's Style:

• Tone: Dark, passionate
• Symbolism: The Skull and the ghost - the consequences of death in both the physical and spiritual sense

Important Quotes:

1.) "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"- Marcellus
       This quote is significant because it is not spoken by any of the main characters, but by Marcellus, who is just one of the gatekeepers of Elsinore. This proves that the people within the kingdom are blind to the corruption that has been happening within the family and they are oblivious to the effects that it has on the common people. The occurrences in Elsinore reflect the chaotic nature of the hierarchy and their fixation on the problems within their little society as opposed to appeasing the people.

2.) "To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?" - Hamlet

Theme:
 The validity of what is certain can never be determined and this can be seen through the kingdom of Elsinore, which is slowly decaying with death and revenge.

Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Setting: Early 1800s, rural England

Significant Characters: Elizabeth Bennett, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jane Bennett, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Wickham, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett

Analysis:

• Clashing concepts of love and success between Lizzy and her society
• True meaning of happiness: Despite the people around Lizzy who are marrying men solely due to their class and reputation, she is still adamant in believing that love is the primary source to making someone truly happy. Although this is what Lizzy believes is right, several situations vary in result including with her sister Jane, who initially falls in love with Mr. Bingley because of his reputation of being an extremely wealthy man. In the end, Jane and Bingley share a wedding with Lizzy and Darcy, which could represent Lizzy making an exception to her beliefs.

Author's Style:

• Point of View: Elizabeth Bennett
• Tone: Comedic, Light, Witty
• Symbolism: Pemberley is Mr. Darcy's home and represents Darcy's true nature - grand, respected, and is not seen as formal or "falsely adorned"

Important Quotes:

1.) "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
     Austen opens her novel with this sentence to show the reader a glimpse of what the story is all about. If a wealthy man must be in want of a wife, then there must be a less fortunate woman out there in need of a wealthy husband. This reflects the certain values that people held towards the concept of marriage during the time of which it was written.

2.) "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.” - Mr. Darcy
      This quote reveals a side of Darcy that is rarely seen throughout the beginning of the novel. Even though his proposal to Lizzy was rejected, Darcy does not hold this against Elizabeth but instead, his admiration towards Elizabeth still remains. The fact that Darcy is willing to be silenced forever at one word that she says shows his sensitive and accepting nature, reflecting that he really does simply and truly love her.

Theme:
 The distinction of the importance between love, class, and reputation.

Ceremony

Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
Setting: Laguna Pueblo Reservation Post WWII
Significant Characters: Tayo, Auntie, Emo, Night Swan, Ts'eh

Author's Style:

• Point of View: Third Person - Limited
• Tone: Melancholic, Heavy, Hopeful
• Imagery: Colors, Elements of Nature, Very visual
• Symbolism: Connections between colors and certain subjects - each color holds a meaning behind it and the character/object that holds it also adds to the meaning. 
• Repeating occurrence of cycles and storytelling.

Analyses:

• Cultural clashes - White v. Native American (Laguna):
• Survival of Native culture
• Tayo's journey to find himself again
•  Significance of storytelling

Important Quotes:
1.) [edited]

"It seems like I already heard these stories before—only thing is, the names sound different."
     Old Grandma is reflecting upon the death of Pinkie who was murdered by Emo and his crew. This specific line shows that Old Grandma is trying to point out that history repeats itself and that human nature occurs in a never ending cycle.

2.)[edited]

"They never thought to blame the white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was the white people who gave them that feeling and it was the white people who took it away again when the war was over."
      These lines show the cultural confusion that the Laguna veterans are struggling with even after the poor treatment they've endured after the war. The white people never respected the Native people and only manipulated the Lagunas into thinking that they were useful in the order. After the war, Emo and the others still side with the whites, convincing themselves that they were still of some use to them and even becoming racist against his own people. This is one of the paths that Tayo could have chosen to view his culture, but instead he finds himself at the opposite end of rediscovering his own culture and uniting with nature.

Theme:
The significance of keeping one's culture alive.

The stories that are told throughout the novel contain a mixture of cultural stories that have been passed down by generation to generation while others are just written in the format of how the stories were told. These stories capture the history behind the Native American civilization and provides an explanation to Tayo on why the cultural clashes have occurred between the Lagunas and the Whites which ultimately completes his healing process of his Ceremony. Silko places an emphasis on bringing out vivid descriptions of nature along with the incorporation of formatting the stories the way they were told in order to reflect the true nature of the Native American culture.

Death of a Salesman

Author: Arthur Miller
Setting: 1940s, the Lowman's home in New York City
Significant Characters: Willie, Linda, Biff and Happy Lowman


Analysis:

• The American Dream - Willy's obsession on achieving his goal of becoming a successful businessman reflects the false hopes and dreams that people experience when chasing the American Dream. Willy dedicates his life to being a businessman solely for the materialistic factors. He believes that because of his hard work, he deserves what man who performs such work should have, which is the perfect family, wealth, and most important of all, respect. Willy refuses to alter his plan and ends up not having any of the things he dreams of, which ultimately dies chasing these superficial things.
• Goals that are never reached

Author's Style:

• Point of View: Stage directions - Audience
• Tone: Tragic, honest and straightforward, melancholic
• Symbolism: The seeds that Willy's planting, the pen Biff steals, the rubber hose

Important Quotes:
1.) "I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and the time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am."
      This is Biff describing the thoughts that run through his head as he realizes that he never wants to be what his father wants him to be. This confrontation is Biff's final step on breaking free from Willy's high expectations of him. Biff and Willy butt heads over this situation and Willy is so fixated on making Biff the son that he always dreamed of having that he completely disregards what Biff truly wants in his life. Willy's expectations of Biff reign over Biff's head and causes him to lose his sense of direction in life. Biff's defiance of Willy's expectations reflects the contrasting values that they hold - Biff focusing on the simplistic nature of life while Willy chases after the materialistic and idealistic American Dream.

2.)"Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground."
      Willy has finally come to the conclusion that he has not made an impact on anyone or anything that he's ever done. This is Willy's realization to his failure and while he's planting the seeds, he notices that there is no evidence in his life of any success. This quote is very important because it is Willy's admittance to his defeat...that after all of his hard work, he has not even left a dent in the business world.

Theme:
 The American Dream leads false hope for middle class people like Willy, who never achieves what he perceives as success.

The American Dream

Author: Edward Albee
Setting: Ambiguous, small apartment building (most likely in the city)
Main Characters: Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, The Young Man (The American Dream)

Analysis:

• Old v. New America - The struggle with dominance between Grandma, Mommy, and Mrs. Barker. This reflects how time has affected the values of American society and contrasts these values between each character. Grandma being old pioneer stock, Mommy being modern changes in society (emasculation and consumerism), Mrs. Barker being society in general, molding the beliefs of Mommy.
• Consumerism - The emphasis on consumerism and the effects that it has on Mommy and Daddy can be seen throughout the play. Consumer items play a big role on these two, revealing the dependency that modern society has on materialistic objects in order to find "satisfaction" which ultimately is never found between the two.

Author's Style:

• Point of View:None - no narrative voice
• Tone: Comical, Satirical?
• Imagery: The abuse/torture Mommy and Daddy inflicted on the Young Man
• Symbolism: The character's names reflect their immaturity and that there was a child present at sometime.

Important Quotes:

1.) "I no longer have the capacity to feel anything. I have no emotions. I have been drained, torn asunder disemboweled. I have, now, only my person, my body, my face. I use what I have I let people love me I accept the syntax around me, for while I know I cannot relate; I know I must be related to." - The American Dream

This speech represents what modern society has done to the concept of the American Dream. The focus that people who first come to America tend to have is to create a successful, or satisfactory lifestyle for themselves which originally consisted of the old values that Grandma holds but through time, has been "drained,torn, and disemboweled" by changing values. Mommy and Daddy, being modern society, have manipulated the dream, ultimately making it an empty, emotionless objective that no longer has any meaning to it.

2.) "WHAT a masculine Daddy! Isn't he a masculine Daddy?" - Mommy
This just a typical example of the amount of emasculation Mommy places on Daddy. The quote is clearly patronizing Daddy and undermining his ability to actually be a man. Mommy also blames her lack of satisfaction on Daddy due to the fact that they no longer are romantically involved which shows the same lack of satisfaction that modern society has on consumerist goods. To Mommy, Daddy is just an object that has been bought, used, and is now ready to be tossed away. 

Theme:
 The American Dream has a beautiful appearance but in reality, is negatively effected by factors such as consumerism and emasculation which ultimately flaws and hollows out the concept.

Open Prompt Revision #4

1.      1971. The significance of a title such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is so easy to discover. However, in other works (for example, Measure for Measure) the full significance of the title becomes apparent to the reader only gradually. Choose a work and show how the significance of their respective titles is developed through the authors' use of devices such as contrast, repetition, allusion, and point of view.

The title of a novel is always one of the most significant factors that attracts the reader to begin reading its story. Unlike pieces with straightforward titles, books with meaningful names such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky allows the reader to continue towards an extra step in their reading process and interpret the connection between the title of the novel to the story itself. After finishing Chbosky's piece, the significance of the indication behind the title gradually becomes clearer to the reader and an ultimate metaphorical reference or connection can be determined through the title.  It can be determined that The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not a novel about a flower, but is a metaphorical name of Charlie his role as the “listener” for the people around him.             

Chbosky's epistolary novel opens with Charlie's first letter to a mysterious person he refers to as "friend." Through these letters, Charlie shares his point of view of the events that occurred during the past while also including updates on his present life as a freshman in high school.  His innocent sense towards these occurrences reveals his nature as an extremely lucid young teenager and also uncovers his personality as a quiet and thoughtful person who tends to blend in with the background.Instead of being the center of attention, Charlie portrays himself as the one who prefers to watch from an outside point of view which ultimately associates him to being a wallflower. 

The contrast between Charlie's personality traits and the other characters within the novel also reinforces the idea that Charlie is the wallflower referred to in the title. Wallflowers are seen to be uniquely beautiful and delicate, which is an exact match to Charlie's characteristics. Charlie's intelligence enables himself to see the good in all the people around him while alsoexpressing himself through words from the heart. Unlike the other characters that he encounters, Charlie is unique through the fact that he is extremely sensitive and straightforward about his feelings which many of the characters are unable to relate to. This can be seen through the part of the story where Charlie tells Sam about his feelings. Charlie explicitly explains the dream he had about her despite the fact that it was inappropriate and although he risks being judged by Sam, his confession causes Sam to appreciate his honesty. Chbosky's way of portraying the contrasting characteristics places extreme emphasis on Charlie's embodiment of the wallflower.   
Although the novel never clearly states so, it can be seen that through his personality and unique way of associating with the people that Charlie definitely holds the qualities of what someone calls a wallflower. Charlie's lack of prejudice against people like his friend Patrick's abusive homosexual relationship with the star quarterback exemplifies his purity and faith in people. Chbosky's novel may not have included an obvious title to decipher from the beginning of the read like The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn, but instead it contains elements that require a gradual understanding which eventually leads the reader to make a connection between Charlie and the title itself.