Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan vs Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Postmodernism)

(Really long semester final)
(confused the screenplays and authors a couple of times, sorry for the confusion)
(Erob)
Yellow shirt entries filmed by K McGraw at the State Track meet (Mr. Langley- my iPhone videos were not compatible with my hp computer so I had to put this together on YouTube editor, sorry that the quality and editing isn't the best). Background music provided by Pandora.

Works Cited:
"George Lucas Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 19 May 2012.
Hanson, Karen. "Literary Periods and their Characteristics." MTHS English. 14 Sept. 2008. Web. 19 May
2012.
Lucas, George. "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Script." BlueHarvest. Web. 20 May 2012.
Lye, John. "Some Attributes of Post-Modernist Literature." Department of English Language and   Literature. Brock University, 30 Apr. 2008. Web. 19 May 2012.
Meyer, Nicholas. "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Script." IMSDb. Web. 20 May 2012.
"Postmodernism." CHRISTIANITY AND TRUTH: Worldviews - Postmodernism. Web. 19 May 2012.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "Postmodernism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 19 May 2012.
Zerzan, John. "The Catastrophe of Postmodernism." Primitivism. Web. 19 May 2012. 

Journal 31 - Job Shadowing

I went to McClelland Aviation at the Springfield Capital Airport on Wednesday for job shadowing. It was very fun and interesting. I was there from noon to 7. Andrew Hamm, the flight instructor had a lesson at 1:00 with an experienced student who was close to graduating the program. I helped the student, AJ, go through the flight pre check before he could begin his lesson. There was a list of things to check to make sure the flight would go smoothly. Andrew was going to have AJ practice stalls, which is when the engine quits because the plane flew to high. That was awesome. The first time the alarm went off, I was scared since I did not know what was happening. The engine stopped and the plane dropped. AJ was practicing steering out of an engine failure. After the initial drop, the rest were fun and it was like a never ending roller coaster ride. When we landed, I got to help refuel the airplane and go through the post flight check list to make sure the plane was still in good condition. AJ, who also worked at McClelland, then showed us the different types of fuel and the trucks that stored the fuel. Later, Andrew showed us the planes that they store in the hangars. There was a private jet for a Springfield family (a rich Springfield family), an air show fighter plane, and smaller training planes. He explained the difference in the planes and how the rental process worked. Later I helped refuel the air show plane. Andrew had another lesson at 4 with a beginner student who was still learning the basics of flying - up, down, left, right. That was very interesting as I had headphones and could hear the instruction on the different gauges and instruments in the airplane as well as how to fly the plane. Both flights took place over the field in between Plains and Ashland. That was really cool as we could see the school from 3000 feet up in the air. The job shadowing experience showed me a different aspect of aviation (I previously only was familiar with airport and bigger companies). It definitely encouraged me in my job path. It was a really good experience and I am thankful for the opportunity..

"I, Too" Langston Hughes

Journal 30 - Favorite Whitman Poem

My favorite Whitman poem is "O Captain! My Captain!". That poem had a lasting impact on America. When President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the nation was in shock. Whitman wrote "O Captain! My Captain!" to unite the country in the time of mourning. I also like the fact that it rhymes. I enjoy rhyming poems as it is easier for my to find the rhythm that the author intended. In "O Captain! My Captain!", the captain of the ship represents Abraham Lincoln. I also like the poem because it is easy to understand the symbolism. The ship is America and the captain is its dead president. The poem celebrates the Union winning the Civil War. I like the poem because it tells a story (and rhymes, rhyming poems are the best). But, seriously, rhyming poems rule. In my opinion, rhyming poems (specifically aabb or abab scheme poems) flow better. As I have never met any of the authors of the poems I have read, I do not know exactly how they intended on their poem being read. Maybe they would have emphasized a different word or phrase then what I would have emphasized when I read it out loud. That is why I like rhyming poems because I know how the author intended the rhythm to be. The emphasized words might be different in my mind, but it is definitely closer in a structured poem as opposed to a free verse. That is why out of Walt Whitman's poems I like "O Captain! My Captain!" because unlike the majority of his poems, it is not free verse. Whitman disliked the structure and constraint of structured rhyming poems, but knew that America could not handle a President Lincoln remembrance slash mourning poem involving his normal sexual innuendo and scandalous free verse. Instead of helping to heal the nation, that poem could have shocked the nation into healing, or scarred the already hurting nation more. Luckily "O Captain! My Captain!" was very successful and a very popular and non-offensive poem (that rhymes!).




Whitman, Walt. "O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!" The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.

"Chanting the Square Deific"

Walt Whitman's "Chanting the Square Deific" interprets a different spin on the classic Christian Holy Trinity. Instead of a trinity, Whitman writes of a "quaternity" of figures (Oliver). The first side of the square is God, but not just the Christian God. Whitman's first side of the "Square Deific" is the God of Hebrews, "Jehovah"; God of Hindu religion, "Brahm"; God of Romans, "Saturn", and God of Greeks, "Kronos" (Whitman). The main thing that the gods have in common is that they represent the leader or chief of their respective religious deities, just like God of Christianity's Holy Trinity is the top of the triangle. As opposed the the Christian God, the first side of the "Square Deific" is not merciless as He "forgives no man" and "lets none expect mercy" (Whitman). That is a major difference separating the Holy Trinity and the Square Deific. The first stanza exhibits the power of the first deity. The God decides "judgments without the least remorse" and has all of His subjects and followers' lives in His hands (Whitman). The extent of His power is shown when the seasons and Earth's gravitation pull are mentioned, as the Square Deity is as constant, reliable, and relentless as the aforementioned acts of nature (Whitman).

The second stanza describes the next side of the Square, the son of the first side. The knowledge that the second side deity is the offspring of the first comes from the mythological references of the "Lord Jesus", "Hercules", and "Hermes" (Whitman). Jesus was the next part of the Christian Holy Trinity, which seems to be a model for the Square Deific. Hercules was the son of Zeus, another chief deity and rose to power and eventually became a god himself. Hermes was another son of Zeus, ruler of Greek Gods. The Square Deific second side diety represents the people better than the first deity as he "absorbs the suffering", "crucified", "taunted", "cheer bringer", and His "charity has no death" (Whitman). That signifies that His influence and support will always be present in whatever way is desired and can bring comfort to the people that He is there (Oliver).

The third stanza, the third side of the Square, is the opposite of the deity representing the first side. In Christianity the Devil is the opposite of God, as well as evil is the opposite of goodness. But the "Square Deific" version of Satan is not as evil as the Christian version. The Square Deity is the "brother to the slaves" and is not necessarily evil (Whitman). The deity is stubborn and will live up to his "permanent" vows and decisions (Whitman). That makes Him a respectable God as one can always trust him to keep his word, but with the knowledge that He is not looking out for their benefit as well as the second side of the Square Deific will be.

The final side of the Square is the equivalent of the last part of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit in Christianity represents the invisible acts from God that help His followers better understand their religion and Him. The "Santa Spirita" is the "breather of life" which is very similar to the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit is the most "solid" part of the square, therefore the most important part (Whitman). The Spirit triumphs over Heaven and Hell ( "lighter than light", "flames of hell", "Paradise" ) and "including God, the Saviour, and the Satan" in Its rank (Whitman). The last line of the poem makes the reader assume that the narrator, Walt Whitman, either is the "Santa Spirita" or has the "Santa Spirita" within him, which is another trait of the Christian Holy Spirt (Oliver). Whitman's "Square Deific" is a well rounded Holy Trinity, with all sides of humanity represented in good and evil as well as self and savior. Whitman expanded on the classic Trinity, but improved it to represent what he envisioned as the deities of man.



Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 02 Apr. 2012.

Whitman, Walt. "Chanting the Square Deific." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.

Journal 29 - Self

Well, this is going to be a hard journal. My transcendentalist self is deep within me and will be hard to locate and describe. My real self, according to Anna Sakach is "a stunningly intellect" (insert a British accent). My personality and self perception is harder to determine as it is more of a private thing. I am a different person when I am alone and do not have peer pressure and stereotypes to act under. Everyone assumes in a "real me" way that I am a smart, nerdy, person. I am, but not to the extent that others think. I am way more nerdier at home by myself. When I meet new people, I try to restrain myself to meet the criteria of accepted behavior in society today. People frown upon the ability to speak the equivalent of Spanish 1 in Klingon and to be able to quote line for line, 10 out of the 11 Star Trek movies. Especially because I am a girl. And not in my 40s or 50s, as a typical and stereotypical Trekkie is. I feel like I am introverted in a way when I am in public. There is a little fear in me about not meeting people's expectations. That is hard and stressful for me a lot of the time because people, especially my peers, assume that I am getting good grades and ranked first in our class, and will go to college and accomplish great things. I think that the pressure to succeed has actually made me a better person, stomach ulcers aside. Because I try to meet the expectations, and normally succeed, my work ethic increased and the desire to be first grew. Self- confidence came as a byproduct of the peer pressure and social stereotypes. My spiritual self is a different story. I do not know where I am spiritually, which means I need to do some soul searching. Because I do not have a specific religion (who knows maybe down the road I will be a devoted follower to Hestia), there is more for me to discover.

"Nature, the Gentlest Mother"

"Nature, the Gentlest Mother" by Emily Dickinson describes Mother Earth and how she takes care of her "children" and "household" (Dickinson). Nature is "impatient of no child" which symbolizes how Mother Earth takes care of everyone on the planet and even when her "children" harm her (carbon emissions, fires, ecosystem meddling), she will always be their mother and take care of them from the "feeblest" to the "waywardest" (Dickinson). The next stanza in the poem describes how Nature aids her children. She is present in the forests and hills, and is "heard by travelers" (Dickinson). "Hearing" nature invokes onomatopoeia of wind whistling and rustling the trees in the forests and whipping the tall grass and wildflowers on the tall and rolling hills. Also the animals making a variety of noises in the forest are a sign of Nature's presence. The flowers growing on the hills represent the gentle loving touch of Mother Earth as life on the hill. The third stanza uses personification. Emily Dickinson describes all of the flora and fauna, as well as the creatures and critters that roam the Earth, as Nature's "household" and "assembly" (Dickinson). Nature has "fair conversation" with her "household" (Dickinson). The conversation is a representation of the interaction between Nature and the living things on the Earth. Without sun light and rain the plants and trees could not survive. Also, the changing seasons effect the ecosystems and the animals. Mother Earth takes care of her "children" by providing "warm summer days" and not having freezing, deadly winters (Dickinson).

Emily Dickinson explains that nature, or Mother Nature, has an effect on every creature, whether it is the “minutest cricket” or “the most unworthy flower” (Dickinson). Dickinson has done a great job of personifying nature in this poem also. She says that “her voice among the aisles incites the timid prayer”, so she has given nature a voice that reaches all creatures she has created (Dickinson). She also says that “with infinite affection and infiniter care, her golden finger on her lip, wills silence everywhere” (Dickinson). She has given nature not just a finger but a golden finger. That symbolizes that nature’s finger is of a more important significance because gold represents more noble or distinguished feature. She clearly has a deep affection for nature in this poem. This poem also has a good amount of imagery. Her descriptions are very strong and animated. She creates the image of children sleeping, a very miniscule cricket, an ugly or ‘unworthy’ flower, and how when nature turns to darkness it creates silence everywhere. She presents rhymes in the final stanza, but it is only with the second and fourth lines. The rhyme scheme does not seem to matter as much to her as a good rhythm. She keeps a constant rhythm that is different, but makes the reading flow. The syllables do not always match up with each line, but she creates a certain element of poetry that makes this poem, “Nature, the gentlest Mother”, worth reading.



Dickinson, Emily . "Nature, the Gentlest Mother." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.

Journal 28 - "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died"

"I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died" is a weird symbolic Emily Dickinson poem. The fly in the poem stops the woman from dying for a short period of time. The fly's buzzing disrupted the "silence" in the room. The fly came in between the narrator and the light. The light symbolizes Heaven or whatever afterlife the narrator believes in (Valhalla, Elysian Fields, or Hell, but most likely Heaven considering Emily Dickinson's background and the religion that surrounded her in New England). The narrator had a will and had her keepsakes willed away and as she "signed" it, her possessions were in order. That means the narrator knew that she was going to die and had everything arranged for her children/ heirs/ beneficiaries. Next to her bedside, the narrator's next of kin and close friends had "wrung them (eyes) dry" which symbolizes that they had cried and expressed their sorrow, but know had past that stage of grief and accepted the narrator's passing. As she was ready to be taken to the next adventure, the silence (now that there was no more crying since everyone knew and accepted that the narrator was going to die) was interrupted by a fly. The buzzing of the fly disturbed the narrator's inner peace and acceptance of her moving into the next life (or reincarnation or rebirth or peace and happiness in a better place). The unexpected fly startled the narrator away from the light from the "window". The window light was really the infamous light that whisks the dying to whatever comes after death. For a moment the fly took her away from the light and drew her attention to the fly. But then the "window closed" and the narrator could not see anymore. That could be interpreted in two ways. The narrator could have died, or she could have lived another day. The blindness could have came from her eyes being closed forever. Or it could have come from the light disappearing and the narrator continuing to live.

Dickinson, Emily . "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.

Journal 27 - Emily Dickinson's Poems' Tune

Emily Dickinson's poems can be sung to the tune of "Amazing Grace" and "Yellow Rose of Texas". Her poems have rhythmic lines and the reason that they can be sung to several different folk songs was because her rhyme scheme and story telling can follow a musical beat. The ironic part of "Amazing Grace" fitting in with Emily Dickinson's poems is that she was not religious. Dickinson never became a member of the Church, but her family and friends all were Christians and very faithful. Her poems had a standard rhyme scheme and as almost all of them had the same scheme. That is why they can all fit into "Amazing Grace" and "Yellow Rose of Texas". "Amazing Grace" became a staple of the Christian Church. When I was confirmed in eighth grade, my cousin who was my confirmation sponsor, gave me a snow globe type object that played "Amazing Grace". Emily Dickinson was not religious at all, and rejected the Church which is why the fact that "Amazing Grace" fit in her poems was significant. Emily Dickinson's poems involved life, love, death, and nature. She looked at her subjects in a scientific manner, not a religious one. Her poems would have been different if she believed, and was exposed to the Church's beliefs and philosophies. Another song that fits with Emily Dickinson's poems is "I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing (in Perfect Harmony)". The song is a bit slow for my speed of reading poems out loud, but it fits nicely with "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" as well as other Emily Dickinson poems. The rhythm of folk songs, such as my favorite "Oh Susanna" also carries the same rhythm and beat as "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" and other Dickinson poems. I learned the lyrics of "Oh Susanna" in elementary school music class. As I know that tune very well and can read Dickinson's poems to that song and keep a constant rhythm when reciting her poems.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson lived a life of self induced seclusion in Amherst, Massachusetts (Leiter). She expressed herself through her poems and letters, many that she did not show to anyone until her sister, Lavinia, published her writings against Emily's death wish (Leiter). To understand Emily Dickinson's writing style, one has to understand her life. Dickinson never was religious and became a member of the church, like her friends and family did (Lieter). Through a rigid schooling and her father's strict and stubborn view on women and their place in society, Dickinson's writings reflect a "state of eruption, throwing off the rules her elders had pounded into her" (Leiter). As she did not share her writings with anyone, the poems and letters truly express Dickinson's inner thoughts and feelings in an unadulterated and uncensored way. Emily Dickinson often felt at a loss for words to adequately describe her thoughts, and turned to her Webster's Dictionary for guidance (Leiter). Ironically, Noah Webster, the author and compiler of the dictionary was a neighbor of the Dickinsons' (Leiter).

Emily Dickinson's poems are popular today and are considered classics. The poems can fall into both categories because of the subject matter and the manner in which they were written. Dickinson wrote of love, life, death, nature, and "the question of immortality" (McChesney). Those themes are also popular in today's literature (Harry Potter for four out of five categories). But the way that Dickinson wrote the poems is what makes them resonate in the twenty first century. By using dashes, the reader feels as if the narrator of any given poem is physically speaking and taking a pause at crucial and important parts in their tale (McChesney). In Poem 549, Dickinson speaks to the reader and the lines resonate through time as they will always be true: "That till I loved/ I never lived—Enough—" (McChesney). Because Emily Dickinson did not belong to a church and was not committed to the teachings of the Bible and the Bible's interpretation of the world and universe, her writings show her "knowledge of a boundless Universe, unfettered by the strictures of church" and enrich her poems with deep thought and meaning that would prove blasphemes to some religious readers of the time (McChesney). Instead of using the traditional pagan symbols of a dove for peace, Dickinson creates her own symbols to better represent her and her writings. She uses a daisy to represent calm and innocence in one poem "The Daisy follows soft the Sun—/ And when his golden walk is done—/ Sits shyly at his feet—" (McChesney). Instead of a volcano traditionally meaning anger, rage, and an explosion of some sorts, Dickinson uses an image of a volcano to represent passion and force (McChesney). Emily Dickinson agreed with Plato that "writing itself is only a poor imitation of a poet's words", but tried her best through Webster's Dictionary and by working through the limitations of words on paper to express her thoughts and opinions on life, love, death, and nature (McChesney).



Leiter, Sharon. "Dickinson, Emily." Critical Companion to Emily Dickinson: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.

McChesney, Sandra. "A View from the Window: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson." In Harold Bloom, ed. Emily Dickinson, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman wrote poetry in the 1800s in America. He broke the standard mold of 19th century American poets and created a new type of poetry. Traditionally for that era, rhyming and metric verses dominated American poems (Connors). Walt Whitman believed that type of writing was "copious dribble" and did not represent the country well (Connors). Whitman wrote in free verse, with sexuality, and tried to represent the whole country with his poems (Oliver.) In Leaves of Grass Whitman introduced Americans to free verse. Although he did not invent it, he improved the style to represent "American spirit: free, individual, and democratic" (Oliver). Whitman used a "free flowing style" that was first shunned by critics and not embraced by Americans like it would later be (Oliver).

Walt Whitman's poetry was full of "sexual love and exaltation of the human body" that startled and shocked many people (Oliver). Ralph Waldo Emerson even intervened and asked Whitman to remove or edit some of his poems that were very graphic involving sexual actions and references in his "Enfans d'Adam" poems (Oliver). Whitman did not agree and kept the poems the way they originally were. Walt Whitman's "Calamus" poems involved descriptions of homosexual love and Whitman eventually edited that set of poems to be more "family friendly" (Oliver). Whitman also edited "Children of Adam" after Emerson and many critics argued that expressing the desires, torments, and needs of homosexuals could be expressed in a less graphic and offensive way (Connors).

In "Song of Myself" Walt Whitman wrote about the whole country, every man and women, regardless of race. The "I" in the poem was written to represent a collective, all Americans united together (Connors)."I celebrate myself, and sing myself" represents the country coming together and uniting after the Civil War (Connors). In the preface to Leaves of Grass Whitman makes it clear that he rights for everyone, not to a specific race, "for America is the race of races" and blacks are represented equally in Whitman's poetry. Emerson was a fan of Whitman and embraced him as a "quintessential American poet" who embraced the "diversity of race and attitude" (Connors). Walt Whitman served in the Civil War as a field nurse and tended to the wounded (Connors). Seeing first hand the violence of the Civil War influenced Whitman's later writings which included and represented every aspect and everyone of the war; black or white, Union or Confederate (Connors). He graphically wrote about the war in Drum Taps and because of that many publishers rejected it (Connors). Walt Whitman was not appreciated while he was alive, for it was not until later that the true genius of his poetry was realized and embraced in America. Few people had read Whitman's Leaves of Grass and knew who Whitman was personally since most people who read it burned the "vulgar filth" and did not want anything to do with it (Connors). When Whitman's boss in Washington, James Harlan, found out he was the author of the "scandalous and indecent work" Whitman was fired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior (Connors).



Connors, Judith. "Whitman, Walt." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Walt Whitman, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 19 Mar. 2012.

Oliver, Charles M. "Whitman, Walt." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 19 Mar. 2012.

"I Sit and Look Out"

Walt Whitman was opposed to slavery and wrote frequently about it in such poems as "I Sing the Body Electric", "Song of Myself" and "I Sit and Look Out" (Klammer). Those poems were published in Leaves of Grass as the Fugitive Slave Law and the Wilmont Proviso were debated in a pre- Civil War America (Klammer). Whitman took action through words, writing editorials, poems, and articles about "freedom and liberty of persons of African descent" (Klammer). As opposed to Henry David Thoreau who did not take action, and only talked about abolitionism and freedom, Walt Whitman fought in the Civil War for the rights of the "Negro", the African American slaves (Klammer). Whitman sought to represent both the southern African American slaves and their white masters (Klammer). He tried to get both sides to understand that he will "go with the slaves of the earth equally with the masters . . . Entering into both so that both will understand me alike" (Klammer).

Although Walt Whitman received attention, the change he desired did not come with the attention. His sadness and regret shone through in "I Sit and Look Out". He describes the "agonies" of the world in his day, including slavery and war, and at the end comes to the conclusion that in "all the meaness and agony without end" he looks out and realizes "see, hear. and am silent" (Whitman). That was the problem with America at that time period. Enough people realized that slavery was not acceptable and people should not be treated in that way, but not enough action was taken to solve the issue peacefully before it resulted in a bloody Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation, but as Ralph Waldo Emerson so firmly believed, that "a piece of paper would not free anyone" (Hawthorne). Everyone can be the narrator in "I Sit and Look Out" and see all of the problems in the world. Only a brave few will, and can, take action to stop the "agonies" and "sorrows of the world" (Whitman).



Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 12 Mar. 2012.

Klammer, Martin. "Slavery and Abolitionism". J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings, eds., Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing, 1998. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.

Whitman, Walt . "I Sit and Look out." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.

"I'm Nobody! Who are you?"

Emily Dickinson's "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" is a classic poem. I interpret the poem as a slam against society, and as a high schooler, against the popular students. "Are you nobody, too?" can be interpreted as the author finding a fellow outcast, a nobody, among the frogs in the bog that is the setting in the poem (Dickinson). Later in the poem the author warns the fellow nobody to not tell as they will be "banished" (Dickinson). I interpret that as the author living in a society that prohibits difference and "nobodies" that could ruin the utopian of society where everyone else are frogs. The author hides her difference, her status as a "nobody", so she will not get banished (Dickinson). The frogs, the somebodies, tell their name "the livelong day" to the bog (Dickinson). The way that the author tells the reader that comes off in a mocking way that reinforces the idea that being a "nobody" is better than it sounds and is worth the possible "banishment" (Dickinson). In a bog or a swamp in real life, frogs croak and sound similar to other frogs. As most frogs' croaks sound the same, the noise blends into an "unidentifiable mass" (Priddy). Being a "somebody" or frog is boring and unoriginal as the "frogs" tend to blend in with each other and there is not individuality, only a collective. "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" reminds me of the Borg Collective. Resistance is futile, as "nobodies" are banished if found, so everyone is a Borg, or in Dickinson's case a frog. Every once and a while a Seven of Nine or a Hugo comes along and breaks off from the collective becoming a "nobody" and is broken off from the collective mind and are individuals. "Nobodies" are unique individuals that are different from the "frogs", but accept the individuality and feel sorry for the "dreary" frogs (Dickinson). The author welcomes the fellow nobody, the reader, as they are few in a society of frogs.



Dickinson, Emily . "I'm Nobody! Who are you?." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

Priddy, Anna. "'I'm Nobody! Who are you?'." Bloom's How to Write about Emily Dickinson. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

"To Build a Fire"

Jack London wrote two versions of "To Build a Fire" in a time span of six years. He wrote the original for Boy Scouts as a lesson enforcing the buddy system and to warn against "traveling alone in the North" (Bloom). He elaborated on the second version to tell the story of the man and his demise (Bloom). After reading the story of a man, a newcomer or "chechaquo", and his dog traveling to meet with the man's friends at Henderson Creek, I have learned to not travel alone and to strategically pick a location to light a fire (London 604). Henry David Thoreau and Jack London both wrote about nature and the repercussions that occur if Nature is not obeyed and appreciated. Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for two years, two months, and two days, to better understand and become one with nature (Harding). He found inspiration for much of his writing through his experience. Jack London went to the Yukon and Klondike in Alaska searching for gold, but instead found inspiration through his experience with the Northern wild (London 601). Both authors wrote about what they know, in this case nature and told stories through the experiences they lived. In "To Build a Fire", the unnamed man makes mistake after mistake that could have been prevented through having someone else there and through experience. An experienced Yukon hiker, gold searcher, or native would have waited someplace warm instead of hiking across the frozen tundra in -75 degree weather (London 604). The unnamed man decided that there was no reason to not travel as that meant that the temperature was only "eighty degrees of frost" (London 604). The man did not respect Nature, and that resulted in his demise. He was foiled three different times when trying to build a fire (London 610). If he would have respected nature and waited to travel when the weather was more forgiving, he would not have died, frozen in the snow.





Bloom, Harold, ed. "'To Build a Fire'." Jack London, Bloom's Major Short Story Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2001. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 601-614. Print.

"Richard Cory"

"Richard Cory" is a poem with a twist in the ending that was well written by Mr. Edwin Arlington Robinson. After reading Edwin Arlington Robinson's biography, I felt depressed. He felt that he was "unhappy, pessimistic" and his writing reflected that (Robinson 573). In both "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy", the writing style has a dark and ironic feeling. "Richard Cory" started off cheery as the description regarding Richard Cory was that he was handsome, causing "fluttering pulses" when he talked, and he was rich and admired (Robinson 575). The poem is all chipper and happy until the last two lines when "on a calm summer night" he killed himself (Robinson 575). The classic Robinson ironic writing: the seemingly happy, rich, handsome man who is envied by those who can not afford "meat... bread" is truly the unhappy one and commits suicide (Robinson 575). Edwin Arlington Robinson said that he wrote "Richard Cory" to serve as "an object lesson" that having "wealth, prestige, and privilege" does not equivalent to happiness (Bruccoli). Henry David Thoreau was not a believer of material wealth as "wealth can not buy freedom" (Cisco). He thought that while wealth was important to maintain a lifestyle above poverty, it was not necessary to be free and happy (Cisco). He would have acknowledged Richard Cory's suicide as a testament to his opinion that wealth does not equate happiness. Richard Cory seemed to have it all to the poorer people in his community, and he kept a good mask to promote that view of him, not letting anyone know his suicidal thoughts except that he was "human when he talked" (Robinson 575). That showed that he might be rich and better off then the other people in the town, but emotionally was a distant second to the poorer people. Robinson thought that the less fortunate people were only less fortunate according to physical means, but was better off emotionally and spiritually, and did not need to "long to switch places" with Richard Cory (Bruccoli).




Bruccoli, Matthew J., and Judith S. Baugman. "Richard Cory." Student's Encyclopedia of American Literary Characters. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 04 Mar. 2012.

Cisco, Michael. "Henry David Thoreau: Bachelor of Thought and Nature." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 04 Mar. 2012.

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 573-576. Print.

"The Darling"

Anton Chekhov, a famous Russian playwright, wrote "The Darling" not for the plot and action packed reading, but for the atmosphere and character of a story and how one seemingly ordinary event can have a huge impact on everyday lives (Chekhov 557). "The Darling" tells the story of a woman who is dependent on others and can not have an opinion of her own (Bloom). As her husbands go through different ends, Olenka goes through withdraws as her center of the universe dies or leaves her. This story reminds me of "The Story of an Hour", but the women are complete opposites. Mrs. Mallard is a strong independent woman, but Olenka needs a man to love to survive in the world. When Mr. Mallard dies, Mrs. Mallard is ecstatic about her new found "freedom" that comes with the news (Chopin 555). When Olenka finds out that her first husband, Snookin Vanya, died in Moscow, she breaks down and mourns for him and screams out "Who is going to look after your poor wretched Olenka now you've abandoned her" (Chekhov 560). Olenka had some serious clingy relationship issues as she repeats that cycle three more times with a total of three men and one child (Chekhov 565). Unfortunately for Olenka, she does not have the same "luck" as Mrs. Mallard. After proclaiming her freedom, she composed herself and went downstairs to be startled by her "dead" husband walking in the door (Chopin 555). Olenka would have rejoiced to the high heavens that her beloved husband was still alive. But Mrs. Mallard was an independent woman and was held back and suppressed by her husband (Chopin 553). She died of "joy that kills" after learning that she was not "free" (Chopin 555). Olenka almost died of abandonment and lack of someone to love after her husband died and "left her" (Chekhov 563). Chekhov did a good job representing the other woman, although the story is written in a way that could mock dependent women or tell the story of the "gentle slave" (Bloom).


Bloom, Harold, ed. "'The Darling'." Anton Chekhov, Bloom's Major Short Story Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2001. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 04 Mar. 2012.

Chekhov, Anton. "The Darling." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 557-565. Print.

Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 551- 555. Print.

"I Will Fight No More Forever"

Chief Joseph was the leader of the Nez Perce Native American tribe from 1871 after his father's death until Chief Joseph's death in 1885 (Chief Joseph 531). During this time, Native Americans were being forcibly removed from their ancestral lands and relocated to the west out of the way of the "civilized" white people (Divine). When the United States government tried to relocate the Nez Perce to Idaho from their native land of what is today known as Oregon because of the gold recently found the Nez Perce territory (Chief Joseph 531). After peacefully resisting for a number of years, the US government threatened forcible relocation (Chief Joseph 531). Chief Joseph did not want bloodshed or any time of physical conflict so he agreed to journey to Idaho with his tribe. After the government killed members of the tribe, Chief Joseph led his tribe north to Canada (Chief Joseph 531). After three months of evading the US troops, the Nez Perce tribe was captured and sent to Idaho (Chief Joseph 531). Many of the Nez Perce died of "white" diseases and from the long trek (Chief Joseph 531). That is what led to Chief Joseph to go to Washington D.C. and meet with the president to raise awareness to what was happening to his people (Divine). Chief Joseph was a well respected man, but as he was an Indian, he was not granted what he required. The racism in America during this time was not just against African Americans, but also Native Americans. Chief Joseph's story reminds us how many different types of people were mistreated in America and very little was done about it. In Chief Joseph's "I Will Fight No More Forever" speech, he said how his "heart is sick and sad" (Chief Joseph 533). That feeling was shared by many people in America during this time period, but not be enough to change the way things worked and make changes to American society.



Chief Joseph. "I Will Fight No More Forever." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 531-533. Print.

Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 01 Mar. 2012.

Spoon River Anthology

Edgar Lee Masters grew up in Petersburg, Illinois and the small town city environment influenced his writing of the Spoon River Anthology (Masters 514). As he was growing up, Masters read the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Dickens (Masters 514). Reading some of the epitaphs in Spoon River, I can detect some Emerson in the passages. In "The Village Atheist", the atheist read "the Upanishads and the poetry of Jesus", but just because it was in writing, does not mean that it is true ("The Village Atheist"). Emerson also had that philosophy regarding writing on paper. When President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves, Ralph Waldo Emerson was not on board (Hawthorne). Emerson believed that just because a piece of paper said people were free, they were not free. He thought that being free was a "mindset" and that individuals became free when they lived their lives as though they had been liberated (Hawthorne). The Spoon River Anthology reminds me of the Canterbury Tales. Both tales have many parts telling about different characters. While the Canterbury Tales involved stories told to others for entertainment, Spoon River Anthology involved a town of people telling their first person "epitaphs" ("Table of Contents") ("The Canterbury Tales"). Masters' Spoon River is a gossipy kind of tale when the members of the town called Spoon River told of the town gossip and did not keep any secrets to themselves ("Table of Contents "). The Canterbury Tales contained stories about different people and a certain event in their life with increased bragging or intensity as the people telling the tales tried to "one up" the previous person ("The Canterbury Tales").

The Spoon River Anthology was the first of its kind in America as other literature of the time period involved romantic, touchy feely, and sentimental writing (Masters 514). That is what made the book so popular when it was published. Some critics went as far as saying that Edgar Lee Masters was "America's first poet" as the book was told in first person free verse poems (Masters 514).



Chaucer, Geoffrey. "The Canterbury Tales." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 28 Feb. 2012.

Masters, Edgar Lee. "Before You Read." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 514. Print.

Masters, Edgar Lee. "The Spoon River Anthology Table of Contents." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

Masters, Edgar Lee. "The Village Atheist." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

"Two Views of the River"

Mark Twain, born Samuel L. Clemens, grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, not to far from here, and growing up in the "west" influenced his writings (Twain 496). While Mark Twain was riverboating down the Mississippi River, the rest of the country was in an Industrial Revolution (Divine). "Two Views of the River" an exert from Life on the Mississippi was published in 1883 (Twain 496). In 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge under the guidance of financial supporter Boss Tweed, five time zones in the United States are created by John D. Rockerfeller, J. P. Morgan and Canadian railroad companies to help trains run smoother across the large country, and is published just after Booker T. Washington opened up the Tuskegee Institute (Divine). To think that Mark Twain was cruising down the Mississippi, observing the fauna, flora, and beautiful sunsets while the East Coast was experiencing great monopolies and political machines running cities, while the West Coast was still mining for gold and coal and building railroads eastward. Even though slavery was no longer legal in America, Mark Twain's tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn involve racial difference and inequality (Divine). Mark Twain's novels let the rest of the country know what was going on in the middle of America and on the river that gave the land life.

"Two Views of the River" is part of Mark Twain's memoir, Life on the Mississippi (Twain 504). He recounts how he viewed the river and nature around it with intense imagery of rivers turning to the color of "blood", "gold", then "black and conspicuous" when a log floated into his view (Twain 504). As Twain sailed the Mississippi and became more consumed with getting his steamboat safely to the final destination and less observant of the beauty of the life surrounding him (Twain 505). By comparing his experience to that of a doctor not being able to see past possible infections, disease, and ailments in his fellow man, Twain relates his experience to all readers as they might never might a Mississippi steamboat pilot, but with a high probability have met a doctor before (Twain 505). Henry David Thoreau would have been a friend of Twain as both men believed in the beauty of nature and how it affected everything around it (Harding). Twain could have visited Thoreau at Waldon Pond and they could have expressed their views on nature with each other.



Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 26 Feb. 2012.

Twain, Mark. "Before You Read." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 496. Print.

Twain, Mark. "Two Views of the River." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 504-505. Print.

"from The Red Badge of Courage"

Stephen Crane was a Naturist just like Henry David Thoreau (Crane 492). Both men were Realists, but focused their writing more on the working class and the poor people and their struggles (Crane 492). Crane and Thoreau believed that "human destiny was shaped by powerful forces, including heretitiy, social and economic pressures, and the natural environment" (Crane 492). The men believed that humans had little control over their lives. That is why Thoreau wanted to better understand nature and how it affects the world and human lives, so he stayed isolated in the woods for two years, two months, and two days (Harding). In "The Red Badge of Courage", Stephen Crane gave an example of Naturalism by exposing the protagonist, Henry Flemming, to a "new environment" of battle and how Crane believes that since men do not have control over their lives, they should always exhibit "courage, honesty, and poise" no matter what life throws at them (Crane 492).

Henry Flemming is a middle class soldier who experienced war through vivid "colorful" descriptions (Cox). As he was filled with a "red rage", Private Henry Flemming swept through the battle field killing with his rifle, even though his bare hands would be a better weapon to satisfy his blood lust (Crane 493). Henry Flemming bravely fought in the battle even after his regiment retreated (Cox). Stephen Crane wrote about the war and how some of the soldiers, like Henry Flemming, gave into the blood lust and bravely fought the battles that some men could not finish (Cox).

Ralph Waldo Emerson was also a Naturalist. He expressed his views through "Nature" and believed that all morality comes from nature (Hawthorne). Henry David Thoreau differed in opinion as he believed nature was where the "restoring force" when society was the poisoning force and men should be closer to mother nature (Harding). Stephen Crane viewed nature as the force that controls human lives and because of that, people should always act with the best character because if nature decides your destiny, then you should live life to the fullest and to the best of your ability (Crane 492).



Cox, James M. "The Red Badge of Courage: The Purity of War." Southern Humanities Review 25, no. 4 (Fall 1991). Quoted as "The Red Badge of Courage: The Purity of War" in Bloom, Harold, ed. The Red Badge of Courage, Bloom's Modern Critical Views. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.

Crane, Stephen. "from The Red Badge of Courage." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 492-493. Print.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Anna Sakach. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 24 Feb. 2012.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 24 Feb. 2012.

"The Story of an Hour"

Wow. That was a very interesting story. Kate Chopin really expressed a woman's view of marriage in an almost discreet and unsuspecting way. "The Story of an Hour"is about a woman who learns about her husband death and goes to her room to mourn (Chopin 554). Instead of mourning alone, like what her sister Josephine thinks that Mrs. Mallard is doing, Mrs. Mallard is realizing that she is finally free and can be independent again (Chopin 555). When Mrs. Mallard "composes" herself and goes downstairs, supported by her sister, she is shocked by her husband walking in the front door (Chopin 555). The doctors say that Mrs. Mallard died of "heart disease - of joy that kills" (Chopin 555). Mrs. Mallard died because of the sudden despair, self pity, and depression that completely overrode the joy and pure happiness that she felt because she thought that she was "free, body and soul, free!" (Chopin 555). The story really drove home the message of women's role in society during the late 1880s. Women could not do anything without their husbands. When Kate Chopin's husband died, she had to petition to court to be the legal guardian of the children that she bore (Chopin 552). Women could not hold their own property, their wages belonged to their husbands, and if a divorce were to occur, a very rare case, the husbands would automatically have custody of the children (Divine). Women were payed lower wages then men and had very equal rights (Divine). Kate Chopin brought the issue of equality in marriage and in the work environment through her stories, some of which were found so "vulgar" and "offensive" that she had a hard time finding a publisher (Chopin 551).

Emerson supported women's rights, although he was not as blunt as Kate Chopin. He gave a speech at a Women's Convention and supported his wife, aunt, and female friends that campaigned for women's suffrage (Wayne). Thoreau never had a firm opinion on women and their place in society, but if he was in favor of the gender equality he probably would have been very bold in his endeavors, just like Kate Chopin.


Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 551- 555. Print.

Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Wayne, Tiffany K. "'Address at the Woman's Rights Convention'." Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 22 Feb. 2012.

“from O Pioneers!”

Willa Cather was a pioneer. She moved out to Nebraska with her family when she was nine years old and drew on her first hand frontier experience as inspiration in her writing (Cather 519). She wrote novels based on her experiences in the land and the beauty that accompanied the wild (Cather 519). In "O Pioneers!", Willa Cather drew on her experience with the frontier land and wrote about farming immigrants and the hardships they faced (Cather 488). Because the Wild West was new and Americans had not farmed or lived on the dry flat land, new inventions and farming techniques had to be invented. Because of the lack of water, farming was a challenge west of the Mississippi. To deal with that problem, dry farming was invented when farmers dug deeper into the soil to access deep ground water to keep the roots watered (Divine). Because of the flat treeless land, farmers could not use timber to build their houses or fences to keep their animals in one centralized place. Sod houses and barbed wire were innovatively created as a solution to those problems (Divine). The farmers in the west had a hard time, but they survived through hard work and creativity. Willa Cather's farmers in "O Pioneers" also faced hardship through death and droughts (Cather 489). At their low point, the farmers reminisce about land to the east or any "place that had been proved hospitable" (Cather 489). The sons of the farmers dreamt about working in the cities as bakers as they lacked the "imagination needed" to survive and be happy in the west (Cather 489).

Henry David Thoreau was a supporter of the pioneers as he believed it helped man become "one" with nature as he was forced to survive and tame nature (Harding). Thoreau admired the pioneers due to their "closeness to nature" (Harding). Thoreau took his philosophy seriously and he lived in the woods, alone with nature for two years, two months, and two days (Harding). His experience was not quite that of a pioneer, but he did develop a relationship with nature and the world surrounding him.


Cather, Willa. "from O Pioneers!." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 488-489. Print.

Cather, Willa. "Before You Read." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 519. Print.

Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 20 Feb. 2012.

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a very interesting story by Ambrose Bierce. Ambrose Bierce faught in the American Civil War which gave him some background information for this short story (Bierce 387). Bierce was an interesting man who had some character traits that we have seen in authors before. Bierce was "idealistic, cynical, morose, stubborn" and known as "Bitter Bierce" (Bierce 387). He had a very interesting life story. After not completing high school, Bierce worked as a printer's apprentice then enlisted to fight in the Civil War (Bierce 387). After being shot in the head, Bierce worked in the humor section of several newspapers. Later he traveled to England where he wrote more before returning to America. My favorite part about Ambrose Bierce's life is that he disappeared in Mexico and no one knows what happened to him (Bierce 387). To this day no one knows how he died, when he died, or what he did in Mexico.

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a great Civil War thinking story. As the story starts off with an omnipoent narrator who is observing a hanging on a bridge, the reader is left to wonder what exactly the "civilian" did to result in a hanging (Bierce 390). Then the person who was going to be hanged drifts off in thought about his wife and children before presumably being hanged when the sergeant "stepped aside" (Bierce 390). The next part is narratorated by Peter Farquhar, who the reader later learns is the man being hanged (Bierce 390). At the end of the second part Farquhar is given information by a disguised enemy soldier who, using reverse psychology, tells Farquhar about a bridge that the enemy soliders could use to invade Owl Creek bridge (Bierce 392). In a twist in the plot the bridge was really a necessity to the Farquhar's side and by burning the bridge, he unknowingly helped the enemy (Bierce 392). That is why he was being hung. The next part of the story was very interesting as Farquhar seems to evade death multiple times by having awesome neck muscles that can withstand being hung by a rope, a great lung capacity to escape drowning, and ninja like skills that allows him to dodge bullets and even cannons (Bierce 395-396)! Then the reader learns that he really died by the rope and in a couple of ticks of a watch, Farquhar dreampt up the whole scenario (Bruccoli)! The concept of having an entire scenario and story thought up in a couple of seconds is something masterfully done by Bierce (Bruccoli). Very few people have been able to accomplish that to the successful degree that Ambrose Bierce did.

Bierce, Ambrose. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 387-396. Print.

Bruccoli, Matthew J., and Judith S. Baugman. "Peyton Farquhar." Student's Encyclopedia of American Literary Characters. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 15 Feb. 12.

“Letter to his Family”

Robert E. Lee was the leader of the Confederate Army during the Civil War after serving in the United States Army for thirty-six years (Lee 382). He only served as general for the Confederate States of America because his home state of Virginia decided to succeed from the Union and General Lee had very strong loyalty for his state (Lee 382). That loyalty characteristic is a great thing to have, and General Lee instilled that in his Confederate troops (Divine). The possible division of the Union greatly upset General Lee and he was "willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation" (Lee 385). Before any of the states succeeded, Robert E. Lee made clear that he would stay true with Virginia and "return to my native state and share the miseries of my people" (Lee 385). Even though General Robert E. Lee served with the Confederates, and not the Union, he did so for a good reason. He was not a supporter of slavery, but had an ambivalent view about slavery (Divine).

Henry David Thoreau was a firm believer in antislavery and that was the one political issue that he was vocal about (Harding). He would have disliked General Robert E. Lee as he was fighting for the "wrong side" and not for the freedom of the slaves (Harding). Ralph Waldo Emerson would have appreciated General Lee for sticking to his views and staying with Virginia throughout the war until the surrender at Appomattox which ended the Civil War (Divine). Throughout Abraham Lincoln's election and the succession threats, and the entire Civil War, General Robert E. Lee stuck with his guns and supported his home state of Virginia and defended it and the Confederacy to make sure his home state was preserved (Lee 385). General Lee had great characteristics and honor as he battled his fellow countrymen during the Civil War. Emerson and Thoreau would have both respected that loyalty aspect of General Robert E. Lee.


Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 13 Feb. 2012.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 13 Feb. 2012.

Lee, Robert E. "Letter to his Family". Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 382-385. Print.

“And Ain‘t I a Woman?”

Sojourner Truth spoke at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851 after several male ministers spoke on how women were too "inferior" and "weak" to vote (Truth 369). Sojourner Truth is a prime example of a strong and powerful woman. After escaping from slavery, she preached God's message around the northeast, eventually preaching antislavery and women's rights as well (Truth 369). She made the most of her life and was an empowered woman. In her speech at the Ohio Convention, Sojourner Truth made a point to the "little man in black", the ministers who had spoken earlier, about what women can or can not do (Truth 370). Sojourner Truth said that she could "work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well!" and then mentioned that she borne thirteen children (Truth 370). If that shows "weak" and "inferior" characteristics, then I do not know what brave and strong people look like. Truth's speech was very effective as she drew on her life experiences to prove the minster men wrong and show them how women are strong and capable. To make sure that the ministers got her point, Sojourner threw in, "Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him" (Truth 370). The ministers got her point.

Ralph Waldo Emerson also spoke at a women's rights convention. He spoke at the Boston Women's Rights Convention in 1855 (Wayne). His wife, his aunt, and fellow Transcendentalist Margaret Fuller urged him to speak (Wayne). He had previously not voiced an opinion for or against women's rights (Wayne). After giving a speech where Emerson hoped "the best women would not seek power through such corrupt avenues as politics and business" and did not clearly say anything for or against women suffrage (Wayne). Emerson never made a public statement on women's rights again. Regardless, his speech was still quoted by women's rights periodicals for the rest of the century (Wayne). Thoreau never gave an opinion on women's rights. The only political thing that he gave voice to was for the abolitionists and antislavery.


Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain‘t I a Woman?." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 368-370. Print.

Wayne, Tiffany K. "'Address at the Woman's Rights Convention'." Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 12 Feb. 2012.

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Go Down, Moses", and "Keep Your Hands on the Plow"

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Go Down, Moses", and "Keep Your Hands on the Plow" are all sorrow songs sung by African American slaves from the Antebellum South ("Three Spirituals" 344). To help deal with the violence, hardship, and lifestyle of slavery in the South, black slaves would sing versions of the aforementioned songs to create and maintain their own culture and to get them through the workday ("Three Spirituals" 344). As the songs were not written down, but orally passed from cotton plantation to sugar plantations and yeomen farms, many different versions exist, Congress believes over "six thousand" to be in existence ("Three Spirituals" 344). The theme of all three songs are about overcoming slavery, through stories in the Bible about freedom or about hope for a better day.

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a spiritual about the promise of freedom coming soon ("Swing Low" 346). Literally the " sweet chariot" is going to "carry" the slaves "home", while figuratively "home" is being free and living as an independent person with equal rights and President Lincoln is going to carry the slaves home through the Emancipation Proclamation and Equality Acts ("Swing Low" 346). Thoreau would have been in agreement with the message of the song, but Emerson would have disliked it because he did not think that "pieces of paper" made anyone free (Hawthorne).

"Go Down, Moses" is a surrow song regarding the slave's hope for freedom ("Go Down" 347). By referencing Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt and those people breaking the bonds of slavery, the American Antebellum slaves gain hope from the idea that becoming free can happen ("Go Down" 347). Emerson would have liked this spiritual much better as the event described was factual and the Hebrew slaves physically got their freedom by leaving Egypt. Some slaves took that song to heart by traveling the Underground Railroad and gaining freedom by escaping from their masters.

"Keep Your Hand on the Plow" is a religous song giving the slaves hope through the belief that God was with them ("Keep" 348). Thoreau was a religious man who believed that the individual was self-sufficent, but a little help from God was necessary in retaining a balanced life (Harding). The line "hold on" is repeated throughout the song and as words are power, the slaves gained hope by repeating the mantra that freedom will come someday so just "hold on".

"Go Down, Moses." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 347. Print.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 10 Feb. 2012.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 10 Feb. 2012.

"Keep Your Hands on the Plow." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 348. Print.

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 6. Print.

"Three Spirituals." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 344-345. Print.

“Calvary Crossing a Ford”

Walt Whitman believed in the everyday ordinary man and focused his writings on that concept (Whitman 340). Henry David Thoreau also wrote and firmly believed throughout his life that the common man can reform themselves and in doing so, reform the surroundings and the government (Harding). Thoreau and Whitman had Transcendentalist view on the importance of the individual. In "Calvary Crossing a Ford", Whitman expressed the importance of each individual soldier in a portrayal of the Union troops crossing a river (Whitman 341). Since "each person a picture" as opposed to all of the soldiers being one unit of the Union Army, readers can identify better with the soldiers and the hardships, violence, and death they went through as opposed to reading about the thousands of causalities each side faced and not having that personal connection (Whitman 340). Henry David Thoreau believed that each individual could shape the future and all aspects of their lives (Harding). Based on that, Thoreau would agree with the theory that each soldier in both sides of the Civil War could affect the outcome of each battle and in the end the outcome of the American Civil War. Walt Whitman served as a nurse during the Civil War and treated soldiers on both the Union and Confederate side (Whitman 340). He saw first hand how the individual soldier impacted each battle of the internal conflict.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a role model for Walt Whitman. Emerson thought that the ideal poet was one who "has a new thought... a new experience to unfold; he will tell us how it was with him, and all men will be richer in his fortune" (Whitman 340). Walt Whitman took that to heart and strived to be like Emerson's idea of a great poet. By serving in the Civil War, Whitman used that first hand experience to write about what he observed from the soldiers, surroundings, and overall feelings as he nursed the wounded, sick, and dying American soldiers (Whitman 340). I believe that Whitman succeeded in his goal to be like Emerson's ideal poet as Whitman did make future men "richer" with the knowledge and feelings in all of Whitman's poems.


Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 09 Feb. 2012.

Whitman, Walt. "Calvary Crossing a Ford." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 340-341. Print.

“The Gettysburg Address”

After the blood battle of Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln dedicated the battleground as a military cemetery on November 19, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Lincoln 401). The speech he gave that day was one of the most famous of President Lincoln's addresses and almost every American child knows the opening line of "Four score and seven years ago..." (Lincoln 402). Lincoln, also known as the Great Emancipator, was against slavery, going as far as exercising his wartime Commander in Chief abilities to set the slaves free in the Union (Divine). Before he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln wanted to allow the African American freemen to be able to coexist with white men in the South with equality (Divine). Unfortunately, Lincoln never made an official Reconstruction plan, so his ideas never happened and blacks continued to have unequal rights and acts of cruelty and violence were still practiced on the black freemen (Divine).

Ralph Waldo Emerson made points in his writing that strongly agreed with Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address". Emerson wrote that "the Civil War the air was full of heroism" which is what the "Gettysburg Address" is literally about (Hawthorne) (Lincoln 402). When President Lincoln dedicated the military cemetery he commented on the "brave men, living and dead" and how they defined the struggle for freedom with their lives (Lincoln 402). Emerson disagreed with Lincoln on how to free the slaves. President Lincoln believed that the first step was emancipation and, affirming his belief that men are good and not cruel savages, Lincoln had faith that black people would be treated equal and after some time, have the same rights as American citizens just like the white men (Divine). Emerson made clear that "nothing is more disgusting than the crowing about liberty by slaves, as most men are, and the flippant mistaking for freedom of some paper preamble, like a Declaration of Independence, or the statute right to vote." (Hawthorne). Emerson was not a fan of Lincoln's Emancipation as he did not think that that one speech and that one piece of legislature would solve any problems.

Henry David Thoreau had a "limited and distorted" view on slavery in the South, but was very vocal about his views on liberty and equality (Harding). In the "Gettysburg Address" Lincoln opens his address by reminding the audience that the nation was "conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the propostion that all men are created equal" (Lincoln 402). Lincoln and Thoreau both agreed on liberty for everyone, but unfortunately Lincoln did not live to see it happen and Thoreau never took action to back up his words.



Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 05 Feb. 2012.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 08 Feb. 2012.

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 400-402. Print.

“The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”

Frederick Douglass' "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" was a very eye opening piece. Douglass, a former slave, was a speaker and author on antislavery and was a renown abolitionist (Douglass 336). His "July Fourth for the Negro" speech was given to a white audience, who I am sure had never thought of the 4th of July as a slap in the face to African Americans in America (Douglass 337). Douglass believes the celebration of the fourth of July is "a thin veil to cover up the crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages" (Douglass 337). Ralph Waldo Emerson's argument that a "flippant mistaking for freedom of some paper preamble, like a Declaration of Independence, or the statute right to vote" is a assumption made by the "superficial" white American (Hawthorne). Emerson's argument would have fit in well with Fredrick Douglass' speech in Rochester New York (Emerson 337). Ralph Waldo Emerson was very blunt with his views on slavery, just as Thoreau was. Henry David Thoreau believed that slavery was "the issue" of his time (Harding). He was a big supported of John Brown, a rebellious antislavery martyr, and Brown's need to change the country as an individual (Cisco). Henry David Thoreau was all about the individual and self reliance (Harding). Fredrick Douglass made clear in his speech that white men were not thinking of black people when they celebrate the nation's independence (Douglass 337). His reasoning is sound as the shouts of "liberty and equality" did not apply to all Americans (Douglass 337). While white Americans were living well off and free, while both slave and free blacks were living in poverty, with cruelty and violence looming over their shoulders everyday (Douglass 336). The African Americans were slowly granted rights in America, only for those rights to be taken away by white supremacists and Black Codes. After abolitionists like Fredrick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau were gone, there work still resonated with Americans, spurring new antislavery movements (Cisco).


Cisco, Michael. "Henry David Thoreau: Bachelor of Thought and Nature." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 05 Feb. 2012.

Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 336-337. Print.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 05 Feb. 2012.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 05 Feb. 2012.

Henry David Thoreau "Civil Disobedience."

"Civil Disobedience" is a very long essay. There are three parts, which in my opinion is more of a paper or lengthy composition, on Henry David Thoreau's opinion on the government's control of people's life and how the people have the right and the ability to stand up to their beliefs (Thoreau Part 2). Thanks to my extensive knowledge of this time period due to (what turns out to be a very beneficial decision) AP United States History, I can understand Henry David Thoreau's reasoning behind his very opinionated thoughts. The essay was written in the year 1849 (Thoreau). This was a turbulent time in American history. Issues that led to the start of the American Civil were starting during this time. The Mexican American War and issues over slavery were dividing the country sectionally into the North and South, not the United States (Divine). Henry David Thoreau did not believe in slavery and was an abolitionist (Graves). When the United States government was considering allowing the newly conquered Mexican territory to be slave territories and states, Thoreau was not pleased (Divine). His home state of Massachusetts still recognized slavery and nothing was being done to abolish or at least recognize the inhumanity of the practice of slavery (Thoreau Part 1). To protest the ignorance of the issue of slavery, Henry David Thoreau did not pay state taxes and was arrested and placed in jail for one night (Gates). Using that experience, Thoreau came to the conclusion if "one HONEST man, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America" (Thoreau Part 2). Unfortunately that proved untrue, and the nation went to a civil war to solve that issue.

Henry David Thoreau's essay is a prime example of Transcendentalism writing because the entire essay is about self reliance and "rejecting authority" (Werlock). Henry David Thoreau actively encourages American citizens to rise up and make a difference (Thoreau Part 1). Alas, very few people take his advice and because change and compromise can not be reached regarding the issue of slavery (only pushed back farther with the Missouri Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas and Nebraska Acts) and Thoreau has "imagined, but not yet anywhere seen" a change in Massachusetts or in the United States of America (Thoreau Part 3). The only actions that were taken was to argue with someone with an opposing view, but not compromise on anything that would make a difference, only prolong the issue so that someone else can take care of it for you (Divine). Another Transcendentalist trait of the "Civil Disobedience" essay is that man is self reliant and independent (Werlock). By following the words of Henry David Thoreau, if a man decides to stick up for his point of view, in this case an abolitionist sticking up for anti-slavery and new territories being free, not slave areas, then he will be all the better for it (Thoreau Part 3). After all, "the individual as the basis of the empire" (Thoreau Part 3).


Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Graves, Roy Neil. "'Civil Disobedience'." McClinton-Temple, Jennifer ed. Encyclopedia of Themes in Literature. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.

Thoreau, Henry David. "Thoreau's Civil Disobedience." The Thoreau Reader. Richard Lenat. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "transcendentalism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.

Journal 26 - Breaking Laws

Under certain circumstances I think it is acceptable to break laws. But only certain circumstances. Somebody breaking into or stealing a car constitutes a law being broken no matter what. But an orphaned child who has to take care of her younger siblings stealing toothpaste and bread from a grocery store would not be in the same category as a thief or robber stealing diamonds from a jewelry store or people holding up a convenience store to get money. The homeless, parentless child needs those things to survive, but the robbers are stealing for their own personal gain. But as this situation game could go on forever. For every instance when the law could be broken, a reason to support the action of breaking laws could be given for people to be innocent or have a good reason behind breaking the law. Because of that, there are judicial courts where people are judged if they had the legal rights to break the law, or if they should be fully punished for breaking the law. It is never okay to break a law as the law was created for a reason. If it was safe to go 80 on Veterans Parkway or 125, then the speed limit would be 80, not 55 mph. Laws were created to help people, not to harm them (for the most part... Black Codes and certain racial laws in the 1880s did not help out African Americans, but harmed them to the point of death). If laws were meant to be broken then they would not have been created in the first place. Because situational reasoning could justify breaking the laws, there is always someone who can get away with it and beat the system. That is why the government needs to enforce the laws to a point. We do not need a Big Brother sort of government, but people need to have a respect for the laws so that they are followed.

Hawthorne "The Minister's Black Veil"

"The Minister's Black Veil" is a Dark Romanticism style short story set in Puritan New England. The short story is a Dark Romantic stylized story because of the townspeople's assumption that Parson Hooper's black veil was symbolizing death or secret sin (Hawthorne 281-283). A lady made a very interesting and accurate remark about Parson Hooper's veil when she said "How strange that a simple black veil, such as any women may wear on her bonnet, should become such a terrible thing on Mr. Hooper's face!" (Hawthorne 283). Her observation is a good one because a black veil could have meant many different things, but everyone assumed that the reason Mr. Hooper wore the veil was bad. He did not help things when he refused to take it off and shrunk away at his own reflection (Hawthorne 287). The psychological effects of the veil on the people of the Puritan town is mainly a negative on. The people believed the veil was covering up a big secret of Parson Hooper's and that it was too horrible for him to reveal (Wright). When Mr. Hooper's betrothed, Elizabeth, shows up and asks him why he wears the ominous black veil and then asks him to at least remove it in her presence, he refuses (Hawthorne 285). Parson Hooper claims that the veil is a "type of symbol... I am bound to wear it ever, both in lightness and in darkness, in solitude and before the gaze of multitudes, and as with strangers, so with my familiar friends" therefore he can not even remove the black veil in the presence of his fiancee (Hawthorne 285). Elizabeth leaves Parson Hooper, but does not abandon him as she returns to Mr, Hooper when he is in his death bed (Hawthorne 288). Elizabeth was the only person brave enough to ask Parson Hooper about the black veil (Hawthorne 285). That says wonders about the effects of the black veil on the town. The townspeople were either so afraid to inquire about the sin that resulted in Mr. Hooper shrouding his face, or just accepted the veil as Mr. Hooper's way of expressing what he needs to express and not worried about other people's personal business. Because this story takes place in Puritan times, the townspeople's first assumption of course relates to God. They wonder what "horrible sin Pastor Hooper hides" underneath the black veil, but because nobody asks Pastor Hooper, the secret died with him (Werlock).The Puritans believed that their life was centered about the Bible and God and as their culture firmly believed in that, the fact the townspeople were so intent on making Mr. Hooper's black veil be penance for a grave sin is not surprising (Langley). The Dark Romanticism aspect of this short story is the constant dark presence. The whole story is centered about a black veil which may or may not symbolize death and the sins that everyone commits, or could very well symbolize a deformity in Parson Hooper's face. As this story was one of Hawthorne's most ambiguous short stories, the readers, just like the townspeople, will never know the true purpose of the minister's black veil (Werlock).

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Minister's Black Veil." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 280-289. Print.

Langley, John. "Puritans - Who Were They?" Lecture. Puritan Writing. Mr. Langley's Room, Pleasant Plains. 31 Aug. 2011. Google Docs. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "'The Minister's Black Veil'." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.

"What Is Dark Romanticism?" Obscure Wonders. 18 Aug. 2008. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.

Wright, Sarah Bird. "'The Minister's Black Veil'." Critical Companion to Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 22 Jan. 2012.

Journal 25 - Fear

Fear is something that everyone possesses. Without fear there will be nothing to overcome and the need to better oneself will be gone. Fear is terrifying and when someone overcomes their fear they feel accomplished and proud of themselves. There are no physical objectives/ inanimate objects that I am afraid of at this age. When I was younger I was afraid of snakes, but then I petted a snake at the zoo in Arizona when I was visiting my grandparents. Because I faced my fear of snakes I am not afraid of snakes. Although I declined to watch Snakes on a Plane just to be on the safe side. When I was about 6 years old I watched the Disney live action movie The Swiss Family Robinson. That movie made me afraid of my basement for months. In the movie there was a jungle scene when the dad got attacked by a panther or some sort of animal. While the dad was gathering wood or hunting or something then got attacked by the animal, the mom and sister got attacked by a huge snake! I think that is what made my afraid of snakes. I was afraid that in my basement there would be a giant snake or a leopard or a panther who would jump out at me and eat me. It was very terrifying. But then I realized that my basement was not a jungle and was able to go down there and not be consumed be a jungle animal. That was really the only thing that I was afraid of when I was little. Now I am afraid of mental and emotional things. I am subconsciously terrified of not doing well. But I try my hardest in everything so I guess I have not faced my fear as I have not failed in anything. At some point I will have to deal with that, but I am content on waiting until the time comes when I do really bad at something and have to face the fear of failing.

"The Pit and the Pendulum"

"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a very well written suspense story. Personally I am not a fan of the ending, as I expected something more dramatic to happen, but I like how it is unexpected. Edgar Allan Poe's short story can definitely be classified as Dark Romanticism. The poem has supernatural happenings, which is a characteristic of Dark Romanticism writing ("What is"). The narrator is imprisoned in Toledo by the Spanish Inquisition and sees angels and judges that morph from candles and sounds (Poe 263-264). The supernatural visions that the narrator (he needs a name, the reader becomes very invested in the emotions and thoughts of this man, but lack the personal connection of a name) envisions follow the Dark Romanticism model. In this short story the narrator vividly imagines how he will die in the prison. He goes through many different types of death including buried alive, falling into a deep pit, being burned alive in an autos-da-fé ceremony, or later being chopped up (Poe 263-266). The unnamed narrator builds up the suspense of the story by vividly describing the scenarios. The great detail of the scenarios is another characteristic of Dark Romanticism. The constant loom of death also is a classic Dark Romanticism trait ("What is"). The narrator is consumed with different ways the Inquisition can kill him, and by the end of the story, ways that he can thwart their plans. The weirdly, very uncharacteristic, Poe short story ending is happy, unexpected, but happy. The unnamed narrator is saved by General Lasalle, the "enemy of the Inquisition", who pulls him away from the deep pit as the narrator was about to fall in (Poe 273). Hats off to General Lasalle for having amazing timing entering this particular dungeon with a man about to fall to his death, saving him in the nick of time. That takes some skill. But as this is a work of fiction, I know there is a high probability that General Lasalle did not grab a falling man over a pit of death. The happy ending is a Romanticism writing quality that is rarely used by the master of horror stories, Edgar Allan Poe ("What is").

Psychologically, the unnamed narrator is in a hallucination state where he does not know what is real and what is not (Poe 263-267). That psychological state is an unstable one, which explains why the narrator keeps having mirage like visions and is sometimes unable to distinguish what actually happening (Sova). "Days passed - it might have been that many days passed" when the pendulum was swinging above the unnamed prisoner narrator (Poe 269). He also had a "full memory of the trial, of the judges, of the sable draperies, of the sentence, of the sickness, of the swoon" after he 'saw' judges and angels in the shadow of imaginary candles (Poe 265). Then the next thought that the narrator has is "then entire forgetfulness of all that followed; ... have enabled me vaguely to recall" (Poe 265). The unnamed narrator can't differentiate between reality and the nightmare that he could possibly be having. The fear of being in the Toledo prison could have triggered some sort of subconscious response that the narrator used by creating false realities and to not be able to tell what is real (Sova). Poe did a good job portraying the narrator in a suspenseful way that has the reader guessing if what the narrator claims as true is truly what happened.


Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Pit and the Pendulum." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 263-273. Print.

Sova, Dawn B. "'The Pit and the Pendulum'." Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

"What Is Dark Romanticism?" Obscure Wonders. 18 Aug. 2008. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Journal 24 - Spooky

I was trying to think of the last time that I was spooked and realized that I can not remember a time when I was spooked except for many years ago when I was home alone. I had just watched a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode when Data takes off his "skin" on his arm and expose the circuitry to fix something or other. For whatever reason that freaked me out. I turned off the TV and made myself a snack to get my mind off the creepy image. I think I was having a flashback to Star Trek Nemesis where a similar thing happened to Data, but the skin was organic and burned off. I saw that movie in theaters and it creeped me out. As I was eating my snack I kept hearing noises. The typical branch against a window, a possible intruder on the porch looking in the window, etc., etc. I was spooked and as I was home alone, of course I became even more scared. I decided that the safe thing to do was to just go to bed. I left the lights on downstairs though not only because my parents were coming home later, but because then it looked like I was still up to burglars or people who would want to break into my house. I tried to fall asleep, but I kept hearing noises! I did not have a cell phone at that time (back in the day before everyone had texting and individual cellular devices) to contact my parents and did not want to call them on the home phone as I wanted to show that I was responsible enough to handle being by myself at night at home. Finally I fell asleep, a restless sleep, but I was able to ignore the noise. Until my parents came home and when the garage door opened I jolted up in my bed, fully awake. Of course I did not want to admit that I was scared and stayed in my room pretending to be asleep, until my mother came in to check on me and I pretended that she woke me up and I pretended that I was fine. In reality I was fine now that other people were in the house.