Category: Book Report

The theme of motherhood is central to the plot of Emecheta’s novel ‘The Joys of Motherhood’. That is because motherhood is regarded highly in Igbo culture. According to the culture, the best thing that a woman does is have children. Thus, motherhood is considered a central tool of the patriarchal machine to control women. According to Emecheta, “Women have been victimized by society, their husbands, their father, colonists, and even their children. Though each kind of victimization differs from the others in its intensity and its subject” (Emecheta, 1988: 556). By moving to the big metropolis, the protagonist fulfills her dream and becomes a mother, however, the difficult economic situation in Lagos doesn’t allow Nnu Ego to feel the pleasures of motherhood. She is forced to adapt to a system that is alien to her, where her role as a mother is not rewarded. She is denied the maternal pride and recognition that once would have made it acceptable for her to endure the kind of poverty associated with childbearing. She is, in this way, injured by the new political economy of Lagos, injured by a social setting where the tribal glorification of motherhood is still espoused in the face of cultural and economic forces that no longer reward women for their role as mothers (Derrickson, 2012: 35).

Motherhood is one of the types of women’s victimization in Emecheta’s novel. Motherhoods is socially connected with the women’s role and place in the traditional Igbo community. Nnu Ego is forced to adhere to the patriarchal norm of how a wife should act. If she deviates from her role, she is automatically labeled as a bad wife or mother. ‘Motherhood’, therefore, can be regarded as a patriarchal institution in which women are the subjects of oppression and domination. As Emecheta notes in her book men use women’s feeling of responsibility against her and entrap her in the role of the mother, which highlights the subjugation of women by the patriarchal machine. “She was in a prison, imprisoned by her love for her children […] it was not fair she felt, the way men cleverly used a woman’s sense of responsibility to enslave her” (Emecheta, 1979: 137). In other words, Nnu Ego has been enslaved both by her patriarchal culture and her children.

Nnu Ego represents the African woman who is trapped between modernity and tradition. She was raised in a strict patriarchal environment, where she was taught to follow the male rule. Emecheta depicts a society in which women are subjugated to male authority because they are women, inferior to others, they are not as rational and intelligent as men are. This is apparent from Nnu Egos’ treatment throughout the novel; her life is dictated by males and she did not have the freedom of decision. Nnu Ego follows the male constructed rule that a woman “must get married to become a mother of sons and to do this successfully, she has to accept the authority of her father and husband. A daughter is not allowed to make my decision regarding marriage and children” (Emecheta, 1988: 557). In other words, women were never free: girls were dominated by their fathers, and women were dominated by their husbands. This is apparent from the tradition of the bride price: “girls have no choice in whom they marry and that sexual relationships are unromantic because fathers sell their daughters to the higher bidder” (Helaly, 2015: 120). These types of practices though are normalized and seen as cultural practices, they are inherently faulty and sexist. The cultural power is given exclusively to men they chose their wives and whether or not they have children.

This type of toxic masculinity is apparent from Nnaife’s attitude towards his wife: “Nnaife is absent most of the time but whenever he returns, he makes her wives pregnant. …Even when he returns from the war, after a long time absent, he makes Nnu Ego and Adaku pregnant” (Barfi, Alaei, 2014: 18). In Igbo society, the value of a woman was measured according to her ability to bear sons. In the case of the protagonist, despite the love that her first husband had for her, he still divorced her because she could not fall pregnant. In a sense a woman is reduced to just her reproductive organs, her self-esteem and self-worth are dependent on her ability to be a mother. Even the law in this sense is against women: “In Ibuza, a childless marriage is not recognized. When a woman is virtuous, it is easy for her to conceive” (Emecheta, 1979: 82). This demonstrates how society victimizes women who are unable to fall pregnant.

Automatically the inability of a couple to conceive is seen only as of a woman’s problem, because men are always able bodies. This type of sexist mentality is embedded in the cultural fabric of Igbo society. When Nnu Ego complains to her husband, he replies: “What do you want me to do? I am a busy man. I have no time to waste my precious male seed on an infertile woman. I have to raise children for my life”. Here we can see that women are not equal to men, but are also reduced to their reproductive organs (Emecheta, 1979: 81). “Women don’t have any individuality, anything of their own for they are women: men’s property and their appendage”, meaning that if a woman can’t fall pregnant is considered less than a human (Barfi, Alaei, 2014: 18).

In Igbo culture, children are a symbol of longevity and testimony of maternity. A wife is expected to have children, but she also expects her children to care for her in her old age. However, unlike Nnu Ego, who was raised with the traditional culture, her children grew up in the colonial Lagos with a different set of values. Despite her sacrifices, her children do not want to follow the culture of taking care of their parents. Nnu Ego’s central goal in life was to raise successful sons and went through a lot of hardship to send her children to school. However, she expected her children to care for her in the old age, but this didn’t happen. Nnu Ego died on the street, her sons through a lavish funeral for her, which further signified the tragic irony.

Nnu Ego was never free; she was owned by her father, she was given to her husband, and even after death she belongs to her children. Emecheta’s title ‘The Joys of Motherhood’ is a sarcastic one. Nnu Ego did not get any joy from being a mother. She was raised to believe that if she provided for her children, they would see her sacrifice and care for her in old age; it is her obsession with being a mother that turned her into a victim.

Oftentimes there are many people who feel they are unable to escape their feelings. In ‘All the Light We Cannot See’, there are three main characters who have gone through a series of traumatic events emotionally, physically, and knowledgeably that have made them feel as if they were trapped. A vital theme in ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ is that many people of Saint-Malo feel a type of entrapment due to war and loss.

Werner Pfennig was an intelligent young German boy who grew up in an orphanage in Zollverein, Germany. As he grew older, he changed his life by going to an elite Nazi training school because he feared having to work in the mines in his orphanage like his parents. While he was at the elite school, he would have to calcify his feelings to protect himself because any time there were other students acted rebellious or disobey any type of rule, there would be severe punishment or death. Therefore, Werner would feel trapped because he was unable to help his friends keep out of trouble or else, he would have to suffer the consequences. “Rodel steps forward and swings his hose and smacks Frederick with it across the shoulder …Werner forces his mind to keep sending up images from home” (p.194).

Marie Laure LeBlanc was a blind, tall, freckled girl who lived in Paris with her father, Daniel LeBlanc. She was brave and wise as she went through her childhood. Although, she was trapped in many different ways, such as her blindness which made her unable to fit in with other children, and being stuck in Etienne’s house because of her father’s fear to go out. “‘When can I go to the sea?’ ‘Not today, Marie’…‘It’s too dangerous’. She wants to shriek. What danger awaits?” (p.145). Her father indicates it is too dangerous outside, so Marie respects his wishes, but feels stuck since she is unable to go out and feel free.

Etienne LeBlanc was a sixty-three-year-old man and was Marie Laure’s great uncle. He lived in Saint-Malo with his brother, Henri. His brother died in World War I as Etienne watched, but he never fully recuperated from his death. There were other horrendous occurrences he underwent that permanently devastated him. This caused him to become anxious to walk outside and stay inside for more than twenty years. “Her uncle seems almost like a child, monastic in the modesty of his needs and wholly independent of any sort of temporal obligations. And yet she can tell he is visited by fears so immense… she can feel the terror pulsing inside of him” (p.157). This shows how much fear and detachment he has from the world to the point he does not realize he is trapped.

‘All the Light We Cannot See’ is a novel that has many themes that portray strongly throughout the whole book, but the main theme is entrapment. Werner, Marie, and Etienne have all been through some type of trapped and lost situation, but in the end, they were able to better themselves. Although they were physically and emotionally traumatized, it helped positively shape their character in the end.

1. Provide context regarding the author of the novel. Outline any influences upon the author that may have impacted their novel.

The Author of the book The Giver is Lois Lowry, this book was written in the year 1933 and won many awards. Lois Lowry’s main influence to write this book was her 90-year-old father. Lois Lowry mentioned interaction with her 90-year-old father at a nursing home. She remembers that there were pictures of their family on the walls of the father’s room. She also mentioned that this time her father pointed to the wall with the photo of her older sister who died of cancer at a young age. What Lois Lowry found shocking is the fact that her father pointed to her photo but was unable to remember what happen to her first-born child. Lowry thought about how much better the world be without memories. This was the biggest inspiration of The Giver as the story rotates around memories as it is about a tiny community with no memories about the past excluding one person who is the receiver of the memories. The main part of this story is that the elders always take memories to eliminate all pain from their lives, to do this the whole community gave up their memories of the society’s experience together. The biggest influence on the author of The Giver is her 90-year-old father who forgot the pain that her first daughter died young.

2. Analyse the choices made by your individual author to portray the setting (time, place, mood, and atmosphere). Consider how the reader is impacted by these choices.

The setting was carefully crafted by Lois Lowry in the novel The Giver. The story of The Giver takes place at an unknown time in the future within a community where life is safe, boring and predictable. The main protagonist of the story, Jonas lives in a tiny society along the river, the place where most of the important events take place is at the Annex where Jonas spends time with The Giver. In The Giver, climate is controlled by the scientists and made music and colours out of date which means that nobody can see colour. This makes the reader think that this is a perfect Utopian society because everything is controlled and there is no hunger, poverty and crime, this perspective will change throughout the book. The mood of the novel drastically changes from the beginning of the novel compared to later in the book. In the beginning of the story the readers feel a comfortable and pleasant mood as Jonas at the start of the story is playing and doing fun activities. This clearly contrasts to the mood later in the novel as when Jonas turns 12 and starts receiving the memories from The Giver, the mood turns darker, angrier and sadder as Jonas starts to find out more about his society and what is really taking place without the citizens knowing. This makes the reader re-evaluate their view of the community as a Utopian society. As the readers find out more about the society, the more it looks like a dystopian society. The author of The Giver, Lois Lowry cleverly created the setting to change the mood and atmosphere of the Novel.

3. How has the author conformed to or deviated from dystopian literature conventions and norms? Remember to provide examples.

The author of the novel, The Giver conforms the dystopian literature conventions. Many dystopian literature conventions are used in this novel such as no independent thought, sameness, lack of free will and oppressive government. This community at the beginning of the book is made to look like a Utopian society which later shows a dystopian community. One of the biggest mistakes that the community made was that the people gave up the human characteristics in exchange for security. The rule of sameness or Uniformity is followed in the novel because everyone’s houses are the same from the inside and the outside and everyone are the same as nobody has individual thought which takes away most of the citizen’s choices. The community had taken their sense of colour and emotions such as happiness. There is not independent thought within the society, as the government does not want oppression from the citizens. This is controlled by medication that suppresses dreams. The people of the community have done all of this for exchange for a climate-controlled and secure existence. This novel closely follows the norms of a dystopian society as there is a higher being or the government controls everything in the society. The elders/government in the novel control the people, their memories and their thoughts. The elders in the society always watch the citizens as the elders can listen and speak anywhere. The author of this novel confirmed the norms of dystopian literature closely.

4. Identify and explain how the author has conveyed the perspective of an individual character within your novel.

The author uses third person limited perspective in the novel to show the perspective of the main character, Jonas. In The Giver the narrator uses “he” to speak of Jonas and hiss thoughts which shows that Jonas is not the narrator. The narrator also says, “but now Jonas had experienced real sadness.” (pg 135) it can be seen with the help of this dialogue that this novel is written in third person limited point view. This is where the narrator only knows the feelings, thoughts and opinions of only on character, which is Jonas, the main protagonist. This quote shows that the narrator knows their emotions and thoughts of Jonas. “The apple had changed. Just for an instant. It had changed in mid-air, he remembered. Then it was in his hand, and he looked at it carefully, but it was the same apple. Unchanged. The same size and shape: a perfect sphere. The same nondescript shade, about the same shade as his own tunic.” (pg 29) this was Jonas’s thought when he was playing catch with an apple. The narrator can see only Jonas’s thoughts as it is limited, this quote shows that Jonas is a careful observer and can see mistakes and changes easily. The Point of view helped convey their perspective of Jonas which was that the community they were living in takes away individuality and the rule of “sameness” is followed. Ever since Jonas started receiving memories, he began noticing differences in the real world and their community. The author uses perspective effectively in the novel to convey the perspective/viewpoint of the main protagonist, Jonas.

5. Explain and analyze how figurative language or imagery has been implemented by the author within your novel.

The author of the novel The Giver carefully implements figurative language and imagery in the book. The first instance of figurative language is used in when the main character, Jonas met The Giver. Jonas says, “then the men were gone, speeding towards the horizon in a vehicle that spit pebbles from its whirling tires” (pg 104). Jonas is personifying the car as it cannot spit as a person does. Lois Lowry had use personification as Jonas received his first violent memory from The Giver where an elephant was killed. Personification is a literary device that has been used to give objects human-like characteristics. Jonas was unsettled and scared as this was his first exposure to violence. This shows that Jonas was so startled that the car seemed violent as it sped down the street, Jonas says “spits” because people only spit when something is disgusting and not pleasant. This relates to Jonas as he thinks what the poachers have done was not pleasant and was disgusting. One of many times Imagery has been used is when Jonas feels pain for the first time when he gets sunburnt. This is described in the book as “His skin began to sting. Restlessly, he moved one arm, bending it, and felt a sharp pain in the crease of his inner arm at the elbow.” (pg 90). Sensory imagery has been used to put the readers in the shoes of Jonas and shows how he feels. This has been used in the novel to create a mood and an atmosphere for the reader. This envelope the readers in certain feelings and thoughts. Lois Lowry employed figurative language and imagery to create visual representations of objects, ideas and actions

6. What is the message of your individual novel and how is this relevant to the reader? Consider ways in which this message is relevant within modern and present contexts.

The Giver is a novel with many messages that are relevant to the reader and are also relevant to real life. The message in The Giver is to follow your dreams and faith and also that having no choice is very destructive. This can be seen throughout the novel because the main character, Jonas is innocent and very clueless at the beginning of the story. This quickly changes as he starts receiving and experiencing different kinds of memories including pleasant and unsettling ones. Jonas felt that people in his community having no choice was unfair as they could never experience colour, love and joy. This resulted in Jonas risking his life for the community he lives in as he wants everyone to know the truth. This shows that Jonas never gave up and followed his faith and dreams even though he risked his life for it. This message is relevant to the reader as it is applicable to a wide range of audience as most people would like to reach their dreams/goals in life. Another message of The Giver is that having no choice is more destructive to the community than having choice. In Jonas’ community, all the choices are made for the people including where they stay and what where which results in the people losing all kinds of humanity they have and act like robots. Some governments and different political systems in real life forces people to perform activities and tasks without taking the perspective of the citizen in count. This can make people lose human-like characteristics and follow everything that the government says which makes them robots. The messages of The Giver are that people show follow their dreams and that the absence of choice is destructive.

Chapter 33

Characters

• Lady Bertram

She is dependent on Fanny, as she helps her do various things.

Summary

Henry tells her that he will never lose hope, and will continue to attempt to get in a relationship with her. As Fanny is gentle and respects people, when she tells him he will never win her love, it makes Henry think he has hope, because she was polite. When Sir Thomas asks him what happened, he says he thinks he still has a chance, and Sir Thomas agrees. After this, Sir Thomas talks with Fanny and presses her one last time about Henry. As Fanny begins to list all the reasons she rejected him, he cuts her, telling her Henry will be leaving Mansfield soon. He then tells Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris, but both of them don’t disagree with Fanny’s choice.

How it made me feel

At this point, I am very irritated. Henry keeps telling her he will always love her, but he doesn’t do anything. But, Lady Bertram, Sir Thomas, and shockingly, Mrs. Norris agreeing to her decision was relieving.

Chapter 34

Summary

Edmund, on his way back to Mansfield, passes by Mary and Henry. When he comes at Mansfield, Sir Thomas tells him that William has got a promotion and the situation between Henry and Fanny. The next day, Henry comes back to have dinner. The next day, when Edmund and Henry walk into the drawing room, they see Fanny reading Shakespeare to Lady Bertram. Henry, again, trying to impress her, reads Shakespeare. Surprisingly, this time, Fanny was impressed. Henry and Edmund then discuss about religion. During their chat, Fanny shakes her head, which leads to spark hope in Henry. He uses this chance and tries to get close to her.

How it made me feel

Henry using every opportunity possible is annoying me. Reading books out of nowhere just because Fanny was reading, using William Price to get closer to Fanny, and so on. He thinks Fanny doesn’t hate him, just because she shook her head.

Chapter 35

Characters

• No new characters

Summary

In this chapter, Edmund starts to tell Fanny she should try to give Henry a chance. His reasons of why she should give Henry a chance was reasonable. But, Fanny doesn’t change her mind. After a while, Edmund realizes that he is making Fanny uncomfortable. He acts quickly and changes the subject.

How it made me feel

Edmund quickly acting to avoid making Fanny too upset was quite impressive. But, Edmund siding with Henry disappointed me.

Chapter 36

Characters

• No new characters

Summary

Sir Thomas and Edmund discuss about Henry and Fanny, while Fanny is worried about Mary’s anger. However, when Mary comes to Mansfield park she tells Fanny that she couldn’t express her anger towards her, because she would be leaving Mansfield park a long time, also because she didn’t want to. Mary also tries to convince her to give a chance to Henry. Their conversation goes smooth than what Fanny expected. The next day, the Crawfords leave.

How it made me feel

Mary’s way of expressing her anger was very impressive. She thought about a lot of things and chose not to confront Fanny.

Chapter 37

Characters

• No new characters

Summary

When Henry leaves, Sir Thomas hopes to find sadness in Fanny, but he doesn’t find any. William comes to Mansfield park. Sir Thomas not giving up on Henry and Fanny’s relationship, decides to let William and Fanny to visit their family. This was to convince Fanny, that she would live a better life than their family if she marries Henry. Out of nowhere, Mrs. Norris tries to go along with them, but she lets go of her thoughts. Edmund tells Fanny that he would be proposing to Mary, and he will write to Fanny when he does.

How it made me feel

I could just picture William and Fanny’s expression when Mrs. Norris wanted to see her sister, even though she is very irritating. It would be hilarious. Sir Thomas’ plan to change Fanny’s mind was very unpleasant. Though, it was expected, since Sir Thomas would try his best to let Fanny live the best life she could think of.

Mapping the Plot

Overview

Mapping a plot reminds students that all narratives follow a predictable pattern and that identifying a climax, or turning point, requires that they first identify a major conflict. Students will use this worksheet to map the plot of The Scarlet Letter. There may be several possible climaxes, and students must defend their choice with textual evidence. Pass out this worksheet before students begin reading the text.

Punishment, Guilt, and Shame

Overview

Exploring a text’s themes provides a deeper and more complete understanding of the text’s message. Students will use this worksheet to explore some of the big, abstract ideas in The Scarlet Letter. Pass out the worksheet before students begin the novel and encourage them to add details as they read. Remind students that big ideas often intersect and overlap in complex pieces of literature. Ask: Is it appropriate that sin is in the center of this diagram? Why or why not?

The Big Four

Overview

Authors reveal their characters by carefully crafting their appearances, dialogue, and actions as well as what other characters think and say about them. Students will use this worksheet to examine the main characters in The Scarlet Letter. Hand out the worksheet as students begin the text but suggest that they fill in columns 3 through 5 after they read the novel. Let the answers in the last column inspire a class discussion about the appropriateness, severity, and consequences of the various kinds of punishments.

What They Say

Overview

Dialogue is one of the most important tools in an author’s toolbox, and Hawthorne uses the words spoken by his characters very effectively. Students will use this worksheet to examine and analyze some of the dialogue in The Scarlet Letter. Pass out this worksheet after the class has finished reading the text. Give students time to share their answers, especially to the questions about the quotations’ importance to plot and/or theme.

The Market-Place and the Forest

Overview

The setting of The Scarlet Letter changes from chapter to chapter, from indoors to outdoors, and from daytime to night. Students will use this worksheet to explore two of the most dramatic settings in the novel. Hand out the worksheet after the class has finished reading the text. Give students the opportunity to discuss the possible opposing symbolic meanings of the two settings, such as exposure/secrecy, public/private, governed/wild, controlled/chaotic, or hypocrisy/honesty.

Punishment and Guilt in Colonial Boston

Overview

Although our justice system may differ significantly from the one in The Scarlet Letter, the words on this worksheet remain relevant to any justice-themed discussion today. Students will use this worksheet to distinguish among some abstract words and relate them to their own experiences. Hand out the worksheet before students read The Scarlet Letter so they can look up unknown words as they read.

Who Were the Puritans?

Overview

Puritan life in Massachusetts Bay was harsh, severe, and somber by today’s standards. This handout gives students important background information about Puritanism and its relevance to Hawthorne’s fictional tale. Use this contextual support to spark discussion, and invite students to research and share even more details about this fascinating—and often puzzling—chapter of U.S. history.

Vocabulary Builder Worksheet

Punishment and Guilt in Colonial Boston

In the world of The Scarlet Letter, religion and government are one and the same, and Hawthorne uses many words to describe and reflect the culture’s system of justice. First, use a dictionary to learn the meaning of the words as they are used in context on the pages shown in parentheses. Summarize what you learn in five to eight words. Then answer the questions to categorize the words into parts of speech. Finally, use some of the words as you answer the Big Question below. Participate in a class discussion that explores everyone’s responses.

• Which four words are used as adjectives?
• Which two words are used as verbs?
• What part of speech are all the other words?
• Big Question: What are the dangers of religion and government is one and the same?
• Who Were the Puritans?

During the sixteenth century, a group of people set out to “purify” the Church of England. Even though King Henry VIII had broken with papal authority and established a national church in the 1530s, Puritans rebelled against a church they thought remained too closely tied to the rituals and hierarchy of the Catholics. They separated themselves from their local parishes and organized into communities of “visible saints” led by charismatic leaders who were well educated and delivered lively, eloquent sermons. Their focus was on good behavior and social responsibility rather than on ornate churches, despotic priests, and the wealthy pope in Rome.

One such group, fearing for their safety, moved to Holland in 1608 and then to New England in the decades following. Unlike other migrants to the New World, many Puritans brought their entire families. Most Puritans were literate and valued a simple life of devotion and service to others. Each congregation, and each individual, was directly responsible to God. Puritan rules were strict and their punishments were often harsh, and they believed in a devil who was behind every evil deed. They may have been just as intolerant as the social order from which they fled in Europe, but they considered themselves progressive and righteous. By 1640, the time of Hawthorne’s tale, their communities in North America had grown to more than 15,000 members. By 1700, there were more than 100,000 Puritans in what is now New England.

For What Are the Puritans Famous?

The Puritans were among the first society to offer free public education to all children, where lessons in morality and religion took precedence. The Bible and the Greek and Latin classics were central, and poetry was always and only religious in content. The object of earthly life was salvation, and there was only one way to achieve it: through the grace of God. Puritans believed in covenants, both social and divine. The individuals were bound by a social covenant created by and agreed upon by the community. In a divine covenant, however, Puritans were chosen by God to redeem the world through their total obedience to his will.

Half a century after the time of The Scarlet Letter, Puritans became famous for the witch trials. In Salem, Massachusetts, and surrounding communities, more than 200 people—mostly women—were accused of being witches. Nineteen were found guilty and executed. Today, we look back at this period as a prime example of deadly mass hysteria as well as a warning of the dangers of both isolationism and religious extremism. The Scarlet Letter makes several references to witches and witchcraft, specifically to the Black Man who lives in the forest and is worshipped in secret at night.

Anne Hutchinson: Saint or Sinner?

Anne Hutchinson moved with her family from England to Massachusetts in 1634. They followed their Puritan minister, John Cotton, who soon joined John Wilson as the teachers of the Boston church. The following year, the charismatic and educated Hutchinson began to offer meetings in her home to discuss sermons with women in her community. Soon, she began to disagree with Wilson. Wilson believed that people were saved by God’s choosing; Hutchinson believed that good works could save a person’s soul. Over the next few years, tensions built between the two factions into a battleground of words, emotions, and, ultimately, legal battles. In 1638, Hutchinson was found guilty of 82 errors and banished from the colony. Private meetings were discouraged, and criticizing the clergy was forbidden. Hutchinson moved to what would later become Rhode Island and then outside New York City. Tragically, she and six of her children were massacred in 1643 by members of the Siwanoy tribe.

Some scholars suggest that Hutchinson was Hawthorne’s inspiration for Hester Prynne. The author describes Hutchinson in Chapters I and XIII as “sainted” and “a prophetess.” History has cast her as a pioneer woman in ministry who challenged authority and represented religious freedom. Today, a statue of Hutchinson stands in front of the State House in Boston.

[Note: Here, Hutchinson’s first name is spelled with an e because that’s the spelling that appears in historical accounts; the editors of the text spell it without the e in this edition.]

Hawthorne’s Connection to Puritanism

Two of Hawthorne’s paternal ancestors were famous Puritans, but their surnames were spelled without a w. William Hathorne was one of the original Puritan leaders who immigrated to Massachusetts in 1630. He became famous for his harsh criminal codes such as making adultery a crime punishable by death. William’s son, John Hathorne, was one of the sternest Salem witch judges and claimed to have been cursed by one of the accused. A century later, perhaps Nathaniel changed the spelling of his name to disassociate himself from these relatives, even though he used Salem and the Puritan setting in several of his literary works, notably The Scarlet Letter, The House of Seven Gables, and “Young Goodman Brown.” His examination of the themes of guilt and innocence, crime and punishment, and hypocrisy and transparency makes these narratives timeless, universal, and relevant to any society that punishes some forms of human sexuality as a crime and marginalizes perpetrators as a punishment.

Main questions.

1. What does the maze represent?

The maze represents the struggle most of us go through. We all have dream and expectations that we work hard for. We also expect that once we reach our goal we wouldn’t have to do anymore work and our lives would be set forever. However, life holds many surprises and you have to be ready for anything. If you are hit with hardship put on you running shoes and suit and start a new beginning. Don’t waste your time crying over what hit you because that won’t change it. Lastly, understand that nothing last forever so always be prepared to move on.

2. Identify both the cheese and the maze in your own business experiences. Then consider what might happen if someone moved your cheese. Imagine the ways you might have to cope with the changes.

When I graduated from high school I needed money and I realized that I can’t depend on my parents forever. As an adult now I knew that I had to start working and depending on myself. For three weeks I looked for a job and it was the hardest thing I went through. I wasn’t ready for the real world. Finally, one morning I got a phone call from a valet company and I was hired in. Getting my first pay check after two week I thought that I was set for life. For three months I was living my best life, eating out every day, hanging out with my friends, but it didn’t last and I got fired. For a whole week I stayed home thinking where I went wrong and how I lost my cheese. I finally realized that nothing is forever and change is good. I decided to attend school and continue my education and now I’m a senior.

3. What changes have you already experienced in your life? How did you react to the changes? Were you threatened, angry, frightened, disoriented, or excited by the challenge? After reading Who Moved My Cheese? do you feel you dealt as well as you could have with those changes?

Losing my first job was my first experience. I didn’t handle it in the best way. I was angry and very disoriented. It took me a while till I was back on my feet and started a new beginning. The second experience was when I first failed my first college class. It was during my second semester and I really thought that maybe school wasn’t for me. However, I quickly came to realize that I wasn’t going to let that blunder my focus. I registered for the same class the following semester and was determined to pass it at any cost. I’m glad that I learned from my mistake and dealt with it the way I did. During my first experience, I was like Ham and Haw. However, during my second experience, I learned and reacted like Scurry and Sniff.

4. What will you do to prepare yourself for change?

To prepare yourself for a change you have to realize that nothing last forever. You have to be ready and keep your eyes open for new opportunities and change. Thinking too much about what you lost or “your cheese,” can hurt you more than it can benefit you. Always be ready to move on and find new cheese. As soon as you start moving and looking for new opportunities you will feel better.

“Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” exposes the realities of the American fast food industry by shedding light into the dire realities of this sector. American cuisine has gradually transformed into roadside eateries with the emergence of hotdog stands, burger cafes and a plethora of eateries offering a wide range of fast food. The other side of the reality points out to the ill effects of the fast food industry on America’s environment caused by the exploitation of ranch lands and precious farms. Besides environmental concerns, the workforce employed in the fast food industry is majorly teenage students who work late nights in restaurants by abandoning their homework or immigrants who are exploited and compelled to work for lower wages. While these are a few adverse effects of the American fast food industry as stated by Eric Schlosser, his criticism is not revolutionary, but rather an eye-opener to advocating reform.

The author of this book, Eric Schlosser, is a renowned journalist and author and sheds light on subjects revolving around marginal people of society, which are often neglected by the media. Some of his investigations include interactions with Californian migrant farmers and workers in the slaughterhouses of Colorado and Texas, accompanying the “New York Police Department Bomb Squad”, and visiting prisoners and victims across the country to understand the realities of violent crimes among others. Schlosser’s work is regularly seen in publications, such as Financial Times, Fortune and Nation among others. “Fast Food Nation” is Schlosser’s first publication and some of the recent publications include Reefer Madness, Chew on This, Command and Control and the Great Imprisonment among others.

In this book, Schlosser gives an account of the biographies of the founding father who laid the foundation for the American fast food industry. While Schlosser positively claims that the sector has given rise to a multitude of inexpensive food options that are not only convenient for customers but also taste great, he urges the need for implementing moral responsibilities across the industry to ensure sustainability. The majority of the founding fathers were self-made businessmen who made significant attempts to fulfill the American Dream and eventually, they paved the way for “an entirely new lifestyle and a new way of eating”. Schlosser presents important statistics about the amount of fast food consumption in America, which rapidly grew from $6 billion in 1970 to $110 billion in 2000 within a time span of mere thirty years. The primary reason for such rapid growth is rapid technological and cultural change, such as the increasing use of automobiles and changing pace of American life. The author further quotes the example of Mcdonald’s stating that the company employs over one million workers in the United States alone. He also quotes the examples of Pizza Hut and Carl’s Jr as important contributors of the fast food industry.

Through the use of statistics, vignettes, and journalistic prose, Schlosser exposes the hidden realities of the fast food industry, such as the use of chemicals to enhance the flavors of burgers, milkshakes, and sandwiches to name a few. Another harmful practice is the use of beef tallow for frying potatoes to increase their crispiness and attractiveness. The author also reveals how the employment practices in the fast food sector lead to deskilling work practices, union-busting, lack of corporate training, and violation of laws to name a few. Schlosser researched that 84 percent of the slaughter across the US arrives from four meet giants of the country, which include National Beef, IBP, ConAgra and Excel. The book further depicts the atrocities of the meatpacking industry, including its health and social impact on the workers. In order to confront their gruesome work, the majority of workers in the slaughterhouses use methamphetamine to stay charged. Most importantly, the level of injuries caused by large knives demands immediate medical assistance beyond first aid, which is seldom available at slaughterhouses and thereby leading to higher death rates.

Schlosser further investigated how the centralization of meat production gives rise to millions of pathogens causing serious infections and diseases. For instance, E.coli bacteria, which is widely spread through food contamination is the primary cause of kidney diseases in children. Similarly, Clostridium perfringens is found in about 53.3 percent of beef samples, while Staphylococcus aureus is found in 30 percent of the samples followed by Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in 11.7 percent and 7 percent of the samples respectively. Today, America is suffering from one of the biggest epidemics, obesity, which is the highest among the world’s developed nations. The spread of fast food culture across the globe is further impacting the obesity rates of other countries, such as China, Japan, and Germany, which had adopted a similar culture.

Besides health impacts, Schlosser also gives an account of how the American fast food industry changed the landscape of the country through taller restaurant signs along the highways to grab the attention of drivers. McDonald’s has progressed to the extent that it uses commercial satellite images to bid for cheap lands along the highways. Besides merely detailing the ill deeds of the fast food industry, the author also proposes effective solutions and necessary changes to be implemented in the upstream and downstream supply chain. This could be possible only through the fair treatment of workers at slaughterhouses, raising disease-free cattle in an environment-friendly way, and increasing awareness among customers about the health consequences of consuming fast food.

According to Schlosser, the farmers supplying crops to the restaurants must receive fair compensation to live a decent standard of life without the constant fear of heavy debts and infringement of industrial agribusiness. Similarly, workers in fast food restaurants must receive fair wages, while younger workers should prioritize education as their primary goal. Hygiene, sanitation and medical attention should be prioritized to ensure the safety of workers in slaughterhouses. Besides implementing ban on advertisements targeting children, the fast food industry should value land and livestock as important assets rather than commodities. Although these proposals are worth implementing, a major drawback of this book is that the author does not specify possible approaches through which they could be implemented in the best possible way.

The primary target audience of “Fast Food Nation” is American consumers who are falling prey to the unhealthy food served by fast food restaurants. Schlosser urges consumers to refrain from buying fast food as it is the easiest and most meaningful way to trigger a change in the fast food culture. Furthermore, the author also targets impoverished Americans who have no option but to work for lower wages and in the unhygienic and unsafe work environment in the slaughterhouses that serve meat to the fast food industry. Most importantly, the book is a message to every individual who cares about the environment, social justice and the fundamental characteristics of a good meal.

To conclude, “Fast Food Nation” is an important contribution that analyzes the American fast food industry from a microscopic perspective through the use of statistical data, vignettes, observations and factual evidence. Schlosser conveys an important message to the audience as to how the fast food industry is destroying individuals, families, workers and communities in several ways. Schlosser concludes the book by stating that it is the responsibility of consumers and fast food restaurants to initiate change in the industry and ensure the social, moral and communal wellbeing of all stakeholders involved in the business.

The book The Outsiders is a 218 pages book written by S.E. Hinton when she was 15 to 17-year-old. It was published by Viking Press and Dell Publishing in 1967 when she was 18. The story takes place in 1965 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When S. E. Hinton grew up, she was bored by the typical “girl meets boy” stories, she wanted stories that were more realistic. A story about what it really is being a teenager. And that is how she found inspiration to write a story of two gangs and their rivalry, inspiration from her own personal life and events that had happened to her in her life.

The main character in the book is Ponyboy Curtis, who is a fourteen-year-old Greaser boy. He lives with his two older brothers, Darrel and Sodapop because his parents died. Ponyboys best friend is Johnny, who is two years older than him. They have a special connection like none other. Ponyboy, his brothers and Johnny are a part of a Greaser gang. Dally, Two-Bit, and Steve is members of this gang. Pony also meets some people from their rivals, the Socs. Cherry Valance, Marica and Bob.

The book is about two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. Ponyboy Curtis is a member of the loose gang, the Greasers. The book follows Ponyboys life throughout difficult family issues, gang problems and running away from everything that he knows. It all starts when Pony walks home from the theatre and then is being jumped by five Socs. He gets help from his gang but is bruised. Later he and some others from his gang are at an outdoor theatre where they meet two Soc girls, Cherry and Marcia. Pony ends up talking with Cherry and discovers they are not as different as he thought. When the boys are walking the girls home, a gang of Socs shows up and threatens the girls to come with them or else.

Later, when Ponyboy and his best friend Johnny comes to Pony’s house, his brother Darrel are angry at Pony for coming home late “Where the heck have you been? Do you know what the time is?… Well, it’s two in the morning, kiddo. Where were you Ponyboy? Where in the almighty universe were you? (Hinton, page. 61)”. After their big fight, Ponyboy and Johnny decide that they are running away ‘He didn’t use to be like that … we used to get along okay … before Mom and Dad died. Now he just can’t stand me'(Hinton, page. 63). While napping in a park, the same gang that picked up the two Soc girls appears. After rounds of heated talk and spit in the face, the Socs attempts to drown Ponyboy in the nearby fountain, but Johnny makes a choice that changed their life forever.

After everything that has happened to him, Pony returns to school, with his grades dropping. Even though he is failing English, Mr. Syme, his teacher, says he will pass if he writes a decent theme. Ponyboy decides to write his assignment on all the recent events and begins his essay with the opening line of the novel The Outsiders: ‘When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movies house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home…'(Hinton, page. 218), making the book go around in a circle. In the book, there are many themes that one could have discussed. Family issues, relationships, friendship, gang problems or the division money makes. How people’s behavior is changed because of how much money they have, and how they look at others. Obviously, that is not the case for everyone.

There are many who follow Christian values and I believe Cherry could be a Christian. Why? If we dig into the book and look at how she acts around Pony and her wish to help the Greasers, she has some Christian values. Cherry does not judge him or look down at him. Yes, the most obvious theme is the division that social classes and money create. But it is at the same time important to be open, and maybe the book had something else to teach us. Even through it is important to shed light onto the topic about poor and rich, it is also important to know how to talk, respect and act around others. We can see in the book that the Socs have no respect for the Greasers and they believe that they are better than them just because of money. When the Socs see a Greaser while driving, they jump, fight and almost kill him. The Greasers have many sights on the Socs, but they are not walking around and complaining about the situation.

Some want to give the Socs payback, while others like Ponyboy do not understand why there is so much violence in the world. “There isn’t any real good reason for fighting except self-defense.” (S.E.Hinton, The Outsiders). ‘What in the world are you doing?’ Two-Bit’s voice broke into my thoughts. I looked up at him. ‘Picking up the glass.’ He stared at me for a second, then grinned. ‘You little sonofagun,’ he said in a relieved voice. I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I just went on picking up the glass from the bottle end and put it in a trash can. I didn’t want anyone to get a flat tire.” (S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders). Here we can also see that Ponyboy’s heart is pure as gold. “Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” (S.E.Hinton, The Outsiders). He just wants the best for others. Some would compare him to a Jesus figure. The one who would save the Greasers. Ponyboy realizes after talking to Cherry that they are the same. It is just money that divides them.

This is an important part of the book. They both have realized that both like to watch sunsets “It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset. (S.E.Hinton, The Outsiders). This is the importance of the book. The main theme. That regardless of gender, sexuality, rich or poor everybody should be treated the same, and have the same opportunities. In the novel, we meet many interesting characters. The main character in the book is Ponyboy Curtis. He is a fourteen-year-old Greaser boy, who lives with his two older brothers, Darrel and Sodapop because his parents died in a car accident. Ponyboy is good in school, he gets the greatest grades and is one of the best in his class. He is a boy who just wants the best for everyone. He is a role model for the people around him. Johnny Cade is Ponyboys best friend. He is two years older than Pony. Johnny is extremely quiet, and he is also very jumpy. He lives with his drunk parents who often hit him. Johnny is one of those who could not even kill a fly. He fears the Socs, who has jumped him one too many. I really liked the book.

I liked that it was real and that I got to see how it was like living as a teen at that time in the United States. S. E. Hinton uses a vocabulary that in the beginning were a bit hard to understand, but the deeper into the book I got, the more I understand of it. There were many times where I could not lay the book down, because of the tension and the wonder of what would come next. This is a book I recommend everyone to read. You get a better understanding of the conditions in the 60th. After reading The Outsiders I am going to try and find other books by S. E. Hinton. She is now one of my favorite authors.

Reader response criticism is a part of literary theories, mostly concentrating on the gatherings of people and audience appearance or response to a particular content. According to Oxford University Press (2019), Reader response criticism is the response of a reader to a text, especially as arising from the effect of cultural context and other factors on the reader’s experience of the text.

The short story ‘The Necklace’ by Guy De Maupassant has been taken place in France a hundred years ago. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (2019) Guy de Maupassant, in full Henry-René-Albert-Guy de Maupassant, is a French naturalist writer of short stories and novels who is by general agreement the greatest French short-story writer.

The Necklace is a story of a lady who has all she needs, however isn’t fulfilled. It is the tale of a youthful French lady named Mathilde Loisel who was brought into the world excellent, however not rich. All through ‘The Necklace,’ Mathilde desires everything that other individuals have and she doesn’t. The accessory Mathilde obtained was a phony, and she has gone through ten years slaving without end to pay back the obligation she brought about to supplant it.

Mathilde Loisel’s most prominent blemish is her disappointment. As a lovely young lady in her prime, she trusts and merits in excess of a lower-white collar class life. Her at first noteworthy act demonstrates absurd and misinformed, an after effect of pride more than anything. The necklace is an image of societal position. When she wears it, she’s the prettiest lady in the room and feels like piece of the high society.

At last, be that as it may, the accessory turns into an image of Mathilde’s ruin, making her fall profoundly into obligation and debt. With regards to the story overall, the necklace demonstrates that cash does not equivalent joy. The lesson of the story is that trustworthiness is the best approach. From a point of perspective on a Reader response analysis, the theme of the story is the truth of Mathilde’s circumstance is that she is neither well off nor part of the social class of which she believes she is a meriting part, yet Mathilde gives it her best shot to influence her life to seem not quite the same as how it is. She lives in a deceptive reality where her real life does not coordinate the perfect life she has in her mind. Mathilde’s impression of herself as a martyr drives her to take rash, self-serving activities.

The maze in the story represents where we spend time looking for what we want in life and what we do about it in order to make them happen or reach them. It can be in an organization you work in, the community you live in, money or possession, health and peace of mind or the relationships you have in your life while cheese is the reward or the things that will make us happy. Every person has a different perspective of what their “cheese” is, and we try our best to find what and where is it but in order to have the happiness we always long for, we must also embrace all the changes that comes on our way. This story is about changes and how the four characters in the story deal and enlighten readers with changes that is happening in their life.

In the book “Who moved my Cheese”, here are the lessons that I have learned after reading. These are:

Let go of the past. Don’t settle for less, there’s still a lot of opportunities – Just like Hem, he settles for things that is not there anymore and believes that the cheese they saw will always be there and begin being complacent because he believes that the cheese will not be gone and it will be there forever. It is too late to realize that they have lost the cheese already. He does not want to move on with what happened. He is not doing anything except waiting for things to get back to normal because he still believes that the cheese will be back at any time. He locks himself from things that has already been gone and choose to settle for less. Choosing to settle for less and for what’s gone is the same as giving up on yourself. In an organization, settling for less is not bad, but it is important to open our eyes, look outside the box and see the bigger things beyond it. It means grab every opportunity, big or small that might develop you as an employee and as a person. Don’t settle for being in the same situation, never stop learning and develop yourself, and dream high. Everything is possible.

Expect changes, change is inevitable part of life – Change is happening everywhere. As they say, there is no constant in this world except changes. Keeping in mind that nothing lasts forever is one of the keys to happiness and peace. Many people are afraid of change. They fear of the unknown. They fear of the things that they might lose with that change but staying where you are is riskier than adapting to change just like what happened to Hem. But for Haw, he came back to his senses and he soon realized that he has to create a mode, do something or have a goal for himself to adapt change with confidence. Just like in an organization or generally in life, be ready and stay ready to adapt change and be more alert even with the slightest change that is happening around you and be more observant because if you will not, you may be experiencing difficulties along the way. Learn to adapt change, think simple, don’t complicate things and just go with the flow with the changes just like what Sniff and Scurry did. Change isn’t bad. It just depends on how you handle such changes because when you learn how to adapt and handle changes in life, you will grow holistically as a person and you will be able to overcome everything life may give you because you now have a vision of how it flows and how it is done.

Don’t stay too long in your comfort zone and handle your fears – Things are not the same forever. Try to reflect and get out of your comfort zone, you will not be able to reach your goals if you keep isolating yourself. Don’t let fears keeps you from doing anything. Imagine all the things that could go wrong in adapting change but also imagine what will you get and find in staying just where you are and not doing anything. Don’t be afraid of the change. Once you overcome your fears, energy is under your mind control and will lead to happiness. There are times that changes may have negative effect but we should always look to the bright side of life. Change can either be good or sometimes bad but at least you’ll learn from it and it will help you grow as a person. Worst things can make you better in all means. In an organization, if you will not get out of your comfort zone, you will be forever what you are, stay where you are. Learn to engage, participate and let them heard what are your thoughts and ideas and always have a room for improvements.

Enjoy change and be open minded to new things – We should figure out how to enjoy process of change. New experiences and discoveries can be very rewarding. Always think positive and embrace all aspects of opportunity that change may bring. You attract what you always think. So, if you enjoy and always think positive just like what Haw did, he always envisions success and imagining himself succeeding, thinking about eating and sitting in his own pile of all kinds of cheese and he is also open in trying new things just like while he was on his journey, he found bits of new kinds of cheese, tried and tasted them that helped him keep pushing forward and after not giving up and always trying, he found what he always thinks of, he found lots of cheese!

We should always learn from our mistakes – Just like Haw, he learned from his mistakes. After finding the new cheese at the end part of the story, he continued to explore new parts of the maze just like what Sniff and Scurry did. It does not mean that we already found our cheese or what we want in life, we stop exploring and find new things.