Category: Character

This essay focuses on the novel The Great Gatsby and how the American Dream is portrayed in Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby through the three aspects: beliefs from the “Lost Generation”, social-economic classes, and values towards romantic relationships. Through contrasting the American Dream of the two characters, how Fitzgerald contrives the outlook of the American dream in the specific cultural context displays. It establishes the American Dream’s transformation and influence throughout 1930s American history. Therefore it displays its significance as a representation of desires and goals in the twentieth century beneath shimmering façades distanced from reality. I am able to analyze the definition of success in the 1930s cultural background, and investigate the novel throughout a historical length by examining the American dream through the scope of Nick and Jay in the novel.

With critical insight sources of the novel, literature readings that support are adaptive within the analysis for explaining each character in its background, making it able to then compare them specifically. Research defining the American dream also contributes from leading to a wider perspective on what the population thinks leads to success. The methodology chosen in this essay focuses on correlating the relation between two characters on their pursuits of the American dream and evaluating to what extent does the Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby determine different American Dreams through the life story of characters: Gatsby and Nick? The essay then examines how the portraying of the characters represent Americans in pursuing their dream. Fitzgerald in his novel employs the strategic ellipses of modernist narrative from the design of Nick Carraway, where he stands at a claim of unique and absolute honesty explaining experiences and stories opaquely. On the other hand, Jay Gatsby—the main character representative for the highest economic status and social class in society, however takes role when denouncing the phenomenon of people blindly following “The American Dream” at that period of time, as well as, criticizing that success not only means wealth and power. Throughout Gatsby, characters encounter the gaps between voice and body, intention and expression, expression and response(Bloom 2010). Therefore, as Nick Carraway associates with the culminating moments of Gatsby’s dream, he plays the role more of a listener and observer, influencing their beliefs on how they perceive the American Dream differently from the background, social-economic and, romantic perspectives. While Nick represents the recognition that innocence cannot be regained, Gatsby represents the unrelenting human desire to regain what has been lost by revisiting, and even trying to repeat the past. While they both stand as soldiers who have emerged from the war hungry for success, wealth and position owned by Gatsby has differed him from Carraway. This disparity is specifically emphasized due to their different economic status under similar residential geographic positions—East Egg side. In addition, throughout the novel Gatsby’s journey embraces his pursuit of romance, whereas Carraway is the one who sees through his experience and stands on a higher perspective.

The American Dream in the 1930s

The Great Gatsby is set in 1922, in the midst of the Jazz Age, a prosperous but complex time following America’s emergence from World War I. (Carpenter 1955) Economic status was influenced as the country transitioned from war to peace, creating larger significance on wealth as a factor of achieving the American Dream. “ The ideal American Dream consisted of three criteria: two children, a marriage, and a three-bedroom house with the infamous white picket fence.” goes the saying, however, the current situation did not last until the great depression which happened from 1929 to 1939, right after the setting of the novel. Millions of immigrants were also lured by the American Dream annually into the new nation, further worsening the employment rates and increasing poverty, making parts to the ideal American Dream inclusive of one’s ability to feed one’s family. The generation emerged from WWI idolized the concepts of money-making and mass consumption. Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby employed his characters as metaphors, displaying different roles of people in the society who pursuit different elements of the American Dream, and illustrating the concept in a whole with these combined characters using a narrative perspective. Despite their wealth, and abilities to feed themselves for basic needs, the American Dream is seen as an illusion that never satisfies their current circumstances. Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway in this novel are two representatives of the “lost generation” referred to those who have emerged from war hunger for success. Their experience on the way of pursuing their American Dream correlate with each other in the storyline, but at the same time contrast with each other due to different backgrounds and values of the two characters. Fitzgerald advertised and directed consumerism which was a phenomenon mostly associated with the middle and upper classes in his novel. They were the ones who gloried in unfettered consumption, however criticized by Fitzgerald from recognizing the destruction and waste of materialism among classes. This was interpreted from Jay Gatsby and how he as one of the upper class members failed from achieving the “American Dream” he held. Moreover, the dream in the novel conveyed by Gatsby stresses a relatively independent inner spirits and values, “progressing from an Emersonian stage in a society that is still franklinesque” (Boone 1973). According to the novel, Gatsby never succeeds in seeing through the hypocrisy or acquaintances surrounded, rather, his essence of romantic American vision—broken away from the scales of values in the ordered society governed with traditional manners. “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. ” Described in the novel using Carraway’s words, the dream here has been used in the metaphor representing the hope Gatsby hold on his romantic relationship with Daisy. However, with a reverential humility in the presence in the inside he cannot consciously grasp the struggles. Fitzgerald’s great achievement in this novel suggests effectively that deficiencies on desire from human nature do not just apply to Gatsby, but covers the population of the American vision of “Dream” showing the tragic situation of the American society.

The Lost Generation

In the novel, Nick and Gatsby serve as representatives of the Lost Generation. Referred to their past soldier experience, they tend to hold hunger in success and the concept of achieving dream. Nick Carraway represents the recognition that innocence cannot be regained, whereas Jay Gatsby rather represents the unrelenting human desire to regain what has been lost by revisiting and repeating the past. Jay Gatsby’s dream has been always represented as a “green light” in the novel, it was how Fitzgerald reminded the reader about his desires. In the context, “Involuntarily, I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished and I was alone again in the darkness ” had first described “the green light” at the end of chapter one. Spoken in Nick’s perspective. It has a powerful usage for hooking the audience and obscurely revealing the symbolic meaning by connecting it with Gatsby and his reactions. As a third person, the green light here mentioned stands with the reader provoking their thinking and understanding towards the metaphor used and what it means. Later on in the novel, Nick observes, “Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever…His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. ” Gatsby’s obsession towards Daisy by now exceeded his every other dream leading him to success—financial support, business opportunities, friend relationships… For Gatsby, the green light acted as a symbol, consoling him that he is there in the same world where Daisy is in, that he will someday on this world again encounter with her. This drives Gatsby in the rest of the novel through the process of struggling and failing to reconcile his dream with reality. At the same time, Nick as a narrator in this novel has witnessed Gatsby’s development on dram chasing, and how his dream has changed from the beginning. He is the one in the novel holding opinions, guiding the readers impression towards what Fitzgerald aims to express. Nick, the quiet and reflective Midwesterner adrift in the lurid East, in his words described“ Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… And one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. ” The belief of Daisy as the green light was what has motivated his life, what he was looking for to success. Until Gatsby’s death, time runs further we develop with it, “tomorrow” it becomes a memento to his life story; but at the same time, as people look back at these old traditions from then, societal rules, and regulations finding that it no longer seems applicable anymore. Nick is generally assumed a secondary role throughout the novel. He prefers to describe and comment on events rather than dominate the action. Instead, he functions as Fitzgerald’s inner voice, as in his extended meditation on time explaining what Gatsby has gone through and explaining the American dream at the end of Chapter 9. Nick and Gatsby both came through the background of being a soldier, coming out desperate for seeking success following in the American Dream trend. Nick differs from Gatsby as being the witness of his progress unraveling his dream all the way from the start to his funeral. Nick finally realizes after watching Gatsby’s story the distorted New York City is just filled with moral emptiness, and distortion symbolized as ashes at the end of the novel. As two character representing the “Lost Generation” seeking for a dream, Gatsby and Nick show different values towards achieving their desires and their different personalities shaped different ways of viewing the past.

Social-Economic classes

Fitzgerald has shown his discovery on so the concept of “American Class” and its existence. He was enabled to make this discovery due to the fact that he was aware of appearances he was obsessed into, such as swank parties, jazz tunes, alcohol, and colored lights. The creation of the character Jay Gatsby served as a mythic embodiment in the tradition, by carrying a weight of representatives including his manners, attitudes, and ideals shared by the rest of the city receiving admiring support and influence. Money distinguished character’s ways of living focused in the Ivy League universities, country clubs and homes. Whereas, Nick Carraway in the novel was able to be treated as a representative of a socially solid and defined group rather than a symbolic embodiment placed in the middle class. Concepts of money making and mass consumption was emerged and idolized after World War I, making is part of the traditional “American Dream”. By that time, young business man had been taught to measure success and also failure based on reward and punishments on money. Yet, money was the only convenient symbol for what they dreamed of earning (Johnson 2008). Conspicuous earning and spending was what determined “success” it was an age when gold was melted into fluid, when wealth was no longer measured by land, houses, livestock nor machinery, but rather in dollars per year. Gatsby was more as a virtue, located in the highest class putting up parties all night long. Although Gatsby has possess all these, it was just an excuse for Daisy…

Ray Bradbury’s famous novel, Fahrenheit 451, is about Guy Montag, a man who burns books for a living in an uncultured dystopian future. Set in the United States during an unspecified distant time period, people have become utterly consumed with modern media and advanced technology. Through a cultural lens, Fahrenheit 451 is a tragic story about the loss of individuality and the growing deficit of expressive culturalism.

In 1953, Bradbury rebelliously wrote Fahrenheit 451 in a turbulent time in American history. During this time, the Red Scare could easily destroy the lives of Americans who wouldn’t conform. Oaths of loyalty and irrational fears ruled American culture. Bradbury used science fiction to explore a feeling which he had begun to have about American culture. Bradbury originally claimed that it was simply a fictitious story that he had developed when in reality, he was inspired to write Fahrenheit 451 by the direction in which he felt that humanity was moving and that it was an exaggerated reflection of what it already was. Fahrenheit 451 was a product of its time.

The novel’s protagonist, Guy Montag, is a fireman who’s job is to burn books to appease the ignorant public. Society has become a cesspool of idiocy and materialism, everybody loves television, driving too fast, and opposing anything that promotes intelligence. They do not enjoy nature, deep thinking, reading books, or thinking independently. Shallowness and superficiality have reached an all-time high.

Guy Montag is much like everybody else, but his life changes when he meets a 17-year-old girl named Clarisse. Clarisse is different from most people in Bradbury’s world, she is more intuitive. She enjoys nature, people, and thinking. She prompts Guy to evaluate his life and work, through simple questions from Clarisse, Guy begins to realize the emptiness of his life. After a series of disturbing events (including the death of Clarisse at the hands of a speeding car), Guy begins to actively seek a solution to his dissatisfaction with life, beginning with books. Guy will only become more critical of society from this point in the novel.

The dysfunctional society portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 is loosely comparable to many societies existing today. Large tech corporations are constantly gaining momentum in the modern world. The increasing influence of technology has begun to pull people away from each other. Humans become addicted to the immediate gratification that technology provides for us. All of the entertainment and knowledge we desire is more accessible than ever before. For many people, it is easier to be isolated in their own digital world rather than make connections with others. A perfect example is Guy’s wife, Mildred, who is utterly consumed by technology, and does not seem at all interested in anything besides it.

Of course, in 1953, America was far from where it is now in terms of technological advancements. But the increasing popularity and influence of the television and radio were enough for Bradbury to see the direction that the world was moving in. Very few would question what they believed was a good thing. Bradbury could not have known that in 2018, Fahrenheit 451 would be closer to reality than ever (Robbins 56), and as time progresses, the differences will likely become smaller and smaller.

In 1953, Bradbury wrote the novel to express his disgust of conformity: Something that is still very prevalent today. Conformity has always existed, and in 1953, many Americans believed it was a vital issue. During the Cold War, most people felt very uneasy if somebody stood apart from the crowd. Standing out made a person seem to be a worthy candidate for an accusation of being a Russian spy. Bradbury was frustrated that everybody simply followed each other. Originality had become so limited because everybody just followed the lifestyle trends of everybody else, all of whom were just following the very few who created these trends originally. This is still the way things work in modern-day America.

While Russian spies are no longer a major concern for the American public, conformity is still everywhere. In Fahrenheit 451, people will not accept the existence of books and will be outraged if any literature meets a fate other than incineration. This thinking is similar to some middle-eastern cultures, where non-conformists are met with intense anger or are simply killed. This is because it is easier for them to use a primitive and instinctual approach to a problem rather than accept the differences in their landscape. Luckily, in progressive cultures, differences are often celebrated, but this has become a type of conformity in itself. The magnitude of the conformity in Bradbury’s novel is saddening.

It was difficult being an American intellectual during the Red Scare because even the Office of Education created a program of “Zeal for Democracy” that attempted to distort and bias education (through purges and biased material) that created a hoard of young children who were overly fearful of Communism. Fahrenheit 451 helped to throw the dehumanizing Communist witch-hunts back in the face of overzealous patriots by painting a world that had been extrapolated out with leaders like Joseph McCarthy. The mass spectacle of the accusations and trials, thanks to the mass culture movement, only served to make the “us vs. them” polarity more resilient. All of this came at a time when Americans needed to come together to have a civilized discourse on the validity of differing opinions. Fahrenheit 451 helped to call out those Americans who allowed the government to reign supreme during the McCarthy Cold War years.

In a contemporary sense, the novel helps to caution American’s against extreme and sensational political movements that obscure true democracy. Fahrenheit 451 allows 21st-century readers a chance to step back from our heavily inundated advertising culture. The novel is so relevant today because we have seen an even stronger trend toward self-absorption with social media. This growth creates a false feeling of virtual friendship, which devalues true human connection; this is something that anti-isolationists would have railed against. In the same vein, the sensational 24-hour news networks that have taken a hold of rational political discourse as predicted by Bradbury have felt pushback. The novel allows us to evaluate the militaristic world as it is today, to see the similarities and potential outcomes of unrestrained aggression. The crises and ongoing violence in the Middle East force Americans today to live in that constantly violent culture that Montag despised. Most importantly to Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 helps us realize that the public’s willingness to support the decline of reading and library usage will lead to a hedonistic and ignorant society (Okonma 81). This has manifested even more today, with the current rate of technology and varying ways that students are seeking information. In a tangible sense, “forty-one percent of states report declining state funding for U.S. public libraries in the fiscal year 2009” (Clark 30) with some budgets being slashed up to 30%. Contemporary America is really the beneficiary of the world that Bradbury was satirizing. Bradbury is suggesting we be wary of the future, becoming Mildred Montag will be easier than ever before.

When it comes to analyzing and interpreting Jane Eyre, most tend to focus on the psyche of Bertha, the obvious madwoman in the attic, and the margins of (toxic) masculinity of Edward Rochester. However, in regard to Jane herself, the psyche of her characterization, personality, and mental state is unsuccessful in observing. Among the adaptations of the infamous novel, Robert Stevenson’s approach to Jane Eyre is the first major theatrical screenplay to air in 1944. Though the originary text is known for its Victorian gothic, suspenseful and supernatural-like aspects and elements, Stevenson’s and the studios focus was to emphasize on the romance. “What this meant for Jane Eyre was that all other elements of the novel had to work towards a central love story and if they did not, then they were changed or edited out” (Chalk 3). There are critics that state the fidelity from originary text to adaptation is a triumph. “The Stevenson Jane Eyre has much to commend it, and it has long been regarded as a model of successful adaptation… the production embraces the gothic aspects of the novel rather than shrinking from them” (Riley 146). Nevertheless, the film’s adaptation brings the romance at the center of attention and removes a handful of storylines essential to the originary text, further drawing back even more from representing and treating Jane’s mental state, which is at the core of her haunting, unreliable characterization, an issue that is far overlooked.

In the first half of the novel, Jane is constantly in her head. She spends most of her time by herself, and this gives her a chance to really be with her thoughts, emotions, to ask and answer questions about life that she ponders over, observes those around her, and speculates about the circumstances and situations she finds herself in. Jane’s first encounter of isolation, neglect, and loneliness happens in the red room, a punishment her aunt Mrs. Reed sets upon Jane for attacking John Reed. The red room is described to be that of “a constant flow of abuse and potential trauma that underpins Jane’s imprisonment in the red room… the Reed family depicted as dysfunctional and, in Mrs. Reed’s adoration of her vicious son, a site of misplaced affection” (Wood). The red room, one containing secrets, is symbolic in setting up the reader for Jane’s puberty and (repressed) sexuality, her idealization of fatherhood (a paternal figures in general), and her relationship with all the male characters within the novel. The red room is indeed the turning point in Jane’s life, an imprisonment that advances the severity of mania than preventing it. It is the starting point in Jane’s imagination, in her trying to decipher and comprehend the world and those around her.

It is also where Jane is aware of her sense of self, and the unjust and unfairness of punishment. Jane, only a child then, states her mind as “disturbed” (Brontë 16). It is here she exclaims, “why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, for ever condemned?” (Brontë 16). Jane’s throwing in the red room as a punishment is where her own thoughts pivot to the extreme low, which is concerning knowing she is only a child, where she “instigated some strange expedient to achieve escape from insupportable oppression—as running away, or, if that could not be effected, never eating or drinking more, and letting myself die” (Brontë 16). In the red room (and her time at Lowood) she develops a rage, which leads to outbursts she herself exclaims—throughout the entire novel—she has in no control over, and her vindictiveness.

She refers to herself as “one of the tiny phantoms, half fairy, half imp,” a “heterogenous thing,” a “useless thing,” an “uncongenial alien,” (Brontë 16, 17). Shuttleworth explains Jane’s own language for herself in childhood repeatedly stresses her lack of a sense of coherence (155). “The evocativeness of the red room testifies to the complex interrelation between fantasy and reality, particularly in memories of childhood” (Wood). Jane’s imagination reveals “the essential nature of her position at Gateshead… It is a genuine perception of the creative imagination… The interaction between fact and imagination, between external and internal, is such that we are compelled to accept a composite view of the child’s insignificance and her power” (Gribble 284). It is significant to mention that childhood trauma alters brain development as the individual progresses through their pivotal years. It further hinders the individual’s sense of self, time management, and distinguishing between reality and imagination. It is through Jane’s older self that the audience comes to know of Jane’s unfortunate childhood. The traumatic experience she has endured in her younger years with her time spent at Gateshead creates a long-lasting impact on her mental health. Bernard Paris explains that Jane is perceived as having “no rights and as being insufficiently grateful for the inadequate care that is so grudgingly bestowed on her… as a result of these conditions, Jane develops intense feelings of insecurity, vulnerability, and hopelessness… she lives with a constant dread of being abandoned… and always strives to defend herself and of vindication” (9). Jane’s journey in proving she is superior to those who devalue her, and her journey to find self-love, acceptance, and happiness is a way of representing that is the only thing Jane ever truly wants, since she was a child: to be loved and cared for.

Through Jane’s loneliness, and her frequent solitude, she develops a strength that lets her carry on throughout her childhood, to teen years into (young) adulthood. With her experience at Gateshead and Lowood, Jane has developed a strategy of coping with the circumstances and situations she finds herself in. She finds comfort in being alone; she finds ways to enjoy her own company (or, at least, not enjoy it, but rather she doesn’t reject it, either) which benefits her immensely later on in her life when she is abandoned or left by others. The audience gets a glimpse into her mind and what she is thinking about, and most of the time it’s Jane speculating the actions and behaviors of those around her, trying to justify the reasoning behind, and more than anything, talking to herself. Jane gets so caught up in her own mind and thoughts that she loses her sense of time. “I walked about the chamber most of the time. I imagined myself only to be regretting my loss, and thinking how to repair it; but when my reflections were concluded, and I looked up and found that the afternoon was gone, and evening far advanced…” (Brontë 78).

[bookmark: _Hlk26796511]The way Jane acknowledges and addresses her mental (and physical) health correlates to the narration of her own story. She has bouts—and bouts that keep her from sleeping—where she forces her mind to work, and gets to the point of exhausting herself, “feverish from vain labor” (Brontë 80). Jane’s solitude gives her a chance to become a detailed, observant person. Even so, the audience knows that traumatic experiences stick with an individual as they progress through life; Jane is no exception. What Jane has seen and gone through creates a sense of long-lasting impact on her health, both mental and physical. Since the novel is told through her perspective, and hers only, and with the audience’s knowledge of Jane’s past, it makes Jane an unreliable character. Jane just so happens to constantly remind the reader she is telling the story, and repeats herself in stating she is “telling the truth.” There are numerous sections within the novel that pinpoint to Jane’s unreliability, one of the most important in which Jane, and the audience, are introduced to Bertha. Stevens explains, “one page after insisting upon her delivery of ‘the truth,’ and just moments after first describing Bertha’s ‘eccentric murmurs,’ Jane again pleads, ‘oh, romantic reader, forgive me for telling the plain truth’ [Brontë 101]. If Jane indeed lies here and elsewhere in the novel, it is nearly impossible to distinguish between her truth and fiction” (210). Shuttleworth calls Jane as one who “possesses the ability to ‘mask’ herself” (165). Jane is a highly educated and intelligent woman, and her experiences from childhood into adulthood have paved a path for her to comprehend and develop a sense of self and reality to the point where she is observant enough to decipher and alternate truths, and how to present them.

In relation to the 1944 adaptation, what the film doesn’t convey well is Jane’s psychology—that is so well discernable in the novel. The adaptation’s representation and treatment of Jane’s mind and mental health is poor in relation to its severity in the novel. With Stevenson’s adaptation, critics of film and literary work defend and further explain that, as Chalk states, “Jane Eyre, like the other adaptations so popular in this era, existed in the nexus of both conservative and democratic concerns” (1). The production of Jane Eyre had to be revised and re-scripted to bring forth the romance of the novel. This was “not uncommon in the studio era as the industry favored a classic narrative model with a central romantic plot” (Chalk 1).

In Stevenson’s film, the story begins with Jane’s childhood at Gateshead, and is faithful to the important narrative elements of Jane’s isolation, loneliness, and distance—both physical and mental—to and from those around her. In three short scenes the Stevenson film makes Jane’s character and situation dramatically evident—the red room is the starting point of the abuse and agony Jane endures as a child. Though the film doesn’t go to the extreme to showcase that. The screenwriters also dismissed the importance of the violent fight between John Reed and Jane, and the impact on Jane of her banishment to the red room…” (54). Atkins goes on to further explain that Jane’s imagination runs wild as a result of her imprisonment, and ultimately “she has a seizure” (54). Yet the movie does not want to “portray her as a violent little girl, and the directors compensate for this omission with a harmless shoving match between Jane and John in a later scene” (55), further sugarcoating of Jane’s anger, as well as how the red room truly impacts Jane’s mentality and sense of the world, giving the audience little sense of Jane’s identity from within her childhood. Chalk briefly mentions another critic and film producer, David O. Selznick, in which he urged his writers to find out “what makes Jane tick” (qtd. in Sconce, 1995, p.148). He argued that what happened to Jane in her childhood had a profound affection on her future relationship with Rochester (3). Which is a plausible argument. On the other hand, to take what Jane has experienced in her childhood, in her time before Thornfield, and to apply it to only a romantical aspect of her life, belittles her character, her struggles, and her growth. What she has endured in her childhood and teenage years prepares her for more than just her relationship to Rochester; it is far beyond romance more than anything, and to romanticize her trauma (and growth) takes away from her humanity as a person and individuality that she achieves successfully because of her struggles and personal growth.

What audiences of the film don’t get to see is that of what readers of the novel see, the best and the worst of Jane: her humanity, empathy for others, humility and humble nature, to her stubbornness, her unwilling drive to accept herself, her questioning and concerning mentality. We see Jane on the brink of madness, or so on a line that just hinders her mentality, that makes her lose focus and touch with reality; contrarily, throughout the film, even from childhood, Jane is portrayed as an individual that seems to have herself put well together, despite the circumstances and situations she is put in, and the trauma that follows. Stevenson’s Jane is far more oppressed (in terms following the romantic plotline of an obedient woman and wife), reserved, and silent than book Jane, nor is she as creative and passionate (with her reading and drawing) as the Jane readers have come to love and relate so well to. The film fails to portray Jane’s characterization and unreliability, an aspect of her mentality that is evident in the originary text from the start that attests to her mental state. “She shows authority and self-awareness, addressing the reader directly and then seamlessly moving from one tense to the other so that she appears to dissolve into different states of consciousness” (Chalk 5). This is incredibly important to the novel. Though this is evident within the film—with narrations through voiceovers—it isn’t just Jane’s “individualism and power,” but rather her unreliability as a person to try and take control over a situation (or, in this case, a sequence of events throughout her life) and twist the story in manipulating the reader to divert their attention to her, to trust and care for her, something that has been missing for most of her life. In the film, audiences don’t get that same atmosphere nor curiosity and suspicion.

Jane’s mentality and the line of insanity is sugarcoated by the romantic genre and aspect of the (novel and) film. Jane’s characterization and mentality that is presented within the novel parallels to Bertha’s. Stevenson’s representation of Bertha is just of that: a mad woman. Because the film focuses on Bertha as the only manic, it leaves Jane in the shadows as a “sane” individual, and, for those who have read and further analyzed the originary text, know this is not the case. What the audience doesn’t get from the film is that Jane and Bertha are parallels, two sides to the same coin. Jane suppresses her emotions, her rage, her outbursts, and has better control of herself. Bertha, on the other hand, lashes out with no moral compass, no sense of self. She is the shadow that follows—lingers—just behind Jane, a representation of what Jane could have turned out to be. She has surpassed that line. Bertha is the mere representation of what Jane could have been. In the film, whenever Jane is in the presence of Bertha—and this is rare since Bertha is constantly kept in shadows, never shown—Jane is at times wide-eyed, silent, almost sympathetic. Though in the originary text, it is evident in those scenes, and later when Jane has processed what she has seen and witnessed, that there is a sense in which Jane realizes and is aware of Bertha being a foil of her own characterization, and the readers know this, too. But within the film, it isn’t evident. There is no way to correlate the two women who are much more similar than different.

The production’s decision of removing certain aspects, storylines, scenes, and phrases of Jane Eyre to fit the film standard of the era strips away Jane’s complex (and unreliable) character and the severity of her mental state that drives the story to what it is. It is indeed difficult to bring forth a character such as Jane from text to screen; however, to strip away a character’s psychology—a driving factor for their actions and behaviors—deprives them of well-rounded characterization and role. It’s clear—from further reading into the production of the film that the company, cast, and crew mainly cared about aesthetics and romance to fit in with the commercial film of the era. Chalk explains “In the case of Jane Eyre, steps were taken not just to bring high art to the masses, but reinterpret that art in a way that made it relevant to contemporary society” (6). Even going as far as to state “on the surface Jane Eyre may appear a simple gothic romance, yet what is central to the film is Jane herself, a plain poor orphan who raises herself up through education, determination and steadfast integrity” (7). In spite of that, one cannot talk about and present Jane Eyre as a character central to a film without depicting her psychology as shown and mastered throughout the novel. Jane Eyre cannot be Jane Eyre without her complexity, unreliability, her stubbornness and outbursts, her quick-witted and detailed thought-process, and her overall psychology that parallels and adds depth to the haunting, gothic, suspenseful, and supernatural-like theme and genre.

Works Cited

1. Atkins, Elizabeth. “‘Jane Eyre’ Transformed.” Literature/Film Quarterly, vol. 21, no. 1, 1993, pp. 54–60. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43797741 web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019
2. Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Deborah Lutz. New York. Norton Critical Edition, 4th ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2016. Print.
3. Chalk, Penny. “Jane Eyre (Stevenson, 1944) – Adaptation, Cultural Capital, Democracy, Individualism.” Academia, Academia, https://www.academia.edu/12482794/Jane_Eyre_Stevenson_1944_-_Adaptation_Cultural_capital_democracy_individualism web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019
4. Gribble, Jennifer. “Jane Eyre’s Imagination.” Nineteenth-Century Fiction, vol. 23, no. 3, 1968, pp. 279–293. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2932556 web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019
5. Jane Eyre. Dir. Robert Stevenson. Perf. Orson Welles, Joan Fontaine, and Margaret O’Brien. Twentieth Century Fox, 1944. Film.
6. Paris, Bernard J. Imagined Human Beings: A Psychological Approach to Character and Conflict in Literature. NYU Press, 1997. EBSCOhost, www.search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=48182&site=eds-live web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019
7. Riley, Michael. “Gothic Melodrama and Spiritual Romance: Vision and Fidelity in Two Versions of ‘Jane Eyre.’” Literature/Film Quarterly, vol. 3, no. 2, 1975, pp. 145–159. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43795400 web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019
8. Shuttleworth, Sally. Charlotte Brontë and Victorian Psychology. Cambridge University Press, 1996. EBSCOhost, www.search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=3907&site=ehost-live web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019
9. Stevens, Kevin. “‘Eccentric Murmurs’: Noise, Voice, and Unreliable Narration in Jane Eyre.” Narrative, vol. 26, no. 2, May 2018, pp. 201–220. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1353/nar.2018.0010 web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019
10. Wood, Madeleine. “Jane Eyre in the Red-Room: Madeleine Wood Explores the Consequences of Jane’s Childhood Trauma.” The English Review, no. 3, 2006, p. 11. EBSCOhost, www.search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.141169742&site=eds-live web, accessed 9 Dec. 2019

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, a young girl by the name of Janie Crawford embarks on a journey to find herself true love. From three different marriages, to traveling from place to place, Janie learns a lot about herself and the world around her. Hurston implements many great instances of symbolism all through the novel. She introduces various powerful and interesting characters forms start to finish. She establishes a very long and detailed plot with many many different events happening throughout the book. Their Eyes Were Watching God was a excellent book for many reasons.

To begin, the novel consisted of great symbolism. Janies hair throughout the book is a symbol of her strength and independence. In numerous instances her town sought it to be inappropriate for her to wear her hair down because of her age. On top of that her own husband, made her tie her hair up in the store because he was jealous of other men looking at it. For 20 years her hair had to be tied up. When Joe died, Janie was finally able to let her hair flow freely as a sign of her independence. Secondly, the hurricane represents the vicious aspect of nature. Janie first finds out about the hurricane when a group of Native Americans come walking past her and warn her about a big storm approaching. Eventually Janie and Tea Cake flee their house to get away. The hurricane makes the characters wonder about themselves, as well as what their place in the universe is. The destructiveness of the hurricane also leads Janie and Tea Cake to ponder the existence of God and whether or not he even cares about them. Hurston examples of symbolism adds to the diverse characterization expressed throughout the novel.

Secondly, Their Eyes Were Watching God was a great book because the characters are intriguing and unique in their own way. To start, Janie, the protagonist, had three different husbands over the course of the book. She, unlike her Nanny, wanted to marry someone she loved rather then for financial stability. Janie wasn’t the average stay at home wife. At the start of the book, the reader learns that Janie is strong, proud, and completely unbothered by the community gossip about her. She wanted more in life and wanted to adventure. Her first husband, Logan Killicks, treated her like a farm animal, and her second husband silenced her and beat her to show he was inferior. Finally after two failed marriages Janie finds a younger man by the name of Tea Cake. He respects her and most importantly lets her express her individuality and is not invidious to her. He teaches her how to shoot a gun, how to hunt, and takes her to all the adventures he goes on. One of the other interesting characters in the book is Joe Stark. He starts off as a noble and confident man who is an entrepreneur. As soon as he meets Janie, they go off to live in a developing town where Joe is elected mayor there. He brings nothing but good fortune to the new town and the people love him. As time progresses, Joe begins to develop a need to control everything around him. This eventually leads to him wanting to control Janie and tell her what to do and how to act. If Janie attempts to talk back, Joe will beat her in front of everyone. Janie is distraught with her life and is not able to find true love with Joe. He soon dies of a sickness and Janie is relieved. All through the novel, each character contributes to the wild plot of Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Lastly, this was a good book because of the fast paced plot. Each chapter there is a completely different event happening. One of the first notable events is when Janie runs off with Joe Starks away from Logan, and becomes a big role as the “mayors wife.” Within a chapter, Janie is living a completely different life with a brand new man. She is put in charge of a store and helps out with anything Joe needs. Janie begins to grow unhappy of the way Joe is treating her and decides that Joe isn’t the one for her. She then starts to fall under the charm of a handsome 25 year old guy by the name of Tea Cake and runs off with him. As Tea Cake and Janie fall more in love disaster hits, and a big hurricane wipes out tons of people forcing them to run and find shelter somewhere else. During this storm, Tea Cake is bitten by a mad dog and slowly begins to show signs of insanity. Janie is heartbroken when the doctor warns her to be careful with Tea Cake as he might possibly harm Janie because of the mad dog. Janie is aware of the doctors warning to be careful with Tea Cake. She notices Tea Cake has a gun under his pillow and eventually he attempts to use it on Janie. She has no choice but to react in self defense by shooting Tea Cake killing him. She holds him in her arms thanking him for giving her the chance to be in love. In the span of a couple chapters Janie goes from having a wonderful happy life to being caught in a maelstrom of chaos and having no choice but to shoot and kill her husband.

For all the reasons above, Their Eyes Were Watching God was an exceptional piece of literature. Hurston examples of symbolism with Janies hair and the hurricane express Janie’s independence as well as the frightening aspect of nature. The unique build up of different characters adds to the greatness of the novel. The plot moves rapidly from event to event leaving one on edge. From husband to husband Janie learns more and more about herself and her emotions ultimately leading to her happiness as the story closes. All in all, Hurston writing of symbolism, characters, and the plot leads to a masterpiece.

In coming of age novels, the protagonist faces many hardships and obstacles before they mature and realize where they stand in the world. The story of Jane Eyre follows this same path as Jane evolves from youth to adulthood. During this time, she lives at five different places: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Marsh End, and Ferndean. Each one shapes a bit of her personality and changes the way she thinks about certain topics, such as religion and infidelity.

As the novel opens, Jane lives at Gateshead with her Aunt Reed and three cousins, John, Eliza, and Georgiana. Her family mistreats her, which in turn fills her childhood with abusiveness and neglect. These beginning stages are the most influential parts of Jane’s life. Gateshead teaches her that the only important trait of someone is the amount of money they own. This then determines their social class and if they have manners and good morals. Jane even goes as far as to say that poverty for her is “synonymous with degradation” (Bronte, LOOKK). In addition to this, she states that she would rather stay with the Reeds than live with her poor relatives. Jane is close-minded at this time in her life, and the word “gate” in Gateshead represents the gate between Jane and the outside world. The red room in this house symbolizes the internal angry Jane has for her family. Gateshead traps her with them and in a mindset that is with her until she reaches Lowood.

While at Lowood, Jane is still in a “low” part of her life. Mr. Brocklehurst emotionally abuses her, but she finds solidarity in Miss Temple and her first friend, Helen. Lowood is the place where Jane learns about education and religion. Helen teaches her that her hate for Mrs. Reed must be let go and to not obsess about it. This helps Jane finds herself spiritually, and it is one of her first lessons about religion. Miss Temple is a maternal figure for Jane, and she forms a base for what Jane will behave like in adulthood. While she stays at Lowood, Jane experiences death all around her, including Helen. She lives there for eight years and acts as a teacher for two of them. When Miss Temple leaves to get married, Jane believes that it is her time as well to continue on her journey. She finds a job as a governess at a place called Thornfield.

One of the most important places Jane lives at is Thornfield. Here is where she meets Rochester and is isolated from the rest of society. She develops close relationships with most of the house members, and Jane matures into a woman while she is staying there. She is treated with respect and gets paid a lot of money for teaching Adele. There is a sense of mystery there, however, because Jane does not know what is on the third floor. There are many strange instances such as when Rochester’s room catches on fire, Jane’s veil being torn to pieces the night before Jane and Rochester’s wedding, and the screams Jane hears throughout her stay. Thornfield represents a field or thorns that Jane is not able to escape from. It traps her there, and once again it isolates her from the outside world. However, it is also the place where Jane first feels as if she is truly loved. She begins to find happiness and a life that she could live with Rochester and Adele. This changes though when she discovers that Rochester is already married. She refuses to be his mistress and leaves the place immediately.

Jane suffers through many ordeals while she is wandering from Thornfield. She experiences hunger and isolation. She finds comfort in nature and results to begging others for food or a job. She is at a crossroads during this time, and Bronte further suggests with naming the town she is in Whitcross. When Jane almost loses all hope, she stumbles upon Marsh End; there lives her cousins, Diana, Mary, and St.John. It is unbeknownst to them that they are all related, but St. John relieves their relation after seeing her full name- Jane Eyre. Marsh End symbolizes the end of Jane’s journey. She meets her family there and discovers that her Uncle John left her with fortune. She also has a fresh start, as no one knew anything about her past. She forgets about her life with Rochester and strives to find her true self. When St. John asks Jane to marry him, she refuses and hears a voice call to her. She believes that it is Rochester calling out to her, which then prompts to return to her love and Thornfield.

When she reaches her destination, she discovers that Thornfield was burned down, and according to townspeople, Rochester lost his hand and sight. She finds him at Ferndean, and since Bertha is dead, they decide to get married. Rochester and Jane start over and begin to construct a new life together. Thornfield and Ferndean juxtapose each other as they are places where Jane and Rochester are together. Ferndean is the new Thornfield after it was burnt down. Ferns are the new plants that sprout after the thorns were gone.

The five places Jane lives at form her into the final version of herself once she reaches Ferndean. They all teach her valuable lessons of love, purity, and religion. If Jane did not live at all of these places, then she would not have been the person that she grows into. Jane’s last name Eyre symbolizes the idea that she floats from place to place like air. She does not stay at only one house but instead moves on when she feels as though her presence is no longer needed there.

In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck references the lonely lives of ranch hands in the 1930s. The 1930s were a rugged time period, featuring the Great Depression, which caused many workers to lose their jobs and find a new job as a worker or ranch hand. In this time period, ranch workers lived tough lives that usually resulted in them feeling isolated with company around. In the novel, multiple characters such as Curley’s wife, the only woman on the ranch, and Crooks, the African American stable buck, exude loneliness. Through symbolism and these characters, Steinbeck conveys the loneliness of ranches in the 1930s.

One of the main ways Steinbeck conveys a sense of loneliness is through symbolism. Throughout the novel, multiple symbols express how lonely the people who live and work on ranches truly are. One of the biggest examples of symbolism Steinbeck uses is the game solitaire. In the novel, George plays a game of solitaire, even though Candy and Lennie are both in the room with him: “George looked carefully at his solitaire hand” (Steinbeck 56). This expresses that even though there are people to talk to, George chooses to play a game of cards by himself. This is a perfect analogy for people’s lives on the ranch. The average man in this time is tough and hardened by their work that they only care about themselves. Men in this time period would rather be isolated than have each other.

Another way Steinbeck conveys loneliness is through the characterization of Curley’s wife. Unlike the men who live on the ranch, Curley’s wife lives a unique life because she is the only woman. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck shows us glimpses of her expressing her true feelings of loneliness. One of which happens when she has a conversation with Lennie, who has been advised not to speak with her. She is angry at George and the other men for never wanting to have a conversation with her. She says, “Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live.” (Steinbeck 88). Here, she lets loose, truly showing how lonely she is chained to the house all day. Curley’s wife is fed up with all the rumors and being called a tart, she is even tired of being married to Curley. Steinbeck further expresses her loneliness by not giving her a name. In the novel, Steinbeck always refers to her by her husband’s name. This is a microcosm for how women were treated in the 1930s. They were expected to stay in the house and be known by their husband, which all leads to Curley’s wife living a lonely life.

Additionally, Steinbeck expresses loneliness through the characterization of Crooks. In the novel, Crooks is the only African American and has been on the ranch longer than most men. He works as a stable buck and is forced to live in the barn, isolated from the rest of the men. This is the main reason for his loneliness. Crooks explains to Lennie that he hates living alone. He wishes he had someone to talk to and keep him company. He says, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody, don’t matter who the guy is” (Steinbeck 72). Here, Steinbeck bluntly states Crooks’ desire to have someone to talk to. Crooks wishes he had someone to talk to, but instead he is an outcast who lives by himself. Crooks also lives challenges because he is different from the other men in other ways, which only strengthens how lonely he is. Crooks is not allowed in the bunkhouse with the other men because he “stinks.” The other men use this as an excuse for not having to live with an African American. Crooks also has a physical disability which causes him to stay on the ranch. The boss knows this and uses Crooks as his punching bag whenever he lets out his anger. Because of his skin color, disability, and inability to leave, Steinbeck shows us multiple instances of Crooks expressing his loneliness.

Steinbeck conveys loneliness multiple times through symbolism and in characterization. He writes about the men playing solitaire, even when they have friends to play euchre with. Steinbeck further shows loneliness through characterizations of Curley’s wife and Crooks. Within their individual characterizations, he describes the loneliness of women and African Americans in this time period. Revealing them as perfect microcosms for women and African Americans. He shows expresses in many ways that these people were forced to live hardened, rugged lives that eventually left them feeling lonely, even with company around them.

Works Cited

1. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Penguin, 1993.

In Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman, many dynamic characters play important roles. The protagonists in the story are the father Willy Loman and the antagonist is his son Biff Loman. Both of these two characters go through changes throughout the play.

As we know, the main character in a story or a play always has to be somewhat likeable or relatable. Who does not like to feel like they can relate to their favorite character in a story? In many cases, the authors of stories or books always try to make the reader feel like they are not the only ones with problems or going through a crazy situation. Wanting the reader to become engaged in the character ‘s conflicts is what they aim for. In Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman, many people were gripped by Willy Loman, the main character, problems because they too struggle, with many of the conflicts that Willy faces. Willy could not keep his life together, failing to see reality and pursuing the wrong dream, with a wrong viewpoint, ended up causing others around him and himself to hurt.

Willy Loman: The Tragic Hero

Throughout the play, Willy can be seen as a failure. When he looks back on all his past decisions, he can only blame himself for his failures as a father, provider and as a salesman Slowly, Willy unintentionally reveals to us the moral limitations that frustrate him which hold him back from achieving the good father figure and a successful businessman, showing us a sense of failure. For instance, even though Willy wants so badly to be successful, he wants to bring back the love and respect that he has lost from his family showing us that in the process of wanting to be successful he failed to keep his family in mind This can be shown when Willy is talking to Ben and he says “He’ll call you a Coward…and you been jealous of me all life, you damned fool’ Miller(97-98). Willy responds frightfully because he doesn’t want his family to feel bad.

Willy Loman’s character in Death of a Salesman portrays him as a tragic hero. Willy Loman continued to want his recognition and his reputation but never forget about his family. These characteristics describe him as a tragic hero in Death of a salesman. Willy Loman’s tragic flaw leads him to pursue the idea that reputation in society has more relevance in life than knowledge and education to survive in the business. His grand error of wanting recognition drove him crazy and insane and led to his tragic death.

Linda Loman: The Enabler and Protector

As a mother, Linda Loman is my favorite also. She was a lovely woman and she highly respected her husband, mother to two sons Biff and Happy Loman. In the play, she is the enabler for the family’s problems that seems to cause the conflict between the family members that enabler is Linda Loman. Linda is the enabler of the family because she just simply overlooks everything that her family does to avoid living in their reality. She seems to be the glue that holds the Loman clan together, as Willy, Biff, and Happy are all deluded in one way or another. Arthur Miller depicts Willy’s wife in a very specific way, and this is a very crucial part of the story. He depicts the other women in the story in ways that complement Linda’s distinct nature and to show us that what we see in the real world is not everything we see even if it’s not visibly apparent to us. As we can see to the play when Linda speaks to her sons, Happy and Biff, she can be very stern, confident, and resolute. Love someone does not mean they are perfect Linda made some mistakes also because she knows that their son Biff is at least one source of agony for Willy. Throughout Act one, Linda chastises her son for not being more attentive and understanding. I understand that nothing can come close to the love that a mother feels for her children but you need to stand up when your child did wrong. As we see in the criticism of William Hawkins in the ‘Death of Salesman powerful tragedy’ he mentions that Willy’s wife Linda is a truthfully blocked out character, gentle and delicate yet fiercely loving and fiercely loyal'(William p.204) mean that she is a mother who cares for her family, because even though Willy is often rude to her and maybe his husband may have in affair, she still protects him at all costs. As we can see Linda protect Willy like a child, so Linda is like a mother who anxiously protects him from Biff, Happy, and the rest of the world.

I Want a man to know that women play a big role in a family because we, not only mother of our child we also a mother for our husband to some of them sometimes they mother do not give them enough love so when they get married they always want to they wife play that role in them also. Never underestimate the influence that a mother has over a child. It may not always appear this way, but children look to their mother for guidance on how they should deal with many situations. Otherwise, she is a good mother the only things she needs to work on was to tell his children when they are wrong

Biff Loman: The Reality of Failure and Acceptance

Biff Loman is portrayed as the root of Willy’s illness and instability. He is also the only member of his family who acknowledged his failures in life. On the whole, Biff Loman stands out as the most intriguing and strong character in Death of a Salesman. He is not a successful man and never will be, he is, however, able to admit this. Biff knows he is a nothing and tries to make his father see that he is a good one. Arthur Miller provides us with a lot of evidence that Willy has been a bad influence on Biff. While Biff is in some ways desperate to impress his father, he is also conscious about the fact that Willy has failed his attempt to be successful in his career. He considers his dad’s dreams materialistic and unreachable. Biff’s tragic role in this family is found in the ability to accept reality and overcome the victim role imposed on him by his father. While Biff is the only Loman that can see past Willy’s illusions about life.’ Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?'(133) He is the only one to see reality. Biff can see the harsh reality and also recognizes that both he and his father are failures Young Biff had the same beliefs and views as his father, but after discovering his father’s infidelity, these beliefs changed. Biff needs to be honest and sincere in what he wants to do and say.

Willy’s Static Character: Inability to Grasp Reality

A person’s attitude is mostly what everyone around him or her will view them as. From this, they can tell many things. Whether it is if the person is funny or down to earth or even irresponsible. Many times, people change personalities often and they would be classified as being a dynamic type of person. A person who does not change is classified as being a static character. Willy, from Death of Salesman written by Arthur Miller, is a static character for his inability to grasp reality, his poor parenting and his constant lying to his wife.

Foremost, Willy has a problem with his inability to grasp reality. As he grows older his mind is starting to slip. For example, when he talks to the women and his brother Ben. Throughout the story, Willy dreams of talking to the women, because the woman is a person that he was dating in when he went to Boston. He was cheating behind his wife’s back. Willy uses her as a scapegoat when he’s hallucinating about her. He blames all of his problems on the woman. For instance, Willy says, Because I get so lonely-especially… There’s so much I want to make for.” (p.38) This is the evidence right here. Another example of Willy’s hallucinations is when he says, ‘How are you?'(45) This occurs when Willy is talking with Charley and he starts thinking about Ben. Willy’s inability to grasp reality never changed throughout reality. Willy maybe has very poor parenting skills. As we see he has two children Biff and Happy. Willy excuses Biff for a lot of events when he was younger. If Biff stole something, Willy just brushes it off and says that is was no big deal. He did not even care when Biff failed math. If I can change, I will change his behavior because Willy faces conflict with his inner self throughout the play. He refuses to accept who he is and his self-pride is too important to him and also refuses to admit that he is an ordinary man.

Throughout the play, he is at odds with who he perceives himself to be and who he is in reality. He seems to ignore the talent and appreciation he has for carpentry; he would be beneath himself. People usually afraid of failure because they tried to do something and failed, or took a risk and did not pay off. In my class of HPE my professor Veronica told me that fear of failure creates stress and anxiety. Just because you tried something two or three times and failing does not mean the entire idea is a mistake maybe you did not know the way you suppose to do it or his not your time. You do not let things bother you. Also, I can understand that maybe Willy feels lonely but does not a reason to cheating over your wife speak up to tell your wife what you need her to change, be a man. People probably have different views and definitions of what constitutes a family. What an individual might consider part of his family might be different to someone else. Concrete policy guiding fatherhood is therefore needed to address issues concerning. Fatherhood is an important issue where work and family have to be well addressed also communication is very important in a relationship. How could you love your family without loving yourself first you do not leave for others? Additionally, what do not like in Willy character how he used to lie to his wife he finds a pleasure to create story just to make his wife distract about certain things but he never realize sometimes when you try to fool someone, sometimes they just look at you and make you feel great but at the end of the day, you will feel sorry for yourself. So, if you want to educate your child well you need to behave well. Willy needs to respect himself first So every parent need to work on that always find a proper way to raise your child if you want them to be successful in life so Willy needs to accept life the way it is because nobody does know the future always things God on what you have. Sometimes when you feel that you did not realize much in your life things about people who are living in the street, about a certain country who in this century do not have pure water to drink. Always be thankful for what you have I know life is not easy. I used to complain about my job and one day one of my friends to me do not complain about your job because it pays your bill just try to find another one. I realize what she said to me was good advice so I Told myself you know to go to school learn something for life, make sure you like the things you want to study and be successful in life. When I said to be successful does not mean that have A lot of money but like really like what you do for a living.

Parental Influence and Responsibility

In the article of Miller and the loss of conscience by William B. Dillingham, he mentions that ‘Man’s obligation to assume his rightful place in a world unified by love and a sense of responsibility is the central thesis of Arthur Miller’s critical essays and the major theme of his plays’ (William p. 339) Mean that man has the right in our society to take responsibility like working, take for the children, raise them properly. I agree with the thought of the author because a dad or father means that you have a child now and you have to do your best to take care of that child with all your heart, educate them like to know right and wrong. Sometimes people as a parent our tolerance for our children is too much we cannot even see, or admit when they make mistakes on this way it does not mean that you love your child because when he grows up without distinguished right and wrong maybe he or she will hate you. But make sure you raise them with love and respect for others. If you believe in the Bible read with them teach them how beautiful love is.

While growing up, I have often been told to be successful at what I do. Success is what drives human beings to achieve greatness. But what does it mean to be successful? Many people would say that being successful has been good at a task, but success can mean something different to everybody. To me, being successful is loving what I do, staying positive even failing at first, and feeling a sense of pride or accomplishment when finished. People need to stop thinking that the word ‘success’ is the materialistic objects that one can buy with copious amounts of money. I want people to start teaching the children a proper manner like always be you do not feel ashamed when you fail, do not compare yourself to others. Be responsible when you make a mistake do not put things under someone else

I like how the author demonstrates the agony and suffering that individuals have to put up within their pursuit of the dream. The negative aspects of the dream are represented in the individual struggle and the eventual selfishness.

As we can see those elements are love and direction. Many people face these struggles at some point in their life, but do not know what to do to progress. Arthur Miller devised a style whereby he could show how your past can continuously impact on your future. Each character highlights the powerlessness of a dream to give meaning and control to human life. without giving first parental love, establishing guidance and truth in the early stages of a child’s life. Love is not just being affectionate; it’s revealed through the actions of an individual that reflects a heart of peace and truth.

Work Cited

1. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Text and criticism edited by Gerald Weales.
2. Emory University Quarterly,XVI (spring 1960), pp. 40-50, reprinted by permission William B. Dillingham ‘Arthur Miller and the loss of conscience.p.339.
3. The New York World-Telegram, February 11, 1949, p.16 Reprinted by permission of the World Journal Tribune, Inc. “The Death of a Salesman powerful tragedy’ pp 204.

In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Pearl is a complex character and has arguably the most depth and most similar to life. Pearl had issues with her own society and community, defined by ridicule and embarrassment. She changed from an imp to a noble lady. A bit of a drastic change by most standards. Pearl is an unusual character and hard to grasp in a full sense but some parts can be understood such as her childhood behaviors and emotions.

Pearly Problems

Pearl is already starting off life on a bad foot she is born of what society views as a grave sin. Since she is Hester’s daughter she takes the blame by association and is equally shunned and treated poorly by the people. The townspeople don’t understand her strange nature and have formed a consensus that “poor little Pear was a demon offspring” (Hawthorn 109). What makes this shame and embarrassment worse is that she is reminded of it every day. The scarlet letter upon her dearest mother’s bosom represents everything that makes her suffer.

Change in Pearl

The change in Pear is very drastic, to say the least. Pearl starts off as an aggressive and out of control impish child. Her aggression isn’t necessarily misplaced considering when they walked to governer hall the children ridiculed her and her mother. Pearl “stamping her foot, and shaking her fist with a variety of gestures, suddenly made a rush at the knot of her enemies” (Hawthorne 112) seems to dislike people who ridicule and threaten her. Certain diction in the book clearly paints her as a difficult child such as “infant pestilence.” (Hawthorne 113) “elf-child” (Hawthorne 287) In the conclusion of The Scarlet Letter, it describes what has happened to Pearl. Pearl goes from poor to “the richest heiress of her day in the New World” (Hawthorne 287) this is a major monetary change. This would have made her life much easier she doesn’t need anything anymore she has the money to afford it and the land to build upon now. She went from a troublesome child to a “married, and happy” wife. (Hawthorne 289) That is a far cry from the imp child she used to be.

Empathy toward Pearl

I believe it is possible to have empathy for Pearl. We all are, or once were children. This makes her childhood behaviors easier to understand. Nobody is perfect and everyone made mistakes as a child or acted rashly without so this makes Pearl seem more human in our eyes. Coincidentally Pearl is actually based on Hawthrone’s own child named Una. (Wagenknecht 69) Both Hawthorne’s child and Pearl are both strange and startlingly intelligent. (Wagenknecht 69) I personally feel that Pearl is deserving of empathy simply because she represents the things we wish we didn’t do. For instance, she angered easily and made rude gestures, she also made people uncomfortable around her because of weird mannerisms, and finally, she made conversation difficult with her lack of filtration and social skills.

CONCLUSION

It’s all over now. Pearl has pushed through the embarrassment and ridicule she faced in her early life from the people of Boston and gone to new heights. She has grown more drastically than any other character so far, maybe due to the fact that she is based on Hawthorne’s own daughter Una. Pearl has changed from an aggressive, impish, and difficult child into something new. No longer does she scream at her tormentors or throw rocks at them, now she nurtures her own young one. Not only that but she is now a noble, full of wealth and happiness. She deserves empathy for her mistakes and behaviors. She deserves it all because she has grown and made a way for herself in the New World.

Works Cited

1. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. EVERBIND ANTHOLOGIES. Marco Book Company, 2001.
2. Wagenknecht, Edward. Characters in The Scarlet Letter. Continuum Publishing Company, 1989.

Who is Edgar Allen Poe? Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and editor. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery. Poe made a short story called “The Black Cat”. The short story shows us that Poe’s unreliable narrator undergoes both physical and psychological transformations throughout the narrative. From the beginning, this narrator exemplifies a changing personality throughout the beginning, middle and end of the story.

In the beginning of the story with Poe opening up using both suspense and mystery in his revelation that he wants to “unburden” his soul because he will die the next day, the narrator gives details of his early love for animals and marriage to a woman of the same sentiments, who presents him with many pets. Among these is his favorite animal was a black cat whose name was Pluto which comes from the Greek god of the underworld it foreshadows the narrator’s descent into the murky regions of alcoholism, self-deception, and violence due to alcoholism the narrator believed.

As we start to read more into the story the narrator underwent a significant change he grew day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others. We see that this change effect is indicated when he came back home intoxicated due to alcohol. Poe wrote ‘One morning, in cold blood, I slipped a noose around its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree;-hung it with tears streaming from my eyes, and with the bitterest remorse at my heart;-hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offense;-hung it because I knew that in so I was committing a sin-a deadly sin that would jeopardize my immortal soul as to place it-if such a thing were possible- even beyond the reach of the Most Merciful and Most Terrible God’. That gave us the readers an idea on how suspenseful he was after he drunk alcohol. In addition to Poe describes his need to replace the animal in order to feel peace and after doing so, he finds himself once again feeling a hatred toward the animal. He writes ‘but gradually-very gradually- I came to look upon it with unutterable loathing, and to flee silently from its odious presence, as from the breath of a pestance’.

The author leads the reader to the final stage of suspension when he dramatizes the conclusion of the story. He explains the sounds he heard in detail when the mystery unfolds regarding the missing cat he had not seen or heard from since the murder. He writes ‘like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into one long, loud, and continuous scream, utterly anomalous and inhuman-a howl-a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might have arisen only out of hell, conjointly from the throats of the damned in their agony and the demons that exult in the damnation’.

To understand how the journal that Robinson Crusoe keeps during his stay on the island is a reflection on the genre of the novel we first must understand what a novel is.

A novel is a literary work that consists of narration with the purpose of describing interesting events of a set of characters’ lives which in some cases (like Robinson’s) can serve as inputs for reflections and/or introspection. Some of the characteristic of the novel are: it tells facts (either real or fictional but if they’re fictional they have to seem real and credible for the audience), it describes the environment of where the things that are being narrated or described develop, there has to be a character development and has to be written in prose. Finally, the purpose must be spread the experiences (or ideas) of the author to an audience.

This is exactly what Robinson does with his journal, he creates a sort of autobiographical novel in which he describes sometimes (sometimes not so much) interesting events of his life and serves as a reflection or introspection to him as he is writing it down. Through this journal, not only the reader but also Robinson can look into what his thoughts genuinely are and what they tell about his experiences on the island through his stay in Despair Island and how that affects his mental state while being in it.

But this journal that he keeps also serves us as a look into his daily life. An interesting aspect of this novel (the novel itself) is that Robinson while being the narrator of his story also finds himself being an author at the same time as being the narrator due to be the protagonist of his own autobiographical novel.

But why does he keep this journal in such an obsessive way is one of the questions that pop on our minds as we read the novel. One of the possibilities could be that he does it to try to keep the act of him being within a civilized society and not go crazy due to the fact that he is all alone on the island. That is to say, the same reason why he builds furniture, grows food like they would do on the country and tries to domesticate goats.

Apart from this journal where he records his daily activities because he feels the importance of being self-aware, Crusoe also tells us that he keeps a calendar that shows the sense of self-awareness in more detail.

Religion is also an important topic in the novel, and especially the Presbyterian Doctrine emphasizes the idea that an individual has to “keep and reckoning of the state of his own soul”. This is exactly what Crusoe does with the journal, he keeps track of his own self with the journal. He records in it, in an obsessive manner even, his daily activities without caring if it is important or not as a coping mechanism to keep track of his own identity, of his own self and of his character evolution through the days of his stay.

The protagonist goes through a tough journey of self-discovery and his character develops highly becoming a whole new person by the time the novel ends. When the novel first starts, Crusoe is an ignorant character, which one can objectify that is a good thing as it leaves room for growth and become wiser in love (which he does). As he explores the island and becomes familiar with him, he explores himself and develops his own character by pushing his own limits. He goes from being a lost man who misses home and society but then he grows so used to being on his own and becomes so capable of living by himself without a society backing him that after going back to the land he doesn’t like it and goes back to the island.