Portrait Post

A major theme in the novel A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man is sinning. Stephen is very devout in his Catholicism and constantly struggles with his sins, whether real or imagined. A major example of this theme is his encounters with prostitutes and the aftermath of his actions when he torments himself for his sins.  After his first encounter with a prostitute he fells a rush of regret and disgust with his sins, “A cold lucid indifference reigned in his soul. At his first violent sin he had felt a wave of vitality pass out of him and had feared to find his body or his soul maimed by the excess....He had sinned mortally not once but many times and he knew that, while he stood in danger of eternal damnation for the first sin alone, by every succeeding sin he multiplied his guilt and his punishment” (Joyce 110). This shows Stephen’s focus on the adverse affects of sinning rather than the growth he can achieve from it. It is not until later in the novel that he finally grows to accept that he can look at and desire females without being damned to hell for all eternity or being maimed. His exaggeration of his sins proves that he is different from the other young men around him because they saw no problem chasing after women.  Through Stephen’s extreme guilt for sinning, however, Joyce is able to raise the question of how much devotion to religion and God is too much. Stephen undoubtedly passed over into an unhealthy obsession with sins that he could not avoid; what teenage boy can go through puberty without having a sexual thought about a girl. The sermon that Stephen then listens to at the church after his sins, that he feels is directly pointed at him and saying that he was going to hell. This is another example of how the theme of sinning allowed Joyce to make a statement about the adverse affects of religious extremism and how, even though Stephen may have remembered an exaggerated view of the sermon, it still affected him in a harmful way.

The passage  on the bottom of page 229, “To finish what I was saying...called the enchantment of the heart,” is a key turning point in the novel because it is the point where Stephen can finally express his views on art and explain how he finds beauty in things. The purpose of the work was to demonstrate the maturation of an artist, and this is the place where he shows that he understands the world on a more meaningful level. In the passage he first says that to have a “the most satisfying relationship of the sensible” one must understand art on the deepest level. I think that the most satisfying relationship would be to be able create art and beauty and identify it in others. He then goes on to say that the three things that are needed for universal beauty are wholeness, harmony, and radiance. The most important part of this passage is not his identification of these ideas, but his ability to explain them in detail on the subsequent pages. He compares wholeness to a basket by saying that one judges the basket as a whole object separate of its environment and parts as one thing. He describes harmony as the next step in which you “feel now that it is one thing” or that you know it is separate from everything else and can understand the complexities of the object. And finally he explains radiance as when one realizes the objects beauty because of its wholeness and harmony and is enchanted by it. All of this is significant because Stephen is finally able to explain why art and nature is beautiful. He is able to use language to express his emotions and is able to explain a complex idea like beauty in a way that almost makes sense to me. 

As for my personal opinion of the novel, I have mixed feelings. On one hand I disliked it. I found it to be boring, hard to understand, and filled with unnecessary descriptions. The entire plot centered on religion for much of the book, which I found hard to relate to because religion is not a central part of my life. Despite this, however, I am able to appreciate what this novel does offer. I have never read a work before this that was able to identify with the growth and maturation of an individual as this one did. Stephen’s struggles with his views changing from his parents and everything he was taught growing up was very easy to relate to because it is something that we all deal with in growing up. There were many places where I thought, “Wow I have actually been feeling the same way lately.” Joyce was really able to express what it is like to grow up and to mature which I think gives this work merit even though I also think that it was boring. This is where my mixed feelings come from. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did, but it went to slow in some places to keep my attention.

212. Money by Victor Contoski (p. 280)

     The fist literary device used in this poem is personification. Money is given the human characteristics of, “nest[ing] in your pocket” and “shak[ing] hands with men.” Nesting in your pocket means that at first you will have it in your possession and it will be used to manipulate business deals with other men and also “lick the legs of women,” or make people want to be with you for your money. Finally when it says it will, “turn its head as if for a kiss and bite you gently in the hand,” it is expressing that eventually the money will leave you and you will be left with nothing and in “thirty seconds the poison will reach your heart.” By using this personification, the poet creates money as a character of sorts. It makes the money into the villain that leads you on and brings good fortune while its there, but inevitably leaves you with nothing. 

The second literary device used in this poem is hyperbole or an exaggeration. In the end of the poem it states, “there will be no pain but in thirty seconds the poison will reach your heart.” While Contoski is not suggesting that money can physically kill a person, he is expressing that money is relied upon so heavily that when misfortune inevitably comes and leads to the loss of money, it can feel like death. The hyperbole that money can actually kill a person helps to contribute to the meaning of the poem because it gives the poem a serious tone that money is too important in society. Money cannot literally kill somebody, however, it is seen as the foundation of society, and when someone loses all of their money it is seen as a loss of life. All of this contributes to Cantoski’s overall message that money is made too crucial in society and that it should not be the fundamental value of society.

I enjoyed this poem because of its use of personification of twisting money into a monster. I liked that it turned money into a character that had motives to make the societal commentary rather than telling a tale of someones misfortune. I thought that the meaning of the poem was that while money is initially a blessing that helps you to get ahead in society and brings comfort, it ultimately leaves you with nothing in the end, just like the curse of the lottery where when someone wins a lot of money but ultimately hits bad luck and loses it all ending up worse off then they started out.

265. Getting Trough by Deborah Pope (p.322)

The first literary device used in this poem is simile. The speaker is expressing the feeling they have from being abandoned by a significant other. They describe their feelings using similes such as “like a car stuck in gear” and “or a phone ringing and ringing in the house they have all moved away from.” Using these comparisons, the poem takes on the tone of abandonment and loneliness. The phone ring in a deserted house, demonstrates that the speaker feels abandoned. Also, later in the poem, after stating that she will continue to love him, it says, “my words hurtling past, like a train off its track, toward a barded up station.” This simile adds to the meaning of the poem because it represents that there is an argument going on. The speaker is describing yelling at her significant other but they are “boarded up” and reserved and not listening to what she is saying. All of these similes create a feeling of tension and pity for the speaker because they are feeling desperate trying to salvage a relationship when the other person has already moved on. 

The second literary device used in this poem is imagery. Pope’s use of language appeals to the senses through phrases like, “sound ratcheting on” and “some last speaker of a beautiful language that no one else can hear” both appeal to hearing.  They contribute to the meaning of the poem by demonstrating the hopelessness of the person. A sound ratcheting on shows that they feel like no matter what they say or do the other person will be permanently gone like a sound that never seizes. Also by saying that they are the last person who speaks a beautiful language, i.e. that they are the last person to feel true love, shows that they have not yet given up on love however, they feel like they will never find someone to share this love with again because they are the last person to feel it. There is also visual imagery through statements such as, “a chicken too stupid to tell its head is gone” and “long after the film has jumped the reel.” Both of these images also lead to the feeling of hopelessness because they represent that the person feels “stupid” for trying to stay in the relationship even though “the film has jumped the reel” or that it has already ended.

My personal interpretation of the poem is that the speaker is still in love with and past significant other. They feel desperate yet hopeless in trying to get the person back. They do not necessarily still want to be in love with the person, they just cannot help it as seen through, “my heart blundering on, a muscle spilling out what is no longer wanted.” This shows that they do not want to feel the love anymore, and they are trying to cope with their sense of abandonment, but they still feel hopelessly in love with the person. I enjoyed this poem because of the extended use of figurative language by the author and because of the simplicity of the poem. 

"We" Blog

“We”, by Yevgeny Zamyatin, is a futuristic novel set in a dystopian society in the twenty-sixth century. The premise of the novel is a dystopian society where everyone is equal; they can be partners with whomever they want, they never have to worry about money or going hungry, and all they have to do is go to work everyday to put in their fair share. The only catch is that they have no privacy and no freedom and must live under the laws of the all-powerful Benefactor.

There are many symbols in the novel. One of which is I-330, who symbolizes temptation. She was D-503’s “forbidden fruit.” Before meeting her, D-503 was a model citizen. He was the head engineer for the INTEGRAL, OneState’s major project, that when completed would allow them to take over the universe with their dystopian ideals. D-503 writes his “Records” so that people on the other planets the Integral travels to can see the glory of OneState, and why they should adopt its ideals. As the records unfold, however, and after meeting I-330, it becomes clear that D-503 is realizing the faults with his society and begins to rebel against its rules. He knows that when he sneaks over the Green Wall, lies about being sick to miss work, or sees I-330 without a pink ticket he is breaking the rules. It causes a constant struggle within him, but he cannot resist sneaking to see her. He even betrays the women he loves, O-90, to see her when he knows he should not. I-330 represents the temptation that drives people to rebel against their society’s rules. Just as money and power cause people in our society to break the law, D-503 broke the laws of his society because of I-330. 

My favorite quote from the novel is, “And mathematics and death never make a mistake” (Zamyatin 98). It occurs in the middle of D-503’s speech about irrational numbers and how he fears the unknown. The reason that I like this quote is because of how much it relates to my own thoughts on life. I always say that there is nothing more permanent than death and that the only thing I can stand about math is that there is only one right answer. By expressing that they never make a mistake, D-503 means that they are both final and permanent. In math there is only one right answer; it is final and always right no matter what. Death is also final and permanent, there is no coming back from it. The quote also represents D-503’s society where everything is definite and its inhabitants do not think about life or its meaning. In their society they also never make mistakes because they always follow the rules. This is until D-503 meets I-330 and learns of the world outside his society where there is freedom and rebellion against the Benefactor. This is where the irrational root comes in. It is the undefined and unexplainable thing in this society and in D-503’s life. It represents the rebellious world that lies underneath the society and seeks to start a revolution. 

As far as my opinion of “We,” it is not my favorite novel, however, I do not hate it. My opinion on the novel is indifferent. I enjoyed the tone of the novel and found the stream of consciousness style of writing to be entertaining. The plot of the novel, however, did not stand out in my mind. I feel as though it is another similar version of the same story that has been told over and over again. “Farenheit 451” and “Anthem” are just two examples we have read this year that have very similar ideas in them. It is not that I have a problem with the dystopian novels, I just would have enjoyed the novel more if it took a more unique approach to the dystopian topic as “The Handmaid’s Tale” did. 

My thoughts on "The Handmaid's Tale"

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood, immerses the reader into a society where women are objectified into the simplest forms of the stereotypical roles of women and are trapped in a meaningless existence. Told from the point of view of handmaid, Offred, the novel offers a glimpse into what would happen if a society as a whole relinquished their rights and freedoms. 

The concept behind the novel is similar to the reality that many people around the world live in today. Right here in America, there are isolated societies that strongly resemble the novel. For this reason, I believe that Atwood wrote the novel as a warning of sorts to show that the harsh conditions that Offred and the other characters face could become a reality in our own society if we follow stereotypes and take our freedoms for granted. Especially because there are already societies all around us that have very similar ideals as the novel. For example, the Morman extremists in Utah who believe in polygamy have a society very similar to the one in the novel in which women, starting at young ages, are married to older men to procreate. The Amish society is also similar to the novel because it is an isolated society, like Gilead. Also, when the Japanese tourists visit the society, it is very similar to how people act in our society when they visit an Amish community. Atwood gives Gilead many similarities to societies within our country to show that when people allow their rights to be taken away it will lead to unhappiness for all, and that if societies right next to us can be so similar to the extremes of Gilead, then our community could be next. 

My favorite quote from the novel occurs when Offred and the Commander are at Jezebel’s and they go into the hotel- like room and Offred goes into the bathroom. “ I breathe in the soap smell, the disinfectant smell, and stand in the white bathroom, listening to the distant sounds of water running, toilets being flushed. In a strange way I feel comforted, at home. There is something reassuring about the toilets. Bodily functions at least remain democratic. Everybody shits, as Moira would say” (Atwood 251-252). I love the bluntness of this quote and the complete truth in it. Even in our society it can be applied; everyone is equal when it comes right down to it, because we are all humans with the same basic needs. Everyone has to eat, sleep, and use the bathroom. A world leader has to just as much as a homeless person. A dictator has the same needs as those he oppresses. The quote expresses how even in a society where all personal freedoms are restricted, there is still equality in the fundamental human needs. The fact that Offred can be comforted by a clean bathroom and reassured by a toilet is statement in itself. It demonstrates how much has been taken away from her and also how much we take for granted. Everyone expects certain things in life, and a relatively clean bathroom with a toilet to use is one of them. Offred feeling more at home in a white bathroom (bathrooms are cold and not for comfort) than she does in her bedroom at the Commander’s house where she is supposed to feel “at home” shows the lack of comfort in her life. She is more comforted by toilets than the Commander or anyone/anything else at his house. 

In general, I enjoyed this work. Atwood was not afraid to write about sensitive subject matter to portray her point about society. Many authors solely use symbolism and allusions to make a social or political point, however, Atwood’s use of graphic scenes allowed for a stronger social commentary about our society’s views on gender roles to be made. In some cases I do not think she went far enough. For example, the end of the novel was disappointing because it left too much to the imagination. The novel would have had a better lasting impact if the end had been more definite. For instance if Offred was killed at a salvaging after being discovered for her relationship with the Commander, I would have received a stronger feeling about how harsh and unjust this society is. By having her possible escape and leaving the ending so open, the end affects of the novel gave the impression that it is possible to escape from a authoritarian society, when in many real world cases it is not (look at how few people have made it out of North Korea alive). Other than the ending, I felt the novel was very well written. I do not think that it was too graphic or gave too many details, and it kept me wanting to turn the page rather than putting me to sleep like many books have in the past.