Edward Said "States"

Edward Said in “States” reflects on the way the Palestinian view has been forgotten and receives hardly any historical recognition. He explains how the ongoing conflict between Islam and Palestine is slowly deteriorating the nation and emotionally depleting the Palestinian people as a whole. What really conveys Said’s points and helps his expressed situations come to life are pictures inserted in his essay which he calls “a series of portraits without names, without contexts.” Said’s portraits deeply display the emotions of the people which helps to strongly connect to them to the audience, as if we are there and can feel their pain. Said connects each picture with a description, by  viewing them one can experience a genuine view of exactly how wretched the Palestinians are, in a way words cannot describe. A particular picture that stood out to me was one of two children who appeared to be living out of in a beaten up, old, and abandoned car. It is heart-breaking to see that children are suffering from the conflicts and poverty in Palestine. In addition to the poverty, little to no prosperity is evident in the lives of Palestinians just as depicted in a particular picture portraying a tourist shop in which “customers are rare.” A great sense of identity by the people and you can see into their emotions that they yearn for change or to just be acknowledged.

Edward Said’s “States,” is a very culturally eye-opening essay to the troubles of the Palestinian society. I believe the argument Said is trying to make is that our society is too self-centered to acknowledge the poverty and hardships of others. Palestine is suffering in ways unimaginable to the majority of Americans. We live in a world where the thought of a lost identity of the question of “do I belong here?” Doesn’t even cross our minds. My question then is: How will we make these hardships well known in our culture, and how can we show compassion towards other hurting societies to help? 

Du Bois’ “The Souls of Black Folk,”

In Du Bois’ “The Souls of Black Folk,” he explains the striving in the souls of black folk and expresses the equality and freedom they yearn for in an age of such harsh prejudice treatment. He first addresses the question of how it feels to “Be a problem.” For that is how the white men view his culture, as menaces to society. He says he has never known life as not being the “problem,” for the first noticed this difference and racism in his childhood. The negative effects subsequently, only intensified as he grew older, and “dazzling opportunities were theirs, not mine.” Du Bois however, claims that he told himself he would somehow, someday, take this mandate and underserving racial upper hand from them. Du Bois goes on to explain how the Africans view themselves through the eyes of others. Thus, they see them self as the world around them sees Africans: in contempt and pity. He explains how tough it is to feel the “two-ness” of being on one hand an independent American, while on the other a culturally diverse African; along with his ethnicities longing to merge the two into being a better and truer self. Du Bois then goes on to explain how these days are more of a “second slavery.” For in the days of bondage, the actual captivity was thought to be the root of evil and problem; for is slavery was taken away, all racial dilemmas would be resolved. This however, was clearly not the case. For even the centuries after emancipation, the nation has not yet found peace between the two races, and discrimination has yet to improve. The Africans must not give up however but they must still strive for “physical freedom, and political power, trainging of the brains, and training of the hands” and if all these ideals are attained and fused together, then Du bois claims, their dreams of a new world with freedom and equality will be true. In short, all these things, (work, culture, and liberty) are the tools that will eventually save them from the second slavery. Both races currently however, are so poor in these qualities that in order for this true America to come about, both races must strive for and attain such qualities to live in harmony.

“The Souls of Black Folk,” is a very passionate and argumentative essay. Du Bois vividly paints a picture of racism in society and conveys the feeling of discrimination, and the hopelessness the African-Americans feel in an ongoing struggle to be equal and free. The essay lays out the points on which the Africans are oppressed and how they must overcome this for the betterment of America. In explaining that if both races can master work, culture, and liberty on even levels and peace, then America will be successful. I agree that for in order for America to excel, the two races must harmoniously work together. For a nation that is divided will not progress or succeed, yet continue to internally crumble.

Kipling's "The White Man's Burden"

Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden,” claims that the Caucasian people were the guardians of the earth under God, and that it was their obligation to guide others towards the ideals of democracy. The poem consists of seven stanza’s all of which begin with “Take up the white man’s burden-“ and essentially claims that white men are the “best breed” whom must carry the labor in this world to rule with right, and successful mandate. The white men must lead their peers with wisdom toward the light.

Kipling shares a bias and somewhat racist outlook of the world, in which non-European cultures are viewed as childlike and demonic. Therefore, this view suggests that white men subsequently have duties to rule over, and encourage the cultural advancement of people from other races and ethnic backgrounds, to adopt Western culture so they may too get on with and live a “normal” acceptable lifestyle. Kipling communicates that it is the white people’s responsibility to help to poor people with contrasting ethnic backgrounds to help “better” themselves and lifestyle whether they want to or not. My questions for Kipling would simply be, why change the other cultures? If they have been getting along just fine and not interfering with the advancing culture of the Western world, why medal with other perfectly functional societies?

Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat"

Just off the coast of Florida, four surviving men struggle to survive and aimlessly seek help while rowing a dinghy after their ship was overturned. The correspondent and the oiler both split the labor of rowing, while the cook scrambles on the floor, bailing water. The men follow orders from the captain, who was wounded in the shipwreck and sits pitifully in the bow. The men battling hopelessly against the vicious current are careful to make no extreme movement as to capsize the small dinghy. So much so, that they will not even swat at a pestering gull perched on the captains head. After the captain finally shoos the bird and they continue rowing until they spot a lighthouse in the distance. The cook warns that the lighthouse has been abandoned for more than a year, but nonetheless the men begin to embrace the idea that they are near reaching land and survival. Their grimly moods are overturned into optimism for a brief period until they realize they are unable to navigate through the choppy surf, and help isn’t coming. When nightfall approaches, the men forget about being saved and continue on their gruesome journey, taking turns rowing and keeping the boat afloat. While rowing alongside a frighteningly, large shark, the correspondent reflects on a poem he heard in his youth about a soldier dying in a foreign land, never to return home. When dawn breaks, the captain proposes that they try to route the surf with what energy remains. They take the boat as close as possible to sore before it goes under and then begin to tread the wintery water to shore. Finally when the group is saved and reaches land, the correspondent floats in and out of consciousness, but as he recoups, he perceives many people on shore with rescue equipment. Finally he discovers, only the cook and captain survived with him as the oiler did not survive the swim.


Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat,” fully captures the moment and feelings of the surviving crew’s gruesome voyage at sea. Its overall vibe and points are very naturalistic in the sense that life is just an on-going suffering, struggling race to death. Just as the story went for the oiler; in the dinghy he fought and rowed with all his might to just keep surviving for no real purpose but to live a few moments longer. 

Yellow Wallpaper

In the Yellow wallpaper the narrator begins her journal by admiring at the greatness of the house in which her and her husband vacation. She then goes into a in-depth description of her illness. She explains she is suffering from “nervous depression” and of her marriage. She complains that her husband, as well as doctor, John pays little attention to her and says her treatment requires little to no activity and especially forbids her from reading and writing. She obviously rebels against this as she does a good job of hiding her journal from him. Aside from irritably rambling on about her husband, the narrator often describes the room she is isolated in and particularly the yellow wallpaper. She is at first disturbed by the wallpaper with its “strange, formless pattern it is rebellious.” She later on however, begins to see it as not only ugly, but strangely provoking. The narrator notes that John is worried about her becoming too obsessive and fixed on it, and also that he refrains from repapering the just to prove he won’t give in to her anxious fears. More time passes, and as the narrator appears to be making no sort of progress in recovery, John impends to send her away to a real-care physician. The narrator is isolated nearly always she has grown to appreciate the wallpaper and that struggling to decipher its pattern has become her main entertainment. As her fixation increases, the patterns in the wallpaper become more and more distinct. It begins to look like a woman creeping behind the foremost pattern, which looks like the bars of a cage. Soon the wallpaper controls the narrator’s mind. She identifies with it so clearly now, and is determined to figure it out on her own. The yellow wallpaper’s pattern now visibly is a woman who is trying to escape from behind the main pattern. The narrator however, suspects that John is well aware of her obsession, and she decides to finally destroy the paper at night. By the end, the narrator is despairingly insane, persuaded that there are several creeping women around and that she is in fact the trapped woman resembled in the wallpaper and has escaped. When John finally breaks into the locked room he is shocked at the apparent situation and faints in the doorway.

The Yellow Wallpaper is written in such a descending way that it actually made me feel as though I could identify with her spiral into insanity. It was very feminist and seemed to recommend that woman at this age were very oppressed and ignored by those in authority, or just men in general. As the narrator and her husband were clearly having marital problems, John decided to treat her as a doctor, and not husband. The story poses an argument that if roles are reversed or distorted, disaster occurs. I would agree with this, as the narrator was treated medically for marital problems, isolated alone, driven to insanity taking comfort in wallpaper, and eventually (as the text suggests) kills herself. When roles are treated wrong, whether it be the overpowering of man over women in the wrong situations disaster may occur, and things won’t function properly as they were meant to be.

            

Howell's “Criticism and Fiction”

In William Dean Howell’s excerpt from “Criticism and Fiction,” he opens essentially praising the work of Jane Austen, claiming her creativity makes her the first and last true realist of English literature. Realism is “material with entire truthfulness.” He expresses that it is because of her honesty that make her work so great, and therefore, beautiful. Howell from here however, then goes on to criticize numerous English writers such as Bulwer, Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, Thackeray, and even George Eliot. Due to the Romanticism era, he explains that these great writers could not escape the “taint of their time.” Thus, they could seldom write unbiased truth without shaping the subject in a self-pleasing way. On a more positive note however, he does compliment the quality of these writers. Yet he again proclaims that it doesn’t matter how well a piece is written if the idea it is conveying holds no truth. The one author, besides Austen that Howells slightly commends is Anthony Trollope. He says his “simple honesty and instinctive truth” made him great however, when he allowed his opinion to get in the way it would warp his wholesome idea, and thereby beauty surpassed him. Howell ends by claiming that if truth were a fad, perhaps society would seek it more in our writings; however we will have to wait until civilization advances to that point.

                Howell was very bold in criticizing so many well respected writers in “Criticism and Fiction.” I would agree with him in saying that the wholesome truth that lies in writing does in fact make it beautiful as truth is so untainted, and all together perfect in its nature. However,  I do still believe that it is not solely truth that makes a piece of work beautiful. And although some people may alter truth accordingly to what they see as beautiful, that is very well acceptable and in many cases what makes a writer unique and great. 

Franzen

Franzen’s essay “Liking is for Cowards. Go for what Hurts.” Mainly deals with the concept of liking versus loving, as well as our infatuation with consumer technologies such as BlackBerrys, and Facebook. He clarifies why our infatuation with technology delivers an easy alternate for love. “The striking thing about all consumer products – and none more so than electronic devices and applications – is that they are designed to be immensely likeable.” Franzen boldly claims that this is “the definition of a consumer product.” If considered in human terms, he relates this to people who can be defined by their desperation to be liked. These people go to extreme measures to present them self in a likeable pose. They are narcissists and cannot bear the thought of their image not being accepted, desired, or just plain liked. Franzen’s core claim could arguably be that highly apprehensive and self-absorbed  people are solely concerned with being liked, acknowledged, and approved. They have no integrity, and will soon become obsessed with satisfying what others’ want to see in them despite what it actually is. Today’s electronic devices and applications are so popular among these people, and for that fact, the majority of today’s society, because they are all targeted around and have access to the means of achieving these hopes that these people have of being accepted and desired. Technologies like these, such as Facebook, allow you to create a profile that defines you within the boundaries of a few quotations and photos; they enable you to associate yourself with what’s popular and socially acceptable. They hope to increase their appeal to others via these technologies and since attaining that satisfaction is so desired it really is what so strongly sells these websites and electronic tools the vast majority of today’s self-obsessive and concerned society.

                In Franzen’s essay he essentially criticizes society of what we are all truly guilty for; the strong, desperate desire to be liked and accepted. He explains how today’s technology are majorly used as social tools to enhance our social life, appeal, and popularity. I would definitely agree with Franzen. Even I myself, and I can think of many, many others who fall into this category at one measure or another of desiring so strongly to be liked. It is deep down something that is so desired in us and an obsession that these social applications are just feeding. In that light, are these technologies considered good, or sef-harming? How much more will we become dependent on Facebook, and these type of medias for our social stature; and to what level is it considered superficial?

Jamais cascio's "Get Smarter"

Jamais Cascio, in his article “Get Smarter,” begins by reflecting on how by in the past humans through adapting to situations that may be potential threats, have made us essentially smarter. We alter our brains to adapt to any abnormal situation that we may encounter. The technologies that we operate today are so detailed and up to date. They match exactly what we need and it is hard to imagine what could get better than this. However, we must acknowledge that this is how our ancestors have thought for centuries. Thus, it is only a matter of time until a new breakthrough in technology occurs and the current ones are thrown out of date, old, and useless. Cascio explains the amazement he finds in all the detail put fourth into today’s video games, and graphics as well as Pharmacological advances. Having pills that now permit us to concentrate for hours pass ones normal capacity, you would think that it is the pill making us smarter, however It is not the pill that is giving us the information but its enabling us to figure things out that would of been impossible before without the concentration. Technology and the contemporary way of life have allowed us to start having "fluid intelligence." In other words, with all the tons of information coming at us every day we only pick up little bits and store it without even thinking about it. A good analogy would be like that of a waterfall always overflowing and you having no other option but to undergo it. Cascio mentions also the possibility of a future computer chip that may be inserted into ones brain and programmed. He expresses that with this comes the danger that we may all not think alike. Therefore, if we’re all thinking alike we can never excel. It takes a contrast in back round and cultures for our world to truly grown and without those, we are essentially doomed and will fail to launch. Cascio does indeed believe that technology has made us smarter but there are definite cautions we must be aware of in this journey of advancements. In order to move forward into the unknown future technologies and mile stones we have yet to conquer, we must first be willing to adapt to new circumstances, and grow from them, in order to get there.

In “Get Smarter” Jamais Cascio is definitely pro-technology and optimistic for what the future holds. He claims that it is our technologies, the constant adaption to new circumstances, and how we grow, deal, and advance from these situations is how we get smarter. I agree with Cascio’s claim, and it is even true in my life from what I’ve observed; you can only truly grow if you go experience and deal with an issue for yourself. Therefore, by our society continuously striving for new solutions to problems, we become smarter, and from there are able to grow and advance. 

Nicholas Carr's "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” is an essay evaluating the internet’s effect on cognition. His main argument of the text is that the Internet might have harmful effects on cognition, thus weakening ability for concentration and reflective thought. Carr begins the text by reflecting on his lack of attention span that is rapidly increasing as he begins to rely on the internet more and more for resources. He claims we want are information in a “here and now,” type of manner. Therefore, internet users are becoming lazing, by letting the computer do all the work for us, we rarely even think for ourselves anymore. We seek convenience and quick answers; rarely do we actually think through and digest texts anymore. Another key argument of Carr’s is that “we inevitably begin to take on the qualities of technologies.” Thus we become reliant upon them and allow them to shape the way we think; therefore, they essentially control the way we operate, instead of them adapting to us, we adapt to them. For example, when the mechanical clock came into common use, we stopped using our senses and started obeying the clock. No longer did we base our day and act on instinct but we started to rely on time. The clock now decides when we eat, work, sleep, and rise. Is the internet manipulating our thoughts, and controlling the way we operate as well? To conclude, Carr places his skepticism in a historical setting, reflecting upon how previous critics of technological advances have proved themselves correct.  Skepticisms such as Socrates' concerns about written language and Hieronimo Squarciafico's concerns about printed works were unsuccessful to foretell the welfares these advancements might add to human knowledge.

Carr posed a very convincing and in my opinion accurate argument for the effects Google, or the internet in general is having on our society, and the minds of individuals in it. He explains how our cognition is negatively affected. Our attention spans have dramatically decreased, we are less patient, and lazy when it comes to analyzing, reading, and digesting text. I definitely agree with these strong arguments, even in my own life since I have started using and in result, depending on the internet more and more for my information I am becoming less patient and even perhaps lazy. Although Google is in fact, a good thing, and without a doubt a very efficient and useful way to get information, is it making humans any less intellectual? And since technology is advancing every day, will the raw human mind be affected even more negatively?

Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself"

In Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself,” he begins staring at a blade of grass. He explains how much he loves the world, in particularly nature, and how everything fits together harmoniously. He feels that nothing is bad that doesn't add to some larger good. Nature contains patterns in it that fit like a well-built house. He divides his personality into three parts: The "I' that involves itself in everyday things, the "Me Myself" that is apart from the “I” and enjoys the world, and the “soul,” that represents his most personal being. Whitman strongly believes people should not learn from books, or teacher, but they should go into the world and learn from raw experience itself. A young child asks him what grass is, and he has no answer, this makes him think particularly about those who existed on earth before him and are now buried in the ground. He connects with each individual and everything in the world, even those no longer alive. Whitman believes that truth can be found everywhere, and that all people are equal. He especially believes in the invisible connection and understandings between all people. For their own benefit, people should have faith in the order of nature, and accept it, including death. He concludes the poem saying that he will return his body to nature and continue on life’s voyage and until then he will wait for us to catch up with him.

Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” is very much pro-nature and humanity. In it, Whitman expresses his love for nature and humankind. He emphasizes his love for the natural order in creation, and feels everyone would be better off if we just accepted the order it brings, and connection we share with one another. A point he very much stresses, is the fact that people should not learn from teachers and books, but they should venture into the world and learn from the truth and experience that is everywhere. I would definitely agree with him to a point. I believe that people should not only limit themselves to classroom style learning because that can in many cases just be useless learning that only benefits from others ideas, and nothing of from your own mind. Therefore, how can your mind branch out and really grow if you do not give it the opportunity? If we really want to know and learn truth, we should go out and learn from the most solid truth accessible to us on this earth, which lies in nature. 

Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry"

In Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,” the speaker is a man on a ferry between Manhattan and Brooklyn. He peers over the ferry ledge to look at the water below and as he sees the clouds and sun reflected in the water and addresses them as “you.” The speaker also looks among the business and work people on the ferry saying they look “curious,” he then ponders the people who will in the future make the same trip across the river as them. The speaker then begins to feel connected to a sort of system larger then himself as he is bewildered at the act that the other future people crossing the river will see the same sunsets and tides. The speaker expresses that time and place cannot separate people and to the people of the future he says “I am with you.” He then gives examples of common experiences people all share such as being in a large crowd of standing against the rail of a ship. It is very apparent that the speaker now feels very close to his readers of the future as he says, "What's a couple hundred years between friends?" He begins to describe events of his life, as though we too are a part of it. He then however, begins to pour out his heart about all the evil sins he has committed, such as lying. Despite all these things though, he points out that he is just a typical man and he associates life to that of a theater. Going along with this theory he says how he could be watching us even as we are listening to him. He then goes to extremes and explains how nothing not even the "Gods," could be as great as the sight he has from the ferry. He says that we can only know the soul through all the things that make up the physical world, they wait for us to perceive them in the right way and we have ignored it, but we won’t anymore.

Walt Whitman’s “Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry,“ is very analytical of the connection that men have between each other, the connection between men and nature, and the connection between nature and the spiritual world. I would agree with the argument he poses regarding human’s relation with other humans. It is very true that within nature we can all share the same experiences, because it is unchanging and cannot be altered by men. Therefore, our ancestors can come back to it even a hundred years later to see, and experience the exact same things. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Experience"

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Experience” he considers, among other things, the death of his young son Waldo. Emerson writes in rather opinion or helplessness, “I grieve that grief can teach me nothing,” he laments, perhaps insisting there is nothing to learn from this devastating loss. Emerson goes on, leaning toward between acknowledgement and assertion, and creating along the way a number of key points. In “Experience” he defines “spirit” as “matter reduced to an extreme thinness.” He describes “human life” as consisting of “two elements, power and form, and the proportion must be invariably kept.” A major claim made by Emerson is “The years teach us much which the days never know,” this is an argument for the idea that experience cannot be condensed to or thought of by only the smallest events, then added back up again to establish a life. Therefore, there is a complex whole present in a life and at work through us. Another statement Emerson makes is that nature in itself is beautiful, it also holds patterns, and when people discover the patterns and begin seeing them, it loses its beauty. Despite the melancholy tone throughout Emerson’s essay he also shows optimism, a faith in human events and his sense that divinity radiates through all being. Every day,” he writes, and “every act betrays the ill-concealed deity.”

Emerson’s “Experience,” is at times despairing in its tone, particularly while he goes on about the death of his son. However, I believe some points he makes are quite valid. For example, when he says “The years teach us much which the days never know.” I would agree with this claim, a person cannot be defined by simply short days. However, days upon days added up give us experiences and ultimately teach us something, whether it is about ourselves or nature, years give us knowledge that short days cannot quite compare with. However, this claim does raise a question. Does this mean short days cannot teach us anything? For that I would disagree. For any day can hold great importance and lessons. I feel as though Emerson might not think so because he is still grieving the loss of his son and is quick to say that he will learn nothing from this grief. However, he must re-analyze this, because although that may be the case, often people learn the most from tragedy. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature”

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Nature” is the foundation of transcendentalism. It puts forth, a belief system that promotes a non-traditional appreciation of nature. This essay says that Transcendentalism suggests that we can only understand reality through studying nature. Nature is an experience of desolation. Emerson says that when one desires to be alone, they can look at the stars because the stars promote a feeling of respect; for they linger unreachable.  All matters in nature demand such an attitude of wisdom, joy and ease. Emerson also insists on the importance of this link between man and nature.  This power of happiness is not due only to nature, but to man as well, therefore the harmony between the two. He claims that in fact, because of our exchange with nature, we become a big part of God. Finally, Emerson expresses that we have to use the pleasure of nature in measure because "Nature always wears the colors of the spirit".

Emerson’s take on nature is very humble, and appreciative. He expresses his gratitude for the wisdom, power, joy, and ease we find in it, along with the respect we generally approach and take with us from nature. In many ways I would agree with Emerson in his take and claim on nature. I would say it definitely gives men a certain peace that no other matter can. The harmony that humans get from our in sync relationship with it is so divine I would agree that part of us is one with nature. However I would disagree with his claim saying that we become a part of God. I believe that God created nature and is superior over it, not one with nature. Although we are made in the image of God, and we are nature God is outside of nature and far greater.

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"

           "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a poem in which a unnamed narrator insists he is sane yet suffers from a disease, or nervousness that causes "over-acuteness of the senses". The old man whom he lives with has a clouded, pale, blue "vulture-like" eye which so troubles the narrator that he plans to kill the old man. Although the narrator states that he loves the old man, and hates only the eye, he insists that his careful thought put into committing this murder proves that he cannot possibly be insane. Seven nights in a row, the narrator opens the door to the old man’s room however; the vulture eye is always closed making it impossible for the narrator to commit his crime. On the eighth night, the old man awakens and sits up in bed while the narrator once again goes to open his door. Only this time the narrator does not draw back. When he shines his lantern light onto old man's eye, it reveals that it is wide open. Hearing the old man's heart beating unusually fast from terror, the narrator decides to strike, jumping out with a loud yell and murdering the old man with his own bed. The narrator takes apart the body and nails the pieces under the floorboards, making certain to hide all signs pointing to the crime. Despite this however, the old man's scream during the night causes a neighbor to alert the police. The narrator invites the officers in to investigate as he claims that the screams heard were his own in a nightmare and that the man is away in the country. Certain that they will not find any evidence of the murder, the narrator brings chairs for them to sit on the very spot where the body is concealed, yet they suspect nothing, as the narrator is calm and composed. His coolness however, begins fade as he starts hearing a faint noise. As it grows louder and louder, he realizes it is the heartbeat of the old man coming from under the floorboards. Although the sound is drastically increasing the officers seem unbothered by it as if they don’t hear a thing. Shaken by the constant beating and an irritated feeling that not only are the officers aware of the sound, but that they also suspect him, the narrator confesses to killing the old man and tells them to tear up the floorboards to uncover the body.

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” had a very dark vibe to it. My question for Poe would be, if the narrator loved the old man why did they feel they needed to be rid of him and his vulture’s eye? Perhaps it was the narrator’s disease or hypersensitivity. The story implies that the narrator has gone mad, if not before, definitely after the murder simply cannot deal with the guilt. As the story progresses the narrator’s conscience is perhaps what it making the noise of the heartbeat. A theme is the story seems to be that a guilty conscience does not rest well with the soul.

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"

Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “The Raven,” portrays a talking Raven’s cryptic midnight visit to a mourning narrator. The raven’s mysterious visit traces the lover’s slow spiral into madness. The lover, who is acknowledged as being a student, is sorrowfully regretting the loss of his love, Lenore. His method of attempting to forget his loss of Lenore, and sooth his pain, is by reading “Forgotten Love.” When the man notices the Raven appear perched on a bust of Pallas, he demands his name. However, the raven only answers with “Nevermore,” and the lover is amazed the raven can talk. As the man goes on distraught, he laments that the raven will soon fly out of his life, just as "other friends have flown before" along with his previous hopes. When the Raven seems to answer with “Nevermore,” the man claims that it is the only word he knows and must have learned it from a previous “unhappy master.” Even so, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven determined to learn more about it. He ponders for a moment however, and his mind wanders back to his lost love, Lenore. He thinks the air grows deeper and feels the being of angels around him. Flustered, by what this bird might have to do with this, the narrator grows angry, calling the raven a "thing of evil" and a "prophet". As he shouts at the raven it only replies, "Nevermore." Finally, he asks the raven whether he will be reunited with Lenore in Heaven. When the raven responds again with "Nevermore", he yells and commands the raven to go back to the "Plutonian shore,” but it doesn’t budge. The narrator's final stanza is that his soul is confined under the raven's shadow and shall be lifted "Nevermore."

Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven,” had a very eerie feeling to it. From the sorrowful lover lamenting his lost love, to the repetitive and rather annoying raven in the night, “The Raven,” was dark and cold. The narrator experiences a wavering conflict between desire to forget and desire to remember. Although trying to forget, the lover seems to get some pleasure from reminiscing and focusing on his loss. The narrator presumes that the word "Nevermore" is the raven's "only stock and store", and, yet, he continues to ask it questions. My question to Poe would be, why does the narrator continue to do this, knowing what the answer will be? His questions, then, seem purposely self-critical and further provoking of his feelings of loss.

James Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans"

Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans takes place in 1757, during the French and Indian War when France and Great Britain battled for control of the North American colonies. Cora and Alice Munro, daughters of Lieutenant Colonel Munro, are traveling with a group of assistances from Fort Edward to Fort William Henry. Among the men, are David Gamut, the singing teacher, and Major Duncan Heyward, the group's military leader.  A Huron scout, Magua, offers to take the group by a shorter route. However, unknown to the Munro’s he is really on the French side and intends to lead them into an ambush, but is interrupted when they meet, and the two Mohicans, Chingachgook and his son Uncas, on the road. Hawkeye says Mangua has deceived them by trying to lead them astray but the Huron escapes before they can capture him. Hawkeye leads the group to safety in a cave however they are soon interrupted and the Huron’s capture Alice, Cora, Heyward, and Gamut. When Heyward tries to convert Magua to the English side, the Huron tells that he seeks revenge on Munro for past disgrace and proposes to free Alice if Cora will marry him. Cora feels passionate for Uncas, however, and angrily denies him. Suddenly Hawkeye and the Mohicans burst into the scene, rescuing the captives. Magua is the only Huron who escapes this attack.The party at last reaches Fort William Henry, once inside; Cora and Alice reunite with their father. A few days later, the English militaries call for a truce. Munro finds that he will receive no back-ups for the fort and will have to surrender. While the English troops depart from Fort William Henry, the Indian allies attack the dispersing soldiers. Among the chaos, Magua recaptures Cora, Alice, and Gamut and takes them into the forest. Heyward, Hawkeye, Munro, and the Mohicans soon discover Magua’s trail and begin to hunt him down. Gamut reemerges and tells them that Magua has separated his captives, sending Alice to a Huron camp and Cora to a Delaware camp. Using many different of disguises and tricks, the group manages to rescue Alice from the Hurons. When attempting to rescue Alice, however, the group fails and Magua runs off with her.  A big chase and battle occurs where Cora is unfortunately murdered by a Huron and Magua eventually stabs Uncas in the back, but when he tries to leap across a large gap he stumbles and falls to his death. During the burial of the two, Uncas is declared to have been the last warrior of the Mohican tribe.

The Last of the Mohicans takes place in a time period of brutal war, conflict, and in an unstable newly discovered land. In the time period it was written the newfound nation was still feeling after effects of the war and pain that was involved with that. At a time when the colonies were so oppressed there was little trust and faith in anything. The Indians in general, especially the Herons are a big target in The Last of the Mohicans as untrustworthy heathens that take only conflict with and hate the white race. Munro towards the end expresses a hope that white and Indians will one day come to a peace where skin color no longer matters, but Hawkeye attempts to bring him back into reality by saiying that for racial equality were to exist there land is to contradict nature. I agree with this idea that Cooper is trying to convey. Although all races receive equal rights in America racism has always been an issue in this country unfortunately up to this present day. Along with his idea, will we ever see the day where all races truly see each other on equal levels? 

Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle"

                

Rip Van Winkle, a colonial British-American villager is loved by all in his town. However, a his bad habits including avoidance of all productive labor, for which his nagging wife criticizes him, results in his home and farm to fall into disorder due to his lazy carelessness. One day Rip is escaping his wife's nagging, by roaming up in the mountains with his dog, Wolf. Hearing his name being yelled, Rip realizes the speaker is a man dressed in Dutch clothing and carrying a keg up carrying a keg up the mountain, who needs Rip's help. While climbing up the mountain Rip soon stumbles upon discovers the origin of loud noises he heard before and sees a group of silent, Dutch dressed, men who are playing nine-pins. Although there is no exchange and Rip does not ask the men who they are or how they know his name, he begins to drink some of their whiskey, and soon falls asleep. He awakes in strange conditions, his gun is rusty, his beard has rapidly grown, and Wolf is gone. Rip goes back to his village where he finds that he recognizes no one. Rip soon learns that his wife has passed away and that his friends have also died in a war. He immediately gets into trouble when he declares himself a faithful subject of King George III, not knowing that the American Revolution has taken place; and the king's portrait in the town has been replaced by George Washington. Rip is also troubled to find another man is being called Rip Van Winkle, although this is his son all grown up. The men he met in the mountains, Rip learns, are supposedly the ghosts of Hendrick Hudson's crew. Rip is told that he has been away from his village for twenty years. An old local recognizes Rip and Rip's adult daughter takes him in. Rip continues his typical laziness and men in the town after hearing his story wish they could share in Rip's good fortune, and be able to sleep through the sufferings of war.

In Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle it was very easy for me to envision his common character of an early British-American settler. It seems obvious that the very first thing Rip notices when he wakes up is all the changes around him from the rust on his gun, to his physical appearance, and change in his usual surroundings. The changes that occur in a time period of 20 years are quite drastic anywhere, whether it be socially, physically, technologically, or democratically. I think the point of Rip falling asleep and waking up 20 years later was to show the contrast in time and how corrupt America has become. The age he wakes up in has a depressing vibe with war consuming or even taking everyone’s lives. This story is perhaps anti-American as well as anti-war.It really shows how much war was hated with the statement explaining how Rip had the luxury of sleeping for 20 years, so they too might be able to sleep through the raging war. My question for Irving would be does he find any good in the war at all? And although they were terrible, weren't those hardships necessary to bring about freedom?