Benito Cereno is a great story. Filled with action, Melville describes one ships struggle through a cross-ocean voyage. Melville makes this story enjoyable by the development of the characters. Each character seems to have a specific trait that makes them unique either by the way they laugh or talk to their inferior sailors aboard.
While this story has great detail and is accompanied by colorful characters’, I feel Melville had intentions of delivering a message of race relations in this story. While I understand the irony of saying a story that focuses on a slave ship has a lot to do with the improvement of race relations, I do feel Melville did some justice for the appearance of slaves in the country at this time. First and foremost a slave is given an active role where is viewed as intelligent rather than just a cotton field worker. One image most striking to me is the image of Babo supporting and holding up Cereno during one of his fainting spells aboard the ship. This shows a black man supporting a high ranking officer; very unique for this time. While they still are viewed as slaves in this story they are given names and a high level of intelligence. This is special for this time because I feel that slaves were thought of as extremely inferior to whites. This shows that Melville is not afraid of letting the reader know that slaves are intelligent. While slaves are still suppressed in this story, Babo I feel is a prime example of how the author feels slaves are beginning to emerge to the public’s attention as intelligent and capable.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Young Goodman Brown
Young Goodman Borwn By Hawthorne
Hawthorne used an immense amount of dialogue in order to convey his message in the short story ‘Young Goodman Brown.’ By the developing his characters, one really became in touch with the plot and what was happening. Hawthorne begins the journey, which is this story, by opening with a scene between the newly married Goodman Brown and his wife who does not want him to leave. However, Brown chooses to leave and encounters numerous struggles along his way. Nevertheless, every character is painted perfectly as everyone is introduced in a fashion where you “get to know them” in a certain sense. Like a woman who dramatically begs her husband to stay because she feels danger is near. However this “painting of a picture” Hawthorne develops is rationalized by his language and use of imagery throughout the story.
Hawthorne paints a perfect picture of how the environment is around the characters and makes you feel like you are a bystander watching from behind. “The cry of grief, rage, and terror, was yet piercing the night, when the unhappy husband held his breath for a response.” This picture perfectly portrays the mood and the somberness of what has occurred. By using imagery, Hawthorne is able to develop his characters and use dialogue between the populace to create a story that brings you in and makes you feel as if you are watching from afar.
Hawthorne used an immense amount of dialogue in order to convey his message in the short story ‘Young Goodman Brown.’ By the developing his characters, one really became in touch with the plot and what was happening. Hawthorne begins the journey, which is this story, by opening with a scene between the newly married Goodman Brown and his wife who does not want him to leave. However, Brown chooses to leave and encounters numerous struggles along his way. Nevertheless, every character is painted perfectly as everyone is introduced in a fashion where you “get to know them” in a certain sense. Like a woman who dramatically begs her husband to stay because she feels danger is near. However this “painting of a picture” Hawthorne develops is rationalized by his language and use of imagery throughout the story.
Hawthorne paints a perfect picture of how the environment is around the characters and makes you feel like you are a bystander watching from behind. “The cry of grief, rage, and terror, was yet piercing the night, when the unhappy husband held his breath for a response.” This picture perfectly portrays the mood and the somberness of what has occurred. By using imagery, Hawthorne is able to develop his characters and use dialogue between the populace to create a story that brings you in and makes you feel as if you are watching from afar.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The Group
The Group
by Mercy Otis Warren
After reading this play I felt perplexed by the complexity of it. The plot and story line were both extremely deep and truly needed an in-depth analysis to accurately understand. I was put at ease however when we as a class agreed how intricate this play was. I was comforted to know that I was not the only one left in the dark. However, after going back and breaking down specific scenes, pieces of the puzzle began to shape in my mind.
By breaking down the language and looking at what is being said it was made much easier for me to understand. Especially in the piece Kelly assigned for us to go back and recite, the break down of the language was crucial. Understanding specific excerpts like:
by Mercy Otis Warren
After reading this play I felt perplexed by the complexity of it. The plot and story line were both extremely deep and truly needed an in-depth analysis to accurately understand. I was put at ease however when we as a class agreed how intricate this play was. I was comforted to know that I was not the only one left in the dark. However, after going back and breaking down specific scenes, pieces of the puzzle began to shape in my mind.
By breaking down the language and looking at what is being said it was made much easier for me to understand. Especially in the piece Kelly assigned for us to go back and recite, the break down of the language was crucial. Understanding specific excerpts like:
“To equal liberty, conferred on man, By him who formed the peasant and the King! Could we erase these notions from their minds,”
This shows that they wish to erase the notion that they are freed and ruled by the King who they wish to break away from and revolt against. There were several instances where breaking down the old English language helped me understand the text that much more. Rather than just reading words it became easier to comprehend.
This shows that they wish to erase the notion that they are freed and ruled by the King who they wish to break away from and revolt against. There were several instances where breaking down the old English language helped me understand the text that much more. Rather than just reading words it became easier to comprehend.
Friday, February 2, 2007
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Ben Franklin is brought to life in his Autobiography as we see how innovative of a mind he truly has. In part three Franklin discusses many elements of his life such as when he was Postmaster general and when he invented the stove. Most striking and prevalent to me in this section however, was his political stance towards certain issues. He advocates these issues more and more as he publishes them in his Newspaper in which he prints. The issue that stood out the most to me was his view towards England at this point.
Franklin in this section focuses on the events of the French and Indian war. However his account does not thump the French, who at the time were the enemies, but degrade the British and make us believe that a revolt is possible as he makes the British soldiers seem incompetent. Franklin begins to show how well rounded he is during this chapter as well as he shows he has military strategies as well. In this section Franklin foreshadows many events to come as he in a sense glorifies the French and debases the British.
This chapter is significant as Franklin shows his military strategies and also unveils certain inventions and experiments he creates such as electricity and the stove.
Ben Franklin is brought to life in his Autobiography as we see how innovative of a mind he truly has. In part three Franklin discusses many elements of his life such as when he was Postmaster general and when he invented the stove. Most striking and prevalent to me in this section however, was his political stance towards certain issues. He advocates these issues more and more as he publishes them in his Newspaper in which he prints. The issue that stood out the most to me was his view towards England at this point.
Franklin in this section focuses on the events of the French and Indian war. However his account does not thump the French, who at the time were the enemies, but degrade the British and make us believe that a revolt is possible as he makes the British soldiers seem incompetent. Franklin begins to show how well rounded he is during this chapter as well as he shows he has military strategies as well. In this section Franklin foreshadows many events to come as he in a sense glorifies the French and debases the British.
This chapter is significant as Franklin shows his military strategies and also unveils certain inventions and experiments he creates such as electricity and the stove.
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