Crossing the Bar

I think that Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem Crossing the Bar is both literal and symbolic. The speaker in the poem begins with explanation of embarking on a journey in a ship. He expresses desire for a high tide so that his ship will effortlessly "cross the bar", which is referring to a sandbar. His journey could also be symbolic of death. There are several parts of the poem that I think might suggest this, like that he feels he is being called on the journey. Also, he says For though from out our bourne of, Time and Place, The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my pilot face to face, When I have crossed the bar". This means that though he may travel beyond time and space, he retains hope that he might meet his "pilot". To me, this clearly means death. Theist line of "when I have crossed the bar" further emphasizes death because he is speaking of a new period, time, and place. He is referring to the crossing from a world of life to that of death. He sees death as a journey that will call him out to unexpected and unadvertised new things. 

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

In this poem, Dylan Tomas refers to death as "that good night". His poem's main theme is to fight against "that good night", to fight death until the end. He uses repetition in every stanza, ending each one with the line "do not go gentle into that good night" or "rage, rage against the dying of the light". He encourages all men to not give up easily and to gift for each moment of life that they can manage to hold on to. I think this poem might be inspired by his own father's death because in the last stanza he says, "And you, my father, there on the sad height... Do not go gentle into that good night..."  It is possible that he is encouraging others to gift against death because he wishes his father could as well. I know that if someone I knew was dying, I wod selfishly want them to hold on as long as they could, to go down with a fight, so that I could spend as much time with them possie. Maybe Thomas feeled this same way, wishing to hold on to someone close to him.

Death Be Not Proud

I think this poem is trying to lessen the fear death can inspire. The entire poem uses personification by addressing death directly, as a foe who should not be proud. The line, "Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings and desperate men...", very well illustrates this theme. The line is saying that death itself has no power. Death itself is simply a result of things such as fate, chance, and any other number of situation. Death is an inevitable part of life, an therefore should not be feared.  In other words, as John Donne phrased it in the title, Death Be Not Proud. The poem gives all death's credit to its causes, like poison, war, and sickness. Really, death has nothing to be proud of since it can take no responsibility. Death is a mere part of life.

The Lottery

This story reallyade me think about the idea of tradition. There are some things we do that are only done because our parents, grandparents, and generations before them did it before us. There are many such traditions that exist in society today. Why do people give gifts wrapped in paper on Christmas? The answer that we do this in memory of Jesus in the Cstholic Church is true, but we don't question this act is because we simply understand it as something that has been done for ages. Thanksgiving is another example. Why do people make pumpkin pie and watch a parade? We do these things becaus they are a tradition. In the story, Old Man Warner states that their ancestors used to say, "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon." This rhyme just adds to the idea that this tradition has ensued for ages, an the people continue because it is what they know. Shirley Jackson cleverly shows people's blind following of traditions through her symbolic The Lottery.

A Rose For Emily

After reading this story, is is very clear the Miss Emily killed Homer Baron, and he did not simply die in his sleep. Not only is it incredibly suspicious that she never would report his decaying body in the bedroom of her home, but several other details reveal a motive as well as other strange actions that point towards murder. First of all, the last time anyone other than Miss Emily saw Baron, he was entering her house. No one ever saw him leave. Additionally, Emily bought him a suit and a "silver toilet" that are both present in the room where his dead body lies, almost like she designated the room to him, purposely placing his body and belongings in a real-life arrangement. It might look as if they are married and simply layin down for the night, if his body wasn't dead and decaying that is. Miss Emily also had a clear motive. Homer Baron declares that he likes men and is not "the marrying type". This clearly shows that he and Emily are not compatible to be married, and this is the reason I think she murdered him. After her father died, she became more dependent on Baron because she was so close to her father, as seen by her keeping his dead body like she kept Homer Baron's. Because he will not marry her, she killed him to ensure he would never leave her like her father did. If the motive and creepy bedroom set-up aren't enough proof, the scene at the drug store also aids in the argument of Baron's murder. " 'I want some poison,' she said. 'Yes, Miss Emily. What kind? For rats and such? I'd recom--'. 'I want the best you have. I don't care what kind.' " William Faulkner gives numerous clues throughout his A Rose for Emily to show Emily's guilt, the final clue being her grey hair and head-indent in the pillow beside Homer's body in the bed, showing that she had clearly slept by him at night.

The Glass Menagerie: Pathos and Humor

I've already addressed the pathos that the character of Tom brings to attention with his unfortunate position in a job that he hates. However, I have determined that he is my favorite character in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie with the humor he brings to the play as well. I'm not sure if it stems from his bitterness with life or his personality in general, but his sarcasm brings some distinct comedic effect to the plays abundance of Amanda's fretting and Laura's predicaments. For example, he asks, "An particular place you would like me to sit?" In response to his mothers over exaggerated nagging about Laura's potential gentleman caller. On the next page, he implores, "Shall I call him up and ask him his minute?" when his mother will not leave the issue of whether the Irish Mr. James D. O'Connor drinks. Like his mother portrays a typical mother in many ways, he is an average brother. He is funny and sarcastic and cares very much for his sister. When Amanda is asking that he find a gentleman caller for Laura, his response of "Oh, my go-osh!" reminded me of my brother in his sarcastic and humorous replies to many of his mother's requests. Regardless, Tom secures a gentleman caller anyways, showing that through the humor and bitterness, he cares very much for his mother and sister.

The Glass Menagerie: The Average Mom

Though she has her selfish moments, Amanda seems like a typical mom. She loves her children more than anything, and wants the best for them (even though this also means the best for herself). For example, when she joins Tom out on the fire escape in Scene 5 and asks what he wished on the moon for, she shares her wish with him, "I'll tell you what I wished for on the moon. Success and happiness for my precious children! I wish for that whenever there's a moon, and when there isn't a moon, I wish for it, too." Amanda genuinely wants Laura to be successful in finding a husband so that she will live a secure life. She really wants Tom to be happy, and even is willing to give her blessing in his leaving to find adventure, as long as she and Laura are secure. This part of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams actually surprised me, when Amanda tells Tom, "I know what you're framing of. I'm not standing here blindfolded. Very well, then. Then do it!" I never though Amanda would be okay with Tom leaving, no matter how unhappy he was, because of what her husband did to the family. She shows just one aspect of her motherly instinct there. Amanda is also the average fussy, nagging mother. She is always fussing about trivial matters, like preparing he house before Laura's first gentleman caller, or with her constant worrying, "Where is your muffler? Put your wool muffler on!" With her nagging, which is obviously because she cares, Amanda reminds me a lot of my own mom.

The Glass Menagerie: Tied Down

I really pity Tom in regards to his being unable to follow his dreams. He is caught in a life that he absolutely loathes, always wishing for the adventure that is never found in his tiresome warehouse job. He says, "...I like adventure. Adventure is something I don't have much of at work, so I go to the movies". Not only is he tied down from adventure by his job, but he is prevented from leaving that job by the dependency his mother and his sister have on him. Like his father, Tom wishes to find adventure and leave his troublesome life behind. However, unlike his father, Tom cares too much about his family to simply abandon them. It is unfortunate that he is constantly reminded of this option, the option his father chose, by the picture of the father that plays a large role in the Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie as well as his mother's constant nagging to not be like his father. Tom has inherited a large responsibility as well as his father's yearning for adventure, but he proves his character with his endurance and loyalty to the family despite the frustration it causes him.

The Glass Menagerie: Amanda, the Hypocrite

Right from the beginning of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, I got the impression that Amanda was a selfish person. If not selfish, she is just self centered, and mainly concerned with her own well being. In Scene 1, she is obsessed with the memories of her own gentleman callers and how's my there were. She seems to live in the last because she isn't pleased with her present. She also skirts around the issue at hand, Laura's lack of confidence and dropping out of school, with selfish concerns. She says, "We won't have a business career-- we've given that up because it have us nervous indigestion!". By including herself in this statement with the use of the word "we", Amanda illustrates her main frustration with Laura is that she cannot support her mother, she is dependent so the only source of income for the family is Tom who loathes his job. Then in Scene 4, Amanda tells a Tom, "Overcome selfishness! Self, self, self is that you ever think of!" Amanda's statement here is quite ironic because she could easily be talking about herself. She is guilty of always being concerned withe herself, but blames Tom for this anyways.

The Glass Menagerie: The Impact of the Father

I find the impact of Amanda's husband Tom and Laura's father the most evident in Scene 4 of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. There are subtle signs of his impact on the family throughout the entire play, but in this scene they are directly stated, "And you - when I see you taking after his ways! Staying out late- and- well, you had been drinking the night you were in that-terrifying condition!". Amanda is declaring her fear that Tom might follow in his father's footsteps. She calls Tom her "right-had bower", expressing how much she and Laura both depend on him. Mother sees how much Tom hates his job as a factory worker and how much he longs for adventure. Tom says, "Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a fighter, and none of those instincts are given much play at the warehouse!". Tom needs adventure in his life, and the lack of adventure he sees from day to day is driving his imagination to places other than his home. Amanda is not he only one who sees this. Amanda tells Tom, "She has an idea that you're not happy here," in reference to Laura. Laura is very perceptive of her surroundings and sees Tom's unhappiness with his life, she also worries that he will imitate their father and leave the family. In my opinion, Tom seems to care far too much about his mother and sister to ever abandon them.