Understanding Richard Wright's, "The Man Who Was Almost A Man"

In Richard Wright's, "The Man Who Was Almost A Man", we are introduced to Dave; a young man who is wanting to prove to everyone that he is a man.  He works hard but nobody appreciates it.  He is made fun of sometimes by friends and family, especially his mother.  Wright, carefully examines the misconception of many young men who try so hard to prove themselves to their peers and family that they can handle anything.  Too often, these young men commit foolish acts to prove their self worth.  Just as Dave did, by wanting to buy a gun because he thinks it will give him respect.  Little does he know that respect is earned through hard, honest work.  Of course, many people that we show respect to in our history books that are deemed heros, have been responsible for much brutality.  Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, and King David are some of the "heros" we respect.  As Dave manages to get the money from his mother for the gun; his immaturity quickly takes hold and cannot begin to understand that his actions do have consequences.  The gun, of course is a symbol of power to Dave.  His lack of understanding the gun's true power in the hands of someone so imature even after accidently killing the mule.  Dave is determined to control its power.  He will stop at nothing to posess it.  Acting on impulse and not understanding these consequences, Dave runs away with his gun.  He neglects his obligation to repay Mr. hawkins for the dead mule and leaves his family.  Wright leaves us the impression at the end of the story that Dave will probably make a more bad decsions that will put him in an even more dangerous situation.

Understanding Eudora Welty's, "Powerhouse"

In the short story, "Powerhouse", by Eudora Welty;

Understanding John Steinbeck's, "Flight"

In John Steinbeck's, "Flight", we are introduced to a young man, Pepe.  He wants so much to be respected by his mother.  Pepe knows that since he is the oldest and his father has been dead for many years; he must now be the man of the house.  His mother doesn't acknowledge this entitlement to Pepe, instead, she acusses him of being too lazy.  Mama Torres realizes that Pepe is too inmature because of his foolishnes with his father's knife; always playing with it and throwing it into posts.  Pepe mistakenly thinks that he is given a manly task to go and buy medicine and salt in the next town.  He professes that he is now a man as he begins his journey only to have his mother insult him for the last time.  When Pepe finally returns home, he confesses to his mother that he has probably killed a man with his knife.  He disrespected Pepe by calling him names as his mother regularly did.  Mama Torres huridly packs Pepe up to escape into the night.  As Pepe watches his mother pack, he now thinks of himself as a man.  He has to hear it from his mother, though.  She finally acknowledges his new title only because she knows he wouldn't leave until she reconfirms it.  Once on his journey, his mother cries in grief; knowing she has lost her son.  As Pepe begins his long journey through the mountains, Steinbeck beautifully describes the treachorous landscapes which Pepe must navigate.  It is a lonely, desperate journey that Pepe ultimately loses to the gunmen who follow mysteriously behind. 

Understanding William Faulkner’s, “Barn Burning”

William Faulkner’s short story, “Barn Burning”, seems to encapsulate the desires of any young boy who is looking for acceptance and approval from their father.  Faulkner helps us see what the boy perceives of his own father.  It could be easily said that the father was abusive and uncaring, but what his father was doing, on the order of sociopathic, was expressing his hatred for those that he didn’t bother to show any measure of respect.  The father not only scared his son, but begrudgingly, his wife and children.  They knew to stay well enough away from his sinister deeds, when he felt an injustice was done to him.  His callous nature and brooding, unsympathetic manners becomes evident when the father goes to see his new boss and pushes his way into the home all the while having fresh horse manure on his shoe.  He knowingly and spitefully walks on his boss’ rug.  After the wife rebukes him of his actions, he turns slowly and with a “heavy foot” smears the manure more, into the rug.  In the critical analysis of this story, it seems the father is so full of hate that he unapologetically burns down the barns of his accusers, knowing he was probably to blame for the actions that brought him to see the Justice of the peace in the first place.  When the son, realizes that his father is on another rampage and intends to burn down another barn, he tries to warn the victims of his deeds.  This seeming betrayal of the son to his father was in fact, retribution for all the years of neglect and abuse from an emotionally crippled coward. 

Hughes Poetry

Hughes had much to write about, his many years of travel afforded him the type of cultural experience that could'nt be found if you sit in a little corner of the world for your entire life.  Of his poetry, there are two that I enjoyed reading; "Question" and "Harlem".  "Question", I believe, talks of equality, finally in death.  "Harlem" asks a dream not chased or realized could be compared to things tangible like rotten meat or a dried raisin. 

Understanding Langston Hughes’, “On the Road”

“On the Road”, by Langston Hughes, is a short story of a homeless man that is trying to find refuge from the cold.  He has just gotten off a freight train and it is night time.  The cold, wet snow is unnoticed by the tall black man; hungry and tired are on his mind.  Hughes seems to pay tribute by recognizing the universal truth of desperation.  What one will do to survive even in the harshest conditions.  This short story just happens to take place during the Great Depression; during a time of severe oppression.  How can a cold, hungry, tired, black, homeless man survive during the most racially oppressive and economically depressive years of American history?  Hughes gives us just a glimpse of what it might have been like to endure a night of hell.  Hughes could have been more descriptive of what some African Americans truly suffered through, but it might not have been published.    It gave him peace and allowed him to seek refuge in his mind until it was time to hop on another train.  It is when he is beaten on the knuckles by the cop that he awakes to find himself in jail, for trying to break into a church, just to get out of the cold. The only thing that seemed to give the man hope was his delusions of walking with Christ, or was it?

Understanding Hemingway’s, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Malcomber”

In Ernest Hemingway’s, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Malcomber”, Hemingway introduces us to three main characters; Francis and Margaret Malcomber and Robert Wilson. Too briefly set the scene, The Malcombers are on safari in Africa and Mr. Wilson is their hired hunter.  Hemingway’s description of the fine clothes and well to do manner of the Malcombers and the bold, macho detail of Mr. Wilson’s ensemble, gives a general theme of a seemingly heroic beginning.   The events of the Francis’s cowardly actions aren’t reveled until the middle of the story and give an uneasy start to the tension.  Margret’s wandering eyes on Mr. Wilson is realized because Francis inability to shoot the lion.  Mr. Wilson picks up on this uneasiness and has no remorse for Francis’s feelings.  He regards Francis as a “poor beggar” but justifies his own actions by professing his condemnation of how Francis lets his wife treat him.  Throughout the story, Margaret has no pity on Francis and shows genuine contempt and a lack of respect for him. When she is caught having an affair with Mr. Wilson, she shows no remorse. It seems to take very little to turn Margaret’s loyalty from Francis. Yet, they both realize that they need each other for their own selfish needs.  Margaret needs Francis’s money and Francis needs Margaret’s beauty.   Hemingway has this amazing ability to bring you into the action of the moment.  The hunting scenes are a great example of how he makes the reader feel as if they are apart of the hunting party; you are there, watching the lion come at you or chasing the buffalo down. When Margaret shoots Francis accidently, Mr. Wilson helps us question Margaret’s true motives.  

Understanding Zora Neal Hurston's, “Their Eyes Were Watching God”

In Zora Neal Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Hurston tells the life-story of Janie Mae Crawford in the African American locale of the South.  Janie is a young woman who starts out living with her grandmother and dreams of experiencing freedom; freedom from living the oppressed life of an African woman living in the white South.  Even more hardships Janie must face in her struggle to find freedom is true love.  For that to happen, Janie must first experience the journey so that she can truly understand and appreciate what it is she is striving towards.  Hurston navigates Janie’s journey by introducing oppressive characters such as her husbands, Logan and Joe.  It is when Janie meets Tea Cake, (Vergil) that she finds an equal; someone who values her and allows her to be an individual with no expectations, except love. Hurston brilliantly empowers symbolism into the story that seems to level the playing field of power between Janie’s strong willed manor and the oppressive situations and characters.  Hurston makes Janie a true heroine by giving Janie the ability to climb a tree and watch the bees consummate as a sign of love and allows her to see the horizon; it being a symbol of freedom.  Hurston shows us that not only can individuals be controlling but the status of women as viewed by society can be obscured by what it deems appropriate.  She also magnificently brings Janie full circle to not only give her a journey, but bring her back home.  And home is where Janie returns, tattered and hair disheveled, but with a story of fulfillment.

Understanding Robert Frost’s Poetry

Robert Frost was an American poet that lived by day as a farmer and by night, writing his poetry.  His simplistic yet accurate vocabulary made him popular, garnishing awards and honorary degrees for his numerous works.  After his death in 1963, Frost's works of the American life solidified his place in American literature.  
One of his poems, “Mending Wall”, is almost a short story.  Frost is able to describe a moment when a grieving woman catches the view of her dead child’s grave from the stairs of her home.  Her husband sees her in a fearful state and begins to grill her as to what she is looking at.  The interaction of the couple touches the core of the lack of understanding between men and women.  The woman feels she can’t talk to her husband because of his lack of emotions and the husband doesn’t know how to fix the problem.  The poem reveals why she can’t talk to him; because she witnessed his coldness in digging the hole and his lack of compassion when he returns inside.  He doesn’t bother to take off his dirty boots and more importantly, comments on the bad weather that will rot his birch fence.  Frost allows us to see how important it is to have open communication and reveals man’s nature to be unforgiving. 
Another one of Frost’s poems, “The Road Not taken”, is another lesson he teaches us.  In the poem, he describes two roads.  One road has been used many times and its path can be seen far.  Its leaves are black from many a traveler and must be the popular way to go.  Frost chooses the other path.  Its symbolism of individuality is clear.  Always take the road that has been traveled.  He reinforces this idea by proclaiming, ”that it has made all the difference”.
Finally, Frost’s poem, “Fire and Ice”, seems to be mocking the idea of a judgment day.  He agrees with the notion of the world ending by fire because of what he has experienced in life.  The “desire” that he has tasted could be referred to as sin and the hate he is familiar, seems to show his indifference with how the world could end.  Either way, fire or ice, both would do the job. 

Understanding Edith Wharton’s, “The Other Two”

In Edith Wharton’s short story, “The Other Two”, Wharton places us in the Victorian era of New York and in the home of Mr. Waythorn.  Even though the story begins with the description of Alice’s rattled marriages to Mr. Haskett and Mr. Varick, the story is really about her third husband.  A successful investor, Waythorn has married Alice, who has a twelve year old daughter, Lily.  Wharton’s process of describing Waythorn’s dominance as a husband in the beginning of the story when he learns Lily’s father, Mr. Haskett has been given the right, through a court order, to see his daughter.  Waythorn’s home as described by Wharton seems the model to which all upper class society adhere is suddenly uprooted with the realization Waythorn will have to allow a stranger of unknown means into his secure and controlled environment.  Wharton also allows us to see a woman’s roll in respect to their husband by expressing certain unnerving, descriptive thoughts of Alice when dealing with Waythorn and asking vague questions of his day.  Waythorn, in his mannerism, seems amused with the proper motion of things.  When watching his wife walking of a man pouring coffee into a cup; Wharton takes note not to let one move go unnoticed by Waythorn.  Even though Lily is not his daughter, Wharton also shows how much Waythorn takes his role as a new husband and a new father figure by Waythorn’s properly placed concerns of Alice and Lily.  Yet, throughout the middle of the story, Waythorn wants to flee his home when he first learns of Mr. Haskett and his visit.   Waythorn tries to fill his whole day with work.  When he finally meets Haskett, Waythorn is surprised that this mild, meek man posed no threat at all, and made Waythorn wonder why he had put up such a thought of malcontent on the whole matter.  He begins to question Alice’s judgment as to why she left the man at all.  Waythorn’s opinion of the men seems to be pitted against Alice.  This lack of support as a husband shows how little the feminine characters of the time were regarded.  This is evident with the three men, together in Waythorn’s library.  A unity against the women?

Understanding Stephen Crane’s Poetry

“A man said to the universe: “Sir, I exist!”  “However,” replied the universe, “The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.” This poem by Stephen Crane gives us a glimpse into the collective ideal that he places on man’s significance in the universe. He seems to revel in the fact that man tries to put meaning into his own life by placing himself in constant battles with nature, each other and God.  He satirically shows how man tries so hard to fight a force greater than himself and always fails.  Crane shows the bitterness of human suffering and how all the powerful forces show no mercy on his plights.  Nature is nature.  It will come when it wants.  Man cannot force it.  Crane explains that certain men make war and die; it is their heritage to do so.  Crane’s fighting to stay alive is one of the best examples of naturalism in his poetry.  He also seems to question the very existence of hope.  Hope is useless and has no place in the universe.  If it does exist, what is the reward for having it?  Crane’s practicality almost mocks those that try to battle that supreme power of all things.  He doesn’t seem to stop there.  He questions any attempt to humanize anything that maybe considered divine.  This maybe due to his strict, religious upbringing by his parents, that showed little emotion and constantly reminded him of his sinful life.  That man was born into sin and must be forgiven through repentance and prayer.  When Crane finally leaves his home and begins to live his life, he, in his writing, rebukes the notion and comes to believe nature is the more powerful force in the universe. 

Understanding Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat”

In Stephen Crane’s short story, “The Open Boat”, Crane takes us on a heroing adventure through the open seas, on a small dingy holding four men that have fled their sinking ship.  They have only each other and the crashing waves around them, their enemy.  This naturalistic story of survival of man against nature describes a scenario that can be understood in realistic terms. Even thought “The Open Boat” does seem very naturalistic, giving very descriptive plights of the unforgiving sea. Crane makes you feel like you are one of the castaways, fighting alongside the men, to stay afloat and find land before it is too late.  You feel the darkness of the sky and the bouncing of the jagged waves as they slosh you around the little boat.  The four main characters, the captain, the correspondent, the cook and Billie, the oiler all have their satirical indifference to the situation; some more so.  This reaction to their grave situation turns more desperate and you begin to feel empathy as they begin to reflect on their mortality.  Outwardly, though, the men crack jokes.  The constant rowing and gradient feel of exhaustion on the four men adds to the climax of impending doom.  Its increasing physical strain along with the violent environment puts into perspective man’s fragility in the universe.  Everyone on board has job to do and collectively they know they must work together in order to survive.  As the men push their way through the sea, they finally see land in the pin drop distance.  The men’s hope of rescue is all but dashed as it is realized the rescue station is abandoned.  Hope may be found when a single man on the shore sees them and twirls his coat around and around. But they quickly realize he isn’t part of any rescue. When the dingy crashes over, the men must swim to shore.   Billie takes heed and swims past all of them using all of his energy to reach land.  The others smartly use parts of the little boat as floats and row themselves at a steady pace.  This symbolic moment becomes realized as the men reach the shore only to find Billie dead; drowned by the sea.  The strongest of them did not survive.  Crane might be trying to tell us that when it is man versus nature, the universe is indifferent, but in the end was it survival of the fittest or was it divine intercession.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-Paper”

The short story, “The Yellow Paper”, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is an interesting read.  It seems to be an articulated look at the psychology of a paranoid, clinically depressed woman who becomes suffocated by her husband’s dominance.  Slowly, the fragile mental state of this unhappily married woman becomes evident as she slips away from reality and becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper that surrounds her bedroom.  Her depression with bouts of hallucinations progress through the story.  The vivid details of the agonizingly hideous wallpaper engulf her as she concludes the wallpaper is evil and harbors a woman held against her will.  Behinds the imaginary bars of the wallpaper, the woman behind bars shakes and stirs about, eventually getting out.  The author’s despair of her own prison is mirrored in the wallpaper.  She goes into great detail describing the torturous nights staring and watching the moonlit wall animate her own real life mental anguish of being a kept woman.  Her freedom from the obsession, as the author would like us to believe, morphs into a complete psychotic breakdown in the end, as she assimilates back into the wall paper.  The author teaches us that depression from oppression can bring about an alternate sense of reality.  Gilman’s own depression gives us a sense of how she was able to transfigure the main character’s mentality and describe its evolution. 

Sarah Jewett’s, “A White Heron”

In Sarah Jewett’s, “A White Heron”, the author brings to life, Sylvia; a young girl who adores nature.  Sylvia can be found, most days, outside, playing and taking in the woods that surround her grandmother’s tiny farm.  Sylvia shows appreciation of the active, slumber some forest by reflecting on her days of living in an industrial town; it had no life like the woods!  Jewett shows this respect of Sylvia’s character through her journey of fetching her grandmother’s cow and her unwavering loyalty towards the white heron.  She has no inclination of real human interaction as can be observed when seeing the hunter stranger for the first time.  As the day goes by, Sylvia becomes infatuated with the handsome man.  When she learns of his interests in collecting and stuffing rare birds, Jewett shows a real struggle with both characters.  Sylvia is reluctant to tell him where he may find the rare white heron and the hunter presses her for the vital information.  The climax of the story seems to be the discovery by Silvia of the rare bird after an exhausting climb up an old pine tree.  The beauty of the panoramic view, once atop the tree and the discovery of the nest and the heron flying about; solidifies Sylvia’s dedication to nature.  Jewett shares their moment, watching the morning come alive. After she makes the harrowing descent down the tree, another poignant moment comes when the hunter asks her again if she has seen the white heron.  Sylvia’s decision not to reveal the secret nesting ground proves worthwhile as the hunter spends the rest of his few days killing birds for his collection.  In the end, Jewett asks us to decipher our loyalties.    

Freeman’s “A New England Nun”

In Mary Freeman’s “A New England Nun”, it describes, in intricate detail, the daily life of Louisa Ellis. This character is based on the women of the post civil war era, in the Northern states.   Freeman uses local color to describe the environment and characters to set the tone for Louisa’s life.  Much detail is given to Louisa’s mannerisms such as the motion in which she grasps objects, setting down, and all the details involved in such actions.  Freeman makes sure to almost plague Louisa with the symbolic gestures of getting everything right in all that she does.  The grace and serenity of Louisa gives you the sense that she is sitting across from you at your table and watching her sipping tea and sewing.  Louisa admires the perfection of all things linear and in its place.  You may be incline to believe that her home is a jewelry box of treasures, that are placed perfectly in its velvet lined holders and are not meant to be touched, only admired.  Freeman shows that Louisa’s life is intentionally devoid of any real excitement.  That peace and calmness are her only desires.  These simple pleasures may seem melancholy to most people.  And Freeman expresses this idea through the reactions of Joe Dagget and the comments of his mother’s indifference to Louisa’s unimportant pastimes.  It is interesting to see that even the animals in Louisa’s life seem affected by the lack of any stimulation by her existence.  It is only when Joe Dagget comes into the scene that the canary begins to fluff his wings and flap around its cage and the dog would come out of his hut to greet him; knowing he offers no food, only attention.   Freeman goes further by comparing Joe to a bear in a china shop, when describing his presence in Louisa’s home.  Freeman’s title seems to ring true that Louisa prefers to live the life like a nun rather than a wife.  A sense of relief is given to Louisa when she admits to Joe her many years of waiting for him had put her in such a way, that she would not be able to make that change.  Joe agrees.  In the end, Louisa keeps intact the smoothness and ease of her delicate life.

My Understanding of Emily Dickinson

I had never read the poetry of Emily Dickinson, nor do I know much of her life before reading, “The Literature of the Late Nineteenth Century”.  After doing so, I have come to the realization that Emily Dickinson must have been a tortured soul.  Clearly, a genius of the English language, it seems that much of her time was spent in her Amherst, New York home, along with her mother, father and sister.  Her mother became an invalid, forcing her and her sister to take care of the household.  Since she never worked and rarely left the home, Dickinson spent much of her time reflecting on the world and time.  Death and love that never seems fulfilled seem to be running themes throughout her poems.  Always reaching and grasping, yet, never grabbing a hold of what ever the desire may be.  My understanding of Dickinson’s poetry is that it seems to hold more meaning and is meant to be understood only for herself; not a journey to be shared with others. For the reader, moments of clarity are seen and can be invigorating; but become clouded by her understanding of reality.  Reality is different for everyone, but what brings people together is a common understanding of a thought or feeling that has been shared by others.  In my limited understanding of poetry and the life of a nineteenth century woman, I fail to see the appreciation of her works.  My reality does not comprehend it.   

Understanding Twain's Huckleberry Finn

     In Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Twain takes us on a journey of human development as seen through a child's eyes of Huckleberry Finn.  Twain creates this development through the use and setting of 1880's Missouri; a period of social and moral ambiguity.  A time when slavery was considered acceptable and children had no rights.  As the novel starts, we see Huck's struggle with doing the right thing and constantly questions authority as well as his own conscience.  Huck would rather go to hell than wear clean clothes, pray, and go to school.  Twain clearly gives Huck a logical sense when all of the other characters who, at first seem to be trying to do the right thing for Huck; end up damaging and putting him into potentially harmful situations. An example, when Judge Thatcher orders Huck to be removed from Miss Watson's home and palced into the care of Huck's drunken, abusive Father.  When Huck, for a time goes to live with his Father, he realizes he must escape in order to survive imprisonment and starvation.  His only escape, is into the Missouri river; which will act as a catylist for Huck and Jim's journey throughout the novel.
     The Missouri river will bring Huck to Jim.  The relationship that bonds them is that of surival and eventually freedom.  Jim will become a Father figure to Huck.  Jim, a escaped slave, will depend on Huck.  There is a childlike innocence between the two.  Jim proves to Huck that there can be love and trust.  This is tested several times, throughout their journey as they encounter many amoral people,slave hunters and thieves, along the river.  This further propels Huck into adulthood; forced into making tough decisions and questioning his own actions.  Throughout the story, Huck has to lie in order to get his way or to get out of a situation.  Twain seems to show, in an amoral society, one is forced to lie to do what they feel is right.  Huck clearly proves this point by not turning Jim over to the slaves hunters; a true example of loyalty and friendship.  In the end, Twain teaches us a valuable lesson.  Freedom and loyalty are the most important things in life. 

My Blog Intro

Hello, all. I am looking forward to American Lit class, although I have to admit, most of my reading hasn't been in novels; rather, it has been through the internet.  I like to research alot of different subjects and, of course, the internet seems to be the best way to get a great deal of sources.  I enjoy learning about sustainable energy and conservation.  Also, my passion lately, has seemed to be the biblical accounts of its' writers and the authenticity of its' authors.  I look forward to expanding my mind a bit, in American Lit class.