The tension/storm

“So, the storm passed and everyone was happy.”

“The Storm,” written by Kate Choppin, isn’t just a short story it is one big metaphor.  The story revolves around a mother/wife named Calixta.  One day, her husband and son were stuck at the store when a storm was coming and she was home cooking for them.  As the storm came, one of her previous lovers, Alceé, came by her house on his horse and asked for shelter.  They had not seen each other or talked to each other in years.  The two of them began to flirt and quickly became very intimate.  When Alceé left the house, the narrator said that is when the storm ended.  The narrator was not actually talking about a storm.  She was talking about the tension, the relationship, and the wrongdoings between Calixta and Alceé.

9/28/14 6:33PM

Appearance vs. reality

In “The Real Thing” by Henry James, the narrator changes significantly throughout the story.  When the narrator (the artist) first met the protagonists, the Monarchs, he initially treated them with respect and in a way worshiped them.  He started off by sketching them because of pity but he realized that they aren’t the real thing and not that good at modeling so he loses his pity until he sees them at the end when they act like who they actually are so he becomes more interested.  He has trouble saying no to them because he’s interested in them.  In a way, the narrator sucks up to the Monarchs but that changes over time.  Throughout the story, the readers start to realize that the artist is the one who isn’t that great because he can’t draw the monarchs how they want him to so therefore he has no imagination.  The narrator has a better view of himself than actual reality and at the end when he says, “If it be true I am content to have paid the price--for the memory," ironically he realizes that he isn’t the real thing. In the end he came to realize that he isn’t as good as he thought he was.  Throughout the whole story he judges everyone about how pathetic they are and how they aren’t the real thing, but it takes him the whole story until the very last line for him to realize he’s the one who isn’t the real thing.

Hawthorne vs. Poe

I truly believe that you are not human unless you are evil.  Humans are evil.  Unlike Hawthorne, I focus more on the human psyche and the ability of humans to be evil.  I focus less on the fact that goodness is attainable.  Hawthorne is too focused on the morals and he is too didactic.  He believes that not everyone is perfect, humans are supposed to be imperfect.  His work on “The Birthmark” shows that humans are meant to be imperfect, that’s the way nature made them.  The birthmark symbolizes the flaws of humanity and if you have no flaws, you die.  When Aylmer used the powerful potion to get rid of the birthmark, it actually went away so Georgiana died because she had no imperfection and no flaws so she died.  This story was very morally charged.  Scientifically, the removal of her birthmark was a success but in nature, it was a failure because it shows that nature cant be changed or messed with.

-Poe 

Ben Franklin’s ideals: What does Franklin stand for?

• He stands for what’s best for the country
• He is determined to overpower what’s wrong and does not stop trying to overrule until he knows he has made enough points to win
• He states the conflict 
• he focuses on the truth
• human frailty
• integrity
• reason
• life should be lived with a purpose
• optimism 

What is American literature?

American literature is a piece of writing that has been written in the United States.  The writing is based off of events that are either occurring or have occurred in America.  The writings can be current or historical.  It can also be passed on from many generations. American literature reflects around freedom and patriotism for the country.  The form of writing can reflect anything that has to do with American such as: culture, traditions, food, etc...