Thursday, December 6, 2007

Top 10....

Top 10 Reasons (in no particular order) Why Fermina and Florentino's relationship in old age is much healthier than their relationship in their youth.

1. When Florentino and Fermina are both adults, they have more control over their own lives. Fermina is free of the restrictions her father once placed on her personal relationships, and Florentino is free of his mother's well-meaning, but often bad advice (such as the time she advised him to enjoy his suffering instead of allowing himself to concentrate on things in life which did not cause him so much pain and anguish.) Therefore, it is easier for them to court and spend time getting to know one another.

2. Since both Fermina and Florentino are both old and wrinkly, their love must be based on something more substantial than each other's appearance or physical attractiveness.

3. After his initial faux pas of showing up at Fermina's house just after Urbino's death, Florentino tries to appear less obsessive and more charming. While he is still secretly just as obsessed with Fermina now as he was fifty plus years ago, his attempts to give her some space and not to simply shower her with compliments. He no longer places her on an impossibly high pedestal as he once did.

4. They do not need to worry about money or future success. Their lives are in order so they can devote more time to one another than they could when they were younger.

5. Florentino's methods of courtship are much less creepy than they used to be. Instead of corresponding with Fermina via letters hidden randomly around their city, they simply use the post to communicate (although he does take certain precautions when doing so.) Also, they have much more face-to-face interaction. Florentino comes to Fermina's house once a week and they talk or play cards together. Fermina's son even interacts and develops a positive relationship with Florentino.

6. Their letters are no longer about blind (emphasis on blind) passion but instead about more adult topics that go beyond their relationship itself. For instance, Florentino helps her recover from the loss of her husband even though he had secretly been awaiting Urbino's death since his and Fermina's marriage.

7. They are older and wiser. While they have not lived life together and had the experience of growing old together, both are significantly more mature and therefore able to connect on a deeper level than they did when they were young.

8. Because of their age, neither has to worry about the other potentially falling for someone else. At this point in their lives, either the two of them will get together, or they will both be single for the rest of their lives. The competition factor that existed in their youth has disappeared.

9. Florentino's impulsivity is not as catastrophic as it was once; since their next day might be their last they care less about their actions. For example, allowing the captain to fly the cholera flag on their boat was an impulsive and unwise decision; however, even in the worst case scenario, nothing terrible can really come of it for Florentino and Fermina--they'll be dead soon anyway :-D.


I lied. I could only come up with nine reasons. Can you think of any that I didn’t mention that perhaps I should have added? (WC 549)

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

My take on one of Ariza's letters

As you might have guessed from my comments in class, I believe that Ariza's feelings towards Fermina should be labeled as an obsession rather than as love. Towards the end of class, someone pointed out that we do not actually get to read any of the letters that Ariza and Fermina write to one another. Depending on how each of us felt about Fermina and Ariza's relationship (whether it was love or not), each of us seemed to imagine the letters differently. The following is what I imagine one of Ariza's letters to sound like (with a few of my own slightly cynical comments in parentheses):


My dear Fermina,

It gives me such pleasure to watch you from the bench in the park as you walk past me each day (what a creep). Each time I look at you, your beauty astounds me as if I were witnessing it for the first time. The sheer grace of your stride makes you appear to be an angel, gliding through the air. I long to touch you gorgeous, shiny hair to see for myself if it is as silky soft as it appears to be. While we almost never make eye contact, I follow your eyes with mine; they captivate me. Once your eyes did seem to meet mine, and my heart stopped beating for that instant. Your smile and mouth, however, are what draw me to you the most. When you laugh or open your mouth to speak to your aunt, I imagine how wonderful it would be to speak to you myself. If only I were permitted to do so, I would surely be beside myself with glee (he is obsessed with a girl who he has barely ever spoken to).


As you know, I admire you so fondly, and I long for the day when we can be together. Surely, it will be the happiest day of my young life (because he does not allow himself to be happy at all; all he thinks of his obsession with Fermina; he even seems to enjoy punishing himself with his “love” for her). While I suffer greatly because we cannot be together, it is surely worthwhile because one day we will be together and I shall be eternally overjoyed. My mother even encourages my suffering because she too believes that one day you and I will be together and that my suffering will sweeten our future love all the more (his obsession is UNHEALTHY, and this is bad parenting on Mother’s part; she should encourage him to court Fermina in a more natural and low-key way and to experience other parts of life as well).

I shall now conclude this letter and leave it underneath the porch of your house as we had planned. I hope to find your reply buried in the ground underneath the bench in the park under on which I sit and admire your loveliness. Once again, my darling, I would like to declare my undying love for you. I hope this letter finds you well. I shall see you as you walk to school tomorrow, and I hope to hear from you soon (he sees her nearly every single day but never speaks to her; they have no verbal communication).

Fondly (obsessively),
Florentino Ariza


Basically, I believe that Ariza and Fermina do not have enough face-to-face interaction to call their feelings for one another love. They simply do not know each other well enough. Therefore, Ariza can fill his letters only with compliments about her beauty and descriptions of his obsession with her. (582)

Saturday, November 3, 2007

What's In a Name?...A lot if you ask Mother

Mother's character in The Sound and the Fury certainly would not have agreed with Juliet(of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet) that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." In fact, Mother is positively superstitious when it comes to the names of various characters in the novel. When characters such as Benjy, Caddy, and Quentin experience hardships or act out, Mother blames their very names for their suffering.

Mother's superstition drives her to change Benjy's name from Maury to Benjamin when he is five. Once Benjy's retardation becomes apparent, Mother simply decides that Benjamin "is a better name for him than Maury was (58)." Mother's doubt of Maury as an acceptable name is probably derived from the fact that her brother, Benjy's former namesake, is a less than successful man with limited morality. She also fears that her brother Maury's unscrupulous actions have cursed his name and that, because he bore the name Maury as well, Benjy was also cursed (with his disability). Since the name "Benjamin came out of the Bible (58)," Mother thinks that G-d will look more favorably upon Benjamin. Once he is given the name Benjamin, Caddy playfully bestows the nickname Benjy upon him. However, nicknames also upset Mother. She tells Caddy to stop calling him Benjy because"nicknames are vulgar [and] only common people use them (64)." Mother simply cannot look past the fact that Benjy will be Benjy regardless of whether his name is Maury, Benjy, or Benjamin.

Once Quentin is born and left in Mother's charge, Mother fears that Caddy's name might have an ill effect on young Quentin. She tells Dilsey that Quentin "must never even learn that name (199)" and she forbids Dilsey to even speak Caddy's name in Quentin's presence. Father calls Mother a fool for taking to such ridiculous and ineffective measures to prevent Quentin from making the same mistakes that Caddy did, but Mother prevails and the name Caddy is blotted out of their lives. Interestingly enough, this cautionary measure does nothing as we learn that Quentin does indeed grow up to be a promiscuous little rebel and not nearly so good-natured as Caddy was.

Mother is also superstitious about the name Quentin because Quentin (the girl) has such a flawed character and Quentin (the boy) committed suicide. She believes that Quentin (the girl) "has inherited all of the headstrong traits(260)" of Quentin (the boy) and of the other Compsons. She even goes as far as to claim that Quentin (the girl) "is the judgment of both of [the Quentins] upon [her] (261)." Mother claims that giving Quentin (the girl) that name was one of the many forces which drove Quentin to become the unhappy miscreant that she is today. On April 8, when Quentin steals Jason's money--the money which is really rightfully hers--and runs away, Mother immediately, and incorrectly, assumes that Quentin (the girl) has committed suicide just as Quentin (the boy) had. Mother says that she "knew the minute they named her Quentin this would happen(283)" as if the name itself were what could have caused either Quentin's suicide.

Perhaps Mother's superstitions were not all wrong, and the names did draw certain personalities to the people who were called by them. However, it is more likely that Mother is simply deranged and looking for excuses for the many misfortunes which befall her family. (WC 559)

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Benjy and Caddy

Faulkner devotes a great deal of the Benjy section of The Sound and the Fury to the relationship between Benjy and Caddy. Their relationship, much like the rest of the novel, is complicated and difficult to understand. Caddy clearly loves Benjy and treats him with great kindness—she might be the only one in his life who does— and in return, Benjy adores Caddy. Since his own mother is perpetually ill and typically neglects her children, Benjy does not really look to her as a source of comfort. Caddy, instead, fills the role of mother in Benjy’s life—a role that she embraces but becomes more difficult for her over time.

Surprisingly, childhood is the age at which Caddy does the best job playing “mother” to Benjy. She is always alert and sensitive to Benjy’s needs. For example, when Caddy and Benjy are in Mother’s room, Benjy starts crying.
"If you'll hold him, he'll stop." Caddy said. "Hush." she said. "You can go right back. Here. Here's your cushion. See."
"Dont, Candace." Mother said.
"Let him look at it and he'll be quiet." Caddy said. "Hold up just a minute while I slip it out. There, Benjy. Look."
I looked at it and hushed (2.7).”
Caddy knows exactly how to quiet and calm Benjy, while her mother would rather just let Benjy cry. Mother often demeans Benjy, calling him a “poor baby” or pitying him in other ways. Caddy wisely realizes that this pity is not actually good for Benjy and does not make him feel better. She reassures Benjy that he is “not a poor baby (3.2)” and comforts and loves him. At a young age, Caddy becomes Benjy’s favorite person.

While most children resent having to even occasionally look after their siblings, Caddy willingly accepts the profound role she plays in Benjy’s life. One night when Caddy’s father is putting her to bed, he asks her “"Are you going to take good care of Maury." "Yes." Caddy said. (1.18)” She is takes responsibility for Benjy (Maury) when she is merely a child herself. Later, Benjy, Caddy, and Mother are all in Mother’s room, and Mother is complaining about having to look after Benjy and about the effect it has on her health. Caddy pushes her mother’s concerns aside and tells her “"You dont need to bother with him." Caddy said. "I like to take care of him. Dont I. Benjy. (2.7)” Caddy is more willing to love Benjy than his own mother is. In return for the love Caddy gives Benjy, he adores and loves her back. For example, when she comes home from school, he is so excited to see her that he waits outside in the cold, until he sees his beloved protector (3.1). There is clearly a special bond between them.
Yet, as Caddy gets older, it becomes more difficult for her to provide for Benjy in the same way she can when they are children. For example, when Caddy is fourteen and she tries perfume for the first time, the perfume upsets Benjy. Caddy quickly realizes that the perfume is the source of Benjy’s agitation and assures him that “of course Caddy wont. Of course Caddy wont (7.1) “ wear the perfume anymore. When Benjy is upset because he sees Caddy and Charlie together, “Caddy took the kitchen soap and washed her mouth at the sink, hard (8.3).“ She again washes off that thing which upsets Benjy and “smelled like trees (8.3).” One night she cannot wash it all off and Benjy is upset, not only because Caddy does not smell like trees, but that she will not wash for Benjy. She has grown up.

Unfortunately, these two cannot be together forever. Caddy cannot continue to play mother to Benjy and live her own life as well. They will not both be children forever. Benjy alone is stuck with the emotional and mental development of a three-year-old, and Caddy has to grow up and take care of herself.

WC 664

Citations from http://www.usask.ca/english/faulkner/

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Donny and Connie--Two Unfortunate Teenagers

The character Connie in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been” reminds me of the character Donny in Anne Tyler’s “Teenage Wasteland.” Each of their stories is different, yet Donny and Connie are both troubled teenagers who do not get along with their parents, make poor choices, and end up in unfortunate situations.

Both characters have an unstable relationship with their parents, and, in each case, their siblings seem to be indirectly responsible for this poor relationship. Donny stops succeeding when his mother has his sister Amanda. His mother no longer gives him as much attention because she needs to focus on his then baby sister (Tyler, 14). Yet, without his mother’s praise and support, Donny starts doing poorly in school and falls into the wrong crowd of kids. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” we do not know much about Connie’s childhood, but we do find out that her parents favor her sister June. Although Connie is prettier and more popular than June, June seems to be more wholesome and to cause less trouble than Connie (Oates, 3). Even though Connie acts as if she is confident in herself, we get the sense that this confidence is merely a façade, one that her mother’s constant nagging (Oates, 1) can easily break down.

Donny and Connie both make poor choices in terms of whom they hang out with. Donny hangs out with kids who cut class, smoke, break into lockers, and sneak off campus to drink beer (Tyler, 7). These kids have a bad influence on Donny and cause him to make irresponsible choices. Connie spends her time with a group of conceited girls who think that they can simply ignore anyone who is not good enough for them (Oates, 6). Her friends also make unsafe choices, like choosing to run across the highway just to get to the restaurant where they can find older, “cooler” kids (Oates, 7). It’s just lucky for them that Connie’s girlfriend’s dad doesn’t “bother to ask what they [do] (Oates, 4)” on those evenings when he drops them off at the shopping plaza. Connie also goes off alone with Eddie, a boy who she only barely knows from school--probably not the safest or wisest choice (Oates, 8-9).

The most unfortunate similarity between Donny and Connie is that they both meet similar fates. Donny, after the disappointment of losing Calvin and getting kicked out of his private school, runs away from home and is never found (Tyler, 108-110). It’s too bad that his parents do not attempt to help him until it is too late. There was probably little Connie’s parents could have done to help her in her situation with Arnold. The choice to leave a teenager home alone for a few hours is common and not typically irresponsible. Yet, her parents still could have at least told her not to open the door for strangers when they weren’t home. She might not have listened, as Donny didn’t listen to his parents, but there is the chance that some advice could have been enough to save her. However, she is merely an ignorant girl who does not know how to handle herself and gets into a car with Arnold friend, a creepy, older stranger.

The last thing these characters have in common is that their ultimate fates are a mystery to the reader. Oates and Tyler both lead us to believe that their main characters’ fates are unpleasant; however, neither specifically states what that fate is. We just assume that Donny and Connie are merely two unfortunate teenagers who meet unhappy ends. (WC 606)

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

I love writing blogs on my way to the airport!!

In the story "Harrison Bergernon," Kurt Vonnegut confronts the concept of equality by presenting us with a bizarre futuristic United States in which everyone is "equal in every which way (1). " However, these citizens are not born equal—they are born with many talents and weaknesses just as people in our society are. Once they are born, they are then handicapped so that they are equal to the “average” member of society in terms of strength, intelligence, talent, appearance, and any other way possible. I found this story to be thought-provoking and intriguing; it raises some important questions about the notion of equality and the dangers of a society like the one in the story.

The citizens in the story justify the need for each member of their society to be “equal” by asserting that competition and jealousy are all that come from allowing certain people to be better or worse than others. At first glance, this might seem like a fair concern; jealousy and competition are in fact both results of inequality. While we might envy or be jealous of someone better than we are or be frustrated when we lose in competition, these things are naturally part of the world we live in. Inequality, in a way, is what makes a society able to function well and productively. Were we all able only to perform at an average level in every way, we would not have the science, literature, art, music, or culture that we have today. Yes, we envy the talent of the beautiful ballerinas in the world, but we should enjoy watching them just the same. Part of life is looking up to those who are better than us in certain respects, and learning to be content with our own strengths as well. If the citizens in the story were intelligent enough to read these words, they would probably agree. J

Each United States citizen is equal as a result of "the 211th, 212th, and 213th Ammendments to the constitution and the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. (1) " The government mandates that everyone be equal to each other, giving the government immense power over its citizens. Since everyone must be equal, and must be equal to the "average" member of society, there is very little room for the citizens to form views and opinions, and much less room for the citizens to share these views with each other. Even if someone were to form a view or an opinion, no one else would be intelligent enough to understand him or her. Each time George, an intelligent person, tries to conjure up a thought or chain of thought, the device in his ear makes a noise which scatters his thoughts. According to the story, this noise was "to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains. (3)" While it is possible that these Amendments were written for that purpose, they also give the government extraordinary power. This device makes it impossible for anyone to think hard enough to question the government, question the information the press publishes, or question anything really. The citizens simply go about their average, boring lives, unaware of their government. In effect, the government has the power to rule without the consent of its people; surely all they are smart enough to do is simply nod and agree with whatever the government does—if the citizens are informed of the government’s actions at all. Were these Americans able to think intelligently, however, they might actually want to speak out and play a part in what’s going on in the world around them. The government surely cannot allow this though, or they might have a situation like the one with Harrison on their hands.

In the Holocaust, the Nazis executed the T-4 program in which they executed thousands of people who were mentally ill or handicapped in attempt to eliminate these defects in future generations. Such a situation could very easily be carried out in the United States depicted in “Harrison Bergernon.” The government mandates that each person must have average intelligence and physical ability so that everyone is equal to each other. The intelligence and physical ability of the entire society is therefore limited by its lowest performing member. What happens when the government wants to raise the national average? The government could likely get away with simply imprisoning, and even potentially executed anyone who was below their predetermined average in either of these two respects. And no one would be able to question the government’s actions, because they are unable to think about the idea for long enough to do so.

We learn from this story that it is important to embrace your flaws and strengths and to embrace the fact that they are different from anyone else’s. Vonnegut also reminds us to be thankful for our freedom to think, to reason, and to be ourselves. (822)

Monday, September 17, 2007

A&P

As readers, we are delighted by descriptive language and well-thought out imagery—two areas in which John Updike’s short story “A&P” is certainly not lacking. Not only does Updike provide the reader with vivid descriptions of the store and the customers in it, he also describes them in a singular, yet complex fashion. He stays away from clichés and creates unusual similes and metaphors that describe his subjects particularly effectively.

Updike takes care to use just the right words to describe each one of his characters—particularly the three main girls in the story. His careful attention to detail in describing them through Sammy’s eyes parallels how much careful attention Sammy is giving them and to their appearance. The queen walks into the store on her “long white prima-donna legs” and “ [comes] down a little hard on her heels, as if she didn’t walk in her bare feet that much, putting down her heels and then letting the weight move along to her toes as if she was testing the floor with every step.(2)” Rather than simply saying she walks carefully, Updike finds the exact words to convey how she moves. Updike describes the girl who is Sammy’s favorite as “a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it (1)” paying the most attention to describing the part of her which Sammy seems to be paying the most attention to. The last girl is “the kind of girl other girls think is very “striking” and “attractive” but never quite makes it. (2) ” In addition to being slightly humorous, this description clues us in to the fact that she might have some good features but is awkward and clearly inferior to the other two.

Updike devotes this same attention to the other characters in the story as well—even the seemingly insignificant ones. For instance, when he describes the old woman whose groceries Sammy is ringing up at the beginning of the story, he goes beyond simply calling her a witch or a rude old lady. He tells us that “if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem. (2) ” In paragraph five, Updike spins an extended metaphor about the customers in the store as sheep who are startled by the girls’ appearance as an animal would be by a loud noise. The “sheep” typically walk one way and repeat the same motions each time they go to the store. However, the girls and their clothing startle the “sheep” and causing them to “jerk, or hop, or hiccup (5) ” but then return to their shopping like obedient livestock. Later, Updike refers to them as “scared pigs in a chute [29]” upset by the unfolding scene between Lengel and Sammy as Sammy quits his job. The store manager Lengel, the “bad guy” of the story is “ pretty dreary, [and] teaches Sunday school and the rest, but he doesn’t miss than much. (12)” From that short description, we learn that he is usually fairly sedate, has observantly noticed the girls, and is upset by their clothing or lack thereof—probably because it offends his Christian morals. As the girls leave after being lectured by Lengel, Sammy tells Lengel that he quits “hoping [the girls] stop and watch [him], their unsuspected hero. (21) ” He wants their attention so badly that he thinks he is being heroic in quitting his job “for them” even though he and his family need the money.

The language Updike allows us to see how Sammy views the world and these people around him. Most of the judgments he makes about the customers are shallow and solely based upon their appearance, their groceries, and the brief interaction he has with them as they check out. However, when he comes face to face with the girls and watches as Lengel humiliates them in front of the other customers, he looks past his initial impression of them and sees them not as objects but as people—people who deserve his sympathy. (682)

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Where Did They Go Wrong? What Opportunities Did They Miss?

RReading Teenage Wasteland was sort of a terrifying and revealing experience. As a fairly well-adjusted and well-behaved teenager (or so I've been told), I don't think I've given my parents anywhere near as much trouble as Donny gives his. Still, I almost pity them in that I too am at the age where I follow very little of their advice and guidance. Reading Daisy’s account of Donny’s downfall makes me understand a little better where they are coming from in their constant stream of advice. The terrifying aspect of this story, I found was the fact that Daisy and her husband do almost nothing wrong as parents and yet Donny still ends up with a life seemingly gone to waste.

I truly believe that Donny's problems, however, can be attributed to his need for attention and how and from whom he seeks it. As a small child, he sought attention from his parents like most children. When he was very young, he actually got this attention from his mother. She seems to have indulged him enough, although his father probably worked very hard, as he does now, to support their family. Once Amanda was born, however, Daisy admits that Donny no longer got as much attention from his mother due to her preoccupation with his then baby sister Amanda. His father was still largely absent. It is unfortunate that Matt did not try to play a larger role in his son’s life. He might have even been able to turn Donny around if he had just spent some time with him while Daisy was busy with Amanda.

Based on the fact that he now attends a private school, Donny might have tried to regain his mother’s attention by working hard in school to impress her. Daisy, however, took little notice of his intelligence. She was probably thrilled that she could concentrate more on Amanda and did not need to worry about Donny’s schoolwork. When Donny realized that he would never again get the same attention from his mother, he turned to his friends for attention. Apparently the friends who would give it to him were from the wrong crowd. As he spends more time with these friends, they have a bad influence on him. He starts smoking, drinking, cutting class, and generally causing mischief. Daisy is so busy with Amanda that she does not notice Donny’s rapid decline.

When his misbehavior is brought to Daisy's attention she is at a loss for what to do about it. So she begins to do all she knows how to do—follows the advice of his principal and gives Donny attention again—watching him complete his homework assignments, however much stress it adds to her day. It takes Donny a while to adjust to having his mother’s attention once again. Slowly he starts to respond, and his grades improve slightly. Perhaps he is remembering his childhood when he craved his mother’s attention.

Donny shows some improvement but not enough for his school They request to have him psychologically tested. The conclusion of these tests is that he is simply “going through a difficult period in his life. They recommend that he get a tutor and suggest Cal. Now Donny has someone new to get attention from: Cal. Cal replaces Daisy as an attention source but is merely an addition to the attention Donny receives from his friends. Since Donny still hangs out with his friends, they continue to negatively influence him. While Cal is good for Donny in some ways such as improving Donny’s morale, he seems to waste the chance to really help Donny overcome his peers’ pressure and become a more dedicated student. Cal could even potentially influence Donny to attempt to repair his and his parents’ broken relationship. In the end, Cal simply further alienates Donny from his family and from Daisy.

The story is one of countless missed opportunities. Daisy misses the opportunity to help shape Donny into a good person when he was younger. Matt misses the opportunity to develop any kind of a relationship with his son. Daisy again misses the opportunity to turn Donny around when Donny starts seeing Cal. Cal misses the opportunity, if he wanted it in the first place, to change Donny’s life. And everyone misses the opportunity to save Donny from the wasted life he chose to run away from. At the end of the story, we learn that that the opportunity to save Amanda from a similar fate is slowly slipping away as she spends more and more time away from home. All in all, the characters in the story are given several chances to save each other and save themselves, and yet each chance they get, they waste. (787)

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Plot Against America


One of the best things about reading is coming across characters who are easy to identify with. In any realistic novel, the author creates characters who show essential human traits and behaviors so that the reader can look at the character as if he or she were a real person. A reader might hate the character who cheats, swindles, and lies, and fall in love with the one who is brave, heroic, and intelligent. In Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, Philip's mother Bess's essential humanity lies in her sweet, protective, motherly nature. It is easy to see her humanity in how she tries to take of her husband, her children, and herself.
In the novel, Herman, Bess's husband is troubled by many things. He is angry that the United States, led by President Charles Lindbergh, has agreed to stay out of World War II, allowing the Nazis to kill millions of Jews with even more ease. His violent temper also leads him to become very emotional about his political views. Since he believes that Lindbergh's government will turn the United States into a fascist, anti-Semitic state, he is always on the look out for anti-Semitism. When he gets particularly worked up, Bess instinctively tries to calm him down for his sake as well as the rest of the family's. For example, when the Roths are in Washington D.C. on a family vacation, something goes awry with their hotel reservations. They are kicked out of their room, given a refund, and instructed to find a new place to stay for the night. Herman immediately assumes that the hotel manager is an anti-Semite and gets very angry with him, stating that he would rather involve the police than leave quietly--his human nature causes him to lose control of himself as his anger mounts. Bess tries to take care of both her children and the need to get her husband to leave the hotel. Philip recalls that "Here my mother--who was holding my brother and me around the shoulders, shielding us alongside her and at a safe distance from the desk--called my father's name, trying to prevent him from going any further. (68)" Her human nature both encourages her to resolve the conflict and to protect her children so that her family's safety is not threatened.
After considering the needs of her family. Bess also tries to take care of herself. At the beginning of the novel, Roth describes how she has found a comfortable niche for herself in Newark. She is president of the PTA at Philip and Sandy's school, has many other friends, and has found a Jewish community in which she feels like she belongs. Near the beginning of the novel, Herman is given the opportunity for a raise and a promotion if he and his family move to Gentile-dominated Union, New Jersey. Although Bess realizes that the move would mean a more materially comfortable life for her family during the Great Depression, she realizes that it would also lead to a less comfortable social life for her and her family alike. She remembers her childhood in which she constantly felt as if she did not belong because her family were the only Jews in Elizabeth, her hometown. When she heard the news, Philip even knows that "she was thinking, "Ours will be the house 'where the Jews live.' It'll be Elizabeth all over again. (8)" The reader can sympathize with her human desire to belong somewhere, with people who similar to her, who she can identify with.
Bess is not the only character in Plot Against America who readers can easily identify with. Herman, Philip, and Sandy also exemplify common human emotions such as anger, confusion, frustration. The essential humanity of these characters as well as the believability of their situation are two components of Plot Against America that make it a terrific novel. (649)

Monday, August 27, 2007

Letter

Dear Mr. Coon,

My history as a reader and a writer began in kindergarten like most American children’s. I learned how to read and write and then ceased to enjoy either of these activities for three or four years. I can’t remember why. I think I just liked math better.
In third grade, I learned to enjoy reading when I discovered the Babysitter’s Club series by Ann Martin. I read her books throughout elementary school and part of middle school. In middle school I participated in a competition called "Battle of the Books." For this, we were given a list of four or five books to read in two months and then participated in three "battles" where we answered reading comprehension questions about these books. The books we read were from many different genres, which led me to realize that my two favorite genres were historical fiction and fantasy, something that holds true to this day.
Once I arrived at PCDS, I admittedly stopped reading nearly as much as I did in middle school. I found it difficult to read the books I was assigned to read while reading books for pleasure. I also discovered that, after a day of school and not enough sleep the night before, when I tried to sit on the couch and read, I would fall asleep.
I still read a couple books a year because I do enjoy reading, and learning from the books I read. One of the reasons I love historical fiction is that I delight in the random facts I learn from it. My least favorite thing about reading is that even a good book can easily make me fall asleep. My favorite thing about reading is the sense of contentment I get from reading a good book.
In fourth grade, I learned to love creative writing. I enjoyed writing short stories and poetry. When I got to middle school, I decided that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up because I loved all the writing assignments I was given. In high school, however, I stopped writing as much because I stopped enjoying it. I didn't like the analytical or research papers we now had to write. They weren’t nearly as fun as writing stories, poetry, summaries, or articles.
I also have issues sitting down and actually writing a paper. I love to participate in class discussions, but conveying my ideas in writing is hard for me. My writing has improved significantly since freshman year but the process of writing is still challenging for me. I tend to procrastinate because of this.
Last semester, Ms. Garagiola's class helped remind me what I enjoy about writing. I loved the assignments she gave us and I was actually proud of the essays I wrote for her—something I can only say about a limited number of my other papers throughout high school.
That’s it for now. See you in class!

Sincerely,
Ally

P.S. I realize that I went over the word count and that each word of this postscript I type makes that offense even greater. Oops. I’ll try not to let it happen again. (524 words, 491 sans post script)