Short Story Analysis Reflection

            For my short story analysis paper I wrote on “The Effect Coming of Age Has on a Parent-Child Relationship”. I decided to analyze “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” and how Connie and her parents have a dynamic relationship as Connie begins to age and matures as she develops into an adult. I am satisfied with my intro because I believe I gave a good background for the story and introduced the theme I wished to convey in my paper, and finally in the end connecting it together with my well thought out thesis. Based on the comments I received I believe that I also developed the first body paragraph very well. The topic of this paragraph was how Connie’s parents under appreciate her and it makes her feel a need to separate herself from her family. The topic sentence was related to the thesis and there was strong support to support the claim I made. The only problems that I ran into in this paragraph were minor grammatical errors. Although I had a strong introduction and first body paragraph, my second body paragraph veered off topic a little bit. One of the problems I had in this paragraph was that I jumped ahead in the story quite a bit because I found better textual support towards the end. The paragraph moved a bit away from the thesis; it lacked the component of her family relationship and focused primarily on her developing characteristics of independence. The text support was good but the analysis failed to completely defend the point I was trying to make. Even the conclusion only states how she ignores her mother but does not mention the other side of the relationship of give specific details to how the relationship changed at all. In the third paragraph I discussed how Connie’s realization that she is not ready to be independent has caused her to want the comfort of her parents and dependency on them once again. The topic of this paragraph is connected to my thesis but I did not provide context to the story as to when this was occurring. The text support and analysis were strong and descriptive however I began to make much more grammatical mistakes such as using passive voice, to be verbs, and second person. In my conclusion I restated the thesis and how this paper supported the thesis. I also went in depth on what the meaning of the story was as a whole based on the text I analyzed. Over all the paper was relatively on track with the thesis and the topic sentences aside from a few points. The paper was organized well proceeding in chronological order of events and how these events developed the SO WHAT that Oates was trying to convey. The support consisted of important passages and quotes and the analysis was long and in depth. The biggest problem through out the paper was mechanics and grammar issues, but overall the paper was well written and received an appropriate grade.

ATKM Great Sleep vs Life is Motion Discussion

In chapter two of All the Kings Men, Jack describes the period of time that he has gone through multiple times called the great sleep. During the great sleep Jack spends most of his time lying in bed. He says he could “go to bed early” “sleep late and then wake up and not move” (151), which emphasize Jack’s lack of motion and desire for lack of motion. The static form of life that Jack chooses comes as a result of crisis in his life which in this case was the loss of a job. The thought of Jack staying in bed all day and night shows that he has somehow given up on life. In Jack’s conversation in chapter 3 discussing how life equals motion further exemplifies the fact that Jack is giving up on life during his “Great Sleep”. In Jack’s analysis of God’s being the “Fullness of Being” he states that “life is motion toward knowledge. If God is complete Knowledge then he is complete non motion, which is non life, which is death” (226). Since Jack believes that the importance of life is motion towards knowledge, it is ironic to see him with no desire for motion at times in his life. His lack of desire for motion is actually his lack of desire for knowledge, and for someone who understands that ending his quest of knowledge is equal to giving up on life, this could mean he no longer wishes to continue his life. This indicates the great depression that Jack received after losing his job and emphasizes the how important Jacks job with The Chronicle was to him. Jack also goes on to discuss the dangers of too much knowledge when he uses the metaphor comparing knowledge and ignorance to a string on fire moving towards a powder keg. He says that when “man’s Knowledge is equal to God’s knowledge there wont be any fire, which is life. Or if the string leads to a powder keg then there will be a terrific blast of fire” (226). Jack explains how with too much knowledge or having complete knowledge will end a reason to live. Seeking knowledge keeps life going how ever if you reach complete knowledge to quickly there will be nothing left for you to live for. Ignorance then keeps a space between the quest for knowledge and complete knowledge. With out ignorance the power of knowledge would be as dangerous as a “terrific blast”. Perhaps Jack chooses a period of non motion and lack of knowledge to lengthen his life or quest for knowledge. Before his great sleep he chooses to be ignorant of why he is loosing his job and walks out of the office with out a complete answer. This shows that sometimes it is better not to know some information, and knowledge shouldn’t be continuously seaked. The comparison of the motion of life discussion vs. the non motion of the Great Sleep further develops the theme of Knowledge vs. Ignorance be showing the benefits of each side.

All The Kings Men, Knowledge Vs. Ignorance

In All of the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren I explored the theme of Knowledge vs. Ignorance through out the first couple of chapters. During many parts of the reading this theme of Knowledge vs. Ignorance is expressed through what Jack Burden says, thinks, and does. Consistently we see him either avoiding knowledge or chasing after knowledge. His actions and thoughts also present the pros and cons of knowledge which creates a debate in the text whether knowledge is good or bad. From the beginning of the novel Jack’s confusion about whether knowledge is good or bad is made quite obvious. This is made evident when Warren writes “the end of man is knowledge, but there is one thing he can’t know. He can’t know whether knowledge will save him or kill him. He will be killed all right, but he can’t know whether he is killed because of the knowledge which he has got or because of the knowledge he hasn’t got and which if he had it, would save him” (Warren 14). By presenting this question that is impossible to answer about whether it is better to know or not know information, Warren initiates the major theme of Knowledge vs. Ignorance. He proposes that in some cases knowledge “would save him”, but in others “he is killed because of the knowledge”. Now that the question is presented there becomes evidence supporting each side that makes it impossible to determine whether knowledge is better than ignorance or vice versa. Support that ignorance is better is shown when Jack is in the yard and he states “I heard somebody open and shut the gate to the barn lot, but I didn’t look around. If I didn’t look around it would not be true that somebody had opened the gate with the creaky hinges, and that is a wonderful principle for a man to get hold of” (Warren 45). From this we can see that Jack’s ignorance is beneficial to him, by being ignorant of his surroundings he is able to enjoy the moment a lot more. He becomes uninfluenced by things around him and thinks more clearly and makes his own decisions rationally. He even goes on to say “I owed my success in life to that principle” (Warren 45), which shows that ignorance is seemingly better for Jack. After supporting the ignorance side in chapter one Warren exemplifies the need for knowledge in chapter two. In chapter two Stark is made a fool of because he is ignorant of the truth and listens to what people tell him because he wants to be elected to office so bad that he believes what anyone told him. Stark then learns from his mistake and realizes that it is better to have knowledge and states “when they come to you sweet talking you better not listen to anything they say” (Warren 146). Stark has learned from his mistake and realizes that what people tell him is false and he should be more knowledgeable about situations before he jumps into them. This shows that in the second chapter ignorance did more harm to him than knowledge could have.

Gender Roles

            Today in AP lit we learned about the use of gender roles in literature, and how to read a novel through the “gender lens”. Gender roles are a set of social and behavioral norms that are considered appropriate by society or a culture. For my blog today I would like to get a deeper understanding of the gender roles and common gender roles that can be found in literature as well as go back and find some examples of gender roles in the previous books we have read.

            One example of gender role that is found in literature is that men are almost always described as having physical advantages such as body size, strength, and coordination that provide them with better abilities to do social activities such as hunting and farming, or modern versions of physical work. In literature men are often depicted doing harder more labor requiring activities and having for labor intensive jobs. This usually reserves easy jobs for women or in some cases women are even jobless. Also women are almost always depicted as having an obsession with beauty. They are scene and described mainly by what they are wearing and their physical attributes. One example of this that I noticed is in Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson in the story “Mother” when George’s mother randomly decides that she wishes to look pretty and then spends a lot of time dressing up just to make her self feel better and more confidant. This idea of the need for women to be beautiful is also introduced to us as kids through many of the Disney princess movies in which the women are loved simply for their beauty and riches. Also often in men are depicted as the dominant figure while women are usually known to be submissive almost. This can be shown when women are often victimized by men. We can see in literature that men often make the important decisions, are more assertive, and usually control what the women do. Women are also often characterized with temptation. In many novels we see that the aim of men to be with women often distracts them from their main goal and purpose in the story. The view of women being temptations relates that women are bad for men and actually cause harm to them. This comes from the view that to give in to the temptation of women is a sin. This relates to the allusion of Adam and Eve and the temptation to eat the apple even though it has been forbidden. When men give in to the temptation of women it often results in their down fall. This can be seen in Dorian Gray when Dorian falls for Sybel Vane and because he loses her he goes down the wrong path leading him to self destruction.

             Women are often viewed as weak, temptations, victims, and beautiful while men are viewed as strong, controlling, determined, and hard working, and this is just a few of many gender roles. The opposite idea of genders that literature has imposed on us creates a feeling of inequality in many aspects of life. Although the rights and opportunities of men and women are very much equal the views of many aspects of genders that derive from evolution still separate the genders from equality. These are the aspects that literature points out.

Coming of Age "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

In the story short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You been?" Oates shows the unexpected quickness of coming to age through Connie's odd experience with Arnold who I believe to be a metaphoric symbol of the harsh realities of adult hood. Connie Continuously pushes towards her independence from her family in a desire to be isolated as soon as possible. Although she seems to be content with being alone and avoiding confrontations with her family she does not realize the obstacles and responsibilities of being truly independent. Oates creates a false hood of safety that Connie feels when being alone by making Connie view everything a perfect when she is isolated. This perfection is seen through her love of music as well as descriptions of the environment around her. All these relations to perfect and joyful moods come right after Connie wakes up and feels like she is in a new place. This new place is symbolic of her new found independence. Examples of the perfection she associates with her independence include how the " sky was perfectly blue and still". It also describes her as being "bathed in a glow of slow pulsed joy". While these seemingly descriptions Connie's new life of paradise don't only show how happy he is but they also fresh adore her imminent downfall. For example j noticed the the sky is perfectly still which could be representing the calm before a storm that is often used in literature the slow pulsed joy also created an image of a slow heartbeat, one that would be played in a scary movie right before something terrible and dreadful happens. These two sided ironic descriptions that I discovered also did not end up being coincidence for right after these to elements of foreshadow occurred the psychopath and symbol of harsh reality Arnold Friend is introduced to Connie.    At this moment Connie is faced with the true reality of becoming independent. Arnold who is introduced as a teenage boy is suddenly changed into an old man symbolizing the uncontrollable speed at which one grows up. We see that Connie is scared of Arnold which shows that she is actually scared of becoming an adult. Here happiness due to independence was very short lives because now she is forced to handle the responsibilities of adulthood. As Arnold Friend gets closer and closer to the door Connie's fear and panic set in showing that's he is not mentally or physically ready to become an adult like she thought she was. She "cried out, she cried for her mother" this is an action if a mere child that Connie is reverting back to. The significance of her crying for her mother is that she wishes for the love, care, and protection that she so often took for granted and wanted to get rid of. Although Connie is now fully aware that she is not ready to be in the adult world it is to late for her. She has already made her choice of independence and like Arnold says no one can help her now. She has no choice but to join Arnold into the vast unknown world that has taken her completely by surprise.