Month: October 2019

Chekhov chose to depict these two people meeting each other but not much more because he wants to show the line of thought in which one goes about these emotions and approaches someone based on attraction. For a setting such as Yalta, a resort town, in which people come on vacation and let loose, Chekhov probably wants to show the impact of setting and mere beginnings. He also shows a change in their acquaintance after spending time together: “Then both continued eating in silence, like strangers, but after dinner they walked side by side; and there sprang up between them the light jesting conversation of people who are free and satisfied, to whom it does not matter where they go or what they talk about.” I think the author limits his story in this way because it keeps it interesting just as in human interaction, the more you leave unknown the more interested someone becomes. In a way, he’s showing an example of human interaction in the most finest and purest for in which there is no underlying desire but companionship.

The beginning of the short story mostly revolves around the events of the party, a party so grand everyone and their mother attends as “it was always a great affair” but Joyce wants the audience to see that this event and these people aren’t particularly exciting. In fact, the characters are really just living in a “grey impalpable world”. They’re not really living, not the way Michael Furey did, he was able to “pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion”. Throughout the story the audience can sense the monotony of the world these characters live in. They have no real desire behind their actions, everything they do is simply because that’s how it’s always been. Joyce emphasizes that living passionless as the characters do is no different than being dead, that’s why the story is titled “The Dead”. She uses a lot of repetition and characterization to maintain this sort of mundane world. A good example is Freddy as it states, “they were dreadfully afraid that Freddy Malins might turn up screwed” & “Freddy Malins always came late”. Throughout the story Freddy remains an aloof alcoholic and its terms like “always” that really stress that Freddy will never change, and this applies to almost all of the characters. Joyce even repeats certain phrases such as in the quotes, “rubbing the knuckles of his left fist backwards and forwards into his left eye” & “began to rub the knuckles of his left fist backwards and forwards into his left eye”. This “backwards and forwards” that’s repeated really creates this dull loop. And the story on multiple occasions repeats “snow” which seems to be a symbol of death. Towards the end she writes, “snow was general all over Ireland” & “His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.” The statements, snow is “general” & fall “upon the living and the dead” further highlights Joyce’s claim that the way these people are living is no different from the dead.

 

Consider the symbolism (or various symbolisms or meanings or emotional or psychological values) of the gilded coin​ in the story.

In the story, gilded objects represent the high-class status and wealth that Joe and Missie May are far from reaching and how it jeopardizes their marriage. Otis D. Slemmons was the “wealthy man” who opened a new ice cream parlor in town and wore gold fashion accessories. Before Joe and Missie May met him, they were content with their simple lives and perfectly fine with the little money they had saved up. When Joe comes home from his nightshift, they would usually play a game of cat and mouse where Joe would toss silver dollars and hide behind the bush while Missie goes and search for the coins. In addition, he would bring her small gifts such as candy kisses to show how much they were in love. However, Joe comes home from work early one day and finds his wife sleeping with Slemmons. Missie claims that she did this for the exchange for his golden watch charm.

In this case, Slemmons deceive Missie May into thinking that the gilded coins were real even though they were just cheap coins gilded to appear gold. Missie thought she could make Joe happy if she gave him gold just like what other women would do for Slemmons. Gilded coins are significant in this story because it helped to test the relationship between Joe and Missie May. Although it ruined their relationship, it is clear that Missie took her action, not because of covetousness but because she really loved Joe and wanted what was best for him. As a result, the yellow coin meant nothing to them but what meant the most was their love for each other which eventually led to their reconciliation.

What does Wharton want us to consider about the ways in which we do or do not know certain people in our lives? E.g. friends, lovers, family.

I think Wharton wants us to reflect on our ways of treating those we care about and so to prevent us from making the same mistakes the main characters made. “The flame of her wrath had already sunk, and she wondered why she had ever thought there would be any satisfaction in inflicting so purposeless a wound on her friend” (Wharton 31). Mrs. Slade’s honesty seems to be one that is meant to hurt Mrs. Ansley; however, I see it as a confession. When friends know each other for a long time there tend to be moments where one would have the urge to confess about something he/she did in the past. Similarly, Mrs. Slade confesses about writing the letter because she feels guilty about lying to Mrs. Ansley and after confessing a sense of relief washed over her. But this sense of relief was soon replaced by “a strange sense of isolation, of being cut off from the warm current of human communion” (Wharton 31). Mrs. Slade feels isolated because she is afraid; afraid that she will lose this friend of hers. Through this confession, Wharton wants us to think twice before we act on our emotions especially when our actions may leave a scar for those we care about.

What do you make of the fact that we learn a great deal about Gretta’s youth at the end of the story? How does this change your view of Gretta and her relationship with Gabriel?

Learning about Gretta’s past changed my view of Gabriel and Gretta’s relationship significantly. The story starts at what seems to be a fun lively party, however, it takes a turn for the worse when we learn that Gretta still thinks of her former deceased lover very fondly, and sees her relationship with Gabriel as dull and bland. Gretta’s reminiscing of her past proved to be the opposite of what Gabriel wants, which was in his speech about how people should live in the present rather than the past. As a reader, I felt sad for Gabriel because his lover was crying over someone in what seemed to be a much more livelier relationship than that of Gabriel and Gretta. It was assumed in the beginning that Gretta and Gabriel had a good relationship, but that perspective completely changes when you hear underlying issues of the relationship.

 

Joyce, Question #3

I began reading the story keeping death in the back of my mind  obviously considering the title is called “The Dead.”  However, I did not, at all, expect the story to end in the way that it did.  Since the majority of the first half of the story surrounded Gabriel, I thought that perhaps he would die or something traumatic would happen to him as the story progressed. I had already developed my judgments about Gabriel. He was this posh, prideful and authoritative man. When engaging in conversations I found him to be a bit immature because he was very passive-aggressive, constantly seeking validation from women. I caught onto his lack of appreciation for his Irish roots and his favoritism towards British influence. I really thought Joyce was preparing us for his death or the death of someone close to him. I believed that the loss of someone close would probably change his attitude and show some character development. I was pleasantly surprised Gabriel had a moment of realization not through the death of someone close but through the death of his wife’s past love.

Gretta was barely mentioned in the first half of the story so I am impressed with how Joyce molded Gretta’s experience into the story. I did not at all think this would be how Gabriel comes face to face with the concept of death. Of course, I had caught onto the subtle references to death, but the word was not boldly mentioned until the end of the story. Gabriel had always been emotionally and spiritually closed off. However, Gabriel himself realized that he was dead from the soul after learning of his wife’s past. He knows that Michael has tremendous power over him, “some impalpable and vindictive being was coming against him, gathering forces against him in its vague world.” Realizing that Michael, although dead, holds a sacred place in Gretta’s heart, Gabriel was terrified. He had a reign over Gretta’s emotions which Gabriel would never have because their love was dead. Perhaps, the love didn’t exist at all. I had gotten the impression at first that Gretta and Gabriel were in love, as it was mentioned he would look at her lovingly. However the twist at the end left me wanting to know how they would move past this.

Consider the symbolism (or various symbolisms or meanings or emotional or psychological values) of the gilded coin​in the story.

The short story “The Gilded Six-Bits” tells the story of a couple that experiences marital obstacles. The symbolism in the gilded six-bits changes throughout the story. In the beginning, Joe showers Missie May with gifts. This moment makes one believe that their marriage is filled with happiness. Just like the gilded six-bits, there is more to a marriage than one sees in the surface; All that glitters is not gold.

It is not until Otis appears in town that Missie May’s and Joe’s marriage is tested. Otis is a flashy man popular with women. He is always carrying pieces of gold with him. One day, Joe finds that Missie May slept with Joe and as Otis flees, he leaves behind a gilded coin (six-bits). The gilded coin serves as a reminder to Missie May that she tainted the marriage by sleeping with Otis. Toward the end of the story, Joe exchanges the coin for chocolate kisses. This event shows that Joe is willing to move past Missie May’s moment of infidelity and is ready to become more involved in the child’s life.

At first, the author does a good job painting a picture of how close Gabriel and Gretta are. They seem to be having a great time from laughing at inside jokes to bonding with family, but then Micheal Fury is brought up. The mood shifts and their relationship isn’t the same as before. It seems as if Gretta marries Gabriel in order to settle down and to embrace the tradition of marriage. In reality, Gabriel is merely a replacement and an extension of Micheal Fury for Gretta. They were never meant to be as Gretta’s love for Micheal Fury was much more meaningful and pure.

How does one reconcile Gurov’s apparent misogyny with his newfound of love of Anna Sergeyevna?

Chekhov developed the character of Gurov as one who is savvy with women. He knows how to hold a conversation and win over their love. This personality trait consequently causes Gurov to have a cold blooded view of women. This misogamy works as irony when he meets Anna. Chekhov takes his time with this dynamic by taking the relationship between them slowly. Day by day. Over time it seems that Gurov begins to value women, more specifically Anna. The misogamy that was established in the beginning of the story is turned around towards the end.

What do you make of the fact that we learn a great deal about Gretta’s youth at the end of the story? How does this change your view of Gretta and her relationship with Gabriel?

I believe that Gretta and Gabriel was an interesting characters in the story because the whole story was evolved around between them. Gretta’s youth was interesting at the end because she told the story about how her friend, Michael Furey dies, with who she used to go out for walk when she was young. Gabriel was kind of curious about if Gretta loves that boy in the past but Gretta said that he was 17. I believe that Gabriel love Gretta because first he asked the question to Gretta that if she loved him but then he also got emotional with Gretta too. Gabriel and Gretta’s relationship was kind of complicated because one moment I feel that they love each other and the other I feel they do not love.