Great Works of Literature II, Fall 2019 (hybrid) HTA

The poem “ When you are old” refers to the woman that William Butler Yeats loved. In the poem, he describes his unconditionally love to her. He is telling her that even though she has grown and her hair has become grey. His love for her still the same, because when he loved her was not just because of her beauty but for her soul. In the middle of the poem, he mentioned that many other men also were in love with her but were only for her beauty when she was young. He is trying to show her the difference between the way he loved her and the way others loved her. The purpose of this poem is to show her that no matter how much she changes or grows his love for her will always grow more and he will be there for her. 

What is the relationship between place (e.g. a bedroom, a train station) and memory in the poem?

In the poem “Terminus”, Edith Wharton talks about her recollection of time with her lover. Place and memory have a relationship because this event is happening in the past in specific places. She is remembering the place where this sexual moment occurred, a bedroom. It seems like the train station is where she met her lover. It is confusing as to if her lover is leaving her boarding the train or getting off the train to meet her. Memory is based on her sexual encounters in the bedroom and Wharton uses imagery to set the tone throughout the poem. The bedroom and the train station serve as the same universes for Wharton, the pleasure she shares with her lover. This experience that she has had seems to have changed her in a positive way. The language in this poem can be seen as confusing but the main idea and relationships seen in this poem are noticeable.

Is McKay’s vision of urban life unremittingly bleak or is there some more optimistic or redeeming aspect to it? Does the speaker’s apparently melancholic or depressive state in some of the poems reflect McKay’s perspective or is he more at a distance from it? How do you know?

In certain poems by Claude McKay, he depicts urban life as unremittingly bleak and emphasize the poverty stricken setting that plagued New York. In his poem “Harlem Shadows,” he described what is currently happening in the “shadows” of Harlem. He expressed the extent African Americans have to go through to provide for themselves. Young girls are seen going from street to street in order to find customers to sell their bodies for money. The struggle and the extent people are willing to go to, as McKay classify it, has brought his race to the lowest level in order to survive in such a cruel society. In poems such as “Harlem Shadows” and “Subway Winds,” they reflect McKay’s perspective. “Subway Winds” describe McKay’s yearning for his homeland and how New York/Harlem is simply a trap. He describes in the beginning of the conditions of New York with “sick and heavy air” and “pale-cheeked children”. Towards the end, he goes into details about his memories of home, which elicit his longing. In both of these poems, it can be concluded that New York provide false promises of a better life and is instead filled with setbacks such as racism. 

Respond to McKay’s vision of urban life as he depicts Harlem and in New York more generally

In Claude McKay’s poem, “Harlem Shadows”, he describes Harlem and New York in a generally negative light. He describes the setting in this poem with  young women walking through Harlem as the day ends and the life of the sky degrades. In the 3rd stanza, he writes “Ah, stern harsh world, that in the wretched way Of poverty, dishonor and disgrace,” describing NY and Harlem as a disgusting city and it highlights the setting of New York during the time when this poem was written. McKay was born in Jamaica but lived most of his adult life in the US. A lot of McKay’s work highlight the contrast between his calm life growing up in Jamaica vs the racist and mostly unpleasant life growing up in early 1900s US with a racist society. Despite the racist environment of NY/Harlem at the time, African-americans still persevered and continued to live in NYC despite the racism. This idea still applies today but not in relation to racism. Some people would still describe NYC as a disgusting city riddled with poverty, honor, and disgrace but we choose to still live here despite the negatives.

The story opens up to a happily married couple of Joe and Missie May. Hurston pulls up a plot twist for her audience to show how money can change people. The betrayal was on Missie May’s part when she slept with Mister Otis D. Slemmons of the ice cream shop for a cold coin. Even after knowing the fact that his wife had committed infidelity, he still stayed. Though he stayed, there was no longer any fun banters they had in the evenings, no running through his trousers for the fear of finding the gold coin. He doubted that the baby was his as well. But slowly and surely, they rekindled their marriage and had a baby boy. Hurston wanted to portray Missie May as the one committing the adultery instead of Joe to break this stereotype between gender roles.

The gilded coin represents a lot for Missie May, at first she wanted it since she has never seen gold money before. After falling for Slemmons’s charm, Missie realizes Slemmons’s status was just a front for empty and fake promises, much like the gilded coin. Instead of keeping her happy life with someone as content and genuine like Joe, Missie gave into her temptations and desires. Joe kept the coin in order to remind and symbolize that Slemmons and money was the reason why their relationship is still shaky. Joe continues to use the gilded coin to “buy” Missie’s services, whether it’s cooking a meal or sex. However, when their child is delivered, Joe finally lets go by using the gilded coin to purchase candy for Missie and his son, symbolizing Joe’s ability to forgive.

It is clear that as time has passed, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade in The Roman Fever have grown apart. As they sat beside each other and watched their young daughters, they pondered quietly. You would imagine, growing up together, the two would be extremely close. Yet, as the two sit and take in the view, they realize how little they know about each other. Even when they were speaking of generational differences, they mention how their grandmothers worried about the Roman fever, their mothers would try to hold on to their daughters to protect them from danger. Yet their parents did not know that the more they tried to cage them in, the more they wanted to be set free. I think this is something that needs to be considered because you can see how unfamiliar different each generation was with one another and how they all valued something entirely different. 

In terms of friendship, I don’t think one really existed or it was severely damaged along the way. It was overcome with jealousy and envy. Wharton mentions, “So these two ladies visualized each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope”(27). The two women sat there passing off negative judgments on each other the majority of the time. Towards the end of the story, the women realized the whole foundation of their friendship was a lie. As a reader, I was quite enthralled by Wharton’s process of unveiling the truth piece by piece. When Mrs.Slade revealed that she knew her husband and Mrs. Ansley were having an affair and she had written a letter out of spite to mislead Mrs.Ansley, I thought, of course, they had hidden agendas. When Mrs. Ansley got the last laugh by saying, “I had Barbara” I was completely shocked. The dramatic turn this story took made me question not only the characters in the story but how much I really know about my own friends, family, and loved ones. It’s like you think you know everything, but then you are stumped when you realize you truly know nothing at all. I feel that is what Wharton wanted to establish and she delivered it spectacularly.

Wharton wants us to realize that you basically can’t be too sure of anyone in your life whether connected as friends, family, or love interest. As lovers, Delphin was unfaithful to Mrs. Slade in that he was interested in Mrs. Ansley while he was already engaged. Mrs. Ansley is friends with Mrs. Slade whom she was jealous and wished illness upon Mrs. Slade because she was intimidated. She had a “thing” for her friend’s husband. She even held this grudge after many years of friendship to this woman who had no idea about these letters written to her late husband and meetings at the Colosseum. This story just goes to show that everyone has a hidden agenda and you truly cant trust a soul.

What commentary on forgiveness, reconciliation, and/or acceptance does the story contain? Does Hurston have a commentary on the role of any of these within an intimate relationship such as a marriage?

Throughout the story, forgiveness is subtle and is a process that takes lots of time. When Joe first caught Missy May with Slemmons, Joe does not act with clear anger or hate. Instead, Joe reacts by going through his normal life without displaying any sort of affection to Missy May. It is important to note that during this time, Joe did not leave his wife. Joe values his marriage with Missy May very highly, despite her mistake, they are still together. This act may speak volumes as to how Hurston feels towards marriages.  Hurston may believe that marriage should not be ended when one person makes a mistake. Forgiveness is seen when the baby is introduced to the story. Joe seemingly starts the old tradition of dropping coins, which represents his forgiveness.

What is the relationship between friendship and judgment in the story?

I believe that relationship between friendship should be pure means that you should not hide anything if that is your best friend and is a good person. The friendship in the story was not trustworthy because they all are hiding something from each other. I believe that even though Ansley like Delphin Slade then both should tell this to Alida who is his fiancé. If you are making a relationship with someone make sure it is trustworthy especially friendship. Alida still judge Ansely in a wrong way even after years passed and Delphin died because if something that breaks no one can join that.