great works ii – 2850 jta 12:25-2:05: love letters from the world

Carlos Fuentes’ use of the second-person point of view makes the readers feel as if they are actually witnessing what it going on as it transpires in order to display the lingering effect of past events on the lives of Consuelo and Felipe.

Frank Kafka depicts a transition in the life of Gregor from a man to a monster by showing readers the effects that family, friends, and society have in creating and changing identities.

Carlos Fuentes’ use of the second-person point of view contributes to the theme of searching for a source of youth by introducing readers to the difficulties of growing up.

In Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” Gregor’s change from a human being to an insect strikes two totally different reactions between the chief clerk and Gregor’s dad. Gregor is late for work as a traveling salesman and the chief clerk comes to his house to figure out what the issue is; he is unsurprisingly terrified of Gregor’s appearance. While describing the chief clerk’s first encounter with the new Gregor, the author states, “But the chief clerk had turned his back on Gregor the moment he had begun speaking , and only stared back at him with his mouth agape, over his trembling shoulder” (218). The clerk is staring at Gregor with his mouth “agape”, evidently showing that he is in shock about what has happened. His “trembling shoulder” shows how he is petrified of Gregor’s new form, eventually leading to him running away from the situation. He treats Gregor as if he is actually an insect. In contrast, Gregor’s father is not scared at all of Gregor’s new appearance; however, he is just as cruel. While describing the measures being taken by Gregor’s dad to get Gregor to return to his room, the author writes, “His father was moving forward implacably, emitting hissing sounds like a savage” (219). His father is “moving forward” towards Gregor, suggesting that he is not scared at all of Gregor. The fact that he is “emitting hissing sounds” shows that he is actually disgusted with Gregor’s change rather than being scared. He treats his own son as if he is a nasty insect. Overall, the Chief Cleark reacts out of fear whereas Gregor’s father acts out of hatred and disgust.

Assignment 5 – Attached below as well

Josh K.

Tyler

Rose (Yoon)

Joseph

[A pine is standing alone]

“lonely” – Lonely means to be without company. However connotatively, the word “lonely” elicits feelings of sadness and sympathy from the reader.

“mourning” – Mourning is expressing sorrow for one’s death and it also expresses ideas of both despair and loneliness.

“bare” – To be exposed and not covered initiates feelings of insecurity and isolation.

“enshrouds” – Enshrouds mean to cover or conceal and it can be seen as method of seeking protection.

“dreaming” – A succession of images, thoughts or emotions that pass through the mind initiates feelings of desire and yearning for something that one wants to attain.

“plateau” – A plateau is a large flat area of land that is higher than other areas of land that surround it and the ups and downs of plateaus represent obstacles that must be overcome.

Analyzing specific words in this poem certainly helps construct the overall interpretation of the poem. Through the poem “A pine is standing alone”, Heinrich Heine portrays that situations may not always be as good as they seem. The pine tree in the snow seemed to have it rough, but as he, the pine tree, “dreams” of a palm tree by the beach, we see that the palm tree is also lonely on its hot, rocky terrain. The pine tree desires to be in the position of the palm tree because as a person it has a tendency to view or imagine itself in its favorable light. However, the pine tree is not aware of the palm tree’s suffering: it only sees the situation in his perspective. In reality, it is yearning to be in a similar unfortunate situation that it is in already. It is difficult to view the world from a perspective that is outside one’s own but individuals must learn how to put themselves into another person’s shoes in order to make right decisions and have reasonable goals.

Our interpretation that people have a tendency to try to wish better for themselves despite not knowing the circumstances of other situations is a huge issue today. People need to learn to be happy in their own shoes. If something is making them unhappy, they should work hard to fix the problem instead of simply wishing the problem would go away. A quick example would be the people today who are unemployed and depending on the taxes of the wealthy to live. Although these people were brought up with difficult circumstances, there are still numerous jobs available in the country that could provide them with a living. Our complementary interpretation that people should try to put themselves in another person’s shoes before making judgments about them is also significant in today’s society. As human beings we tend to evaluate people and their character based on the first impression we have of them. This is a major problem in society. Humans need to learn to look deeper into others and try to see the best in other people rather than assuming they already know everything. Both interpretations show the significance in the problems with human reasoning.

1. Although Tartuffe is undeniably deserving of the heaviest punishment possible for his manipulative behavior, the ending of the play is not justified because it provides the readers with unrealistic consequences for Orgon’s foolish actions.
2. In Tartuffe, Moliere alters people’s view of religion by creating a spiritual character that is praised for his relationship with G-d and his holy actions, and eventually indicating that the character is truly wicked and aims to destroy a family.

In Henrik Ibsens play, Hedda Gabler, there are multiple characters that have very unique character traits that allow them to be an integral piece of the play. Specifically, Hedda herself is a very calculated and manipulative character that consistently takes advantage of her friends and even her husband. While confiding in Hedda after supposedly losing his manuscript, Lovborg claims, “…The devil knows whose hands it’s fallen into, who’s got a hold of it.” This quotation is extremely significant because it shows that Hedda lacks pity and compassion. Despite the fact that she actually knows where the manuscript is, Hedda allows Lovborg to ruin his relationship with Mrs. Elvsted and even persuades him to kill himself. Although it may seem as if she acts in the best interest of her husband, Hedda truly acts very selfishly: she desires control over everything and seemingly loves to make people’s lives complicated and worrisome. Mr. Tesman definitely does not want to put Lovborg in such a bad situation even though they are competitors. Over the course of the play it becomes evident that Hedda tries to manipulate everyone just to entertain herself. She even has the nerve to complain about the house her husband newly bought for her because nothing sees to be good enough for her. Hedda constantly gets other people to tell her their deepest secrets simply so she can figure out ways to hurt them. Inevitably, Hedda’s malicious nature catches up to her and she is tricked into committing suicide.

In Feng Menglong’s “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” Du Tenth, a prostitute, is naïve in her belief that she has found love with a customer, Li Jia. Similarly, in Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman, the narrator is an elderly woman recalling her failed attempts at love and her countless affairs. In both stories, money is the factor preventing the protagonists from finding true love. In Menglong’s story, the man who Du Tenth has seemingly fallen in love with is given the opportunity to pay for an ongoing relationship with her. Despite the fact that they claim to love each other, Du Tenth is the only one who puts money on the line in order to maintain the relationship. Not only does Li Jia not offer any money, but Yuchun, an academy scholar goes out and raises the other half needed to buy out Du Tenth from prostitution. Yuchun states, “It was not for your sake that I borrowed this money, but rather because I am moved by the sincere feeling of Du Tenth” (505). In Saikaku’s story, the narrator has sex for money and pleasure. Money clearly prevents her from finding true love because the people that pay for sex generally feel as if they are paying for an object or feeling. At the end of Menglong’s story, Li Jia can easily let go of Du Tenth and trade her for money because he has not spent anything on her and she is valuable. At the end of the story, Li Jia says, “with the thousand taels I will have a pretext on which to call on my parents, and you, my dear will have someone to rely on” (514). In both stories, money ruins the opportunity of love.