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

http://image.shutterstock.com/z/stock-vector-businessman-leap-of-faith-concept-presumptuous-man-of-business-walks-off-the-cliff-with-red-329719802.jpg

Thesis statement: Bartleby is a noble character who follows Aristotle’s tragic hero journey model by starting off successful but because he made the mistake of choosing the business world as his field he goes from hero to failure.

This image is symbolic of Bartleby and the tragic hero journey model because it shows that looks can be deceiving. The man in this image, who is also a business man like Bartleby, is walking straight on what appears to be normal beautiful green grass. Everything seems fine, the character is smiling but like Bartleby he also makes a huge mistake. The man thinks that that he is happy and walking straight but because he doesn’t look around him or his suroundings he doesn’t realize that he is walking off a cliff. The cliff symbolizes the mans near demise because he made the mistake of walking this way without looking. Both Bartleby and the man start off happy and seemingly successful but they both make a crucial mistake that lead their demise.

When reading this story, you see that the chief clerk’s response to Gregor’s tranformation into an insect is totally different that the reaction of Gregor’s father. Gregor’s father is less scared and nervous of his son being turned into an insect than everyone else. He stays more calm, isn’t as startled and actually, “drove Gregor forward with even a greater din” (pg 220). Gregor’s father actually shoved Gregor away and out the door when everyone else was afraid. The chief clerk, like everyone else besides Gregor’s father, was petrified and wanted to get away from Gregor as soon as possible. The clerk, “moved towards the door” (pg 218) and left when he saw Gregor was no longer a human but was a insect. The family at the end isn’t remorseful over Gregor’s death but is actually excited. They rejoice and actually celebrate his passing. The family now seems as one and seems to actually be stronger than before. This is ver ironic because usually when a family member passes you feel empty and that something is missing. Their daughter actually is much better emotionally and physically due to Gregor’s death, saying that she is now, “increasingly lively daughter, the way that of late, in spite of the trouble that had made her cheeks pale, she had bloomed into an attractive and well-built girl” (pg 241). In a world where a death in the family usually destroys the family, Gregor’s family is now better off and stronger because of it.

Jean: “Miss Julie has a great deal of pride about some things–but not enough about others! Just like her mother in her lifetime; she thrived best in the kitchen or the stable.” (pg 3)

Julie: “But I should not do it, mark you, for there is a difference between us.” (pg 32)

These two quotes both perfectly demonstrate Strindberg’s idea about woman. Strindberg feels that woman are inferior to men and even though they try to be equal to men, society will not allow them to be. The first quote by Jean shows the reader what Jean thinks about woman. Jean in this quote, like Strindberg, is saying how woman are best in the kitchen and the stable. By this he means that even though women may think they are good at something, they really aren’t because they should be doing domestic chores like being in the kitchen. The second quote by Julie shows that she recognizes the differences between men and women. Even though it is optimal to believe that men and women are equal, in reality they aren’t always treated that way. In the eyes of the author, men are always superior than women regardless of what women think. Even though women may think they are equal, they really aren’t. Julie in this quote is accepting this difference between her and Jean because Jean is a male and Julie is a female. Both of these quotes back up Strindberg’s notion that there is a big difference between men and women, in the men’s favor. I think that Strindberg says “half woman” he means that one woman is only equivalent to half a man. I think half woman means that woman only have half the say of men, and in general are only worth half of a person.