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

1. The use of second person used by Carlos Fuentes in his work titled ”Aura,” has the purpose of giving readers a fictitious mindset in order to capture Consuelo’s hunger to retrieve her youth with the help of Felipe and Aura.
2. Frank Kafka’s depiction of Gregor’s transition from an alienated creature of society to a being that is now free at death proves the intensity of societal pressures in ”The Metamorphosis.”
3. Frank Kafka’s ”The Metamorphosis,” speaks on the evolution of Gregor as a character, however, does so through the characters around him proving that in fact there is a true change in Gregor.

“Absent tree” (Stanza VI)

There are a series of small, yet image-provoking words featured in Niyi Osundare’s poem titled, “Hole in the Sky.” All of them in some way or another pertain to the state of the Earth, but in a negative light. This is evident in the phrase “absent tree,” featured in stanza VI. The nature part of this phrase is obviously in the word “tree.” A tree is a part of nature that holds purpose. It has the ability to provide humans with not just food and oxygen, but also with other necessities of life including shelter, medicine and even tools. Without such an entity, there is no progression of life within society. That is exactly the state of the Earth when Osundare refers to it as “absent.” Describing something as absent is purposely done to show that there is emptiness or nonexistence, which is part of the poet’s intentions when describing the Earth. The image referenced to below is a representation of the words, “absent tree.” There is an emptiness, or absence, being depicted in this image of the Earth. Surrounding this single tree are no trees and that might be purposely depicted to show that the environment is declining. This idea of Earth’s state of decline is the same decline Osundare speaks of in the poem. It is also important to take note of the one tree that is standing. It is not standing strong because of its tilt, which is a sign of weakness, foreshadowing the Earth becoming totally “absent.”

Elhadary, Pakinam. “10 Feathers From The East.” N.p., 17 July 2014. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.

An array of scattered thoughts run through the mind of Gregor Samsa when it is to his surprise that he has awoken in the form of a “monstrous cockroach.” He can not help but to think of the thoughts of his family and those at work in response to the sight of his new form. There is however a striking difference in the responses that he receives from his father and the chief clerk with respect to his metamorphosis. At the sight of Gregor, the chief clerk, “turned his back on [him]…and only stared back at him with mouth agape, over his trembling shoulder (218). An exchange in words between the two is totally absent because of the chief clerk’s decision to flee. His reaction to Gregor could be viewed with the idea that when a man shows weakness in any facet of life, physically or emotionally, he is deemed useless and unable to contribute. Gregor’s father, however, has a different reaction to his son. As opposed to the chief clerk, Gregor’s father “seized in his right hand the chief clerks cane…with his left grabbed a large newspaper from the table, and, by stamping his feet…attempted to drive Gregor back into his room” (219). His father’s reaction could be described as disappointment, followed by an aggressive anger. Gregor says that the chief clerk needed to be stopped, calmed, convinced, and finally won over as the future of his family depended on it (218). It is here that we see the importance of Gregor’s role in relation to the family and why the actions of his father could be justified. While the chief clerk was much more passive in his reaction, Gregor’s father, in contrast, was much more aggressive in displaying his disappointment.

“Human beings can hate each other more than death.”

There is an ethical point to be made in the quote, “Human beings can hate each other more than death,” which highly impacts how one may look at the end of the story (896). The words “hate” and “death” are two strong words that are being used here in the context of marriage. Hate can become part of someones feelings for another as a result of a battered or abusive relationship, as seen here. This kind of relationship is seen between Chandara and Chidam. An instance of this is when Chidam warns Chandara with, “If I ever hear that you’ve been to the ghat on your own, I’ll break ever bone in your body” (896). Chandara responds in a sneering manner and as a result, she is grabbed by her hair, dragged and locked in a room. It is here that Chandara is filled with a feeling of hate for her husband, which is why she much rather death over existence. In any case, when someone is hurt either emotionally or physically, it justifies the decisions that they may choose to make. For Chandara, her decision to willingly take the blame for her sister-in-law’s death is by all means justified because to be dead is better than being part of an unhealthy marriage. Therefore, when looking at the ending of the story, Charanda’s decision to be at peace with herself by dying is justifiable because living with a man like Chidam is worse than death.

1. It could be argued that the narrator of Saikaku’s, Life of a Sensuous Woman, purposely speaks of her experiences in order to express the subservient position women held.
2. It could be said that Moliere’s “Tartuffe” is filled with strong, colorful individual characters who are intentionally backed with moral standpoints in order to teach issues of interest.

Throughout the play, Hedda Gabler, George Tesmen holds an important role and can easily be characterized as submissive. An example of this can be seen early in the play during his conversation with Aunt Julia. He says that his wife, Hedda, said, “that she couldn’t imagine living anywhere but here- in Prime Minister Falk’s house ” (785). Being that he is submissive and obedient, he made her wish come true at a significant price. The price being that all of the luxuries that he and his wife possess are based on his appointment, as he says, “We went and got married on this very prospect, Hedda and I. Went and got ourselves heavily into debt. Borrowed money from Aunt Julia too. I mean, good Lord, I was as much as promised the position” (799). With him saying, ““We went and got married on this very prospect,” it shows how hallow their relationship really is. Though it is hallow, he tries to fulfill his duties as a husband by giving her anything that she desires, even if that means getting themselves “heavily into debt”. The risk George takes shows his submissiveness to Hedda and their marriage. The dynamics of their marriage can be seen in exchange they have shortly after Aunt Julia’s departure. Hedda is angered by Aunt Julia simply leaving her hat on the chair and says “But where did she get her manners, flinging her hat around any way she likes here in the drawing room.” (789). George, siding with his wife to ease tensions, says that she should be sure Aunt Julia wouldn’t do it again. This small event shows George’s submissive nature toward his wife. He will do or say anything, even to his long time caretaker Aunt Julia, to satisfy Hedda. Though minute, this exchange proves that George has only one purpose, which is to submit to Hedda and fulfill his duty as her husband.

The narrator of Saikaku’s, Life of a Sensuous Woman and the female character in Feng Menglong’s short story titled, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger,” are both characters who are prostitutes. Though they share such a commonality, both the narrator and Du Tenth are two entirely different individuals. One difference between both characters is their understanding and appreciation for love. Du Tenth overly shows her love for Li Jia with the giving of her personal savings, the padded quilt. She knows the quilt is valuable, but sacrificing her belongings for their love is important. When Li Jia exchanges the quilt for taels, Yuchun says, “This is truly a woman with sincere intentions. Since she has a real feeling, she should not be let down” (505). The piece of her shelter she surrenders shows the reader her true appreciate for love. The narrator of Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman does not show any yearning for love, but rather lust, from more than one source. This therefore displays no appreciate for love by the narrator. Though different in one way, they are similar in another. They are similar in their role as women in relation to societal expectations. For example, Jia repeatedly referred to his father’s opinion. Though early on, he disguised his love for Tenth, his status and mindset got the best of him. He decided that the money Sun offered for Tenth overruled his feelings for her and she felt the same when she sarcastically says, “The fortune of the thousand taels will enable you to restore your position in your family” (514). In this instance, status triumphed their relationship and this can also be since for the narrator of Saikaku’s piece. In each of the “relationships” the narrator encountered, the spotlight was directed away from her because of her role as a prostitute. For a priest to be seen with a prostitute, at this time, would be downright immoral. In this instance, we can see societal values, like status and wealth, cast a shadow on a relationship.