How does the ability to choose play a role in the lives of the main characters in both Ihara Saikaku’s from Life of a Sensuous Woman and Herman Melville’s Bartleby, The Scrivener? To what extent are the Woman and Bartleby free to make their own decisions and what effect does this have on their personalities? On their character development? On their level(s) of happiness? What does this tell us regarding the importance of choice in our lives? How should we exercise our own personal executive responsibilities in order to be most successful? Use quotes and examples from each of the texts in order to support your answer.
4 Responses to Midterm Post – Emily Weiss
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This is a very interesting question and it invites the respondent to really think from a common yet a bit different perspective. Saikaku’s from Life of a Sensuous Woman, the narrator’s ability to chose may have been more apparent than Bartleby. Since Bartleby the Scrivener was told from the lawyer’s perspective and the readers were not given any hints to Bartleby’s thoughts throughout the story. I really like your question, in terms of suggestions I would say to cut back a little on the extensions of the questions because it can be a bit confusing at the end. However, since the extensions of the question provide good leads toward developing ideas maybe you can list them as possible topics to write about in the responding paragraph.
-Chi Z. (P2)
I think a question such as this could be very effective in making the reader really consider each part in both stories. A question such as this should be answered by providing multiple quotations as to how each characters choices effected their lives. For Saikaku it could be about how making too many choices in the heat of the moment could ruin their lives. For Bartleby it could be from the lack of making choices, or rather from the choice to do nothing. Either way this leads to his life being ruined as well. Perhaps it would be best to just have the one question asking how the ability to choose in each characters life plays a role. That way the reader is able to come up with their own responses, this allows a more creative and wide range of answers to be created.
A very well thought out question Emily. One that will allow the responder to really compare both texts and get a feel for the way they are connected even though their set in two completely different times and locations. The answer to this question will show the person that the similarity between the two texts is the human condition; no matter who we are or what we do for a living, we will always be struggle and trying to overcome the same things. Both Bartleby and the Women are stuck in lives that they absolutely can’t stand, which eventually lead both of them to attempt some form of suicide to end their suffering. For Bartleby it was giving up on life and starvation, while the sensuous women decided to drown in a lake even though her attempt was impeded by one of her past lovers.
I really like your question because it brings a lot of thoughts into my mind. I take an interest in how you connected personal development, success, happiness, responsibility and the importance of choice in one question. Ability to make personal decisions and realization that you are the creator of your life and future is essential for the self-progress and success in life. Bartleby was forced by life to work in a job that was unpleasant for him, just the same as the sensuous woman unwillingly participated in a span of many offensive and unsatisfactory relationships. Neither of them found peace in life until a radical action made out their will.
Elizaveta Paliy