Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Thomas Pynchon’s novel the Crying of Lot 49 is full of ambiguity. Pynchon creates this ambiguity in the novel by mixing Oepida’s search for meaning with other elements such as his humorous portrayal of American society in the 60s in the story that seem to have little meaning to Oepida’s journey. Another feature of the novel that creates this ambiguity is the fact that very piece of information or evidence Pynchon presents about the tristero and WASTE does not fit perfectly with other information. The reader, therefore, never gets a complete or clear picture of WASTE or the tristero and their purpose. This ambiguity in the novel contributes to the ambiguity that Oedipa discovers at the end of her journey.

The novel is about Oedipa, who seeks to escape her world in search of a deeper meaning to life. At first, Oedipa imagines herself being rescued by Pierce but she later realizes that Pierce cannot help her escape from the confines of her tower; “Pierce had taken her away from nothing, there’d been no escape.” In order to escape her world, Oedipa goes on a journey to discovery the truth behind WASTE and the tristero. Oedipa hoped that by discovering the truth behind WASTE and the tristero, she will discover reality and her relation to this reality. Instead, Oedipa only finds isolation and ambiguity. Oedipa feels herself becoming isolated from all the men in her life. Hilarius, Mucho, Metzger, Driblette, and Fallopian were unable to help her. Oedipa appeals to Arnold Snarb last, “So you are the only one I have.” However, she looses Snarb also, leaving her in complete isolation. “She stood between the public booth and the rented car, in the night, her isolation complete, and tried to face the sea.”

Though Oedipa also searches for reality, the information she finds cannot be verified. Is all the things and people Oedipa encounters during her journey a coincidence or did they have a connection. Oedipa is not even sure if her search for the truth behind the tristero and WASTE was not a conspiracy invented by Pierce to fool her. In the end, Oedipa chooses to continue searching for truth; she shows up to the auction to find out who the mystery bidder was in hopes that he will lead her to the truth. Oedipa knew that she must either accept that her search for truth was just a joke or that she is paranoid. Oedipa thinks to herself, “It must have meaning beyond just a practical joke. Or you are fantasying some such plot, in which case you are a nut, Oedipa, out of your skull.”

Willaim Faulkner's "The Brooch"

William Faulkner’s short story “The Brooch” is about a man who is desperately trying to escape his mother’s control over his life. Because the story is told from the point of view of Howard, the son, the reader is able to see the mother through the eyes of Howard and get a sense of his desperation. Howard sees his mother as a controlling, possessive person who gives him no privacy. His description of Mrs. Boyd gives the reader a sense that she is not human. Mrs. Boyd knows and hears everything “that happened at any hour in the house.” Throughout the story, her words show no emotions and she is never described in any way that would allow the readers to associate an emotion to her. Her words are cold and emotionless. The description of Mrs. Boyd and her room adds to this impression that Mrs. Boyd is inhuman, Mrs. Boyd is described as “a thick woman with a face the color of tallow and dark eyes apparently both pupil-less and iris-less beneath perfectly white hair.” Just like the clock that sits on her nightstand, she has a “dead face.” The lamp beside her room gives off a “stale glow of sickroom lights.”

In comparison to Mrs. Boyd, Howard and Amy are described as emotional and human. Unlike Mrs. Boyd, the description of their actions and their words gives the readers a sense of how they feel. Readers can clear imagine how angry Howard is when he exclaims “With the—Hah!” and the actions he takes. “He stepped back and jerked the door open with something of his father’s swaggering theatricalism.” In this story, Amy is also portrayed as someone with emotions. Amy “spoke through the weeping in the choked gasping of a child, with complete and despairing surrender: ‘Oh, Howard! I wouldn’t have done that to you! I wouldn’t have! I wouldn’t have!” Unlike his mother’s room, the light in his room is not cold and stale. The fire which he makes gives off a “pulsing and gleaming” quality to his furniture. With this fire, Howard and Amy are warmed.

The narration allows the readers to get into Howard’s mind and read his thoughts. His sense of desperation is shown through the conflict between his mind and himself and his attempts to avoid his problems. Howard feels that he has no way out; he cannot escape his mother’s control. The inhuman and all-knowing description of his mother adds to this impression that Howard cannot hide or escape. Howard finally decides to commit suicide because he knows of no other way to escape his mother.

William Faulkner's "There Was a Queen"

William Faulkner’s “There Was a Queen” points out the injustice suffered by a child born fathered by a master and a slave woman. Elnora does not know that she has Satoris blood in her. Elnora,however, feels that she is more worthy of the Satoris name than Narcissa is; she feels that she is a part of the family and not someone who simply takes care of the family. This feeling comes from the fact that Elnora cares for and takes pride in the family. Elnora states, “Because it’s a Satoris job. Cunnel knowed that when he died and tole me to take care of her. Tole me. Not no outsiders from town.” Elnora’s statement reveals that she considers herself as a Satoris, and it was her job to take care of Virginia. Elnora clearly takes pride in the Satoris name. Elnora remarks, “Ain’t no Satoris man never missed nobody;” this statement implies that a man missing his mother is a sign of weakness, and Satoris men are not weak.

Though Elnora considers herself a Satoris, she is reminded again and again of her status as a black woman and a servant. When she calls Narcissa lazy, she is corrected by Virginia who says, “You stop talking that way about her” and “you keep it to yourself. She’s Bayard’s wife. A Satoris woman, now.” Elnora replies that Narcissa “won’t never be a Satoris.” Elnora’s strong remark shows that she feels the injustice of her status. While she cares for the Satoris family, she will never be considered a part of the family by Virginia. Narcissa, on the other hand, is considered a Satoris by Virginia even though Elnora feels that Narcissa does not deserve the name. Elnora points out that Narcissa is “Trash, Town trash.” Though Narcissa enjoys the lifestyle of a Satoris living in the house, she does not live within the standards Elnora finds acceptable for Satoris women.

In the beginning of the story, the narrator remarks that Elnora was Bayard’s half-sister, though most likely Elnora, Bayard, and their father did not know. At first, this statement by the narrator seemed out of placed with regard to the rest of the story. However, Faulkner may be pointing out the injustice suffered by Elnora. Though Elnora has Satoris blood in her, she is not considered a Satoris because of her status as a black woman. She is more considerate towards the family than Narcissa, who is only a Satoris by marriage.

William Carlose Williams "The Young Housewife" and "Portrait of a Lady"

William Carlos Williams’ two poems “The Young Housewife” and “Portrait of a Lady” allude to the role that power plays in the relationship between the two sexes. Linda A. Kinnahan, who wrote Poetics of the Feminine: Authority and Literary Tradition in William Carlos Williams, Mina Loy, Denise Levertov, and Kathleen Fraser, believes that Williams undermines the male’s “claim to mastery” by writing poems “about women that focus upon female vulnerability to forms of masculine power while signaling his own culpability within these culturally encoded dynamics.” Kinnahan seems to say that Williams is critiquing women’s vulnerability to male dominance by showing this dominance in his poetry and allowing the speaker to be judged. I agree that Williams does deliberately undermine masculine power in his poems. I, on the other hand, do not believe that Williams means to portray the female as completely vulnerable in the poem “The Young Housewife” and “Portrait of a Lady.” Describing the housewife Kinnahan states, “she ventures with full vulnerability onto the streets, where she becomes the unwitting object of another form of masculine mastery—the poet's gaze and the poet's representative possession of her.” The housewife is not actually vulnerable, but she is depicted as being vulnerable because she is being described through a male perspective.

Though the housewife is socially vulnerable, she does maintain sexual power over the poet. The housewife is socially vulnerable because she is defined by a male voice in a society dominated by males; this social vulnerability can be seen when the poet describes the housewife as being behind the “wooden walls of her husband’s hosed.” The poet is also able to present the housewife in the way that he sees her, and he describes her in a sensual manner. The poet describes the housewife as “shy, uncorseted, and tucking in stray ends of hair.” The poet, however, does not have any real power over the housewife. Though the poet wishes to dominate her by crushing her under the wheels of his car like the fallen leaves he compares her to, his desire is confined to his fantasy. The poet can only “bow and pass smiling.” The housewife, however, does have a sexual power over the poet, which is seen in the way the poet is mesmerized by the housewife.

This sexual power that women have over men can also be seen in “Portrait of a Lady” in the interaction between the male and female voices. In this poem, the man is attempting to flatter the woman by describing her in flowery language; the woman interjects with questions that cause the man to make mistakes and fumble over his descriptions. The woman asks, “Which sky?” and the man answers, “The sky where Watteau hung a lady’s slipper. Your knees are a southern breeze—or a gust of snow.” Realizing that he had mentioned the wrong artist, the man exclaims, “Agh! What sort of man was Fragonard?” The woman responds, “—as if that answered anything.” The woman continues to question the man causing him to make more mistakes. In this poem, the woman’s voice clearly has the power over the man’s voice. At the beginning, the man’s voice is confidence. This confidence quickly fades, and he becomes unsure of his descriptions. The man says, “Agh, petals maybe.” The presence of the woman’s voice causes the man to lose confidence. The poem “Portrait of a Lady” does not present female vulnerability from the male perspective; when the female voice is added, the male’s voice is the one that becomes vulnerable.

Poetics of the Feminine: Authority and Literary Tradition in William Carlos Williams, Mina Loy, Denise Levertov, and Kathleen Fraser. Copyright © 1994 by Cambridge UP.

Charles Waddell Chesnutt "The Wife of His Youth"

Charles Waddell Chesnutt’s short story “The Wife of His Youth” presents a theme of blackness and the need to acknowledge one’s blackness. In the story, Chesnutt shows a group of light-skinned people who wanted to separate themselves from the darker-skinned African Americans. They view blackness as low, and they wanted o divorce themselves from being associated with blackness in the hopes of one day being accepted by the white race. Mr. Rider, who represents this view, says, “Our fate lies between absorption by the white race and extinction by the black. One doesn’t want us yet, but may take us in time. The other would welcome us, but it would be for use a backward step.”

In the story, Mr. Rider either has to acknowledge his blackness or seek acceptance in whiteness. Chesnutt uses the wife and Mrs. Dixon to represent the races, and to reveal the choice that Mr. Rider has to make. Mrs. Dixon represents the whiteness; as Mr. Rider states, “Mrs. Dixon was the palest lady he expected at the ball.” However, Mrs. Dixon is not white and will never be. Mrs. Dixon, therefore, represents the false whiteness that Mr. Rider seeks. He is seeking something that he can never achieve because it does not exist; he is not white. The wife represents the blackness of Mr. Rider’s youth and the reality that he tries to deny. When Mr. Rider first sees her, he describes her as being very black,--so black that her toothless gums, revealed when she opened her mouth to speak, were not red, but blue. She looked like a bit or the old plantation life.” His wife, however, brings back memories of his youth and past that he can hardly remember.

Mr. Rider is faced with a dilemma of whether to accept or deny his blackness. He reveals his internal conflict, when he says, “And then suppose that accident should bring to his knowledge the fact that the wife of his youth, the wife that he left behind him,--not one who had walked by his side and kept pace with him in his upward struggle, but one upon whom advancing years and a laborious life ha set their mark,--was alive and seeking him, but that he was absolutely safe from recognition or discover, unless he chose to reveal himself. My friends what would the man do?” In the statement, Mr. Rider’s blackness is the wife of his youth; his blackness is something that he attempted to abandon in order to move upward socially because he realizes that his blackness a disadvantage to him. The markings of the laborious life and advancing years are the markings of slavery and struggle that is associated with his youth and his blackness. Mr. Rider attempts to forget about these markings, but his wife’s appearance brings back all these memories. He realizes that his past/wife/blackness is calling out to him and desires to be acknowledged because it is what has made him what he is now. Mr. Rider decides to be true to himself, and he acknowledges his wife and his blackness.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

In Chapter XIV of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain contrasts Huck and Jim’s views through a discussion between Huck and Jim. Huck and Jim’s differing views provides incite into their characters and situations. Huck and Jim have differing views of their life on the raft; while Huck views life on the raft as an adventure, Jim sees it as a means for escaping slavery and seeking freedom. Huck states, “I told Jim all about what happened inside the wreck…and I said these kinds of things was adventures.” Jim counters by saying that “he didn’t want no more adventures.” Because Huck is free, he does not appreciate this freedom; he desires adventure and excitement. Jim, on the other hand, is a runaway slave; he is not free, and he is very aware of his situation. He does not desire adventure because he knows that it is dangerous and may threaten the freedom the he is currently enjoying. Huck describes Jim’s situation, stating “he crawled back to get on the raft and found her gone, he nearly died; because he judge it was all up with him…” To Jim, the raft is a haven, and on the raft, he was free from being captured. When the raft disappeared, Jim knew that he would either drown in the river or be captured and sold back into slavery.

Another part in this chapter that displays Huck and Jim’s differing views is the part in which they discuss king “Sollermun.” Jim states, “It lays in de way Sollermun was raised. You take a may dat’s got on’y one er two chillen; is dat man gwyne to be waseful o’ chillen? No, he ain’t; he can’t ’ford it. He know how to value ’em. But you take a man dat’s got ’bout five million chillen runnin’ roun’ de house, en it’s diffunt. He as soon chop a chile in two as a cat.” Jim is pointing out how people do not always appreciate what they have. Huck was raised free; he has always been free to do what he wants, so he does not appreciate his current freedom the way Jim does. Huck does not realize that all the risk he takes on his adventure could cost him his freedom. Jim, on the other hand, enjoys his current freedom, and takes careful consideration to preserve this freedom.

Jim’s views on equality can be seen in Huck and Jim’s discussion of why a Frenchman speaks differently. When Jim asks Huck why French people talk differently then they do, Huck compares a cat and a cow to a man; Huck tells Jim that a cat and a cow does not talk like a man because they are different from a man. However, Jim points out that a cat and a cow are not equal to a man. Jim says, “Well, den she ain’ got no business to take like either one er the yuther of ’em. Is a Frenchman a man?” Clearly, a Frenchman is a man, so Jim believes it is natural for a Frenchman to talk the way they do because all men are the same. This implies Jim believes that all men are equal; a slave is a man and is equal to a white man.

This chapter presents the views of Huck and Jim that gives insight into their characters. Jim’s views on freedom and equally are especially shown in this chapter. While Huck thinks Jim’s reasoning are nonsensical and views Jim as somewhat ignorant. Jim’s view are, however, representative of his situation in life.

Emily Dickinson's "It sifts from Leaden Sieves"

In the poem “It sifts from Leaden Sieves,” Emily Dickinson is very ambiguous as to what she is describing. (I had to google her poem to figure out that she was describing snow.) She did not use any terminology that is associated with weather. Dickinson’s choice of diction and metaphors also add to the ambiguity of the poem. Each stanza by itself does not bring to mind snow but taken together, the poem creates a complete picture; after one finds outs that the subject was snow, the poem made more sense. In the first line, Dickinson writes, “It sifts from Leaden Sieves.” Because of Dickinson’s use of the term “Leaden Sieves,” it was difficult to determine what she was referring to. Dickinson meant to relate snow to the way flour is sifted to remove the clumps; the flour falls from the sifter like scattered powder. Dickinson also uses the work “wood” which can bring to mind a piece of wood or something made of wood and not woods or trees. Dickinson also states, “It reaches to the Fence—/ It wraps it Rail by Rail;” one does not imagine the powder-like snow wrapping around rails like a ribbon or string would. The snow also “Ruffles Wrists of Posts / As Ankles of a Queen—;” this description brings to mind lace that covers a Queens ankles and not snow. One has a hard time imagining how snow can “Stump, and Stack—and Stem—/ A Summer’s empty Room—.” Dickinson is describing how the snow is covering the “Summer’s empty Room,” which may be a metaphor for the fields and gardens.

However, Dickinson also includes some descriptive words that bring to mind the whiteness and softness of snow. Dickinson relates snow to “Alabaster Wool;” alabaster is a white, translucent substance, and wool is soft and white. The word “Fleeces” also makes one think of softness. In the end, Dickinson writes “Then stills it’s Artisans—like Ghosts— / Denying they have been—.” Dickinson is saying that when the snow disappears, it leaves a haunting memory on the arts like herself.

In this poem, Dickinson is describing how snow covers the land in whiteness, like a “Celestial Vail.” Dickinson relates snow and whiteness to purity and beauty; the snow fills “The Wrinkle of the Roads—,” perhaps covering the flaws and imperfection of the roads. Her descriptions of how the snow falls on the land wraps around the rails and ruffles the post are images of beauty; the snow is beautifying the scenery.

Walt Whitman's "Beat! Beat! Drums!"

Walt Whitman’s poem “Beat! Beat! Drums!” supports Mark Neely’s assertion that Whitman does not include any comments or opinions about the Emancipation Proclamation in his poetry. “Beat! Beat! Drums!” may rather be a poem used by Whitman to call the people’s attention to the state of the nation during the Civil war. In the poem, the drums and bugles are so loud that it causes everyone in the towns and cities to take notice. The speaker describes the drums as a “ruthless force” that penetrates doors and windows and disturbs everyone’s lives; no one is left in peace or happiness.
The use of repetition in the line “Beat! beat! drum!—blow! bugles! Blow!” that begins each stanza adds to the sense that Whitman is calling the people’s attention. One could almost imagine the rhythmic drumming and blowing growing louder and louder throughout the poem. In the second stanza, the speaker implies the importance of people to pay attention to the issue that he is presenting. If lawyers, sleepers, brokers, and other people of the cities and towns can go on with their business, the drummers and bugle players must play louder. The speaker says, “Then rattle quicker, heavier drums—you bugles wilder blow.” The speaker encourages the drummers and bugle players to play louder as to drown out all noise of everyday life. The issue that Whitman is calling attention to is unknown, but this issue is important to everyone and touches everyone’s lives just like the sound of the drums and bugles. Whitman’s history may suggest that he is against slavery; however, the poem does not explicitly mention or even allude to slavery and the emancipation proclamation. Though Whitman does not explicitly include who is playing the drums and bugles or what these instruments are use to call attention to, it can be inferred that the drums and bugles are part of an army that is marching through the towns and cities, announcing its presence and calling attention to the war.

"The Cotton Boll" by Henry Timrod

Henry Timrod uses the poem “The Cotton Boll” to convey his views of the Civil War and his fear that the war will destroy the southern landscape; his views are effectively expressed through a comparison between the peacefulness of the land and the turbulent nature of war. This comparison is achieved through descriptions of nature and the weather. In the beginning, the speaker is sitting underneath a tree admiring the landscape around him; he describes the weather as being clear and sunny with a light breeze. To him, the fields are white and glowing in the sun, like a “sea of billowy gold,” and the land contains “all the common gifts of God.” The overall scene is calm and quiet except in rare cases when there is thunder, which he describes as “golden chimes.”

The speaker’s description of the weather and nature changes when he describes the storm, which is symbolic of the war. The scene is no longer calm as the “toil” of the water and wind creates a “dull booming” and a “mighty muffled roar.” The speaker also correlates the “Northern winds” with “the voice of woe.” These descriptions of sounds are very negative in comparison to the “golden chimes.” The speaker also associates war with change, similar to the movement of water and wind being able to “split a rock” or “carve a niche.” The description of nature and weather is used to foreshadow the coming of war and the changes that is brought about by war. The speaker appreciates the land and all the gifts it provides the people, and he does not want the landscape to change.

The poem ends with a request to God to help the South win the war and preserve the peaceful southern fields. The speaker states, “Oh, help us, Lord! To roll the crimson flood / Back on its course…” The speaker wants to drive the war back so that this landscape can be preserved. He realizes that “there is much even Victory must regret,” which means that the destruction of this landscape will be regrettable, even if the South should win the war. Timrod displays a very negative attitude of the north; he equates the north to the Goths or the Vikings who raided and plundered towns, when he states “till the Goth shall cling / To his own blasted alter-stones…” The association of the alter-stones to the north also implies that northerners are pagans who may participate in sacrifices; Timrod believes that the north will corrupt the landscape and stain it with blood.

Hawthorne's "The Birthmark"

Hawthorne’s work “The Birthmark” deals with the necessity of accepting sin and imperfections as a part humanity and mortality. In the story, some view the birthmark as a thing of beauty, a “token of the magic endowments.” The birthmark can be interpreted as the gift of life and free will that God gave mankind, from which sin is produced. The birthmark can also be interpreted as original sin, which all humans are born with. The birthmark is red, which is associated with blood and sin, and can be contrasted with the whiteness or purity of the surrounding cheek.

To Aylmer, the birthmark on his wife’s cheek is representative of earthly imperfection and a symbol of “sin, sorrow, decay, and death.” Aylmer viewed earthly things as lowly, seen in the tone in which he addresses his assistant; Aylmer, therefore, is obsessed with removing the birthmark, this sign of earthly imperfection from his otherwise perfect wife. He wants to rid his wife of “sin, sorrow, decay and death,” all characteristics of being human, in order to achieve a perfect being. However, the birthmark, like sin, is not simply a superficial imperfection but is embedded deep within her. In Aylmer’s dream, he attempts to dig out the birthmark but the birthmark sinks deeper and deeper until it is in his wife’s heart. Aylmer fails to realize that human sin and imperfections are the very essence or fabric of humanity and mortality, “the bond by which an angelic spirit kept itself in union with a mortal frame.” As in Aylmer dream, separating human sin and achieving perfection is impossible; removing sin is like removing life and free will. Because Aylmer does not understand this, he attempts to remove the birthmark anyway; he succeeds but at the cost of his wife’s life.

The Birthmark goes further to point out that because humans are imperfect, and the things that humans create also lack perfection. Nature “permits us indeed, to mar, but seldom to mend, and, like a jealous patentee, on no account to make.” The narrator states that “We know not whether Aylmer possessed this degree of faith in man’s ultimate control over nature;” however, Aylmer seems to think that through science, he can correct an imperfection left by nature. Indeed, Georgiana describes that Aylmer can ‘spiritualized’ physical objects or seems to have control over the spiritual world. It is clear that Aylmer does not. Both of Aylmer attempts at creating beauty failed; the plant dies just as Georgiana tries to touch it, and the picture Aylmer makes on the metal plate is blurry.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"

Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown is about the necessity of having faith. In this story, Goodman Brown is forced to go on a journey that tested his faith. Hawthorne uses Faith as both Goodman Brown’s wife and as a symbol of Goodman Brown’s faith in the Lord and perhaps in humanity as well; Hawthorne describes the wife as “aptly named.” This use of symbolism presents itself many times in the story. Goodman Brown states “I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven,” which means that he will follow his wife to heaven and that having faith will take him to heaven. Goodman Brown also tells that traveler “With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!” meaning that with his faith in the Lord, he will resist evilness.

As Goodman Brown continues on his dark journey, he sees Goody Cloyse conversing with the traveler and the minister and Deacon Gookin heading deep into the forest for the meeting. Because Goodman Brown highly respects these people, he begins to doubt "whether there really was a Heaven above him." However, Goodman Brown does not lose faith until he sees that most of the pious people of Salem including his wife gathered at the witch-meeting. He exclaims “My Faith is gone!” and “There is no good on earth and sin is but a name. Come, devil! For to thee is this world given.” Goodman Brown has lost his faith in all humanity and in the belief that he can be saved. When Goodman Brown returns to the town in the morning, his wife Faith is there to greet him; however, he does not believe her to be the ‘angel’ that he once thought her to be. He does not see the townspeople such as the minister and the deacon the way he used to. Despite his faith being beside him throughout his life, Goodman Brown ignores it, and, as a result, he becomes a “stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man.” Hawthorne is saying that without faith in the Lord and in humanity people will become the same type of person that Goodman Brown became.

The Group by Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren wrote The Group as a piece of propaganda to encourage the colonists to fight for freedom from oppression by the British government and its sympathizers. At the time Warren wrote this mock play, General Gage had replaced Governor Hutchinson as the leader of the British troops in the colonies, which added to the hostility felt by the colonists. Surprisingly, of all the characters in this play, Sylla who is representative of General Gage is portrayed in the best light. Sylla acknowledges that what he is doing is wrong and is perplexed as to how to reconcile his duties and his feelings. Though Sylla is imposing martial law on the city of Boston, he attempts to take into account the colonists’ feelings; Sylla does so by trying to keep the troops at bay so as not to insult the colonists. Sylla also reprimand the Simple Sapling for his desire of fame over his family's best interest by saying, “Has thou no sons or blooming daughters there,/ To call up the feelings of a Father, /Lets their young minds contaminate by vice, /Caught from such inmates, dangerous and vile, /Devoid of virtue, rectitude, or honor...” Sylla's statement is ironic because while Sylla describes the soldiers as being "devoid of virtue, rectitude, or honor," these very men lack the same qualities. In addition, this statement give an opportunity to show that men such as Simple Sappling and Hateall do not care for their wives and children. In addition to being sympathetic, Sylla is also loyal, though his loyalty is to the crown of Britain. Sylla states, “I only wish to serve my Sovereign well, /And bring new glory to my master’s crown, /Which can’t be done by spreading ruin around /This loyal Country.../Wrought up to madness by oppression's hand...” Sylla feels that he would desecrating the legacy of Britain’s past heroes, who fought bravely for freedom, if he were to fight the colonists who only desire freedom from oppression.

Sylla seems to be the tragic hero is this play; Warren may have used Sylla as a contrast to the other characters, who are morally inferior. While General Gage is relatively new to the colonists, the men represented by the other characters are well known; therefore, Warren may want to emphasize the immorality of these men. Sylla is portrayed as sympathetic, rational, and loyal, while the others are seen as greedy, selfish, fearful, and vendictive. Instead of being moved by Sylla’s compassion and reluctance to take military actions, these men begin to fear that they will lose everything they have worked for if there is no fight. After Sylla exits, Halzerod says, “ This balancing of passions never will do, /And by the scale which virtue holds to reason, /Weighing the business e’er he executes, /Doubting, deliberating, half resolved/ To be the savior of a virtuous state, /Instead of guarding the refugees and knaves, /The buzzing reptiles that crawl round his court…” Halzerod continues to say that he will attempt to convince Sylla to take “bloody resolutions.” This statement by Halzerod only increases the audience’s disgust for men such as Halzerod and Meagre, who want to destroy the colonies for personal gain. Though at first, Warren’s positive portrayal of Sylla seems perplexing, its serves its purpose well in contrasting the immorality of the other characters.

Benjamin Franklin " Autobiography Part 3"

In part three of the Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin continued to appearances as a tool of manipulation. Franklin manipulated the new member of the Assembly who opposed him to gain the member's favor. Franklin accomplished this by sending the man a letter asking the man for a favor, which was obliged by the man. Franklin was careful to omit this man's name, possibly because he did not want to tarnish his appearance to those who knew him and this man.

In part three, printing continued to be symbolic of success for Franklin; most of his financial and political success was related in some way to literacy and printing. Franklin used his printing as a mode of "communicating instruction" and initiating changes in society. However, when printing relates to other persons in the text, it does not correlate to success. In the case of Mr. Whitefield, printing led to his failure. As Franklin stated, "his writings and printing from time to time gave great advantages to his enemies...I am of the opinion if he had never written any thing...his reputation might in that case have been still growing...as there being nothing in his writing on which to found a censure and give him a lower character...". The difference between Franklin and Mr. Whitefield was their best mode of expression. Mr. Whitefield, on the other hand, was a powerful speaker, but he did not recognized that writings must be more tamed than speeches. Franklin once pointed out that he was not articulate in speaking; Franklin, however, was a very articulate writer, and writing was usually the first from of expression he utilized to gain public favor for the public projects he supported. Franklin showed he can easily manipulate words when he played on the word 'fire-engine' as a powerful gun and not a instrument used in putting out fires. With writing, Franklin was best able to utilize appearance in his favor; in this text and his other published writings, Franklin was careful to manipulate his appearances so that he and what he supports appeared in a favorable light.

This manipulating of appearance also manifests itself in the narrative voice he uses in part three. In this part, the voice of the narrator and the protagonist often were indistinguishable from one another. One instance occurred when Franklin the narrator distinguishes himself from the protagonist by allowing his voice to be heard. Franklin stated "But I am got forward too fast with my story." In this instance, Franklin the narrator wanted to distance himself from the protagonist to bring attention to this part of the text; the tone of the narrator is that of excitement in telling this story. Franklin wanted the readers to pay attention this part, which contained the abuses of power committed by the British officials.

Comparison between Byrd and Jefferson

When comparing the tone of Byrd’s The History of the Dividing Line, and Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia, Byrd reveals a condescending view, while Jefferson displays a positive and sympathetic view of Indians. Byrd sees Indian men as lazy, cruel, and barbaric. Referring to Indian men, Byrd states “they choose to continue their idleness and to suffer all the inconveniences…rather than to…defile their hands with labor.” Though Byrd is critical of the Indians, he is at times contradictory; he admits that Indians have some talents under their dark skins. Though Byrd believes that nurture and opportunity, not nature, that are important, he does not seem optimistic that Indians can improve themselves with the opportunity.

On the other hand, Jefferson’s tone is one of optimism. Jefferson defends the Indians from Mons. de Buffon’s harsh criticism of the Indian men’s lack of physical strength, sensitivity, and mental capacity. Jefferson attempts to be objective by stating that his information comes from reliable sources that are well acquainted with Indians and providing examples and explanations. In response to Bufon’s claim, Jefferson provides the example of Logan, who is everything that Bufon says that Indians are not. Jefferson explains that Indians are not hairy because they find hair to be disgraceful and that Indians produce less children because their lifestyle rather than a difference in nature. Jefferson seems to admire the Indians for the rarity of crimes in their society. Jefferson also appears sympathetic when he writes about the Indians losing their land due to “spirituous liquors, small-pox, war, and abridgement of territory.” Jefferson believes that Indians have the same capabilities as whites do; the difference between Indians and whites is nurture or opportunities for improvement. Describing Indians, Jefferson states “his vivacity and activity of mind is equal to ours in the same situation.” As Jefferson explains, Indians have only recently been introduced to letters; Jefferson seems to believe that with time Indians can improve just as the Northern Europeans had improved during Roman expansion.

"A Divine and Supernatural Light" by Jonathan Edwards

In “A Divine and Supernatural Light,” Jonathan Edwards describes the spiritual light as knowledge that is directly received from God and not from natural means such as rational thinking or physical sensation. In the sermon, Edwards’ use of imagery to describe the spiritual light gives the audience a better understanding of what the spiritual light is and how God utilizes reason to convey spiritual knowledge. Edwards uses imagery throughout the sermon to convey a deeper understanding of his points. In the sermon, Edwards explains that the spiritual light cannot be achieved by rational understanding or hearsay; the spiritual light is something that is felt in the heart as pleasure. Edwards states, “There is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet, and having a sense of its sweetness.” A person can reasonable believe that honey is sweet by its use as a sweetening substance or the fact that it attracts ants. However, only someone who has tasted honey knows the unique sweetness of honey, a taste that is different from sugar, another sweet substance. Edwards also points out that though the spiritual light cannot be derived from reason, God utilizes man’s reasoning abilities to convey divine truths. He associates reason with the use of “our eyes in beholding various objects, when the sun arises, is not the cause of the light that discovers those objects to us.” Without the spiritual light, the use of our eyes or our reason cannot visualize the divine truth. Edward also associates God as the Sun that shines this light, illuminating the divine objects so that they can be perceived by the eyes. The use of imagery in Edwards’ sermon allows that audience to better understand Edwards’ claims by giving the audience a visual interpretation of how spiritual knowledge is perceived through the heart as an inner feeling of delight and how the spiritual light is conveyed with the use of reasoning.

Intro

Hi! My name is Trang Nguyen. I am a junior and a Biology major, and I am applying to the School of Pharmacy.