Blog Post 18: FREEDOM...FREEDOM...

Chapters nine through twelve examine Beloved’s role in each character’s life and how they deal with the past. In chapter nine, Sethe has decided to go to the Clearing, a place Baby Suggs used to preach, because in recent days she has found herself at unease with how to deal with her burdensome past. At one moment, she is letting the ghost of Baby Suggs rub her neck, but shortly she finds herself being strangled (113). When she is saved by Beloved and Denver, bruises appear on her neck. These physical marks are made to show that even though one’s past cannot be seen, it has a lasting and visible impact on the future. The way Denver and Beloved react to the bruises represent different ways of dealing with a harsh past: Beloved’s choice to nurture and touch them represents her advocacy for confronting the past, while Denver’s choice to ignore them shows that she would rather avoid the past and try to focus on the present (114).

In Chapter 10, the reader learns about Paul D’s experience in a prison where he was chained to forty-six other prisoners, sexually abused, forced to work, and confined to living in a wooden box in the ground. After Paul D escapes from this low point in his life, he learns to deal with the past by repressing it and putting it into a “tobacco tin lodged in his chest” (133). In Chapter 11, when Beloved and Paul D have sex, Beloved demands that she will not leave until he calls her by name (137). When the sexual encounter is complete, Paul D repeats the phrase “Red Heart” over and over (138). Because Beloved is used as a representation of the past, her insistence on him calling her by name shows that the past must be confronted before one can move on. Paul D’s repetition of “Red Heart”  symbolizes that he is finally confronting his past and letting his memories out of “the tobacco tin lodged into his chest” and into his heart.

Blog Post 16: Dearly BELOVED...We is Typing Here Today...

When Paul D comes to 124, he immediately rearranges the prior familial structure and assumes the typical male role as the head of the household: “There was no room for any other thing or body until Paul D arrived and broke up the place, making room, shifting it, moving it to someplace else, then standing in the place he had made" (47). One might find it peculiar that Sethe allowed him to take this role so promptly considering all the men in her life have left her, but this male absence is actually the very reason she enables him to assume the head position of the family. On page 47, Sethe reminisces on when her two sons left her: "There was a time when she scanned the fields every morning and every evening for her boys." Ever since her sons left her, she has been yearning for a male presence to come back to her, which is why she is so eager to accepts Paul D when he comes from her past and into her present life. She believes that if she is able to move forward and create a family with him, she will be able to move on from the past. On page 51, Morrison writes, "To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay. The "better life" she believed she and Denver were living was simply not that other one. The fact that Paul D had come out of "that other one" into her bed was better too; and the notion of a future with him was beginning to stroke her mind." Throughout the next chapter Sethe continues to think of Paul D as part of the family as she watches their shadows "hold hands". Paul D being part of the family is not only beneficial to Sethe because it is a way to escape the past, but she also sees it as a way to help Denver: "Soothed by sugar, surrounded by a crowd of people who did not find [Denver] the main attraction, who, in fact, said, "Hey, Denver," every now and then, pleased her enough to consider that Paul D wasn't all that bad." As Denver warms up to Paul D at the carnival, Sethe continues to entertain the idea of Paul D being the head of the family because she sees him as a way to bring her family back to normalcy and therefore give Denver more companionship as part of society.

In chapter 5, a strange woman named Beloved comes out of the water and eventually makes it to 124. There is obviously something extremely peculiar about Beloved, but Sethe, Denver, and Paul D do not even make an effort to ask her questions about her background. On page 62, Paul D identifies with Beloved's slow and difficult pronunciation of the letters of her name and relates it to a part of his past, when many people from all different backgrounds would walk together, all with different destinations and issues. On page 63 he describes these crowds as "silent, except for social courtesies, when they met one another they neither described nor asked about the sorrow that drove them from one place to another." Because Paul D understands that everyone deals with different struggles, he decides not to ask Beloved about her past. Sethe's lack of inquiry is for other reasons, however. Sethe does not ask Beloved any questions about her background because she is preoccupied with reminiscing over her daughter: "Sethe was deeply touched by her sweet name; the remembrance of glittering headstone made her feel especially kindly toward her." Because Sethe feels called to be a motherly figure to Beloved, Sethe does not care where Beloved came from, she only cares about nurturing her. Denver does not question Beloved's identity either, and her reasoning varies from Paul D's and Sethe's as well. Denver's upbringing has been very isolated, so she sees Beloved as an opportunity for companionship. Denver immediately takes on the role of Beloved's caretaker because she is desperate to have someone there for her to keep her from being lonely. So even though their reasoning is all different, Paul D's, Sethe's, and Denver's decisions not to question Beloved leaves her identity up in the air.

Blog Post 15: SWEET HOME...not in 'Bama

Blog Post 15: SWEET HOME...not in 'Bama.

                The name Beloved is fitting for Sethe’s daughter because as a slave, it was a blessing and anomaly at the time for Sethe to have the opportunity to have a husband and be able to nurture her children. It is also clear that Sethe highly values her role as a mother because she constantly puts her children before herself, such as when she agreed to have sex in order to engrave Beloved’s tombstone (page 5) and when she was more concerned that the schoolboys took her milk than them whipping her (page 20). Motherhood itself is a “beloved” thing to Sethe.

                It is clear that Denver’s lack of companionship has affected her emotional growth. All of her life, Denver’s only company has been her mother and Beloved’s ghost. There have been no visitors at 124 because it is haunted, and the boys and girls do not like Denver. It is evident that this condition has affected her emotional state, because she clearly feels trapped and lonely. When Paul D comes over, Denver immediately starts acting very rude towards him and jealous of Sethe’s attention towards him, because all her life Denver has been used to receiving Sethe’s undivided attention—her eyes never looking away (page 15). Once Sethe’s eyes are not focused on her, Denver suddenly spirals into a state of utter loneliness.

                Even though Sweet Home is associated with much suffering for Sethe and the men that were there, Sweet Home also represents a place of fellowship for them. Once Paul D comes to 124, him and Sethe’s friendship is easily rekindled, because they reminisce about all their times together back at Sweet Home. On page 16, Paul D says, “It wasn’t sweet and it sure wasn’t home” and Sethe replies, “But it’s where we were. All together.” Because of all the hardship they went through during their time there as slaves, they were able to form tight bonds because they were as close a thing to family as they had at the time. Because they were placed in an “us vs. them” type situation, it brought all the slaves together in a strong and tight unit.

Blog Post 17: Paul D...JERSEY FIST BUUUUUMP!

                Towards the end of Chapter 17 of Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Paul D uses Mister, a rooster back at Sweet Home, as symbol for everything wrong with his life. Both Sethe and Paul D express malice towards Mister, because they remember Mister as proud and mean. For Paul D, Mister represents how slavery took away his identity, because Paul D was treated as more of an animal than Mister was. On page 86, Paul says to Sethe, “Mister always looked so… free. Better than me. Stronger, tougher. Son of a bitch couldn’t even get out the shell by hisself but he was still king and I was…” Later Paul D goes onto say, “Even if you cooked him you’d still be cooking a rooster named Mister. But wasn’t no way I’d ever be Paul D again, living or dead.” As he recollects this story, it is evident that Paul D feels that slavery dehumanized him and robbed him of his sense of identity.

Just as Paul D uses Mister to express his feelings about his harsh past, Sethe also uses symbols to voice her feelings of anguish. A prevalent example throughout the text is the way Sethe describes the scars on her back as a cherrychoke tree. In Chapter 9, on page 93, the scars are first described as a tree when Amy is helping Sethe give birth to Denver. Repeatedly, Amy mentions that parts of the scar look like blossoms, which make her “wonder what God had in mind.” Amy sees these blossoms as a symbol from God that Sethe is special, especially because of all that she suffered while she was a slave. For Sethe, she uses the symbol of the tree to say that her experiences as a slave have an impact on her that will never leave. Just as Paul D feels slavery took away his identity, Sethe uses the tree metaphor to say that she feels slavery left an imprint on her identity as well. It is even more impactful because trees are usually used as a symbol of life, but slavery is often considered even worse than death. The tree is used because it shows that the struggles Sethe faced as a slave are still alive in her years later.

Blog Post 11: Welcome to the JUNGLE!

                In Chapter 1 of The Bell Jar, the narrator, Esther, describes the Amazon as “[a hotel] for women only, and they were mostly girls [her] age with wealthy parents who wanted to be sure their daughters would be living where men couldn’t get at them and deceive them; and they were all going to posh secretarial schools like Katy Gibbs, where they had to wear hats and stockings and gloves to class, or they had just graduated from places like Katy Gibbs and were secretaries to executives and junior executives and simply hanging around in new York waiting to get married to some career man or other. (1. 4.)” Esther describes the Amazon and its residents in this manner to mock how alike and superficial they are and put emphasis on why she feels alone in this particular group of girls. The way Esther judges their aristocratic lifestyle, it is easy to tell that she has a much different background and different goals for her life.

                On page 5 and 6, Jay Cee is described as old and ugly by both Esther and Doreen, but despite her appearance, Esther still admires Jay Cee for her intelligence and talent as a head magazine editor. Esther tends to judge others based off of very superficial criteria—height, clothes, attractiveness, etc.—but Jay Cee is one of the few people Esther appreciates for who they are on the inside. Esther does not care that Jay Cee is old and ugly because she looks up to her as a mentor and as a woman who has accomplished a great deal in her career. Esther also mentions on page 6 that she cannot picture Jay Cee having sex. This odd view into Esther’s thoughts characterizes Esther as very innocent and narrow minded. She struggles to picture people such as Jay Cee in bed because she sees sex as taboo and only for more promiscuous women.

                In Chapter 2, on pages 19 and 20, Esther decided to take a hot bath because it helps her feel more pure. In this way, Esther’s character is very similar to Blanche in a Streetcar Named Desire. Both women feel the need to take hot baths whenever they feel guilty or morally dirty. As Esther sits in the water she says to herself that all the people in her life and the city are dissolving and she does not know them. She does not want to associate with her surroundings because she feels like her new experiences are tainting her and distracting her from her identity.

                In Chapter 4 Esther tells the reader that her mother was the one who taught her shorthand and typing. Even though Esther loves to write, she does not associate this passion with her mother. Instead, she sees her mother’s teachings as something that was done out of necessity when her father died. Her mother forcing her to learn shorthand in order to support the family explains why Esther questions her career path and passions later on in life. She began writing purely out of necessity, so now in this stage of her life, when Jay Cee questions what Esther wants to do, Esther is unsure of whether or not she actually wants to go into writing. In addition to explaining Esther’s confusing about writing, Esther’s relationship with her mother may also explain why Esther seems to have an unstable mental state. Her family background is obviously one of hardship and little support, which explains why Esther experiences a lot of self-doubt.

Blog Post 10: I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T - Do you Know What That Means?

                In Chapter XXIV, once all of her family has left, Edna “[walks] all through the house…as if inspecting it for the first time.  (XXIV.97.)” She does this because she finally is alone and does not have to worry about being tied down to her family. Now that her husband is away she is not attached to a man, and with her children gone she does not have to worry about her motherly responsibilities. These are two defining roles of the female in that society, so with are family gone she finally feels free and independent—something she has never had the chance to experience before. This is especially symbolic because the house is thought of as a symbol for women, so with the men gone from the house, they are also gone from Edna’s worries.

                In Chapter XXVI, on the way back from Mademoiselle Reisz’s house, Edna stops by the bakery and gets treats for her children—something she only does when she is feeling good about herself. Edna only expresses her love for her children when she is happy because she prioritizes herself over her children. She will not think of her children before herself because that would mean she was confining to society’s role for her as a woman. She wants to love her children, but not when she feels forced to.

                Edna sleeps with Alcee even though she is longing for Robert because she needs an outlet for her romantic passion because she knows she cannot be with Robert. Not only that, but her act of cheating is a way for her to exercise control and break away from the standards of society. She likes to break rules and go against norms because they make her feel more independent.

Blog Post 9: This Girl is on FIIIIIIIRE

In Chapter XIV, as Edna is discovering herself, she is also becoming closer and closer to Robert. One perspective could argue that her love for Robert is ironically just tying her down to another male figure, which actually makes her take on a more feminine role. In this feminine role, she cares for her children more, “coddling” and “caressing” them, because her passion for Robert needs an outlet that she can use without society’s disapproval.

                Robert decides suddenly to move to Mexico in Chapter XV because he feels guilty for having feelings for Edna, a married woman. On page 59, after Edna has offered him a fan he replies, “It does no good; you have to stop fanning some time, and feel all the more uncomfortable afterward.” Chopin uses this situation as a metaphor: Robert does not want to stay and let a relationship between himself and Edna blossom because he knows it will not work out, and when it is torn apart by society it will only leave them in more anguish than to begin with.

                On page 70 in Chapter XVII, Edna flings her wedding ring down on the floor in anger because she knows she is not happy with her marriage, but as a woman she has no control over it so she feels trapped and powerless. The act of her trying to crush it with her foot afterward is a symbol of her trying to break free, but she “did not even make an indenture, not a mark upon the little glittering circlet.” This is Chopin’s way of symbolizing how little power females had in that society. Edna slipping the ring back on at the end of the chapter even further develops the notion that females had no choice in society.

                In Chapter XIX, the significance of Edna’s painting is that she is able to find her voice and identity through it. In that time, women were not expected to express themselves, but painting allowed Edna to do that. Not only that, but painting also represents independence to Edna because eventually it would result in her having enough income to move out on her own away from her husband.

                To Edna, Madame Reisz and Madam Ratigonelle represent opposing feminine roles. While Adele represents the ideal female in society—one whose entire existence revolves around her family—Madame Reisz represents women who have broken free from standard feminine expectations. As the book goes on, Edna becomes much closer to Madame Reisz than Adele as she finds herself and breaks away from society.

Blogpost #8: The Awakening: Chapters 1-12: I'm EVERY WOMAN-- It's All in MEEEEEE

                Right from the very beginning of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, it is evident that Robert and Leonce treat Edna differently. Even though Edna is married to Leonce, she has a stronger emotional connection with Robert. These contrasting relationships serve to point out how women are viewed and treated differently from men. While Robert still has a somewhat stereotypical male role in his relationship with Edna, he is not so overbearing to confine Edna in any way, whereas Leonce’s marriage with Edna serves to represent classic gender roles which limit Edna’s spirit of individuality. At the top of page 3, it even says Leonce “[looks] at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of property which has suffered some damage.” Yes that’s right—“property.” Crazy right? A clear difference between the two men’s relationship with Edna is seen throughout page 3 of Chapter 1, when Edna and Robert arrive from the beach together full of laughter and Leonce is condescending and disconnected. The difference in Edna’s relationship with each man is clearly seen just by the way she approaches them: she does not even talk to Leonce and instead “silently reaches out to him” to retrieve her wedding ring, whereas with Robert she “[looks] across at [him] and [begins] to laugh” as if they have an inside joke. Following that interaction, Leonce asks what is so funny and Edna and Robert struggle to share their amusement with him. This immediately shows that Leonce is more of a “third wheel” in this trio, despite his marriage with Edna. After Leonce becomes bored with Edna and Robert’s laughter, the text says, “‘Come go along, Lebrun,’ he proposed to Robert. But Robert admitted quite frankly that he preferred to stay where he was and talk to Mrs. Pontellier. ‘Well send him about his business when he bores you, Edna,’ instructed her husband as he prepared to leave.” This interaction places tension between the two men because Leonce realizes he has the lower hand so he tries to exercise control by splitting up Edna and Robert, and then when that plan fails he tries to put Robert down by implying he is boring. It should also be noted that when Leonce addresses Robert, a fellow male, he is “proposing” an idea to him, but when he is speaking to Edna, he is “instructing” her. Leonce fills the stereotypical male role of superiority which imprisons Edna. On the other hand, Robert respects Edna and enjoys spending time with her, treating her as an equal human being rather than an object.

                In Chapter 3, Leonce has left for a trip and sends Edna a box full of treats and delicacies, which cause all the women to “[declare] that Mr. Pontellier was the best husband in the world.” In response, “Mrs. Pontellier was forced to admit that she knew of none better. (III. 9.)” Leonce is viewed as the perfect husband because he provides for his family financially and showers them with material possessions. He satisfies the male gender role of “the provider” almost without flaw. This is an issue for Edna because it confuses her definition of love and makes her feel guilty for wanting something more. Edna struggles with not knowing what love is, because society keeps telling her that her marriage has it. But Edna struggles to admit to herself that she wants real love—a meaningful emotional bond. Edna and society’s conflicting definitions of love fill her with guilt and confusion—so much so that she cannot understand the reason behind her reoccurring tears every night. She mistakes Leonce’s superficial ways of showing love for genuine “kindness and uniform devotion. (III. 8.)”

                Throughout the passage, the sea is a common motif for freedom. The ocean is vast and boundless, which Edna finds appealing because it differs from her reality of oppression and confinement by the boundaries of gender roles. On page 18 in chapter 6, Edna is having another midnight breakdown as she begins to gain insight about her purpose in life. She looks toward the sea as describes it, saying “The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea in sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.” Edna views the water as a symbol of desire, freedom, independence, and comfort. The sea’s symbolism is most evident in Chapter 10, when Edna first learns to swim. Throughout page 37, it repeats that she feels empowered and strong. Once they return from the water that night, Edna acts much more independently—developing her relationship with Robert and acting defiant for the first time with Leonce.  

                Throughout the text, Edna struggles to define romance and marriage. In her mind, the ideal wife is represented by the character Mrs. Adèle Ratignolle. In chapter 4 on page 10, it says “There are no words to describe her save the old ones that have served to often to picture the bygone heroine of romance and the fair lady of our dreams.” Adèle represents the perfect fulfillment of the typical female gender role: a woman who “idolizes [her] children, worships [her] husband, and [esteems] it a holy privilege to efface [herself] as [an individual] and grow wings as [a] ministering [angel].” Part of Edna wants to believe that a marriage will flourish with romance and happiness if the wife is able to satisfy this role. Edna often idolizes her because she is the model for the female mold of society. However, the other part of Edna knows that a relationship that confines her to that specific role does not lead to love or happiness. This is the part of her that married Leonce as an act of defiance against her father and because she was “flattered” by his “absolute devotion (VII. 24.)” At the point in time when she married Leonce, she had a secret love for a tragedian, but she says, “The acme of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshiped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.” Because society had told her all of her life that she was inferior to men, she believed that Fate had decreed that she had to give up her romance for a man’s. In short, Edna believes marriage endues specific roles to the wife and the husband that prohibit real romance. So marriage is more of a social contract rather than an act of romance.

Blog Post #7 : Socrtic Seminar Questions

1) Why do you think Dante (the author) switches to coldness for the ninth circle as opposed to the extreme heat and fire used in all the preceding circles?

2) How do you think the plot would have changed if Dante (the character) would have had to face this journey alone rather than with Virgil?

3) How do the things Dante saw in Hell apply to the living world?

4) How do you think this story applies to the modern world? And how do you think this story would be different had it taken place in modern times?

5) In what ways does Dante's exploration of Hell represent "The Hero's Journey"?

6) Why do you think it was so important that Dante had to see and understand Hell? Why do you think he specifically was chosen for this mission?

Blogpost #6

Blogpost #6

Throughout Cantos XXI-XXVII, it is evident that the path Dante and Virgil are traveling on is getting tougher and tougher and more obstacles are being thrown their way. As their voyage becomes increasingly more difficult, a shift in their relationship is seen and they become closer. Evidence of an obstruction in their path is first mentioned in Canto XXI on page 191 lines 107 and 108 when one of the demons warns Dante and Virgil, “’There is no use in going much farther on this ridge, because the sixth bridge … is smashed to bits.’” It is calculated on the next page, by the way, that this bridge crumbled 1266 years ago on Holy Saturday following Jesus’s death (this is explained in greater detail in the reference pages in the back of the novel). This is significant because it not only gives the reader a reference as to when Dante entered Hell, but also because it signifies that Dante is going through a huge struggle that will have great significance to humanity, just as Jesus did the same week 1266 prior. The next obstacle Dante and Virgil face that brings them closer together is in the beginning of Canto XXIII, when they realize they are about to be hunted down by demons for causing them harm. At the bottom of page 207, Virgil says to Dante, “If I were a leaded mirror< I could not gather in your outer image more quickly than I have received your inner. For even now your thoughts have joined my own; in both our acts we are kin—with both our minds I’ve come to one decision.” Virgil says this to point out that the fear they share makes them alike and bonds them together. Their bond is developed further on the next page, when the demons fly to them and Virgil immediately becomes protective of Dante, like a mother’s instinct (lines 37-45). It even goes as far as to say that Virgil cares for Dante more than himself. This shift in their bond shows a development in their characters, as they are now more reliant on each other and trust each other more. Another time this shift can be seen in the text is in Canto XXIV on page 219. As Dante and Virgil are traveling on an extremely steep slope, Dante reaches a breaking point and tries to quit pushing forward. But instead of breaking, Virgil delivers a motivational speech to him and instills confidence in Dante to keep going.

Throughout this selection, Dante uses foreshadowing in many interesting ways. One particular instance I found interesting is on page 197 at the beginning of Canto XXII. At this point in the journey, Dante and Virgil are being accompanied by a pack of demons through the Fifth Pouch of the Eighth Circle. In this circle, Dante has already witnesses that Barrators are punished by being forced to submerge themselves into boiling tar. In lines 19-24, Dante mentions that occasionally these spirits come out of the tar like dolphins and show their backs in our to have a brief moment to “ease [their] torment.” Back in the time period Inferno was written, dolphins were seen as a warning for a storm coming. The use of dolphins in this chapter is symbolic because it foreshadows both the immediate possibility of conflict, in which the spirit may be tortured by demons if caught coming up out of the tar, and the more long term possibility of conflict, which takes effect at the end of the Canto, when Dante and Virgil cause a scene that results in two demons dying, which puts their lives at risk.

Another case of foreshadowing I found interesting in the passage is on pages 223 and 225 of Canto XXIV. At this point, Dante encounters Pistoia, a thief who forewarns Dante that the two groups in Florence (the Blacks and the Whites) will have a “fierce” and “impetuous” “clash” which will result in the Blacks defeating the Whites. Back in Italy, Dante is part of the Whites, so this foretelling is a warning of a struggle Dante will face on Earth. This also connects to another warning from a spirit in an earlier chapter in which it was told that the Blacks would win the battle at first, but eventually, with God and Dante’s help, the Whites would triumph.

Many cases of poetic justice are also seen throughout this selection. For example, on pages 209 and 211 the hypocrites are described as wearing cloaks that are “dazzled” on the outside but “heavy” and made of lead on the inside. This is to signify that the image hypocrites like to portray themselves as through their words is much more appealing than their true character, which often goes against what they say.

Blog Post #5: Keep it One-"hunnit" - Don't be no FRAUD!

Blog Post #5

            As Dante continues his voyage through Hell, many spirits ask him to remember them and tell their stories when he gets back to Italy. These spirits make this request primarily because they feel guilty for the sins they were condemned for and want to be remembered for the goodness in their lives instead. They also want their lives to serve as a warning for Italy, because in death they have gained more knowledge about life, and are concerned for Italy’s future. They know that Italy is corrupt and may soon fall to the same fate as themselves if they are not able to put an end to their evildoing. For instance, in Canto XVI on page 145 and 147, three spirits from Florentine that have been condemned for sodomy use their stories first to honor their accomplishments, then to warn Italy of corruption, and then to speak about their own sin and guilt. The first Florentine, whose “sword and … good sense accomplished much,” is explained to Dante in order to relieve these spirits of some of their guilt so they can be remembered for goodness rather than sin (XVI. 145. 39). It also establishes their credibility so that the proceeding warning will be better received. This warning takes form as the second Florentine is explained as having “a voice that should have been heeded in the world above” (XVI. 145. 42). The Florentine says this to open Dante’s ears to make sure that his voice can be heeded now that it has the chance to be heard again. Following this, the third Florentine serves as a warning by explaining his own faults. By speaking of his own condemnation, he is warning the people of Italy not to follow in his footsteps by letting “fear [win] out against … good intention” (XVI. 145. 42). These three components are important because they want Dante to be equipped with stories to tell to men to save them from evil.

            Canto XVII opens with a long description of the beast of fraud. Dante juxtaposes the beast’s perfect and appealing facial and outer features with its ugly body in order to symbolize how frauds trick others by putting on a superficially pleasant exterior only to conceal their evil intentions. In lines 10 and 11, Dante says, “The face [the beast] wore was that of a just man, so gracious was his features’ outer semblance.” However, these attractive characteristics are only a front for the beast’s ugly side. It has “the body of a serpent … two paws, with hair up to the armpits … [and a] back and chest … adorned with twining knots and circlets” (XVII. 151. 12-15). The mention of the knots even point to an earlier chapter, where the knots are seen as symbols of faults. The beast’s worst and most distinguishing feature is its “quivering” “pointed tail” “which had a tip just like a scorpion’s” (XVII. 151. 1, 25, 27). His tail poses a danger to Dante as he rides on the beast’s shoulders because it has the potential for harm. The tail being the most dangerous and distinguishing part of the beast is fitting because the worst frauds deceive others at the last minute, when the victim least expects it and after trust has been gained.

            In Canto XVIII, Dante describes the structure of Malebolge in great detail. It is a giant circular pit split into 10 pockets, each designated for a different type of fraud. Each of these pockets are surrounded by moats which separate them from one another. Dante spends so much time describing the format of Malebolge because fraud was thought of as the worst possible type of sin. Describing this level as “a broad and yawning pit” “made all of stone the color of crude iron” invokes dread the reader.

            Canto XX describes the pocket of fraud in which Diviners, Astrologers, and Magicians are held. Part of their punishment here is having their head turned backwards. This is significant because these people were seen as those whose lives skewed people’s vision of God and His creation. In lines 29 and 30, the guide asks, “For who can be more impious than he who links God’s judgement to passivity?” Because these frauds have corrupted visions of God’s judgement, their head has been set backwards because it corrupts their vision. Now instead of having a view placed before God’s, it is now clearly behind.

Blog Post #4: Ain't Nothin' but a Sin Thing

 

In line 27 of the eighth canto of Dante’s Inferno, Dante says “there seemed to be no weight [on the boat] until [he] boarded.” Dante mentions this because he is the only live person in this setting, so he is the only one with a physical body that carries the weight of sin. Phlegyas and Virgil do not add weight to the boat because they are merely spirits, and their sins have caused them to become a part of Hell. Because they are already pieces that make up Hell, they do not add any weight to the boat. The sin and anger that their spirits are comprised of makes them one with the boat. Dante, however, is a foreign substance in Hell and therefore adds to it. Rather than being a component of Hell, he does not belong there, so he adds weight to the boat. On the following page, in lines 43-45, Phlegyas calls Dante and his mother “blessed” because he is without anger. The boat they travel on is accustomed to voyagers whose spirits are comprised of anger, but because Dante’s spirit is pure, he is made of a different element and therefore adds to the boat’s weight.

In the ninth canto in lines 23 and 24, Dante says, “That savage witch Enrichtho… called the shades back to their bodies.” Shades block light from passing through windows, just as Enrichtho obstructs light from reaching the spirits who have been damned here. Anyone who dwells in this level and below has no goodness in their soul because sin has overtaken them and Hell has sucked any goodness they had out of them. From this level and onward, Hell is filled with complete darkness and evil.

On pages 99-101 of the eleventh canto of Inferno, usury is condemned as a sin that angers God because it involves a person choosing to stray away from the divine path in order to make personal gain. It is explained to Dante that “Divine Art” and “Divine Nature” follow each other on a path so that art is closely related to God (11.99.100-105). It is said that when man strays from this path to make personal gain, he is going against nature and therefore God.

In the twelfth canto, Dante travels to the seventh circle, where those who have commited violent crimes are tortured by immersion in boiling blood. This is fitting because usually it is said that anger that causes violence feels like blood boiling due to the heat associated with rage. Because these souls let violence take over their earthly life, it now drowns them in their eternal lives. The depth of the blood each body is immersed in also correlates with the level of guilt each soul carries. Those who have committed more violent crimes (those commited against God rather than those against others or oneself) are immersed in deeper boiling blood.

Blogpost #3: HELL-o? It's Me.

In the third canto of Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the narrator travels to the River Acheron, where he comes in contact with those who are neither welcome in hell or heaven. These souls have been condemned here because they "were not rebels nor faithful to their God" (23. 38-39). Because these people lived a life of cowardice in which they were too afraid to do good or evil, they are trapped in an eternal life of agonizing hopelessness. On page 23, lines 64-69, it says the people here were stung by horseflies and wasps as "insects streaked their faces with blood" where their tears were "gathered up by sickening worms". The feeling of being attacked by a swarm of insects represents how these people lived their lives encircled by fear. Insects are also thought to be small minded and lowly, which is a symbol of these people's decision to not decide. They lived their lives as insects buzzing around without direction and never giving thought to devote their actions toward good nor evil.

In the fourth canto, the narrator travels through the first ring of Hell, Limbo. Those who dwell here lived a sinless life, but died before Christianity existed, so their lack of faith keeps them from entering heaven. Throughout the canto, it is easy to tell that the narrator becomes lost at times due to the complete darkness that encloses the area. One instance of this is in the beginning of the canto in lines 10-12:

That valley, dark and deep and filled with mist,

is such that, though I gazed into its pit,

I was unable to discern a thing. 

At the end of the canto, the complete darkness is mentioned again in the closing line: "And I have reached a part where no thing gleams." Dante is intentional about mentioning the darkness in both the beginning and the end of this canto, because he wants the reader to understand that darkness characterizes Limbo. This darkness is representative of the people here being kept in the dark about faith during their lives. Because they lived before the time of Christianity, they are blind to faith which is what keeps them from reaching Heaven.

                As the narrator continues to venture through the stages of hell, more differences between the concept of hell in the 1300s and today’s concept of hell become apparent. When Dante wrote the Inferno, Christians believed hell was a strict multilayered structure. People believed that judgments were clear and one’s actions would easily determine one’s fate in the afterlife. Today Christian beliefs are much different. Nowadays it is most commonly believed that judgments are not always black and white. There are grey areas where things are not always clear. The modern Christian religion also puts more emphasis on God’s love and forgiveness. Rather than being condemned for sins, Christians believe that their faith will allow for forgiveness and acceptance through Christ. It is also believed by many Christians nowadays that hell may not even be a physical place, but rather an abstract concept that represents the evil found within the world. Because of all these changes in mindset and belief overtime, the Hell Dante describes to his readers is much different from the hell his readers may vision.

                Another key aspect of Dante’s picture of Hell is the importance of physical depth. Every time the narrator travels downward, Dante mentions an increase in more cries and moaning by the condemned spirits. The deeper into Hell the narrator ventures, the worse the crime they have been condemned for, the darker it gets, and the worse the punishment the souls there receive. This physical representation is key, because the farther down one goes, the more weight that is felt from above. With every layer, its residents feel more and more of a burden on their shoulders from all that is above them.

Blog Post #2: Writing about Literature

                This reading selection from the textbook gave me deeper insight into the purpose behind writing about literature and how it should be done. While many aspects of the reading already seemed obvious to me, other parts shed light on subjects I had always wondered about. The textbook also did a good job of formulating concepts I was already aware of into words.

                First off, the textbook’s explanation as to why people write about literature was great preparation for me as a student beginning AP Literature, because now my vision and understanding of the class is much clearer. It was also important to me that I’d learn the difference between the type of writing I will be doing in this class versus the rhetorical analysis assignments I did last year in AP Language and Composition. After reading the text I learned that writing about literature focuses on analysis of the work itself, while rhetorical analysis concentrates on how the author uses language to convey a message.

                This reading also gave me a new awareness of my audience when I am writing. In general, I tend to use my voice very well because I am confident and direct, but prior to reading this text I had not given much thought as to who my readers are. To make myself a better writer, I should pay attention to my readers’ backgrounds and the voice they are expecting to hear from me when I write. If I utilize a more sensitive voice I can establish a closer relationship with my audience.

                Before reading about proper citations, I was relatively comfortable with documentation, but the text provided more specific rules I can reference to make my writing clearer and more accurate. I am accustomed to using quotations in my writing because I have done it frequently in the past, so rules on proper citation should not be hard to remember for me. Providing proper evidence and introductions to my sources is also something that tends to come easy to me. Previously I have struggled with pulling quotes that are too lengthy, but the text provided me with instruction on ways to make use of shorter quotations as well as ways to format lengthier quotes in a more concise manner when needed.

                As I delve into writing about literature, I am apprehensive about utilizing citations that require the author, edition number, editor, publication information, etc. Citations such as these are very tedious and are not one of my strong suits. I also need to learn to be more aware of whether or not things are obvious to the reader. Oftentimes when I write, I forget that the thoughts in my head are not always apparent to my audience.

                So far the reading from the textbook has provided me with ample instruction to improve as a writer so that I can better persuade my readers of my viewpoint on literature and I look forward to utilizing the tools this book gives me to enable me to get a better understanding of literature for both myself and my audience.

 

Creative Therapy Blog Post #1

1)  This project asks students to look within themselves and write about a struggle they have faced at some point in their life. This project makes students push past the boundaries of comfort and step into a jungle of vulnerability. This project blatantly ignores the walls we students have built around ourselves to keep people out and kicks through these sturdy bricks, tearing them down all at once, exposing the real and broken people hiding behind them. Who knows-- maybe this is the kind of project that's a breeze for most people. Maybe I am overthinking this whole thing, as I always do. One thing I do know though is that this project is not easy. Not for me. I sat in front of my computer for hours staring at a blank screen because I could not bring myself to write about the struggles I have faced in my lifetime. Doing this project is a conflict within itself because I am not vulnerable. I have walls. It does not come easy for me to let people in. I've never known the cause of this, but maybe it boils down to expectations. I have always had very high expectations for myself. I hold myself to such high standards that if I am not the very best-- if I am not perfect-- I have let myself down. These are impossible standards to live with and they have forced me to build walls. I tend to keep people out because I know I am not perfect. And maybe I am afraid that if I take down my walls people will realize I am flawed. Because I have such high expectations of myself, I am worried that other people have high expectations of me as well, and if they discover I cannot meet them, I will only be a disappointment. So, "What caused my conflict," you ask? My English teacher forced me to write this very blog post and do a project on it that will push me to step outside my walls of comfort and into an unknown world of vulnerability where I am not perfect and I have flaws.

2) Always having such high expectations of myself is a constant loss of energy. Stress constantly weighs me down as I struggle to be the best and give all of myself to everything I am a part of. On top of that, I am constantly giving of myself to try to provide for others because of my high expectations of myself as a friend to people that I never am able to care for myself. In constantly struggling to be the best possible version of myself, I sometimes lose sight of who I actually am. Often times, these expectations make me lose sleep as well, because there is never enough time in a day to achieve all that I want to achieve, so I am forced to trade in sleep to buy more time in hopes that I can make more of myself. But in reality, all this loss of sleep and energy ever does is damage my health and slowly deteriorate my capabilities, enabling the exact thing I am trying to avoid. Furthermore, the walls I have built around my imperfect self not only cause me to have way too high standards for myself, but also inhibit my abilities to be completely authentic. In no way am I fake, but my ability to be 100% real is often lost.

3) When I first heard the class was going to have a project, I was not looking forward to it, but I was not concerned. As with any project, I rarely ever enjoy doing them, but I know I can do well on them pretty much regardless. But as the class began discussing the project more in depth, I immediately became guarded. A billion thoughts raced through my mind but I could not think of a single thing I could think of that I could talk about in front of an entire class and publish to an online blog for the whole world to see. As I imagined myself presenting in front of the class, I could picture my walls rising higher and higher. For the next few days, my mind remained blank as to ideas I could write and present about. Then I realized that this very project is a perfect representation of the core of many of the struggles I have faced my whole life. That's when I began writing this very post. Then I erased it and started over a few times, because the thought of exposing myself and my conflicts still scared me. But as the time the assignment was due quickly approached, I realized I had to start writing or I would fail the assignment. My high expectations for my grades came to a standstill with the walls my high expectations had built, and my walls lost the battle. Now here I am, over halfway done with an assignment I never thought possible.

4) As I have grown older, I have learned to let my walls down a bit more easily than before, because I have realized that no matter what I do, impossible expectations are not worth the burden they are, and the imperfect version of Samantha Dukes is not always so bad. My junior year was a major turning point for me, because I finally got to the point where I could not maintain a healthy lifestyle at the high level I was holding myself to. My attitudes were going to have to change or I would burn out. Even though I still struggle with high expectations and vulnerability, as seen by this project, I feel like I am improving at becoming more authentic and using my high standards in a more positive way, as more of a driving force than a weight on my shoulders.

5) By doing this project I have learned to step out of my comfort zone and accept that vulnerability and having flaws is actually better than perfection. I have learned that I can use my high expectations of myself as a positive force rather than a hindrance. All this time I've always thought of my walls as things that block other people out, but in reality they are just keeping me trapped inside. It is okay to have conflicts and struggles, because the area outside of our comfort zones are where we as people have the ability to grow.