The fire that Armand built was intended to burn Desiree's belongings and her child's. Fire, as s symbol of rebirth and destruction is also the element that disconects Armand from his present situation. However, we know that Armand also burned a letter which stated that he, himself, was part black. In this burning, he is also disconecting himself from his past, his present, and his future. He was basically doing everything in his power to burn the truth, and pretend that nothing ever was.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
What are some symbols that represent the theme Tragedy in "Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close"?
The replaced phone/answering machine: Oskar is the only one who has heard the messages left by his father on the day of the 9-11 attacks. He quickly replaces the phone with an identical one so he prevent his mother from hearing the messages but also save them. This alone has tons of symbolic meaning - he's hiding something tragic (as he hides many things); he's holding on to something tragic - something that hurts him - but protects others from it, he is unable to let go and he realizes at the same time it is something harmful.
The missing lock to his father's key: tragic connection back to his father - symbolic of whatever is missing internally now that his father is gone; symbolic of the locked state of Oskar's heart and mind; this is the starting point of Oskar's journey - symbolic in itself.
The letters he writes to famous scientists: he's writing to ask for a job - he receives many form rejections which could be symbolic of another rejection he feels; he receives some with praise for his smartness - could be symbolic of the patrionization he often feels as well as the affirmation he desires
What would be a critical thesis statement for Winter Dreams?
I think that much of this question would be dependent on
what you were able to take from the work. I think that you have to go back to the text
and identify what elements were the most prominent in your mind. For example, what
statements or observations can you make about the relationship between Judy and Dexter?
What does this show? What might this reflect about society? At the same time, what do
you take away about Dexter? At the end, when Dexter talks about "That thing will come
back no more," to what do you think he is referring? These are merely starting points.
In the end, a thesis statement is best conceived, analyzed, and addressed when the
writer finds something to which there is connection and
resonance.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Explain how Henry David Thoreau wanted people to live in nature in Walden.
Thoreau's message isn't necessarily to go live in the woods; granted, that is what he did, and he found the experience quite fulfilling. Rather, his main messages center around the themes of simplifying your life, recognizing what is most important--which is not material goods or comforts, and in relying on oneself to be a moral, physical and emotional guide. He feels that too many of us are too busy doing trivial things, and feels that "our lives are frittered away by detail." He thinks that we really need to analyze what we spend our time doing, and whether or not they are truly meaningful. If it isn't, cut it from our lives and live more simply and meaningfully.
Thoreau also believed that we put too much care and concern in what the world or others think of us, when the only person that really mattered was us. He wanted us to stop worrying about fashion, culture, and what society dictated as right and wrong, and rather listen to our own hearts and consciences. This school of thought was strongly supported by many individualists, a school of thought that Thoreau, and his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, belonged to.
I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!
In Much Ado About Nothing do men have more honor than women, or do the women have more honor than men?
I personally think it took a great deal of honor for Benedick to stay behind at the wedding with Beatrice and Hero, rather than leaving with Don Pedro and Claudio. It would have been the "manly" thing to just leave and stick with his cronies. Instead, he stays to see if Hero is okay (probably to make sure Leonato didn't do something horrible to her), and I don't believe he did this simply because of what he saw Beatrice do. He may have done it partly out of love of Beatrice, but again, that shows his honor in choosing her over his war buddies.
I often wonder if Margaret knows what happened and kept her mouth shut, with regards to Hero's disgrace. I've seen the play performed both ways - where Margaret IS at the wedding, but doesn't say anything out of fear of getting in trouble, and also where Margaret is NOT at the wedding and just has no clue as to what's going on. I'd like to think she didn't know, but as close as she was to Hero, wouldn't she have figured out the mistaken identity and confessed to clear Hero's name?
Sunday, February 9, 2014
In what way is Hamlet's second major interaction with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (III.ii.375-415) different from his first encounter with them?...
In his first encounter he seems to be willing to overlook the fact that they were sent for as he humors them to some extent. He is wary of their entrance and makes that clear but he welcomes them to Elsinore and appears to take at least some pleasure in their company.
In their second interaction, he sees them entirely as agents from the king and wonders why they would try to play him as they would a pipe. His enormous disdain for not only their intelligence but also for them as lackeys of the king is set out for everyone to see. He plays them perhaps as they would have liked to play him and is absolutely brutal with them compared to his earlier somewhat accepting attitude.
How do Brutus’s intentions relate to the theme of loyalty and betrayal?
No matter what decision Brutus makes, he's going to be turning his back on somebody. Brutus believes that disposing of Caesar is the best decision for Rome, so if he kills Caesar, he has betrayed the trust and friendship of one of his good buddies. However, if he allows Caesar to live and be king, all of the pride and loyalty Brutus feels in being a Roman would cease. Brutus believes that Rome, as they know it, would be changed so drastically for the worse that action must be taken.
There are further instances of loyalty in his devotion to his wife, Portia. Although Portia makes a pretty good argument for knowing the truth (when's the last time you stabbed yourself in persuasion??), Brutus is smart enough to keep her out of the plan lest she be targeted in retribution.
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