Mr. Ramsay

Many of the characters have similar interpretations of Mr. Ramsay which all characterize him as an unkind and callous individual. James does not respond well to Mr. Ramsay's blunt objection to their expedition by expressing hostility towards his father: "Had there been an axe handy, or a poker, any weapon that would have gashed a hole in his father's breast and killed him, there and then, James would have seized it. Such were the extremes of emotion that Mr. Ramsay excited in his children's breasts" (Woolf 4). James and his siblings all have similar interpretations of Mr. Ramsay's harsh, nature. However, William Bankes has a different perception of Mr. Ramsay which allows for a different approach to Mr. Ramsay's character. William Bankes recalls a specific time spent with Mr. Ramsay which showed Bankes the softer side of Mr. Ramsay: "A hen, straddling her wings out in protection of a covey of little chicks, upon which Ramsay, stopping, pointed his stick and said 'Pretty--pretty,' an odd illumination in to his heart, Bankes thought it, which showed his simplicity" (Woolf 21). Mr. Bankes' memory gives a new insight into the character of Mr. Ramsay. Perhaps Mr. Ramsay's children are overly sensitive to his reserved demeanor, therefore their reactions to him are hyperbolic and exaggerated because they are young children. Mr. Ramsay is not a completely heartless individual that his children see him as because William Bankes recalls this memory and shows a more human side of Mr. Ramsay

Dorian Gray Outline

Thesis: Dorian Gray's selfish criminal actions and his unwillingness to confess or repent the horrible crimes he has committed characterize Gray as a completely depraved individual.

1. Dorian becomes completely enveloped in a life of selfish crimes yet he is apathetic and never deals with the consequences of his actions.
a. "Nothing that [Dorian] could do would cleanse him till he had told his own sin. His sin? He shrugged his shoulders. The death of Basil Hallward was very little to him" (Wilde 163).
    Dorian feels no remorse for the horrible murder that he is responsible for. As long as he did not have to suffer the consequences, he was okay. He will never be able to cure himself of sin because he shows no desire to repent, only to hide and avoid his problems

b. "Had it been merely vanity that had made him do his one good deed? Or the desire for a new sensation?" (Wilde 163).
     Dorian is struggling with the realization that his sudden will to do good is not genuine. It is out of sheer vanity, to make himself look good to others or to make him feel good about himself. His "good deed" (if you could call it that) was not truly a good deed and it was done out of selfishness rather than because Dorian knew that it was the right thing to do

2. After Dorian murders Basil, he continues to commit awful crimes, showing no desire to change his corrupt way of life.
a. "'I am so sorry for you, Alan,' he murmured, 'but you leave me no alternative. I have a letter written already. Here it is. You see the address. If you don't help me, I must send it. If you don't help me, I will send it'" (Wilde 125).
b. "'Good heavens! What a life that is! You have gone from corruption to corruption, and now you have culminated in crime. In doing what I am going to do, what you force me to do, it is not of your life that I am thinking" (Wilde 126).
    Dorian has turned to blackmailing in order to help dispose of Basil's body. Rather than just admitting his wrong doings, he is concerned with saving himself in the specific moment (not his soul). He looks for a way to prolong his immoral way of life by any means possible. He does not take into consideration the well being of Alan or Basil but only himself. As he says in the end of the chapter, "'You have saved me from ruin, Alan. I cannot forget that,' said Dorian simply" (Wilde 128). Even though Alan kills himself and Basil is dead, Dorian claims no responsibility or feels bad about the things that he has done

3. Dorian never reveals himself as the true cause of Sibyl, Basil or Alan's death yet he is amoral and unable to see the true horror of his corrupt soul.
a. "'Alan! Alan! if you don't come to my assistance I am ruined. Why, they will hang me, Alan! don't you understand? They will hang me for what I have done" (Wilde 124).
 Dorian never admits to his heinous crimes. He worries about what will become of him and his good name rather than actually being a morally sound individual. Dorian is completely obsessed with what will become of him he does not recognize the impact that his actions will have on Alan or the terrible fate that he bestowed upon Basil

4. Dorian's shallow solution to the remorse to the horrible crimes he has committed is to numb them through the drug use and other activities and finally to destroy the thing that haunts him the most, his own wretched painting.

Dorian does not have to deal with the guilt that comes with the horrible choices that he has made because the painting wears his sins. When he he begins to feel haunted by regret and shame he remembers what Lord Henry told him: "'to cure the soul by means of the senses and the senses by the means of the soul'" (Wilde 135). Dorian decides on visiting an opium den as a means to curing his soul through his senses. Although this may seem like a cure to the evil deeds he has done, he is only temporarily escaping from his problems. By slipping into a sedated and detached state, he is able to fill the void in his soul created by the horrendous crimes he has committed but only for so long.

When Dorian destroys the painting he is destroying himself. The horrors that the painting instilled in him were his true feelings yet because the painting was hidden away from the world, he did not have to confront them. When Dorian makes the decision to destroy his soul, he ultimately destroys himself.

The Tiger and The Lamb by William Blake

Thesis: In the poem The Lamb, the speaker approaches the question of "Dost thou know who made thee?" with a naive sense of certainty however, in the poem The Tiger the speaker humbly challenges this certainty by asking questions about life's origins but offers no definite answers to the questions that he poses.

In the The Lamb the speaker is asking a lamb whether or not he is aware of his creator. The speaker seems to be young and innocent, initiating a conversation between himself and an animal: "Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Little lamb, I'll tell thee". The speaker has confidence in his answer and the biblical allusion to the lamb emphasizes the speaker's faith in the christian religion. The speaker poses a simple question to the lamb and confidently answers that question at the end of the poem: "Little lamb, God bless thee, Little lamb God bless thee". The speaker's repetition of the last lines demonstrates the speaker's confidence in his answer. Although the speaker asks this profound metaphysical question his answer is simple and he appears to be quite certain of his assertion that God made the lamb. Although The Tiger and The lamb both present the same question, the speaker's relationship with his creator has seemingly changed as well as the answer to the question.

The speaker in The Tiger asks the same question but in a more sophisticated and mature manner: "What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?". The speaker asks the same question but he also poses more questions than who made the tiger, he questions how his creator made the tiger and what methods did he use. There is an apparent skepticism and harshness in the speaker's questions: "And what shoulder and what art, could twist the sinews of thy heart? ..... What the anvil? what dread grasp dare its deadly terrors clasp?" The speaker continuously asks questions throughout the poem yet he does not present any answers the questions that he is asking. The poem ends with the first question that he initially asked which suggests that relationship between the speaker and his creator has changed. The speaker is still questioning at the end and offers to resolution unlike the confident assertion at the end of The Lamb. The speaker is doubting his creator.

Dorian Gray 14-16

Dorian Gray has completely enveloped in a life of crime. He appears to be a charming, young aristocrat to everyone he meets in public however, within the confines of his home he murders, blackmails and lies. Dorian does not have to deal with the guilt that comes with the horrible choices that he has made because the painting wears his sins. When he he begins to feel haunted by regret and shame he remembers what Lord Henry told him: "'to cure the soul by means of the senses and the senses by the means of the soul'" (Wilde 135). Dorian decides on visiting an opium den as a means to curing his soul through his senses. Although this may seem like a cure to the evil deeds he has done, he is only temporarily escaping from his problems. By slipping into a sedated and detached state, he is able to fill the void in his soul created by the horrendous crimes he has committed... but only for so long. 

Dorian Gray 12-13

These two chapters highlight the moral degradation of Dorian Gray. Dorian is callous and detached when he meets with Basil at his apartment. There is a major contrast between Basil and Dorian and they seem to be character foils. Basil is very emotional and has immense love for Dorian yet Dorian is completely indifferent. Dorian has become completely obsessed with the portrait that reveals the dark sins and secrets of his soul. As the portrait stays hidden from the world, Dorian is able to avoid having to deal with the guilt and remorse he might feel for the evil deeds that he has comitted. When Basil sees what has become of Dorian's portrait he is absolutely terrified. Basil's reaction to the portrait gives Dorian a glimpse of the monster that he has become. Dorian has devolved into a paranoid, evil and selfish man. Dorian's paranoia and fear leads him to kill Basil. The murder further demonstrates Dorian's complete lack of compassion and malevolence.

Sound and Sense #9

The poem I Never Saw a Moor and Faith is a Fine Invention by Emily Dickinson both deal with the concept of faith. In the poem I Never Saw A Moor, the speaker claims that they have never seen the sea or had contact with a moor. It would be impossible to know whether or not these two things are actually in existence without having first hand experience. Yet, the speaker relies on faith to fill this void. The first stanza is focused on the physical and tangible realm. One can touch and smell the sea and one can see a moor. Despite never having had contact with these things, the speaker's faith could be derived from the accounts of others, photographs, etc. There is a clear shift from the physical in stanza one to the abstract in stanza two. In stanza two the speaker begins to talk about their faith in God and compares their faith in the physical to the their faith in the abstract. The speaker claims that although they have never spoken to God or witnessed heaven, they are certain that, that is their destination when they have passed. Within certainty, there is uncertainty. Therefore one must rely on faith whether it be in God or in experiences that you have not been able to witness first hand. In the poem Faith is a Fine Invention the speaker implies that faith is merely a creation of the human brain. The speaker seems to be saying that faith serves us well when we have an understanding of what is going on or feeling comfortable in a situation: "Faith is a fine invention when Gentlemen can see" (Line 2). However, when we are forced to confront difficulties such as illness or any sort of "emergency", faith does not serve us as well as we would like. By saying, "Microscopes are prudent in an emergency" the speaker suggests that it is better to rely on science to cure ailments and struggles than to turns towards God or faith. These two poems by Emily Dickinson both deal with the concept of faith but from two completely different perspectives. Because Dickinson was a religious woman one can assume that the identity portrayed in Faith is a Fine Invention is not a true reflection of her beliefs and ideals.

Dorian Gray 9-11 What Would Lord Henry Do?

Dorian is easily influenced by Lord Henry and that becomes very apparent when Basil visits Dorian in chapter nine. Dorian seems to show no emotion regarding Sibyl's death and that is shocking to Basil. All the passion that Dorian once had for Sibyl seems to have entirely vanished and left Dorian indifferent and hollow. Dorian's sentiments seem to very similar to the absurdist philosophy of life: "It is only shallow people who require years to get rid of an emotion. A man who is master of  himself can end sorrow as easily as he can invent pleasure. I don't was to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them and to dominate them" (Wilde 79). The philosophy of absurdism encourages people to embrace the physical realm and reject the emotional. Dorian's behavior seems to mimic this philosophy, Sibyl's death does not illicit the kind of emotion from Dorian that one might expect. The night that he found out that she has died, he is out enjoying an opera and talking to other girl's. He is taking part in fun and physically pleasing activities while disregarding his emotions. Although Dorian claims that Basil taught him to be vain, I believe that he has unconsciously become even more vain with Lord Henry's influence. Dorian's behavior is a direct result of Lord Henry's influence, he does everything to please Henry and acts with Henry in mind.

The Stranger #3

I think that the punishment the protagonist received was very extreme and unfitting of his crime. However, he did not do much to help his case. There were many points where he could have interjected and saved his fate. Yet, lying is not in his character, he was unwilling to stretch the truth even a little to help his case. The prosecutor is able to completely spin the protagonist's story to paint him as a cruel and heartless villain. The prosecutor disassociates himself with the protagonist's fate and just focused on winning the case rather than delving into what actually happened. The protagonist ends the novel with an insight into his thoughts and feelings on life with fervent emotion. He grabs the Chaplain and yells: "I started yelling at the top of my lungs and I insulted him and told him not to waste his prayers on me.... I was pouring out on him everything that was in my heart, cries of anger and cries of joy. He seemed so certain about everything, didn't he? And yet none of his certainties was worth one hair of a woman's head. He wasn't even sure he was alive, because he was living like a deadman... but I was sure about me, about everything, surer than he could ever be" (Camus 120). The protagonist shows more emotion than he has in these few lines than he did in the entire novel. He brings up the point of certainty and how religion is just merely based on faith. He criticizes the chaplain saying that he couldn't possibly be certain about anything. But the protagonist will have one thing when he dies and that is certainty, he is certain that his life will come to an end and that is all he has.

The Stranger #2

The protagonist's response to his jail time and the questioning process is unusual just like his response to many events. He is a truthful and simple man which does not necessarily work in his favor because the justice system is complex. He has trouble adjusting to the fact that he is being charged as a criminal. When Marie comes to visit him he seems insensitive and indifferent to her presence. He focuses more on the sounds and details of the visiting room rather than his actual conversation with Marie or her appearance: "I was feeling a little sick and I'd have liked to leave. The noise was getting painful. But on the other hand I wanted to make the most of Marie's being there. I don't know how much time went by" (Camus 75). Although he says he wanted to make the most of their time together, he seems to pay more attention the conversations going on around him than he does to his and Marie's conversation. He says he would like to leave because he was feeling ill. It is odd that he would like to leave when this is the only time Marie will be able to visit him in prison. He seems insensitive and uncaring. Despite Marie's constant smiling and joyful demeanor, he does not return the same emotional response. The protagonist never responds to situations in the manner that I would assume a person would.

The Stranger, Book one

The beginning of The Stranger is odd. The syntax and language is very simple and straight forward. The protagonist is a curious man, his actions at his mother's funeral reflect someone who is attending a boring play or movie rather than the burial of a loved one. The protagonist's emotions seem to diluted as if he is holding back something. His outward behavior seems directly related to the physical state of his body not driven by emotion. He often describes physical feelings such as being tired, hungry, aching, cold, hot, craving coffee, cigarettes, etc. yet he does not really describe how he is feeling emotionally at Maman's funeral. He seemed distant and unaffected by this event. The protagonist is very passive and aggressive which is apparent in his relationship with Marie: "That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to" (Camus 41). His response is odd and unemotional. He seems to really enjoy Marie, yet he is completely unemotional when she mentions getting married. He does not respond with a passionate yes or a fervent no, just sure if you want to. His persistent passive and unemotional behavior makes the end of book one very strange. He kills a man with seemingly little to no motivation. However, he is a man who responds more physically than emotionally. His delirium could be attributed to the overwhelming heat and he lost himself for the moment.

Claudius Straight Up Guilty--Hamlet #5

Claudius is guilty and the ghost was right all along. Hamlet makes reference to a chameleon in the beginning of Act 3, Scene 2 which I thought was very appropriate: "Excellent, i' faith, of the chameleon’s dish. I eat the air, promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons so" (3.2.86-87). Hamlet blends into the environment while keeping his true motive concealed. Even before the play, he maintained the facade of a mad man in order to carry out his plot against Claudius. Hamlet's plan goes surprisingly well and Claudius's guilt is exposed when he orders the play to cease. Once Hamlet has been figured out, Rosencrantz delivers the Queen's message: "Then thus she says: your behavior hath struck her into amazement and admiration" (3.2.) I thought that this was ironic considering the fact that the Queen has not been the most admirable person herself. Hamlet's behavior is more admirable because he has a noble cause to his plan, exposing the truth. 

Dalton Trumbo (recipient of the best name ever)'s excerpt

The young man and his father have come to a turning point in their relationship, a tense tone is created by the author through his use of short, simple sentences and lack of commas, mirroring the internal struggle of the boy. Trumbo does not use one comma throughout the entire excerpt, this syntactical choice creates tense and nervous feeling, paralleling the boy's sentiments towards a changing relationship with his father. At the beginning of the excerpt there are many lines spent specifically describing small details about their camping trip, demonstrating how important and familiar it is with both the father and son. The son's wish to go fishing with another boy is something completely new which he fears will disturb a routine that has lasted for many years. The speaker states the boy, "knew that it was an ending and a beginning" (25-26). The boy knows that this situation is bittersweet and he is afraid of his father's response. There is a clear lack of communication between the father and son. Little words are exchanged when the father hears out his son's request. However, the father lets the son take his extremely special fishing rod, signifying an acceptance towards their changing relationship: "His father's rod was a very valuable one. It was perhaps the only extravagance his father had in his whole life" (44-46). The father gives up this prized possession as a sign of respect and acceptance for his son's growth, although it does hurt him that he is forced to watch his son move on.