Fences

       

      Baseball acts as an important motif in the story, fences, on the other hand, serve as an important symbol in the play and assume various meanings as they relate to the different characters. Only one actual fence exists in the play, the fence that Rose has Troy fixed. This literal presence of the fence and the versatile nature of the meaning of fences are perhaps the reason why the play is titled. “Fences” relate to Troy in the sense that it reflects his relationship with the rest of the family broken and in disarray. Throughout the play, Troy expresses reluctance in finishing the task just as he exhibits inefficiency in dealing with the other family members. Apart from being unfaithful to Rose, Troy is also inconsiderate of his son and negligent towards his brother. Rose in contrast sees the fence as something positive. She is the primary advocate for the fence’s completion and this preoccupation is explained by Bono as “Some people build fences to keep people out and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you” (2.1.32). It may even be said that the fence represents Jesus for Rose since it is her constant prayer that “Jesus, be a fence all around me every day” (1.2.2). In the end, Jesus does separate her from others by keeping her safe, strong, and optimistic.The fence also acts as a symbol for the barrier between Troy and Cory. Cory’s desire to play football infuriates Troy as he wants his son seek proper employment instead of play. This alienates Cory and the father and son have a falling out. The fence also separates Troy and Lyons because Troy believes that his son’s pursuit of a career in music is worthless like Cory’s desire to play football. Finally, I believe that fences have a definition that is dual in nature. Whereas it can keep together the things that must stay together such as family and protect these things, it also prevents others from achieving their dreams. Perhaps the most important of the examples of how some things are represented by a fence in the play is Troy’s failure to enter the Major League. Troy’s disillusioned state and the many conflicts portrayed in the play are all inherently connected to his failure. Like tall fence the racial issues of the time have prevented Troy from achieving his dream. He may see the policy as a barrier against the fulfillment of his career and thus symbolically resents fences by being reluctant in his chore.

Pure Evil

              Claudius commits many horrible acts; he is not purely evil and is better understood as a flawed human being. Claudius is guilty of many sins, including the murder of the king and plotting for the Hamlet's death when he realizes that the Prince knows the truth. What concerns Claudius' character, Hamlet learns that he managed to obstruct his life,knows his right to the throne, humiliate the memory of his father by marrying his mother so soon after, and for all these reasons, enrage the young Prince and appear to be truly evil at the same time:” He that hath kill'd my king and whored my mother, Popp'd in between the election and my hopes…And with such cozenage—is't not perfect conscience, To quit him with this arm”. Claudius is not purely evil but is simply an example of a very flawed human being who allows his greed and selfish desires to control his actions. The King is however also a reasonable man, capable ruler, and competent diplomat, as is exemplified in Act 1.2 when he disposes of court business. The King reveals also during fleeting moments in the play that he is aware of his bad conscience and actions. This is for instance clear when he compares his 'deed to [his] painted word' (3.1.49-54). It is also clear from his attempt to pray in Act 3.3. Though he is not able to repent and continues in plotting and scheming, the attempt to redeem himself and his acknowledgement of the evil. It would be however a fallacy to “The Tragedy of Claudius, King of Denmark”. This is because Claudius does not have any redeeming qualities to justify his sins. Whereas Hamlet seeks, plots, and desires to kill throughout the play in what some might describe as an evil way, his actions are inspired by his desire for revenge. Even-though it’s not the  right  motive, it docent  make Hamlet understandable and tragic in a human way many can sympathize with. This is not true for Claudius.

seeking revenge

When Hamlete returns to Denmark he is encounter with many problems he finds out his father is death and that his mother married her uncle.  His emotions are triggered his mother and uncle try to make him feel better they tell him he needs to move on theirs nothing he could do about his fathers death " no, nor the fruitful river in the eye, nor the dejected haviour of the visage together with all forms moods shapes of grief that can denote me truly" ( 70-89, 1,2). this statement from hamlet shows how sad and grieving he is for his father. Hamlet was told that theirs a ghost that looks like his father but he does not believe them until he sees him. " I am thy father's spirit" (10, 1,5).   His father starts to explain the reason for his death was because his uncle poisoned him.  Hamlet sees the reason why he married his mother so he can become king " upon my secure hour thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebona in vail and in the porches of my ears did pour ( 61-63,1,5) this is stating that his uncle will be the next in line to become king. his father wants him to kill his uncle but he delays it because he knows that killing is a sin.  

blog 3

I chose option three for my third blog.  In “ The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin use irony and symbol in their stories to make them interesting, dark, and to create horrific and suspenseful masterpiece.

In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. We see the different types of irony he uses to build suspense for example the name Fortunato means to be lucky but in this case he is an unlucky man on his way to his death.  Montresor mentions “Not only punish, but punish with impunity”(poe).  I this quote we can see the intentions he has for his dear friend Fortunato. Also when Montresor sees Fortunato and says “ My dear Fortunato you are luckily meet” (poe) he thinks he is happy to see him but we can tell how hypocrite montresor is  which he has the perfect murder planned.  He leers Fortunato by giving him wine and getting him drunk when there are sounded by all the skeletons Fortunato makes a toast “ to the buried that repose around us” ( Poe ).  He is making a happy toast not knwing he would soon be the one buried.  Moreover when the narrator mentions that he is worried for Fortunato health that they should go back “ We will go back; your health is precious”(poe).  This shows that Montresor is having compassion but at the end we find out that he didn’t he leaves him to die. 

 In "the story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin has dark irony which plays a major role in this story from the get go we know this story will have a strange ending. At the beginning the way that Mrs. Mallard reacts to the news of her dead husband surprises me because if my husband would have died I would not be happy. For example when she gets up and goes to her room to be alone we expect her to go and grieve for her husband but she starts to look at the outside of her house " she could see in the open square before her house the top of trees that were all acquirer with the new spring life.  the delicious breath of rain was in the air" (Chopin).  This quote symbolize a new beginning for her. But when she whisperer these words and repeats them over and over again "free,free,free"(Chopin). The reader understands the happiness for her husband’s death she is free from her unhappy marriage Throughout the story we continue to see irony another example is the death of Mrs. Mallard.  she is in shock when she sees her husband and from the surprise she passes away" when the doctors come they said she had died of heart disease- of joy that kills"(Chopin).  At the beginning of the story it talks about her heart disease how they are afraid to tell her the bad news of her dead husband but instead she dies from her heart disease from seeing her husband. But this story took place In the 1800 at this time the woman didn’t have a say they had to obey their husbands so I can see why she was happy she was finally going to have her freedom and not fallow her husband demands.

The Last Moments

Option 1. 

In the story “An occurrence at owl Creek Bridge” Ambrose Bierce was one of my favorite stories from this selection. The story uses the third person narrator.  Peyton Farquhar is the protagonist, very shadowy figure and he becomes a two sided character.  The beginning of the story is very descriptive explaining the place and situation he was in. “the man’s hands were behind his back, the wrist bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck”. (83)  In this quote we can see tension and description of how they have tied him.  This story also focus on the emotion which is happening to the character in his last moments. The author also puts his focus on Farquhar’s dying thoughts how he wants to escape and have his freedom and return to his loving family.  When he closes his eyes he thinks of the perfect getaway how he can brake lose form the ropes and by diving he can evade the bullets.  
"An occurrence at owl Creek Bridge" uses the third person point of view towards the end of the first part of the story the narrator shifts to omniscient point of view. "If i could free my hands,.. i might throw off the noose and spring into stream. by diving i could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home .my home thank God... my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader's farthest advance".(84). This tells us that Bierce takes us inside Peyton Farquhar's thoughts of his emotional feelings and how he wants to escape death and return to his family.  this gives the reader a diffrent interpretation of reality and the way we become aware of how the time passes. when Farquhar is dropped from the bridge one second becomes hours. " He springs forward with extended arms.  as he is about to clap her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of cannon then all darkness and silence. (88) This quote shifts us back to reality .  His last few seconds was seen before the rope killed him. If this story was written in the first person perspective the narrator could of not entered Farqhuar's mind, the suspense and the place of the story would of got lost within the story 

"The Things They Carried"

Option one

Out of the 4 stories I chose to write about "The things they carried" this story was very interesting. In this story it explains specific items the soldiers carried while in the Vietnam War.  The author list specific items that each soldier carried for example “ Mitchell sanders, the RTO carried condoms, Norman Booker carried a diary, Rat Kiley carried comic books (p. 97).  This helps us understand how each of these solders have their own personality and it gives us an idea the type of persons they are, and we get to know each and every one of those solders.  

Tim O'Brien also list the weight of some of the items that the solders carry this is because he wants us to get the felling hard it was for them to be at war.  through out the story it also explains how they had to carry at least 50 pounds of equipment on their backs this tells me that they were physically tired and they also were going trough emotional times especially because they were watching friends die.
"The Thing They Carried" teaches us how the solders go trough a lot of physical and emotional time due to the war.