Introduction: How'd He Do That
Memory, symbols and patterns allow readers to form connections between different works of literature and better understand the events that are occurring and realize the significance of certain aspects within the book. This provides a greater understanding of the meaning the author is attempting to convey to the reader. Understanding the classic pattern of a heroic tale helped me realize the events that would occur in a fantasy novel that I was reading. The typical quest given followed by struggle and then significant self realization happens to the main character was easily noticed. My understanding of how the plot would progress allowed me to stay focused on the tale as the book was very long and very dense.
Chapter 1: "Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)
The five aspects of the QUEST are as follows:
1. a quester
2. a place to go
3. a stated reason to go there
4. challenges and trials en route
5. a real reason to go there
From my reading experiences there are many instances of the Quest appearing in books. In Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind Kvothe the main character and also the quester has the quest to reach Tarbean to escape the harsh wilderness that he was left to after his troupe was murdered. The reason to go there was first to escape the wild and secondly to find a way to reach the university to continue his dream of being an arcanist. He faced many challenges in the city of Tarbean and was stuck there for roughly four ears before being able to buy passage to the university. The challenges were poverty and starvation as well as a nemesis, another street urchin. During his time in Tarbean Kvothe realized his true quest/reason to reach the university. So that he could avenge his troupe's murders.
1. a quester
2. a place to go
3. a stated reason to go there
4. challenges and trials en route
5. a real reason to go there
From my reading experiences there are many instances of the Quest appearing in books. In Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind Kvothe the main character and also the quester has the quest to reach Tarbean to escape the harsh wilderness that he was left to after his troupe was murdered. The reason to go there was first to escape the wild and secondly to find a way to reach the university to continue his dream of being an arcanist. He faced many challenges in the city of Tarbean and was stuck there for roughly four ears before being able to buy passage to the university. The challenges were poverty and starvation as well as a nemesis, another street urchin. During his time in Tarbean Kvothe realized his true quest/reason to reach the university. So that he could avenge his troupe's murders.
Chapter 2: "Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion
In the book Vampire slayer the two main protagonists Gotrek and Felix have a feast with their enemy the vampire Carstein. Instead of the usual symbolism of community and friendship this communion between enemies holds a foreboding tension that amplifies the approaching conflict between protagonist and antagonist. The meal is full of double edged remarks and grim faces with an air of fake politeness between the two parties. This communion strays from the normal format but still serves to form a connection between the two enemies rather than build upon a friendship it intensifies the hatred.
Chapter 5: "Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before"
Horus from the Horus Heresy series represents Lucifer from biblical tales in many ways. He is the Warmaster of a great crusade against alien species and him along with his fellow space marines are super soldiers, almost godlike. They are the angels of death and enforce their Emperors will/God's will. According to his emperors commands though Horus is forced to bow and defer to the common humans and he despises this. Horus turns against the normal humans and seeks to destroy and conquer all that the emperor has created. This follows the similar angle of Lucifer refusing to submit to mankind and being cast down from heaven in the Bible.
Nathaniel Garro is a Space Marine in the Horus Heresy series and captain of the ship the Einstein. He resembles Moses from the bible in many different ways. During the time period that Nathaniel lives there is a flood coming that will sweep away all those who are not on his ship. This flood comes in a different form than water; it is a flood of betrayal and death at the hands of the Warmaster Horus and Nathaniel must take his loyal crew on a journey through this flood to safety. He is tasked with this by a woman who is perceived as a saint of the God Emperor, similar to Moses' warning and command to build the ark to carry the animals to safety.
Loken is another Space Marine in the Horus Heresy series and a captain of a company of men under the direct command of the Warmaster Horus. Loken symbolizes the undying loyalty and honor for his people that resides in men and women who serve their countries. Loken also in some ways resembles Jesus Christ in that he sacrifices himself and his men to stall the Warmasters treacherous plans to topple the Emperor from his throne. When knowledge of the betrayal reaches him he directs all of his men to take cover and bunker down on the planet they're stationed at so as the draw the Warmaster's forces in to allow time for Captain Garro to flee and bring warning to the Emperor. This selfless sacrifice and act of loyalty and love for his people strongly resembles Jesus Christ's sacrifice for mankind in the Bible.
Nathaniel Garro is a Space Marine in the Horus Heresy series and captain of the ship the Einstein. He resembles Moses from the bible in many different ways. During the time period that Nathaniel lives there is a flood coming that will sweep away all those who are not on his ship. This flood comes in a different form than water; it is a flood of betrayal and death at the hands of the Warmaster Horus and Nathaniel must take his loyal crew on a journey through this flood to safety. He is tasked with this by a woman who is perceived as a saint of the God Emperor, similar to Moses' warning and command to build the ark to carry the animals to safety.
Loken is another Space Marine in the Horus Heresy series and a captain of a company of men under the direct command of the Warmaster Horus. Loken symbolizes the undying loyalty and honor for his people that resides in men and women who serve their countries. Loken also in some ways resembles Jesus Christ in that he sacrifices himself and his men to stall the Warmasters treacherous plans to topple the Emperor from his throne. When knowledge of the betrayal reaches him he directs all of his men to take cover and bunker down on the planet they're stationed at so as the draw the Warmaster's forces in to allow time for Captain Garro to flee and bring warning to the Emperor. This selfless sacrifice and act of loyalty and love for his people strongly resembles Jesus Christ's sacrifice for mankind in the Bible.
Chapter 7: "...Or the Bible"
Araby contains many different Biblical allusions other than the "two great jars" that Foster initially discusses in his book. Another allusion that is present is between the garden of the dead priest and the garden of Eden. The priest's garden is unkempt and wild with an apple tree in the middle of it, very much like the apple tree in the garden of Eden. This is a foreshadow of the coming loss of innocence that the boy is about to experience, very similar to the loss of innocence that Adam and Eve experienced after consuming the apples. The main character is also seen quite often with his hands coming together as if in prayer. During these moments he needs help as he does not understand his emotions and does not know what to do. Although the boy does not receive any help his "prayers" have the same circumstances around them that spark the need for prayer in Biblical stories. The man at the entrance to the bizarre, the one whom the boy pays a shilling to enter, is Satan. He strikes a deal with the boy so that he may enter the bizarre where he then proceeds to lose his innocence and is barred by the "two great jars," just like Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. They too struck a deal with the devil and ate the apples, destroying their innocence. The man himself did not destroy the boys innocence but he was the catalyst, just like the devil was for Adam and Eve.
Chapter 8: "Hanseldee and Greteldum"
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone has some characteristics that resemble the fairy tale Cinderella. In both stories Harry and Cinderella live with step families that treat them like servants. Both are also either cut off from other people or shunned by everyone around them. In order to cope with their solitude both parties form friendships outside of what is considered proper and normal in their families. Harry forms friendships with wizards whom the Dersley's hate, and Cinderella forms friendships with small animals. Eventually Cinderella is saved by her fairy godmother who comes to her rescue and whisks her away to the Prince's ball allowing her to meet her Prince Charming. Harry also has a fairy godmother but his comes in a different form, Hagrid. Hagrid is a magical being who swoops in and takes Harry away to the world of wizards and away from his wicked step family. Essentially he is Harry's fairy godmother. These parallels are at first difficult to notice since someone wouldn't usually associate Harry Potter with Cinderella but the core of both stories are the same. This serves to deepen the appreciation for the fairy tale by putting a new and original spin on it, and allowing readers to enjoy and understand the plot of Harry Potter; even if they don't consciously recognize the parallels.
Chapter 9: "It's Greek to Me"
MUSEE DES BEAUX ARTS
About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Brueghel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the plowman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
The myth of Icarus surrounds a boy who's father builds him a flying machine and is told not to fly too close to the sun otherwise he will burn up and fall to his death in the water. This seemingly fantastic event, man has always wanted to fly, contributes to an ironic ending to the poem above Musee Des Beaux Arts. In the end of the poem a plowman is said to have heard the splash and cry of Icarus and the ship at sea had seen the boy falling from the sky; but both the plowman and the crew of the ship simply carried on with their day as though they see a boy fall out of the sky every day. This connection and reference to Icarus reinforces the theme of the above poem by providing an example of how people can carry on with their days even when disaster strikes, and how even the most fantastic thing or moving moment can be forgotten in the pace of life.
About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Brueghel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the plowman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
The myth of Icarus surrounds a boy who's father builds him a flying machine and is told not to fly too close to the sun otherwise he will burn up and fall to his death in the water. This seemingly fantastic event, man has always wanted to fly, contributes to an ironic ending to the poem above Musee Des Beaux Arts. In the end of the poem a plowman is said to have heard the splash and cry of Icarus and the ship at sea had seen the boy falling from the sky; but both the plowman and the crew of the ship simply carried on with their day as though they see a boy fall out of the sky every day. This connection and reference to Icarus reinforces the theme of the above poem by providing an example of how people can carry on with their days even when disaster strikes, and how even the most fantastic thing or moving moment can be forgotten in the pace of life.
Chapter 11: "...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence"
The two kinds of violence in literature are specific injury and narrative injury. An example of narrative injury can be found in The Great Gatsby. On his drive back from New York Jay Gatsby runs into Myrtle with his car and kills her. This accident wasn't intentional on the part of Gatsby but occurred anyways and killed Myrtle. Narrative injury is when the author takes control and acts as either the hands of fate or institutes random events. The characters do not willingly think out and commit the injury. This is the difference between specific and narrative injury. In specific injury the author has a character seek out and cause harm to another character, that is the characters mindset and intention. An example of this is when Wilson learns that it was Gatsby who killed his wife and he proceeds to enter Gatsby's home and shoot him. This instance creates a much more violent and emotional effect as it is seen by the reader as intentional and malicious on part of the character. The narrative injury still causes an effect on the reader but doesn't create a connection with the reader and the characters actions as they were unintentional.
Chapter 12: "Is That a Symbol?"
The fence in "Araby" symbolizes the strict division between the life of a boy and the life of a girl in that time period. Both are raised in a strict and conservative world where purity of mind and body is an important part of their lives. The fence that separates the two is the physical form of that purity. It holds the boy back and clouds his mind. The barrier is so powerful that the boy doesn't even realize that what he is feeling is desire. He, as well as all the other boys, have been isolated from the opposite sex and not taught how to recognize their desires in a healthy way. Therefore the fence symbolizes the pedestal that purity of mind and body has been lofted onto by society and the barrier between what is known and unknown. The fear and confusion that this unknown presents is all that prevents the boy from leaping over this barrier and discovering more about himself, exactly what the adults in his life want.
Chapter 14: "Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too"
In many ways the character Gotrek in the Gotrek and Felix series represents Christ. Gotrek is a dwarf slayer who's life is forfeit and is tasked to seek his doom in a glorious battle against mighty and evil foes. Being a dwarf slayer Gotrek has accumulated numerous scars across his entire body as well as having ceremonial tattoos, a marked body symbolizes a possible Christ figure. Gotrek's self sacrificing isn't necessarily for others all the time. But when he is faced with a great evil that threatens innocent lives he seeks to save others at the expense of his own life, even if he primary goal is a glorious death versus saving others. A dwarf only becomes a slayer when a great shame has overcome him or her. Gotrek must live with this shame for the rest of his life. This shame constantly pains him and damages his pride which is very important among dwarves. Another and perhaps the most apparent Christ like association that Gotrek has are his numerous "rebirths." Gotrek has died at the hands of mighty foes many times or appeared to have died but even when he tries his best to succeed at dying he still manages to come back to life. It's as though he is destined for some greater sacrifice or to save a forsaken world beset on all sides by evil and corruption... an awful lot like Christ.
Chapter 15: "Flights of Fancy"
In Gotrek and Felix: Beastslayer the protagonists and their party have been trapped in the besieged city of Praag and have no hope of escaping the hordes of chaos that lay before them. The city is a powerful fortress but due to the machinations of the chaos sorcerers the walls have crumbled and all hope of waiting out the siege for reinforcements has left the defenders. At this climactic turning point in the book Gotrek and Felix's old companion, another dwarf slayer, Malakai arrives with his personal airship, the Spirit of Grungi. Gotrek and his party must utilize this vessel to escape from the city to bring warning to Altdorf the capital of the empire so as to put a halt to the chaos invasion. The trip on Malakai's vessel signifies Gotrek and Felix's escape from the siege and danger, opening up a different path for them that was otherwise closed before.
Chapter 18: "If She Comes Up It's Baptism"
The book Brian contains a very significant baptism scene within the beginning chapters. Brian is traveling by plane to meet up with his father at the time of the crash and has lived a very well to do lifestyle up until this point. The plane crashing into the lake is the moment of Brian's baptism. He ends up almost drowning at this point and is forced to fight his way to the shore. When emerged from the water he was reborn and can no longer be his usual self. Now he has to live in the wild and attempt to survive in a harsh landscape with minimal supplies. He must adapt and change who he is, the crash was his baptism.
Chapter 19: "Geography Matters"
In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Pip experiences many different locations and peoples. Pips geography affects the novel in many ways. The swamp where Pip meets the convict plays into the novel because it creates an eerie, and mysterious mood that keeps the reader on edge. Another location that Pip travels to is London. London plays perfectly into the role because of its gloomy, dark feel. This contradicts Pip's great expectations, and is not the wonderful, high class world Pip expected. The people in London are affected by their surroundings, and reflect them somewhat. The people that Pip meets are dark and mysterious, like Mr. Jaggers and Miss Havisham. Lastly, compared to the new places Pip travels, his home seems quite comforting and warm. The atmosphere of his home helps to show Pip that his great expectations may not be as great as he expected.
Chapter 20: "...So Does Season"
Early Snow Fall
Gentle flakes of ice dust the dawn
Melting into the warm sidewalk
A kiss of winter as fall begins
A promise of change
A warning to prepare
Cold days and frozen nights
Rosy cheeks and runny noses
A sigh emits foggy breath
A shrug desires a heavy jacket
With every step your shoes make slush
Mellow rays of sun break forth
And the snowflakes ease into raindrops
Evidence of the early snow will all but wash away
Calm is the moment
Change approaches
I place my hands in my pockets
Doors slide open
The smell of hot coffee
Greets summer's end.
-Fritz Purdum
Fritz Purdum bases his poem around the season of winter and the change from summer to fall and a fast approaching winter. He approaches the season of winter in a very traditional way. Winter is described as being a kiss at the beginning of fall, a kiss of death and change very often associated with fall and then winter as those months bring about the death of life. Winter is also brought up and foreshadowed as a warning to prepare for something, most likely a harsh change, a common thought associated with the winter months as the cold weather can be brutal. Purdum also uses a more lighthearted reference to winter by bringing up the comforting and usual things people look forward to in winter. Those things being snow, and hot coffee.
Gentle flakes of ice dust the dawn
Melting into the warm sidewalk
A kiss of winter as fall begins
A promise of change
A warning to prepare
Cold days and frozen nights
Rosy cheeks and runny noses
A sigh emits foggy breath
A shrug desires a heavy jacket
With every step your shoes make slush
Mellow rays of sun break forth
And the snowflakes ease into raindrops
Evidence of the early snow will all but wash away
Calm is the moment
Change approaches
I place my hands in my pockets
Doors slide open
The smell of hot coffee
Greets summer's end.
-Fritz Purdum
Fritz Purdum bases his poem around the season of winter and the change from summer to fall and a fast approaching winter. He approaches the season of winter in a very traditional way. Winter is described as being a kiss at the beginning of fall, a kiss of death and change very often associated with fall and then winter as those months bring about the death of life. Winter is also brought up and foreshadowed as a warning to prepare for something, most likely a harsh change, a common thought associated with the winter months as the cold weather can be brutal. Purdum also uses a more lighthearted reference to winter by bringing up the comforting and usual things people look forward to in winter. Those things being snow, and hot coffee.
Chapter 26: "Is He Serious? And Other Ironies"
A famous user of irony is William Shakespeare. The famous playwright is well known for his intricate use of irony, both in the lines of his plays and in the situations that his audiences witness during the performance of the plays. One case of situational irony is in the play Romeo and Juliet. In this instance the audience knows that Juliet is only drugged in order to fake her death and escape, but when Romeo finds her lying apparently dead on the altar he becomes distraught and kills himself. The situational irony deepens the tension the audience is experiencing while watching the play.
Chapter 27: "A Test Case"
What does the story signify?
In The Garden Party, Katherine Mansfield explores class distinction, and the insolence between the social classes. She shows the disparity between the lives of the wealthy and that of the lower class, and how each side doesn't fully understand the other.
How does it signify?
Katherine Mansfield uses multiple underlying elements in her story in order to support the main theme. One element she uses is seen in her references to Japan throughout the story. Mansfield utilizes diction that is associated with Japanese culture like "turban," "silk petticoat," and "kimono jacket." This reference to Japan supports the theme because of the strictly set social classes that used to be in place in Japan. Another aspect of the short story that supports the theme is use of aviary diction to describe the wealthy class characters. Mansfield uses words that bring about the thought of flying high and soaring above everyone else like birds do. This is symbolic of how the upper class people are above the rest of the people, and how they seem to "fly" higher than the rest.
Since reading the three responses in the book I would say that I hit the topic pretty well. I managed to think of the references to birds that the third student recognized, and I came up with one that the students didn't even think of. After reading the essay that compares Laura to Persephone, I was astonished by how many connections there were. Once the connection was made, I began to see more similarities, even some that weren't in the essay.
In The Garden Party, Katherine Mansfield explores class distinction, and the insolence between the social classes. She shows the disparity between the lives of the wealthy and that of the lower class, and how each side doesn't fully understand the other.
How does it signify?
Katherine Mansfield uses multiple underlying elements in her story in order to support the main theme. One element she uses is seen in her references to Japan throughout the story. Mansfield utilizes diction that is associated with Japanese culture like "turban," "silk petticoat," and "kimono jacket." This reference to Japan supports the theme because of the strictly set social classes that used to be in place in Japan. Another aspect of the short story that supports the theme is use of aviary diction to describe the wealthy class characters. Mansfield uses words that bring about the thought of flying high and soaring above everyone else like birds do. This is symbolic of how the upper class people are above the rest of the people, and how they seem to "fly" higher than the rest.
Since reading the three responses in the book I would say that I hit the topic pretty well. I managed to think of the references to birds that the third student recognized, and I came up with one that the students didn't even think of. After reading the essay that compares Laura to Persephone, I was astonished by how many connections there were. Once the connection was made, I began to see more similarities, even some that weren't in the essay.