Act 5

Act 5 begins in a graveyard and hones in on a discussion between two gravediggers. The “clowns” accuse Ophelia of committing suicide. They believe that because she decided to take her own life, Ophelia does not deserve a proper burial. One of them even points out that no one can drown themselves in self-defence, making it clear that suicide is Ophilia’s only possible cause of death. Due to Ophelia’s high rank in society, she is given a proper and honorable Christain burial.

After returning home, Hamlet walks in the graveyard the same day of Ophelia’s funeral. He is startled by a skull and a gravedigger singing in the graveyard. We learn that the gravedigger does not realize who Hamlet is, as he begins to gossip about royal happenings with Hamlet. The gravedigger also mentions that the skull belongs to King Hamlet’s jester, Yorick. Hamlet, having known Yorik, begins to feel sick. After seeing Yorik lifeless, he realizes that all men decompose, revert back to the earth, and become unimportant objects.

Soon, Hamlet stumbles upon Ophelia’s funeral. Hamlet confesses his love for Ophelia and claims that his love for her was greater than Laertes’s love for her. Hamlet continues to compare himself to others, but this time he compared himself publicly. After fighting with Laertes in the graveyard, tensions rise.

Hamlet argues that because Claudius “hath killed my king, and whored my mother,” Hamlet is justified in murdering Claudius. While Hamlet sees Laertes as a fellow avenger, Hamlet’s hotheadedness encourages him to accept the duel posed by Laertes. Hamlet feels as though his character is in question because of the duel and believes he can win despite heavy protests from Horatio.

Before entering the duel where the true Shakespearen tragedy shows, Hamlet attempts to blame his madness for Polonius’s death. During the duel, Claudius prepares to poison Hamlet, but instead kills Gertrude. While Hamlet was already poisoned by Laertes's sword during the intense jousting, he still avenges both King Hamlet’s and Gertrudes’s deaths by forcing Claudius to drink from the poisoned cup. Laertes forgives Hamlet before dying as well. Horatio, surrounded by dead and dying people confesses his desire to commit suicide. Hamlet tells Horatio to live on and “draw thy breath in pain / To tell my story.”

When Fortinbras, Hamlet’s choice for King of Denmark, enters the room, he is shocked by the death in the room. The English ambassador shares the news that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were executed, which followed Hamlet’s plan. Truly, the most Shakespearean tragedy ending I have ever read.

Hamlet Act 4 scenes 5-7

At the beginning of scene five, we learn that Ophelia has gone mad because of Polonius's death and Hamlet's actions toward her. She sings songs to Claudius and Gertrude about losing love and virginity and expresses that she feels betrayed by Hamlet. After she leaves, Claudius talks about how so many bad things have happened at once an now Laertes is going to return to Denmark to figure out who killed his father. I was surprised that especially Gertrude was not more understanding and comforting of Ophelia's situation considering the loss of her husband and her concern for Hamlet. When Laertes comes and confronts Claudius about Polonius's death, Claudius denies he had anything to do with it. Laertes is seeking revenge and seems to want to do whatever it takes to get it. This made me compare him to Hamlet, who was much more hesitant to assign the blame to Claudius for his father's death without proof. Laertes gets even angrier when he sees that Ophelia is crazy. Claudius does his best to empathize with Laertes and suggests that if he was the killer, Laertes can be king, but if he is not, then Claudius will help him kill the real murderer.

In scene six, Hamlet returns to Denmark, having escaped pirates at sea. He sends letters to the King and Horatio and wants to meet with Horatio. Meanwhile, in scene seven, Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet killed Polonius and tried to kill him too. He makes up an excuse about not killing Hamlet before by saying that he did not want to see Gertrude suffer from the death of her son because he loved her too much and that the citizens like Hamlet too much to kill him without an obvious reason. Laertes is glad to hear that Hamlet is returned so he can take revenge. Cladius encourages Laertes to act quickly because his motivation might fade since love lessens over time. I thought this was really ironic because the only reason Claudius is still alive is that Hamlet had procrastinated killing him. Claudius and Laertes then make their plan to kill him including a not blunted sword with a poisonous tip and and cup of poison. Gertrude comes in and tells them that Ophelia has drowned, which fuels Laertes sadness and anger even more. At the end of the scene, Claudius lies to Gertrude and says that he tried to calm Laertes down.

I am curious to see how Claudius's and Laertes's plan will turn out and what Gertrude's reaction will be. I am also interested in seeing Hamlet's reaction to Ophelia's death.

act 3 scene 2 and 3

Act three scene two begins when hamlet tells the players of the play to act as rehearse the way he wishes them to rehearse. Soon after this Horatio arrives and Hamlet discusses his admiration of Horatio and his qualities. I found this to be interesting especially since we know he is the one person who does not betray hamlet at the end of the play. Because hamlet had told Horatio about what the ghost told him, hamlet asks Horatio to observe Polonius to see whether or not his reaction is telling of his murder, and Horatio agrees. This once again is important as it contributed to the motif and theme of surveillance in which all members of the play are spying on the others. Additionally, the theme of madness and insanity in hamlet reappears when he is in front of Polonius and Claudius before the start of what is called the dumb show where the king and the queen act out what has happened to hamlet in real life, in which the queen leaves the king who is then murdered by another, and that person tries to seduce the queen. This is soon acted out in full and it is very telling according to hamlet and Horatio that Claudius is guilty.

In the next scene, Claudius believing hamlet is mad talks to Hamlet's two friends and asks them to take him on a trip to England immediately. Polonius enters and then reminds Claudius that he intends to hide and overhear the conversation between hamlet and Gertrude, letting Claudius know he will make him aware of all that he has heard. Polonius then leaves and Claudius admits to his guilt and sin which hamlet overhears as he is about to kill Claudius and revenge his father's death. Hamlet realizes however that if he kills Claudius while he is asking for forgiveness he will go to heaven and therefore decides not to kill him at that moment. I think that the second scene was more intense than the first however throughout both I think it is evident that two main themes are surveillance and madness which have appeared several times recently. Both of these combined however cause much confusion and that end up having a negative end result.

Hamlet: Act 2, Scene 1-2

Hamlet: Act 2, Scene 1-2

In Act 2, Scene 1 and 2 Hamlet seems to be in a manic state. In scene 1, many are wondering why Hamlet seems to have gone mad. Ophelia is visited by Hamlet and he has an intense display of affection. This leads Ophelia, and eventually Polonius, to believe that she is the root of Hamlet’s madness. In this scene, Polonius’ meddling becomes evident not only in his actions with Ophelia but also with his son Laertes. Polonius seems to have many ulterior motives behind all of his actions, one of which is brownnosing the King and Queen when he brings news of Hamlet and hatches the plot of Ophelia and Hamlet’s meeting.

Hamlet also reveals that he is just as mad as everyone says he is. When he speaks of Denmark as a prison and how grey and dark his life is, we can see more and more why Hamlet seems to struggle with thoughts of suicide. We can also see how deeply he is being effected by his father’s ghost. However, Hamlet seems sane enough to hatch a plan and have the players act “The Murder of Gonzago” where Hamlet plans to add some lines.

I think it is really interesting that after a ghost has spoken to Hamlet and told him the truth behind the murder, Hamlet still feels the need to prove it was his uncle. I think that Hamlet at this point in the play, although he is suffering greatly, he is still conflicted with his morals. He is still deciding if he should act with his head or his heart. I am very intrigued to find out what happens with Hamlet’s added lines in the play and how his uncle reacts.

Hamlet: Act 1, Scenes 3,4,and 5

In Act 1 scenes 3,4, and 5, the plot starts to unravel more as the character’s true colors show. At the beginning of Act 3, we learn that Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, does not like the idea of his sister being with Hamlet. He says that he has other priorities, such as the well-being of his state, which in return takes away from the time he could devote to Ophelia. Polonius, Ophelia’s father, later enters the scene cautioning her to not get further involved with Hamlet. Polonius tells Ophelia to, “not believe his vows, for they are brokers, Not of that dye which by their investments show, but mere implorators of unholy suits” (Act 1, Scene 3, 127-130). Ophelia then responds to her father saying she will obey his wishes not to see Hamlet anymore.

I think that both Laertes and Polonius had a right to caution Ophelia about Hamlet’s intentions, like any concerned father and brother would do. However, the effect of gender roles in this society shows in this scene. Laertes gives his sister a long speech on how Hamlet does not have her intentions at heart. Right after, Ophelia calls out his hypocrisy (lines 45-51), stating that Laertes doesn’t even follow the advice he just gave her in his own relationships. Gender inequality also shows in the discussion between Polonius and Ophelia. After trying to reason with her father about Hamlet’s love, she gives in to Polonius and says, “I shall obey, my lord” (Act 1, Scene 3, 136). With this, Ophelia surrenders to her father and does not stand up for the love she truly thinks is real.

In Scenes 4 and 5, Hamlet finally comes face to face with the rumored Ghost. When the ghost tells Hamlet to follow him alone, both Horatio and Marcellus warn him not to go. Here, we see a brave side of Hamlet as he orders the two to stop holding him back and to not follow him. It is with the ghost that he learns how his father died and who killed him. At the end of the scene, Hamlet is left confused while contemplating what he will do with this information. I am very intrigued to find out what if Hamlet will pursue revenge on his uncle/stepdad.

Great Gatsby - Chapter Seven

Chapter seven was a very eventful chapter and cleared up some loose ends for the reader. The chapter begins with Nick noticing that ever since Daisy and Gatsby have been romantic, his parties/social life have stopped. Gatsby even fired all of his staff and hired new staff who are connected to Wolfshiem to insure his secrets were safe.

On a very hot day, Nick goes to East Egg for lunch with the Buchanans, Jordan, and Gatsby. Pammy, the child of Tom and Daisy also makes her first appearance this chapter and stuns Gatsby as he had not accepted her existence until then. The afternoon is filled with apparent moments of romance between Daisy and Gatsby, which begins to upset Tom more and more. Later, to clear some of the awkwardness they all decide to go to New York. When choosing cars, Daisy denies a seat in the car with Tom and says she wants to ride with Gatsby alone. On their way to the city, Tom stops for gas at Wilson's garage and finds out that Wilson is ill after learning of his wife's infidelity and plans to move away with Myrtle.

The five of them decide to stop at the Plaza hotel. Not long after they arrived, Tom begins to commence an argument between Gatsby and him by questioning his education at Oxford. Tom then begins to say that he knows what has been going on between Daisy and Gatsby, to which Gatsby replies that Daisy has never loved him. They continue to argue about the man Daisy loves without letting her get a word in. As the argument began to subside, Daisy saw herself moving closer to Tom instead of Gatsby. Tom tells them both to ride back home together, and Nick realizes it's his 30th birthday.

On Tom, Nick, and Jordan's drive back to East Egg they come across a crowd at Wilson's garage and decide to check it out. After shoving themselves into the crowd they learn that after running into the street during a fight, Myrtle had been instantly killed by a car. Those around them then began to all say that the car that hit her was yellow and did not stop. Nick then comes to the conclusion that it must have been Gatsby's car!

When arriving at Tom's house Nick decides to wait outside for his taxi and says he feels sick after everything that had happened that day. Nick finds Gatsby waiting outside and tells Nick that he is waiting for Daisy to fall asleep to make sure Tom does not harm her. Gatsby also confirms that his car was the one that hit Myrtle, but that Daisy was the one driving. He says that if asked he will cover for her and say he was driving. Before Nick leaves he pops his head into the house to ease Gatsby's fears. Inside he sees Tom and Daisy reconciling their differences in an intimate way, but he does not tell Gatsby.

This chapter cleared up a lot of confusion such as Tom's knowledge of Daisy's affair, Wilson's knowledge of Myrtle's affair, Gatsby's involvement with crime, and more. Tom's hypocrisy about infidelity is very noticeable through his shaming of Daisy. Gatsby's obsession with reliving the past is s also very apparent through his persistent claims that Daisy will start a new life with him, even though Daisy never actually clearly says what she wants. At the end of the chapter, the future of Daisy's and Gatsby's relationship is left unknown.

The Great Gatsby - Chapter Four

Chapter four begins with Nick describing a long list of the people he has met through Gatsby's parties. I can see how going to Gatsby's parties has introduced him into society. Gatsby then comes to Nick's house to take him to lunch. On the way there, Gatsby goes on to tell Nick of his life. Throughout the story he shares, we, like Nick, get the sense that some of what he’s saying isn’t actually true. At the end of the ride, Gatsby mentions a certain “matter” which Ms. Baker was supposed to discuss with him. I don’t know why he couldn’t just tell Nick himself, but he leaves it to Ms. Baker which irritates Nick.

At lunch, we meet Mr. Wolfsheim who has known Gatsby for many years. Wolfsheim mistakenly believes Nick to be a criminal asking if he is looking for a “business gonnegtion” (70). This made me think Gatsby has something shady going on with Wolfsheim. At the end of lunch, when Nick introduces Gatsby and Tom, Gatsby is very uncomfortable and almost embarrassed, although we don’t learn why until the end of the chapter.

Once Nick meets Jordan for tea, we finally learn what Gatsby wants from Nick. We learn that Gatsby and Daisy have known each other for many years, and I got the sense that they were together at many points. Before Daisy got married to Tom, she is holding a letter and crying saying she doesn’t want to marry Tom. I believe the note was from Gatsby. I was surprised to hear that Gatsby and Daisy have known each other and are deeply connected. I am interested and excited to see when they meet up at Nick’s house for the first time in years. Especially since Tom sees other women, I think it will be interesting to see Gatsby and Daisy interact with each other.

Nick Carraway details life in West Egg. He is revealed to not be Jay Gatsby as I initially expected, but his next door neighbor. Gatsby isn’t introduced formally until Chapter 3, when Carraway doesn’t recognize him initially.  Fitzgerald is especially detailed in his description of Gatsby. The way he describes his smile stood out to me with the way I was able to understand exactly what he meant and how Gatsby truly is such a complex character. Fitzgerald uses the characters in The Great Gatsby to encourage the reader to question their own character and view. The final sentence of Chapter 3 is Carraway’s question of how others perceive him and how everyone wishes to have one of the virtuous traits in themselves, his own being his immense honesty. 

   Fitzgerald’s skill as an author stood out to me and I felt that I truly understood the characters and their depth, instead of just knowing their physical descriptions and the thoughts of the narrator. 

      I especially liked Fitzgerald’s style to tell the story from an outsiders point of view, instead of Gatsby or Daisy, and I think it helps to develop the readers view. Carraway’s disclaimer that while in his telling of the events, the parties and social interactions described seem to be the only happenings in his life, but he says he actually had a lot going on and he didn’t really pay that much attention to it at the time. 

The Crucible - Act IV

Act IV begins in jail with Herrick, Sarah Good, and Tituba. Tituba seems to mock her fate, talking about going back to Barbados with the Devil. Sarah Good joins in yelling that they want the Devil to take them home. Then, the judges enter to discuss Reverend Hale's return and the disorder caused by the locked-up farmers. Parris comes to reveal that Abigail and Mercy Lewis have run away with all his money. Hale argues for the innocent of the convicted. Danforth continues to refuse and declares that he will "hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statues" (120). Elizabeth and Proctor get to see each other one on one. Giles Corey is reported dead. He was pressed with stones for refusing to admit to being a wizard. Elizabeth then blames herself for what has happened to Proctor and what will happen to him. Proctor then admits to seeing the devil but refuses to name others.

Proctor stands strong for so long - refusing to give into the insanity. Unfortunately, however, he signs. He signs the document. He signs the devil's book. Proctor decided to confess but was reluctant to sign because he didn’t want his children to see it. He signed away his soul but not his name. His name was his last possession.

Guilt washes over Salem. Parris has a sense of guilt - he wants the chaos to end. The town realized that it is fake – they begin to riot. The girls run away from their guilt – Abigail and Mercy Lewis literally run away from Salem.

Danforth might also have a sense of guilt. He said that he cannot postpone Proctor’s hanging because so many others have died. He said, “Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now” (119).

The Crucible Act 2

Act II takes place entirely at Proctor’s house, and it begins eight days after the events in Act I.  While the act begins with only Proctor and Elizabeth at the house, their servant Mary Warren eventually comes home from the court where she has been all day. The three of them discuss the accusations, with Mary telling them that Elizabeth’s name has been mentioned in court, until Hale walks in. Hale begins to question Proctor’s religious habits until Giles Corey and Francis Nurse appear at the house, informing the Proctors that both of their wives have been taken away. Finally, Ezekiel Cheever and Marshal Herrick come to the house with a warrant for Elizabeth. They find a poppet with a needle in it, and because Abigail got stabbed with a needle that same night, they take Elizabeth away even though the poppet actually belongs to Mary.

From the beginning to the end of Act II, it is clear how much the entire situation from Act I has escalated. Originally, Proctor thought only fourteen people had been accused; however, Mary informs them that there have actually been 39. And, later in the act, Cheever mentions that he has sixteen warrants the night Elizabeth gets taken away, showing how much the situation has grown.

The theme of revenge comes up a lot during this act, especially when Elizabeth is being accused of witchcraft. While the people in the town are caught up in all of the accusations, Proctor sees right through it, yelling, “I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem - vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law” (Miller 73). It is interesting how the whole town seems to be swept up in the accusations; however, Proctor seems to be the only one to point out that the entire situation is driven solely by revenge. It will be interesting to see how all of the accusations and the theme of revenge continue to play out throughout the rest of the play.

-Braden

The Crucible Act One

Act one starts with a description of the town of Salem. The town is ruled by religion and its people follow a strict creed. When the play opens Reverend Parris is praying over his daughter, Betty Parris, who lies unmoving and ill on her bed. Rumors are circulating around town of witchcraft, so Parris sends for Reverend John Hale to see if his daughter is possessed. Parris questions his niece, Abigail, about the night before when he caught her, Betty, Tituba, and some other girls dancing in the forest. Abigail denies that they were doing any witchcraft. This is when the theme of truth v lies is introduced.

We meet Mr. and Mrs. Putnam whose daughter, Ruth, has also fallen ill. We learn that there is tension between Mr. Putnam and Parris. Mrs. Putnam has had many miscarriages and believes it is due to witchcraft. The idea of witches is spreading to everyone making them more susceptible to believe the girls were visited by the Devil. We also meet John Proctor, the main character. It is revealed that Proctor and Abigail have a romantic history. Abigail is still in love with Proctor, but he does not want to risk losing his wife and kids.

John Hale pushes Abigail to confess to what happened in the forest and she blames it all in Tituba. Tituba, wanting to save her life starts to name names of other people she allegedly saw with the Devil. Abigail and Betty also start to name names and the mass hysteria begins.

The themes of jealousy and betrayal become very apparent in this act. I understand why so many people choose to turn in names instead of telling the truth. I will be interested to learn more about the character of John Proctor.

-Camryn Lesh

The Crucible Introduction

The introduction of The Crucible reminded me about my United States history lessons last year. Much like we did in class, Christopher Bigsby notes the parallels between the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism. He also claims that the two events share similarities with Nazi Germany. Miller notes that in all the cases, "It was 'the maturation of hysteria at the time which pulled the trigger'" (x). I believe this captures the pattern and repetition of history in all cases perfectly. Due to a person's fear of the "other" and their ability to spread their message, a mass hysteria formed. Like Faulkner noted, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." 

I also found Starkey's point about how understanding the individual was necessary to understand the entirety of the historical event interesting. I look forward to seeing how The Crucible personalizes the Salem witch trials and expands on the classroom learning we already have.

When Bigsby mentioned the social contract, I was excited to see how he would connect it to the witch trials and other events that followed. I never realized how weak the social contract really is and how quickly it can crumble. I also viewed the social contract in the political and legal sense of the word, whereas Bisby defines it as depending on when “love and respect bind individuals” (xv).

I cannot wait follow the Salem witch trials in a more personal way and in a new perspective through The Crucible.

By: Ilanit

Excerpt from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

In this excerpt, Harriet Jacobs recounts when she was a fugitive slave, forced to live in a tiny attic in her grandmother's house for months. At the beginning, she describes the attic, "The garret was only nine feet long and seven wide. The highest part was three feet high" (Jacobs 106). Jacobs also describes how she can barely move and can't even stand up. One thing that made an impression on me was not only the size of the attic but also how she describes the rats and mice running over her. The part about the bugs was also terrible! The conditions in the attic were extremely rough, as there was little protection from the heat and the cold. Jacobs also talks about her mental struggle being confined in a tiny space. Her relatives can only risk talking to her at night and she can only hear her children talk from a distance. Finally, she decides to makes a whole that she can see and hear out of better. From this whole, she hears snippets of conversation and even sees her master, Dr. Flint, who believes she might be in New York.

After reading, a few questions came up. For example, I wonder what prompted her to run away. Was it a single event or was this planned over time? How long does she stay hidden in the attic? How will it ever be safe for her to come out? I know slaves were extremely valuable to masters, but Dr. Flint seems really determined to get her back. Is there a reason why?
- Mika Gothard

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Chapter 10- Apendix

In Chapters 10 through the Appendix, there is a resolution to the struggles and torture that Douglass has experienced throughout the narrative. At the beginning of the reading, Douglass tells of the first time he attempted to escape from slavery, still under the ownership of Covey. Because Douglass had learned the how to read and write prior to the escape, he forged documents saying that they were allowed to go home to Baltimore for the Holidays. Before they could escape, they were snitched on and taken to the jail. Frederick along with 5 other men were in the attempt to escape and after being sent to jail, all of the other slaves were sent back to Covey while Douglass was kept in jail for an additional 2 weeks. Douglass was sent back to Baltimore where he worked in the ship yard among white men. The white men would work alongside Douglass, but refused to work alongside black freemen. There reasoning was because they feared the freemen taking their jobs.
This reminded me of the current day argument that immigrants should not be allowed into the U.S. because of the fear that they will take the jobs of the people already here. It reminded of how absurd that argument really is.
Douglass also criticized the underground railroad which I thought was interesting and I never knew that that was one of his beliefs. He wrote, "I have never approved of the very public manner in which some of our western friends have conducted what they call the 'Underground Railroad', but which, I think, by their open declarations, has been made most emphatically, the 'Upperground Railroad".
After becoming uneasy of his conditions again, Douglass plans his second attempt to escape to freedom. He was tired of giving his wage away and planned his escape to New York. In September of 1883, he was successful.
After moving to Bedford from New York, Douglass realizes that slavery is not the only way to be wealthy, and hard work and integrity can overcome evil.

A Rose for Emily

A Rose for Emily is a brief story that contains many themes and symbols. However one of the most interesting things I found was the way in which the story was written. In the beginning, I was slightly confused but I soon realized Faulkner jumps back and forth between past and present, which can be challenging. However, once I figured it out I was not bothered by it. In general, the main themes of the story were death and holding on to tradition. This is clear in the description of her house and her unofficial agreement with Colonel Santoris. Faulkner writes that overtime new technologies had become more widespread while her house remained traditional architecture. In her unofficial tax agreement, upheld by her father and Colonel Satoris Faulkner demonstrates the new methods and mannerisms of the town as the aldermen disregarded previous arrangements.

This theme of preventing change to hold on to tradition fits in perfectly with the theme of death. After her father dies she refuses to admit that he is dead in an attempt to prevent change and cling to the past. She continues to do so as she refuses to give up his body until she was relentlessly urged to let him be removed. Her desire to hold on to tradition and prevent change is also seen when she resorts to killing Homer Barron so that he is not ever able to leave her. This reoccurrence of death distances her from Hommer however it is morally right in Emily's mind because she is able to be with him forever. Once more the hair found on the pillow exemplifies her need to feel as though nothing has changed and it indicated that she had slept with Hommer after she had killed him. Falkner foreshadows this death when he introduces the smell, and then reveals Hommer had been let into the house but it was the last time he was seen.


Discussion questions:
Why is it called a rose for Emily?
How does her relationship with her father affect her relationship with Hommer?
what role did the four men play in the story? why was the smell not further investigated?
was the pharmacists aware that the arsenic was not for rats? if so why did he not alert anyone?

Pantaloon in Black Reflection

Pantaloon in Black by William Faulkner follows the twisting and turning downward spiral of a broken man. Rider, a black mill worker, goes through the intense emotions of grief after losing his wife Mannie. I found it interesting how as Rider becomes even more distraught the writing becomes harder to follow. This represents Riders loss of control and sanity. Also, throughout the story Rider finds that he is forgetting things like where his dog is and where he put down his jug of whiskey. It all culminates in Rider finally slitting the throat of a white mill worker,  a Birdsong, who scams the black workers out of their money. I also found it interesting how it is never determined how Mannie died. However, it is obvious through the writing that Rider truly loved his wife.

I also noticed the use of symbolism throughout the story. First, his overalls, which were pristine from Mannie’s cleaning, became increasingly dirty as he walked miles around the woods. This as well as the motif of his “bloodshot eyes… in which no white showed at all” (69) represent grief overtaking Rider. Religion also plays a role as Rider argues with God against the wishes of his aunt and uncle who believe God is the only one who can save him. He also uses alcohol to cope with his sadness, but it only seems to make him angrier and even less in control.

Part 2 comes from the perspective of a police officer on the murder case of Birdsong. This helps the reader to fully understand what Rider did from an outside perspective. He does not have any sympathy for Rider and does not try to understand his actions. In fact, he is angry that he showed up to work after the funeral of his wife. In the end, we find out that Rider has been lynched most likely by the members of the Birdsong family. However, Rider himself asked not to be locked up which shows that he intended to die. It is possible that killing Birdsong was an intentional way of indirectly committing suicide. But is hard to know considering Rider’s manic mental state at the time.

Questions

What is the role of the dog in this story?

Why does Rider kill the mill worker specifically?

How does race play into this story?

"A Good Man is Hard to Find" Reflection

As I was reading Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find", it began as what seemed to be a playful story about a family vacation. The plot followed a quirky grandmother, her son, and his family. Even in the first paragraph of the story, the "Misfit" was introduced. There was some very obvious foreshadowing that the Misfit would play a key role in the story. Yet, I had never imagined that it would be more of a complaint or tangent in a conversation coming from the grandmother. The plot twist of the Misfit initially seeming to rescue the family, only to "take them into the woods" was not expected at all. 

While reading this story, the imagery stood out. Toward the beginning of the story, the author used hyperboles and word play to get her point across in a playful manner, yet as the plot intensified, the imagery came from lengthy descriptions. Just as the grandmother is describing the plantation of her childhood, which ends up to be in Georgia, nearly an entire paragraph is used to show the readers what the author is trying to convey, no details spared.

What seemed most prevalent to me towards the end of the story was the Misfit and his reaction/views on Jesus. He ends the story by saying, "It's no real pleasure in life" (154). As the grandmother and the Misfit carry on a conversation about Jesus and his resurrection of the dead, the reader gets some insight as to why the Misfit commits these crimes. It almost seems that the Misfit is trying to reverse/reset the actions of Jesus by returning people to the earth (a.k.a killing them). I believe that the Misfit is some kind of an anti-Christ, especially because of the common dislike of and uncomfort with children, while Jesus is known for his love of them.

Questions:
- Who is the Misfit really represent?
- Why is there no clarity what truly happened to the family?
- What happened that caused the Misfit to end up in jail?
- Why did the cat like the Misfit?

"Revelation" Reflection

After reading "Revelation", a short story by Flannery O'Connor, the thing I remembered most was the vivid imagery that the author used to describe Mrs. Turpin's thoughts. My favorite image described was as the Turpins were coming up their driveway seeing, "The land sloped gracefully down through a field dotted with lavender weeds at the start of the rise their small yellow frame house... (139). I loved picturing her imagery and also think it helped me to feel her sense of pain in the last couple paragraphs of the story. O'Connor also used a lot of literary devices throughout her work that helped me visualize the story.

I am also still shocked by the behavior of Mary Grace, the "ugly girl". From the first time the author mentioned the ugly girl glaring at Mrs. Turpin, I knew that something alarming was going to take place in the waiting room. I never would have thought that she would throw the book at the Turpin family. I also thought it was ironic that they went to the doctors office to get better but they both ended up getting hurt even more. 

In the beginning, Mrs. Turpin talks about how she is confident in herself and how she is extremely thankful that Jesus "gave her a little bit of everything," (135). In this moment, she is contempt with who she is. This thought of gratitude and thankfulness is wiped away due to remarks made by Mary Grace before she was hauled off in the ambulance. She calls Mrs. Turpin a, "wart hog from hell." I think that when Mary Grace calls her this, Mrs. Turpin realizes that she has been living her life wrong. When she is hosing down the hogs, she has a conversation with God and starts to compare herself to many people. She starts to lose her optimistic mindset about herself that she had at the beginning of the story. The visions she saw in the sky also helped her to realize that there is no hierarchy in the people she saw in the waiting room. Mrs. Turpin sees a tribe in of the patients in the sky who all have, " a little of everything and the God-given wit to use it right." In this moment, she realizes that they all have a little bit of everything and not just her. In the end, I think Mrs. Turpin learned that how she was living her life before was wrong and that God put Mary Grace in the waiting room so that she could realize it. 

Questions:
- Why is this story full of so much racism?
- Why does Mrs. Turpin take her anger out on her hogs?
- Overall analyzing the last paragraph

Class Reflection

In class on Tuesday, we as a class discussed and uncovered the details the finding of Native American remains on Harpeth Hall's campus. We analyzed emails, articles, and pictures related to the incident. We discovered that the first remains were uncovered during the construction of the track in 1987. The bodies were found in stone graves and were in the fetal position. There are conflicting statements about where the bodies were relocated to. The head of school at the time, Dave Wood, claims they were sent to a reburial ground in the Western portion of Tennessee. However, the state archaeologist stated there is no such place in Tennessee. There was a mixed reaction to the removal of the bodies. A Native American wrote that the treatment of the graves was disgusting and disrespectful. In 1992, more bodies were discovered during the construction of the softball field. This incident remained fairly private from the public and was not reported to the archaeological department. The reason for this could be due to the backlash received previously. The graves were relocated to the back of the library. They were rediscovered in the rebuilding of the library in 2001. I found it surprising how unknown these events are to Harpeth Hall students. It also surprised me how people are allowed to walk over these remains.

Tuesday Class Reflection

In class on Tuesday, Ms. Meltesen informed us that there were Native Americans unearthed on the Harpeth Hall campus. I could not believe this information. What I found most surprising was that the Harpeth Hall community today does not know about the unearthing. In class, I loved putting the clues together and determining that the bones from 1992 were moved to behind the library. Immediately I thought about being a little 5th grader doing gymnastics in that plot of grass while waiting for my mom in the carpool line. I find it very interesting that the Harpeth Hall community does not know about the uncovering. In the 80s, Logos printed articles regarding the discoveries. Local newspapers also did the same. Today, the unearthing is not talked about at our school which confuses me. I cannot wait to learn more about what happened to the missing bones as we continue to uncover more clues about this Harpeth Hall mystery.