"Death, be not proud" by John Donne: Question 2

       In this short story by John Donne, "Death, be not proud," it is telling death to not to somewhere.  Death should not be proud because "...poppy or charms can make us sleep as well," (Donne, 972).  This insults death saying that other things help the speaker sleep just as well.  The speaker is also saying that this is better than strokes also.  His reasons are also that people do not want to die.  He also tells death not to be proud of the people that have died.  The author is consistent in his reasoning.  He is also logical and persuasive.  He states that no one likes death and that even himself cannot die.  The use of the phrase bones make the diction and organization also not favorable making death not favorable.

"Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" by Dylan Thomas: Repetition

       There is definite repetition in this short story, "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" by Dylan Thomas.  The rhyming order for this poem is ABA.  It repeats ABA, ABA, ABA...  Also the very last stanza ending the poem is ABAA.  Also another significant repetition is the repetition of the phrase, "Do not go gentle into that good night," and "Rage, Rage against the dying of life," (Thomas, 968).  This sequence encourages the reader to not give up and to not die easily, but to put up a fight.  He describes the emotions one may feel right before death.  For example he says that good men will be angry right before they die.  This is because their life is ending sooner than expected.  The repetition highlights important parts of the poem and gives the poem different meanings and purposes.

"That time of year" by William Shakespeare: Question 4

       In William Shakespeare's "That time of year," he is addressing his lover or someone who loves him and he also loves.  The reader can tell that he is speaking to a loved one because of mainly this line, "This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong," (Shakespeare, 967). The reader can identify that he is talking to a loved one because he says that the fact that he is dying will make he or she love him more.  In the last couplet the speaker asserts with confidence that since he is dying his loved one will love him more since he will not be around much longer.  He says this very confidently.  The speaker says this confidently because earlier in the poem he describes his dying.  Since the speaker is addressing a loved one he is not as harsh with his descriptions of death.  He uses a gentler route to describe his meaning.

"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner: Point of View

       In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," the speaker is not just one person.  The point of view is actually first person plural.  The town narrates the story.  This limits the reader to only knowing what the town knows which is mainly based on gossip and a little bit on actual experiences with Emily.  She is a seriously psychotic woman, but we do not know much absolute fact about her.  There is lots of evidence that Emily murdered Homer and that she slept next to him multiple times.  Although there is no concrete evidence, such as Emily telling a character of the reader but the evidence against Emily is enough to convince the reader of her criminal behaviors.  A place where the first person plural is seen is here, "We did not say she was crazy then," (Faulkner, 285).  The first person plural greatly impacts the story.  Its use distances Emily and the community.

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson: Question 4

       "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, is the story of a town and the town's traditions.  Specifically the tradition of the lottery.  This tradition is not the regular lottery modern societies have today.  This lottery helps choose one person to be stoned.  The significance of the fact that the original box has been lost and many parts of the ritual have been forgotten is that the town is blindly following tradition without knowing why.  Also this short story is a warning against blindly following tradition.  On page 268 Old Man Warner states this old saying, " 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' "  This strongly suggests that the reason for the lottery was a "sacrifice" so there would follow a fruitful harvest.  Most of the villagers are not even aware that this was the original reason for the lottery.  This short story strongly warns against blindly following tradition by using an extreme example such as this.

The Glass Menagerie: Internal Conflicts

     In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, there are internal conflicts in all of the characters.  Williams does this so they each have their own personal struggle.  Amanda's, specifically, cannot particularly be changed.  The parts that can still be influenced are that she wants the best for her children and she wants them to be successful.  This shows through her push of getting Laura to her typewriter class and strongly suggesting that Tom should go to night school.  What she cannot change is her failed marriage.  She cannot change the fact that her husband left her.  She tries to cope with this by recreating her courting days with Laura.  Amanda says, " 'This is the dress in which I led the cotillion.  Won the cakewalk twice at Sunset Hill, wore one spring to the Governor's Ball in Jackson!  See how I sashayed around the ballroom, Laura'?" (Williams, 1263-1264).  Amanda puts her old courting dress back on to feel young again and to pretend that her life is not over.

The Glass Menagerie: Characterization

     In Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, the characterization of the characters is very important.  Williams characterizes each character differently.  Amanda is controlling and very dramatic.  She is upset with her failed marriage and tries to relive her life through her children's lives.  This is shown when she dresses up in her old dress from her courting days.  Williams characterizes them through their actions.  Tom has big dreams and wants adventure in his life.  He also does not like the structure of society and he wants freedom.  This is shown when he talks to Jim about wanting an adventure and when he talks about how he wants to be like his father.  Laura is crippled and very shy.  She becomes very anxious about other people and hardly comes outside.  Her fragility is shown through her fixation on her glass menagerie.  She yells, " 'My glass!' " when Tom accidently breaks a few pieces (Williams, 1248).

The Glass Menagerie: Symbolism

     In Tennessee Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie, he uses symbolism between Laura and the glass menagerie.  Laura is a very awkward person and finds comfort in her glass menagerie.  She is also very shy but feels she can be open with the glass statues.  She talks as if they are alive and personifies them as humans.  When talking to Jim she says, " 'Go on, I trust you with him!  There now-- you're holding him gently!  Hold him over the light, he loves the light!' " (Williams, 1281).  Here Laura refers to the glass unicorn as if the statue has feelings and is alive with human characteristics.  The glass in the menagerie is very fragile and breaks if the shelf is shaken a little.  Laura is like the glass menagerie because she too is very fragile and  cannot handle things that cause a little anxiety, or that "shake" her.  Therefore there is a symbolic relationship between Laura and her fixation with the glass menagerie and the glass menagerie itself.

The Glass Menagerie: Tom's Diction

     Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie uses a narrator to create a nonrealistic play and to give insight not only into Tom's life but into the entire family's as well.  His language or diction as a narrator and as a character differ throughout the play.  As a narrator Tom talks in first person but also in the past tense.  This helps him to retell the story as he remembers it.  When Tom is functioning as a character, he also talks in first person but he talks in the present; it is almost as if the audience is seeing the memory happen again.  An example of Tom talking as the narrator occurs at the beginning of the play in his opening monologue.

" 'Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve.  But I am the opposite of a stage magician.  He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth.  I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion'," (Williams,1236).

 Also as the narrator Tom speaks more eloquently and fluidly.  He also speaks directly to the audience.

" 'I haven't enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it'," (Williams, 1237).

Here as himself the character, Tom speaks to the other characters and speaks more colloquially.  In this particular scene Tom is speaking to his mother Amanda.

The Glass Menagerie: Nonrealistic/Memory Play

     In Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, Tom narrates the story and describes the play as nonrealistic and a memory play.  Being the narrator the play is from Tom's perspective; the play consists of his memories.  This being the case the reader must remember that the person remembering may forget details, or exaggerate dome events.  Tom remembers his mother as being very forceful, demanding, and controlling.  One example of the play being nonrealistic is in the opening scene.  In the stage directions Williams states, "AMANDA and LAURA are seated at a drop-leaf table.  Eating is indicated by gestures without food or utensils," (Williams, 1237).  Here Williams does not have Amanda and Laura using real food or utensils they are pretending or mimicking the motion of eating.  This is nonrealistic because when people it they actually eat food and use utensils.  In a realistic play Amanda and Laura would have been eating real food with real utensils.  This detail illuminates the memory play aspect.  Tom does not recall what they were eating, and he does not find it significant to the story or his memory.