Gatsby Final

 *A quick note in defense of some of the language in these chapters: this book was written and published well before WWII, so don't hate on Fitzgerald for using words like "holocaust" and "swastika" - they didn't carry the weight then that they do now (I only mention it because I read those and I was like "whoa man slow down that ain't cool" and then I remembered that actually it was cool in his time so yeah)

Congratulations, team, we did it. Far from being a sprint, AP Lit has been a marathon, but we have finally crossed the finish line of eight novels, countless poems, and prose passages which now all run together in our memory. To quote Ms. Meltesen, "ta-da."

As I finished this book, I found myself musing (get it? Like middle school English? Full circle y'all) upon the title - The GREAT Gatsby. What made him great? Was he really all that great?

It strikes me that he's more of a tragic character (with maybe some redeeming qualities) than a gallant hero (with perhaps a flaw or two). More of a Dimmesdale than a Darcy if you will. I mean this man pined after a woman he thought he could never have for like five. years. In that sense, he was a victim of the society which unfairly boxes people into social strata based on generational wealth. But when this same woman actually speaks her mind (which, it feels important to mention, didn't happen until the two men in the room talked OVER HER HEAD FOR LIKE A PAGE AND A HALF about HER FEELINGS) and tells him she's never going to choose him over her husband, he will not let it go. Poor Nick, who has somehow become for Gatsby what a freshman's Stanley cup means to her (i.e. emotional support), must watch as Gatsby pathetically insists that "Daisy'll call too" (Fitzgerald 154). He even leaves his line open all day for her to no avail. 

But you have to admire his persistence. There's something tragic but sweet about his continued belief in his love for Daisy...until we find out that he only really fell for her because she represented everything he wanted in life: houses that "amazed," "shining motor-cars," basically a "rich, full life" (148). It makes Gatsby's "love" for Daisy feel almost narcissistic and entirely self-serving, and perhaps the fact that he never ended up with her is a metaphor for the status he never achieved (evidenced by the fact that he had no friends to come to his funeral). 

I think what made Gatsby great was his ability to dream. Where no one saw anything but "a penniless young man without a past" (149), James Gatz saw the American dream at work. Perhaps his methods were questionable, but I can't fault him for his capacity to dream. It reminds me a lot of the titular character from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, if any of you have read that one. She dreams of making it in Hollywood and makes lots of questionable choices in the process. But you always get the sense that she never lost belief in herself or in her dream, a necessary quality for anyone trying to do something new. Just a thought for y'all on a Monday.

Switching gears, I thought it was very interesting how George Wilson's last act on this earth was to kill Jay Gatsby. Now don't get me wrong - I neither expected Gatsby to survive the novel, nor did I expect Wilson to emerge from it anything less than a felon, but I am surprised that it was Gatsby, not Tom, who ended up with a bullet in his chest. After all, Tom was the one sleeping with Myrtle the whole time. I guess it does make sense when you take into consideration that Gatsby's car was the one that killed Myrtle, but it really seemed to me that what broke Wilson first was his wife's affair. In any case, the man was clearly off his rocker when he referred to our friend TJ Eckleberg's eyes as God's. 

I think what I'm trying to say here is that I'm struggling with the greatness of Gatsby. He was a dreamer, but he lost out ultimately. He was ambitious, but he was a bad enough person that someone hated him enough to murder him. He created a life for a woman he loved, but he was too insecure and held back by society to see their relationship clearly at any stage. What do you guys think?

The Great Gatsby Chp 5-7

 These chapters revealed the answers to a number of questions we had in the class prior. Although a number of notable events happened in these chapters, I want to highlight what I found most profound: Gatsby and Daisy's interactions.

After sending over a man to cut Nick's grass, Gatsby showed up for tea with Daisy (which he initiated), obviously very nervous. With some forced conversation and "an abortive attempt at a laugh" from Gatsby, Nick was essentially a third wheel to Daisy and Gatsby's rekindling (Fitzgerald 86). We also learn that it has been "'Five years next November'" since the ex-lovers had conversed, and Gatsby's quick note of this seemed a bit, well, specific and creepy (87). The audience can tell how awkward this time spent is, and it even got briefly emotional when Nick re-entered the room and "Daisy's face was smeared with tears" (89). Despite this, Fitzgerald makes it quite clear that Gatsby was ecstatic over their exchange. He seemed to have a new glow to him, and Nick noticed how he often wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of Daisy. Gatsby proceeds to show off his home to Daisy, which I expected but was also questioning. Is his materialistic house tour a way to impress Daisy, or was it all initially for Daisy?

Gatsby is a strange man in this regard, as it comes across as if he has been pining after this woman and built a life around her. If some man did that to me, I would probably call the police. His infatuation with Daisy is seen in the regular parties that he hosts. After their 'tea' with Nick, Gatsby invites them to one of his infamous parties. When they arrive, Gatsby is noticeably uncomfortable around Daisy's husband, Mr. Buchanan, probably because he is still desperately in love with his wife. Nick is a kind enough 'friend' (are they friends?) that he stays and observes Gatsby's reaction to Daisy at the party, noting how "He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: 'I never loved you.'" (109). Following this party, Gatsby stopped having parties! Oh no! We love parties! So I am speculating that the parties were for Daisy, which I don't love because maybe he should have just tried to have a normal conversation with her instead. Gatsby clearly has unrealistic expectations for Daisy and his relationship because, unlike him, Daisy went on with her life and found a husband. 

Ironically, this husband doesn't stop her from kissing Gatsby at another one of their shindigs. I also always imagined Nick's presence to be one of like a pastor or strict parent, that they kept around so they wouldn't do anything bad, but obviously I was wrong. She just "pulled his face down, kissing him on the mouth", and I was like okay, hold it together for just a minute your husband is in the other room (116). AND THEM PAMMY COMES RUNNING IN THE ROOM AND I AM SO OVERWHELMED. 

Not to mention Tom can notice Daisy and Gatsby's inability to restrain themselves, Gatsby confessing he only went to Oxford for five months following the war, and a car crash?! Everything is unravelling quite quickly and I'm still thinking about how Pammy needs more screen time. 

And then it ends with Gatsby alone in the moonlight once again, and I'm over here like maybe he could host another party, that would be fun. Regardless, these chapters hit a major climax and I am finished writing because I need to study for my two tests. Happy 30th birthday Nick! Hope it was a good one!

 We started The Great Gatsby! So exciting. I probably won’t get to everything that happened in these first four chapters, but I will highlight what stood out to me and what I found interesting. 

The first “event” to happen is that Mr. Nick Carraway goes to dinner at Daisy and Tom Buchanan’s House, where he meets Ms. Jordan Baker for the first time. In these scenes, I couldn’t help but notice how different Nick seems than Daisy and Tom. Tom talks about how he’s a “pessimist” (12) and Nick talks about how he feels “compelled” by Tom, “as though he were moving a checker to another square” (11). In comparison, Nick is described as “[innocent]” (14). Nick may seem to be friends with Tom, but this man seems to be more manipulative and cunning than friendly, and, to me, Nick seems awkwardly out of place with this set of people. 

Nick’s difference from Tom is further revealed as we learn about Tom’s affair with Myrtle, picking her up right in front of her husband’s face and showing her off at the restaurants. Tom seems to be flaunting his dishonesty, which makes me like him even less. He acts above the rules and does not give his crowd of people a good look. Once again, in comparison, later on, Nick remarks that he thinks he himself is “one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (59). 

After the chapter about Myrtle, we start to learn more about Gatsby’s parties. Once again, I get the feeling that Nick is out of place there. He describes fantastic parties, but his descriptions are full of how (at the first one he attends) he feels awkward because he doesn’t know anyone there, and he offers details like “most of the remaining women… now having fights with men said to be their husbands'' (51). Upon giving a list of people who attend the parties, he tells the reader about a man who drowns, a man who strangles his wife, and a man who commits suicide by jumping in front of a train. It seems that the reader is being warned…these people, with their parties and fun, maybe aren’t having nearly as much fun as they seem. There is something amiss. 

I am glad that Nick realizes that something’s a bit off. It seems that he’s still holding out from this whole society he’s slowly becoming a part of. Do you think he’ll be able to keep his own sort of “independence”?

I didn’t even get to talking about Jordan or how many times I saw stuff about “roses” throughout the chapters. We’ll just have to talk about it in class. :)

Beloved Ending

The beinging of the final pages of Beloved definitely felt as though things were coming undone. At the start of chapter 26, I couldn't help but feel just so sorry for Denver. Her whole life has been about Beloved. Everything she had lost was because of Beloved, and now that Beloved is back, Sethe, the only thing Denver ever had, begins slipping away too. I feel as though Denver often goes unnoticed because her pain and trauma isn't as visible as the scar on Beloved's throat.

Sethe and Beloved have begun to unravel. I always thought their lovely relationship would take a turn for the worst because Sethe did kill Beloved and when we first saw Beloved, there was violence in the shadows. It feels like in chapter 26 the feelings hidden in the shadows are coming to light. I'm glad Beloved is expressing the pain and trauma she felt being murdered and left behind by her mother. This whole time Sethe has allowed herself to justify her actions but now she must face the consequences of them in a much more real way. She cannot reason away the pain Beloved felt. 

Having gone into this chapter feeling sorry for Denver, it brought me so much joy to see her finally venture out into the world. After being lonely for so long, she bumps into strangers in the road and exchanges pleasantries and gets to see what is beyond 124 once again. More so, her time with Lady Jones feels like the beginning of the end, as Denver begins to step up. I also love how the community comes together in such a relaxed way to help Denver out. She has finally been able to re-enter a community and find people, something she cannot receive at home where Beloved and Sethe are seemingly going mad whilst ignoring Denver. I am also so happy she found what I would imagine to be love. I like to imagine it as an easy love, not one as overpowering as her mother's, but easy and kind and pure.

“This Sethe has finally lost her wits” (299).

Sethe has finally come undone. The torment and tragedy of her past has finally caught up with her and she can no longer ignore it. When the women come to send Beloved away and Sethe attacks the “man without skin” it is clear that this is it. With her past at sweet home and school teacher and Beloved, seeing Mr. Bodwin is too much and Sethe fights one more time. Sethe thus gives herself up to the colors leaving Denver to note “I think I've lost my mother” (314). I loved the final words in her exchange with Paul D just being “Me? Me?” I’m not sure what it was, but to me it felt like finally Sethe was able to claim her identity. With no plans and nothing to do, Sethe can finally breathe.

The main question on my mind was the significance of my Beloved being pregnant and this passing on of motherhood. What do you think was the message and importance of this detail? Also, how do you feel that Sethe’s last moments in the book are with Paul D?

Beloved 236-237

 

Even though this wasn’t our longest reading assignment, I feel like there was a lot that happened and there’s definitely a lot to unpack. We see a stream of consciousness/monologues from Sethe, Denver, and Beloved (plus a weird mixture of the three) and we also find out more about Paul D’s past at Sweethome as well as what he’s up to right now. 

Okay so jumping straight in with Sethe’s monologue, I’ll be honest and say that my first thought when I finished reading it is that Sethe is literally freaking unhinged. I mean understandably, but still. I think part of it was because Morrison wrote it as one long paragraph that didn’t break until basically the last page, so it felt like a madman’s ramblings. I also thought it was interesting that Sethe says that she’ll “[E]xplain to her, even though I don’t have to,” (Morrison 236), referencing that she’ll explain to Beloved why she killed her even though she doesn’t owe anyone her reasoning. I found this ironic, because even so, Sethe goes on to explain herself for basically the whole rest of the chapter (aka leading her to ramble and sound CRAZY): “How if I hadn’t killed her she would have died and that is something I could not bear to happen to her,” (136), “I have felt what [slavery] felt like and nobody walking or stretched out is going to make you feel it too,” (239), “My plan was to take us all to the other side where my own ma’am is,” (240), etc. etc. you get the idea.

From all of this, I basically gathered that even though Sethe has defended herself and maintained her stance that what she did was right to Paul D, the townspeople, and even her own family, she still has some doubts. I think that although she blames the institution of slavery and the townspeople for not warning her about school tecaher’s arrival for the infanticide, she still blames herself, second-guessing her actions and even going so far as to justify them to herself.

As much as I would love to spend more time on this chapter because there are just so many things going on, I’ll move on for time’s sake and also because I have a math quiz tomorrow that I have yet to study for. That being said, let’s move on to Denver’s monologue. My biggest reaction to learning more about Denver and her perspective on her life is that I just feel so bad for her. We start off strong with, “I swallowed [Beloved’s] blood right along with my mother’s milk,” (242), which is just ew, not to mention very intense, and then we go right into how scared Denver is of Sethe. She says that “I love my mother but I know she killed one of her own daughters, and as tender as she is with me, I’m scared of her because of it,” (242). I mean that is just so terrible. Later on, I got the idea that she really only loves Sethe because she is scared of her, and is also terrified of the idea that Sethe/whatever made Sethe try and kill her will come back and make Sethe try again. Additionally, Denver constantly mentions her father and how he’s coming for her (“I always knew he was coming,” (244)), which is basically what keeps her motivated to keep living with Sethe. Knowing what we do now about Halle, this just made me feel so bad for her all over again. 

Next up is Beloved’s chapter, which I have to admit was totally confusing and I really didn’t know what was going on half the time to be honest. This section also made me second-guess Beloved’s origins, though I know this ambiguity was totally purposeful on Morrison’s part. A large part of this made me think of the Middle Passage from Africa to the United States. For example, she often talks about “men without skin”, which I took to mean white men, and she also talks a lot about death, sickness, and how she is “always crouching” (248). All of this led me to think about the Middle Passage, and how even though she might be telling her own story, Morrison made it as though she is telling the story of millions of slaves as well. Additionally, the untraditional way in which this chapter was written gave me the idea that Beloved’s experience is one that cannot be conveyed justly through regular prose, and in fact goes above and beyond any sort of written word. 

After this part ended and she started talking about Sethe, a woman with her face, and how she is “looking for the join” (251), I became totally lost so I would love to talk more about this section of the chapter.

After all of this, we go to chapter 23 which is also just so confusing, but I thought it was like a mix of Sethe, Denver, and Beloved’s voices (“You are my sister/You are my daughter/You are my face; you are me,” (255)). Sethe tries to comfort Beloved because she is scared the white men will come back while Denver warns Beloved not to get too attached to Sethe. Because you cannot always tell who is saying what in this chapter, it feels like their identities as people become less defined and mix together, possible representing how white people did not see slaves as their own entities but rather one collective group, or it could go along with the continues theme of how the characters in this novel often have incomplete identities and don’t really know who they truly are.

Speaking of incomplete identities, Paul D can certainly relate as is conveyed to us in chapter 24. He recalls how he didn’t know much about his family other than his two half-brothers and how “[h]e watched [families] with awe and envy, and each time he discovered large families of black people he made them identify over and over who each was, what relation, who, in fact, belonged to who,” (258). I found this interesting, because like Sethe, he has no real familial identity. This leads him to lose a fundamental component of his humanity and therefore unsure of who he is as well as his masculinity. 

Finally, Stamp Paid discusses what made him choose his name and why he changed it. He had to give up his wife for his master’s son and thought it was an act so terrible that he decided all of his debts had been paid and he no longer owed anything to anyone. When his wife, Vashti, comes back to him, Stamp Paid tells Paul D that he wanted to “snap” her neck but instead decided to change his name and is reborn into a new identity free of his old life. 

Okay that’s all I have (sorry that it’s literally a mile long but there was a lot) so I will leave you with some parting questions: Who is Beloved and where did she really come from? How do you feel about Sethe’s actions after hearing Sethe’s justification of it and Denver’s point of view? What do you think Paul D’s future holds for him? Will he be able to come to terms with his humanity or will this prove to be impossible?

Beloved 147-195

Well, this section finally gave us some of the answers we were looking for! So much happened, so let's just start from the beginning. 

First things first, Paul D is left to question his manhood right off the bat. With the memories of school teacher and how he treated him and the recent actions of Beloved, he begins to compare the two relationships. School teacher led him to think, "Was that it? Is that where the manhood lay? In the naming done by a whiteman who was supposed to know? Who gave them the privilege not of working but of deciding how to? No" (Morrison 147). For so long, he had convinced himself that school teacher was wrong, but with the presence of Beloved bringing back these feelings from his past, he begins to question if school teacher was right all along. While discussing what makes him question this, Morrison writes, "It was being moved, placed where she wanted him, and there was nothing he was able to do about it" (148). In order to stop Beloved, Paul D believes that his best option is to tell Sethe. While he isn't able to confess that he is losing his manhood, he is somehow able to just go right on ahead and ask her if she will have another baby! Unsure of what to make of this, the two laugh it off, but this is not the last time Sethe thinks of this conversation. Eventually, she decides that she can't have a baby with Paul D because she was scared of "Needing to be good enough, alert enough, strong enough, that caring - again" (155). Finally, she questions Paul D's intentions, but winds up deciding that this is her way of justifying not wanting to have this baby. 

The next chapter is brief, yet still jampacked. Sethe leaves the room and Beloved manages to pull a tooth out of her mouth in the short time she has been gone, leaving her to believe that "Pieces of her would drop maybe one at a time, maybe all at once" (157). Beloved is not complete without Sethe, and she will simply fall apart without her...interesting. I'm curious what y'all think the significance of this seemingly simple moment is?

Anyways, moving on. In the next chapter, we are taken back to a time where Baby Suggs is hosting a feast. As time passes, those who attended the feast grow mad at Baby Suggs, as they equate the feast with a boastful sense of pride. If I'm being honest, the "dark and coming thing" (163) that Baby Suggs senses confuses me. What is it that y'all think she is sensing? 

This next chapter is where it gets heavy. The imagery is vivid and the scene is laid out in front of us. We see her sons, "[bleeding] in the sawdust" (175) and Sethe holding "a blood-soaked child to her chest with one hand and an infant by the heels in the other" (175). Later in the text, we discover that Sethe felt that she was saving her children from the trauma and horror that she had experienced in her own life. With some time to think, Paul D shows sympathy and understands that "to go to a place where you could love anything you chose - not to need permission for desire - well now, that was freedom" (191). Though the decision seems absolutely absurd to us, this is a situation of which we cannot even imagine. I have trouble even wrapping my mind around how Sethe must have felt and what must have been going through her mind at this moment. 

Morrison essentially leaves us with a quote from Paul D, that came out of nowhere. Just when you think he is sympathizing with her, he says, "You got two feet, Sethe, not four" (194). He is suggesting that Sethe was acting "animal-like" when she killed her children. I applaud Sethe for her composure, yet I wonder what is truly going through her head. Is this just the pure shock factor of the statement talking, or is she truly unaffected by his comment. What do y'all think?

Beloved 101-146

I will not lie. This reading left me quite uncomfortable. Let’s dive in.

After contemplating the disturbing information about Halle and his buttered face, Sethe returns to the Clearing as it is her place of refuge. The Clearing used to be a space where Baby Suggs would encourage the Black community to embrace their flesh and most of all, their hearts. The personification here is really beautiful. The woods almost come to life just like the “laughing children, dancing men, [and] crying women” (Morrison 105). The trees are described as “ringing” and the groundlife as “shuddered.” I love how well the setting captures the tone of this passage. 

Sethe then shares her last memory of Baby Suggs, who on her deathbed said, “There is no bad luck in the world but white folks” (Morrison 105). As Denver, Beloved, and Sethe walk towards the clearing, we are transported to another of Sethe’s flashbacks. This one is a story of how Stamp and Ella helped Sethe and Denver reach 124. When Baby Suggs first catches a glimpse of Sethe’s back, we are captivated by the euphemisms of the description. Sethe’s back is described as “roses of blood blossomed in the blanket” (109). I find it interesting how Morrison chooses to describe something so disturbing with a plant so beautiful.

Ah. I love this next part. We’ve seen this type of syntax before, but it’s back again. When describing Denver as a baby, the sentences start off with a lowercase letter. I have compiled these sentences into the following list for your pleasure: “girl were brought in,” “baby blinked,” and “girl in her arms” (110). This might just be a me thing, but this choice makes this moment feel so tender and precious. After hearing about Sethe’s strenuous journey, we finally find a moment of peace, and here we find proof that the journey was worth it. 

Okay pause. I need to speed this along because I’m only on page 110 right now. I’m going to go ahead and assume y’all don’t need a plot summary because y’all actually read the book, so I am going to skip to the parts of this reading that made me want to squeeze lime juice into my eyeballs. 

Denver accuses Beloved of being the one who choked Sethe. I believe her. This Beloved character is way too impulsive, which leads me to another scene. Beloved, who we think is the “true-to-life presence of the baby [ghost],” (141) tries to seduce the man whom her basically-mother is bedding. She demands, "I want you to touch me on the inside part and call me by my name” (137). Absolutely disgusting. To make matters worse, Paul D. succumbs, not once, but multiple times! 

Personally, I am not a fan of Denver, and here is some proof to support my opinion. Denver cares more about Beloved than her own mother, and regarding the choking scene, “Denver was alarmed by the harm she thought Beloved planned for Sethe, but felt helpless to thwart it, so unrestricted was her need to love another” (123). Denver apparently feels shame for this choice. Well duh, of course, she should.

Let’s also look at this quote about Denver: “The present alone interested Denver,” (141). Good for her for living in the moment, but I feel as if her having no interest in the past, specifically her mother’s past, is the reason for her lack of empathy. Sethe has given so much for Denver, and unlike Paul D, who only shares small amounts of love with the people around him, Sethe gave all her love to Denver. How does Denver pay it back? She picks a reincarnated baby ghost over her own mother and basically becomes a simp (for lack of a better word) for Beloved. However, this is just my opinion. I will never be able to understand how Denver feels, and there is probably a greater meaning behind Denver, Paul D, and Beloved’s poor choices, but this is my blog post, so I have the right to share my opinion.

Toodles,

Lena

Beloved 52-100

 Wow, these fifty pages have a lot to cover. We got further insights into Sethe's past and Denver's birth, more exploration on the relationships developing between the characters living in 124, and, of course, the questionable and mysterious appearance of Beloved. 

After having an argument about Sethe's protectiveness over Denver, Paul D thinks that, "for a used-to-be-slave woman to love anything that much was dangerous, especially if it was her children" (Morrison 54). He believes that you should only love a little bit, so that when the thing you love eventually breaks, you have some love left over for the next person. Paul D's life and trauma has left him with the idea that love isn't regenerative, and that what he loves will eventually leave him. He sees love as being finite. Sethe loves in a different way. This novel is about the love she has for her children, and Sethe puts everything into her love for them. She devotes all of her love to Denver and devoted so much to her baby girl, escaping while pregnant to get milk to her. Through Paul D's eyes, if everyone only has a certain amount of love to give, then Sethe gave too much love to her baby, which is why the baby's death continues to haunt her. He believes that if she's giving all her remaining love to Denver, she doesn't have enough for him and the life they could lead. He wants Sethe to make space for him, as well. However, after this conversation, Sethe believes that she sees a good omen for her new family at the carnival. The shadows of Denver, Sethe, and Paul D are all holding hands, which signifies to Sethe that they can make a life together in 124. 

In the next section, Beloved basically appears out of thin air from the water. The way that she's described in this section was so unsettling to me. She shares many attributes that I think of as belonging to a baby or young child. There are scratches on her skin that look like baby hair, and she has soft hands and feet that look like they're brand new. Her feet are described as "barely capable of their new job", and she walks to the bed like she's a toddler who has just learned to walk. The characters also estimate her to be nineteen or twenty, which was especially creepy to me because I think that's how old Sethe's baby would be if she was still alive. Paul D describing that she acts sick yet could pick up a rocker with one hand only added to how off-setting Beloved's character was to me. It was unclear to me here exactly who Beloved is - a ghost? Oh, and later in this section, Beloved seemingly chokes on bread pudding and thrashes around holding her throat. This originally seemed like a random scene to me, yet took on another meaning when I remembered that Sethe's baby had her throat cut. 

Later, when Beloved helps Sethe make bread, "their two shadows clashed and crossed on the ceiling like black swords" (68). This directly contrasts how Sethe's shadow held hands with Denver's and Paul D's shadows, which made me wonder if Beloved's return could mean the ruin of Sethe's other relationships or create tension in this new family. However, Sethe is able to tell Beloved stories about her past that were still too painful to talk about with Baby Suggs or Paul D. It's unclear why it's easier for Sethe to speak about these events with Beloved, maybe because she sees Beloved as more distant from Sweet Home. Sethe is able to talk about memories that aren't completely full of pain, like when she made her own wedding dress or when Mrs. Garner gives her earrings. However, Sethe only pierced her ears and wore the earrings when she moved to 124. This made me wonder if Sethe wouldn't allow herself to appreciate any beauty when she was living such a painful life at Sweet Home. She wouldn't wear the earrings there and describes her self-made dress as ugly. 

In the next section, Paul D tells Sethe that Halle did see her assault, which broke him. Learning about this horrible story leads Sethe to have an internal monologue about how painful it is that her brain keeps absorbing these horrific stories and images. She thinks, "just once, could it say, No thank you? I just ate and can't hold another bite?" (83). This was another example of how Sethe's past continues to affect her present and future. Sethe's brain is so full of her past that it can't even think about the future, which prevents her from moving on. She doesn't want to keep taking in these painful memories, yet she has no choice. 

Finally, Denver and Beloved talk about where Beloved came from. Beloved tells Denver that she got her name from the dark, which is hot and stuffed with people, some of them dead. In the dark, Beloved is forced to lie curled up. Beloved reveals that she came back to see Sethe's face because Sethe left her behind - possibly in the afterlife? This section of the novel left me with so many questions. How will Beloved's appearance affect the potentially budding familial relationship between Paul D, Sethe, and Denver? Where did Beloved really come from, and who is she? Does her shadow's violence toward Sethe's foreshadow Beloved having bad intentions toward the family?

Hamlet...Act V!

 This act in particular is, I believe an example of this: “…to hold as t’were the mirror up / To nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, / And the very age and body of the time his form and pressure” (3.2.18-20).

In discussing Shakespeare with Ms. Bromfield, she said that a good director will “find the comedy in the Shakespearean tragedies and the drama in the comedies.” Throughout this entire play, we’ve witnessed Hamlet’s continued sarcasm and constant wordplay even though this humor can be morbid or incredibly disturbing…so too, morbid humor begins the final act of what has become the most well-known play of all time – needless to say, I think Ms. Bromfield has a point.

At the beginning of this act, there are two gravediggers, one of whom is a clown. Hmmm…interesting and ironic. Hamlet instructs the players in Act III that “those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them…[that] shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it” (3.2. 31-32, 35-36). Anyway, I digress.

There are two gravediggers arguing over how Ophelia died then proceeding to shift the conversation to arguing over “who builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter” (5.1.35-36). To which the so cleverly named “other” gravedigger replies, “The gallows maker, for that frame outlives a thousand tenants” (5.1.37). Ok, gross, but also, so true!

In all seriousness though, Shakespeare is clearly saying something with this banter about the significance of a profession dealing with death. What does this mean? Our book says on pg. 204 that “death is the great leveller.” Again, so true. Almost everyone dies at the end of this play, hence Shakespearean tragedy. What does Hamlet try to do this entire play? Try to kill Claudius (*ehem* death). What does Claudius do to protect himself? Try to kill Hamlet (*ehem* death again).

Shakespeare is clearly commenting on how our emotions affect our desires – those desires are tied to power in some way, shape, or form; therefore, the desire for power or control over another (as in Hamlet's and Claudius's cases), clouds the characteristic that distinguishes us from, well, animals: an analytical mind. No wonder we have been questioning the extent to which Hamlet is losing his mind! Because of the vengeful actions he is encouraged to take, his emotions and impulses overtake his mind.

Couldn’t that be connected to 2022? People acting on their emotions and sacrificing their analytical minds to other people or other devices who will think for them? I mean, Hamlet said it first: the play is a way “to hold a mirror up / to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image” (3.2.18-19). Again, I digress.

After this whole clown business, Laertes joins Hamlet and Horatio at Ophelia’s graveside – Laertes just hops right in the grave (again, somewhat comical in the reading of it) followed by Hamlet who tries to one-up Laertes contesting “forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my own” (5.1.236-238). Ok, if my brother heard that, a duel would probably soon follow.

Claudius and Gertrude express their sorrow for Ophelia’s death, Gertrude briefly comments on Hamlet’s madness, and the scene ends with Claudius’s pep talk to Laertes: “We’ll put the matter to the present push” (5.2.262).

Ok – moving to the final scene of the play! We finally get to see a moment with Horatio! Hamlet confides in Horatio that he found Claudius’s order for Hamlet’s "head to be struck off” (5.2.24). Ouch! While Hamlet continues word-vomiting about all that happened aboard the freaky pirate ship, we only hear Horatio’s small interjections either affirming Hamlet’s statements or posing a question.

Here is a question: Horatio is a confidante for Hamlet, right? Could he be viewed as a piece of Hamlet’s fragmented conscience? He is present at the beginning and end of the play, the same times when ounces of Hamlet’s sanity are present. In the beginning, he mourns his father’s death, and in the end, he apologizes to Laertes for Polonius’s murder. Just a thought.

I really want to get to this ending, so I’m going to skip Osric’s brief moment in the spotlight, but maybe we can discuss it further as a class?

So, this duel: Laertes vs. Hamlet. Fighting it out…like men…sounds like the slogan for our brother school last night.

Hamlet seems to adopt the Beatles's philosophy in preparing for this duel (que “Let It Be”). “If it be now ‘tis not to come; if it be not to / come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come – the / readiness is all.” Hamlet seems to have reached a state of contentment and all of a sudden, too. What all did they really do to him on that ship? Or, is it in killing Polonius and seeing Ophelia’s death that he recognizes the abundance of uncertainty in life and realizes that the way to approach it is not to try to control the future? Now, I am the one word-vomiting.

 What I am continuing to grapple with is Hamlet’s confession, and more shockingly, the continuation of the duel after his confession. “Who does it then? His madness.” (5.2.209). And Laertes responds: “I do receive your offered love like love” (5.2.223). This seems like a mutual agreement. Why do we still need to duel, you guys?

Anyway, this play ends with death, and I don’t have to tell you that. So order of events: we lose Gertrude (that one got me), then Claudius (aka Scar), then Laertes (who apologizes before he dies so maybe no purgatory for him), then our boy Hamlet, and almost Horatio.

Hamlet asks Horatio to “tell my story” (5.2.28). His final lines are: “the rest is silence” (5.2.337). I thought this was really beautiful. All Hamlet has wanted is for the voices in his head (maybe this included the Ghost?) to be silenced and most importantly to “rest.” “To die, to sleep - / No more; and by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to” (3.1.60-63). Remember this?

So, Shakespeare, why not end the play here? Why are we ending the play with affirming words from Fortinbras? Is this how you thought the play would end? Should Shakespeare have been a philosopher or a playwright? (Ok, yes, that was supposed to be my own comic relief…but seriously, what do you think?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamlet Act 4

 Wow, so much happened in Act 4! Let's look at some of the key moments throughout the act.

In the first scene, Gertrude betrays her promise to her son and informs Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius. This news prompts Claudius to fear for his own safety around Hamlet, stating, "It had been so with us had we been there" (4.1.13) and to create a plan to send Hamlet away from Denmark as punishment. Claudius also worries that he may take the blame for the death of Polonius, hurting the people's perception of him as king. Much of Act 4 revolves around this idea of Claudius attempting to hold on to his power as king. In the second scene, just after Hamlet has hidden Polonius's dead body, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern confront Hamlet about the murder of Polonius and where the body he hid the body. Hamlet offers confounding responses to his friends questions such as "The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing" (4.2.24-25), speaking to Hamlet's poor mental state as he succumbs to madness and lack of remorse over the murder, but he ultimately agrees to be escorted to Claudius.

In scene three, Claudius confronts Hamlet about the location of Polonius's body. Hamlet initially responds with a gruesome description of the worms eating at Polonius's corpse but eventually informs Claudius of the actual location of the body. Claudius then tells Hamlet that he is to be sent to England. Hamlet responds in enthusiastic agreement exclaiming, "But come, for England!" (4.3.45). I found this reaction really interesting. I was surprised with Hamlet's agreement and excitement at being sent away. Maybe this reaction demonstrates that he is truly mad, as he is fairly unaffected by such big news. What do y'all think Hamlet's reaction his news of being sent away conveys? Shakespeare uses dramatic irony at the end of this scene when Claudius writes a letter demanding Hamlet's execution in England. The potential danger Hamlet will be in in England made his reaction to his news of being sent away even more confusing to me.

In scene four, Hamlet's urgent desire to take revenge on Claudius is reinvigorated. When he hears news of the insignificant battle Fortinbras is waging for an unprofitable region of Poland, Hamlet is impressed by his rival prince's forceful will of action and yet again, threatens his immediate revenge on Claudius, stating, "Oh from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody or nothing worth" (4.4.64-65). Do you think this is just another empty threat of violence from Hamlet or do you think he will actually take action on his word when he returns to Denmark?

In scene 5, Gertrude attempts, unsuccessfully, to console Ophelia as she completely unravels after her father's death, singing songs about death, loss of purity and betrayal. Laertes angrily confronts Claudius about the death of his father, assuming Claudius was the killer but finding out it was really Hamlet. He is further enraged at his father's unjust death after witnessing the devastating mental and emotional state of his sister. Claudius convinces Laertes to take revenge on the true killer, Hamlet, stating, "Where th'offence is, let the great axe fall" (4.5.214). I thought this was a very manipulative move on Claudius's part. He is able to seek revenge on Hamlet but allow Laertes to be the one actually taking action. What did y'all think of Claudius using Laertes as a means for his revenge?

In scenes 6 and 7, sailors deliver letters from Hamlet announcing his return to Denmark. When Claudius and Laertes receive a threatening note from Hamlet, they create an elaborate two part plan to seek revenge on Hamlet, involving a poisoned sword in a duel and poisoned wine if the initial plan were to fail. Claudius sure does love poison! Do you think Claudius and Laertes's plan will work successfully? Why or why not? At the end of the scene, Gertrude deliver's the devastating news to Laertes and Claudius that "Your sister's drowned, Laertes" (4.7.164). Ophelia's drowning serves as the final result of her descent into madness and greatly devastates and angers Laertes, prompting him to storm out of the room. Laertes's abrupt, angry reaction worries Claudius. What do you think the significance of Ophelia's drowning is? How does her death surrounded by flowers influence the ongoing motif of flowers in relation to Ophelia throughout Hamlet?

I am excited to see how the final scenes play out in Act 5!

Hamlet Act 3 Scenes 3-4

     Wow! A lot has happened in just these two scenes of Act 3 and the plot has progressed a lot. Let’s do a recap:

    In the beginning of scene 3, Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England and they agree to his orders. Then, Polonius says that he will eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude and hide in the bedroom. However, this plan failed miserably and maybe should have been thought out more. Something that turned out to be successful was Hamlet’s play, as Claudius begins to reflect on his wrongdoings and the murder of his brother. He acknowledges his sins and wants to be forgiven, however I am suspicious of his intentions. Does he truly feel guilty for his actions or is there a hidden motive? Claudius knows that confessing his sins will not be genuine because he will still reap the benefits of his crime, such as “my crown, my own ambition, and my queen”. Hamlet doesn’t believe that he should kill Claudius while he is praying because he would go to heaven, but rather while Claudius is committing an act of sin. I think Hamlet has an interesting point, but it also might be another reason for Hamlet to delay his father’s plan.

    Throughout scene 4, we see Hamlet’s increasing desire for revenge. With Hamlet’s mysterious and direct words, Gertrude begins to think that Hamlet might attempt to murder her. When Gertrude screams out for help, Polonius does the same. But then… Hamlet KILLS POLONIUS at once and shortly after calls him a “rash, intruding fool”!!! I pity Polonius a little bit, as I am sure that Hamlet intended to kill Claudius, but also his death could have been avoided. Moving on rather quickly from this sudden and shocking event, Hamlet shows the distinct differences between his father and Claudius to his mother. When he repeats “Have you eyes”, it shows his anger and rage towards his mother’s involvement with Claudius and seems like he is ranting about these issues to her. Hamlet talked very poorly about his mother’s sexuality, and this topic can be also traced back to his conversations with Ophelia, specifically when she rejected his love. Even though the Ghost told Hamlet to not inflict any harm onto Gertrude while seeking revenge, I think he definitely hurt her emotionally. 

    Here are some questions: Do you think that Gertrude knows about the murder Claudius committed? How does the play portray female characters? Why does Hamlet not care about the death of Polonius? Do you believe that Hamlet is becoming irrational?

Hamlet Act 3 Scenes 1-2

 Ok guys so after reading these two scenes, I became super excited to write this because there is just so much to cover. But I also got a little overwhelmed because there is literally so… much… to…cover… First, I’d like to talk about how Claudius seems to feel guilty about killing his brother, calling it an ugly burden on his conscience. Then, there is Hamlet’s soliloquy where he thinks more about committing suicide and delivers the famous line, “To be, or not to be” (3.1 56). It is abundantly clear that the only thing holding him back from ending it all is that he is afraid of life after death (and how his choices on Earth would change that afterlife).

    Now let’s move on to Ophelia and Hamlet’s talk. I seriously felt like this was coming from a soap opera or something because this was DRAMATIC. This scene really connects to what we talked about last class about deception because Hamlet is almost searching for reasons to distrust people, going as far as to say that women in general are not trustworthy because they deceive all men by wearing makeup. He is also destroying all of his relationships as if he doesn’t feel like he deserves to feel any sort of happiness. At the beginning of the talk, he honestly was not speaking too crazily, but as the conversation continued, he descended into insanity and slowly lost his capacity for rational thinking. Ophelia mourns the loss of the old Hamlet, and I honestly agree with her. I feel like I lost a little bit of respect for Hamlet while reading this scene. My opinion of him worsened after observing the way he treated Ophelia in Act 3 Scene 2. 

    Mrs. Meltesen was not lying when she said Shakespeare put all of the main events of the play in Act 3. I think it is really interesting how Horatio is pretty much the only person that Hamlet trusts. Horatio knows everything about Claudius, and I feel like Horatio is the only thing that is keeping Hamlet from going completely insane and committing suicide, which is a heavy burden to bear. Moving on, Claudius had such a dramatic reaction to the play, revealing that he feels guilty for killing Hamlet Sr. Even so, could he have been more obvious? If I were him, I definitely would have been way smarter about it… though I also probably would not have killed my sibling in the first place. Hamlet seemed a lot more in control of his emotions in this scene than in the previous one. He was acting completely normal when talking to Horatio and then started talking gibberish to the king and queen, suggesting that he is only acting crazy.

    After reading these two scenes, what do you think Shakespeare thinks about the sins/morality of humankind? Do y’all believe Hamlet actually loved Ophelia? What did you guys think about what Hamlet said to Ophelia in 3.1 and his rude comments in 3.2? Is Hamlet truly mad now or is there still a sane part left of him? What is Gertrude going to say in the next scene, and what would Hamlet’s reaction be?

Hamlet Act II

So, this first scene of Act II kinda threw me for a loop. I was a bit confused why Polonius needed to spy on his son, especially after he had sent him to Paris just a bit ago. I thought it was a little funny the way he went about it- he made the messenger tell lies about his son to another person, and gauge their reaction to his lies to sense the real situation. This seems like a pretty round about way to me, and I was thinking "Isn't the person he talks to just going to go and say that to someone else?" But then Polonius tells the messenger, "Observe his inclination in yourself", so pretty much do some sleuthing but don't make assumptions based on it- make sure you catch him in the act!! Seems like Polonius has literally no trust in anyone around him, but I guess that's a topic for another day. So after Polonius sends the messenger on their way, Ophelia comes running in, all "affrighted" (2.1.72). She tells her dad about Hamlets strange actions, how he ran into her room lookin all disheveled and unkempt. I was confused hearing this from Ophelia- how does she really feel towards Hamlet??? Does she just want to keep telling her dad everything?? But also, what is Hamlet doing? We see him in Scene II start to act a little mad for show, so was this a little precursor to that, or is he really "Mad for thy love?" (2.1.81) (that seems a bit dramatic to me, but whatever). Ok so to recap: Hamlet is starting to go off the rails (or maybe not), and Polonius is spying on his son. 

Ok now Scene 2. This was a longggg one!! I was reading and it just kept going and going. Hamlet was a popular guy today, he had like 7 different people looking for him. Ok but for real- this scene starts with his uncle-dad and mother-aunt (these title made me laugh a little not going to lie) spying on him by summoning his old friends to get some info from Hamlet. It seems like the theme of this act is spying?? I say this because after Hamlet's friends leave, Polonius and Claudius make up a scheme to set up Ophelia and Hamlet on a little walk, and they'll follow behind them. So Hamlet figures out his friends intentions before they can get real info back to his parents (is that the correct title I have no idea). He even talks about how nothing makes him happy in life anymore, no women or men. He seems pretty depressed to me but that's besides the point. Ok I also liked how Hamlet was kind of making fun of Polonius in this scene??? He kept teasing him about how long his beard was and mocking as though he didn't know who Ophelia was. Maybe this means Hamlet is creating the image that he has truly gone off the rails. His school friends then tell him that the acting group is nearing, and then they arrive. He welcomes them to the city, and tells them of how he has fooled his uncle, mother, and Polonius of his madness. He then starts reciting a speech from a play, and urges one of the actors to continue it. Once done, he has Polonius escort them to rooms after saying the next night they will have a play, and he will insert his own speech into the play. 

After they leave Hamlet, he has come internal conflict. He admires the actors for their ability to express their stories and emotion, and curses himself for his lack of action. He calls out for revenge after curing Polonius, and devises (yet another!!) plan to spy upon Claudius and find the validity of the Ghost's assertions. 

How do you think his and Ophelia's relationship will develop after this? What do you think their walk will be like? How do you think Hamlets speech will go in the following night? How will he act, and what do you think he'll talk about? How do you think the acting troupe will play into the story in the long run? 

Hamlet Act 1 Scenes 3-5

    So in this scene we get 3 new characters: Ophelia (Hamlet's lover), Laertes (Ophelia's older brother) and Polonius (the dad ). Laertes really annoys me. He is so bossy and belittling to Ophelia when he gives advice to her about her relationship with Hamlet. His elaborate and showy diction makes him out to be pretentious and obnoxious. He says things in the most extravagant way possible. When explaining how Hamlet is a Prince and will have to marry based off of what will benefit the crown, Laertes states in line 15, "and now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch" (1.3.15). I know that is just a line out of a whole sentence, but the fact that one line of his is that complicated and crazy looking proves how pompous he is and sounds. Ophelia, on the other hand, is so witty and funny. I have to admit that I laughed a little when she advises Laertes to follow his own relationship advice when she says "whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine / himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, / and recks not his own rede" (1.3.49-51). I think Ophelia is pretty awesome. I wonder how her relationship with Hamlet will fare as Hamlet continues to spiral.

    

    Now for scene 4. I found this scene pretty boring. There is a lot of talk about men being drawn from a content, peaceful state of mind to a crazy one. Hamlet condemns these men and I wonder if this could be ironic later and he ends up being one of the crazy men. There is a huge disagreement between Hamlet and Horatio and Marcellus when it comes to Hamlet going away with the Ghost. Horatio and Marcellus are very unwilling to let Hamlet go away with the Ghost but Hamlet seems completely drawn into the Ghost. He even threatens to kill his own friends if they don't let him go talk to the Ghost!!!!! I'm pretty sure this is the beginning of Hamlet's mental spiral. I believe the most notable line in this scene is from Marcellus when he chillingly says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark'' (1.4.90). THAT IS SO CREEPY!!!! There is definitely some foreshadowing there and sounds like we are going to have some good drama in the rest of the book!!!!!

    Scene 5... O.M.G! I have to be real for a second, I was not surprised at all when it was revealed that Claudius killed King Hamlet. What did surprise me was the way that he died. POISON IN THE EAR????? That's so random! What about putting the poison in the food or something more normal? I am also 100% sure Hamlet is about to have a complete mental meltdown after his soliloquy where he states that he is about to get revenge and how he just completely pushes away his friends. He just goes ahead and makes Horatio and Marcellus swear to secrecy AND goes ahead and tells them to act oblivious if they see him acting strange. Also, if Hamlet stating that he will "put an antic disposition on '' isn't a sure sign of him about to go crazy, I don't know what is (1.5.172). 

    Hamlet's current situation with being dead set on seeking revenge for his father is making me think a lot about solipsism. I predict that all he can think about in the upcoming scenes is going to be revenge and it will drive him insane and impact everyone around him. It makes me think of Chillingsworth and how his obsession with finding Pearl's dad and how it just withered his life away. Maybe the same thing will end up happening with Hamlet?????

Here are some questions:

How do you feel about the Ghost? - Can we trust the Ghost? What do you think about Ophelia? How do you think her and Hamlet's relationship will fare? What do you think lies in Hamlet's future later in the book? - Do you think he is going to spiral?

"Hamlet" Act 1, Scenes 1-2

Mysterious death! The ghost of the dead king! Potential war! A marriage that feels incestuous but technically is not! Let’s just say that there is a lot to unpack here. Within just the first two scenes of Hamlet, Shakespeare sets up his play with events that can only result in chaos, leaving me to wonder what could possibly happen in the upcoming pages.

Let’s begin with Scene 1. On a spooky night outside of the Elsinore Castle in Denmark, a sentinel named Bernardo takes over as watchman, relieving Francisco from his post. He is joined by Marcellus, another watchman, to stand guard on the gun platform. The pair urges Horatio to come watch as well to see the ghost which they claim to have seen for the past two nights. Although Horatio believes that the apparition “‘tis but our fantasy” (1.1.23.), ‘tis not. The ghost of King Hamlet emerges from the fog, frightening the trio and proving Horatio’s claims to be incorrect. As Horatio says, the ghost seems to be an ominous warning that “bodes some strange eruption to our state” (1.1.69). From personal experience (a limited selection of scary movies), I have only seen ghosts appear when something has disturbed/awoken them for their creepy dwellings or when something about their death has led them to haunt their surroundings. To me, this indicates that something about the king’s death was shady, and my feelings on this are further reinforced by his brother’s swift marriage to his wife.

Jump to scene 2. I’m sorry… but WHAT?! MARRIED to his dead brother’s WIFE (might I add only 2 months following his death.) Personally, this gives me what I would call the ick. I find it exceedingly weird that instead of mourning the death of his brother, Claudius focuses on pursuing his widow. I also find it odd that Hamlet is not given the throne upon his father’s death, but it is instead conveniently bestowed upon Claudius who quickly married Hamlet’s mother. Suspicious, wouldn’t you say? I have no trust in Claudius at this point in the play because of his strange actions following his brother’s death as well as his anger towards Hamlet for still mourning his father, calling it “unmanly grief” (1.2.94). How. Rude.

Hopefully you are just as suspicious as I am following scenes 1 and 2 of Hamlet!

Some questions to noodle on: What do you think of Claudius’ marriage to Gertrude? How do you think Hamlet will feel when he goes to see his father’s ghost? What role do you think Horatio will play in the upcoming scenes?

The Scarlet Letter Chapters 20-End

    When we first began reading the Scarlet Letter, I was pessimistic about how the novel would end things for Hester and Pearl; in the past few novels we have read, characters such as Daisy Miller and Edna Pontellier, who challenge social norms, end up dead. So, I thought the same would happen for Hester and Pearl. However, in the Scarlet Letter, I was pleasantly surprised by the karma that Hawthorne so masterfully issued to each character in the novel’s conclusion. 

    Unlike Daisy and Edna, Hester proves to be both extremely moral and willful. Despite the constant isolation and shame that Hester is burdened with, she remains confident and moral.  Consequently, the meaning of the adulterous “A” transitions from a shameful symbol to a badge of infamous martyrdom. Not only does the town exhibit a bit of admiration for Hester’s “A” but it is also noted that during the town’s procession, “there were many people present, from the country round about, who had often heard of the scarlet letter, and to whom it had been made terrific by a hundred false or exaggerated rumors, but who had never beheld it with their own bodily eyes… Even the Indians… fastened their snake-like black eyes on Hester’s bosom; conceiving, perhaps, that the wearer of this brilliantly embroidered badge must needs be a personage of high dignity among her people” (Hawthorne 300).  As a well-known symbol, even outside of the Puritan settlement, there is a sense of mystery and awe surrounding Hester and her “A.” I am glad that the townspeople somewhat appreciate Hester’s repentance and morality. 

    I also love that Hester and Pearl got a little “happily ever after” moment at the end of the book when Pearl moves to a foreign land where she is “married, and happy, and mindful of her mother,” and when Hester moves back to the town where she helps young Puritan women navigate the strict limitations of society. Conversely, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth both shrivel up and die. Although I liked Dimmesdale, he was not very honorable. Dimmesdale had power and over 7 years to fess up about his role in the adultery. Even though Dimmesdale felt really guilty and eventually confessed, that does not make up for his lack of fortitude. In fact, I still think his confession was pretty cowardly because he knew he was about to die and would not have to face the consequences. He even says “‘Hester, I am a dying man. So let me make haste to take my shame upon me!’” (310). It is also fitting that Chillingworth perishes because he is basically the devil incarnate. Karma.  

    Through the fates of Hester and Pearl, Hawthorne argues that we should be forgiving and non-judgmental of others’ sins. Hawthorne intentionally uses karma to punish those who sin without remorse and reward those who repent. It is not the duty of humans to punish other humans for sin. Instead, we should honor the acceptance and repentance of sin because it requires fortitude and honor. 

Do you agree with Hawthorne’s final message? When is it okay to be judgmental towards others? Why doesn’t the escape plan work out? Are you a fan of Dimmesdale?

"The Scarlet Letter" Chapters 12-14

 These chapters are PACKED- I touched on every chapter in an attempt to give some sort of overview, but it still felt like a lot. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, along with his “physician” Roger Chillingworth take center stage and reveal a ton about their identity to both each other and the audience.

    Chapter 12 opens with Dimmesdale approaching and standing on the scaffold that Hester had once stood for her public event seven years prior. He seems to be so overwhelmed with guilt and self-hatred that “he shrieked aloud” (Hawthorne 134). Dimmesdale appears distressed with the weight of his secret (which we have guessed is adultery with Hester), and this scene comes off to me as almost manic. As a minister, he should be the last person to commit such a shameful act because he preaches to the community against these sins; in fact, I think that he should receive the greatest punishment if he is ever discovered. Dimmesdale later sees Hester and Pearl coming from Winthrop’s deathbed, and he invites the two to join him on the scaffold. Not once but TWICE Dimmesdale rejects Pearl’s request to join her there the next day, which completely opposes his feelings on the previous page of guilt. I was disappointed in Dimmesdale here, didn’t he just say that he was ashamed? I guess he went in the night to not be discovered, but still. AND THEN, the letter A appears in the sky - what???? AND THEN ROGER APPEARS?!! This is too much; at this point, Dimmesdale’s identity is clear to both the audience and to Roger. But then, he just goes back home with Roger? Like nothing happened? And then he PREACHES the next day? And he gets his glove back, but I feel like there are bigger issues than that.

    In the following chapter, a few years have passed. Hester notices changes in Dimmesdale, and I also notice changes in her. Given the way that Hester has worn her scarlet letter with dignity, many renamed the significance of the letter to mean “Able” (146). However, she still has no friends or connections. I love the line “The world’s law was no law for her mind” (148). Despite her having changed and grown, her thoughts remain constant and they remain her own.

    Our final chapter of the reading is a conversation between Hester and Chillingworth. Chillingworth has aged and become revenge-hungry. Long story short, Chillingworth admits to doing evil towards the minister. He says he has changed from a “kind, true, just” man to “A fiend” (156).

Something I noticed: the word “iron” was repeated several times throughout these past few chapters(I think 4 times): what does that mean?

"The Scarlet Letter" Ch 15-19

Y'all. There is so much to discuss here. 

    I'd like to think of this as sort of a Hester appreciation post, because these chapters finally center around her once again, and she shows us several times what an absolute queen she is. First of all, in chapter 15, we finally see her angry about something - she is downright seething about how much she hates Chillingworth, which...same. We've discussed a lot how, despite all the torture this town has put her through, she's kept a saint-like calmness and compassion, but personally I thought hearing that she hates a decidedly evil man very much humanized her and made me sympathize with her even more. Then, we see even more of her relationship with Pearl, and y'all, it's just so cute. Pearl is asking all these Pearl-ish questions about why the minister keeps his hand over his chest (I suspect Chillingworth knows, but we don't quite know yet) and why Hester wears the scarlet letter, and Hester has this whole internal discussion with herself about whether Pearl is old enough to know or not. It was just such a motherly moment for her; deciding Pearl is still too young, so making up the story about the Black Man in the forest to please her daughter. It made me love both of them all the more.

    And let's talk about Pearl for a second. We get a really good look into her in these chapters, and she's still just as much of an enigma. She is so perceptive and inquisitive, but also so..."odd" sounds harsh, but I just mean she's not a typical human child. For one thing, her connection with nature is so strong. We already know she's compared to birds a lot, but when she's playing with some birds on the beach and accidentally injures one, she sits down dejectedly because it "grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea-breeze, or as wild as Pearl herself" (Hawthorne 161), it becomes especially obvious. Then, when Hester and Dimmesdale are having their DMC in the woods (more on that later), Hawthorne does this beautiful personification of the forest thing, describing how it "became the playmate of the lonely infant" (187), and how the flowers "whispered, as she passed, 'Adorn thyself with me, thou beautiful child, adorn thyself with me'" (188). My guess is that, because man has never really been able to truly understand or predict nature, we are supposed to intuit that we may never really understand Pearl.

    But back to the conversation between Hester and Dimmesdale. Y'all know I've had little patience for Dimmesdale. I think he should have fessed up a long time ago. But hearing how much he's being affected by this secret, and (with my newly rejuvenated respect for Hester and her compassion), I almost felt sorry for him and understood why Hester wasn't angry with him. Almost. But then he had to go and yell at her for admitting that Chillingworth was her husband and my sympathy disappeared. And then he has the temerity to make her solve his problem for him?? But anyway, we've all been asking why they didn't just run away, so I, for one, am quite pleased that they've decided to do just that.

To wrap up with a couple questions: how do y'all feel about their plan? What do you think is the symbolism behind Pearl's image being doubled in the brook during her little tantrum in the woods? Do you think Pearl will ever accept Dimmesdale as her father?

"The Scarlet Letter" Chapters 9-11

 I think my absolute favorite part of these chapters was how much dramatic irony there was. The town all thinks of Dimmesdale as a "godly youth" (Hawthorne 130) and a "saint on earth" (130), which is pretty darkly hilarious considering how they treat and think of Hester, who committed the same crime as Dimmesdale. Even when Dimmesdale tries to confess and explains what a terrible guy he is they just think of him as even more worthy of their reverence (pg 130)! These scenes are pretty funny to read because we're let in to Dimmesdale's secret through the clues that Hawthorne has given us throughout the book, and because the community is essentially painted as really stupid. They are literally praising a person who has committed a crime that (if they knew about it) would result in his social and religious expulsion from the community! It will be interesting to see what happens when/if the community finds out what Dimmesdale has done. 

I also think these chapters made me have a lot more sympathy for Dimmesdale than I had previously. A few chapters earlier, it was easy to be frustrated with him for not standing with Hester and bearing the weight of their actions together. However, after hearing that he does not confess his sins to the community because he thinks "no good can be achieved by them; no evil of the past redeemed by better service" (119) and this is leading to his "unutterable torment" (119), I now think of Dimmesdale as more selfless than selfish. My frustration is now more directed towards Chillingworth, whose evil is "[growing] still the more obvious to sight" (115) and who is trying to get vengeance on a man who so clearly in pain and already recognizes the mistake he has made. I can't be all that frustrated with Chillingworth for being mad (his wife did cheat on him), but he has let his need for vengeance consume him and is literally smiling (pg. 123) as he leaves Dimmesdale in incredible amounts of emotional pain. In my opinion, he could probably be a bit better of a person. Anyways, I'm open to hearing differing opinions of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, but that was just my hot take after reading these chapters. 

"The Scarlett Letter" Chapters 5-8

 After reading these chapters, I first thought about how badly I felt for Pearl (she deserves better!!) and how much symbolism this book has because...wow.

Starting off strong in chapter 5, I thought it was extremely ironic that the townspeople loved Hester's work even though they initially scorned her for it because of how fancy she made her "A" on her clothes, and I thought it was interesting that they also thought her unworthy to be working on anything to do with weddings. It's almost as if they think they'll "catch" her sin or something, and for people that call themselves Christians, that seems pretty superstitious to me. All the work she does is very official and sterile, which is obviously boring and gives her no real joy. Also, she literally did a whole bunch of charity for people experiencing poverty and they basically turned their noses up at her...like what?? She is being so nice and trying to better herself and the least you can do is be grateful.

Next in chapter 6, I was honestly amazed at how long the author could talk about one person. Don't get me wrong, there was some great info, but it was kind of a lot. I felt bad for Pearl when I read this because the poor girl was being called an outcast and then she gets called "an imp of evil, emblem and product of sin, she had no right among christened infants" (84)" which seems a bit harsh to me. I also think that this is probably the narrator poking fun at the society in which Hester and Pearl live in because this child is maybe 3 years old (and so innocent) that people thinking those things about Pearl just seems ridiculous. 

In chapter 7, I saw a lot of interesting details about Bellingham and the way he lives, and I'm not entirely sure about what all of it means. His house is very much in the English style, even though he lives in the New World. Why does he choose to do this? His house is also extremely lavish, something I found very interesting considering his religion. I usually think of Christians as being much more low-key and not very attached to earthly possessions, instead living on the more humble side (maybe that's just me). I also feel like there has got to be some symbolism around the armor and Hester's reflection but I'm not totally sure what it could be. I think the dying garden maybe represents Bellingham's leadership of his town and how it's failing/not working the way he wants it to...let me know your thoughts. 

Finally, in chapter 8 I found it really ironic how even though Pearl is a physical manifestation of Hester's sin, Pearl literally saves her mother from sinning with Bellingham's sister (Mistress Hibbins) by doing witchy things: "Even thus early had the child saved her from Satan's snare" (105). It was also maddening to me to hear of Hibbins and her activities, especially how they were pretty well-known by the townspeople, yet they didn't make her an outcast. 

I know this is really long and I couldn't really cover everything, so here are some discussion questions: What do you think Bellingham's dying garden symbolizes as well as Hester's distorted reflection in the armor? Why do you think Chillingworth became so interested in who the father is after Pearl became so affectionate towards Dimmesdale? Do you think Chillingworth suspects Dimmesdale of fathering Pearl? Why do you think the townspeople were so interested in taking Pearl away from her mother?