Tess Response

I find it very ironic that Tess encounters Alec on a tombstone when she is with her family. Hardy is foreshadowing Tess' outcome through this. Alec subsequently brings on the death of Tess Durbeyfield--literally and figuratively. Her murder results in her execution. Yet, Tess seemingly died earlier in the novel. She was never "whole" and "pure" after he incident with Alec. Tess simply morphed into a ghost of her former self after being taken advantage of. She became listless, distant, and incapable of true happiness. The meeting in the graveyard is Hardy's message of Tess dying via Alec's actions.

Though Hardy establishes Tess as a strong female protagonist, I feel that he also left her tragically flawed and actually weak. She was not able to forgive herself, and she was not able to recover from Angel's departure. It makes me ponder if Tess was really as strong and as independent as she was perceived. Tess almost walked into her grave due to her lack of mental strength and naturally distraught nature.

--Emily T

Tess Response

"She knew how to hit in a hair's-breadth that moment of evening when the light and the darkness are so evenly balanced that the constraint of day and the suspense of night neutralize each other, leaving absolute mental liberty."

This quote is discussing the exile Tess has placed upon herself after her fall from grace. Light and dark are archetypal for good and evil and because she is no longer innocent, but is still a moral person, she prefers to hide from the world in plain sight when the two meet and balance each other out. The light of day makes Tess feel like an outcast because it emphasizes how she no longer encompasses the light, but the darkness is too much for her because she has not fully embraced immorality. In essence, Tess is stuck between the two because society foolishly tells her that she can never go back to the light.

I think the use of darkness and light here adds depth to her character, and I also feel that it makes her more relatable. We all have this mixture of light and dark within us and we have to choose how we balance it. Will we let one side win, or will they be equal, as Tess feels is her situation?

-Elise P.

Tess

Poor Tess. It's so frustrating to see such a young and innocent soul being destroyed by something that wasn't even her fault. Alec has raped her and that led to the conception of her child. First of all, what a horrible way to get pregnant, second of all, that immature and foolish boy didn't even realize that he had literally destroyed this girl. As the book pointed out, it seemed as if Earth was the blighted apple of the tree, and the whole universe made her fate to consist of nothing but sorrow. Now that she meets the love of her life, Angel, she still can't get past her tainted past. Why does she take the blame for her horrible past? Yes, it is hard to look forward after such traumatic experiences, being her rape and the death of her child, but it seems as if though she is taking all the blame for her horrible life story. The only way for her and Angel to have a good and successful relationship is for her to realize that she wasn't responsible for the wrong in her life and that she can't do anything to change her past. All she can do is look forward and make her life the way she wants it to be. That's why this book is so frustrating: because no matter how close she is to attaining happiness, the darkness of her past comes crawling to haunt her. I haven't finished the book yet, but I am eager to find out if her and Angel have a successful relationship and to see if she finally forgets the past. I dearly hope both of these come true.

Benefits vs. Limitations of Drama in Time Flies

The play Time Flies written by David Ives chronicles the story of two mayflies, Horace and May, as they discover that their entire lifespan is only one day and they have just hours left to live. Because it is a play, it is meant to be performed by actors on a stage and the emotion they convey can add to the sense of despair and confusion felt by the flies. There is also the added visual element of a giant clock in the back of the set that becomes more and more noticeable as they realize their time is running out and contribute to their increasing hysteria. Also, the element of the audience and the shared experience and emotions increase the impact of the meaning in a way that is not possible with any other type of written work. These elements enhance the emotions felt by the characters and the audience to convey its themes of valuing time and breaking social conventions to inspire change in those who see the play. However, the play is limited to some degree by the constraints of drama. The actors can't safely and convincingly fly around on stage (obviously) and events and sets are limited by what is even possible to act out. Imagination is limited because even in a comedy about flies there still has to be a sense of realism in the play, but if it was in the form of fiction the reader would be willing to accept anything as true. In the end, the impact of the meaning combined with entertainment value greatly outweigh the limitations presented by the dramatic genre and Time Flies is definitely meant to be seen as a play.

-Elise P.

From Childhood to Responsibility (Old Repost)

  One of the more subtle, but powerful, issues Alice deals with in the novel "Alice in Wonderland" is the transition from the blissful ignorance of childhood into the realization that every action has consequences, and that the world is a much more dangerous place than previously thought. This is shown by the carefree actions Alice takes, not entirely worrying about the dangers they possess. This continues to slowly deteriorate until the breaking point where the Queen declares "Off with it head!" It is here that Alice awakens, and fully realizes the consequences of he actions. While this point in our life is almost never as severe, and always varies, the realization of this concept can often be scary and hard to take. However, as we mature, we learn to cope and simply deal with our actions and become more responsible human beings, in order to perhaps avoid a fate which almost befell upon Alice.

-Jordan H.

Our Society and Frankenstein

Frankenstein has a knack for closely and accurately depicting and displaying how our society reacts to things which are different from ourselves. This is shown by the creatures curiosity leading to his constant harassment. While he had the most gentle of intentions, his appearance causes society to rebel against, and reject, him. This causes one to wonder about their own choices in life, and how they view other human being. What if we were quick to judge someone that could end up becoming our best friend just because they appeared different than what we expected? We could go through our whole life without knowing these people, only because of our immature judgments. I don't know about anybody else, but I believe that this would be a pretty miserable existence for any of us. Yet, we all do things similar to this, on a smaller scale.While we usually do not realize it, discrimination and judgmental behavior is everywhere. Frankenstein truly causes the reader to pause and re-evaluate their life, but most importantly, their behavior.

-Jordan H.

Frankenstein Reading Response

I find it very interesting that both Victor Frankenstein and his monster share the same desire for knowledge, yet are repulsed when they discover what they had searched for. Frankenstein had pined for the knowledge of creation, yet the monster which he created disturbed him. The monster desired to know the details about his creation/creator, as well as the De Lacey family, whom he considered his own in certain respects. He yearned to know what company felt like and how/why humans behaved the way they did. The monster, however, was deeply upset by the knowledge of his creator abandoning him. Certain aspects of human nature that were presented in novels that the monster read also confused and bewildered him. Shelley draws a strong parallel between the creator and the creation that distinctly resembles a father-son relationship. A large part of Victor's persona seems to be alive within his creature, despite the lack of actual blood connection. Shelley's voice also comes through in this comparison. She is linked to her novel, yet distances herself from its contents. Her eagerness for knowledge appears to dissipate as she discovers the horrors that her writing presents.

I also think it is interesting that in his narrative, the monster speaks eloquently. He uses proper grammar and sophisticated speech. He also possesses rather human emotions despite his rather inhuman appearance. Shelley is questioning the nature of creation by using this to her advantage.


--Emily T.