Miniver Cheevy and Harrison Bergeron

The juxtaposition between Miniver Cheevy and Harrison Bergeron is ridiculous. Miniver Cheevy is written by someone who allows themselves to be constrained by modern limits and blames their misdoings upon society. Not only does Miniver Cheevy wallow in his self-pity, but he glorifies what he would have been like in medieval times. Realistically, Robinson is far more equipped to succeed in today's society than he ever would have been in an ancient one.

While Miniver Cheevy wails about his foul luck of being born in the wrong time period, Harrison Bergeron is born into a society infinitely more suppressing society than that of Miniver. To further Harrison Bergeron's misfortune, the society he exists in is terrible for him specifically. If Bergeron had been less gifted, he may have fit in well, however, he is bountifully blessed... or cursed.

Both characters have dramatically different reactions to their current situations. Miniver Cheevy adopts a defeatist attitude and consoles himself with drink. Harrison Bergeron does nothing to excuse himself, but takes his ideals even further by making an attempt to change the society he lives in to accommodate him. Of course Harrison Bergeron takes it to the extreme by making himself into a martyr, but it is still better than resigning oneself to misery as Miniver Cheevy elects to do.

We spend too much time living in the ‘what if’ and need to learn to live in the ‘what is.’

-Rev. Leroy Allison

Where we have to go.

Does anybody truly wish to depart Omelas? Omelas is the epitome of sheer pleasure and irresponsibility. Littered with hedonists and philanderers, Omelas is a guilty pleasure taken to an unprecedented extreme. But, deep within the city of Omelas is a child who redefines misery. An audacious few leave the sinful city. The few who leave are motivated by what is right...

LeGuin's story shows how people must go where they need to go. If our entire race were given the choice to remain where they are or be whisked away to a place similar to Omelas, many would leave. However, the remaining people would represent the portion of the population that understands their duty to go where they need to, and not where they want to. LeGuin stresses the importance of making the correct decision with his story. The juxtaposition of the people of Omelas and the miserable child are the starkest display of the story's message.

A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality.

-Winston Churchill

Oh Baby!

Sylvia Plath's poem, Metaphors, initially left me confused. Consequently, I shut my literature book and brooded over it for several hours. After making no progress, I took a deep breath and reopened the book to Plath's poem. This time around I decided to implement "the chunking method." After successfully breaking down the poem, I had gotten nowhere. With no other route available, I chose to hone in on the first line which claimed her poem was a riddle. Then a sudden epiphany occurred like a lightbulb flicking on above the head of an animated character in Sunday morning cartoons. Each line consists of nine syllables. 

The realization opened a floodgate of understanding for me. Plath was speaking about herself during a pregnancy. Once I understood this, every line became clear and brilliant. "A melon strolling on two tendrils," (717) was referring to the melon as her baby and the legs as the two tendrils. However, shift happens beginning on line seven and from that point on, the poem grows darker. Plath then identifies herself as "... a means, a stage..."(717) which suggests Plath is far from joyous and potentially considers herself to be independent of her child and doesn't feel a connection. "Metaphors" is a wonderfully crafted poem, but depressing too.

Reading about Plath's life eased me into a sullen mood, so today I am including a quote which will hopefully fix that. 

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score." -Bill Copeland

Keep Digging

"Digging"

Within the first few lines of Heaney's poem, the separation between the author and his father is illustrated. Seamus, indoors with a pen in hand, and his father, outside, handling a spade.  Already there is a difference between the father and son. Also, it is said the pen rests, "snug as a gun." (730) Heaney most likely chose the word gun as a metaphor to explain how the he defends his passion for writing in a farming community through words. Further along in the poem, the lines "...the old man could handle a spade/Just like his old man," (730) appear. This indicates how long the author's family has existed at the old farm and dug up potatoes. However, it also makes Seamus' writing seem that much more unordinary because it is breaking a century or more of tradition. Finally, after much vivid imagery relating to the author's father and grandfather digging in the fields, shift happens. Seamus states, "But I've no spade to follow men like them." (731), and then proceeds to say he'll dig with his pen. This is a brilliant metaphor because the majority of the poem is describing the way in which the Heaneys dug, and how well they could dig. When applied to the author's writing you have an excellent rendering of the skill and potential of Seamus.

Manifesting that order of poetry where we can at last grow up to that which we stored up as we grew.
-Seamus Heaney

"To the Ladies" and "Eveline"

"To the Ladies" and "Eveline"

Both of these stories deal with expectations that are put upon women. Chudleigh's view is noticeably darker and more cynical. The perspective in "To the Ladies" is through the eyes of a woman that has been required to be subservient and a "servant." Chudleigh makes references to her role being no different from that of a servent. Furthermore, the verb obey is used on the fifth line, and obey has connotations that when applied to a woman in marriage are distinctly negative. Also, Chudleigh puts emphasis on the impossibility of dividing the marriage by repeating the word "nothing." What's interesting in both of these stories is the foreverness of their positions. Lady Chudleigh specifically mentions that nothing can divide her from her haughty husband, while Eveline finds it too difficult to abandon the responsibilities tormenting her. It must be included that while there are a few similarities, these two stories are different in a few extremely important ways. First, one is fiction and the other is based off of real life experiences. Secondly, Eveline was offered an opportunity for a different life while Chudleigh, apparently, was denied that. Lastly, Eveline's responsibilities largely lay in caring for her family, on the other hand, the Lady's duty is to be dutiful to her husband. Let me know what you think!

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” 
― Virginia Woolf

I thought it was a thought provoking quote and related to the topic at hand.

My Wordle

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5635349/Untitled