"Stop All the Clocks, cut off the telephone" by W.H. Auden is a poem that the speaker uses imagery to set the tone for mourning of a loved one and wants life to stop. In the first line alone the speaker uses words like stopping the barking dogs and silencing of the pianos (2-3) to show the importance of silence as the coffin is brought out (4).
The second stanza the speaker implies that his loved one should be honored by having the airplanes fly over, doves wearing bow ties and the policemen to wear cotton gloves. The speaker wants is loved one to be honored and his death to be remembered.
"He was my North, my south, my East and West" (9) tells the importance of this loved one, he was everything to the speaker. The speaker also portrays that he was always there for him and now he gone.
The Last stanza describes how mad and angry the speaker has become. He shows hatred toward God the creator by putting out the stars, getting rid of the moon and sun. How can any enjoyment come from life now that his loved one is gone. Why not just be done with life all together.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Poetry-A Soulful Expression
Poetry is fascinating in that it is playing with language. It is acceptable in many forms allowing creative patterns, progressions, schemes. It can derive feelings, thoughts, ideas, understandings, confusion, concern, in a reader or writer that may have never came to awareness if it had not ever been read or written. As you write poetry you can discover things about yourself or others with clarity and depth through your playfulness, focus, and search for depth, as well as different perceptions and relations between subject matters. I think that poetry is yet another soulful release just as artistic and creative measures of any sort, dancing, music, or anything in which a person intentionally decides to look a bit deeper into themselves and pull something out into the open, often taking a risk. Knowing yes, not everyone will understand or accept this part of me I am offering/ sharing, but some one will or may and it is true to me and I am willing to show it in this unique and authentic way. The unique ways people can express themselves is a gift in which we should be willing to share, and the more we are willing to do so the better we will become at it and the more we will see we are able. Poetry is form of expression in a world which has many.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
"Stop All the Clocks, Cut Off the Telephone"
In the poem “Stop All the Clocks, Cut Off the Telephone,” by W.H. Auden, the speaker tries to stop the world after losing a loved one. The speaker uses the word choices, such as “…muffled drum…” and “mourners come” (3-4), to give the reader an audible sound that is dark, hollow, and echoing; like the feeling of death.
The speaker is serious, sad, and uses a somewhat relaxed, formal diction. The speaker’s diction is formal, yet it is not too elaborate or complex for the everyday reader. It suggests that the speaker is smart, yet not proper more so than an average person. The tone conveys that the speaker has a mournful attitude towards the man who died. There is no shift in tone, showing that the speaker attitude is solid, confident, and unchanging, which may mean that the man who dies has been in the speaker’s life for a long time.
This grieving speaker wants to make the man’s death into a huge affair; hinting that this person may have been greatly important to not only the speaker, but also to many other people. In line 1, the speaker commands that all of the clocks and telephone lines be cut off. This is an unrealistic idea, one that shows the speaker may be so upset over this death that he or she is not thinking clearly.
The images in this poem also help to further a reader’s understanding of the situation that the speaker is going through. The image of traffic policeman stirs up the thought that so many people will be coming that traffic police will be needed, indicating that this person is important and well known. The white doves suggest that the man who died is a pure and kind person. The statement “Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead” (5) suggests that this man may have been in the military, in which case the man could be given an honorary fly-by for heroic actions. The images of the phones not ringing, the clocks not ticking, the dog not barking, and the pianos muffled by a drum gives the reader an auditory sense of immense silence.
In line 12, the speakers says “I thought that love would last for ever; I was wrong.” This statement leads me to believe that the speaker is a woman, upset over the death of her male lover. “He was my North, my South, my East and West” (9) confirms that the female speaker is talking about her male lover. It seems that this male who died is an important person, or may just be very important to the speaker. She uses lines 9, 10, and 11 to show how important this man is to her. Using so many lines of a short poem to make the speaker’s immense love for the man clear emphasizes how important it is for the reader to know that the speaker cared immensely for this man.
The speaker seems to be realize that, without her lover, there is no reason to live and no happiness in life. She wants everything in the world to stop, because she has no one to share the wonderful experiences of life with. The last line, “For nothing now can ever come to any good,” sums up the message that this poem is suggesting; life means nothing without someone to love and be loved by.
The speaker is serious, sad, and uses a somewhat relaxed, formal diction. The speaker’s diction is formal, yet it is not too elaborate or complex for the everyday reader. It suggests that the speaker is smart, yet not proper more so than an average person. The tone conveys that the speaker has a mournful attitude towards the man who died. There is no shift in tone, showing that the speaker attitude is solid, confident, and unchanging, which may mean that the man who dies has been in the speaker’s life for a long time.
This grieving speaker wants to make the man’s death into a huge affair; hinting that this person may have been greatly important to not only the speaker, but also to many other people. In line 1, the speaker commands that all of the clocks and telephone lines be cut off. This is an unrealistic idea, one that shows the speaker may be so upset over this death that he or she is not thinking clearly.
The images in this poem also help to further a reader’s understanding of the situation that the speaker is going through. The image of traffic policeman stirs up the thought that so many people will be coming that traffic police will be needed, indicating that this person is important and well known. The white doves suggest that the man who died is a pure and kind person. The statement “Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead” (5) suggests that this man may have been in the military, in which case the man could be given an honorary fly-by for heroic actions. The images of the phones not ringing, the clocks not ticking, the dog not barking, and the pianos muffled by a drum gives the reader an auditory sense of immense silence.
In line 12, the speakers says “I thought that love would last for ever; I was wrong.” This statement leads me to believe that the speaker is a woman, upset over the death of her male lover. “He was my North, my South, my East and West” (9) confirms that the female speaker is talking about her male lover. It seems that this male who died is an important person, or may just be very important to the speaker. She uses lines 9, 10, and 11 to show how important this man is to her. Using so many lines of a short poem to make the speaker’s immense love for the man clear emphasizes how important it is for the reader to know that the speaker cared immensely for this man.
The speaker seems to be realize that, without her lover, there is no reason to live and no happiness in life. She wants everything in the world to stop, because she has no one to share the wonderful experiences of life with. The last line, “For nothing now can ever come to any good,” sums up the message that this poem is suggesting; life means nothing without someone to love and be loved by.
An audible voice in "Suicide Note"
In “Suicide Note” by Janice Mirikitani, she wrote the suicide note of an Asian-American college student, who jumped out of her dorm room window to her death, into a poem. In the student’s actual note, she apologized to her parents for not maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Mirikitani made the student’s words audible. She was able to take the suicide note and write it as a beautiful, yet tragic, poem. A way the poem develops a sense of “an audible voice,” is that it is written in the first person perspective. It tells how “I apologize for disappointing you” (5-6), and “I will drop bone by bone, perched on the ledge of my womanhood” (30-33). The student’s true feelings are emerging in her note, and in the poem it is almost as thought she is reading it to me. I can exactly identify the thoughts she had when she wrote it. Because the words of the poem are a reflection of the student’s actual suicide note and suicide, it is chilling to imagine her reading it, though I can the sadness of it. Mirikitani did a great job taking the personal nature of the poem and making it relatable for other readers to “hear” the words as well.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Poetry Blog
My thoughts about this section are:
I'm not a huge fan of poetry. When it comes down to it, I simply do not understand the whole form and outline of poetry and how it works. The story "The Raven" does not seem like a poem at all, but more like a horror story. I think that for its' time, this poem was very well written, although it seems like more nowadays, its in the form of songs, lyrics, etc. On the topic of rap music, it seems like most songs- not only rap songs- have "poetry" based lyrics. There seems to be a lot of different types of "poetry" and all in different forms. I think it depends more on how the individual person sees poetry than how a book sets the standard for poetry.
I'm not a huge fan of poetry. When it comes down to it, I simply do not understand the whole form and outline of poetry and how it works. The story "The Raven" does not seem like a poem at all, but more like a horror story. I think that for its' time, this poem was very well written, although it seems like more nowadays, its in the form of songs, lyrics, etc. On the topic of rap music, it seems like most songs- not only rap songs- have "poetry" based lyrics. There seems to be a lot of different types of "poetry" and all in different forms. I think it depends more on how the individual person sees poetry than how a book sets the standard for poetry.
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy
The poem "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy is located on page 710 of our textbook. I chose this poem because it is has both an audible voice and I can actually visualize what is occurring which makes it easier for me to understand. The audible voice in this poem seems to to be speaking with the man he killed. If they had met at some other time or place, other than in war, they could have been friends. But instead they are at war against each other. They don't know why. He kills the man because he is his enemy because of war. I like line 13 "He thought he'd 'list, perhaps, Off-hand-like-just as I". This show that he is feels he is no different than the man he killed. They both enlisted and are now a victim of their circumstances. I also can hear in the tone of this poem, regret. In the last stanza "Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down You'd treat if met where any bar is, Or help to half-a-crown." This tells me that he may not agree with war. He is killing people that he could have just as well been sitting in a tavern having a drink with if there wasn't a war.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Poetry Blog Unit 8
I am not a huge poetry fan but I did enjoy "Digging" by Seamus Heaney. The descriptive type of writing he used made me visualize what his father is doing. I could see him in the garden digging up potatoes. His description also allowed me to smell the turf and the potatoes. I could relate to this poem, because growing up we raised a large garden and it rekindled memories of working in those gardens. Also, while reading our assignments, I did not realize how many types of poems there are. In my opinion, it almost seems like it would be easier to write a short story than to write a poem. "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe was very difficult for me to follow. I had to read it a couple of times to somewhat understand it. I still don't think I "get it".
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Backlog
I'm posting these three entries for Jeannie, who experienced some technical difficulties:
Monday, February 4, 2008
Conflict in A Rose for Emily
In A Rose for Emily, the conflict is Human vs. Human, Human vs. Nature, and Human vs. Self. I feel that the conflict of Human vs. Human is when Emily is talked to by the people of the town. It is also when she is faced with the death of her father and also with Homer Barron. The conflict of Human vs. Nature is of the fact of the events that lead in her life, for example, her fathers death, the order of her life, what leads her to kill Homer, etc. The conflict of Human vs. Self is that she is fighting with herself as to why she has no man in her life who truly loves her. She is alone and feels that there is no one there for her.
Monday, February 11, 2008
I Stand Here Ironing
In the story, I Stand Here Ironing by Olsen, the events that are described could very well occur today. I do believe that they do exist today. There's nothing different in our world today when it comes to poverty, single-parent care, children homes, etc. I think that our economic status is different now than it was back in the '30s. We aren't living in the Great Depression and people do have jobs. I believe that many people who do not have jobs today are because they are either retired, too young, disabled, or too lazy. I believe that all other changes are still closely the same as they were over 70 years ago.
Monday, January 28, 2008
A Rose for Emily
I must admit that I'm still confused about the order of the story. I tried my best to put it all into order.Miss Emily's father dies and around that same time she teaches the young women how to china-paint. After her father dies, Mr. Homer Baron comes to town to fix the roads. While he is in town, he and Miss Emily are quite content together. Also while Mr. Baron is town, Miss Emily's cousins from Kansas come to visit. When done with the work in town, Mr. Baron leaves for awhile until after Miss Emily's two female cousins leave. Homer Baron then returns back to the town to visit Miss Emily. Right before Homer Baron returns, Miss Emily buys the poison. When Homer returns to her, she poisons him. She then poisons Homer to keep him from leaving her alone as her father did. Miss Emily then goes out to town to buy some items to make it appear that she gets married to Homer. As the days, months, years, etc. go by, she becomes older and bigger. She then has her taxes remitted and the stink around her home starts to smell. The aldermen then come to Miss Emilys house to take away the smell. A little while after that, Miss Emily dies. After Miss Emily dies, the townspeople come to the house to pay their respects and to check out what had happened.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Conflict in A Rose for Emily
In A Rose for Emily, the conflict is Human vs. Human, Human vs. Nature, and Human vs. Self. I feel that the conflict of Human vs. Human is when Emily is talked to by the people of the town. It is also when she is faced with the death of her father and also with Homer Barron. The conflict of Human vs. Nature is of the fact of the events that lead in her life, for example, her fathers death, the order of her life, what leads her to kill Homer, etc. The conflict of Human vs. Self is that she is fighting with herself as to why she has no man in her life who truly loves her. She is alone and feels that there is no one there for her.
Monday, February 11, 2008
I Stand Here Ironing
In the story, I Stand Here Ironing by Olsen, the events that are described could very well occur today. I do believe that they do exist today. There's nothing different in our world today when it comes to poverty, single-parent care, children homes, etc. I think that our economic status is different now than it was back in the '30s. We aren't living in the Great Depression and people do have jobs. I believe that many people who do not have jobs today are because they are either retired, too young, disabled, or too lazy. I believe that all other changes are still closely the same as they were over 70 years ago.
Monday, January 28, 2008
A Rose for Emily
I must admit that I'm still confused about the order of the story. I tried my best to put it all into order.Miss Emily's father dies and around that same time she teaches the young women how to china-paint. After her father dies, Mr. Homer Baron comes to town to fix the roads. While he is in town, he and Miss Emily are quite content together. Also while Mr. Baron is town, Miss Emily's cousins from Kansas come to visit. When done with the work in town, Mr. Baron leaves for awhile until after Miss Emily's two female cousins leave. Homer Baron then returns back to the town to visit Miss Emily. Right before Homer Baron returns, Miss Emily buys the poison. When Homer returns to her, she poisons him. She then poisons Homer to keep him from leaving her alone as her father did. Miss Emily then goes out to town to buy some items to make it appear that she gets married to Homer. As the days, months, years, etc. go by, she becomes older and bigger. She then has her taxes remitted and the stink around her home starts to smell. The aldermen then come to Miss Emilys house to take away the smell. A little while after that, Miss Emily dies. After Miss Emily dies, the townspeople come to the house to pay their respects and to check out what had happened.
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Lottery
The world is full of evil things going on. This surely is evil. I was appalled when I came to the end of the story and finally realized what was happening. People do not end this barbaric event because they are deep into there traditions. (P. 406) “The black box now resting on the stool had been put to use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.” Both traditions, and change are occurring as themes through out the entire piece. (P.410) ‘Old Man Warner said clearly, “People ain’t like they used to be.” ’ I would guess that people are probably afraid also to speak against something like this in a place where it is acceptable to draw a name and than stone a person. Millions of people on the earth are making decisions constantly, therefore there will constantly decisions which are being made toward the wrong. What about taking your business overseas to the poorest countries so that you can make for yourself a lot more money while paying the poorest of people to make your products allowing them to hardly earn a living wage. I am sure we all know this is wrong. Yet we all buy from these companies, do we not? People justify that things are right because it has “always been that way.” We don’t want to look at the obvious “It’s wrong, so we should not do it.”
"The Lottery"
In the story, " The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, the people of the town all meet together for a ritual.
I think that people can do these rituals year to year because people fear change. Because people do not like change, they keep things the same to avoid scaring people. Also, the older people seem to have more say in the actions and 'rituals' of a society. I would have to say that rituals that people do have nowadays would be like children saying "the pledge of allegance" and those such things. People do not seem to care about the difference between right and wrong these days so people do what the majority does so they aren't considered different, weird, or abnormal.
Rituals are a faded thing, but in some societies and some types of settings, these rituals are still practiced.
I think that people can do these rituals year to year because people fear change. Because people do not like change, they keep things the same to avoid scaring people. Also, the older people seem to have more say in the actions and 'rituals' of a society. I would have to say that rituals that people do have nowadays would be like children saying "the pledge of allegance" and those such things. People do not seem to care about the difference between right and wrong these days so people do what the majority does so they aren't considered different, weird, or abnormal.
Rituals are a faded thing, but in some societies and some types of settings, these rituals are still practiced.
The Lottery
This story seems to take place in a time where people lived in villages and the villages were governed by one person only. This lottery is a tradition in this village and others that surround it. No one has moved to terminate the lottery because there is comfort in numbers. The idea is that if the townspeople are cruel enough to continue the lottery, what would they do to the person trying to stop it. As the villagers are gathered, they discuss the fact that others surrounding villages have quit the lottery. Mr. Summers quickly pipes up with remarks as to how they're crazy and the idea of quitting the lottery is preposterous. These comments reinforce the feelings and beliefs that no one is to suggest quitting the lottery. What's silly about this lottery is that every other part of it's tradition has been long forgotten and the stoning activity in addition to the villagers gathering in the square are the only events left to the lottery that are consistent. No one seems to remember what the purpose is. The black box is sometimes stored underfoot and other times stored on a shelf.
I compare this to my job in a way. We have frequent call ins at work, and it's always the same people who call in. The rest of us who are dependable get mandatoried for an additional four hours upon our already twelve hour shift. Yet, no one says anything. They just keep letting these people miss work, while everyone else makes up for their irresponsibility
I compare this to my job in a way. We have frequent call ins at work, and it's always the same people who call in. The rest of us who are dependable get mandatoried for an additional four hours upon our already twelve hour shift. Yet, no one says anything. They just keep letting these people miss work, while everyone else makes up for their irresponsibility
The Lottery
I believe that the ritual like the one that occurs in Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, is allowed to take place year after year because it is what people are used to. "...over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery." (408). This proves that some people must be against the outcome of the lottery, which is death by stoning. One man's response to the lottery ending was, "Pack of crazy fools. Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enouch for them...." (408). Then a woman replies, "Some places have already quit the lottery." (408). Old Man Warner's response to this is "Nothing but trouble in that." (408). I think the reason that this "lottery" has gone on for so long is just because it is a tradition that everyone is used to, and some people really don't like change. I think there are many modern-day counterparts to this. One that I think of is student "hazing". Alot of times to get into a fraternity or sorority you have to go through a hazing process, which often includes being beat up. This is not right, but there are many people that still do that to this day. I really don't understand why people do this. The only thing that I can think of is that it is a tradition, and most people really don't like change!
Allegory in "A Worn Path"
The journey Phoenix takes in “A Worn Path” definitely fits the mold of a quest allegory. Phoenix has left her home and travels to town in search of medicine for her grandchild. It seems she only ventures out in order to obtain the medicine. She knows that society is unkind to her people. She is not right in the head, referring to a two headed snake she had to sneak by in the summer. Also, she hallucinates when she sees a boy who hands her a piece of cake. When she goes to reach for the cake, there is nothing there. This makes her journey more difficult. Along the way she meets a man who refers to her as “Granny”. He is discriminating when he says, “‘I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa Claus!’”(pg. 452) He shows his superiority by pointing a gun at Phoenix, although she is not afraid. She makes it into town and again is referred to as “Grandma” by a passing woman who ties her shoe for her. She is seen by society simply as an old, black woman who deserves very little. This is again shown by the attendant at the desk when she says, “’A charity case, I suppose’”(pg. 453). She is very old, saying she was too old to attend school when General Lee surrendered (pg 454). She has seen many things and has had a hard life. She accepts that she is looked upon as inferior and continues on with her “journey” of life, taking the hardships as they come. She knows what her purpose is, to love and care after her grandchild.
"The Lottery"
The short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is about a tradition that takes place every year in the town square. Resident of the town assemble on the appointed date and draw slips of paper out of a worn out black box. At the end, the person with the slip of paper that has the black dot on it is the winner of the lottery. The award for this particular lottery is to be stoned to death by all the resident of the town.
Over the years the lottery has become a tradition that has lost its meaning and some residents are wondering if they should even continue to practice their outdated ritual. Nobody remembers the origin or reason for the lottery; they only participate because it’s what they’ve done for generations.
“They do say,” Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner [. . .] “that over in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery.”
Old Man Warner snorted. “Pack of crazy fools,” he said. “Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them [. . .] There’s always been a lottery[.]” (Jackson 408)
Remarks like this illustrate the difficulty involved with changing an outdated tradition. The younger generations begin to realize the absurdity of certain practices and would like to change them, but don’t because they might fear retribution or being different from the crowd.
A modern day counterpart to the lottery and one that has been occurring for centuries is racism. Everyone knows that racism is unacceptable, and yet there are still people who do it. And like the children in “The Lottery”, racism is usually learned from their parents and because of this it is difficult to stop. The children hear their parents make a negative comment about people who are different and the children grow up believing that this is acceptable. People are also more accepting of racism until it is aimed in their direction. In the story Mrs. Hutchinson was a willing participant in the lottery until her family drew the slip of paper with the dot on it. At this point Tessie Hutchinson was no longer willing to participate, “It wasn’t fair,” Tessie said. (Jackson 409) When you are the one being singled out you realize how unfair the practice really is.
Over the years the lottery has become a tradition that has lost its meaning and some residents are wondering if they should even continue to practice their outdated ritual. Nobody remembers the origin or reason for the lottery; they only participate because it’s what they’ve done for generations.
“They do say,” Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner [. . .] “that over in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery.”
Old Man Warner snorted. “Pack of crazy fools,” he said. “Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them [. . .] There’s always been a lottery[.]” (Jackson 408)
Remarks like this illustrate the difficulty involved with changing an outdated tradition. The younger generations begin to realize the absurdity of certain practices and would like to change them, but don’t because they might fear retribution or being different from the crowd.
A modern day counterpart to the lottery and one that has been occurring for centuries is racism. Everyone knows that racism is unacceptable, and yet there are still people who do it. And like the children in “The Lottery”, racism is usually learned from their parents and because of this it is difficult to stop. The children hear their parents make a negative comment about people who are different and the children grow up believing that this is acceptable. People are also more accepting of racism until it is aimed in their direction. In the story Mrs. Hutchinson was a willing participant in the lottery until her family drew the slip of paper with the dot on it. At this point Tessie Hutchinson was no longer willing to participate, “It wasn’t fair,” Tessie said. (Jackson 409) When you are the one being singled out you realize how unfair the practice really is.
I Stand here Ironing
I believe the events that occurred in “I Stand here Ironing” could still occur today but wouldn’t be as bad. There are many young mothers still today, and it seems like the numbers keep increasing. Today I believe that the mothers of these young mothers help out more financially than in the 1930’s. One sentence in “I Stand here Ironing” is her mother talking to her and saying “Even if I came, what good would it do”(283). Today, mothers would usually jump at the chance to help out their children raise their own grandchildren. I know my mother would be there for me and my children. Today there are also facilities that will pay for the baby’s food and formula such as WIC. Young mothers can get finical help and other help such as medical assistance. Back in the 1930’s they had no government programs to help young mothers make the best life for their young children since the depression was going on. I believe our government has become more involved with young mothers compared to the 1930’s.
A&P~
In the story A&P there are many different kinds of conflicts represented. The first kind of conflict is human vs. human. This conflict is represented when Sammy disagrees with his boss Lengal ‘s opinion about the way the three girls are dressed that walk into the store. Sammy quotes “You didn’t have to embarrass them” (223). He believes that the girls were dressed approximately for the occasion. The second kind of conflict is human vs. nature. I believe this is represented by the way the three girls are dressed in only their bathing suits and the conflict that makes arise when Lengal sees them. Lengal says “We want you decently dressed when you come in here” (223).Lengal believes the girls are dressed inappropriately, but naturally the girls believe they are not doing anything wrong. The third and last type of conflict displayed is human vs. self. This type of conflict is shown when Sammy decides that is willing to quit working at the store because of his beliefs. Sammy shows how one can argue with themselves whether or not they make the right decision. After Lengal tells Sammy that he doesn’t think Sammy knows what he is doing, Sammy replies with “I know you don’t, but I do” (223). Sammy gives everyone the impression that he is going to stand up for his beliefs.
"The Lottery"
“The Lottery,” written by Shirley Jackson, shows a town’s annual ritual that takes place every year just as it has for many prior years. This communal activity that takes place in the town’s square is accepted, yet feared. Each person in the village must select a piece of paper out of the black box and, if they are the one unlucky person whose paper has a black dot on it, they are stoned to death by the entire community.
Today, many rituals take place. Drinking alcohol in excess is a ritual that reminds me of “The Lottery.” Many people gather together in bars to complete the drinking ritual, as the townspeople gathered in the town’s square for their ritual. Although it is known that drinking in excess leads to organ damage, violent behavior, and danger to oneself and to others, it is an accepted routine. Not everyone dies from getting drunk, but there are the random few whose drinking causes their death, or the death of another person. In Jackson’s story, not everyone was hurt by the ritual, but each year, one random person did feel it’s fatal affects. Many people fear death, yet they still get drunk, knowing that it could kill them. In “The Lottery,” the community’s people know that the ritual could bring upon their death, yet they take part in it, because it is commonly accepted.
The ritual that takes place in “The Lottery” continues year after year, because it is instilled in the people and is part of their heritage. The thought of changing even a small part of the ritual, such as the black wooden box, is out of the question, because “…no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented in the black box” (406). This shows the intense respect that the people carry for their ritual and the fear they bear for any alterations to it.
The people are afraid to draw the piece of paper with a black dot drawn on it, yet they seem equally scared of changing or removing the ritual. A recommendation to end the ritual could lead to the stoning of that person, because so many of the townspeople feel strongly about keeping their tradition unaltered. The possibility of punishment, or death, for their suggestion would persuade anyone unhappy with the ritual to keep their mouth shut. The prosperity and happiness of the town’s people also leaves those against the ritual with no crucial reason to give for ending the ritual, seeing as it only negatively affects one person each year. The minority of the townspeople, who do wish to end the gruesome event that takes place every year on “[t]he morning of June 27th…“ (405), have no choice, but to deal with the tradition, because they don’t have the power needed to overthrow those people who don’t want to get rid of the ritual.
Drinking excessively is a common practice today, which is neither healthy, nor safe. The ritual in “The Lottery” is also a common tradition among the people, even though it causes death to someone they know and care about. People tend to follow the majority, whether the majority is doing something right or something wrong. It is hard to go against what is common place and break away from the norm. As with the people who continue the ritual in Jackson’s story, people today follow our tradition of binge drinking, because it is accepted by the majority of people, which must mean its okay to do.
Today, many rituals take place. Drinking alcohol in excess is a ritual that reminds me of “The Lottery.” Many people gather together in bars to complete the drinking ritual, as the townspeople gathered in the town’s square for their ritual. Although it is known that drinking in excess leads to organ damage, violent behavior, and danger to oneself and to others, it is an accepted routine. Not everyone dies from getting drunk, but there are the random few whose drinking causes their death, or the death of another person. In Jackson’s story, not everyone was hurt by the ritual, but each year, one random person did feel it’s fatal affects. Many people fear death, yet they still get drunk, knowing that it could kill them. In “The Lottery,” the community’s people know that the ritual could bring upon their death, yet they take part in it, because it is commonly accepted.
The ritual that takes place in “The Lottery” continues year after year, because it is instilled in the people and is part of their heritage. The thought of changing even a small part of the ritual, such as the black wooden box, is out of the question, because “…no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented in the black box” (406). This shows the intense respect that the people carry for their ritual and the fear they bear for any alterations to it.
The people are afraid to draw the piece of paper with a black dot drawn on it, yet they seem equally scared of changing or removing the ritual. A recommendation to end the ritual could lead to the stoning of that person, because so many of the townspeople feel strongly about keeping their tradition unaltered. The possibility of punishment, or death, for their suggestion would persuade anyone unhappy with the ritual to keep their mouth shut. The prosperity and happiness of the town’s people also leaves those against the ritual with no crucial reason to give for ending the ritual, seeing as it only negatively affects one person each year. The minority of the townspeople, who do wish to end the gruesome event that takes place every year on “[t]he morning of June 27th…“ (405), have no choice, but to deal with the tradition, because they don’t have the power needed to overthrow those people who don’t want to get rid of the ritual.
Drinking excessively is a common practice today, which is neither healthy, nor safe. The ritual in “The Lottery” is also a common tradition among the people, even though it causes death to someone they know and care about. People tend to follow the majority, whether the majority is doing something right or something wrong. It is hard to go against what is common place and break away from the norm. As with the people who continue the ritual in Jackson’s story, people today follow our tradition of binge drinking, because it is accepted by the majority of people, which must mean its okay to do.
Our Ritual Compared to "The Lottery"
The people in “The Lottery”, written by Shirley Jackson, are very strong on tradition. They don't like changing things and would rather just go along with the known than venture out and cause trouble trying to find the unknown. Old Man Warner shows this kind of thinking by saying, “there's always been a lottery” (408). People who have grown up with certain events and rituals like to leave them alone. They seem to have a “if it's not broke, don't fix it” sort of attitude.
One situation that is somewhat similar to that of the lottery, yet much less violent, is speeding while driving. Of course speeding is not to the same extreme as stoning someone to death, it is still illegal, and thus, wrong. Throughout the history of driving, I'm sure speeding has occurred. Although we have State Patrol and police officers trying to enforce the speed limit, people knowingly and intentionally speed. Rather than trying to stop everyone from speeding, people just go along with the flow and speed. Speeding is never really put into the spotlight unless it is the cause of an accident or death, but even with that people continue to engage in it. No on ever thinks they will be the one involved in a car accident due to speed, but it definitely can happen. People account for this behavior by thinking only a couple miles an hour over the speed limit won't hurt. That may be true until it gets out of control. Though speeding can be seemingly harmless and just a way to get from point A to point B faster, no one tries to change it. As in “The Lottery,” people just continue doing the same thing instead of being the one to make a change, knowing it is wrong.
One situation that is somewhat similar to that of the lottery, yet much less violent, is speeding while driving. Of course speeding is not to the same extreme as stoning someone to death, it is still illegal, and thus, wrong. Throughout the history of driving, I'm sure speeding has occurred. Although we have State Patrol and police officers trying to enforce the speed limit, people knowingly and intentionally speed. Rather than trying to stop everyone from speeding, people just go along with the flow and speed. Speeding is never really put into the spotlight unless it is the cause of an accident or death, but even with that people continue to engage in it. No on ever thinks they will be the one involved in a car accident due to speed, but it definitely can happen. People account for this behavior by thinking only a couple miles an hour over the speed limit won't hurt. That may be true until it gets out of control. Though speeding can be seemingly harmless and just a way to get from point A to point B faster, no one tries to change it. As in “The Lottery,” people just continue doing the same thing instead of being the one to make a change, knowing it is wrong.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Lottery
I believe that a ritual like the lottery can be held year after year because it is a routine. It has become the "norm" of the lifestyle. Human nature does not adjust well to change. No one chooses to end the the lottery because they don't want the focus on them. They do not want to go against what society has deemed as appropriate. A modern-day counterpart would be what is going on in third world countries and the AID's virus. People choose to look the other way like there isn't a problem. If they acknowledge there is an epidemic, they don't believe it is their problem. People know it's wrong to ignore the sick but they do it anyway. Another counterpart would be the United States Health Care situation. We all know it's a problem, there are too many uninsured people, but society just goes with whatever our government deems to be the correct solution. Very few people take a stand and get involved. I account the behavior as people not wanting to be the first to take action, or make "waves". Also, society doesn't know what to do to change the situation. We can blame ignorance.
Lottery
After ready " The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson I was very disturbed. I had to read Jackson's bio and cultural context to fully understand her short story. It's hard to understand how a ritual like this one could be held year after year. I do know that we are people of tradition and seem to make it hard to let go of tradition wether it is a good one or bad one. It was hard to think of a modern day counterpart such as this. I find that beauty pagents do resemble this ritual. Maybe not in such a evil way but a demeaning way.
In "The Lottery" Jackson sure had me in suspense in what the lottery really was going to be. She goes on to explain how the whole town shows up with "the children assmble first....(par. 2) and then "the men began to gather....(par.3) and finally with the house wives arriving and sharing bits of gossip. Jackson does mention in the second paragraph how the boys bring pockets of stones and having piles of them around. I felt the suspense rise as they read each household name aloud still not knowing exactly what the outcome of the lottery was going to be. When they reached the winner or should I say the one who picked the black dot I then realized she was to be stoned.
In America and around the world we have a beauty pageant every year. Women trying to be the most beautiful person out there and going through the competition only to find out that you might not be the winner. In this case if you are not the winner you are the one who has been stoned, not with rocks but the hurtful thoughts that you were not the best out there.
In "The Lottery" Jackson sure had me in suspense in what the lottery really was going to be. She goes on to explain how the whole town shows up with "the children assmble first....(par. 2) and then "the men began to gather....(par.3) and finally with the house wives arriving and sharing bits of gossip. Jackson does mention in the second paragraph how the boys bring pockets of stones and having piles of them around. I felt the suspense rise as they read each household name aloud still not knowing exactly what the outcome of the lottery was going to be. When they reached the winner or should I say the one who picked the black dot I then realized she was to be stoned.
In America and around the world we have a beauty pageant every year. Women trying to be the most beautiful person out there and going through the competition only to find out that you might not be the winner. In this case if you are not the winner you are the one who has been stoned, not with rocks but the hurtful thoughts that you were not the best out there.
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