04/28/2015

CathedralRoman Carver

Carver was a raging alcoholic, moved around a lot and had small jobs to
support his family, overall discordant life.
Unnamed narrator, contemptuous towards the blind man, Robert (blind
man) ends up connecting with narrator after a few drinks and a little bit
of weed while watching tv program on cathedrals
Narration is first person reliable, but not likeable, hes brutally honest and
insensitive and has underlying insecurities
Themes of perception: seeing vs blindness
Faith displayed in the drawing of Cathedral scene
Connection to the Garden Party, have his perceptions been opened
like Laura at the end of Garden Party
Preconcieved notions of the blind (cant smoke because cant see smoke)
Calls Robert the Blind Man throughout
Connection to Revelationmain characters find themselves
superior but eventually realize their characteristics do not make
them superior, rather their character should indicate their worth
Connection to Dracula
Connection to Christianity and Victorianism (seeing vs believing,
freeing of the soul, gender restrictions, Gothic architecture)
Tolerance of Unbelief
Literary Criticisms
Historicalconnection to Carvers background, characters often
abuse substances and alcoholsimilar to Hemingways style
PsychoanalyticalFreudian coping methods (substances substitute
satisfactions and perversions, numb themselves from reality)

Dead Mans PathChinua Achebe

Summary: Michael Obi hired to modernize unprogressive schoollearns

that ignoring the traditions of the people there can have great
consequences
Themes
Modernism vs. Respecting Traditionbuilding on plot on footpath
meant to honor the dead, modern=western,
Inability to coexistif you reopen the path we shall have nothing to
quarrel about. What I always say is: let the hawk perch and let the
eagle perch

Superiority intolerant & PrejudiceHe had a sound secondary

school education which designated him a pivotal teacher and set
him apart from the other headmasters, Obi doesnt tolerate
animistic beliefs while locals do not respect the right of property for
the school groundstrample flowers, wife wants to become queen
of school, in general Obi is a douche
Connection to Dracula
XenophobiaTransylvanians and gypsies vs. townspeople of Ndume
Old vs. NewTechnology (Dracula vs. tech methods to find/fight
him), Modern ideas vs. Native ideas
Obi and Jonathan
o Young high energy, new into profession, condemning others
views that are not as modern
o New environment, adjusting to the areas people
o Obi and jonathan inherit strange situations in first jobs
Man of wisdomPriest of Ani vs. Van Helsing
Connection to Short Stories
The Garden Partysense of superiority
The Flowerspath (beautiful and morbid), tragic scene, show
respect
Evelineresisting change
Revelationsense of superiority, intolerance and ignorance
Post Colonialism
Invasion of foreign culture, conflict: society within the colonized
region is no longer homogenous in culture but heterogenous
Historical
1949, after WWII, Globalization/expansion of foreign western
powers over underdeveloped nation

Mile City MontanaAlice Monroe

Boundary Between Child and Adult World
Relationship of trust and forgiveness
Memory of her parents at funeralresentful
Life has come full circle
Role of Women
It seemed a worse shamethat there was no mother, no woman at
allno grandmother or aunt, or even a sisterto receive Steve
Gauley and give him his due of grief

I believed that all the attention these mothers paid, their need to
be burdened was the cause of colic, bed-wetting, asthma
o connects to Dracula
women meant to be wives/mothersGodalming crying
on Mina
Expected to be the one to show lovemans brain and a
womans heart
Connection to Omelas
Ignoranceto suffering child vs. ignorance to childrens dangers
lack of motherchild can still remember mothers voice vs. Steve
Gauley having drowned because no mother to properly watch him
Seventeen SyllablesHisaye Yamamoto
Hisaye Yamamoto implements her life into story
First-Generation Japanese American
Submitted stories to paper similar to stories mother who submits
Haikus to the paper
Issei (parent generation) vs. Nisei (her generation)
o Rosie has trouble communicating with her mom because of
Japanese language
Preservation vs. Americanism
Story Summary: Rosie 9th grade Jap-Am, Mom submits haikus to Mainichi,
pen name-Ume Hanazono (two women dichotomy), Rosie meets senior
named Jesus and kisses him, Father only wants her & mom to work, Mom
wins 1st prize from Mainichi, father openly disapproves (cork of a bottle),
chops painting with axe and lights it on fire, mom has Rosie promise her
to never get married
Feminist Criticism
New WomanRosie is new woman who opposes her fathers
controlling ways
Mother doesnt want Rosie to marry, independent woman
Connection to Dracula
Cultural GapsJonathan judging citizens of Transylvania vs. Issei
and Nisei
Gender StereotypesMina not expected to add much to fight just as Tome
is not expected to write, women end up being most productive anyway
Connection to Story of an Hour
Unhappy MarriagesMrs. Mallard is relieved when she thinks her
husband has passed, Tome relates to this because she married this
terrible husband in order to move to America and avoid suicide
when her father didnt want her

The Things They CarriedTim OBrien

Tim OBrien background
Drafted in 68, Vietnam Vet from 69-70, studied foreign policy at
Harvard afterwards, Stories are a method of coping
Summaryfollows 1st Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his soldiers in Vietnam,
talks about what the soldiers carried (physical and emotional), one of his
men Ted Lavender dies, because of Teds death Jimmy forgets about his
love Martha and focuses on keeping his men safe and alive in Vietnam
Themes in the story
Moralilty
o Kicking the head of Vietnamese boy and cut off his thumb
o No moralityrelated to Killings with Fowler throwing away
morality to avenge his son
Superstition
o Charms that the soldiers carry for good luck
Connection to Dracula
Side Plotsstories of Mina, Seward, VH, Jonathan vs. Stories of Lt.
Cross and Kiowa
SexualityLucy, Mina, Weird Sisters portrayed sexually vs. Martha
described in sexual ways
TraumaJonathan after being in Dracs castle has brain fever vs.
Lt. Cross after Lavenders death
Connects to Guests of the Nation and Cathedral
GotNmorality behind doing things they know isnt right
Cathedralthemse of blindness and smoking weed (TL and BM)