Catarina Sousa
Essay
Many authors use hypocrisy to show multiple personalities within their characters. They can also use it to foreshadow a change in the character and their overall essence. In the pro-feminist novel titled Jane Eyre, the author, Charlotte Bronte, uses hypocrisy to show the troubles that the characters under goes mentally.
An example of how Bronte presented hypocrisy through the novel with the characters Mr. Rochester, a rich, well-mannered manager of the hotel, and Jane Eyre, a plain, middle class girl, the governess of Rochester's daughter, Adele. In the beginning of the novel, these two characters seem to have a tense relationship, but manage to overcome their dispute by showing their artificial affections towards one another. Because of their differences in society, Mr. Rochester claims to have never met someone like Jane. Either the presence of her upper class gimmick or her feminist personality eventually causes Mr. Rochester to fall deeply in love with Jane.
As they spend more time together, both Mr. Rochester and Jane appear to grow strong feelings for each other. This affection gives Mr. Rochester the confidence to make Jane ''his girl''. He tries to shape her into something other than plain by dressing her up and telling her to act a certain way, while at the same time telling her that she is different and unique so that it pleases him. Not only does this make Mr. Rochester a hypocrite, but it shows the reader how shallow the character is, trying to change Jane, a character who is confident in her strong beliefs and opinions despite her disappointing childhood.
As Mr. Rochester serves as a muse for Jane by inspiring her drawings and paintings, she lets go of her stubborn opinions and falls in deeper for Mr. Rochester‘s trap. Although he is trying to help Jane prepare for his type of lifestyle incase of commitment, he begins to take Jane off track, which will eventually lead her into an emotional breakdown.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Bronte’s prize winning novel “Jane Eyre,” is a story about a young girl growing up in strict Victorian times. During this age, the way a lady presented herself was based on economic class, lineage, and most importantly, beauty. But how does such a lady come to be? Many would propose the idea of basing oneself on surroundings. Which, in this case Jane proves to show us that Mrs. Reed, Miss. Temple, and Lady Ingram take a part in shaping Jane physically and mentally. These female roles in the novel have taken part in transforming the main character to whom she will eventually become in the future.
In the beginning, Jane isn’t exposed to a true mother role figure, the most important female role of all. Instead, she is shown to be living with Mrs. Reed, her cruel aunt, who isn’t even blood-related. Mrs. Reed isn’t affectionate towards Jane and only cares and cherishes the ones she actually birthed. Already, she has been put with the burden of finding her womanhood alone, which could scar her mentally. This whole idea of a mother figure never came about. This encapsulates the idea of how Jane strayed herself to someone who was a female and loving, willing to act as a “mother role” for Jane, even if she was a teacher.
Miss. Temple, Jane’s prior school teacher loved Jane to the utmost slew. Finally during her years at Lolwood, a boarding school monitored by an intimidating man in black, Jane found something to believe in. A teacher’s mother influence on her finally gave her the idea and the motivation to become a teacher. She wanted to changed the spine-chilling image she got when she thought of Lolwood, into a relaxing state of mind.
That relaxing ideal didn’t last very long since Jane decided to become a governess for a young girl named Adele. Jane is well-educated and proper enough to handle this task with the skills she has taken from Miss. Temple and her time learning at Lolwood. But while Jane ends up falling madly in love with the owner of the hotel, who is expected to marry Blanche Ingram. It seems to show that Jane is intrigued with Lady Ingram’s beauty, which she is assumed to lack, but yet knows and understand that she isn’t a well women. Meeting Ingram showed Jane what not to do when you are in love. She was put in this story and part of Jane’s daily life to show her that economic status doesn’t have much to do with who you really have feelings for. It’s a matter of pretending and expecting to love someone because of who they are and what they wear. Jane gets a bit of confidence and hopes to sweep Mr. Rochester off his feet.
All of these characters have guided Jane into becoming a independent, different type of women. The usual women you would see during these times that convinces us that she has to be reliant towards men and a stronger social class. Jane is peculiar compared to the rest, I suppose that is what makes her intriguing to most, including Mr. Rochester. Because of the female influences, Jane is what women wish they were, brave and rare.
In the beginning, Jane isn’t exposed to a true mother role figure, the most important female role of all. Instead, she is shown to be living with Mrs. Reed, her cruel aunt, who isn’t even blood-related. Mrs. Reed isn’t affectionate towards Jane and only cares and cherishes the ones she actually birthed. Already, she has been put with the burden of finding her womanhood alone, which could scar her mentally. This whole idea of a mother figure never came about. This encapsulates the idea of how Jane strayed herself to someone who was a female and loving, willing to act as a “mother role” for Jane, even if she was a teacher.
Miss. Temple, Jane’s prior school teacher loved Jane to the utmost slew. Finally during her years at Lolwood, a boarding school monitored by an intimidating man in black, Jane found something to believe in. A teacher’s mother influence on her finally gave her the idea and the motivation to become a teacher. She wanted to changed the spine-chilling image she got when she thought of Lolwood, into a relaxing state of mind.
That relaxing ideal didn’t last very long since Jane decided to become a governess for a young girl named Adele. Jane is well-educated and proper enough to handle this task with the skills she has taken from Miss. Temple and her time learning at Lolwood. But while Jane ends up falling madly in love with the owner of the hotel, who is expected to marry Blanche Ingram. It seems to show that Jane is intrigued with Lady Ingram’s beauty, which she is assumed to lack, but yet knows and understand that she isn’t a well women. Meeting Ingram showed Jane what not to do when you are in love. She was put in this story and part of Jane’s daily life to show her that economic status doesn’t have much to do with who you really have feelings for. It’s a matter of pretending and expecting to love someone because of who they are and what they wear. Jane gets a bit of confidence and hopes to sweep Mr. Rochester off his feet.
All of these characters have guided Jane into becoming a independent, different type of women. The usual women you would see during these times that convinces us that she has to be reliant towards men and a stronger social class. Jane is peculiar compared to the rest, I suppose that is what makes her intriguing to most, including Mr. Rochester. Because of the female influences, Jane is what women wish they were, brave and rare.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Part III
Catarina Sousa
Part III
Our states of mind can be influenced by everything and anything since birth. We have our own morals that we picked up from our families, we are taught to obey a certain religion, to enjoy cultural foods and to root for the same teams. But, what happens when someone tries to challenge all we’ve learned so far? You end up with a character named Grendel. Grendel is forced to act as a monster, because that is what is expected. Grendel is not intelligent enough to understand decision-making; he has a mind and imagination of an eighty year old, questioning life and even himself. Looking at religion if it’s the only way out of Hell, but realizing that none of it is true anyway, this making his existentialist views grow fonder.
As Grendel kills at the Herot Hall, the men are convinced it is just laughs and games for him. But, it seems that Grendel does this just to get some of the burden off of his own shoulders, possibly to think clearly about what death really is. He possibly was hoping that what he had done later on would follow him, as karma. The outside world was more of a gateway to thinking differently for him. He questioned many things but at the end his inner soul and heart got the best of him, and what he was “taught” to do, killed him. Although he did not physically throw himself off the cliff, I view this as a suicide but also a rebirth of his soul.
Grendel isn’t a monster anymore nor does he have to act a certain way because of his disadvantaged looks. He doesn’t have to be something he refused to be in the first place. This was him killing himself, his soul, and heart, his thoughts were too over-bearing to contain and what he has done could no longer be controlled. We were never taught to kill ourselves; it isn’t a moral thing to do. But, it was the only thing Grendel had the will-power to do without later in life being judged for.
Part III
Our states of mind can be influenced by everything and anything since birth. We have our own morals that we picked up from our families, we are taught to obey a certain religion, to enjoy cultural foods and to root for the same teams. But, what happens when someone tries to challenge all we’ve learned so far? You end up with a character named Grendel. Grendel is forced to act as a monster, because that is what is expected. Grendel is not intelligent enough to understand decision-making; he has a mind and imagination of an eighty year old, questioning life and even himself. Looking at religion if it’s the only way out of Hell, but realizing that none of it is true anyway, this making his existentialist views grow fonder.
As Grendel kills at the Herot Hall, the men are convinced it is just laughs and games for him. But, it seems that Grendel does this just to get some of the burden off of his own shoulders, possibly to think clearly about what death really is. He possibly was hoping that what he had done later on would follow him, as karma. The outside world was more of a gateway to thinking differently for him. He questioned many things but at the end his inner soul and heart got the best of him, and what he was “taught” to do, killed him. Although he did not physically throw himself off the cliff, I view this as a suicide but also a rebirth of his soul.
Grendel isn’t a monster anymore nor does he have to act a certain way because of his disadvantaged looks. He doesn’t have to be something he refused to be in the first place. This was him killing himself, his soul, and heart, his thoughts were too over-bearing to contain and what he has done could no longer be controlled. We were never taught to kill ourselves; it isn’t a moral thing to do. But, it was the only thing Grendel had the will-power to do without later in life being judged for.
Part II
Catarina Sousa
Part II
In the novel “The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka, the main character, Gregor, is transformed into a giant bug, figuratively or mentally is unknown. But, while this transformation occurs, Gregor’s parents develop a loss of liking for him and his inability to work and support them. Through these changes and difficult time, Gregor’s sister, Grete takes over the responsibility of being his caretaker. Along with that, she starts to take care of Gregor out of pity, since his parent’s cannot approach him with good-will in their hearts. But after a while, Grete takes her own transformation from a primary caretaker to a villain that pressures the disposal of Gregor.
Grete was essentially viewed as the only source of living to Gregor, but as she goes under her own metamorphosis from girl to women, the pity for her bug brother downturns into hatred. While Grete still helps Gregor by feeding and cleaning him, she becomes fed up of her duties. This can show the big transformation in this novel. As Grete grows older and starts realizing that Gregor will never go back to how he was, she resents him and her role in his life. Grete becomes intolerant of someone who is hopeless and urges herself to move on and to live her own life. Not caring about the consequences it will bring to her in-depth family or to her brother, she tells her parents she wants Gregor out of the house.
This could be viewed as an aide to help her move on. It is aware the strong feelings of love she has for her brother, however; she feels annoyed by his presence, and by kicking him out would help her move on and help the mother (who eventually felt pity for her son) and the father live. Although to each is own, I feel somewhat of pity for Grete. She was placed with such a heavy burden on her shoulders that causes her to act in her evil ways. As she matures into a pretty young lady, her mentality becomes more stereotypical on how a female does act, all about herself which is the most evil of all.
Part II
In the novel “The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka, the main character, Gregor, is transformed into a giant bug, figuratively or mentally is unknown. But, while this transformation occurs, Gregor’s parents develop a loss of liking for him and his inability to work and support them. Through these changes and difficult time, Gregor’s sister, Grete takes over the responsibility of being his caretaker. Along with that, she starts to take care of Gregor out of pity, since his parent’s cannot approach him with good-will in their hearts. But after a while, Grete takes her own transformation from a primary caretaker to a villain that pressures the disposal of Gregor.
Grete was essentially viewed as the only source of living to Gregor, but as she goes under her own metamorphosis from girl to women, the pity for her bug brother downturns into hatred. While Grete still helps Gregor by feeding and cleaning him, she becomes fed up of her duties. This can show the big transformation in this novel. As Grete grows older and starts realizing that Gregor will never go back to how he was, she resents him and her role in his life. Grete becomes intolerant of someone who is hopeless and urges herself to move on and to live her own life. Not caring about the consequences it will bring to her in-depth family or to her brother, she tells her parents she wants Gregor out of the house.
This could be viewed as an aide to help her move on. It is aware the strong feelings of love she has for her brother, however; she feels annoyed by his presence, and by kicking him out would help her move on and help the mother (who eventually felt pity for her son) and the father live. Although to each is own, I feel somewhat of pity for Grete. She was placed with such a heavy burden on her shoulders that causes her to act in her evil ways. As she matures into a pretty young lady, her mentality becomes more stereotypical on how a female does act, all about herself which is the most evil of all.
Part I
Catarina Sousa
Part I
Romantic poetry varies from different styles to different authors. Two poets, John Keats and Edmund Spender, lived in different centuries, but are still able to connect by writing poems that confide within the subject of love. Although, this is the topic chosen by many romantic poets and basically any form of artist, these two poems explain the on-going love they have for their beloved. In each, they author makes it a point to admit to their beloved that to them their essence and beauty will never die within old age, or even death itself.
In the intriguing poem “Bright Star,” by John Keats, the author has a longing for his beloved’s immortality. The author calling her the “bright star” gives us the idea of her being so evergreen and death-defying that nothing can withstand her i.e.,” Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, /And so live ever--or else swoon to death,” (L 13-14). Moreover, the sonnet “Sonnet 75,” by Edmund Spenser displays the same type of idea, for example, “Where whenas Death shall all the world subdue,/ Out love shall live, and later life renew,” (L 13-14). This ending couplet acknowledges the same concept that was given in Keats poem. If the image of beauty does not confide within the beloved herself, the root of it will grow within the readers of the poem in the end.
Although everlasting life is not a gift we were granted with, one essential of Romantic poetry, is apostrophe. Apostrophe is when an author writes about something that isn’t actually there or existent anymore. Basically, romantic poetry can be viewed as a mix between the real-world and the emotions it brings, but also take a spin on the fantasy life where being immortal or having immortal like feelings is real. Both of these poems and poets confidently present their fool’s paradise and remorse as would any other Romantic poet.
Part I
Romantic poetry varies from different styles to different authors. Two poets, John Keats and Edmund Spender, lived in different centuries, but are still able to connect by writing poems that confide within the subject of love. Although, this is the topic chosen by many romantic poets and basically any form of artist, these two poems explain the on-going love they have for their beloved. In each, they author makes it a point to admit to their beloved that to them their essence and beauty will never die within old age, or even death itself.
In the intriguing poem “Bright Star,” by John Keats, the author has a longing for his beloved’s immortality. The author calling her the “bright star” gives us the idea of her being so evergreen and death-defying that nothing can withstand her i.e.,” Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, /And so live ever--or else swoon to death,” (L 13-14). Moreover, the sonnet “Sonnet 75,” by Edmund Spenser displays the same type of idea, for example, “Where whenas Death shall all the world subdue,/ Out love shall live, and later life renew,” (L 13-14). This ending couplet acknowledges the same concept that was given in Keats poem. If the image of beauty does not confide within the beloved herself, the root of it will grow within the readers of the poem in the end.
Although everlasting life is not a gift we were granted with, one essential of Romantic poetry, is apostrophe. Apostrophe is when an author writes about something that isn’t actually there or existent anymore. Basically, romantic poetry can be viewed as a mix between the real-world and the emotions it brings, but also take a spin on the fantasy life where being immortal or having immortal like feelings is real. Both of these poems and poets confidently present their fool’s paradise and remorse as would any other Romantic poet.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Exam Essay
Exam Essay
Shakespeare’s Richard II, the Queen is presented the opportunity to eavesdrop on two gentlemen, which includes the guard and the servant. The Queen takes what’s presented to her and hides behind trees, possibly shrubs, and listens hoping to gossip about the King and his decisions.
The gardener talks about the present state of the king but uses a different, indirect method of mentioning it. He uses the garden as a metaphor in comparison to the state which the king ruled. The gardener says “…Is full of weeds, her fairest flowers chocked up, her fruit tress all unpruned, her hedges ruined.” The weeds in line 21 could be taken for the surrounding states. At one point, the gardener states how the weeds and wholesome herbs are swarming with caterpillars. These insects could be a metaphor for the unpopular opinions of the king, or the enforcement of some of his neighboring friends.
Finally the Queen comes back into play during the last stanza, where she burst out of the silent trees into reveling herself. She questions and tries to convince the men to tell her whether the statements are true or not. She responds to by questioning their harsh words and wonder if the King really is no longer ruling the land, just as the guard and servant mentioned before. Although the queen eventually caught on to the men’s metaphor’s, it was a clever way of breaking the news.
Shakespeare’s Richard II, the Queen is presented the opportunity to eavesdrop on two gentlemen, which includes the guard and the servant. The Queen takes what’s presented to her and hides behind trees, possibly shrubs, and listens hoping to gossip about the King and his decisions.
The gardener talks about the present state of the king but uses a different, indirect method of mentioning it. He uses the garden as a metaphor in comparison to the state which the king ruled. The gardener says “…Is full of weeds, her fairest flowers chocked up, her fruit tress all unpruned, her hedges ruined.” The weeds in line 21 could be taken for the surrounding states. At one point, the gardener states how the weeds and wholesome herbs are swarming with caterpillars. These insects could be a metaphor for the unpopular opinions of the king, or the enforcement of some of his neighboring friends.
Finally the Queen comes back into play during the last stanza, where she burst out of the silent trees into reveling herself. She questions and tries to convince the men to tell her whether the statements are true or not. She responds to by questioning their harsh words and wonder if the King really is no longer ruling the land, just as the guard and servant mentioned before. Although the queen eventually caught on to the men’s metaphor’s, it was a clever way of breaking the news.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
"Sandman."
Catarina Sousa
“Sandman”
I found a photograph the other day
A few friends and I
During the anniversary of the day I started dying.
We had cake smeared on our faces
And hands held up high as if
We won nothing but the itchiness
And awkwardness of looking like
A fool to one another.
What else could we have won
That isn’t food worthy
Or even tastes that good?
Maybe the bond of having the same
Ugliness and unpopular pink and purple goo
In the middle of our eyes and ears.
But, that was all we had,
We had each other’s unworthy looks and
Eyelashes that closed together when we laughed too hard;
Or maybe the steps that appeared on our foreheads
As if they were carrying our brains to somewhere
Uncommon since it did appear uncommon anyway.
After all,
We were ugly kids
And something about gazing at the mirror in disgust
Made us like each other more and more and more.
We called ourselves friends and claimed everyone else
Everything else
Whoever else claimed themselves real
Was fake.
Or the fact that we were the fakest ones and lost
Our vein attitudes within each other’s lonesome eyes.
I cared about those eyes for a while.
Until I looked at mine and saw tiny specs of green and brown.
Change began to take its course unwillingly
So unwillingly, that as I cried to stay the same ,
More and more and more specs appeared.
I was growing up, and I was alone.
I needed to pretend that I was clueless about life,
About religion,
About sex,
About the rape and murder that happens only a few towns away.
I was too young to know that
There wasn’t much to believe in,
But I believed in too much.
I claimed the news made me insane
Or claimed myself tired to avoid talking on and on and on
About the man who killed his wife in front of his kids
Like an ignorant bastard.
I became scared of the world because I knew
Being in the wrong place, wrong time was too common,
And that my skin is as thin as paper
And a knife could gently glide by my hip
And cut it open too easily.
But, I kept growing up.
I wasn’t scared of clowns, bugs
Or the sandman, whom I thought could put me
Into a trance if he sprinkled too much dust on me.
Dust made up of his beliefs and favors,
That I thought would influence me to change mine.
Because I’m gullible enough to believe a grape was the forbidden fruit
Or that Adam and Eve really looked into each other’s eyes
During sex to whisper “I love you.”
But, I somehow realized that eating glass would be better
Than hanging out with friends who claimed to be friends
When other friends were at the right place, right time
I didn’t need anyone
I needed
Really sweet plums that would inspire growth
Rather than cake that screamed innocence.
“Sandman”
I found a photograph the other day
A few friends and I
During the anniversary of the day I started dying.
We had cake smeared on our faces
And hands held up high as if
We won nothing but the itchiness
And awkwardness of looking like
A fool to one another.
What else could we have won
That isn’t food worthy
Or even tastes that good?
Maybe the bond of having the same
Ugliness and unpopular pink and purple goo
In the middle of our eyes and ears.
But, that was all we had,
We had each other’s unworthy looks and
Eyelashes that closed together when we laughed too hard;
Or maybe the steps that appeared on our foreheads
As if they were carrying our brains to somewhere
Uncommon since it did appear uncommon anyway.
After all,
We were ugly kids
And something about gazing at the mirror in disgust
Made us like each other more and more and more.
We called ourselves friends and claimed everyone else
Everything else
Whoever else claimed themselves real
Was fake.
Or the fact that we were the fakest ones and lost
Our vein attitudes within each other’s lonesome eyes.
I cared about those eyes for a while.
Until I looked at mine and saw tiny specs of green and brown.
Change began to take its course unwillingly
So unwillingly, that as I cried to stay the same ,
More and more and more specs appeared.
I was growing up, and I was alone.
I needed to pretend that I was clueless about life,
About religion,
About sex,
About the rape and murder that happens only a few towns away.
I was too young to know that
There wasn’t much to believe in,
But I believed in too much.
I claimed the news made me insane
Or claimed myself tired to avoid talking on and on and on
About the man who killed his wife in front of his kids
Like an ignorant bastard.
I became scared of the world because I knew
Being in the wrong place, wrong time was too common,
And that my skin is as thin as paper
And a knife could gently glide by my hip
And cut it open too easily.
But, I kept growing up.
I wasn’t scared of clowns, bugs
Or the sandman, whom I thought could put me
Into a trance if he sprinkled too much dust on me.
Dust made up of his beliefs and favors,
That I thought would influence me to change mine.
Because I’m gullible enough to believe a grape was the forbidden fruit
Or that Adam and Eve really looked into each other’s eyes
During sex to whisper “I love you.”
But, I somehow realized that eating glass would be better
Than hanging out with friends who claimed to be friends
When other friends were at the right place, right time
I didn’t need anyone
I needed
Really sweet plums that would inspire growth
Rather than cake that screamed innocence.
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