Word Choices - AP English Literature - Blog

The Appeal (and not) of Short Stories

One of the reasons why I like short stories is that they don't waste time.  When we read novels, chapters can be wasted on unwated exposition (yes, I'm talking to you, Billy Budd comma Sailor) that immediately loses the audience's interest. However, short stories are mostly snapshots of a singular point in time. With short stories, the author tells the audience only what they need to know in order to fulfill the point of the story.

Or, sometimes, they don't. In "Hills Like White Elephants" Hemingway only describes the singular point in time, when the couple is waiting for the train. He gives absolutely no exposition, the audience can only figure out the specifics of what is going on through context clues. This can either make for a fun reading for an engaged reader or a confusing nightmare for a lazy reader. Is the lack of background information interesting or tedious?

Carter and Christmas

In class, the question arose about the comparison between Carter from The Language of Men, and Christmas from The Light In August.  We had an interesting discussion about it in class, and i would just like to expand a little bit on it.  First off, Carter and Christmas are two characters that are caught up in two different worlds trying to find themselves.  Carter has spent most of his life prior to the army in the women's world.  Throughout the story, Carter constantly refers to the women in his life, however, now in the Army, Carter must show everyone how much of a man he really is.  Christmas on the the other hand, is torn between the binary Black and White world.  While Christmas is part black and part white, he consistently tries to define himself as one or the other.  He cannot identify with only one world because he is a product of both; unfortunately no such world existed for him. 

Hemingway's Style

Last year in English class, we read Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", a story about a writer who faces death while on an African safari.  Interestingly, though each story has a completely different plot line, I was immediately reminded of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" while reading "Hills Like White Elephants", also written by Hemingway.  In only the first paragraph, the setting not only was similar to that of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" (a valley surrounded by hills or mountains), but the diction and syntax used to describe the setting resembled that of Hemingway's other story. 

Further parallels can be made in the types of  characters in the stories.  In both of Hemingway's works the two main characters are a man and a woman, who are debating matter-of-factly with each other over an important decision.  In "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" the protagonists are debating whether the man will die or survive, while in "Hills Like White Elephants" they are debating about whether the woman should have an abortion or not. 

I also noticed that in both stories, the idea of regret is prevalent.  The man in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" has numerous flashbacks to certain events of his life, regretting many of the decisions he has made.  Similarly, in "Hills Like White Elephants", the woman is in conflict, thinking whether she would regret having to make sacrifices for her baby if she were to give birth or if she would regret missing the new adventure a baby would bring if she were to abort the baby.

Purpose of the Short Story

So this being the short story unit and what not, I've been thinking about the particular niche that the short story holds in literature. Profundity in brevity, the ability to be more concise; they seem to be able to retain more absurdity without becoming unreadable, pointless, incongruous--that sort of thing. What I've noticed in the stories we've been reading lately is that they have much more nonsensical elements than any other pieces of literature we've read so far. I feel that these particular styles, especially that of Flannery O'Connor and the like, could not be sustained in a full-sized novel. Despite the brevity of The Swimmer, while there does not seem to exist as much profundity in the character's final realization he is ruined, as in Prospero's discarding of his books or Mersault's acceptance of his death sentence, there is a dreadfully powerful (and humbling) clarity at the end of his life's journey. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting. If anything, O'Connor's humorous frankness is at least more concise than Faulkner's rambling chapters on toothpaste and whores. Again, it would seem almost impossible to make any sort of great western epic out of a delusional, drunken man disjointedly swimming home through his neighbors' yards. Then again, Cervantes make a bunch of bumbling idiots battling windmills in the Spanish countryside into epic (arguably farcial) heros. God knows that full-sized narrative could sustain some absurdity...

Well I'm rambling now, but perhaps somebody else is better able to pick out exactly what gives short stories their extrasuperspecial niche in literature?

Short Short Stories!!

I've decided that I am grateful that our class is spending some time on short stories. I enjoy a good, long, and eventful novel, but short stories seem like a nice break. I wish we were spending more time on them however, because despite their length there is a lot of information to analyze in many of the ones we are reading in class.

While I was writing my Light in August paper, skimming over the prompts, I realized how much of this book we are not examining, simply because there is so much to consider and not enough time. My paper alone only addressed one of the multiple issues brought up in the novel! However, short, five to ten page stories are much easier to tackle in a shorter amount of time. I think that all of the issues brought up in the short stories can be addressed in one class period. And I really like that: being able to go over an entire scenario and understanding each part of it, rather than ignoring the parts that there isn't enough time for.

So far I've read The Swimmer, Hills Like White Elephants, and The Mysterious Woman. In each story the author immediately draws the audience in, generally holding their attention for the entirety of the story. This is one of the main reasons I like short stories: they are often capable of captivating the reader with great detail and imagery.

Narcissism in the Swimmer

The Swimmer opens up with the main character Neddy Merrill finding that he is eight miles from his house.  He conjures up the idea of swimming through the various pools to get home.  The tone of the story at this point is pretty simple and lighthearted despite the fact that he is to swim the eight miles, which to me sounds relatively difficult.  As Neddy progresses through the various pools, he begins to realize that his task is more difficult than he imagined.  To the people he meets on his journey he exaggerates his goal by saying, "I'm swimming across the country."  However, as Neddy continues to swim, time passes him by and he does not recall events his neighbors tell him about. 

Neddy is so caught up in his goals and aspirations that he does not realize what is actually happening to the people in his life.  Neddy's narcissism led him to belief that his swim would be simple and not harm the people around him. Neddy is only truly aware of himself throughout his swim.  When he finally arrives home the house was empty and locked and he was alone.  His misfortunes were due to his large ego and his failure to realize that his actions affect the people around him, ultimately leading to him being alone. 

This story reminded me of the story of Narcissus, a man who saw his own reflection in the water and couldn't bring himself to look away, ultimately dying and being transformed into a flower. 

Good County People

After reading Good Country People, I felt like the story was never resolved. I know that's kind of the point of a short story, but Good Country People only made me wonder what happened next. I liked the story.  I thought all the characters were all interesting and original, but I just wish it was a little longer.

I mostly wondered what happened to Hulga after the incident with Manley Pointer. I wonder if she changed her attitudes about the world. I also wonder if she told her mother about what happened and if her mother changed her opinion about "good country people." I also wonder how Hulga got down from the hayloft with only one leg....

Things Are Not Always As They Seem

The short story Good Country People offers a valuable insight into the human nature. This story offers a good life lesson; People cannot be trusted. This may seem like a negative way to look at life, but that does not make it the wrong view. While Pointer seems to be a disturbed man in his collections he reveals that even people who seem that they are good cannot always be trusted. I'm sure most people one point or another in their life have been betrayed by someone who they thought was an good, honest person. This just goes to show that deep down humans generally only look out for themselves and are self-centered.

I would imagine that after reading my thoughts some people are going to be offended and probably angry. I would like to know how people feel about this subject.

Call Me Crazy

I have a fundamental problem with short stories.

They're short.

I'm one of those people that doesn't want a book to end because I get over involved with the characters and want to know everything about them.  I want an explanation - or at least a clue to explain why someone acts they way they do.  When I start a story, I love the mystery of connecting the dots and seeing relationships being built.  When I finish a story, I want to see the actions concluded. I want explanations and closure; the end should really be the end.

Short stories don't give me that - especially the good ones.

A good short story will set you with all the mystery and intrigue that comes with dropping in on the middle of a characters life.  Most short stories start you in the middle of a situation and then work their way back to the beginning before concluding.  I have no problem with this set-up because I love the thrill of putting it all together.  My problem comes after I read the last line.

I don't know what comes next.

The author doesn't give me closure.  It's like reading the first chapter of a great book and then discovering that the rest of the book is no longer in print.

It's infuriating.

I understand that the whole point of a short story is to leave you hanging and letting you draw your own conclusions and ideas, but I enjoy a good, solid explanation every now and then.

Call me crazy.

Impermanence or Improbability?

After reading "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings," I had no idea what the point of the story was. It seemed that a very old man with enormous wings had landed in a couple's yard and the general consensus was that he was an angel. Was there really any greater meaning beyond the story? At first, all I saw were a series of improbable events.  When I looked at the story again, however, I noticed that certain details stood out. Most prominent among them was the girl who turned into a spider and how she took away the angel's unwanted fame. It seemed that a possible theme of the story could be permanence. The angel falls from the sky, stays for a while, then leaves. The angel is a popular attraction, and then the spider girl replaces him as the public's focus. Although I cannot pretend to know the significance of some of the strange, random statements that appear in the story, I think it is safe to say that the angel's time spent on Earth is representative of our own impermanence.

Good Country People: A Story of Innocence?

When I was reading "Good Country People," it seemed like the main purpose was to reflect on innocence. In then end, it seemed to conclude that, even the most convincing evidence of innocence is not true innocence. Manley character was the impetus for this argument, he was portrayed as the embodiment of innocence, then revealed as a corrupted individual. This basic idea harkens back to the first quarter when we read Billy Budd. Both characters are portrayed as the embodiment of evil, until their "fall" from grace in the climax of their respective stories. However, it seems like Manley Pointer makes the harder fall, when it is revealed that he is not only corrupt, but he has been deceiving those that he comes into contact with. The mode of his deception, as a bible door salesman, makes his evil even more prominent. In "Good Country People," Manley Pointer is the very embodiment of evil, he is not only tragically flawed, but masquerades as a righteous individual. Conclusion: Manley Pointer is the Devil. 

Names!

"...Byron remembered that he had ever thought how a man's name, which is supposed to be just eh sound for whoe he is, can be somehow an augur of what he will do, if other men can only read the meaning in time." (33)

HINT HINT!

So the class has discussed the easy names so far. Like Burdens = white man's burden,and  Hightower = falls from one, and there was even a post by Jules D. that had a link to one about Hines. But what about the rest? well heres a start.

Lena Grove = Grove is like a pretty forest. This brings to mind Eden, and and Lena's innocence (although she never really falls)

Byron Bunch = The good old Byronic hero (Jane Eyre, anyone?) Byron thinks that he can disregard the things that prevent him from being with Lena and fitting in with the town. But he just fails.

Joe Christmas = Joe sounds fake and Christmas sounds trivial. The name represents Christmas' lack of identity, like he is just a Joe Shmo. 

I can't think of any more characters right now. But feel free to share! Or argue with me.

Stuck in a Loop, or Moving Forward?

In Faulkner's Light In August, time is a major element that conflicts the characters in the book. A debate that has existed for centuries and still remains today it the nature of time. Is time circular, a loop, meaning that humans are forced to repeat and relive their pasts lives. Or is it linear, meaning that there is progression and humanity have the power of free will. Joe Christmas's storyline suggests that time is in circular motion. By providing important moments of his past to the audience, Faulkner shows that his past actions and life defines his present. Christmas is unable to escape his violent and abusive past because it has shaped his future. Eventually he accepts ad believes this fact, saying that he is a " servant of fatality" and then decides to murder Ms. Burden. Lena, however, provides evidence that time is linear. Lena, unlike the rest of the characters in the book, is not provided with flashbacks because they are less relevant to her present story. This insists that the past is irrelevant to ones present self. Through the book, she is traveling and always looking ahead, progressing through time. Despite Faulkner's insistence that time is a loop through most of the characters, he provides hope that humans can break the circle of doom through Lena's journey.

A Surprising Eupheus Discovery

I remember that Mr. Heidkamp had mentioned the significance of names in in Light in August, and our discussion of Doc Hines. I googled his real name 'Eupheus' to see what would pop up, see what the story behind the man was. I found a very interesting response--in the form of a Critics and Builders blog entry from 2005. Below is the link.

http://criticsandbuilders.typepad.com/collegeenglish10/2005/03/eupheuss_euphem.html

I find it fascinating that five years later, AP College English is having the same discussions that we still engage in now. Any thoughts on their thoughts?

Le Petite Histoire

As I have just finished with Light in August I thought it be prudent to discuss the short story we just read.

One imposing question for me is, what is the main point of the whole story? My first ideas would be tolerance, similarity, and betrayal.

Tolerance would be how Mrs.Hopewell doesn't like Mrs.Freeman, or Hulga's attitude, and even expresses distaste at Mrs.Freeman's daughter's. Despite this and having to put up with all of this for so many years, she always uses the motto "that's life" and rather than trying to make her circumstances better, she just accepts it and moves on. This is kind of a foil to Hulga,who, in her unhappy state, makes herself seem ugly and obnoxious. I suppose Mrs.Hopwell, is one to accept her fate, which is a type of tolerance, but functions differently from Hulga, who does not control her misery. (Is it kind of pushing the idea of fate?)

Also, similarity and betrayal could be tied in with the trecherous young man who stole Hulga's leg. He made her seem similar to her, and even though she didn't take an interest in him (though she fantisized about seducing him) he seduced her by his straightforwardness, and kisses. In the end of the novel, Mrs.Freeman and Hopewell (can't remember which one) makes a remark about how some people are more similar to some than others, so my question would be, what significance does this play in the novel? Is the theme of similarity important for this story?

Faulkner's an existentialist?

After reading through the final discussion questions in the packet, it seems difficult to deny the belief that Faulkner is an existentialist.

Faulkner refers to a game or rules in the book many times.  The narrators of the story feel bounded by rules, or "social constructions."  Also, these rules mean that each character has a set fate if they do not escape from these social rules.  For instance, Christmas runs away from his problems throughout the novel, but even when he wants to get caught, "there is a rule to catch [him] by, and to capture [him any other] way would not be like the rule says (337)."  With rules about catching Christmas set in stone early in the novel, his death, his fate, is predetermined.

Faulkner also uses the word "game" and "stage" numerous times in the novel.  Grimm's pursuit of Christmas near the end of the novel is set up like a chess game where "the Player who moved [Grimm] for pawn likewise found him breath (486)." On page 466, the phrase "like a stage (466)" is used to describe Hightower's window.

Although Faulkner uses these words in other places throughout Light in August, I do not want to write my whole paper in this blog.  On that note, is there any reason to believe that Faulkner in NOT an existentialist, or is it certain that he is after reading Light in August?