Final Post

I was surprised I would enjoy the class as much as I did. The readings were interesting and I never lost my attention when I had to read. I learned a lot of new stuff about the style of gothic literature and where most of the writers get their ideas from and I would definitely be interested in reading more gothic material. I enjoyed all the supernatural elements and how much religion played a role as well. Jekyll and Hyde or the Fall of the House of Usher had to be some of the better readings, I would probably get rid of Lois the Witch or Our Nig. Most of the readings for the course were suitable, it would have been better to take this as a semester long course so we could have read Fight Club as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the course and I want to thank you for a great class.

Assignment #11 "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"

This story was difficult to understand and I could not figure out what O'Connor was trying to show with her choice of characters. We have the grandmother that tries to stay very "old" by wearing white gloves and such, much like women did in the 50's and 60's. I believe this is trying to show innocence or friendliness. The two children are also very rude and have no manners; I think O'Connor was trying to show the generation gap between the children and the grandmother and how people are becoming less and less friendly to each other. The grandmother also brings in the white perception of african-americans when she is quoted saying how after they saw the african-american with no pants, she says that they probably don't have them because they can't afford things like the white people can. I believe the Misfit plays the grotesque character, he is not necessarily deformed or anything but jus the way the character carries himself and his acitons make him grortesque.

Jean-ah Poquelin #2

I would consider the mob involved with the Charivari to be the Creoles and they do not like the Americans that are moving into old New Orleans following the Louisiana Purchase. Cable even narrates in the story how the old French colonists of New Orleans call the people who are moving in "Amricians," this is used to show the hatred for the people that are taking over their land. Mr. White is white himself but he is not from New Orleans, he is not necessarily from the North but he is not part of the French-American ethnicity of old New Orleans. He attitude changes from the beginning of the novel as well, he goes from trying to find out what the mystery behind Jean Marie is to defending him by the end of the novel. I can understand how Cable also faced criticism from the Creoles of New Orleans, the language he uses and the demeanor of their attitude makes them out to look like hooligans and very poorly educated.

Chesnutt Goophered Grapevine

When I first read this short story I was completely shocked and in awe that a white-american could write something like this. It was also very difficult to read and I had to re-read certain paragraphs to fully understand what was trying to be said by the character. I don't unerstand how a writer could write the the way he does and not offend anyone, even if it was written during the time of slavery. Chesnutt was trying to be as original as possible in the way he narrates this novel but I believe he goes over the top trying to fit into the stereotypical language for slaves. This was very difficult to read and I still don't fully understand what is trying to be said.

Our Nig #1

I believe it was lost to scholars because it was pushed from the limelight of society. Even though the characters were living in the North, the way the african-americans are treated and portrayed could have been detrimental to the North. They were known for being abolishionists and promoting freedom but this book makes it seem as if it is a false hope; african-americans were not technically considered slaves in the North, but they still were treated and forced to work in the same kind of terrible enviroment that they had to deal with in the South. This novel being hidden for 120 years makes you wonder how, if any, politics had to play with it disappearing. Or it could have been abolishionists who purposely had this covered up becuase what is written goes against everything they were working for and what the North was known for. Something like this could hurt the North's chances of gaining runaway slaves and promising them a better life. The way the novel describes the treatment of its characters make it seem like it is fiction but it is almost too cruel to be true. This novel was purposely hidden so the North would not suffer anything detrimental to its image of promoting freedom to runaway slaves.

Fall of the House of Usher #1

Poe is very dark and gives great detail to even the smallest of things like the fungi growing around the house. He describes the house as very dark, almost secluded from everything else. It looks like the house has not been very well taken care of as it shows cracks and other damages that are starting to wear down the house. This is similar to R. Usher, the narrator describes him as having a sickly frame, keeping much to himself, almost as if he doesn't want people to inquire about what is causing him to be of such poor health. The narrator even states that even though "they had been intimate associates, yet I really knew very little of my friend." This gives the reader a sense that Usher keeps much too himself, almost as if to show he is hiding a darker secret. The damages to the house could be simialr to the damages Usher is feeling from within, maybe from keeping the secret hidden for so long?

Fall of the House of Usher #1