The Individual Combo Meal (clever, eh?)

In The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce, the "plot" progression portrays the progression of the intellectual maturity and the discovery of the individual in Stephen.  Primarily in his life, all which he was subjected to was occupying all space for intelligent thought in his mind by telling him what to be and how to feel; no provocative questioning resulted from the funneling of information into Stephen’s mind was present.  His persona was influenced by his family, his religion, his sexual urges; all which he took to extreme levels to decipher who he really was.  Stephen constantly struggles through all of these influences that constantly cause him inner turmoil, and it is through Stephen's pain and struggling that the main theme of the novel, that to question brings out one’s true self.  That being spoon-fed all of the answers in life is equivalent to owning a Bible and going to church regularly, but never actually reading the Bible.  Religion is one thing that Stephen struggles greatly with, and it is an incredibly relatable struggle as well, as many people tend to want to hear the truth of what their pastor preaches in church, yet never reflect on what he says to see what they may feel is true to them.  Religion is what a person makes it out to be, and to have a personal feel for religion; not what a priest declares is true.  In order to have fulfilling religious experiences, provocative thought must be put into it, rather than being spoon-fed the truth.  This predominant theme portrayed through Stephen’s life is the importance in questioning the truth; that is, that only through questioning can one discovery himself.

In the end of the novel, it is evident in Stephen’s manner of speech and his assertive composure when confronted about what he will do with his life that he has in fact become his own person.  When Stephen’s friend at the university, Cranly, confronts Stephen about what he will do with his life, Stephen replies:

“Look here, Cranly, he said.  You have asked me what I would do and what I would not do.  I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do.  I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland, or my church: and I will try to express myself in one mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defense the only arms I allow myself to use – silence, exile, and cunning.” (Joyce 268-269)

In this passage, Stephen proves his freedom and full intellectual maturity to his friend, announcing that he will no longer “serve” the institutions which have been imposing their beliefs upon him, and that rather, he will follow his own artistic path to the full extent of his ability.  This marks the final stage in Stephen’s metamorphosis into an artist, as he vouches to follow his own path, using the traits of a true artist, “silence, exile, and cunning,” as his defenses in life.  This intense and powerful declaration of freedom particularly appealed to me because I love strength and passion in characters, which Stephen finally shows.  Since most young people have difficulty finding their passion, what they wish to study in college, and what they would like to make a profession out of, whenever I know of a person or character who definitively knows what they want in life and from people, I think it is something to be admired.  I for instance know what I want to do with my life; I want to be an engineer where I can be surrounded by the beauty of mathematics and advancing technology in a world where technology is the predominant trade.  It’s reassuring to know that I am not the only insane person who knows what they love, and that Stephen, too, can be insane, though our insanities lie in different realms of scholastics.

I cannot say that I particularly liked or disliked the book, as it was simply interesting.  It was unlike anything that I had previously read which had a distinguished plotline with sequential events and a definitive meaning; rather, it provided a less tangible plotline.  This lack of tangibility lead to the realization that a tangible feel was not what was intended for the book, but rather an understanding and intense thought was what James Joyce intended for the his readers.  The purpose for the novel was not for the reader to have a fun time reading about women whining about their need to marry a rich man or something absurd like that, but rather for the reader to think critically about what Stephen’s life means.  Its purpose is for the reader to get something from it; to intellectually grow from the thoughts and emotions in Stephen’s life, and, perhaps, for the reader to apply the aforementioned knowledge to his or her life, possibly questioning all that he or she has been spoon-fed throughout life.

(253) Offspring by Naomi Long Madgett

In Offspring, metaphor and imagery are used to portray the departure of a child into the outside world without the help of the mother.  The mother, compared to a tree, wants to tell her daughter to “…stretch newgrown branches closer to the sun than I can reach” (4-6), and to, “Extend my self to that far atmosphere that only my dreams allow” (8-9).  By this, the mother means what every parent wants for her child; for that child to exceed her parent and to live a fulfilling life.  The mother, as a tree, wants for her daughter’s branches to stretch closer to the heavens than her own, and for her to live a life similar to that of her own, only exceeding the mother’s achievements.  However, “…the twig broke, and yesterday I saw her walking down an unfamiliar street” (10-12), meaning that the daughter is not walking in her mother’s footsteps, but is, rather, leading a life of her own, happily.  

The imagery describes the daughter’s life in the end by saying that the daughter was walking down the street, “feet confident face slanted upward toward a threatening sky, and she was smiling and she was her very free, her very individual, unpliable own” (13-21).  Specifically the description of the sky as being threatening unveils an ominous future for the daughter.  My breaking that branch, she’s lost sight of her mother’s good direction and is spiraling toward the threatening sky; yet, she is happy.  She faces the sky with a smile, as she is free, and she is ready to face the threatening sky that is the real world.

I really love the poem as it shows the maturing of the daughter, branching out (pun intended) to the real world.  She sees that the sky is threatening, as the world is a threatening place, yet she faces such threats with a smile, as she is mature and free enough to face the challenges of life on her own.  Such is the dream of any mother for her daughter.

(281) The Death of a Soldier by Wallace Stevens

In The Death of a Soldier, the personification and metaphorical use of death are used as a means of signifying the soldier’s role in the world; his significance.  The soldier goes into combat knowing that he is only death; both his own and that of others.  This poem highlights the soldier’s death in that it is not of huge significance, nor glorified in any fashion, as the soldier does not receive such.  The narrator tells us that, “…death is expected” (1) and that, “Death is absolute and without memorial”  (7). These excerpts show death being used both metaphorically and as personification. 

By observing the lines in terms of personification, death is coming upon the soldier; bringing the soldier to his timely, unimportant end.  “The clouds go on, nevertheless, in their direction” (11-12) says the narrator, meaning that the death of the soldier means nothing to the world.  The soldier was simply a pawn in the chess game of life; its loss is insignificant.  The absoluteness of the soldier’s death secures his irrelevance.

By taking a metaphorical standpoint, the soldier is related to death.  The soldier is expected and receives no memorial for his actions, as he brought himself, death, to the world.  The soldier marks himself as evil in this fashion, recognizing what he brings to the world, and because of this, “He does not become a three-day personage, imposing his separation, calling for pomp” (4-6).  There is no celebration for him, as he does not call for such, as he recognizes that he is a wreaker of death, bringing honor to the soldier.

This poem was especially interesting for me because of how death could be taken; in terms of personification and metaphorically.  It is interesting how a soldier in general is being depicted by Stevens, if interpreted in this fashion.  The soldier’s recognition of himself as being evil is greatly significant in showing humbleness and maintaining the honor of the soldier, regardless of his insignificance in the world.

Again with the feminism? Let's do it.

One of the most relatable subjects for any person, whether they be scholarly, politically active, socially deprived, or anything between and beyond, is the comparison between the sexes.  Labels of many shapes and sizes formulate to denominate those with various stances regarding feelings towards the sexes; chauvinist, feminist, sexist, etc.  Gender significance is a theme with high attribute in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, as it is the basis of all interactions between the sexes and the social echelons in the given society, focusing mainly around diminishing feminine roles in society.

All women in the presented society hold some form of lesser status, when compared to the men in the society.  The handmaids, specifically, seemed to be the lowest of the groups of women on the social totem pole.  Offred, the handmaid of which the novel is centered around, describes women in her society by saying that, “There is supposed to be nothing entertaining about us, no room is to be permitted for the flowering of secret lusts; no special favors are to be wheedled, by them or us, there are to be no toeholds for love.  We are two-legged wombs, that’s all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices” (Atwood 136).  This society has turned women, specifically the handmaids, into tools for various purposes.  The handmaids, as described in the excerpt, are simply used as tools of reproduction, not allowed to feel emotion; enjoyment, lust, love, fulfillment.  Similar feelings towards women are conveyed when Offred describes the handmaids’ hoarding of butter, and how essential it is for their skin.  Offred says, regarding that the handmaids, that they, “…are containers, it’s only the insides of our bodies that are important.  The outside can become hard and wrinkled, for all they care, like the shell of a nut.  This was a decree of the Wives, this absence of hand lotion.  They don’t want us to look attractive.  For them, things are bad enough as it is” (96).  It is now apparent that the handmaids are not the only class of women who face unjust treatment.  The Wives do as well, and it can be inferred that all other classes of women also face this unrighteous treatment.  It is evident that echelons are made in the society of Gilead based on sex, as the men are superior to the women in every aspect.  Inferiority of women gives the plotline a chauvinistic tone, but gives the meaning of the story a feministic tone, and therefore makes the point easier to understand and more relatable.

                The most appealing line in the novel to me would be during one of the first, if not the first, descriptions of the Wall made by Offred.  She says, “…there are six more bodies hanging, by the necks, their hands tied in front of them, their heads in quite bags tipped sideqays onto their shoulders.  There must have been a Men’s Salvaging early this morning.  I didn’t hear the bells.  Perhaps I’ve become used to them” (32).  It is learned later in the novel that a Salvaging means, ironically, a killing of numerous people.  By Offred saying that she must be used to the bells tolling the Salvaging of people, it offers little hope for humanity as the mass taking of lives is now a routine ritual, unnoticed by many.  Nobody seems to care about humanity anymore, based on Offred’s reaction.  This line seemed, to me, to be an early indicator of the lack of emotion that would be a central motif of the novel.

                Overall, I would say I relatively liked the novel.  At first it seemed to me to simply be another novel revolving around feminism, like the other hundreds of thousands of books I’ve read in academia.  More feminism seemed to be simply dull and boring, and therefore I thought I’d greatly dislike it from the start.  However, there was something different about The Handmaid’s Tale.  It was its uniqueness, as it was, in fact, unlike anything I’ve ever read in the past.  It gripped me as its own novel, not a simple imitation of a past work, and didn’t lead to the typical utter disgust I feel when reading yet another feminism-centered novel.  I understand that the novel is about more than just feminism, but, since that seems to be the focal point of this post, I’ll stick with feminism in my closing statements.  For Atwood’s presentation of feminist ideals in a different way than typically presented, I approve of the novel, and will even venture to say that I enjoyed it.

We, by Yevgemy Zamyatin

The imagery found in We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin, is by far the most interesting part of the novel, I think, because of its relevance in relation to the style of writing.  We is written as a collection of records, or journal entries, from D-503’s daily experiences, therefore, most likely, D-503 had to have written his journal entries at the end of the day, that is after everything that the audience knows happened has occurred.  As such, the imagery found in the novel had to be of great relevance to D-503 to have been lodged into his memory, and it also shows much of D-503’s character growth.  When D-503 witnesses the disintegration, one could call it, of a man by the cast-iron hand controlled by the Benefactor.  D-503 describes the scene, saying:

“The hand fell, loosing the current.  A sharp blade of unbearable light.  A shudder in the pipes of the Machine, crackling that you could hardly hear.  The spread-eagled body was covered by a light, sparkling little puff of smoke, and then before our eyes it began to melt, and melt, and it dissolved so fast it was horrible…Still, every time it happened, it seemed like a miracle.” (Zamyatin 48)

Though he described the scene of a man turning into pure water in the blink of an eye as horrible, he also believed it beautiful and a mechanical marvel.  Any person with a soul would feel utter disdain and supreme fear from this sight, but, as he is soulless at this point in the novel, D-503 sees beauty in it.  He lacks emotion, thus clouding his ability to process that which is happening in the world around him.  The first truly troubling image that D-503 describes is when he visited I-330 for the first time, armed with his pink ticket.  I-330 leaves his presence to change, and when she reappeared, she wore, “…a light dress of an old-fashioned cut, saffron-yellow.  This was a thousand times more evil than wearing nothing at all.  Through the thin material you could see two pointed tips that glowed pink like coals seen through ashes” (54).  This is the first taste of real emotion that D-503 experiences, and he has no idea how to react to the “evil” seduction which he faces.  It is highly significant that images, such as the two aforementioned, are the images that are written in his journal.  It is the imagery that shows the most significant change in D-503’s character; that is emotion.  At first, D-503 is an emotionless, generic being; soulless to all extents.  Then, after being introduced to I-330, and having his eyes opened to new images, new experiences, he becomes more alive and unique.  Thus, I feel imagery is a highly interesting topic in the book.

            My favorite line in the book is most certainly from D-503’s last meeting with the Benefactor.  The Benefactor says to D-503, “Remember: In paradise they’ve lost all knowledge of desires, pity, love–they are blessed, with their imaginations surgically removed” (207).  Then a little bit later, D-503 contemplates on humanity, mentioning if he had a mother.  He says, “And if for her I could be–not the Builder of the INTEGRAL, and not Number D-503, and not a molecule of OneState, but just a piece of humanity, a piece of her own self–trampled, crushed, outcast” (208-209).  This compilation of passages, to me, displays the true meaning of the novel.  The Benefactor, resembling a totalitarian, bent on generating a population of synthetic happiness and ignorant bliss, attempts to take away that which D-503 discoveries is most important in his life; humanity.  This humanity, represented in the book by imagination, is what I-330 has brought to D-503, and is what D-503, inevitably, must give up.  The central meaning of We is that in order for humanity to function adequately, individuality and emotion must be encouraged, not discouraged.  In this dystopian society, the Benefactor discourages all individuality and emotion by giving those under his rule a false sense of paradise, ignorant bliss.  D-503 represents humanity attempting to emerge from the darkness of the false paradise; searching for human imperfection.  

            Overall, I disliked the novel simply because it was far too weird.  That may sound rudimentary, but there were too many aspects of it that I found difficult to grasp and enjoy.  The main aspect I disliked was the animals, or furry humans, whatever they may be called.  The concept of the animalistic creatures holding more just ideals than a dystopian human society bothered me, for it posed evolutionist notions, I thought; meaning that primal beings, the ancestors of humans, are superior intellectually and in societal aspects compared to human beings.  This disturbing thought compels my deep disdain for this book, for the most part.  The frightful image of the cast-iron hand disintegrating the man to pure water was the only part of the book I liked.  Is it frightful? Most certainly it is, yes. Is it unreal? As unreal as anything can possibly be! Cool? So, so very cool.  Such an interesting science-fiction type of anomaly in a book is the only aspect that could keep me entertained throughout the two-hundred twenty-five pages of dry insanity, as it left me sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next person to be vaporized.  Aside from that, not a very good novel.