"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones." pg 264
The Lottery
Shirley Jackson
When I think of the lottery I think of the million dollar prize and lottery tickets. This story, however, was not like the lottery of today. Winning this lottery entailed death. Tensions rose as families awaited to see whether or not they got the black dot which was the difference between the life or death of someone in your family. It is ironic because the lottery is usually associated with riches, yet the winner of this lottery is punished by being stoned to death.
The stoning is foreshadowed in the above quote with the boys all gathering up the best rocks. These boys are used to the lotteries and stoning obviously because they readily go out and collect the stones. No one seems to find the lottery absurd or odd, but it's rather seen as a common activity in the town that is actually anticipated. The third person point of view provides no comment on the sacrificial activity or lottery process showing that this lottery is an accepted tradition.
Overall this story portrays the cruelty of human nature. I was somewhat reminded of the Bible stories in which the Romans would throw humans into the coliseum filled with hungry tigers as a means of entertainment. The scapegoat in this story was Tessie; she arrived late afraid she would miss out on the fun of the lottery and yet she is the one that ends up receiving the stoning. At the end of the story and she keeps saying "It isn't fair" to show that the lottery is in fact, not fair at all. It is an old tradition that simply is not right.
Showing posts with label irony. Show all posts
Showing posts with label irony. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Once upon a Time
"He dragged a ladder to the wall, the shining coiled tunnel was just wide enough for his little body to creep in, and with the first fixing of its razor teeth in his knees and hands and head he screamed and struggled deeper into its tangle." pg 236
Once upon a Time
Nadine Gordimer
Upon seeing the title of this story I thought it would be a fairytale of some sort, but I was wrong. The ending was definitely not happily ever after with all of the conflicts resolved.
Throughout this story, the main literary device I noted was irony. The story itself was ironic because the speaker considered it a children's story; after reading this story I think we can agree that this is not meant to be read to children, since a child died at the end.
It's also ironic though because the people in the neighborhood were so afraid of burglaries that they were supposed to be protecting themselves with fences and barbed wires and such, yet they were really just endangering themselves even more. If they had not installed all of the fancy burglary systems and had been robbed, that robbery still would have been a better situation compared to the death of the son via teeth on the razor sharp anti-burglar fence. The parents don't seem to realize a burglary is something that's temporary; the death of the son on the other hand, is permanent. Which is the better choice in this situation...? Hmm
Possible themes in this story may be that you should be cautionary when someone warns you, but it should not take over to the extent where it can actually cause more danger. It defeats the purpose to try to be cautionary against burglars by installing huge lethal fences that can harm people in one's own family.
Finally, the words "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" apply to everyone, not just the burglars, as seen with the final scene of the son being chopped up by the fence.
Once upon a Time
Nadine Gordimer
Upon seeing the title of this story I thought it would be a fairytale of some sort, but I was wrong. The ending was definitely not happily ever after with all of the conflicts resolved.
Throughout this story, the main literary device I noted was irony. The story itself was ironic because the speaker considered it a children's story; after reading this story I think we can agree that this is not meant to be read to children, since a child died at the end.
It's also ironic though because the people in the neighborhood were so afraid of burglaries that they were supposed to be protecting themselves with fences and barbed wires and such, yet they were really just endangering themselves even more. If they had not installed all of the fancy burglary systems and had been robbed, that robbery still would have been a better situation compared to the death of the son via teeth on the razor sharp anti-burglar fence. The parents don't seem to realize a burglary is something that's temporary; the death of the son on the other hand, is permanent. Which is the better choice in this situation...? Hmm
Possible themes in this story may be that you should be cautionary when someone warns you, but it should not take over to the extent where it can actually cause more danger. It defeats the purpose to try to be cautionary against burglars by installing huge lethal fences that can harm people in one's own family.
Finally, the words "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" apply to everyone, not just the burglars, as seen with the final scene of the son being chopped up by the fence.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Interpreter of Maladies
"I am not a doctor. I work with one. As an interpreter." pg 152
Interpreter of Maladies
Juhmpa Lahiri
This story was rather ironic because of how Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das had completely different interpretations of situations. First off, Mr. Kapasi took Mrs. Das's interest in his job as an interpreter for doctor's as a sign that she was hitting on him. Mrs. Das, on the other hand, was instead trying to dig deeper into Mr. Kapasi's career to see if he could somehow help her out with her maladies in life. The entire time, Mr. Kapasi imagined himself falling in love with Mrs. Das and receiving her letter in six weeks while Mrs. Das was focusing on what advice she could possibly pry from Mr. Kapasi. Mrs. Das's character was a little bit manipulative. She was intent on receiving comfort from Mr. Kapasi as to how she could deal with the guilt that she experienced from the affair she had with another man. She was depressed with her life, since she was constantly reminded of the affair because of her son Bobby, who was not even the real son of her husband, Raj. Although I understand her reasoning behind why she is depressed, it was still sad when Mr. Kapasi realized Mrs. Das was only after him for the benefits his career might provide her. I found it funny and ironic too that Mrs. Das thought Mr. Kapasi was basically a psychiatrist, when instead, he really only interpreted physical problems, not mental problems; Mrs. Das's misinterpretation of Mr. Kapasi's career made the ending ironic.
Interpreter of Maladies
Juhmpa Lahiri
This story was rather ironic because of how Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das had completely different interpretations of situations. First off, Mr. Kapasi took Mrs. Das's interest in his job as an interpreter for doctor's as a sign that she was hitting on him. Mrs. Das, on the other hand, was instead trying to dig deeper into Mr. Kapasi's career to see if he could somehow help her out with her maladies in life. The entire time, Mr. Kapasi imagined himself falling in love with Mrs. Das and receiving her letter in six weeks while Mrs. Das was focusing on what advice she could possibly pry from Mr. Kapasi. Mrs. Das's character was a little bit manipulative. She was intent on receiving comfort from Mr. Kapasi as to how she could deal with the guilt that she experienced from the affair she had with another man. She was depressed with her life, since she was constantly reminded of the affair because of her son Bobby, who was not even the real son of her husband, Raj. Although I understand her reasoning behind why she is depressed, it was still sad when Mr. Kapasi realized Mrs. Das was only after him for the benefits his career might provide her. I found it funny and ironic too that Mrs. Das thought Mr. Kapasi was basically a psychiatrist, when instead, he really only interpreted physical problems, not mental problems; Mrs. Das's misinterpretation of Mr. Kapasi's career made the ending ironic.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Ozymandias
"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
"Ozymandias"
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Ozymandias seems like the kind of character that tried to overtake an entire society/government and change it according to how he wanted it to be organized. He calls himself "king of kings" which may imply he felt like he was superior and that he possessed power over others. Throughout the poem, I noticed that Ozymandias was not particularly well-liked, mainly from the negative diction. I saw words like "frown," "lifeless," "mocked," and "cold." I think Ozymandias attempted to ignite change in society, but ending up failing. The poem's very ironic because the pedestal of the sculpture of his head it says "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" when around that stone there was basically nothing but miles of sand a desert. The speaker outright states, "Nothing besides remains," and that it is "boundless and bare." Ozymandias's legacy did not live; only his ironic words etched in stone remained in the middle of the desert. There is no one for miles to appreciate his 'great works.'
"Ozymandias"
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Ozymandias seems like the kind of character that tried to overtake an entire society/government and change it according to how he wanted it to be organized. He calls himself "king of kings" which may imply he felt like he was superior and that he possessed power over others. Throughout the poem, I noticed that Ozymandias was not particularly well-liked, mainly from the negative diction. I saw words like "frown," "lifeless," "mocked," and "cold." I think Ozymandias attempted to ignite change in society, but ending up failing. The poem's very ironic because the pedestal of the sculpture of his head it says "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" when around that stone there was basically nothing but miles of sand a desert. The speaker outright states, "Nothing besides remains," and that it is "boundless and bare." Ozymandias's legacy did not live; only his ironic words etched in stone remained in the middle of the desert. There is no one for miles to appreciate his 'great works.'
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