Summary for Romeo and Juliet, and the two quotes/responses.
The story takes place in Verona, Italy, early in the morning. There are several characters, including the servants that work for the family the Capulets, who are called Sampson and Gregory. There are also two servants that work for the family the Montague’s, called Abram and Balthasar. Walking around, they bump into each other, and while engaged in a verbal confrontation, Benvelio and Tybalt, a Montague and a Capulet, respectively, enter the scene. They join in the arguing, and in the end, a physical fight breaks out between the Montague’s and the Capulets, which is then stopped b Prince Escalus. It is then revealed that Romeo is infatuated with Juliet.
“Everyone is sick of the fighting except Tybalt” (Page Thirty-Four [34] Line 14)
This shows that not everyone really wants to fight for their “side”. Since it says that everyone is sick of the fighting with the exclusion of only Tybalt, this shows that the servants for the Capulets as well as the servants for the Montague don’t really like fighting with each other all the time. It either shows that, or simply just shows they don’t enjoy physical confrontations with each other.
“I’ll keep trying to teach you till I die” (Page Forty-One [41] Line 20)
This quote from what Benvolio said reveals and finally confirms the fact that he does not like Romeo being in love with Juliet, event though it was already to be expected. This shows he wants to stop his love with her, and would not give up easily.
-Kelson Fung, November 13 2007
Plot, Summary, Etc. for Romeo and Juliet
Scene 1
Characters:
There are two servants of the Capulet house, (Sampson and Gregory) and two servants of the Montague house (Abram and Balthasar), as well as Benvolio, Tybalt, a Capulet and Montague, respectively, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, the Prince Excalus, and, in the end, Romeo.
Plot:
The two servants of the Capulet house are walking across town and start joking around with each other, and talking amongst themselves. Two Montague servants then arrive, and start a confrontation with them. The confrontation escalates to the two feuding families entering an all out fight, which is then ended by Prince Escalus, who announces death to whoever “disturbs the peace” again next. In the end, Romeo tells Benvolio of how in love he is with a girl, and how he is having trouble in successfully wooing her.
Setting:
This scene takes place in town square, of Verona, Italy.
Scene 2
Characters:
The characters in this scene include Capulet, Paris (kinsman of the Prince, Escalus), a servant, Romeo, and Benvolio.
Plot:
The plot is that, in the beginning, Paris asks Capulet if he could marry Juliet or not. Capulet doesn’t let him, and argues that Juliet is too young for marriage yet, and says she is not even fourteen yet. Capulet then invites him to a party, where Juliet will be, as well as other girls, and gives a servant the paper with the invitation. Romeo gets a hold of the paper, and, proving he can read it to the servant, also finds out of the party that will be thrown. Romeo decides to go to the party because Benvolio wants him to compare Rosaline, the girl whom Romeo is infatuated with, with other girls, in an attempt to change his mind.
Setting:
The scene takes place in a street near the Capulets’ house.
Scene 3
Characters:
The characters are Juliet, Lady Capulet, the nurse, and a servant.
Plot:
In the beginning, Lady Capulet is talking to the nurse about Juliet, and the nurse tells a story of a humorous incident that occurred with Juliet when she was three. Lady Capulet then speaks with Juliet a marriage with Paris, and tries to convince her to marry him by telling her of all his good qualities, but Juliet seems to be unwilling to do so in the end.
Setting:
The Capulet’s house.
-Kelson Fung, November 19, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Scarlet Letter
Annotations for The Scarlet Letter pages 3 to 142.
“In my native town of Salem, at the head of what, half a century ago, in the days of old King Derby, was a bustling wharf, --but which is now burdened with decayed wooden warehouses, and exhibits few or no symptoms of commercial life, except, perhaps, a bark or brig, half-way down its melancholy length, discharging hides; or, nearer at hand, a Nova Scotia schooner, pitching out her cargo of firewood,--at the head, I say, of this dilapidate wharf, which the tide often overflows, and along which, at the base and in the rear of the row of buildings, the track of many languid years is seen in a border of unthrifty grass…” (p. 4)
I find it really good how he shows us examples that relate to his own past, to give us a clearer example of what he is trying to say. I also find it really odd how his sentences can be so long and still make sense and can just go on and on and on. It’s like when the sentence, you think, stops; he continues the sentence with more details and more in-depth explanations. He also has a really good way of stringing multiple sentences and putting them together into one big sentence.
“…I must be content to call affection” (p. 9)
I find it weird how he can be so blunt with emotions such as this. He can be so specific with so little words, and on the other hand, he can also use sentences of extreme length and still have it be functional. His pure straightforward attitude towards his comment makes it striking all by itself. The way he can just say it without even holding back is shocking to me.
“The boy, also in due time, passed from the forecastle to the cabin, spent a tempestuous manhood, and returned from his world-wanderings, to grow old, and die, and mingle his dust with the natal earth.” (p. 11)
This is surprising, because of the dark mood he sets, and the straightforward aspect and look that the author puts on life. He uses a somewhat depressing tune, and sets the mood to a gloomy feel. This shows that the story will also be sad in mood, sense he is speaking with such negativity towards life even before the story in the introduction.
“It might be difficult—and it was so—to conceive how he should exist hereafter, so earthly and sensuous did he seem; but surely his existence here, admitting that it was to terminate with his last breath, had been not unkindly given; with no higher moral responsibilities than the beasts of the field, but with a larger scope of enjoyment than theirs, and with all their blessed immunity from the dreariness and duskiness of age.” (p. 19)
I find it really amazing how Nathaniel Hawthorne, even while just explaining simple concepts, can be so elaborate in pointing out his views and opinions on it certain things in a straight-forward but still subtle way. He writes really descriptively and effectively uses metaphors and such to enhance his writing. He has a really nice way of explaining his ideas using very colorful vocabulary.
“Nature,--except it were human nature,-the nature that is developed in earth and sky, was, in one sense, hidden from me…” (p. 27)
This simile really caught my attention because it’s so beautiful. The statement is really deep, if you think about it, and you can see that he means a lot from just those simple words. The repetition of the word nature also caught my eye, because normally, in writing, when you repeat a word several times, it means that the writer wants to emphasize that the word, or words, is important.
“After my fellowship of toil and impracticable schemes with the dreamy brethren of Brook Farm; after living for three years within the subtle influence of an intellect like Emerson’s; after those wild, free days on the Assabeth, indulging fantastic speculations, beside our fire of fallen boughs, with Ellery Channing, after talking with Thoreau about pine-trees and Indian relics, in his hermitage at Walden; after growing fastidious by sympathy with the classic refinement of Hilliard’s culture; after becoming imbued with poetic sentiment at Longfellow’s hearth-stone,--it was time, at length, that I should exercise other faculties of my nature, and nourish myself with food for which I had hitherto had little appetite.” (p. 27)
I find it completely shocking that he can use sentences of that incredible length, fill it with complicated words, and still have it be grammatically correct all at the same time. His vocabulary is so complicated and deep, that I have a very hard time of understanding him. His sentences are of extreme length and detail. His writing surpasses a lot of what I have seen throughout my previous years in school.
“Now it was that the lucubration’s of my ancient predecessor, Mr. Surveyor Pue, came into play. Rusty through long idleness, some little space was requisite before my intellectual machinery could be brought to work upon the tale, with an effect in any degree satisfactory.” (p. 46)
His use of words and metaphors and similes are at such a high level that I keep finding situations in which I have to constantly concentrate to even have the slightest idea of what he is talking about. I find it really hard to understand the book, and have to be constantly looking up words in the dictionary.
“…With it’s delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom…” (p. 50)
It’s surprising that Nathanial Hawthorne would put something beautiful and colorful (the rose bush), next to something dark, sad, and gloomy (the jail). This sets a really dark atmosphere for the story, and shows that the rest of the story will be as ironic and sad.
“The door of the jail being flung open from within, there appeared, in the first place, like a black shadow emerging into sunshine, the grim and grisly presence of the town-beadle…” (p. 54
The descriptive words he uses, such as “flung” and “grim and grisly” really catch my attention. Using those words, he can succeed in describing something simply and effectively. In other areas of the book, he also uses words like this, in many different shapes and forms. He manages to stay away from “normal” adjectives, and goes towards those that are more indirect and more metaphorical.
“He was small ins stature, with a furrowed visage, which, as yet, could hardly be termed aged. There was a remarkable intelligence in h is features, as of a person who had so cultivated his mental part that it could not fail to mould the physical to itself…” (p. 62)
His excellent ability in describing things never ceases to amaze me. He describes settings, and in this case, people, so well, that I can actually see the features that he is describing. He makes it as though I am actually there and looking at the person.
“While this passed, Hester Prynne had been standing on her pedestal, still with a fixed gaze towards the stranger; so fixed a gaze, that, at moments of intense absorption, all other objects in the visible world seemed to vanish, leaving only him and her.” (p. 65-67)
This really got me a feeling that he was building suspense, and I felt suspense also. He really effectively uses words to show how fixed their gazes are at each other, and causes feelings of anxiousness in the reader, just like how Hester must have felt at the very moment. He uses the words “stranger”, and “intense absorption” in a creative way to put an image into the reader’s head of what is actively going on in the story.
“I will not speak!” answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. “And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!” (p. 71)
This really makes me anxious on how Hester could just refuse to give the men an answer. She is willing to put a lot, maybe even her total humiliation (her scarlet letter) onto the line into protecting her daughter. This probably shows, either she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up being miserable, or she knows something that she isn’t willing to tell anyone. This hints that the story may be a lot deeper then what is just seen from the surface.
“Thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any” (p. 77)
This really shocked me because she just said that, even though they got married, she never fell in love with him, and never even faked that she did. So this makes me wonder why they got married in the first place. I also think why would he marry her if he probably knew it wouldn’t work out in the end.
“…they branded it afresh into Hester’s soul…” (p. 89)
I found that really sad and I could actually feel the emotional distress that Hester must’ve been feeling. The word “branded” really gave a clear description of how people treated Hester, and I could relate to that. The statement alone got me thinking a lot about truly how Hester must’ve been feeling, and just how easily people form stereotypes of her.
“O Father in Heaven,--if Thou art still my Father,--what is this being which I have brought into the world!” (p. 99)
This shows how bitter and sad Hester is towards this whole situation. It shows that she is really depressed because of all that is happening to her. She is actually so sad, that she would actually speak this way, and question God (who I assume is the “Father” whom she is speaking about) and even question God’s power with the phrase “if Thou art still my Father”. This shows she’s truly distressed, and stressed out from the other people around her.
“Yea, forsooth” (p. 107)
That word is really strange to me, “forsooth”. I think it’s archaic. At first glance I thought it was even an insult. Looking it up in the dictionary didn’t really help. The definition it gave was vague. “Often used ironically”. I don’t know. I think I should ask Mrs. Bosch about this one…
“’I am mother’s child,’ answered the scarlet vision, ‘and my name is Pearl!’” (p. 113)
When she said this she seemed proud to be the daughter of Hester, even though everyone doesn’t like her, or her mother. She also seems to not care what anybody says of her. She seems that she likes to help her mother, and doesn’t want her to be sad, even though she acts so mischievous at times.
“In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.” (p. 109)
This made me think of how everyone would never see Hester for what she really was, but instead, only see the letter that she wore. This means that she is thought of only from her stereotypes, and never from what she truly is. Her real self is always “hidden” behind her scarlet letter.
“Were it God’s will.” (p. 125)
This makes me think that whatever the puritans do, they can always justify it by saying that God wants them to do it. Whenever they get questioned, they could just say God wills it, or something like that. This would technically give them a way to get out of any defiance from anybody, using God as a workaround.
“… Warm love of souls… all of which invaluable gold was perhaps no better than rubbish to the seeker.” (p. 134)
I thought that this would be the only part in the story that had a warm feeling, but I realized I was wrong when I read the “rubbish to the seeker” part. I found it funny how I got “tricked” by the book. This shows that the entire book was really depressing, and I’m constantly looking for a happy spot in the book.
-Kelson Fung, October 15, 2007
Annotations for Scarlet Letter, Pages 140-220
“It mattered little, for his object, whether celestial, or from what other region.” (p. 145)
This quote’s dialogue seems very good in explaining just how little it mattered, no matter how important it was. The word “celestial” particularly caught my eye because it’s not a word that is used often. It gives me the image of something magical, and something really important, so to say even if it were celestial, it still wouldn’t matter, really surprises me, almost in an ironic sense.
“… buried close to their young pastor’s holy grave.” (p. 148)
I wonder how it could be “holy” and still a something as dark as a grave at the same time. I think that it’s because he’s a pastor, and a pastor is something religious, and so making him holy. This in turn makes it so that when he dies, his grave is holy, although this is just an inference in my behalf. I’m not sure if it really is because he was a pastor, or even what a pastor really is, but I think it has something to do with what I think it is.
“He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood.” (p. 150)
This is really ironic, as well as confusing. How can he speak the very truth, and yet still be telling it in a very false way? I know how some people can tell the truth, but somehow change it, or leave out certain words and stuff to change the certain meaning, but I’m really confused on how he can turn the total truth into a total lie. This also proves that he’s really intelligent, to be smart enough to do something like this.
“Carried away by the grotesque horror of this picture…” (p. 157)
Nathanial Hawthorne’s amazing ability to use blunt and striking words never cease to amaze me. His use of grotesque was the absolute perfect way you could use that world, by describing on how the Reverend and the minister was feeling at the time. He really gave me an image in my head on how they Reverend and the minister looked—shocked, and scared, and walking away slowly with dropped jaws.
“There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes…” (p. 160)
This part in the book completely surprised me. Although this was really to be expected, the part where he (Nathanial) said that it was witchcraft that was in her eyes, and not something else, really took me off guard. I know how bad witchcraft was to the puritans of that age, and this shows to me that Pearl is starting to become, slowly, very evil. This shows that she is up to absolutely no good, and if let to go about in her ways, she will eventually cause some really big trouble.
“The letter was the symbol of her calling” (p. 168)
This really makes me wonder, what exactly IS her calling. Could it be the adultery she had (maybe) committed, or could it be something else? I think this just means that, it’s a symbol of what she had already once done, and not a symbol of what she does, or likes doing, but just of what she is, and will forever be because of that one time she had done it. Just makes me wonder a lot, just from the overall vagueness of the sentence.
“… Roger Chillingsworth as on that night, abased by sin, and half maddened by the ignominy, that was still new, when they had talked together in the prison-chamber.” (p. 173)
This, in it’s own little way, shows that he has somewhat of a conscience, and feels remorse for past crimes, otherwise he wouldn’t feel shamed or maddened by the “ignominy” for his sins. This also shows he’s not ENTIRELY evil, or bad, but just part of him is.
“”Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes…” (p. 176-177)
This really scared me because it seems like he suddenly snapped inside his head. It seems he all of a sudden went completely insane from the pressure or something, and just snapped and can’t take it anymore. It seems he’s about to do something completely drastic, and makes every all of a sudden still, and bent according to his will.
“… what does this scarlet letter mean…?” (p. 186)
This shows that Pearl never really knew why her mother had the letter on her chest, nor what it signified that her mother had done to earn the letter to be placed onto her. This also shows that she will maybe do something drastic after she finds out, or become angry at either her mother or society, and will maybe do something to plot revenge. Once she gains the knowledge of exactly why her mother has the letter and what the letter signifies, she might be burdened with that knowledge.
“Didst thou ever meet the Black Man, mother?” (p 193)
This hints that Pearl had heard the story of Cain, and possibly even the story of Hester, but she is not aware that that is which the stories are about. She might not be aware that the stories are really about her and Cain, so she asks her so with such happiness and playfulness. This also shows that although Pearl knows more then is really expected, she does not know enough to do anything harsh or reckless.
“Heaven would show mercy.” (p. 205)
This shows that Hester is really religious, and believes that heaven is good, even after all that it has caused her with the scarlet letter. This shows that the puritan beliefs and the culture around her really effect the way she thinks. This is almost ironic, because she is believing in something that has hurt her and caused her pain emotional and mentally over the years.
“Thou wilt love her dearly” (p. 215)
This shows that Hester really cares about Pearl and wants the best for her. This also proves that Hester will love Pearl no matter what happens. She just wants her to lead a normal, comfortable life, not unlike most other parents do for their children, even though her situation is much different from the average parent’s.
-Kelson Fung, October, 22
“In my native town of Salem, at the head of what, half a century ago, in the days of old King Derby, was a bustling wharf, --but which is now burdened with decayed wooden warehouses, and exhibits few or no symptoms of commercial life, except, perhaps, a bark or brig, half-way down its melancholy length, discharging hides; or, nearer at hand, a Nova Scotia schooner, pitching out her cargo of firewood,--at the head, I say, of this dilapidate wharf, which the tide often overflows, and along which, at the base and in the rear of the row of buildings, the track of many languid years is seen in a border of unthrifty grass…” (p. 4)
I find it really good how he shows us examples that relate to his own past, to give us a clearer example of what he is trying to say. I also find it really odd how his sentences can be so long and still make sense and can just go on and on and on. It’s like when the sentence, you think, stops; he continues the sentence with more details and more in-depth explanations. He also has a really good way of stringing multiple sentences and putting them together into one big sentence.
“…I must be content to call affection” (p. 9)
I find it weird how he can be so blunt with emotions such as this. He can be so specific with so little words, and on the other hand, he can also use sentences of extreme length and still have it be functional. His pure straightforward attitude towards his comment makes it striking all by itself. The way he can just say it without even holding back is shocking to me.
“The boy, also in due time, passed from the forecastle to the cabin, spent a tempestuous manhood, and returned from his world-wanderings, to grow old, and die, and mingle his dust with the natal earth.” (p. 11)
This is surprising, because of the dark mood he sets, and the straightforward aspect and look that the author puts on life. He uses a somewhat depressing tune, and sets the mood to a gloomy feel. This shows that the story will also be sad in mood, sense he is speaking with such negativity towards life even before the story in the introduction.
“It might be difficult—and it was so—to conceive how he should exist hereafter, so earthly and sensuous did he seem; but surely his existence here, admitting that it was to terminate with his last breath, had been not unkindly given; with no higher moral responsibilities than the beasts of the field, but with a larger scope of enjoyment than theirs, and with all their blessed immunity from the dreariness and duskiness of age.” (p. 19)
I find it really amazing how Nathaniel Hawthorne, even while just explaining simple concepts, can be so elaborate in pointing out his views and opinions on it certain things in a straight-forward but still subtle way. He writes really descriptively and effectively uses metaphors and such to enhance his writing. He has a really nice way of explaining his ideas using very colorful vocabulary.
“Nature,--except it were human nature,-the nature that is developed in earth and sky, was, in one sense, hidden from me…” (p. 27)
This simile really caught my attention because it’s so beautiful. The statement is really deep, if you think about it, and you can see that he means a lot from just those simple words. The repetition of the word nature also caught my eye, because normally, in writing, when you repeat a word several times, it means that the writer wants to emphasize that the word, or words, is important.
“After my fellowship of toil and impracticable schemes with the dreamy brethren of Brook Farm; after living for three years within the subtle influence of an intellect like Emerson’s; after those wild, free days on the Assabeth, indulging fantastic speculations, beside our fire of fallen boughs, with Ellery Channing, after talking with Thoreau about pine-trees and Indian relics, in his hermitage at Walden; after growing fastidious by sympathy with the classic refinement of Hilliard’s culture; after becoming imbued with poetic sentiment at Longfellow’s hearth-stone,--it was time, at length, that I should exercise other faculties of my nature, and nourish myself with food for which I had hitherto had little appetite.” (p. 27)
I find it completely shocking that he can use sentences of that incredible length, fill it with complicated words, and still have it be grammatically correct all at the same time. His vocabulary is so complicated and deep, that I have a very hard time of understanding him. His sentences are of extreme length and detail. His writing surpasses a lot of what I have seen throughout my previous years in school.
“Now it was that the lucubration’s of my ancient predecessor, Mr. Surveyor Pue, came into play. Rusty through long idleness, some little space was requisite before my intellectual machinery could be brought to work upon the tale, with an effect in any degree satisfactory.” (p. 46)
His use of words and metaphors and similes are at such a high level that I keep finding situations in which I have to constantly concentrate to even have the slightest idea of what he is talking about. I find it really hard to understand the book, and have to be constantly looking up words in the dictionary.
“…With it’s delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom…” (p. 50)
It’s surprising that Nathanial Hawthorne would put something beautiful and colorful (the rose bush), next to something dark, sad, and gloomy (the jail). This sets a really dark atmosphere for the story, and shows that the rest of the story will be as ironic and sad.
“The door of the jail being flung open from within, there appeared, in the first place, like a black shadow emerging into sunshine, the grim and grisly presence of the town-beadle…” (p. 54
The descriptive words he uses, such as “flung” and “grim and grisly” really catch my attention. Using those words, he can succeed in describing something simply and effectively. In other areas of the book, he also uses words like this, in many different shapes and forms. He manages to stay away from “normal” adjectives, and goes towards those that are more indirect and more metaphorical.
“He was small ins stature, with a furrowed visage, which, as yet, could hardly be termed aged. There was a remarkable intelligence in h is features, as of a person who had so cultivated his mental part that it could not fail to mould the physical to itself…” (p. 62)
His excellent ability in describing things never ceases to amaze me. He describes settings, and in this case, people, so well, that I can actually see the features that he is describing. He makes it as though I am actually there and looking at the person.
“While this passed, Hester Prynne had been standing on her pedestal, still with a fixed gaze towards the stranger; so fixed a gaze, that, at moments of intense absorption, all other objects in the visible world seemed to vanish, leaving only him and her.” (p. 65-67)
This really got me a feeling that he was building suspense, and I felt suspense also. He really effectively uses words to show how fixed their gazes are at each other, and causes feelings of anxiousness in the reader, just like how Hester must have felt at the very moment. He uses the words “stranger”, and “intense absorption” in a creative way to put an image into the reader’s head of what is actively going on in the story.
“I will not speak!” answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. “And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!” (p. 71)
This really makes me anxious on how Hester could just refuse to give the men an answer. She is willing to put a lot, maybe even her total humiliation (her scarlet letter) onto the line into protecting her daughter. This probably shows, either she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up being miserable, or she knows something that she isn’t willing to tell anyone. This hints that the story may be a lot deeper then what is just seen from the surface.
“Thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any” (p. 77)
This really shocked me because she just said that, even though they got married, she never fell in love with him, and never even faked that she did. So this makes me wonder why they got married in the first place. I also think why would he marry her if he probably knew it wouldn’t work out in the end.
“…they branded it afresh into Hester’s soul…” (p. 89)
I found that really sad and I could actually feel the emotional distress that Hester must’ve been feeling. The word “branded” really gave a clear description of how people treated Hester, and I could relate to that. The statement alone got me thinking a lot about truly how Hester must’ve been feeling, and just how easily people form stereotypes of her.
“O Father in Heaven,--if Thou art still my Father,--what is this being which I have brought into the world!” (p. 99)
This shows how bitter and sad Hester is towards this whole situation. It shows that she is really depressed because of all that is happening to her. She is actually so sad, that she would actually speak this way, and question God (who I assume is the “Father” whom she is speaking about) and even question God’s power with the phrase “if Thou art still my Father”. This shows she’s truly distressed, and stressed out from the other people around her.
“Yea, forsooth” (p. 107)
That word is really strange to me, “forsooth”. I think it’s archaic. At first glance I thought it was even an insult. Looking it up in the dictionary didn’t really help. The definition it gave was vague. “Often used ironically”. I don’t know. I think I should ask Mrs. Bosch about this one…
“’I am mother’s child,’ answered the scarlet vision, ‘and my name is Pearl!’” (p. 113)
When she said this she seemed proud to be the daughter of Hester, even though everyone doesn’t like her, or her mother. She also seems to not care what anybody says of her. She seems that she likes to help her mother, and doesn’t want her to be sad, even though she acts so mischievous at times.
“In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.” (p. 109)
This made me think of how everyone would never see Hester for what she really was, but instead, only see the letter that she wore. This means that she is thought of only from her stereotypes, and never from what she truly is. Her real self is always “hidden” behind her scarlet letter.
“Were it God’s will.” (p. 125)
This makes me think that whatever the puritans do, they can always justify it by saying that God wants them to do it. Whenever they get questioned, they could just say God wills it, or something like that. This would technically give them a way to get out of any defiance from anybody, using God as a workaround.
“… Warm love of souls… all of which invaluable gold was perhaps no better than rubbish to the seeker.” (p. 134)
I thought that this would be the only part in the story that had a warm feeling, but I realized I was wrong when I read the “rubbish to the seeker” part. I found it funny how I got “tricked” by the book. This shows that the entire book was really depressing, and I’m constantly looking for a happy spot in the book.
-Kelson Fung, October 15, 2007
Annotations for Scarlet Letter, Pages 140-220
“It mattered little, for his object, whether celestial, or from what other region.” (p. 145)
This quote’s dialogue seems very good in explaining just how little it mattered, no matter how important it was. The word “celestial” particularly caught my eye because it’s not a word that is used often. It gives me the image of something magical, and something really important, so to say even if it were celestial, it still wouldn’t matter, really surprises me, almost in an ironic sense.
“… buried close to their young pastor’s holy grave.” (p. 148)
I wonder how it could be “holy” and still a something as dark as a grave at the same time. I think that it’s because he’s a pastor, and a pastor is something religious, and so making him holy. This in turn makes it so that when he dies, his grave is holy, although this is just an inference in my behalf. I’m not sure if it really is because he was a pastor, or even what a pastor really is, but I think it has something to do with what I think it is.
“He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood.” (p. 150)
This is really ironic, as well as confusing. How can he speak the very truth, and yet still be telling it in a very false way? I know how some people can tell the truth, but somehow change it, or leave out certain words and stuff to change the certain meaning, but I’m really confused on how he can turn the total truth into a total lie. This also proves that he’s really intelligent, to be smart enough to do something like this.
“Carried away by the grotesque horror of this picture…” (p. 157)
Nathanial Hawthorne’s amazing ability to use blunt and striking words never cease to amaze me. His use of grotesque was the absolute perfect way you could use that world, by describing on how the Reverend and the minister was feeling at the time. He really gave me an image in my head on how they Reverend and the minister looked—shocked, and scared, and walking away slowly with dropped jaws.
“There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes…” (p. 160)
This part in the book completely surprised me. Although this was really to be expected, the part where he (Nathanial) said that it was witchcraft that was in her eyes, and not something else, really took me off guard. I know how bad witchcraft was to the puritans of that age, and this shows to me that Pearl is starting to become, slowly, very evil. This shows that she is up to absolutely no good, and if let to go about in her ways, she will eventually cause some really big trouble.
“The letter was the symbol of her calling” (p. 168)
This really makes me wonder, what exactly IS her calling. Could it be the adultery she had (maybe) committed, or could it be something else? I think this just means that, it’s a symbol of what she had already once done, and not a symbol of what she does, or likes doing, but just of what she is, and will forever be because of that one time she had done it. Just makes me wonder a lot, just from the overall vagueness of the sentence.
“… Roger Chillingsworth as on that night, abased by sin, and half maddened by the ignominy, that was still new, when they had talked together in the prison-chamber.” (p. 173)
This, in it’s own little way, shows that he has somewhat of a conscience, and feels remorse for past crimes, otherwise he wouldn’t feel shamed or maddened by the “ignominy” for his sins. This also shows he’s not ENTIRELY evil, or bad, but just part of him is.
“”Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes…” (p. 176-177)
This really scared me because it seems like he suddenly snapped inside his head. It seems he all of a sudden went completely insane from the pressure or something, and just snapped and can’t take it anymore. It seems he’s about to do something completely drastic, and makes every all of a sudden still, and bent according to his will.
“… what does this scarlet letter mean…?” (p. 186)
This shows that Pearl never really knew why her mother had the letter on her chest, nor what it signified that her mother had done to earn the letter to be placed onto her. This also shows that she will maybe do something drastic after she finds out, or become angry at either her mother or society, and will maybe do something to plot revenge. Once she gains the knowledge of exactly why her mother has the letter and what the letter signifies, she might be burdened with that knowledge.
“Didst thou ever meet the Black Man, mother?” (p 193)
This hints that Pearl had heard the story of Cain, and possibly even the story of Hester, but she is not aware that that is which the stories are about. She might not be aware that the stories are really about her and Cain, so she asks her so with such happiness and playfulness. This also shows that although Pearl knows more then is really expected, she does not know enough to do anything harsh or reckless.
“Heaven would show mercy.” (p. 205)
This shows that Hester is really religious, and believes that heaven is good, even after all that it has caused her with the scarlet letter. This shows that the puritan beliefs and the culture around her really effect the way she thinks. This is almost ironic, because she is believing in something that has hurt her and caused her pain emotional and mentally over the years.
“Thou wilt love her dearly” (p. 215)
This shows that Hester really cares about Pearl and wants the best for her. This also proves that Hester will love Pearl no matter what happens. She just wants her to lead a normal, comfortable life, not unlike most other parents do for their children, even though her situation is much different from the average parent’s.
-Kelson Fung, October, 22
Friday, September 21, 2007
Of Mice and Men: Assignment
My personal annotations of the book Of Mice and Men, chapters one through four.
“I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl.” (p. 7)
The fact that George would say that to Lennie, plus the fact that the statement is probably true, is evident that George is really close to Lennie. The reason being is because, even though George is mentally aware that he could probably get along with his own life a lot better then right now, when he’s with Lennie, he still stays with him, showing that they care about each other a lot and has a lot of trust towards each other. It shows that George cares about Lennie so much he would probably stick with him no matter what happen.
“”I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself. No, you stay with me.” (p. 13)
This shows that George really cares about Lennie, even though he curses at him and sometimes falsely shows that he hates him and wants him to go away. It also shows that, in a way, George needs Lennie just as much as Lennie needs him, so they can be together, no matter what they go through. It also shows that George would never abandon Lennie.
“Well, I think Curley’s married… a tart.” (p. 29)
This is evident that the people around the ranch gossip a lot, and probably have nothing else to do in their spare time but talk to each other about things. With the constant spreading of information from one person to another, there are bound to be misunderstandings and various untrue gossips that are told from time to time. From these gossips, there are also bound to be some stereotypes and opinions that might not be entirely true.
“Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog…” (p. 36)
Carlson making this comment shows that he believes that once something, or even someone, gets old, they are no longer worth anything anymore. This event, in which Carlson proposes that Candy’s old dog be shot because it’s old and not useful is strong evidence of this belief. Since Carlson has this belief, perhaps maybe the people around him have this belief, and it may even be a widely accepted opinion.
“I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got old an’ a cripple.” (p. 45)
Carlson is trying to make a point to Candy that the dog is no longer useful and should be “put out of its misery”. Even though he may only be trying to persuade Candy to kill the dog, because he personally doesn’t like the dog, but it may lead a hint to something else. It shows that Carlson has a belief that old and crippled things don’t deserve to live any longer, and killing them would just be putting them out of their misery. Since Candy himself is old and crippled, this is a really strong indication of Carlson’s and possibly even the others’ view on Candy.
“We could live offa the fatta the lan’.” (p. 57)
This shows the dream that Lennie and George both hold for the future. It shows that they both want to get some land so they could live by themselves peacefully and have no one bother them. They want to have nobody to tell them what to do, and to just mind their own business. This is important because they both plan on actually getting the land in the future, so they have something to work and stride for together.
Lennie, reluctant to fighting back to Curly while he was confronted by him, eventually took George’s advice and fought back, although still unwilling too. He crushed Curly’s hand with ease, then said, “You tol’ me to, George,” miserably while sulking to the corner of the room. (p. 63-64)
Even though that Lennie is strong enough to crush Curly’s hand very easily, and could possibly even kill him with relative ease, he is really reluctant to harm anybody, even when commanded to do so by George. Even after he did crush Curly’s hand, he let go and didn’t continue his retaliation, and even showed an incredible amount of regret and sadness in crushing his hand. This shows that, even though Lennie is really strong, he is unwilling the use his strength to harm other people. It also shows that Lennie is very capable of causing immense amounts of harm to other people with little or no effort.
“Ain’t nobody goin’ to suppose no hurt to George.” (p. 72)
Lennie seems to be very protective of George, and won’t let any harm come to him. This shows that he really likes George, and has a really strong bond with him. This also, in a way, shows that George is really kind to Lennie and cares for him for Lennie to be so protective of him. It might be because Lennie would be all alone if he didn’t have George, and doesn’t want to not have him too.
“I was jus’ playin’ with him… an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me… an’ I made like I was gonna smack him… an’… an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.” (p. 87)
Lennie, even though not consciously on purpose, killed the puppy given to him by Slim, because he felt threatened by the dog, since it seemed to him the puppy was going to bite him. He accidentally killed the dog with one smack, which shows that his strength is actually enough to kill small animals with ease, even though in no case he does it on purpose. It also shows that every time that Lennie gets threatened in one way or another, he loses control of himself very easily and ends up either killing or seriously injuring the thing that threatens him, proving that he is very dangerous if messed with.
-Kelson Fung, September 21th, 2007
My annotations of quotes and events in chapters five and six of the book, Of Mice and Men.
In this chapter, Lennie unintentionally explains that he always kills what he pets, because they’re soft and when they “attempt to harm him”, he accidentally hits them, or something else to stop them. Then, Curly’s wife offers him to touch her hair, since she
it’s really soft because she brushes it everyday. (p.85-90)
This foreshadows that Lennie will accidentally do something to harm Curly’s wife, as he has done to other things and people in the past. It hints at the conclusion that Lennie will eventually unintentional kill her, because he might feel threatened by her in some way. It also shows that Lennie will get in trouble for causing harm to her, and would be forced to come up with a way to escape.
“And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.” (p.91)
I chose this quote from this chapter, particularly because of the reason that it can be so straightforward with the fact that Lennie had killed a person. Also because that it shows that Lennie has indeed killed her. It is shocking that Lennie would do that, although his purpose was just to stop her from yelling.
“George moved slowly after them, and his feet dragged heavily” (98)
This quote shows that George was really sad, not with what Lennie had done, but that Lennie would have to face the consequences for what he had done. It shows that he was really sad that the people would try to kill him and possibly give him a torturous life. It even hints at the fact that George was sad that he would lose Lennie.
“… George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.” (p.106)
The fact that George would kill Lennie was very shocking. They were really good buddies, and were going to stick with each other no matter what. They trusted each other as if they were family, and maybe even more then that. They cared for each other, and they needed each other. Yet, the quote shows the George didn’t want to kill Lennie. It shows that he was, indeed, reluctant to do it. This shows that George didn’t kill him as punishment for killing Curly’s wife, but instead for his own good. He didn’t want Lennie to suffer torture, or being killed by the other guys, or even a stranger, so he killed him himself to prevent Lennie from further suffering.
-Kelson Fung, September 27th, 2007
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