Week Seven

This week, we read Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Woolf's unique style gives insight into the thought processes of the characters, allowing the reader to learn intimate details about the characters, how they see themselves, and how they see each other.

Week Six

This week, we read from W. B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot, and James Joyce. I really enjoyed reading Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." It felt like I was inside the narrtor's mind, listening to his rambling thoughts as he tries to decide whether or not to abandon his monotonous ways and take a risk in order to have some fun. I like the words he uses to describe how every day is the same. "For I have known them all already, known them all:/--Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,/I have measured out my life with coffee spoons."

I was surprised to find that I also enjoyed James Joyce's "The Dead." I've had a grudge against him ever since I accidentally stumbled upon Finnigan's Wake my junior year of high school. I enjoy Modernism to a certain extent, but that novel was unreadable. "The Dead," on the other hand, though it had several Modernist qualities, still had a recognizable story line. The story brought up an interesting idea. Is it better to die young so that you will always be remembered at your peak, when you are the most passionate and full of life? Or, is it better to live into old age, slowly fading away until death?

Week Five

This week, we read Great Expectations, a rags to riches story by Charles Dickens. Pip is a young boy whose only goal is to gain the love of a beautiful rich girl, Estella. Given the oppurtunity to impress her after gaining a small fortune from a mysterious benefactor, Pip goes to London where he learns to be a gentleman. In his efforts to become a gentleman, Pip ignores his friends and family, only to be rejected by Estella. In the end, Pip learns that loyal friends are far more important than money and prestige.

Week Four

This week, the work I found most interesting was Tennyson's "The Woman's Cause is Man's." It shows the beginnings of feminism budding in the Victorian Era, showing the progressive nature of society in that time. It is especially nice to see a man who is an advocate for women, using his influence to change other men's views about woman's role.

I will say that this poem is not very feminist by today's standards. The poem suggests that marriage is the only good option for men and women and that woman's sole use is as a wife and mother. However, in the Victorian period, career women were not commonplace, and saying that women should be independent would have scared them away, most women included.

Week Three

So, this week we're talking about Frankenstein, which has lead me to think a lot about the differences between the way movies and popular culture represent Frankenstein and what the book is really like.

In the movies, Victor Frankenstein is usually depicted as a creepy mad scientist.


In the book, Victor isn't crazy. He's just super depressed and spends a lot of time crying and feeling sorry for himself.

In the movies, Frankenstein's creation is depicted as a mindless, zombie-like monster that randomly murders people.

In the book, Frankenstein's monster is surprisingly intelligent and misunderstood. He just wants to be loved. It's not his fault he's so scary looking. He's only driven to kill because everyone, including his creator, has shunned him.

Week Two

The main thing I noticed this week while reading these Romantic poems is that the Romantics write mostly about the same things that Realists write, life, love, loss, etc. The main difference I found is the way in which the Romantics approach these topics. Their descriptions tend to be exaggerated and and dramatic, and they even make the mundane seem beautiful.

Week One

I think my favorite poem from week one was William Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper." I found that the poem was especially effective through its use of irony in getting its message across. An outrightly sad poem is less likely to grab one's attention. Instead, Blake turns things around, discussing some of the drearier aspects of being a chimney sweeper and pointing out the "positive" aspects of them. Rather than simply depressing the reader, this poem about a very sad topic becomes intriguing and leaves a solid impression on the reader, causing one to really think about the horrible fate of children made to do such a terrible and dangerous job.