Sentence Summary: With the political turmoil of France reaching new heights, Frederic fails on two occasions to run for election, discusses politics with members of high society, leaves Rosanette and Madame Dambreuse because of Madame Arnoux, reunites with Madame Arnoux, and reflects on his life.
Paragraph Summary: After spending his first night with Rosanette, Frederic hears fighting in the streets and goes to investigate. He sees people storming and destroying the former king's palace. He meets up with Hussonnet, and they spot Dussardier, who is fighting for the Republic. Frederic sees Rosanette and she pledges her support for the Republic. After meeting with Dambreuse, Frederic is conviced to run for election. He attempts to give a speech at a meeting, but Senecal turns the crowd against him, and he leaves. One day, Frederic sees Arnoux coming to Rosanette's and realizes that he is still one of Rosanette's lovers. Frederic fills in for Arnoux at his guard post, and realizes that Arnoux asked him to do this so he could be alone with Rosanette. Rosanette tells Frederic she doesn't love Arnoux, and they go on a vacation together. Frederic returns to Paris after hearing that Dussardier had been wounded. Frederic then attends a party at the Dambreuses where a question by Roque reveals that Rosanette is his mistress. Louise and Madame Arnoux talk about Frederic, and the Madame says Frederic can be deceptive. Louise goes to see Frederic that night, but learns he hasn't slept at home in a long time, and she becomes very sad. Later, Arnoux visits Frederic and asks him to come by again. He does, but only the Madame is there. They tell each other they still love each other, but Rosanette interupts them. Frederic is upset, and Rosanette reveals she is pregnant. Frederic starts to fall out of love with her, and begins trying to woo Madame Dambreuse. He eventually does, and begins living a doubel life. His affair with Madame Dambreuse becomes mostly about social status as he realizes he doesn't love her. Monsieur Dambreuse dies, and the Madame asks Frederic to marry her. He agrees. After the funeral, Madame Dambreuse can't find the will that would give her her husband's fortune. Rosanette gives birth, and Frederic has to lie to Madame Dambreuse about where he was. Rosanette hints that she wants to marry Frederic, and this irritates him. Rosanette has unsettled debts, and eventually sues Arnoux for the money. After she wins the case, their baby dies. Pellerin paints a portrait for them, and informs Frederic that Arnoux is leaving paris. He needs money to help them, and gets it from Madame Dambreuse after lying to her. He can't save Arnoux, and one day he sees that their possessions are going to be sold. He blames Rosanette, they argue, and he leaves her. Then, when he is with Madame Dambreuse, she buys an item from the Arnoux's. Frederic is upset, and leaves her. He goes to Nogent, with the hope of marrying Louise, but sees that she is marrying Deslauries. He returns to Paris where he sees Dussardier killed by Senecal. After many years, Madame Arnoux visits Frederic, and they declare their love for each other, but they realize they can't be together. Frederic and Deslauries talk together about their lives and how they are essentially failures. They end by talking about a memory that they argee is the happiest of their lives.
Close Reading: Pg. 454 "Frederic, drunk with his own eloquence, began to believe what he was saying"
This sentence comes after Frederic tells Madame Arnoux how profoundly the thought of her used to fill him with passion. Although Frederic's speech is romanticized and exaggerated, it certaintly parallels feelings he expresses earlier in the novel. For this reason, I find it strange that this sentence hints at a level of insincertiy on Frederic's part. By saying that Frederic "began to believe what he was saying", the narrator is suggesting that prior to uttering these endearments, Frederic did not believe them to be true. It is only because he is "drunk with his own eloquence" that he begins to believe he is being sincere. This suggests that Frederic can convince himself that an insincere comment is sincere simply by speaking it in an eloquent fashion. This fact alters the way I read Frederic's character. If his feelings, specifically his feelings for Madame Arnoux, can be affected by his eloquence, how trustworthy are his declarations of love throughout the novel? What if Frederic convinced himself that he loved Madame Arnoux early in the novel simply by eloquently romanticizing about her? This skepticism can be applied to all of Frederic's declarations throughout the novel. How much of his speech during high society gatherings was actually insincere? How often was Frederic convinced of an idea because of his eloquence? This level on uncertainty regarding Frederic's sincerity forces the reader to be more skeptical of his claims, and to consider whether or not they are affected by his speech.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Sentimental Education, Pt. 2
Sentence Summary: Frederic, with his uncle's large inheritance in hand, returns to Paris where he once again spends time with the Arnoux's, becoming closer to the Madame during the couples marital struggles, begins pursuing another mistress, whom he finally seduces at the end of this section, spends his money frivolously, and dismisses his love for Madame Arnoux after he fails to make her his lover.
Paragraph Summary: Once back in Paris, Frederic discovers that the Arnoux's have moved after he tracks down and speaks with Regimbart. He visits them at their new house, and after seeing Madame Arnoux, he is suprised at his lack of emotion. He states that he will not think of her anymore, but spontaneously decides to call on her instead of visiting the Dambreuses. She is ill, and Frederic attends a party with Arnoux where he meets Rosanette, a loose woman who Frederic trys to make his mistress. Frederic buys himself a house, over-spending in the process. He calls on Madame Dambreuses and later Rosanette, establishing himself as a welcome guest in both houses. He then visits Madame Arnoux and discusses her husband's financial problems with her, gaining her trust in the process. Frederic then begins going with Arnoux to Rosanette's house on a regular basis. He learns that Rosanette is growing tired of having Arnoux as her lover, and he trys to maker her his mistress, but fails. The Arnoux's begin having marital troubles, and Frederic finds himself in the middle of their affairs. He urges both sides to seperate, but to no avail. Frederic lends money to Arnoux, despite having promised it to Deslauriers. Their friendship ends. Later, Frederic decides to neglect visiting Dambreuses for a job in favor of visiting Madame Arnoux. He finally tells her how he feels, but she rejects him, and Frederic decides to go after Rosanette in revenge. He takes her to the races, but is embarassed when Cisy is the one who takes her home. The two men meet for dinner the next day, and Frederic becomes enraged after Cisy makes a negative comment about Madame Arnoux, throwing a plate at Cisy. Frederic refuses to apologize and demands a duel. At the duel, Cisy faints and Arnoux arrives to break up the duel. Frederic then recieves a letter from his mother urging him to return home and marry Louise. In Paris, Deslauriers visits Madame Arnoux, declares that he loves her, and reveals that Frederic is soon to marry. After he leaves, Madame Arnoux realizes she loves Frederic. In Nogent, Frederic hesitantly agrees to marry Louise, but decides to go back to Paris and think first. He visits Rosanette, who seems interested in him, and talks to Madame Arnoux, who is upset at Frederic's proposed marriage. At Arnoux's factory, Frederic sees Madame Arnoux, tells her he still loves her, and begins seeing her again. Frederic becomes uneasy that they have not become lovers yet, so he rents an apartment with the plan of taking her there. However, she is forced to stay with her son that night, and decides to stop seeing Frederic. Frederic dismisses his love for her, and instead takes Rosanette to the apartment.
Close Reading, Pg. 181: "After that there was a profound silence; and everything in the apartment seemed more motionless than before."
This sentence calls to attention the subtle subjectivity of the narrator. This sentence is an example of free indirect discourse. It is obvious from the description of the silence as being "profound", and from the assertion that "the apartment seemed more motionless than before" that this sentence contains a level of subjectivity which seperates it from indirect discourse. In order to experience the profound nature of this silence or to percieve the relative stasis of the apartment, one must be present in this specific apartment. However, the subjectivity extends beyond this meer presence. In order to fully feel what this sentence states, one must have been engaged in the uncomfortable exchange preceding this statment. This narrows the subjectivity down to two perspectives: Frederic's and Madame Arnoux's. Looking at this sentence, there is nothing which would convince me that either perspective should be favored over the other. Both experienced the uncomfortable argument, and therefore both would be expected to experience a jarring effect after its sudden conclusion. Because of the lack of a distinction between whose perspective is being expressed, I read this sentence as expressing the shared perspective of everyone in the room: in this case, just Frederic and Madame Arnoux. Reading the sentence in this way establishes a connection between Frederic and Madame Arnoux. These two characters, after sharing an emotionally jarring experience, are left together in a mutually felt "profound silence". This shared experience sets the table for their emotional conversation, and the furthering of their personal connection. This connection between the two characters is hinted at throught this use of free indirect discourse.
Paragraph Summary: Once back in Paris, Frederic discovers that the Arnoux's have moved after he tracks down and speaks with Regimbart. He visits them at their new house, and after seeing Madame Arnoux, he is suprised at his lack of emotion. He states that he will not think of her anymore, but spontaneously decides to call on her instead of visiting the Dambreuses. She is ill, and Frederic attends a party with Arnoux where he meets Rosanette, a loose woman who Frederic trys to make his mistress. Frederic buys himself a house, over-spending in the process. He calls on Madame Dambreuses and later Rosanette, establishing himself as a welcome guest in both houses. He then visits Madame Arnoux and discusses her husband's financial problems with her, gaining her trust in the process. Frederic then begins going with Arnoux to Rosanette's house on a regular basis. He learns that Rosanette is growing tired of having Arnoux as her lover, and he trys to maker her his mistress, but fails. The Arnoux's begin having marital troubles, and Frederic finds himself in the middle of their affairs. He urges both sides to seperate, but to no avail. Frederic lends money to Arnoux, despite having promised it to Deslauriers. Their friendship ends. Later, Frederic decides to neglect visiting Dambreuses for a job in favor of visiting Madame Arnoux. He finally tells her how he feels, but she rejects him, and Frederic decides to go after Rosanette in revenge. He takes her to the races, but is embarassed when Cisy is the one who takes her home. The two men meet for dinner the next day, and Frederic becomes enraged after Cisy makes a negative comment about Madame Arnoux, throwing a plate at Cisy. Frederic refuses to apologize and demands a duel. At the duel, Cisy faints and Arnoux arrives to break up the duel. Frederic then recieves a letter from his mother urging him to return home and marry Louise. In Paris, Deslauriers visits Madame Arnoux, declares that he loves her, and reveals that Frederic is soon to marry. After he leaves, Madame Arnoux realizes she loves Frederic. In Nogent, Frederic hesitantly agrees to marry Louise, but decides to go back to Paris and think first. He visits Rosanette, who seems interested in him, and talks to Madame Arnoux, who is upset at Frederic's proposed marriage. At Arnoux's factory, Frederic sees Madame Arnoux, tells her he still loves her, and begins seeing her again. Frederic becomes uneasy that they have not become lovers yet, so he rents an apartment with the plan of taking her there. However, she is forced to stay with her son that night, and decides to stop seeing Frederic. Frederic dismisses his love for her, and instead takes Rosanette to the apartment.
Close Reading, Pg. 181: "After that there was a profound silence; and everything in the apartment seemed more motionless than before."
This sentence calls to attention the subtle subjectivity of the narrator. This sentence is an example of free indirect discourse. It is obvious from the description of the silence as being "profound", and from the assertion that "the apartment seemed more motionless than before" that this sentence contains a level of subjectivity which seperates it from indirect discourse. In order to experience the profound nature of this silence or to percieve the relative stasis of the apartment, one must be present in this specific apartment. However, the subjectivity extends beyond this meer presence. In order to fully feel what this sentence states, one must have been engaged in the uncomfortable exchange preceding this statment. This narrows the subjectivity down to two perspectives: Frederic's and Madame Arnoux's. Looking at this sentence, there is nothing which would convince me that either perspective should be favored over the other. Both experienced the uncomfortable argument, and therefore both would be expected to experience a jarring effect after its sudden conclusion. Because of the lack of a distinction between whose perspective is being expressed, I read this sentence as expressing the shared perspective of everyone in the room: in this case, just Frederic and Madame Arnoux. Reading the sentence in this way establishes a connection between Frederic and Madame Arnoux. These two characters, after sharing an emotionally jarring experience, are left together in a mutually felt "profound silence". This shared experience sets the table for their emotional conversation, and the furthering of their personal connection. This connection between the two characters is hinted at throught this use of free indirect discourse.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sentimental Education, Pt. one
Sentence Summary: Frederic Moreau, a young man from a wealthy, bourgeois family, attempts to make a life for himself in Paris by associating with members of high society, going to law school, and pursuing the arts, but his hopeless love for Madame Arnoux, the wife of a rich mogel, and his constantly changing goals thrust him into a cycle of frustration and depression.
Paragraph Summary: On his journey home from Paris, Frederic Moreau, a young, wealthy bourgeois, meets Arnoux, a rich, successful, yet unscrupulous art dealer. Frederic is drawn to Arnoux because of his success and obvious charm with women, traits which Frederic hopes to one day cultivate in himself. While on this boat headed to Paris, Frederic sees Arnoux's wife and finds her perfect in every way, and immediatly falls in love with her. Frederic stays with her husband on their journey with the hope of becoming friends of their family, and in order to be close to Madame Arnoux. Once home, Frederic meets up with Deslauriers, his best friend. They discuss their planned life together and Deslauriers encourages Frederic in his pursuit of Madame Arnoux and also suggests he pursue relations with other high-class women. Once back in Paris for law school, Frederic meets the Dambreuse's, a wealthy and influential family, but his attempts to see them again fail. He also visits Arnoux's shop with the hope of encountering the Madame, but does not succeed. He falls into a state of depression, neglects his studies, and his love for Madame Arnoux wanes. One morning, he comes across an aimless political riot, and meets a man named Hussonnet. Hussonnet works for Arnoux, and he eventually takes Frederic to see him. There are many artists at Arnoux's and Frederic talks with them about several topics, mostly about art. Frederic spends time with some of these men with the hope of getting closer to the Madame. Deslauriers arrives in Paris on the same night that Frederic attends a dinner at the Arnoux's and sees Madame Arnoux for the first time since his journey home. His love for her is renewed, and he decides he will become a painter to win her love. After living with Deslauriers and studying painting for a while, Frederic fails his law exams and unsuccessfully attempts to call on Madame Arnoux. He falls into depression for three months. Eventually, he sees her again, but he is convinced that she will never be his. This attitude changes, however, after she shows some affection for him at her birthday party. Frederic becomes convinced that she will be his. Then, his mother visits him and informs him that his inheritance is dwindling. Distraught by this news, Frederic returns home and begins to pursue alternative plans. However, after resigning to this fate, Frederic's uncle suddenly dies, leaving him a very large inheritance. Frederic decides to return to Paris and make a life there.
Close Reading: pg. 91 "She would think that he mixed with the common people."
Throughout this novel, Frederic repeatedly expresses his love for "high society" as well as his love for Madame Arnoux. Frederic's desire to become a part of high society, and his desire to win Madame Arnoux's love are the two factors that shape most of his actions. These two factors often intersect. For example, Frederic pursues painting, a respected vocation in high society, to win Madame Arnoux's love. Also, Frederic decides to return to Paris after receiving his uncle's inheritance in hopes of working his way into high society. He also mentions Madame Arnoux as a reason for returning. Both of these instances suggest that there is a connection between Frederic's pursuit of entering high society and his pursuit of Madame Arnoux. This connection is made explicit in this sentence from page 91. Frederic is worried that because of his friendship with Dussardier, Madame Arnoux will think less of him. This is not because of Dussardier's character, but rather because of his social class. Dussardier is one of "the common people" that Frederic is referring to. In order to prevent the Madame from associating Frederic with these "common people", Frederic curses his friend in front of her. Frederic would rather speak against one of his friends than risk having Madame Arnoux think that he "mixed" with lower-class individuals. This reveals Frederic's belief that in order to win the Madame's love, he must present himself as being as high-class as possible. As he has demonstrated in this instance, he is willing to compromise his integrity in order to maintain this impression. This establishes Frederic as a person willing to ignore his morals in order to further his interests. It will be interesting to see how this aspect of his character will affect him in the remainder of the novel.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Endgame
Summary: In a meaningless and desolate world, Hamm, a blind man who can't stand, Clov, Hamm's servant who can't sit, and Hamm's legless parents participate in ritual dialogues and activities while awaiting their death.
Paraphrase:
Hamm: I used to know a crazy man who believed the end of the world had arrived. He painted and engraved. I really liked him. I would visit him in the mental hospital. I would take him over to the window. I implored him to see all the life outside in the world. The lovely life. But he would retreat to his corner with disgust. All he saw was desolation. He thought he was the only one left. Forlorn. In retrospect, this instances is...was not so...so strange.
Close Reading: Pg. 44: "It appears the case is...was not so...so unusual."
Throughout this play, a certain level of uncertainty regarding the perception of time is expressed. On several occasions, Hamm comments on the constant nature of his existence. For example, on page 13, he asks Clov, "It's the end of the day like any other day, isn't it, Clov?" and on page 45 he states "Then it's a day like any other day." Because Hamm's days revolve around a series of rituals, they are all essentially the same. This makes any attempt to distinguish between days very difficult. This difficulty is expressed by Hamm on page 43. After Clov mentions yesterday, Hamm yells back at him, "Yesterday! What does that mean? Yesterday!" Because of the ambiguous nature of Hamm and Clov's previous days, any mention of the past in this play cannot be viewed as temporally precise. This makes the story preceding the line I have chosen inherently unreliable. In this story, Hamm describes a madman who believed the world had ended, and he was the only person left alive. In the final line of his speech, the line I have chosen to close read, Hamm once again expresses a level of uncertainty regarding time. He first uses the word "is" to describe" the case", but then hesitates and switches to the word "was". By switching to the word "was", the meaning of the sentence is greatly altered. This would suggest that during the time that "the case" occurred, it was not "so unusual". On the contrary, if Hamm had stuck with the word "is", it would have meant that "the case" is not "so unusual" in their present time. This second reading seems to make more sense, as the story of the madman closely parallels Hamm and Clov's current situation. But, because of Hamm's inability to accurately distinguish between his past days, he is not certain of the applicability of his story. This adds to the ambiguity of this play.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Tempest: Act 4
Summary: After the marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand, which is blessed by the spirits Juno, Iris, and Ceres, Prospero suddenly remembers Caliban's plot against him and summons Ariel to aid him in ruining Caliban's plot.
Paraphrase: Lines 146-156
You seem to be a little disturbed sir. Don't worry, this festive performance is now over. The performer's, as was said earlier, were all deities who have now left our presence. Just like the fantastical nature of this performance, every physical thing in existence shall also disappear over time, and leave no trace of its presence behind. Our existence is not much unlike a dream.
Close Reading: Lines 148-150 "These our actors, / As I foretold you, were all spirits and / Are melted into air, into thin air;"
In this line, Prospero is addressing Ferdinand after the nymphs and reapers were finished with their dance. The first interesting thing I see in this line, is the use of the word "actors". This is an interesting word to use in this situation. Within the world of the play, the spirits that Prospero summons in this scene are real figures. It seems strange that he would refer to them as "actors". For this reason, I feel that this line is referring to the actual people acting out the play. During Shakespeare's time, this play would have been acted out without any props or special effects. This would have made it difficult for the audience to follow particularly intricate scenes, such as the one acted out by the nymphs and reapers. There would have been no way for the audience to know that the actors performing this dance were meant to be seen as spirits. This is why Prospero has to tell them that this is so. And, because Prospero is addressing another player with this line, Ferdinand, it still flows with the play. Another indication that this line addresses the audience is the last five words: "into air, into thin air,". This repetition suggests that the speaker is attempting to be very clear about what he is saying. He does not want there to be any confusion about where the spirits / actors went. Without this clarification, the audience would have been very confused as to what happened to the actors.
Paraphrase: Lines 146-156
You seem to be a little disturbed sir. Don't worry, this festive performance is now over. The performer's, as was said earlier, were all deities who have now left our presence. Just like the fantastical nature of this performance, every physical thing in existence shall also disappear over time, and leave no trace of its presence behind. Our existence is not much unlike a dream.
Close Reading: Lines 148-150 "These our actors, / As I foretold you, were all spirits and / Are melted into air, into thin air;"
In this line, Prospero is addressing Ferdinand after the nymphs and reapers were finished with their dance. The first interesting thing I see in this line, is the use of the word "actors". This is an interesting word to use in this situation. Within the world of the play, the spirits that Prospero summons in this scene are real figures. It seems strange that he would refer to them as "actors". For this reason, I feel that this line is referring to the actual people acting out the play. During Shakespeare's time, this play would have been acted out without any props or special effects. This would have made it difficult for the audience to follow particularly intricate scenes, such as the one acted out by the nymphs and reapers. There would have been no way for the audience to know that the actors performing this dance were meant to be seen as spirits. This is why Prospero has to tell them that this is so. And, because Prospero is addressing another player with this line, Ferdinand, it still flows with the play. Another indication that this line addresses the audience is the last five words: "into air, into thin air,". This repetition suggests that the speaker is attempting to be very clear about what he is saying. He does not want there to be any confusion about where the spirits / actors went. Without this clarification, the audience would have been very confused as to what happened to the actors.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Tempest
Summary: Prospero, with the help of Ariel, creates a storm which causes his former enemies along with Gonzalo, Alanso, Ferdinand, Trinculo, and Stephano to come to his island. Antonio and Sebastion plot to kill the king, while Caliban teams up with Trinculo and Stephano and plot to kill Prospero. Both are unnsuccessful, and the play ends after Miranda and Ferdiand marry and all leave the island except Ariel, who is set free by Prospero, Prospero, and Caliban.
Paraphrase: Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 132-141
Don't be afraid. This land is full of joyous and innocuous sounds. Occasionally I hear instumentals. Other times I hear voices that put me back to sleep even after I have just woke. Sometimes in my dreams, I believe that the heavens are poised to shower me with riches. However, after I wake, I see that they haven't, and I long to dream again.
Close Reading: Line 141 "I cried to dream again."
The first thing I noticed about this line, was that it does not follow the pentameter present in the rest of the work. This line only has six syllables, as opposed to ten. This fact drew my attention to this line. The second thing I looked at was what tense this sentence was in. The word "cried" establishes that this sentence is in past tense. This means that the act of crying has already occurred. The next two words in this line, "to dream", describe the reason why Caliban cried. He "cried to dream". Taken alone, this statement doesn't seem to make much sense. Dreaming is something that is easily done. We all have the ability to dream at any time, so why would Caliban desperatly cry out for dreaming? If we look at the context in which Caliban is making this statement, we can make some more sense out of it. In the two preceding lines, Caliban describes a dream he had. In this dream, Caliban saw riches about to be bestowed upon him. After waking from this particular dream, Caliban "cried to dream again." Because of the content of this specific dream, I would say that Caliban is crying not for the act of dreaming itself, but for the riches he was about to recieve in this dream. This is very important in understanding the character of Caliban. Although he is a slave in a very poor situation, he still has hopes of becoming rich and prosperous. He does not simply hope for his freedom, as Ariel does, but rather he hopes to become the rich and prosperous ruler of his island. These lofty goals explain why Caliban wants so desperatly to take down Prospero. If he simply wanted to be free and live a humble existence, he would not have attempted to usurp Prospero so hastily.
Paraphrase: Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 132-141
Don't be afraid. This land is full of joyous and innocuous sounds. Occasionally I hear instumentals. Other times I hear voices that put me back to sleep even after I have just woke. Sometimes in my dreams, I believe that the heavens are poised to shower me with riches. However, after I wake, I see that they haven't, and I long to dream again.
Close Reading: Line 141 "I cried to dream again."
The first thing I noticed about this line, was that it does not follow the pentameter present in the rest of the work. This line only has six syllables, as opposed to ten. This fact drew my attention to this line. The second thing I looked at was what tense this sentence was in. The word "cried" establishes that this sentence is in past tense. This means that the act of crying has already occurred. The next two words in this line, "to dream", describe the reason why Caliban cried. He "cried to dream". Taken alone, this statement doesn't seem to make much sense. Dreaming is something that is easily done. We all have the ability to dream at any time, so why would Caliban desperatly cry out for dreaming? If we look at the context in which Caliban is making this statement, we can make some more sense out of it. In the two preceding lines, Caliban describes a dream he had. In this dream, Caliban saw riches about to be bestowed upon him. After waking from this particular dream, Caliban "cried to dream again." Because of the content of this specific dream, I would say that Caliban is crying not for the act of dreaming itself, but for the riches he was about to recieve in this dream. This is very important in understanding the character of Caliban. Although he is a slave in a very poor situation, he still has hopes of becoming rich and prosperous. He does not simply hope for his freedom, as Ariel does, but rather he hopes to become the rich and prosperous ruler of his island. These lofty goals explain why Caliban wants so desperatly to take down Prospero. If he simply wanted to be free and live a humble existence, he would not have attempted to usurp Prospero so hastily.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A Tempest
Summary: With the help of Ariel, Prospero conjures up a storm that brings Gonzalo, Alonso, Antonio, Trinculo, Stephano, and Ferdinand to his island. Prospero holds a ceremony with all present to celebrate the marriage of his daughter, Miranda, to Ferdinand. All the characters, except for Ariel, Caliban, and Prospero, then sail back to Europe.
Paraphrase: Act II, Scene i, Page 27
Caliban: Do you believe in being a coward? In surrender? In submission? If someone hits you once, you would allow them to hit you again. That is not the way I operate.
Ariel: That is not what I meant, and you know it. I don't believe in physical retaliation, or surrender. We need to change the person in charge. Unsettle his peace of mind, so he is forced to reevaluate his actions towards us.
Close Reading: "No violence, no submission either. Listen to me: Prospero is the one we've got to change."
In these lines, Ariel is clarifying to Caliban his position regarding their servitude. One thing I find interesting about the first sentence, is the way that violence and submission are juxtaposed. The structure of this sentence sets up this juxtaposition. By having both these words follow the word "no", it demonstrates that neither are desirable. The word "either" at the end suggests that the two words are antonymous. Looking at the denotations of these words, this is not necessarily true. However, the context in which these words appear makes this true. When Ariel refers to violence, he is referring to a violent opposition of authority. His reference to submission is referring to giving up to authority, or not opposing in any way. These are the two extreme options that Ariel and Caliban have for dealing with Prospero's authority. By stating that he does not want to pursue either of these options, Ariel is declaring that he wants to oppose the authority by non-violent means. This view starkly contradicts Caliban's plan for opposing Prospero. Caliban, as he states earlier in this act, wants to violently oppose Prospero. Caliban also states earlier in the play that he wants to be referred to as X from that point forward. Caliban's violent opposition, and his insistence upon being called X, makes me think that his character is meant to represent Malcom X. Ariel, on the other hand, is meant to represent Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I say this because of his non-violent views as well as the second sentence in the passage I have chosen. Ariel states that "Prospero is the one we've got to change." Throughout his life, Dr. King Jr. repeatedly stated that in order for blacks to gain equal rights, they had to change the way white people thought about them. I believe that Prospero, the force that is controlling Ariel and Caliban, is meant to be an embodiement of white oppression against blacks in this play. Therefore, when Ariel makes this statement about Prospero, he is really saying that the whole mindset of white people needs changing.
Paraphrase: Act II, Scene i, Page 27
Caliban: Do you believe in being a coward? In surrender? In submission? If someone hits you once, you would allow them to hit you again. That is not the way I operate.
Ariel: That is not what I meant, and you know it. I don't believe in physical retaliation, or surrender. We need to change the person in charge. Unsettle his peace of mind, so he is forced to reevaluate his actions towards us.
Close Reading: "No violence, no submission either. Listen to me: Prospero is the one we've got to change."
In these lines, Ariel is clarifying to Caliban his position regarding their servitude. One thing I find interesting about the first sentence, is the way that violence and submission are juxtaposed. The structure of this sentence sets up this juxtaposition. By having both these words follow the word "no", it demonstrates that neither are desirable. The word "either" at the end suggests that the two words are antonymous. Looking at the denotations of these words, this is not necessarily true. However, the context in which these words appear makes this true. When Ariel refers to violence, he is referring to a violent opposition of authority. His reference to submission is referring to giving up to authority, or not opposing in any way. These are the two extreme options that Ariel and Caliban have for dealing with Prospero's authority. By stating that he does not want to pursue either of these options, Ariel is declaring that he wants to oppose the authority by non-violent means. This view starkly contradicts Caliban's plan for opposing Prospero. Caliban, as he states earlier in this act, wants to violently oppose Prospero. Caliban also states earlier in the play that he wants to be referred to as X from that point forward. Caliban's violent opposition, and his insistence upon being called X, makes me think that his character is meant to represent Malcom X. Ariel, on the other hand, is meant to represent Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I say this because of his non-violent views as well as the second sentence in the passage I have chosen. Ariel states that "Prospero is the one we've got to change." Throughout his life, Dr. King Jr. repeatedly stated that in order for blacks to gain equal rights, they had to change the way white people thought about them. I believe that Prospero, the force that is controlling Ariel and Caliban, is meant to be an embodiement of white oppression against blacks in this play. Therefore, when Ariel makes this statement about Prospero, he is really saying that the whole mindset of white people needs changing.
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