Araby

Araby by James Joyce is a story of love and reality. Our main character is a young boy, who ponders the priest who died in his house before his family moved in. He is deeply infatuated by his friend Mangan’s sister. She doesn’t know this of course, they rarely talk, yet she is in his mind every minute of every day. She can’t go to Araby, a Bazaar, so the main character tells her he will bring her back something. Unfortunately the night of the event the boy’s Uncle, who is funding his trip, doesn’t come back till late. So the boy doesn’t arrive at the event till late. Most of the shops have closed except one, but the lady working the booth gives him little attention, and he leaves with nothing realizing the vanity of his situation and his love for Mangan’s sister. James Joyce wants us to realize that in reality love is a vain concept. The part I can seem to wrap my head around is the priest, obviously an important part in this story. I cannot figure out his role in the story, yeah he died there, but why a priest? Perhaps Joyce is saying that if love is vain then so is religion?

-Kyle Blessing

The Grand Inquisitor

Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote the short story “The Grand Inquisitor”. This short story is a story in a book he wrote. Anyways this was one story that we have looked at this year that was a great read and kept my interest the whole time. This story utilizes a framework story structure, which without it would not be the story it is now. Along with that it uses dialogue. With these two story structures Dostoevsky brings the readers attention directly to the content of the story. So Ivan is telling a story to Alyosha about how Jesus was reborn on earth. While working a bunch of miracles Jesus is imprisoned and then visited by the Inquisitor. Who then starts to tell Jesus a story, which really brings the reader into the story because they are forced to pay attention to what is going on. As he talks to Jesus, Jesus does not say a word the whole time except in the very beginning. At the end of the whole lecture Jesus walks up to the Grand Inquisitor kisses him on the lips gently and is set free. Now along with being set free he is banished. As this wraps up the story Ivan is telling Alyosha, Alyosha leans in and kisses Ivan gently on the lips. This brings a strong connection between all the stories and the reader. This leaves for such a strong ending and made me want to read the entire book.

– Vincent Ibarrola

The Snows

Ernest Hemingway writes in a special way that we have not really read before or at least a lot of works written this way. If you are not familiar with his work like I was not before reading this short story it in the least shocked me. When “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” opens up not only does it start with dialogue but it is mid story it seems like. We have no idea what is going on in this story until way later on in the conversation between our two characters. The dialogue is simple and not anything really special; most of the story is very informal and everyday talking style. Though that is true we notice that when he speaks as Harry in his head everything becomes more complex. The words become more difficult, this may be because Harry is a writer in the story, but we really do not know why. Harry is faced with the problem that most people fear, death! As he is getting closer to death he grows angry with his wife, which is unusual since she is taking care of him. As Harry passes in the middle of the night his wife is asleep and is awoken in her dream by a Hyena. The Hyena is making a “human, crying like noise” in her dream. She wakes up to her husband dead on the cot and Hemingway says that the hyena makes the same noise as in the dream but she could not hear it over her heartbeat. This brings up the question does the hyena symbolize death? Why does Hemingway use the word human to describe it?

-Vincent Ibarrola

Snows of Kilimanjaro

I really enjoyed Snows of Kilimanjaro because although people critique Hemingway’s short diction, I like a story that gets to the point but at the same time leaves you thinking. In addition most of my favorite stories also begin in media res, and I find that to my liking it is especially effective in grabbing my attention. I enjoyed his technique in not waisting time getting straight into the action, and letting the reader know right where the story begins, sometimes I find that background information can be excessive. I also found that the story was more interesting after having experienced Hemingway before, and sort of knowing what to expect. Personally, I feel that stories that reveal intimate aspects of the author’s are interesting and a great way of self expression. Because Snows of Kilimanjaro and many of Hemingway’s stories reveal his innermost thoughts and feelings towards life which I perceive to be an interesting technique. Not only does Hemingway reveal is fears about his own life, but he also seemingly reveals his opinions of his time era and the events that occur around him. Lastly, Although the ending is a simple moral of the story “live your life to the fullest” I felt that Hemingway did a great job of making his character’s realistic and truly exemplifying regrets and true colors, I guess we do not really know ourselves until we are on our death bed as our lives flash before our eyes.

Thoughts on The Grand Inquisitor

The Grand Inquisitor is a poor misled old man.  He spent his whole life trying to convince the world of the existence of Jesus because according to him, Jesus failed to do so himself.  So heretics were burned and crusades were held in order to ensure the faith of his people, and ironically enough this genocide does in fact invoke his reappearance.  For he appears the day after 100 people are burned at the stake.  The Inquisitor is upset with Jesus, he dedicated his whole life to the Church, and now at the ripe old age of 90 he is having a monologue with perhaps the grim reaper, perhaps his subconscious, but undeniably the part of his faith that he is trying to convince himself of.  All the burnt corpses are just a cruel and ruthless effort at convincing themselves of Jesus’ existence.  So any naysayers would be obliterated, and as soon as the faith began to fade, the word of God is spread further.  As evident by the glowing heart at the end of the story, it is inside that one must look to find God, that nobody needs to be convinced, just yourself.  The Grand Inquisitor is rhetorically answering all of his own questions, there is no denying the presence of Jesus, he had been there since the beginning.  There was obviously never a need for convincing, though the stubborn old man would remain to believe that nonbelievers need to be led, to I’m sure Jesus would reply nothing.

-Damian Hunt

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

This story was interesting to me, because Hemmingway is for the most part very succinct in his writing. I especially enjoyed the bipolar representation of Harry. It seemed like he was fighting with the idea of accepting his inevitable death. He would go back and forth between insulting his wife, and calling her a “rich bitch”, and then tell her that he loved her, followed by saying that it was the lies that he generally used as his bread and butter (in his head). I’m not entirely sure whether he was actually an asshole or if he was just losing it because his leg was rotting off.

I was intrigued by the way that Hemmingway decided to talk about the realization that he was dying. First it was a wave and then a puff. I am not sure what the difference in magnitude between a wave and a puff is, but I appreciate the visuals nontheless.

Finally, I want to note that the story was ended beautifully. There is a lyrical quality to Ernest’s work. The fact that he closed with “But she did not hear him for the beating of her heart”, really moved me because it was a sad picture of this woman who was just berated for most of the story and is now alone because Harry has died. There is definitely more to this iceberg and I look forward to writing my paper on it!

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

In general, I really did enjoy this short story. I loved the way Fitzgerald described things, from the ball to the haircut and just the way of wealthy living. The uses of descriptive diction really helped me create a picture in my head of the events. It made me much more interested in the short story as when I was reading it, I felt like I had a movie playing in my head. This also made the short story more humorous and realistic. When I read about the ball and how elegant it was, I really felt like I was there in a sense. If Fitzgerald had used less description in his writing, it would have not been as persuasive and realistic. As I am not used to this type of wealthy living, I need the dense descriptive language for me to really fell and believe what I’m reading. However, one thing I didn’t like to much about this short story is the plot. It was a little to normal for me. A girl wants to get more attention and then gets betrayed by her cousin and gets revenge. I would want something a little more complicated, however, I do think that Fitzgerald did a great job making the plot interesting.

the snows of kilimanjaro

I really enjoyed this short story. I liked the way the story progressed and how the plot and events always had a symbol to them. For example, I truly do believe that the Hyena is a symbol of death. Hyenas are known to lurk around and steal food from the lions. When you think about it, this is representing death. You never know when death is coming. Death is always lingering around the corner, as humans, we cant predict death. As in Harry’s case, although he is hunting and around dangerous situations the whole time, he is facing death through an infection in a cut he got from a bush. Out of all the things that could have happened this is what is putting him on his deathbed. It’s very ironic. Also at the end, we can relate the Hyena to Harry’s death. I believe that the human cry the hyena makes is a way to relate it to Harry. The fact that Hemingway wrote human in the description created an instant connection with Harry in my mind. It made me see that the Hyena represented the way he was dying and eventually leaving this world as when the Hyena runs away.

Bernice Bobs her Hair

Knowing that themes like this are relevant and interesting almost one-hundred years ago does not cease to amaze me. People are ugly and will always be that way and this story could not show that better. With Marjorie having a living reputation to uphold and this different almost other worldly being pushed on her there is no other ideal to expect other than reject. It surprised me after reading this how we see this everywhere today. Its as simple as the old story of your parents trying to make you eat your vegetables. With them pushing you to eat them your natural instinct is going to be to not want to because your not making the decision yourself. If you actually wanted to eat them you would enjoy them and realize how beneficial they are but, thats just another crazy part about this life and how we see things. Fitzgerald underlies this overall theme with the use of feminism and gender roles. There is two examples of this periods woman in play and are detailed and characterized perfectly. With this it arises many questions and puts ones mind to work as to who they would like more. The beautiful girl you want to be associated with, or the not so good looking on the outside but, pure and kind girl internally. It definitely got my mind racing and i thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Conrad

This story was rather confusing to me and I really didn’t like it. It made more sense when we discussed it in class but even going back and re reading it after our class discussion I had a hard time getting through it. I did however think it was interesting that the Europeans were actually considered the “savages”. When we see this word normally we think of Indians, Africans or other what we would call “uncivilized” people, not European settlers who were thought of as the civilized people. The irony in this is that the Europeans go through the entire story calling the tribal Africans the savages and don’t realize that their surroundings are becoming one with nature instead of becoming a civilization like you would see in Europe.  This change goes on throughout the story, in the beginning  there is a distinct line between what the Europeans would call “civilization” and the surrounding nature, but as it progressed that line fades away until it is pretty much no longer there and the two have become one. Colonialism and white men are portrayed as clean and superior in everything they do, when in reality these white men are untidy and unkempt and pretty much savages. They only see the black and white, which to them means that civilization is safety and uncivilized people are dangerous so they avoid them at any chance that they get. It’s rather peculiar how our views of situations can get so skewed and distorted until your reality isn’t exactly real anymore, or is it?