"APO 96225": Analysis

      Upon finishing APO 96225 by Larry Rottman, I am aware of the genuine concern shared between the mother and son.  As any mother who has a son at war would be, the woman urges her son to write a play by play of his world.  This motherly action comes off a bit aggressive and pushy. Trying to protect his mother, the son only mentions the "funny monkeys" (Rottman).  The frank answers given by the soldier are just not enough to satisfy the mother. The immense worry this women feels for her son causes her to write back with almost disappointed tone.  In response to these pressing letters, the son does his best to write back the most cheery letter he can.  I believe he does this to alleviate the stress from his worrisome mother.  When the son reveals what his life is actually like, the mother is unable to handle the reality of her child's situation.  Honestly, although a terribly difficult situation, the parents need to face the actuality of war and recognize their son's efforts to keep in contact.

"Much Madness is divinest Sense": Theme

     At first glance at Much Madness is divinest Sense by Emily Dickinson, it is easy to assume the work contains infinitesimal analysis.  However, after rereading this poem, I detect a powerful feeling of individuality.  This piece of literature claims that "madness is the divinest sense" (Dickinson).  Moreover, those who branch out from the norm and seek something that is rarely sought after are deemed insane by the majority.  The majority, in this poem, have the all powerful ability to define what is right or wrong.  If one ventures out and has a differing opinion, he is immediately considered mad.  I find the theme of this piece to be a promotion to dare to be different.  The poem seems to inspire uniqueness and encourage the development of personal opinions and values.  

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain": Metaphor

      In I felt a Funeral, in my Brain by Emily Dickinson, the author creates metaphor to describe the narrator's decay of mind.  The speaker seems to be slowly losing her sense of control and rationality.The general metaphor in this poem compares the speaker's sense of dying to a funeral.    As she descends into madness, the "beating, beating" causes the narrator's mind to go "numb", further hinting as her deterioration (Dickinson).  This "beating" of the funeral drums is a metaphor for a headache.  Also, in both dying and at the  event of a funeral, a feeling of great sadness and suffering is experienced, but is followed by a feeling of solitude.  Moreover, the narrator speaks of "finished knowing" (Dickinson).  In a funeral, the closing of coffin means the end to knowing the physical state of that person.  Concerning the progression of death, a finished knowing most likely is the brain ceasing to function.  This usage of figurative language serves to link the gloomy images of the progression of a funeral to the symptoms of death.  

"Bartleby, the Scrivener": Characterization

      From the beginning of Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville, the narrator presents the character of Bartleby as one of such importance and fascination that "no materials exist for a full and satisfactory biographies of this man" (Melville).  The speaker clearly places this scrivener  aside not just from others in that profession, but aside from humanity.  Upon reading the first page of this piece of literature, I await a heroic tale about the momentous Bartleby.  However, as advance in my reading, I come to learn that Bartleby is not outstanding, but was merely hired for his calm and passive attitude.  Being the farthest thing from outgoing, Bartleby eventually stops doing his duties as a scrivener.  As the speaker continuously tries to help him in any way possible, Bartleby, each time, refuses with a "I would prefer not to" (Melville).  It is in this way  of refusing any kind of assistance that reveals a strength in this character.  In end, Bartleby the Scrivener dies of starvation.  This means of death, in my opinion, just affirms the true weakness of Bartleby.  I  find myself confused in why the narrator opens the work with a great and noble tale of Bartleby when, in reality, he proves to decrepit and passive character whose only strength in refusing much needed help.

"Miss Brill": Overall Analysis

      In the short story, Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield, an elderly woman beholds comfort in the wearing of her fur as she goes about her day.  I truly pity the lonely life led by that of Miss Brill.  To start, I predict this companion-less woman's fur represents her confidence and emotional state.  Moreover, the work starts with Miss Brill putting on her fur and feeling self assured.  As Miss Brill ventures out, I sense that she yearns to feel needed.  Because of this wanting, Miss Brill deems her surroundings to be a production with the world as its cast.  As Miss Brill looks about, her "eyes fill[ed] with tears and she looked smiling at all the other members of the company'' (Mansfield).  The realization that she is an actress merely observing the community around her, liberates her from the main theme of the piece, loneliness.

"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night": Analysis

      In reading Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas, I sense a range of emotions conveyed in the writing of the poem.  Firstly, the narrator clearly believes in having a "rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas).  The narrator discusses how all men must not die without putting up a fight.  Moreover, although unavoidable, death must not be welcomed and embraced.  I predict that the writer's purpose for this piece is his dying father.  The speaker obviously fears death, which would ensure the absence of his father.  This narrator wants his father to fight tooth and nail so that death will not conquer the dying man without a challenge.  I feel this poem to be selfish in the most understandable of ways.  The work is selfish due to the writer wanting his dying father to fight for life strictly because the writer himself cannot seem to bear a life without him.

"Crossing the Bar": Imagery

       In Crossing the Bar by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, this very short in length work of literature carries an abundant amount of imagery.  To begin, the author describes a man happily awaiting for death to take him "from out our bourne of Time and Place" (Tennyson).  The journey to this unlimited afterlife evokes the reader's senses by characterizing this journey as so extreme that the a full tide is without side.  Imagery in this poem changes the reader's usual perseption of death.  Death is often thought of as dark and cruel.  However, this piece uses images such as a "sunset and evening star" to potray death as a peaceful aspect of life (Tennyson).  The usage imagery also implies that the speaker shows no fear of death, but welcomes it.  In this poem, death not does necessarily serve take the man's life.  Here, death's purpose is to take this man from the limited world to boundless unknown.

"A Rose for Emily": Theme

      In the gloomy short story of A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, there seems to be the theme of decay throughout this work of literature.  To start, the narrator opens with the mentioning of Emily Grierson's death.  With this, the narrator flashes back to tell not only the background of Emily, but the history of the town.  With concern to Emily, the entire town gathers to attend her funeral.  The speaker explains how Emily used to live on one of the nicest houses in the city, but the home is now one of worst.  As Emily aged, so did the rest of the town.  "...only Miss Emily's house was left, stubborn and coquettish decay..." (Faulkner).  Not only is the city physically crumbling but, the morals and values of the older individuals have also decayed and are no longer present in the current inhabitants of the town.  This short story embodies the theme of death not only just in the physical decay of Emily Grierson, but also in the town as a whole.

"The Lottery": Analysis

     Through the entirety of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, I cannot help but to make a compariso of this short story to The Hunger Games.  In this piece, this traditional drawing is presented as festive and welcoming.  The towns people come and "... greet[ed] one another and exchang[ed] bits of gossip…" (Jackson). However, the citizens of this town have not the slightest idea of the wickedness that lurks in the lottery.  Although this event happens each year and is treated almost as a holiday, people seems to feel a little bothered and uncomfortable by it.  With the whole concept of the lottery, my mind draws to The Hunger Games from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  The Hunger Games is an event held each year by a power that is superior over the citizens.  These games upset the individuals in districts, but are looked at as a celebration in the capital.  Like in The Lottery, The Hunger Games draw names.  In both works, the names drawn experience death.  In The Hunger Games, each tribute eithers watches someone die, murders another, or experiences death itself.  In The Lottery, the person whose name is drawn receives the prize of death by family and friends.

"Death, be not Proud": Personification

      After reading Death, be not Proud by John Donne, I find the usage of personification spread throughout almost every line of the poem.  Right from the start, the narrator begins saying, "Death be not proud" (Donne).  Author John Donne has death portray a character who feels a sense of proud.  This feeling of pride comes from death's accomplishment in its ability to snatch the life of every individual that has ever walked this earth.  Death, as an undefeated character appears to be unstopable.  The narrators discusses that the human race will always be physically conquered by death.  However, each person will live on eternally in heaven.  Moreover, death, possessing human qualities, should not feel pride, but rather defeated.

The Glass Menagerie: Situational Irony

     Upon finishing The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, I am surprised by the usage of situational irony.  At the beginning, Tom is both appalled and insulted when Amanda deems him selfish.  I was surprised by her words because Tom "makes a slaves of himself to..." support his family (Williams).  Tom has put his dreams on hold to take care of his family.  Moreover, Tom is placed with the family's financial stress when his mother does nothing but nag on him.  I would not characterize Tom as selfish for wanting to escape Amanda's pressures after work.  However, Tom ends up leaving his mother and sister to fend for themselves.  Although, I do not blame Tom, he did leave Amanda and Laura in a pretty terrible situation.  Tom saying he is not selfish, and then selfishly leaving his family is an example of situational irony.  The audience's expectations of what is appropriate to happen is the complete opposite of what actually  does happen.

The Glass Menagerie: Final Scene Analysis

       After reading The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, I look back at the last scene of the drama. In this final scene, Tom has chosen to follow in his father's footsteps by leaving behind his family.  By abandoning his mother and sister, Tom is free to finally be adventurous and pursue his dreams.  However, in his travels, Tom comes across "pieces of colored glass" and instantly thinks of Laura (Williams).  Moreover, Tom journeys across the country to rid himself of his past life, yet everything he encounters reminds him of his sister.  I predict that tom is haunted by Laura because of his guilt of leaving her behind.  Tom tells Laura to blow the candle out so that she stops worrying about him and lets him go.  I assume that Laura blowing out the candle symbolizes the end to Laura and Tom's relationship.

The Glass Menagerie: Symbolism

      As I read The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, I ask myself, "What exactly is a glass menagerie?"  In one scene, Laura is "washing and polishing her collection of glass" (Williams).  Laura is described as admiring this menagerie, which leads me to predict it to simply be a glass collection of figurines. right form the get-go, Tom mentions symbolism in the glass menagerie.  I believe this menagerie symbolizes Laura's fragility to the world in which she is surrounded.  Moreover, like Laura, the glass unicorn figurine breaks in an argument between tom and Laura.  Like the unicorn, Laura is crushed by the pressures of school and Amanda's high expectation for her.  I found it interesting that Laura likes the unicorn better with the horn because now it looks like the other horses.  Now that the horn is gone, the unicorn has lost what made it unique and special.  Because Laura like this, I assume she does not like what make her unique: her crippled leg.  This glass menagerie symbolizes Laura's fragility to the outside world.

The Glass Menagerie: Portrait of Father Analysis

     In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the father of Laura and Tom is consistently mentioned in every scene.  In the beginning, there is a portrait of the father "gallantly smiling, ineluctably smiling, as if to say, 'I will be smiling forever' " (Williams).  In my opinion, since her husband's abandonment left the family financial and emotional ruin, I question why Amanda chooses to leave her husband's smiling face hanging in the house.  I believe the father's image serves as a constant reminder of the family's problems.  In greater depth, whenever Tom and Amanda argue, Amanda always points to the father as an object of blame.  For tom, I predict he looks at the portrait as a way to happiness.  I assume this because tom is surrounded by unappiness, so he recognizes the genuine joy in his father's smiling face.  Upon finishing the drama, I see that Tom leaves his mother and sister to find the happiness that his father found outside of the home.

The Glass Menagerie: Hyperbole

      In the American drama, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, I notice the perfect usage of a hyperbole to describe the love- hate relationship between Tom and Amanda.  To start, the mother-son duo undoubtedly and unconditionally love each other.  However, with the family's financial situation, Tom is forced to give up his dreams to support his family.  Amanda's genuine concern comes off as rude and pushy. Amanda's constant nagging and suspicion cause an extremely heated argument between Amanda and Tom.  Tom then goes on to say he is "leading a double-life, a simple, honest warehouse worker by day, by night a dynamic czar of the underworld..." (Williams).  This hyperbole is said to confirm that Amanda's assumptions are preposterous.  The exaggeration also shows Tom's imaginative character.  Moreover, no one believes that Tom goes to the movies every night to simply indulge in adventure through the screenplay.  This hyperbole also works to back Tom's testimony of where he goes at night by providing Amanda with an adventurous and sarcastic tale.