Lab Rats for a Test Case

To employ the reading strategies learned throughout Foster's novel, Katherine Mansfield's short story "The Garden Party" is offered for analyzation. Two questions are offered for consideration: first, what does the story signify? This story signifies the class differences in place in England, around 1922. Laura Sheridan comes from a very rich family that lived overlooking a set of cottages populated by lower-class workers, never thinking about the riches she lives with in contrast to the poverty of the workers. Until one of the workers is killed outside the house by a bucking horse. This causes Laura to have doubts about what is necessary to truly be happy in life, and to question why everyone has to place so much significance on the material objects or where someone lives, because in the end we are all the same, trying for the same goal of inner peace. Basically, the author is trying to say that everyone is the same in the end, (be it death or any other end) so why should simplicities such as status affect other's perceptions.
The second question for consideration: how does it signify? In the beginning of the story, Laura Sheridan is perfectly content in her world of parties, fancy clothing, and socializing. But, even as she accepts all of the conditions of being in the privileged class, she wonders about the working class. She notes that the workmen setting up the marquee are "so friendly", with "smiles that are so easy," even comparing them to "the silly boys she danced with and had Sunday supper with." Laura thinks she may like them better and realizes they are people just like her and the rest of her family, setting her up for the next revelation. Because of the accident with the workman, who lives just down the lane from the Sheridan's, Laura asks her mother to postpone the party out of respect for the workman's family, but her mother refuses, pushing Laura's request off as an unnecessary sacrifice, and "people like that don't expect us to make sacrifices for them." Laura manages to push her concerns to the far reaches of her consciousness during the party, but once the party is over she continues to ponder the question, although to herself. After Laura's concerns are brought up by her mother, and her father makes a tactless remark that unsettles everybody involved in the discussion, Laura and her mother decide to take the leftover food from the party and take it to the dead workman's family. Laura goes to the cottage of the workman and there views his body and the "happy [look]...saying I am content...far from all things." This shows Laura how even those who are seemingly "below" her and her family have the same needs, have the same desires, have the same goals as real people, no matter what class. The story ends with Laura telling her brother of the experience, how it was "marvellous" (not seeing the dead body...the symbolic discovery she observed) and finally seeing what life is...not what she thought it was but what it really was, how all people are equal in the end.

After reading the responses in the book to the questions, I didn't observe how Laura freed herself from the moral obligations she thought she had to the lower class. I thought she had made a great leap forward to understanding the lower class and those below her; instead, she found proof that her lifestyle had no impact on the lives of the workers, therefore giving her the justification to continue without worrying for them.

The essay explaining Forster's view of the story, comparing Laura to Persephone, adds to my appreciation of Mansfield's story. The parallels in the story seem so obvious once they are explained, but are so carefully integrated into the story that it is easy to miss unless carefully reading for the similarities. An author's ability to delicately weave together parallels from previous stories always amazes me and gives a greater appreciation for the story as a whole. This enriches the story for me by letting me bring in background knowledge to increase my understanding of the story's message.

Nothing's Original; Scar? What Scar?

In the great world of literature, a theme or pattern in stories emerges called an archetype. What is an archetype you ask? Well, an archetype is an event or character that continues to appear throughout the reader's literary reading career and triggers a response and emotion from said reader, being distaste, joy, terror, or any of the other various emotions. One would think that journeying the same quest, with the same characters, with the same villain, would become tedious and boring. But the opposite occurs. The familiarity of the quests, characters, villains acts like a familiar taste, allowing the reader to latch onto and discover something new, all the while remaining close to home.
A great example of the archetypal story is the story of Jesus and his journey in our world with his twelve disciples. An ordinary man (according to his human characteristics in the Bible) plucked from humble roots and obscurity to save all of mankind, Jesus was taken by God and given a task (a journey one may say) to redeem all of humanity from a Devil that has taken over their lives. This story seems awfully similar to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Compare the similarities: an ordinary man (Bilbo, a simple hobbit/ Jesus, the son of a carpenter), twelve followers (the group of dwarves/ the disciples), a quest to save a world (the Lonely Mountain, home of the dwarves, overrun by a goblins/ our world, wrecked with sin), a beast that has allowed this to happen (Smaug, the dragon that caused the dwarves to flee/ Satan, who has tried to run humanity from God), and a wise leader, who is always there to provide wisdom and rescue from any situation (Gandalf, the stabilizing force in the little group/ God, the stabilizing force for Jesus and the rest of the universe). And like Jesus facing Satan in his lair and overcoming him when no had ever before, reappearing before his disciples to their amazement, Bilbo went into the heart of Smaug's lair and returned, alive, much to the dwarves shock and befuddlement. Anyone who has been to Bible school as a child will be able to see the parallels in these stories and already have a degree of background knowledge to refer to when reading The Hobbit, whether they have read any Tolkien before or not. The purpose of archetypes this is. Not to create new stories, but to add to the old stories, bring them to a new generation of readers, familiar enough they will accept them, but new enough to not completely rip off the old stories.


Harry Potter became one of the most famous characters in literature not long after the first book featuring his exploits, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (later changed to the Sorcerer's Stone), first hit bookstores. Seven novels and eight films later, Harry is known in every corner of the globe. The one aspect of Harry that most readily identifies him: the curiously lightning shaped scar on his forehead. This marking, given to him by Voldemort after Voldemort murdered Harry's parents and then tried to kill him, set up Harry's characterization from nearly the moment the scar was given to him. Harry, an unextraordinary boy that seemed no different from any other child, was in fact the wizarding world's only hope of being rid of Voldemort forever. Yet he did not know this. Like the saying goes, "Some are born to greatness, others have it thrust upon them." Harry never wanted to be famous, never wanted to have others envy him, never wanted to be pursued by Voldemort and his followers his entire childhood, yet he was, making him take responsibility and push through trials that would break even the strongest man, while only a boy. Nearly every characteristic of the "true hero"- bravery, courage, self-sacrificing, loving, never willing to give up- makes an appearance in Harry, many of them because of his scar setting him apart from all others. By simply marking a normal boy and putting him through trials, J.K. Rowling created a classic literary hero like the heroes of old, hardened through heartbreak and trials to lead and overcome his greatest challenge. Just think: if Harry Potter had no scar, he would not be Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, he would be Harry Potter, the boy. Lastly, a biblical characteristic of Harry's scar. God marked Cain when he was thrown out of the Garden of Eden for killing his brother. The location of the mark? His forehead. And anyone who killed Cain would have that death inflicted upon them seven times. Voldemort tried to kill Harry. Voldemort created seven Horcruxes, and each one, destroyed, caused Voldemort great pain, until he himself was finally killed. Seven and Seven. Do not mess with those marked on the forehead.

We're Going Under! Just Hope We Come Up!

While not considered an actual "baptism" (at least not one I would want to endure), the figurative baptism in the novel Deliverance by James Dickey signifies a massive change in the characters, Drew, Lewis, Bobby, and Ed. The four men are on a canoe trip down a river deep in Georgia, when tragedy strikes them. Lewis defended Ed and Bobby from a pair of vicious hillbillies at an early stop along the river, killing one and running off the other. The group thought that they would be safe once they were back on the river, but this was not the case. The group is floating down the river, approaching a set of rapids, when a shot rings out from a cliff overlooking the river, hitting Drew in the head, and capsizing both canoes. All four go underneath the water and the rapids, nearly drowning, reaching for any chance of survival, when they finally come up from certain death and manage to swim to the shore. Unfortunately, this begins the group's troubles.

This near death experience is also the groups "baptism." Each group member is changed in a significant way from this event. Lewis, described throughout the book as an eccentric, searcher on a quest for immortality (involving an obsessive regimen of dieting, weight lifting, archery, anything to improve physical condition), suffers a severe broken leg that sidelines him for the rest of the novel and threatens his life. The injury gives Lewis a limp and a new outlook on life: that of man finally accepting that he is mortal and can not change this no matter how hard he tries. Ed, a normal family man and business owner, must scale the cliff, under which the group managed to reach after the capsizing of the canoes, and hunt down the surviving hillbilly that took his revenge for the death of his friend. This turn of events causes Ed to reach deep within himself and to embrace the wildness in himself, giving him the ability to kill the hillbilly. Not exactly the type of action from a normal man, but Ed has been affected to where he is no longer the same man with the same inhibitions. Drew, the lead canoe paddler, dies before the group goes under the water, as he is the one shot by the hillbilly, forever lost from the world, changing the way his friends perceive him- with guilt and sadness about his death, instead of remembering the good-time loving member of their group. Bobby, the "tag-along" of the group, along just for the experience, was the hillbillies first victim, the one held captive and pushed almost to death by them, before being saved by Lewis. Bobby began to retreat farther into himself to deal with the emotional turmoil resulting from the incident, but after the capsizing, nearly completely closes himself off due to the shock. Even after the group is rescued and journeys back into civilization, Bobby is still haunted by his experience on the river and shuts himself off from the world, trying to make sense of the events. Basically, his curiosity becomes as damaged as his mind because of his experience.

Not every baptism is a baptism in the sense most people think. Usually, water and a change of mind equal a baptism. So always watch were you walk around large bodies of water- someone may think you need a change of mind and help you with that change.

Chosen One, Christ Figure...Either way He's special

When dealing with Christ figures in literature, the parallels can be fairly obvious, or may take a little bit of digging. For this application, however, I will go with an obvious, hidden character to show as a Christ figure. Harry Potter seems like an excellent character for these purposes. I know, I know, the whole, "Only one can live" bit does mimic Christianity a great deal (God or Satan, only one), but there are many features that are shared by both Christ and Potter. Feel free to chuckle at the irony of using Harry Potter (often attacked by religious authorities) as a Christ figure.

1. Wounds in the head and hands- Everyone knows that Harry has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, marking him forever as "The Boy Who Lived", basically becoming wizarding "royalty" in the process. Christ had wounds on his head from the crown of thorns placed on his head by the Roman soldiers-their way of marking him as "royalty" and king of the Jews. Those wounds were very uncommon in the times that each of our figures lived and gave them a distinctive appearance that others could distinguish easily. Christ received wounds in his hands by being nailed to a cross and crucified because he was telling the truth to everyone around him, and the religious leaders at the time, either terrified by what he said or angry at him for saying it, reacted to destroy him and put him on their level. Harry received wounds on his hands for telling the truth about Voldemort at Hogwarts and was punished by Umbridge (a high Ministry official) to keep the truth from being heard, as the news would cause panic and unrest. Coincidence? I think not.


2. In agony- Before he was crucified, Christ was beaten, whipped, and forced to carry the cross he would be crucified on to hill where the Crucifixion would take place. And then he was crucified. While not as extreme as this agony or as physical, Harry underwent severe agony. His parents murdered in front of him, horrifying visions of Voldemort's actions, friends and family coming to his aid and protecting him, only to be cut down in cold blood...a childhood with these events as highlights sounds like agony for the mind and the emotions.


3. Self-sacrificing- Christ came to Earth from Heaven and died for us so we would not have to die for our sins. He took our place when he was perfect and we were nothing. Harry went into the Forbidden Forest alone to allow Voldemort to kill him, in order to make him vulnerable and weakened so his friends could survive. Any time dying for someone else comes into play, the action can be considered self-sacrificing.


4. Known to have spent time alone in the wilderness- Christ often went to the woods or a secluded location such as this to pray and have quiet time with God. One of the final times was just before Christ was arrested, and was taken to be crucified and murdered. Harry went into the Forest on several occasions, most notably as he went to confront Voldemort as part of his plan to weaken and push Voldemort to defeat. As Christ talked to his father (God) shortly before he was arrested, Harry talked to his parents through the Resurrection Stone before confronting Voldemort.


5. Good with children- Christ was well known for loving children and able to teach them and love them as a good father would to his children, but Harry also was in a way. Harry taught many of his friends- who could be considered children- during their fifth year at Hogwarts, and also was able to inspire his friends, perhaps unwittingly into helping him defeat Voldemort. So, while Christ knew he was good with children and tried to help them, Harry unknowingly was good with them and inspired them and taught them, as Christ did.

Harry Potter as a Christ figure. There you have it- an analysis of the qualities that embody not only our Savior, but also one of our favorite characters in literature. Everyone needs a Christ figure. Otherwise, what would literature be like without them?

Tonight's Forecast: Partly atmospheric with a chance of symbolism

Weather may seem like an insignificant and aggravating occurrence to those of us in the real world; however, in literature, weather means a great deal more. Weather can add atmospherics, create irony, become a plot device, expose symbolism, anything the author wants to graft into their work. Using weather can create haunting, foreboding atmospheres in literature, deep impacting moods and themes that set the stage for later events and establish the tone for the story. Some of the best examples of weather setting the mood (no not like that) occur in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien was a master of moods and atmosphere, evident throughout his works and the examples I will look at here.

At the beginning of the Fellowship's journey in The Fellowship of the Ring, the company are travelling from Rivendell to Mordor when their journey hits a snag. What starts as clouds appearing overhead turns into a full-blown blizzard as the company reaches the mountain pass in Caradhras, quickly making even the stoutest member begin to question the journey. With the blizzard raging, the company takes shelter and plans their next move: continue on this path through Caradhras and the blizzard or take another route via the Mines of Moria. The company is divided over which path to take. Cold, tired, miserable, the company knows the storm is the work of Sauron, but can't do anything about it. The entire situation, driven by the weather, feels hopeless and sets a foreboding haze over the story: if this is what the company go through hundreds of miles away from their destination, what will happen when they are there? This encounter with the weather partially shows the struggle of humanity, of trying to do a good act, but the way that you need to travel is blocked off, forcing you to pursue the goal from a different angle, learning more from the experience and growing stronger than if the original plan had followed through.

The weather also shows humanities struggles with outside forces and the universe itself, symbolized fairly well in the Battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers. After undergoing great struggle to reach the fortress, the remainder of the company and Rohan's small force of troops are weary, disheartened, and aching with a sense of foreboding, partially due to the "heaviness of the air" and the area being "hot for the season of the year...with a growing darkness...[like] a storm coming from the East. That weather description made me a little disheartened just reading it. Imagine the effect that this type of weather would have on a battle-weary group trying to protect their loved ones from a force consisting of the universes mutations that has no other purpose than to destroy them. The universe not only doesn't care about the group, it also helped to create the force pursuing them, heightening the irony in the situation. Not only is the universe and its underlings trying to destroy me, but it will set the mood for my destruction before-hand.

And to think, all of this can be accomplished by what we watch in the mornings to see if we will need a jacket or not.