Journal 12

Journal #12 - “Young Goodman Brown”

1. “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory (symbolic narrative). What do the following represent?

Young Goodman Brown –Represents a young good man who was influenced and changed for the worse. The last name Brown can be thought of as a stain on the type of person that he was.

Faith – Represents faith that Brown had in society until he saw what he saw. He lost his faith, implying he lost her and his faith in the good of mankind.

The Elderly Traveller/Fellow-Traveller – the devil and temptation that men have to deal with in their lives.

Goody Cloyse –Showing something on the outside but not being the same on the inside, she is shallow and fake as Brown sees who she truly is.

The Ceremony – accepting the flaws and sins of the human race.

The Pink Ribbon – represents the good leaving the world, the ribbon falls and Brown realized that everything he once thought may have just been an allusion.

Young Goodman Brown’s Journey – The journey that everyone must go through at some point. Everyone will be tempted and question their beliefs, but it is important to stay strong, not lose faith like Brown did.

2. Identify the following for “Young Goodman Brown”:

Theme Message of Theme Element Used to Establish

The theme is losing faith and the message of the theme is that the world may not be as it seems. You can never really tell what is true and what is not, you have to use your judgment to try and decide.

In addition, provide three direct quotes from the story that address your theme.

“But, irreverently consorting with these grave, reputable, and pious people, these elders of the church, these chaste dames and dewy virgins, there were men of dissolute lives and women of spotted fame, wretches given over to all mean and filthy vice, and suspected even of horrid crimes. It was strange to see that the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints. “

“By the sympathy of your human hearts for sin ye shall scent out all the places—whether in church, bedchamber, street, field, or forest—where crime has been committed, and shall exult to behold the whole earth one stain of guilt, one mighty blood spot.”

“Come, devil: for to thee is this world given.”

Journal 9

Journal #9 - Free Will vs. Determinism

Free Will - The power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will.

Iago: “'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our 

           gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners” (1.3 361-3).

Determinism - The philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedents, such as genetic and environmental influences, that are independent of the human will.

Othello: “Yet ‘tis the plague of great ones … ‘tis destiny unshunnable, like 

               death” (3.3 313-16).

  

Using the above definitions, write a paragraph that argues in support of each of the terms.  In your paragraphs, use specific examples from Othello to support your ideas.

Othello had free will to choose who he wanted to believe, Iago or Desdemona. He chose to believe Iago, even though it was the wrong choice. He let Iago get to him, but in the end, Iago could not force him to do anything, it was his own choice. It was not fate that led him to do what he did; it was free will that had him do what he did. He was influenced by others, but it was not them making the decision for him.

Determinism was present in Othello’s life. His fate was inevitable because of the influences are him. He was unable to have free will because jealousy was able to go and over take him easily. It is obvious that determinism was present because everything worked out in a way that went against Othello. If this was not fate, these acts would not have happened. They were predetermined and Othello had no control over what happen in the story.

Journal 11

Journal 11 - Selections from Walden   

Write a summary of the following selections and identify a direct quote that you feel best expresses its main idea.

“Where I Lived and What I Lived For” (232)

He talks about him spending time in the forest and his experiences. The technology has lead to a disconnect of people having face to face conversations. People think they are becoming more connected, but have 500 facebook friends doesn’t mean you have that many in real life. Techonology leads to not all good things because some people use it in more than moderation.

Quote: “We do not ride on the railroad, the railroad rides on us”

“Sounds” (234)

This talks about the sounds of nature. The narrator is watching nature from morning  to night time. He does not think that it is a waste of time because he is admiring the changes of the world around him. He is living in the present time, not thinking about the past or the future. He realizes how beautiful nature is and how important it is to the entire world as a whole. Nature’s sounds can be soothing and relaxing to those who actually take the time to listen.

Quote: “I had this advantage, at least, in my mode of life, over those who were obliged to look abroad for amusement, to society and the theatre, that my life itself was become my amusement and ceased to be a novel.”

“Brute Neighbors” (235)

This passage uses the symbolism of ants to show how people interact. People fight over stupid, miniscule things that lead to the death of people. The brutality of war is immense, and the author thinks that it is humerous to watch the red and black ants fight over a pile of wood. He realizes how similar it is to humans fighting over land, and uses the passage to relate human war to their war.

            Quote: “And the results of this battle will be as important and memorable to those whom it comcerns as those of the battle of Bunker Hill”

“The Pond in Winter” (237)

A pond in winter freezes over, with the beautiful life underneath it. Nature has beauty, and it is always going to be there. The pond looks like it is calm and at rest, but there is life teeming underneath of it. There is new beauty added to it because it is newly frozen.

Quote: “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our head”

“Spring” (238)

Every thing flourishes during the spring time. The sounds and smells begin to overwhelm all the senses. Spring gives people more energy and makes them feel renewed because of all of its beauty. Spring is the best time of year because of all the great life that it brings about.

Quote: “The coming in of sring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.”

Journal 10

Journal #10

Othello’s Insight

Write a one paragraph response to the following question:

Often at the end of a play, Shakespeare’s tragic heroes often have a moment of insight.  What is Othello’s insight?  Look closely at Othello’s last speech before answering this question.

Othello realizes that he believed the wrong person and made the wrong decision. He could not live with himself anymore after what he had done to the person he loved the most. He loved his wife, but believed another man over her. He realized that he should have trusted her and known that she would not have been unfaithful with his right hand man. He let Iago get the best of him, and was remorseful for letting that happen at the expense of not only himself, but those around him. He should have been more trusting of Cassio and of Desdemona, and he realizes this. He decided to stab himself and get away from the world that caused him so much pain.