Summary of Articles

The first article I read about Brave New World was called "Alienation in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World."  This discussed the causes and effects of the alienation of the main characters, John and Bernard, from society.  It also pointed out some of the flaws in Huxley's dystopia, such as the destruction of all "great art;" the writer of the article says "a society without great art is one that's not worth living in, even if it means sacrificing happiness for pain, suffering, and alienation."


The second article I read was titled "Elements of Parody in Brave New World."  In this piece, the author explained how Aldous Huxley used satire to criticize the prevalent consumerism in society.  The writer explains how Huxley utilizes the work of Shakespeare to contrast with the World State; Shakespeare appeals to readers' emotions, which have basically been eliminated in the World State.  He also notes that men have taken the place of God by determining the place of citizens in society before they are born or 'decanted.'  


The last article I looked at was called "Bloom on Brave New World."  This article talked about all aspects of Brave New World.  It explained how John's suicide was the result of his confusion on the morals of the Reservation society and the World State because he was a part of both.  It also discussed the usage of Shakespeare in the novel and explained that Huxley included this because Shakespeare "offers a possible wisdom, as well as an education in irony and the powers of language."

Jane Eyre Philosophical Approach

     Jane Eyre- Philosophical Approach:

A.      What view of life does the story present?  Which character best articulates this viewpoint?

Life is viewed as a series of tests in this novel, because Jane is constantly faced with obstacles that challenge both her faith and her ability to face temptation without giving in.        

B.      According to this work’s view of life, what is mankind’s relationship to God?  To the universe?

When Jane is facing something that seems too much for her to handle she turns to God for help.

C.      What moral statement, if any, does this story make?  Is it explicit or implicit?

Jane Eyre shows its audience that there is always hope in any situation if you have faith.  This is implicitly stated in the novel.

D.   What is the author’s attitude toward her world? Toward fate?  Toward God?

Charlotte Bronte has an optimistic attitude toward her world; she shows readers that there is always hope and a positive attitude is important.  She demonstrates in this book how everyone creates their own fate and she shows how God is always there when you need Him most.

E.       What is the author’s conception of good and evil?

The author shows evil in the prejudices against lower classes and the unfair treatment of the poor in the story, and she shows goodness through generosity and kindness toward people who have less than they do.

F.       What does the work say about the nature of good or evil?

It says that it doesn’t matter if you treat people who have power over you kindly if you don’t treat people from lower classes than you kindly, like servants and beggars.

G.     What does the work say about human nature?

       

        Jane Eyre says that human nature can be selfish and unkind to people of a lower class, but if you forget about different classes of society and drop all prejudices, all of society would be able to get along much better.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

T   Thesis:  Jane Eyre demonstrates that all trials of life may be overcome through faith in God and determination.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Literary Criticism: Feminist Approach

A. How are women's lives portrayed in the work?

Women are under appreciated; they work a lot and get paid little.  They are also limited in what jobs they can perform.  Women are only seen employed as governesses, household servants, or teachers in this novel.

B.  Is the form and content of the work influenced by the writer's gender?

Yes; because Charlotte Bronte is a female, she shows an understanding that although women in the nineteenth century, when this novel takes place, are expected to act proper and be passive, they have the same feelings as men, so they shouldn't be expected to behave any different.

C.  How do male and female characters relate to one another?  Are these relationships sources of conflict?  Are these conflicts resolved?

The male characters in the book are dominant over females in every male-female relationship in this book.  This does cause a conflict because it gives Jane a reason not to marry Mr. Rochester.

D.  Does the work challenge or affirm traditional views of women?

This novel challenges the traditional view of women in the nineteenth century because Jane is expected to be submissive to men and never challenge them in conversations, but she does challenge their opinions anyway, and this is shocking to some men.

E.  How do the images of women in the story reflect patriarchal social forces that have impeded women's efforts to achieve full equality with men?

Jane initially believes that marrying Mr. Rochester would put her in a position of inferiority, which makes her hesitant to immediately accept his proposal.

F.  What marital expectations are imposed on the characters?  What effect do these expectations have?

Jane is expected to be submissive to whoever she marries; this makes her reluctant to accept Mr. Rochester's proposal.  She is also expected to never leave her husband if she does get married, which is why Jane is very careful not to marry the wrong man.  This expectation also affected Mr. Rochester because he could not leave his wife, although she was violent and insane.

G.  What behavioral expectations are imposed on the characters?  What effect do these expectations have?

Jane, like all other women of the nineteenth century, is expected to be docile and obedient without questioning her superiors.  This causes her to suppress her feelings for the majority of the book.

H.  If a female character were male, how would the story be different?

Jane would have probably been treated with more respect and would have been able to stand up for herself when she was a child living at the Reeds'.  This would have caused the story to have an entirely different outcome.

I.  How does the marital status of a character affect her decisions or happiness?

Although Jane is very satisfied with her married life with Mr. Rochester at the end of the novel, she would have been very unhappy if she accepted Mr. Rochester's first proposal because she would have been going against her moral code.  She also would have been unhappy if she decided to become a missionary wife to St. John because it would have been a loveless marriage.

Thesis:  If Jane would have succumbed to the inferior social position of a female of the nineteenth century, her life would have turned out dismal and loveless.

Brave New World- Lenina Crowne

Lenina Crowne is the main female character in the novel Brave New World. She is desired by many men including John the Savage and Bernard Marx. Her mutual desire for John and Bernard shows that she is somewhat unconventional because they are both outcasts and most World State women would not be attracted to them because it is against their conditioning.  She also shows her nonconformity by having only one man for four months, which is something deeply discouraged in her society (Huxley 30).  Although she may be slightly different from her peers in this way she still believes all the values the World State has taught her and she accepts the behaviors of her society unquestioningly.

The way that Lenina reacts to her attraction to John shows how she is just like everyone else living in the World State; she uses sex to show affection for men, as this is the only way she knows how.  When John discusses marriage with her, quoting Shakespeare, she responds with disbelief and is completely incomprehensive (Huxley 132).  When John tells her he loves her, she reacts by attempting to seduce him and is confused when he becomes angry at the way she is behaving (Huxley 134).

Ultimately Lenina serves as a representation of the World State woman.  She finds nothing wrong with sexual promiscuity and believes in all the hypnopaedic phrases she has been taught.  This is why she can never be with John, who detests the World State and all of its people.

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Electronic.

Motifs in Brave New World

While I was reading Brave New World, I noticed several motifs that consistently appeared throughout the text.

                

The first motif I took note of was the constant usage of the word ‘pneumatic’.  This word has two meanings:  in reference to a chair it means filled with air pockets and if referring to a woman it means having a well-rounded figure (urban dictionary).  Lenina’s sexual partners often use this word to describe her (Huxley 33) and even Lenina herself tells Bernard, “Everyone says I’m awfully pneumatic.” (Huxley 62)  The fact that Huxley uses this adjective to describe women and furniture shows how little people in the World State value each other.

                

Shakespeare also appears many times in this novel.  He provides the basis for all of John’s morals and values, which he shows clearly in the scene where Lenina comes on to him.  In this scene John quotes Shakespeare numerous times, as he does in stressful situations, saying, “The strongest suggestion our worser genius can, shall never melt mine honour into lust.”  (Huxley 133)  A contrast to the World State’s propaganda is also made in this scene when Lenina repeats, “Hug me till you drug me,” as John narrates, “She too had poetry at her command, knew words that sang and were spells and beat drums.” (Huxley 134).  The Shakespearean literature that appears in this novel serves as a contrast to the simple-minded poetry of the World State.  The stories of Shakespeare represent every emotion and value that the World State is trying to rid themselves of.

               

Lastly, the aspect of being outcasted by society serves as a motif in Huxley’s work.  There are three major outcasts in this story:  Bernard, John, and Helmholtz Watson.  Bernard is estranged from the society of World State because he is small and too weak to fulfill the position society has predestinated him to be in.  Helmholtz on the other hand is too strong and intelligent even for his position as an Alpha Plus.  Finally, John is outcasted because he doesn’t fit in because he is part of two worlds that conflict each other.  He was born in the Reservation but his mother used to belong to the World State which means he is not accepted there.  He also doesn’t belong at the World State because he can’t bring himself to agree with the morals that the citizens there live by.  

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Electronic.

Calvino Essay- Question #8 Reaction

Italo Calvino writes his essay in a very informative and straightforward way, using definitions to show the qualities of a classic novel.  Although the use of definitions in an essay is often avoided because they are often overused and can make the essay sound dull, they actually have a positive effect on this piece.  This is because these definitions were not provided by a dictionary, but instead they came from an avid reader who has personal experience in what a classic is.  I also think it was wise of him not to just use one definition because there is no possible way he could have told readers everything he told them about what a classic is in just one definition.

He also writes with almost no metaphors or extremely detailed descriptions, but still there is an emotional appeal to this essay.  This is why my reaction to Calvino’s essay was more emotional than logical.  Calvino shows his appreciation for the emotional response a classic novel often provokes many times throughout this essay.  For example he tells us there is no use reading a classic novel for any other reason except “for love.”  He also says that a classic is a novel “to which you cannot remain indifferent.”  When Calvino discusses what he calls “your classic”, readers cannot help but feel some sort of emotional response, at least those who have already found their personal classic.  However if a reader has not had the experience of finding a novel that they can call their classic, he or she will not find this emotional appeal in this essay.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics?" Why Read the Classics? London: Vintage, 2000. 5-8. Print.

Calvino Essay- Question #7 Writer's Authority

Italo Calvino, an Italian writer, has an authority to write this informative essay that comes from his own reading and writing experience.  From reading this essay I could tell that Calvino was a very well-read man.  He makes references to several classic novels in this piece including The Odyssey and Kafka, an influential author of classic literature.  He also shows his love for books in each of the fourteen definitions he writes of the term ‘classic’.  In each definition he proves why the classics are so often universally read and why they almost never cease to amaze their various readers. 

From Calvino’s writing experience he shows us his ability to express in words the feeling that reading a classic novel can bring, with definitions such as “A classic is a work which constantly generates a pulviscular cloud of critical discourse around it, but which always shakes the particles off.”  The beauty of Calvino’s writing is only part of what makes this essay great, however.  It is because of the content of this essay that makes it a unique work that shows us exactly how amazing the feeling of reading a classic novel can be.  This is why it is not necessary for Calvino to employ many metaphors or other rhetorical devices.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics?" Why Read the Classics? London: Vintage, 2000. 5-8. Print.