Chapter 27: "A Test Case"

   Katherine Mansfield wrote the beautiful short story, "The Garden Party." In this story, Mansfield discusses the superficiality of life. The Sheridans are very wealthy and carefree. Their biggest concerns throughout the story involve their garden party and all the small, petty details that go along with it. One of the Sheridan daughters, Laura, is as at ease as the rest of her family, until she is notified of a death of a man she never knew that resided just down the road from their home. This alarms her more than it does the rest of them and she insists the party be canceled. Her family accuses her of being ridiculous and she decides to agree and enjoy herself at the party, instead of feeling the guilt as she and all the guests feel joy while people just a short distance away are mourning. She later goes to the home of the dead man to deliver left-over party food to his family, and ends up seeing the man. It suddenly is clear to her, as she apologizes for her hat and breaks into tears, that the fanciness of her life and the silly little parties do not matter. She understands that life is short and there are much important things than having nice things. As she leaves the small cottage, she runs into her brother and sobs, "Isn't life-," twice, but cannot find the rest of her words. Here she is probably trying to say "Life isn't..." to explain to Laurie that all the things they worry about are unimportant, and their lavish lifestyle is not all that should matter to them.

    Mansfield makes several references to flight in this story. She refers to Jose, another Sheridan daughter, as "the butterfly." She also describes the family's movements in bird-like ways frequently, by saying they "skimmed" and "floated" and more. This signifies the carefree attitudes of the rich people. It's as if they simply, happily soar through life with no problems. She also uses the bright colors and details to make the Sheridan's home sound beautiful and bright to accentuate the luxurious and extravagant lifestyle of the rich, which could also be used to describe the spring season, which contrasts from the dark topic of death. Mansfield also employs elements of a quest into this story. Laura goes on a journey simply to deliver a basket of food to Em, the dead man's wife, but instead makes life-altering discoveries by seeing the man, thus ending up completing an unknown journey completely irrelevant to her original intention.

   In my response, I did not identify the most obvious and probably the most important subject Mansfield is trying to discuss in "The Garden Party." The separation of the different social classes, the way the rich live carelessly in their own world and ignore the poor that are kept far out of sight deep in the valley is what she wants to show. Laura realizes while visiting the dead man that her world clashes with the world that is, geographically and socially, below her. I feel as though my connection with the mentioning of flight and bird-references is also similar to the essays in the novel.

     The connection of Laura and Persephone deepens appreciation of the story because it gives readers a clearer and intense relation to the separation of the rich and poor classes. Foster compares the Sheridan mansion raised high up on a hill to heaven and the dark, dingy area of the poor folks that reside in the valley to hell. This gives the image of Laura entering hell as she goes to see the dead man, which can give readers a deeper understanding of how her life was changed and she became a shallower person after; she became Mrs. Sheridan, like Persephone became Demeter. Connecting stories to mythology, as I have learned from Thomas C. Foster does, indeed, give each reader a better understanding of the story.

 

Chapter 26: "Is He Serious? And Other Ironies"

  Perhaps one of the most ironic works of literature is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie dream of owning their own ranch someday, but, ironically, Lennie is the biggest obstacle on the road to achieving this ambition. Lennie is the main reason George wants to buy a ranch, so he does not have to worry about him getting into trouble, and neither of them have to be told what to do. Lennie is mentally handicapped and cannot control himself, which prevents the two from getting jobs and getting further ahead in life. All they need is money to start their ranch, but since they are often fired because of Lennie's mishaps, they have very little and cannot reach their goal, and there is only one person to blame.

    The dramatic and unexpected ending of this novel is the most ironic part of the story. Part of Lennie's handicap is his inability to control himself, and his tendency to get carried away and aggressive, which results in him unintentionally murdering a few animals and a woman, who happens to be the wife of their current boss. George cannot think of any way to help Lennie get out of the trouble he is in, and has run out of options to get a better life for them with him in the way, so he ends up killing him. George is Lennie's protector throughout the novel, and the fact that, in the end, he is the one that ends Lennie's life, is exceptionally ironic.

Chapter 20: "...So Does Season"

  Wayne Jarus construes a gorgeous image in his poem, "The Flower Garden." He vividly describes the colors of nature, which is a unique way to illustrate and clarify that the poem is about spring, if the title did not already lead readers to that assumption. He uses the colors and this season to present the flower garden. The opening line is "A blur of color in the wind," (ln. 1) which instantly makes one have a sense of brightness and joy, which then directs one's thoughts to spring as a jubilantly colored time of year, and perhaps the lovely colored plants in said garden. Jarus also discusses the "emerald leaves" (ln. 11) which are most apparent in spring and summer, but to go along with the bright color references, they suggest spring. 

   Imagery involving textures and scents is also used to portray this scene. The line, "A fragrance so seductive we think of sin," is repeated several times throughout the piece, which depicts the sweet smell of spring, most likely produced by the flowers in the garden in subject. As well as talking about the temperature, particularly the "spring warmth" (ln. 8), these pieces of imagery that create spring are unusually used to develop the reader's mental picture of the garden without directly mentioning a single plant. The season of spring builds "the worker's castle" (ln. 20) and this beautiful garden. 

The Flower Garden
by Wayne Jarus
A blur of color in the wind
Fertile soil as nature’s palette
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin

A gardener’s work must begin
Work the soil before he sees
A blur of color in the wind

Damp earth the gardener’s canvas
Spring warmth brings the seed to sprout
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin

A fiery sun nurtures the seed to begin
Emerald leaves open to feed and bring
A blur of colour in the wind

A palace of wild beauty within
The gardeners reward of toil is
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin

And within this plot of raging color
The worker’s castle for months to stay
A blur of color in the wind
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin.

Chapter 19: "Geography Matters..."

   Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is an exceptional example for this response, as well as many of the others. Geography defines and develops character and plot, it is the setting or details that creates the plot. The first aspect of geography that is key to the plot of this novel is the time period. It takes place in the years 1933-1935, which is a time when racism was prominent. Racism and general judgments of people create the plots of Mockingbird, which is shown in the Tom Robinson trial, when no one believes Robinson because of the color of his skin. African American individuals were not equal to white Americans. Racism was also the largest issue in the southern United States area, like Alabama, where this novel is set, which makes that geography. Another aspect is the size of the town of Maycomb. It is a very small town which makes the novel what it is. If it had not taken place in a small town and perhaps in a big city, it would not have been the same. The concept that everyone knows everyone and it is challenging to keep secrets in their community is what makes this plot. The final aspect is the financial class of the small town. It is described as a "tired, old town," and it is understood that it is not exactly a town inhabited by wealthy people. It is the middle to lower class people that live there, and that explains for the the behavior and lack of an education for a lot of the folks of Maycomb. Without these aspects of geography, To Kill a Mockingbird would not be the wonderful, famous novel that it is.

Chapter 18: "If She Comes Up, It's Baptism"

     "So when your character goes underwater, you have to hold your breath. Just, you know, till you see her come back up." Thomas C. Foster claims at the end of this chapter. He discusses that it is not considered baptism if a character drowns and dies. But, often, when a character nearly drowns, but survives, it is. In one very famous novel, when a small fight between a group of socs and a couple of greasers escalates, a near-death drowning experience occurs. In The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the main protagonist, Ponyboy, is held underwater in a fountain after spitting at one of his rivals until he blacks out. He becomes conscious again moments later to discover that his best friend, Johnny, has killed a soc. This begins a new life for the two of them, as they run away in order to resist their crime getting discovered, and their inevitable arrest if it is. Ponyboy's drowning experience was like a baptism, as he was changed after that. He had to grow up a bit in order to take care of himself, start taking on responsibilities, and figure out ways to survive. In a way, he was reborn since he became a different person after he was plunged into the water.

Chapter 15: "Flights of Fancy"

   "Flight" does not only relate to birds or airplanes. It could be a person mysteriously levitating and soaring away, or someone running so fast it appears as though they are indeed flying. Or, it could relate to a young wizard whizzing around on a broomstick. Personally, when I think of flight, an image of Harry Potter on his magical broomstick instantly pops into my head.
 
    Harry's ability to fly signifies freedom, whether he is free from his horrid aunt, uncle, and cousin, or perhaps from the looming thoughts of his fears, particularly one Lord Voldemort. He always appears much happier when he is flying and seems untouchable while floating about the sky. Harry also uses his broom quite often throughout J.K Rowling's series to escape from various situations. For example, in the fourth book of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is entered in the Triwizard Tournament and one of his challenges is to battle a ferocious dragon. After attempting to defeat said dragon and failing for a while, his trusted broomstick appears and he uses it to get out of reach from the dragon, therefore giving himself advantage and succeeding in winning against the creature. Flight, clearly, represents both freedom and escape and so much more to Harry Potter.

Chapter 14: "Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too"

  As Thomas C. Foster has made perfectly clear at this point in his book, the Bible is referenced frequently in literature. A common Bible-related feature found in most texts is the presence of a "Christ figure." In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, a prominent example of a Christ figure is found in the lion, Aslan. He is a sort of lord of the land of Narnia, and he is exceptionally wise and compassionate, much like Jesus. He is a guide for the Pevensie children when they arrive in Narnia and help to overthrow the White Witch; they follow his guidance without question. He is also a selfless creature and hopes to take down the White Witch, not so he can rule the kingdom, but to make life better for all the inhabitants of the land.

    In the Bible, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, a disciple who at one point was a loyal companion to him. Judas gives away Jesus' whereabouts to the people who intend to arrest him, which they are successful in doing. This leads to Jesus' crucifixion, and even though Judas has basically killed him, Jesus forgives him. Aslan has this same forgiveness for  Edmund, one of the Pevensie children, when he betrays him and helps the White Witch. He even decides to be the sacrifice and take Edmund's place when he is about to die, despite the fact that he is undeserving of such generosity. This is similar to Jesus sacrificing himself and dying on the cross to save all of mankind.  Due to all these characteristics, Aslan is a perfect example of a Christ figure in literature.

Chapter 12: "Is That a Symbol?"

     Everyone has that first crush, that cute person they secretly gush to their friends about and blush when they walk by, and they are called crushes because they typically do not end well. This is the case in "Araby" as the young boy longs for an opportunity to woo his friend, Mangan's, sister, but she is unattainable, hence the "crushing" of the boys fragile heart. In the short story, the boy spots Mangan's sister as she stands on the opposite side of a fence. This obviously symbolizes the emotional barrier there is between the two characters; the boy can never have the girl. She is to join a convent which creates the road block in the relationship. The girl is unreachable to the boy.

     This fence could also represent how sheltered Mangan's sister is. She has very little freedom while attending the convent school, which becomes obvious when she tells the boy she is not allowed to go to the bazaar. Fences are sometimes built to protect, and she is overly protected by the convent. They can also be built to keep things in or out. It is assumed that Mangan's sister is held firmly in the convent, which further illustrates her lack of freedom. It also keeps things out of her life, for example, certain young boys that ceaselessly admire her.

Chapter 11: "...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence"

  No one can deny that they love drama. Stories would not be nearly as exciting without a lick of excitement. Typically in dramatic stories, violence occurs. According to Thomas C. Foster, there are two types of violence in literature: "...the specific injury that authors cause characters to visit on one another or on themselves, and the narrative violence that causes characters harm in general." (Foster, pg. 89) Basically, in stories, there is violence that occurs between the characters, that the characters control, mostly used for dramatic effect. Then there is violence that the author describes, which is used for plot advancement.

   An example of the first kind of violence is present in the new and popular novel, Divergent, by Veronica Roth. An uprising occurs between the "factions," the different communities in this novel, which includes a large battle with hundreds of people being killed in various violent ways. The main protagonist, Tris, has to shoot a dear friend of hers to prevent herself from being killed. This is character-on-character violence that is controlled by Tris and her friend, Will, mostly used for dramatic effect.

   The second kind of violence is found in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Lennie is one of the main characters that struggles with mental disability, which causes him to be unintentionally violent towards living things. He has a habit of snapping the necks of things he's trying to care for, such as a mouse, a puppy, and a beautiful woman. Lennie cannot control his actions and his violent activity is a very large part in the plot, thus making it necessary for plot advancement.

Chapter 9: "It's Greek to Me"

   As Thomas C. Foster states, "...myth is a body of story that matters." The story in the poem "XXI" by Michael Field uses Greek mythology to build that "body." The poem discusses his need for inspiration; his yearning for a muse. He professes that he is "unhappy...sorrowful and wild" (l. 5-6) because the daughters of Zeus have not been near him. The part of the story that matters in this poem is that the poet is lacking a sense of happiness and thus cannot create. Field is using the myth of the daughters of Zeus, the Muses, to dictate his lack of inspiration and give a physical sense to this feeling he is having. Readers of "XXI" know that the author is not actually desperately seeking the daughters of Zeus, but in fact some idea or thing to galvanize his imagination. In this case, myth is a metaphor for the activity occurring in the writer's mind.

XXI 
BY MICHAEL FIELD
Βροδοπαχεες αγναι Χαριτες, δεντε Λιος κοραι

Ye rosy-armed, pure Graces, come,
Daughters of Zeus, be near!
Oh, wherefore have my lips been dumb
So long in silence drear?
And why have I so cheerless been,
So sorrowful and wild?
It was because ye were not seen,
Because ye had not smiled.
Although his prayer the Muses bless,
The poet doth require
That ye, in frolic gentleness,
Should stand beside his lyre.
Ne’er will he mortal ear delight,
Nor care-vex’d spirit ease;
Except he sing with ye in sight,
Rose-flushed among the trees.

Chapter 7: "...Or the Bible"

     As Foster states several times, all stories are derived from other stories. No story is completely original. The Bible is most likely the most alluded to book out there. Foster comments on several biblical allusions in the short story, "Araby," by James Joyce. However, there are several other examples he did not mention in this chapter. He touches briefly on the relation between "Araby" and the Bible story of Adam and Eve but does not venture into the details of that tale that relate specifically to the short story. In "Araby," the boy strongly desires his friend, Mangan's, sister, but she has decided to join a convent. This makes her unavailable, but the boy still longs for her although he knows he can never have her; much like the forbidden fruit that tempts Eve. He fails to avoid her due to his unavoidable admiration for her and gives into the temptation of continuing to want her to love him.

       A large biblical reference is the way the boy views the girl. Mangan's sister, to him, is God. He admires her unconditionally, even though she is rarely physically present in the story. When she is and finally speaks to him it seems as though he is imagining the whole thing; he barely remembers the encounter and it appears unreal. She is more of a referenced spirit in the story instead of a physical being. The boy even prays to her, as stated in the story, "All my senses seemed to desire to veil themselves and, feeling that I was about to slip from them, I pressed of my hands together until they trembled, murmuring: 'O love! O love!' many times." (Joyce) He is not certain about why he loves her or how it happened, but he does not question it and continues to admire and devote himself to her.

       The boy also describes Mangan's sister as his chalice, which relates to the Holy Grail in the Bible. He says, "I bore my chalice safely through a throng of foes," as she is the guide for him on his quest to get her a gift and earn her love. He struggles to get the gift at the bazaar as it is about to close and is unsure of what to get her, and he is also disgusted by some flirtatious behavior he witnesses. But he is willing to do anything to please his "chalice" and goes on this supposed great journey by following her, like, once again, she is God. Many other biblical references that Foster also did not mention fill the story of "Araby," but these few are important and clear.

Chapter 8: "Hanseldee and Greteldum"

A very popular work of literature, a novel most students have read at some point in their high school lif, is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. While reading the book, one's mind does not instantly think it is similar to a fairy tale. However, there is an inkling of a connection to the renowned story of Beauty and the Beast.  The most definite parallel between the two stories is the lesson to not a judge a book by its cover. In Mockingbird, Scout Finch, the main protagonist, grows up living in fear of her neighbor, Boo Radley, an old man that is unseen and is rumored to have done terrible things that makes him avoided by all. Scout and the other young people of her small town cower in fear away from the Radley household, though most know none of the mysterious man living within. It is not until later that Scout meets him and builds a fondness and a good relationship with him. He becomes a friendlier person and is more open to the people of the town who no longer are afraid of him. In Beauty and the Beast, Belle is not the friendly neighbor to the Beast, but is taken captive by him in exchange for the release of her father. The similarity is the ability to look past the unseemly exterior and find the good inside, which occurs later in the tale when Belle falls in love with the Beast. The Beast sheds his mangy appearance and becomes a handsome prince, not much unlike Boo Radley. The story of an unlikely relationship formed between very different individuals is a common tale and is a lesson taught to most young children. This story of real people deepens the appreciation of a girl falling in love with a massive, furry man by utilizing this aspect and relating to situations that could happen. They both illustrate that what one sees is not always what one gets.

Chapter 5: "Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?"

Intertextuality is the idea that there is only one story; all stories derive from other stories. No text is completely original and all texts are related in one or more ways. For example, hundreds of stories are closely related to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The newer Twilight series written by Stephanie Meyer have the same tale of two star-crossed lovers, young people falling madly in love in an unrealistically short amount of time, and at some point each risk their life for the other. There is a similar plot is the famous musical, West Side Story. This iconic story of love and risk has arisen in so many works for centuries; romance is a key aspect of most stories. This shows that all stories are connected by aspects such as love.

Chapter 2: "Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion"

An exemplary example of a communion is a first date. Thomas C. Foster states that people "break bread" with typically with those they like, except in certain circumstances. Individuals have meals with people they want to be with, and people they want to become more familiar with. In the novel, "Every Day," by David Levithan, A is a sort of spirit; he/she is not a person, but spends each day in the body of a different person, living their lives for those 24 hours without the real persons knowledge. Each day A changes, but he remains in love with the same girl, Rhiannon, no matter what kind of human he/she is with each passing day. When A decides he wants to explain to her the way of his/her life, and asks her to go on their first official, real date, they meet over a cup coffee and a small meal at a cafe. Rhiannon is a bit put off, but her acceptance grows slowly but surely as she warms up to A. They discuss everything and their bond strengthens, despite Rhiannon's reluctance. They both realize they have now formed a deeper alliance, and agree with Foster's statement, "Generally, eating with another is a way of saying, 'I'm with you, I like you, we form a community together.'"

Chapter 1: "Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)"

A quest is made up of five aspects: 1) a quester, 2) a place to go, 3) a stated reason to go there, 4) challenges and trials en route, and 5) a real reason to go there. A fine example of a quest takes place in a wonderful book, Paper Towns by John Green. Our quester is a seventeen year-old young lad named Quentin Jacobsen, Q for short. He is a trite fellow and likes his life without excitement, but delves into a new life of being adventurous after a magical evening with his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. After their wonderful evening, Margo goes missing, and Q gets the sense that he is the one that she wants to be found by. After following several confusing clues set by Margo, he discovers an address which makes his place to go a frightening, abandoned strip mall a few miles outside of his town. His assumes the stated reason to go there is to save Margo, make sure she is still alive, and bring her with him back home. He faces several challenges and trials during his endeavors. Not only does he have to enter the terrifying strip mall that reeks of death, having no idea what lurks behind the bolted doors and boarded up windows, but he also has to make some changes to his life's routine that he has become accustomed to. He has to start lying to his parents, an act he has not had to do until this point, as well as skip some school of which he has not missed a single day his whole four years of high school, up until this occurrence. He also has struggles with his two best friends, law enforcement, and Margo's parents. Finally, Q realizes his real reason to go there is to discover whether Margo really chose him as the one who is meant to find her. He also wants to uncover whether or not she is in love with him as deeply as he is with her. One can only hope Quentin's quest ends in happiness. 

Introduction: "How'd He Do That?"

Memory, symbol, and pattern enrich literature and allow readers that notice these things a deeper understanding of materials. It also enables individuals to think more; the texts affect them on more than simply an emotional level. Acknowledging patterns could help readers to build connections from their readings to their lives. Symbolism will allow readers to connect to real-life things, thus allowing them to comprehend the text easier. They will make connections and realize the message the author is trying to send. Advanced, professional readers of literature also possess the ability to recognize patterns in the details of plots and guess what is coming next, making the understanding of the plot simpler. As a sophomore, I read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald uses symbolism of the color yellow to represent falsity and impurity. The color illustrates that not everything is at it seems, which becomes apparent particularly when Daisy Buchanan hits Myrtle Wilson with Gatsby's bright yellow automobile. It appears as though Gatsby has performed this terrible deed, when it was, in fact, Daisy, whose fake life merely became more corrupt after that event. This assisted me in comprehending the story of Gatsby as I noticed the multiple mentions of the color and noticed it was mostly describing characters or things that had something to hide and then understood the plot even more.