Luis’s Comments (group member since Jan 20, 2015)

Luis’s comments from the Morales 2341 Spring 2015 Class MW group.

Victoria wrote: "When Tolstoy says “Ivan Ilyich’s life had been most simple and commonplace—and most horrifying.” I believe that means that in the beginning Ivan was very pleased with his life. He was well educated..."

Very well said. I agree that he preferred the young single life. He had everything going for him but decided to follow what society decided was appropriate and got married. His life was horrible because he let everyone decide what was correct for him.

Angel wrote: "As a young man, Ivan’s life was looking prosperous, both personally and professionally. He was on he's way up the social latter, making influential net workings. “Why not,” was the his own response..."

I agree with Angel's comments for the most part, but I believe that it was seeking wealth in combination with social expectations and the dullness of family life that was the horrible part.

Ivan Ilych’s life had been simple and common place. He grew up, went to school, he was successful in his youth. Because of his father’s influence, Ilych never really had to work for anything. “receiving from his father a sum of money for his outfit, Ivan Ilych ordered his clothes at Sharmer’s”. Ilych followed his father’s footsteps, became preoccupied with how other’s viewed him, and never lived life for himself. He excelled and desired more wealth, popularity, and most of all power. Ilych “behaved with dignity both with his superiors and inferiors; and with exactitude and an incorruptible honesty of which he could not help feeling proud”. That is something everyone wants, that is why I believe Tolstoy referred to it is as common place. He married because “he was doing what was agreeable to himself in securing such a wife, and at the same time doing what persons of higher standing looked upon as the correct thing” Ilych’s home life was not that great. He would bury himself at work to avoid the troubles of family life. He never wanted to “bothered” in raising his children or interacting with his wife. Ilych became so involved in living a material life he never lived to enjoy life. This is why, in my opinion, Tolstoy called Ivan Ilych was the simplest, the most ordinary, and the most awful.

Shanda wrote: "In the very beginning the grandmother did not want to even go on the trip to Florida. She tried to persuede her son to go to Tennessee. She told her son Bailey of a criminal in Florida and that sh..."

I agree with you that the grandmother was a misfit. When she spoke with Red Sammy, she cut him off by saying, "because you are a good man" and never found out why Red let the men leave without paying. Because of being such a "misfit" and having an answer for everything, she might have missed out on some very important information

By definition a “misfit” is a person not able to adjust to the circumstances of his or her particular situation. In this short story, I believe that the grandmother is definitely a misfit. In the beginning of the story, the grandmother is only looking out for herself prior to a “family” trip as she would rather got to Tennessee rather than Florida. She initially attempts to convince her son Bailey by waiving a newspaper over his head, claiming that there is a killer that goes by the name of “misfit” on the loose and heading to Florida. When that doesn’t work out she attempts to convince Bailey’s wife and children, against their trip. The children are totally against the idea of changing their plans and tell the grandmother that she can stay home.
The grandmother responds to the daughter June Star “just remember that next time you want me to curl your hair”. June Star reminded her grandmother that she had naturally curly hair. This is a perfect example of how out of touch the grandmother is from her current situation.
The following day, the grandmother is the first person in the car. She has decided to dress up for the family vacation, that way if “anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady”. The rest of the family wore their regular attire.
The son Bailey was set on completing the trip to Florida, but was sidetracked when the children started whining because of a story their grandmother told them. The grandmother assured Bailey that it would not take more than 20 minutes to visit a house mentioned in her embellished story.
As they turned off their established route, the grandmother realized that she had mistaken which state the house with the hidden silver was located at. After the car accident, the grandmother waived down the next car that came down the dirt road. This is when she met the “misfit” and his cohorts. The grandmother attempts utilize religion to save her life when the man is clearly not a religious man. At times it appears that the grandmother is out of touch with her current situation, and unable to adjust, as her family is being murdered. She even fails to realize the evilness of the man if front of her, just prior to her death.
By definition the grandmother is a misfit. She failed to adjust to her current situation.

Shanda wrote: "I thing Prufrock is a classic case of a man that thinks his life has no meaning. His life has no purpose he is growing old and yet no one notices him. Only he realizes and thinks his life is nothin..."

I agree with your views of how he is unsure of himself. I feel that it is his lack of confidence greatly affects his opinion of his role in society.

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", in my opinion, is a story of a man, middle aged, realizing that his indecisiveness and self-consciousness has made him (just like most men in a modern society) insignificant to society. The line, “Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.” states his indecisiveness, his constant “second guessing” of himself. The line, “Time to turn back and descend the stair, with a bald spot in the middle of my hair—(They will say: “How his hair is growing thin”)”, in my opinion, clearly states his self-consciousness. It is his worries about “making waves” and what others will think, that keep him from being an individual. He is nothing more than one of the many wallflowers in a modern day society. So much is his alienation from individualism, the poem states “I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across the floors of silent seas”, clearly stating he is about as significant as a crab in the vastness of the ocean.
So yes I do agree with McCoy and Harlan, it is a poem about an unheroic modern man in a modern society.

Shanda wrote: "Mr. Wright by all accounts was a good man. He kept his word paid his debts. All accounts show that the home that they lived in was not cheerful. This is a form of emotional abuse. As the reader we..."
I can see your point when you state that it is a form of abuse. I believe she might have been pushed to the point of insanity because of the isolation. Still this does not justify murder.

Was it a crime for Minnie Wright to kill her husband? The answer is a definite yes! Granted I lived in the Great Plains myself and know how isolated a person can feel, but this does not justify killing a spouse. Minnie was obviously worn down with life as a farmer's wife and the only joy she had was listening to her bird sing. I wonder if the stresses of isolation finally get to her. It is stated in the play that there was a firearm in the house, but I believe that Minnie blamed her husband for her loneliness and was willing to make him suffer for it. It takes great effort to strangle someone. Strangulation is not a quick death, and depending on Mrs. Wright's strength, it might have taken several minutes before Mr. Wright finally died due to the lack of oxygen. It would require planning beforehand to murder her husband. Mrs. Wright is definitely guilty of murder.

Shanda wrote: "Eveline I feel did not make the right choice. I feel she made the choice to stay with her father and younger siblings out of love, guilt for leaving the younger children behind to take her father's..."

Very true, many people who grow up in an abusive sometimes feel as if they can not leave out of guilt. I know this because of my previous employment. I agree that it was a bad decision on her behalf and it would have me for her best to leave with Frank.

I believe that Eveline did not make a good decision in choosing to stay with her father, rather that with Frank. Granted she really didn't know Frank that well, but is it worth staying with an abusive father? I do not think so. "She would not be treated as her mother had been. Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father's violence." She is aware of her situation and deep down she wants a new life filled with new experiences. The two letters she held in her hand are a reminders of her past. The organ music reminded her of her mother and the promise she made on her deathbed. It is her past, no matter how bad, that she can't let go of. I feel she is too timid to place her entire faith in Frank and face the unknown symbolized by the giant ship in the darkness.

Shanda wrote: "I believe Browning's intentions in writing this poem is for everyone to see how easy one can jump on a bandwagon. When the lady comes in the cottage from the cold dark rain, she instantly bares her..."
Very interesting interpretation. I believe they knew each other previously and the storm refers to the sacrifices she is making to be with him. I had not thought of the last line as a form of validation, definitely puts a new twist to the poem.

At first I did not know what to make of the work. Upon reading it a few more times, I believe the poem was written to criticize inequality that people suffer due to social classes. The poem takes place during Victorian times and Prophyria is from a higher social class than her lover. The line "Too weak for, for all her heart's endeavor, to set its struggling passion free from pride, and vainer ties dissever, and give herself to me forever" sums up the purpose for the lover to kill the woman. The lover knew that his social standing was not enough to keep her from returning to her upper class friends. Even though she professes her love for him, love was not strong enough to have her abandon her societal standing. Therefore, by killing her, she would never be able to abandon him and leave him heartbroken. The last line "and god has not said a word!" states that he knows he has committed a sin, but has no remorse.

Nice translation into modern English. Also a good scene in the play.

Shanda wrote: "ACT V Scene 1

Doctor: I have observed her for two nights with you and there is no truth in what you have been reporting. When was the last time you saw her sleepwalking?
Caretaker: When her husba..."

Excellent modernization of the text. So much easier to read. I also like the scene you have chosen.

Act IV, Scene II [Fife. MacDuff’s Castle.]

Enter MacDuff’s Wife, her son, and Ross

Lady MacDuff: What did he do to make him flee?
Ross: You must be patient, madam.
Lady MacDuff: He did nothing? It’s crazy that he left! Even though he did nothing wrong, he makes us look like traitors.
Ross: He might have thought fleeing was a smart thing to do or maybe he was just scared.
Lady Macduff: Smart thing to do? Fleeing his wife and kids, his home, and all he has worked for? From which of these does he flee from? Obviously he does not love us. Even the smallest of birds like the wren will do everything he could to protect his nest against an owl! He is running scared and forgot what is important. It doesn’t make any sense!
Ross: Think about it. You husband is smart and knows what he's doing. Look, I won’t talk about it anymore. These are the times when we are labeled traitors and do know why. If we start listening to rumors, we will get pulled this way and that way. I will be leaving, either things are going to get better, hopefully they will stay that way and not return to a situation as bad as it is today. Bless you my dear cousin.
Lady MacDuff: He had a father, now he doesn’t.
Ross: I shouldn’t have stayed as long as I have and I will not cry my eyes out in front of you. I will be leaving.
Exit Ross

Jose wrote: "Life itself can be dramatic; many times we just don’t see it until we take a moment to put the pieces together of our life to see it. Sometimes drama comes in a form of being ironic; this is what h..."

I truly enjoyed your example of irony, that was definitely a good example. Like the Duncan, a trusted friend ends up harming him.

Shanda wrote: "My example of dramatic irony is Star Wars. Darth Vader is Luke Skywalkers father. This is not revealed to Luke till episode 5 but we the audience know Darth Vader is his father. Luke hates Darth Va..."
I enjoyed the Star Wars reference and agree with the example of dramatic irony in the Macbeth quote. The faithful soldier protecting the king's land while secretly he is planning to take the throne.

The movie I have chosen as an example of dramatic irony is a movie I despise, but for lack of a better example, I will use it. The movie is Pearl Harbor. Two lifelong friends enlist in the Army Air Corp prior to World War II. One friend falls in love with a nurse and then is shipped to England to fight the Germans as part of the Eagle Squadron. He is shot down and is presumed dead. The downed Eagle squadron pilot’s best friend acquaints himself with the girlfriend and end up romantically involved. He impregnates her only to find out that the pilot is alive and his not happy about his friend “looking after his interest”. At the end of the movie the best friend dies and the pilot raised the child as his own. In Hamlet, I find ironic is in Act II Scene IV line 5, Ross states “thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act, threatens his bloody stage”. In Act II Scene IV line 16 Ross states Duncan’s horses “turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, contending ‘gainst obedience”. At this point in the play, Ross does not know that Duncan has been murdered. Duncan’s horses also turned their back to obedience just as Hamlet has.

Jose wrote: "In the story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson I believe everybody in the village is guilty of murder. The villagers want to wash their hands by saying that its tradition but nobody wants to stand u..."

I disagree that the killing was murder, All those involved were willing participants. I use this as an example. If two boxers enter the ring at their own will, and one dies is the other boxer a murderer? The answer is no.