Month: September 2023 (Page 2 of 3)
O’Hara 2QSQ #4
PART 1: PREPARING FOR DISCUSSION
SOURCE IDEAS:
“All John Reed’s violent tyrannies, all his sisters’ proud indifference, all his mother’s aversions, all the servents’ partiality, turned up in my disturbed mind like a dark deposit in a turbid well. Why was I always suffering, always brow-beaten, always accused, for ever condemned? Why could I never please? Why was it useless to try to win anyone’s favour?” (Brontë 72).
“…this is a sad, a melancholy occasion; for it becomes my duty to warn you, that this girl, who might be one of God’s own lambs, is a little castaway: not a member of the true flock, but evidently am interloper and an alien. You must be on your guard against her; you must shun her example: if necessary, avoid her company, exclude her from your sports, and shut her out from your converse” (Brontë 129).
SYNTHESIZING COMMENT/ANALYSIS:
I found these two passages interesting as they can connect with the idea of how children could be seen as monstrous and also recognize the effect of Brontë’s choice of first-person narrative from the child themselves on how these outside forces of neglect and abuse affect her view of the world. Adhering to some of the characteristics of a monster from Cohen and Six & Tompson, we see themes surrounding neglect, being shunned from normative society, and even this idea of hierarchy and categorical confusion within the monster. However, the fact that these monstrous traits and reactions now relate to children feels quite different from our discussions of monsters within Frankenstein. Children within Shelley’s work were depicted with this angelic/purity, especially Victor’s youngest sibling, William. Then look to Brontë’s Jane Eyre, where we see Jane become aware of her differences and this almost uncontrollable effect she seems to have on those around her, adhering to some of our discussions of monsters. She feels isolated from the comforts of her society, with no companions or parental figures to love and guide her. Even within her home, she is repeatedly told that she does not have access to any of it. In this first quote, we see her grapple with ideas not so far off from the Creature as she cannot seem to understand why she invokes
such repulsion. Then, following Mr. Brocklehurst’s speech, where he publicly shuns Jane from her peers and any hopes of being accepted within her environment, it solidifies this connection of her being pushed into the ‘other’ within her world.
QUESTION:
Knowing a bit about Victorian gender roles and social hierarchy, I’m wondering to what extent we can bring these aspects of gender and class into themes of monsters. Being an orphan, Jane already doesn’t fit into the well-structured categories of Victorian families and social hierarchies — she is an outsider or a variable society now has to deal with. As a young girl, she continues to face even more pressure from society to adhere to those expectations — we see her being told to be more useful and pleasant, etc. Nonetheless, she is outspoken, resists these strict categories, and is an orphan. On top of these traits, perhaps we could connect them to the idea that monsters are dangerous because they are unpredictable; they do not fall into our well-ordered society — they defy classification.
"Hawthorne indeed produces the very essence of that wild and heathen forest, for I, too, remember the shaking of faith that desolate wilderness inspires with savage creatures lurking and howling in the cover of night. The path of those turning away from the glory of God and heaven above must then face the consequences of a snarled and evil road. As Heb. 3:12-13 reads, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” I only hope one’s readers take its truest meaning away from this dark tale – never dare to abandon one’s Puritan beliefs and the harmony of its community, for pre-destined are we each, and thou can never be too doubtful." - Mary Rowlandson, author of A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
"I am proud beyond belief to read such a thrilling, well-crafted, and cautionary tale. While my great-grandson must have changed the spelling of our name to avoid the excess of fame following wherever he went – as I cannot think of any other reason – he is right to look back on our family’s involvement in this dark hour of Salem. Indeed, this story shows the true level of darkness I encountered as I swiftly and relentlessly strove to oust Satan’s work as the highest court of the colonies and return that community to God. Some say I showed no remorse for those who dared to doubt my and God’s authority; I say look to Hawthorne’s description of that vital Puritain realization. With that dubious and ominous night that young Goodman Brown was initiated into the very heart of our religion – that those all aroud us may harbor the true nature of a foul and wicked sinner." - Judge John Hathorne, great-grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne & leading judge in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692
Promotional Blurb Sources:
“Bible Gateway Passage: Hebrews 3:12-13 – New King James Version.” Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+3%3A12- 13&version=NKJV. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice, et al. “John Hathorne: Salem Witch Judge.” History of Massachusetts Blog, 24 Oct. 2021, historyofmassachusetts.org/john-hathorne-the-salem-witch-judge/.
Tuttle, Jennifer. “Mary Rowlandson.”Writing, Revolution, and Resistance in US Literature. UNE Portfolio, https://eng200-a-s20.uneportfolio.org/2023/09/21/mary-rowlandson, Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
Tuttle, Jennifer. “Nathaniel Hawthorne.”Writing, Revolution, and Resistance in US Literature. UNE Portfolio, https://eng200-a-s20.uneportfolio.org/nathaniel-hawthorne/, Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth Clarke Manning and Nathaniel Hathorne, is a highly regarded American Renaissance writer. Educated in Maine at Bowdoin College, Hawthorne wrote to make sense and beauty out of the human experience (Poetry Foundation). This is especially true in his interest in colonial American pre-history and his history as a descendant of John Hathorne – a leading Judge in the Salem Witch Trials. His notable works include The Scarlet Letter, “Young Goodman Brown”, and The House of Seven Gables. His writing is a testament to the American Renaissance literary era, incorporating the natural landscape of America, Indigenous references, and origin stories such as the Puritans(Tuttle). In a period where literature became an avenue to explore what it meant to be an American – to face moral and political identities – Hawthorne’s work exemplifies literature’s power in redefining a nation’s mood.
Author Bio Sources:
“Nathaniel Hawthorne.” National Portrait Gallery, npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.65.55. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
“Nathaniel Hawthorne.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/nathaniel-hawthorne. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Tuttle, Jennifer. “Nathaniel Hawthorne.”Writing, Revolution, and Resistance in US Literature. UNE Portfolio, https://eng200-a-s20.uneportfolio.org/nathaniel-hawthorne/, Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
Tuttle, Jennifer. “The American Rensaissance.”Writing, Revolution, and Resistance in US Literature. UNE Portfolio,
Young Goodman Brown, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1835, is set in 1600s Puritan Salem, Massachusetts, harkening back to America’s colonial pre-history. Hawthorne’s allegorical short story follows a young Puritan, Goodman Brown, who must leave his doting wife, Faith, and journey into the dark woods on an unknown, perhaps evi, task. Encountering many questionable figures in the woods, Brown begins to question his entire community. As his piety faces its ultimate test, he holds on to the unshakable convictions of his wife for refuge until that foundation, too, is broken. True to an allegorical structure, this story operates on two entirely different levels – the literal being a young man leaving his wife to attend a witch meeting. Yet, the symbolic level rises above as we can look at the strategies Hawthorne employs to make his much greater critique of the Puritan faith. Specifically, this notion of doubt and a deeply troubled society obsessed with rooting out evil and questioning everyone’s faith.
Vietnam War Protest : Gay Liberation Front protests the war in Vietnam(1969). The New York Public Library Digital Collections, https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bbbc5e40-1db3-0137-67f9-3f832a92b363.
This image resonated with me as we have been discussing the various forms of resistance and how the political, social, historical are all interconnected. I am very interested in Politics so this image struck my interest because this is also a very important era for LGBTQ+ rights, thinking of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, and we also see reference to taxes, governmental issues, etc. so there is a lot going on in terms of protest. Thinking of how much these issues were reported in the news and within literature is also something to think about regarding the scope of our class…even though these events are well past 1865.
Cracked Mirror The cracking of her new tan jacket pierced the unforgiving air. Grayness enveloped her, even the sea was gray that day. It boldly meets her stare through the oppressive bewildering brine. It coats her tongue spraying as it consumes the rage mirrored in her mind.
