Carnival Post on 1820-1865

I found that this is a very interesting literary time period.  This time period is considered to be the renaissance of American Literature.  With writers finally beginning to be put on the map as respected writers from America this is a significant time.  Although this is ture our American Literature has found these text tobe be a little bit more difficult to comprehend especially Dickenson.  I struggled hwen choosing who I would do my carnival post over because not very many people have been posting on the same thing or are up to speed on posts, but from what I saw we have some confusion with Dickenson

In several blogs my fellow classmantes speak about the complexity of Emily Dickinson poems and the difficulty of understanding poetry from this time period forward in general. Although the frustration level varies, but there are just a lot of questions about the meaning of Dickenson's poems. 

In Crista and Esthers blog she both write about her own frustrations with Dickenson and most of it has to do with the interpretations of the poems that she writes.  Julia doesn't really enjoy reading Dickenson but is definitely more open minded to learning and evaluation what she is saying.  She talks about making mistakes and how with poetry it is a little different.  She continues and basically states that when interpreting something that its okay to be wrong.

Nikki had some very good thoughts about the bias that we bring as readers into poetry.  She talks about our ability to connect with poetry from the past can help us to connect and make connections our life now.  She says that there is value in poetry there. 

Overall there are those who don't like Dickenson;s poems at all, but still can find something in them.  Others don't enjoy Dickenson's poems because of the difficult interpretation that is required and often times lack of context within her poems.

The many faces and battles of Stowe

Throughout the book there are many characters who are struggling to discover some type balance of right and wrong.  I think that this is significant not only then but now as we try to be open with different ideas.  One of the things that she was ttrying to convey with this book is that either way they need to do more than just decide but act on what they think.  For example with the Shelby's seem to come to this grounding that they believe slavery is a shame they continue, because it fits their lifestye.  The person that acts on what they believe in the end is the George the Shelby's son.  The fact that he kept his promise is good to know in the end.  There is a really weird storyling that I think has some unrealistic qualities, but it served the purpose that Stowe wanted and is a good illustration of the moral batttle face in the beginnings of American History.

From Uncle Tom's Movement to Arriving at the Plantation

Stowe is very affective when it comes to her conveying what she wants the characters to portray, but I one of the things that I really don't like about this is the way that she does this.  Between Augustine, Marie, and Opheilia the relationships seem to be very set in stone.  Marie just has this very bad character that she continues to focus on throughout the story to the poin that it makes everything that Marie will say seem very predictable.  I do find that Opheilia and Augustine are probably some of the two most interesting characters in the book.

 Opheilia is very well rounded when I think about her character.  She is a little bit more difficult to understand compared to the rest of the characters in the book. She seems to be very strict about how certain things are done but flexible if she desires to be. I find that Stowe is very intentional in her writing and I like that, but some of the things that I enjoy the most about books is learning about the characters, so reading Stowe was something that was a little bit difficult for me.  I like to be surprised and really I haven't found that.

Uncle Tom's Cabin 1-6

I think that in Uncle Toms Cabin the way that the Shelby's have established their life, somehow in the culture, but also seperate through the way that they treat their slaves and the unity among the slaves and the family is specail. The contrast between Goerge's life as a slave in another place is built by the author to contrast the life of the slaves within the Shelby's household.  Eliza seems to live a fairly happy life, she is educated and cared for, but her comfort becomes compromised when she hears talk about her master trading her son. That unity is put in jeopardy by the possibility of the masters decision.
Contrary to this we see the unity strongly between the Shelby's son, George, with Tom the slave who the Mr. Shelby is selling.  It is evident the break that will occur within that peace.  Although the Shelby's seem to be "good" people who treat their slaves fairly they are still slaces and Mr. Shelby selling Tom, even though he felt bad about it, showed an aspect of even the way that he thought.  To sell someone is showing the concept the dehumanization that runs so deep within that culture. 

Obviously he felt bad about selling Tom, but still property over a person. Today that choice wouldn't be seem to be that much of an actual moral question difficult.  The way it was seen then was one piece of property over another.  Mr. Shelby asks why he should be bothered about selling Harry and Tom when everyone else does it and I think the answer to that question solely resides in the fact that it seems to go against his and his wfes morals.  They truly know the wrongness of slavery, but I think Tom was just finding someway to validate his actions with the qoute "well everyones doing it scape goat."  I think Mrs. Shelby really makes a point to her husband when she speaks of what she has taught the slaves as if they were members of their own family.

It is when Mrs. Shelby truly acknowledges her feelings of the wrongness of slavery and the pain that it can cause for so many even when bringing maybe something "good."  That I think she accepts how hard it is to keep the evil of the world and turn it into something that is good.  It is a question that many Christian even today struggle with navigating.  How am I supposed to be" in the world but not of the world."  I think that she is making a point that we truely have to sometimes be those extremists or those abolitionists.

Tom's loyalty to the people there I find it truly amazing how deeply rooted he is in his faith and love of other people that he would sacrifice himself to a truly unknown life.  I think I have decided that I don't really like Mr. Shelby much especially when he talks about his honor.  I think pride is probably one of the least endearing qaulities of the human race. I hate how we often times can't help but be afraid to hurt our pride by revealing something about ourselves.  Even though the thought that he would be considered a someone who had connived with the man and even though he hadn't expected it. The thing he is worried about is his honor.  Really?

Scarlet Letter 13-18

I really find these chapters to be interesting.  The truth finally comes closer to realization and at the same time Hester seems to be healing to a certain extent from her social stigma.  Pearl who is as perceptive as ever really notices the way that the minister holds his hand over his hear and the connection with what Hester told her about the Scarlet Letter.  Hester realizes that she has this obedience to God and his commands, but she has just been a slave in her marriage to Chillingworth, which is something that is significant to do because it is straying away from a puritan belief.  Hester and Dimsdale decide to move away and start off with sort of a clean slate. Hester and Dimsdale both find a lot out about themselves and love.  I am sure that at that point in time they still would have liked to change some aspects of their situation, but it would probably end the same way with those three being together.

Scarlet Letter on Chapters 7 and 8

It is apparent that Hester really does care about Pearl even though Pearl is acting in sometimes disturbing manners with her imagination and the way that she strokes the Scarlet Letter.   The town kind of takes things to this greater extreme to which an offense is just continually punished.  They think that if Peal is this demon then they need to take her away but also that if she isn't they should take Pearl away because of Hester being a bad influence on her.  I think that maybe the A stands for attachment to things that we don't always understand.  Pearl has this attachment to that Scarlet Letter that has caused so much grief for Hester.  At her age  I don't think that she truely understands the significance of that A, but she is attached to this appealing accessory that the town really seems to emphasize and that she grew up knowing.  Then if we think about people and the way that they cling to things that are appealing to them that tend to hurt others.  This could be anywhere from a simple judgemnent of someone to an addiction to something. Not to say that I think Hester is attached to adultery but that the people in the town are attached to identifying her as the scape goat.  Then I think that it is ridiculous for them to sit there and taunt Pearl while judging whether or not she stays with Hester.  That really made me mad.

The Scarlet Letter Chapters 1-6

I find it very interesting how they go about punishing Hester.  The punishment given to her is far beyond one simple day.  Its hard to imagine thinking that you knew these people and maybe some of them like you maybe some of them don't but going out into the square and being ridiculed by them is a much bigger punishment.  Granted she messedu up but where is forgiveness, especially for the child's sake?   I really wasn't expecting it to be Hester's husband who was the stranger in the crowd, but wow. Then when we really meet Chillingsworth and Hester is forced to hide even his identity.  To a certain extent I could see how Hester's sin would hurt his pride but I just don't think that her avoiding the fact that he is her husband is a very pro-active way to deal with the solution. She is very bold especially with the way that she protects her secret.  When I read Hester and her needle and about this talent that God had given her, and the way that it was used in spite of the shame she carried it gives me a larger perspective of people.  Just because we are disabled or sinful in one area really doesn't mean that we should be ostrasized because we still have things to offer.  Hester is a very good example of that and I think that althought that thought seems to be one that should be or at least seems like common sense I think that we can forget that especially when we see someone as seperate because of something they have done or even just who they are.
The next chapter I found very interesting just because it really shows the consequence of the Scarlet Letter not only for Hester but also for Pearl.  Because of this letter, Pearl has also been set apart in from the other children.  Pearl seems to be very inquisitive and already has this amazing ability to sense the problems that surround her, but because she is able to do that, I think that is where her behavior issues lie.  She already has this stigma of an outcast placed on her for something that truely isn't her fault.