Borowski's Ladies and Gentleman, to the Gas Chambers and Cynthia Ozick's, "The Shawl"

   Borowski's Ladies and Gentleman, to the Gas Chambers is about a man who is forced with moral, ethical, and strategic questioning when he is forced to clean out and load busses of innocent Jews, while having to worry about his own survival in the midst of ironically, having to take his own kind to be murdered. This story is filled with irony and is cleary expressed throughout several parts of the story. The first ironic notion is presented through the Red Cross that appears at the camp carrying the gas that is used to kill millions of Jews in the gas chambers. The second is shown through the secrecy and manipulation used by the Soviets to keep the Jews calm by telling them that them to bring all of their priced posessions so that they can steal them all. The third ironic point is expressed through the fact that the main character who is Jewish himself, is almost playing the role of a Soviet in that he has already knows many of the horrible things that are going to happen to them yet cannot do anything about it or he would be risking his own life. The title is obviously ironic as well because there is nothing respectable or alluring about the gas chambers and the Nazi's definitely did not consider the prisoners to really be men and women, rather "numbers on a list."

   Ozik's, The Shawl symbolizes the selfess and goodness that humans innately have, and how individuals can come together during a time of absolute terror, to try to save a child's life. The fact that shawl is portrayed as this magical and heoric tool can be supported in that not only did it hide the child, but it comforted and "nourished" the child through its almondy smell, as well as its ability to keep her safe and quiet. The idea of connectedness that is expressed during this time of fighting for survival, is presented through the three women of different ages that are all on a similar level of desparity, because they are all mal-nourished survivival fighting individuals that ultimately help to comfort this child even when they themselves are struggling.

Katherine Manfield's, "The Fly"

  Although "The Fly" doesn't bluntly state that the it is directly correlated to WWI, there are various implications that lead to the conclusion that it can without a doubt be paralleled to it. I also believe much of Mansfield's systematic use of each character and each meaningful occurance in the story to express some of the sentiments of the time, which is why the story is so short, yet inundated with symbols relating to death, power struggles, war, and ambition or in this case greed. Since Mansfield doesn't bluntly characterize each character, instead using more subtlty almost as if to make the reader dig deeper, the reader is given the opportunity to interpret their own perceptions of why each specific character had a certain "story" to tell about the destitude that resulted from the harships brought on by the physical as well as mental war that was being fought. Each character essentially represents an element of the war in relation to societal attitudes that resulted from the huge loss of soldiers, and their overall sense of frustration with the lack of hope that this "war to end all wars" seemingly lacked.

  At first, the story beings with the boss minding his own business at his office, when suddenly senile and  cynical Woodifield comes along and infuses the bosses memory of his dead son. That is his beloved only son, whom he dreamed of one day taking over his company. Time passes and the boss carries on about his daily life, yet it is this transcendent moment that sparks a sense of anger and disappointment in his son, and demonstrates his loss of hope for the future. This is prevalent when the boss has an epiphanie and realizes how much disdain he has towards other because of his imminent selfish nature that he has been blinded too, when he says, "How on earth could he have slaved, denied himself, kept going all those years without the promise for ever before him of the boy's stepping into his shoes and carrying on where he left off?"
  Once Woodifield leaves the office, the boss is left with the harsh reality that he has lost the most important person in his life, and that he has also lost a part of him as well in effect, which infringes him with anger and disatisfaction. His lack of ability to cry demonstrates not only Woodifields careless and overt nature, but also reveals the bosses inability to feel sadness because he is so stuck on an idea of his life that is incapable of exisiting. This is expressed when reality hits him when: "He wanted, he intended, he had arranged to weep...." It is almost as though he has no sense of self-worth because he gave up not only on himself, but his son as well and feels numb since he hasn't really ever been able to grieve over his son's death, rather he has instead tried to appear to be strong and in control. Instead of facing the truth and letting go of his resentment towards his son.  
  Along with the bosses frustration towards his sons death re-surfacing, he dismantles his life-sucking discontent with his adversity and the anger that is eating him up inside, onto this fly that symbolizes his dead sons hope and courage. In fact, the fly represents the son as well as all of the men in WWI that were struggling to survive, yet remained that sense of good faith and triumph in spite of the hateful loss and terror that they were threatened with everyday. The boss sees the courage and will-power that he saw in his son, yet is overcome by a sense of powerlessness from the war and betrayal from his son, which leads him to kill the fly with ink. This is expressed in the text when Mansfield says, "But then, as if painfully, it dragged itself forward. The front legs waved, caught hold, and, more slowly this time, the task began from the beginning."The boss kills the fly slowly and painfully, which symbolizes the growing sense of despair and will to hang on that people faced, when courage and determination seemed too unfeasible to some fighting the war on the fronts, as well as in their homes.
  At the end of "The Fly," two important factors are significant in underlying the bosses senile nature due to not only his predicament but his old age, which I feel as though are direct indicators of the darkness and despair that death can bring to loved ones left beind. The fact that people were fighting for freedom, yet ironically enough, that is all that the boss really wanted; to pass his job down to his son so that he would be liberated of any burdens or work when he got older. Yet, the fact that he was unable to have defeat, and become a diseased, cynical old man, shows just how much of a toll his sons defeat had on him; much like that of the countries defeated by the war that were left with guilt, rage, and debt. The story closes with a satirical yet overly meaningful line, when the boss is unable to remember that he had been talking about his son for all of that time, and says, "For the life of him, he could not remember." I think that this gives the ending such a powerful and insightful nature because it ends with a more literal meaning, in that this quote shows that his son's death is such a big part of him, that it has legitimately gradually killed him, yet he hasn't even really noticed how sick and senile he has become because he has been so in denial over his death that he hasn't been able to notice that he hasn't really even been living his own life.


 

Joyce's "The Dead"

Consider all the references to death, the dead, and dying throughout the text, what is their significance?  How does they influence/inform Joyce's title selection?

    Joyce refers through Death all throughout the text, which is meant to symbolize different characters sense of inner-being and their feelings towards other characters in the story.  The death references serve as epiphanies for Gabriel, and allow him to the see the world from others eyes, instead of him merely focusing on his own little unrealistic world. Death and the allusions to death made by Gabriel, serve to demonstrate the idea that you can be alive without really living. In other words, it serves to bring about truth and acceptance into Gabriel and Gretta's lives. 

  Some examples of important references to death from the text are provided below.

1. The first reference to death is made at the very beginning when it briefly mentions that Kate and Julia took their niece Mary Jane in to live with them after their brother Pat died. The text then goes on to discuss Misses Morkan's dance and what a huge successful event it was, ever since Mary Jane comes and lives with them. The fact that Julia and Kate move into Mr. Fullman's house after Pat dies, and that then they begin to have these large festive events, reflects the inevitable changes that death can bring to those it impacts. "For years and years it had gone off in splendid style as long as anyone could remember; even since Kate and Julia, after the death of their brother Pat, had left the house in Stoney Batter and taken Mary Jane, their only niece, to live with them in the dark gaunt house on Usher's Island..," (1946).
2. Michael Furey's death symbolizes the death of love between Gretta and Gabirel. It also serves as a symbol that Michael was the only one was really alive and everyone else was pretty much dead inside. Gabriel realizes that a part of her died when Gabriel died. This is expressed when Gretta says to Gabriel, "I implored of him to go home at once and told him he would get his death in the rain. But he said he did not want to live. I can see his eyes as well as well! He was standing at the end of the wall where there was a tree." (1973).
3. Gabriel also refers to death during his speech when he refers to the monks in their coffins. He also makes a reference to those who have already died and how their still in their hearts and minds almost as if to convey that love can conquer death in a sense. "He was astonished to hear that the monks never spoke, got up at two in the morning and slept in their coffins. He asked what they did it for." (1961.)
4. Gabriel predicts his Aunt Julia's death which is symbolic of how gloomy and depressing everyone seems.. It's almost like Gabriel has a connection with the dead or can feel death coming which isn't normal really. It just kind of shows how darkness can't escape him. He sees time as slowly slipping away, and everything reproaching death sin a ominous and creepy manner. "She, too, would soon be a shade with the shade of Patrick Morkan and his horse." 

    Michael represents life because he's the only one that is really still alive. He symbolizes passion and fire, which symbolize his love for Gretta and the fire symbolizes his work with gas. He also symbolizes the arch-angel Michael who is right below God. Gabriel represents the other arch-angel Gabriel who is subservient to Michael. Their use in the text is to symbolize how Gretta experiences death in life. When Michael dies, a part of her heart dies too due to her to deep loss of love.

Blog 1 over Kafka's, Metamorphosis

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  Kafka's Metamorphosis:

  
  

     I feel as though Gregor was first off as a genuine and submissive, yet hardworking individual that had a huge devotion to his family and job. Although he hated his job as a traveling salesman and only did it to provide for his family, he was living a less than satisfactory life, where he was confined to a life of hard work with little enjoyment or social stability. I believe Gregor to have had a literal change or metamorphosis when he transformed from an independent, helpful and well-liked young man, into a helpless and uncared for beetle. He   looses so much of himself in the process, that he becomes a seemingly heavy burden to his family due to his inability to help the family out. Gregor becomes this resilient, unidentified creature that can longer value his role in society and lives vicariously through family. He goes from a strong and respectable guy, to a weak and unimportant insect. Altogether, I think that his change was a literal one that served to convey Gregor's overall struggle to find himself and to be accepted within a cruel and selfish world. It was literal in the sense that he really did become a victim of his own nightmares and had to become dependent of others when he turned into this insignificant bug, which is the opposite of what he had ever really known or wanted for himself. He basically literally became destitute to his own fears and regrets.
  
  
    Kafka's references to hunger and food serve to signify the level of hurt and emptiness that he is feeling whenever he isn't fed. For example, whenever his sister Gretta stops being as considerate and particular about what she puts out for Gregor to eat and begins to simply slide random food under his door, he begins to feel smaller inside. This is to say, there is symbolism between the amount of food and hunger that he experiences, along with his internal state of being. Whenever he is well-fed and looked after by his family, he feels okay. However, whenever he feels unwanted and looses his appetite and feels weak or famished, it is because he feels as though he has lost more and more love.
  
  
    One of the major themes that stood out to me was Selfishness. Gregor's family becomes rather unconcerned and unappreciative of him as soon as he turns into a bug. Although I could see how they would be frightened and nervous about his transformation, they definitely could have cared for him more. An example of the family's selfish nature appeared very strongly at the end of the story when the family is too busy worried about their own personal advances, to be strung with a wit of concern of compassion towards the fact that their family member just passed away. This is expressed in Kafka's passage on page 2030 when the narrator presents the family's discourse by saying, "Leaning back comfortably in their seats, they discussed their future prospects and concluded that, upon closer perusal, these were anything but bad; for while they had never actually asked one another for any details, their jobs were all exceedingly advantageous and promising." His family looses hope and pride in him which leads them to forget all of the love and devotion he gave to his family, especially by providing for them financially while they got to live their own little lives. Another major theme is Neglect. Gregor becomes a complete outcast who is eventually becomes completely shunned by his own family, and looses all connections with the outside world, as well as his self-worth. This is shown in a passage that reflects Gregor's feelings of exclusion and inferiority. Kafka has the narrator discussing Gregor's attitude toward his family on page 2022, by saying, "At other moments, he was in no mood to worry about his family- he was filled with sheer rage at being poorly looked after.." This clearly depicts his overall frustration and sense of letting the family down, even though he wants them to just be there for him in spite of all of the change.