King Lear

I. So What?



A. Main Characters



1. King Lear- Lear means well. Nonetheless, within the play's opening scene he has unknowingly sealed his tragic fate. Lear commits the first and most important act of betrayal when he condones his daughter Cordelia and banishes her from the kingdom. Foolishly entrusting his kingdom and inheritance amongst his remaining daughters Goneril and Regan, Lear soonafter falls into a permanent madness.



2. Cordelia- Lear's youngest daughter. She loves her father the most, but cannot heave her heart into her mouth, and as a result is disowned. Impressed by her virtuous character (not her dowry), she marries the King of France. Edmund orders her hanged, and even after he changes his order, it is too late and Cordelia dies in the closing scene.



3. Goneril- Lear's oldest daughter and Albany's wife. She manipulates Lear through false flattery in order to obtain a piece of the kingdom. Once she bequethed power, Goneril defies her father's authority. She also initiates an affair with Edmund. In the end she commits suicide after poisoning her sister, Regan.



4. Regan- Lear's middle daughter. She, like Goneril, cleverly betrays her father to obtain the power and glory she seeks. Also like Goneril, Regan pursues Edmund. In the end, Regan is poisoned by Goneril.



5. Edmund- the bastard son of Gloucester. Edmund schemes to trick his father into bestowing him, not Edmund the legitimate son, his fortune. He is a formidable character, succeeding in almost all of his schemes and wreaking destruction upon virtually all of the other characters.



B. Essential Plot Elements



1. Introduction- King Lear calls in his three daughters to divide his kingdom. Whoever can produce the greatest flattery will recieve the most fortune. Cordelia cannot produce anything to say and she is banished. Goneril and Regan adorn their father with flattery and subsequently are given land and power.



2. Rising Action- Goneril and Regan begin scheming against Lear in order to obtain more authority and power. Meanwhile, Edmund sets to scheming against his brother Edgar in order to recive fortune from his own father, Gloucester.



3. Climax- Gloucester learns of Goneril and Regan's collusions and attempts to help Lear. Regan discovers Gloucester helping Lear. As punishement, his eyes are gauged out.



4. Falling Action- In Dover, a French army led by Cordelia arrives to help Lear. The English are led by Edmund to Dover and defeat the French.



5. Cordelia is captured and hung, Edgar kills Edmund, Goneril poisions Regan, and then Goneril stabs herself. Edgard, Albany, and Kent are the only characters left.



Setting

• England, 8th Century B.C.

Central Conflicts

A Farewell to Arms

I. So What?

A. Important Characters
1. Lt. Frederic Henry: Henry is an American driving ambulances for the Italian army during WWI. The novel’s protagonist and narrator, Henry consistently demonstrates stoicism and grace under pressure. A man’s man, Henry detaches from himself emotionally, reacting to nearly all situations tepidly and with indifference. He chooses to drink, fight, drink, enjoy women, and then drink more. While Henry never does reveal his full pallet of sentiment, it is arguable that by the novel’s end, he has developed true feelings for Catherine.
2. Catherine Barkley: The beautiful English nurse with whom Henry falls in love. She was engaged, but her fiancé was killed in battle. She begins to rely on Henry to escape from the war and fill the hole left by her dead fiancé. Catherine is depicted as a submissive character and fully devotes herself to Henry. “She is a loving, dedicated woman whose desire and capacity for a redemptive, otherworldly love makes her the inevitable victim of tragedy,” for in the end she dies during childbirth.

B. Essential Plot Elements
1. Introduction- Henry and Catherine are casually introduced, and at once begin playing their love game. In his narration, Henry also introduces scenes of war. During an attack, Henry is severely wounded in the leg and transported to the hospital. Here, he and Catherine are reunited.
2. Rising Action- Henry and Catherine continue to spend time with one another and develop their relationship before he must return to the front.
3. Climax- Henry is captured and nearly executed by the Italian police following the retreat and Italian defeat. Henry escapes by jumping into a river.
4. Falling Action- Henry deserts the Italian army, says farewell to arms, and flees to Switzerland with Catherine.
5. Denouncement- Catherine dies giving birth to a stillborn son. Henry walks back to his hotel in the rain.

C. Setting
· 1916-1918
· World War I
· Italy and Switzerland

D. Central Conflicts
There is no clear conflict that can be drawn from the novel. Frederic Henry is the novel’s protagonist, and arguably he is at conflict with all that surrounds him. All of Henry’s conflicts are internal, as he is always at odds with himself: what he can achieve vs. what he cannot achieve. Henry’s principle desire is to find respite (which he does artificially with Catherine) amidst the destruction he sees.
Certainly the war has negatively impacted him, and therefore he disavows all former abstracts of war: glory, honor, and courage. By the novel’s end, Henry has left the army and Catherine has died, leaving Henry alone. While Henry has in some part escaped, he never fully extracts his inner turmoil, and therefore cannot reach where the true conflict lies: in himself.

E. Major Themes
· Illusion vs. reality
· Devastation of war eludes to the meaninglessness in life
· The relationship between love and pain

F. Emotional Response
Dear Ernesto is the man. I love Ernest Hemingway and I love this book. Although many feminists have argued that Catherine is underdeveloped and an object of sorts for Henry, I disagree. I find Catherine to be stoic herself, especially during her miserably botched childbirth. Throughout the novel, she cares for Henry, but I don’t view her actions as subservient-- I see her as a person in love with another person and doing what a person in love does: putting him/her first.

II. How?

A. Diction/ Structure

Hemingway’s choice of words and distinctive style helps to convey the “So What’s?” listed above. Most notable is the characterization and theme development that surfaces from the diction. Although the novel is a war novel, the descriptions of action are detached, while the verb and noun usage is simple. Hemingway does not go into great detail to describe his characters’ emotions—rather, he provides the “reader with the raw material of an experience, eliminating the authorial viewpoint and having the text reproduce the actual experience as closely as possible.” Frederic Henry’s narration of A Farewell to Arms, then, becomes more reliable, as Hemingway’s writing has removed the clout of emotion.

B. Imagery

The imagery in A Farewell to Arms also helps to establish the themes of the novel, especially the discord characters face while judging between illusion and reality.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

I. So What?
A. Important Characters
1. Huck Finn: Huck Finn is a young boy lacking formal education and the presumed social graces of white Southern society. Although untamed and disobedient, Huck proves to possess natural wit and intellect as he floats down the Mississippi with the runaway slave Jim. Through Jim, Huck begins to create his own set of moral guidelines, many of which deviate from the expected norms within his time period.
2. Jim: Jim, Miss Watsons’s runaway slave, is perhaps the only true figure Huck can rely upon within the novel. Jim proves that race does not determine intelligence or humanity.
3. Tom Sawyer: Huck’s foil. While Huck is realistic and sensible, Tom is romantic and childish. He has received a “proper” upbringing, yet Tom repeatedly illustrates his immaturity by relying on the great romantic novels, nearly leading to Jim’s ruin.
B. Essential Plot Elements
1. Introduction- Huck Finn introduces the novel by summarizing the end of Tom Sawyer. The reader learns he now lives with the widow, who is attempting to civilize him through education and religion. Pap, Huck’s drunken father, returns to town, demanding Huck to relinquish his fortune. Pap kidnaps Huck.
2. Rising Action- Huck fakes his death and escapes from Pap by floating down a raft on the Mississippi River. Upon arrival at Jackson Island, Huck encounters Jim, and the two travel down the river. The deceitful Duke and Dauphin sell Jim and he ends up at the Phelps farm.
3. Climax- Rather than write Miss Watson explaining where Jim is, Huck decides to free Jim in collaboration with Tom. Huck pretends that he is Tom Sawyer.
4. Falling Action- Aunt Polly arrives. Tom reveals to Huck that Miss Watson died two months ago and freed Jim in her will.
5. Denouncement- Aunt Sally wants to civilize Huck, but he will have none of this. Instead, he chooses to head West.
C. Setting
· Set before the Civil War; 1830’s-1840’s
· The Mississippi River
· Town of St. Petersburg in Missouri
· Other various river towns along the Mississippi River
D. Central Conflicts
The central conflict within the novel is man vs. society. Apart from Jim, Huck has no one to truly trust; the Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, the Duke and Dauphin, the Phelps’, Pap, and Tom Sawyer all possess “bad” characteristics, for they all uphold the biased belief’s taught by their white society. Huck also faces an internal conflict, as he must choose for himself whether to do what he personally deems “right” and protect Jim or adhere to what societal standards and turns him in.
E. Major Themes
· Racism and slavery
· Intellectual and moral education
· The hypocrisy of civilized white society
F. Emotional Response
I am moved by the story because it challenged the norms of the South antebellum period. Arguably, this book is THE quintessential American novel, defending the values of life, freedom, and equality so that all people in the U.S. may enjoy their rights. The entirety of Huck Finn is along the Mississippi River, the heart of America, as Huck journeys from South to North.
II. How?
A. Figurative Language
1. Symbols
· In Huck Finn, the river represents freedom: the river is free-flowing and carries Huck and Jim upward, toward the North where freedom is truly possible. Land represents the rigidness of society, and all of the problems Huck and Jim face occur primarily on land. They can use the raft and the river as a means of escaping from their troubles and secluding themselves from the social order that they find restraining.
2. Irony
· The story includes all types of irony, but especially prominent throughout is verbal irony. “But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable.” Ironically, Huck can only join the gang (and in turn commit mischievous acts) only if he virtuously returns to the widow so that he may be civilized.

B. Diction
· The diction within the novel models the way a boy from the South would actually speak his words. Huck is, after all, recounting his adventures, so the diction is written as if he were speaking the words and telling a story. Many of the words are misspelled and written the way a Southerner would pronounce them. Because Huck comes from a poor family and lacks education, he at times speaks incorrectly grammatically and contains a limited vocabulary. The diction reflects Huck as a character, and lends authenticity to Huck’s characterization. Mark Twain was one of the first to break with the traditional standard of well-written literature by adopting a more realistic, less poetic approach to diction in prose.

Fences

The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized essay in which you show how a specific death scene helps to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary (2004).

So What?

• Important characters

1. Troy Maxson: the protagonist in Fences. Although a responsible and hard-working man, Troy seems to show little compassion toward his family. Although he supports them financially, he provides no love or moral support. His lines are spoken with grammatical errors. An African-American man in his late fifties, Troy has lived out a life of diminished dreams (he once aspired to play in the ML). His in-depth thoughts are slightly manic depressive, with the constant notion of death leading his end-of-scene statements. Additionally, Troy mentions in numerous lines the suppression he has faced due to his race. For Troy, the fence symbolizes his attempts to keep people out.
2. Bono: Troy's friend/ Friday night drinking buddy. Bono has been through much hardship with Troy: they met in jail and Bono witnessed Troy's old glory days as a baseball champ. The friendship begins to dwindle as Bono questions Troy's loyalty to Rose.
3. Rose: Troy's wife. A lady of incredible dignity, strength, and optimism, Rose always expects the best in people and gives all of herself toward her family, both blood-related and adopted. She is the character in the play who requests a fence be built around their house, illustrating her desire to keep her family close by.
4. Cory: Troy and Rose's son. Possessing a promising future in football, his dream (like Troy's) is extinguished. Ironically enough, Troy proves to be the ultimate barrier between Cory and a professional career, eventually thwarting Cory's efforts to be scouted. Cory persistently attempts to distinguish and disengage himself from his father. However, this proves to be unsuccessful. At the end of the play, Cory muses ""Papa was like a shadow that followed you everywhere."
5. Lyons: Lyons is Troy's eldest son and the product of his first marriage. Therefore, he is not truly Rose's son, but she treats him as such. An unsuccessful musician, his dream, like his father's and his brother's, remains unrealized. Throughout the play, Lyons come by the Maxson household, scrounging for cash.
6. Gabriel: A soldier in WWII, Gabriel suffered a severe head wound and now has a metal plate implanted in the side of his head. As a result, Gabriel is no longer mentally stable and fully believes himself to be the archangel Gabriel. Hell hounds, the gates of heaven, Judgement Day, St. Peter, and ham sandwiches are all common topics of Gabe's. The government sends him checks every month, which Troy takes and spends to help support his family.

• Plot Elements

1. Introduction: The audience is introduced to all the characters' views, personalities, and relationships with the other characters. The routine/lifestlye of the Maxson household is established. Act One.
2. Rising Action: Troy and Cory talk to one another about why Rose would want the fence. Once Cory goes into the house, Bono confronts Troy about the affair. Bono tells Troy, "Some people build fences to keep people out…and other people build fences to keep people in."
3. Climax: Troy tells Rose he has been carrying an extramarital affair with a woman named Alberta. In addition, she is pregnant. Perhaps the most "climatic" point of the play is Rose's monologue delivered after she hears the news. Cory comes home, confronts his father, and is kicked out of the house.
4. Falling Action: Alberta dies having the baby and Troy brings his child home.
5. Denouncement: Troy dies. The family gathers together for the first time in seven years. Gabriel announces now is the time to open the gates of Heaven. He blows his trumpet. Yet, there is no noise.

• Setting

The play is set in the 1950's - 1960's in a lower- class, black neighborhood in Pittsuburg, Pennsylvania. Nearly all scenes in Fences are set outside Troy's house. It can be inferred the weather is probably nice, or at least decent. Otherwise, the characters wouldn't spend all their time building fences, drinking on the porch, playing ball, or talking outside. Socially, the Maxson family has some rough conditions; Troy is the only member bringing any earnings into the household. As a result, the family must be frugal with their spendings. Their home and yard reflect this.

• Central Conflicts

Man vs. Self: Troy is constantly at odds with himself. He views himself as a failure, having no success as a pro-baseball player. In addition, Troy constantly experiences guilt about cashing and spending Gabriel's government checks. His constant disapproval of himself leads him to initiate the affair, claiming it allows him to escape his situation and feel free inside.

Man vs. Man: Troy and Cory face a deteriorating father-son relationship. From the beginning of the play, it is evident that the two do not see eye-to-eye. Cory wants to play football, then attend college. Troy wants him to work a real job in the A&P. Cory feels a father should like his children. Troy feels a father should provide food, shelter, and life-- nothing more. This conflict is further illustrated when Cory learns of the affair, raises a bat to his father, and leaves the house.

Man vs. Society: In Fences, society is filled with racism and injustice. Troy constantly reiterates the suppression of black males by arguing he was the perfect player, just the wrong race. It also seems unjust that Gabriel, after serving in the army, is arrested for disturbing the peace, and is eventually sent to an asylum.

• Major Themes

1. Illusion vs. Reality: Troy constantly concocts illusions and stretches the truth, especially when speaking of death. Throughout the play, Troy evades the reality of his life. When Lyons asks for ten dollars, Troy digresses into a story of how the Devil sold him furniture accompanied with outrageous interest rates, explaining that he cannot lend his son money. Rose, on the other hand, live in the reality of their situations. When Rose learns of Troy's disloyalty, she comes to terms with the situation, even adopting his illegitimate daughter.
2. Lack of/ Discovery of Identity: Throughout the play, it is evident Troy feels he lacks some piece of himself. He feels as though he simply lives life going through the motions, going to work, coming home, and giving all his earnings toward his family. Rose also seems to struggle with her identity. When she learns Alberta is pregnant, Rose asserts, "You not the only one who's got wants and needs. But I held on to you, Troy. I took all my feelings, my wants and needs, my dreams, and I buried them inside you. I planted a seed and watched and prayed over it. " Both Rose and Troy gave up pieces of themselves to be with one another. However, Troy cannot live without himself wholly, leading him to the affair. In the end of the play, Cory discovers himself. While his dream was shattered, he still is able to find his purpose. He joins the Marines, where he excels.
3. Baseball: Sports proves to be a driving foce behind the plot and characterization in Fences. Troy can never come overcome the disappointment of his missed oppurtunity with the Major Leagues, as the time period in which he lived was stained and tainted with racism. "There ought not never have been no time called too early! ... I done seen a hundred niggers play baseball better than Jackie Robinson." Troy's attitude toward all aspects of his life appears to be based on this lingering disappointment and dissatisfaction, thus skewing his sense of reality and sense of self. In the end, Troy finally faces Death while swinging a baseball bat in the yard.

• Emotion

The play moved me in many ways. Reading Cory really allowed me to open myself and develop a character, thus leading to a deep examination of Cory's thoughts, and the piece of society which he represents. Reading about African American struggles is nothing new; my earliest memory of such stories is the American Girl series about a black girl Addie with her story set during the Civil War. However, I have never read a play focused soley on African Americans. Because this literary work is a play, rather than a novel or poem, the words come attached with much more emotion, leading to new dimensions of my understanding and perception of the topic.

How?

• Figurative Language

Wilson conveys his characters, conflicts, and themes through figurature language. More specifically, Death becomes an actual character or person of sorts, someone who Troy is constantly at odds with. Death, commonly an abstract idea or notion, become personified in Wilson's play. In various lines delivered by Troy, death becomes concrete, taking on the persona of a fastball, a charging army, and someone with a sickle in a white- hooded robe. Despite Troy's consistent teasing and taunting aloud to Death, he realizes in the end Death will emerge the victor. "Death ain't nothing to play with. And I know he's gonna get me." And in the end, Death does "get" Troy, as he says it will get everyone. "Everybody gonna die. You gonna die, I'm gonna die. Bono's gonna die. Hell, we all gonna die." Troy's emphasis on Death obviously hints at plot developments to come. Thus, the audience begins to surmise which character will fall victim, and when. It is not until the last scenes of the play that Death strikes at Alberta, then Troy. Troy's death is ironic in that it occurs while he is swinging a baseball bat in his yard. In a sense, Troy does indeed "go down swinging", living out his mantra.

• Diction

The diction in Fences chiefly contributes to character developments. Fences is set in an all-black community, with family and close friends conversing. Therefore, the diction is informal as the characters speak to one another using improper grammar and slang. The dialogue in Fences occurs in a family setting, with Troy sometimes talking to Bono. Largely, the diction helps reveal the characters, for diction and word choice are the only principal means of illustrating a character in a dramatic work. There are no lengthy paragraphs of description in drama; the audience only has the words spoken from the character. Thus, the words define the character. Troy, for example, speaks with thundering passion, "Man batting .269 and playing right field for the Yankees! I saw Josh Gibson's daughter yesterday, she walking around with raggedy shoes on her feet. Now I bet you Selkirk's daughter ain't walking around with raggedy shoes on her feet! I bet you that!" Even just reading the lines, the audience/reader senses Troy's personality based his on diction.