56-8-4

Modern American Literature: Rise of Realism

Choosing between your dreams and your responsibilities could be a nearly impossible choice. Most dreams are pushed aside in a human’s lifetime and their personal responsibilities such as taking care of a family intervene with accomplishing a dream. In the Story April Showers by Edith Wharton the protagonist, Theodora Dace, struggles with her dream of becoming a writer and the reality of responsibility. In April Showers, Theodora is the protagonist **Why is she the protagonist? The line in the opening paragraph does a good job explaining why, perhaps you could use that line here instead of this one?**. She dreams of having her story published in a magazine and becoming a famous writer. Theodora has many responsibilities around her house since her mother is very ill. Wharton writes, “Two’ clock! And she had promised her mother to be up early enough to see that the buttons were sewn on Johnny’s reefer, and that Kate had her cod-liver oil before starting school!” Her emotions show in many different ways throughout this story making her a round character **in what ways are her emotions shown specifically?**, but she does not develop any differently as a character from the beginning to the end of the story, which makes her a static character **interesting observation**. Wharton writes, “She meant to spend all money on her family; and already she has visions of a wheeled chair for her mother, a fresh wallpaper for the doctor’s shabby office, bicycles for the girls, and Johnny’s establishment at a boarding-school where sewing on his buttons would be part of the curriculum.” The most important thing in Theodora’s life was taking care of her family and she would do anything for them. Many uses of imagery are used throughout the story **can you rephrase this, its a bit confusing...ie Imagery is used many times...etc.**. Wharton writes, “Lingeringly, tenderly she gathered up the pages of her novel, - there were five hundred of them, --and tied them with the blue ribbon that her Aunt Julia had given her.” The description of the novel and how she is tying it up shows how hard she has worked to write the novel and how greatly she wants to make her dreams of becoming a writer come true **good example!**. The mood in the story changes frequently from having a positive, cheerful atmosphere to changing to a depressing, sad atmosphere. When is shows Theodora having her dreams crushed by the mistake of the publishing company, it makes a reader want to reach out and comfort her **I like that you followed up your claim with an example from the text**. Theodora is a congenial, kind girl who just wants to help her family while living her dream. Dialect is used to a bare minimum throughout the story. It shows that during this time period in that region of the country, humans spoke similar to how the English language is spoken in the 21st Century. Wharton writes, “I suppose you didn’t get home for the ball til morning.” This example is one of the few in the story, but “til” is a common slang term used today in the United States. Throughout April Showers, Theodora struggles to choose between helping her family and making her dreams come true but when //her dreams are crushed by a printing mistake//, she is devastated. In the end, Theodora maintains all of her responsibilities //as well as publishing her story//**.** Although //her story was never published,// she is still proud she was able to write a novel and in a way, her dream did come true **The italicized words in the paragraph represent my confusion. Did she get her story published or did it not happen? For someone unfamiliar with story this may be a bit confusing.**. Theodora’s Id wants her to write even if it came in the way of her responsibilities, her Ego wants her to write in secret and spend all of her earnings on her family, and her Superego want her to put her family as her first priority. April Showers shows how responsibilities can be put first while making dreams come true. **G****ood ending! Angel, You write really well. Your concluding paragraph does a good job tying everything together and summarizing what you wrote. Try reading your papers aloud when you are finished to find any confusing sentences and to make sure it flows well. You do a good job backing up your claims with examples from the text. Keep up the good work!**

Choose one of the stories to apply feminist criticism to the reading. Identify the protagonist and antagonist and describe their relationship as it relates to the theme. How does the relationship to the foil, if there is one, reflect the theme? Identify whether the protagonist is round or flat, dynamic or static. Support your response with examples from the text.
 * Chopin’s “Story of and Hour” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”**

This student was absent from class. I will post her essay as soon as possible.

Select an example of imagery that creates the mood of the story? How does the mood of the setting reflect the character’s motivations driven by their id, ego, and superego? In Crane's "Mystery of Heroism," Fred Collins is a soldier in battle during the Civil War and risks his life to go across the battlefield to get water for himself, but discovers that his wants are not as important as he might think. Fred’s Id, Ego, and Super-Ego are all shown in this story through one situation and how a person’s actions go from being very selfish to selfless. Crane writes, “The battlefield was green and beautiful but brown earth was being flung in monstrous handfuls.” Soldiers and Colonels are scattered about in the midst of a huge battle. Shells of bullets were flying everywhere and it sounded like “flapping shutters during a wild gate winter.” “The air had a strong odor of smoke and fire.” The ground was torn up from all of the flying bullets. “The soldiers’ knees were no more quick to touch the ground than their heads.” It was a very depressing scene to see a once gorgeous, green field turn to an ugly, brown field. Fred Collins really wanted water and was going to do whatever it took to get it. His Id was telling him to get the water and he couldn't get the thought out of his mind. He talked to the Colonels and other soldiers and they thought he was crazy to risk his life to ride all the way to the well on the other side of the battlefield but they said he could go and to bring some extra canteens with him. He rode across the brown field on horseback with shells and arrows flying all around him but he made it to the well safely. His Super-Ego was telling him to stay alive and he could make it back safely. His heart was pounding and he knew he was a dead man but he gained his strength and made it back to his part of the battlefield. Collins rode past soldiers who wanted the water he had gotten, but Collins was on a new mission now, to save a dying soldier. The dying soldier's arm was bent like a twig and was very weak. Collin's Ego kicked him and he knew he had to save this poor soldier. He forced the water into the soldier's mouth and Collin's hard work payed off because he saved the soldier's life.
 * Crane’s “Mystery of Heroism”**

Crane's "Mystery of Heroism," describes a very depressing, ugly day filled with danger, near death experiences, and courage. Collin's motivation started very selfish with just wanting the water for himself, but once he got to the well he realized he had to stay alive and help fight the battle and bring the water back to the other soldiers who needed it just as much as him. After getting the water and bringing it back, he saw the dying soldier and all of his wants disappeared because he knew he had to help him. Although this is a sad, depressing story it shows a great example of how your Id, Ego, and Super-Ego work in a real life situation.

In Crane's "Mystery of Heroism," Fred Collins is a soldier in battle during the Civil War and risks his life to go across the battlefield to get water for himself, but discovers that his wants are not as important as he might think. Fred’s Id, Ego, and Super-Ego are all shown in this story through one situation and how a person’s actions go from being very selfish to selfless. Crane writes, “The battlefield was green and beautiful but brown earth was being flung in monstrous handfuls.” Soldiers and Colonels **//are//** scattered about in the midst of a huge battle. Shells of bullets **//were//** flying everywhere and it sounded like “flapping shutters during a wild gate winter.” **Make sure you don’t switch verb tenses (are and were= are scattered and are flying or were scattered and were flying)** “The air had a strong odor of smoke and fire.” The ground was torn up from all of the flying bullets. “The soldiers’ knees were no more quick to touch the ground than their heads.” It was a very depressing scene to see a once gorgeous, green field turn to an ugly, brown field. **Good example of imagery!** Fred Collins really wanted water and was going to do whatever it took to get it. His Id was telling him to get the water and he couldn't get the thought out of his mind. He talked to the Colonels and other soldiers and they thought he was crazy to risk his life to ride all the way to the well on the other side of the battlefield but they said he could go and to bring some extra canteens with him. He rode across the brown field on horseback with shells and arrows flying all around him but he made it to the well safely. His Super-Ego was telling him to stay alive and he could make it back safely. His heart was pounding and he knew he was a dead man but he gained his strength and made it back to his part of the battlefield **what happened that made him gain his strength?**. Collins rode past soldiers who wanted the water he had gotten, but Collins was on a new mission now, to save a dying soldier. **What happened to make him have this new mission?** The dying soldier's arm was bent like a twig and was very weak. Collin's Ego kicked him and he knew he had to save this poor soldier. He forced the water into the soldier's mouth and Collin's hard work payed off because he saved the soldier's life. Crane's "Mystery of Heroism," describes a very depressing, ugly day filled with danger, near death experiences, and courage. Collin's motivation started very selfish with just wanting the water for himself, but once he got to the well he realized he had to stay alive and help fight the battle and bring the water back to the other soldiers who needed it just as much as him. After getting the water and bringing it back, he saw the dying soldier and all of his wants disappeared because he knew he had to help him. Although this is a sad, depressing story it shows a great example of how your Id, Ego, and Super-Ego work in a real life situation.
 * Good use of imagery in the opening paragraph but how do the surroundings affect Collin’s Id, Superego and Ego? How do the two of them relate? Keep an eye on tenses and make sure you write the whole paper in the same tense, don’t switch between two. Otherwise excellent paper!**

How does the author indirectly characterize the protagonist through the use of dialect? What does this tell us about the character? How are they influenced by their id, ego, or superego?
 * Wharton’s “April Showers” and Twain’s “The Invalid’s Story”**