Depression after Modernism

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway contains characters who all seem to be almost redeveloping their social skills, personalities, and confidence after the World War that had taken place right before the plot begins in America. Large events in American history influence the changes and development of literature in America and the first World War was one event that was particularly damaging. The ideas present in literature became much more somber and complex, making the effects of the war evident. American authors had been impacted by the war and their writing, the style, characters, plot, setting, and overall methods of writing had changed creating a writing period of depression in American literature.

Modernism is the period that these changes were most easily seen in as the period started following the war. I studied the Modernism period in English at the start of the semester and with that research now present in my mind I am able to notice characteristics of modernist writing in the literature we read inside class and outside of class. When reading Hemingway's book, not only the style and techniques used in his writing are obviously modern, but the characters feelings and struggles with their own view of themselves and self-confidence are examples of the depression they were involved in following the war they had fought in before the book began. This connection was interesting for me to understand and helped me to realize what the Hemingway was trying to express through his characters personalities and actions.

Do We Have To Be "American" to Be American?

A question brought up quite often recently in English class due to our task of defining American Literature is, does an author have to be from America to be an American author and therefore qualify their literature as American Literature? I took this question and changed it to better my curiosity by asking, do the characters in a book have to be from America to qualify a book as American Literature, even if the author is American themselves? This question came up because in the book The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, all the characters are traveling or living in countries outside of America such as Paris, South America, Spain, Scotland, and Greece. The difference that is made in this storyline is that all the characters are united through their involvement in World War I, the majority of them having fought in the war for America. Even the female character Brett is involved through her work in the hospitals of the war and other characters are friends of war veterans. The setting of the book however is not America and the characters are obviously expatriates. Therefore, can the book still be categorized as an American piece of literature or do the characters and plot of the story have nothing to do with the book's qualification in such a category?

I believe that the author's own status as American is a large factor. The author himself being from America and having knowledge about World War I and its effects evident in the characters who are said to have been present shown through his descriptions of them contribute to the books American genre. I also think that the since the main characters in The Sun Also Rises were all united by the same conflict in America, their efforts in World War I, that even if they're lives take them elsewhere in the world they have the American background and the American identities that are needed. Therefore I do think that we have the characters had to be American in order for the book to be a piece of American literature, but they do not have to spend their entire lives in America as long as they know where they came from and that background affects them and is evident in their actions and beliefs wherever they do go.

Losing Masculinity to Modernism

The results of World War I had a large influence on literature and its ideas, themes, and plots. All of these changes and new styles are shown through the literature written in Modernism, the time period I studied early in English class this year and now have knowledge about as we read various books in class or outside of class. The Sun Also Rises is written in a Modern setting and contains these new ideas brought on by the war and its destruction of those involved physically, mentally, and emotionally. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway involves a group of male characters who all seem to be redefining themselves as men due to their recent involvement in World War I in America. Whether Hemingway directly points to the loss of manhood or indirectly points to such ideas through the narrator, Jake's, descriptions of the characters and the contrast between the men and the main female character Brett, the idea is present. Connections can be are between my research of the Modernist period and the characters actions, thoughts, feelings, dialogue, portrayals, and personal views of themselves. An easy connection to draw however is the large amount of redefining, whether it be the redefinition of tangible things, emotions, or characters, that took place in The Sun Also Rises as well as in Literature transitioning from Realism to Modernism.

Jake, the narrator and a former fighter in the US during World War I, is affected by change due to the war itself and the pure terror it was for those fighting in it. Following the end of the war, John's feelings and confidence seems to be shaken and "feminized" as you can see through his descriptions of other as well as a few points where you can see into his own personal descriptions. Hemingway mentions this loss of John's "manhood" specifically through the loss of his ability to have sex, a setback in his life especially when involving female characters such as Brett. Brett, the female protagonist who is easily defined as an independent woman searching for love that she cannot see to hold on to, is another sign of various male character's loss of masculinity. Robert Cohn in particular, a friend of John's who was not involved in World War I due to his Jewish background and life in Paris instead of America, is affected by his interest in Brett and the actions he take to try and please her. These actions are seen as feminine to Cohn's friends and foes and they weaken him as you can see from Jake's narration of him. Directly, Brett is more obviously made a character who has greater masculinity than all make characters due to her short haircut, boyish name, and the tendency to call herself "chap". Brett being a woman and yet still having greater masculinity than all of the men around her, redefines the typical and previously known beliefs about gender, just as war redefined the literature in the American Modernism period from that of peace, fantasy or joy to that of depression and sorrow.

Simplicity over Detail

I am reading Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises this quarter for my outside reading book. The storyline is fairly interesting so far and seems to be revolving around the main character, who speaks in first person, and his friend Robert Cohn as he retells what must be a dramatic life full of complications with women that he and Robert have experienced. In blog however I'm not going to focus on the plot of the book, but rather the style of writing Hemingway has, and how he describes his characters, setting, and basic scenes using it. Ernest Hemingway uses an extremely simplistic style of writing. To compare I have looked at the style of writing used by the author of Billy Budd, a novella we recently read in English class, Herman Melville. Instead of simple writing Melville uses a more detailed and drawn out technique.
Herman Melville is a romantic writer whose style is exceedingly exact, giving attention to every detail necessary in providing a clear image of the setting, characters, and plot of books he has written. This style is common in romantic writing and is used to enhance the often fantastical ideas incorporated in romantic stories. Reading Billy Budd in class was sometimes difficult because of the incredible amount of detail when simply talking about an area of the ship or the feelings expressed by a certain sailor. This style is remarkably different from Ernest Hemingway's genre and techniques, which were lesser in general. Hemingway used simple, short sentences to explain his characters and setting and these methods produce the same level of understanding and imagery that Melville's writing does. These contrasting styles are vastly different but they produce the same quality of literature, just in different ways.

Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter

     The harsh and strict society of Puritan America that is the setting of The Scarlet Letter creates the basis for the ultimate plot and problems of the novel. I have been studying the Puritanism period of American Literature for the month of September give or take a week, in English class at Episcopal and all of the knowledge I have gained regarding social, cultural, and religious persona of Puritanism has come in handy when reading The Scarlet Letter. I have been able to recognize and understand points in the story, opinions of various characters, and the overall scandal and reasoning behind the main problem in the novel. 

      Nathaniel Hawthorne lived and wrote his stories in years following the Puritanism, but his birthplace of Salem, Massachusetts gave him the background information and overall curiosity and interest in Puritan ideals and society. Hawthorne presents readers of The Scarlet Letter with a character who embodies "sin" in a model Puritan society, Hester Prynne. Adultery is the scandal that creates the plot of the story and various details and characters develop the novel. This believed horrible act of adultery and the pride and uncaring manner in which Hester seems to react to her scandalous behavior enhances gossip and extremely opinionated Puritans to speak their beliefs and give readers the perspective and information of a true Puritan society. The Puritan town, in their attempt to disassociate themselves with Hester and her sinful behavior, are repressive and overwhelmingly rude and strict, almost contradicting the religion and culture which they were originally trying to protect. Hawthorne gives this almost backwards outlook of Puritan society and culture in order to entertain readers while keeping them informed. The storyline being seen through the eyes of a sinner creates a much more intriguing story that readers want to know more and more about, while still giving information through the surrounding characters and the actions they take. 

Role Models: Scarlet Letter vs. Model Christian Charity

Though both The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and A Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop are works of literature relating to the Puritanism period of American Literature, they present extremely society and the idea of a perfect Puritan very differently. Aside from the basic fact that The Scarlet Letter is a novel written in a much later period of Renaissance literature that is about a Puritan society and A Model of Christian Charity is the recording of a speech actually given in the Puritanism time period, the two works differ in their approach to an explanation of Puritan society.

The Scarlet Letter  is a story revolving around a crime committed in a small Puritan settlement that shocks the town and creates ultimate chaos and confusion. Adultery is the sin committed by the main character of the story, Hester Prynne, and the story explains this offensive and sinful behavior by telling her story instead of the story of someone who did all the right things. Hawthorne decides to give an outlook of Puritan ideals through the opinions of townspeople and other characters of Hester and her actions. Instead of providing straightforward rules and beliefs of Puritanism, the book gives a fictional and much more entertaining approach to the description of society.

A Model of Christian Charity was a speech given by John Winthrop in the Puritanism era of American Literature that we read in English class and the beginning of this first quarter. The piece is much more straightforward and strict in the explanation of Puritan society. This vastly different perspective and approach is present due to the authors identity, a strong and powerful figure in Puritan society who followed the "laws" and beliefs of Puritanism. The entire point of Winthrop's speech is to inspire if not teach the audience to become better Christians and therefore role models for other members of society and the world. This is so different form Hawthorne's interpretation of the social order due to the role model concept. The Scarlet Letter provides readers with a somewhat role model of the wrong side. The book gives readers a character who goes against society, and that's why you end up rooting for her. A Model of Christian Charity on the other hand gives readers the basic and strict role model requirements that can be followed to be the correct member of Puritan society. Both outlooks give an overall explanation of the culture, religion, and ideas in Puritanism, but in extremely different ways.

Details: Scarlet Letter vs. Autobiography of Ben Franklin

The writing of Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter and Ben Franklin in his own autobiography are extremely detailed. Whether the authors are describing setting, character traits and actions, plot, or an idea or belief, the information is thorough and explained to the max. The "Custom-House Introductory" chapter to The Scarlet Letter and the first few chapters following all provide serious details regarding the setting of the story. The small Puritan town being introduced in the story is so completely explained to readers that it is almost impossible not to be able to map out the town in your head while reading the remainder of the story. Hawthorne begins the book this way to set up the basis of the entire story, where every part of the plot will occur and develop. Overall the details are used to illustrate a perfect portrait of the town in readers minds that will help them read the Scarlet Letter with greater understanding and a greater ability to draw conclusions and opinions.

The same attention to detail is used by Ben Franklin in his autobiography, a passage I read for English class recently. Though we read the autobiography in two parts, the first is essential to my connection between it and The Scarlet Letter due to its description of Franklin's travels between American cities and London throughout his life. Franklin describes his travels with persistent detail. Not a single name, time, food eaten and sleep taken is forgotten by the author and each event described brings greater knowledge to the reader and therefore context to the story. Some of the details regarding people Ben Franklin meets, places he has to stay, or actions he has to take in order to continue making a living foreshadow or explain character traits that he is now known for possessing or events that he is renowned for accomplishing. The detail put into every single thing that happened to him during his travels and life achievements add so much more to his autobiography and the amount that readers can gain from it.

Both pieces of literature use this almost excessive detail to enhance their works and provide readers with the best writing possible. This style of simple, yet extremely detailed writing is a part of American culture and society at the time which was simply to inform and get the greater message across to people by giving them all they needed to know, even if it was in the simplest terms that could manage to write.

Symbols of My Life- Final

Symbols for My Life

            There are various symbols in my life that I use or keep with me on a daily basis. Some symbols are necessities, others are items I use or encounter, while others are people who bring out specific parts of me that other people might not see. Like these people, all the symbols of my life are not only basic items or ideas. They reflect my personality and represent ideas that are much more personal then the simplicity that one may see. What I choose to think are the most important and easily understood symbols in my life are a pair of glasses, a swimming block, and my sister Larkin. They may seem like normal or basic parts of my life that are present for fairly predictable purposes, but I like to look at them in a different way.

            I have worn glasses since I was seven years old. As I matured I decided that I would prefer to wear contacts and normally they are what I wear everyday. I still require glasses however for every night and any other time in my life that they might become necessary. Glasses fulfill a fairly straightforward purpose. My vision is extremely terrible and glasses help to repair and enhance vision. My glasses are made specifically for me and they help me to see. They fix my vision. Anytime I am not wearing my glasses, the entire world is different. Blurry does not begin to explain the way the world looks through my eyes without the proper help glasses provide. I cannot see what is right in front of me. Reading is impossible. Friends find it funny to test your naked vision by trying to get you to distinguish a number of fingers from the blur of a hand you can barely see. Glasses are so important to my life, without them the world and all that is in it is unrecognizable.

            My vision is impaired due to genetics and other unlucky reasons. Without glasses I cannot see the world for what it really is. This can be interpreted in a much deeper way when it is applied to my personality and my tendencies in life. I am the type of person who will put trust in someone, some event, or some idea much to quickly. I tend to become friends with a person not too long after meeting them and at that point in a relationship with someone, it is almost impossible to know all there is to know about them. The same way my vision is impaired, my choice making skills are often impaired because of how easily I trust people. I have spent numerous friendships being blind. I go on in relationships thinking that I know a person but I cannot see them for whom they truly are. Getting to know someone takes time. People often hide their true personality or feelings from people until they sense trust in the relationship. I have found myself to be the opposite of those people, not only putting my true self out in the open early on in relationships, but also believing that the other person is doing the same. I do not always recognize who a person actually is and how they truly act until I stop, put on my glasses, and actually see them for who they are.

             One item that is important to a part of my daily life is a swimming block. It is a somewhat strange symbol, but sometimes simple objects are more then they seem. I am a swimmer and swimming is a sport that takes extensive training and practice. Therefore, I am in the pool and swimming several thousand yards everyday.  A swimming block is like a diving board for racing.  It is a small, square, raised board at the end of a lane of the pool. A swimmer uses the block to dive into the water at the start of a race, gaining distance and speed. As a swimmer, the block is a somewhat scary place. When I get up on the block at the start of a race, all the pressure that has been bottled up inside me, hidden from excited teammates and expectant coaches, just explodes. Staring at the water ahead in that tiny five-second moment when I position myself for a dive, every possible situation plays out in my head. The race for me at that moment is crucial. I must perform the perfect dive, the perfect turn, get the perfect time. The entire experience is terrifying. That short moment atop the swimming block is a moment of sheer terror and worry for me as a swimmer. The block is meant to be a helpful aspect of swimming and racing, but for me it creates a final chance for panic.

            The swimming block moment of my life occurs much too often. Every time I start a new activity or event such as a sport, class, club, or job I am petrified. The thought of what these new opportunities and experiences could hold for my future never fails to horrify me. I worry too much for my own good, and thinking about the expectations that come with these new events sets off extreme panic alarms in my head. In the past I would refuse to try new things simply because of my fear of change and the expectancy that came with it. I did not want to disappoint people. I did not want to make a mistake and ruin the opportunity for the rest of my life. The only solution I found was avoiding the situations. Every time I would climb up on that swimming block, I would want to get right back off. What I have had to learn as I have grown is that the dive may be terrifying, but once I enter the water it pays off. The petrifying start of new opportunities is worth it when I achieve and succeed and ultimately enjoy myself. I still find myself stuck in a moment of fear whenever a new situation appears in my life, but I hold my breath and dive in.

            There are many important people in my life who I could consider symbols for various traits. My sister Larkin however, has always been at the top of my list. Larkin is my younger sister. She is short, sweet, and full of as much attitude as every other eleven year old. We fight just as often as we get along, but we love each other extreme amounts and that is what I like to think matters most. Larkin is special because she is a survivor of brain cancer. When I was eleven and Larkin was seven, she was diagnosed in Baton Rouge and put through immediate surgery to remove the majority of the cancer.  Three months later Larkin was sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee for radiation and chemotherapy to wipe away all other traces of cancer. Due to this, my family had to move to a small apartment in the center of Memphis for about a year. My parents and Larkin lived in the apartment, but I was only allowed to visit on certain weekends and holidays due to school. I lived out of a suitcase and backpack, staying with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and occasionally friends for an entire year. I barely saw my family and all news of Larkin and her progress came through afternoon phone calls and Facebook updates. It was a very difficult time for my family and I, Larkin going through a situation so unbelievable and painful, and my being away from them made the entire situation harder for me.

            Larkin is now a symbol that is much more than special to me. Knowing that I could have lost my sister at some point, knowing that she could have lost the ability to speak, hear, maybe even move due to this horrible cancer inside of her, it makes me more conscious of how precious family and life is to me. The move that my family had to make also changed who I am as a person. I was only eleven; I had no idea what was going on for a majority of the time spent in hospitals. I was young and reliant on my parents for all that I had and did. My parents leaving me to fend for myself and figure out where I needed to be and do with no help or guidance really pushed me into maturity. I do not think I would have grown up as soon as I did if it were not for the cancer appearing in Larkin’s life. It was difficult being forced to grow up at the time, but I am thankful for it now. I have gained much more and I can be independent when I need to be. Larkin is my younger sister and I was always supposed to be the mature role model for her. Now, after such a life-changing event, I look at my sister and I know that I am the mature role model that she needs.

            In conclusion, who I am as a person has been modified over time. These three symbols not only represent important traits that I possess, but also improvements that I have made or steps I have taken as I have grown. My glasses have taught me to look for who people really are. The swimming block has become a place for a new beginning. Larkin is my constant reminder of strength and maturity that I hope I can continue to possess. These three symbols are important to my past, and how the past has taught me to change my future. 

Symbols of My Life

Mckenzie Dorris

Block 2

8/15/13

Symbols for My Life

            There are various symbols in my life that I use or keep with me on a daily basis. Some symbols are necessities, other items you use or encounter, while others are people who bring out specific parts of me that other people might not see. Like these people, all the symbols of my life are not only basic items or ideas. They reflect my personality and represent something much more personal then the simplicity that one may see. What I choose to think are the most important and easily understood symbols in my life are a pair of glasses, a charm bracelet, and my sister Larkin. They may seem like normal or basic parts of my life that are present for fairly predictable purposes, but I like to see them as something bigger.

            I have worn glasses since I was seven years old. As I matured I decided that I would prefer to wear contacts and normally they are what I wear everyday. I still require glasses however for every night and any other time in my life that they might become necessary. Glasses fulfill a fairly straightforward purpose. My vision is extremely terrible and glasses help to repair and enhance vision. My glasses are made specifically for me and they help me to see, they somewhat fix my vision. Anytime I am not wearing my glasses the entire world is different. Blurry does not begin to explain the way things look for my eyes without the proper help glasses provide. I cannot see things that are right in front of me. Reading is impossible. Friends find it funny to test your naked vision by trying to get you to distinguish fingers from the blur of a hand you can barely see. Glasses are so important to my life, without them the world and everything in it are unrecognizable.

            My vision is impaired due to genetics and other things like bad luck, without glasses I cannot see things for what they are. This can be interpreted as something much deeper when it is applied to my personality and my tendencies in life. I am the type of person who will put trust in someone or something much to quickly. I tend to become friends with a person not too long after meeting them and at that point in a relationship with someone, it is almost impossible to know everything about them. The same way my vision is impaired, my choice making skills are often impaired because of how easily I trust people. I have spent in numerous friendships being blind. I go on in relationships thinking that I know a person but I cannot see who they truly are. Getting to know someone takes time. Often people hide their true personality of feelings from people until they sense trust in the relationship. I have found myself to be the opposite of those people, not only putting my true self out in the open early on in relationships but also believing that the other person is doing the same. I do not always recognize who a person truly is and how they truly act until I stop, put on my glasses, and actually see them for who they are.

             One item that is important to a part of my daily life is a swimming block. It is a somewhat strange symbol, but sometimes things are more then they seem. I am a swimmer and swimming is a sport that takes extensive training and practice. Therefore, I am in the pool and swimming several thousand yards everyday.  A swimming block is like a diving board for racing.  It’s a small, square, raised board at the end of a lane of the pool. A swimmer uses the block to dive into the water at the start of a race, gaining distance and speed. As a swimmer, the block is a somewhat scary place. When I get up on the block at the start of a race, all the pressure that has been bottled up inside and hidden from excited teammates and expectant coaches explodes. Staring at the water ahead in the tiny five-second moment I position myself for a dive, everything possible situation plays out in my head. The race of me at that moment is crucial. I must perform the perfect dive, the perfect turn, get the perfect time. The entire experience is terrifying. That short moment atop the swimming block is a moment of sheer terror and worry for me as a swimmer. The block is meant to be a helpful aspect of swimming and racing, but for me it creates a final chance for panic.

            The swimming block moment of my life occurs much too often. Every time I start something new; a sport, class, club, job, and any other activity I am petrified. The thought of what these new opportunities and experiences could hold for my future never fails to horrify me. I worry too much for my own good, and thinking about the expectations that come with these new events sets of extreme panic alarms in my head. In the past I would refuse to try new things simply because of my fear of change and the expectancy that came with it. I did not want to disappoint people, I did not want to do something wrong and ruin the opportunity for the rest of my life. The only solution I found was avoiding the situations. Every time I would climb up on that swimming block, I would want to get right back off. What I have had to learn as I have grown is that the dive may be terrifying, but once you enter the water it pays off. The petrifying start of something new is worth it when I achieve and succeed and ultimately enjoy myself. I still find myself stuck in a moment of fear whenever something new appears in my life, but I hold my breath and dive in.

            There are many important people in my life who I could consider symbols for various traits. My sister Larkin however, has always been at the top of my list. Larkin is my younger sister. She’s short, sweet, and full of as much attitude as every other eleven year old. We fight just as often as we get along, but we love each other more than anything and that is what I like to think matters most. Larkin is extremely special because she is a survivor of brain cancer. When I was eleven and Larkin was seven, she was diagnosed in Baton Rouge and put through immediate surgery to remove the majority of the cancer.  Three months later Larkin was sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee for radiation and chemotherapy to wipe away all other traces of cancer. Due to this, my family had to move to a small apartment in the center of Memphis for about a year. My parents and Larkin lived in the apartment, but I was only allowed to visit on certain weekends and holidays due to school. I lived out of a suitcase and backpack, staying with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and occasionally friends for an entire year. I barely saw my family and all news of Larkin and her progress came through afternoon phone calls and Facebook updates. It was a very difficult time for my family and I, Larkin going through something so unbelievable and painful, and me being away from them made the entire situation harder for me.

            Larkin is now something much greater than special to me. Knowing that I could have lost her at some point, knowing that she could have lost the ability to speak, hear, maybe even move due to this horrible cancer inside of her, it makes me more conscious of how precious family and life is to me. The move that my family had to make also changed who I am as a person. I was only eleven; I had no idea what was going on for a majority of the time spent in hospitals. I was young and reliant on my parents for everything. My parents leaving me to fend for myself and figure out where I needed to be and do with no help or guidance really pushed me into maturity. I do not think I would have grown up as soon as I did if it were not for the cancer appearing in Larkin’s life. It was difficult being forced to grow up at the time, but I’m thankful for it now. I’ve gained much more and I can be independent when I need to be. Larkin is my younger sister and I was always supposed to be the mature role model for her. Now, after such a life -changing event, I look at my sister and I know that I am the mature role model that she needs.

            In conclusion, who I am as a person has been modified over time. These three symbols not only represent important traits that I possess, but also improvements that I have made or steps I have taken as I have grown. My glasses have taught me to look for who people really are. The swimming block has become a place for a new beginning. Larkin is my constant reminder of strength and maturity that I hope I can continue to possess. These three symbols are important to my past, and how it has taught me to change my future.