Check out this story, it only has one main character but the internal dialogue is fantastic and revealing. Notice the depth of the character and the imagery that is provided:
http://theliterarylink.com/sidewalk.html
F. Scott Fitzgerald, a brief biography:
His full name is Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, named after his second cousin three times removed, Francis Scott Key, the guy who wrote the lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner.
Fitzgerald went by the name Scott.
He was an alcoholic but he devoted himself to his writing.
He went to Princeton.
His first novel was published in 1920: This Side of Paradise
The Great Gatsby was published in 1925.
He described the 1920’s with this quote: “It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, and it was an age of satire.”
Ever hear of the Jazz Age? Well our good friend Fitzgerald is credited with coining the term. It refers to the 1920’s, which is the time period that The Great Gatsby is set in. This time period was also known as the Roaring Twenties. Why were they so Roaring?
Well, after World War I, the country was left in terrific state of shock. The brutality of war left the country longing for a distraction. Those who actually fought in the war turned to a lifestyle of extravagance and untamed mentalities as they fought to regain some semblance of normality. The went from fighting the enemy in war (over-seas powers) to fighting the enemy in themselves (their memories and fears).
This time period also was greatly affected by the 18th amendment to the Constitution. This prohibited the manufacture, distribution, sale, import and export of alcoholic beverages.
Of course this kept everyone from drinking alcohol right?
WRONG!
All this did was make a few entrepreneurs extremely wealthy, we’re talking millionaires. Bootleggers would illegally sell alcohol and since it was in high demand they made bundles of money.
Ever hear of Al Capone? You may know him better as Scarface
Another important aspect of this time period was the rapid urbanization that took place. More people began to settle in urban environments and the cities expanded.
Also, technology was booming! A few examples:
The first color television was invented in 1928
The first All-talking all-color movie: On the Show (1929)
The first selective jukebox (1927)
Baseball was very popular as well:
and these were common vehicles
and since English is my joy I can’t forget to mention some of the famous authors who were writing during this time period:
Ernest Hemingway – The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms
Hermann Hesse – Siddhartha
Kahlil Gibran -The Prophet
T.S. Eliot – The Wasteland
James Joyce – Ulysses
Franz Kafka – The Trial
Also, let’s not forget one of the most important things about the Jazz Age, Jazz!
Jazz took over the music scene with big names like Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, the list goes on and on.
and we can’t talk about the music without talking about the dancing. One of the most popular dance moves from this period was the Charleston:
Along with this we can’t forget the new breed of women that were present in this decade: the Flappers. These women wore short skirts, listened to jazz, bobbed their hair, and were rebellious against what was generally accepted behavior. They would go against social and sexual norms and were known for wearing excessive make-up. They also would drink and smoke quite frequently.
I think I see a resemblance:
However, this time period also leads into one of the most devastating events in American history: The Great Depression (1929)
This should ring some bells since we are currently in the midst of what is considered the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Tragedy has been around for centuries! But what exactly is tragedy? Well according to Aristotle, “Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is admirable, complete (composed of an introduction, a middle part and an ending), and possesses magnitude; in language made pleasurable, each of its species separated in different parts; performed by actors, not through narration; effecting through pity and fear the purification of such emotions.”
huh?
What Aristotle is saying is that tragedy has a form as well as a function. The form of the tragedy involves certain criteria that is often common to any story such as having a beginning, middle, and end as well as having action that propels the plot. The function of the tragedy is then discovered through the acting, the language, and the emotional response from the audience.
Aristotle emphasizes these emotional responses as a unique aspect of tragedy. However, it isn’t just ANY emotional response. Instead, the complexity of the plot develops through the incidental rousing of pity and fear from the audience. Aristotle also emphasizes the need for the tragic hero’s reversal of fortune as a result of the character’s hamartia (which means the character’s mistake or flaw). However, according to Aristotle, this character should not just be any common fella. Instead, he should be a great man, or a man who is well-known thus emphasizing the drastic fall to which he will eventually succumb.
Whew!
Let’s break this down into something more manageable. Here are the ideal elements of tragedy that Aristotle claims should be present in any tragic work:
- A great man or a well know man
- Reversal of fortune (from good to bad) caused be some action
- Complex
- Uses incidents to arouse pity and fear from the audience
- Hamartia (the character’s mistake or flaw that causes his/her reversal of fortune)
Make sense?
Well, what does this have to do with “Death of a Salesman”?
Miller wrote an essay entitled “Tragedy and the Common Man” (it’s quite good). In this essay Miller refutes the classical notion of having to have a well-known character as the tragic hero. Miller instead claims “the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were.” (Oh SNAP! take that Aristotle!) Miller goes on to say “if the exaltation of tragic action were truly a property of the high-bred character alone, it is inconceivable that the mass of mankind should cherish tragedy above all other forms, let alone be capable of understanding it.”
Miller is shaking things up a bit here.
We will be starting a play this week in class while you work on your research papers. The play is “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. That name should sound familiar since he also wrote “The Crucible.” I personally consider this one of my favorite plays. I love the dialogue and the way Miller progresses through the plot. Every time I read it I find myself pausing and marveling at the new insight I gain not only into the characters but into my own understanding of life. This play provides a wonderful avenue for discussing the American Dream (that ole elusive specter that has haunted American citizens for centuries) as well as the notion of the tragic hero (perhaps you have heard of our good fella Aristotle). If both of these facets seem foreign to you don’t worry we will discuss them in class as we traverse this play together.
Here is a picture of Mr. Miller, he seems harmless enough.
This short story is by J.D. Salinger. Notice again the use of dialogue in the story. How do the conversations between characters reveal crucial points to the plot and theme? Can you see any connections between this story and Catcher in the Rye? What do you like about this story? What do you dislike?
Here is the link to the story: http://www.miguelmllop.com/stories/stories/bananafish.pdf
So here is another fantastic short story. In order to write well it is important to be exposed to writing. I enjoy trying to mimic the styles of other writers just to see if I am able to do as well as they do. It takes practice and it takes time. However, the first step is to read as much as you can. Since we are going to be making short stories in the upcoming months, I will be providing you with various types of short stories that exist. If you have read any that you really enjoy let me know and I’ll put it on the blog for others to enjoy.
This story is by O. Henry (not to be confused with the candy bar)
His real name is William Sydney Porter and this story is titled “After Twenty Years.” What does O. Henry do well in this story? Do you like it? Why?
Again, these are SHORT stories. They don’t take long to read. Dive in and enjoy the writing and the language.
Here is the link to the story:
Here is a short story that relates well to Catcher in the Rye. You can also find this story in your textbooks. The usefulness of this story can be found in the point of view that we are given. This story is told from the perspective of a mother. How might we interpret Catcher in the Rye differently if we were given the point of view of one of Holden’s parents? How might we interpret “Teenage Wasteland” differently if we were given the perspective of Donny? When we take the time to look at stories from varying perspectives, we are able to see aspects of the story that may have not been clear before. We are giving ourselves a different perspective on the text while also practicing the invaluable talent of viewing life through the eyes of someone else. Through these practices we are able to be more empathetic towards the situations of other people. Take some time and think about a situation in your life that has caused you strife or conflict. Now try looking at the situation through the eyes of the other people involved. Does this help you to understand key elements of the situation better? Have you gained a better sense of yourself and others?
“Teenage Wasteland” isn’t long, take some time and read it. Try manipulating your view point and think about how the story might be told differently if looked at through varying perspectives.
This link leads to the story:
http://www.imissakian.org/resources/Teenage+Wasteland.pdf
Also, here is a video of The Who performing “Baba O’Riley” The title of this story comes from a line from this song. What connections can you draw between the song and the story? Why did Anne Tyler title the story the way she did?
As usual, most authors are influenced by other works. A clear influence for The Catcher in the Rye is a poem by Robert Burns (yep, the same Robert Burns that influenced Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men).
Robert Burns poems is entitled “Comin’ Thro the Rye.” This poem also became a well-known children’s song which Holden misrepresents in the novel on pg. 115. Here it is in its original dialect:
Comin’ Thro the Rye
O, Jenny’s a’ weet, poor body,
Jenny’s seldom dry;
She draigl’t a’ her petticoattie
Comin thro’ the rye.
She draigl’t a’ her petticoattie
Comin thro’ the rye.
Comin thro the rye, poor body,
Comin thro the rye,
She draigl’t a’her petticoatie,
Comin thro the rye!
Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,[r] Need a body cry?
Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro the glen,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warld ken?
Also here is a video of the poem in its musical version:
And here is modern translation if you had trouble reading the above poem:
O Jenny is all wet, poor body,
Jenny is seldom dry:
She draggled all her petticoats,
Coming through the rye!
Coming through the rye, poor body,
Coming through the rye,
She draggled all her petticoats,
Coming through the rye!
Should a body meet a body
Coming through the rye,
Should a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Should a body meet a body
Coming through the glen,
Should a body kiss a body,
Need the world know?
Should a body meet a body
Coming through the grain,
Should a body kiss a body,
The thing is a body’s own.
Smoke Free Zone 