Thursday, May 7, 2009
Chapter 27 - A Test Case
Read "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on page 245. Complete the exercise on pages 265-266, following the directions exactly. How did you do? What does the essay that follows comparing Laura with Persephone add to your appreciation of Mansfield's story?
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I read, analyzed and completed the steps and directed. I did alright in my explanations. My answer was geared towards how the youth understand are open before they are slapped into their social place by those around them. If the mother had not presented an excellent example of how to be a rich and heartless snob, then perhaps the daughter would not grow up to become one. If the child was allowed to grow up with her own opinions, she would have been more caring with equal views for all people. Also in my essay i incorporated how the upper class is ignorant and apathetic towards anything besides its own extravagance. The following essay about Persephone (and even the one about flight) greatly enhanced my view of the story. It made me appreciate the details better that I missed the first time reading it. However it made me feel so bad for missing them that I proceeded to read it a second time with the mindset of the essays from the beginning. When doing that, it really opened my eyes to the story. However with this test, I was troubled by the deficiency of my answer, believing that the goal of the book was to make me read like a professor. However now it feels as though I haven't reached the goal at all, for if I had, my essay should have more mirrored that of the book's.
I followed all of the directions completely and correctly. After I read the short story I analyzed the questions on page 265. I thought Mansfield was trying to get people to understand that both life and death are beautiful. You live your life to the fullest but even when you are done living, others, and I guess your spirit, can look back at your life. The whole idea of life in general is so much more magnificent than what people make it out to be. From Mansfield’s literary work I feel as if somebody were to say the phrase, “Life is unfair,” she would have not agreed. To her, sure there are some unfair things in life, but in general, there is really nothing better than life. She signifies this by making the whole book cheerful, even when somebody died. The day is perfect for a party, everything went smoothly, all except when the guy died, but despite that, when she saw the dead man, she cried because it was beautiful to see, not because it was totally appalling. The only adjectives that may have turned the mood from cheerful to dreadful was the darkness in the run-down neighborhood, but what do you expect, the sun was setting. The essay following that compared Laura with Persephone was extremely well written and opened my eyes greatly. I definitely appreciated the thoughts that Mansfield put in her story. At first I thought the story was going no where and actually got bored of all the, what I thought were useless details. I actually did realize all of the adjectives about flying and floating across the yard but I didn’t make the connection that they were like Gods flying. I just assumed that Mansfield put the flying details in the book to set a mood because when you are happy, you are light on your feet, it just made sense to me that way. After I realized that all the details were very similar to Persephone and Demeter I didn’t feel ashamed that I hadn’t caught on to the story line because I am not very familiar to this Greek story. It did make me wonder about how much I have actually missed out on in the books I have read over the years. Literature can be looked at in so many different ways and that is absolutely mind blowing.
After answering the questions at the end of the reading, I compared my answers to that of the "experts'". I caught on to the idea of Laura being torn between herself and her mother. She was open-minded and curious about the lower class, and saw them more as equals. Her mother was pig headed, and lived life on that pedestal palace, reigning supreme over the lower class. Laura was growing up and was at a cross roads for her life. She didn't know whether to be like her mom, or to be her own person. Her mom was obviously trying to flood her mind into becoming a clone. I picked up on the hat thing, symbolizing that Laura and her mom were becoming close. All in all, I did o.k. on the basic understanding of the story. When I read that essay about persephone it really opened my eyes. I didn't even come remotely close to making that connection. But after reading what Foster had to say, it all made perfect sense. The story suddenly became a more enlightening experience for me. I wish a would of made the connection for myself though. Then I really could of experienced that "aha" moment. I feel like I read that story differently then usual. With reading this book, I was paying deeper attention to the little things and trying to make sense of what was all happening. I'm sure as heck no Thomas Foster, but I can tell this book helped.
Don't worry - I didn't catch the Persephone connection either the first time I read the story. Remember - you often find the connections which you can relate to because of personal experiences or previous knowledge. If you have not studied Greek mythology recently or in depth - you probably won't see that connection at first. After reading Foster's novel, I just want you to be more aware of what you are reading and look for the hidden nuances. You might not find all the hidden symbols and meanings at first, but you will get better the more you read and analyze. It is true - practice makes perfect. Don't be afraid to make a stretch at interpreting literature - I want to see you thinking outside the box!!
Check, check, and done. When reading this chapter I followed all the questions and answered them just like Foster wanted us to. The results? I really couldn’t believe that I had missed so much! Honestly, I felt like a dog with its tail between his legs. I mean, I had known that it was a story about how Laura discovered how she felt about her position in the higher class and those who were in the lower class. I also knew that the hat she wore was significant but I hadn’t managed to realize that the mother giving it to Laura also meant that she was imprinting her ideas and thoughts onto her. I really wish I had read the story a second time before I answered the questions because hopefully I would have come up with a better answer (like when I kept rereading “The White City” over and over and minutes later got the full impact of it). I think I really believed that I already had “all of the knowledge I needed” to answer simple questions like those. Foster’s essay in which he compared Laura to Persephone, as well as the essay before, was extremely helpful. He matched everything up so perfectly! The comparison was especially helpful at uncovering small and seemingly unnecessary details and making them oh-so important in the story like how the fact that Laura lived on a hill and went to see the unfortunate was really a trip to hell as well as the dog that helped to insure this and how when Laura came back up the hill, Laurie was like Hermes returning her to Mt. Olympus and finally setting in stone Laura’s more carefree persona. This connection made me appreciate the details and even the dialogue Mansfield chose for her story as well as broaden my mind in connecting new themes and ideas I hadn’t thought of when originally reading the story. In fact, once I looked upon and read the story once more I felt that I was truly enlightened about all or at least mot of the piece.
After reading the story and answering the questions at the end, I did better than I expected I would. My explanation of what the story signified was the differences of the social classes and how you should live your life to the fullest. I also caught onto how the rich people would feel caged when traveling to where the poorer class lived because the rich class wouldn't be able to 'fly,' per say, with all the differnces that are between the two classes. Unfortunately, I didn't get the whole comparison with Persephone and Demeter my first time reading. But of course after Foster explains it and I went back through and read the story again, I could see how traveling down the lane into the poorer class was similar to Persephone traveling into Hell. I can't help but think what other important and significant allusions I have missed in books that I've read previously, so hopefully as we read more novels I will be able to start catching onto the allusions more quickly.
After I carefully read and followed the steps, my results and ideas were not as close to Foster's explanation of the story as I hoped they would be. My answers were about differences of classes, and the selfishness of the wealthy class. This was apparent when Mrs. Sheridan did not think it was necessary to be respectful to the dead man’s family by cancelling the party. She was in my opinion being rude when she gave the family her scrap food from the party. I thought the story was possibly about people’s fear of death. I also considered the story was about a girl growing up and exploring the harsh realty of life, yetfinding the beauty of life. The whole idea of Laura representing Persephone did not even come to mind when I read the story. It really caught my attention to how I much I miss when I read, but then again I've never read or knew Greek mythology before this book (unless you count the movie Hercules). This has made me want to read more, so I might be able to make more connections. Foster's book has expanded my knowledge on books' symbolism. He has taught me what to look for and how to find the deeper purpose of the story. I'm thankful I have read this book because from now on books for me will have some type of deeper meaning.
After answering the questions at the end of this chapter I think I did okay. I caught on to the fact that her feelings were different then that of the other people in her class. She was brought up to not pay attention to those of a lower class. She had mixed thoughts of whether to be like her mother or her own person. Her mother was obviously trying to brainwash her, but Laura still always thought differently. I also saw how the mother was trying to persuade her with the hat and all. Over all I did okay on the questions. After reading the essay about Persephone I really got to thinking. This essay was written very well and really made me open my eyes to different things I didn’t even notice the first time. Now I wasn’t familiar with the story of Persephone to begin with, but it amazes me how much they were alike. It makes me wonder how much I have missed out on previous stories. This whole book helped me better understand the little things. I honestly did enjoy reading it and had a little fun trying to come up with examples for each chapter. It was a great book that I think will help me from here on out.
Okay so I read the story, answered the questions, and read the following bit from Foster. I did well on answering the first question, but failed to notice the significance many details Diane found until I finished reading her responses. I did pick up on the reoccurring references to Laura’s family being high up on the hill, her sister being a butterfly, and so on but I didn’t think to compare them to Olympus. I also picked up on the dog in the shadows, how the atmosphere was dark, and how the lower class people seemed like shadows to Laura. I didn’t make the stretch of comparing it to hell, however, I was reminded of the cartoon Hercules movie with the Fates when Mansfield began describing the two women in the house looking over the dead man. The way she described the women’s appearance, the fact that they were watching over the dead man, and how they were coaxing Laura reminded me of the fates from that movie. I didn’t make the connection with Demeter and Persephone until Foster explained the characteristics of Mrs. Sheridan. After reading what Foster had to say about the story I understood it a lot better, and the little connections I had made began to make much more sense.
I read and answered the questions, and i followed the rules, however, my answers were not as accurate as i hoped. For the first question I put that the rich don't care about the poor and they believe them to just be a nuisance. Which was close in a way, but it wasn't exactly correct. It shows this because they refused to even stop the party because a man had died right outside their gates. The rich people all saw that there party was much more important than the life of some poor person. They also thought that the entire village was an eyesore to the whole place. I think the comparison helped me enjoy the story a lot more once I caught that comparison. I wasn't really looking for anything of the sort throughout the story, but when I read the thing at the end I was able to make the connection pretty easily.
I read and thoroughly analyzed the story. I completed the steps properly and did decently on the questions. I answered the first question by saying that the story signified the upper class seeing themselves as the only thing that matters. Aside from Laura the rest of her family doesn't care about the working class man who died at all. Their fancy schmancy party was more important than their neighbor’s death. This was a portion of the answer, but not the answer in its entirety. When reading the story I didn't think of the Persephone comparison at all, but when I read the essay it just clicked. It defiantly adds to my appreciation because it shows that Greek mythology is utilized in all types of stories and it shows that if I continue to hone my skills, I should be able to easily pick up connections like this.
I’m pretty sure that this is the only time I’ve actually enjoyed analyzing literature. When answering the questions, I was confident in my responses. After checking my answers with the more experience readers, I realized that my answers were somewhere along the lines of theirs. Their explanations were a little bit more in-depth and detailed than mine were. I was proud of my answers, though, because without reading this book, I don’t know what my answers would have been but I do know that they wouldn’t be anywhere near as developed. The following essay really opened my eyes to just how important details can be. The Persephone connection went right over my head. This was somewhat of a disappointment to me because I was so confident of my reading ability. When I came to post this, I was relieved to find out that not everyone caught the connection either. How to Read Literature Like a Professor has definitely changed the way I will watch/read in the future. When I got my book list, I dreaded reading this book. Now that I’ve read it, I believe it really has helped me. From now on, everything I read will be looked into a lot deeper than just the surface.
I read and analyzed the story. I followed the directions exactly and answered the questions. I didn't do too badly. My answer was geared toward the social class system and how the Sheridans were so much better than the people that lived down the hill in the cottages. They were completely oblivious to life outside of their house and the hill it was on. Laura gained knowledge of what it was like outside of her perfect little world on top of the hill. I didn’t catch onto the Persephone connection until Foster started talking about the large dog “running by like a shadow”, and about Laura crossing the “broad road”. After understanding that Foster was hinting at something, I made the connection. I realized that the large dog was a reference to Cerberus in the Underworld and the broad road was a reference to the River Styx in the Underworld. I then realized that Laura was a resemblance of Persephone and Mrs. Sheridan of Demeter. Although I didn’t catch onto this reference right away, I caught on before Foster explained straight up that this was a reference of the story. This realization of the reference to Persephone adds an appreciation to Mansfield’s story. I can more deeply understand the meaning of the story by making the connection to a Greek myth. This book has definitely helped deepen my appreciation of works of literature.
I followed the instructions, though I admit, what I came up with was not written down, just splotchily (not a word) noted in the book and set out in my mind. I thought that the story signified the fact that despite the class systems that tend to work their way into society (modern application at a high school: the proverbial jocks, nerds, poplar people, skaters, etc. (is this sounding like High School Musical to anyone else? Maybe it’s just because it was our eighth grade choir dinner show)), people should still feel free to associate with others even if they’re different. Laura, who is a veritable bouncing bubble of youth, meets people who are lower class than the people she’s used to interacting with. She decides, however, that the workers are better company than the boys that are in her class level. They’re polite and fun, and they make Laura feel comfortable despite the fact that they’re strangers. I think that she subconsciously wishes to be able to be around them more, as shown by her rebellion against the etiquette she’s been taught when she takes a big bite out of her bread and butter. Also, when the workers are trying to decide where to put the Marquee, they suggest that it should go in front of a tree (in a location where it would apparently be most useful), and though Laura doesn’t like that it’s in front of a karaka-tree, but she doesn’t stop the workers as they begin setting up. I thought this was because she trusted her new-found worker friends’ decision-making, even though she just met them. Later, when she finds out that someone died (even though it was a member of the lower lass), she feels guilty about having a garden party while the dead man’s family is in mourning. She is able to sympathize with the lower class, but despite her good breeding, she demonstrates that she is not perfect when her thoughts for the unfortunate people are thrown aside by the gift of a hat. The hat is a symbol of her covering up her sympathetic thoughts toward the lower class with some unimportant detail that is made important because it relates to her. There’s irony displayed in the fact that Laura is bouncing about, enjoying the lower class’s company and having rather random thoughts about how things like spots of light are so entertaining, but once she hears about the death, she loses her good mood, which is completely restored once she makes an excuse for ignoring what seemed so important. This is ironic because if something was serious enough to put a halt to her jovialities, what made it so rapidly lose enough seriousness to allow the light mood to return. A hat? That’s a little ironic. The irony highlights even further Laura’s true obliviousness to the lower class. Later still, when the party is over, this same type of irony is repeated when she suddenly doesn’t want to be charitable to the lower class (even if they are just giving away leftovers), and, believe it or not, the irony continues as she walks among the homes of the lower class, all the while thinking about herself. So I basically took this story as an irony-based tale about how being supposedly higher-class doesn’t lift you above another. People are still people, even if they’re different.
While reading Foster’s explanation of this being a 1920’s version of Persephone’s story, I frankly thought, “holy cow. I didn’t see that!” and yet, he managed to make it sound so sensible. I used to try to be a mythology buff, and I’m surprised I missed those connections (Persephone’s story being a major one). Suddenly, I appreciated both how much effort was put into making a modern rendition of an old Greek legend (maybe, Foster may have just discovered an accident) as well as how neat reading can be if one is equipped with the proper knowledge and skill sets. Hopefully, I’ll eventually be able to, as Foster said in a story he related when discussing this idea, “see the mushrooms.” Good book! Good envoi too!
When answering the questions at the end of this chapter I felt pretty confident. However, I missed some of the significance, but when I read her responses I quickly understood what she meant. I picked up on her views of the lower class and how she views the people that are her own class. I had written down that the upper class had no time for the lower class, which in a sense was correct. The following story about Persephone helped me value my view on the story. It helped me see the details I had skipped over. I went back and reread the story to catch all the details I had carelessly missed and was greatly satisfied with the story. I hope I can continue to use these principles to further my understanding of novels.
When I read the story and followed the instructions, I came up with the response that youth, while still learning about life, may react differently to certain things than adults until told to do otherwise. Laura is excited about the party and doing everything she can to make it the best it can be. When she hears about the death of the man, she feels bad that her family is celebrating while the families below are mourning. Her mother convinced her that the party was still going to happen, even though someone had just died. After the party, Laura was allowed to take the scraps of the party down to the family that had lost a member. When Laura arrived, she was scared because she was still wearing her festive clothes and everyone else looked different. When she started back, her brother showed up and asked why she was crying. She said that she thought the body was beautiful and peaceful. She was still learning about life and death, and that they were common occurrences in the lower class's living. When I compared my response to the essay following the questions, I realized how far off my answer was to what this book was trying to teach me. These was so much from the previous chapters that I never even considered when answering. Through this book, even though I totally missed the point of the story in relation to the previous chapters, I can see what I have been missing in trying to get a deeper meaning. The only thing I can do now is try to apply these chapters in what I read from now on.
I just got back from Canada and read through the new posts on here. I think we're going to have a pretty exciting class this year.
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