Journal #15

1. Write a sentence that summarizes the story’s overall message, and provide three direct quotes from the story that best illustrate this message.

Do not give into peer preesure and listen to what others tell you.

"Yes, that letter of yours, that came back with his

other things, left him free."

"It was not to be read before--unless--until-- I told

him so,"

“I don't believe he was glad to die. He was

always a timid boy, that way; he was afraid of a good

many things; but if he was afraid he did what he h

made up his mind to. I suppose he made up his mind

to go, but I knew what it cost him by what it cost me 8

when I heard of it. I had been through one war before.

When you sent him you didn't expect he would get

killed."

2. What tactics does Editha use to make George believe as she does about the war?

She persuades him, and tells him how great she will be. Also, she threatens him. If he does not go to war, she will break up with him. She glorifies war, and makes it seem like a great and heroic thing.

3. Is there ever a time in which Editha truly understands what she has done? Does she ever experience an epiphany?

Yes she does at the very end. After she met with George’s mother, she moped around and was very depressed. She experiences and epiphany when her mother tells her the George’s mother said vulgar things, and that she shold not listen to her. It ends with saying that Editha continues to live in the “ideal”.

Journal #14

Realism – The theory or practice in art and literature of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of the most typical views, details, and surroundings of the subject.

Read the following poems and write a detailed description for each of the title characters and explain how each is an example of the “real” instead of the “ideal.”

“Richard Cory“ (497)

People looked up to him, and admired him. He had a great life, and many things going for him. The irony is that in the end, he went home and commited suicide. Everyone thought that he had a great life, but in REALITY, he was not happy. This is real because it shows real emotions, as opposed to hiding them. This poem is about how things appear vs. reality. If it was an ideal story, he would be happy and would have no twist at the end. The appearance and reality would match.

“Miniver Cheevy” (497)

Miniver Cheevy is a loser, and wants to live in the Middle Ages. Because he is not from the middle ages, he drinks a lot. He wishes he had a different life, and his way of compensating for that is to drink. Instead, he lives in this modern life. He was obsesseved with Romance, fictional stories, and knights. He starts to believe in this reality, and starts to lose his mind. He just sits around and pretends to be in this world. His ideal life would be to live in the past.

“Mr. Flood’s Party” (498)

He does not have a family, or friends and has a party for one. It is very depressing and lonely. He could have been rejected by friends, in one way or another whether it being their deaths, or they moved away. New people live in these homes and he’s alone and by himself now. He is having a party by himself and talking to himself. Flood could be like drinking or tears, overall sadness.

Journal #13

1. What object symbolizes George Gray’s life? How is this object representative of him?

A boat symbolizes his life. This represents George Gray because he says that he is afraid to set sail, or move on in life, but yet he wants to and knows he has too. It’s a peaceful feeling on the tombstone that he’s at rest. But really, it’s not the destination, it’s how he lived his life. He hasn’t done anything special in life. He was unable to open up himself to good things in life.

2. How was Lucinda Matlock’s life different than George Gray’s? How do you interepret the last line of the poem?

She had kids, and fell in love. She lived life to the fullest, unlike George Gray. The last line is saying that you need to have a life to love life. The last life is capitalized because its life in general, and everyone needs to love their own life. She owns it, and loved her life no matter what the negatives were.

3. How are “George Gray” and “Lucinda Matlock” examples of realism?

George Gray talks about living a very simple and common life, which is the style of realism. He regrests living his life so simply, though. Lucinda Matlock is a style of realism because her like is also very realistic, and told in a very straightforward manner.