Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles” 2 pg. Response

Morgan Mullen
02/11/09
Period 11

Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles” 2 pg. Response

This play shows women’s roles in the home during that time. It also shows the differences in the thinking between men ad women. The men believe that the woman killed her husband however; the women see a deeper side to the story. Glaspell uses the descriptions of the kitchen and also the actions of the characters.

The play starts by stating that there were unwashed dishes and how messy the house was but later when the two women were in the kitchen they noticed that most of the things where only half done. They could easily tell what the woman had been doing before she was discovered. They also understood her feelings about her broken preserves. Mrs. Hale can relate to the woman the most. She went knew how hard she worked to fix the preserves, how it felt for someone to come into your home and criticize it, and how it felt to get nervous and mess up a stitch while sewing. Most importantly Mrs. Hale knew her in the past and how she used to sing and be social. She knew how much the woman had changed and no longer sang or was social. She knew it was John Wright that had caused her to change. The women could also sympathize with the fact that in a home it is a woman’s job to clean and that is all. They knew she was lonely and didn’t find it surprising to find that she had a bird. The fact that it was a singing bird wasn’t surprising either until they found it had a broken neck and they knew who did it. These women knew how it was to be a woman in that time; to have no voice or opinion and to be stuck and helpless. They knew she was not guilty because of her small trifles during such important events.

The men however would never understand or even see the clues the woman left. When they over heard the ladies talking about the knitting they just laughed and didn’t notice that when Hale walked in she was knitting instead of pleating it. The knitting showed that she was nervous and the kitchen showed that she couldn’t stay still but tried to do the things she usually did. The men laughed at women’s trifles and would think she was guilty by what they saw and heard. The men wouldn’t know what it was like to get beat, or not to have a voice or opinion in everyday life. The two women didn’t even want to tell the men what they found knowing that what they said would just be thrown aside with a chuckle just like everything else.
In the end the messy kitchen showed that the woman was still trying to keep up her role as a housekeeper yet couldn’t complete a task due to nervousness. Her concern over her preserves and her need for her apron shows that she is just a house wife and doesn’t have anything other than trifles and her apron is the only thing that is a part of her personality. The cage and the bird symbolized the woman herself and how her voice and singing was silenced but also how she was still trapped. The actions of Mrs. Hale showed how most women have trifles and that the woman was not queer and mirrored almost every action the woman probably did before she was discovered.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

2pg Lit. Response “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”


“Bernice Bobs Her Hair” expressed two ideas of women in the past. One was the idea from the cult of true womanhood and the other was the flapper attitude of the “roaring twenties”. The story was in my mind women turning away from the old views of domesticity and more towards a free view of themselves. This is expressed by Bernice and Marjorie. Bernice is the old views of women and how femininity is portrayed and Marjorie is more of the new free spirit brought on by the “roaring twenties” who sneaks off with boys and throws caution to the wind (lol). I also found that with these two different views the fact of how girls treat each other is very realistic to the girls of today.

Bernice was a nice girl; quiet and conservative, however, in the 1920s it wasn’t about being feminine and guys felt that girls that kept old views were boring and couldn’t stand her. Marjorie was a “flapper” girl; she flirted with many boys even though there was one that continued to love her. Boys loved Marjorie no matter how much she played with any of them. This made me feel that the “flapper” attitude was accepted over the old views of the cult of true womanhood. I don’t believe that a girl should have to flirt with so many boys just to be accepted. Bernice changed herself so she could fit in but that would never work because even if she changed the conversations she had that was not the person she was. In the end she got her hair bobbed and it was unbecoming because it wasn’t for her personality. But this story was also a battle of old views with the new and in the end the new views won, except the fact the Marjorie now also has a bob to complete her “flapper” personality.

This story also showed the workings of the female mind. At first Marjorie didn’t like Bernice because she was boring and none of her friends or the boys liked her. Then she helps her out of selfish reasons to help herself, and then becomes angry and jealous when the boy that has loved her for so long starts falling in love with Bernice. Today girls are just like this. They will befriend someone for selfish reasons or become jealous over a boy they never had. It is a sad fact that these tings have been going on for so long and we as females have yet to change our ways. People don’t accomplish anything when it is done in selfishness or jealousy and that is why Marjorie now has a bob.

Ex. 6 articles

My article -
Morgan Mullen
11/23/08
Period 3

DBQ

Jacksonian Democrats guarded political democracy and equality of economic opportunity, but failed to defend the United States Constitution and individual liberty. Andrew Jackson was a frontier aristocrat who owned slaves, cultivated a large amount of land and lived in a mansion. The only thing he shared with the common masses was their prejudices on federal government and democracy. Jackson is known for his violent temper which allows him to overcome the Supreme Court and U.S. constitution.

Andrew Jackson was the common man’s hero who was known as “Old Hickory” who was the first president without a college education since Washington. In “The Working Men’s Declaration of Independence” George Henry Evans states that the working class must “reform the abuses” of an oppressive and degrading government and “provide new guards for their security” (Doc. A). Jacksonians were suspicions of federal government and believed the people should run themselves. Jackson introduced the spoil system getting rid of and preventing an aristocratic, bureaucratic office holding class. The spoils system took those in office that have been there since the defeat of the Federalist in 1800 and replaced them with those from a common class allowing the people to govern themselves. A British author, Harriet Martineau, reported that while in America “witnessed the controversies between candidates for office on some difficult subjects, of which the people were to be the judges” (Doc. D). The Jacksonian way of political democracy is having the people be the judge.

Equality of economic opportunity was protected by Jackson with the veto of the bill to renew the Bank of the United States. In Jackson’s veto message he explains that the Bank of the United States “enjoys an exclusive privilege of banking” and controls “almost a monopoly of the foreign and domestic exchange”. The Bank of the United States gave private bankers considerable power over the nation’s economy. Jackson, who distrusted monopolistic banking, “regretted that the rich and powerful to often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes” (Doc. B). One of three new Chief Justices appointed by Jackson, Roger B. Taney, spoke against monopolies in the Supreme Court case of Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge. Taney stated “the rights of private property are sacredly guarded, we must, that the community, also have rights” (Doc. H). The Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge case promoted competition and fought monopoly.

Andrew defied the Supreme Court and violated the first amendment of the Constitution. Document G depicts the Cherokee Indians move westward also known as the Trail of Tears. The Cherokees worked to assimilate into white society but Georgia declared their council illegal and asserted jurisdiction over them. Cherokees appealed to the Supreme Court, who supported them, but Jackson wanted Indian land and refused to recognize and failed to uphold the Supreme Court decision, which resulted in the Trail of Tears. Jackson declared the Bank of the United States unconstitutional although earlier the Supreme Court declared it constitutional in the McCulloch v. Maryland case. In reply to the veto Daniel Webster stated that Jackson’s “message extends the grasp of the executive pretension over every power of government” (Doc. C). Jackson regarded the executive branch as superior to the judicial and continually overlooked the decisions of the Supreme Court. Jackson also failed to uphold the first amendment which protects the freedom of speech, press, association and assembly. In 1835 the legislature of South Carolina resolved that it would punishable by law that published documents with intent to excite slaves in southern states and cause revolt be printed and distributed, also known as abolitionist papers (Doc. F). Andrew was aware of the limit put on press and did nothing to stop it.

Andrew Jackson supported individual liberty for the white man and left nothing to blacks, immigrants, Indians, and slaves. Philip Hone, a New York City businessman witnessed riots between Irish and Americans and another between blacks and whites. Philip stated that there was “hostility to the blacks and an indiscriminate prosecution of all whose skin were darker than those of their enlightened citizens” (Doc. E). The blacks were free and although the immigrants were Irish they were the lowest class they had no liberty or protection from discrimination. The Indian’s land was taken and abolitionist papers made as illegal the Indians and slaves had no liberty. Andrew protected the white man’s liberty and wrongfully turned away from immigrants and racial groups.

Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonians believed strongly in economic equality and political democracy. Jackson fought against monopoly to protect the common man. Political democracy was a big issue to Jackson and was in forced through the spoils system and state governments. Jackson however protected only the individual liberty of whites while taking land from Indians and allowing immigrants, blacks, and slaves to be mistreated. The constitution was not defended by Jacksonians and Jackson acted as the ultimate power of government as president.

New York Times - http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/12/08/081208sh_shouts_allen

The Yellow Wallpaper

Morgan Mullen
11/17/08
Period 11

The Yellow Wallpaper Literary Response


This story is a work of realism with attributes of True Womanhood. The story is about a woman’s thoughts and activities of her everyday life in a new house which contributes to the realism aspect. The fact that the woman is sickly with a controlling husband brings me to the Cult of True Womanhood.
The main character or heroine of the story tells the readers of her life and never sugar coats the events. I believe she is in the middle class because they have rented a house very cheaply. She is a sickly woman that is very weak who can’t do much and is under constant watch. She stares at the wallpaper and memorizes it in great detail. In her descriptions she points out the pattern, colors, and what time of the day it was to get the different effects of the wallpaper. If this was an idealism piece the heroine would have described the wallpaper as a dainty yellow or something pretty or normal but this being a realism piece she described the house as it was, an old nursery with a moldy looking yellow wallpaper and rings sticking out of the walls and lines drawn on the wall. Her description makes the room seem gross but it is realistic and portrays the true side and not the ideal.
This story also brings in The Cult of True Womanhood. The heroine is sickly and can’t do much, as has been stated earlier; she was unable to complete the domesticity part of True Womanhood. She states, “I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!” which shows her desire to help her husband and fulfill her duties as mother and wife but she can’t even watch her own child. There is also the attribute of submissiveness. When her husband was concerned she headed his words and followed most of his instructions. When she wanted to visit family or move to another room he made the decision on whether she could or couldn’t and it was mostly couldn’t. She followed his words with the exception of writing, which she must have loved because she continued to do it and hide it away from him. He was also very tightly strung and gave her no freedom because of her “ailment” but I believe the only ailment she had was the lack of freedom. Being in a household where they never let you walk, talk, think, or be human would be very stressful. She continuously asked her husband to visit family or move their room or get rid of the wallpaper but he refused to do so and turned it around to convince she was wrong. With this happening repeatedly it was only a matter of time she snapped from her voice being ignored and keeping her thoughts to herself afraid of hurting him.
In the end the heroine’s downfall was the yellow wallpaper and the lack of a voice to speak up to the expectations of True Womanhood. This was written in a realistic fashion and if it wasn’t the husband’s treatment to his wife would not have been written in that fashion. All the heroine’s words seem to be written from her mind and her true emotions.

the pit and the pendulum lit response

Morgan Mullen
11/12/08
Period 11

“The Pit and the Pendulum” Lit Response

In this reading the author was researching a deeper meaning in the words of Edgar Allan Poe in his story The Pit and the Pendulum. In this selection the author uses others thoughts and opinions from their works to support her claims. The flaw I found with this piece is that all the works the author cited from said a similar point and the points are not explained well. If I could change it I would put more of my ideas into the piece and have various points to support my argument.
The main idea of the reading was finding what Poe’s deeper meaning was in The Pit and the Pendulum. In the reading the author started by stating that in The Pit and the Pendulum Poe used imagery to the bible and was trying to give an apocalyptic feel to the story. The author goes further by quoting from the bible itself and citing works from Hirsch. The author also points out that Poe associates the divine with infancy and uses the works of Wordworth.
The flaw I found is that almost all the work cited were repeating each other and examples were not explained. In the beginning it was stated that Poe used allusions to the bible and signified the “Second Coming of Christ” but after words it is repeated. Not only that but the works cited used the same example in the story but got a different thing from it; for example when Hirsch brings in the “burr of a mill-wheel” he states that it is an allusion to God coming to Earth and saving the nameless character, however, when Bonaparte brings in the “burr of a mill-wheel” he states it is an allusion to an infant in the womb and also that infancy is divine. At the end of this selection did the author get to the main point or prove her statement? No, I don’t think so.
If I could change the piece I would make it understandable and more concise. I would state the main idea and carry it through. I would add more of my thoughts and only cite when it proves to the point. When citing I wouldn’t repeat my idea with too many other ideas because this can confuse readers. I would also try to explain why I believe myself to be right and use facts instead of inferences from others.

Biography of Kate Chopin response

Kate Chopin’s life was a Tragedy from beginning to end. Kate went through so much and lost a lot throughout her life. Kate’s life seems to affect her writing throughout her career.
Kate Chopin had a sad life. She lost her father at the age of five and a half and most of her family throughout. She was one of five children and was the only one to live past twenty-five. Her best friend was banished and her grandmother died the same year. She married Oscar Chopin in 1870 and he adored her. However, in 1882, Oscar died and Kate moved in with her mother, who died the next year. The she began to write to support herself and her family and became successful; however, this happy time didn’t last long either. Chopin was denied admission into the St. Louis Fine Art Club which broke her. After this blow she only wrote short stories until she finally stopped into the beginning of the twentieth century. Kate’s life was one long tragic story.
Kate’s stories, I believe, are loosely based on her life. She based “The Awakening” on a true story of a woman she knew. Her life and stories both have to ironic twist at the end when everything seems fine. In her story “The Story of An Hour” the widow had finally accepted her husband’s death and was looking forward to her day of freedom until ironically, he came back from the grave. This story is also related to her life by how the widow’s husband supposable was killed in a train accident but didn’t. I believe Kate wished that her father would appear and be safe just like the widow’s husband in her story. Her story “Desiree’s Baby” ended in death also and was ironic that the heroine killed herself for something that wasn’t her fault. Her stories were wildly affected by her life.

Disturbia Character

I chose Ashley as my character to analyze. When she was introduced she gave me the impression of the "girl next door" or the girl Kale would never be able to hook up with (laugh out loud). When the story unfolded my view of her changed because of her arguments with her dad, her choose of swim suits, and her encounter with Kale and Ronnie. She seemed more or less a regular girl with a questionable taste in swim suits (lol). However, she has a dangerous side which is expressed through her going to Kale's house because she was "locked out" which i believe was a lie to escape her boring life of swimming everyday and hanging out with no one. these details make the character believable because the new kid in the neighborhood wouldn't want to hang out by themselves and have no friends but also teenagers especially girls have arguments with their parents, especially dads.