Friday, September 28, 2007

Ivan's Ilyach

What purpose is served by placing Ilyich’s funeral at the beginning of the novel rather than at the end?
In The Death of Ivan Ilyich the first chapter is the end of the story. Tolstoy essentially tells the reader the outcome of the book, taking away possible suspense. Ivan gets injured in the book, and the reader already knows that he is going to die. If the end of the book was actually at the end, then the reader wouldn’t know Ivan was going to die until he/she actually finished the book. Maybe Tolstoy put the end at the front to educate the reader. In this book, by putting the end in the beginning, Tolstoy gave the reader some information about Ivan Ilyach. He did not give personal information until the next chapter, but the reader does start to ponder what Ivan might have been like. Another important reason why the first chapter is the end of the book is that is shows the reaction of Ivan’s coworkers. The best way to sum up how they felt is this quote on page 33, “ he’s dead, but I’m not,” “ was what each of them thought or felt.” The coworkers also are more concerned with who is going to get promoted instead of being in a state of mourning for their so-called friend. It also shows how Pyotr Ivanovich and Schwartz are more concerned about their card game than mourning for Ivan. Pyotr goes to Ivan’s funeral and feels a sense of sorrow, but after he looked at Schwartz and was reminded about their card game, he immediately forgot about his current mournful state. I think it was a cool and different that Tolstoy put Ivan’s death at the beginning. A person might think that the whole story would be ruined because the ending is already known, but in this book, already knowing the ending doesn’t spoil the book. I think that knowing the ending enhanced the book in a way that the book could be evaluated from a different perspective than a normal book in which the ending is unknown until the end.

What is the source of Ilyich’s illness? Discuss the significance of his symptoms? How do his physical problems affect him psychologically? Is his illness symbolic?
The source of Ivan’s illness is his fall off the ladder. Ivan was working on the draperies in his house when he missed his step on the ladder and fell against the knob of the window frame. Because of this fall Ivan Ilyich suffers from a “constant pressure in his side,” which always causes him discomfort, especially when he eats food. The pressure is on his left side and “could hardly be called ill health.” Ivan has also complained about a strange taste in his mouth. His symptoms are bad because they are internal and the source is unknown. Ivan thinks the fall did not hurt him much because he is an agile man, but it has evidently hurt an organ inside him. Ivan has pain when he eats, and when a person has severe pain when they eat it is a bad sign. Ivan's symptoms also affect his social life at home. Whenever he eats dinner at home, he gets angry with his wife because of the pain he feels. Praskovya thinks that she has good self-restraint and that is the reason she has been able to deal with her husband even though he is angry a lot. Because of the pain Ivan feels, he is totally irrational and is affected psychologically. He blames his wife for every fault at dinner, even if it is not Praskovya's wrongdoing. If the children do something wrong at dinner, such as put their arm on the table, then Ivan goes crazy and blames Praskovya because of his mindset when he is in pain. Ivan's illness may be symbolic of the growing pain he is going to feel, and eventually his death. The illness may symbolize a started downfall, not in his job, but for his health and mindset. The illness may also be symbolic of Ilyach’s life. Ivan’s life is twisted and not normal. He spends more time at work than at home, and cares more about his work than for his family. Ivan also prefers material objects such as houses and draperies because they make him look good. This is a twisted mindset that might be symbolized by his illness because he receives the cause of his illness while working on a material object he has in his house.
(758 words)

Thursday, September 20, 2007

We must obey the Gods

Why is Antigone so concerned with glory (113)? Should she be?
I believe Antigone is not so much concerned with glorifying herself as much as glorifying her action. She wants the whole world to know that she was the one who gave her brother a proper burial. Antigone is so upset with Creons decree, which betrays the law of the gods in her mind, that she wants everyone to know it is ok to go against Creon. Antigone wants to put a face to the action of burying her brother, because it is easier to remember an act a person did rather than something that occurred and no one knows who did it. Antigone puts the gods before the state, and this causes some tension when she is talking to Ismene about her plans. I believe Ismene values life and does not want to disobey Creon because she still wants to live. Antigone knows that death is more important that mortal life, and she believes that pleasing the gods instead of Creon would do her better in the long run. Antigone should be concerned with glory because she, a woman, is breaking an unjust law. People should know that Creon is being irrational and Thebes should know that Antigone was the one who gave a proper burial to Polynices.

Why is Creon so surprised when the Sentry brings in Antigone?
At this time Creon is being very narrow minded and irrational. He had previously blamed his soldiers for taking a bribe and succumbing to the temptations of money. He thought is was his own soldiers who had given a burial to Polynices or that they had taken a bribe to let Polynices have a proper burial. Creon is so surprised when the Sentry brings in Antigone because he thought he already knew who committed the crime. He is also surprised that it is Antigone because he did not expect her of all people to disobey him. Creon asks the Sentry to tell what he saw Antigone doing because Creon wants to make sure it Antigone actually did something against the law.

To what does Haemon appeal in his attempt to save Antigone?
Haemon appeals to his father by saying Antigone’s action was “glorious.” He says “She couldn’t bear to leave him(Polynices) dead, unburied, food for the wild dogs or wheeling vultures.” Haemon also tries to get his father to open up his mind a little. Haemon knows is father is being “single-minded” and “self-involved.” Haemon even tries to paint a picture for his father by making a comparison to trees getting ripped out because they were stiff, and that sailors cannot have taught sales because they will capsize. He says his father is being to stiff and it is not good for a king to be so angry and tense.

What does the failure of Tiresias' sacrifice have to do with Polynices and Antigone?
Tiresiass sacrifice is very important because it portrays the corruptness of Creon at the current moment in the book. It also displays the god’s displeasure for his actions. The sacrifice will not work because the gods are upset that Antigone is being punished for trying to obey the “higher law” of the gods by giving her brother a burial.

543 words

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Oedipus, a true blind man

Why does Oedipus summon Teiresias (278-287)? What is Teiresias's reaction to Oedipus's request for help (316-344)? How does Oedipus view Teiresias's behavior (345-349)? What does Teiresias reveal to Oedipus as a result of the king's angry accusation (353;362)? Note the emphasis on sight and blindness in the dialogue between Oedipus and Teiresias (e.g.,367; 371). What irony is implicit in this emphasis?

Oedipus summons Teiresias because he thinks Teiresias may have some insight to who the murderer is. Teiresias knows that Oedipus is the murderer and he does not want to tell Oedipus, even though Oedipus is asking for help. Teiresias tries to turn Oedipus away and tries not to reveal the truth, but Oedipus is ignorant and becomes angry. Oedipus views Teiresias's behavior as "unfriendly" and Oedipus does not appreciate it. Oedipus even goes so far as to accusing Tiresias on being "bent on betraying us, destroying Thebes." Because of Oedipus's accusations Tiresias reveals he is the curse by saying "You are the curse, the corruption of the land." Oedipus then gets even angrier and says Tiresius is making up a story. The whole dialogue is between a blind man and Oedipus, and the ironic part about it is that Oedipus is acutally being the blind one. Tiresias is physically blind, but Oedipus is mentally blind and is also acting very out of character. Oedipus seems to be acting like a power hungry king who does not listen to anyone and only cares about being king. Terisias is actually the calm one in the dialogue, and the whole dialogue just shows how blind Oedipus can be because of the power he has.

Examine the messenger’s speech narrating the death of Jocasta and the blinding of Oedipus in Oedipus the King

Earlier in the play when Oedipus wants to find out his origins and Jocasta tells him to spare her, Oedipus doesn't realize he is going to drive Jocasta to kill herself. When examined Jocasta essentially abandoned her husband who was killed by her son who then married her and had children with her. This has to be painful for Jocasta and she feels she cannot live anymore after finding out the truth and instead of suffering more in life, she kills herself. The messenger said she was "hanging by the neck." This is a speech being given to the people and is very detailed and not cushioned at all. The messenger is very blaitant and even tells the crowd that Oedipus blinds himself by forcing pins into his eyes. Actually, the blinding of Oedipus is kind of ironic. In a sense he has been blind the whole play, and now that he actually knows the truth, he becomes physically blind. The messenger also tells the story to fill in the gaps. It is very detailed and tells the audience that they were happy and had joy in the past, but now in "one day," "death, disgrace, and all the griefs in the world that you can name, are theirs forever." Oedipus now wants to suffer and feels he does not deserve to live in the city and wants to be exiled. He wants to be exiled to the place he was taken as a baby where he was suppose to die, but instead he lived and fulfilled the profecy.
(488 words without the first questions)