Yellow Woman

Presentation

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

In the story, what does the gun symbolize?

            The first thing that the gun symbolizes is Dave’s want of masculinity.  Dave’s “family, coworkers, employer, and the store owner all call him ‘boy’ and remind him that he is only a child,” but he does not like that (2517-2518).  Because of this, Dave wants to be considered a man and he believes that a gun will grant this to him.  He tells Mister Joe that he’s “gittin t b a man like anybody else,” so he believes he should have a gun (2519).  Once Dave has the gun in his possession he thinks he is a man, but it is made known to the reader that this is not true.  The story reveals that Dave is still immature because he did not obey his mother by bringing the gun straight home and also because he chose to fire the gun without truly knowing how to, which in result killed Jenny (2522-2533).  Therefore, the gun plays a very significant role in Dave’s life because he believes that it is something that he must have in order to be considered a man. 

            The second thing that the gun symbolizes is Dave’s want of power.  Dave does not seem to like people calling him a boy and it was as if he craved some kind of power over people.  Dave even tells his mother that they need a gun in their house because “yuh kin never tell whut might happen” (2521).  Once Dave has the gun, he says that he felt a “sense of power” and that he could “kill anybody, black or white” (2522).  He did not seem to think about the true power that the gun had itself, but rather just the sense of power that it gave to him.  It is proven that he underestimated the power of the gun when he shot and killed Jenny by accident; when he did this, he did not want his sense of power to be taken away from him so he insisted on lying about what had happened (2523-2524).  He also did not seem to learn the true power of the gun and instead was only concerned with his own power when he still considered shooting at Jim Hawkins’ house, but he was out of bullets.  Therefore, the gun allows Dave to think that he has his own sense of power, even though that it is not truly the case.

            Dave believes that owning a gun solves all of his problems because he seems to think that he has become the man that he has always wanted to be and that he has achieved the extent of power that he wanted.  Even though he should have realized that none of this was true when he shot Jenny, he did not learn his lesson.  Although the gun did not truly give him the masculinity or power, he continued to think it did because at the end of the story he goes back to get the gun, thinks about shooting at Jim Hawkins’ house, and runs away (2527).

What was the purpose of Richard Wright’s skillful use of dialect throughout the story?

            The author’s skillful use of dialect truly put an emphasis on the story.  The different dialects that are seen in the story truly add to the meaning.  Dave’s family appears to have a much different dialect than Mister Joe or Jim Hawkins (whites); Dave’s family along with himself seems to have a much more slurred dialect than the others, they do not seem to pronounce words the correct English way.  Also, their dialect was much harder to understand and took more time to read, but it truly stood its purpose in the story.

The purpose of the use of dialect is to reflect upon the time period in which Wright was writing about.  Wright often wrote about similar experiences that happened to him, therefore he uses the dialect from the time period that he lived.  The dialect that he uses truly shows how different people were in the time period, such as Dave’s family and the whites.  It seemed as if Dave’s family had the dialect that did due to a possible lack of education.  In this time period, whites were seen as higher than blacks; the dialects in this story can truly reflect upon that.  The author’s use of dialect truly places the “story firmly in its sociohistorical setting” (2518).  Without the use of dialect in this story, the reader might not have a significant understanding of the time period or setting in which the story takes place.

            Also, Wright’s skillful use of dialect allowed the reader to truly visualize the characters.  Because of the different dialects that the author uses, the reader can visualize how dissimilar the characters were.  The dialect adds a significant amount of imagery to the story because when you are reading, you can truly picture the characters talking the way that they are.  It is almost as if you can hear the characters talking themselves.  Because of the dialect adding imagery to the story, it makes it much more interesting.  The skillful use of dialect that the author uses allows for the reader to truly picture the characters.  Without the use of dialect in this story, the reader would not be able to clearly see the differences amongst the groups of people: whites and blacks.

The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman

Why does the woman in “The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman” drink?

            Just like we can see in today’s society, the woman appears to drink because she is unhappy with her own life.  Early in the story it made it obvious that she was not happy with her own marriage or did not even care about her marriage.  She said that she did even care about what her husband looked like when it was his day to do business on the city and even that she “despised him beyond words” (2804 and 2806).  She also did not appear to be happy that she had children because it was said that she “took advantage of their absence” (2804).  She also did not appear happy because she seemed to be jealous of others, especially the woman she was talking so bad about in the restaurant.  She did not seem happy that the woman in the restaurant was prosperous and that she was not (2807); she said that she would have liked to slap the woman, which does not make her appear as a happy person.  She seemed as if she really enjoyed drinking because she said “how satisfying to lose” her soul, which probably relates to her forgetting all her troubles when she was drunk (2806).  She is unhappy with several different aspects of her life, so she drinks because she believes that the daydreams she has when she is drunk is better than her reality.  Although she thinks drinking will solve her unhappiness, she will eventually have to face the problems she is facing.

How does the woman in “The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman” view herself?

            In the beginning it seems as if she thinks of herself very fondly because it says that “her eyes did not take themselves off her image” as she was standing in front of the mirror (2804); because of this, I assumed that she was a person who thought a lot of herself.  However, it seemed as if when she was drunk she viewed herself much differently.  When she was drunk she scolded herself and even called herself a “lazy bitch” (2805).  She saw herself as being sensible, but this irritated her (2806).  Also when she was drunk she viewed herself as a very unhappy and miserable person; she found her husband “ridiculous” and in the restaurant she even said that she was “so miserable” (2806-2807).  Even though she may not have realized it, she also appeared to be a very jealous person when she was drunk.  It was when she was drunk that she talked so bad about the women in the restaurant who was “all dolled up in a hat and jewelry, glittering like a false icon” (2807).  At the end of the story, she even called herself a slut (2809).  Although she seemed to think a lot of herself when she was sober, it was when she was drunk she viewed herself very negatively.  It is possible that the way she viewed herself when she was drunk was who she really was; she saw herself as lazy and she did not appear to have any job or to do any housework and she saw herself as a slut and she was not in love with her own husband.  The way she viewed herself changed dramatically depending on whether or not she was drunk or sober.

Janus/The Swimmer

In “Janus,” what is the symbolic meaning of the bowl?                           

            I believe that the main thing the bowl symbolizes in “Janus” is the memory of the affair that Andrea had.  I believe that it symbolizes an affair because it said that Andrea wanted to talk to her husband about it, but she kept it “such a constant secret” (89).  It seemed as if it were something she were hiding from her husband and something she could not possibly tell him about.  I believe it symbolizes her affair because when she left the bowl behind by accident once, it said that “she felt like rushing past the frowning woman and seizing her bowl” (88); I think that symbolizes her affair because it almost made it appear as if she were jealous that another woman was handling her “bowl.”  I also was led to believe the bowl symbolizes Andrea’s affair because it said that it was “only handled by her, set safely on one surface or another” (90); I thought that symbolized the affair because affairs are typically “handled with care” because they do not want others to find out what is happening because it could mess up many aspects of their lives.  It seemed as if the bowl was something that comforted Andrea because it constantly reminded her of her affair with her past lover.  I ultimately believe that Andrea is still truly in love with her past lover and the memory of him, therefore she holds onto this bowl that he bought her because it reminds her of their love; a love that was “perfect” (90).

In “The Swimmer,” what is the symbolic meaning of Ned’s journey?

            Ned’s journey in “The Swimmer” through his county and the pools in his county symbolizes his life.  In the beginning when he was with his wife at the Westerhazys’ pool he had the impression of “one of youth” because he was full of energy and sport and the weather was “clement.”  It was here that he took on the challenge to swim all the way home.  He swims through the Grahams’ and Hammers’ pool with no problem at all, and still looking forward to continuing his journey.  He swam through the Bunkers’ pool without a problem, but he heard thunder, which could symbolize something getting ready to change in his life.  After he swam through the Levys’ pool he felt somewhat tired, but still pleased.  Although he felt “pleased with everything” at that moment, it stormed.  It said that he had some excitement towards storms, which could symbolize his excitement or anxiety for changes that occurred in his life.  He noticed that there was a “sign of autumn” and he became sad; this symbolizes his life going by.  When he found the Wlechers’ pool dry he was “disappointed and mystified” which could symbolize a certain event in his life.  Although he was feeling somewhat down, he heard a tennis game which cheered him probably because it reminded him of the memory of his children.  At the Recreation Center he saw things as loud and harsh, which could symbolize the hardships of his life becoming worse or growing.  At the Hallorans’ him not acknowledging what Mrs. Halloran was talking to him about symbolizes the denial that he was living in.  Also at the Hallorans’ he was cold, tired, depressed, and lost his strength; all of this symbolizes how he felt about his misfortunes that he was in denial of.  At this time in his journey it was autumn, symbolizing even more of his life passing by.  At the Sachses’ pool he felt as if “he had no freedom of choice about his means of travel,” symbolizing that he felt as if he could not help the events that were truly occurring in his life.  He also came close to drowning at their pool, which symbolizes that he almost gave into the struggles of his life by giving up.  It was at the Biswangers’ pool that he noticed a “wintry gleam,” which revealed that he was aging and time was going by much faster than he realized.  The next pool, Shirley Adams’, holds a significant amount of importance to the story; this pool symbolizes his affair that he had, which could reveal why he sold his house or why he did not have his kids.  Through the next few pools, the Gilmartins’ and Clydes’, he was constantly losing strength and did not even feel the urge to celebrate that he was almost done with his journey.  These pools symbolize how his life had changed for the worse because of the actions of his affair.  He finally approached his house, the end of his journey, but it was empty and dark.  This ultimately symbolizes how long he had been away and also the end of a life.  “The Swimmer” contains strong symbolization to show the journey of Ned’s life.  He started out his journey as determined and full of energy, but by the end much time had passed and many things had changed making him feel very weak and also aged.

A Rose for Emily/Miss Brill

Compare and contrast how Miss. Brill and Miss. Emily avoid reality.  What is the eventual outcome for each woman?

            In “A Rose for Emily,” Emily avoids reality in several different ways.  When her father died she was faced with reality, which was something that she did not seem prepared for.  She tries to avoid this reality by claiming “her father was not dead” for three days and then “she went out very little” so people did not see her.  She tried to avoid reality by distancing herself from people because it seemed as if she was scared of losing anyone else or even letting someone come into her life.  Although she secluded herself from many people, she and Homer Barron fell in love.  Even though they fell in love, she killed him; it seemed as if she killed him to avoid the reality of him ever leaving her or her losing him like she lost her father.  The ultimate outcome for Emily was her death.  It seemed as if her constant avoidance of reality led to her downfall, which made her ill.  In the story, it appears as if Emily is afraid of reality and wants to avoid all the hurt or loss that accompanies reality, but her death shows that she could not truly escape reality.

            In “Miss Brill,” Miss Brill also tries to avoid reality, but in a different manner than Emily.  Miss Brill tried to escape reality by dressing up in her “fur” and going to the park every Sunday because she felt as if she was an important part of the events that took place.  She felt as if the events in the park were “like a play” and that it was “no doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn’t been there.”  It seemed as if she attended this every Sunday event because it was her way of escaping the true reality and it made her feel more important than she probably really was. It seemed as if she was able to escape the own reality of her life by attending this event because she constantly watched and observed others and judged what she thought of their life rather than her own.  However, her outcome came to her when she overheard a girl and a boy talking about her and saying things about her “fur” and “why does she come here at all.”  Because of her overhearing what someone really thought of her, harsh reality finally came to her and she realized that she was not as important as she thought she was and that her fur could not truly cover up her reality.  Although she tried to escape reality, it was made obvious that she could not.

            Although Emily and Miss Brill both avoided reality differently, they did have some similarities.  For example, they both held onto things that they thought could help them avoid reality by bringing them comfort or happiness.  Emily kept Homer Barron’s body after she had killed him probably because she did not want to let go of something that once brought her happiness and comfort.  Although Miss Brill did not hold onto a human, she held onto her “fur” because she believed it made her feel important and brought her happiness.  Because both of the women feel so dissatisfied with their own lives, they feel as if they have to find ways to escape the reality of their dissatisfaction.  Although they both seem to find a way to escape reality, reality also catches up to the both of them.           

Discuss the endings for both stories.  What type of ending is it?  Justify your answer.  Do the plot elements lead up the ending?  Explain how so.  Is each story literary or commercial, based on plot and ending? 

            “A Rose for Emily” contains a surprise ending because it contains a sudden, unexpected twist, the murder of Homer Barron.  Throughout the story, the reader never suspects that Emily would have murdered Homer Barron.  The story is literary because the ending relates to the story as a whole and it makes logical sense.  The plot elements definitely lead up to the ending because all throughout the story Emily was trying to escape reality, and the ending shows her ultimate escape of reality, killing Homer Barron.  It also leads up to the ending because Emily seems a bit suspicious throughout the story because she constantly secludes herself from others and no one knows what went on inside of her home; the ending reveals as to why she may have seemed a bit suspicious.  Also, during the story it was unclear as to why Emily wanted to purchase arsenic, but the ending showed the reader why she wanted to buy the arsenic and what exactly she used it for.

            I believe that “Miss Brill” contains both an intermediate ending and an unhappy ending.  I believe the ending is intermediate because after she heard the boy and girl talk badly about her she goes home, without stopping at the bakery she usually stops at and put her fur away and “when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying.”  The reader does not know what happens to Miss Brill after the story is over, which makes it into an intermediate ending.  I also believe it could be considered an unhappy ending because Miss Brill’s seems to be emotionally hurt after she hears the boy and girl talking about her; she used to think she was so important, but now she felt extremely belittled.  The story contains a literary plot because although the ending was much different than the rest of the story, it all relates to the story as a whole and makes the reader realize that Miss Brill was trying to pretend to be something she was not in order to escape reality.  The plot elements do lead up to the ending because she is constantly observing others in the story, but it is when she observes people talking about her when she becomes so upset and leads to the ending of the story.

Pick one story.  What are some examples of irony?  What type is it?  What do the ironies reveal?

            “Miss Brill” contains ironies that can be seen throughout much of the story.  Dramatic irony plays a huge role in this story.  An example of dramatic irony from the story would be how Miss Brill sees herself as so important to the events that take place on Sunday and she believes “it was like a play” and she was “an actress.”  This is an example of dramatic irony because although Miss Brill thinks she is so important, the reader knows that she is just imagining herself as this in order to escape from her own unhappiness or reality.  Also it is an example of dramatic irony because the reader knows that the event that takes place every Sunday is not really a play like Miss Brill imagines it to be.  She adds to the dramatic irony by wearing her “fur” to these events because she believes it makes her feel even more important, but the reader knows that this is not so.  Although the story includes dramatic irony, it also includes situational irony.  An example of situational irony in the story is when Miss Brill listens to the boy and girls conversation who she imagines is the “hero and heroine” of this play that she thinks everyone is in, but Miss Brill’s expectations of the boy and girl soon come to an end.  The boy and girl reveal how they truly feel about Miss Brill, which is not the outcome in which she had expected.  The irony used in “Miss Brill” helps to emphasize and reveal how far away from reality Miss Brill really was, but that in the end she still could not escape it.

The Lady with the Dog

Is Anna and Gurov’s relationship simply a case of bad timing?  What does “The Lady with the Dog” say about relationships?

            Although Anna and Gurov’s relationship may simply seem as if it was a case of bad timing, I do not believe this is true.  It appears as if it was bad timing because they were both married, but they both made the decision to marry someone that they were not happy with.  Gurov married “his second year at college” and viewed his wife as “shallow, narrow-minded, and dowdy,” and Anna often talked about how unhappy she was with her marriage and that she thought of her husband as a “flunky” (1524 and 1527).  Because of their decisions to marry someone they were not happy with and who they were not fond of, it seemed as if they were paying for it now.  They seemed to be suffering from the decisions that they had made because Gurov had fallen in love with Anna “properly,” but they were suffering because they could not see each other much and they were constantly trying to figure out how to overcome their struggles (1535).  Although they believed “fate had intended them for one another” they were struggling to figure out how they could make this happen because of their marriages (1535).  Therefore, their relationship was not simply a case of bad timing, but instead a case of bad decisions.

            The reader can infer from “The Lady with the Dog” that relationships are not something that should be pursued unless it is truly what you want.  The reader can infer that this story says this about relationships because both Anna and Gurov pursued a marriage that they were both not happy in, and because of this, they were suffering because they found true love with each other, rather than with their spouses.  This story could also say that corrupt relationships that include unhappiness could lead to deceitfulness and many hidden secrets.  In “The Lady with the Dog” both Anna and Gurov pursue an affair due to their unhappiness with their own marriage.  Although Gurov has many more affairs, it is all because of his unhappiness.  Ultimately, this story reveals that one should not pursue a relationship unless truly in love and happy because there is someone who will make you realize what true love and happiness is, but if you pursue a relationship without it, you may never have the chance to know because it will be too late.

What quest is Gurov on?  Is he successful?

            Because of Gurov’s unhappiness with his own marriage, he was on a quest to find true love and happiness in “The Lady with the Dog.”  It appears as if Gurov desired for happiness, but was satisfied with even a temporary happiness and passion because he began to deceive his wife by becoming unfaithful long before Anna came along because he was unhappy in his marriage (1524).  When he pursued an affair with Anna it seemed as if he was only looking to fulfill his desire for passion because he seemed to believe that he was not going to find happiness.  It seemed as if they knew their relationship was not going to last because when Anna left to return to her husband, Gurov simply just viewed their affair as “one more of the many adventures on his life” (1529).  However, it is when she was gone that Gurov realized that it was Anna who made him truly happy and that he was in love with her because the thought of her never left his mind (1530).  Gurov was successful in his quest because he went to reunite with Anna, where she promised him that she would come visit him.  Indeed, Anna kept to her promise and they both realized that they made each other truly happy and that “this love of theirs would not soon come to an end” (1535); they realized that what they had was real, realer than what they had in their own marriages and that they truly wanted to be with each other.  Although Gurov was successful in his quest, he and Anna were both faced with the constant struggle of being with each other.