Literary Analysis Notes: Little Women

-Quote: "I’ll try and be what he loves to call me, “a little woman,” and not be rough and wild; but do my duty here instead of wanting to be somewhere else."
-Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy
-Jo-outspoken
-Meg-materialistic
-Amy-values her materials
-Beth-down to earth
-The author quickly makes the distinction that although these girls are sisters, they aren't at all similar
-Stepping from childhood to adulthood in their own ways
-quote-“It’s nice to have accomplishments, and be elegant; but not to show off.”
-The girls must work for their successes and cannot be idle
-These girls are not conforming to the typical roles of women in this age
-They are having to learn to accept defeats in life
-quote-"Money is a needful and precious thing,—and, when well used, a noble thing,—but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for. I’d rather see you poor men’s wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self- respect and peace"
-Tone-sympathetic
-Symbol-Umbrella
-Theme- Women struggling with who they are expected to be, and who they truly want to be (Gender roles)

Poetry Remix

These photo collages I put together represent the dramtic situation, theme and tone of the poems.

When You Are Old

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

Remix

Here is my Remix

Bless Me, Ultima

1. Antonio is a young boy struggling with his cultural identity, when his grandma Ultima comes to live with him. Antonio's mother, being devoutly Catholic, doesn't enjoy the presence of Ultima and her healing powers. Antonio, however, takes a liking to Ultima and her remedies. Antonio finds himself in a struggle between following the path of faith, or following the path of land and nature like his grandma. He spends much of his time with Ultima learning the ways of the land. Antonio learns that his grandma has a spirit animal attached to her; an owl. When Ultima's owl is shot, Antonio realizes his grandma will too die. Knowing this, he buries the owl in the earth so that his grandma will always be a part of the land.
2. The theme in Bless Me, Ultima is the influence of culture on your decisions and your identity.
3. The tone in Bless Me, Ultima is seriousness.

-"They will burn sulfur instead of holy incense."

-"I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her [Ultima] I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things" 
- "'Hell, Andy,' Gene said softly, 'we can't build our lives on their dreams. We're men, Andy, we're not boys any longer. We can't be tied down to old dreams-'" 
4. Magical Realism, Foreshadow, Symbols, Imagery and Similes are all literary devices used in Bless Me, Ultima.
-Magical Realism: Bless Me, Ultima is an example of magical realism. It contains evidence of the supernatural with witchcraft, and the owl representing Ultima's soul.
-Foreshadow: All of Antonio's dreams are examples of foreshadow. 
-Symbols: Ultima's owl is a symbol of her soul. The Golden Carp represents an alternative religion for Antonio.
"The orange of the golden carp appeared at the edge of the pond. . . . We watched in silence at the beauty and grandeur of the great fish. Out of the corners of my eyes I saw Cico hold his hand to his breast as the golden carp glided by. Then with a switch of his powerful tail the golden carp disappeared into the shadowy water under the thicket."
Imagery: "The magical time of childhood stood still, and the pulse of the living earth pressed its mystery into my living blood."
"There in the land of the dancing plains and rolling hills, there in the land which is the eagle's by day and the owl's by night is innocence. There where the lonely wind of the llano sang to the lovers' feat of your birth, there in those hills is your innocence"
Similes: "There are so many dreams to be fulfilled, but Ultima says a Man's destiny must unfold itself like a flower, with only the sun ad earth and water making it blossom, and no one else meddling in it."

Poem Analysis: Lines

Lines

Martha Collins

Draw a line. Write a line. There.
Stay in line, hold the line, a glance
between the lines is fine but don't
turn corners, cross, cut in, go over
or out, between two points of no
return's a line of flight, between
two points of view's a line of vision.
But a line of thought is rarely
straight, an open line's no party
line, however fine your point.
A line of fire communicates, but drop
your weapons and drop your line,
consider the shortest distance from x
to y, let x be me, let y be you.

1. Define the dramatic situation
- This poem isn't about lines, it seems to be about have to always do things perfectly in a relationship and having to abide by the rules of a "line".

2. Structure
-Repitition with the constant use of the word line. This poem is one stanza with no rhyme scheme.

3. Theme
- Just be in love and don't worry about all the little intricacies

4. Grammar and Meaning
- The entire poem is a metaphor for love, and the word line does not mean the dictionary definition of "line" in this poem, but rather would represent love.

5. Important Images
- "A line of fire communicates, but drop your weapons and drop your line,consider the shortest distance from x to y, let x be me, let y be you." I feel like this line sums up the entire poem and message.

6. Important Single Words
-LINE. This poem is based around the word line and its multiple meanings.

7. Tone
-The tone is persuasive making the reader rethink their view of not only the word line, but also relationships and expectations of those relationships.

8. Literary Devices
-The most evident literary device used in this poem is metaphor. The entire poem is a metaphor for love.

9. Flow
-The continuous use of the word "line" connects the poem together and makes it flow.

Gresham College Lectures

Tale of Two Cities
-Manchester-third city involved
-1857 Dickens assisted in writing The Frozen Deep; Dickens played Richard in this play; was to be played in Manchester
-Dickens fell in love with Ellen Turner, who played Lucy in The Frozen Deep, which is referenced in The Tale of Two Cities with the character Lucie
-Parallelism between The Frozen Deep and A Tale of Two Cities
-1858 Dickens started public readings of A Tale of Two Cities; became "The greatest reader, of the greatest writer, of this age."
-Dickens lived in London as a young child, "an extensive and peculiar knowledge of the city"
-This inspired his writing in A Tale of Two Cities
-Dickens first visited Paris in 1844
-London and Paris are the Two Cities
-Dickens visited Paris at least 15 times; span a time of political change
-"Wherever I turn a see some astonishing new works, doing or being done."
-Written around the time of the French Revolution
-was not a fan of Revolution, yet confronts it in this novel
-Novel was sent out in parts, like a series; episodes
-Wrote as he went along
-The events of the Revolution constitute one layer of the novel




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Study Questions

Questions

1.How did Pip gain such a name?

2.Why does the convict, whom jumped out of the bushes at Pip, request a file?

3.How is the scene with the policeman bursting through Pip's door ironic?

4.What advice does Joe give to Pip after he learns that Pip has lied about his experience at the Satis House?

5.Why does Pip decide to focus more on his schooling and even take on an extra class?

6.What does Pip hope to get out of visiting with Miss Havisham and Estella?

7.To Pip's dissappointment, what title does he earn?

8.How did Orlick frighten Pip as a child?

9.What tragic accident occurs to Mrs Joes?

10.What unruly trait does Pip develop as he learns he will soon inherit a fortune and become a gentleman?

Answers

1.Pip, really named Philip Pirrip, was unable to pronounce his own name as a child and thus decided to call himself Pip.

2.The convict plans to use the file to saw away his leg irons, or shackles.

3.This scene is ironic because the reader expects Pip to be in trouble because he helped covicts escape, but surprisingly and unexpectedly, the policemen end up recruiting Joe and Pip to help them capture these escaped convicts.

4.Joe tells Pip to keep company with his own class for the present and that he can succeed someday only if he takes an honest path.

5.He realizes he doesn't want to be seen as just a "common" person to people like Estella.

6.Pip hopes Miss Havisham will raise him from his low social standing and give him a gentleman’s fortune.

7.Pip earns the title of apprentice rather than gentleman.

8.When Pip was younger, Orlick convinced him that the devil lived inside the Forge.

9.Mrs. Joe is attacked and shot, leaving her unable to speak.

10.Pip becomes a snob.