A Tale of Two Cities

Symbol Analysis

One of the recurring symbols in A Tale of Two Cities is Madame Defarge’s knitting. It is first seen in chapter five, when the wine is spilled all over the street in Saint Antoine, when she is in the beginning of her knitting project, and this scene is a beginning that shows the hunger and new revolutionary ideas that are to come. Also when she is knitting in the wine shop, Madame Defarge looks to be reserved and innocent, where, in fact, she is basically sentencing her victims to death by sewing their names into her knitting project. Outside, the townspeople also appear to be innocent, all that they want to do with the wine is drink it so that they can have some sustenance; all that they really are is hungry and poor. These two scenes, indoor and out, parallel each other, though both foreshadow the bad that is to come to France in the form of a revolution by the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. The fact that this bloodshed is the parallel to Madame Defarge’s knitting, it shows that, underneath, she is a very cold and bitter person, this stemming from her family’s mistreatment by the Marquis. 

Quote Analysis

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...”

This quote is very important because it has great significance within the novel, but also within the early life of Charles Dickens. The novel is based during one of the most prosperous times in England, the beginning of the industrial revolution, and that was “the best of times;” whereas, in France, the French Revolution was starting, “the worst of times.” This passage also symbolizes the parallel that exists between the two cities, and the equivalents between many of the characters, such as Carton and Darnay and between Lucie and Madame Defarge, a rhythm that continues throughout the novel. 

This quote is also meaningful in relation with Dickens’ early childhood. He was the second of eight children and his family lived comfortably, and usually beyond the means that his father could provide as a lower-ranked government worker. When Dickens was about eleven, his father was put into debtor’s prison, and Dickens’ was forced to go to work in a leather factory. This was in the early eighteen twenties, while the industrial revolution (“the best of times”) was going on around Dickens and his family, who were without a father to support them and very poor. 

Thoughts

Though I did have a difficult time reading it, A Tale of Two Cities is a novel that is very easy to appreciate once you sat back and really looked at the plot and descriptions and literary devices that Dickens used. The passages that contained the repetition of a word, such as the two that used “stone” or “hunger,” gave amazing descriptions of both what was going on in the plot at that time, but it also foreshadowed coming events and gave characterizations. Overall, I did enjoy this novel when I had the chances to read it at a slower pace and take the time to digest small pieces of it at a time. 

The Importance of Being Earnest

Argument Analysis

One of the major arguments in this play by Oscar Wilde is between Cecily and Gwendolen  while they are at Jack’s country house. When they first meet, they act as though they are the best of friends, while they have only just met, and Gwendolen even says, “Something tells me that we are going to be great friends... My first impressions of people are never wrong.” She then contradicts herself by saying that she disliked Cecily from the beginning and that, again, her first impressions are never wrong. Liking or disliking someone should never be based solely on first impressions, especially when, like Gwendolen, someone bases that impression off of a name. Also, when they become angry at each other, it is because they think that another person lied to them, Gwendolen and Cecily never lied to each other, so why are they mad at each other? They should really be angry with “Earnest.”

They then turn to calling each other “sister” after finding out that Jack and Algernon had tricked them. This entire argument supports wholly the theme in the lay of shallowness. At one point when they are angry with each other, Cecily serves Gwendolen tea with sugar when she asked for none and cake when Gwendolen asked for bread and butter. Gwendolen gets even angrier at Cecily for this; something so small and so trivial but something that is still made into something that seems to be so important. 

Quote Analysis

“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”

This is my favorite quote from the play because, in context, it is a funny remark, but taken out of context looks even more absurd and is even funnier. Lady Bracknell says this when she is speaking to Jack after he proposes to Gwendolen and is asking about Jack’s parents and background. This quote just goes to show how shallow and “appearance obsessed” the society that Wilde is satirizing is presented to be. The fact that losing both parents “looks like carelessness”  is horrible; it is a very sad situation when a person does not know who their parents are, like Jack. Lady Bracknell is so fixated on her appearance and that of Gwendolen that she completely overlooks the sadness of this situation and looks only to what others will ultimately think of her. 

Thoughts

The Importance of Being Earnest is probably my favorite work that we have read so far this year. It was another satire, but this was presented in a way that was comical to the point of foolishness. Even is we had only read certain pats of this play it would have still been my favorite.  In my opinion, the best scene was when Cecily was telling Algernon all about their engagement that, even though they had never met before, had been arranged for a few months at that point. Cecily had bought herself a ring and had written letters to herself that she signed with Algernon’s name (Ernest to her). Cecily was probably the character who was made to have the most qualities that Wilde was satirizing. She had all the manners that a Victorian lady should, but also came across as the character who was the most flighty and, even though it was said that she was educated, was the least intelligent when it came to dealing with the real world.

Another reason that I liked this play was that I agree with the point that it is making. Victorian society had some of the most ridiculous rules that people had to follow. Why couldn’t a  woman show her ankle or wrist or have a different public opinion on something than what her husband’s views were? Rules like these lead you to believe that people of this era were shallow if they cared so greatly about things like these.

Cat's Cradle

Symbol Analysis

The basic symbol of a cat’s cradle made of string is a huge topic in this novel, especially through the eyes of the character Newt Hoenikker. First, it symbolizes the basic ideas of both religion and science in the sense that they are very complex things that have grown from the simplest of things, the string to the cat’s cradle. Also, those complex structures in their entirety are unable to be seen, at least through Vonnegut’s  eyes, an this is exemplified by Newt saying over and over again, “See the cat? See the cradle?” The author is saying how ridiculous  that all those big ideas are, if someone can’t see the hole picture, is it helping them?

Another reason that a cat’s cradle is a good symbol for Vonnegut’s ideas is that it goes in a vicious cycle, the same few steps repeated over and over. This is like Bokonon saying in one of his books that history is a vicious cycle, where people never learn from their mistakes, or those made in history that could be looked back upon and avoided in the future.

Quote Analysis

“What can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?”

“Nothing.”

This is, very bluntly, what Vonnegut is saying whit his satire in this novel. He is warning people that if things keep continuing on the way that they have been, there will never be hope fro anything; no progress in science, religion, government, or anything else. The quote is given soon after John learns that the Hoenikker children gave away their ice-nine for personal gain. He wonders why Felix Hoenikker could make something so possibly destructive, and leave it for his “short-sighted children.” Things have continued to become worse and worse; scientific discoveries have become more destructive and people have fewer values and morals, so with more dangerous weapons and more dangerous people, there is nothing that a “thoughtful man” can hope for in the future.

This is this shortest of the Books of Bokonon, and most directly to the point. It is meant to be simple and slightly scary to those who read it. It is possible that Bokonon’s hope with this book was that people would be scared and maybe try to fix things, or at least start by fixing themselves.

Thoughts

Cat’s Cradle is very different than any other book that I have ever read, in the sense that it really made you think about what Vonnegut wanted you to think about. It wasn’t just spelled out on the page that he was satirizing science and religion and the dangers of each, you had to read farther into the book to find that out. 

While the plot was slightly predicable (especially the idea that, somehow, ice-nine would “end the world”), I enjoyed all of Bokonon’s ideas an terms that were found throughout the book. My favorite thing, though, were Bokonon’s Calypsos. They were short, but they very well got out all of Vonnegut’s core ideas; that religion can sometimes take precedent over government, even though both are a bunch of lies, and that lies are the only thing in the world that can be completely trusted to do what they have been set out to do. 

The Handmaid's Tale

Topic Analysis

Was the fact that Jezebel’s even existed really such a shock? I don’t think so. There is absolutely no way that sex in this form could be completely taken out of a society, just look at the profits of today’s industries, some go down, but others people will never give up. Jezebel’s is a place where the Commanders go when they are “unsatisfied” with their lives. It provides a means of escape from the conformity that they had to endure and make sure everyone else did. It was the place where they didn’t have to worry about what others thought, because as soon as you walked in the door as a Commander, you became another face in the crowd. Outside, during the days, is seemed like it belonged in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” category, along with numerous other things looked down upon in Gilead.

Jezebel’s was also an escape for those women who, like Moira, were strong enough to resist the “good” parts of this society, while still being a part of what was normal, even if it was not know about by everyone. While, as a woman, there was still forced sex involved, it was probably much better than what the handmaids had to endure with the “ritual” or the Marthas who were looked upon as frumpy and mostly meaningless and dull. Jezebel’s was the one lace in Gilead where people could conform to the society, but still, in a small way, be their own person. 

Quote Analysis

“And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light.”

throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, the idea of good and evil is bought up on a few occasions, and good or evil is exactly what the darkness and light in this quote are representing. This is the last line in the novel before the “Historical Notes”, and sums up the conflict that goes on within Offred throughout the novel. Offred is never fully towards one side or the other when speaking about her daily life, and as much as it seems that she wanted to keep with the beliefs of her old way of life, but some of her thoughts definently lean towards the belief systems that the Gileadean government is trying to instill into the citizens.

Offred also purposely, in her narration, brings up the question of whether this new way of life is better than the old in one main way. This is when she has flashbacks to when she lived in the “Red Center,” she continually questions whether or not the things that the Aunts told them about “old times’ or the Colonies are true and good, and she especially questions if the Aunts themselves are good, a subconscious question about the “darkness” or “lightness” of the government.

Thoughts

I thought that The Handmaid’s Tale was a very good book, an dI agreed with much of the social commentary that Atwood made. Firstly, extremism in any form (religious, political, or any other) can lead to bad things, anything from a closed mind to terrorism to a utopian society turned to a dystopian one. I understand being devoted to a religion or group, but there should always be room for someone to see the opposing point of view.

The part of the book that was my favorite was the last chapter, the “Historical Notes.” As much as the rest of the novel made you think about the author’s views, this last chapter showed how dark she thought our future, or possibly even present, could be. She shows how ridiculous it looks when people take something so serious (in this case Gileadean society) and make it light and amusing conversation (shown by the laughter and applause throughout the speech). It was amazing to read this, and then look at the serious subjects in our society today and see how people try to make them lighter, more easily digestible topics, or even small pieces of information.

Anthem

Symbol Analysis

In this novel, it is the world council that controls everything from what each individual is going to do with their life to what people will use for light. They symbolize the idea that Rand is trying to present that society cannot function well at all without original thinkers and those who are allowed to give their own ideas to society. Equality says that the council is a large group of old men and women who can never agree on anything. It even took them many years to approve the candle as a source of light for their community. The ideas and thoughts that Ayn Rand says people should have are shunned by the World Council, this is plainly seen by the fact that it did take them so long to approve the candle, and is even more evident when they appeared so frightened by Equality’s lightbulb. Without inventions such as Equality’s, their society could not move forward. The reason behind this fear, though, was that if society moved forward, more people would have more new ideas, and they would be back to the way that the world used to be, before this new city was created, or however far this new society reached around the world. That old way of life was what they tried to get away from, but Rand is trying to show how, really, their ideal is the one that is bad, where everyone is unhappy and follows all the rules, instead of having happy people with new ideas.

Quote Analysis

“Never had we seen rooms so full of light. The sunrays that danced upon colors, colors, more colors than we thought possible, we who  had seen no houses save the white ones, the brown ones and the grey.”

If one of the themes of this book is an awakening from a dystopian society, then Prometheus’ awakening is the most important scene in the novella, and this quote is part of it. Light is seen as a new beginning, and the light that comes from the many windows of the house Prometheus and The Golden One find shows that being on his own away from those who tell him what to do and even how to think is new for him. Also, light is a symbol of happiness, and Prometheus is ecstatic that, now that he has found out what happiness really is, he can be his own person and live how he wants to live, even if he cannot fully express his joy or does not know what to call it. 

The colors that he is not used to seeing exhibit the new things to come for him, and new ideas that can be found. If light so radiant and colors so bright could be found simply by leaving the place that he did not want to be, then there are infinite possibilities as to what Prometheus can do and discover if he looks for new things and ideas that fit his ideals and his confinements that he places on himself, if any. It is not for another person to decide what another thinks or does, only that person should be able to limit themselves. 

Thoughts

Before reading Anthem, I had never considered what any society, especially ours, would be like if the word “I,” or any other word dealing with individuality, was taken away from our language. It is a very interesting thought, but is mostly scary. If “I” was taken away from us, everyone would lose their identity and would be unable to express themselves. As soon as you can’t say “I think” or “I feel,” you are no longer one, but, the embodiment of the whole, no longer singular. It must be horrible knowing that you could never express yourself, or not even knowing what expressing yourself is, never mind knowing how to do it. I could barely put Anthem down once I had picked it up, I always wanted to know more about what equality was going to do next. 

Fahrenheit 451

Symbol Analysis

As for symbols in the novel, the mechanical hound is a very strong one, representing the attitude of the society that Montag lived in. The hound was a machine designed designed to keep people in order, exactly what that society was trying to do. Both were very dangerous if gotten too involved with, and both used fear and harm as devices to keep people acting in ways that they were “supposed to.”

Montag’s society’s goal was to keep people uninformed and indifferent to what was going on around them, but they always had a back-up plan if something did happen. An example of this was when Montag was running away after he killed Beatty. The city sent their Hound after him, but Montag destroyed it with his flamethrower, thinking he would not have to deal with it anymore. However, when he gets to Faber’s house, Montag learns that there is another Hound looking. THis shows that this society is willing to do anything to destroy any problems that it may have with force, there is not time to fix things any other way before the rest of the public catches on the the real problem. The government is probably scared of what would happen if the public realized that they could actually think for themselves, and that they didn’t have to think the way that their “relatives” told them to think.

Quote Analysis

“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door.” 

Beatty says this while he is explaining to Montag the history of firemen. He explains to Montag that books are dangerous and should be burnt, or else the whole society which had been built  around this idea would crumble, and then everyone could use books as weapons. This speech Beatty gives, though, is very contradictory of his attitude towards books. He is so familiar  with so much literature that he can quote it at will. Only people who are unfamiliar with literature (the general public, in this case) can not know how good it is, and how helpful and empowering it can be. Beatty knows this, though, and uses it to his advantage, gaining the rank of Captain within the fire department, having access to books himself, and torturing Montag and most likely other firefighters when they come to this point in their career and become curious about books. With this speech, Beatty tries to scare Montag into submission and make him conform to what their society’s standards for firefighters are. After this quote, Beatty goes on to ask, “who might be the target of a well-read man? Me?” This is another statement that he uses in order to scare Montag into thinking that books are bad; anyone, including him, a fireman, is susceptible to the dangers that books might bring.

Thoughts

I thought that Fahrenheit 451  was a very interesting novel, and Bradbury’s writing style kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I had never thought that I would enjoy science-fiction, but this novel changed my mind and made me want to read more of is. At first I was a little bit confused abut what was supposed to be happening, but the farther that I got into the book the better it became.

This book made me think about what would happen to our society if books became something to be feared. Would people today even let things get that far before someone about it? I don’s believe so, that are so many people today that stand up to say when they think something is wrong, no matter how trivial it may seem to let something that big go by them. Then there is the question of “is it already happening?” So many more people today watch t.v. and are on the computer more often than they are reading, but, then again, there are still many who believe in the power of a good book and who stand up for what they believe in.