A White Lie for a Woman Dressed in Black

Near the end of his story, Marlow recounts the visit he paid to the woman who would have become Kurtz’s wife. Kurtz’s “Intended” acts and behaves as if “she would remember and mourn for ever.” (73) The room she is standing in is described as dark, as are her sunken eyes. She asks Marlow what Kurtz’s last words were, and Marlow becomes uneasy and unsure as to how to answer this question. Finally, he decides to appease her by telling her that Kurtz’s final words were her name. It seems like a pretty harmless lie—a white lie, in fact. A white lie told to brighten up the world of a woman perpetually plagued by darkness.

Why do you think Marlow chose to lie about Kurtz’s final words? Does the fact that he told this lie make him a less admirable character? Do you think that he selfishly lied in order to escape her sorrow when she would learn the truth (that she was not Kurtz’s final thought) or do you think he did it to protect her?

Faulkner's Use of Vocabulary in "The Sound and the Fury"

William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is exceedingly difficult to fully analyze and understand upon first read; however, Robert A. Martin’s article, “The Words of The Sound and the Fury” notes that Faulkner inserted key terms and phrases to link the story together. In the first section, what Matin calls Benjy’s section, the concept and image of a fire is essential to the flow of the story. In Quentin’s section, the term “shadow” holds a lot of significance. However, in Jason’s section, there is an end to the assignment of important words. Dilsey’s section illustrates a return to Faulkner’s traditional style used for most of the novel as it contains many references to the word “window.” Although these words may seem to be nothing more than simple vocabulary, in fact, they give us much insight into each character. Benjy’s obsession with fire is linked to his inability to accept change and the fact that no matter what, fire is always just fire. Quentin’s neurotic nature is reflected in the shadow imagery, and Dilsey’s references to the window are symbolic of her character as an observer of the dysfunctional Compson family. Faulkner purposefully changed the style in Jason’s section to emphasize Jason’s feelings of superiority in the Compson family. I wish I had understood this concept of key words before reading The Sound and the Fury because it would have made the story so much easier to analyze. I think Martin makes some really valid points and after reading his work, I am able to better appreciate Faulkner’s talent and style (261).

Martin, Robert A. “The Words of ‘The Sound and the Fury’.” The Southern Literary Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1. University of North Carolina Press, 1999, pp. 46-56.

The Downfall of Caddy

Throughout all of our class discussions, we have always spoken of Caddy as a headstrong and rebellious character who is incapable of being restrained by anybody; however, this image we hold of her is shattered in Part 3 of the novel. In this section, Caddy allows herself to be controlled and tormented by her emotionless brother Jason. He directly handles all of the money which she sends to her daughter Quentin, he is the only character who he permits her to have any communication with, and he tells her what she can and can’t do. Unlike the Caddy that Benjy idolizes who would have reacted to such treatment with defiance, the present-day Caddy only responds to Jason’s tyranny with compliance. In many ways, this is the moment during which the reader witnesses the true downfall of Caddy. Although getting pregnant and marrying to cover up her promiscuity is a low point for her, the greatest tragedy in her storyline is that she loses herself. By the end of this section, we see Caddy as nothing more than an empty shell of her former-self.

I was wondering what triggered this change in Caddy’s character. Perhaps it is related to Quentin’s suicide, is that why she loses her spirit? Was Mr. Coon right to assume that Herbert was a wife-beater and therefore has robbed Caddy of her rebellious fire? Or, did Caddy simply appear strong and fearless because we were witnessing her youth through Benjy’s eyes (245)?

Review #4- Venn Diagram

David James Poissant’s Venn Diagram is one of the saddest stories that I have ever read. The plotline chronicles a young couple’s attempt to accept tragedy and move on from the death of their one-month-old daughter who suffered from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. We see the ways in which both the narrator and his wife deal with the misfortune and how it has changed their marriage as a whole. They both feel so emotionally numb at times that they are able to speak of a separation “like two strangers discussing the weather” (323). The narrator begins to feel that leaving his wife is inevitable as all they do is fight in order to keep themselves from thinking about their daughter. Still, it is not that they ever stop loving each other, it is just that they feel helpless and incapable of successfully moving on. The story is extremely touching and the theme of grief and moving on is one that would constitute a really good topic for the essay. This has been one of my favorite stories so far and I think I might write about this one (189).

Review #3- Hell-Heaven

I just put down Jhumpa Lahiri’s Hell-Heaven and I have to admit that I am disappointed. Unlike many of my peers, I do not like her style of writing very much; however, I was willing to give it one more shot. She is skilled at creating vivid characters but unfortunately, most of the characters that she develops are very unlikable. I have noticed this trend from the first time I read her work (The Namesake was my first taste of her writing) and until today it still bothers me. I do not see myself choosing this story for my final essay (101).

Review #2- Summer, With Twins

Rebecca Curtis’s Summer, With Twins is a short story centered around four women waitressing at an expensive restaurant in order to afford what each considers a “necessity” for herself. The story revolves around an average college student working alongside two spoiled and insensitive twins along with a middle-aged struggling single mother. Throughout the course of the story, the reader cannot seem to understand why the narrator spends so much time with the twins and why she strives to please them. If anything, they are condescending, arrogant, self-obsessed, and all in all, bad friends. I really liked the story because of the underlying theme that bad things sometimes happen to good people; however, were there really any good people in this story? This prompt got me thinking and I am confident that I could expand on it and craft together a pretty good essay. I will keep reading but this story is definitely an option for the final essay (159).

Review #1- The Scent of Cinnamon

I just finished reading Charles Lambert’s The Scent of Cinnamon, and overall, I am pretty pleased. The story begins with the blossoming love story of two strangers, Joseph Broderick and Miriam Payne. Interestingly enough, the reader is taken a bit off guard when the preface of a romantic story meshes with that of a ghost story. Lambert is able to balance both aspects of his writing very well, and upon first read, the reader hardly picks up on many of the more chilling aspects of the story and instead focuses on the romance. In the end, I was thoroughly spooked but still found myself smiling; therefore, I think Lambert achieved his dual-purpose of invoking awe and fear from readers. Overall, the story kept me thinking about it long after I had put it down. The concept of everlasting love, the discrepancy between what is happening and what isn’t, the vivid descriptions, and even the theme of forgotten friendship are all viable routes that my future essay may take. I would definitely consider this as an ideal short story for my final essay, but I will keep reading in case something else comes up (194).