Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze Bashing (oh wait I mean critique)

Wow so I really slacked off on posting papers, but guess what? I'm in college now! I know right, when did that happen? Since I go to the fabulous school that is Austin College (NO not ACC, Austin College in Sherman, Texas) I am taking a CI class (a freshman seminar class) on Newbery Medal winning books. Basically that means I read 11 children's books, write critiques on them and get a grade for it. It's kind of the best. So without further adieu, I present to you my first real college paper:

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze Critique 

Though Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze does provide the readers with and excellent portrayal of the setting in China and develops the theme of wisdom, this novel does not withstand the test of time and I believe that it would not receive a Newbery Medal today. There is not enough character or plot development and is not engaging enough to be awarded a Newbery Medal and withstand the test of time. 

An important factor in determining whether or not a book is deserving of a Newbery Medal is the development and presentation of a theme. Young Fu does present the theme of wisdom throughout the story and there is a continual focus on the importance of wisdom. Young Fu continues to grow and mature and with that he learns important lessons in gaining wisdom. An example of Young Fu growing in wisdom is after he gambles while his mother is away. For a while he was internally debating as to whether or not he should tell his mother that he did gamble. In the end, he decided to tell her, despite the fact that he did not have to, and she asked him why he told her. He responded by saying that he “had to do so” (Lewis, 1932, p. 216). This shows that Young Fu does what is right by telling his mother, and does not just do something because it is easy. The delineation of the setting is another strength of this book and a factor in determining a Newbery Medal winner. The setting of the book takes place in China in the early 1900s and the author does do an excellent job of making the reader feel like they are there in China with Young Fu. A powerful example of this description is when Young Fu first arrives in Chungking. He is awestruck by it’s power; “For Chungking, built high above the waters that swept about its feet, was distinct in its position of port city to all this far, western world” (Lewis, 1932, p. 4). It is also described as “ancient and gray, Chungking opened its gates to let the tides of commerce flow in and our, never failing to reach for the choicest prizes and big them to itself” (Lewis, 1832, p. 4). The author makes the reader seem like they are there in the city and continually and accurately portrays the setting of Chunking throughout the novel. 

However, a book cannot simply rely on the setting and a theme to withstand the test of time. When it comes to the development of the plot and characters, Young Fu falls flat. The development of Young Fu’s wisdom is an example of how the development of the characters is flat. Though the importance of wisdom is an important theme in the book, as character development, it does not provide enough depth for Young Fu. In the example after Young Fu gambled, rather than show that he had developed wisdom, it was told. His mother said “‘You have become a man overnight’” (Lewis, 1932, p.217). This does not provide the character with enough depth and leaves no room for interpretation. The story tells how Young Fu develops by having his mother tell him that he has become a man rather than show it through the story and Young Fu’s actions and providing no depth for the character. 

The plot development also does not provide enough depth for the reader. This story reads like many short stories rather than one interwoven book. Each chapter seems to stand on its own and not connect well to the rest of the story. A chapter will revolve around one main event and will have the traditional beginning, rising climax, climax, falling action and resolution. The entire novel, however, fails to have this. This makes the story seem to end abruptly without any real ending, since there was never a climax to begin with. 

I believe that Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze won the Newbery Medal because of it’s setting, and not because of its other qualities and for that reason would not win a Newbery Medal today. At the time, the setting may have seems exotic and appealing, but now that is not the case and has therefor not withstood the test of time. The lack of depth in the characters and the plot are not enough for a child, or any reader, to become invested in the book. At the time, the book may have been a great contribution to literature, but it has not withstood the test of time since it relied to much on the delineation of setting and did not develop the other criteria. A Newbery Medal deserving book cannot rely on one criteria and still withstand the test of time. 

Works Cited

1. Lewis, E. F., & Low, W. (2008). Young Fu of the upper Yangtze. New York: Square Fish.

Political Speech: Elimination of permanent alimony

This is a political speech I had to do for Rhetoric class. I'm advocating for the elimination of permanent alimony. 

Exordium: 

What happens after happily ever after isn’t so happy anymore? Everything started off perfectly. The wedding went off without a hitch and for the past few years, you two have been happy. But then the relationship took a sour turn. Eventually, the constant arguing and fighting resulted in a divorce. While you are in this messy divorce process you are confronted with the question of alimony. Are we going to pay alimony checks and, more importantly, who is going to pay the alimony checks? How much and how often are they going to be payed? These questions surrounding alimony are ones that every couple going through divorce must face. 

Narratio: 

The original idea behind alimony was that the husband is responsible for his wife, whether or not they get a divorce or stay together. (Dominique). This idea originated from England in the 17th century and appeared in America in 1866 when a wife wanted alimony so that she could keep up the same lifestyle she had before the divorce (Dominique). Alimony itself is when after the divorce one spouse, the payer, makes, usually monthly, payments of a certain amount of money to the other spouse, the recipient. This is not to be confused with child support and though the two are often grouped together, there is a difference. Alimony can be payed to the other spouse whether or not there is a child, but if there is a child in the mix, child support is an additional payment. Permanent alimony, or lifetime alimony, is when the spouse pays the predetermined amount of money (pause) indefinitely. Temporary alimony is just what it sounds like: temporary alimony. This is the more flexible option where the alimony is payed for a limited amount of time and the amount being payed can be changed depending on either of the former spouses financial situations. 

Partitio:

I am arguing that alimony laws be changed to limit the duration of the payments and put a cap on the amount being payed, reserving permanent alimony for special circumstances, determined by the judge. This reform to the current alimony laws should be implemented because  permanent alimony can end up financially crippling the spouse being forced to pay alimony and, secondly, because both women and men are capable of financially providing for themselves. 

Confirmatio: 

In an article titled “The New Art of Alimony”, the author Jennifer Levitz outlines the story of the Caggianos. “When the Caggianos divorced in 2003, they split their assets. He got their home in Cape Cod. She got their home in a Boston suburb, and paid him the $57,000 difference in the value of their homes. Ms. Caggiano earned more at the time, so the court ordered her to pay $125 in weekly alimony until her death or her former husband’s remarriage... Mr. Caggiano, who is 68, said in an interview he had no mortgage and that his girlfriend, who works full-time, has moved in. He says the couple recently traveled to Italy, and that he spent $60,000 to install hardwood floor, granite countertops and big windows... Asked why he should receive alimony, Mr. Caggiano said he sees it as reimbursement for a time early in their marriage when he paid most expenses... Ms. Caggiano says she wants a court to modify her payments but can’t afford an attorney” (Levitz). 

Unfortunately, this is not the only situation where alimony payments have financially crippled the spouse who should not even have had to be making permanent alimony payments in the first place. Massachusetts especially is paving the way for other states in reforming their alimony laws. In an article in USA TODAY, the author Yamiche Alcindor writes that “The new alimony law creates different types of alimony with varying durations, depending on length of marriage and the finances of each spouse. The law also allows those paying alimony to modify their terms later and calls for ending payments if a recipient has a live-in mate or, in most cases, when the payer reaches retirement age” (Alcindor). This allows the recipient of these temporary alimony payments time to get back on their feet and get a job while not indefinitely crippling the payer. It also allows the alimony to be more flexible and can be modified to fit the current financial circumstances of the recipient, and, more importantly, the payer. 

Lastly, alimony laws should be changed to reflect the working situation of women today. For those of you who may not know, this is the 21st century and women are allowed to work and make a living for themselves. In the aforementioned article in USA TODAY, Alcindor states that “In targeted states, alimony laws are decades old. They were written when divorce was rare, and when most women did not work outside the home and faced possible impoverishment after divorce” (Alcindor). In most cases, the permanent alimony is payed by the man, making the women the recipients of the alimony payments. The original and intended purpose of these alimony payments were to take care of the recipient with the presupposed idea that they cannot financially take care of themselves after divorce. This is no longer the case in most divorces, however, but the alimony laws have not changed in many states to reflect that. With temporary alimony and a cap on the amount, it would allow, and give incentive, for the recipient to get back on their feet and get a job so that they can financially support themselves (Levitz). 

Refutatio: 

Two of the main arguments against these reforms are that these newly-single mothers or father will have no way to care for the child and that these changes limit the judges ability to make each case individualized (Levitz). 

Kenneth Altschuler, a divorce lawyer in Portland, says that “It really is an unnecessary exercise in trying to control judges’ decisions... There’s really no need for legislatures to dictate to judges that in certain situation there shouldn’t be lifetime alimony” (Alcindor). These critics think the because of reforms, judges would not be able to allow permanent alimony in cases where it is necessary. These reforms do not necessarily have to completely eliminate permanent alimony, however. In certain cases, at the judges discretion, permanent alimony may be the best for the spouse receiving the payment. For instance, if the spouse is handicapped or is unable to keep a job because of other health reasons, permanent alimony may be acceptable. These reforms would also allow for the terms of the alimony payments to be modified at the judges discretion based on the finances of each spouse. The primary target of these alimony reforms is to replace permanent alimony with temporary alimony in cases where the recipient is capable of financially taking care of themselves. 

Another argument against these reforms is the issue of taking care of children. The main concern is that the spouse is unable to get a job because they are busy taking care of the child. What this ultimately goes back to is the difference between child support and alimony. As I have said before, these are two separate things that are often incorrectly combined together. In these situations, the other spouse would still have to pay for child support, which could include the price of a nanny or daycare. Many schools also offer an after school day care. The temporary alimony could also extend to cover the time when the child is not in school all day, allowing for the parent to stay home with the child during those years. Permanent alimony is not necessary in these cases, child support and decent laws allowing for temporary alimony are needed. 

Peroratio: 

With the issues of child care and the judges discretion, there are options other than shooting down the alimony reform bills. There is the option of longer, rather than permanent, alimony and child support and the option of outlining certain exceptions allowing for permanent alimony, determined at the judges discretion. Limiting the duration of the alimony and putting a monetary limit on the amount being paid would allow the recipient time to regroup financially. It would also allow the payer to move on and not become burdened by lifetime payments. And most importantly, by reforming the alimony process, it would make the entire divorce process much simpler and easier to manage. 

Works Cited

1. Alcindor, Yamiche. "Demands for Reform of Alimony Laws Sweep USA." USA TODAY. 24 Jan 2012: B.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 03 Nov 2013.

2. Dominique, Jill. "alimony." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.

3. Levitz, Jennifer. "The New Art of Alimony." Wall Street Journal. 31 Oct 2009: W.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 03 Nov 2013.

"Sense and Sensibility" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Here is my American Literature theme on the Scarlet Letter. I am specifically discussing the individual versus society theme and the sense versus sensibility theme (hence the title).

Set in the strict, Puritan town in the New World, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, portrays the strict religion and moral code of the Puritan society. However harsh it may have been, Hawthorne makes it clear that this kind of strict moral code was necessary for survival in the New World. This leads to ongoing struggles between the individual’s sensibility and the sense of the society amongst the main characters. In The Scarlet Letter, the individual must sacrifice their sensibility in order to live harmoniously within the society. With the questionable history of the corrupted church in England, the sense of the Puritan society is set by the moral code within their purified Christian religion. The individual’s sensibility, or desires that do not fall within the moral code of the Puritans, is shown to be incompatible with the society through the lives of Pearl, Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. 

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is labeled an adulteress and promptly rejected from the unyielding Puritan society. At first, she seems to be portrayed as a haughty, confident heroine and that the reader is about to follow the story of a young woman defying the rigid Puritan society. When Hester first steps out of the prison, she is described as 

tall, with a figure of perfect elegance, on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a face which, besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion, had the impressive belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes (Hawthorne, 37). 

When she was supposed to be publicly shamed, “her beauty shone out” (37) making Hester appear to be the heroine because of her defiance in the face of society’s moral code. This haughty demeanor does not last long, however. After being released from the prison, Hester is resigned to live out her day to day life, shunned to her house “on the outskirts of the town, within the verge of the peninsula, but not in close vicinity to any other habitation” (55). Hester chose to live out on the edges of the town and society and compliantly do penance for her sin. Her former spirit has been broken. She quietly tends to her needle in her cottage with her daughter Pearl, and earns the respect of the society back by doing what is expected of a temperate woman. This shows that “what Hawthorne approves in his heroine is not her rebelliousness, however splendid that quality may sometimes seem, but rather her ability to overcome that rebelliousness and assume the feminine qualities of domesticity” (Davitt, 45). Hester did not continue to defy the society and rebel against its moral codes, but rather resolutely re-earned the respect of the society and therefore earned her way back into it. Before the death of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester, Pearl and Dimmesdale decided to leave the society and go back to England. In order to hold onto their individual desires, they knew that they had to leave the New World society. The individuals’ sensibility could not co-habitate with the strict, Puritan society. At the very end of the book, Hester’s effort to re-enter into society is shown: “But, in the lapse of the toilsome, thoughtful, and self-devoted years that made up Hester’s life, that scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too” (Hawthorne, 179). Not only did Hester manage to become an accepted part of society again, Hester’s reputation, shown in the scarlet letter, became revered. Hester’s reputation became revered because she denied her individual desires; her desire to leave America and her desire to be with Reverend Dimmesdale, and decided to follow the sense of the society.  

Reverend Dimmesdale, on the other hand, tries to keep his individual sensibility while still living in the society. This causes him severe pain, both emotionally and physically. Reverend Dimmesdale realizes that in order for him to be relieved of his chronic pain, he needs to confess his sin, and remove himself from society, like Hester Prynne was sentenced to do. His guilt and pain led him to the very spot where Hester Prynne stood in her sin (101). Even though he felt the desperate need to reveal his sin to society, he went out in the middle of the night when “the town was all asleep” (101) and “there was no peril of discovery” (101). He felt the pull from  his conscious to admit his sin and let go of his individual sensibility, but he could not completely let go. Dimmesdale went there in the middle of the night with no one there to see him, making his attempted confession essentially ineffective. Therefore, his pains continued, eventually driving him to his death on that very scaffold. Reverend Dimmesdale’s individual sensibility is his desire to hold on to his sin and the sin itself. He is unable to live in society with either of them, however, making him unable to make a decision. He does not want to leave society yet at the same time he does not want to be like Hester Prynne. His solution, at first, is to try and live with the pain. Eventually, the townspeople start to notice his pain, so they “effected and arrangement by which [Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth] were lodged in the same house; so that every ebb and flow of the minister’s life-tide might pass under the eye of the anxious and attached physician” (86). Dimmesdale does not get any better and, shortly after his nighttime confession, Hester noticed that “he stood on the verge of lunacy,if he had not already stepped across it” (114). Hester and Revered Dimmesdale meet shortly after that in the woods and decide to run away and go across the sea to escape to England (138). This seems like it would be the ideal solution to their situation, but Hawthorne does not portray it in a good light, and, in the end, the plan falls apart. Hawthorne describes the decision to leave America as lifting both Hester and Dimmesdale’s spirit: 

“The decision once made, a glow of strange enjoyment threw its flickering brightness over the trouble of his breast. It was the exhilarating effect- upon a prisoner just escaped from the dungeon of his own heart- of breathing the wild, free atmosphere of an unredeemed, unchristianized, lawless region” (138). 

The decision does lift both of their spirits but he subtly describes the Old World as “an unredeemed, unchristianized, lawless region” (138) revealing Hawthorne’s disapproval of their plan to escape from the Puritan society and give in to their individual sensibility.  At first, the Reverend tries to repent and confess his sins, but he did it in front of no one and still remained in society, so he was still in pain. The only other option left for him was to remove himself from society. In the end, however, he did not leave for the Old World with Hester and Pearl. The pain and stress of keeping his individual desires while still trying to live harmoniously in the Puritan society drove him to his death. 

Where Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne were raised in the sense of society, Pearl was raised with only the knowledge of her individual sensibility. She had no exposure to society, so she could hold on to her desires and let them drive her actions. Once again, at first she is portrayed in a beautiful light and is described beautifully as well: 

“Certainly, there was no physical defect. By its perfect shape, its vigor, and its natural dexterity in the use of all its untried limbs, the infant was worthy to have been brought forth in Eden; worthy to have been left there, to be the plaything of angels, after the world’s first parents were driven out. The child had a native grace which does not invariably coexist with faultless beauty; its attire, however simple, always impressed the beholder as if it were the very garb that precisely became it best” (61). 

  She is described as nothing short of perfection, yet Pearl is never once called “she”, only “it”. This alludes to the idea that Pearl is not quite human, but something more demonic in the eyes of Hawthorne. First described as an “airy sprite” (63), Hawthorne later says “There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes; and her face, as she glanced upward at the minister, wore that naughty smile which made its expression frequently so elvish” (106). Pearl does not know her Creator (77), is not raised in society, but in the woods, and is left to the whims of her individual sensibility; unaccepted by society. Pearl is also described as the embodiment of the scarlet letter and is therefore an embodiment of Hester’s individual desires. At the very end of The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Pearl left the town, but only Hester returned later, leaving the townspeople to speculate about what had happened to Pearl: 

None knew- nor ever learned, with the fulness of perfect certainty- whether the elf-child had gone thus untimely to a maiden grave; or whether her wild, rich nature had been softened and subdued, and made capable of a woman’s gentle happiness. But, through the remainder of Hester’s life, there were indications that the recluse of the scarlet letter was the object of love and interest with some inhabitant of another land (179). 

Pearl is still described as wild, but for the first time in the entirety of the book, Hawthorne presents the option that her wild nature had been quieted and made possible to live in society. Yet even though this possibility is presented, Pearl never was able to live in the Puritan society since individual sensibility was such an important part of her identity. Though her mother came to be respected in the Puritan society and was able to relieve herself from her individual sensibility, Pearl is the embodiment of Hester’s individual sensibility and is never able to be a part of Puritan society. 

In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritan society that the story takes place in is described as stiff, and centered around religion with a strict moral code. This strict moral code is described as unyielding, but not portrayed in a bad light. In the last sentence of the first chapter, Hawthorne writes about the rose bush outside the prison: “It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (34). In this sentence, Hawthorne uses the first person, “us”, to directly tell the reader what he hopes we will gain from his story. Hawthorne describes the “moral blossom” (34) as “sweet” (34) showing the reader that he does not disapprove of the morals found in the Puritan society. When Hester Prynne is awaiting her sentence, many people had gathered to see what would happen. In this scene, Hawthorne introduces the readers to the rough “Goodwives” (35). Hawthorne choose rougher language for when they talk, such as calling Hester “the hussy” (35), making them come across as tough and not as lady like. Hawthorne writes : “Morally, as well as materially, there was a coarser fibre in those wives and maidens of old English birth and breeding,... throughout that chain of ancestry, every successive mother has transmitted to her child a fainter bloom, a more delicate and briefer beauty, and a slighter physical frame...” (35). He also makes the point of mentioning that they are “church-members in good repute” (35) however, and that they believe in harsh judgement, shown when one of them speaks up on the matter of Hester Prynne’s punishment: 

“ ‘What do we talk of marks and brands, whether on the bodice of her gown, or the flesh of her forehead?’ cried another female, the ugliest as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges. ‘This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray!’ ” (36). 

Though these wives are harsh and rough, they were the settlers of this New World. They would do anything to keep up the moral code of their Puritan society and religion, because they knew what they had come from. The  Puritans wanted to purify Christianity, hence the name “Puritan”. Their moral code was set by their religion and the “black flower of civilized society” (33) was made from the history of religious difference and struggles happening back in England. The wives, appearing to be unnecessarily harsh, knew that their town’s foundation was set upon religion and they did not want it to slip into the same troubles as England. Hawthorne also knew this history, which drives his portrayal of  his characters.  

Hester is not the heroine of the story because of her rebellion, but because of her submission. The Puritan society is harsh, but necessary for society to survive in the New World. Life there is not easy and the purified religion and moral code shown in Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, clearly portrays that. The Scarlett Letter also shows that in this society, a person must surrender their individual desires to the sense of the society if they want to remain a part of the society. Reverend Dimmesdale, as well as Pearl, were never fully able to do that, so neither of them could remain in the society. Choosing individual desires over the society’s sense and moral code, Dimmesdale died and Pearl never returned to the town. Hester was the only one who was able to completely sacrifice her individual sensibility and because of that, she became a respected member of the Puritan society and the heroine of The Scarlet Letter. 

Works Cited

1. Bell, Michael D. "Michael Davitt Bell on Hester Prynne as Rebel." Hawthorne and the Historical Romance of New England. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1971. 179-80. Print.

2.  Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter Unabridged. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1994. Print.

The Louisiana Purchse

Here is my American History theme with my Works Cited page.

America was a young country, just getting its bearings, having just developed the Constitution. This Constitution was quickly put to the test, however, as well as the entire country and its people. It led to the expansion of slavery which then led to the creating of an intense rivalry between the North and South, ending in the Civil War. Westward expansion is also a result of the Louisiana Purchase and this Westward migration characterized the heart and soul of the American dream (Billington). The Louisiana Purchase shook the Constitution and the government as a whole, presenting it with challenges the government had never had to face before (Carson). The Louisiana Purchase is the most important event between 1789 and 1815 because it tested the strength of the Constitution, and set the stage for the rest of the major events in American history, most notably the Civil War and Westward expansion.

Before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, America was considerably smaller, and easier to control, than it was afterwards. In total, the Louisiana Purchase, executed by Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte, gained America roughly 909,00 square miles of unexplored territory (Louisiana Purchase). The acquisition of such a large amount of territory undoubtedly shaped the future of America, quite literally. After the purchase went through, “It was later divided into the states known today as Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Iowa. It also included parts of Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas, and Minnesota.” (McGill). Though the idea of gaining a large amount of territory sounds appealing, it was not without its problems. One of the most difficult problems that Jefferson had to deal with was the issue of the Constitutionality of the purchase. Before the Louisiana Purchase, nothing had been beyond the scope of the Constitution. “Thomas Jefferson himself saw that it threatened to make “blank paper” of the Constitution since it expanded the powers of the national government further than even the most diehard Federalists could have imagined” (Carson. 1). The Constitution did not cover the purchasing of any new territory or expansion of the Union. 

The issues surrounding the Louisiana Purchase revealed the major flaw in the Constitution: the Louisiana Purchase was not protected by the Constitution. This left Jefferson with two options; not purchase the Louisiana territory and pass up on the “greatest real estate deal in U.S. history” (Louisiana Purchase) or go against the Constitution and expand the governments powers like no president had ever done before. Passing up the Louisiana territory, at the time under the control of the French ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte (Louisiana Purchase), would mean giving up control of territory that had been fought for by many European countries and the trading routes that came with it (Louisiana Purchase). Were the benefits of this territory enough to bend, or even break, the rules laid out in the Constitution? Jefferson, a strict interpreter of the Constitution, did not think so and came up with the best solution; an amendment (Carson. 3). Time was not on Jefferson’s side, however, and left him with no time for an amendment. Napoleon was growing impatient (3) and Jefferson knew that the offer would only be good as long as Napoleon was in power (Louisiana Purchase). Despite this, he still had trouble sacrificing his political ideologies for the territory. A treaty was drawn up and the debates over it began. “The Northeastern Federalists took a hard line against the treaty. The denounced Virginian dominance, questioned the ability of the president to admit people of a foreign nation into the United States, and debated where the treat-making powers of the government lay” (Carson 7-8). The majority of the complaints that were raised were because of the fear of an unbalanced nation. If the Union did gain the Louisiana Territory, there would be far more Southwest territory than Northeast, creating a lack of balance of powers (8) and “‘lay the foundation for the separation of the states’” (9). Others said that the purchase did fall under the Constitution, specifically the part where it mentions the “provision for the general welfare and common defense” (8). Some members debating the purchase went so far as to describe it as “the greatest curse that could at present befall us” (8). Even though many people, including Jefferson himself, doubted the Louisiana Purchase, it was signed May 2, 1803 and taken possession of on December 20, 1803 (Louisiana Purchase), for better or for worse. 

Despite the great upheaval and debates surrounding the Louisiana Purchase, the treaty was pushed through and America gained control of an enormous amount of land, but, like it was anticipated, the nation became unbalanced. Foreshadowing the Civil War, “the purchase did broaden the influence of the South and West at the expense of the Northeast and laid the foundations for the spread of slavery, and the eventual---albeit temporary--- dissolution of the Union” (9). After the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, the Southwest territories far outnumbered the Northeast territories in the Union, allowing for a rivalry to be born between the two. This split would begin to increase with the expansion of slavery into the south, particularly into the infamous Southern plantations (slavery). Slavery had “reestablished itself as the backbone of Southern financial interests” (slavery) with the expansion of cotton as a major economic resource (slavery). In the South, slaves became a necessary part of the everyday functions of these plantations and were indirectly responsible for the cash-flow into the plantation. The South’s economy was dependent on slavery, so deeply was slavery entrenched into the culture. There was also the issue of admitting the new Southern states into the Union, and it quickly became a power struggle between the Northern and Southern politicians. With the Louisiana purchase there came an influx of new states wanting to be admitted into the Union, and the determining factor became slavery; if a state allowing slavery was admitted, then it was a sign that the Southern political influence was in control and if a state was admitted that did not allow slavery, it was a sign of Northern political influence (slavery). “Increasingly, Northern and Southern politicians came to view each other as members of a hostile camp, representing two opposing images of American life: one based on free labor and the other based on slave labor” (slavery). Finally, in 1861, the intense rivalry between the North and South erupted in the Civil War. The Northern’s victory over slavery ended with the Thirteenth Amendment being passed in 1865 but the African Americans did not have the same rights as Caucasians until the civil rights movement in the 1950’s (slavery). The end of the Civil War also did not mean the end of the rift as North and South rivalries still run deep to this day, especially in the South. The issue of civil rights is also still a complaint, with many African Americans and other minorities all over the country unhappy with their representation and lack of equality, the roots of which can be traced back to the precursors of the Civil War.   

There was more to this new Louisiana Territory than the famous North and South friction. The most important benefit from the territory was the westward expansion. The territory that so many Americans were drawn to was made by the “[pushing] its western border to the Rocky Mountains” (“Moving the Frontier West”). This pushing back of the border was made possible by the “Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and culminating in the 1848 Mexican Cession” (Billington. 2). Without the original Louisiana Purchase, the western border of America would not be farther than the Mississippi River (“Moving the Frontier West”). The U.S. government then passed the Homestead Act of 1862 encouraging the migration of American families into the West (Billington. 2). “The act granted 160 acres free to anyone,..., who agreed to build a house on the land, live there, and farm it for five years. The law also included a provision that allowed settlers to buy the land outright after they had lived on it for six months at the nominal price of $1.25 an acre” (2). This proved to be a huge incentive to the American people and led to other similar acts being passed, influencing even more people to migrate out West. Religious motives were also an important factor to moving out West, since a “free enjoyment of their liberty, property and the Religion which they profess” (“Louisiana Purchase Treaty (1803)”) could be found out in the unestablished West (Billington. 3). “Many nontraditional religious groups sought this freedom to worship as they pleased” (3) such as the Mormons and other minorities, especially African Americans having just been freed from slavery (3). Promising greater freedom, especially religious freedom, and tempting economical benefits, migrating Westward was difficult, many people dying or simply not being able to afford the cost of the migration (4). This difficulty, however, is what shaped the backbone of America. It was not easy for those people to travel out West, much less to successfully take root there, but many people did. They braved the new territory head-on, “[characterizing] the American dream that hard work would eventually lead to financial success” (1). 

The very heart of America is what it is today because of the Louisiana Purchase. It both literally and figuratively shaped the Union by dramatically increasing the amount of land America had control over and by testing the American people. The increase in the amount of land led to other deals that added onto the Union’s territories. The Constitution was also placed under a great deal of strain because of the question of the Constitutionality of the purchase. After the purchase, an unhealthy balance between the North and South territories developed, resulting in the Civil War. Many families also expanded westward, characterizing the American spirit. In 1803, the most important even between 1789 and 1815 was the Louisiana Purchase because it tested the strength of the Constitution, and set the stage for many major historical events that would change America, such as the Civil War and Westward expansion. The American Spirit and civil rights movements are still things that affect us today and have helped change America into the country that it is, and without the Louisiana Purchase, these major historical events would have never happened. 

Works Cited 

1. Carson, David A. “Blank Paper Of The Constitution: The Louisiana Purchase Debates.” Historian 54.3 (1992): 477. History Reference Center. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. 

2. Lerner Publishing, Group. "Moving The Frontier West." Conquest of the West. 8. US: Lerner Publishing Group, 2002. History Reference Center. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. 

3. “Louisiana Purchase.” American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. 

4. “Louisiana Purchase Treaty (1803).” American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. 

5. McGill, Sara Ann. "Louisiana Purchase." Louisiana Purchase (2009): 1-2. History Reference Center. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

6. “slavery.” American History. ABC-CLIO, Web. 21 Oct. 2013

7. “westward expansion.” American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. 

An Summary and Analysis of A Spiritually Healthy Divorce

My first real paper of Senior year! This is basically a book review of A Spiritually Healthy Divorce by Carolyn Call. I had to read it to do research for my thesis at the end of this school year. 

A Summary and Analysis of A Spiritually Healthy Divorce 

In A Spiritually Healthy Divorce, Carolyne Call explains the different aspects of a person’s life that are affected by divorce. Drawing from her own experience as a divorcee, her knowledge of  psychology and bringing in anonymous examples from other divorcees, Call explains how to “navigate through the journey of separation to arrive on the other shore as a better integrated and more connected person” (Call. 2). Placing a focus on spirituality, Call shows how a person going through divorce can go through it and come out in one piece. A Spiritually Healthy Divorce does acknowledge that when a person goes through divorce, they are undoubtedly changed, but it shows them that they can change for the better and come closer to God in the process.  

In the first chapter of A Spiritually Healthy Divorce, Carolyne Call outlines what she calls “The Dynamic Triad” (Call. 14). Call says, “My understanding of the spiritual nature of humanity is graphically illustrated in what I call the dynamic triad of Self-God-Others... What this complex rendering reflects if that you are constantly in relationship- with God, with yourself, and with others” (14). Call frequently refers back to this Triad throughout the book and uses it to show how when one part of your life is affected, it then affects the other parts of your life as well. This is especially true with divorce because divorce does not just affect one part, it affects all three. “It touches the very deepest parts of your self-perception; it can radically alter your connection with others; and it affects how you look at or relate to God” (15). Call also brings up the idea of a “spiritual map” (15). What this basically means is that once divorce happens, a person has to move forward with their life and with their spiritual life (17). In the process of moving forward, there are also certain “spiritual cul-de-sacs” (18). that a person can fall into. Call outlines in the following chapters just what some of these can be why they happen and how to get out of them and back on the path to spiritual recovery (19). A Spiritually Healthy Divorce does not provide a quick fix to getting over divorce, but rather presents a healthy way to move forward with life and also shows how a person can become closer to God through that process. 

Each chapter discusses different aspects that are affected by divorce and how to deal with each of them. Each chapter will deal with one aspect, then break down and explain the smaller parts that make up that one aspect. Call then shows the different “cul-de-sacs” (18) that can occur and the other pitfalls that can happen along the way and how to move past them. At the end of each chapter there are “questions for reflection” (19) to help you see where you are at the end of each chapter and to help you discuss with your trustworthy friend, or your “compassionate mirror” (18). In each chapter, Call frequently brings in stories from people who dealt with similar issues related to the topic of the chapter. Though A Spiritually Healthy Divorce does not deal with the reasons for divorce or deal much with the actual divorce process, it does bring up the main spiritual and emotional issues that can come up after the decision to separate has been finalized. 

One of the main spiritual and emotional issues that Carolyne Call brings up is the importance of humility (Call. 55) and how divorce affects a person’s self-esteem (45). Call breaks down the issue of self-esteem into two ways it can affect a person: people who regain their self-esteem and people who need to build up their self-esteem (48-49). People can regain their self-esteem after divorce because of “feelings of renewal and rebirth that can emerge from this experience” (48). There are also people whose self-esteem is weakened because of their divorce and “they need to remake or reconstruct their sense of self-esteem, often with very different components than those present during their marriage” (49). One of the ways that self-esteem can be reconstructed is by “cultivating humility” (55). Call says that “Humility is nothing more than radical self-honesty” (55). She goes on to say that when you lose your self-esteem you  cannot make an honest assessment about yourself and that by pursuing humility you are heading towards being able to be honest about yourself, discover the truth about yourself and move forward from divorce a stronger person (56). Call also addresses some of the unhealthy behaviors that can appear as a result of divorce (68). Some of those are anger and depression (69), thoughts of suicide (71) and substance abuse (73). Call explains how to overcome these urges and how to take responsibility for your actions and reaction (74). A Spiritually Healthy Divorce also places an emphasis on relationships with others as well as God. “Your spiritual life is nurtured through your relationships when you spend time with others in prayer or worship, or when you experience intimacy and passion” (95). This book also places a strong amount of focus on God and how a person can become closer to God through divorce. Call acknowledges that divorce can disrupt a person’s relationship with God (148) but she also says, “Not only can you stand strong in the face of challenge, but trauma can actually spur growth within your spiritual life” (148). She also brings up the fact that when you trying to come closer to God after divorce, you may find that your relationship with God will be different and your understanding of Him can be different (148). 

Call’s basic argument is that even though divorce is difficult to say the least, a person can come closer to God through the process of divorce and that their spiritual life can become stronger (Call. 1). The overall organization of A Spiritually Healthy Divorce is well thought out. The first half of each chapter outlines the main issue and breaks it down into smaller sub-issues while the second half of the chapter deals with how to overcome the problems presented and then ends with questions for discussion.  Call does a good job of using consistent terms (Weston. 6), such as her idea of a “spiritual map” (Call. 15) and a “compassionate mirror” (18), throughout the entire book. Another thing that Call does very well is her use of multiple examples. She draws not only from her own experience of divorce but also takes the stories of others who have also gone through divorce. In A Rulebook for Arguments rule seven says “Generalizations about larger sets of things require picking out a sample... Large sets usually require more examples” (Weston. 11). Since the topic of divorce and what happens afterwards is a fairly broad topic, Call brings in multiple examples supporting the point being made in that chapter, reinforcing her argument. Call also brings in examples that do not always show the better side of divorce. She brings in examples of people who are struggling with relationships, religion or other things. Rule 32 says to “Consider objections” (54) and Call does this by bringing in examples of people having serious problems with their divorce and who do not always exemplify her original argument of people coming closer to God. Call says, “As it turns out, people who go through divorce are the most likely to fall away from religion altogether or, at the very least, change denominations” (Call. 39). By acknowledging the other side but then going on to show that people can make it through divorce while coming closer to God helps solidify her argument. While she does bring in many examples that she has found, she does not bring in many other resources. She quoted and mentioned other people and their books only a couple of times in the entire book. Carolyne Call herself is an ordained minister, has dealt with people considering divorce and those already going through it and has personal experience with divorce (Call. 2). She is also a “social scientist, [who has] conducted research on how divorce and spirituality intertwine and affect each each another” (2). 

As a whole, A Spiritually Healthy Divorce is a helpful resource, including many examples both proving and going against Call’s main argument. Even though she does not bring in enough outside sources, Call seems to be a credible author and has a significant amount of experience in the field of divorce. The book also is well organized and gives the reader a comprehensive look at not only what to expect after divorce, but how to move forward with their life and come closer to God through the process. 

Works Cited

1. Call, Carolyne. Spiritually Healthy Divorce: Navigating Disruption with Insight & Hope. Woodstock, VT: SkyLight Paths Pub., 2011. Print.

2. Weston, Anthony. A Rulebook for Arguments. 4th ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2009. Print.

Never Trust a Man with a Mustache

So here is my theme on the Great Depression in Germany and Hitler's seizure of power (with my Works Cited page). YAY! I just turned it in this morning and I spent a couple of long nights on this (still don't think it's my best :P) but despite my current state of exhaustion, I had a lot of fun researching this stuff. 

Hitler is the ultimate “bad guy” of history. He persecuted millions, manipulated situations for his own good, censored art and the press and did it all in a way that made people want, and choose, to follow him. Not to mention he had the mustache that all “evil villains” require. What people tend to avoid, however, are the conditions in Germany when Hitler became Chancellor.  In 1933, most of the world was in the middle of The Great Depression and Germany was the country that was hit the hardest (Wright). Hitler was able to turn Germany around, back to her former glory and strength, but at what cost? Though Adolf Hitler did restore the German economy and bring back her former power and strength, ultimately Hitler pulled Germany farther down than it was before he seized power.

Going into the Great Depression, Germany was already starting on the wrong foot. After the Great War “Germany,. . . faced the additional burden of paying reparations to the victors” (The Great Depression (Overview)). This resulted in the massive inflation of the mark, an increase in unemployment and the overall devastation of the German economy (Evans, 103). In September of 1922, Ernest Hemingway recounts his experience in Germany and the inflation of the mark; “There were no marks to be had in Strasburg, the mounting exchange had cleaned the bankers out days ago, so we changed some French money in the railway station at Kehl. For 10 francs I received 670 marks. Ten francs amounted to about 90 cents in Canadian money. That 90 cents lasted Mrs. Hemingway and me for a day of heavy spending and at the end of the day we had 120 marks left!” (Hemingway). As the roaring twenties carried on, normally marked as a time of prosperity in most countries, the value of the mark began to hyper-inflate and the German economy sunk lower and lower. “The most dramatic and serious effects were on the price of food. A woman sitting down in a café might order a cup of coffee for 5,000 marks and be asked to give the waiter 8,000 for it when she got up to pay an hour later” (Evans, 106). The value of the mark was literally dropping by the minute at the height of the great inflation. This hourly drop of the mark caused riots and violence in grocery stores and people resorted to selling their possessions in order to buy food. “Malnutrition caused an immediate rise in deaths from tuberculosis” (Evans, 106). The inflation of the mark was not the only thing devastating the German economy. “Industrial production was only 42 per cent in 1919 of what it had been in 1913, and the country was producing less than half the grain it had produced before the war” (Evans, 104). The entire country of Germany was “grinding to a halt” (Evans, 108). Their economy was failing. Businesses could not afford to keep workers on, and workers could not afford enough food even with a job since their salary would become practically useless in mere hours. The first signs of relief were in 1924 in The Dawes Plan. It essentially “provided for U.S. loans to Germany so that Germany could pay reparations to France and others. Those nations, in turn, could repay U.S. loans they owed” (The Great Depression (Overview)). The new Weimar Republic also introduced a new currency that eventually adopted the name Reichsmark whose value was dependent on the price of gold (Evans, 109). This ended the hyperinflation of the mark, but at a high cost, setting up for Hitler’s rise. By changing the currency, people that invested in war bonds lost all of their money and anyone who borrowed money instantly gained money (Evans, 109-10). “Victor Klemperer was a typical figure in this process.When the stabilization came, the ‘fear of sudden monetary devaluation, the mad rush of having to shop’ were over, but ‘destitution’ came in their place, for in the new currency Klemperer had virtually nothing of any value and hardly any money at all” (Evans, 110). With the  Dawes Plan, Germany was now dependent on the stability of the American economy. Though the Weimar Republic was enjoying a period of restoration, there was tension under the surface. The people were not completely satisfied with the Weimar Republic and out of the chaos of  1929, Adolf Hitler would rise up to rescue Germany. 

In 1928, signs of a recession were becoming increasingly obvious, but they were still just foreshadowing of a depression to come. “All leading industrial countries began to impose monetary restrictions in the face of a looming recession. . . . Such measures were necessary to preserve gold reserves, the basis of financial stability in the era of the Gold Standard, when currency values everywhere were tied to the value of gold” (Evans, 234). Since Germany had changed to the Reichsmark, which was dependent on the value of gold, they were now affected by these “monetary restrictions” (Evans, 234). This then caused major industries to suffer and “there was virtually no growth in industrial production in Germany in 1928-9” and because of this, many people who had worked in these factories now had already lost or were threatened with losing their job, making the number of the unemployed skyrocket (Evans, 236). On the 24th of October, rumblings of a stock market failure resulted in too many people selling their shares on the New York Stock Exchange, which consequently led to the dramatic drop in value of the stock shares (Evans, 234). But the worst was yet to come. Just a few days later, on October 29, 1929, dubbed ‘Black Tuesday’, the stock market crashed, along with the “giddy confidence that the expansion would continue forever” (The Great Depression (Overview)). Millions of people desperately scrambled to sell their stock before its value dropped even further (Evans, 234). “Company after company went bust. American demand for imports collapsed” (Evans, 235). This then led to American banks backing out of their short-term loans; “American banks began withdrawing their funds from Germany at the worst possible moment, precisely when the already flagging German economy needed a sharp stimulus to revive it” (Evans, 235). The Dawes Plan from the Weimar Republic that had pulled Germany up and out of the Great Inflation was the very thing that pulled them back down into the Great Depression. The Weimar Republic’s Chancellor Brüning did try and pull Germany from the depression, but all of his methods were now out of date and not enough to combat the Great Depression (Mitchell, 175). “All of this was conventional economic wisdom, but it did not work in stemming the Depression. . . . Brüning and his advisors continued to react as they had to the inflation of 1923” (Mitchell, 175). Meanwhile, this depression was spreading rapidly into Europe. 1930 plunged Germany even deeper into the depression with the Smoot-Hawley tariff, “which effectively closed U.S. market to European imports” (The Great Depression (Overview)). With the demand for products rapidly decreasing, the production all but stopped. There was no money to pay for produce anymore, and no money to keep on paying employees to make produce that no one was buying, causing unemployment. “By 1932, roughly one worker in three in Germany was registered as unemployed, with rates even higher in some heavy industrial areas such as Silesia or the Rhur” (Evans, 236). 

The National Socialists, also known as Nazis, came up with an effective solution to keep the unemployed off the streets, fed and busy. “The National Socialists established their “storm centers” all over the country. These were the back rooms of beer halls, unused warehouses, or similar buildings, which now sat unused because of the Depression” (Mitchell, 178). This kept them fed and gave them a place to stay off of the streets and clothes on their back. But the clothes they wore were the Nazi uniforms, and with all of the unemployed together, wearing the Nazi uniform essentially labeled and made them into National Socialist party members (Mitchell, 178).“The high unemployment of the Depression era--estimated at a rate approaching 50% in Germany--increased misery and made the Nazi claims more believable to Germans” (Neel). The people were so devastated, they were willing to believe anything, as long as they had someone to blame. “The Nazis provided a very real alternative to the people subjected to the effect of government failures” (Mitchell, 177). The German people knew that the Weimar Republic was not working and the Depression was not getting any better. They needed a new leader, a new government even, and they saw that in the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler. “As a leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler promised the German people relief. To the unemployed workers, he promised jobs and to the farmers, a market for their goods” (The Rise of Fascism in Europe). Charismatic and appealing, Hitler was in the right place at the right time and knew what to say to each group of people to gain their support (The Rise of Fascism in Europe). In his speech from July of 1932, he says; “Our opponents. . . say that we don’t want to work with other parties. . . . I have given myself one goal- to sweep these thirty political parties out of Germany” (Hitler, 1932). Hitler did not deny it; he wanted to eliminate the competition and reduce Germany to one ruling political party. He took advantage of the broken economic state of Germany and the growing hatred of the current government and set the foundation of his regime upon it. Hitler focused on fueling the hatred of the Jews, communists and corrupt politicians, using the distaste for them that was already there (The Rise of Fascism in Europe). Hitler’s Nazism placed a strong emphasis on the nation and took “nationalism” to a new extreme. He also placed importance upon “Idealism, patriotism and national unity” and said that it “would create the basis for economic revival” (Evans, 245). But first, the old government had to be done away with. The Weimar democracy slowly started to fall apart. The Grand Coalition was eliminated in 1930 and the reformed government was now headed by a Reich Chancellor, a position that Hitler would shortly hold (Evans, 247).

Hitler’s timing and tactful rhetoric eventually paid off with him becoming the Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933 (Mitchell, 194). From there, the Nazi Party gained political power and status with no one daring to challenge them. “All over Germany, the old political foes of Nazism were beaten and murdered” effectively “eliminating all political parties but his own” (Mitchell, 211, 221). Then, in August of 1934, Hitler and the Nazi Party seized Germany with the death of Germany’s president, Paul von Hindenburg and Hitler taking over as a right-wing dictator (The Rise of Fascism in Europe (Overview)).  Once he seized power, Hitler immediately began to focus on the military and its expansion, going directly against the Treaty of Versailles. Even though it did go against the treaty, it was what ultimately revived the German economy and brought them out of the Great Depression (The Rise of Fascism in Europe (Overview)). At the root of the Nazis’s emphasis on the military was their twisted violence. In one of their songs, they explicitly talk about using violence to take over. “That such an open celebration of brutal physical force could become the battle hymn of the Nazi Party speaks volumes for the central role that violence played in its quest for power” (Evans, 268). Hitler also wove his obsession with violence into the revival of German nationalism. Hitler revived the almost-forgotten sense of national unity by convincing the people that “problems come about when there are people within the political unit who are not a part of the ‘nation’” (Neel). The Jews and any other political opponents that threatened the Nazi party became people who were “not a part of the ‘nation’” (Neel). Hitler began to purge Germany from the unwanted, eliminating any musicians, artists or any cultural aspect, as well as political, that did not represent a perfect Germany (Evans, 392). “All this marked the culmination of a widespread action ‘against the un-German spirit’. . .” (Evans, 430). Adolf Hitler also gave the newly united perfect German people a strong leader to rally behind, but his “strength” came from violence and the elimination of all competition. By having his followers go to a church service or go out into the street trying to collect money for a charity Hitler attempted to “right the wrongs” and cover up the violence (Mitchell, 211-12). “They sponsored sporting events like track meets or soccer games, group sings for the whole family, hiking or camping trips into the countryside, and other similar activities” (Mitchell, 181). He appealed to the common man, both rich and poor. And even if he did not appeal to them in the beginning, many ended up won over by Hitler’s charismatic command of rhetoric. However “the greatest tragedy of the European depression was that it struck hardest in Germany, the great power where democracy was weakest. Once democracy had been destroyed in Germany, democracy in the rest of Europe stood at risk” (Wright). 

After the failure of the democratic Weimar Republic, Hitler seized his opportunity and became Chancellor, biding his time until he was able to become dictator. Hitler threw out the old Germany, politically and culturally, under the illusion of reviving the old Germany and with the idea of eliminating the “un-German spirit” (Evans, 430). Hitler did in fact bring about a stronger military which rebuilt the German economy and pulled them out of the Depression, but at too high a price. Any competition or slight threat against Hitler was treated as “un-German”; “not to have gone along with the Nazis would have meant risking one’s livelihood and prospects, to have resisted could mean risking one’s life” (Evans, 390). The violence brought about by Nazi Germany was not worth the economic stability. Even that economic stability was temporary, soon to be destroyed by World War II. 

Works Cited

1. Adolf Hitler 1932 Election Speech. Perf. Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler 1932 Election Speech. YouTube, 18 Oct. 2007. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

2. Carey, John. "Ernest Hemingway September 19, 1922." Eyewitnesses to History. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.

3. Mitchell, Otis C. Hitler over Germany: The Establishment of the Nazi Dictatorship (1918-1934). Philadelphia: Institute for the Study of Human Issues, 1983. Print.

4. Neel, Carolyn. "Nazism." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

5. "The Great Depression (Overview)." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

6. "The Rise of Fascism in Europe (Overview)." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

7. Wright, Esmond, and Christopher M. Andrew. "The Great Depression." An Illustrated History of the Modern World. London: Chancellor, 1992. N. pag. Print.

"Come in with the Rain" Frankenstein theme

Sorry I've been lazy about my posting, but here is my Frankenstein theme. YAY! I got it into the page limit... by 2 lines! 

“Come in with the Rain”

The natural world in Frankenstein is utilized to help express the emotions of the characters or even foreshadow their future. Often bleak, nature, especially the weather, helps reflect character’s mood. For instance, the weather may be stormy while the character is in a despondent mood. The seasons, rather than the weather, may also change from winter to spring as something positive occurs in the character’s life, changing their mood. The natural world is also used to help foreshadow the character’s future, which is often hapless, is shown with dark shadows or bleak weather before something important happens in the characters’ life. Nature plays in influential role in Frankenstein, capable of reflecting or changing the character’s mood and foreshadowing their future. 

In Frankenstein, the natural world is used to reflect the current mood of the characters. An example of this is seen after the monster finds the cottagers. After being forced out of town by the terrified townspeople, the monster stumbles upon the cottage and chooses to stay and live near it. He then starts to learn how to speak by listening to the cottagers through a crack in their wall. At this same time, the cottager’s lives also start improving and the weather begins to change. Before, when life for the monster had been difficult, it had been wintery and cold and the monster was feeling deeply rejected and he said that “dark melancholy clouded every thought” (Shelley. 75). That night it was also “pouring in torrents” (75) and the dark clouds from the literal storm were reflecting the monster’s clouded thoughts. Then after he finds the cottagers, the weather changes to spring: “‘The pleasant showers and genial warmth of spring greatly altered the aspect of the earth” the monster says, narrating this part of his story to Frankenstein, “The birds sang in more cheerful notes, and the leaves began to bud forth on the trees” (89). In the winter the monster had been denied human society and left out in the cold but now that it is spring, he has a warm place to stay near the cottage, reflected by the literal warmth of spring. Earlier in Frankenstein, before the monster narrates his story, Frankenstein’s emotions are mirrored by the natural world around him. On the night of and morning after the monster was created, the weather expresses the emotions of Frankenstein: “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.” Frankenstein complains, “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (45). The next morning, Frankenstein is still disquieted by the monster that he has created and Shelley emphasizes his mood by, “the rain which poured from a black and comfortless sky” (46).  Another example of the weather reflecting the monster’s disposition is shown in the passing of autumn. After the monster reads Paradise Lost he starts to notice the differences between him and ordinary humans more acutely. The monster realizes again just how monstrous he truly is and things for him start to go back to they way they were in the beginning of the monster’s story, before he finds the cottage. In the beginning for the monster, he had been aware of the rejection given to him by humans but then he had found the cottagers and busied himself with learning about them and their customs. Then after reading Paradise Lost, the monster realizes that he needs human contact. The monster also knows he cannot have it because of his deformity, which is shown by the passing of autumn to winter; going back to the season it was when he first arrived at the cottage: “Autumn passed thus.” the monster tells Frankenstein, “I saw, with surprise and grief, the leaves decay and fall, and nature began to assume the barren and bleak appearance it had worn when I first beheld the woods and the lovely moon” (101).  

Along with mirroring the mood of the character, nature is also used to change a character’s mood. The natural world, and specifically the weather, is able to alter or even enhance the characters’ disposition. An example of this is seen after the monster runs away from the cottage. Having run away from the cottage the night of his rejection by Felix and the other inhabitants, the monster is infuriated: “I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me;” the monster recounts, “and, finding myself unsympathized with, wished to tear up the trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin” (105). Despite his mood the previous night, the next morning, he is calmed down by the sunshine. The monster tells Frankenstein of, “The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air of day,” and says that it, “restored me to some degree of tranquility” (105). In this example, the monster’s mood is greatly improved and the sunshine and warm weather calm him down, but nature can also cause the character to fall into a worse mood than before. 

On the opposite side, the weather in Frankenstein also enables the characters to slip into a worse mood than before. While the monster is burning down the cottage, nature morphs his mood into an insanity. The monster tells this part of his story, saying: “‘As the night advanced, a fierce wind arose from the woods, and quickly dispersed the clouds that had loitered in the heavens: the blast tore along like a mighty avalanche, and produced a kind of insanity in my spirits that burst all bounds of reason and reflection” (106). In this example, the wind is used to produce insanity in the monster’s disposition. Frankenstein’s disposition is also changed by nature. After the formation of the creature, Frankenstein is beside himself with worry and temporarily goes insane from terror and sleep deprivation after the many sleepless nights he had spent working on his creation. His friend is able to nurse him back to health, but nature also helps him recover to his former pleasant moods. “When happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on my the most delightful sensations. A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstasy. The present season was indeed divine; the flowers of spring bloomed in the hedges, while those of summer were already in bud” (55). Frankenstein says outright that nature was able to make him feel better and improve his mood and mental stability.

Along with changing the character’s mood, nature is also used as a means of foreshadowing. Frankenstein tells a story about how when he was young he went to one of their family houses and while they were there, a terrible storm occurred. Rather than going inside, Frankenstein stayed outside to watch: “As I stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our house;” Frankenstein recalls, “and so soon as the dazzling light vanished the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump. When we visited it the next morning, we found the tree shattered in a singular manner. It was not splintered by the shock, but entirely reduced to thing ribands of wood. I never beheld anything so utterly destroyed” (33). The tree shattered by the lightning is used as a means of foreshadowing the future in Frankenstein’s life. His life will also become “utterly destroyed” (33). 

This foreshadowing is not always used to hint at destroyed futures, and in this example, the future is not years and years ahead, like the lightning-shattered tree, but the very next morning. Even earlier on in Frankenstein, nature is used as a sign of things to come. One morning, Robert Walton wakes up to find a dense fog surrounding the ship he is on. Prior to finding Frankenstein, this fog is used to create an air of suspense and anticipation of something, or in this case someone, to come. Robert Walton writes to his sister saying: “Our situation was somewhat dangerous, especially as we were compassed round by a very thick fog” (20). The fog is used to foreshadow the coming of Frankenstein. Another example of foreshadowing is when Frankenstein is heading back to his home after the death of William. The mountains are used to foreshadow Frankenstein’s future but this instance of foreshadowing is different from all the others because this time, Frankenstein realizes and acknowledges that the mountains are foreshadowing to something in his future: “The picture appeared a vast and dim scene of evil, and I foresaw obscurely that I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings” (59) Frankenstein recounts, realizing the importance of the mountains ahead of him. He understands that his life is going to become “a vast and dim scene of evil” (59) and that he is heading down the wrong path in life. In all of these examples, nature is used to foreshadow something, or even someone, to come. Whether it be finding Frankenstein or showing the grim future of Frankenstein, nature is manipulated to show the future of the characters. 

In Frankenstein, nature is used in three main ways; to foreshadow the future and to emphasize or change the mood of the character. Nature is often used to reflect the darker moods of the characters, though it is also used to show the happier times in their lives. The weather especially plays an important role in Frankenstein, since it is the main form of nature used. In Frankenstein, nature plays an influential role, used to reflect or change the mood or even foreshadow the future of the character.     

Works Cited

1. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. Ware: Wordsworth Classics, 1993. Print.