The Stranger #3

            The outside world plays a major role in Meursault’s decisions. He constantly notes the environment around him, describing how it makes him feel. In particular, Meursault is impacted by the sun. Walking on the beach with Masson, Meursault “was absorbed by the feeling that the sun was doing [him] a lot of good” (50). Initially, the sun seems to be a positive influence on Meursault’s behavior and mental state. He is not critical of Masson’s speaking mannerisms because the sun fills him with a sense of contentment, which demonstrates that the sun appears to have a direct effect on how Meursault perceives his emotions. However, the effect of the sun is not always the same. Meursault follows Raymond down the beach after the knife fight with the Arab: “By now the sun was overpowering. It shattered into little pieces on the sand and water” (55). Raymond has just been in a fight that could have ended in his death, and Meursault has just witnessed it. Naturally, the atmosphere is a bit tense. Meursault interprets the sun as “overpowering,” describing how it “shatter[s]” on the beach. The outside environment seems to reflect the emotions that Meursault should be expressing; he should be overwhelmed and slightly “shattered” inside given the circumstances. Instead, the environment elicits emotions that Meursault should be engendering himself. When he sees the Arab on the beach, Meursault knows he can turn back, “[b]ut the whole beach, throbbing in the sun, was pressing on [his] back” (58). The sun compels him forward, yet the burning continues. Likewise, the glint of the Arab’s knife in the sun cuts at Meursault, driving him forward to relieve the uncomfortable sensation. The sun and the Arab force Meursault to shoot, almost as if he does not have any choice whatsoever. The desire to shoot is described as a physical need of self-preservation. In the end, however, Meursault decides to shoot four more times at the body. By doing so, Meursault rebels against nature because he consciously acts on his own accord. Even though he is still following what is initially pressured to do, by choosing to shoot again, he demonstrates his control over his actions.

Musical Devices in "Woman Work"

Thesis: The shift in the musical nature of Maya Angelou’s poem “Women Work” highlights the speaker’s desire to break out of the monotony of constant toil.

            The musical devices in the first half of “Women Work” starkly contrast those in the second half, demonstrating the discrepancy between the woman’s reality and her desire. The beginning of the poem lists many tasks that the speaker has to complete. For instance, the speaker states, “I’ve got the children to tend / The clothes to mend / The floor to mop / The food to shop” (lines 1-4). Each line introduces a different job, such as mending clothes and mopping the floor. However, the different tasks are linked together with an aabbccddeeffgg rhyme scheme. The end rhymes add to the musical nature of the poem, creating a repetitive sound pattern that mimics the repetitive nature of the jobs that the woman must complete. The lack of punctuation between each element of the list further contributes to the flow of each task into the next. Without commas to break up the list, each job comes right after the previous one without a break. The speaker’s life seems to be defined by the vast and endless amount of work she must complete. Based on references to the “cane to be cut” and “cotton to pick,” the reader can infer that the woman is either a slave or relates to the idea of being a slave (lines 11 and 14). She has no choice but to work. The speaker identifies this obligation, repeating “I’ve got” and “I gotta,” at the beginning of two lines in the list (lines 1 and 12). The use of anaphora not only draws attention to the compulsion to work but also heightens the repetitive nature of the tasks. At line 15, however, the structure changes. The second half of the poem is comprised of four quatrains. The speaker says, “Shine on me, sunshine / Rain on me, rain / Fall softly, dewdrops / And cool my brow again” (lines 15-18). In contrast to the first half of the poem, the second half seems to carry a slower rhythm. First, Angelou begins using approximate end rhymes between the second and fourth lines of each stanza. The increased amount of time between each rhyme represents a slower pace of life than that of the working woman. Secondly, Angelou uses punctuation within lines to break up ideas, such as “Shine on me, sunshine” (line 15). Commas enable the reader to pause and breathe rather than plow right through the entire poem. The speaker wishes for nature to give her a reprieve from all of her work. By shifting the structure and musical devices in the poem, Angelou contrasts the woman’s reality with her longing to rest.  

The Stranger #2

            Despite the straightforward language and simple sentence structure in The Stranger, the actual content is complex, forcing the reader to reconcile contradicting emotions. One such emotional paradox is how the reader should feel about Salamano and his dog. Initially, the relationship between the two seems familial; Meursault describes how “[t]he two of them have been inseparable for eight years” (Camus 26). The expectation is that they have a tight bond and that Salamano loves his dog. When Meursault describes their daily walks, however, the relationship seems quite different. Salamano beats and swears at his dog if he goes too fast, and drags him along if he is too slow. Every day, “they both stand there on the sidewalk and stare at each other, the dog in terror, the man in hatred” (27). The reader feels indignant about the abuse the poor dog is subjected too. Many people would wish for the dog to get away from him somehow. However, when he does, Salamano sincerely fears for his safety and wants to get him back. He approaches Meursault, asking, “They’re not going to take him away from me, are they, Monsieur Meursault? They’ll give him back to me. Otherwise what’s going to happen to me?” (39). Salamano seems to genuinely care for his dog. However, the reader now faces a conflict: should Salamano get his dog back, just so he can abuse him once more? As the reader struggles, Meursault does not share any emotion. He notes the impressions of those around him, yet he does not offer his own opinion. Salamano is not the only character who approaches Meursault with problems in his personal life. If Meursault does not actually have emotion, he must at least express some form of understanding to those people that makes them decide to share their troubles with him. Camus’s narrative style prevents the reader from knowing Meursault’s true feelings, so the reader must constantly judge other characters without his input.

Tone in "Picnic, Lightning"

Thesis: The tone in Billy Collins’s poem “Picnic, Lightning” morphs from a seeming flippancy, to helplessness, and finally to a sincere wonder as the speaker ponders the unpredictability of life and death.

            The change in tone signals the speaker’s realization that life must be enjoyed while it lasts. In the first stanza, Collins gives examples of freak accidents that people can die from, such as being “struck by a meteor / or a single-engine plane / while reading in a chair at home” (Collins lines 1-3). This particular circumstance sounds so preposterous and unlikely that the reader cannot help but laugh it off. The lighthearted tone draws the reader in, establishing a nonthreatening atmosphere. Many view death as something that could not possibly just unexpectedly happen to them. However, Collins then proceeds to describe a true account of a woman struck by lightning on a picnic. Her accident sounds just as unlikely, yet the reader knows it has actually happened. Transitioning into the next stanza, Collins identifies how a heart attack can be just as unexpected. He describes death: “a tiny dark ship is unmoored / into the flow of the body’s rivers, / the brain a monastery, / defenseless on the shore” (lines 16-19). The poem has at this point lost its earlier flippancy about death. There is a dark and fearful sense of helplessness in his description of death quietly overtaking the body. With this realization that one is not immune to death, it is easy to develop a certain preoccupation with it. The speaker imagines “the instant hand of Death / always ready to burst forth / from the sleeves of his voluminous cloak” (lines 25-27). Just as ignorance about the nature of death can be dangerous, paranoia can be detrimental as well. In the final stanza, Collins identifies a means to balance the unpredictability and the inevitability of death. As the speaker looks at the pieces of nature in the garden, “the wheelbarrow is a wider blue, / the clouds a brighter white” (lines 32-33). The tone is wondering as the speaker notices the beauty of life around him. There is no way to predict death, yet if people do not take time to appreciate life in the short time that it lasts, they will miss out on its simple joys.      

Dorian Gray #8

            Although Dorian claims to have forsaken his past lifestyle in order to live morally, he does not truly learn his lesson. After seeing James Vane in his courtyard, Dorian cannot help but think of his evil actions in the past: “Out of the black cave of Time, terrible and swathed in scarlet, rose the image of his sin” (Wilde 147). James Vane incites Dorian’s apparent change in outlook on life; however, it may not be for the proper reasons. Dorian is afraid that James will kill him. He tells Lord Henry that it is the process leading up to death rather than actually dying that scares him. When Dorian learns of James Vane’s death, he is overcome with relief. However, he still decides to attempt to make good choices. Dorian describes to Lord Henry how he decided to leave a girl who loved him in order to protect her innocence. Lord Henry responds, “the novelty of the emotion must have given you a thrill of real pleasure” (155). Dorian thinks that he is being moral, yet Harry questions his true motives. It is Dorian’s vanity and desire to think of himself favorably that induces his supposedly unselfish actions toward the girl, not a wish to benefit her life. Thinking that he is being moral, Dorian decides to go look at the portrait to see if it reflects his recent change in behavior. Instead, the picture is uglier and crueler than ever. Dorian has a choice; he can either admit that he murdered Basil or continue to cover it up. He has the choice to truly repent or remain on the same path. Dorian realizes that there is “only one bit of evidence left against him. The picture itself—that was evidence. He would destroy it. Why had he kept it so long?” (164). Rather than confront his mistakes, Dorian decides to destroy his soul. In the end, Dorian does not make the right choice; he stabs the portrait and dies. Wilde may claim that “[t]here is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book,” but The Picture of Dorian Gray certainly delves into the concept of morality (vii). Immorality cannot sustain itself forever without eventually destroying the person.