Sissy Jupe the Most Important Character of Hard Times

While reading Hard Times it’s easy to become frustrated at a lot of the characters in the story. Louisa is a bit of a pushover, Thomas Gradgrind only cares about facts and Bounderby is a lying jerk. When we look at Sissy Jupe we an innocent caring person; while she can be a bit of a klutz she’s the realest person in the whole novel; keeping her emotions and feeling instead of trading it away for stagnant knowledge. Sissy doesn’t have an easy start on this novel. She’s often thought of as “dumb” or “slow” by her teachers. Her father leaves her to fend for herself early in the book. I feel like this is the one experience that really solidifies her character. After this she can empathize with others that go through hard times. Like on page 99 where Sissy and Loo make eye contact after Loo agrees to marry Mr. Bounderby. Sissy knows that Louisa really doesn’t want to marry him. Also when she confronts Harthouse and makes him leave Coketown without Louisa. She didn’t care that Harthouse was from an upper class, that he had more money than anyone else in Coketown. All she knew was that Loo’s relationship with Harthouse wasn’t a healthy one and told him straight up. One my favorite quote from the book is when Mr. Gradgrind asks her what the basic principle of a science is and she replies with “To do unto others as I would that they should do unto me” (Dickens 57). This was shortly after her father left. Even then she kept her humanity. She couldn’t comprehend Utilitarianism because she cared for those that would be left behind to starve. Her soul is innocent and pure. I feel like this is what Dickens was to trying to get at. Those of pure of heart and maintain it through tough and trying times are usually rewarded with a happy life. Even when times were tough for Sissy she helped others out of her own heart. She never wanted something in return or a reward. She took care of those she loved. Once we get to the end of the novels its Sissy who gets the happy ending and of course Louisa tags along too but it’s not the same experience. Sissy is happily married with children. While Louisa never remarries or has children but loves Sissy’s children; she lives through Sissy in a way. Sissy has no problem with this because Louisa is her friend and cares for her like a sister. This is why Sissy is the most important character she’s the one who give’s emotion and feeling to the novel; the one that never lost her true self.

- Gama  

Thoughts About "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Thoughts About "The Fall of the House of Usher"

While reading "The Fall of the House of Usher", we noticed that a gothic feeling was the most important theme throughout this short story. But why and what is the purpose for this style of writing? In gothic writing and stories, the reader needs to feel as though there is a sense of terror on every page. The house makes the narrator feel as though he has no where to go and makes him feel like there is an evil presence. There are hidden doors, the feeling of ghosts, and mysterious sickness that makes this reading pretty vague. Something is going on in this house, but nobody really knows. In all gothic stories, you can't find the answer. Relating to the class discussion, a gothic story has three elements that make it a gothic story; what's inside, what's outside, and what separates them. The narrator is mysteriously trapped by the lure of Roderick's attraction and he cannot escape until the house of Usher completely collapses.

From the beginning of the reading, you can tell that this house is something that really affects ones mind. Its dark, dull, and soundless. The narrator wants the reader to feel as though he is right there with him and to feel how horrifying this house is something out of a horror film. All alone coming up to the house, you can tell that this reading is somewhat of a depressing reading. He sets the tone by using such depressing words such as dull, dreary, decayed trees, sinking, a sickening of the heart and really explaining the overall appearance of the house.

A passage from the reading that I found interesting and quite wonderful in describing this house was when the narrator says "I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow. An air of stern, deep, and irredeemable gloom hung over and pervaded all." This passage comes when the narrator is all by himself in a room showing how isolation is something that nobody enjoys. It messes with people's minds and frightens people. I think that the reason why Roderick never went and checked out what the sound was (when Madeline was making noises), is because he was terrified of what he would actually see. He waited 8 days in fear that his sister was alive. In an isolated, terrifying house, noises start putting fear into ones self.

Death, isolation, and horror are definitely the biggest themes to look at when reading this great night time story.

Nature and Science in Frankenstein

Nature vs Science in Frankenstein

In the book Frankenstein we see the juxtaposition of nature and science. Does science trump nature or does nature take the crown? We argue that nature wins out in the end.

Dr. Victor Frankenstein is a man of science. He creates his monster through his knowledge of science and how to recreate dead body parts. In the creation of the monster science wins out. Science is what created the monster and gave him life, but it does not win out in the end.

The monster runs away and continually watches a family live their lives. Throughout this time the monster is living in nature and living off nature. This is where the monster learns. He learns to speak, he learns how geography and he learns about emotions. It is no coincidence that Frankenstein’s monster learns all of this outside of the lab and in nature. This is also the place that the monster has some self-awareness and figures out who he is. He develops emotions and learns what love and caring is. He is attacked by the family when he tries to talk to them, but he doesn’t fight back, even knowing he could tear them apart, because he cares for them. The monster learns about himself and becomes more human outside, in nature.

On the flip side, Frankenstein himself becomes less happy, less human and more miserable without nature. He is consumed in his science and turns into a somewhat bad person. When he is at home he is depressed and the only time he can gain some semblance of happiness is when he is out in nature.

While we see the creation happen in a lab (science), we see a lot of the interaction between the two men, Frankenstein and his monster, happening outside, on an ice patch or mountain. (nature).

There is no doubt a juxtaposition between good and bad, happy and sad, and nature and science. Science is looked at as trying to harness nature and create it, and while this is true, nature is where the monster grew, it is where he became self-aware. The monster was created in a lab, but he eventually went back to nature and assimilated into nature once again. While science tries toplay god, no matter what happens nature will run its course. The natural order of nature will prevail, no matter what. Nature is, according to Frankenstein, a more powerful force than science.

1. The members of this blog are Sean Allen, Beau Pocklington and Gama Rodriguez.

2. We would like to have this blog be a place where we can share our thoughts, see others thoughts and have discussions, all in one easy place.

3. The audience may be anyone who is interested in the literature of the Americas and the British empire.

4. It will be fairly general, and we just blog about anything we find interesting from the week of class or the readings.

5. This is going to be an informational blog, but it will also be informal and entertaining. People should enjoy reading our blog.

6. Whoever writes the post or comment will sign it with their name,but as a group we are known as Frankenstein's Monsters.

7. We will all get together and think of what we want to write. We will make sure to assign someone to write a post and someone to comment, but it will be a collaborative effort.

8. Beau set it up, but we will all be in charge of making it nice. If we see a problem we will fix the problem.


Blog Manifesto

Much like Frankenstein's monster, the three of us are a mish mash of assorted parts, collected not from dead bodies, but from the back of CUE 219. We bring a fresh take on English, we will look at a historical piece of literature with modern view point. Any way we can connect literature with our daily lives, specifically sports related, we will. This blog is meant to entertain as much as inform, and the three of us will take our unique views and turn them into amazing writing. Hopefully the village folk do not chase this blog out of town with pitchforks and torches.