American Literature

Following the recent awareness and activism about the impacts of human on global warming and environment, nature writing has developed an enthusiastic and strong following. In America for example, great regard has been accorded to the tradition of   nature writing work grounded on concepts relating to the natural world. Since nature writing has often been based on facts and scientific research, it has reached a wider audience with a unique and broader perspective. Barry (37) explains that it is no doubt that the imagination and perception of wilderness by Americans have experienced a significant evolution.

Prior researches have revealed that American used to view wilderness as a place where natural and humans are separated and where civilized and wild are set apart. This is mainly witnessed through the work of such native American writer, modern nature writers, the Transcendentalists as well as American nature writers of the romantic period like Henry David Thoreau, (Walden), John Muirs, (the mountains of California), Aldo Leopolds, (sand county Almanac), Henry Bestons, (outermost house), Annie Dillards, (pilgrim at Tinker Creeks), Edward Abbeys, (Desert Solitaire), Sally Carrighars, (One day at Teton Marsh), Sigurd Olsons, (reflections from the North Country) and Rachel Carsons, (a sense of wonder).

On the other hand, Unlike the traditional perception of wilderness as an object to conquer, other cultures have demonstrated a different perception frontier spirit where they regard important to have sustainable resources for sustainable communities (Brown 32). Despite the fact that different cultures settled the west, the research will reveal that different cultures response to wilderness was unique. The paper will explore the cultural construction of wilderness by examining historical development and diverse human perception of wilderness and especially the influence with the American Native writers.

Introduction

Native American cultures perception of wilderness traditionally and presently.

Wilderness also called wildland have been defined differently which culminates to mean the natural environment which is not yet significantly modified by human processes and undertaking, hence free of human civilization. Robert (77) notes that as a response to both political and social aspects, perception of wilderness by human have changed throughout the history. Wilderness is presently viewed as something to be cherished, protected and preserved which was not always the case sometimes back.

According to Robert (66) at earlier times, wilderness was considered an evil or something that could have been conquered and destroyed. Based on this therefore, wilderness were likely to be found in such areas like national parks, conservation preserves, national forests and other undeveloped areas. These areas were highly considered for biodiversity, recreation, ecological studies, moral, cultural and spiritual reasons as well as conservation. On the other hand, nature writers have considered wilderness areas as vital for human creativity and spirit. These areas are greatly regarded for the preservation of wild flora and fauna as well as historic genetic traits (Social studies lesson 6).

Many American writers like John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, Sigurd Olson, Rachel Carson and Aldo Leopold, David Brower and Edward Abbey among others have their writing communicating to inform as well as to influence and provide a sense of feeling about nature. Their writing has particularly affected the vision of many people on natural world which greatly helped in preservation, love and conservation of wilderness (Social studies lesson 6).

Changing Perceptions of Nature and the Rise of the Sublime
Idealizing Wilderness Wilderness and Romantic Movement
The changing perception of wilderness was greatly experienced between 1850s and 1860s in the writings of Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Cronon and Thomas Cole of the early American Renaissance that was partly influenced by British Romanticism. By this time with Americans, nature was a subject of their letters and art although the perception of wilderness was by then experiencing a shift to reflect a new dimension of concern of wilderness rather than viewing it as an obstacle for the establishment of civilization. Thoreau (12) explains that wilderness was more primeval in America than anywhere else in Europe. Cronon (21) explains regarding to Romantics view of wilderness, the Romantics believed that nature was the inherent possessor of abstract qualities such as truth, beauty, independence and democracy, that in the natural world, people could reclaim or at least approximate the lost innocence of their origin-both national and individual.

Regarding the view of Americans on wilderness, Thoreau (9) observes that the image of the American as a garden could apply to the Romantic perspective of nature, but requires stripping from the landscape the gridwork of civilization. Emerson (71) popularized this and disregarded the European tradition by asserting that No longer bound by classical notions of the art and literature in Europe, many American artists and authors disregarded European traditions and began to explore the natural world of America for its possibilities of new subject matter.  To integrate all these Thoreau explains between the wilderness of the west and the prosperity of the east, Americans felt that they had at last combined within their culture the very bet of nature and civilization. Nonetheless, the contrasting views of nature are troubling, on one hand the depletion and exploitation of the wilderness helped build cities and make millionaires whereas on the other hand, wilderness was considered the font of national traits and the foundation of a national identity. These finding and perception of wilderness by nature writers of the Romantic times is expounded here in.

In the 18th century, with civilization and humans perceiving themselves as masters of the earth dominated and exploited wilderness (Charles 14). However, the influence of the Romantic movement of 18th century which was an intellectual, literary and artistic movement in Western Europe resulted to a shift in the way people perceived wilderness. Romanticism idealized emotion, aesthetic and imagination but greatly criticized scientific rationalization. The realization and perception of natural resources as finite by these nature writers of this time greatly prompted a shift to the perception of nature as divine inspiration as opposed to their earlier perception of nature as raw material. To this end, in order for nature writers to accumulate enough influence of their perception of wilderness, they associated wilderness with diverse core values of the culture that idealized and created wilderness (Nash 44).

Wilderness and Religious connotation during Romantic Movement
During the Romantic movement of the 18th century, many nature writers influenced the perception of wilderness as a place where Gods hand work was displayed through untouched mountains trees and lakes in the wilderness thus gaining a religious connotation. They rationalized the idea that if at all Satan could be found in forest, so was Christ. More still, during the Romantic Movement there was the development of the idea of the sublime which heightened the shift in the perception of wilderness.

Thoreau an author and nature writer popularized the idea of sublime and the manner of finding it in nature. He described sublimity as when people without in being in such circumstance in actual sense, they develop an idea of danger and pain (Brown, 8). With this idea of sublime it meant that wild being barren, harsh and satanic landscape gained aesthetic value which were less grave, cruel and threatening and where one could feel the presence of God when surrounded by such natural wonders like canyons, mountains and waterfalls among other natural features. As a result therefore, Romantic Movement and nature writers of 18th century helped change the perception of wilderness from wasteland to perceiving it as temple which then made wilderness to be something that could be valued appreciated and protected.

Therefore the religious connotation of wilderness together with chaos and crowding situations with the urbanites prompted many to embrace wilderness as a perfect destination. They developed the perception that with the pressures of industrial capitalism, rapid technological revolutionization and artifice, the untouched wilderness could offer a tangible remedy as the source of moral authority and meaning (Stutter 36). It was as a result of this that by mid 19th century, the idea of sublimity with wilderness was revisited to mean sentimentality and comfort. People in North America for example highly regarded wilderness as a place that could accommodate such recreation activities like camping, youth camps, remote lodges, canoeing and hiking which ultimately made wilderness popular for such outdoor pursuits.

Following heightened and pleasurable perception of wilderness as sacred, together with much concern about afflictions and health especially the feeling with many urbanites that the healthy climate in the wilderness could cure many illnesses, made wilderness appealing. Nature therefore became an appealing place that could offer relaxation, good health, moral regeneration and recreation, a situation that helped idealization of wilderness making many urbanites of that time to venture wildlands to escape from the modern and industrial chaos of urban places.

Stutter (7) provides that many nature writers of Romantic Movement together with the recreation movement of the mid-to-late nineteenth century, made wilderness to loose much of its repulsiveness. Stutter (9) explains that it is not that wilderness itself changed rather it experienced a different context where it was characterized with coveted qualities of aesthetic and natural meaning that immediately when people realized the importance attached to wilderness, they embraced, appreciated and attached great importance in protecting the same (Arctic Institute of North America).

Nature and American consciousness Frontier Thesis
Contrasting views of wilderness in frontier American
Once an American by the name Fredrick Jackson announced the American character did not spring full-brown from the Mayflower, rather from the forests and gained new strength each time it touched a frontier. During this time, Americans contested of wilderness to contain (1) temptations and savagery which normally threatened the authority of the community and (2) a new garden where cultivation by the European settlers could have flourished. Americans were therefore faced with these contrasting views of the wilderness which eventually worked to bring forth establishment of civilization which converted wilderness from a young nation to an ultimate source of national identity and pride for the Americans (Arctic Institute of North America).

Contrasting views of wilderness in frontier Europeans
Nash (26) in his work The Cultural Significance of the American Wilderness, Europeans regarded wilderness as a physical void and spiritual with unusual topography, with bizarre animals and strange indigenous inhabitants which ought to be conquered and civilized all in the name progress and Christianity. With the Europeans wilderness was a place where the consensus and the community could be put in peril for without much involvement of European civilization religion or even law.

With Englanders wilderness was viewed as a place where the devil could seduce and distort even the holiest in the community. For Virginia and Pennsylvania, wilderness constituted of a place or garden that if tamed and cleared could become an inhabitant of human community with supply of raw material and as such they perceived nature as to be utilized rather than being feared. In general therefore, with European cultures, wilderness was considered a savage to be destroyed in order to bloom it (Guha 63).

Wilderness and independence in America (Wilderness Bill of Rights)
Roderick Nash
Many nature writers in America attach great importance the concept of wilderness in their journey to America independence (Arctic Institute of North America). With Roderick Nash who is considered a great influential if the concept of wilderness in American life, politics, literature and thought. Nash (18) for example explains of the subsequential American journey from the hatred and fear of  wilderness to recognizing the same as a unique underdeveloped land to the believe that wilderness have such redemptive and spiritual value to the current ambivalence consideration of wilderness as an open space fundamental in enhancing the countrys growth and development (Nash 24).

John Muir and Technological Invention
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.  John Muir (36).

John Muir who was a nature writer and a lover of technological inventions, worked and advocated for the preservation of natural wilderness. Muir held that wilderness hold and accommodates intrinsic values which are worth protecting and preserving. He once said when a person spends time in a pristine wilderness environment his or her mind and body experiences a renewal that cannot be found in any other way hence the need to preserve it both for present as well as for future generations.
Fredrick Jackson once stated that the American wilderness is the ultimate source of American Liberal and democratic traditions, without it, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness recede further from the grasp of man.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emerson (15) wrote in the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate that in the streets or villages..in the woods we return to reason and faith.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (17) integrated the different perception of wilderness from the well-publicized and intensive scientific investigation of the continental hinterlands, the rapprochement between nature and religion as well as the imaginative connection between wilderness and americanness, synthesized all and urged people to move away from the old ideas of wilderness by the Europeans to rejuvenate their minds in embracing wilderness as a natural world endowed with abundance

Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau (84) said in a lecture in wilderness is the preservation of the World. Considered as the first American supporter of the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin, Thoreau in his nature writing advocated for the conservation and preservation of wilderness as public land, natural resources on private land as well as advocacy of canoeing and recreational hiking. In his writing, Thoreau sought the pastoral realm which integrated both culture and nature meaning that he neither embraced wilderness fully nor did he rejected civilization.

Aldo Leopolds
Interconnectedness existing between different cultures and the environment,
Different cultures have diverse perceptions of wilderness. On the other hand, different cultures value wilderness in similar ways as well as in different ways. However, all, cultures derive from the continuing supply of wilderness. Traditionally, in European cultures wilderness was considered a place of mystery and darkness. Based on this therefore, to indigenous cultures globally, wilderness was valued for its ability to provide for everything that was needed in the maintenance and development of a prosperous existence (Eric 106).

These and many other American nature writers sensed and discovered that their country was different in terms of wilderness context. Therefore they seized on the distinction of wilderness and instead added to it romantic and deistic assumptions about the value attached to wild country. This nationalist therefore discovered that as opposed to being a liability, wilderness was an asset for the Americans for moral, cultural resource as well as a foundation for national esteem.

Religious Dimensions
Wilderness as a touchstone concept is believed to have entered America with the Puritans in 1620s. This result had a great significance to the American culture where it had retained a religious ring even after moving away from the dogma of Christianity. For Puritan, Wilderness was more of the spiritual state they found themselves in as opposed to the mere physical environments. They perceived and related wilderness with their state as Christian saints in the fallen land. They considered wilderness as the totality of the adversities that beset them as a Christian community and as such could include even the highly urbanized European milieu from which they came, hence they regarded  protestant emigration to Massachusetts Bay colony as a movement out of Wilderness,  Barry (1999 42).

As a result, with many Christians like the Puritan, wilderness was viewed as a place of renewal (the north American environment represented an austere and uncorrupted landscape where a saintlier community could flower, materially overabundant, dissolution and testing (spiritually deadening), in this case the geological formation of fauna and flora among others being the actual contents of wilderness were contrasted with the view of wilderness as a complex community dynamics and scriptural precedents. Based on this therefore, it was irrational especially with the non-Puritan in New England to understand the abundant and populated regions with connotations of solitude and bareness as wilderness (Eric 112).

How was Wilderness Gendered
Contrast of Adam and Eve
In reference to Barry (108) western patriarchal culture greatly regard divorcing culture from nature whereby they attributes of males with culture and that of females were associated with nature, this as a result constituted gender dualism which derives its roots in Judeo-Christianity. Merchant (133) popularizes this by asserting that this conception of nature was greatly influenced by the gendering of the story of Eden where the fall of Eden was caused by a woman Eve who through disobeying God made Adam an innocent bystander to feel the consequences. He notes that as a result, Adam became very resourceful and invested infrastructures paramount if restoring the lost garden whereas Eve was to be tamed into submission. Hence in this culture of Adam and Eve, natures as well as women are portrayed negatively with men standing out as survivors and saviors. Integrating this to the concept of wilderness, King James Version utilizes the terms mother land and Virgin land to describe nature. Merchant (112) in reference to the Edenic Recovery Story notes three instances where gendered nature is portrayed (1) Original Eve which portrays and depicts nature as pure, virgin, pristine and light meaning that even though the land is  barren, still possesses the potential for development. (2) Fallen Eve which depicts a chaotic and disorderly nature. In this case, wilderness is considered desert and wasteland which would need improvement to make it productive. (3) Mother Eve at this level nature is portrayed as a rejuvenated and improved garden ready to provide nurturance to bear fruits.

In contrast, (1) Original Adam is used to portray God as the creator (2) Fallen Adam is here considered as an agent of transformation whereas (3) Father Adam depicts the image of God in patriarch. To this end therefore, Merchant (137) exclaims that nature depicts male as a hero needed to cultivate and transform the land while a woman on the other hand need to be controlled. Barry (110) therefore provides that diverse cultures employ the concept of wilderness to study gender relation and their construction.

Wilderness in European Cultures
Historically, wilderness was identified with such elements that carried negative connotations as barren, savage, chaotic and desolate. With European cultures, for example, wilderness was perceived as ungodly, dangerous as well as a place where one could have risked getting lost. As a result many European fairytales and folktales many a times portrayed forests as evil places in which a hero could have been abducted and tempted. They regarded wilderness as a place for Satan and where satanic witches and rituals were convened, hence viewing wilderness as threatening and unsafe a perception that was brought forth in the new world (Arctic Institute of North America).

In reference to Barry (1999, 37) when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, having defied God, they were banished from the land a paradise where they used to obtain all their needs. It followed therefore that Adam and his descendants suffered for food and survival in the then unforgiving wilderness. Hence there resulted a contrast whereby Eden which was predictable and safe for survival was later perceived as wilderness unpredictable and dangerous. This was a negative perception of wilderness as well as a motivator to implement strategies to harness the landscape particularly in the Recovery Narrative in the Bible where humans regained power to control and manage the earth in a process to searching for the lost garden.

Wilderness in the Last Century
In the last century, wilderness received a popular conception as the purest natural part of the world. When this new world was discovered by European explorers, these explorers came upon and exposed Aboriginals to conflicts and diseases which eventually reduced their numbers. The resultant colonization of Australia and North America made European white settlers to occupy lands that initially belonged to Aboriginals. This emanated from the perception of Europeans Aboriginals as wilderness, savageness and character of Wild County. Nash (Xiii) notes that when the European now in the new world became more industrialized and civilized, they moved further and further from wilderness and hence the Aboriginal people.

According to Nash (7) the popular conception of wilderness provided that wilderness should be free of people. With colonization of the land that belonged to the Aboriginal people means that they were removed from these lands with an eventual creation of protected parks as reinvented places with predictable encounters of wilderness within defined parameters. Nash therefore provides that with the removal form parks of the first nations is a clear indication that wilderness was not represented in its original state rather it was constructed to benefit a particular group in expense of others.

From the west, the dominant view of wilderness has shifted from the negative image of Judeo-Christian as a dark home of evil and threats to a positive view of wilderness as the undisturbed nature and especially in North America where the development of land by the immigrants from Europe is almost approaching wilderness while the frontier are pushed further towards the westward.

CONCLUSION
In the modern society, wilderness is continually protected and idealized for the use benefit of mankind. Just like in the nineteenth century, the current experience in wilderness arose from the desire to connect to the natural. At present times wilderness has been utilized and braded as a profit making vehicle with many Television shows capitalizing on the interaction between nature and humans while still appealing for the transition of the old concepts of the conquest of nature. However, following the increased rate of civilization, extensive exploitation of wilderness has resulted to diminished natural landscapes bring forth mass issues related to environment. Contrary to the past where control over and reduction of wilderness was considered an achievement, at current times much focus is on protection of the wilderness which greatly illustrates the extent to which perception of wilderness has evolved over time.

In reference to Wilderness and the American Mind Nash contends that in America, on wilderness ground majority maintained an anthropocentric view which was based on the contention that in order to ameliorate concerns on environment people will be needed to deviate from this view. Various nature writers have therefore helped in sensitizing the nation towards understanding of the broader spectrum of the wilderness. Through their work, they helped to spur a legacy of protecting the resources which has endured and facilitated the formation of various National Systems for wilderness preservation in American as well as in other nations. The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future.

Hence in modern times, the concept of wilderness is viewed as a source of diverse attitude as opposed to traditional perception of wilderness as an object to conquer. Other cultures have demonstrated a different perception frontier spirit. The Hispanic culture for example of respecting the wild lands natural processes and connection to the cycles and seasons is viewed as not one of conquering but one of living together with the wildness of the land.

In reference to American History, lesson 7, of late, the idea of wilderness has received increased appreciation and especially in North America where wilderness movement originated and developed to conservation of the same and especially in the establishment of the worlds first national parks, recognition of wilderness and the associated importance of preserving wildland through passing of the Wilderness Act in 1964.

In some plays, playwrights do not just write them for the sake of entertainment, some of them convey a subtle, if not implicit message and this is manifested by the characters.  The settings of the play should help provide the audience clues on the personality of the characters and how the society they live in influences them.  This is consistent to the norms of society and such characters underscore or reflect how society influences them.  In this particular case, this study would like to look into two of the characters from these plays.  This study will focus on two such characters whose personalities are influenced by their respective societies  Ophelia from Shakespeares Hamlet and Ellen Sewell from The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail by Robert Edwin Lee and Jerome Lawrence.

Ophelia. She is the daughter of Polonius and the love interest of Hamlet.  Besides being attractive, she is characterized as being demure and nave which also is her weakness in the sense  that it makes her malleable to the will of others, particularly her father when he told her not to see Hamlet for which she made an affirmation

No, my good lord, but, as you did command,I did repel his fetters and deniedHis access to me. (Act II, Scene I)

What this underscored is that she lacked the will to assert herself, even to the extent of defending her relationship with Hamlet which would explain why he has gone insane and Hamlet would tell her this later on how her fickle mind has caused him to be upset already made worse as he is still mourning the death of his father.  When she is made an unwitting pawn by both her father and Claudius to determine if Hamlet is going insane and she did this by returning the tokens she claims Hamlet gave to her a sign of his love for her. It was for this reason that Hamlet, apparently stung by her dishonesty and seeming deceitfulnesss, suggested she go to the nunnery rather than be a breeder of sinners.  As Hamlet left, the following scene reveals how Ophelia possesses a heart of glass

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,That suckd the honey of his music vows,Now see that noble and most sovereign reason,Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harshThat unmatchd form and feature of blown youthBlasted with ecstasy O, woe is me,To have seen what I have seen, see what I see(Act III, Scene I)

It can be inferred here that Ophelia felt she had made things worse.  It is as though she thinks Hamlet has completely gone insane and it is all because of her.  She is greatly hurt by Hamlets rather harsh words, especially by that remark on becoming a breeder of sinners which is something a woman of her stature would resent or would not want to hear.  Her frailty and weakness was also revealed in Act IV when her father died (at the hands of Hamlet) and Hamlets apparent disappearance.  These incidents showed how attached she is to men and depended on them, another flaw in her character, and their loss made her feel her world has completely fallen apart, causing her to sink into depression, lose her sanity and ultimately take her own life.

Ellen Sewell. She is different from Ophelia as far as her character is concerned.  Although she comes from a conservative family like Ophelia, the play depicts her as a woman though having feminine qualities, shows a much stronger personality compared to Ophelia.  Where Ophelia is frail and malleable, Ellen is open-minded, as shown by her interest in transcendenatalism, a school of thought (Henry) Thoreau and his brother John subscribe to.  Her father forbids her to consort with either of the brothers and yet rather than obey her father, she dared go where she was forbidden to go, into the world of transcendentalism as shown in the scene where she is in the boat with Thoreau where he discusses with her what transcendentalism is all about.

Henry What if all of it is totaled up in this face here, in front of me  and I am empty enough to think Im seeing one face
Ellen Thats Transcendalism
Henry If you like.
Ellen I dont think it is wicked. I think its rather nice. (Lee  Lawrence 36)

After which she asks Thoreau to take her back to shore but when Thoreau delays since he continued to discuss Trasncendentalism to her, she blurted out, Im not one of your fish, nor one of your birds, Mr. Thoreau. So I can neither swim nor fly back to dry land. I must simply sit here and hope that you are gentleman enough to row me ashore (Lee  Lawrence 38).  She dared to speak her mind to Thoreau although he is older than her as she showed some feistiness, demanding to be taken back to shore and she did that by challenging Thoreaus character whether he is a gentleman or a scoundrel.  On the other hand, she was very keen on knowing more about Transendentalism and one can say she was enlightened.  She understood now how it goes when she heard about Johns demise.

Bu further analyzing both women, one can see both come from conservative families.  It can even be said they are also nave to a certain extent.  In the case of Ellen however, she displays a sense of independence.  Unlike Ophelia, she is not so attached to her father to the point of being dependent on him for guidance.  Her inquisitiveness shows that she is exercising her free will to learn more about Transcendentalism and she would probably leave her father if he threatened to disown her for disobeying him.  She has the initiative to find out for herself, in this case, what Transcendentalism is.  Her conversation with Thoreau dispelled any misconception she had about it, coming from her father.  As for Ophelia, she lacks that strong will and open-mindedness that would have enabled her to see through Hamlets alleged insanity.  Her sense of obedience and naivete prevents her knowing the true condition of Hamlet.  She took everything at face value and she allowed her emotions to get the better of her and this led to her downfall.

All in all, there are things Ophelia and Ellen have in common as far as family backgrounds are concerned.  In personality, both are feminine to an extent as far as Ellens case is concerned as she shows more courage to go beyond what her father commands her as opposed to that of Ophelia who was very compliant to her father. One can say that between the two women, Ellen is the one who grew in character.  But in understanding why she is capable of moving on while Ophelia did not, it is because of the situation and the time.  Ophelia lived somewhere along the Middle Ages where society was very conservative whereas Ellen lived in 19th century America which was already democratic and signs of liberalism among women was beginning to emerge during this time.  If Ophelia would have lived in the same century as Ellen, she would have never had to suffer a sad fate.

Feminist ideals seek to set up enhanced and official protection as well as grant rights to ladies besides seeking to liberate women. This concept basically has to do with gender disparities, mainly focusing on advocating for the rights as well as the interests of women. In essence, feminist ideologies emphasize gender equity while quashing the established gender pecking order and terming it as merely a baseless socially-developed concept.

Lawrence Jerome and Robert Edwin Lees 1970 The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail play  is feminist is the sense that it depicts most of its female characters as exhibiting behaviors that seek to give them power and authority that resembles that held by the men in their society. Further, majority of the female characters in the play behave as though they disregard socially-sanctioned mores that place women below men as per the established social ladder.

For example, Lydian Emerson who is Ralph Waldo Emersons wife - is described as assisting her husband to regain his memory regarding Henry Thoreau  an old friend of Emersons - thus showing that women are useful because they can assist men in certain important issues. The fact that Emerson has forgotten about Emersons own friend - whom Lydian fortunately remembers - demonstrates that women can be mentally superior to men. A woman is thus depicted as serving the useful purpose of assisting her husband. Lydians action of assisting her husband to remember a past friend thus accords women more prominence in the play. This issue therefore delineates the play as feminist.  

Further, Mother Thoreaus - Thoreaus mothers - act of interrogating Thoreau about the reason why her son is incarcerated depicts women as having certain potent powers in this society. It is a notable fact that Thoreau cannot devise an appropriate answer for his mothers pointed question. In addition, the mother complains that Thoreau is exhibiting an unnecessarily antagonistic attitude. This is in reaction to Thoreaus act of challenging the arrangement of the elements of the English alphabet. Again, this issue demonstrates that female members in this community can pose philosophical and thought-provoking questions that can even confuse men like Thoreau. By depicting women as philosophical beings, the author designates ladies as intelligent beings whose wisdom can rival that of men. Such an attempt at bridging the socially-instituted gender divide thus delineates the play as a feminist work of literature.  

In addition, Ellen Sewells bold act of candidly rejecting John Thoreaus attempts at forging a loving union between the two demonstrates that Ewell is a principled and firm character who can even boldly go against the wishes of male characters. This aspect generally gives the females in the play added powers to always stand their ground. In effect, the determined nature of Ewell demonstrates that she has refused to conform to social norms whereby women are conventionally required to do as men like. Rather, she has resolved to chart her own destiny even regarding some controversial issues like selecting a lover. Ewells free spirit is also evident when she challenges Thoreaus classroom directives by insisting that students ought to have notebooks for writing notes on. Ewell issues this remark even after Thoreau - the teacher - has clearly demonstrated his dislike for books. Ewells actions thus categorize the play as inclined towards feminism.  

In conclusion, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail play conforms to feminist ideals owing to the bold and unconventional behavior exhibited by some of its female characters. A notable case in point is Lydians act of assisting Emerson - her husband - to recall the name of Thoreau - a long-time friend of Emerson. In addition, Henry is interrogated by his mother regarding the reason why Henry is behind bars. The awkwardness and dilemma which Henry experiences as he attempts to answer this query demonstrates that the mother is wise and intelligent and that she has authority over her son. The mothers philosophical query thus presents a positive view of women - designating them as intelligent beings. Moreover, Ewell determinedly shuns Thoreaus struggles to forge an intimate relationship with her. This act shows that the girl desires to have the freedom to make her own independent decisions. The play is thus effectively rendered a feminist piece of literature owing to the aforementioned aspects.                        

Through his The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn story, author Mark Twain explores the recurrent theme of the conflict between civilizations and nature based on various characters actions. In this case, civilization denotes the prevailing cultural values and customs in the society which Twain describes. On the other hand, nature denotes the innate inclination to search for autonomy or freedom as is evident through a number of the storys characters. To illustrate, Huckleberry Finn shows a constant urge to be free from unnecessary interference with his life. Specifically, Finn does not want to be retrained by societal obligations or expectations. In essence, the boy has a natural tendency to always be engaged in adventurous activities. Such a trait consistently conflicts with the attempts by Finns compatriots to restrain his naturally free spirit. For instance, Finn is opposed to the attempts by Widow Douglas and Miss Watson to make Finn civilized. By civilizing, the 2 ladies intend to force Finn to adopt culturally-accepted mannerisms and behaviors, for instance, by always being neat and generally well-groomed. This concept is very alien to Finn whose adventurous spirit does not give him ample room to indulge in self-grooming activities. Likewise, the experience of Jim - who is one of Miss Watsons slaves - demonstrates the concept of conflict between civilization and nature. For example, the very issue of being enslaved contradicts Jims own natural desire to be free. Culture and civilization - which hold that Jim ought to be a slave to Miss Watson - are thus depicted as contradicting Jims human nature to seek freedom. Further, Miss Watsons intentions of selling Jim to a fellow slave master makes things even worse. This is because such an act is bound to separate Jim from his family. Once more, civilization, which essentially views slaves as mere property that can be traded by slave masters at will, is shown as contradicting the human natural tendency to form and live beside a loving family. Conversely, the issue of a house been damaged by a raging storm demonstrates nature conflicting with civilization. All in all, through the The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn story, Twain uses the characters of Finn, The Duke and The King, Jim, as well as the floating house to demonstrate a persistent theme of nature conflicting with civilization.

To begin with, civilization requires Miss Watson and Widow Douglas to seek to instill into Finn the traits of proper personal grooming which however conflict with Finns natural tendency to be unrestrained and free. Consequently, Finn views the life that the 2 women introduce to him as being very confining. For example, the 2 ladies instructions that Finn should always remain clean and organized, as is required of him by civilization, are alien to Finn. On his part, Finn prefers a disorganized life that allows for adventure as opposed to the life that the 2 host ladies prescribe for him. Through such a description, Finn presents a clear illustration of nature conflicting with civilization.

In addition, after Finn encounters Jim - an escaped slave of Miss Watsons - the concept of nature conflicting with civilization plays out through the dilemma that Finn faces regarding reporting Jims presence. For example, all through his life, Finn has been taught that slavery is acceptable. Civilization has thus made Finn to appreciate the issue of slavery as an acceptable cultural construct. This notion is however challenged after Finn interacts with Jim and learns about the former slaves past life and the troubles therein. The natural humanity in Finn however makes him to demonstrate empathy towards Jim. Finn thus undergoes an ideological transformation whereby he changes his views about the concept of slavery, life, and people. Such a changeover makes Finn be torn between reporting Jims presence to the relevant authorities and keeping quiet in the interests of humanity. After struggling with these thoughts, Finn finally resolves to remain mum and even aid Jim in escaping from slavery. The author thus uses Finns thoughts on whether or not to disclose Jims hideout as denoting a conflict between civilization and human nature.

On the other hand, civilization is demonstrated as being at loggerheads with nature through the storm that carries away a whole house and makes it float on the Mississippi river. Nature, represented by the strong storm, is shown as fighting against civilization that is represented by the floating house. The storm has essentially made human life impossible because it has ravaged human residences, probably rendering them homeless. Through this episode, the author presents yet another case of such clash. The difference is that nature is represented by an inanimate entity - the potent storm. Likewise, the inanimate house represents civilization. Twain thus continues to build upon the theme of nature and civilization conflicting.  

Conversely, although they are made-up, the experiences that The Duke and The King undergo illustrate the theme of nature conflicting with civilization through their claim that tough seas made them miss their way. For example, the 2 men - who eventually turn out to be con artists  allege that a mishap at sea made them to lose their way. Through such a description, the author again shows nature wrecking havoc on civilization. Nature is in this case represented by the storms that hamper the duos travels by making them lose their way (Twain 414). On the other hand, the 2 obviously enlightened mens lives before the sea accident denotes civilization. By rendering The Duke and The King helpless victims of its acts, nature is shown to be an impediment to human civilized activities. Twain thus uses The Duke and The Kings made-up tales to further illustrate the theme of nature conflicting with civilization.

In conclusion, through his The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tale, Twain consistently threads the theme of nature being in conflict with nature through the actions and experiences of characters like Finn, Jim, as well as The Duke and The King. Moreover, the phenomenon of the floating house also illustrates this theme. For example, Jims act of escaping from Miss Watson illustrates the slaves natural inclination be free. In turn, this action challenges civilizations concept of slavery. Nature thus contradicts civilization through Jims escape. Further, Finns moral dilemma as to whether or not to disclose Jims whereabouts denotes nature (Finns humanity) contradicting with civilization - the acceptability of slavery. Moreover, Finns desire to be free from Miss Watsons apparently excessive patronage shows civilization being challenged by nature. Finns natural adventurousness contradicts civilizations requirement that the boy be neat and orderly. On the other hand, the Duke and Kings insincere tales serve to illustrate the theme of nature conflicting with civilization. For example, the two conmen allege that an accident at sea made them to lose their way. Once more, through this dishonest allegation, Twain shows civilization conflicting with nature. The tempest that makes The Duke and The King to lose their way denotes nature. On the other hand, The Duke and The Kings desire to be once more with their relatives signify civilization. Twain thus demonstrates nature disrupting civilized life.  

In this paper, you will read about the major literary elements of a story. These would be the characters, which are the main persons described and talked about all through out the story the settings, the place and time where the story is held or presumably held the conflict or the major problem that had given the story a continuous flow and the theme which is the over all atmosphere and impact of the whole story. Three literary masterpieces would be tackled in these paper that would be later compared with each other by their literary elements.

The literary world nowadays had indeed evolved into something stupendous and vaguer than what the written works of the 15th to 19th century had shown to us. Hypothetically, these changes are made to suite the tastes of the readers and audiences of todays generation. But even though it seems that the ideas of the present writers has popped into nowhere, if you analyze their works basic components, you will see something or might as well read something that that can make you feel something like dejavu, well indeed, youre feeling it right.

Let us start from the freshest faces on the literary word, as of this decade, Stephenie Meyer has undoubtedly stole everyones breathe away by her phenomenal work The Twilight Saga. This series is composed of four official books (the fifth one hasnt been published yet because of some leakage issues) has been garnering an average income of 32 million dollars on its debut release. The story is about a normal teenage girl named Bella Swan who moved into Forks USA with her father. She then met this boy named Edward Cullen who is a 104 years old vampire then later would be falling in love with each other. On the later part of the story, they would be engaged into different problems regarding the necessities within themselves and the people around them, highlighting the fact that they both are from different and contradicting worlds.  The second installment of the book, The Twilight Saga New Moon, would be focusing more on how the two lovers, Edward and Bella would deal with the fact that Bellas life is on the edge of death whenever he is with Edward and his family, an extend family of vampires. Jacob Black, a werewolf and Bellas best friend, would be having most of the scenes with Bella since Edward ran away. It is in the later part of the story that Jacob would confess to Bella how he is deeply in loved with her. On the third installment, The Twilight Saga Eclipse, the story would revolve about how Victoria, a vampire who would take revenge on the Cullens clan for her husband James that was killed on the first book because he intended to kill Bella. Victoria would form a new set of young vampires to defeat them. The Cullens would see a helping hand with the pack of werewolves to save Bella from the young ones. On the latest series, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn, Edward and Bella would struggle their way to save their daughter Renesme from the hands of the voulturi, the elders of the vampires. The voulturi had realized that Renesme is not a pure blood vampire since she was conceived by Bella while she is still on his mortal state.

The story has gained criticisms and negative reactions from the viewers. They said that the story was a great clich and a major downfall. But indeed, the avid readers could never get enough of the story. The storys theme of having a forbidden love from two different creatures had won the hearts of the people especially teenage girls. Edward and Bellas struggle on keeping their hand with each other despite of almost everything would really make you wish that you are in the shoes of Bella. All the characters, including the supportive roles, have their own personality which is unique from the others has also helped the impact of the story. Their characters have received positive feedbacks and even their own fans clubs. The story sure is a fiction, but its ending is not tragic. The two lovers have still managed to find their happy ending with their daughter.  But then, just like any other stories, The Twilight Saga has its failures and clich which is just not a downfall, but only an opportunity of improvement.

Here is one of the good reviews The Twilight Saga had received from well know people all around the globe. This is from Becky Anderson of Andersons Bookshop

What a totally amazing debut Twilight is that rare story that combines suspense, desire, love and friendship with an awesome twist on the vampire genre Both young adults and adults will be sucked into Edwards and Bellas world and beg for more, especially after they turn the last page. I cant wait for the next book

On the early period of 18th century, Romanticism and other romantic literary movement have emerged. One of the most popular writers of that time was Edgar Allan Poe. His works are the best examples for tragic series and poems. He is said to use illegal drugs at the time he was doing all his works, the effect of those drugs had indeed reflected on all his works, making it a bit complicated yet very excellent.

One of his best works would be the poem Annabel Lee. Readers have concluded that this poem was made out of the depression of Edgar Allan Poe because of the death of his wife Virginia.

The third to the fifth paragraph of Annabel Lee, a poem of Edgar Allan Poe

And this was the reason that, long ago,In this kingdom by the sea,A wind blew out of a cloud, chillingMy beautiful Annabel LeeSo that her highborn kinsman cameAnd bore her away from me,To shut her up in a sepulchreIn this kingdom by the sea.The angels, not half so happy in heaven,Went envying her and me-Yes- that was the reason (as all men know,In this kingdom by the sea)That the wind came out of the cloud by night,Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the loveOf those who were older than we - Of many far wiser than we - And neither the angels in heaven above,Nor the demons down under the sea,Can ever dissever my soul from the soulOf the beautiful Annabel Lee

The poems main story is about a boy, assume that it is Edgar Allan Poe, who is telling the story about her only love which is said to be Virginia who had died because of her illness on respiratory system which is known as Tuberculosis. Often times, critiques and readers had concluded that almost half of his tragic works was inspired because of the death of is wife.

The settings of this story is concreted as the seashore of the beach but to be more broad and by analyzing the poem deeply, youll see that Edgar Allan Poe is trying portray the trials and the obstacles of the whole, mortal life. The main and the only character stated on this story would be the girl Annabel Lee, but just like the settings of the story, it can greatly represent other abstract personification, Annabel Lee would be the true love of Edgar Allan Poe which is his wife Virginia. The story of the poem had circulated with the major conflict which would be the death of Annabel Lee.

As for this poem, though it has a tragic ending unlike the earlier stated story which is the Twilight Saga, the two lovers, Annabel Lee and the narrator had still managed to prove and pursue their true love between each other despite the death of Annabel Lee.

The third literary masterpiece that this paper would tackle would be best introduced by this verse from the Bible

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.-- 1 Corinthians 134-7

This Bible verse was widely known by the whole world by the help of the romantic novel by Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember. This is a romantic drama story published on 1999 and filmed on 2002.

The story indeed is a clich about young and teenage love. But maybe, it is because how Nicholas Sparks had put everything into words, the story has really made not just the teenage girls but almost everyone cry. The story has proved and showed that rue love blooms on the most unexpected people and place, and would just end on the most unexpected reason.

The story revolves between Jamie Sullivan, played by the pop singer Mandy Moore. Jamie is a pastors daughter, who is known to be a loner, bookish and a quiet person. She is often teased by other kids because of her looks and specifically, because of her only sweater. But Jamie would never mind about what the people are saying upon her. She will meet Landon Carter, a hard headed and rebellious student who was about to be expelled from their school because of a frank he and his friends played to one of their classmates leading him to almost die. To avoid being expelled, Landon was given a second chance by the schools administration. He was commanded to teach disadvantaged students and participate on one of the schools musical play. All throughout the process, he would be working with Jamie, that will son be leading him to all deeply in love with her.

At the first phase of the story, the conflict between the two protagonists, Jamie and Landon, would be the social difference between them. Landon used to be one of the peers that are making fun of the not-so-cool students, and Jamie is one of them. But as the story goes, Landon realized that it was not the biggest fight they would have to face. Jamie confessed to Landon that she was diagnosed with Leukemia and she had stopped from responding to treatments. Landon was so miserable at first, but because of Jamies explanation and motivation, he had slowly accepted the terrible truth. According to Jamie, she has no reasons to be angry with God. Contrary to what people expected, that Jamie might survive and live happily ever after with Landon, Jamie had died.

The setting of the story is just a simple town where differences and major conflicts can produce a true love. The fact that the story might just happen to everyone had contributed to its overall impact. The readers had confessed that when they were reading the novel, there was a part of them that wishes to be Jamie, who would find someone like Landon that would love them truthfully and eternally, despite of all the circumstances. The characters had both delighted the readers they can eventually have a deep connection to each one of them.

These literary masterpieces stated on this paper, The Twilight Saga, Annabel Lee and A Walk to Remember might have different settings, theme and different other aspects  but the three of them have a major thing in common how the protagonist had survived their love through the end of the story.

The Twilight Saga has most contradicting plot among all three. The Twilight Saga is on the form of fiction unlike the Annabel Lee and A Walk to remember that might just happen in reality. The characters of the story were mostly superficial like vampires and werewolves whom we all know that would never come to the mortal world. And also, The Twilight Saga was the only one who had managed to have a happy ending, where the two protagonist or the two lovers had made it till the end, together despite the fact that indeed, Twilight have the most numbers of conflict within the story.

But then again these three stories had successfully shown the modern brilliance of the literary world.

Writers Note The theme of the story is the continuous feeling of marginalization within minority cultures in the case of the unnamed protagonist of the story, he feels marginalization both in his ethnic origins of being a Native American, as well as with his sexual preference. Set at an undisclosed Native American Reservation, this state of living as a minority since birth has led to the characters passive indifference towards many things. However, after a recent falling out with a former relationship, the protagonist is overwhelmed by a desire to set things straight, if only for immediate satisfaction. It aims at airing out the frustrations of those often singled out and discriminated against and seeks to open up readers - particularly those who are still prejudiced and biased over race and sexuality  into understanding how hard it is to be on the other side of that discrimination.

Red Alert

A steady stream of cigarette smoke rises into nothingness from the stick I have just lit up. I wait in total darkness in the shadow of a trading post. A cab stops nearby at a reservation convenience store leaving its lights on, its beams splashing over me and the ground on which I stand.  I count the twelve cigarette butts that start to pile up, giving me a rough estimate of how long Ive been standing here. Okay, maybe nothing accurate but I figure someone who got to smoke 12 sticks in one spot would have been waiting there for a reaaally long time, long enough to bore you into smoking a dozen cigarettes. I dont mind, though. Im a pretty patient guy, and this hasnt been the longest I stayed out here in the dark, waiting.

Once at an experiment on human behavior back in the community college I went to, the local headshrinking society had people sign up to be guinea pigs. I figured theyre just gonna be observing me, so what the heck. I get extra credit for practically doing nothing. A bunch of us were led to a room and asked to be seated to wait for the testing proper to begin. We waited for hours. People got fidgety, then annoyed, then cranky. One by one the people left the room. I was last to leave after what seemed like half a day of sitting in that room. Turns out they were already testing us since we walked into the room, something about a persons breaking point or patience level or some other psychobabble. Sickos. The cab leaves and Im once again swallowed by the shadows. When is he coming out I begin to think if hes even home. The lights in his room say he is, though.

Me and Kirk were together for the better part of college. I met him in Spanish class. We got paired up to do this presentation where I managed to mumble out what little Spanish I learned from class. We had to rehearse our parts though, and that meant seeing each other after hours. Didnt really expect anything to come off it, him being white and having a girlfriend at the time. I certainly didnt think hed ask me to hang out more after the great big Lost Tourist Needs Directions to the Bathroom Presentation of ours. Us Navajos were rarely seen going out with a white guy before, and living my life as a redskin, I could say that I was pretty much used to it by then.

I take a drag, my face lit up a warm orange by the stirred embers from the deathstick in my mouth. I figure its getting late, and the last thing Id ever want to happen is to get mugged in some dark reservation dirt road, stalking an ex. Hnh. That came out unexpected. I never really thought of what I was doing as stalking before. I figure any man should be able talk to his man should he feel like it, insteada being cast aside like a person convicted without being given a fair trial, but I gotta admit, creeping in the shadows waiting for the guy to come out or even just show up does seem like the perfect description of stalking. A hunter among the hunted, like my people before me. Yeah, right.

I take another drag, throw down the butt and stomp it out. That was the last of the pack and I aint sticking around without a cig. I barely have enough money for the bus, so the convenience store is out of the question. Besides, I never really got used to the looks I get whenever I come in in the wee hours at any convenience store. Colored guy walks in a 7-11 at night, you automatically think hes a bad guy. Sound the alarms. Raise the drawbridge. Grab your torches and pitchforks and all that jazz. Us Navajo get used to it, but then eventually gets tired of it altogether. I go on then and pull up my hood for the walk to the bus stop. Just then, a cop car pulls over, starts asking me questions.

Can I help you, Sir Alright, what are you up to
Evening, officer, is there a problem What did I not do this time
We received reports on suspicious activity in this area and decided to check it out. You wouldnt happen to have noticed anything, have you Beat it if you dont want any trouble
Nope. Didnt see nothing. Sorry chief. Thanks for looking out for us though. Ill head home now I didnt do nothing, fascist pig.
Alright, best you stay indoors, sir. This citys a dangerous place after hours. Youre lucky I dont have anything on you.
Will do sir, yall stay safe now. Go home, white man.
Thanks, you too. Yeah you better run.

The fuzzcar pulls away. Since I was a kid I have been discriminated against because of the color of my skin. You cannott blame me now for thinking the worst out of people. You try going through those judgmental looks day after day.

I round the last corner just in time to catch the bus leaving the stop. No sense chasing after it, everyone knows how bus drivers take pleasure in watching panting people shrink into the distance in their side mirrors. Buncha sadists. Wouldnt have to put up with them if I hadnt loaned my car to the folks. Bad enough I have to drive around in a beat up gas-guzzling clunker, the inconvenience of actually not having it just makes it worse. Mom accidentally drove off a dirtroad last week and banged up the transmission on their old SUV real bad, I had to lend them my ride while theirs stays at the dealer. I spend the last of my money on more smokes and decide to foot it.

The walk home leaves me to my thoughts. I hate it when Im left to my thoughts. I get all overanalytical which tends to have me screw everything up. Id rather act on my toes, not really take the time to think things through. Sure, I ended up in more trouble than I hoped to be in, but even if I think everything through and everything works out fine, I get this nagging feeling that somehow, it wouldve been better had I left everything to fate. But then again, its that kind of thinking that got me in this situation with Kirk in the first place.

Weeks after the Spanish Improv Theater, Me and Kirk were just hanging out at his dorm room, watching a crappy B-Movie with werewolves and aliens while having pizza and beer. We were laughing really loud and I dropped a pepperoni on my collar. Suddenly hecame onto me and we kind of took things from there. We had to keep it secret from everyone though, especially his girlfriend. Soon we were making the most of the private time we had together and one time we thought his girlfriend would be out of town for a week, she comes home a day early and catches us together in bed. Suffice to say they broke up and He didnt want anything to do with me ever since. Now call me old-fashioned but I think I deserve to give him a piece of my mind as well.

I step in shit. This night keeps getting better and better. I try to find anything to wipe it off, but the immediate surroundings are surprisingly litter-free. Wheres trash when you need it I cautiously limp over to the gutter and try to scrape off the shit onto the sidewalk. I look around for the cops, half-expecting to see them and turn me in for some stupid offense or something. Im in shit and still I expect more. Story of my life. I light another ciggie, if only to mask the smell of shit. A lesser evil to my nostrils to negate the evil smell of shit.

Like with the shit that went down between me and Kirk, I suppose the cigarettes also help me mask it out, as it leaves me in a state of calmness  kinda like meditation  what with the deep breathing as well. Right. I made that up. I should work as a speech writer for campaigning politicians with all the bullshit I use to justify my actions. I sit on a curb in front of a drugstore and take in the nicotine from my smokes. I once read somewhere that the effects of nicotine in the body works in a way which is kinda like how eating triggers pleasure when youre hungry. Not that cigarettes fill you up or anything, what Im trying to say is that when youre hungry, and you eat, youre filling a need that is currently lacking in you -  in this case, food  but what exactly does nicotine satiate
 My thinking is interrupted by a tap on my shoulder from behind. Kirk.
Hey
Hey
I saw you from my window. I couldnt see your face but I knew it was you. The steady glow of the cigarette could only mean you taking long drags again. He said.
So was it you who tipped the cops then
Yeah.
Figured. Dont worry, it probably wont happen again.
Yeah. It was getting kinda creepy, you hanging around the house like that. Anyway, I thought it was best to get it over with, once and for all
I get up. As I turn to face him, I give him a huge punch to the jaw. The blow brings him to his knees as he spits blood out. That was all I needed to say. I tell him. I turned to walk home. I was tired and cold and hungry and all I wanted to do was get some rest and yet, I had a glow from within, a sense of lightness, like a huge burden was lifted from me. I revel in the thought, like a piece of me has been restored. But life catches up and I figure its probably just the buzz from the cigarettes.
I light up my last cigarette, savoring every puff, I walk home. Not quite as justified as I thought I would be, but then again, when did I ever feel justified anyway Deep inside, Ill always feel something wrong. If not by my thoughts, then by those of others.

The stories, The Leap and Shiloh show women who are trying to play the roles of being a good mother and a loving wife. Bobbie Ann Masons short story Shiloh tells the story of a marriage with serious problems and also portrays a mother who is concern about the welfare of her child.  On the other hand, Louise Erdrichs The Leap shares the story of a struggling mother who wants to save her child and live a happy life.  Indeed, being a mother is complicated. There are so many things that you need to sacrifice to be able to provide what is best for your family. In Shiloh, Mabel Beasley tries very hard to help her daughter overcome some personal and family problems. On the other hand, in The Leap, Anna Avalon chooses her child over her husband. Ironically, despite of the struggles of Mabel and Anna Avalon, they both end up losing their husbands and their children.

The couple in Shiloh, Leroy and Norma Jean Moffitt, are working-class people living in the modern South, and thus they bring into their marriage all sorts of expectations of who they should be, which often contrasted with who they are and who they are becoming. Fate intervened in their marriage. Leroy who is a truck driver injured his leg in an accident and can no longer drive. For him, his occupation reveals his identity and since he can no longer practice it, he cant figure out anymore anything else to do. To be able to survive and uplift the state of the family, Norma Jean takes over being the breadwinner. She begins lifting the weights and becomes really determined to build up muscles, Id give anything if I could just get these muscles to where theyre real hard, she says (Mason, p. 1). Norma Jean is actually trying to play the role of Leroy which is being the provider and big guy in the family.

Norma Jeans mother Mabel is the antagonist in Shiloh. She named Norma Jean after the movie star Marilyn Monroe whose real name is Norma Jean Baker. Glamor and a flawless appearance are the things she idolizes. When Leroy realizes the predicament of living with his wife again and trying to live with his mother-in-laws visits, he begins to talk about a new life, about building a log cabin- a permanent place for him and Norma Jean to start over. Mabel eventually stops belittling the idea and merely set her coffee cup down on the blueprints in passive disapproval. The rugged terrain of Shiloh was her idea of better days- long before she had Norma Jean, her perpetual disappointment. She relentlessly reminds Norma all of the events that led her to marry Leroy. She firmly believes that the marriage itself is a huge mistake. Mabel thought the couple would benefit from traveling to the Confederate battleground at Shiloh, Tennessee so she suggested them to go there (Mason, p. 4). Eventually, Leroy suggested Mabel to fly with them to Shiloh.

Flying may have been scary to Mabel, but it is second nature to Anna Avalon. As she soared over the past, the real world, and her husband, Anna seems to be the protagonist, the phoenix to Mabel, the crotchety crow rummaging mournfully through the ashes to devour any remnants of life. Anna hold three audiences captive a circus tent of patients, her adoring second husband and daughter, and the reader. She is the protagonist standing brave and solitary at center stage. Her bravery is evident when she saved her daughters life during a house fire and paradoxically smiled as she propelled herself over the flames with her child. The narrator sees heroism in two matters which seem- at first glance- to be simple survival of the body and survival of the soul.

The mothers acted differently in different situations but they both desired the same thing which was to save their children from misery and tried everything to keep themselves from falling apart. Mabel never lived her own life because she wanted to live with her daughter and to fix the grave injustice which resulted in her daughters embarrassing pregnancy. Mabel believed that the person to be blamed and the reason of this injustice was Norma Jeans husband Leroy. The premarital pregnancy was unforgivable for Norma Jean but what was even harder for her to accept was the loss of her child which was the only reason why she married Leroy whom her mother disapproved.

There was a moment when Mabel sat relaxed as she related the account of the dachshund that gnawed away a childs legs and killed it. She expounded, presumably warning Norma about her husband rather than trying to reveal her nature Datsuns are like that. Theyre jealous dogs. Theyll tear a place to pieces if you dont keep your eyes on them

( Mason, p. 7). This statement conveyed the idea that Mabel was actually pointing at her daughter as the cause of the babys death. Although her daughter could not have prevented the childs death, seeing her son lifeless and limp and heavy like a sack of flour was no easier for Norma Jean to shake off than her mothers obvious accusatory reference.

On the other hand, Anna Avalon was selfless, admirable, and spirited. The heroes of young children were often costumed, good-looking, men and women with amazing abilities- people that they have watched every Saturday morning as they saved the world. It must have been surreal for the narrator to fly with Superwoman. It must have been more surprising yet to look up and see that the Superwoman whisking you away from danger was none other than your own half-naked mother wearing pearls.

Anna never complained and never challenged lifes ability to provide her with more and better opportunities. Her daughter wrote that the inability to read remains the greatest difficulty of her blindness there is no one to read to her. Annas sadness focused more on her personal lack of companionship than the loss of her husband. Whether it was a defense technique of avoidance or her acceptance of death, the narrators cursory, quirky, perhaps even unconscious, condemnation of her mother, make the great Anna Avalon the bad guy, the begrudging antagonist. The narrator of The Leap returns to play the hero to her mother for once Annas daughter says this in a way- that her purpose was to return from her failed life to read long into the dark if I must. It would seem that the narrator has been living in the dark of her mothers shadow but cannot bear to cast the Wonder Woman dreams away. The harsh truth is that we can only be human and look even more fallible next to the saints.

If you were not properly introduced to Annas character, then you might assume that the irony of progressing from playing blind to actually becoming blind was fates commentary on her oedipal choices. The ability to let your husband go in a split-second decision and not look back is depicted as heroic, as is the mothers never-look-back approach to courting another man while recovering from the unfortunate accident that killed her husband.

The difference in the reader perception of the two mothers lies in the depiction and the ability to read between the printed lines. Mabel is a nagging high-and-mighty dowager, and Anna is the Virgin Mary figure. Why This was because the daughters told the reader what to think, we see them through that narrow window. Norma Jean and Anna are both survivors of loss. Norma Jean literally pretends it never happened, and Anna moves on without a second thought. The reader can sit idly by and criticize both courses of action, but both short stories clearly illustrate one point in death there are no survivors. Sitting beside the cemetery in Shiloh, frantically trying to reach Norma Jean through the haze of people obscuring her from his reach, Mabel finally succeeds to help Norma Jean bury all of her humanity in Shiloh. So, always be careful in what you wish for.