American Literature

In the narrative of her capture and three month imprisonment during the late winter and early spring of 1676, Mary Rowlandson describes her ordeal through descriptions of her captors and environment with the added perspective of Christian scripture. The use of scripture is not merely an indicator of Rowlandsons own religious inclination toward Puritanism but also creates religious parable of her strife. This parable emerges throughout her narrative, aligning Rowlandson with the suffering of such biblical characters as Job and the tribe of Israelites both of whom suffered through the will and lessons of God to attain a greater faith. While the Israelites had the Egyptians and the great unknown of the desert to contend with, Rowlandson is being tested with the vast New England wilderness and the alienness of the native tribes. Within the patterns of Mary Rowlandsons day-to-day and religious observations, she clearly delineates the lines between herself as one of Gods children and the Native Americans as godless heathens, who represent a trial and test to Christian faith.

God and scripture are a presence in Rowlandsons from the beginning of her narrative, though less prevalent than it becomes as her own situation becomes alternately dire and hopeful as the months of captivity pass by. In the introduction, which describes the murder and gathering of her neighbors and family by the Native Americans, Rowlandson makes little initial reference to the Bible as she is caught up in the descriptions of the atrocities that accompanied her capture. However, even within this first section, the parallels between her story of attrition and that of Job are clearly drawn (213). Like the biblical martyrs feels that her capture is retribution for lacking piety and devotion, I remembered how careless I had been of Gods holy time how many Sabbaths I had lost and misspent, and how evilly I had walked in Gods sight which lay so close unto my spirit, that it was easy for me to see how righteous it was with God to cut off the thread of my life and cast me out of His presence forever (215). Even before the natives become a divine trial of faith by being connected with the tribulations of Job, they are presented as a complete antithesis to God and Christian ideals.

Alternately called merciless Heathen, Infidel (212) and black creatures (213), the natives become hellish fiends in the eyes of Rowlandson. Even the charity of the, at first, few who helped to feed her and traded with or helped her is lost on Rowlandson. In initially casting the natives as unredeemable in the eyes of God, she does not sway in her conviction. From the beginning separated in her view from salvation, even the continued good fortune and survival of the natives does not prompt Rowlandson to reexamine her views of Gods attitudes toward her captives. Instead, within her illusions to the martyred heroes of scripture, the natives survival plays into the larger view of their existence being for the sole designs of the Creator is testing his flock. Noting the British soldiers inability to provide rescue Rowlandson excuses this too as part of a larger plan, God did not give them courage or acuity to go over after us we were not ready for so great a mercy as victory and deliverance if we had been, God would have found out a way for the English to have passed the River (219). It is interesting that Rowlandson at no point rebukes the tribes right to existence but is nevertheless certain that they are both an affront to and a lesson from God for his chosen people, Puritans like herself.

Throughout the narrative, despite and perhaps because of the heavy reliance on scripture, Rowlandson does not fail to make note of both the cruel and the charitable amongst the tribe. However, no matter how well intentioned, the Native American tribes continued disbelief in the religious and cultural ideologies of Christianity and European civilization doom them from the beginning. She and the other white Christian captives Rowlandson encounters is, to Rowlandson, a shining beacon in Gods plan. She survives through her belief and comfort in the word of God alone denying herself the concept of self-preservation and therefore the capability of individuality, Rowlandson equally condemns the natives as a whole to the role of immoral heathens, who are in their existence mere tools of God to be used and discarded.

One of the most critical period in human development is said to be from birth to infancy. According to Erik Erikson, trust is to be established between the child and its primary care giver, usually the mother. One can perceive that The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and The Golden  Compass by Philip Pullman have plots and interesting characters that not only entertain its readers but also establish important lessons about the growth and development of children. The novels portray the importance of parent-child relationship that, in reality, people tend to forget. Human personality is shaped based ones life experiences and personal relationships. Individuals have different attitudes towards life and surroundings. Each persons relationships and daily human interactions affect his whole being from birth to old age. The mother supposedly should have the greatest influence upon her child since she was the childs primary care giver and trust should have been established. However, this is not always the case. In the two novels presented, one can see how the lack of maternal bonding shaped the life of the main characters.

The two novels have a rich and lively array of characters. Both novels have children as their main characters. It is very much interesting to read about the thoughts that run through the mind of a child. It is much more exciting since as children, they are prone to be adventurous and imaginative.  The vast characters written in both novels added to their charm. Each child and their relationship to the adults in the novels has been well illustrated.

In The Secret Garden, there are three children that one can read about. These three children were outstanding in terms of their personality and the changes that happened in the story.

Mary Lennox is the girl who lost her parents in a foreign country. This is one fact that may be traumatic for other children but not to Mary.  Mary was practically raised by Indian servants who gave in to her every desire and whim. During her years of growing up, she did not have a real relationship with both her parents.  In the novel, her mother was described as a  great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people  (Burnett  7). She was a vain and selfish woman for the reason that she did not wish to see the child often. Mary only remembered her as being beautiful but not for any one motherly act. Mary thought that her mother  was such a tall, slim, pretty person and wore such lovely clothes. Her hair was like curly silk and she had a delicate little nose which seemed to be disdaining things, and she had large laughing eyes. All her clothes were thin and floating, and Mary said they were  full of lace  (Burnett 9)

Growing up without proper guidance and always having her own way with servants made Mary a very difficult child to deal with. She was violent and insulting to the native Indian servants. One instance was when she woke up and was displeased not to find her Ayah (personal servant) instead she found another servant, she kicked and shouted at her. She also thought of things to insult her Ayah, Pig Pig Daughter of Pig  To call somebody a native a pig is the worst insult of all. (Burnett 8). She did not have any friends in India for she proclaimed how she disliked them. She was even teased by Mrs. Crawfords children through a song,  Mistress Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow With Silver bells, and cockle shells, And marigolds all in a row.  (Burnett 14). She was close to having a blunt affect, not caring much what others think of her and feeling detached. Her feelings towards her mother was superficial,  but as she knew very little of her she could scarcely have been expected to love her or to miss her very much when she was gone. She did not miss her at all, in fact  (Burnett 13). She turned her face away as Mrs. Crawford tried to give her a kiss. Indeed, this is a sad image of a lonely girl.

However, her personality changed when she was sent back to England. People around her started to take notice and give her attention as well as affection. She became friends with Martha, Mr. Ben Weatherstaff and Dixon. She acquired a motherly figure in the persona of Mrs. Susan Sowerby. In the novel, she once thought that  when Martha told stories of what  mother  said or did they always sounded comfortable  (Burnett 52). These relationships she formed changed her personality, her thoughts and even her physical health. She finally received love and support that eventually sparked her interests in the environment and helped her change other people too, like her cousin, Colin.

The Golden Compass gives its readers another little girl with an adventurous and curious attitude towards life. Lyra is said to be an orphaned girl who lives with scholars in Jordan College. Being raised by mostly male scholars, she had a boyish attitude which portrayed her as being strong yet unrefined in her actions. She was said to be rebellious in the eyes of adults for she often disobeyed rules like going to forbidden places like the Retiring Room and performed tricks like trying to sink Gyptian boats. Her attitude was attributed by adults for her loneliness. There was an instance in the novel where she was consoled by a priest,  You see, none of us would want you to miss all the usual childhood pleasures and pastimes. I sometimes think it must be a lonely life for you here among a company of elderly scholars, Lyra. Do you feel that  (Pullman 19). She shrugged at the concern and denied that she feels lonely. Lyras attitude was made  little refined when she was made assistant by a Mrs. Coulter. She experienced how it was to be  a little girl,  and then they went shopping. Everything on this extraordinary day was the most dizzying  (Pullman 27). She acted like a mother towards Lyra,  then a bath, with thick scented foam. Mrs. Coulter came into the bathroom to wash Lyras hair and she didnt rub and scrap like Mrs. Lonsdale either , she was gentle --- then after the bath, a warm drink with milk and herbs and a new flannel nightdress with printed flowers and a seal loped hem and sheep skin slippers  (Pullman 27).

However, Lyra had a short-lived fantasy of having Mrs. Coulter as a mother for she learned that she was being spied at by Mrs. Coulter. She also learned of the awful things the lady did and so she ran away from her. She learned that she was not to be trusted. Meanwhile, Lyra discovered about her biological parents, Lord Asriel as her father and Mrs. Coulter as her mother. Lyra still chose her own path in the matter. Her independent actions  can be attributed to the fact that she grew up without parental supervision in her life and she decided for herself. She also thought how ill her mother was for lying to her after Mrs. Coulter saved her and her daemon Pan from intercision and even dared harm her. Lyras thoughts were  Oh, Wicked liar, oh the shameless untruths she was telling And even if Lyra hadnt known them to be lies, she would have hated it with a furious passion  (Pullman 93). She has her own beliefs and principles and she stood by them even at a young age. This can also be perceived how little trust Lyra has for her real mother who supposedly be the one she should trust the most.

In both the novels, it was illustrated that there are mothers who cannot play their role towards their children. Readers were introduced to the biological mothers of the main characters, Mrs. Lennox and Mrs. Coulter. They were described to be very beautiful, charming but vain and selfish. One can see that their detachment from their children severed the girls. Mary was a self-absorbed, unhappy and ill child while Lyra was a boyish, stubborn and naughty girl. These two mothers were interested only in the good things in life like shopping, social events and power. It can be said that they just gave birth to their daughters but did not fulfill their role as mother.

Mrs. Lennox did not even want to see her child and let a stranger care for her. She did not even bother check on her from time to time but she had time to attend parties.

Mrs. Coulter craved for power and had little concern for her daughter. She did not present herself as a mother to her own child.  Even though, she did her materials things and cared for her for a little while, she let her be for years. Being a mother should be a full-time job.

One can refer to Mrs. Susan Sowerby as a magnificent mother to her children. She understood that the two worst things for children are to be spoiled and to be left alone. She also knew how children can benefit from each other, how their interactions can shape their bodies and mind. She was the one who gave love and support even from a distance to children she never even saw. She has a pure heart and great motherly instinct that worked its magic towards disagreeable children.

The OP-Ed article which I chose was contained in the Santa Fe New Mexican on Friday, May 7th, 2010 on page A-7. The article was written by Michael Shermer who lists himself as the publisher of Skeptic magazine and an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University. He also lists himself as an author. The Santa Fe New Mexican piece was a reprint from the Los Angeles Times.

The title of the article is what originally intrigued me and as I read this opinion piece I realized that I was basically in agreement with him. His thesis which he succinctly summarizes in the last paragraph is that what a lot of people wish for now are the good old days were not so good. He points to many examples in the article of the advantages of today. He acknowledges that modern society has its problems but society has always had its problems and probably always will. He suggests that rather than neglect or ignore problems we ought to recognize that modern society has advantages which surpass those  of any other time in history and that if we focus on the present and accept its challenges humanity can achieve a better future. But, I guess I may be getting ahead of my analysis.

He starts his piece by discussing the relative poverty of a small Brazilian village today and relates it to how most of the worlds population would have existed or subsisted 10,000 years ago. He compares the scarce resources those people have to what the residents of what he calls the village of Manhattan has today. The variety of products and services that are available to the average person are in his words phenomenal.  I am not an advocate that material wealth is the only measure of a person. Although a good deal of the article relates to conveniences, Mr. Shermer does not fall into the trap that is all there is to life. He points out that in past times people expended most of there time just trying to obtain the resources necessary to survive, had a far shorter life expectancy, were more likely to prey upon another or be preyed up.

He does not short change the problems of modern society. He acknowledges them readily.

I believe that this article emphasizes true American values the pursuit of happiness, a willingness to step up to the problems of society, and a resolve to solve them. Mr. Shermer may be a cheerleader for our way of life. He may be a dreamer, but dreams can become a reality.

This opinion column or essay I think demonstrates a good form. It opens with the statement that environmentalists and others portray a gloomy future. He makes a strong argument that we do live in the best of times and concludes with the fact that for more people than in most times in history, life is good.

Ralph Waldo Emerson has been well-known for his extensive essay entitled Nature where he made an input about his personal observations about life and the human experience. The essay which is composed of eight parts reflects his view about Idealism. Emerson was one of the vanguards of the Transcendentalist Movement which rose in the American society in the middle of the nineteenth-century. This movement espouses that reality is not constructed by the human mind hence, disempowering the human mind. Emerson claimed that the material world is only the expression of the real. He likewise favors intuition over reason and the moral and spiritual over the intellectual. For Emerson and the rest of the Transcendentalists, the nature which takes part of the material world is the highest source of reality. By consciously experiencing Nature, we make ourselves closer to the Ideal.

Unlike Berkeleys perception of the Ideal, Emerson puts forth that the Ideal can be pursued on a metaphysical level. This cannot be pursued by mans philosophizing and excessive reliance on material facts and details, as Berkeley suggested. What Emerson offered as an alternative is to imbibe the Ideal by simply experiencing life and raising the notch of this experience. Through Nature, Emerson claimed, the human experience is heightened and the Ideal is nearly perfected.

In the introduction of Nature, he wrote that the most abstract truth is the most practical. A true theory is one that has itself as its very evidence. He stated that there are answers to everything  that there is an Ideal that can be attained by man and this ideal can be clarified by our engagement with Nature. It is not man where the truth and the ideal emanate from it is from the nature -- the not man.

In the first two parts of the essay entitled Nature and Commodity, he expressed his view of Nature as an ideal thing. Nature is heavenly. It is the intercourse of heaven and earth which transports us away from the worldly and mundane. In this engagement, we derive a feeling of pleasure. This pleasure does not emanate only from nature, but from the harmony between man and nature. Moreover, Emerson stated that nature is a commodity in the sense that it provides for our human needs. In that sense, the perfection of the Nature can be achieved by our way of creating an intimate bond with it. As nature provides for our needs, what we give in return is our means of cultivating Nature.

In Chapter 6 of Emersons Nature entitled Idealism, Emerson started a philosophical gymnastic about truth and the challenges in verifying it. He said that our senses can deceive us, but that propensity of being cheated by our own body parts and understanding is dismissed immediately because we refuse to accept the fallibility of our senses. There is a difference between the observer and the spectacle. We are the observers and the Nature is the spectacle where we are subordinated we are mere observers of that grand spectacle so our senses are rendered weak in fully captivating that spectacle. Emerson gives more premium on the spiritual over the material, the mind over the matter. In that sense, he quashes the idea that Nature per se as we see it is the true beauty. It is not. Beauty lies on that abstract feeling we obtain from tasting and experiencing Nature. That is the ideal for him, the absolute. As he said, we behold unveiled the nature of Justice and Truth. We learn the differences between the absolute and the conditional. We apprehend the absolute. We do not see the absolute we just understand and feel it  through engaging with the Nature.

His next argument was his admiration and flattery for the poet as he is the only one who gives justice to the beauty and splendor of nature. The poet, with his skillful manipulation of language and the extent of control he has over it, is able to render nature in ways that are entirely different from what common people can do. Emerson said that language is the emblem of our thought. It is through language that we are able to signify our feelings and our deepest concerns and ideas. In that sense, the poet can signify his own musings and observations using language. As the poet witnesses the everlasting beauty of nature, he will be invoked to translate that beauty he sees into words which he writes. This contact with Nature heightens the spiritual component of the poet and only makes his craft much better.

Emerson also provided a comparison among the poet, the scientist and the philosopher. While all three of them share a passion to explore, to create and to make human life better, they differ in cause and in concern. The poet is largely interested in beauty  the beauty of language, the beauty of events he had experienced, and the beauty of the world in general, in which nature takes up a substantial part. The philosopher, however, is much concerned about the truth -- the nature of things, and how the world and everything in it came to be, whether physical or metaphysical. Emerson said that while both the poet and the philosopher likes to achieve a state of spiritual stability, the philosopher has a greater chance to be lost along the road since he has a greater tendency to let his thoughts get off his head first. He takes up most of his time seeking for an absolute truth  an explanation for all of the things and looks for that in the material world. Whereas the poet communes with Nature and creates a spiritual link with it to find meaning. The philosopher has the tendency to overly rely on what is immediately present and visible, refusing to see what lies beyond the surface of those things.

In the last part of the Chapter, Emerson sought to undermine the concept of religion and spirituality, as religion and spirituality often connotes that the body and the world are evil because they are worldly. Emerson also criticizes the idea that the only truth that is available for man to entertain is religious or spiritual truth. Nature arrives at a second-rate level truth where it is no longer regarded as it should be. Emerson frowns upon this scenario as he has extensively high regards for nature. Nature should be emphasized because it is where the Ideal germinates.

Emerson finishes the Chapter by demonstrating the relationship of people and nature. He emphasizes that there is a Supreme Being greater than nature and man combined therefore he affirms the presence of God as the source of man and nature. He respects the end and recognizes the apocalyptic claims of the Christian faith.

In the chapter entitled Spirit, Emerson stated that there is a force so mysterious that it eludes the grasp of the human mind  this spiritual force emerges from Nature. Having a grip of this spiritual force is an ideal case as we will be able to get out of our physical limitations. However despite our endeavors to analyze Nature and fully apprehend and experience it, we always fell short. This implies that the concept of Nature is so immense that it exceeds the breadth of mankind and our mental abilities.

The unifying spirit that binds mankind, nature, and the rest of the worlds phenomena is what keeps the process of creation revolving. But there is also a line in which Emerson said We are now so far from the road to truth (22). This tells us of the excesses we have created and brought to this world. In reference to Chapter 6, the innovation and invention we have created for ourselves are the largest forms of walls that separated us from nature. Surely, there will be more inventions to come in the future. The beginning of these inventions and the impossibility to put a stop on this technological revolution are the things that keep us away from the road to truth. What Emerson proposes is that we should revert to our old ways. We should start getting rid of excessive material things and begin living in a simplistic lifestyle. We should return to our Nature which we have forgotten with the advent of massive technology. Only by returning to Nature can we look for substance in our lives and move closer to the Truth.

Like Emerson, George Berkeley was also popular with his philosophizing about the Ideal. George Berkeley was most famous because of his Theory of Immaterialism, a theory wherein he claimed that humans can only know sensations and ideas of objects but not abstract things. Throughout the length of Nature, Emerson touched on some points made famous by Berkeley. In the middle part of Chapter 6, in the comparison among the scientist, the poet, and the philosopher, he implied that the scientist is in the worst state because he is relying mostly in abstraction. Scientists, especially mathematicians, refuse to study or begin a study with observation or anything tangible, which misleads them from finding the truth because their way of spiritualizing the physical world through mental process begins in a wrong point.

These points raised by Emerson match greatly with George Berkeleys Theory of Immaterialism. Both Emerson and Berkeley believe that to be able to arrive to the truth, one must begin with something tangible. Having the tangibles will be the best starting point in ones pursuit of the Truth. What Emerson specifically espoused is that we should begin with Nature the foundation and continuation of our existence. However, Berkeley was more particular with where not to begin, never pinpointing a particular point where man can begin in his pursuit of the Ideal and the Truth. He never mentioned that one must begin with nature. Emersons proposal is much better because he identifies a definite starting point for this quest. For Emerson, the Ideal can be attained by beginning with Nature and by continually communing and finding meaning in it.

A. Outline and discuss the various social and political problems with which modern Caribbean poets are concerned in their poetry.

I. Selfishness in Politics
In McDonald and Brown (1992), the author depicts the denunciation of poltical oppression and contemporary exploitation as the Caribbean people as they continuously fight for  clean and honest political environment centered on just public service.  Caribbean poets focus their attention on how much inconsistencies and political dilemmas have imposed a tremendous impact on the Caribbean pursuit for equality and justice. According to Carribean poets, the global politics is composed of  liberal politicians, selfish selfseekers-all who are good doing nothing at all  (as cited in McDonald and Brown, 1992, p. 133).

As such is said because up to the present, Caribbean people are still strugglling to find politicians who would heed their call for legislations and policies that recognize them as citizens capable of taking part in the industrialized set up of the world. Poetry in the Caribbean world talks about duty and obligation of politicians to proteect every citizen from harshness and to render each one a place wherein he can fully explore his full potentia (McDonald and Brown 1992). Those politicians fail render public service unselfishly and with impure intentions can be called as  morons, fanatics, priests and popes, organizing secretaries and party managers...  (as cited in McDonald and Brown, 1992, p. 133).

Racial Discrimination
Poetry has also been one of the platforms in which Caribbeans can express their aim to eliminate the stigma that comes with being black. Carribean authors also depicts the social abandonment of the black people as reflected upon the mentioning of the  broken shadow  that figuratively speaks of the broken spirit of a black person (as cited in McDonald and Brown, 1992, p. 135).  Carribean authors used themes of nature , animals and persona to convey emotions, particularly the sentiments of the Caribbean people concerning racial discrimination. At the very heart of Carribean poetry lies the emotional struggle of the Carribeans which is embedded finitely within their hearts, mind and soul. The authors such as  Gloria Escoffery speaks the sentiments of the Carribean people against discrimination using animals to figuratively speak of antagonism. In the poem, Mother Jackson Murders the Moon, the author describes that if a black person tries to cry for help,  the dog would skin his teeth at her, the cat wouild hoist his tail and pin the moonlit sky to the gutter the neighbours would maybe douse her in  chickens blood and hang her skin to dry on the packy tree  (as cited in McDonald and Brown, 1992, p. 74).

The Cultural Impact of Colonization
Carribean authors explore the impact of colonization to their culture by giving descriptions to mans simple gestures such as eating and through the adventures with nature reminiscent of the rasta background of the Carribean people. In the poem, English Girl Eats Her First Mango by John Agard, the manner in which the English girl eats her first mango signifies how culture has been westernized to the extent that even the most basic and natural way of eating mangoes can be redefined.

In the poem, the author says,   I had to tell she what hanky you talking bout you dont know when you eat mango you hanky is your tongue, man just lick you finger, you call that culture, lick you finger, you call that finger   (as cited in Mcdonald and Brown, 1992, p. 4).  This poem tells the readers how much colonization has caused social destruction in the ancestry of the Carribean people by penetrating deeply into their culture. A Caribbean author also talks how the Rasta man and his culture have ceased long time ago. In the poem, The Leaf in His Ear by Mahadai Das,  the author tells how much the  Rastaman, with knotty India hair, has long ago ceased  (as cited in McDonald and Brown, 1992, p. 73).

B.  Compare and contrast the poetry of the Afrocentric poet, Edward Kamau Brathwaite with the poetry of the Eurocentric poet, Derek Walcott.
The poetry of Edward Kamau Brathwaite provides historical linkages and happenings that have contributed to the establishment of black population in the Carribean region. His poems are identified as having experimental  linguistic and multilingual descriptions of African race in the West Indies. Both Derek Walcott and Brathwaite have endeavored on the development of a language that is able to connect with the readers confidently. As a Eurocentric poet, Walcott also uses that kind of language in its most intensifying, rich, nuanced and detailed forms that seem to outgrow the sophisticated expressions of the colonizers.
 
In the comparison of the two poets, clich reaction  within the literary realm has always uphold Brathwaite as the poet of people who embed historical and social themes that describe the problems of West Indians whereas Walcott is considered as the artist, a man who seeks to presennt reality through the exploration of art. Brathwaite can be deemed as the public poet who speak the cries of the community through poetry that intends to recreate the historical experience of the Africans in the contemporary world. Brathwaites poetry is more of an expression of a collective identity and his failure to express his personal emotions and reactions, an area which Eurocentric poet Walcott  is aware of.

Both of their poetry contain the strange use of the English language. It is evident in the works of Walcott that he uses the strangeness of the language in order to express his hesistance to be outside the realm of the English literature. Walcotts poems,, particularly The Spoilers Return and North and South are suggestive of American infection. It is in these poems that his angst shows up as he tries to express  his sentiments concerning colonial and middle-passage experience.

The very essence of Walcotts personal venture can be seen in the variety of scenes and instances that are the driving force of his poems. The Eurocentric author deals with the domestic and provincial scenarios in the Caribbean island and the peculiar description of the of the tragic events in the lives of the Caribbean people. This notion is seen in Tales of the Islands wherein he talks about various experiences and sstruggles of the people in the island. In the poem, The Swamp, Walcott he ventures into the world of the private symbols to critically assess the psychic disturbances in the harsh condition being faced by the Caribbean people. The poem Metamorphoses lets readers reconnect with the agony of the old fiddlers at Parang.  The poetry of Walcott conveys his feelings of personal isolation brought about by being caught up between his European cultural inclinations and his balck cultural orientation with the native Carribean.

The individualist approach of Walcott is often compared with the collective approach of Brathwaite who is being honored for his descriptions of a search  for identity of the people of the Caribbean. In contrast with Walcott, the Brathwaites poetry is a mode of apprehension in which the continuities between African and the Caribbean. Such continuities and great aim to preserve Caribbean culture is put into words b y Brathwaite using the so-called nation language which is strongly associated with the African experience in the island. In contrast with Walcotts usage of colonized words, Brathwaite is more oriented  with the use of the dialect considered  as the language of slaves and laborers.  It is evident in his poetry that he used to play with words and linguistic variations which are not self-absorbed individualism or  contemporary aesthetic expressions.

Introduction
William Faulkners 1955 masterpiece A Rose for Emily is actually a story of how a seemingly conservative but extremely judgmental society selfishly deprived a woman the right to live a normal life. The society in which Miss Emily Grierson lived and died has transformed her into a mere lifeless, decaying object robbed of love, life and affection. This explains the reasons for her behavior and her rather unusual actions.

The Characters that Brought About Emilys Insanity
A critical analysis of the characters in the story shows that these characters, which include Miss Emily herself, are in fact the reasons behind here alleged insanity.

The Hypocritical and Judgmental Omniscient Narrators. The narrators in A Rose for Emily are often addressed as we and they seem to know everything that is going on that any normally gossiping or nosy people can observe. These first line speaks of what kind of people actually live in Jefferson When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house (Faulkner). From this line one can clearly see that the whole neighborhood attended Emilys funeral not because they loved her but for selfish reasons. Love and concern are sadly not one of the qualities of this extremely judgmental and hypocritical neighborhood who describes Emily as a small, fat woman who looked bloated (Faulkner) and her house as an eyesore among eyesores amidst stubborn and coquettish decay (Faulkner). These people can see only what his bad and decaying and can never appreciate what is beautiful both in Miss Emily, in her house, and even the town of Jefferson. And perhaps the worst thing these omniscient narrators did when they saw Emily buy arsenic, was say, She will kill herself andit would be the best thing (Faulkner). The neighborhood indeed represented by the omniscient narrator was one of the strongest precipitating factors that drove Miss Emily towards insanity.

Miss Emilys Father. Not much is mentioned in the story about Miss Emilys father except perhaps that he was a spraddled silhouette in the foreground with his back to Miss Emily clutching a horsewhip (Faulkner). A strict, domineering father who has not given her any love is the father Miss Emily has had and the one who drove all the young men away, leaving Emily unmarried and starving for love until death. This father may have eventually turned Miss Emily into an insane woman.

Homer Barron. This man ends up as the victim in the story, the fianc of Miss Emily whom Emily herself allegedly poisons with arsenic and whose corpse she sleeps with until her death. The question remains whether Homer deserves his death Probably so, for the reason that he shouldnt have romantically spent Sunday afternoons with her driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy (Faulkner) when he would just say in the end that he liked men and that he was not a marrying man (Faulkner). Homer Barron may have been the victim in the story but he himself is a perfect example of treachery and dishonesty, the very evils that turn Miss Emily into the insane killer that she is.

Miss Emily Grierson Herself. Miss Emily Grierson plays the role not only of the obedient daughter but of the good citizen. However, the pressure brought upon her by the prying eyes of the meddling neighbors and the harsh treatment from her father starved her of love and affection, causing her to thirst and hunger for love and attention. Towards the end of the story, she has become so attached to Homer that when perhaps she has sensed that he is leaving her, she simply decides not to feel unloved again and therefore kills him and sleeps with his corpse for decades. She is always described by the narrators as Poor Emily (Faulkner), which is in fact a very fitting description for her love-starved heart. This heart of hers is like her front door always remaining closed or occasionally like a window where she would occasionally and figuratively show her feelings. Emily was helpless and somehow helped bring all this insanity upon herself.

The Theme of Insanity
The cruelty of the people around Emily and the fact that they have never given her any true love and that nobody seems to have took her and her feelings seriously finally take a toll on her mind. When Emily somehow learns of Homer Barrons indecision as to her marriage, the narrators see her buy arsenic, which, at the end of the story, was found to be the cause of Homers death. This is Emilys breaking point but her murder of Homer does not help either for during the whole time that Emily was sleeping with Homers corpse, she showed signs of depression and decay. For one, she had grown fat and her hair was turning gray (Faulkner) and she isolated herself behind a closed door until her death. Emily has indeed become insane and her decision to murder Homer was perhaps one of the last attempts at keeping the love that she has always longed to have but have never had. Nevertheless, nothing could save her. Miss Emilys love-starved heart has decayed her to the point of insanity and eventually death.

Conclusion
William Faulkners A Rose for Emily is a testament to how a cruelly indifferent and judgmental society can destroy the very fabric of a persons sanity. Furthermore, the story shows that once decay sets in to consume ones sanity, the chances of escape are very little so that death may be inevitable. A Rose for Emily is also a tragic story of how the absence of love can decay a persons heart and sanity.