"More matter, with less art" Part 2

At the conclusion of my previous post, I began to touch upon Gertrude's dislike of the verbose. I find this pet-peeve ironic as her own husband, Claudius, seems to be quite the master of the long-winded speech. Claudius' speech in Act 1, Scene 2, shows just how crafty a speaker he really is when he states:

"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state,
Have we—as ’twere with a defeated joy,
With an auspicious and a dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole—
Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
Now follows that you know. Young Fortinbras,
Holding a weak supposal of our worth
Or thinking by our late dear brother’s death
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleaguèd with the dream of his advantage,
He hath not failed to pester us with message
Importing the surrender of those lands
Lost by his father, with all bonds of law,
To our most valiant brother. So much for him.

Thus much the business is: we have here writ
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras—
Who, impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew’s purpose—to suppress
His further gait herein, in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions are all made
Out of his subject; and we here dispatch
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway,
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the king more than the scope
Of these dilated articles allow. (gives them a paper)
Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty" (I.ii.1-38). I find it ironic that Gertrude complains that Polonius is lacking substance and covering it up with rhetoric when she says: "More matter, with less art, " but that he own husband seems to possess the same ability to speak with absurd length and verbosity (II.ii.95). Therefore, I must conclude that Gertrude is either unable to find flaws in her husband, out of the power of love, or she is too hypocritical to care. My conclusion about the wordy nature of Claudius is also confirmed by, the nature of Hamlet's father's death, by poison in the ear. As stated by the ghost of Hamlet, "Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebona in a vial, and in the porches of my ear did pour the leprous distilment whose effect holds such an enmity [within] blood of man (I.v. 61-65). The irony created with this evidence, that Claudius would kill someone through the ear just as he pollutes other's minds with his words, goes directly against Gertrude's attitude of get to the point that she displayed to Polonius. Thus, I must conclude that Gertrude either does not see the behaviors that she complains about in Polonius, in her own husband, or she is a hypocrite.

"More matter, with less art"

In Act 2, Scene 2 of Hamlet, Polonius is addressing King Claudius and Queen Gertrude about the cause of Hamlet's odd behavior. Polonius is quite philosophical in his statements to the royals saying: "What majesty should be, what duty is, [w]hy day is day, night night, and time is time, [w]ere nothing but to waste night, day, and time" (II.ii.86-89). The juxtaposition of this philosophy with the declaration of Hamlet's madness is intended to draw comparison between those who seek truth about the world around themselves, philosophers, and Hamlet, who seeks the truth about the death of his father. Perhaps Polonius plays a foreshadowing role, artfully telling Claudius and Gertrude the true cause of Hamlet's odd behavior unbeknownst to them. Regardless, of Polonius' intentions, Gertrude's redirection by saying, "More matter, with less art," shows that she has no patience for verbosity (II,ii.95).

Holla in Hamlet

When I first began to read Hamlet, I was taken aback when on line 19 in Act 1, Marcellus says: "Holla Barnardo." I did not even know what this word was, so I tried pronouncing it to myself. However, my pronunciation sounded awfully like the Spanish word hola. Although I have not taken Spanish for several years, I was still fairly certain that hola had one l, that my version of the text was not the Spanish edition, and that people in Denmark do not speak Spanish.  To this end, I began to investigate what this mysterious word was. I looked on dictionary.com to see if I could find a pronunciation but I was unsuccessful. Eventually, I resorted to downloading and listening to the audiobook of that specific section of the text. What I heard astonished me. This word sounded like the slang English word that I had heard used in dramatic fashion on T.V. and this confounded me. Was a word that has seen much usage as a slang term nowadays really descended from a word used by Shakespeare? As it turns out, yes. Going back to the dictionary, I learned that similar to its usage today, holla actually is an informal form of greeting. Thus, its use is entirely plausible in Hamlet as it is a form of greeting used by Marcellus to address Barnardo. Nevertheless, I was still shocked to find such colloquial language in one of the most famous plays in the world. I guess it shows that the meaning and context of a word can really change through the passage of time. 

How Hamlet Differs

Besides Hamlet, the other Shakespeare plays that I have read include: Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice. One particular aspect of Hamlet which differs from the other plays that I have read is that Hamlet at least from what I have seen,  appears to be a straight tragedy. This is in direct opposition to Twelfth Night which was an obvious comedy, and The Merchant of Venice, which I would classify as a tragicomedy. However, although Hamlet is tragic in nature, it still appears that Shakespeare incorporated comedic aspects into the play. For instance, in Act 1 Scene 5 when Hamlet meets the ghost of his father. After Hamlet the elder disappears and Hamlet junior is talking with Horatio and Marcellus, Hamlet the elder's ghost can be heard wailing "swear". For some reason, I found the shrieking of the Ghost to be rather amusing. I am not sure if this was intended by Shakespeare or if I just have a sick sense of humor. However, if it was intentional, then it reinforces the idea that even in the darkest of tragedies, a little amount of comedic relief is necessary to keep the audience entertained and engaged. 

Allusion in The Wasteland

For my allusion from The Wasteland, I choose to research "Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks." Belladonna, which means beautiful lady in Italian alludes to the Virgin Mary. This allusion is confirmed by "the Lady of the Rocks" which sounds similar to the da Vinci painting, Virgin of the Rocks, which depicts Mary. In the painting, Mary appears to be calm, kind, and tranquil as shown through her facial expressions. This depiction is used to characterize the female character in The Wasteland. However, Belladonna is also a type of poisonous flower, which was used by women as a form of facial enhancement. Thus the allusion combines two different perspectives which are juxtaposed. On one hand the female character looks kind and pure but she is really poisonous, vain, and dangerous.

Metaphor and Symbol in "The Dead"

Metaphor in "The Dead"

"I didn't think you were a West Briton."

Tenor: Gabriel

Vehicle: a West Briton

The tenor and vehicle are related because they help further Miss Ivor's argument that Gabriel is an anglophilic or too admiring of England.

The effect of the metaphor on Gabriel is that it causes him to become confused and to wonder how his literary reviews are coming across. The effect on the reader is that, if they are familiar with the term "West Briton", they will understand the strength of the comparison that Miss Ivor is making and how it could be taken to be derogatory in fashion.


Symbol in "The Dead"

Music

"He asked himself what is a woman standing on the stairs in the shadow, listening to distant music, a symbol of. If he were a painter he would paint her in that attitude. Her blue felt hat would show off the bronze of her hair against the darkness and the dark panels of her skirt would show off the light ones. Distant Music he would call the picture if he were a painter."

Tenor: Music

Vehicle: light and dark imagery, attitude, emotion

The vehicle and tenor are related because they help Gabriel use music as a mode of comparison to show the many coloring effects which music can bring to a description.

The effect of the symbol on the reader is that it helps to show the reader how music can represent many different aspects of life such as the lightness and darkness of life, and how music, although auditory in nature, can be used to create a visual image.

Reflections on Dalloway

After finishing Mrs. Dalloway, I have really begun to appreciate the literary genius and revolutionary that Virginia Woolf really was. Although the novel was difficult to read, on reflection, it does make sense, life is not easy to understand so why should a book, if it is trying to be as accurate to the human experience as possible, be easy to read. Another unique aspect of Mrs. Dalloway that I appreciate after the completion of the novel is the emphasis on character point of view rather than on the plot. Although not an appropriate means of telling all stories, in this particular case, I feel that the stream of consciousness narration played a major role in determining the novels effectiveness as it allowed for a focus on character development and helped to make sense of the complexities of human life around us. Overall, Mrs. Dalloway, was a unique book which was difficult to enjoy while reading, but that is satisfying to have read on reflection because of its fresh method of storytelling and a unique focus on character development as opposed to a forwarding of the plot.

A Loss of Emotion

After reading Mrs. Dalloway, I feel that I am in a better position to understand the mindset of Septimus and am able to use Septimus as an example to compare to the real world. Because of the war, Septimius had lost his ability to feel, not literally, but emotionally. This struck a huge blow to him and caused him to question all that he saw around him. A direct parallel exists between Septimus and a person that I personally know. This person is one of the least emotional people that I know. Although they are extremely sarcastic, they lack any expression of emotion at all. As a person who recognizes emotions well, it is extremely unnerving for me to be around this particular person because I feel like something is missing. It has almost come to the point that I hate this particular person because I cannot understand them, and I cannot connect with them. This scenario from my life creates a direct parallel to Septimus in the novel. Septimus is alone, isolated, and trapped in his own mind. The world is looking and darker every time he looks upon it and, thus he really begins to question human nature. A loss of touch with one's emotions creates a major void that if not filled will be consuming and that is sadly what happened to Septimus.

One Word

Whimsical

One Question

How was stream of consciousness narration viewed during the time that the novel Mrs. Dalloway was published?

Virginia Woolf's Struggles in Writing Mrs. Dalloway

Throughout my reading of Mrs. Dalloway, I have been struggling to get through the difficult to read text. However, if I am struggling as a reader, I can only imagine the difficulties associated with writing a novel in this particular way. The first difficulty that a believe Woolf must have faced in writing Mrs. Dalloway, is when to switch perspectives. Although the novel is written in a way that is supposed to emulate human thought, I believe that it must be incredibly awkward to write in this particular style as is goes against the classic writing style taught by most teachers which is to pick a point of view, try to be as clear in your writing as possible, and provide adequate support for any examples used in the text. Thus although the writing style is supposed to appear natural, I believe that it is most unnatural to write. The second difficulty that I believe Woolf faced was how to keep a reader engaged. Although readers were much more attentive back when the novel was published, and were more able to get through difficult to read sections than readers are today, I still believe that most readers of Mrs. Dalloway have some difficulty progressing through the novel. Finally, I believe that the third difficulty that Virginia Woolf faced was how to weave a story together that made sense even through the constant change in perspectives. I can imagine that it must have taken considerable time to craft a plot for Mrs. Dalloway that maintained cohesion through all the changes in perspective that are created through the stream of consciousness narration. As a reader, I may complain about having to read Mrs. Dalloway. However, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to write and that has given me much appreciation for the work as a whole. 

Books as Education

In class I recall talking about how Mrs. Dalloway lacked an education, and that in a way she wished that she was more like the lady that Virginia Woolf was, educated and scholarly. However, after re-reading sections of the novel, I believe that although she lacks a formal education, the knowledge that she has about life in general and the knowledge that she has gained through the reading of books has allowed her to become educated in a different sense. When the narrator says, “The candle was half burnt down and she had read deep in Baron Marbot’s Memoirs. She had read late at night of the retreat from Moscow” (Woolf 31), it becomes clear that Clarissa Dalloway is an individual who reads often and enjoys reading. I believe that if a person wishes to become educated, that they do not need to have it done in the formal sense. Rather, a person who does not have access to the tools of education, such as a school, either due to gender restrictions or economic restriction, can still become educated through self-learning. In this way, although Clarissa Dalloway did not receive any formal education, she still was able to educate herself through the books that she read and the lessons that she learned about history and herself through her readings. 

Negative Effects of Free Indirect Discourse in Mrs. Dalloway

In my last blog post, I discussed benefits to the free indirect discourse used in Mrs. Dalloway. In this post, I would like to cover a disadvantage to using this type of point of view. Switching points of view creates a difficult to follow plot. In my opinion, an author should attempt to create a reasonably straight forward plot, or at least an easy to follow plot for the intended audience. However, in Mrs. Dalloway, it is difficult to determine what is happening because of the constant shift in point of view, which creates confusion as to who is thinking and saying what, and requires close analysis in order to understand the progression of the story. For example, when Mrs. Dalloway thinks: "For Lucy had her work cut out for her. The doors would be taken off their hinges; Rumpelmayer's men were coming. And then, thought Clarissa Dalloway, what a morning-fresh as if issued to children on a beach" (Woolf 3), it is difficult to understand which character's thoughts are being examined. Is a third person omniscient narrator, one who can see into the minds of all, speaking?  Will the story follow Lucy through a third person perspective? It is only after close reading and recognition of the phrase, "thought Clarissa Dalloway," that the reader can fully determine whose thoughts are being examined.

The Effects of Stream of Consciousness

The use of stream of consciousness narration helps to improve the overall plot of Mrs. Dalloway, because it helps to create a flow of ideas that is inline with the way that the human mind thinks, as well as to provide deeper insight into characters in the novel. In a stream of consciousness narration, the plot shifts based on the thought process of the narrator. By having a stream of consciousness,  a character is able to deliver personal thoughts as well as past incidents which are connected through triggers such as sight, taste, or smell. The use of a combination of point of views helps to display both a third person perspective about the world as well as to display the internal thoughts of characters. As Clarissa is passing on the street Scrope Purvis internally states: "She stiffened a little on the kerb, waiting for Durtnall's van to pass. A charming woman, Scrope Purvis thought her (knowing her as one does know people who live next door to one in Westminster; a touch of the bird about her, of the jay, blue-green, light vivacious, though she was over fifty, and grown very white since her illness. There she perched, never seeing him, waiting to cross, very upright" (Woolf 4). The combination of Scrope Purvis' internal observations about Mrs. Dalloway, combined with a commentary from a narrator about Purvis, helps to combine points of view and deepen the understanding of the novel. The stream of consciousness also provides a more accurate portrayal of the events witnessed from the perspective of the specific characters in the novel. When Mrs. Dalloway states: "What a lark! What a plunge! For so it had always seemed to her, when with a little squeak of the hinges, which she could hear now, she had burst open the French windows and plunged at Bourton into the open air" (Dalloway 3). Mrs. Dalloway's memories of the past are triggered by occurrences in the present. In this case, the squeak of the hinges brings Clarissa back to her youth when she was at Bourton. Overall, the stream of consciousness narration contributes to the overall plot of Mrs. Dalloway, because it allows for a more realistic representation of the flow of ideas, and it combines two points of view in order to provide a different perspective on events that are occurring.

Revenge in The Things They Carried

While one may associate revenge in war with one side vowing to get revenge on the enemy for a friendly casualties in battle, in the short story “The Ghost Soldiers” Tim O’Brien exacts revenge on a friendly medic for his incompetence when O’Brien needed him when he was shot. The seeds of hatred came from the idle time which O’Brien had as a result of being injured. While the injury was not fatal, having to spent countless nights in the Vietnam summer sleeping one’s stomach because of the wound resulted in revenge festering in the mind of O’Brien. Jorgenson can be seen as a scapegoat for O'Brien’s feelings of anger caused by being reject by Sanders as not being part of Alpha Company. When Sanders says: "People change. Situations change. I hate to say this, man, but you're out of touch. Jorgensen-he's with us now" (O'Brien 188), it struck a serious blow to O'Brien's pride and it furthered his hatred of Jorgenson because it was Jorgenson's fault that he was removed from Alpha Company. This introduces the question: what is the role of revenge in wartime? In the case of O'Brien, revenge served as a motivator. When O'Brien says, "The nights were miserable. Sometimes I'd roam around the base. I'd head down to the wire and stare out at the darkness, out where the war was, and think up ways to make Bobby Jorgenson feel exactly what I felt" (O'Brien 183), he is expressing how helped him recover and proceed forward. It gave him purpose and gave him a cause, to see that the wrong that Jorgenson caused be righted. Thus for at least O'Brien, seeking revenge was a necessary part of his recovery period as it gave him the strength to heal and the will to carry on. Therefore, the role of revenge in war can have both positive and negatives consequences as it can allow a soldier to recover due to a sense of purpose, or it can hinder a soldier by making them blind to what is important.

Symbolism in The Things They Carried

In the short story “The Things They Carried,” Lieutenant Cross uses his fascination and lust towards Martha as a way to distance himself from the events of the war by symbolically portraying Martha as an image of what life was like before the war, in order to help him cope with his hardships faced in Vietnam. Lieutenant Cross places significant importance on the fact that he believes Martha to be a virgin. When the narrator says, “... then at full dark he would return to his hole and watch the night and wonder if Martha was a virgin” (O’Brien 1), we are led to believe that Martha’s virginity is part of Cross’ obsession. The significant of Martha’s virginity to Lieutenant Cross is that virginity is associated with purity, innocence, and way of life which had been prematurely taken from him. Martha’s letters are also symbolic of peace time because they contained poetry and no reference to the war. The simplicity of her correspondence, and the lack of realism, allowed Cross’s fantasies to grow as he needed them, to cope with war. Finally, the gift of the pebble which Cross idolized, represents frivolous sentiment from Martha which held Cross to the past. The pebble represents an intimate connection for Lieutenant Cross. When the narrator says, “On the march, through the hot days of early April, he carried the pebble in his mouth, turning it with his tongue, tasting sea salt and moisture” (O’Brien 8), his intimate actions towards the pebble shows that he uses this connection with Martha to nullify the pains of war. A talisman of luck such as the pebble, brings the reader back to their childhood and serves as a reminder of the belief of youth which has been lost upon Cross. In whole, Martha did not represent any part of the cruel realities of war which Cross faced everyday. She was a symbol of everything Cross had lost; innocence, peace of mind, and youth. However, when Lieutenant Cross burns Martha’s letters, he is punishing himself for Lavender’s death, because the distractions caused by thoughts of Martha prevented Cross from carrying out his duty to protect his men, and as a result Lavender dies.

A Departure from Tradition

In the short story “A Choice of Accommodations,” the burned dress is symbolic of love lost, which departs from the overarching theme of the rest of the stories, in Unaccustomed Earth. In this story, events are explored during the course of couple drifting apart as they approach middle age. Relationships, in this particular case, are also different from the other relationships that are seen in Unaccustomed Earth. For example, Amit, an Indian man takes a more Americanized attitude towards raising a family, and his relationship with his wife Heather. He cares deeply for not only his children’s well being, but also his wife’s. Unlike traditional Indian males in a relationship, Amit truly cares for his wife and even expresses insecurity that he afraid that his wife will leave him. This is in sharp contrast to say the father figure seen in the short story “Hell-Heaven,” who does not care if his wife leaves him, instead saying: “If you are so unhappy, go back to Calcutta” (Lahiri 1151). Amit is extremely attached to his wife and unlike the traditional Indian father, would never ignore the discomfort of his wife.

Amit is also different because he raises the children as a result of Heather being in medical school. This is a radical departure from the wife typically raising the child and the husband working to support the family. When problems arise in the relationship, and the couples starts to drift apart, Amit is lost at how to repair the mend. Having broken away from his traditional Indian culture, of what to do in this situation, to ignore the wife, Amit appears to be adrift from what to do as a father and a husband. He does not live with the security of a well defined identity and thus he does not have a definite way to go about repairing his family.

This insecurity can also be seen in the interactions between the couple. For instance, the symbolism of the burned dress. When they arrived at the hotel, his wife noticed that her dress was burned. The symbolism of the burned dress represents damage, perhaps damage to their relationship, as well as damage to Amit’s relationship with his colleagues and peers. Because of the burn, the couple cares how they will be seen. They care about an exterior life more than the intention emotional aspect of their relationship which seems to have become distant and tense. Ironically, they must stand close so that no one can see the burn, for the sake of appearances. However, Amit chooses to distance himself from his colleagues and friends, by staying in a hotel instead of the dorms, because he is not comfortable with his relationship with his wife. While he is torn by his Indian male perspective where he is the dominant, because the couple is mixed, the tension in the relationship is likely derived because it is a mixed marriage, and Heather is comfortable flirting with other men, which Amit feels goes against Indian culture. Heather’s interactions with other men remind Amit of old times, when they wanted to be so close and as he stands next to her, he sadly is reminded of how it used to feel, being so close to his wife. The reader wonder if there is any future for this couple who live outside of the typical Indian value system while not adopting any new form of control in the relationship, both living lives connected by a rope which seems to be getting in the way of the desires of each.

Fate and Free Will in A Prayer for Owen Meany

     Was Owen Meany destined to die? Was it fate that killed John Wheelwright's mother with the baseball on that fateful day? The psychological aspects of A Prayer for Owen Meany beg a reader to question if he brings on disaster or if there is a bigger picture where fate plays a role in his life. Support for the theory that random circumstances and not fate led to Owen's dramatic outcome can be seen in the various chapters. Fate had to do with neither Owen's death nor the death of Tabitha Wheelwright. What happened to Tabitha Wheelwright was nothing but an accident. The fact that pastor Merrill wished her dead the moment before the ball struck also has nothing to do with the death being the will of God and Owen's fate. Sometimes accidents do happen and regardless of coincidences that link events preceding the accident together, it will always be an accident. On the matter of the death of Owen Meany, if anything, Owen's delusions that it was his fate to die actually resulted in his own death. It is as if Owen was doing everything in his power to get killed, ignoring what he interpreted as the will of God, showing him how he would die, and following the steps that would lead to the death that he saw in his delusions. When Owen saw his name on the Tombstone in The Christmas Carol, he realized that he was destined to join the army as his name was written as 1st Lieutenant. Furthermore, in college, rather than focus on his studies, Owen became fully engulfed in the ROTC. Thus, it seems, Owen took every possible step to make what he viewed as how he was going to die a reality. If Owen had been truly fearful for his life, then perhaps he should not have enlisted in the military and instead remained a civilian citizen. Owen's desire to die sheds a new light on Owen. Perhaps his desire to see about the premature end of his life has something to do with the death of Tabitha Wheelwright, a woman that he loved. Maybe Owen believed that by dying early he would be able to see her again earlier. Perhaps, the pain he felt, knowing that he killed her caused his heart to fill with sorrow, and thus made him want to end his life. Nevertheless, fate had nothing to do with Owen's death; he had all the power over his decisions. He just choose the path that would lead to his untimely demise, regardless of any premonitions he felt about it.  

Maintaining a Cultural Identity

     From a young age, many Indian children are taught that they must work hard and attend a great college in order to bring honor to the family. However, what happens when an Indian superstar does not live up to this standard? In "Only Goodness" in Unaccustomed Earth, Rahul, an Indian boy who is attending Cornell, flunks out and is formally dismissed from the college. Although, his family did not shun him, and they allowed him to live in their home, he became known in the words of Sudha, his sister, as, "... what all parents [fear], a blot, a failure, someone who was not contributing to the grand circle of accomplishments Bengali children were making across the country, as surgeons or attorneys or scientists, or writing articles for the front page of The New York Times" (Lahiri 2277). The root of Rahul's problem might actually have been the extreme pressure that is placed on the kids, at a young age, to succeed. Although, a reliance on alcohol might have been a factor, Rahul failed because he was not able to live up to the harsh standards that were required he maintain. Already, having an older sister in the Ivy League, University of Pennsylvania, Rahul was forced to strive to be the best, even better than his high achieving sister. He was given no educational freedom, having to stay within the strict guidelines of what his culture and his parents demanded of him. Although his first semester grades were good, the second semester was the beginning of Rahul's decline. His grades fell, he dropped Biology and Organic Chemistry, and instead he took up studying Film and English Literature. However, these areas of study were not suitable, Rahul was supposed to become a doctor, not a film critic, and as stated by Sudha: "[Our] father had no patience for failure, for indulgences" (Lahiri 2098). Rahul had let his family down, and once that reality sunk in, he lost all drive and had no vision for the future, a far cry from what his parents dreamed would be his destiny. Thus, the lack of ability to explore intellectual curiosities. combined with the extreme pressure to maintain a cultural identity, resulted in Rahul’s downfall.

Biblical Symbols in Baseball in A Prayer for Owen Meany

A synopsis from the back of the book: In the summer of 1953, two 11-year-old boys--best friends--are playing in a Little League baseball game in New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills his best friend's mother. Owen Meany believes he didn't hit the ball by accident. He believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after 1953 is extraordinary and terrifying.

Note: This blog post was written after the conclusion of the first chapter of "A Prayer for Owen Meany". Therefore, only knowledge from the first chapter is included.

On the fateful day when Owen Meany struck John Wheelwright's mother on the head with a baseball, the circumstances surrounding her death may not have been entirely an accident, but the will of God. The author, John Irving, uses foreshadowing in the descriptions of the events that occurred on that fateful day to foreshadow Owen being an instrument of God as discussed in the synopsis. In his portrayal of the specifics of the baseball game that ultimately led to the death of Tabitha Wheelwright, John Irving includes the number three multiple times. Owen is the the third batter to hit in the last inning. He also hit the ball on his third swing and directly along the base line of the baseball field. The inclusion specifically of the number three creates a direct parallel to the Bible, as the number three is also of great significance in that text. For instance, the Holy Trinity, the three days it took Jesus to rise, and the three people present to witness the transformation of Jesus. The author’s use of the number three relates directly to the bible, creating a sense of foreshadowing, implying that the events that occurred on the day of John’s mother’s death might not be as accidental as one might imagine, but rather might be the will of God. These similarities would also cement the belief in Owen's mind that he was the hand of God, as Owen was very religious. As stated by John Wheelwright: “I was forced to accept that my best friend’s religious faith was more certain (if not more dogmatic) than anything I heard in either the Congregationalist or the Episcopal Church” (Irving 31). Owen Meany was a person of great faith and a great Biblical scholar, having already read the Bible cover the cover. Thus, he might have noticed the similarities between the words of the Bible and what happened the day of the tragedy and concluded that what happened that day was no accident.

Works Cited

• The Bible Study Site. "Meaning of Numbers in the Bible." Meaning of the Number 3 in the Bible. biblestudy.org, n.d. Web. 06 Aug. 2014.
• Libri GmbH. "A Prayer for Owen Meany a Novel." A Prayer for Owen Meany a Novel. Anne Arundel County Public Library, n.d. Web. 07 Aug. 2014.

Ruma’s Transformation

The American and Indian flags blending represent the merging of American and Indian culture

 

The loss of her mother and the move to Seattle changed Ruma. A divide was created between the generation of her parent’s and her own generation. Ruma’s parents attempted to immerse themselves in American life and culture, learning a new language and making new friends, while also maintaining their Indian roots. In contrast Ruma, due to her move away from her parents and the loss of her mother, has stopped staying true to her Indian ways and instead has allowed herself to be fully immersed in the great American melting pot, not maintaining a hold on its rim, and not balancing her Indian customs with new American ways like her parents had. This shift is seen not only in Ruma’s own forgetting of Bengali, but also in her son, Akash, and his total ignorance in Bengali. A major cultural catharsis that has occurred to Ruma is her loss of fluency in Bengali, despite that fact that “it was the language she had spoken exclusively in the first years of her life” (Lahiri 12). Ruma had continued to maintain her knowledge of Bengali, as it was the main language that she conversed with to her mother. However, after the death of her mother, Ruma’s fluency began to decline as she did not feel obligated to speak to Bengali to her father, as he did not require it. Ruma’s loss of her mother mirrors her loss of the Bengali language as both are connections to her cultural past that have been lost due to the passage of time. Another consequence of Ruma forgetting the Bengali language is that she could not teach it to Akash. Although Ruma initially made a conscious effort to teach Akash basic Bengali in order to keep him connected to her parents and to his ancestors, the passage of time as well as the death of Ruma’s mother have resulted in Ruma no longer teaching him. Thus, the death of Ruma’s mother is significant to Ruma’s transformation as the desire to remain in a relationship with her mother forced her to hold onto her past. However, now that she is dead, Ruma is slowly losing her Indian identity and Akash is growing up without the influence of his family heritage.