Top Three Characters

This semester I can truly say that I have been able to experience so many wonderful characters. They are all so unique and different and can teach everyone something about themselves. If I had to pick three characters though that I enjoyed reading the most about I would have to say Eva Peace, Romney Wordsworth, and Brioney. 

Eva Peace:

She has an array of characters living in her house which she feels solely responsible for. Since her husband deserted her with three children she gets her leg run over by a train to collect the insurance so she can provide for them. She cares so much for the people sharing her roof that it turns her into not only giving life but taking life. I think that Eva is such a strong character because she not only gives life to her son Plum but then when he is truly suffering she takes it away. To take your own child's life because you can see the bigger picture and realize that, that is the best thing for him is truly a heroic act. Eva also almost sacrifices herself in attempting to save her daughter Hannah from burning in the fire. I think that Eva is truly one of the more heroic characters that we have read about this year even if it does not seem that way at first. 

Romney Wordsworth: 

     Even though the video "The Obsolete Man" was not something that we spent a lot of time on this semester I think that one can learn a lot from Romney Wordsworth. He is living in a society in which the citizens are not suppose to think for themselves, a mindless society. To remain faithful to what he believes in he goes against the state and does not back down. Even when he knows that his punishment will be death he does not give into their tyranny. To be told that one is obsolete and that you should be liquidated is a hard thing to stand up against. Wordsworth stands by his faith and truly believes in an afterlife which is evident when he is so close to death but so calm. I think that Romney Wordsworth is one of the most important characters we have read about because of how much one can learn from his actions. He truly fit the statement that actions speak louder than words. 

Brioney:

My last character that I think left the biggest impact on me was Brioney. Even though I began the novel and almost three fourths of the way through it disliking her so much I think that she truly has a good heart she just had to find it. Brioney ruins so many peoples lives at such a young age but then ruins her own by spending the rest trying to find a way to compensate for her wrongs. She turns to suffering because of how much the people around her suffered from her actions. I truly believe that Brioney searched for atonement which is why she wrote the book the way that she did. I think that she was in fault for not telling the truth when she figured out her wrongs that she committed but I think that Brioney did truly suffer for her wrongs. I think that she is a character that we can learn forgiveness and atonement from which is very important. 

I have loved everything we have read this semester and all of the characters that we have gotten to explore. Thank you for giving me that opportunity! 

Reflection

I think that my favorite thing we read this year was The Watchmen. At first I could not stand it, I did not even want to try to read it, I almost gave up. But as the story unfolded and I used internet resources (like the annotated website) the more I picked up on little things which made me appreciate it even more. Also I really enjoyed writing my second essay on this comic as well.  The book I do not think we should read would be Atonement. Even though it is one of my favorite movies I just did not get into the book. I think that something else would be a better pick. If I could add a book to this class I would add A Million Little Pieces. I did my en-depth senior analysis for my AP English class on this book and fell in love. There is so many issues that he faces that are prevalent today as well as his unique writing style. I have truly enjoyed this class and I have read many things that I would have never read before.

Watchmen Comparison

As I read the article there was so much to see. I had to re-read sections in the article just like in Watchmen because it was hard to understand. The author was very descriptive but it was hard at times understanding the analogies he would draw because they were not typical analogies. At times though I felt as though I could relate to the emotions that the author was feeling which I did not seem to find so easily in Watchmen. The author used such strong imagery and truly explained the way in which he felt. Many times I felt as though the author and I were sitting around talking about the book just the two of his. His analysis of the comic felt very personal. 

Atonement Achievement

The literal definiton for atonement is a compensation for a wrong. Throughout the novel many people try to achieve atonement. I feel that Brioney in a sense achieves atonement. I feel this way because not only did she spend her entire adult life trying to achieve it but she did everything she knew possible to do that. She in the end published the book to let the whole world know what truly happened. She did this because I feel that she believed she had achieved atonement which is why she finally published the book. I do not feel that the young girl or the male cousin that raped her achieved atonement. Both did not try to compensate for their wrongs. The girl had occasions to tell the truth and she never did. I think that Brioney was the most developed character in the sense of reaching atonement but I think that an underlying theme in the book is the yearn to feel a sense of atonement and what each character will do or not do to satisfy that. 

My own try..

Plot of my story would be the current war going on now, my character is a newly married man who has adopted his wives two children. Two weeks after their marriage his first tour begins. While he is there he is constantly having a battle with himself because he is expected to be a father to two new kids while he is across the world fighting for his country. He is betrayed while he is gone because his new wife finds someone new on the army base. She had never been around army families or the army lifestyle and did not know how to deal with her new husband away. To her it felt as though she was single. He has no idea while he is away though that his wife is cheating on him so when he returns he is outraged.

Song Pick

As I was thinking about the different characters that we have read about this year so far the asain man kept coming to mind and  I wanted to see if I could think of a song about a stalker and "every breath you take," by The Police came to mind. Many think when first listening it is about being in love but if you read about the song from the band it is actually written about a stalker which is why I choose "every breath you take."

Video 1 vs Video 2

As I watched the two video clips I noticed such a difference in the two characters. I think that Viven did the best job of fulfilling Tennessee Williams view of Blanche. "I have found it easier to identify with the characters who verge upon hysteria, who were frightened of life, who were desperate to reach out to another person. But these seemingly fragile people are the strong people really," which I believe is shown through Viven. Viven seems very frightened when she is left a lone with him which she should not be. Viven seemed very distant and not really coherent to what was going on.

Postmodernism vs Modernism

While looking at the different stories we have read thus far I believe that modernism is best displayed through the character of the Chancellor in "The Obsolete Man." The Chancellor's character is one in which he believes that there is one absolute truth which is what "the state" believe is true. If the state says their is no God then the Chancellor believes there is no God. The Chancellor's views drastically changed when he was faced with death. At this point the Chancellor yells "In the name of God let me out." At this point in the story the Chancellor moved to a post-modernism view by showing that everyone is different in their views. Ex: His view on God vs. the States view on God.  I choose this picture to illustrate the Chancellors views because they are on two different ends of the spectrum as the story begins and when it ends. Just like the red and violet are two different ends of the spectrum so are The Chancellors views from the beginning to the end.

Quick Overview of Me

My name is Cathleen Beal from Gastonia, NC. I am a sophomore majoring in Communications/PRTM. I am in Kappa and love every part about it especially living in Norris Hall this year!