Yellow Wallpaper

Overall, I thought that The Yellow Wallpaper was a very interesting story, and enjoyed reading it. Last year my experimental novel was Vanishing Point, a very odd book where the narrator also goes crazy in the end. I feel like this short story had a similar effect, allowing the reader to see how someone can become insane. In my opinion, Jane started out a little bit crazy. However, her problem at the beginning of the short story was at a state where it could have been controlled and fixed with the correct methods. What caused her to reach her tipping point were all of the restraints that were put on her by her husband, John. Jane was trapped in the room for an extremely long period of time. When someone has nothing to do for a while, their minds tend to trail off and may start to make up extremely odd stories. Even normal people do this to an extent. For example, little children might be sitting in their beds at night and hear a small noise. Because they are alone and have nothing else to think about, they may take that noise and form an idea in their head that it is coming from a monster or another unrealistic source. When their parents deny that anything happened, it may anger the child. This is kind of like what happened when John ignored Jane’s plees to change rooms. The rest cure was clearly not effective, and was what drove her to her tipping point.

Heart of Darkness

In my opinion, Heart of Darkness can fit into the genre of Gothic Literature. The book has a dark tone and setting which is common to Gothic novels. Even if there is not a castle or older home, the mysteries of the forest and the Congo give the same effect. Another common theme of Gothic literature is madness. Marlow has an abnormal obsession with finding Kurtz, enough to go against his manager to be on Kurtz’s side. Kurtz himself is even crazy, rambling on though his battle with disease and sickness. There are also some tragic deaths in the novel. For example, the cannibal helmsman gets stabbed and falls in a pool of blood right in front of Marlow. Many descriptions throughout the book depict death, and sound almost supernatural. The ivory trade is described by Marlow as almost a god, saying “The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse” (Conrad). The dark and creepy descriptions add to the gothic mood of Heart of Darkness.  

Paradise Lost

When children leave for college, they marvel at how much freedom they will get. Even though they might not have the endless funds that their parents provide them or their large homes, they are glad to have the chance to make their own decisions and be independent. This feeling is similar to what Satan is speaking of in Paradise Lost. Even though the atmosphere of hell is not as nice as heaven was, at least he gets to make his own rules and “reign in hell” rather than “serve in heaven” (Milton 263). A place cannot be fully enjoyable unless it can be used to its fullest potential, and when there are too many rules it may be better to settle for somewhere that is not as pretty or luxurious. He states that it is not the environment that matters, but the person. His mind will still be the same no matter what location it is in. These remarks make Lucifer’s character seem very clever and accepting, contrary to what people usually view him as. He has left a place that he does not like to have freedom, which almost makes him seem heroic. Because of the view of Satan in a different and unique way, Milton has left his mark on literature. Even if he did not mean for Lucifer to come off as a clever or open minded character, the way that he speaks and the things that he says makes him seem interesting and less evil. In other novels involving Satan, such as The Inferno, Satan may not even talk. Paradise Lost not only gives Satan whole speeches, but makes these speeches eloquent and full of information, making Lucifer a central and important character in the novel. The reader gets a chance to go in depth and see what is happening on both sides of the story rather than just reading about the positive and happy side.

The Tempest

In the three categories of tragedy, The Tempest fits into the Renaissance Tragedy genre the best. In a Renaissance tragedy, a moral weakness causes the protagonist’s downfall. Prospero fits this rule because he chose to ignore his kingdom and instead spend his time studying magic. This poor decision led to his brother taking over and sending him off to the island. Prospero explains to Miranda that “The government I cast upon my brother and to my state grew stranger, being transported and rapt in secret studies” (Shakespeare). The moral flaw that Prospero was exhibiting was that he did not manage his time well and neglected to prioritize his responsibilities properly.

Furthermore, a Renaissance tragedy has subplots and comic relief. In the play, there are subplots when each of the groups of people are stranded on different parts of the island. Antonio, Gonzalo, and the other royals have their own situation going on while the other characters, such as Prospero and Miranda, are involved in their own actions. The comic relief comes in the form of Stephano and Trinculo, who use their bad logic to add humorous scenes to the play. For example, when the Stephano and Trinculo come across Caliban, they mistake him for a fish.

Even though The Tempest follows some of the key aspects of a Renaissance tragedy, it fits best into the Romance category because of the play’s peaceful ending. There is a “hybrid of tragic and comic elements,” such as the seriousness of Prospero and the humor of Trinculo and Stephano. However, the play has a more serious plotline because of Prospero’s background story of betrayal and the murder plans that take place in throughout the story. Romances tend to “end with weddings, with the focus on … healing rifts within the entire human community” (Shwartz). The Tempest ends with Miranda and Ferdinand together, and heals the community by placing Prospero back into power where he belongs, and with no one being murdered.