Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Flash to the Future: Question from 2000
Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. Choose a novel or play in which one or more of the characters confront a mystery. Then write an essay in which you identify the mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
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Heart of Darkness
ReplyDeleteMarlow tells us a story and in the process, reveals the mysteries surrounding both Kurtz and the jungle. In the process, this particular retelling of the story reveals that Marlow learns more about himself than in previous recounts (which manifests itself in his numerous pauses at particular moments in his narrative.)
The "mystery" really begins at darkness, when Marlow tells us about the Doctor, the Fates, etc...but in my essay I would focus on his "interactions" with Kurtz (and beyond.)
Pt 1 - A discussion of the pauses. Each retelling is another journey into the jungle and into the interior of Kurtz's mind.
Pt 2 - Kurtz's political pamphlet. (Or maybe meeting Kurtz himself, or the suspense that is created by the earlier dialogues.) The sense of mystery is heightened by heresy.
Pt 3 - Marlow's lie to the intended.
Ultimately, this journey into the heart of darkness sheds light on both the crookedness of imperialism and the futility of seeking truth.
DeleteI would also use Heart of Darkness! I really like the idea of discussing the lie to the intended; also, with the breaks in narrative, I would focus on how nobody really seems to be listening to Marlow. I think this addresses the theme of truth. The mystery I would focus on is "What is truth?" and "Is it meaningless?" With respect to Kurtz's political pamphlet, I think that proves that Marlow, too, is caught up in Kurtz's power to manipulate words. He considers them "burning noble words", not realizing that they in effect say the same thing as the blunt conclusion, "Exterminate all the brutes!" I think the significance of this mystery is that Marlow spends a long time trying to figure out truth only to give it up and lie to the intended, proving its futility.
DeleteI agree, I would use heart of darkness too. Although Marlow's journey is about finding the mysterious Kurts, he becomes enlightened afterwards because he realizes the dark side of humanity. In the heart of darkness, instead of finding the evil he expects, he finds an absence of the imperialists' sins, which shows him the hypocricy of the western world. In the end, it is not about Kurtz, but about society (judgements we make, perception, greed).
DeleteI would use One Hundred Years of Solitude to answer this question.
ReplyDeleteMelquiades, that mystical man who first brings magnets to Macondo, exhibits an inexplicable and extraordinary air of magic about him. Even in Garcia's magical realism, Melquiades stands out. Not only does he bring a cure for the insomnia plague, but he also returns from the dead and defies the process of aging. Additionally, he also authors a set of documents in a cipher that the Buendias struggle to decode and understand. Ultimately, the final Aureliano finds the hidden meaning behind these documents--it is the story of the Buendias themselves, foretelling all their joy and sorrow, all of their successes and tribulations. It is the very book we hold in our hands as we read about it.
We, as readers, wonder who and what exactly Melquiades is. He has no clear form or definition; his appearance differs every time we encounter him. His very nature is mutable; his role as storyteller in the narrative reflects his parallel role as the narrator who tells us that very narrative. The very nature of the way that Melquiades recounts One Hundred Years of Solitude forces the readers to question the nature of free will--the Buendias are trapped, doomed to repeat their mistakes. Ultimately, Melquiades the mystery man is as much a part of the story as he is an observer, reflecting the very idea of stories themselves, along with the way they are told.
I would definitely use Siddhartha. Siddhartha tries to reach a stage of enlightenment, the mystery being what exactly enlightenment is. Along the way he meets many teachers, goes through different stages of life, all until he eventually learns what enlightenment is from the river. I would focus on how he NEEDED to go through the different stages of his own development and learn from his own experiences to be taught about his own inner truth. I'd mention how Kawaswami allowed him to experience greed and then why a life of luxury leaves something to be desired. Much like his time with the Samanas taught him that totally removing yourself from the world around you is no way to live either. I think siddhartha is a book entirely about how the journey ultimately leads to the final truth and can easily provide evidence of this.
ReplyDeleteSidhartha is good for this topic because like in a good mystery novel the story develops logically. Sidhartha makes a theory, tests it and then discards it when it stops working. In the end he combines all of his theories into the one true answer.
DeleteI would also do Siddhartha for many of the reasons Wallis mentioned, but also due to the fact that unlike many mystery books, Siddhartha's outcome is completely impossible to guess. Any of the paths, be it his lavish lifestlye, his ascetic lifestyle or his life as a ferry man, could have realistically been the answer to the ultimate question. This book offers a unique approach in answering this question in that respect as it is ambiguous, and debatable, whether the answer he reached is the proper one and whether he truly "solved" the mystery of life.
DeleteI would also probably use Siddhartha, partly because I think it would be one of the easiest books to answer this question well, given the time constraint. The book is all about seeking answers to the great question of life. I would definitely mention the flaws in each of his lifestyles (life with Samanas vs. with Kamala) as well as the flaws in his thinking when he is younger. I would probably focus on the changes his character goes through (his arrogance, wanting different things) and also the ambiguity of the character itself, as he is not actually that specific. He reaches nirvana which would be solving the 'mystery,' but I agree with Dan that you could focus on how the paths he could have taken are all answers and whether he's truly right in the end. You could also compare him to Govinda as well and question whether either of them really solved anything, as I definitely think you could argue whether they really lead some higher, more fulfilling life or not.
DeleteI would write about Song of Solomon. In this text, Milkman confronts the mystery of finding the green bag filled with gold – causing him to begin his journey. However, the mystery of finding the bag becomes less significant to Milkman as the journey progresses, and the knowledge he gains becomes more important. The journey ultimately represents Milkman finding his family, his home, and himself. The beginning of the novel stresses his isolation from his family and his own self pity; the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole by giving Milkman an identity and sense of purpose. He becomes a more compassionate person after this journey.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I would revise about this is that Milkman doesn't actually find the green bag filled with gold, he just hears about it.
DeleteI would also use Song of Solomon for this prompt. This book and Milkman's journey applies directly with the question. Milkman sets out to discover the truths in regards to his fathers family and to uncover the mystery behind the Deads. While the mystery becomes somewhat resolved, like what Debbie stated, the journey begins to focus more on Milkman as a character. As a reader, we see Milkman begin to connect more with his surroundings and his families path, thus gaining an identity.
DeleteI would use Song of Solomon as well. Milkman's entire journey is a mystery up until the very end. Even his death is left a mystery when he seems to fly. When he embarks on the journey to discover his past, he does not truly know what he is searching for. He is looking for information that will somehow absolve his family's past and bring him a greater understanding. But what this is specifically, he does not know. As Debbie and Brittany stated, the thing he was searching for was actually his identity. Initially, he is a lost, seemingly helpless boy, but he eventually matures and finds his way in his world. As he delves further into his journey, he begins to discover information about his family, thus understanding more about himself. The true mystery within the story is Milkman himself.
ReplyDeleteI would write about Crime and Punishment. Although readers know who killed the pawnbroker and her daughter, the real mystery of the piece is why. All throughout the book, Raskolnikov himself seems to waver back and forth trying to figure out why he murdered at all. Furthermore, along with the mystery of Raskolnikov's motivations, readers get an inside view of the murder investigation against him. While they are not trying to figure out who was killed, readers attempt to predict how Raskolnikov will be found out. All throughout the book, readers have a small feeling that Porfiry, the police officer in charge of the investigation, knows that Raskolnikov murdered that girl. In short, the mystery is more of a why, than actually what happened.
ReplyDelete