Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Question 3 of 3
2002, Form B. Often in literature, a character’s success in achieving goals depends on keeping a secret and divulging it only at the right moment, if at all. Choose a novel or play of literary merit that requires a character to keep a secret. In a well-organized essay, briefly explain the necessity for secrecy and how the character’s choice to reveal or keep the secret affects the plot and contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may select a work from the list below, or you may choose another work of recognized literary merit suitable to the topic. Do NOT write about a short story, poem, or film.
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Almost all of the novels we've read have some element of secrecy to them, but I thought Jane Eyre was the one in which the secret was most earth-shattering for the main character.
ReplyDeleteI would discuss the secret of Bertha Mason's existence with respect to the foreshadowing that occurs beforehand (like the maniacal laughing that Jane hears, the ripping of the wedding veil, the setting on fire of Rochester's room, etc). I would also mention how her ghost exist as a deus ex machina for these unnerving events.
Rochester keeping the secret from Jane made her re-assess her trust in him. Moving away becomes a manifestation of her independence, which is a central theme of Austen's novel.
I would also write about Jane Eyre and Rochester in regards to Bertha. Although her discovery of Bertha does cause Jane to reassess her trust in Rochester, it eventually leads her to realize that she loves Rochester to an extent past propriety. The secret is the main source of conflict, mystery, and suspense, and it the reason for a considerable amount of suffering on Jane's part, but it does lead to her eventual happiness and self-discovery.
DeleteI would choose Jane Eyre to discuss as well. Bertha's existence is the driving factor of the entire novel. It is not her existence itself that perturbs Jane so much, but the fact that Rochester kept this a secret. She was about to marry a man that she actually knew so little about. When she finds out this secret, she flees, initiating the second half of the novel. Jane embarks on numerous journeys only to discover more about herself. She realizes that regardless of Rochester's mistakes, she still loves him. But if she never found out about this, she would never have felt so strongly about him. By living on her own, she was able to mature and evolve as a character. Discovering Rochester's secret was necessary for the progression of Jane.
DeleteI would use One Hundred Years of Solitude to answer this question. Melquiades' encoded documents present the Aurelianos of the Buendia family with a challenge: nearly all of them--with the exception of Aureliano Segundo--spend their lives attempting to decode it. When asked about their meaning, Melquiades refuses to explain. Ultimately, as Aureliano Babilonia discovers, these documents tell the very story of the Buendias, reflecting the events of the novel as they transpire; ostensibly, these documents comprise the novel itself. Because of Melquiades' secrecy, we do not see the greater meaning of his work until the end of One Hundred Years of Solitude, when we ultimately realize the cyclical nature of the Buendias' history in the self-referential framework of the novel as a whole. Melquiades' secrecy, then, creates the overarching meaning of One Hundred Years of Solitude.
ReplyDeleteI also would use One Hundred Years of Solitude for this question. The secrecy of the text is a necessity within the story to help show the constant mystery of life and the need to be curious. The characters learn about themselves and their surroundings as they try to decipher what it is that Melquiades wrote. Also the mystery of the text creates characters who are inquisitive and scholarly, such as Aureliano. It shapes people who desire to learn and to continue the future the family had set out on. When it is finally revealed that the texts are the story of the Buendias, not only is the cyclical nature of time and life revealed but also we see how predetermined life is. Trying to decipher the text, made them the people they were in the text.
DeleteI would write about Crime and Punishment. More specifically, I would help explain Raskolnikov's perfectly timed confession to Sonia. The author works in a lot of religious imagery like mentioning that Sonia and Raskolnikov have to "bear the cross" together, much like Jesus going up the mount before he is crucified. Furthermore, while Sonia does not inform the police, this confession seems to be the real climax of Crime and Punishment. After Raskolnikov spills the beans on his murder, the rest of the book seems to be like a wrap up. As a result, the author puts a lot of significance on this particular moment. Once he tells a person he really cares about (excluding Razumpkin), much of the action of the book has concluded.
ReplyDeleteI would write about Othello for this, and how Iago uses different characters' secrets to manipulate the truth. He takes a small part of truth and then manipulates it until it becomes a large lie. An example is how he manipulates Roderigo's interest in Desdemona to make him try to kill Cassio. I would also talk about the secret he never reveals to Othello, which is why he chooses to do what he does. After he accomplishes his task, he falls completely silent and does not speak for the rest of the play. It is as if he no longer needs to use words to manipulate people, so he gives up on them.
ReplyDeleteYeah I also would write about Othello. It seems to me to be the clearest and easiest way to answer this question. I would mention most of the elements Sam did, in terms of how essential it was for Iago to keep his secret in order for the plot to progress, however, I would also mention how it triggers some of the though provoking questions Shakespeare wanted to inspire conversation for such as the importance of communication and open discourse. Iago was able to carry through with his plan due to the Othello's unwillingness to think logically about the facts and have a discussion with Desdemona.
DeleteI think you have mentioned some good texts here- I am particularly taken with Othello and Jane Eyre- but let's make sure that we are looking at the whole prompt... how the secret affects the plot and the overall meaning of the text. Aren't we missing the most obvious one? The Power and the Glory seems to be screaming as a response to this question. The Whiskey Priest keeps his identity secret- and this is, in fact, what propels the entire story. Also, we get to see what this secret means to the text as a whole- that it frames the larger allegory about faith vs. religion.
ReplyDeletePlease make sure that you are really thinking about responding to each level of the prompt guys! See you tomorrow!
I would choose Heat of Darkness, talking specifically about the secret Marlow keeps from Kurtz's Intended. The secret, of course, is Marlow telling the Intended that Kurtz's last words were her name, rather than, "The horror!". Thus Marlow is able to control reality, at least superficially. This theme of superficial reality control resonates throughout the text: Kurtz is superficially the great man; they are superficially doing good for the Africans; things are superficially true, and truth itself is therefore mutable. Heart of Darkness is really just about how what is true probably isn't, and that what's really true is better left unknown; the title, for instance, speaks to a "heart of darkness": mankind is superficially good, capable of good, but inside humans are just uniformly dark, evil, and selfish.
ReplyDeletePower and The Glory is the most obvious choice for this prompt as Ms. Siegel mentioned before. Within this text we are introduced to a character, The Whisky Priest, that is forces into hiding due the government. The Whisky Priest travels from town to town masking his identity from those he encounters. He him self was a man that was described similar to Jesus (the journey he takes mirrors Jesus' journey before his death) and even through his flaws (secret child whom he abandoned) he was able to break down religion to its purist form, faith, and understand it. He spreads his faith to all he meets and makes an impact in all of there lives. The ending of the novel shows just how the has affected them. He is a tool in a way because he is used to show the power of true faith.
ReplyDeleteI would also use the Power and the Glory. The Whiskey Priest's chooses to protect his freedom, keeping his identity a secret from nearly everyone around him. Through this secret, Greene demonstrates a disparity between religion and faith. Though the Whiskey Priest may be lacking in his role as a religious figure (he is far from pure, drinks alcohol and fathers a child), he is nonetheless able to impact the people around him, giving them a true understanding of faith (i.e. the boy at the end). This plays into the larger meaning of the text, which attempts to reveal the passing of faith through human interaction.
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ReplyDeleteI think I would use Wide Sargasso Sea for this prompt. Antoinette's insanity and her mother's insanity must be kept a secret if they want Antoinette to marry her way out of poverty. Moreover,the sense of secrecy pervades the text-- the servants are always whispering and smiling enigmatically while the dense tropical forests seem threateningly secretive. Although Antoinette tries to keep her family history of insanity a secret, her half brother divulges the secret to Not Rochester. Once Not-Rochester learns this secret, his attitude towards Antoinette changes completely and he detests Antoinette. In fact, Not-Rochester regards Antoinette as a completely different person, calling her by her middle name, Bertha, instead of Antoinette. Not-Rochester's coldness towards Antoinette exacerbates her mental instability and she plunges into complete insanity. Overall, secrets are a key element in Wide Sargasso Sea because they make the reader question the nature of insanity-- Is Antoinette insane, is Not Rochester insane, or is everyone a little insane? Does labeling someone as insane make them insane? These questions are critical to the text and rely on the secret of Antoinette's insanity.
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