Clones and Souls

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

Throughout this novel, a major question that the characters explore is whether or not clones have souls. Through the end of the novel, the reader finds evidence both for and against the argument that clones have souls. Kathy's narration displays her experiences and emotions that she feels from each event. Kathy wants a meaningful relationship in her life, and she secretly longs to be with Tommy.This longing desire for love helps support the argument that clones have souls because the main characteristic of having a soul is emotion. In addition, Kathy also feels anger towards Ruth at various times in the novel but especially when Ruth finally admitted that she had kept Tommy and Kathy from each other. Despite these displays of emotion, Kathy also shows moments where she appears to be without a soul. For example when Kathy and Tommy are told that deferrals do not exist, neither Tommy nor Kathy rebel against the system that has so crudely trapped them to the fate of donating their organs. This passive acceptance and conformity to a crude system suggests that the clones are merely clones without the ability to reason and judge the morality of their own situation.

Do these bananas have souls?

In today's world, the Catholic Church opposes all forms of clones because clones are not formed by God. God is traditionally associated with creating souls, so because clones are not created by God then how would they be able to have souls? With this reasoning, clones would have less of a soul than a banana. In the novel, most all of the human characters do not believe that the clones have souls, or at least they are disgusted by the clones. "Do you think she'd have talked to us like that if she'd known what we really were?... She'd have thrown us out" (Ishiguro, 166). Even Madame and Miss Emily, who established Hailsham in an attempt to prove that clones had souls, didn't see the clones as humans. "You poor creatures" (Ishiguro, 272). With so many people opposed to the idea that the clones have souls, how could Kathy and her peers ever expect to live a life more meaningful than one destined for a donor?

By ending the novel with Kathy still becoming a donor, Ishiguro causes the reader to question the morality of cloning and by extension, other  similar works of science. The reader feels sympathy for Kathy because she did show signs of having a soul. However, ending the novel with Kathy still viewed as a soulless individual causes the reader to question further if cloning should take place in our world. As expressed in the novel, once cloning begins, it cannot be stopped. "How can you ask a world that has come to regard cancer as curable, how can you ask such a world to put away that cure, to go back to the dark days? There was no going back" (Ishiguro, 263). After seeing the conflicts in this novel, the reader questions if cloning would cause more problems than benefits, and most people would not want to deal with this sort of conflict.

Holding On

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

In this novel, Kathy holds on to the past. This is evident through the narration which tells the story in retrospect. "I half-closed my eyes and imagined this was the spot where everything I'd ever lost since my childhood had washed up, and I was now standing here in front of it, and if I waited long enough, a tiny figure would appear on the horizon across the field, and gradually get larger until I'd see it was Tommy, and he'd wave, maybe even call" (Ishiguro, 288). Kathy holds on to the past because she doesn't have a future. As a child, she was sheltered at Hailsham so that she had the opportunities to make "normal" memories. These memories are the only source of joy in Kathy's current life. Kathy starts her donations by the end of the year, so her life span has a more definite end approaching. Although the title of the novel was earlier revealed as the title to a song that Kathy loved as a child, "Never Let Me Go" can also represent that Kathy never wants to let go of the memories of how things were. Kathy also does not want to let go of Tommy. "And so we stood together like that, at the top of that field, for what seemed like ages, not saying anything, just holding each other, while the wind kept blowing and blowing at us, tugging our clothes, and for a moment , it seemed like we were holding onto each other because that was the only way to stop us being swept away into the night" (Ishiguro, 274).  Even after Tommy completed, Kathy still fantasized that he would come back. After her friends' deaths and notification to become a donor, Kathy does not have much to look forward to in her life. Because her future is so dismal, Kathy turns to the past to find joy. Only in her memories can she feel hopeful that she could have a better life.

Static Characters

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

Throughout the novel, Tommy and Kathy remain static characters. Tommy and Kathy end the novel with many of the same childhood traits that they began the novel. Tommy still has temper tantrums just as he did when he was a child. "The moon wasn't quite full, but it was bright enough, and I could make out in the mid-distance, near where the field began to fall away, Tommy's figure, raging, shouting, flinging, his fists and kicking out (Ishiguro, 274). Tommy's childish behavior shows that even though he has grown older he has not changed from his childhood self. Kathy also holds on to her childhood self. Kathy hoped, like she would have as a young girl, that she and Tommy could get a deferral. However, when she was told that deferrals do not exist, she accepted her fate without rebellion. Ever since she was a child, Kathy has been told the purpose of her existence, and even though this horrible fate exists for her, she accepts it without rebellion. Tommy and Kathy have both become adults, but neither have grown out of their passive acceptance. Perhaps their visit with Madame shows some change because they finally have done something to act upon their desire not to be donors. However, they are still static characters because they are so accepting of the news that deferrals do not exist.

Dynamic Character

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

Earlier in the novel, Ruth seemed to care only about her own well-being. Ruth was strong willed, and she would quickly respond to any verbal attack against her. In addition, she often lied or implied certain false statements in order to try to impress her peers. As the end of the novel draws near, Ruth has changed. When in the car with Kathy and Tommy, Ruth backs down from a confrontation when Tommy and Kathy side against her. Previously, Ruth would have argued her point against her friends. In another unexpected action, Ruth apologized to Kathy for lying about sharing in Kathy's youthful urge. Even larger than this, Ruth apologized for keeping Tommy and Kathy from becoming a couple. "The main thing is, I kept you and Tommy apart" (Ishiguro, 232). Even further than just apologizing, Kathy gives Tommy the address for Madame, and she suggests that Tommy and Kathy visit her and try to get a deferral. Ruth has changed from a self-centered, lying, rude individual, to a remorseful person who cares for the well-being of her closest friends.

Tommy

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

An interesting relationship that I have started to see develop is one between Kathy and Tommy. Early on in the novel, Kathy took a special interest in Tommy while he was still being bullied by other students. She became one of his only friends during that time , but she kept this friendship low-key so as not to attract a great deal of attention from other students. As the novel progresses, Kathy and Tommy share their secret conversations about Miss Lucy and the importance of the artwork. **As a side note, I believe that Tommy and Kathy together will come to figure out some greater importance of the artwork.**  Up to this point Kathy and Tommy remained solely as friends and nothing more. When Ruth and Tommy broke up at Hailsham,Cynthia's statement that Kathy would be Ruth's "natural successor" opened up the possibility to Kathy that she could have a relationship with Tommy. Before Tommy and Ruth got back together, Ruth had a conversation with Tommy trying to urge him to get back with Ruth." 'Don't you realise, we won't be here together like this much longer?'.... 'I do realise that, Kath. That's exactly why I can't rush back into it with Ruth' " (Ishiguro, 110). Tommy's reply seems to suggest that he would rather spend the rest of his time at Hailsham with Kathy instead of Ruth. Later on, Ruth seems to have feelings for Tommy as well. "But I hadn't minded him coming into the boiler hut after me. I hadn't minded at all. I'd felt comforted, protected almost" (Ishiguro, 137). I am interested to see if a relationship will develop between Kathy and Tommy. Although this would probably ruin Ruth and Kathy's friendship, I am hoping that Kathy and Tommy will become a couple because Kathy seems to have more genuine feelings for Tommy.

Conformity

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

One major theme that I have noticed developing in this novel is conformity. Although it is not unusual for teenagers to want to fit in with their peers, Kathy and her peers seem to be more extreme in this area. As younger students, Kathy and her peers took great pride in their creativity, and popularity was based on how creative each student was. The students even went so far as to bully Tommy because he was not creative. Growing older, the students moved on from creativity to sex. Students who were having sex were considered more popular, so Kathy and her peers claimed that they were having sex in order to fit in. "My guess, anyway, is that there wasn't nearly as much sex going on as people made out" (Ishiguro, 97). As the students moved on to the Cottages, they, especially Ruth, began to mimic the Veteran's behavior and mannerisms.Throughout this whole time, Kathy and her peers' passive nature contributed to their conformity. Even though the students questioned many topics at Hailsham, like why smoking was bad, why art was so important, why the gallery existed, etc., the students did not continue to question the Guardians or each other on pressing issues. Instead, the students held an ignorant understanding with one another not to question one another in search of deeper and truthful answers. "And my role, as her closest friend, was to give her silent support, as if I was in the front row of the audience when she was performing on stage" (Ishiguro, 130). Perhaps the students' passive nature stems from their nature as clones, or perhaps the reason the cloning system works is because the students learn at a young age not to ask pressing questions. Maybe if the students would challenge the cloning and donating system, they could free themselves of the tragic fate in which they find themselves.

Why they are different!

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

The cloned sheep Dolly

Throughout the novel, the reader develops many questions to which Kathy hints at the answer but never explicitly gives the answer. One such question is, "Why are the students from Hailsham different from the guardians and people outside the school grounds". Throughout the beginning of the novel, Kathy mentioned the path for Hailsham students to become donors and carers. She also mentioned that maintaining their health was extremely important and that activities like smoking were more detrimental to the students at Hailsham than their guardians. "...keeping ourselves very healthy inside, that's much more important for each of you than it is for me" (Ishiguro, 69). By piecing this information together, the reader can infer that the students must be healthy because they will grow up to donate their organs. But this still does not take into account why all of the student's at Hailsham are unable to have children. Now, halfway through the novel, we learn that the that the students from Hailsham and other similar schools are clones. "Since each of us was copied at some point from a normal person, there must be, for each of us, somewhere out there, a model getting on with his or her life" (Ishiguro, 139). This explanation, although still not using the term 'clone', takes into account the pieces of information regarding the students' isolation, health, and career paths. Despite learning why the students are different from the rest of the world, readers still have questions about the students. Do the students only donate to their possible? Would the student be free to live as they pleased if their possible died without needing a transplant? Could the students figure out who their possible's are and how their possible could avoid needing a transplant?

Is this discovery that the students are clones the climax of the story?

Narration

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro

An important aspect of this novel is the narration and its point of view. Kathy tells the story of her life as she recalls her time growing up at Hailsham and moving on to her time at the Cottages. As Kathy progresses through her story, the readers learn about Kathy's life with the unanswered questions that Kathy also had at that time of her life. Just as Kathy and her peers once questioned their situation and suspected various reasons, so we too question and suspect their situation as well. By having Kathy narrate her youth, Ishiguro creates suspense through the questions that the readers develop about Kathy's life. Ishiguro maintains this suspense by prolonging the tangents that Kathy tells while in the middle of her anecdotes. Ultimately the tangents lead to make Kathy's greater point of her stories, but they still prolong the suspense created by the unanswered questions.

In addition, the reader sees the contrast in the maturity level of Kathy as she once was in her stories and as she is now while telling her stories through her narration. "I was really upset by Ruth's remark at the time, but it's pointless now trying to judge her or anyone else for the way they behaved during those early days at the Cottages" (Ishiguro, 131). Events that used to upset Kathy no longer seem to bother her. Perhaps Kathy has matured like any other person would, but I still wonder if something greater happened to her that sparked her maturity. Kathy has seemed set apart from her peers throughout the novel, possibly because she is narrating the events, but perhaps there is a greater reason as to why she stands apart from her peers and as to why she is narrating this story.

"Acquainted with the Night"

"Acquainted with the Night"
Robert Frost

In this poem, Frost uses interlocking rhyme scheme. By using this rhyme scheme, Frost creates a sense of familiarity within each new stanza. The reader recognizes the words meant to rhyme and this creates a feeling that the rhyme has occurred previously. This feeling that the rhymes seem to go in a circular pattern contributes to the point of the poem that the speaker has gone on night walks multiple times. In addition, each stanza's rhyming words differ slightly from the previous stanza's. This shows that even though the pattern feels similar, each stanza is different. This relates to the speaker on his walks. The speaker has taken multiple walks at night, but because the rhyming words change from stanza to stanza, the speaker's walks probably differ from walk to walk. To add to the sense of repetition, Frost repeated the line "I have been one acquainted with the night" (Frost) at the beginning and the end of the poem. By repeating this line, Frost brings the poem full circle to give the sense of repetition. It also reinforces that the speaker has become acquainted with the night because he has repeatedly taken nighttime strolls.

Dover Beach

"Dover Beach"
Matthew Arnold

The speaker is lamenting the decline of religious faith in his time. Is he himself a believer? Does he see any medicine for the world's maladies?

In this poem, each of the four stanzas explores an idea. The first explores thoughts of the English Channel remarking at its beautiful sight. However the first stanza notes the sorrowful sound of the water. This recognition leads to the second stanza which explores human misery. The third stanza focuses on a shrinking Sea of Faith. This figurative sea once was full and bursting at the seams. Now, the speaker notes, the sea is draining. "But now I only hear /Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar" (Arnold). This sea of faith could be applied to humanity in general, but it can also be applied specifically to the speaker.  Because the sea is draining, this implies that the speaker once had faith but now does not. 

In the fourth stanza, the speaker expresses that he has no cure for the lack of faith. Instead he says "Ah, love, let us be true/ To one another" (Arnold). Never in the fourth stanza does the speaker state that the way to cure the world maladies arises through an increase of faith. Instead the speaker suggests that instead of trying to fix the problem, people should find someone to rely on through life that "Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,/ Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain" (Arnold).

Sorting Laundry

"Sorting Laundry"
Elisavietta Ritchie

In this poem, Ritchie uses an extended metaphor of folding laundry to represent the speaker's relationship. By describing the different pieces of laundry such as the sheets, towels, and shirts, that the speaker is folding, the speaker also describes her relationship. "Pillowcases, despite so many/washings, seams still/ holding our dreams" (Ritchie). The speaker's relationship is old as shown in the phrase "so many washings". Despite its length, the relationship is still strong as described by the
"seams still holding our dreams". The pillow case shows that no matter how old the relationship may be, it has remained strong throughout time. Another description of clothing describes "all those wrinkles/ to be smoothed, or else/ ignored" (Ritchie). The wrinkles in the couple's clothing represents problems in their relationship. Despite their problems, the couple has remained together. The couple has been able to work through some problems as described by the phrase "to be smoothed". In addition, the couple has also ignored some problems. The couples problems were small enough to work through or ignore which suggests that the couple has a stable relationship.

Vanity Destroyed

"The Convergence of the Twain"
Thomas Hardy

In this poem, Hardy uses vivid images to describe sunken lavish ship aka the Titanic. In his use of imagery, Hardy conveys the differences between the extravagant ship and the ocean. For example, "Jewels in joy designed/ To ravish the sensuous mind/ Lie lightless, all their sparkles bleared and black and blind" (Hardy). This quote expresses the brilliance of the Titanic as it was before it sunk through "Jewels in joy designed" and "sparkles". These phrases sound appealing to the reader and evoke pictures of wealth. Hardy contrasts these images of wealth with the phrase "bleared and black and blind". This phrase expresses that the sea caused the demise of the vanity of the ship. In addition to this phrase, other phrases like "The sea-worm crawls- grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent"(Hardy) also help to show that such a proud, lavish ship did not belong in the ocean. By contrasting the different settings (sea vs. ship), Hardy suggests that such a massive object of vanity was not suitable to cross the ocean. Further, this same contrast in setting could be applied to express that human vanity will cause our demise. A lavish ship sunk in the middle of the ocean because its pride did not allow it to properly navigate around an iceberg. The ship's vanity blinded the people of its possibility to sink. Similarly, our own pride and vanity can blind us from our possibility of failing. By simplifying our lives, we can focus on the truly important tasks and can become successful people.

"My Mistress' Eyes"

"My Mistress' Eyes"
William Shakespeare

When reading the title of this poem, the reader might initially think that this poem will be a sappy love poem. However, this poem expresses the speaker's view that other things are more beautiful or appealing than his mistress. The majority of the poem lists his mistress' shortcomings. "Coral is far more red than her lips' "; And in some perfumes is there more delight /Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks"; music hath a far more pleasing sound" (Shakespeare). For a majority of the poem, the reader can imply that the speaker is not fond of his mistress. However, a major shift occurs at the end of the poem. "And yet, by heave, I think my love as rare / As any she belied with false compare" Shakespeare). "And yet" clearly indicates to the reader that the speaker's tone will change. The speaker states that his love for his mistress is rare. His rare love matches with the rarity of the mistress' features as described earlier in the poem. Essentially, Shakespeare used the first twelve lines of the poem to describe unique traits of his mistress in a somewhat backhanded compliment way only to shift in the last two lines to say that he loves this rarity of the woman. 

"Barbie Doll"

"Barbie Doll"
Marge Piercy

In this poem, a beautiful young girl faces peer pressure as she goes through puberty. The people around stress how unattractive they view her nose and legs. "Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs" (Piercy). The diction that Piercy uses helps to emphasize this point. The phrase is not 'Everyone saw a fat nose and thick legs. The phrase specifically uses the preposition on. This preposition helps to express that these two features of the young girl are they only features that people see of her. The young girl tries to change in order to appeal to society, and she dies from it. When she is in her casket people finally say that she looks beautiful. This outrageous end expresses a strong point. People should not focus on the outer appearance of others because they will miss the hidden beauties of the individual. in this poem, the people could not see that "She was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back, ..." (Piercy). In addition, people should not try to change their appearance to please others because it will bring harm to themselves, maybe not through death but at least in a dishonesty to their unique being.

"A Jury of Her Peers"

"A Jury of Her Peers"
Susan Glaspell

As the reader discovers early on in this short story, Mrs. Wright killed her husband. The question of the story is 'What provoked her to kill her husband'? As the men of the story search for this motive, the anticipation of the discovery creates suspense for the reader. Ironically, the Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, who the men viewed as inferior, found clues that piece together to form Mrs. Wright's motive. As the two women wait for their husbands to find clues to the mystery, the ladies wait in Mrs. Wright's house and begin to straighten up the kitchen. In doing this, the women stumble upon some interesting objects such as the bird cage without a bird, a pristine quilt with only a few patches sewn frantically, and half a bag of sugar transferred from the bag. These first few discoveries cause the women to suspicion that something made Mrs. Wright stop in the middle of her work and also made her nervous. However, the women never said aloud that Mrs. Wright killed her husband. Later the women also discover the use of the birdcage by finding a dead bird among Mrs. Wright's sewing materials. The bird's neck had been wrung, and with this information the suspense grew because now the women knew that the death of this bird, possibly Mrs. Wright's only companion, caused her to kill her husband because he had wrung its neck.  The women empathized with Mrs. Wright and her loneliness. They decided that she should not be found guilty for her actions, so they decided to take the bird and conceal it. "Desperately she opened it, started to take the bird out...and got it in the pocket of her big coat just as the sheriff and the county attorney came back into the kitchen" (Glaspell). The ladies were the jury for Mrs. Wright because they decided on her innocence and concealed the only clue to Mrs. Wright's motive.

"Hunters in the Snow"

"Hunters in the Snow"
Tobias Wolff

In this short story, the reader feels sympathy for Tub early on. He waits for his friends for an hour out in the snow. Also, his friends mock him for being overweight and leave him behind while they are hunting. This early feeling of sympathy for Tub causes the reader to feel disgust and disapproval of Frank and Kenny. However, the reader may begin to feel some sympathy for Frank towards the middle to the end of the story. Early in the story, Kenny teases Frank  about " a certain babysitter", which upsets Frank suggesting that the babysitter has deeper involvement with Frank. After Tub shot Kenny, Frank and Tub have a heart-to-heart conversation in the cab of the truck. Frank reveals that his foul temper stems from his contemplation of leaving his wife to pursue a fifteen year old girl. Also in this set of conversations, Tub reveals that his obesity is not from a gland disorder but from his inability to control his desire to eat. This conversation which allows the reader to feel some sympathy for both characters because of their problems also causes the reader to not feel sympathy for these characters because their problems are trivial and could be easily managed.The true sympathy in this story is not for Tub who cannot control his eating habits, or for Frank who lusts for a fifteen year old girl, but for Kenny who was shot and mistakenly thinks that is idiotic friends are actually taking him to the hospital. " ' I'm going to the hospital, ' Kenny said. But he was wrong. They had taken a different turn a long way back" (Wolff). The reader feels sympathy for Kenny because, even though he was mean earlier in the story, he now lies shot, bleeding, freezing, and possibly dying in the bed of a truck while his two friends mope over their comparatively minor issues.

Othello: Acts IV-V

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

After much anticipation, the climax of the play occurs and then the play comes to a grinding halt. Within the last act, Cassio kills Roderigo while Iago secretly injures Cassio. Othello murders Desdemona. Gratiano reveals that Brabantio died of grief. Iago attempts to kill Emilia and succeeds when Othello charges at Iago. Iago escapes but then is captured, and Othello stabs Iago then kills himself. Luckily, Lodovico and Gratiano witnessed most of these events and could hold Iago accountable for his crimes. This list of deaths resulted from a lack of communication. Iago deceived all those around him, yet he is one of the few character left living at the end of the play. Had Othello held an honest and open conversation with his wife, rather than jumping straight to the worst conclusion, he would have learned that his wife was purely devoted to him. Also, if Othello held direct conversations honestly and openly with Cassio, he would have learned that Cassio had never had an affair with Desdemona. Cassio spoke of his relationship with Bianca, not with Desdemona. Othello could have discerned the difference if he had spoken directly to Cassio rather than hiding in the background of Cassio's conversation with Iago. After Emilia reveals what her husband has done, Iago's true nature shines. The characters no longer see him as honest Iago but "a notorious villain" (V, ii, 237).

Othello: Acts IV and V

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

By the end of the play, Emilia proves to be a dynamic character. At the beginning of the play, Emilia would not speak against her husband or other men. She seemed to be passive and somewhat insignificant. By the end of the play, her role grew. After accidentally interrupting Desdemona's murder, Emilia passionately argued against Othello that Desdemona was an honest and pure woman. Othello counters Emilia's argument by stating that Iago first told him of Desdemona's infidelity. 'If he say so, may his pernicious soul Rot half a grain a day! He lies to the heart. She was to fond of her most filthy bargain" (V, ii, 154-156). Here, Emilia dangerously stated that Desdemona's marriage to Othello was "filthy", and Desdemona should have married a better man than Othello. Emelia also spoke against her husband, revealing how she found the handkerchief and gave it to Iago. This was also a risky statement because Iago drew his sword to silence Emelia; luckily, Graziano stopped Iago from this initial blow. In these two examples, Emilia shows her growth in confidence to speak her thoughts against those 'superior' to her. In doing so, she displays herself as a dynamic character.

Othello: Acts IV and V

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

Iago continues to manipulate other characters as the play continues. Again, Roderigo approaches Iago to complain that he has yet to start a relationship with Desdemona. Roderigo, who has paid large sums of money to Iago, complains that he has not gotten the results that he has spent the money for. Roderigo complaining to Iago about not seeing the results of his work has been a reoccurring scene throughout the play. In addition, Iago consistently reassures Roderigo that in time he will have a relationship with Desdemona. Also, Iago continues his speech to the point of manipulating Roderigo to do Iago's dirty work. Earlier, Roderigo picked a drunken fight with Cassio, and now Roderigo confronted Cassio to kill him. "I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him"  (IV, ii, 230-231).  Because Iago continues to successfully manipulate Roderigo, Roderigo stays as a static character. In addition, Iago is a static character because he continues to manipulate Roderigo in the same way as earlier scenes in the play.

Othello: Acts IV and V

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

In scene one of act four, Othello shows a very different side to his personality. Before he began to doubt his wife's faithfulness, Othello held a very calm, composed and poised demeanor. For example, when Cassio began to fight with other soldiers, Othello calmed the troops and ended the struggle with poise and confidence. When his wife awoke, he turned to her lovingly and gently returned with her to their room. In act four, Othello has become anxious, jealous, and angry. He suspects that his wife of infidelity, and during a conversation between the couple about Cassio, Othello hits Desdemona. This sudden irate action shows a change in Othello's character. Earlier in the play, Iago warned Othello, "Oh, beware, my lord, of Jealousy./It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/The meat it feeds on" (III, iii, 166-168).  This quote foreshadows that Othello's jealousy will eventually ruin his life. In seeing Othello hitting Desdemona, the audience sees that this moment of foreshadowing is in the process of happening, and Othello will soon meet his demise. This change in demeanor also shows that Othello is a dynamic character. Unfortunately, he is changing for the worse.

Othello: Acts I-III

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

During scene three of act three, Desdemona offers Othello a handkerchief to use that he had given her. He refuses to use it saying, "Your napkin is too little" (Shakespeare, Act III, iii, 288). After Othello refused the handkerchief, it dropped to the ground and Desdemona left forgetting to pick it up. This handkerchief is a symbol for Othello and Desdemona's love and trust for one another. By forgetting it on the ground, the couple forgets their trust in one another. Also, this shows that their love for one another may be unraveling. This handkerchief also reveals characteristics about Othello's heritage. Othello has maintained a mysterious persona in the play so far, but during this act readers learn more about his heritage when he explains the background of the handkerchief. Unfortunately, this romantic memento causes problems between the newly married couple later on in the act. Othello, suspecting Desdemona of infidelity, asks for the handkerchief, the symbol of their love. When Desdemona cannot immediately give it to him, he becomes irate and leaves furiously. At the end of the act, Cassio is seen giving the handkerchief to Bianca to copy. Replicating the embroidery of the handkerchief would be symbolic for duplicating Desdemona's love, which Othello would view as infidelity.

Othello: Acts I-III

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

In the beginning of Act III, Shakespeare provides the audience with comedic relief by introducing the clown. As one would suspect, this clown makes jokes that make the audience smile.

"Cassio: 'Dost thou hear, my honest friend? '
Clown: 'No, I hear not your honest friend, I hear you.'" (Shakespeare, Act III, i, 19-20)

One question that came to mind though was 'Why did Shakespeare include a clown in this story, and why is the clown important?'The clown draws attention to situations that are humorous or silly. Perhaps the clown holds relevance in this story to bring light to the ridiculous plot of the play. Iago seeks retribution on Othello because Othello promoted Cassio and Othello is rumored to be sleeping with Iago's wife. The rumor has no concrete evidence, but Iago seeks revenge anyway. Iago feels entitled to be the Lieutenant arguing that he is more qualified because he has more experience. His desire to be Lieutenant holds more reasonable weight than the rumor about his wife. Still, Iago's extreme desire for revenge seems humorous to the reader. By introducing the clown, Shakespeare helps the audience to recognize the humorous events of the play.

Othello: Acts I-III

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

As the play began, Iago explicitly stated his hatred toward Othello. As the reader may assume, Iago plans some form of revenge on Othello. However, Iago has not yet revealed his plan for revenge on Othello. Despite not knowing, the play has an ominous feel that Othello will soon face tragedy. "The desperate tempest hath so banged the Turks/ That their designment halts" (Shakespeare, Act II, i, 21-22).  This quote could foreshadow the demise that Othello will face. In this quote, the Turks could represent Othello, and the tempest could represent the trouble that Iago will cause. This quote may offer some hope for Othello, though, because the Turks only halt their plan because of the storm. The Turks are not completely annihilated by the storm. This may offer hope for Othello because his position as a military leader may be stopped, but he would still have his life. 

Othello: Acts I-III

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

As the play begins, Iago displays his villainous character to the audience by speaking with Roderigo about his hate towards Othello. In the first scene, Iago advises Roderigo to tell Desdemona's father Brabantio about her relationship with Othello. The news upsets Brabantio greatly, and he calls for a search for his daughter and Othello. In the following scene, the audience sees Iago talking with Othello. "And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms/Against your honor/That, with the little godliness I have,/ I did full hard forbear him" (Shakespeare, Act I, ii, 7-10). In this quote, Iago is telling Othello that he defended Othello's honor from Brabantio's remarks after he found out about Othello's marriage. In this moment of "kindness" from Iago, the audience sees dramatic irony. The audience knows that Iago looks for revenge against Othello, but in this scene, Othello only sees the kind deed of Iago. This dramatic irony makes the reader feel sympathy for Othello because his trusting character will be abused by the villainous Iago. However, the audience may also hold reservations about giving Othello sympathy because he is naive enough to believe Iago, when the audience can plainly see that Iago is tricking Othello.

Getting Out

Getting Out
Cleopatra Mathis

In this poem Mathis uses a little bit of foreshadowing to hint at the emotions of the speaker. "FM and full-blast/ blues, hours of guitar 'you gonna miss me/ when I'm gone'" (Mathis). This quote from a song hints that the speaker's husband would leave and their marriage would end. Later in the poem, their divorce is confirmed in the phrase "the lawyer's bewilderment" (Mathis). The quote above also hints that the couple would miss each other when they separated. As a whole, this poem is a reminiscence of the couple's marriage, which shows that the speaker does think about and miss her husband. "Taking hands/ we walked apart, until our arms stretched/ between us" (Mathis). This quote shows that even though they were separating, the couple still had some longing to be together.  In addition, the husband felt unhappy about their divorce. "And in the yearly letter, you're sure to say/ you're happy now" (Mathis). The man would not specifically say in each letter that he was happy if he was truly happy. He probably says this to hide his unhappiness and possibly to make his ex-wife feel jealous and want to be with him again. Even though their marriage ended, the couple still has some desire to be together.

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics
Raymond Carver

"In this manner, the issue was decided" (Carver). In this story a couple is separating. However, they put their anger towards each other before the care of their child. The couple both wanted to keep their child so much that they literally had a tug of war with the child. Meanwhile, the child is screaming and the parents seem to ignore that they are hurting their child. Both wanted to care for and love their child, but they ignored these wants while they were fighting with each other. Unfortunately, neither parent will be able to take custody of the child because continuing to fight over the child would eventually kill him. They both wanted their son, but neither would be able to raise this child because their own childish behavior prevents them from being parents. Their selfishness caused their child's demise. True parents have selfless love for their children that allows them to do what is best for their child even if that means letting go. Clearly, this couple has some things to learn about parenting.

The Story of an Hour

The Story of an Hour
Kate Chopin

In this story, Josephine and Richards reveal to Mrs. Mallard the death of her husband. As the reader would suspect, Mrs. Mallard started crying. Ironically, Mrs. Mallard's tears were from joy not anguish. Mrs. Mallard was subject to a restricting marriage, so the news of her husband's death brought her joy not anguish. "There would be no one to live for in those coming years; she would live for herself" (Chopin). However, Mr. Mallard was not killed in the train accident. When he arrived at his house, he found that his wife had died of heart disease. Mrs. Mallard had been so overjoyed that her weak heart could not withstand her immense joy. Whereas earlier in the story Josephine and Richards had been careful to break the news about her husband for fear that grief would cause her heart to fail, in actuality Mrs. Mallard's heart failed because of her immense joy. Her death could be considered ironic because the story began with her husband's "death", but ended with her death while her husband still lives.

You're Ugly, Too

You're Ugly, Too
Lorrie Moore

When on the balcony with Earl, Zoe tells an anecdote about a friend when responding to Earl's request to talk about love. However, this anecdote tells of her lonely but successful friend whose relationship with a man from Illinois ended with the woman committing suicide. This anecdote helps to characterize Zoe. Like the woman in the anecdote, Zoe does not need a man in order to support herself. She is educated, has a job, and can provide for herself; however, she does seem to want companionship. "This was what she'd become: a woman alone at the movies with everything in a Baggie" (Moore). Zoe realizes her loneliness while she is at the movies, but later with Earl, her sarcasm seems to push him away. For both the woman in the anecdote and for Zoe, their success in their careers causes problems in their relationships. Zoe's education causes her to be practical, which seems to repulse Earl. "You know, I just shouldn't try to go out with career women. You're all stricken, A guy can really tell what life has done to you. I do better with women who have part-time jobs" (Moore). Because Zoe can support herself, she does not desperately need a relationship. Because she lacks this desperation, she can be her sarcastic self around men even though it may offend them. If Zoe continues her similarities with the woman from her anecdote, she will never have success in her relationships.

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
John Donne

In this poem, Donne used an extended metaphor to express the love between the speaker and his lover. The two lovers are compared to the legs of a compass. The two will be connected by their love just as the legs of the compass are connected to each other. One leg of the compass would stay planted. This firmly planted leg would be the woman. No matter where the man would travel, she would still be connected and attracted to him as long as she still loved him. "It leans, and hearkens after it, and grows erect, as that comes home" (Donne). In addition, the man would return home as long as the woman still loved him. "Thy firmness makes my circle just, And makes me end, where I begun" (Donne). His beginning was his home with his lover, so his end would be the same. Through this metaphor, the speaker expresses that, no matter where he traveled, he would love his lover and would return to her if she still loved him.

Bright Star

Bright Star
John Keats

The writer uses an apostrophe when the speaker addresses the star. The speaker addresses the star while admiring it for being steadfast. The star can see much of the world at once, but it is alone. "Lone splendor...Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite" (Keats). Although the speaker wants to be steadfast, the speaker does not want to emulate the star by being distant and alone. The speaker is in love and wishes to be with his lover for eternity. "To feel forever its soft fall and swell" (Keats). Seeing the beauty of the world seems insignificant to the speaker because he is in love. His alternative to spending his life with his lover would be his death. "Still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever- or else swoon to death" (Keats).
The use of an apostrophe allows for the speaker's comparison to the star, and it allows the speaker to show his yearning to spend eternity with his love just as the star is eternally in the sky. 

Eveline: Why didn't she get on the boat?

Eveline
James Joyce

When reading this short story, the question arises: Why didn't Eveline get on the boat? Most of the beginning of the story depicted an unhappy life with her father. "She sometimes felt herself in danger of her father's violence" (Joyce). Eveline's father was abusive and controlling. In contrast to this unhappiness, scenes where Frank was described appeared to be hopeful and joyous. "...and she felt elated as she sat in an unaccustomed part of the theater with him" (Joyce). Eveline's relationship with Frank offered an escape from her unhappy life. Despite her ability to leave, Eveline could not make herself board the boat. Perhaps Eveline could not leave because of her promise to her late mother. "Strange that it should come that very night to remind her of the promise to her mother, her promise to keep the home together as long as she could" (Joyce). Although Eveline wanted to escape her threatening father, she felt compelled to take care of her home. Her life was familiar to her, and although it was not perfectly happy, she found it not "wholly undesirable" (Joyce). Eveline's choice not to board the boat expresses the theme of spiritual paralysis. Eveline wanted to be happy, but her fear of change prevented her from moving on with her life. Not boarding the boat suggests that she would return to her home and her father. This is all she has known, and she chose familiarity over probable happiness.

How I Met My Husband

How I Met My Husband
Alice Munro

This story effectively uses a surprise ending. As interpreted from the title, the story is a reminiscence of how Edie met her husband long ago. Because the reader knows that the story will tell how Edie met her husband, the reader expects that the first man with whom Edie becomes intimate will be her husband. Edie and Chris had a short scene of intimate kissing. After that scene, Chris planned to leave and promised to write Edie. Chris appeared that he would be Edie's husband. One small instance of foreshadowing that suggested that Chris would not be Edie's husband occurred shortly after Chris left, and Edie lied to Alice. "I never thought of myself as being in any way like her, or coming to the same troubles, ever" (Munro). Chris fled from Alice, and Edie thought that she would be with Chris instead of Alice. However, Edie was similar to Alice because Chris left her just as he left Alice. Ironically, Edie met her husband while waiting for a letter from Chris. The end of the story reveals that Carmichael, the mailman, asked Edie on a date which led to their relationship and eventual marriage.