The quote “Today it is Arobin; tomorow it will be some one else. It makes no difference to me, it doesn’t matter about Léonce Pontellier—but Raoul and Etienne!” struck me because this shows that Edna has now finally realized who she is and what will happen if she doesn’t control her inner self that was revealed when she went swimming in the ocean. Why this quote is important in the novel is because this is huge, especially for Edna. Ever since she found out about her true inner self at the ocean that summer at Grand Isles, she’s been selfish around her family and not so open to her friends. I’m glad she now realizes that even though she doesn’t care about her husband, she needs to be there for the children, even if she doesn’t have an emotional attachment to them as a mother. Her friend Adèle’s plea to “remember the children” made Edna sacrifice her recently found inner self in order to keep her children.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a fascinating novel that speaks on the role of women in the late 1800s. More importantly, it shows how these roles were broken by strong women. Edna Pontellier, a housewife in the South of the United States, feels trapped and alone in the life she lives, and seeks fulfillment in living a life not dictated by societal expectations of women.

            The novel being written by an American author and set in the United States, The Awakening possesses two important factors which contribute to its qualification as a “great American novel”. Beyond these, there are many elements within the novel that prove it to be a “great American novel”. The book initially comments on the lives of endless women who are stuck being housewives who often get little satisfaction from this lifestyle. Edna’s life initially consists of caring for her husband and children, and not much beyond that; she often has ironic thoughts on her husband’s expectations of her: “If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it? He himself had his hands full with his brokerage business” (29). Edna, like many other women in this era, feel suppressed and undervalued amidst societal norms. Finally, Edna reaches a point where she decides to give in to her want to disobey expectations. When she spends time with Robert and Madame Ratignolle, she finds herself opening up to the freedom to choose what she wants to do and who she wants to spend her time with. When Edna reluctantly decides to go to the beach with Robert, this symbolizes a sort of realization in Edna that she doesn’t need to feel guilty for doing what she wants to do; “They descended the steps, and walked away together toward the beach” (50).

            The overall message of this text can be found as empowering to many readers. Edna’s overall development as a character communicates that she grows emotionally and gains self-value. Readers can relate to Edna’s emotions and gain inspiration from her change of mindset. Toward the end of the novel, when she has abandoned her old lifestyle and entered into independence, it’s evident that her self-confidence has become very prominent, contrasting with her doubt and hesitance present at the beginning of the novel. As she takes a major step in being independent by planning to buy a house for herself, it is clear that she has changed as a person in her words, actions, and mannerisms. She feels no need to explain herself or care what others think of her; when she is questioned about telling the truth, Edna“did not protest or endeavor to justify herself” (250). Additionally,  Instead of trying to act ‘ladylike’ and conform to the mannerisms that are expected of women, she lets herself act as she wants; “She drank the liquor from the glass as a man would have done” (249). Clearly, having a place of her own to live is a major step in her character growth and allows Edna to be truly independent and self-sufficient; “I know I shall like it, like the feeling of freedom and independence” (251).

            Though modern day gender roles differ significantly from those present in The Awakening, the message is still relevant today in many ways. Obviously, it was unconventional for a woman to live an independent life in the late 1800s. Today, though it’s less typical than it used to be, there are still many cases in which women are expected to act a certain way. In America, women still generally take care of the children while men work and provide for the family. However, the number of independent women who are successful and provide for themselves has and continues to grow significantly.  Although Edna’s actions were deemed unacceptable and selfish, the fact that she wanted to make more of herself was inspiring to many at the time, and didn’t fail to inspire me as the reader over a century later.

Cormac McCarthy was born in 1933 in Rhode Island. Early in his life his Family moved to Tennessee for his father’s work and his family was considerably more wealthy than his neighbors. He later went to be apart of the Air Force and while stationed in Alaska started his writing career. His first novel was published in 1965. He also has written two plays and has found fame and fortune in recent years for two exemplary novels, No Country for Old Men and The Road, both of which are required reading in Great American Novels and Science Fiction classes here at BSM.

His books have definitely made an impact in the world of writing but why?

He is definitely a different writer with little use of punctuation and he uses fairly simple sentences and his reasoning is very clear, “there is no reason to blot up the page with weird little marks.” His more recent novels depict a very bleak and dark world and some believe that to have happened because of 9/11 and because of this he is referred to as “the great pessimist of American literature.”

There is a reason that his bleak work is so popular and i think it is because of how true it is! People tend to avoid dark/ scary things because of the potential truth that could be found and McCarthy capitalizes off of that.

What makes this novel stand out stylistically is the dialogue and different perspectives that are the main backbones of the story and not so much about the setting.  I was surprised by how much dialogue and the different fonts that appeared throughout the book.  It was a bit long in the beginning, but the pace picked up during the middle of the book, all the way to the end.  The paragraphs were also broken up to the point where I can easily read the text and see what was going on in the book.  Examples:  “Christine’s duals suddenly came on, pinning him in harsh white light…The undercarriage scraped and shrieked and shot off a swirling flicker of sparks.” (307)   

“He himself was the only one (other than Cunningham himself) who could appreciate the incredibility of what had happened: the car’s complete and total regeneration…Will only sat there looking politely interested, and after a second or two the old man shook his head and went away.” (389)

I also got to see a few references from the WW2 era and the 1940s/1950s era when the book talked about the old veteran before he died and possessed Christine. Examples: “Ah shit. Ancient history, kid. I’m bending your ear as it is. But every time I think of that sonofabitch LeBay, I see red. I’ve still got the scars on my hands.  Uncle Sam had three years of my life during World War 2 and I never got so much as a Purple Heart out of it, although I was in combat almost all that time. I fought my way across half the little shitpost islands in the South Pacific…I felt a couple of bullets go right by me, and just before we broke that charge the guy right next to me got his guts rearranged courtesy of the Emperor of Japan, but the only times I saw the color of my own blood over there in the Pacific was when I cut myself shaving. Then…”  (508)

“Aw, it was a kid’s trick.  But nobody really liked the sonofabitch, you know. He was an outsider, a loner—”

Like Arnie, I thought.

—and we’d all been drinking,” McCandless finished.

“It was after the meeting, and LeBay had been making an even worse prick of himself than usual…We all get behind the far corner of the building, because we know that’s where he’ll finish backing up the car before he takes off. He always called it by a girl’s name, I told you it was like he was married to the fucking thing.”  (511)

I’ve read another of King’s novels (Sleeping Beauties) and the writing styles of both books are totally different and unique. For example, Sleeping Beauties was about a mysterious sickness that spreads throughout the town of Dooling, only affecting the women as they were wrapped in these cocoons.  If you attempt to rip through them to get to your wife/sister/girlfriend, they turn savage and attempt to kill you.  At the same time, a mysterious woman appears in the town when a bizarre murder happens. The murder was two men running a meth lab out of their mobile home who are then beaten to death by a mysterious woman, who sets fire to the lab before allowing herself to be arrested.  

As for Christine, it’s about a love triangle involving 17-year-old misfit Arnie Cunningham, his new girlfriend, and a haunted 1958 Plymouth Fury. Dubbed “Christine” by her previous owner, Arnie’s first car is jealous, possessive, and deadly.  His best friend, Dennis, immediately recognized that the car was bad luck even before Arnie bought the car from its previous owner.  As murders suddenly climb in the quiet town of Libertyville, police are suspecting Arnie as the killer, when in reality it was Christine possessed by the angry, deceased veteran Ronald LeBay.  As Dennis and Leigh team up to destroy Christine once and for all, Arnie goes out of town for a college visit with his mother.  What they also didn’t realize was that Arnie’s father got killed when he went inside the car, despite Dennis warning him not to go near the car.

Overall, I think reading different genres and writing styles of different authors has made me improve my writing skills outside of the classroom.  I’ve learned how to use proper grammar, write different POV’s, settings, and use motifs/language.  I also tried stretching out my genres a bit too.

In Pudd’nhead Wilson, the entire plot of the book is a lesson that we as readers can learn from. In the book, a woman named Roxy who is 1/16th black switched her baby boy with another child so that he won’t have to be a slave. Her son Tom grows into a bratty and privileged boy, and treats the other boy Chambers very poorly. I think one of the main lessons a reader can learn from this book is that the way you are raised and the environment you grow up in can majorly define who you are as a person and the way you treat those around you, but it is ultimately up to you to decide who you want to be. Identity is a huge theme in this book, and it is shown through the different characters personalities. During the time that Pudd’nhead Wilson is set in, slavery is still a very big issue. Being even the slightest bit black can make you a slave. Even though Tom didn’t look black he still would have been a slave, and no one questions the fact that Chambers is a slave even if he doesn’t look black either. Knowing if you are black or not can change your entire personality and view on life. When Roxy told Tom about his past and who he really was, he spent the next few days reflecting on everything in his life. Thoughts ran through his head of why whites and blacks were treated differently: “And why is this awful difference made between white and black?” (133). He started to feel bad that Chambers was his slave, and he even felt ashamed to sit at “the white folk’s table” (135). These feelings had subsided and were soon forgotten about. The main thing that I took from this book is that you are able to choose the way you act, and can’t blame how you were raised for the way you act. Tom could have shown more humility and kindness towards Chambers growing up, but instead he treated him very poorly. Even though Chambers was a slave, that did not mean that he deserved to be treated the way that he was. When Tom found out that he was actually black, he had multiple choices of what to do with that information. He could have either started treating Chambers with more respect and not like a slave, or he could have even told the truth about himself even though it would be a complicated situation for him and Roxy. Tom chose to disregard all of this new information about his identity, and continued to be a terrible person in his life. I was able to understand that it would be hard to change who he is because it is all he’s ever known his entire life, but I don’t think his actions are justifiable. He continues to steal money from his family and even kills his own uncle in hopes of inheriting all of his money and the estate. He takes no responsibility for his actions, but is finally held accountable at the end of the book. Tom is arrested and put into jail, and Chambers is now a free white man. Though Chambers is no longer a slave, his situation isn’t much better. He spent his entire life thinking he was black and being treated as a slave, which formed his entire personality. Chambers feels like he doesn’t fit in with either the blacks or white, and has no place in society. It is like he is too black for the whites, but he no longer can be with the blacks. What I mainly learned from this book is that as individuals, we get to choose what kind of life we want to live with the freedom we have, and it is up to us what we make of our lives.

First off, what exactly is a Great American Novel? A GAN requires a certain type of criteria for the novel itself to be considered a GAN. The type of criteria is as follows: American content, style, relevancy, characterization, limitations, and the content of the novel. So now, the prompt that I will be focusing on is does the Wolf of Wall Street meet the standards of a GAN? To start off, a key part of a GAN is history, and the impacts on history that the GAN included in it. The Wolf of Wall Street fails to include any past history or past decades as the book tells a story on the author’s life. This book was written in 2007, so it is very modern and focuses on the present and some of the future. However, you could argue that this book will be looked back on in the future as other GAN could use this book as a reference of history, but it is impossible to tell the future. It is very unlikely that this book will be a reference point for future GAN, and being that there is no past history, it is safe to say that the no past history in Wolf of Wall Street has a greater impact on if the Wolf of Wall Street is a GAN or not. Now, this book has a very American feeling to it, as the lifestyle that the author lives truly captures what an American life can be like, “I ended up leaving my kids and wife, Denise— paying her millions up front in one lump sum plus fifty thousand a month in non-tax-deductible maintenance, so she would walk away quietly without demanding a full-blown audit of my affairs” (pg. 4, chapter 2). Connected to the American content, since it is modern, the style is great as the reader is always engaged, and the vocabulary is complex, “in increments of a quarter million or more, for the sole reason of having plausible deniability…” (pg. 5, chapter 12). As I already stated the relevancy is the weakest part, as there is no past history in this book. Next, The character development is present but minimial, as Jordan becomes an average worker to becoming very successful, but the methods he used to achieve that success are not moral. He reforms at the end, and he is trying to become better and learn from his mistakes. Now this book is written by an American author, and it is a fictional memoir, so it can technically still be considered a GAN since it is fictional. Although this book is fictional, it is a fictional memoir, so it hurts the chances of The Wolf of Wall Street being a GAN. Lastly, the message of this novel isn’t necessarily clear, but Jordan makes it evident that you should not cheat your way through life otherwise there will be consequences. So now, does The Wolf of Wall Street meet the requirements to be a GAN? Usually, GAN are historic books that many people and schools read/teach about, and I can tell you that the Wolf of Wall Street will never be taught in school. Being that The Wolf of Wall Street fails to include any past history or past decades, the book is a fictional memoir, and the characterization and content is very minimal and could be improved, The Wolf of Wall Street does not qualify as a GAN. The American content and style were great, but that is only two out of six key themes, and that will not cut it if a book wants to be a GAN. This book was a great and fun book to read, but unfortunately I will not be considered this book a GAN.

We witness censorship all around us—whether it’s bleeping out inappropriate words in a movie, stations playing the “clean versions” of songs on the radio, or covering the eyes of children during the kissing scene. However there is a much more alarming form of suppression currently developing in the world, and it’s spreading faster than COVID-19—the censorship of ideas.

Mark Twain was a very controversial author. He published most of his books in the late 1800’s, most notably “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” and the book I just finished reading: “Pudd’nhead Wilson.” Now some context: 1893 was very different from 2020. Slavery was still legal and a widely accepted practice, Racism towards people of color was prevalent and rampant, and Twitter would not be invented for over another century. In many of Mark Twain’s books he portrays black characters and lower-class characters in a positive light, something that was seriously frowned upon by people back in the day. It even led some of Twain’s books like “Huckleberry Finn” to be banned from education curriculums and libraries temporarily.

This leads me back to the main discussion, the censorship of ideas. We see it too often in our society. News companies controlling the narrative and pushing their agendas upon impressionable, uninformed readers, or Social Media companies giving more exposure to a particular topic/idea/trend compared to another of equal caliber. I see no difference in what these corporations are doing today compared to what society did to Mark Twain’s novels back in the 1890’s.

One of the founding principles in the United States of America is the freedom of expression. It’s what separated us from other countries and is the reason why we are the best country today. Strong language and conflicting ideas are what got us here and as technology makes discussion and conversation more accessible and global, restrictions are being implemented to advance or suppress ones idea. This cannot be tolerated. It’s very dangerous to not see all points of view and be unable think for yourself. We must fight to preserve this freedom of speech and not ban any songs, books, music or anything of the sort. (Also no bowdlerization because thats not cool)

While headlines are dominated by the the coronavirus and the upcoming election, the conversation regarding censorship has taken a backseat. and we must not allow this to happen as it is very dangerous and can ruin everything.

The novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy is set in 1980s Texas around the US/Mexico border. During this time period, there was huge increase in drug activity in this area along the border. This novel is takes place after President Richard Nixon declared the “War on drugs” in 1971. America started to crack down on drug use, and they warned people of the harmful effects. In 1981 when President Ronald Reagan took office, he expanded the drug war. On of the most notorious drug traffickers during the 80s was Pablo Escobar. The violence that surrounded his drug cartel and made headlines in the newspapers is what drew people’s attention to him. Many people believe that Pablo Escobar was one of McCarthy’s real-world examples for his characters and inspiration behind the plot of the novel. Another was Pablo Acosta, who was a Mexican drug smuggler in the 80s who also controlled crime along the border. Many of the real-life drug cartels’ actions are modeled through the character of Chigurh. He goes to extreme lengths to find Moss and recover the money in the briefcase. He kills or attempts to kill everyone he meets in the novel, and he hardly feels any regret or remorse. For example, he flips a coin to determine whether or not he should kill the person he is talking to. This highlights the randomness and the risk that is involved in this line of business. Most of the characters and events of the novel reflect real life people or situations from the 1980s.

Throughout reading Pudd’nhead Wilson the debate of “nature vs. nurture” comes up a lot. Nature vs. nurture is a debate that involves the extent in which particular behavior traits are inherited or learned by influences. “Nature” is what is considered as the pre-wiring in our brains based on our genetics. “Nurture” is factors that happen after life experiences.

 In the book, Roxy raised both boys from infants all the way up until their teenage years. When they were infants, Roxy was the only one who could tell them apart except Puddn’head Wilson who had their fingerprints. Roxy decided to switch the boys so her son wouldn’t be sold away from her. So, Chambers becomes “Tom” and Tom is now “Chambers”. “Tom” becomes a spoiled rich kid who has an entitlement issue. This is very disappointing to Roxy who believed her son would have better than just an entitled rich kid. That is an example of nurture taking over. “Tom’s” genetics should have him acting as a selfless and kind person. Instead, he grew up a white heir to a substantial estate and has a vicious and vindictive personality. “Chambers” however is raised as a slave but his uncle, Judge Driscoll, adopts him once Percy dies so that “tom” can’t sell him. “Chambers” is used to fight “Tom’s” bullies which is awful. This situation goes to prove that nurture has a bigger role in who we are and our personalities. “Tom” grew up as a spoiled white kid and that is how he acts. “Chambers” who grew up as a slave talks in “slave dialect” and he learned at a young age to just be quiet or he will be punished.

Another argument is wether or not the reader agrees with what Roxy did. Personally, I don’t fault her. Moms typically want the best for their kids. I can see where she was coming from. She was desperate to not be separated from her child and this was the way she wouldn’t be separated. It is interesting to think about how life would have been different for the boys if she didn’t switch them. Would “Chambers” be as vicious and vindictive as “Tom” is? Would “Tom” fight for “Chambers”? I don’t know if I would have switched the boys if I was in her shoes but I do see where she coming from with her fears. 

Eventually, the town finds out the boys were switched when there is a murder trail. There was a fingerprint left at the crime scene. This uncovered the truth about the boys and who they really were. I should also point out that Roxy had told “Tom” that he was actually her kid and had “slave blood” in him but it didn’t really change how he acted. He still stole, gambled, and just did some stupid things. Roxy also kind of blackmailed “Tom” by telling him he is an ungrateful brat and he now pays her a stipend. Once the whole town found out about the switch, “Chambers” ends up being set “free” and is now the heir to Judge Driscoll’s estate. I’m sure that is quite a culture shock to go from being a slave to filthy rich. “Tom” also receives quite the culture shock as he confesses to the murder, is pardoned by the governor, and then sold “down the river”. This is a very abrupt ending and I want a follow up. I want to know how they adapted to their new lives and what is Roxy up to? Did “Tom” crumble under the pressure and stress of not being a free man anymore? Did “Chambers” free people working for him now or at least treat them better? I am left unsettled and wanting more with the ending.

So, is “Pudd’nhead Wilson” a Great American Novel? I would say that yes, it is a Great American Novel. It is full of American content like slavery. The book takes place in the mid 19th century in Missouri so slavery was a big topic. Pudd’nhead Wilson has motifs and notable diction. The characters talk in a way that we wouldn’t now in the 21st century. There is relevancy of “passing” as white and the “white privilege” attitude that “Tom” experienced. I would say that there is character development but not necessarily growth as “Tom” didn’t really change his actions once he found out he should have been the slave. That would have made me question everything I ever did and everything I will do going forward but “Tom” didn’t. 

In The Awakening by Kate Chopin, many characters add to the intriguing plot of the novel. Edna, the main character who undergoes a surprising character development, is very dynamic and many sides of her are revealed. However, a vital part of Edna’s development is because of the presence of Adèle Ratignolle. Though Edna surely would have developed as a character from beginning to end of The Awakening, Adèle often acts as a major influence in motivating Edna to abandon her old lifestyle in which she is defined by caring for her children and attending to her husband’s needs; Edna is pictured at the beginning of the novel crying in the middle of the night due to her unhappiness in her life. Although Edna is directly inspired by the life that Mademoiselle Reisz leads, in which she does as she pleases and is free of the duties of being a “good wife”, Adèle always seems to be someone who Edna can relate to and ask for help from. “Madame Ratignolle kissed Edna good-night” (145). Clearly, Edna and Adèle grow to be close friends, and are there for each other throughout The Awakening. The relationship between the characters adds to each of their qualities.