Feminist Critique

Chaucer was definitely a feminist in writing The Knight's Tale and it is no secret. I do not believe it was done on purpose, but Chaucer certainly put forth a feminist stance in his writing as he made Emily appear as more of an object than a human being. I cannot blame Chaucer, however, because that is how people behaved in this time period. Women played an inferior role in society as their purpose was to help make the lives of men easier. Women were possessions in society, and that belief is clearly portrayed in the text.

In society today, we believe that a feminist attitude is inappropriate and has no place in today's world. While I do support the fact that a feminist approach was taken by Chaucer, I do not believe that it was inappropriate or takes away from the overall quality of the text in any way. These were the common beliefs of society at the time, and to criticize Chaucer for his feminist approach is unwarranted because that is what he was taught to believe.

Ideal Society Final Evaluation

At the end of this assignment, I did not end up trading cards with anyone for various reasons. My first and biggest reason is that the people I chose to include in my society were chosen for specific reasons. They each have their own unique traits and abilities that cannot be compared to anyone else. Also, each of the strengths and weaknesses of my people complement one another so that they all mesh well with one another. If I had chosen to trade cards with another person, I would be compromising the foundation of my society which would not be good. However, I was willing to trade one or two of my cards that I thought I could do without just so I could participate in the assignment, but I found that the only people I would be willing to receive for those cards were people that played the same roles as the ones I was trading. Because of that, I thought it was best fit for me to hold on to my cards and have confidence in the decisions I made.

Ideal Society Members

Any society must be based around strong leadership and balance because without a strong foundation, stability is impossible. All members must contribute equally in order for the society to prosper, and all members must bring their own unique traits to the table. In my ideal society, the first person I would include would be Oprah Winfrey. Her natural leadership skills and inspirational traits make her an easy selection to be the primary leader in my society. Also, her generosity and modesty assure me that she will always look out for the best in others and not become greedy. My next selection would be Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles. His astonishing athleticism and strength would make him a perfect fit as a military leader. Next, the perfect entertainment leaders would be the Beatles. Their amazing talent and success have shown that they are arguably the greatest band of all time, and in an ideal society, they would provide quality entertainment for all. My next selection would be Bill Gates because of his creativity both as a businessman and as an innovator. He would provide my society with professional leadership and give positive input towards new ideas. Finally, I would choose Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, because he would be a youthful presence in charge of the social scene. He would be a fresh face that could offer many innovative ideas looking towards the future.

Courtly Love

1.) Establish a friendly relationship with the person

2.) Learn things about her (likes and dislikes)

3.) Spend more and more time with them

4.) Be kind and show you like the other person

5.) Ask them out on a date

6.) Be charming and gentlemanly

7.) Give them your full attention

8.) Go out more often- formally and casually

9.) Introduce them to your friends/ family

10.) Make it Facebook official

Kevin McAdam

AP English 12/ Mrs. Turick

10/7/10

Essential Question #4

Simplify and analyze Hrothgar's parting words to Beowulf, lines 1708-1767

Hrothgar’s final speech to Beowulf shares some deep insights and displays his immense gratitude towards Beowulf for everything he did for him and the people of Heorot. Hrothgar begins his speech by advising Beowulf to always praise God for everything given to him. Being humans on this earth is a miraculous thing, and Hrothgar wants to make sure Beowulf remembers that. Also, Hrothgar wants to make sure Beowulf knows it is because of God that we are here: “It is a miracle how the mighty Lord in his generosity gives wisdom and land and high estate to people on earth; all things are in His power” (lines 1708-1711). However, parts of Hrothgar’s parting words to Beowulf are presented as a warning to never become arrogant and pompous, and to remain true to himself. Hrothgar explains that if Beowulf starts to become arrogant, the pride and greed in his body will take over and become his demise. Reputations were important at this period of time, but Hrothgar is warning Beowulf not to let his reputation get ahead of him. Hrothgar states that the only way for Beowulf to attain true happiness is for him to avoid succumbing to sin and temptation. Hrothgar tells Beowulf that his time on this earth is short, and we must all live as virtuously as possible to live an ever-lasting life in heaven. Finally, he thanks God that he lived to see Beowulf’s triumphs, and he invites him to feast and share the treasures.

Essential Question #3

Wealtheow is the most prominent woman in the poem, Beowulf. That may be a substantial role in any other text, but in Beowulf, that means next to nothing. She is one of a very small group of women that are mentioned in the poem centered around a patriarchal society. Women in this society are treated so poorly that they are more servants than spouses. Women such as Wealtheow accepted their role in society as "that proud woman greeted the men in the hall, then offered them the cup to the Danish king first of all." (606-607). Her role as a queen is to simply do whatever is necessary to help the kingdom be successful. While she does have her own personal beliefs as she is described as, "excellent in mind," (615) being a woman, she is stripped of all opportunities because of her gender and I do not expect to see too much of her in the poem.

Essential Question #2

What are the social obligations of a hero?

Any hero must live up to certain guidelines established by society. All heroes must strive towards building a better society and act in a way that is only beneficial to mankind. A hero must not only look out for himself, but he must be aware of the needs of others as well. A hero must stand up against anyone who becomes a threat to society and needs to be dealt with. Also, heroes must lead society and set a good example for the way people should act and how others should be treated.

While all heroes do not need to be a physical force, they should be an inspiration to all those that follow them. All heroes must have a distinct personality that shows their leadership so that others may trust that person. Any hero must be a selfless person who always puts others before themselves. A hero is not afraid to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of society if it is necessary. A person is regarded as a hero not only by what they do, but, more importantly, by how they carry themselves and the image they create for themselves in society

Essential Question #1

How do we create division in our society?

There are many different factors that influence people towards creating division in the world today. However, the one primary cause of division in society is ignorance. Ignorance is the foundation for all negative feelings we possess in society. Things like prejudice and intolerance are instilled in how we think about others because of ignorance. In society today, we believe certain theories and stereotypes are correct without proper evidence to support our claims. These fallacies are allowed to grow into something that sparks hatred and turmoil between certain classes and groups of people. As this hatred grows, the division between groups only worsens the society as a whole. People create incorrect assumptions about others because they do not know or understand enough about one another. They allow their ignorance to dictate their personal beliefs. These beliefs change who we are as human beings. They keep us from looking at one another as a united race, but instead divide us into separate classes. These feelings that we develop from our ignorance teach us to focus exclusively on the characteristics that make each of us different and unique, instead of allowing us to embrace our fellow humans as brother and sister.

Kevin McAdam

AP English 11/ Mr. George

5/25/10

Outliers Assignment #1

The Upper Hand

In my time in elementary school, I honestly did not gain many special advantages compared to the other students that allowed me to excel academically. My elementary school was run so that each child was given an equal opportunity to learn, but there were not many advanced courses for gifted students. However, there are certain aspects of my elementary school education that did set me on the right course for success.

I now realize how lucky I have been in my life because of the education I have received. A primary example of how I got an advantage in my educational success is that I was able to attend pre-school. Being able to go to pre-school when I was about four or five years old gave me a huge advantage over those who did not attend pre-school because I was able to benefit from having the experience of being in a learning environment at an early age.

While I was given a head start in pre-school, there were few, if any, courses for gifted students at the private elementary school I went to. Even if there were not many advanced courses at my elementary school, I did go to a private school which is an advantage in it of itself. At a private school, the students there are placed in a better learning environment than most public schools as many public schools lack funding for supplies and motivation from faculty members to teach. Also, attending a private elementary school directed me towards attending a high school like Trinity where I have more opportunities for success. However, if I attended a public elementary school, I most likely would have been easily persuaded to flow right into Waltham High School like so many other public school kids I know from my hometown.

The only advanced course I can think of being in while in elementary school was an Algebra I course I took in eighth grade. It was for a select few in my class who had above average math grades and displayed a unique ability in the subject. This was also a terrific advantage for me upon entering high school as it allowed me to forego taking Algebra I as a freshman and move straight into Geometry. As I have progressed through my years at Trinity, I realize how important that eighth grade Algebra I class was because it gave me the opportunity to take AP Calculus as a senior and, perhaps, forego a semester of math while in college. It is shocking how one small advantage given to me in eighth grade can have such a profound effect on my high school and college careers.

Being part of the AP English 11 class this year has had an indescribable effect on my intellectual development. It is very similar to the example of the hockey players in Outliers because I have been given the opportunity to learn from the best and develop my English skills much more than I could have in the college prep class. Also, not only am I learning from the best, I am in a class competing against the best and learning from my classmates, just like the hockey players on the more advanced teams.

There is a tremendous correlation between the educational advantages I have been given and the success I have attained as a student at Trinity. Without the advantages that I have listed, I most likely would be simply an average student taking average courses at an average school, but thankfully, that is not the case. I have taken advantage of the many great opportunities I have had in my life and those advantages have transformed me into the successful student I am today.

Kevin McAdam

AP English 11/ Mr. George

4/5/10

Final Essay on Sin Topic #1

Doing what is right during times of tremendous adversity is one of the most difficult challenges one must face as a human being. Sometimes we obey our conscience and do what is right, but other times we may succumb to temptation even when we know it is wrong. The true measure of the moral stature of a human being is not how often one does the right thing, but how often one admits their wrongdoings and attempts to gain redemption for their sins. In The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, several characters are presented with situations in which they chose to either bear their sins publicly, privately, or to ignore their sins altogether. The decisions made by these characters dramatically impacted how these people thought and acted for the rest of the novel, resulting in both good and bad outcomes. In reading the texts, the outcome of characters who admitted their sins to a public audience was generally greater than the outcome of characters that chose to keep their sins private or to ignore their sins. There is undoubtedly much truth in the quote that the topic of this paper is based on. There are, however, certain sections of this quote that apply to different characters in the three novels. The sections of the quote that are most relevant to the texts are, “Yet it was his duty to confess, to suffer public shame, and to make public atonement” (Wilde 228), “to tell their sins to earth as well as to heaven” (228), and, “Nothing that he could do would cleanse him till he had told his own sin” (228).

As previously stated, one’s character can be defined by how often they repent for their mistakes. Even after you commit a sin, your conscience still rings in your head telling you that you did something wrong and you must make corrections in your life to make yourself a better person. Throughout the three novels, there were numerous examples of characters that admitted their sins and accepted their punishment while others kept their sins to themselves. In The Scarlet Letter, one great example of someone who felt the moral, “duty to confess, to suffer pubic shame, and to make public atonement” (228) was Hester Prynne. Whether or not Hester actually desired to make her sins know publicly, her adultery was displayed to Boston because of her pregnancy. The fact that Hester’s sins were revealed involuntarily actually can be looked at as a good thing for her. Since Hester had no choice in the matter, she was able to accept her punishment much easier, and fight to work her way back to being an upstanding citizen in Boston. As is the case with most, if not all, of the characters involved in scandalous events, admitting their sins is definitely the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Because Hester’s sins were presented for her, she was given a leg up on the other characters on her road to redemption. The fact that Hester did not have the responsibility to confess her sins only gave her more incentive to accept her punishment and prove that she was truly sorry for what she did. By admitting her sins, the town of Boston would be able to tell that Hester regretted her actions, but she was stripped of that opportunity. Through her penance, Hester proved to the town, herself, and to God that she was sorry. And in the end, Hester’s strategy to gain redemption and peace paid off as eventually “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able” (Hawthorne 146).

Although Hester Prynne was one character who confessed her sins publicly and found redemption, there were many other characters that hid from their “duty to confess” (28) for various different reasons. On example of a character who decided not to admit his sins to the public was Reverend Dimmesdale, also from The Scarlet Letter. His motives for concealing his true identity were not out of selfishness or pride, but because of his faith in God and his desire to keep the same faith alive in the citizens of Boston. In Boston, Dimmesdale was townspeople’s spiritual leader. Before Dimmesdale even committed the sin of adultery, people in the town looked at him as its most noble subject as he, “was considered by his more fervent admirers as little less than a heaven-ordained apostle, destined… to do great deeds for the now feeble New England Church” (109). If Dimmesdale had confessed his sin of adultery alongside Hester, most likely the faith of the townspeople would go down with him. In knowing this fact, Dimmesdale attempted to keep his sin a secret, and he punished himself for what he did for many years. However, this method of gaining inner peace was unsuccessful as Dimmesdale could not gain redemption if the people did not know he did anything wrong. A great example of this is whenever Dimmesdale would try to say to the townspeople that he was a bad person they only thought better of him for being modest: “He had told his hearers that he was altogether vile, a viler companion of the vilest … They heard it all, and did but reverence him more” (131). The only time when Dimmesdale gained true peace within himself was when he finally confessed his sin to the public and tried to make things right. Dimmesdale’s only flaw on his quest for redemption was that he failed to recognize that the publicity of his sins was necessary for him to reach his goal. Dimmesdale had suffered within for so long with only negative results, but the moment when he finally accepted his fate publicly is when he found the redemption and forgiveness he had been searching for all those years.

The third subject, Dorian Gray, failed all three aspects on the road to redemption which resulted in arguably the worst result for any character out of all three novels. At the start of the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray was stymied by a whirlwind of confusion. His naiveté kept him from recognizing the bad influence that Lord Henry had on him. Once Dorian made the switch with his soul and the portrait, his life immediately started to go downhill. Dorian had finally realized how rotten his life had become after years of developing a bad reputation around London and witnessing the portrait deteriorate from the effect his sins had on it. Even after this realization, however, Dorian still had no intention of admitting to the public the secret he had kept hidden for eighteen years. In the other two novels, there were definitely characters who sinned, but in the end, they eventually confessed and gained redemption. But Dorian, however, became so twisted that, at the end of the novel, he decided that it was better to completely get rid of his own soul, which was represented in the portrait, than to make his sins known to the public and accept the shame for what he did: “As it had killed the painter, so it would kill the painter’s work and all that that meant. It would kill the past, and when that was dead he would be free. It would kill this monstrous soul-life, and without its hideous warnings he would be at peace” (Wilde 228-229). Dorian Gray foolishly believed that the best way to gain peace and redemption was to hide his sins which ultimately resulted in his own death. In the presentation of these three examples, it is obvious that there were many different reactions from the characters when presented with the opportunity to confess their sins and accept responsibility for their actions.

There are two major components that are involved with redemption and forgiveness: people and God. In the three texts, the concept of feeling remorse for one’s sins and seeking forgiveness appears quite often. Someone like John Proctor from The Crucible desired to be forgiven for his sins for a long time, but was afraid of the consequences. Living in Salem, a very strict theocracy, Proctor was forced to hide his dark past every day from the judgmental townspeople. In order to put an end to the witch trials, Proctor made the decision to reveal his sins to the public. When Danforth and Hathorne try to get Proctor to write his confession on paper, he refuses because he believes that his word is good enough. His confession was to gain God’s forgiveness, not theirs, and he did not want to tarnish his own name: “How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 143). While Proctor recognized the importance of making his sins known to the public, his true goal was to profess his sorrow to God and to gain redemption before his death. This sense of peace that Proctor found at the end of The Crucible was an equal accumulation of redemption from the townspeople and forgiveness from God, allowing Proctor to accept his fate. Conversely, throughout Dorian Gray’s lifetime, he had shunned God and morality out of his life forever. The fact that Dorian had no desire to embrace God at all was another factor that led to him to being lonely and miserable. Not only did Dorian hide his sins from others, he kept his sins from God. He threw away all affiliation to God when he gave up his soul for eternal beauty. Even though Proctor did not go to church, he still had the ability to believe. Dorian gave up that ability and lost all connection with God. An example of how Dorian could not reconcile his past is when he attempted to change his ways and not attempt to seduce Hetty. However, when he looked at the portrait, it only mocked his efforts because there was no penance that could take back all the pain and suffering he had caused to other people: “A cry of pain and indignation broke from him. He could see no change, save that in the eyes there was a look of cunning, and in the mouth the curved wrinkle of the hypocrite” (Wilde 227). Dorian had pushed God so far out of his life that it was impossible for him to call on God when he needed Him most.

In the three novels, without a doubt the biggest factor that went into making the decision of whether to bear one’s sins publicly or privately is the burning desire deep down inside their soul telling them to confess their sins. As we see with Dimmesdale and Proctor in both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible respectively, is that they did choose to hide their sin initially, but in the end, they chose the righteous path to redemption. They each had their own reasons for hiding their sins, but their conscience told them towards the right decision. At the end of both of their novels, both Proctor and Dimmesdale knew they were going to die, and neither man yearned to have their sin remain with their soul as they passed on. However, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian never makes the decision to confess his sins to the public because his soul had been taken from him and embodied through the portrait. The loss of his own soul ended up being Dorian’s demise as without his own soul, he had no basis to help him get back on the road towards redemption for his sins.

In all walks of life, whenever someone has a problem, the hardest thing for them to do is admit that problem and accept the consequences of their actions. That situation is apparent time and time again in The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. The decisions by the characters in those novels influenced how they lived their lives and whether or not they reached their ultimate goal of peace. The characters in the novel that searched for redemption and purification were often the ones who attained peace, but those who rejected their sins and the necessity to repent came up empty handed when they reached the pearly gates.

Works Cited

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. United States: Viking Penguin Inc, 1953

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray, New York, New York: Barnes & Noble Inc, 2003

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York, New York: Bantam Dell, 2003

Kevin McAdam

AP English 11/ Mr. George

3/30/10

Dorian Gray Character Analysis #1

Dorian Gray

Dorian is a naïve, selfish character who lived for his beauty with no regard for others.

In society, we believe beauty to be a wonderful gift that can be very beneficial to a person. Dorian realized his beauty and the advantages that came with it, but not without the help of Lord Henry. Beauty can bring one power and allow one to influence others solely based on their appearance alone. Dorian understood this fact and longed to have eternal beauty, hence gaining eternal power. Dorian’s goal to preserve his own beauty at all costs led him to a lifetime of selfishness. Unfortunately, Dorian’s egotism allowed him to take the wonders of his beauty and turn them into a terrible hindrance that lingered over his own head. His naiveté blinded him from witnessing his own immorality, which led him to committing more horrible acts, eventually resulting in his own demise. Dorian used his beauty to gain power and influence, but Lord Henry rightly begged the question: “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose … his own soul” (Wilde 220).

Dorian is like bum on the street. Dorian’s beauty is his existence on earth, and like a homeless person, Dorian will do whatever is necessary to maintain his existence. Neither has any sense of morality in reaching their goals either. Also, both accept themselves as how they are and do nothing to try and change their lives for the better.

A modern day example of Dorian would be Terrell Owens because of the way he uses his flamboyant character to gain attention, positively or negatively, reluctant to change, and without any care for what is said about himself.

Kevin McAdam

AP English 11/ Mr. George

3/30/10

Dorian Gray Character Analysis #2

Lord Henry

Lord Henry is a cunning convincing man who influences others through his articulate speeches.

Throughout the text, Lord Henry continually expressed believable statements that had no true meaning or emotion behind them. Dorian was especially hooked into Lord Henry as, “there was something in his low, languid voice that was absolutely fascinating” (Wilde 23), making him a perfect subject for Lord Henry to influence. Lord Henry never had a direct goal in his relationship with Dorian because Lord Henry always conducted himself in a position of indifference. Without the hindrance of being biased, Lord Henry was able to spout off any theory that popped into his mind and let people like Dorian carry it out. Lord Henry’s fantastic witticisms captivated his listeners and influenced them to do some foolish things, painting him in a negative light.

Lord Henry is like an everyday scientist. He must not be confused with a mad scientist because a mad scientist works towards an evil goal while a normal scientist searches for greater understanding. Like Lord Henry, a scientist works in a position of complete indifference. Lord Henry influenced Dorian so that he could observe the way he acted in regards to the information Lord Henry spread to him, not to improve his soul. They are both only interested in the result of their experiment and not in the well-being of the test subject.

Lord Henry is like Hitler because they both influenced innocent human lives and were indifferent to their well-being; only the well-being of the cause was important.

Witticisms

1. Homework is so useless that anyone who ever does it is surely a pathetic loser.

2. There is no point in living if you cannot feel alive.

3. Only those who are hesitant are those who make mistakes.

4. There is no such thing as humility; the humble man is humble for all to see.

5. We dream to live a perfect life, but a perfect dream is the life we live.

6. A martyr never dies if the cause does not die with him.

7. A relationship is what makes two lovers sail apart from one another.

8. Money makes one rich in the wallet, but poor in the soul.

9. Our family is our closest friend and our biggest enemy.

10. Love is a thief; in searching for love, it steals the rest of your life.

DG Ch. 19-20

"Yet it was his duty to confess, to suffer public shame, and to make public atonement. There was a God who called upon men to tell their sins to earth as well as to heaven. Nothing that he could do would cleanse him till he had told his own sin" (228)

Throughout all of the books we have read, all of the characters who gained redemption for their sins did so by bearing their sins publicly. They realized their flaws and tried to work on them to become more virtuous people. We see Dorian try this, but one act of kindness by Dorian cannot make up for years of wrongdoings. Dorian had continually tried to hide his sins from others so that he could live a more pleasurable life on earth. What he did not realize is that living a pleasurable life on earth does not always bring happiness. I think that, in a way, Dorian did bear his sins publicly, causing his death. Perhaps he did not know that stabbing the portrait would turn him into an old man and kill him, but the act of stabbing the painting proved that he wanted to cleanse himself and get rid of the secret he had been living with for most of his life.

“A cry of pain and indignation broke from him. He could see no change, save that in the eyes there was a look of cunning, and in the mouth the curved wrinkle of the hypocrite” (227)

The idea that we are dynamic individuals with the ability to change is something that Dorian relied on towards the end of the text. He realized the error of his ways and did what he could to fix it. As a result, the portrait basically laughed at him for believing he could ever be a good person. Dorian had followed a life of immorality for many years, turning him into a terrible person. After all of the things he had done, why would Dorian believe that his soul would be renewed just like that? I think hypocritical is a good way to put it because Dorian had lived a life so full of pleasure and selfishness, but suddenly decided to change his mind, throwing away everything he stood for. Dorian's selfish attitude lingered with him throughout the text, making it impossible for him to change his entire character after everything he did.

DG Ch. 16-18

"The hideous hunger for opium began to gnaw at him" (190)

It is clear that now the portrait of Dorian is not the only thing feeling the effect of his actions. Before, Dorian was able to do whatever he wanted and never feel any sense of regret for anything. Now, it seems that Dorian is aware of what he has done and is ashamed of himself. He goes to the opium den to forget his troubles, but if Dorian did not feel any pain for what he has done, he would still feel great and would not need to go there. I think that Dorian changed the final time he spoke with Basil before he killed him. Dorian realized the pain he has caused others, and now he wants to forget everything bad that ever happened to him.

"We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret to life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible" (201)

I disagree with this statement by Lord Henry on a few levels. First, I do not think that we only have one great experience in life and that is it. We all have many great memorable experiences in our lives that are equally significant. Also, I do not think that the goal of our lives is to reproduce one experience, but to continually take advantage of new opportunities to have other experiences. We must step outside of our comfort zones and try new things to fulfill our existence on earth. Another disagreement I have with this statement is the term "reproduce". I feel that we should always try to remember tremendous experiences in our lives, but never try to reproduce them. We must accept that each moment in our lives is unique and we must treat them as such. By trying to reproduce our life experiences, we are living in the past and not opening ourselves up to the wonders of life yet to be explored.

“Those finely shaped fingers could never have clutched a knife for sin, nor those smiting lips have cried out God and goodness” (179)

This quote plays perfectly into the debate of whether or not beautiful people are capable of sinning. In the text, we have clearly observed that beautiful people can sin. However, another concept we have talked about is that beauty can be found in different things. For instance, in the text, Dorian Gray is a very handsome man, but he has a dark soul. People may not look beautiful on the outside, but they may have a beautiful and pure soul inside. Because of this, I think that someone with a clean soul, like Dorian used to have, would be considered beautiful and would not do such terrible things.

"A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her"(184)

I disagree with this statement because love is the greatest form of happiness two people can share. Yes, happiness can be found in a friendship between two teammates, but that happiness is nowhere near the level of happiness found through true love. If our goal in life is to be as happy as possible, then this statement would be false because they are not trying to experience the maximum happiness in their lives. If one tries to avoid being in love, what is the point of that friendship anyways if it is not meant to be lived up to its full potential.

DG Ch. 14

"'You are mad, Dorian.' 'Ah! I was waiting for you to call me Dorian'"(172)

Dorian has become so consumed with himself that he does not matter in what context his name is spoken, but only that his name is spoken. In this quote his name is clearly being tarnished, but Dorian does not recognize what is happening. Because of his change in character, Dorian seeks the attention of others no matter if the attention is good or bad. As we have continually seen throughout the text, it is Dorian's selfish conduct that has drawn most of the attention towards him, and because of his selfish personality, Dorian only cares that he is spoken about which does not help his character at all.

“Whatever my life is, he had more to do with the making or the marring of it than poor Harry has had. He may not have intended it, the result was the same” (173)

Dorian simply cannot admit his flaws. Instead of accepting that he has changed for the worse and deciding to do something about it, Dorian blames his negative influence on Basil, the one person who attempted to help him through his struggle. After all the struggle Dorian went through, Basil was the one person who truly cared about him and saw his true beauty. Dorian was blind to the feelings Basil had for him, and continued his free-fall to the bottom of the social ladder. Because of these facts, I believe that Dorian himself is most at fault for the changes that affected his life. Of course Henry had a large influence on his beliefs, but Dorian still could make choices on his own. He chose to listen to Henry and ignore Basil's warnings. He chose to continue his lifestyle and not admit his problems. Dorian is definitely most to blame for how his life turned out because he let things get out of control when he could have stopped it.

DG Ch. 12-13

"'Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man's face. It cannot be concealed" (153).

This quote is somewhat ironic because Dorian has been able to conceal his sins in the portrait. He has been able to avoid the toll of his sins and lived a care-free lifestyle that has been beneficial to himself, but horrendous to those closest to him. However, I do not think that Dorian feels completely free from the things he does. Yes, the portrait does bear the punishment for his sins, but if Dorian felt no guilt for his actions, why would he ever bother to check on how it has changed. Maybe it is because he is proud of what he has accomplished, but I think he still feels a sense of remorse. Dorian continues to conduct himself so poorly because he realizes that he has lost his soul and there is nothing he can do to make it come back.

"'You told me you had destroyed it.' 'I was wrong. It has destroyed me'" (161)

Dorian's change started because of the influence Henry had on him, but it is the portrait which perpetuates his misery. Dorian is constantly reminded of his sins through the portrait, and it gives him the desire to commit more terrible acts. Even though Dorian does not feel the punishment for his sins, he has the portrait to show him who he once was and who he now is. The image Dorian sees is so unbearable to him but it does not stop him from sinking even lower. The young and naive Dorian from the beginning of the novel has been destroyed alongside the beautiful image in the portrait. In place of it is a very disturbed and broken man who cannot and will not find his way back to his old self once more.

DG Ch. 11

"He grew more and more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul" (131)

In class we have discussed whether there is potential for Dorian to change his selfish ways and regain his innocence. That is impossible because Dorian gave up his innocence with all of his troubles. Some believe that Dorian will be affected by the image he sees in the portrait and feel a sense of shame for what he has done, but in relaying all of his troubles over to the portrait, he has no desire to pursue feelings that do not dwell within his soul. In fact, Dorian feels a sense of pleasure in seeing the changes that have occurred on the portrait because he feels he has cheated the moral system. He is able to see the consequences of his actions without ever having to face the internal consequences.

"He felt a curious delight in the thought that Art, like Nature, has her monsters" (138)

Throughout the novel we have witnessed that art is only beautiful or ugly based on the opinion of the viewer. Even with Dorian, at times he feels horrible for sins he has committed that are on display in the portrait. Other times he is proud of the fact that he has eluded all of the troubles in his life. He understands that art and people are similar in that they both may give off a poor impression, but there is ultimately true beauty within. In fact, in some ways, it is the imperfections in art and nature that make our experiences meaningful.

DG Ch. 9-10

"Don't talk about horrid subjects. If one doesn't talk about a thing, it has never happened. It is simply expression, as Harry says, that gives reality to things" (111)

At this point, Dorian has completely lost his mind. Henry's influence has completely scrambled Dorian's old state of thinking because no rational human being would think this way. If I do not talk about something, then it did not happen. This is totally bizarre. Dorian believes in everything Henry says so much that his own common sense has been replaced by random arguments made by Henry. It has even been remarked that Henry never means anything he says. If Henry's arguments are not meant to lead anywhere, then he has no reason to make them sound logical. He just makes arguments for the sake of arguing. The problem with Dorian is that he cannot tell the difference between logical and illogical arguments. In this case, Dorian has been so influenced by Henry and become so detached from society that he literally believes he can decide what is fake and what is reality. However, Dorian does not realize that reality is constant and unchanging. You cannot turn it off when you want to; it is always present and true. Dorian's corrupted mental process blinds him from witnessing that truth and will lead to more difficult times down the road.

"His own soul was looking out at him from the canvas and calling him to judgement. A look of pain came across him and he flung the rich pall over the picture" (123)

Dorian continues to try to break away from the truth and to be free from all anxiety. Whenever he looks at the portrait, he is reminded of all the terrible sins he has committed and the mistakes he has made. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we may see some unpleasant things, both physically and mentally, that we do not like necessarily. However, we can always try to find some positives in how we see ourselves to feel good in the end. But when Dorian looks at his portrait, all he can see is the negative aspects of his life. He cannot witness anything positive to lift up his spirits. It is essentially his conscience which constantly brings his most shameful memories to the surface even though he would like to bury them deep down inside whatever soul he may have left.

DG Ch. 7-8

"'So I have murdered Sybil Vane,' said Dorian Gray, half to himself-'murdered her as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife. Yet the roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden. And to-night I am to dine with you, and then go on to the Opera, and sup somewhere, I suppose, afterward'"(103).

Through Sybil's death, Dorian has realized that he should live his life to the fullest and pay no attention to the bad things that happen to him along the way. Time did not stand still when Sybil died. The whole world did not mourn her passing, and neither should Dorian. He cannot let things affect him because life still goes on with or without him. Dorian's moral process has changed, and he now wants his life to be full of joy. I predict that his new care-free attitude will benefit Dorian at first, but it will definitely lead him into some trouble in the long-term.

"Eternal youth, infinite passion, pleasures subtle and secret, wild joys and wilder sins--he was to have all these things. The portrait was to bear the burden of his shame, that was all" (109).

The development that the portrait of Dorian ages while he does not may seem like a blessing to Dorian, but it may be a curse in the end. As we have witnessed, Dorian's sins are represented in the image displayed on the canvas while Dorian is able to bask in his eternal youth. As time goes by, through his actions, Dorian will commit several sins that he feels shame for and would like to forget forever. However, the portrait of Dorian will display his wrongdoings, and keep his shame at the front of his mind. Dorian may seem happy and full of life and exuberance, but, on the inside, the constant reminder of his shame will drive him mad and wish he had never asked for his unique gift.

DG Ch. 5-6

"Her trusts make me faithful, her belief makes me good. When I am with her, I regret all that you have taught me. I become different from what you have known me to be. I am changed, and the mere touch of Sibyl Vane's hand makes me forget you and all your wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories" (82)

Sibyl's influence on Dorian is so profound that it overthrows the effect Henry has on Dorian at times. This realization could hurt Henry's experiment if Dorian is ripped away from him by his new love. Also, Sibyl's influence opposes Henry's strategy because Henry is trying to make Dorian be selfish and do anything he wants, while Dorian has so much love directed towards Sibyl that he feels tempted to be a better man through sharing, unselfishness, and fidelity. This sudden change in Dorian makes him realize how foolish he was to listen to Henry. Dorian was under a spell because of Henry's skills of persuasion. Henry is trying to steadily progress his influence on Dorian, and after Dorian's engagement, he has found another person to influence him besides Henry which throws off Henry's entire scheme.

"One's own life- that is the important thing. As for the lives of one's neighbors, if one wishes to be a prig or a Puritan, one can flaunt one's moral views about them, but they are not one's concern" (82)

This quote is a perfect example of how Henry acts and thinks on a daily basis. First of all, he only cares for himself and will never do anything to get himself in a tight situation. Since Henry is conducting an experiment, he obviously is unaware of what the result will be so he is unwilling to test it on himself. Also, Henry lures Dorian into his grasp by professing random arguments that sound very true to Dorian. Once Henry had his guinea pig, he set him off on the course without any regard for Dorian's life whatsoever. Henry is less concerned about how Dorian will turn up after the experiment is finished, and more about how well his theory works. Henry's indifference when dealing with Dorian is key because it allows him to be more focused on how he influences Dorian throughout the experiment and to separate himself from any emotional connection that could hinder his progress in the experiment.

DG Ch. 4

"I thought of her performance, and she seemed quite unconscious of her power" (57).

Although this quote is talking about Sibyl, it can easily be related to other characters as well. Henry's initial observations about Dorian we definitely correct:"The moment I met you I saw that you were quite unconscious of what you really are" (25). Dorian has an effect on Henry that he cannot ignore. Dorian is blind to his genetic gifts because he was born with them and did nothing to earn it, unlike intelligence. However, on the other hand, Dorian recognizes his attraction to Henry because of his intelligence and cannot stay away from him. Henry tries to bring out similar characteristics that allow Dorian to question everything like Henry does. There is undoubtedly a mutual interest in one another that allows the two men to bond and experience new ideas.

“His nature had developed like a flower, had borne blossoms of scarlet flame. Out of its secret hiding-place had prepped his Soul, and Desire had come to meet it on the way” (59)

Throughout the novel, we have continually seen Dorian drift towards Henry no matter what to hear what he has to say. It is obvious that Henry has changed Dorian's thought process, but it is not only Henry that is causing the change. As with any student, the only way to become educated is to first have the desire to learn and understand new concepts. We have mentioned that Dorian accepts Henry's arguments without question, and while being true, I think there is different motive behind his acceptance. Since Dorian is trying to learn these new ways of thinking, he understands that Henry is much smarter than he is. Dorian accepts these concepts because he thinks Henry will help mold his mind because he has already realized knew things he had never thought of before. Sometimes it is better to sit back and listen to someone who knows what they are talking about and process the information given, so that eventually you may understand how the arguments are formulated and you can create your own conclusions. Dorian is just using patience to help feed her desire for knowledge.

DG Ch. 3

"He would try to be to Dorian Gray what, without knowing it, the lad was to the painter who had fashioned the wonderful portrait. He would seek to dominate him- had already, indeed, half done so. He would make that wonderful spirit his own" (40)

There is a growing interest between Lord Henry and Dorian, perhaps because of, and not in spite of, the opposing differences of the two men. Lord Henry feels a sense of control over Dorian because anything Henry says is believed by Dorian. This relationship between the two men does not sit right with Basil because Lord Henry "has a bad influence over all his friends" (19). Henry has put ideas into Dorian's mind that are just random arguments that Henry does not stand behind, but Dorian believes them nonetheless. Henry's power over Dorian could potentially lead to conflict that puts Dorian in a difficult spot because of something Henry influenced him to do. This difficult situation may require great intellectual ability, but Dorian only has his looks and follows Henry blindly so he will be in a lot of trouble and not know what to do.

"'To get back one's youth one has merely to repeat one's follies'" (44).

After hearing Henry say this quote, Dorian's support for him has grow even greater. Dorian is terrified of aging, and would listen to any theories on how to keep his youth. Dorian will definitely be affected by what Henry said because he had followed every word Henry had already said, and Dorian's youth and beauty are most important to him. I do not think Dorian will benefit from Henry's advice because he is too impressionable and naive, and he may take the advice too literally. Dorian may attempt some foolish act that lands him in hot water because he listens to Henry and becomes overwhelmed by his desire for youth.

Dorian Gray ch. 1-2

"Now, the value of an idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it. Indeed the probabilities are that the more insincere the man is, the more purely intellectual will the idea be, as in that case it will not be colored by either his wants, his desires, or his prejudices" (11)

Lord Henry makes a valid point here that relates back to the preface. As Wilde mentioned in the preface, beauty must be recognized for beauty's sake without the influence of external sources to corrupt one's opinion. Similarly, one's emotions take away from the intellectual state of an idea. The more feelings get involved with a theory, the more it becomes invalid. An objective third party is often useful to solve a dispute because they will give an unbiased answer without any emotions being involved. Factual evidence is the best method for supporting an argument because being led by your emotions leads to supplying opinionated ideas that can make you sound foolish and unintelligent in the end.

In the preface, Wilde makes many connections, outside of art, that strongly relate to our lives. Overall, I found that the preface made many arguments telling the reader to be open to new ideas and accept things that may be strange to us. The fact that someone is at fault if they cannot find beauty in beautiful things plays into the theme of optimism. There is a freedom in artistic expression that cannot be judged and allows the artist to do what they feel without fear of criticism. After all, it says in the preface, "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all" (Wilde 1). I think that themes of acceptance and freedom of expression could potentially take place as we read the novel.

Kevin McAdam
AP English 11/ Mr. George
2/24/10
Scarlet Letter Essay

Public vs. Private

Redemption and the methods utilized to attain such redemption were the driving themes of both The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter. Characters from both novels were forced to make decisions on whether to acknowledge their sins of adultery publicly or privately. Furthermore, the choices they made great affected their outcome in the novels. After witnessing the results of the choices made by characters in both novels, the decision to bear one’s sins publicly was a superior alternative to confessing either privately or to disregard one’s sins altogether.

Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter is an obvious demonstration of a character who displayed her sins in front of a public audience. Hester was bound by her circumstance to present her sins publicly. Through her pregnancy, Hester was given an immediate burden that she was forced display throughout the town. On top of bearing a child as punishment for her sin, she was given the scarlet A, which afflicted her with feelings of immense shame that she could not ignore. Hester’s punishment gradually diminished her dignity as a human being because it tainted people’s opinions of her based on hasty generalizations: “From first to last, in short, Hester Prynne had always this dreadful agony in feeling a human eye upon the token; the spot never grew callous; it seemed, on the contrary, to grow more sensitive with daily torture” (Hawthorne 79). Publicly confessing her sins alienated her from society and left her by herself. This allowed her to reflect on her actions and realize the severity of what she had done, eventually making her a better person. Hester’s perseverance through adversity granted her the mental fortitude to understand and accept the consequences of her wrongdoings. Hester’s resolve and commitment to self- improvement allowed her to mold the scarlet A into a motivational asset. Hester’s ignominy appeared overwhelming and gave the impression of public demonstration of her sins as a bad decision.

In the debate of whether it is better to display one’s sins publicly or privately, close examination of each character’s final outcome is necessary to make an accurate conclusion. In Hester’s case, it was the public admission of her sins that allowed her to eventually regain acceptance into society and feel the sense redemption that she had been longing for. Hester went through extreme criticism and emotional agony on her journey for redemption, but it was worth the pain for her to become a better person in the end. Hester turned her sin into a tool for development and eventually the meaning of the A turned from “adulterer” to “able.” The detachment of the scarlet A from Hester’s chest was freedom. Freedom so strongly desired it was like removing the ball and chain off of a prisoner’s ankle. It was freedom that she had earned through physical charity in the community with her beautiful craftsmanship and through internal reflection. Although she had no choice in the matter, Hester’s public admittance of her sins eventually cleansed her of all that had transpired, not only in the eyes of the townspeople, but through Hester’s eyes as well. Hester went through the purest and most open form of repentance, allowing her to feel full redemption when the time came. Such a feeling could not be had through privacy because it deals with deceiving society and takes away from being fully merciful for one’s actions.

Obviously, there were several characters in both novels who were involved with the sin of adultery. One thing that can be said of these sinners is that they all acknowledged there sin in some way, with the one exception being Abigail Williams. In contrast to a character such as Hester, who put her sins on display in front of the entire town, Abigail Williams from The Crucible chose to ignore her adulterous mistakes completely. As a result, her outcome was far different from Hester’s. There are so many other things wrong with Abigail’s moral process that the fact that she ignores her sin is somewhat understated, but that is probably the way she would like it. As the novel shows, Abigail becomes consumed by her own power and is only motivated by the threat of death. In reflecting on this fact, Abigail did not have any desire to punish herself and feel shameful the way other characters did. Abigail was unique in that she was not motivated to reflect on any feelings of guilt or be interested in public redemption. It is not surprising that Abigail does not feel she has done wrong because of the way she manipulated others and sent others to their deaths to save herself. Her complete lack of morals liberated her from feeling any remorse for her actions. In addition to ignoring her sins and disregard the welfare of John Proctor, she retreated from her problems out of cowardice. In the end, because Abigail made no attempts to achieve reconciliation for her sins, the outcome the reader witnesses about seems fitting.

Abigail Williams’ end in the story is not surprising to the reader based on the decisions she made along the way. Abigail’s life in Boston is very similar to the way Abigail spent her time in Salem: “The legend has it that Abigail turned up later as a prostitute in Boston” (Miller 146). It is not a glamorous or desirable way to live, but she does whatever she needs to survive, just like she did during the witch trials. Perhaps if Abigail had admitted her sins before the witch trials had begun, she would have gone through a period of self- reflection and not acted so inappropriately. The way Abigail dealt with her sins, along with how she ended in the story, clearly display strong opposition to any defense of ignoring one’s sins instead of confronting them straight forward.

One of the most complex characters in both novels was John Proctor because of the distinctive way he concealed the truth about his sins, yet ultimately gained redemption. The reader observes Proctor as a somewhat reclusive character who does not stand out much at the beginning of The Crucible until we find out about his past with Abigail. We see he does not attempt to bring his sins into the open and deals with them through private methods. Proctor is constantly lured back by Abigail and Proctor struggles to resist the temptation as Ms. Williams once stated, “Do you tell me you’ve never looked up at my window?” (23). Throughout the novel, Proctor suppressed his sins because he feels he cannot be forgiven. He avoids attending church because of constant reminder of what he did. Proctor’s inability to act on his internal feelings causes him great distress as he is often conflicted with decisions he makes. Once again, it is a character’s lack of admission to their mistakes that keeps them from redemption.

In the case of Proctor however, his true colors become apparent before his death. He admits his mistake and gains his redemption that he struggled to obtain. There were many factors that went into his confession besides feelings of guilt however. For instance, the life Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, was at stake and Proctor had the opportunity to display Abigail’s flaws also. The reader definitely views a drastic change in Proctor as the novel unfolds and his longing for redemption is revealed. However, Proctor’s methods for gaining redemption change along with his character. At the end of the novel, Proctor’s public display of his sins leaves him cleansed of all that he had done. After all the internal pain he had gone through, Proctor’s liberation upon death came from publicly admitting his sins, further proving that openness is the only way to be truly clean.

The final character examined is Reverend Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter, and his complex decisions regarding publicity and privacy bring up many elements for debate. Before Dimmesdale even committed the sin of adultery, he was looked upon by the town as its most noble subject as he, “was considered by his more fervent admirers as little less than a heaven-ordained apostle, destined… to do great deeds for the now feeble New England Church” (109). Any fault by him would mean disaster for the faith of all the citizens. Being in such a stressful position, Dimmesdale felt immense shame for his actions and knew what would happen if he revealed what he had done. Instead, he decided to punish himself privately in contrast to his paramour’s public consequence. By administering his own punishment without the people knowing, Dimmesdale attempted to find redemption, but his guilt was so great that he could hardly bear it. He not only felt guilty for his actions, but for leaving Hester to fend for herself. To compensate for his guilt, Dimmesdale physically punished himself by what was supposedly a branded A on his chest and changes in his appearance because of stress and anxiety. The emotional toll that keeping his secret hidden took on Dimmesdale was far greater than that of Hester, and his end was far worse also.

For Dimmesdale, after everything he put himself through, the one thing he desired most of all was redemption, and he could only get it by publicly confessing his sins. The mental, emotional, and physical torment that consumed seven years of Dimmesdale’s life was ended with one speech atop a scaffold. Like Proctor, he tried to keep his sins quiet and find his own personal redemption, but after personal reflection, the two men realized that a public confession was necessary for their desired feelings of salvation. However, Dimmesdale quest for redemption is more virtuous and true because he was compelled to by his conscience. On the other hand, Proctor had outside forces that influenced him to confess. In the end, the ultimate goal of redemption was reached by both men, only after they admitted their sins publicly.

A common theme found among the characters who publicly admitted their sins was that they all found some sort of peace, whether they lived or died. We all search for peace within ourselves for our whole lives, and if the characters involved with public admission found peace, then the decision to open themselves up is definitely superior to any alternative.





















Works Cited

· Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1850.

· Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin, 1976.