Well, anyways I am currently reading Wuthering Heights and I am on Chapter 18 already! What can I say about it so far, it's great! I dislike Catherine Earnshaw though, she makes me so mad with her insane longing for higher social status and how bratty she is. I couldn't believe that she married that Edgar Linton! Furthermore, I couldn't believe that Heathcliff still loved her after what she did to him! It's insane. I felt so bad for Isabella because Heathcliff told her that it was a shame that she couldn't take care of herself and that the burden was placed on him. The book is really intense and I'm amazed I haven't read further.
How's everyone else coming along with their assignment?
I am curious to know which of the literary devices you can already apply to the text. Any from the AP list that you think relates to the writing style? This should help with other students' journal entries. Thanks!
I actually had a question about Carpe Diem. I found a quote in the book but I wasn't really sure if it was an example of the literary device: (Nelly to Catherine) "You love Mr. Edgar because he is handsome, and young, and cheerful...he won't always be handsome, and young and many not always be rich" (Catherine)"He is now and I have only to do with the present" (pg 67). Foil is another device that I found. Edgar Linton and Heathcliff are Foil characters. Edgar Linton is the ideal gentleman with his manners and light skin. He highly contrasts to Heathcliff who in Chapter 4 is described as "dirty, ragged, and black-haired" and often called a gipsy and discriminated by the Lintons for his bad manners and foul language.
Well, as opposed to Lesly, I am reading "Tale of Two Cities" first. I'm only on chapter 4 but so far it is good. I like how Dickens starts with the setting and what is going on around the area that the book is taking place. :)
What about the opening lines can you analyze? Dickens uses a few literary devices just within the first paragraph. It's good that you notice it is about the setting. But how does he use language to convey the setting? Why is it an iconic passage? Use the AP Vocabulary handout to guide you.
Like Laura, I am also reading "A Tale of Two Cities" and so far, I'm not that intruiged. However, the same thing happened with "Great Expectations" in which, I felt that Dickens was stalling in the story, making it seem interminable.Yet, by the end of the story, I was in tears at the noble ending, which I'm hoping will happen with this novel. There are many passages in the beginning that I find enlightening, such as the personification of Fate and Death as a woodman and farmer, which clearly provides an allusion to the coming Revolutions in Great Britain and France.
Aileen, It's good that you are trying to find a pattern to his writing style. As you read, you should become more intrigued not only with the development of the plot and characters, but hopefully, with Dickens's use of metaphor, which is prevalent in his work. Good analysis.
Ok so the first time i talked to Ms. Hill we disscussed the character of Heathcliff and how at the beginning of the book you feel soo much sympathy for him but i thi8nk shes wrong i fully continue to feel sympathy for his character i dont blame him for thhe way he is. Any other thoughts?
I agree with Destini because Heathcliff's title as either a "hero" or a "villain" is ambiguous and I can't help but decide whether I feel sympathetic towards him or not. It's important that we learn that he was found on the streets of Liverpool because I did some research on Liverpool in the 1840s and found out that Liverpool was a very unstable society. People lived in poorly sanitized slums and the conditions were horrible. Homelessness and poverty were common. Heathcliff being adopted into the Earnshaw family was his only way of getting out of lower class society and gaining social status, however, with the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley reduces Heathcliff back to the bottom of the social ladder. Knowing this background knowledge about Heathcliff's life of poverty prior and the horrible treatment that Hindley gave him, helps us as the reader understand why Heathcliff is the way he is. Bad treatment has made Heathcliff a cold man and despite the wrath of vengeance, I don't blame him for wanting to get back at those who have caused him harm; I actually support of it with the exception of his treatment of Isabella.
Omg been very busy not a great summer lol but thank you lesly your so my backup for Ms. Hill who tends to hate his character in the book but i will say when i finished it i did think he went a little to far with some things..
Heathcliff is one my facorite characters of all time. He knows how to contorl people and to get his way. I usually don't like be that bring everyone down because of their shortcomings but heathcliff stands on the way he does, he use his mind to become Mr.Heathcliff and to torement everyonr that casued him pain.
Destini, I agree that maybe Heathcliff did go a little too far towards the end of the book but that doesn't change my opinion of him. :) He is by far,my favorite character; something about him being so manipulative, makes him so powerful and appealing. No one has really discussed A Tale Of Two Cities so I'll do that. There are a myriad of literary devices found in just Chapter 1: Anaphora, Irony, and Personification. The lines "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness" sets up some of the central conflicts of the novel in just a couple of lines. These contradictory statements reveal society in the late 1700s as being very ironic. When we put these words into context, I made a connection that these words exactly mirror society during this time. "It was the best of times" for the high class nobles, filled with prosperity and it was the "winter of despair" for the lower class-men suffering from poverty and hunger. Ultimately, this suffering resulted in the French Revolution. Chapter 5: The Wine Shop was also another of my favorite and very enlightening. The breaking of the wine cask and the poor stumbling to satisfy more than their hunger. Dickens writes "a tigerish smear about the mouth" (pg 32) leading us to conclude that the peasants are becoming bloodthirsty for revenge on the higher class. "The time was to come, when the win too would be spilled on the street-stones, and when the stair of it would be red upon many there" (pg32). Overall, A Tale Of Two Cities has become very engaging. Aileen mentioned that Dickens' introduction was very tedious but on the contrary I think that it was a great hook. I got really into the book and now I can't stop reading! Where does everyone stand on their assignment? What do you guys think about A Tale Of Two Cities? Discussion people!
The last book I am reading is A Tale of Two Cities. It is an awesome book. Even from time to time it uses the motif and style of "doubles." That really gets my attracted to the book. It makes me wonder what else Dickens would double.
Please, I am trying to find a word that refers to the use of "doubles" in literature. "It is the best of times it is the worse of times..." Dickens has used "doubles" alot in A Tale of Two Cities but I want to know if there is a literary term for it.
You have probably finished the novel by now. What did you think of the character Sydney Carton? Is he a dynamic or static character? Good job finding the term anaphora.
Wuthering Heights: For the record, I do not "hate" Heathcliff. I think he is an amazing villain. In the end, he is not a sympathetic character (in my opinion) in comparison to Catherine and Hareton, who show the reader what is/was possible when you are magnanimous. They both changed. If they hadn't, don't you think they would have ended up just as miserable as Heathcliff?
I think what you are saying is that you are glad that Heathcliff did not change (for the better), because that would make him less interesting of a character. The story wouldn't be able to be called Wuthering Heights, either!
Sydney carton, the most dynamic character, a tale of two cities offered us. To begin with Sydney carton is as any another character, but in this case he began as a lazy, drunk attorney. Since drinking and laying around is everything he likes to do; he seems to not have anything he loves is in his life since it appears he just cares about drinking, but when he meets a girl he begins to become this dynamic character, Dickens created for us to explore. This girl becomes another main character in this novel, her name being “Lucie.” What cuased for Carton to begin to change? The answer is simple: LOVE. Yes, love caused this drunk and lazy man to change, he changed because he know had something to live for and even die for. Carton made a great change all because of one person, showing us that he will soon become the most dynamic character a we’ve seen. This is only part of the reason why Sydney Carton was a dynamic in this novel; I will elaborate after viewing others points of views.
I have great sympathy for Sydney..He drinks and doesn't care about life because he thinks people don't care if he lives or dies..but when he meets the beautiful Lucie he changes. He know has something to live for.
Lesly and Destini i agree on the character Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. He's such a powerful and controlling character, he would do anything to have it his way. He made the book very exciting for me. Did anyone think it was kinda like a sopa opera??
You took my answer. About how Sydney Carton is a dynamic character. Yes, Sydney is a bitter, alcoholic and a lazy attorney; yet, like you had said: LOVE caused this drunk and lazy man to change. Your reason for that is correct and I agree with you. I just wish he didn't die. It was tragic to read, because...well he kinda reminds me of myself, except for the drunken part. I wouldn't like to say more over the internet.
SYDNEY CARTON WAS SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER BUT AS EVERY GREAT HERO, HE ALSO REACHED HIS END. THE DESCRIPTION OF SYDNEY WAITIN IN LIKE FOR HIS EXECUTION WAS GREAT BUT IT WAS TRULY SAD. IT MADE ME PICTURE MYSELF WAITING IN THE DEATH ROW TO RECEIVE MY EXECUTION. THE WOMAN RECOGNIZING HIM MADE THE LAST CHAPTER AND EVEN GREATER ONE BEACAUSE THIS GAVE SYDNEY THE CHANCE TO EXPLAIN, ONCE AGAIN, WHY HE SWITHCHED SPOTS WITH DARNAY. OK JACOB WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN CLASS TOMORROW!
Heathcliff and Sydney can be compared in the instance of love. Heathcliff and Catherine creates a bond with each other; which, Catherine believes is far greater than the bond created through marriage and refuses to marry Heathcliff. Sydney Carton and Lucie end up in that same boat; yet it is slightly different. Catherine becomes Edgar Linton's fiancee. Lucie weds with Darney. Both men, Heathcliff and Sydney, that get the actual emotion of love, are left off. Sydney sacrifices himself to Darney and Heathcliff steps out of the picture to let Catherine get married to Edgar.
EXACTLY JACOB; THAT WAS MY IDEA ON HOW THEIR BOTH SIMILAR. THEY BOTH NEVER FELT LOVED BUT WERE BEING LOVED SECRETLY BY THE WOMEN THEY ACTUALLY LOVED. ALTHOUGH THEY BOTH END UP ALONE(SYDNEY DEAD), THEY BOTH FEEL THEY WON THAT LOVE FROM THEM.
I definitely agree with Miss Hill as far as my opinion of Heathcliff. By the end of the book, I cannot see him as a sympathetic character. In fact, some of the ways he sought revenge enraged me. At the beginning of Ellen's story, I felt for him, I guess because he was an orphan & he was treated so badly by Mr. Earnshaw. But when he turned that into vengance, I lost all sympathy. I was actually relieved that he died. I think it's kind of cool that Bronte created his character in such a... versatile way, as far as how her readers receive him. Some people love him; some hate him. Her ability to create characters that can be perceived in multiple ways, instead of a black-and-white plot, impresses me.
Also, Lesly mentioned that Heathcliff and Edgar Linton are foil characters. I think that, even more prominently, Heathcliff and Hareton Earnshaw are, because of their personalities. Heathcliff was put down, abused, and treated like a servant during his childhood. Because of that, he decided to seek revenge, essentially torture everyone who came in contact with him (save Catherine). He treated Hareton just like Mr. Earnshaw treated him. However, Hareton reacted in a completely different way. Instead of becoming bitter and hostile, in the end, he revealed his true character: one of a caring man, eager to better himself. So, because of their reactions to the abuse they received, they are foil characters. I think the biggest thing that made this difference is that Hareton found love, but Heathcliff lost it.
Jessica, for two characters to be considered foil characters their personalities have to be in sharp contrast to each other. This is the reason that Edgar Linton and Heathcliff are foils of each other and not Hareton and Heathcliff. Hareton is an embodiment of Heathcliff because he represents Heathcliff and his life. He was ill treated and degraded by someone he loved. However, unlike Heathcliff, Hareton was able to resurface from his dark condition and change for the better. I have a lot of sympathy for Heathcliff, even at the end Jessica. He was never able to better himself like Sydney Carton did at the end of A Tale Of Two Cities. Revenge didn't bring Cathering back to him, it just made him and the people around him miserable. The only time that Heathcliff was able to find true happiness was when his plot for revenge ended.
Lupe, I definitely agree that Wuthering Heights was VERY MUCH like a soap-opera. The drama! Wuthering Heights was all about drama, and I didn't find it quite as amusing as A Tale Of Two Cities. Wuthering Heights was highly disturbing to me because Bronte described love in contrast to Dicken's portrayal of love. She described it as something beastly and dramatic. :p
Since I have not commented on Wuthering Heights yet.. I'll do it now :) I actually wanted to comment on the structure of Wuthering Heights itself, in comparison with Heathcliff; "Happily, the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large, jutting stones" (Bronte, 2000, pp. 5) The morose and sullen state that Heathcliff carried was reflected in Wuthering Heights and it reminded me of Dickens using the chateau of The Marquis as a representation as well of the Marquis himself, "It was a heavy mass of building that chateau of Monsieur the Marquis, with a large stone court-yard before it... a stony business altogether."(Dickens, 1989, pp. 119) Thus, both authors incorporated the use of metaphor when comparing both characters to their homes. I wish I would have mentioned this in class today... however, the thought didn't occur to me until now haha.
lesly i dont agree with your view of heathcliff and that hes right to seek reveng on every one exept isabella.I think that he shouldent take revenge period. the linton family for one had nothing to do with him being eliteret, it was his and hinsleys.it was hindleys for stoping his education, but it was his falt for hiding and always feeling ashamed when nelly tried to help him so many times. Also the real cause of all his pains is catherine, she was the real cause not the money because he fixed that, it was her regection that caused him to turn the way he did.
I also think that its unfair to justify heathcliffs actions just because he was miss treated. Hareton for one is Heathcliffs double and he lived through the same thing, he was regected by catherine and was unable to continu his studys, yet he turned out diffrently.
jessica i also agree with you on saying that heathcliff and hareton are doubles. I also wont to comment on the fact that little cathy and her mom are also doubles, as are edgar linton and linton. they all went through similer things and turned out diffrent. I also think that this last characters can be considerd foils too.
I wanted to comment on Tale of Two Cities. Where as most people see Carton dying a martyer, I do not. I believe that Mr. Carton died to make something of himself, because he never did in his earlier life. He reliced his life in order to try to be remembered for something else other than a drunk, or faliure. And answer me this, does one good dead redeme one of a lifetime of wickedness? I may seem unsympathetic, as Ms. Hill stated, but this is my belief.
Aileen that was very good how you connected both Wuthering Heights and the Cheateu to Heathcliff and the Marquis. Very well said! John, your comment gave me a lot to think about & I'm seaching for a good retaliation. :p No, this one deed does not necessarily redeem his of his lifetime deeds but it is important that he DID find a way out of the abyss he was in. For once in his life he wasn't thinking about himself; he sacrificed his life John! If Carton would have held his selfishness to him then he would have let Darnay die so that he would be out of the way and he now had an entrance to Lucie's heart. Carton is like a bad drug-addcit who has a chang of heart while in jail. He then dedicates his life to becoming an anti-drug advocate; will he continue to be seen as a "drug addict" or his newfound self?? The message with Carton's story is that people CAN CHANGE.
Just reading through a few of these comments has already got my mind worked up. The comment that John made about Carton makes me think whether or not what he did was an act of redemption, or in other words: whether or not what he did truly redeemed him? I feel we should change the idea, from redemption to revival; being "recalled to to life." For who are we to judge what is the qualifications of redemption? I feel we should go the way John first talked about: "Mr. Carton died to make something of himself, because he never did in his earlier life." For Carton, whether or not what he did merited redemption; it sure did change him, revived him, renewed him. Being "recalled to life" is the theme of the book anyway, right? So I feel this is another tool the author uses to make his work timeless; the ability to put the story in the hands of those reading. So to see Carton as a redeemed man or a revived man is just a bias of the individual reader. Of course I personally feel that from where Carton was to where Carton ended was a journey of a reviving man, and I have no problem seeing Carton as a "saint," for there is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friends.
Hey everyone. Uhmm, I'm still reading Wuthering Heights, and to be frank it's kind of dreary. The beginning is sort of fast moving and I do like that. My favorite character so far is Heathcliff because his status changes so drastically throughout the book. I noticed that Bronte made the setting of Wuthering Heights,stormy and harsh, reflect the nature of the people that live there.
Honestly, my favorite book from both is Wuthering Heights. A Tale of Two Cities was boring and I was confused through most of it. However, Wuthering Heights was a bit dreary at first but towards the middle to end it was great! I loved how Bronte used that "forbidden" love thing with Heathcliff and Catherine(even though it was sad). Another thing I really liked from Wuthering Heights was the fact that Bronte created names for cities that described their setting. For example, Wuthering heights was stormy and gloomy&Thrushcross Grange was the opposite of that. I think that's all I have to say about Wuthering Heights..? Oh, Tale of Two Cities was lame. (Sorry Lesly&all those who liked the book.)
I don't have to much to say except that I'm starting to notice a similarity the book native son and Tale of Two Cities and oppression and it's affect on the oppressed. I just wondering if it'll all play out with distinct differences or not.
It seems so difficult to pull away from A Tale Of Two Cites. I see concepts and ideas that still come up in every day thought. Like for instance with the film analysis, I can't help but see how narrow focused literary work can be but yet how universal it is; when comparing A Tale Of Two Cites to Marie Antoinette we see the same thing going on today but not between the royalty and the peasants but between government and the people, the rich and poor the haves and have nots. I see how much of a separation "money" can be. Just thought I'd share my thoughts. =)
Boo! :p Class of 2011 is better.
ReplyDeleteWell, anyways I am currently reading Wuthering Heights and I am on Chapter 18 already! What can I say about it so far, it's great! I dislike Catherine Earnshaw though, she makes me so mad with her insane longing for higher social status and how bratty she is. I couldn't believe that she married that Edgar Linton! Furthermore, I couldn't believe that Heathcliff still loved her after what she did to him! It's insane. I felt so bad for Isabella because Heathcliff told her that it was a shame that she couldn't take care of herself and that the burden was placed on him. The book is really intense and I'm amazed I haven't read further.
How's everyone else coming along with their assignment?
Lesly,
ReplyDeleteI am curious to know which of the literary devices you can already apply to the text. Any from the AP list that you think relates to the writing style? This should help with other students' journal entries. Thanks!
I actually had a question about Carpe Diem. I found a quote in the book but I wasn't really sure if it was an example of the literary device: (Nelly to Catherine) "You love Mr. Edgar because he is handsome, and young, and cheerful...he won't always be handsome, and young and many not always be rich" (Catherine)"He is now and I have only to do with the present" (pg 67).
ReplyDeleteFoil is another device that I found. Edgar Linton and Heathcliff are Foil characters. Edgar Linton is the ideal gentleman with his manners and light skin. He highly contrasts to Heathcliff who in Chapter 4 is described as "dirty, ragged, and black-haired" and often called a gipsy and discriminated by the Lintons for his bad manners and foul language.
Well, as opposed to Lesly, I am reading "Tale of Two Cities" first. I'm only on chapter 4 but so far it is good. I like how Dickens starts with the setting and what is going on around the area that the book is taking place. :)
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteI think you are referring to context.
What about the opening lines can you analyze? Dickens uses a few literary devices just within the first paragraph. It's good that you notice it is about the setting. But how does he use language to convey the setting? Why is it an iconic passage? Use the AP Vocabulary handout to guide you.
Can anyone else enlighten us?
Like Laura, I am also reading "A Tale of Two Cities" and so far, I'm not that intruiged. However, the same thing happened with "Great Expectations" in which, I felt that Dickens was stalling in the story, making it seem interminable.Yet, by the end of the story, I was in tears at the noble ending, which I'm hoping will happen with this novel. There are many passages in the beginning that I find enlightening, such as the personification of Fate and Death as a woodman and farmer, which clearly provides an allusion to the coming Revolutions in Great Britain and France.
ReplyDeleteAileen,
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you are trying to find a pattern to his writing style. As you read, you should become more intrigued not only with the development of the plot and characters, but hopefully, with Dickens's use of metaphor, which is prevalent in his work. Good analysis.
Ok so the first time i talked to Ms. Hill we disscussed the character of Heathcliff and how at the beginning of the book you feel soo much sympathy for him but i thi8nk shes wrong i fully continue to feel sympathy for his character i dont blame him for thhe way he is.
ReplyDeleteAny other thoughts?
I agree with Destini because Heathcliff's title as either a "hero" or a "villain" is ambiguous and I can't help but decide whether I feel sympathetic towards him or not.
ReplyDeleteIt's important that we learn that he was found on the streets of Liverpool because I did some research on Liverpool in the 1840s and found out that Liverpool was a very unstable society. People lived in poorly sanitized slums and the conditions were horrible. Homelessness and poverty were common. Heathcliff being adopted into the Earnshaw family was his only way of getting out of lower class society and gaining social status, however, with the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley reduces Heathcliff back to the bottom of the social ladder. Knowing this background knowledge about Heathcliff's life of poverty prior and the horrible treatment that Hindley gave him, helps us as the reader understand why Heathcliff is the way he is. Bad treatment has made Heathcliff a cold man and despite the wrath of vengeance, I don't blame him for wanting to get back at those who have caused him harm; I actually support of it with the exception of his treatment of Isabella.
Omg been very busy not a great summer lol but thank you lesly your so my backup for Ms. Hill who tends to hate his character in the book but i will say when i finished it i did think he went a little to far with some things..
ReplyDeleteHeathcliff is one my facorite characters of all time. He knows how to contorl people and to get his way. I usually don't like be that bring everyone down because of their shortcomings but heathcliff stands on the way he does, he use his mind to become Mr.Heathcliff and to torement everyonr that casued him pain.
ReplyDeleteDestini, I agree that maybe Heathcliff did go a little too far towards the end of the book but that doesn't change my opinion of him. :) He is by far,my favorite character; something about him being so manipulative, makes him so powerful and appealing.
ReplyDeleteNo one has really discussed A Tale Of Two Cities so I'll do that. There are a myriad of literary devices found in just Chapter 1: Anaphora, Irony, and Personification. The lines "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness" sets up some of the central conflicts of the novel in just a couple of lines. These contradictory statements reveal society in the late 1700s as being very ironic. When we put these words into context, I made a connection that these words exactly mirror society during this time. "It was the best of times" for the high class nobles, filled with prosperity and it was the "winter of despair" for the lower class-men suffering from poverty and hunger. Ultimately, this suffering resulted in the French Revolution.
Chapter 5: The Wine Shop was also another of my favorite and very enlightening. The breaking of the wine cask and the poor stumbling to satisfy more than their hunger. Dickens writes "a tigerish smear about the mouth" (pg 32) leading us to conclude that the peasants are becoming bloodthirsty for revenge on the higher class. "The time was to come, when the win too would be spilled on the street-stones, and when the stair of it would be red upon many there" (pg32).
Overall, A Tale Of Two Cities has become very engaging. Aileen mentioned that Dickens' introduction was very tedious but on the contrary I think that it was a great hook. I got really into the book and now I can't stop reading! Where does everyone stand on their assignment? What do you guys think about A Tale Of Two Cities? Discussion people!
The last book I am reading is A Tale of Two Cities. It is an awesome book. Even from time to time it uses the motif and style of "doubles." That really gets my attracted to the book. It makes me wonder what else Dickens would double.
ReplyDeletePlease, I am trying to find a word that refers to the use of "doubles" in literature. "It is the best of times it is the worse of times..." Dickens has used "doubles" alot in A Tale of Two Cities but I want to know if there is a literary term for it.
ReplyDeleteNever mind, I just remembered, it is anaphora. How could I have forgotten that? Anyway, who wants to talk about A Tale of Two Cities?
ReplyDeleteJacob,
ReplyDeleteYou have probably finished the novel by now. What did you think of the character Sydney Carton? Is he a dynamic or static character? Good job finding the term anaphora.
Wuthering Heights:
For the record, I do not "hate" Heathcliff. I think he is an amazing villain. In the end, he is not a sympathetic character (in my opinion) in comparison to Catherine and Hareton, who show the reader what is/was possible when you are magnanimous. They both changed. If they hadn't, don't you think they would have ended up just as miserable as Heathcliff?
I think what you are saying is that you are glad that Heathcliff did not change (for the better), because that would make him less interesting of a character. The story wouldn't be able to be called Wuthering Heights, either!
Sydney carton, the most dynamic character, a tale of two cities offered us. To begin with Sydney carton is as any another character, but in this case he began as a lazy, drunk attorney. Since drinking and laying around is everything he likes to do; he seems to not have anything he loves is in his life since it appears he just cares about drinking, but when he meets a girl he begins to become this dynamic character, Dickens created for us to explore. This girl becomes another main character in this novel, her name being “Lucie.” What cuased for Carton to begin to change? The answer is simple: LOVE. Yes, love caused this drunk and lazy man to change, he changed because he know had something to live for and even die for. Carton made a great change all because of one person, showing us that he will soon become the most dynamic character a we’ve seen. This is only part of the reason why Sydney Carton was a dynamic in this novel; I will elaborate after viewing others points of views.
ReplyDeleteANYONE DISLIKE ANY CHARACTER?
ReplyDeleteI have great sympathy for Sydney..He drinks and doesn't care about life because he thinks people don't care if he lives or dies..but when he meets the beautiful Lucie he changes. He know has something to live for.
ReplyDeleteLesly and Destini i agree on the character Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. He's such a powerful and controlling character, he would do anything to have it his way. He made the book very exciting for me. Did anyone think it was kinda like a sopa opera??
ReplyDeleteI meant soap opera..lol
ReplyDeleteHubert,
ReplyDeleteYou took my answer. About how Sydney Carton is a dynamic character. Yes, Sydney is a bitter, alcoholic and a lazy attorney; yet, like you had said: LOVE caused this drunk and lazy man to change. Your reason for that is correct and I agree with you. I just wish he didn't die. It was tragic to read, because...well he kinda reminds me of myself, except for the drunken part.
I wouldn't like to say more over the internet.
JACOB,
ReplyDeleteSYDNEY CARTON WAS SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER BUT AS EVERY GREAT HERO, HE ALSO REACHED HIS END. THE DESCRIPTION OF SYDNEY WAITIN IN LIKE FOR HIS EXECUTION WAS GREAT BUT IT WAS TRULY SAD. IT MADE ME PICTURE MYSELF WAITING IN THE DEATH ROW TO RECEIVE MY EXECUTION. THE WOMAN RECOGNIZING HIM MADE THE LAST CHAPTER AND EVEN GREATER ONE BEACAUSE THIS GAVE SYDNEY THE CHANCE TO EXPLAIN, ONCE AGAIN, WHY HE SWITHCHED SPOTS WITH DARNAY. OK JACOB WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN CLASS TOMORROW!
WHAT ABOUT HEATHCLIFF AND SYDNEY? CAN THEY BE COMPARED TO ONE ANOTHER?
ReplyDeleteHeathcliff and Sydney can be compared in the instance of love. Heathcliff and Catherine creates a bond with each other; which, Catherine believes is far greater than the bond created through marriage and refuses to marry Heathcliff.
ReplyDeleteSydney Carton and Lucie end up in that same boat; yet it is slightly different. Catherine becomes Edgar Linton's fiancee. Lucie weds with Darney. Both men, Heathcliff and Sydney, that get the actual emotion of love, are left off. Sydney sacrifices himself to Darney and Heathcliff steps out of the picture to let Catherine get married to Edgar.
EXACTLY JACOB; THAT WAS MY IDEA ON HOW THEIR BOTH SIMILAR. THEY BOTH NEVER FELT LOVED BUT WERE BEING LOVED SECRETLY BY THE WOMEN THEY ACTUALLY LOVED. ALTHOUGH THEY BOTH END UP ALONE(SYDNEY DEAD), THEY BOTH FEEL THEY WON THAT LOVE FROM THEM.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Miss Hill as far as my opinion of Heathcliff. By the end of the book, I cannot see him as a sympathetic character. In fact, some of the ways he sought revenge enraged me. At the beginning of Ellen's story, I felt for him, I guess because he was an orphan & he was treated so badly by Mr. Earnshaw. But when he turned that into vengance, I lost all sympathy. I was actually relieved that he died.
ReplyDeleteI think it's kind of cool that Bronte created his character in such a... versatile way, as far as how her readers receive him. Some people love him; some hate him. Her ability to create characters that can be perceived in multiple ways, instead of a black-and-white plot, impresses me.
Also, Lesly mentioned that Heathcliff and Edgar Linton are foil characters. I think that, even more prominently, Heathcliff and Hareton Earnshaw are, because of their personalities.
ReplyDeleteHeathcliff was put down, abused, and treated like a servant during his childhood. Because of that, he decided to seek revenge, essentially torture everyone who came in contact with him (save Catherine). He treated Hareton just like Mr. Earnshaw treated him.
However, Hareton reacted in a completely different way. Instead of becoming bitter and hostile, in the end, he revealed his true character: one of a caring man, eager to better himself. So, because of their reactions to the abuse they received, they are foil characters.
I think the biggest thing that made this difference is that Hareton found love, but Heathcliff lost it.
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ReplyDeleteJessica, for two characters to be considered foil characters their personalities have to be in sharp contrast to each other. This is the reason that Edgar Linton and Heathcliff are foils of each other and not Hareton and Heathcliff. Hareton is an embodiment of Heathcliff because he represents Heathcliff and his life. He was ill treated and degraded by someone he loved. However, unlike Heathcliff, Hareton was able to resurface from his dark condition and change for the better.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of sympathy for Heathcliff, even at the end Jessica. He was never able to better himself like Sydney Carton did at the end of A Tale Of Two Cities. Revenge didn't bring Cathering back to him, it just made him and the people around him miserable. The only time that Heathcliff was able to find true happiness was when his plot for revenge ended.
Lupe, I definitely agree that Wuthering Heights was VERY MUCH like a soap-opera. The drama! Wuthering Heights was all about drama, and I didn't find it quite as amusing as A Tale Of Two Cities. Wuthering Heights was highly disturbing to me because Bronte described love in contrast to Dicken's portrayal of love. She described it as something beastly and dramatic. :p
I think Jessica is noticing that Hareton is Heathcliff's double. Both stories are parallel, so it is right to compare them.
ReplyDeleteSince I have not commented on Wuthering Heights yet.. I'll do it now :)
ReplyDeleteI actually wanted to comment on the structure of Wuthering Heights itself, in comparison with Heathcliff; "Happily, the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large, jutting stones" (Bronte, 2000, pp. 5) The morose and sullen state that Heathcliff carried was reflected in Wuthering Heights and it reminded me of Dickens using the chateau of The Marquis as a representation as well of the Marquis himself, "It was a heavy mass of building that chateau of Monsieur the Marquis, with a large stone court-yard before it... a stony business altogether."(Dickens, 1989, pp. 119) Thus, both authors incorporated the use of metaphor when comparing both characters to their homes. I wish I would have mentioned this in class today... however, the thought didn't occur to me until now haha.
lesly i dont agree with your view of heathcliff and that hes right to seek reveng on every one exept isabella.I think that he shouldent take revenge period. the linton family for one had nothing to do with him being eliteret, it was his and hinsleys.it was hindleys for stoping his education, but it was his falt for hiding and always feeling ashamed when nelly tried to help him so many times. Also the real cause of all his pains is catherine, she was the real cause not the money because he fixed that, it was her regection that caused him to turn the way he did.
ReplyDeleteI also think that its unfair to justify heathcliffs actions just because he was miss treated. Hareton for one is Heathcliffs double and he lived through the same thing, he was regected by catherine and was unable to continu his studys, yet he turned out diffrently.
ReplyDeletejessica i also agree with you on saying that heathcliff and hareton are doubles. I also wont to comment on the fact that little cathy and her mom are also doubles, as are edgar linton and linton. they all went through similer things and turned out diffrent. I also think that this last characters can be considerd foils too.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on Tale of Two Cities. Where as most people see Carton dying a martyer, I do not. I believe that Mr. Carton died to make something of himself, because he never did in his earlier life. He reliced his life in order to try to be remembered for something else other than a drunk, or faliure. And answer me this, does one good dead redeme one of a lifetime of wickedness? I may seem unsympathetic, as Ms. Hill stated, but this is my belief.
ReplyDeleteAileen that was very good how you connected both Wuthering Heights and the Cheateu to Heathcliff and the Marquis. Very well said!
ReplyDeleteJohn, your comment gave me a lot to think about & I'm seaching for a good retaliation. :p No, this one deed does not necessarily redeem his of his lifetime deeds but it is important that he DID find a way out of the abyss he was in. For once in his life he wasn't thinking about himself; he sacrificed his life John! If Carton would have held his selfishness to him then he would have let Darnay die so that he would be out of the way and he now had an entrance to Lucie's heart. Carton is like a bad drug-addcit who has a chang of heart while in jail. He then dedicates his life to becoming an anti-drug advocate; will he continue to be seen as a "drug addict" or his newfound self?? The message with Carton's story is that people CAN CHANGE.
Just reading through a few of these comments has already got my mind worked up. The comment that John made about Carton makes me think whether or not what he did was an act of redemption, or in other words: whether or not what he did truly redeemed him?
ReplyDeleteI feel we should change the idea, from redemption to revival; being "recalled to to life."
For who are we to judge what is the qualifications of redemption?
I feel we should go the way John first talked about: "Mr. Carton died to make something of himself, because he never did in his earlier life."
For Carton, whether or not what he did merited redemption; it sure did change him, revived him, renewed him. Being "recalled to life" is the theme of the book anyway, right?
So I feel this is another tool the author uses to make his work timeless; the ability to put the story in the hands of those reading. So to see Carton as a redeemed man or a revived man is just a bias of the individual reader.
Of course I personally feel that from where Carton was to where Carton ended was a journey of a reviving man, and I have no problem seeing Carton as a "saint," for there is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friends.
So, I have a question for you Lesly. What did you think of Madame Defarge?
ReplyDeleteHey everyone. Uhmm, I'm still reading Wuthering Heights, and to be frank it's kind of dreary. The beginning is sort of fast moving and I do like that.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character so far is Heathcliff because his status changes so drastically throughout the book.
I noticed that Bronte made the setting of Wuthering Heights,stormy and harsh, reflect the nature of the people that live there.
Honestly, my favorite book from both is Wuthering Heights. A Tale of Two Cities was boring and I was confused through most of it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Wuthering Heights was a bit dreary at first but towards the middle to end it was great! I loved how Bronte used that "forbidden" love thing with Heathcliff and Catherine(even though it was sad).
Another thing I really liked from Wuthering Heights was the fact that Bronte created names for cities that described their setting. For example, Wuthering heights was stormy and gloomy&Thrushcross Grange was the opposite of that.
I think that's all I have to say about Wuthering Heights..?
Oh, Tale of Two Cities was lame. (Sorry Lesly&all those who liked the book.)
I don't have to much to say except that I'm starting to notice a similarity the book native son and Tale of Two Cities and oppression and it's affect on the oppressed. I just wondering if it'll all play out with distinct differences or not.
ReplyDeleteCrystal,
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to say that something is "lame," you have to state why. You have to demonstrate analysis. You know better. : )
It seems so difficult to pull away from A Tale Of Two Cites. I see concepts and ideas that still come up in every day thought. Like for instance with the film analysis, I can't help but see how narrow focused literary work can be but yet how universal it is; when comparing A Tale Of Two Cites to Marie Antoinette we see the same thing going on today but not between the royalty and the peasants but between government and the people, the rich and poor the haves and have nots. I see how much of a separation "money" can be. Just thought I'd share my thoughts. =)
ReplyDelete