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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Flannery O'Monsters, Shelby Spears
Flannery O'Monsters, Shelby Spears
English Class Publications
The most startling definition of monsterI have encountered belongs to Mandy-Suzanne Wong: “It’s what people say when they can’t think of any way to describe [something] that stands a chance of being accurate” (6). Yet there are many other qualities of monsters, such as duality—a monster is never whole, but discrete pieces that have been lurched together haphazardly; the most iconic example of this is Frankenstein’s monster, assembled out of bits of corpses and animated with a sacrosanct, unmentionable power. No less worthy as examples, however, are the strange characters of Flannery O’Connor’s short stories—contradictory beasts whose struggles seem …
Atticus The Man, Jessica Saunders
Atticus The Man, Jessica Saunders
English Class Publications
What makes a man, a man? One could argue biology and physical appearance. One could say a certain age determines manhood, or his independence, success in the world, power or achievements. However, masculinity is not fixed, but rather fluid; it is a social construct and what it entails to achieve manhood differs according to culture (Motl). Lee comments on the roles of race and gender dynamics in the early 20th century South throughout her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. American stereotypes of masculinity include, but are not limited to: competition, power, aggression, and stoicism. Furthermore, manhood is often considered merely …
The Making Of A Southern Man, Morgan Howard
The Making Of A Southern Man, Morgan Howard
English Class Publications
What exactly makes a man? Could it have anything to do with appearance, strength, or interests? Does it occur at a specific age, or does it happen differently for every boy? Each culture decides these ideas for itself, and the American south is no different. Southern ideals shape a boy’s upbringing and guide his transition to adulthood. The father-son relationship plays an especially crucial role in the development of a white southern man.1 A male’s development has to do with his father’s example—the ideals with which his father raised him. Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Harper Lee’s To …
From Scout To Jean Louise, John Sivils
From Scout To Jean Louise, John Sivils
English Class Publications
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and its controversial sequel Go Set a Watchman, seem to revolve around similar events in the lives of the Finch family and the community of Maycomb. However, despite both being set in the same town and both being narrated by Jean Louise Finch, Lee uses different structures for the novels to serve different literary goals. Through Mockingbird, Lee uses Jem’s coming of age to criticize the social and political climate of the 1950s, though she does so through the ostensible 1930s setting of the novel. Through Watchman, Lee uses Scout’s …
Birdwatching: A Closer Look At The Imagery Of Chopin And Lee, Victoria Anderson
Birdwatching: A Closer Look At The Imagery Of Chopin And Lee, Victoria Anderson
English Class Publications
All birds tweet or chirp, but a mockingbird collects over 200 unique songs throughout its life and beautifully sings them for everyone to enjoy (Oldham). Not surprisingly, this can inspire some interesting symbolism. Kate Chopin is known for her use of bird imagery in The Awakening. The main character, Edna Pontellier, as well as a few other characters, are associated with several different birds throughout the novel. These associations are important in conveying the novel’s theme of flying against society’s ideals. I think another author to note who uses the image of a bird to convey a significant idea is …
The Times Are-A-Changin': Portrayal Of Atticus Finch Across Harper Lee's Novels, Kacy Alaina Earnest
The Times Are-A-Changin': Portrayal Of Atticus Finch Across Harper Lee's Novels, Kacy Alaina Earnest
English Class Publications
In Harper Lee’s 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is the most successful lawyer in Maycomb, AL during the 1930s. When he takes a rape case defending an African American man against a white woman, the town doubts his sanity. The townspeople speculate that Atticus has taken the case for the sake of justice, possibly even racial equality. He goes against the town’s unspoken racial stigma to defend Tom Robinson. However, Atticus’ views on race relations seem to have flipped one-hundred-eighty degrees in Lee’s 2015 novel Go Set a Watchman. Readers see a dark side of …