“As the age progressed, [Caliban] grew more malign, but also less diabolical, more elementally human, at once more richly comic and more deeply tragic”
Discuss Caliban’s character in a comparative framework, with reference to the statement above.
The character Caliban has experienced development and changes since it was staged for the first time in the Shakespearean time. In this paper, Caliban will be looked at in the historical, religious and political point of view.
Historical
According to Hulme (1986), English had already made voyages to America since 1170, and in 1600, England’s footing in America was established. Some researches said that The Tempest is written by Shakespeare with the exploration of the New World in mind. He had read a lot of travel writings done by explorers, and thus, this somehow had influenced him in his play.
In The Tempest, the character Caliban has experienced several changes and developments since the first time it was staged during the Shakespearean time. The character is interpreted differently in different eras. When the play was staged in early 17th century, Caliban was seen as an opposite of Prospero. Prospero is a perfect and good man, intelligent and self-disciplined. Caliban, on the other hand, is seen as a savage and inhuman, as his name is associated to the word “cannibal”, being savage and evil. This is actually based on the exploration writings then which stated that the natives in America, which looked very different physically from the English, were savages, inhuman, perfidious (Hulme, 1986). His physical features also make him seen as an “earthy monster”, evil and savage. We can see this in Act II, scene 2, lines 23-4 when Trinculo first set eyes on Caliban, “What have we here? A man or a fish?” and in Act I scene 2 line 359, when Prospero was angry with Caliban, “A thing most brutish”. In short, nothing about Caliban is good, and he is all evil, as Dryden (1679) states,
“he has all the discontent and malice of a witch,
and of a devil, besides a convenient proportion
of the deadly sins; gluttony, sloth, and lust, are manifest; the dejectedness of a slave is likewise given to him, and the ignorance of one bred up in a desert island. His person is monstrous, [as] he is the product of unnatural lust; and his language is as hobgoblin as his person….” (cited in Orgel, 1987)
In 19th century, that is, during the Victorian era, the play was interpreted from the colonial point of view. Prospero is the coloniser and Caliban as the colonised. Caliban is seen as uncivilised and uneducated, while Prospero is the one who makes the island prosper, the civilised and educated. Caliban’s resistance to Prospero’s moral teachings makes him looks even more uncivilised.
Later, during the early 20th century, the play was interpreted in terms of class division. Here, Prospero is the seen as the ruling class and Caliban as the worthy class. Caliban is also said to a natural servant because he is the servant of Prospero, and his willingness to be the servant of Stephano.
However, in the late 20th century, the play is interpreted in the post-colonial point of view. Prospero is the coloniser and Caliban as the colonised. As Orgel (1987) stated, the play is staged with Caliban being more malign, and at the same time more human, comic and tragic. Prospero is seen as the usurper of the island from Caliban, and thus, this makes him somehow evil. According to Ng (1996b), Prospero is not perfect as he was seen before, because he fails to educate Caliban. The island is rightfully his by inheritance from his mother, Sycorax. We can see this when Caliban says, “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,/Which thou tak’st from me” (I,ii,333-4). Being the colonised, we can also see Caliban’s plight for freedom. For example, he is willing to be Stephano’s servant just to escape from Prospero, as he says, “Thou shalt be lord of it, and I’ll serve thee” (III,ii,55).
Caliban is also seen as innocent. He is innocent in away because he does not learn from his mistakes and sufferings, when he welcomes Prospero and treated him kindly, but later, Prospero treated him cruelly after his attempt to rape Miranda. However, according to Orgel (1987), the American natives practiced freelove, even with their own families. Thus, Caliban’s act of attempt to rape Miranda is not seen as being lustful to him. That is why he does not repent his action, and does not see why he should.
Caliban’s character is also seen as tragic because, not only the island is taken from him, but also he is verbally abused, tortured and punished by Prospero, as he says,
“… Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount
Their picks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do his me into madness.” (II,ii,11-14)
Other than that, he also is also punished by Prospero, by giving him cramps at night, and having little creatures to bite him. The late 20th century Caliban is seen to be more sensitive to music, and is poetic. For instance, we can see this when he said,
“Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again.” (III,ii,128-133)
Religion
From the religious aspect, the character Caliban is said to be of a sinful lust and unholy union, that is, of a witch (Sycorax) and incubus (the devil). Traditionally, Caliban is viewed as evil and lustful due to his nature. This could be seen in his plot to murder Prospero, attempt to rape Miranda, and refusal to accept Prospero’s code of ethics. As Prospero says, he is of a monstrous nature and will not be able to be good (I,ii,353-61).
However, in a modern view of Caliban, he is not all evil. According to Ng (1996a), he is “a creature born of passion, the offspring of an unholy pleasure.” Therefore, he is passionate and responds to his pleasure (his senses), unlike Prospero who is ruled by his intellect (his mind). His original love to Prospero and Miranda, which changes to hatred later, is because of their kindness to him, and this appeals to his pleasure, as he says, “Thou strok’st me, and made much of me….” (I,ii,335). His attempt to rape Miranda is another example of how Caliban seeks pleasure. In addition to that, Caliban’s plot to murder Prospero is due to his anger and hatred to Prospero, because he is always tortured punished (displeasure). Moreover, his willingness to take Stephano as his god is due to the liquor that Stephano gave him. In short, Caliban is somehow innocent, and acts largely based on his senses (passion and pleasure).
Political
In a political point of view, traditionally, Caliban is seen as the colonised, savage, evil, slave, and uncivilised. He is the naturally ruled, while Prospero is the natural ruler. Being the colonised, his character is marginalised, while Prospero’s character is centralised. He is seen as perfect and a good man. Caliban’s act of looking upon Stephano as god and willingness to be his servant (II,ii,135) labels him as a natural servant. He is evil and a savage because of his attempt to rape Miranda and murder Prospero, and his deformed physical makes him inhuman and a monster.
However, in the modern interpretation of his character, Caliban is put in the centre of the play. Orgel (1987) states that it is Caliban who legitimates Prospero’s authority, as he says, “For I am all the subjects that you have,” (I,ii,343). This is important because a ruler is a ruler because of the ruled, such as a master and a servant. The usurper, in this case Prospero, depends on the usurped, as he says to Miranda, “We cannot miss him” (I,ii,313). Besides that, according to Ng (1996a), Caliban is a product of Prospero’s failure to understand Caliban’s limitations and failure to accept them, and failure to teach what he can learn (appealing to his senses). Prospero teaches Caliban like he does Miranda, and he forgets their differences. Other than that, we can also see other weaknesses of Prospero, such as his verbal abuse, torture and punishment towards Caliban, and threats to imprison Ariel, making Prospero not a perfect man after all.
Besides that, Caliban’s voice is also given attention. From his use of beautiful language, we can see him as poetic and affectionate towards nature, not all evil and savage. For example,
“Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had waked after a long sleep,
Will make me sleep again.
And then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.” (III,ii,130-6)
Caliban also defends himself and his rightful island from Prospero, when he says, “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,”(I,ii,333). In short, Caliban is put in the centre of the play.
Conclusion
To conclude, we can see that the character Caliban has experienced many development and changes (from traditional and modern interpretation) since it was staged for the first time in the Shakespearean time, in terms of historical, religious and political point of view.
Bibliography
Hulme, P. 1986. Propero and Caliban. In Hulme, P. Colonial Encounters: Europe and the Caribbean, 1492-1797. London: Methuen
Orgel,S. 1987. The Oxford Shakespeare: The Tempest. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ng, E.C. 1996a. The Tempest – Prospero vs. Caliban.
Ng, E.C. 1996b. The Tempest – Prospero as a Ruler.
Shantini Pillai. 1998. Mass lecture: The Tempest. Faculty of Language Studies, UKM
Showing posts with label Literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Literature. Show all posts
Monday, 28 September 2015
Friday, 22 May 2015
Critical appreciation of "Clusterf**katopia"
Clusterf***atopia
by Anonymous
Stucco induced haze,
Tracts of endless maze.
Garage sale monotony,
Cul de sac cacophony.
Lakeside concerts ‘n chairs,
Land of the rightside squares.
Sans culture,
Tastes for the vulture.
Glucosamine in the air,
Like an AARP fair.
How they roar,
Full of nighttime bores.
Open community skies,
Look what belies.
Planned master disjointment,
Fly in the ointment.
SUV parade,
Lifestyle charade.
Manicured lawns,
Society’s pawns.
Suburban sprawl,
Of a mindset crawl.
Eleven pm last call,
My golly what a ball.
Critical appreciation of Clusterf***atopia
The poem is a six-stanza poem, with rhyming scheme of aabb, ccdd, ccee, ffgg, hhii, jjjj. It is infused with visual imagery normally found in (or almost unique to) the suburban areas, such as Garage sale, Cul de sac, Lakeside concerts ‘n chairs, AARP fair, Manicured lawns, Planned master and Open community skies.
In each stanza, the first three lines describe almost impartially the persona’s observation and he hits is with the forth line in each stanza with ridicule, mockery and scorn. Obviously, he doesn’t like what he sees and observes in the suburbs. And so, we can say that the tone of the poem is disdain or contempt. The theme: the seemingly ideal lifestyle in the suburban is void of life.
The title is important. Linguistically, “Clusterf***katopia” possibly is a blend of three words: “cluster”, “fuck” and “utopia”. “Cluster” is referring to the suburban cluster. The word also means that people or things in the suburb are the same or similar in so many ways. “Fuck” is a vulgar slang in this case used to express anger, annoyance and/or contempt. “Utopia” refers to “a community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities” (from wikipedia.com). However, it could also be a blend of “clusterf**k” and “utopia”. “Clusterf**k” is a vulgar slang which refers to “a chaotic situation where everything seems to go wrong. It is often caused by incompetence, communication failure, or a complex environment” (wordnik.com). In this sense, it is a completely different meaning from the blending of 3 words – that the suburban is actually chaotic beneath all the perfection that our eyes could see. Therefore, we can say that the persona, as much as he admits that the suburban cluster is ideal and near perfect, finds it disdainful and loathsome.
The structure and pattern are not organized in any specific manner, which indicates that the observation made by the persona is also very random. It’s like he just turns to his left and right and jots down what he sees. He drives around in his car, and notes all the things he sees from his car. There is s sense of frustration in his voice. Nothing is right in his eyes.
Stucco induced haze,
Tracts of endless maze.
Garage sale monotony,
Cul de sac cacophony.
The consonance in the words “haze” and “maze” suggests that he head is buzzing, like a headache. “stucco” is causing the haze, in his opinion, and the roads seem endless. The “garage sale” is boring and the community in cul-de-sac is in discord. All these perhaps cause his headache, which could be induced by frustration.
Lakeside concerts ‘n chairs,
Land of the rightside squares.
Sans culture,
Tastes for the vulture.
For an American persona to be calling another American’s lifestyle “sans culture” is interesting. The US as a country doesn’t really have any specific traditional culture or custom, unlike, for instance, Asian, African or European countries. The word “vulture” invokes the image of scavengers, rotting-meat eaters which would eat almost anything. The persona equates the people who attend these concerts with vultures – tasteless creatures, who would like consume whatever presented to them.
Glucosamine in the air,
Like an AARP fair.
How they roar,
Full of nighttime bores.
“Glucosamine” could refer to the aging group of the population in the suburb, and that they are everywhere. The word “roar” creates auditory imagery; that the presence of the elderly is “loud”, which indicates inescapable and pervasive – again, they are everywhere. And because they are old, the nighttime is boring. The word “full” is used to contrast “bores”, as if making fun of the elderly – full of activities, but boring ones.
Open community skies,
Look what belies.
Planned master disjointment,
Fly in the ointment.
The suburbs are carefully planned in the USA. In some places in California, the suburbs are planned so that the houses are on the hills and the roads are in the valleys. One of the results is we have open skies. The persona makes fun of this, and calls it “disjointment”. “Fly” it being filthy and dirty, could symbolize something offensive to the persona. “Ointment” is supposed to help relieve pain, but having a fly in the ointment spoils it. Therefore, we can say that the planned community is offensive to the persona.
SUV parade,
Lifestyle charade.
Manicured lawns,
Society’s pawns.
SUV are common in the suburbs. The lawns are well-manicured as well. But to the persona, all these are just fake and pretense. Perhaps shallow. We could imply that the persona accuses the people who drives SUV and have manicured lawns are leading a shallow lifestyle; simply pleasing the society at large, so that they feel they belong there.
Suburban sprawl,
Of a mindset crawl.
Eleven pm last call,
My golly what a ball.
When the persona says “mindset crawl”, he scoffs at the mindset of the community. To him, they are stuck in their thinking in every way possible. That also implies that they are not interesting. “Eleven pm last call” could mean that they go to bed at 11 at night. The persona uses sarcasm when he says “My golly what a ball”. The phrase usually refers to something fun and exciting, but here, he uses it to sarcastically say that the people in the suburbs are having a blast going to bed at 11 pm.
Sunday, 12 April 2015
Meaning and Idea: "Barter" vs. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
1. "Barter"
Sara Teasdale
Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.
Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.
Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.
2. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sounds the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Meaning and Ideas
Both of these poems present ideas, the first poem (“Barter”)more or less explicitly, the second (“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”) symbolically. Perhaps the best way to get at the idea of the second poem is to ask two questions. First, why does the speaker stop? Second, why does he go on? He stops to watch the woods fill up with snow – to observe a scene of natural beauty. He goes on because he has “promises to keep” – that is, he has obligations to fulfill. He is momentarily torn between his love of beauty and these other various claims that life has upon him. The small conflict in the poem is symbolic of a larger conflict in life. One part of the sensitive, thinking person would like to give up his life to the enjoyment of beauty and art. But another part is aware of larger duties and responsibilities – responsibilities owed, at least in part, to other human beings. The speaker in the poem would like to satisfy both impulses. But when the two conflict, he seems to suggest, the “promises” must take precedence.
The first poem also presents a philosophy but an opposing one. For this poet, beauty is of such supreme value that any conflicting demand should be sacrificed to it: “Spend all you have for loveliness, / buy it and never count the cost ... And for a breath of ecstasy / Give all you have been, or could be.” Thoughtful readers will have to choose between these two philosophies – to commit themselves to one or the other – but this commitment should not destroy for them enjoyment of either poem. If it does, they are reading for plums and not for pies.
From (please credit the following when quoting/citing):
Perrine, L. and Arp, T.R. (1993). Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense (6th Edition). Orlando: Harcourt Brace.
Sara Teasdale
Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.
Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.
Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.
2. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sounds the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Meaning and Ideas
Both of these poems present ideas, the first poem (“Barter”)more or less explicitly, the second (“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”) symbolically. Perhaps the best way to get at the idea of the second poem is to ask two questions. First, why does the speaker stop? Second, why does he go on? He stops to watch the woods fill up with snow – to observe a scene of natural beauty. He goes on because he has “promises to keep” – that is, he has obligations to fulfill. He is momentarily torn between his love of beauty and these other various claims that life has upon him. The small conflict in the poem is symbolic of a larger conflict in life. One part of the sensitive, thinking person would like to give up his life to the enjoyment of beauty and art. But another part is aware of larger duties and responsibilities – responsibilities owed, at least in part, to other human beings. The speaker in the poem would like to satisfy both impulses. But when the two conflict, he seems to suggest, the “promises” must take precedence.
The first poem also presents a philosophy but an opposing one. For this poet, beauty is of such supreme value that any conflicting demand should be sacrificed to it: “Spend all you have for loveliness, / buy it and never count the cost ... And for a breath of ecstasy / Give all you have been, or could be.” Thoughtful readers will have to choose between these two philosophies – to commit themselves to one or the other – but this commitment should not destroy for them enjoyment of either poem. If it does, they are reading for plums and not for pies.
From (please credit the following when quoting/citing):
Perrine, L. and Arp, T.R. (1993). Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense (6th Edition). Orlando: Harcourt Brace.
Monday, 16 February 2015
"Puteh and Mary" by Chuah Guat Eng vs. "Stranded in Semenyih" by Ethel Hume
Introduction
This paper attempts to analyse the ways in which Chuah Guat Eng’s Puteh and Mary are different from Ethel Hume’s Stranded in Semenyih in terms of the perception, cultural stereotypes, position of authority, and gender issues.
Perception
It is inevitable that both Chuah and Hume have different perceptions, which are evident in their narrations, due to the fact that they have different backgrounds and beliefs, among others. We can see the differences from the titles, in their views of cultures or beliefs of others, and the voices or points of view of the narrations.
The title can tell quite a lot about a writer’s perception or opinion of the incident that they have written. In the case of Stranded in Semenyih, the title has already given us the idea that the writer has a negative perception of the place (Semenyih) from the word “stranded”. “Stranded” according to the Longman Dictionary means, “in a very unfavourable position or situation, especially alone among dangers and unable to get away,” (p.1044). The word is used, though we know that Hume and her team were not in a great danger or unable to get away from Semenyih. However, in Chuah’s narration, she has chosen Puteh and Mary as the titles, which are the names of the main characters in the narration. The use of the names is very neutral and tells us that the story is about the characters Puteh and Mary. Basically, the titles in Chuah’s narration do not indicate any negative perception.
Another difference in perception is towards other’s culture or beliefs. In Stranded in Semenyih, the narrator makes fun of the native’s culture and beliefs. This is evident when the narrator sits at a place marked as “kramat” (p.175). This shows that she is not sensitive and does not have any respect to the native’s belief – the place is marked and she is told about it, yet she chooses to sit there. Another incident is when she ridicules the native’s belief that a man could turn into a tiger at will, as she says, “next time I get a fit nerves I shall know it is the tiger-spirit entering me,” (p. 177). Here, we can see that the narrator shows lack of respect and even makes fun of the native’s beliefs. Puteh and Mary, on the contrary, show no sign of teasing or making fun of the native’s beliefs. For example, the writer shows respect to Yusuf’s religion (Islam) and what he believes, as she states what is in his thoughts, “Do you not see it is Allah’s will that shameful deeds should not be hidden?….” (p.200). The writer has shown sensitivity towards Malay’s religion. Yusuf has faith in Allah, and thus, it is his right to practice what he believes. It is evident here that both writers have different perceptions towards the other’s culture or beliefs.
Besides that, another difference between Hume and Chuah’s is the point of view or voice of narrator. Hume’s has the first person point of view. This makes the perception and narration very subjective and at certain places, quite judgmental. For example, the writer used “tailless cat” to refer to the natives, giving the connotation that they are cowards. Another instance is when she is referring to the Tamils as “Klings” and “coolies”, offensive words to the Indians. No voice is given to the natives to express their opinions, except for the Singh, whose utterances are full of grammatical errors, and to the people on the street at the end of the story when they say “Tabek, tabek!”.
However, in Puteh and Mary, the third person point of view has been rather fair to all characters. The view is almost objective where the writer does not judge or give opinions, but the characters do, where the voices in their thoughts are stated. Readers are given the sense that they are part of the story, and know what is going on in the characters’ minds. For example, in Mary, Simon thinks that if Ah Foo was a dog, his tail would be wagging (p.142). Similarly, at the beginning of Puteh, we are presented with Yusuf’s thoughts about what the villagers might think of the baby (p.199-200), as in it is Yusuf who makes the judgment based on his situation, not the writer.
Cultural stereotype
Cultural stereotype is another difference that Chuah’s and Hume’s has. In Stranded in Semenyih, Hume stated many racial stereotypes, where the natives are seen as a group (giving the notion of a race) and generalisation is made upon that race. For example, the Chinese are associated with gambling (p.178), and having yellow faces (p.180). The Malays are criticised for having a theory that the wife is only “the chattel of the man,” which means a wife is an object, rather than the literal meaning of “wife”, that is “the woman to whom a man is married” (Longman Dictionary). The Tamils are called “Klings” and “coolies” (unskilled workers). Finally, the Singhalese are said to enjoy sharing information, especially when they do not have to worry about being correct. The races are generalised that their individual differences and abilities are unseen.
However, in Puteh and Mary, we are able to see the natives as individuals with their own character and abilities. For example, Mak Cik Zainab who likes to spread stories around the village (not the general Malays), and Ah Foo who are loyal and a good servant, and Ah Soh who is good in doing the laundry. Yusuf, a Malay farmer, is not said to think that Puteh is his “object” or chattel, but more to his wife, a woman he learns to love (p.208). Other than that, we are taken to Simon’s mind to see that there are Chinese who are not yellow, but white, earth-beige and brown (p.143). Here, we can see that the natives are not seen as a race, but individuals with their own characteristics.
Position of authority/power
Position of authority is another way how the two writers are different. In Stranded in Semenyih, the English are seen as superior, and the natives always inferior. For instance, “Malay houses, English bungalows” (p.175), stating the stereotype that the Malays live in houses only and not in bungalows, the label “coolies” for Tamils (p.178), and the natives’ salute to the English (p.180) as an act of respect. As stated before, the natives are not given plenty of voice, and when they are (the Singh and people in the street) perhaps it is just to show that they are of lower intelligence and inferior than the English. According to Zawiah (1994), the English, particularly the Victorians, believed that it was important to impose the superiority of the English values and institutions to ensure “progress” or civilisation. Because the natives are not seen as civilised, they are looked down upon, such as “a cluster of chicken” (p.179). This happens because, according to Zawiah (1994), the English feels superior and seen as superior by the natives, which causes them to be “marginalised, suppressed and silenced.”
In Puteh and Mary, on the contrary, the English are not really seen superior. They are still seen as human, such as Simon who is capable of feeling uneasy when Mary is staring at him, and conscious of his own complexion when compared to Mary’s. Here, we can see that other than judging others or the natives, he also judges himself (his physical feature). This also shows an alternative view that it is not only the English who is looking at the natives (as in Hume’s observation towards the natives), but they are also being looked at (here, by Mary). Puteh and Mary also tell us that the natives have their own pride and honour, not as inferior objects. For instance, Yusuf’s decision to move from his village when the baby is born is due to face and honour (p.200), and the Malay Communist guerrillas and the Indian army are fighting and risking their lives to repossess what they have lost, is also for their pride and honour (p.209).
Gender
Another difference in Hume and Chuah’s narrations is the gender issues. In Stranded in Semenyih, the native women, particularly the Malays, are said to be weak, mere “objects” and chattel of the man (p.176). Here, they are referred to as the property of men, not individuals. However, being a female traveller and independent, Hume thinks that she is more superior to the native women. On the contrary, Puteh and Mary show us that the native women are actually human, not objects or chattel of the men. For example, Yusuf, as we have seen earlier, does not refer or think of Puteh as his “object” or chattel, but more as his wife, the woman he learns to love (p.208). Both Yusuf and Puteh respect one another. In addition to that, when they finally talk to each other, they spare each other’s feelings by not telling things that might cause anger or offence (p.209).
Moreover, it is not true that according the Malay theory that a woman is the chattel of her husband. Zawiah (1994) states that “the Malay woman is brought up to regard her husband as the head of the family. Her duty is to look after the well-being of her man and children.” Therefore, Hume’s claim that Malay women are “objects” is misleading. Puteh or Mary’s silence is also another question: is it out of weakness or strength? Perhaps, her silence is out of strength because she endures all the pain and hardship in her life alone, not sharing them with anyone. This disagrees to Hume’s view that native women are weak.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are four ways in which Hume’s Stranded in Semenyih and Chuah’s Puteh and Mary are different; which are, in their perception, cultural stereotypes, position of authority and gender issues.
Bibliography
Longman Dictionary. 1998. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. England : Longman Group
Mass Lecture: Comparative Literature. 1998. Faculty of Language Studies: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Zawiah Yahya. 1994. Resisting Colonialist Discourse. Bangi: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
This paper attempts to analyse the ways in which Chuah Guat Eng’s Puteh and Mary are different from Ethel Hume’s Stranded in Semenyih in terms of the perception, cultural stereotypes, position of authority, and gender issues.
Perception
It is inevitable that both Chuah and Hume have different perceptions, which are evident in their narrations, due to the fact that they have different backgrounds and beliefs, among others. We can see the differences from the titles, in their views of cultures or beliefs of others, and the voices or points of view of the narrations.
The title can tell quite a lot about a writer’s perception or opinion of the incident that they have written. In the case of Stranded in Semenyih, the title has already given us the idea that the writer has a negative perception of the place (Semenyih) from the word “stranded”. “Stranded” according to the Longman Dictionary means, “in a very unfavourable position or situation, especially alone among dangers and unable to get away,” (p.1044). The word is used, though we know that Hume and her team were not in a great danger or unable to get away from Semenyih. However, in Chuah’s narration, she has chosen Puteh and Mary as the titles, which are the names of the main characters in the narration. The use of the names is very neutral and tells us that the story is about the characters Puteh and Mary. Basically, the titles in Chuah’s narration do not indicate any negative perception.
Another difference in perception is towards other’s culture or beliefs. In Stranded in Semenyih, the narrator makes fun of the native’s culture and beliefs. This is evident when the narrator sits at a place marked as “kramat” (p.175). This shows that she is not sensitive and does not have any respect to the native’s belief – the place is marked and she is told about it, yet she chooses to sit there. Another incident is when she ridicules the native’s belief that a man could turn into a tiger at will, as she says, “next time I get a fit nerves I shall know it is the tiger-spirit entering me,” (p. 177). Here, we can see that the narrator shows lack of respect and even makes fun of the native’s beliefs. Puteh and Mary, on the contrary, show no sign of teasing or making fun of the native’s beliefs. For example, the writer shows respect to Yusuf’s religion (Islam) and what he believes, as she states what is in his thoughts, “Do you not see it is Allah’s will that shameful deeds should not be hidden?….” (p.200). The writer has shown sensitivity towards Malay’s religion. Yusuf has faith in Allah, and thus, it is his right to practice what he believes. It is evident here that both writers have different perceptions towards the other’s culture or beliefs.
Besides that, another difference between Hume and Chuah’s is the point of view or voice of narrator. Hume’s has the first person point of view. This makes the perception and narration very subjective and at certain places, quite judgmental. For example, the writer used “tailless cat” to refer to the natives, giving the connotation that they are cowards. Another instance is when she is referring to the Tamils as “Klings” and “coolies”, offensive words to the Indians. No voice is given to the natives to express their opinions, except for the Singh, whose utterances are full of grammatical errors, and to the people on the street at the end of the story when they say “Tabek, tabek!”.
However, in Puteh and Mary, the third person point of view has been rather fair to all characters. The view is almost objective where the writer does not judge or give opinions, but the characters do, where the voices in their thoughts are stated. Readers are given the sense that they are part of the story, and know what is going on in the characters’ minds. For example, in Mary, Simon thinks that if Ah Foo was a dog, his tail would be wagging (p.142). Similarly, at the beginning of Puteh, we are presented with Yusuf’s thoughts about what the villagers might think of the baby (p.199-200), as in it is Yusuf who makes the judgment based on his situation, not the writer.
Cultural stereotype
Cultural stereotype is another difference that Chuah’s and Hume’s has. In Stranded in Semenyih, Hume stated many racial stereotypes, where the natives are seen as a group (giving the notion of a race) and generalisation is made upon that race. For example, the Chinese are associated with gambling (p.178), and having yellow faces (p.180). The Malays are criticised for having a theory that the wife is only “the chattel of the man,” which means a wife is an object, rather than the literal meaning of “wife”, that is “the woman to whom a man is married” (Longman Dictionary). The Tamils are called “Klings” and “coolies” (unskilled workers). Finally, the Singhalese are said to enjoy sharing information, especially when they do not have to worry about being correct. The races are generalised that their individual differences and abilities are unseen.
However, in Puteh and Mary, we are able to see the natives as individuals with their own character and abilities. For example, Mak Cik Zainab who likes to spread stories around the village (not the general Malays), and Ah Foo who are loyal and a good servant, and Ah Soh who is good in doing the laundry. Yusuf, a Malay farmer, is not said to think that Puteh is his “object” or chattel, but more to his wife, a woman he learns to love (p.208). Other than that, we are taken to Simon’s mind to see that there are Chinese who are not yellow, but white, earth-beige and brown (p.143). Here, we can see that the natives are not seen as a race, but individuals with their own characteristics.
Position of authority/power
Position of authority is another way how the two writers are different. In Stranded in Semenyih, the English are seen as superior, and the natives always inferior. For instance, “Malay houses, English bungalows” (p.175), stating the stereotype that the Malays live in houses only and not in bungalows, the label “coolies” for Tamils (p.178), and the natives’ salute to the English (p.180) as an act of respect. As stated before, the natives are not given plenty of voice, and when they are (the Singh and people in the street) perhaps it is just to show that they are of lower intelligence and inferior than the English. According to Zawiah (1994), the English, particularly the Victorians, believed that it was important to impose the superiority of the English values and institutions to ensure “progress” or civilisation. Because the natives are not seen as civilised, they are looked down upon, such as “a cluster of chicken” (p.179). This happens because, according to Zawiah (1994), the English feels superior and seen as superior by the natives, which causes them to be “marginalised, suppressed and silenced.”
In Puteh and Mary, on the contrary, the English are not really seen superior. They are still seen as human, such as Simon who is capable of feeling uneasy when Mary is staring at him, and conscious of his own complexion when compared to Mary’s. Here, we can see that other than judging others or the natives, he also judges himself (his physical feature). This also shows an alternative view that it is not only the English who is looking at the natives (as in Hume’s observation towards the natives), but they are also being looked at (here, by Mary). Puteh and Mary also tell us that the natives have their own pride and honour, not as inferior objects. For instance, Yusuf’s decision to move from his village when the baby is born is due to face and honour (p.200), and the Malay Communist guerrillas and the Indian army are fighting and risking their lives to repossess what they have lost, is also for their pride and honour (p.209).
Gender
Another difference in Hume and Chuah’s narrations is the gender issues. In Stranded in Semenyih, the native women, particularly the Malays, are said to be weak, mere “objects” and chattel of the man (p.176). Here, they are referred to as the property of men, not individuals. However, being a female traveller and independent, Hume thinks that she is more superior to the native women. On the contrary, Puteh and Mary show us that the native women are actually human, not objects or chattel of the men. For example, Yusuf, as we have seen earlier, does not refer or think of Puteh as his “object” or chattel, but more as his wife, the woman he learns to love (p.208). Both Yusuf and Puteh respect one another. In addition to that, when they finally talk to each other, they spare each other’s feelings by not telling things that might cause anger or offence (p.209).
Moreover, it is not true that according the Malay theory that a woman is the chattel of her husband. Zawiah (1994) states that “the Malay woman is brought up to regard her husband as the head of the family. Her duty is to look after the well-being of her man and children.” Therefore, Hume’s claim that Malay women are “objects” is misleading. Puteh or Mary’s silence is also another question: is it out of weakness or strength? Perhaps, her silence is out of strength because she endures all the pain and hardship in her life alone, not sharing them with anyone. This disagrees to Hume’s view that native women are weak.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are four ways in which Hume’s Stranded in Semenyih and Chuah’s Puteh and Mary are different; which are, in their perception, cultural stereotypes, position of authority and gender issues.
Bibliography
Longman Dictionary. 1998. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. England : Longman Group
Mass Lecture: Comparative Literature. 1998. Faculty of Language Studies: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Zawiah Yahya. 1994. Resisting Colonialist Discourse. Bangi: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Monday, 16 June 2014
The complexity of the mother’s emotions in the poem “Mother of The Groom”
Discuss the complexity of the mother’s emotions in Seamus Heaney’s poem, “Mother of The Groom”.
By: Zuraini Mokhtar (1997)
Faculty of Language Studies, UKM
The speaker of the poem Mother of The Groom by Seamus Heaney is the Persona while the setting is on the wedding day of a mother’s son. The poem is mainly about the complex feelings or emotions of the mother towards her son’s marriage. It seems like she does not give a warm welcome to the marriage but rather cold and sad, remembering that her son will be apart from her.
In the first stanza, the Persona describes how the mother flashbacks the moment when her son was still a very little child. She remembers how she bathed her small son and the memory really touches her feelings especially when she recalls it during the wedding day. She was very happy at the past, bathing her son who relied on her and seeing how the son shining in the bath. However, that was just a sweet memory to her. Presently, she is very sad. In contrast to the mother’s feelings, the word ‘glistening’ is used by the Persona in line 2. ‘Glistening’ is usually connected with shine, flash, sparkle and twinkle which resemble beautiful, enjoyable and glorious. For the mother, the beautiful, enjoyable and glorious time is only in the past, not during the wedding day of her son.
In the second stanza, the Persona describes the mother’s feelings when she realizes that her son has grown up and a daughter-in-law of hers is coming. The first two lines of the second stanza shows that the son has grown up and about to get a daughter. Another interpretation of the first two lines is now the mother has lost her son to another woman called a daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law is welcomed that day. The line “She hears a daughter welcomed” could mean that the mother’s son is about to get a daughter after he got married and the second interpretation is the mother herself is getting a daughter-in-law. The word ‘voided’ in line 5 refers to empty, bare or blank which means that the mother’s feeling is also empty and worthless because she is losing her son. The Persona compares the situation with the last two lines of the second stanza. The mother’s feeling is described as shocked and scared just like whenever one loses hold of her child from her soapy hands. The mother is shocked and scared to get a daughter-in-law because before, her son was always with her and now suddenly, she loses him and a daughter-in-law is coming into her life. For the mother, the arrival of the bride means losing her son.
The last stanza is the Persona’s description of the mother’s prediction on her son’s marriage in the future. She thinks of the possibility of the couple to get divorce one day because what the Persona means from the lines “Once soap would ease off, The wedding ring” is it is possible that the bride will sooner or later lose the wedding ring as well as her husband. It is described as easy as when a soap can ease off a ring from one’s finger. However, a paradox arises in the stanza because of the word “ease off” which is contrast to the word “forever”. A marriage is always hoped to last forever, to be endless and to be eternal and yet, the soap can ease off the ‘everlasting’ marriage. The last line of the stanza shows that the bride is happy on her wedding day yet the mother is not because she keeps thinking whether the bride could be like the mother who is caring towards the son or not. Somehow she fears that the bride could not treat the son as good as the mother had done throughout her son’s life before. Perhaps, the mother has another thought towards what is happening. Maybe the mother hopes that the marriage would not last that the bride will lose the wedding ring because she somehow disapproves the marriage. Thus, she wishes that what happens to her that is losing her son, will happen to the bride as well. The words ‘forever’ and ‘clapping hand’ which are used by the Persona are contrast to the mother’s feelings. Her feelings are not as ‘bright’ as the words.
As a conclusion, the mother’s feelings are complex as described in the poem. She is confused, sad, shocked and scared because she cannot accept the fact that her son is now a man and a husband. Although some words used by the Persona resemble happiness, joyous and bright, the mother is actually out of it.
Sunday, 21 October 2012
“The Lotus Eater”: An analysis
by Sommerset Maugham
Background
• Lotus eater – a person who lives an idle,
comfortable life, does not think/care very much about anything.
• Setting - On the beautiful island of Capri, Italy.
The places mentioned are the small, comfortable cottage Wilson lives in before
the age of 60 as well as the woodshed where he lives after the age of 60. The
time of the story is in the early 1900’s.
• Point of view – The story is narrated from the first
person point of view.
General summary
The Lotus Eater tells of a man who plans to live a happy life
to a certain period of time, but faces difficulties when things do not work out
the way he wants them to be.
Sequence of events (Traditional Plot)
Rising actions
|
Visits Capri for the first time
Falls in love with Capri
Makes decision to live on Capri
Sells house and buys annuity for 25 years
Lives happily for 25 years
Runs out of money
Landlord asks to leave cottage
|
Climax
|
Tries to kill himself
|
Falling actions
|
Does not dies
Lives in woodshed
Looks after goats and chickens
Becomes a misfit
Dies six years after he tries to kill himself
|
Sequence of events – Textual evidence
Before Thomas Wilson is 60:
“After my first visit here I went back to London. I was a
bank manager.”
“I was on holiday in Italy at the time. I took a boat from
Naples to visit Capri for a few days.”
“I fell in love with this island the first moment I saw it.”
“I had no family. I had no other relations and no close
friends.”
“I decided that I was going to love here for the rest of my
life.”
“But I did not decide in a hurry. I had to be sure that I
was not making a terrible mistake.”
“I decided I was going to live a happy life before I die.”
“I had some savings and I sold my house in London. With this
money, I bought an annuity for 25 years.”
“He lived in a small cottage. I found this cottage when I
first came back.”
After Thomas Wilson is 60:
“It was thirteen years before I went back to Capri again.”
“When he reached the age of sixty, the money was finished.”
“He lived like this for over a year.”
“In the end, the owner of the cottage told him he had to
leave unless he paid the rent.”
“That night, he tried to kill himself.”
“He was very ill, but was still alive.”
“Assunta helped him. She and her husband let him live in the
woodshed behind their house. They gave him food and he looks after their goats
and chickens.”
“It’s not very comfortable in the woodshed. Burning hot in
the summer and freezing cold in the winter.”
“What a terrible way to live. He was like a wild animal.”
“He had lived for six years in that woodshed. Wilson died
last year.”
Character Analysis
Thomas Wilson
The friend
Assunta
The narrator
|
Name
|
Description
|
Textual evidence
(examples)
|
|
1. Thomas Wilson
|
Before the age of 60:
• about 50 years
old with grey hair, and face burnt brown by the sun,
• careful person,
does not make decisions in a hurry,
• idealistic,
• a loner,
• likes to meet
people,
• lazy.
|
• “The man was
about fifty and he was dressed in old clothes. He had grey hair and his face
was burnt brown by the sun.”
• “But I did not
decide in a hurry. I had to be sure that I was not making a terrible mistake”
• “I decided I was
going to live a happy
• “I had no family…
. I had no other relations and no close friends.”
• “He was happy to
be by himself…”
“…he also enjoyed meeting people from time to time.”
• “For a long time,
Wilson has lived an easy life”
|
|
After the age of 60:
• indecisive
• does not
recognise friends
• may have become
insane
• like a wild
animal
|
• “When the time came to make a decision, he was unable to
do anything.”
• “He didn’t know who I was.”
• “Perhaps his mind was damaged by the smoke.”
• “He was like a
wild animal.”
|
|
|
2. The friend
|
• friendly
• concerned
• kind and generous
|
• “My friend
had invited him to come and have dinner with us.”
• “I went to visit
him in hospital.”
“I’ve tried to speak to him.”
• “I gave her some
money so that she can buy some tobacco for him.”
|
|
3. Assunta
|
• hardworking
• helpful
• kind, considerate
and sympathetic
|
• “She cleans the rooms and she cooks my meals.”
• “They (Assunta
and her husband) took him to the hospital….”
• “Assunta helped
him.”
“She and her husband let him live in the woodshed behind
their house.”
|
|
4. The narrator
|
• inquisitive
• practical
|
• “What about your
family?”
“But what about your work?”
“And you have no other regrets?”
• “But what about
money? Did you have money to leave work and come here?”
|
Themes
Man’s quest for happiness
Thomas Wilson wants to live a happy life and goes through
the trouble of preparing himself financially until he is sixty years old. When
he is 60, he realises that he is incapable of taking his own life. He is then
forced out of his home to live on the charity of others and lives in a
deplorable state. He becomes a misfit in contemporary society. Wilson does not
find happiness but has to pay a very high price for it during the last few
years of his life.
Man proposes, God disposes
Man has only limited control over his destiny. Thomas Wilson
plans out meticulously to ensure that he leads a happy life until the age of 60
after which he intends to kill himself (commit suicide). When he evicted from
his cottage a year later, only then he made a futile attempt to commit suicide.
In spite of all the trouble that Wilson takes to make sure that his life turns
out the way he wants it to be, he has no control over his fate and destiny.
Literary Techniques – Some examples
Techniques
|
Textual reference
|
1. Foreshadow (hints at the notion of suicide and
death)
|
“Because he’s going to kill himself”
“He’s going to die when he’s sixty.”
“When his money is finished, he’s going to kill himself.”
“That will be the end.”
But I understood what he planned to do.
“But it was his own life and he could do what he likes
with it.”
“It’s rather a sad story.”
“But he was not the same.”
|
2. Irony
|
Wilson wants to escape from routine work but the
alternative life he chooses for himself is just as mundane.
“If I stayed working at the bank, I would go on doing the
same thing day after day, years after years.”
“They gave him food and he looks after their goats and
their chickens.”
|
3. Contrast
|
“He lived in a small cottage” (refers to cosy, comfortable
and beautiful cottage).
“She and her husband let him live in the woodshed behind
their house.” (refers to an uncomfortable, crude and dilapidated building).
“He was happy to be by himself, but he also enjoyed
meeting people from time to time.”
“He runs away whenever I go near him.”
“He played some music by Beethoven.”(shows a refined man)
“He was like a wild animal.” (shows an uncivilised man)
|
4. Symbol
|
“moon”, “moonlight” may symbolize calmness, tranquility,
peacefulness. From a distance the moon looks beautiful but in reality it is
quite harsh. The moon also symbolizes irrationality (lunar – lunacy).
“On my last night, I went for a walk to see the Bay of
Naples by moonlight. It was a full moon that night – the same as it is now.
And it was on that walk in the moonlight that I made my decision.”
“It had been a full moon the night before. Wilson had died
in the moonlight.”
|
5. Images
|
“He has grey hair and his face was burnt brown by the sun.”
“I could see the red smoke coming from the top of the
Vesuvius.”
Next morning, I went swimming in the bright, clear water.
The crowd of people following the procession were
laughing, dancing and singing.
There was a huge flowering tree beside the door of the
cottage.
The tree was covered with large, brightly coloured
flowers.”
|
6. Simile
|
“He was like a wild animal.”
|
.
Friday, 21 September 2012
“As the age progressed, Caliban grew more malign, but also less diabolical, more elementally human, at once more richly comic and more deeply tragic”
Discuss Caliban’s character in a comparative framework, with reference to the statement above.
The character Caliban has experienced development and changes since it was staged for the first time in the Shakespearean time. Here, Caliban is analysed from historical and political points of view.
Historical
According to Hulme (1986), the English had already made voyages to America since 1170, and in 1600, England’s footing in America was established. Some researches said that The Tempest is written by Shakespeare with the exploration of the New World in mind. He had read a lot of travel writings by explorers, and this had influenced him.
In The Tempest, the character Caliban has experienced several changes and developments since the first time it was staged during the Shakespearean time. The character is interpreted differently in different eras. When the play was staged early in 17th century, Caliban was seen as an opposite of Prospero. Prospero is a perfect and good man, intelligent and of self-discipline, and uses his mind. Caliban, on the other hand, is seen as a savage and inhuman, as his name is associated to the word “cannibal”, being a salvage and evil. This is actually based on the exploration writings which stated that the natives in America, which looked very different physically from the English, were savages, inhuman, perfidious (Hulme, 1986). His physical features also make him seen as an “earthy monster”. We can see this in Act II, scene 2, lines 23-4 when Trinculo first set eyes on Caliban, “What have we here? A man or a fish?” and in Act I scene 2 line 359, when Prospero was angry with Caliban, “A thing most brutish”. In short, nothing about Caliban is good, and he is all evil, as Dryden (1679) states,
“he has all the discontent and malice of a witch,
and of a devil, besides a convenient proportion
of the deadly sins; gluttony, sloth, and lust, are manifest;
the dejectedness of a slave is likewise given to him,
and the ignorance of one bred up in a desert island.
His person is monstrous, [as] he is the product of unnatural lust;
and his language is as hobgoblin as his person….” (cited in Orgel, 1987)
In 19th century, during the Victorian era, the play was interpreted from the colonial point of view. Prospero is the coloniser and Caliban as the colonised. Caliban is seen as uncivilised and uneducated, while Prospero is the one who makes the island prosperous – the civilised and educated. Caliban’s resistance to Prospero’s moral teachings makes him look even more uncivilised.
Later, during the early 20th century, the play was interpreted in terms of class division. Here, Prospero is the seen as the ruling class and Caliban as the working class. Caliban is also said to a natural servant because he is the servant of Prospero, and his willingness to be the servant of Stephano.
However, in the late 20th century, the play is interpreted in the post-colonial point of view. Prospero is the coloniser and Caliban as the colonised. As Orgel (1987) stated, the play is staged with Caliban being more malign, and at the same time more human, comic and tragic. Prospero is seen as the usurper of the island from Caliban, and thus, this makes him somehow evil. According to Ng (1996b), Prospero is not perfect as he was seen before, because he fails to educate Caliban. The island is rightfully his by inheritance from his mother, Sycorax, “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,/Which thou tak’st from me” (I,ii,333-4). Being the colonised, we can also see Caliban’s plight for freedom. For example, he is willing to be Stephano’s servant just to escape from Prospero, as he says, “Thou shalt be lord of it, and I’ll serve thee” (III,ii,55).
Caliban is also seen as innocent. He is innocent in a way because he does not learn from his mistakes and sufferings, when he welcomes Prospero and treats him kindly, but later, Prospero treats him cruelly after his attempt to rape Miranda. However, according to Orgel (1987), the American natives practiced freelove, even with their own families. Thus, Caliban’s act of attempt to rape Miranda is not seen as being lustful to him. That is why he does not repent his action, and does not see why he should.
Caliban’s character is also seen as tragic because, not only the island is taken from him, but also he is verbally abused, tortured and punished by Prospero, as he says,
“… Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount
Their picks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do his me into madness.” (II,ii,11-14)
Other than that, he also is also punished by Prospero, by giving him cramps at night, and having little creatures bite him. The late 20th century Caliban is seen to be more sensitive to music, and is poetic. For instance, we can see this when he said,
“Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and
hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again.” (III,ii,128-133)
Political
In a political point of view, traditionally, Caliban is seen as the colonised, savage, evil, slave, and uncivilised. He is the naturally ruled, while Prospero is the natural ruler. Being the colonised, his character is marginalised, while Prospero’s character is centralised. He is seen as perfect and a good man. Caliban’s act of looking upon Stephano as god and willingness to be his servant (II,ii,135) labels him as a natural servant. He is evil and a savage because of his attempt to rape Miranda and murder Prospero, and his deformed physical makes him inhuman and a monster.
However, in the modern interpretation of his character, Caliban is put in the centre of the play. Orgel (1987) states that it is Caliban who legitimates Prospero’s authority, as he says, “For I am all the subjects that you have,” (I,ii,343). This is important because a ruler is a ruler because of the ruled, such as a master and a servant. The usurper, in this case Prospero, depends on the usurped, as he says to Miranda, “We cannot miss him” (I,ii,313). Besides that, according to Ng (1996a), Caliban is a product of Prospero’s failure to understand Caliban’s limitations and accept them, and his failure to teach him what he can learn (appealing to his senses). Prospero teaches Caliban like Miranda, that he forgets their differences. Other than that, we can also see other weaknesses of Prospero, such as his verbal abuse, torture and punishment towards Caliban, and threats to imprison Ariel, making Prospero not a perfect man after all.
Beside that, Caliban voice is also given attention. From his use of beautiful language, we can see him as poetic and affectionate towards nature, not all evil and savage. For example,
“Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had waked after a long sleep,
Will make me sleep again.
And then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.” (III,ii,130-6)
Caliban also defends himself and his rightful island from Prospero, when he says, “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,”(I,ii,333). In short, Caliban is put in the centre of the play.
Conclusion
To conclude, we can see that the character Caliban has experienced many development and changes (from traditional and modern interpretation) since it was staged for the first time in the Shakespearean time.
References
Hulme, P. 1986. Propero and Caliban. In Hulme, P. Colonial Encounters: Europe and the Caribbean, 1492-1797. London: Methuen
Orgel,S. 1987. The Oxford Shakespeare: The Tempest. Oxford: Oxford university press.
Ng, E.C. 1996a. The Tempest – Prospero vs. Caliban.
Ng, E.C. 1996b. The Tempest – Prospero as a Ruler.
Shantini Pillai. 1998. Mass lecture: The Tempest.
The character Caliban has experienced development and changes since it was staged for the first time in the Shakespearean time. Here, Caliban is analysed from historical and political points of view.
Historical
According to Hulme (1986), the English had already made voyages to America since 1170, and in 1600, England’s footing in America was established. Some researches said that The Tempest is written by Shakespeare with the exploration of the New World in mind. He had read a lot of travel writings by explorers, and this had influenced him.
In The Tempest, the character Caliban has experienced several changes and developments since the first time it was staged during the Shakespearean time. The character is interpreted differently in different eras. When the play was staged early in 17th century, Caliban was seen as an opposite of Prospero. Prospero is a perfect and good man, intelligent and of self-discipline, and uses his mind. Caliban, on the other hand, is seen as a savage and inhuman, as his name is associated to the word “cannibal”, being a salvage and evil. This is actually based on the exploration writings which stated that the natives in America, which looked very different physically from the English, were savages, inhuman, perfidious (Hulme, 1986). His physical features also make him seen as an “earthy monster”. We can see this in Act II, scene 2, lines 23-4 when Trinculo first set eyes on Caliban, “What have we here? A man or a fish?” and in Act I scene 2 line 359, when Prospero was angry with Caliban, “A thing most brutish”. In short, nothing about Caliban is good, and he is all evil, as Dryden (1679) states,
“he has all the discontent and malice of a witch,
and of a devil, besides a convenient proportion
of the deadly sins; gluttony, sloth, and lust, are manifest;
the dejectedness of a slave is likewise given to him,
and the ignorance of one bred up in a desert island.
His person is monstrous, [as] he is the product of unnatural lust;
and his language is as hobgoblin as his person….” (cited in Orgel, 1987)
In 19th century, during the Victorian era, the play was interpreted from the colonial point of view. Prospero is the coloniser and Caliban as the colonised. Caliban is seen as uncivilised and uneducated, while Prospero is the one who makes the island prosperous – the civilised and educated. Caliban’s resistance to Prospero’s moral teachings makes him look even more uncivilised.
Later, during the early 20th century, the play was interpreted in terms of class division. Here, Prospero is the seen as the ruling class and Caliban as the working class. Caliban is also said to a natural servant because he is the servant of Prospero, and his willingness to be the servant of Stephano.
However, in the late 20th century, the play is interpreted in the post-colonial point of view. Prospero is the coloniser and Caliban as the colonised. As Orgel (1987) stated, the play is staged with Caliban being more malign, and at the same time more human, comic and tragic. Prospero is seen as the usurper of the island from Caliban, and thus, this makes him somehow evil. According to Ng (1996b), Prospero is not perfect as he was seen before, because he fails to educate Caliban. The island is rightfully his by inheritance from his mother, Sycorax, “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,/Which thou tak’st from me” (I,ii,333-4). Being the colonised, we can also see Caliban’s plight for freedom. For example, he is willing to be Stephano’s servant just to escape from Prospero, as he says, “Thou shalt be lord of it, and I’ll serve thee” (III,ii,55).
Caliban is also seen as innocent. He is innocent in a way because he does not learn from his mistakes and sufferings, when he welcomes Prospero and treats him kindly, but later, Prospero treats him cruelly after his attempt to rape Miranda. However, according to Orgel (1987), the American natives practiced freelove, even with their own families. Thus, Caliban’s act of attempt to rape Miranda is not seen as being lustful to him. That is why he does not repent his action, and does not see why he should.
Caliban’s character is also seen as tragic because, not only the island is taken from him, but also he is verbally abused, tortured and punished by Prospero, as he says,
“… Lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount
Their picks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders, who with cloven tongues
Do his me into madness.” (II,ii,11-14)
Other than that, he also is also punished by Prospero, by giving him cramps at night, and having little creatures bite him. The late 20th century Caliban is seen to be more sensitive to music, and is poetic. For instance, we can see this when he said,
“Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and
hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again.” (III,ii,128-133)
Political
In a political point of view, traditionally, Caliban is seen as the colonised, savage, evil, slave, and uncivilised. He is the naturally ruled, while Prospero is the natural ruler. Being the colonised, his character is marginalised, while Prospero’s character is centralised. He is seen as perfect and a good man. Caliban’s act of looking upon Stephano as god and willingness to be his servant (II,ii,135) labels him as a natural servant. He is evil and a savage because of his attempt to rape Miranda and murder Prospero, and his deformed physical makes him inhuman and a monster.
However, in the modern interpretation of his character, Caliban is put in the centre of the play. Orgel (1987) states that it is Caliban who legitimates Prospero’s authority, as he says, “For I am all the subjects that you have,” (I,ii,343). This is important because a ruler is a ruler because of the ruled, such as a master and a servant. The usurper, in this case Prospero, depends on the usurped, as he says to Miranda, “We cannot miss him” (I,ii,313). Besides that, according to Ng (1996a), Caliban is a product of Prospero’s failure to understand Caliban’s limitations and accept them, and his failure to teach him what he can learn (appealing to his senses). Prospero teaches Caliban like Miranda, that he forgets their differences. Other than that, we can also see other weaknesses of Prospero, such as his verbal abuse, torture and punishment towards Caliban, and threats to imprison Ariel, making Prospero not a perfect man after all.
Beside that, Caliban voice is also given attention. From his use of beautiful language, we can see him as poetic and affectionate towards nature, not all evil and savage. For example,
“Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had waked after a long sleep,
Will make me sleep again.
And then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.” (III,ii,130-6)
Caliban also defends himself and his rightful island from Prospero, when he says, “This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,”(I,ii,333). In short, Caliban is put in the centre of the play.
Conclusion
To conclude, we can see that the character Caliban has experienced many development and changes (from traditional and modern interpretation) since it was staged for the first time in the Shakespearean time.
References
Hulme, P. 1986. Propero and Caliban. In Hulme, P. Colonial Encounters: Europe and the Caribbean, 1492-1797. London: Methuen
Orgel,S. 1987. The Oxford Shakespeare: The Tempest. Oxford: Oxford university press.
Ng, E.C. 1996a. The Tempest – Prospero vs. Caliban.
Ng, E.C. 1996b. The Tempest – Prospero as a Ruler.
Shantini Pillai. 1998. Mass lecture: The Tempest.
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Short analysis of the point of view of “The Child by Tiger”
The story “The Child by Tiger” is about the mysteries that revolve
around Dick Prosser. Dick, a new worker of the Sheppertons, in the
earlier part of the story, is kind, gentle, tender and hardworking. The
narrator and his friends are very pleased with him. However, Dick has
changed into a cold-blooded murderer suddenly, and kills nine people.
The story is told from the first person, objective, minor character
(limited) point of view, that is Spangler’s when he was a young boy.
Spangler, from this point of view, does not give any comment,
interpretation or description of the feelings and thoughts of the major
character, Dick Prosser.
In the story “The Child by Tiger”, the author uses the first person, objective, minor character point of view to let the readers consider who Dick is, to shape the theme, and to develop the plot. As the story is narrated from the eyes of young Spangler, we can see that he admires Dick very much then, “… it seemed to us boys that there was very little that Dick could not do (para.6)” and “We were all so proud of him (para. 12).” For him, Dick is good at everything, and has taught he and his friends a lot of things, such as playing football and boxing. Spangler also sees Dick as tender and careful, as he says, “There was something amazingly tender and watchful about him (para. 7).”
Though Spangler admires Dick, he also sees Dick as a mysterious man. Spangler is amazed as he describes “And yet? He went too softly, at too swift pace (para. 13).” It is also puzzling to him to hear the way Dick sometimes talk to them; “There would almost moan when he talk to us,… (para. 15).” The biggest mystery that Spangler faces is why Dick kills all the nine men that night.
Besides that, the point of view also helps to shape the theme. Dick, the major character, is at first a good and kind man, but later changes to become a cold-blooded murderer. From there, we can infer that one of the themes is the mysteries of the human soul which sometimes cannot be explained.
Another reason perhaps why the writer uses the first person point of view is that it helps to develop the plot. The story is about how young Spangler sees Dick changes from a kind and gentle man at first, to a cold-blooded murderer. As he narrates the story, we can see that there are two major conflicts; the physical and emotional conflict. The physical conflict is when the white men hunt down Dick after Dick starts killing people. The emotional conflict is the conflict Dick has in himself, as the reader can interpret from the story. One possible explanation is that Dick has felt that he has failed to change the attitudes of the town people. The cruelty of slavery and oppression. It leads him to depression which has caused him to run amok; he lets his anger to overcome his kindness. Dick has tried to control himself earlier, as we can see from the accident he has with Mr. Everett – he does not fight back. However, having been oppressed for so long, he losses his cool, as witnessed by young Spangler.
As a whole, we can say that the first person point of view is effective in allowing the readers to judge Dick Prosser by themselves, and what has made him the way he is in the end.
In the story “The Child by Tiger”, the author uses the first person, objective, minor character point of view to let the readers consider who Dick is, to shape the theme, and to develop the plot. As the story is narrated from the eyes of young Spangler, we can see that he admires Dick very much then, “… it seemed to us boys that there was very little that Dick could not do (para.6)” and “We were all so proud of him (para. 12).” For him, Dick is good at everything, and has taught he and his friends a lot of things, such as playing football and boxing. Spangler also sees Dick as tender and careful, as he says, “There was something amazingly tender and watchful about him (para. 7).”
Though Spangler admires Dick, he also sees Dick as a mysterious man. Spangler is amazed as he describes “And yet? He went too softly, at too swift pace (para. 13).” It is also puzzling to him to hear the way Dick sometimes talk to them; “There would almost moan when he talk to us,… (para. 15).” The biggest mystery that Spangler faces is why Dick kills all the nine men that night.
Besides that, the point of view also helps to shape the theme. Dick, the major character, is at first a good and kind man, but later changes to become a cold-blooded murderer. From there, we can infer that one of the themes is the mysteries of the human soul which sometimes cannot be explained.
Another reason perhaps why the writer uses the first person point of view is that it helps to develop the plot. The story is about how young Spangler sees Dick changes from a kind and gentle man at first, to a cold-blooded murderer. As he narrates the story, we can see that there are two major conflicts; the physical and emotional conflict. The physical conflict is when the white men hunt down Dick after Dick starts killing people. The emotional conflict is the conflict Dick has in himself, as the reader can interpret from the story. One possible explanation is that Dick has felt that he has failed to change the attitudes of the town people. The cruelty of slavery and oppression. It leads him to depression which has caused him to run amok; he lets his anger to overcome his kindness. Dick has tried to control himself earlier, as we can see from the accident he has with Mr. Everett – he does not fight back. However, having been oppressed for so long, he losses his cool, as witnessed by young Spangler.
As a whole, we can say that the first person point of view is effective in allowing the readers to judge Dick Prosser by themselves, and what has made him the way he is in the end.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant: Summary of analysis
Plot Summary
1. Mathilde was not
happy with her life.
2. Mr. Loisel
obtained an invitation to the Minister of Public Instruction’s ball.
3. Mathilde did not
want to go to the ball without a suitable gown.
4. Mr. Loisel
sacrificed his interest for her to get one.
5. Mathilde needed
jewelery to go with the gown.
6. She borrowed a
necklace from her friend, Madame Forestier.
7. She enjoyed
herself at the ball and made a great impression.
8. She lost her
necklace.
9. Mr. Loisel looked
for the necklace without success.
10. They purchased a
replacement necklace and incurred a huge debt.
11. They did not tell
Madame Forestier the truth.
12. They worked hard
for 10 years to repay the debt and in the process aged terribly.
13. Mathilde met
Madame Forestier one day and told her what had actually happened.
14. Madame Forestier
revealed that the lost necklace was only an imitation.
Character Analysis
1. Madame Loisel (Mathilde)
In the beginning
|
Physical change for
the worse
BUT
Psychological and
moral change
for the better
|
At the end
|
“Pretty, charming, young”
|
Coarse
|
|
Materialistic
|
Speaks loudly
|
|
Self-centred/vain
|
Co-operative
|
|
Thinks highly of herself
|
Responsible
|
|
Full of self-pity/maladjusted
|
Persevering
|
|
Ungrateful/unpleasant
|
Strong
|
|
Impatient/unsympathetic
|
Kept dignity/proud
|
|
Inconsiderate/selfish
|
Aware of station in life
|
|
Not very resourceful
|
Less self-centred
|
|
Shrewd
|
Gains confidence
|
|
Foolish
|
Honest
|
|
Lied
|
Accountable
|
2. Mr. Loisel
Compassionate
Accommodating
Patient
Loving
Considerate
Reasonable
Caring
Sacrificial
Responsible
Practical
Thinks fast
Suggest ideas
Initiate actions
Persistent
Optimistic
Accountable
Kept dignity
Supportive
Diligent
Unselfish
A bit soft
3. Madame Forestier
Young
Glamourous
Wealthy
Helpful
Pretentious
Literary Devices
Tone
|
Conveys pity (on bitter plight of the Loisels to pay up
their debts)
|
Irony
|
1. Situational irony – The whole story is an
irony.
2. Dramatic irony – The expectation of
Mathilde before and after the ball.
3. Verbal irony – The choice of words, phrases
used to show the opposites.
|
Foreshadowing
|
eg: “all was ended for her” – not only the end of the
ball, but also her dreams for the future.
|
Syntax
|
The use of long sentences in the beginning suggests the
rich description of Mathilde’s dream. While short sentences at the end
prepares readers for the twist of the story.
|
Language change
|
The elegant language need to describe Mathilde in the
beginning is set aside for a more down-to-earth substitute at the end.
|
Imagery
|
1. of grandeur (at
the start of the story)
2. of misery (when
they had to face reality when the ball was over)
|
Twist
|
At the end of the story – quick and merciless.
|
Examples of Irony
Ironically:
a) the despair about her apartment, together with the
inability to hire with actuality, is the cause of Mathilde’s economic and
social undoing (the despair is the root-cause of her borrowing the necklace),
b) the life of poverty and suffering brings out coarseness
in her character while at the same time it brings out her best qualities of
co-operativeness, dignity (pride) and honesty.
.
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