Reading Notes W6: Goethe & Blake, Part A

Faust

• The three archangels (Gabriel, Michael, Raphael) and Mephistopheles greet The Lord - 103
• After Mephisto finished rambling and complaining, The Lord said "Is that all you do, accuse eternally? Is nothing ever right for you down there, sir?" to which Mephisto replies "No, nothing, Lord-- all's just as bad as ever" - 104
• The Lord challenges Mephisto to try and lead Faust "upon the downward curse" and says "A good man still knows which way is the right one." Mephisto is confident he can do that - 104
• "How very decent of a Lord Celestial to talk man to man with the Devil of all people" said Mephisto. - 105
• Faust expresses regret for having studied philosophy, law, and medicine - 105
• Faust claims to not be afraid of Hell or the Devil - 105
• Faust had no money or possessions. He also claims he can teach anyone how to be better - 106
• Faust requests the spirits to announce themselves if they hear him, since he believes he feels their presence. He opens the book and sees the sign of the Macrocosm. Faust asks if he himself is a god. -107
• He flips the pages and sees the sign of the Spirit of Earth. He acknowledges it has a different effect on him. He asks the spirit to reveal itself -108
• The spirit reveals itself and Faust calls it unbearable. The spirit said "I come at your bidding and you're struck dumb!" - 108
• Faust calls himself the spirit's "equal" - 109
• The spirit claims Faust is only equal to his idea of the spirit, not the spirit itself. The spirit vanishes.  - 109
• Wagner appears and says he wants to master the art of Greek tragedy - 109
• Wagner loves serious conversations. He would gladly stay up and discuss with Faust if it weren't for the fact that it is Easter Sunday in the morning - 111
• "Such fellows keep their hopes up by forever busying themselves with trivialities" said Faust - 111
• Faust begins to monologue - 111
• Faust believes he's the image of God and will soon behold the mirror of Eternal Truth - 111
• The Chorus of Angels say Christ is arisen - 114
• Wagner says going for a walk with Faust is a treat for his mind - 119
• "A lovely dream!-- and meanwhile it grows dark" said Faust after describing the world he could see - 122

Songs of Innocence

1) Introduction (334): The piper has a moment with himself. He visualized a child on a cloud and spoke with him. He shared fun moments playing music with the child. He then decided that he needed to write down his songs so that he may share his happiness with others.

2) The Lamb (335): He speaks to a lamb and ponders the thought of whether or not the lamb knows or could even comprehend its creator. Excited with his religion, he cheerfully informs the lamb that Christ is the one who made both of them: child and lamb.

3) The Little Black Boy (335-6): The boy is aware of racism and what it's like to be treated differently based on the color of his skin. His mom taught him to have faith in God. Once they're in heaven with God, everyone will love each other and there will be no more discrimination. The boy will show kindness to others because he believes they will all love each other once they're all with God.

4) Holy Thursday (336): The children sing with the fullest of their hearts. Even if their audience doesn't necessarily seem important, they continue to sing. Should someone in their audience be an angel, they wouldn't want to drive them away.

5) The Chimney Sweeper (337): The boys who have been sold by their fathers to become chimney sweepers experience a lot of misery. Despite all of this though, they are pure at heart and have faith in God. God is their inspiration to have hope. They'll simply continue to do their jobs and everything will be okay in the end.

Songs of Experience

1) Introduction (337-8): There seems to be a sense of giving up present. The speaker tries to bring back a sense of hope by reminding his audience of the beauty that the Earth has to offer.

2) Earth's Answer (338-9): The Earth feels unappreciated. People take nature's beauty for granted. The Earth views God as being selfish for having created people who don't take the time to appreciate nature.

3) The Tyger (339): Animals like tigers can't appreciate nature. They're ferocious and there seems to not be a reason why. The speaker questions what sky could have created the fire in their eyes. The beauty of the starlight shines down and the tiger can't appreciate it as the speaker can. He questions why God might have created a creature so different than man.

4) The Sick Rose (339-40): The speaker addresses the fact that life as beautiful as that of a rose can die. He feels as if there's a cruel force that loves to spread death and ruin beauty & joy.

5) London (340): He witnesses chimney sweeping children express their misery with tears. Harlots infect parents with a venereal disease leading to the infant being inflicted with neonatal blindness. He's seeing happiness be denied all around him and it pains him to see it all.

6) The Chimney Sweeper (340-1): The chimney sweepers sing songs about their sadness. The chimney sweeper wonders why his innocent smile was rewarded with a job that will most likely kill him, all so that his parents can be happy. Heaven is a dream that the parents can have at the cost of their child's happiness when they sell them and have them become chimney sweepers.

7) Mock on, Mock on, Voltaire, Rosseau (341): He seems to be mocking notable figures such as Voltaire, Democritus, and Newton who push for the advance of science since he feels they mock those who have faith in God.

8) And Did Those Feet (341): He desires a return to the old days. He wants society to abandon its industrial ways and return to a time where everyone worshiped God.

Blake, William. "Songs of Innocence." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, Third Edition, vol. D, W. W. Norton 2012, pp. 330-341

Goethe, Johann Wolfang Von. "Faust." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, Third Edition, vol. D, W. W. Norton 2012, pp. 99-122

Comment Wall

This is the link to my revised third project: https://sites.google.com/view/green-archives/third-project-revision-1

Week 5 Analysis: Close reading of "Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger"

For this close reading I chose the middle paragraph on page 513 beginning with "Now we turn to Du Tenth" (513). This excerpt reflects on the doubts that multiple characters in the story had regarding the sincerity of Du Tenth's feelings for Li and the integrity of their relationship. Du Tenth was eager to spend the rest of the night with Li, waiting for him to return from talking with Sun Fu. They were supposed to be celebrating their new life together, but instead he's off talking with a stranger while she waits in the room on the boat by herself. She had set the table to "share a small banquet" with Li and drink wine with him, but he "failed to return all day" (513). I thought this was an interesting occurrence throughout the story. Li is a bit of a flake, even if it isn't necessarily his fault given the difficulty and impracticality of his dilemmas. I couldn't help but wonder if Du Tenth was growing tired of constantly waiting around for him and him never appearing. Earlier in the story with the ten days he had to gather the money to buy her freedom from the madam, he spent the first six days avoiding her out of shame because he hadn't accomplished anything or made any progress at all. Despite this, she genuinely cares for him and has the patience to deal with him. When Li doesn't return in time to share the banquet with Du Tenth, she doesn't just give up and go to bed without him. She "trimmed a lamp and sat up waiting for him" (513). It's such a small gesture that went unnoticed and unappreciated. Li is having doubts about how genuine her love is, and how faithful she is to him. If he were only able to see the effort she put into preparing that night to spend with him, and if he were able to realize the significance in her staying up late just to be with him then he might not have doubts. Of course, if he had just returned to the room in time, there would be no need for her to stay up waiting for him. But, his delay does put her in a situation that tests her love and allows her to demonstrate how long she would wait for him. Du Tenth "rose to greet him" when he arrived. I thought this was an interesting detail when I really thought about it for this close reading. As opposed to just saying "hello" or something from where she sat, she was so eager to see him that she stood up to approach him. It shows a great deal of respect and reflects on her desire to be with him. But again, it's a small detail that's easy for Li to not notice, especially in his current gloomy state. She practically babies him after he refuses to talk and go straight to bed. She helps him undress and I presume she prepared the bed for him to lay in as well when I read "make ready to sleep" (513). Du Tenth ends up losing more sleep because of Li. She couldn't fall asleep because of her feelings. She's obviously worried about what made Li so sad, but I gave it some more thought. She must also be disappointed with how he ignored her attempts to spend time with him. He couldn't put aside his own gloom to bond with her. She must feel sad and possibly even having her own doubts because of how different this situation is from their past experiences. The same man who blew all his money to spend every night with her is now refusing to even speak to her before bed.

Feng Menglong. "Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger." The Norton Anthology World Literature,
edited by Martin Puchner, third Edition, vol. D, W. W. Norton, 2012, pp. 513.

Reading Notes W5: Feng & Saikaku, Part A

Du Tenth Sinks The Jewel Box In Anger

• The Poem in the beginning was devoted to the praise of their dynasty's founding of the capital at Yan. (499)
• Guarded to the north by towering passes, and commands the region of central China to the south (499)
• Granddad Hongwu swept away the barbarian dust and established his reign at Jinling. This was capital Nanjing (499)
• Granddad Yongle led his troops out of Beiping and it was removed to Yan. Became Beijing. (499)
• From Granddad Yongle, the throne passed down nine generations to Granddad Wanli, the 11th Son of Heaven of their dynasty. Wise, strong, perfect in virtue and good fortune. Succeeded to the kingdom at age 10 and ruled for 40 years. Put down 3 armed uprisings during this time.(499)
• The 3 uprisings were: Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan, Bei Cheng'en of the Xixia, and Yang Yinglong of Bozhou. (499)
• Hideyosihi invaded Korea, the other two were native officials who plotted revolt. (499)
• Story picks up during the 20th year of the Wanli period, when the Japanese Prime Minister created discord by invading Korea. (500)
• Payments were temporarily accepted in exchange for positions in the imperial academy. Advantages for those who bought academy scholar status this way. Easier to study, participate in the civil service exam, easier to pass. Helped with career advancement.(500)
• Jia Li was a native of Shaoxing Prefecture in Zhejiang, he was the eldest of three sons of his father, Provincial Commissioner Li. He met a famous courtesan named Mei Du, 10th born of her generation. "Du Tenth" (500)
• Du Tenth lost her virginity when she was 13. She was 19 at the present time. (500)
• Li's "happiness exceeded all expectation" when he first ran into Du Tenth. He was afraid of his father and taking Du Tenth up on her proposal. But they did swear to each other that they would never have thoughts of another. They became more and more devoted to each other. (501).
• Tenth's madam viewed her relationship with Li as her being monopolized. Other heirs and lords couldn't have her now. Li was running out of money by spending so much on Du Tenth. His father found out that he was "passing time whoring in the pleasure district" and called him back home. (501).
• The more financial hardship Du Tenth saw Li in, the warmer she grew toward him (501).
• The madam wanted Du Tenth to send Li away, but Du Tenth ignored her. She tried to anger and provoke him with verbal attacks, but it didn't work since he was so mannerly. (501).
• The madam is furious that Li has no more money to spend. Du Tenth mentioned how much he's spent but it didn't manner how much he had spent since he can't spend anymore. She called Du Tenth a slut and said she's been having to pay for the "upkeep of this bum of yours." The madam told Du Tenth to have him buy her out so she can be replaced with a new girl. The madam says Li has 3 days to get 300 in cash or the deals off. Du Tenth got the madam to agree on 10 days instead of 3. Du Tenth has doubts of the madam sticking to her word, but the madam says she's too old to be telling lies. (502)
• Du Tenth and Li were in bed together, discussing the issue. Du Tenth explains that he has 10 days to get 300. Li says he can't since he's out of money. Du Tenth asks if he can borrow from friends or family. Li says he can't. Li says he'll go to each house tomorrow and ask to borrow money from each house and see if he can pool it all together and reach 300. (503)
• "The mention of money dissolves predestined ties." Everyone had doubts, given his current circumstances. No one would give him 20, or even 10. (503)
• Li didn't earn a thing within 3 days and didn't dare go back to Du Tenth to tell her that. After 4 days and not even coming up with a plan, he was truly embarrassed. He went to talk to his townsman, academy scholar Liu. Li explained the situation to Liu. Liu assessed the matter and told Li the madam is probably toying with him, and that he should just make a clean break away (504).
• 6 days had passed and Li still hadn't accomplished anything. Du Tenth sent a boy, Number Four, to go find Li since she was worrying. Four ran into Li and wouldn't let go of him until he came back to the quarters. Li missed Du Tenth, and went along. (504)
• When Du Tenth asked Li how it was going, he began to cry. Li said "Catching Tigers cannot be considered easy, but begging favors is what's truly hard." He tells her he's been too ashamed to see her since it's been 6 days and he hasn't a penny to show for it. (504)
• Du Tenth tells him to ignore what the madam said, and to stay the night with her. Du Tenth insists she has a plan. (505).
• Du Tenth had 150 taels in savings and gave them to Li. She hopes he can earn the remaining half. (505)
• Li told Liu about the 150 taels. Liu was convinced that she was a woman with sincere intentions and said "I will see to this on your behalf." (505)
• Liu put together 150 taels within two days and gave it to Li, not for Li's sake, but because he was moved by the sincere feeling of Du Tenth (505).
• The madam was about to consider going back on her promise on the tenth day when Li and Du Tenth revealed the 300 taels, but Du Tenth threatened to end her life and have Li keep the 300 taels. Screwing the madam out of a girl and 300 taels. The madam had nothing to counter with and told them to leave at once. She told Du Tenth not to imagine taking any of her clothes or jewelry with her. (506)
• Li and Du Tenth left, as husband and wife (506)
• They visited Tenth's sisters in the quarters to thank them for lending her traveling money. They also did her make up and gave her nicer looking clothes. They prepared a celebration (506).
• Tenth asked about their settlement plans. Li said they can't go to his father since he'll be outraged that Li married a prostitute. Tenth suggested they have friends and family calm his father first. They would reside in the scenic region of Suzhou and Hangzhou in the meantime. (507)
• Du Tenth set her messenger to say goodbye to her friend Xie Yuelang the day they were going to leave. When they were about to leave, bearers and palanquins arrived in great numbers. Xie Yuelang and Xu Susu had brought all the sisters to say goodbye. They acknowledged how little money Tenth and Li had, and "raised a meager sum among ourselves." They gave Du Tenth a gold-inlaid stationery box. It was locked up and Tenth didn't refuse it nor look inside. She thanked them and they left.(507)
• When it was time to board the boat, Li didn't have money since he spent his money on new clothes since his were no good anymore from wearing only that one outfit. Du Tenth opened the box and pulled out a red silk pouch that had 50 taels inside. She locked up the box right after without saying what else might be inside. (508)
• Li suggested they drink as much as they want and relieve their cooped-up feelings. She agreed and sang for him after he complimented her. (509).
• Sun Fu got a peek of Du Tenth and recited poetry from his boat. Li heard the poetry coming from the neighboring boat and and to peek out and see who it was. Sun Fu did this on purpose to start a conversation with him. They introduced themselves. Sun Fu claimed he wanted to drink with him ashore. Sun Fu had his boatmen bring Li over, with an umbrella to protect him from the snowstorm. (510)
• Li told Sun Fu about everything that had happened. He asked what Sun Fu thought. Sun Fu said they've only briefly started chatting and that he might offend Li with his honesty. But he pointed out the trouble that Li was going to face by not getting approval from his family and having no where to settle with her once they run out of money. (511)
• Sun Fu planted seeds of doubt in Li, saying that Du Tenth might be using Li just to meet up with another lover. Li was at a loss for words and asked what advice Sun Fu would give. (511)
• Sun Fu proposed that he would give Li 1000 taels if he were to "act decisively when opportunity presents itself." (512)
• Li was terrified of his father and told Sun Fu he needed to talk with Du Tenth. "I cannot in justice cut her off all at once" (513)
• Li went to talk to her and she tried to console him and give him wine. He refused to drink. He didn't say anything and went to bed. She became unable to sleep when he fell asleep easily without talking to her. (513).
• He woke up and she spoke to him. It's been 2 years since they've been together and she's never seen him grieve like this. Li said he undeservingly received her. He viewed it as an incomparable favor that she's done him. He explains Sun Fu's proposition to take her in for 1000 taels so that he may be able to call on his parents and she would have someone to rely on. (514)
• She felt it was a great strategy. She felt it would let him return to his family without her being a burden on his life. (514)
• The silver was accounted for and the trade was ready. Du Tenth requested for Sun Fu to give her back her makeup box briefly so that she may take out the travel documents to give them to Li. When she got the box, she had Li open the various drawers of the box. There were countless treasures worth several thousand. After more treasures were thrown out into the sea, there was no telling how much it was all worth. Li cried. Du Tenth cursed Sun Fu and declared him her sworn enemy for hatching such a cunning plot that ruined her destined life with Li. (515)
• Du Tenth told Li she didn't intend for their oath to be broken. She said there's no less than ten thousand taels in the box. She intended for Li to be able to use it all to return to his parents without shame. (515)
• She couldn't believe that he lost faith in her off of some groundless claims and betrayed her heart. (516)
• She wanted everyone to witness that she didn't betray him; he betrayed her (516).
• Li and Sun fu sailed off in different directions. Li brooded for days out of his shame. Sun Fu fell ill and saw Du Tenth beside him, cursing him. He died eventually. "Revenge exacted from the depths of the river" (516)
• One of Liu's fisherman found a box with treasures inside. He paid the fisherman a lot. He then saw Du Tenth. Du Tenth greeted him, complained about Li, explained that she meant to repay him for helping them, but couldn't foresee Li's betrayal. She presented that treasure to him as a token of heartfelt thanks. She said they won't ever meet again. Tenth had died. (516-7)

From Life of a Sensuous Woman

• A beautiful woman is an ax that cuts down a man's life. (593)
• Men who die young of overindulgence in the way of sensuous love are foolish. (593)
• On the seventh of the first month, people go to have their fortunes told. (593)
• The two men who spoke were opposites. One wanted as much sensual pleasure as he could get, the other wanted to give up love entirely. (593)
• Narrator sees an old woman who looks decent for her age. Stylish. (593-4)
• The old woman asks the two men why they keep coming. One says that the other man is being tortured by love. Speaking for himself, he claims that he gets very depressed. (594)
• They say she's experienced and they want to hear her life story so that they may understand more about the world and life (594)
• She played on her koto and sang about deep love after they drank saké. (594)
• Every one of the men who longed for her were handsome but she didn't have feelings for any of them. (595)
• For 4 or 5 days she couldn't tell if she was sleeping or awake. She was 13 at the time and people wondered if she had done that already. (595)
• She followed her desires where they went and ruined herself. She says there's no use in regretting it though. (596)
• She's never heard of more attractive women than those in Kyoto (596)
• The overseer of the inner chambers was more than 70 years old and the best he could do was tell sexy stories (597)
• He was chosen to go to Kyoto and find a mistress to chaperone all the way to Edo (597)
• The employment agency chose more than 170 women and sent them to the old retainer for interviews, but he wasn't satisfied with a single one. (598)
• "But women, you know, are very basic creatures. They just can't forget about physical love" (599)
• She's always been an unlucky woman, but her lord was tender to her and they enjoyed their lovemaking. But the lord kept losing weight and became "awful to look at"(599)
• "If you look closely at the world, you'll see that a man who's born sexually weak is a very sad thing for a woman" (599)
• She finally overcame her shame and had her hair done up like a boy and began to speak and move like one (600)
• She hired a man to carry her things and she set out with a professional jester. They found a temple known to have wealth and a sex-loving monk. They went around to temples of every persuasion suggesting they switch to the Woman-loving sect. They didn't find a monk who didn't convert. (600)
• Eventually the head priest of one temple fell in love with her and she became his temporary wife for 3 years in exchange for 25 lbs of silver. (600)
• Sleeping with the priest made her even sadder. Nothing gave her pleasure anymore and she gradually lost weight and grew weaker. If she were to die, she'd be secretly buried without proper cremation according to the priest. It was frightening at first but she got used to it. (601)
• She found herself up late at night waiting for him to come home. She hated for him to go away. She began to cherish even the smell of incense on his robe. She forgot her loneliness. (601)
• Young monks in training saw their way of living and imitated it. (601)
• "I've lived in this temple for many, many years" (602)
• She was 20 years older than the priest she was with and he told people she was his mother. They exchanged pledges, but they meant nothing to him. When she got old, he pushed her into a dark corner of the temple. He gave her nothing but old rice offerings. He's treated her terrible but she insists it isn't that bad. (602)
• She said the narrator knows nothing about her, but whenever she hears the narrator saying things to each other in bed, she can't forget sex. She decided to get rid of this longing. "I'm going to bite right into you. Tonight!" (602)
• Narrator pretended to be pregnant so that the priest would send her away. It worked. (602).

Feng Menglong. "Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger." The Norton Anthology World Literature,

edited by Martin Puchner, third Edition, vol. D, W. W. Norton, 2012, pp. 497-517.

Ihara Saikaku. "From Life of a Sensuous Woman." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, third Edition, vol. D, W. W. Norton, 2012, pp. 591-602.

Week 4 Project Planning: The Ending of Tartuffe

The prompt I intend to respond to for this project is: What does the work reveal about the cultural behavior contemporary to it?

Deus Ex Machina is the main literary device I will be using to address this prompt. Because of this, I will also be addressing the play's plot and dialogue. From one of my sources I received further confirmation of what my former drama teacher at LMC, Professor Jack Nicolaus, had told me about the ending of Tartuffe: "Molière had to remain in the good graces of the king if he wanted to stage the play in public," "What better way to do so than to make the king a hero?" More specifically as I have learned, "The audience for which Molière wrote Tartuffe was a worldly sector of the social elite in Paris in the latter third of the Seventeenth Century. Indeed, its original audience was the royal court at Louis XIV's great palace Versailles." Molière had written this play with an ending that would satisfy King Louis XIV because that would be the only way this play would be allowed to debut and have a chance at becoming a success. I'll be exploring the overall plot of "Tartuffe" in order to show that the ending to the play was nothing more than fan service to please King Louis XIV since the plot didn't allow for any other ending since the characters had been written into a corner as reflected by the panic in the dialogue they exchange. Tartuffe had all the evidence he needed to have Orgon placed in prison and he had the deed to his house. There was absolutely nothing the characters in the story could have realistically done to fix the situation other than pray for a miracle, which was lazily provided by The Exempt arriving to inform everyone that The King might as well be omnipotent with how conveniently aware of everything he is despite not being involved in all of the events prior to the deus ex machina and how kind and down to Earth he is to save everyone from their dilemma. In my project, I will point out multiple directions the play could have taken to avoid this ending, and why this ending was the only ending that could have worked given how the plot unfolded.

Molière. "Tartuffe." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, third Edition, vol. D, W. W. Norton, 2012, pp. 144-197.

Week 4 Analysis: Literary Analysis of "The Journey to the West"

"The Journey to the West" uses imagery as a way to complement the theme of ambition seen throughout Sun Wukong's journey. Sun Wukong was born into the world through the unusual means of being born from a stone egg as a stone monkey. Subodhi said that Sun Wukong must have been
"created by Heaven and Earth," so it isn't surprising that he would have such great ambitions seeing as how he was born with such great advantages compared to the other living creatures he associates with (435). In the beginning of "The Journey to the West," the stone monkey and his monkey friends reach the waterfall that served as the source of the mountain stream they bathed in. At the source, they saw "a column of rising white rainbows" and "a thousand fathoms of dancing waves" (425). This beautiful sight that the monkeys behold cause them to say "Marvelous water! Marvelous water!" and "If any of us had the ability to penetrate the curtain and find out where the water comes from without hurting himself, we would honor him as our king" (426). Being anything but an ordinary monkey, the stone monkey sees this as an opportunity to become something greater than himself. He believed this to be the day for his "fame" to "spread wide" and his "fortune" to "arrive" since he thinks he is "fated to live in this place, sent by a king to his godly place" (426). He's set his sights high under the belief that he's been sent to this godly place by a king. It seems only fitting that he'd have countless white rainbows and dancing waves as the backdrop for the day that he'd become declared the "Handsome Monkey King" since a being created by heaven deserves the best of sights to behold. (428). Even after finding a new, grand home for himself and his monkey friends, he still managed to become distressed with worries about his future. The other monkeys even laughed, reminding him about how great their current state is. "Such independence and comfort are immeasurable blessings. Why, then, does he worry about the future?" (428). The monkeys made a great point. Their lives seemed as great as they could possibly be in the eyes of an average individual. But of course, the stone monkey is ambitious and can't be pleased with anything less than the best. He sought greater things and decided to learn how to be "young forever" (429). From there, he went on his journey, found Subodhi, became his pupil, and received the name "Sun Wukong." The religion of Daoism seemed to have influenced "The Journey to the West" since there were several mentions of Daoism throughout. "Those I meet, if not immortals, would be Daoists" (432). "We do not know what fruit of Daoist cultivation he succeeded in attaining afterward, let's listen to the explanation in the next chapter" (436). I'm under the impression that Sun Wukong proceeds to learn Daoist traditions and practices which further shape who he becomes, however I haven't read any further to be entirely sure.

Reading Notes W4: Wu Cheng'en, Part B

Wu Cheng'en, "Journey to the West," (421-436)

• The immortal stone became pregnant with a divine embryo. One day it split open and gave birth to a stone egg. Exposure to wind caused it to transform into a stone monkey with fully developed features and limbs. The monkey learned to climb and run instantly. (424)
• This monkey befriended a tiger, lizard, wolf, and leopard. Befriended the civet and deer. Called the gibbon and baboon his kin. (424)
• He was playing with a group of monkeys one hot morning and noted how they amused themselves (425)
• The monkeys went to bathe and then decided to follow the stream and find the source of the water for fun. (425)
• They found the source; the stream led to a waterfall. The monkeys said "if any of us had the ability to penetrate the curtain and find out where the water comes from without hurting himself, we would honor him as king" (426)
• The stone monkey leaped out upon getting the idea and took them up on their challenge. (426)
• He leaped through the waterfall and found that the only thing beyond the waterfall was a bridge made of sheet iron. The water beneath led to what he deemed to be a beautiful place. He jumped across the middle of the bridge and found a stone tablet that read "The Blessed Land of Flower-Fruit Mountain, The Cave Heaven of Water-Curtain Cave" (426)
• He told the other monkeys that they should all go live in there together (427)
• The monkeys all went in and began rushing to claim beds and plates and other belongings. (427)
• The stone monkey speaks to them by quoting the Confucian Analects, "If a man lacks trustworthiness, it is difficult to know what he can accomplish" (427)
• They accepted him as king (after he reminded them) and he became known as "Handsome Monkey King" (428)
• They enjoyed perfect happiness for three or four hundred years before the Monkey King shed a tear and said he was concerned about the future. "Thought we are not subject to the laws of man today, nor need we be threatened by the rule of any bird or beast, old age and physical decay in the future will disclose the secret sovereignty of Yama, King of the Underworld. If we die, shall we not have lived in vain, not being able to rank forever among the Heavenly beings?" (428)
• The Monkey King said he will go to the mountains in hopes of meeting the Buddhas, immortals, and holy sages, since they are not subject to Yama. He will learn from them how to be young forever. (429)
• The monkeys honored the Monkey King at the table and they all drank for a whole day. He gave them instructions the next day and then he got on the raft by himself. Once he landed on shore, he approached some humans and scared them. He stripped one who couldn't run so that he could have their clothes. He acted like a human as he walked through the counties and marketplaces. (430)
• He unwittingly spent about 9 years on the South Jambudvipa Continent before he suddenly came upon the Great Western Ocean. (431)
• Unafraid of wolves, lizards, tigers, leopards, etc. He went to the top of a magnificent mountain. (431)
• He heard someone singing and believed them to be an immortal (432)
• The man claimed not to be an immortal but just a neighbor of one. He gave the Monkey King the location of the Patriarch Subodhi. (433)
• The Monkey King invited the man to come with him, but the man refused since he couldn't neglect his livelihood. (433)
• The Monkey King reached his destination, The Mountain of Mind and Heart, The Cave of Slanting Moon and Three Stars (434)
• A boy came outside and said he was ordered to open the door and say there's someone who wants to practice austerities and that he should go and let them in. The Monkey King claimed it must be him they were talking about. He followed the boy in. (434)
• Subodhi believed the Monkey King to be a liar about where he was from. The Monkey King explained that he came from far away and was born from a stone. Subodhi was pleased and said the Monkey King was created by Heaven and Earth (435)
• He gave him the surname "Sun" (436)
• He was given the name "Wukong" meaning "Wake-to-Vacuity" (436)
• Full name: Sun Wukong (436)
• "At nebula's first clearing there was no name; Smashing stubborn vacuity requires wake-to-vacuity." (436)

Reading Notes W4: Voltaire, Part A

Voltaire, "Candide", Pages 352-373

• Candide had perfected gentle manners and had an honest mind and great simplicity of heart (355)
• Castle of Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh (355)
• Baron one of the mightiest lords (355)
• Baroness was 350 pounds (355)
• Daughter, Cunegonde, was a seventeen year old plump and desirable girl (355)
• Pangloss was the oracle of the household (355)
• Pangloss proved there cannot be an effect without a cause and that everything about the baron and his castle was the best of any to be compared to. (356)
• Candide's greatest sources of happiness in order are: being born Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, Miss Cunegonde, seeing her every day, listening to Master Pangloss (356)
• Cunegonde walked near the castle and saw Dr. Pangloss and decided to listen to him before returning to the house distracted, yearning for knowledge and dreaming that she might be the "sufficient reason" of Candide, "who might also be hers" (356)
• Candide and Cunegonde clearly like each other. They got caught in each other's eyes but then the baron kicked Candide out of the castle and Cunegonde fainted. When she recovered, the baroness slapped her on the face (356)
• Candide wandered around sad. He didn't eat. He ends up eating with two recruiting officers who invited him to dinner. They pay for his meal and speak with him. They tell him he is now "the bulwark, the support, the defender, the hero of the Bulgars" (357)
• He does intensive training regiments. Then they throw him into a dungeon and ask if he wants to be flogged 36 times or receive 12 bullets in the brain. He runs the gauntlet 36 times. He received 4000 strokes and he couldn't endure anymore. He begged them to smash his head. The King of the Bulgars understood that he was a young meta physician, extremely ignorant of the ways of the world, so he pardoned him. (358)
• Candide observes all of the bleeding bodies and severed limbs on the floor. He flees as fast as he can to another village . He reached Holland and was sure that the rich people there would treat him well. They all told him if he continued to beg he'd be placed in a house of correction and have to do manual labor. (358-9)
• He met a beggar the next day who was in terrible condition. (359)
• He gave the beggar his only two florins and the beggar revealed him self to be Pangloss. He's dying. (360).
• Pangloss says Cunegonde was disemboweled after being raped "to the absolute limit of human endurance." The Baron's head was smashed when he tried to defend her and then the baroness was cute into pieces. Everything was destroyed (360).
• Candide fainted. Upon coming back to his sense, he asked Pangloss what caused him to be this way. Pangloss said it was love. Candide questioned "How could this lovely cause produce in you such a disgusting effect?" Pangloss said he was infected with a disease from Paquette, the maidservant. (360).
• Candide's friend, Jacques, was able to cure Pangloss. Pangloss only lost one eye and an ear. Jacques made Pangloss his bookkeeper. (361)
• The ship got damaged. They set out for Libson after resting (362)
• They set foot in town and Candide was struck by falling stonework. He called to Pangloss, asking for win and oil. "I'm dying" (362)
• Candide fainted and Pangloss brought him water (363).
• Earthquake wiped out three quarters of Libson. After dinner, men cape with ropes to tie up Pangloss and Candide (363).
• They were put in costumes resembling devils and fire. Pangloss was hanged. Candide was scared and bleeding. He didn't care much that he was hurt. He felt worse about Pangloss. He was led away and an old woman told him to follow her (364)
• The woman cared for him and took him to a secret room. She brought Cunegonde with her (she turned out to be alive). The rest of her family was indeed, dead. Cunegonde said she will answer all of Candide's questions after he shares has happened to him. (365)
• She had witnessed Candide and Pangloss being beaten. She wanted to call out for them to let Candide go, but she felt it would have been useless. (366)
• An Israelite tried to attack Candide. Candide killed him. Cunegonde panicked that they'll be done for if the police find out. They wish Pangloss were still alive to give advice. An inquisitor appeared and saw them with the body. Candide had a quick and clear thought process. He realized he had already killed once, so one more would be fine if it meant the inquisitor couldn't call for help. He killed him as well. Cunegonde criticized him for being so gentle, yet being able to kill two people in two minutes. (367)
• Candide says he is no longer himself because of his love, jealousy, and the whippings. (368)
• The lovers and old woman travel to Cadiz (368)
• Cunegonde doesn't believe in the old woman's unhappiness. She believes she's been through far worse. (369)
• The old woman was the daughter of the Pope Urban the Tenth and the Princess of Palestrina (369).
• She was carried off into slavery with her mother in Morocco (370)
• She's had to crawl out from being underneath countless dead bodies. The visions seem to have had an effect on her. (371)
• Her mother was killed. (372).
• She was sold between several different countries. (372).

Topic Research - Tartuffe and the Period in which it was Written

I plan on doing one of my projects about Molière's "Tartuffe" using the following prompt: What does the work reveal about the cultural behavior contemporary to it? The project would mainly focus on the deus ex machina ending and why that ending was written the way that it was. I believe the ending is the way that it is because Moliere had to have written it with his audience in mind. He was trying to create a play with an ending that the king would enjoy viewing. I chose this topic since I read "Tartuffe" before and the ending really bothered me due to how lazy it seemed. There's simply no build up or signs that this ending would have occurred, magically solving every problem the cast of characters had despite being backed into a corner with no foreseeable solution. I have found two sources that I feel might be helpful when working on this project since they address what audience Moliere had when the play debuted.

http://www.k-state.edu/english/baker/english287/sg-Moliere-Tartuffe-politics.htm
https://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Tartuffe.html

Thoughts about Feedback Strategies - Mirror

The article from the list that I chose to read was "Be a Mirror." I feel that the idea of the article is both useful when it comes to giving feedback and something I'm already familiar with. In the creative writing class I took a few semesters ago with Professor Brown, he encouraged us to avoid giving feedback that incorporated our own opinions. "I liked it" or "I didn't like it." He wanted us to focus on giving feedback that assessed what the shared writing did or didn't do. So I always kept that in mind when giving feedback. It was also helpful advice since it meant that we could separate ourselves and our own preferences when it comes to genres of writing from the works that we were giving feedback on. So instead of listening to some slice of life writing and thinking "I didn't like it because it was boring and nothing happened," I could produce meaningful advice like "When you wrote blank it helped me understand the motives of blank." The best advice I can give about how to give feedback, is to try and understand what the person was trying to do, and share what helped achieve that and what didn't help, as opposed to telling them what you think they "should have" done. I'm fairly confident in my ability to give meaningful feedback without being harsh or hurting feelings.

Week 3 Analysis: Close reading of The Song of Ch'un-Hyang

I chose to do my close reading about the bottom paragraph on page 80 of "The Song of Ch'un-Hyang." The following passage encompasses the pain we see Ch'un-Hyang dealing with all throughout the story from parting from her husband, and despite all of her pain, she remains faithful in him and her marriage even when it gets her into trouble with the governor and brings bodily harm to herself. The sentence "The voice of the deserted girl was compulsively raised in sad moans and wails, and anybody who saw or heard her was wounded in his own heart" does several things to evoke different feelings. Referring to Ch'un-Hyang as "deserted girl" provokes feelings of sympathy, referring back to being separated from her husband and also even foreshadowing her position at the end of the story (80). She has spent a majority of the story in solitude, and to refer to her as a "deserted girl" truly captures the way she's consistently portrayed throughout the entirety of the story. In addition to the way she's referred to, the sentence further causes us to understand her misery and sympathize with her with the way it's written that her voice was "compulsively raised in sad moans and wails" (80). She's been silent and trying to sleep out of the desire that she might she her husband in her dreams. To say that her voice was raised "compulsively" shows how sporadic her ability to control her pain and sadness was, and it also illustrates just how powerful and hard it was for her to try and contain her feelings (80). She would express her sadness with nothing but "moans and wails" because she doesn't feel like speaking and "moans and wails" are both sounds that don't require thinking, but are perfectly capable of conveying emotion (80). And to mention that "anybody who saw or heard her was wounded in his own heart" shows that other people understood how much pain she was in (80). The specific word choice of wounding a heart emphasizes how painful it was to see or hear her, and in knowing how painful it was for other people we can only imagine exactly how painful it must have been for Ch'un-Hyang.

The next sentence in the paragraph also caught my attention. "Her longing for her husband took the taste from her food, and robbed her rest of sleep; yearning for him drew her skin tightly over her bones and made her weak" (80). Throughout the entire story, she's constantly had her husband in mind, and maintained her faith in marriage with him no matter the cost. This sentence specifies that her pain is in fact, because of how much she misses him, and it further expresses the pain she's dealing with as a result. She missed her husband so much to the point where food didn't even taste good; her sadness had actually desensitized her to an extent where she couldn't taste anything. She was also "robbed" of her sleep (80). To use the word "robbed" in this case creates this sense that she is truly being targeted and attacked by how much she misses her husband (80). She didn't "lose" sleep or become "unable to" sleep, she was "robbed" (80). This victimizes her and deprives her of sleep. Her skin tightens so much to the point where it "made her weak" as if it were choking her (80). She's become both physically weak, as we can see from her skin tightly wrapping over her bones, and mentally weak as seen from her constant crying and sleep deprivation.

"The Song of Ch'un-Hyang." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, third edition, vol. D, W. W. Norton, 2012, p. 80.

Reading Notes W3: The Song of Ch'un-Hyang, Part B

The Song of Ch'un-Hyang Pages 74-89

• Ch'un-Hyang is distraught over parting with her husband. She wants to go to sleep immediately so that she may see him in her dreams, but she also fears that if she sees him in her dreams, it means he is unfaithful. She wants to see him either way. (76)
• The boy couldn't sleep since he wanted to see his love (76)
• New governor of Namwon, Pyon Hak-to, heard there's a pretty girl named Ch'un-Hyan near Namwon, and he wants to see her. (77)
• The governor had all of the Kisaeng called, but he didn't get to see Ch'un-Hyang (78-9)
• The governor demanded all of his guards find Ch'un-Hyang or else they would be demoted (80)
• Ch'un-Hyang was still thinking about her husband when the guards found her (80-1)
• She welcome them and served them wine. She asked about the old governor and hoped for a letter from the young master. She offered to give them money on their way out (81)
• The guards pleaded for her to come with them and they told her the whole yamen is in trouble and everyone is likely to lose their job (81)
• Ch'un-Hyang reluctantly went with them (81)
• The governor told her she must dress properly from now on and attend on him in the yamen (82)
• She says she can't do so since she's married. (82)
• He says it's better to belong to your governor than be tied to a child. She says a wife cannot belong to two husbands. It's principle to her. (82)
• The treasurer says it's proper for her to obey him (82)
• The governor threatens her disobedience by saying that refusal to obey a governor meets the same punishment as treason, which is a capital offense. (83)
• "If the rape of a married woman is not a crime, what is?" - Ch'un-Hyang (83)
• The governor had an executioner beat Ch'un-Hyang (83)
• People were weeping as they watched Ch'un-Hyang be beaten, crying out with each stroke, words corresponding to that number (84-86)
• She was covered in blood and tears. "Do not treat a girl like this. Better kill me quickly, and when I am dead my soul will become a cuckoo like the bird of Chu, crying in the empty hills on moonlit nights and breaking the dreams of young master Yi after he has gone to sleep" (86)
• The governor asked if she will persist in her disobedience now that she's been beaten. She says "please let me die" and asks the governor if he understands an oath that binds till death (86)
• Governor said she's beyond reason and demanded she be sent to prison (86)
• Ch'un-Hyang's mother comes and hugs her daughter, asking the jailers and executioners why they beat her. (87).
• Ch'un-laments in the prison house. She asks what her crime was and claimed she wasn't a murderer and hasn't done any other crime. She says she just wants to see her husband. She claims that when night comes she will paint a portrait of her lord with her blood, hanging it as a scroll beside her door. She is chaste and faithful. She mentions other great historical figures like Confucius who were jailed despite their greatness. She hopes her husband will come as an officer and save her life. (87-89).
• She asks the moon if it sees "us" and asks it to lend her its light because she wants to see where her husband is and relieve her sorrows. (89).

Reading Notes W3: Moliere's Tartuffe, Part A

Moliere, "Tartuffe," Pages 144-197

• Damis, son of Orgon, doesn't like Tartuffe (145)
• Madame Pernelle, mother of Orgon, believes Tartuffe is someone who should be listened to (145)
• Dorine, Mariane's maid, says Tartuffe isn't a saint, just some beggar (146)
• Madame Pernelle believes Tartuffe's presence casts the devils out (148)
• Dorine says Orgon is just as fond of Tartuffe as his mother, and hasn't ruled the house as he used to since he's so intoxicated with Tartuffe. Dorine says it's obvious how bad Tartuffe is to everyone except Orgon and his mother (149).
• Damis wants Cleante, Orgon's brother in law, to talk to Orgon. Damis needs his father to agree with Mariane's (Orgon's daughter) marriage with Valere or else he won't be able to marry Valere's sister. He suspects opposition from Tartuffe (150).
• Orgon is talking with Cleante and Dorine but keeps inquiring about Tartuffe at every corner of the conversation. "Ah, and Tartuffe?" (150-151).
• Cleante is aware he might anger Orgon, but proceeds to start telling Tartuffe how Orgon has repaid in kindness (not in favor of Tartuffe). Orgon immediately begins to tell him he's wrong and defend Tartuffe. (151).
• Orgon gave money to Tartuffe and Tartuffe claimed it was too much and would only need half. Tartuffe puts on an act to seem humble and holy, Orgon falls for it. (152)
• He asks about Valere's marriage, Orgon avoids every question and ends the conversation with "good-bye." (156).
• Orgon is forcing his beliefs about Tartuffe onto his daughter to make her marry him. (156-157).
• Dorine and Orgon argue about Tartuffe and the marriage, Dorine tells Orgon Tartuffe is bound to be cheated on. (159).
• Orgon dares Dorine to keep talking, ready to lay a hand on her. She remains silent because of his threat. (160).
• She throws one last insult and runs, Orgon missing as he tries to hit her. (161).
• Mariane says she'll kill herself instead of being married to Tartuffe since she loves Valere. Dorine is angered at the thought and they briefly argue. Mariane is about to leave when Dorine decides to help her. (162-164).
• Mariane and Valere have a fight over the marriage. Valere heard the news and thought she loved Tartuffe, Mariane asked him what to do and he said for her to go through with the marriage. He began to believe she doesn't love him and she didn't deny it. They were both hiding their feelings and trying to act like they didn't care. Dorine got frustrated and spoke up to end their fight and bring them back together since she knows they both love each other. (164-167).
• Tartuffe hands a handkerchief to Dorine to cover herself. Trying to make himself sound pure. (169).
• Tartuffe tries to flatter Elmire, Orgon's wife, saying that her health is more important to him than his own. He declares his love for her. (170-172).
• Elmire says she won't tell Orgon a word that he said as long as he supports Mariane and Valere's marriage. (173)
• Elmire tells Damis there's no need to escalate things further, but Damis wants revenge. He tells Orgon everything when he enters the room. (174).
• Orgon confronts Tartuffe, who admits to what Damis said. Tartuffe claims he deserves every bit of anger that Orgon can express toward him. Orgon turns to Damis and calls him a traitor for trying to tarnish Tartuffe's name. Orgon continues to take Tartuffe's side and threatens to slap Damis if he continues speaking (175-6).
• Orgon says he will force Mariane to marry him to infuriate Damis at this point. He kicks Damis out and continues to defend Tartuffe. (176-7).
• Tartuffe begins to act as a victim about everything Damis said and the way he feels he is treated by people when they see him. He's receiving pity and sympathy from Orgon (177).
• Orgon decides to make Tartuffe his one and only heir. (178).
• Cleante confronts Tartuffe and tries to criticize all of his actions so far and his acceptance of Orgon's fortune. He asks why Tartuffe couldn't just simply refuse to be his heir if he's so high and mighty. Tartuffe leaves instead of answering. (180).
• Orgon is completely blind and refuses to listen to Mariane, Dorine, and Elmire. (180-81).
• Elmire tells Orgon to hide under the table while she speaks to Tartuffe so she can prove how he really is. (187).
• Elmire lies to Tartuffe, saying that she is now able to share her true feelings for Tartuffe since Orgon wants them to spend all of their time together. Tartuffe says he won't believe her until they have touched. He says it's okay if she sins since it's with him. He wants them to express their love right there on the spot. She insists that he step outside and look for Orgon first since she fears he is nearby and will catch them. Tartuffe doesn't see the point but does so anyways. (182-186).
• Orgon steps up and tells Tartuffe to leave and insults him for going after his wife. Tartuffe says the house belong to him and that Orgon needs to leave. "Those who harm me, they know not what they do." (187).
• Cleante calls out Orgon for his mistake. Saying that he can't say all holy men are deceivers. He says Orgon needs to just admit he was wrong and was being played the whole time. (188-9)
• Cleante tells the family not to count on their safety. He says Tartuffe has legal documents (from Orgon's strongbox) and the deed, and is more than capable of kicking them out. Madame Pernelle is also still in denial that Tartuffe isn't a good man. (190-1).
• Monsieur Loyal comes and tells Orgon and his family that they must vacate the premises now that Tartuffe seized the land and house as his. He insists he's being kind. He says he's giving Orgon time, and that he's just there to spend the night. Him and his ten men are there to stay the night. He says Orgon must give him the keys to the house, and insists they have a full night's sleep. Tomorrow they must be packed and ready to leave. (192-3).
• Orgon asks his mom if she can see the treachery now. She's shocked. Elmire says everyone will see Tartuffe's disloyalty once they show his plans and he will be denied their property. (194).
• Valere says Tartuffe gave the strongbox to the king and there's now an order for Orgon's arrest. Valere tries to help Orgon leave with a carriage and ten thousand in gold. (194-5).
• Tartuffe confronts Orgon and tells him he's having him arrested. Tartuffe still acts like a victim and as if he's the correct one between the two of them. "It's all for heaven's sake. (195).
• The Exempt tells Tartuffe that he's arresting him, not Orgon. The Exempt tells Orgon they have a king who sees into men's hearts and that hypocrites do not get far. The king didn't believe a thing Tartuffe said. He's aware that Tartuffe abused Orgon's friendship and faith among other things. The king wants to end Orgon's worries about aiding his old friend and pardon him. "He remembers good longer than the bad." (196-197).
• Orgon was going to begin saying bad things to Tartuffe, but Cleante told Orgon not to sink to his level. (197)
• They all agree to go visit the great king and thank him for his generosity. Then they will come back and prepare Mariane's marriage with Valere. (197).

Topic Brainstorm

My first project idea would be to write about Imoinda from Oroonoko since the relationship between her and Oroonoko was interesting to me. The writing prompt about choosing a female character to focus on would guide me well in writing a thorough paper about the subject.

My second idea is to do the first prompt about two different poems. I'm thinking I could write about a poem from Wordsworth and a poem from Keats since I'm a tiny bit familiar with their works. I might actually pick a poet I'm not aware of in order to make the assignment more interesting, especially if I liked their poetry more.

My third idea would be to write about Tartuffe by Moliere since I remember that play from a drama class that I've taken previously. I didn't analyze it vary thoroughly since it wasn't necessary, but it would be fun to go back and do since the ending of that play bothered me immensely to the point where I can't describe it with words. I would choose the prompt about how it reflects the period which it was written in and what it reveals about the cultural behavior contemporary to it.

A fourth idea would be to write about Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener since I had to write a paper about it last semester and admittedly didn't do that well since I was very busy with moving houses at the time and didn't get to read the material as closely as I needed to. For this one, I would most likely choose the prompt about exploring the relationship between the elements of the section and character development.

My Feedback Thoughts

With feedback, the most important thing I've learned is that you can't take it personally. Teachers and fellow students are trying to help, not offend. Maybe some people are less sensitive than others and might be extra harsh in comparison to others. Conversely, some people might be too sensitive and restrain themselves from giving back any useful feedback. Either way, until someone can learn to receive feedback without taking it personally, they won't be able to apply everything as best as possible. This extends beyond schoolwork too. In life, feedback is a resource to improve. You'll even get feedback about who you are about as a human being. Personally taking offense of it or not, what someone does with that resource is up to them.

Mentality aside, the most useful literal feedback I've received regarding schoolwork would be: Be mindful of clarity. Sometimes you might think you've explained an idea well, but if it isn't written in a way where a five year old with the English ability of an adult can understand it, anticipate potential criticisms about how clear your ideas are.

Week 2 Analysis: Literary Analysis of Poem 145 by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Poem 145 (Page 262)

Reading through this poem, I interpreted the poem to be encouraging a hesitant eye when looking at art or anything else that would typically be deemed as beautiful. The painting is referred to throughout the poem as both a "snare" and a "trap" (lines 1 & 4). Keeping the note in mind at the start of the poem providing context, "She endeavors to expose the praises recorded in a portrait of the poetess by truth, which she calls passion," De la Cruz feels as though the painting of herself is deceitful. From her point of view, this painting of herself is a trap since it makes herself look more attractive than she feels she is. The "clever arguments of tone and hue" are details of the painting that were altered to make her look more attractive, and she considers it to be manipulative (line 3). She feels as though the painting ignores all of her life experiences and any hardships that shaped her into who she is as expressed in the lines "flattery has tried / to overlook the horrors of the years" (lines 5-6). She doesn't want to view herself in a way that lies to her and pretends as though her whole life is better than it was. Her tone throughout the poem is consistently one of refusal and criticism born from the initial doubts she had from seeing the painting. I believe the last two lines of the poem were her throwing out or destroying the painting for the insult it has inflicted upon her. If I take away the context that went into inspiring her to write this poem, the poem still has a theme of being hesitant when appreciating art since it might try to deceive you. With the way art is placed into a gallery and appreciated by society, there is an expectancy to appreciate famous pieces of art. It's as though once a piece of art is unanimously praised, it's effectively true and can potentially shape the views of those who didn't think the art was anything special yet were told that it was. This can lead to their senses being caught in the snare, and manipulated. And this indoctrination of ideas as to what makes art beautiful can destroy the subjectivity of art and any unique interpretations and appreciation of art.