A Streetcar Named Desire Essay - Montane Silverman - Asher Period 3

Tennessee Williams in the play A Streetcar Named Desire takes the values of Southern society and portrays them with the aide of the character, Blanche DuBois. Through Blanche’s alienation from the culture and society of the South, she reveals the reliance on men by women and the importance of reputation and character in Southern society.

During the time of the play, men took on the role of a dominant head of the family. A man was expected to take charge and support their wife. From a woman’s perspective, it was a necessity to have a man because he took care of the money and satisfied the woman’s need for security and care. For example, Stella stated that, “Stanley doesn’t give me a regular allowance, he likes to pay bills himself” (4-79). It was the social norm for a man to provide for a woman. Through Blanche’s desperateness for a husband, Williams is able to emphasize the significance of a man. Blanche exaggerates this dependence on men. When asked why she wants a man, Blanche replies, “I want to rest! I want to breathe quietly again! Yes – I want Mitch… very badly! Just think! If it happens! I can leave here and not be anyone’s problem…” (5-85). Blanche’s alienated mind set leads her to believe that with a man comes the solutions to all of her problems, with a man comes the end of all her worries. Through the overly dramatic actions that Blanche takes to attract men, Williams is able to show how women of this time hold men in a higher light. Williams illustrates how men where elevated, in the mind of woman, to the essential role of provider of needs.

As Blanche searched for a man to answer all her problems, she underlined the societal importance of reputation. Through Williams’ descriptions, Blanche comes across as a vain character, trying to hide her shameful past by attempting to look young. Blanche does not fit into society because she is unable to take pride within herself. Instead, Blanche focuses on trying to hide her outer appearance. For example, when a light is turned on, Blanche cries, “And turn that over-light off! Turn that off! I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare!” (1-75). It is later revealed that Blanche has a reputation of sleeping around. Blanche denies this by stating, “I’m afraid he does have me mixed up with this ‘other party.’ The Hotel Flamingo is not the sort of establishment I would dare to be seen in!” (5-38). The news of her sinful acts spread and Blanche loses a potential husband because of it. Blanche is thus separated from society by her humiliating acts. Williams uses Blanche to show the effects and significance of reputation in the South.

By looking at the people who are not accepted into a society, such as Blanche DuBois, one is able to see what that society values. Williams uses this technique to subtly portray characteristics of culture that would not have made it into the story otherwise. The character of Blanche brings out important societal principles such as the importance of men and reputation in the South. Even as Blanche is living in her own fantasy world, she is able to reveal deep social traits about Southern society.

Misanthrope essay

Erica Trinh
In the play Misanthrope by Moliere, Alceste is described as being a man with high standards. He believes that everyone should be honest and constantly criticizes society for being superficial. His crude comments about society and the people who belong to it often invoke laughter at the expense of others, such as Oronte. However, his hypocrisy to break the very same codes he preaches causes readers to reassess the way people view the standard of society, ultimately creating “thoughtful laughter” in readers.

In the opening scene, Alceste discusses with Philinte his dislike for how society works. He believes that people are too superficial and often criticizes them for that. To him, people should all live honest lives, and should never lie to other about their flaws even if it is considered rude to tell the truth. When Oronte asks Alceste to judge a poem he had written, Alceste doesn’t hold back all the faults he sees with the Oronte’s poem. As Alceste bashes Oronte’s poem, readers cannot help but to laugh at the two’s bantering. This laughter that is created as Oronte’s expense reveals to readers how truly strict is in his code of honesty and in how he views people.

Alceste’s tendency to criticize others create humor but when it is revealed that Alceste reveals loves Celimene, Moliere causes readers to rethink how one views one’s value. Alceste hypocrisy of loving such a superficial woman even when it goes against everything he hates shows how one shouldn’t always be too critical of others. It also makes one think about how easy it is for people to judge others and criticize them for their flaws but not themselves. Alceste’s inability to let go of Celimene despite the fact that she knows she betrayed him adds to Moliere’s theme that everyone has a flaw. Although Alceste prides himself in being honest about other people’s flaws, it was important for him to realize his own and to realize that it is better to accept the flaws of other rather than criticize them.

Alceste’s humorous comments on other people’s flaws may have caused laughter but it is his hypocrisy that changes this laughter into thoughtful laughter. In the end, Moliere’s use of Alceste’s downfall as a way to causes people to reassess themselves and to truly think about their own flaws before they criticize others for theirs.

Macbeth Essay- Jane Lu; Asher P2

Macbeth Essay

by Jane Lu (Asher Period 2, Team 1)

Prompt: In Shakespeare's Macbeth man's perception of fate affects man's actions. In a carefully organized essay discuss how Shakespeare uses the device of characterization of clarify this perception and drive the action forward.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare can essentially be summarized as a story that tells how Macbeth’s perception of fate affects his actions. Macbeth sees fate as something that cannot be changed; but, a person can mold their actions in order to give their best attempt to speed up or avoid fate from coming. Such perception also drives the action forward and is clarified by the devices of characterization: thru what Macbeth says and thru his actions.

The first time Macbeth meets the three witches, they hail him as the thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, and “king hereafter.” Later Macbeth, although at first skeptical of the prophecy, starts to believe it when Ross and Angus come and tell him that he has been named the thane of Cawdor. Macbeth knows that fate is set in stone and eventually he will be named king as he boldly states that if “chance will have me king,” “chance [will] crown me without my stir.” However, Macbeth finally “screws [his] courage,” after much encouragement from Lady Macbeth, and kills King Duncan. Because of his action, Macbeth is not only named King of Scotland, but he also realizes that fate can indeed be sped up to come more quickly. Had Macbeth waited for “chance [to] have [him] king,” it might have taken months, or even more years, for him to obtain the throne.

Macbeth becoming king indeed moves the plot forward as the reader sees his personality become darker and colder as he is afraid of losing his throne. However, when he goes to see the witches again, they tell him that he will be overthrown when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. Macbeth knows that his fate cannot be avoided as his reactions to Lady Macbeth’s death reveal this. He nonchalantly states that “she should have died hereafter” since “there would have been a time for such a word” and believes that his own fate will be coming at him sooner or later. But, that is not to say that Macbeth does not believe he can attempt to try to avoid his fate from coming. His action of ordering murders to attack Macduff’s castle in order to kill his children and wife demonstrates a fruitless attempt to prevent Macduff from going to England to bring back the right heir to the throne. But such an action also sparks a dire need for revenge against Macbeth in Macduff’s heart and thus it can also be the said to be the reason why Macduff is so intent on killing Macbeth near the end of the play.

The actions of Macbeth and the statements clarify the perception of fate as something that is pre-written and cannot be avoided no matter how hard a character tries to avoid it. However, as Macbeth realizes in the play, a character can try to speed up his fate from coming or slow it down. Consequently, it could also be said that such a perception also affects man’s actions because it is Macbeth’s perception on fate that determines the actions—such as killing King Duncan and Macduff—he takes.

Thoughtful Laughter essay

Xi Zhao (Lucy)
Period 5
Wylie

Thoughtful laughter
essay

In the play
Misanthrope, there’s a scene when Alceste beg Celimene to tell him that she
didn’t write a letter to Oronte. He said he would fell better if she said that
letter is for a women. When I saw this scene, I laughed and I am surprised by
how ridiculous he could be. He would rather lie to himself then face the truth.

People
sometimes act the same way as Alceste does. Phen Philinte told him that he
attempting to find fault theories of human relationships, what he means is that
Alceste covered his eyes with lies to avoid the fault of Celimene. Everyone
else knows that Celimene is not the type of women who is going to put all her
love to one guy. Even Alceste said that “Celimene might be expressing her love
to there suitors as well.” After all those people’s suggestions about how his
relationship might not turn out the way he think it could be, and it might not
last, he still going toward the wrong path.

Even after Eliante told him that she allow herself to fall
in love for him even though she might just be a second choice. Alceste still
didn’t make the right decision. He don’t want to face the truth that Celimene
doesn’t really love him. Celimene clearly said that he does not deserve her
love.

Alceste
want to try last time, he is about to move away because Du Bois told him that
he heard that Alceste is in danger of arrest. Before he leave, he asked
Celimene to come with him. He knows that Celimene would not like to withdraw
from the society, so he want her to say yes to prove that she love him.
Seriously, he still lie to himself about something that’s clear enough it is
impossible. He is afraid to face the truth, because she is all he has.
Actually, he think that he only have her. He can’t see that he have and deserve
more then that. He is young, rich and attractive and even Eliante love him. Why
can’t he reach for something that is reasonable/

This theory is so true
and it happens to all of us. People naturally want something that is hard or
even impossible to get to satisfy their desire. Some people work harder to
reach this goal but on the other hand, some people hust lose hope and give up
on themselves. The best way to accomplish something is to do what you can so
and just enjoy the prcess. Because you probably gain so much more even you
didn’t realize.

Misanthrope Essay - Tori Kause

Tori Kause

Wylie

Period 1

Misanthrope Essay

Prompt: From The Misanthrope choose a scene or a character who awakens "thoughtful laughter" in the reader. Write a carefully organized essay in which you show why this laughter is "thoughtful" and how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

In Moliere's The Misanthrope, a French society displays the characteristics and comedies of the Enlightenment era. The main character, Alceste, who is also known as the "misanthrope", is a sullen yet opinionated man. Alceste's character summons thoughtful laughter through his dialogue and actions, contributing to the meaning of the work as a whole. Alceste is set apart from other characters in this comedy because of his attitude and his range of emotion.

Almost the entirety of the play is spent building up tension and choices that Alceste is forced to deal with. His lawsuit adds stress to his life, and his conflicted love interest, Celimene, causes him even greater turmoil due to her coquetry. Alceste claims to be a man in love, but he is one of the many men Celimene sees and "cares" for. In Act V, Scene VII, Celimene is forced to decide on the suitor she cares for most. Alceste asks her to marry him, which she refuses; as an ordinary man would feel, Alceste feels angered and upset. Yet when Celimene changes her mind and decides to marry him, Alceste outright declines Celimene. Their constantly changing feelings for each other is what illicits the thoughtful laughter. The laughter is "thoughtful" because whether the setting is the Enlightenment era or the twenty-first century, society finds it difficult to make decisions and stick to them. Also, feelings tend to change; for example, Alceste claimed to be in love with Celimene despite her numerous amount of suitors. At her moment of refusal, one would think his "love" would make him do anything to have Celimene marry him. However, his surprising action, denying her love when she changes her mind, evokes thoughtful laughter because their confused feelings for each other never quite seem to mesh together.

Alceste's failure with love is the thoughtful laughter of the play. It contributes to the work as a whole because not only does Alceste experience the ups and downs of love. Love is part of the theme in The Misanthrope which contributes to the main focus of the thoughtful laughter. Alceste's experiences are the driving forces behind many of the other characters' actions and brings about the comedy despite his depressing situations. The fluctuating emotions, jealousy, rage, kindness, are what make the play a comedy. Alceste, although quite negative, tries to remain so throughout the play.

Moliere's comedy, The Misanthrope, opens society's eyes to the silliness of live events and how the majority of the time life is not taken seriously. However, Alceste's severe seriousness is also comical because it shows that people need to find a balance; they can laugh, but they also need to be serious and think about situations, people or places. Thoughtful laughter is important today, and Moliere captured that significance despite the fact he wrote The Misanthrope over three hundred years ago.

Romantic Synthesis

Romantic Synthesis Question
Dylan Mulcahy James Jin Jenny Zhan Caleb Ong Amber Austin Period 6, Wylie Team 3
The desire for freedom from the restrictions of classicism and rigidly ordered society had been heavily emphasized during the Romantic period. Even though the Romantics still embraced the Renaissance tradition of ennobling of the common man, they rebelled against the old tendencies of conforming to the narrow-mindedness of organized religion instead focusing on inner spirituality and imagination. Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People is a prime example of Romantic period paintings that embraced a secular glorification of the human condition. As seen in the piece, the fascination of heroes in Romantic art ties in cohesively with the French Revolution and glorifying the common man. The woman in the center of the painting displays an aesthetic beauty that is traditional with the Renaissance period and nature’s clouds are dispersing to further display her significance within the Romantic piece. What also should be noted though, is that even though she is a common woman, she has been made a heroine who is unifying the people of France under her banner and displays great spiritual significance and liberty as they storm the aristocratic Bastille. The reason it isn’t aesthetic beauty associated with organized is because of the spiritual aspect of the painting is entirely nondenominational and depicts her more as an equivalent to common people than overtly superior. In all, this piece has become one of the most well known classics of Romantic period painting because not only does it resonate with so many viewers, yet it emanates the Romantic style of art. (250 Words)

Romantic synthesis (Wylie P1 T1)

The Romantic period (1750-1837) began in Western Europe around mid 1700s and continued onto the early 1800s. Unlike those who lived during the Enlightenment Era who proclaimed radical science proofs and reasoning, people of the Romantic Era embraced strong emotions such as horror, gothic, or love. They incorporate their strong feelings and combine them with their passions into their love of the natural world to create their unique style of expressing themselves. Idealism was favored for it is the perfect way to allow the expressing of Romantics’ desire for a life that is different than the previous. Their imagination influences their creation for the arts, such as music, drawing, literature and more. While different from the Enlightenment Era, they mixed reason with feeling. Approximately in the early 19^th century, Beethoven started to compose in a way the no others had done before. In 1824, one of his famous pieces, Symphony No.9 was created. The piece was well known for its complications for the fact that Beethoven brought in several vocalists with addition chorus while the orchestra plays the piece; he explains that music alone couldn’t express his feelings to the fullest. Many other artists viewed Beethoven as their example and began to experiment with their pieces with freer styles than before. Visual artists also started to create paintings that are evolutionary; they combined spiritual feelings with their fascination of nature by soften the image they were trying to create and let the audiences’ emotions and imagination take place. One example of such work is Steamer in a Snowstorm by Joseph M. W. Turner. This style is later known as Impressionism, which the colors used and the feeling expressed are more important than the actual objects in the piece.

Ashley Chang, Diana Kim, Justin Park, Jenny Yu