ninasilverlee

 Rating: 9.2/10     Although there have been multiple movements for widespread validation of gender equality, it is still challenging to break the custom of couple decades of history. Short story 'cat person' without 'cat' shows the human desire that covets to secure a superior position in a relationship rather than to communicate with potential other. The title 'cat person' also foreshadows the feline nature of Robert exploiting underaged Margot only for her body but, in fact, turning out to be a misogynist who eventually calls Margot a 'whore'. On the other hand, Margot enjoys feeling valued, thinking herself to be out of Robert's league. Nowhere in this story could I find a shade of gender equality or respect.     The lack of communication entailing power imbalance stands out in the story. Modern society, where anyone can make online friends on Snapchat or Instagram, inevitably leaves teenagers(or underaged people) to be the target of sexual haras...

 Rating: 9/10     Whether the utilitarianism ultimately leads to utopian society has been the grand question ever since people grouped together and divided roles for the presence of coherent community. People in this village full of blossoming flowers blindly trusted that annual tradition of brutally murdering a chosen person would promise bountiful cornfield. The incident happened to Tessie Hutchinson, the only person who dared to defy the long kept tradition, shows unpleasant instinct of human nature.     Crowds were aware of the unfairness of the tradition as an anonymous girl hoped Nancy were not the one to be selected. However, as soon as Tessie picked the paper with a mark, people turned against Tessie as if they bleached out the identity of her from their memory. Indifference towards the underprivileged, turning away from the loved ones for sake of their own lives show the danger of reckless submission to tradition. There still are lots of ...

 Rating: 8.5/10     The story started off strong with reference to another story, 'Alice through the looking glass.' It foreshadowed next storyline that something would be out of order and overturned. As expected, typical hierarchy was dishonored between Harriet and her grandmother. While two old women conversed with each other attempting to prove that their kid was the superior, Harriet adamantly refuses to be exploited as a doll in their competition. At the end, Harriet ensures that her grandmother's pride is killed by taking her poetry out of Mrs. Lennon's unresisting hand.     I saw the ethical ambivalence in Harriet's behaviors as the only thing she did was to protect herself. However, it was simultaneously immoral to humiliate and disrespect her grandmother. I could relate to her from deep down my heart as I would also make cruel reactions against someone who tries to exploit me, using values I gained from countless hours of effort. The story showed me the...

    The boarding house, By James Joyce(1914) Rating: 8.2/10 There still exists an invisible social hierarchy that demarcates the level of individuals. Borderlines between each echelon are undefiable because they are preserved in an intangible and verbal way. It almost seems like modern citizens are solely focused on elevating class throughout their lives. Generally, it is considered successful when someone with a proletariat job marries another with a bourgeoisie job. Similarly, Ms.Mooney was affirmative that her daughter would have a happy life if she were committed to Mr.Doran.  In this flow, a sarcastic view towards the materialistic society stood out as a theme. Polly's innocent love was rather a cover for Ms.Mooney's unachieved goal of marrying "up." Mental paralysis of the Dubliners perhaps was another problem that Joyce was experiencing.  <The boarding house> approached as a relatable yet bittersweet story. Although it is unrightful to judge people with ...

   Eveline, By James Joyce(1904) Rating: 8.8/10      The contrast between darkness and brightness stood out the most throughout James Joyce's Dubliners series. Again, it was noticeable when the porthole, a magical portal where Eveline could escape from the brutally appalling reality, was described bright as in an 'illumined' place. Eveline's family background is bizarrely interchangeable with that of James Joyce's to call it a coincidence. Experiencing the loss of a mother in his 20s, James Joyce was devastated to live on with his hopeless father. Perhaps that 'illumined' porthole reflected Joyce's mental state, groping for the slightest thread that keeps him connected to his sanity.      Eveline lost her only chance of joining the bright side and seizing freedom by choosing not to leave Dublin with Frank. She was choking under the responsibility of her family, the binding promise she had made with her mom. It was merely oppression rather than the...

<Personal comparison between two authors based on short stories I encountered in World Literature class>       Both authors' stories appeal to the readers with unique filters they use when viewing their own world. Each story clearly has a moment of epiphany– didactic moments, and characters become mentally mature by passing through those specific moments. For instance, in ⟪The lady with the dog⟫ by Anton Chekhov, Gurov tastes a bit of true love and discovers a beauty within savagery that makes us think it is bearable to live on. In the same way, the boy in ⟪Araby⟫ by James Joyce realizes that the religious girl's reciprocation of interest is a mere hallucination created by desperation. This way, characters in both authors' stories resurrect from ignorance, paralyzed society, and from the erroneous monarch. Although moments of awareness are not superficially noticeable, they undoubtedly are melted into the story by the writers' perceptive utilization of metaphor...

    Araby, By James Joyce(1914) Rating: 7.8/10 Everyone has their own memory of 'firsts' as they're too important to be easily forgotten. First crush, first love, and first commitment will be the proof of emotional maturity as we look back on ourselves. It is natural to be discomforted at how unskilful we were when facing our 'firsts.' Sometimes reciprocation turns out to be our own hallucinations, just like the narrator had. Perhaps the author didn't specify the main characters' names to tell how everyone goes through their firsts full of mistakes.  I could enjoy the overall theme and concept of the story. Purity and impurity were contrasted, as well as the boy's innocence and his contamination. Mangan's sister was depicted as a goddess/princess who would seldom personally connect with the boy. The theme: A boy having a crush on a religious girl was interesting. However, I couldn't enjoy how there were no noticeable incidents in this story. Ther...