English 104 - Introduction to Narrative
Katie Mitterling
Severing of the Umbilical Cord: the Act of Detachment
Category: 2 Essay: Carroll, Twain, Faulkner, Sebold | Katie Mitterling
Traditionally, mothers are depicted as the caregivers in the family, sources of comfort and warmth. However, in both Anne Sebold's The Lovely Bones and William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, mothers are represented as wholly egocentric and coldly passionate women. Through the narrations of Susie Salmon and Darl Bundren,...
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Posted by kmitterl on December 11, 2003 at 03:52 AM
Obsession with Sex or Search for Love?
Category: 10 Blog: The Lovely Bones | Katie Mitterling
At age fourteen, Susie Salmon's virginity, life, and privacy are brutally wrenched from her. By "innocently" luring her down into his hole, Mr. Harvey exposes Susie's childlike curiosity—a naïve vulnerability. "I fought hard. I fought as hard as I could not to let Mr. Harvey hurt me, but my...
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Posted by kmitterl on December 04, 2003 at 04:34 AM
Lessons in Detachment
Category: 08 Blog: As I Lay Dying | Katie Mitterling
Traumatized by his mother's death, Vardaman is able to process only one thought—"My mother is a fish"(84). The abruptness of his mother's death forces Vardaman to deal with her sudden nonexistence. By projecting his mother onto the dead fish, Vardaman's misconceptions of both life and death become personified. Overwhelmed...
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Posted by kmitterl on November 18, 2003 at 02:56 AM
Make Believe vs. Logic: A Tale with No Growth
Category: 07 Blog: Huckleberry Finn | Katie Mitterling
Even more amazing than some of the "truths" that are revealed, Huck Finn's lack of growth and maturation is one of the greatest disappointments—and perhaps fraudulence—at the end of the novel. After all his adventures, schemes, and experiences, Huck still defers to Tom Sawyer's "expertise" when they formulate a...
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Posted by kmitterl on November 11, 2003 at 12:14 AM
Who Needs Games When You Have Real Con Artists?
Category: 06 Blog: Huckleberry Finn | Katie Mitterling
While Huck despises the king and the duke for their fraudulence, he also seems to admire them for their aptitude at spinning stretchers and capacity for creativity. At the beginning of the book, Huck becomes disillusioned with Tom because he truly believes that they will be attacking a band of...
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Posted by kmitterl on November 04, 2003 at 01:32 AM
It's Hard to Be Brave in the Presence of Dead Men
Category: 05 Blog: Huckleberry Finn | Katie Mitterling
While Huck Finn talks about death as an illustrious and violent affair—the stuff of horror stories, he assumes a very different attitude when he sees it. Making plans to become infamous robbers and murderers, Tom Sawyer's Gang decides that traitors "must have his throat cut, and then have his...
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Posted by kmitterl on October 28, 2003 at 12:29 AM
Crossing Social Boundaries and the Formation of a Reliable Narrator
Category: 11 Essay: James and Bronte | Katie Mitterling
In a novel, the narrator holds the secret to the storyline—the plot twists and secret identities—and the manner in which this is conveyed greatly alters the narrator's perceived reliability. In Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, the story is narrated by a female...
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Posted by kmitterl on October 22, 2003 at 10:21 PM
The Trouble with Homophones
Category: 04 Blog: Alice in Wonderland | Katie Mitterling
Stuck in a strange fantasy world, Alice struggles to regain her bearings and communicate with any being that could help her. However, her attempts fail due to her inability to understand the Mouse, confusing simple words with their phonetic twin. "'It is a long tail, certainly…but why do you...
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Posted by kmitterl on October 07, 2003 at 12:22 AM
The Perfect Haunt
Category: 03 Blog: Wuthering Heights | Katie Mitterling
Distraught over Catherine’s death, Heathcliff growls to her, "'Be with me always—take any form—drive me mad!'"(130), attempting to cling to his humanity which slips away with her last breath. Heathcliff's prayers (or nightmares) are answered in the form of Cathy; however, she proves an inadequate replacement for Catherine. While...
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Posted by kmitterl on September 29, 2003 at 11:35 PM
Judgment, Friendship, and Equality: The Demise of the Reliable Narrator
Category: 02 Blog: Wuthering Heights | Katie Mitterling
Desperate to be a part of either the Earnshaw or Linton families, Nelly’s commentary seems to constantly jump from commendation to criticism depending on which family member’s favor she is attempting to gain. As the novel progresses, it becomes apparent that Nelly views herself as being detached from the...
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Posted by kmitterl on September 23, 2003 at 01:21 AM
Illusions of Innocence
Category: 01 Blog: Turn of the Screw | Katie Mitterling
From the beginning of her occupation at Bly, the governess is fed lies about Miles, deliberately deluded about his demeanor, staunchly refusing to believe the warning signs. The governess’s first impression of Miles comes not from the initial meeting, but from Mrs. Grose’s opinion of the boy. “‘Oh, miss, most...
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Posted by kmitterl on September 15, 2003 at 10:27 PM
practice
Category: Katie Mitterling
practice entry.... Sandra's seen a leprachaun, Eddie touched a troll, Laurie danced with witches once, Charlie found some goblins' gold. Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf, But all the magic I have known I've had to make myself. -Shel Silverstein-...
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Posted by kmitterl on September 09, 2003 at 04:45 PM