The Final Consequence

Desire is a powerful action in which longing for a person or for something to miraculously happen can drive you crazy. Tennessee Williams defined desire for us in the novel, A Streetcar named Desire. In this novel desire leads the two main characters to destroy the lives of the people that surround them because of the way they act. Stanley Kowalski and Blanche DuBois are characters lead by desire, but they do not always desire the same thing.

Stanley and Blanche both desire money, for they believe that it will help them feel better and make them better than others. Stanley shows his interest in money when he confronts Blanche about the loss of Belle Reve. He comments that under the “napoleon code” he is suppose to get a share of his wife’s assets; furthermore, Stanley only wanted to see if Blanche was withholding money from him. The only reason why Stanley would want to investigate the loss of Belle Reve was to see if he can benefit from it rather than for his wife Stella. Stanley is a man who invests his money in alcohol and poker to which Blanche benefits. Blanche also desires money like Stanley not only to get drunk, but also because she wants to get respect and status in society. Blanche believes that if she can regain the position she had before she lost Belle Reve then she would be respected as her looks have given up on her already.

Blanche wants respect and to be liked by the people that surround her similarly Stanley also wants to be respected and treated as an equal. The difference between Blanche and Stanley’s desire to be respected is that Blanche believes respect comes because money is present. Stanley tried to obtain respect forcefully. He is a beast in the novel such that he violently hits his pregnant wife. His violent attitude is justified in the novel due to his alcohol addiction, but his violent attitude could also be because he wants to feel above Stella. This means that he believes Stella was out of his league before they were married. This theory can be proven by his hate towards Blanche when she mentions that he is like a primitive person, a worker, unlike them who lived a very good live without worries. Stanley acts violently and inquisitive towards Blanche because they are in some way the same, for they desire the same things.

But too often we see in physics that magnets with the same pole charge will not attract, so they will repeal. The fact that Stanly and Blanche have similar desires is what causes them to repel from each other, which leads to Blanche’s permanent trip to the “doctor.” The desire that drove the novel to this ending was their common desire to make Stella happy. Stella is Stanley’s wife and also Blanche’s sister. Stanley desired Stella sexually and in some way Blanche desired to make Stella like her by lying about everything she represented. This desire for Stella is what lead Stanley to do a “background check” on Blanche and the fact that Blanche had no money are a male to take care of her lead to the lies she invented to Stella. This power struggle to gain Stella's favoritism caused a tense atmosphere around the house and around their mutual friends.
Desire can make you do terrible things but Stanley and Blanche's desire caused two sisters to part from each other and they also prevented Stella from seeing that Stanley has a problem with alcohol, for he abuses her and it.

Coin flip

Chance is not always a fifty-fifty deal. If you flip a coin you will never get to see both sides at the same time, for you can only get face or tails. Some stories can be compared to the flipping of a quarter such that the main characters will not show the other side of a character until something significant or happens. Just like a coin some characters are confined to show a dominant personality to show the strength or so they can achieve what they want without being noticed. Two characters that portray this double persona personality are Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Dubois in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire."

Stanley Kowalski can be described as an aggressive alcoholic man who is only interested in the in the money his wife, Stella, might be able to provide. Stanley shows his control and power over Stella by abusing her, but he also displays control over people by belittling them. Stanley has an alcohol problem which can have terrible effects such as: temper loss, violent rampages, and occasional outbreaks. This is the Stanley Kowalski that is displayed in the first four scenes in the play. The reader is able to obtain evidence of his abuse and temper loss when he hits his wife even though she is pregnant, “Stanley charges after Stella” (1561). From these four scenes the reader perceives Stanley to be a beast without any exceptions, but Stanley is not completely a violent beast. In the play we are able to read the stage directions and what the characters are currently doing. If we play close attention to the stage directions we can the reader can see that Stanley is sorry for his behavior when he hit his wife. In scene 3, in the stage directions, Stanley “falls to his knees on the steps and presses his face to her belly, curving a little with maternity” (1562) which means that he can be a tender and caring person. In the four next scenes Stanley gives off the same ruthless attitude, but it can be inferred differently. The reason his character can be interpreted differently, meaning not just a beast, is because he displays affection and care towards his wife.

Blanche DuBois is another character that has multiple personalities. Blanche arrives to Stella’s house because she was taking a vacation from her teaching profession due to her nerves. Blanche is Stella’s older sister and in the first few scenes the reader notices her drinking problems, the fact that she can lie without remorse, and her vanity. Blanche is a character that can manipulate the people that surround her into doing as she pleases, but the only person that does not give in to her manipulations is Stanley. Blanche is a character that shows weakness and in some cases gives off a sense of pity because she wants to be the center of attention. For example, she is unsatisfied with the fact that a man will not compliment her appearance this is due to her low self esteem that can be seen in this statement “I was fishing for a compliment, Stanley” (1552). Blanche just like Stanley can be interpreted differently due to their minor actions in the play. In the case of Blanche, her selfness can be seen in the play due to her choice of words. Throughout the play Blanche’s dominate personality is one of delusional debutante, but we can see that she does not lie about one thing in the play and that is her feeling for Mitch. She may still act like she needs to be the center but she is tried to get Mitch to like her. She seduces Mitch and is very disappointed when he does not attend her birthday party. Blanche’s disappointment infers her change in personality because someone like her would not be so offended by this such that when she calls him “she remains by the phone with a lost, frightened look” (1586).
Both Stanley and Blanche are character that are seem to have a set personality in the play one is a beast and the other a delusional debutante; consequently, the reader cannot see truthful actions as noble acts. Stanley is violent and a beast but he also shows remorse when he brutality abuses Stella. Not that his actions where right but he shows a change. Blanche is a liar that cares only about her needs, but this is due to the fact that she seems to have low self esteem issues because she is an old maide.

States of Paralysis

Paralysis is not necessarily limited in definition to physical captivity. It can be a state of being or a way of life defined by inaction and monotony. Paralysis, in this sense, is explored in the short story “Eveline”, written by James Joyce. The main character, Eveline, is defined primarily by her captivation in her mundane and often unhappy lifestyle. Eveline struggles through multiple levels of paralysis and then comes to the realization of what she must do.

Eveline is in a state of paralysis throughout the entire piece. She has lived a life of unhappiness, one in which she has settled for. However, when she has an opportunity to escape, she presumes that will leave quietly and not come back. As she ponders the choice she has to make, to run away and marry Frank, she enters a new sort of paralysis. Unlike her other case of paralysis, characterized by a mundane lifestyle, this paralysis is one of indecision. She seems like she wants to go, stating that in her new life “people will treat her with respect” and she will not have to live in fear of her father’s violence. However, the longer she sits the more and more she justifies staying. She considers what people will say of her when she leaves. She thinks, “What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out she had run away with a fellow? Say she was a fool”. She almost insinuates that she agrees. Still, the first large sign of her indecision is when she thinks about her father. We learn that her father is abusive towards her, and now that one brother has died and the other has left home, she has no one to protect her. Despite the pain her father inflicts on her, she acknowledges that her father can “sometimes be very nice”. Eveline is trying to justify not leaving, and convincing herself that it is not always the extreme, things are not always that bad. She is already on her path to making the decision to stay with her family. She, however, is still in a state of paralysis over what to do even though the reader can foresee her choice.

Still, it is not her father, her childhood friends she’ll miss, or the house she grew up in that truly help her make her decision. Instead it is a promise made to her dying mother. When Eveline’s mother was dying, she made a promise to “keep the home together as long as she could”. Eveline, by leaving, feels that she would be abandoning the last wish her mother had asked of her and therefore disrespecting her. This is the moment where Eveline begins to move away from paralysis and headed toward her epiphany. There is a shift when she remembers this promise, a shift that keeps her from running away. As Eveline goes to leave with Frank, she realizes that she must stay and as she looks at Frank, there is no sign of “love or farewell or recognition” in her eyes. Eveline recognizes that the love she has for Frank is false. She does not love him, but instead clings to the idea of him because he was her way out. This is Eveline’s great epiphany. She stays.

It is difficult to say whether Eveline, despite her epiphany, ever left her state of paralysis. In some sense she has because one level of her paralysis was indecision. Eveline finally made the decision to stay with her family. Perhaps, her freedom to choose to stay or leave, and act of making a decision itself is the way of escaping paralysis. Her entire life had been characterized by the lack of freedom to choose, but she finally made the choice. However, on a deeper level Eveline’s entire life is a state of paralysis not just her indecision. So although she did take action with her life, she chose to live in a state of paralysis. It seems whether she has the freedom to choose or not, Eveline’s life is in some way or another characterized by paralysis, whether it be her lifestyle, state of mind, or lack of freedom.

Eveline experiences multiple levels of paralysis, much like the main character in “Araby”, also written by James Joyce. The young boy is paralyzed by his infatuation with a girl in the entirety of the story. On a more material level, he is also paralyzed by his Uncle’s tardiness when he wants to go to the bazaar in order to buy a gift to reveal his affections for the girl. He too has an epiphany. He realizes that his long hours of waiting that he suffered were merely a waste of time, since the bazaar was essentially over and everything there was too expensive. He had waited for hours, stuck in a state of paralysis, only to have the epiphany that he was too late. On the deeper level, he realizes that his effort to buy a gift for the girl is also a waste. H realizes that he was “a creature driven and derided by vanity”. A gift cannot show affection without intent behind it. For the girl it will just be a gift because he never expressed to her his feelings. His eyes “burned with anguish and anger”. He realizes that all the time he spent admiring this girl from a distance has been a waste because she will never know his true intentions. Much like Eveline, he becomes aware of his inaction and must choose whether to live with it or change it. Eveline chooses to live with it, and it is ambiguous whether this boy will choose to act, instead of being in a constant state of paralysis.

Lucy Lurie

For a woman who does not reject progress and owns her own farm in South Africa, Lucy Lurie, could be referred as a well positioned woman. She was a woman who took care of her farm and did not need a husband to take care of here. Lucy Lurie lived an okay life until her father David Lurie came to live in her farm. She was happy to see her father visiting her but the happiness soon ended as he was not used to this life of hers. She was tried to make his feel like he was at home, for he was having a rough time and had recently lost his job. Lucy was trying to help her father adapt so that his stay at the farm would be somewhat permanent. David and Lucy got along well enough to live with each other even though their ideals where different. One evening David and Lucy where coming back from a walk with the dogs, in which she takes care of, and three men attack them in the farm. I don’t know what happens to David but the three men I could not hold of the men anymore and one of them did the deed. I was too ashamed that I went to take a shower. I tried to forget what they had done to me and I pretended that these men were just trying to get even with the white society which I represented. I found my father with a burnt ear in the restroom, so I decided to take him to the hospital and leave him there. In those few hours that David was in the hospital I was able to clear my mind a little because I knew he was going to try to question me. David, my father, was never really a comprehensive and caring father, but during the trip to the hospital I noticed a change. I like to believe I know how to take care of myself, but I am also sacred that I will get pregnant from this intrusion, from this thing called rape. Ever since this incident my life has changed I do not act like the woman I once was. I keep wondering if this was a form of payment to society to the Africans that lived in these areas with some or no rights. My father and I started to distance ourselves mostly because I knew he would not understand me. After all he is a man and men justify other men for their actions. I do not care about the house or myself or the farm I just want to be left alone. I don’t want to be questioned about that dreadful incident that ended my life figuratively speaking. Days have passed and David keeps trying to invade my privacy I just cannot take this right now. Petrus my neighbor, the person that bought some land from me is having a house warming party and must go out of curtsy, for he I cannot stay in the house for ever. As I walk in to the party that evening the atmosphere is somewhat tense and I can fell the stares. The evening gets worst as I spot one of the rapist in the party. All the memories from the rape come back into my head and I tell David one of the rapists is here at the party. David does not take the news well and makes a scene. This is not what I wanted. We leave the party and a few days later I permit myself to tell him I was raped. He then leaves the farm unwilling days later, for our relationship is hitting rock bottom. Now that he is gone I can truly say and confront my fear “I AM PREGNANT” and this time I will not abort this baby. David calls every so often to check up on me and he seems to be on the verge of finding out that something is terribly wrong. He come back to the farm with some excuse that there was a job offering and I tell him the truth he is upset but what may have hurt him the most is Petrus proposal of marriage or shall I say I will give up my farm , my possessions for the protection only a man can offer a lonely woman. I will have this child no matter what even if he reminds me every day of the offense that was done to me. I will give up my land if that is what it takes to live somewhat at peace.

Analysis

The story above represents a possible version of what Lucy Lurie was feeling and thinking as she saw her life demolish into pieces. This version of Lucy’s starts off just like David Lurie’s story which lets the reader know that the story will be narrated by Lucy herself. Lucy is a woman living in South African land, in the post- apartheid era, who has been rapped and abused by three black men. Her life and the life of her father were put in danger and there is the possibility of a pregnancy. She believes that there is not much that can be done to help her for the deed was done and the child was on its way. Abortion is not an option like she states in the book “that is something I am not prepared to go through with again.” She felt this was the price she had to pay for the bad conduct that was imposed to the Africans while apartheid was still in process. Finally she decides that she will accept the protection of a man as long as that incident never happens again. She is willing to give up everything “Yes, I agree, it is humiliating. But perhaps that is a good point to start from again.”

you can't change a person in one day

“You can’t teach an old dog new trick” but he adapt to new atmospheres.

In the novel, “Disgrace,” written by J.M. Coetzee the main character Professor David Lurie is a man who has still abides to the rules of apartheids. Apartheid was a system established in South Africa to segregate the Africans from the “white” which basically made the Africans the “majority minority.” David Lurie is a white man who has been divorced twice and is now relying on a prostitute to make him happy at least once a week. He is a man with no ambition, who does not enjoy his profession, and he is basing his life by the “adventures” that Byron had because he cannot have any of his own.

David Lurie’s life gets complicated when he decides to get involved with a student in his class. The relationship with this student, Melanie, would not have been a great impact on David’s life if he would just have controlled his lust love. David Lurie was not in love with the student or the prostitute, rather he felt comfortable and at ease when he was with them. When his involvement with the student became public David admit he was guilty but he did not admit he was wrong.
Being guilty of something does not always been that it is seem as wrong. David Lurie did not consider his affair with the student to be wrong because they are after all mature adults. David also tried to justify himself by saying that he was under the influence of Euros. For the professor this was his ways of saying he cared about Melanie more than he wished he did. That is why he did not wish to hear the charges that were causing him his career as an educator. He preferred to not get hurt and believe that she maybe liked him in some sort of way.

Coetzee creates a character that at first is just seen as someone who wants to have fun and does as he pleases because he believes he is still at his peak in life.
David’s life changes when he moves to his daughter’s house in the country and has his ear set on fire. Any author would have set this traumatizing experience as a climactic moment when the main character realizes he needs to change because he himself wants justice but he does not let justice be done in his own life. Coetzee on the other hand does not make this experience change his main character extremely and the reader can see that no real change has been made in David’s attitude toward his life because he still does not have an internal conflict with himself.

“You cannot teach old dog new tricks” this saying can relate to Coetzee’s main character, David Lurie, because he has not changed. He is still holding on to his traditional believes and does not except the new life that South Africa has adopted. David Lurie has not changed in the novel even though he has been accused of sexual violence with a student, his daughter has been raped, he has been tortured and set on fire because he still holds on to his believes. He cannot change until he has an inter conflict with himself.

The Swan Has No Say

I have scared
the swan
that was in
the lake

and which
you were probably
waiting
to see

forgive me
for scaring it
but you
were scaring me.

The Mighty King of Nothing

Percy Bysshe Shelly, one of the most renounced poets of the Romantic era published a masterpiece in the year 1818 named “Ozymandias”. “Ozymandias” was based on the story of the famous pharaoh Ramesses the Great. Ramesses II was the King of Egypt during the 19th dynasty and lived to be 92 years old. Ramesses II expanded the empire and built cities stretching out from Syria to near the fourth cataract of the Nile. He built monuments throughout the cities in his honor and in honor of the gods. During his reign Ramesses II brought luxury upon Egypt, but not everything was gold and happiness. Slavery was a problem during Ramesses reign as it increased just like the militia. Ramesses was involved in many wars, in which Egypt was sometimes victorious, he even signed a peace treaty with Hittites. But not all that starts well ends well. Ramesses’ strive for more power in Egypt caused it to decline.

In Shelly’s poem “Ozymandias” we encounter a king who once had a great empire just like Ramesses the Great did. The name Ozymandias, when translated, means the king of nothing or the king of air. Just like Ramesses, Ozymandias fought to have a great empire full of riches and most of all he wanted power. Ozymandias wanted to be remembered for his greatness and his triumphed, but there was one war he could not win.

The poem starts by introducing a traveler who is telling his story about a journey into an antique land. The antique land he speaks of was once and empire who’s ruler was Ozymandias. In these antique land lays “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone…And wrinkled up lip, and sneer of cold command.” These are the remains of a once prosperous empire. These are the remains of the power Ozymandias who was a cold and sinister ruler or at least that was how his sculptor made him look. The sculptor was not very fond of Ozymandias, for he mocked his power and his arrogance. The sculptor continued to mock his king, for engraved a statement in Ozymandias’ sculpture: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / look oh my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” This statement is ironic because nothing remains of the king of kings Ozymandias. “Nothing besides remains” Ozymandias fought against armies to build his empire but the one thing he was never able to beat was time. Just like Ramesses the Great (Ramesses II) Ozymandias led his empire to failure because riches and power are not the only thing that makes a great empire. Just like the definition stated Ozymandias was stands for the king of nothing.