Sunday, November 11, 2007

Essay

Romanticism Essay

Life is like a flower, it starts from a tiny bud and slowly starts to grow into something either beautiful or something that is bad. Along its course of life the bud grows, to do this it needs water, sun, and most importantly care, and eventually gets its petals. If not taken care of right the flower will eventually become unhealthy and die, but if taken with care the flower will flourish with beauty. The different stages of a flowers growth are crucial in defining what the flower will become, much like the human. Along the way there will be struggles, hardships, temptation, and in a flowers case pesticides, that will help determine the way of life. Both stories I have chosen demonstrate there different ways of life that can be found, one bad and one good. Trough the stories there are a lot of highs and lows along the journey but in the end they help determine the individual. In “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “The Devil and Tom Walker”, both Harriet Stowe and Washington Irving demonstrate that every individual has a quest to define themselves and that there are different ways you can do that by either giving in and giving up or staying strong, through the use of characterization, setting, and symbolism.

Throughout both stories different characters have a huge impact on each other and the decisions they make for their way of living. Tom Walker in “The Devil and Tom Walker” after living the life style he promised the Devil he would thinks “with regret on the bargain he made with his black friend, and set his wits to cheat him out of the conditions” (Irving 243). This quote shows that Tom was impacted badly by the Devil, filling his life with great and making him live a life style that Tom wished he would not of, this shaping him into a individual filled with evilness. This quote also shows that Tom now has a bad way of life, which causes him to do wrong like cheat the black man out of what he is owed, by the Devils impact. In addition, in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” God Topsy, a slave girl who is deeply impacted by a white girl named Eva, who “did not become at once a saint; but the life and death of Eva did work a market change in her. The callous indifference was gone; there was now sensibility, hope, desire, and the striving for good” (Stowe 437). This quote shows that Eva had toughed Topsy and affected her attitude on life. This also shows that Topsy’s life had been changed, so Eva helped shaped Topsy on her journey of life. These two quotes help get across the point that the impact of individuals will help shape the character of a person, for better in Topsys situation and for worse in Tom Walkers.

While on the quest to individualism, people are not just impacted by people that are met along the way, but also the setting in which the person traveled travel. In the “Devil and Tom Walker” Tom takes a shortcut through the swamp that was full of “pits and quagmires, partly covered with weeds and mosses, where the green surface often betrayed the traveler into a gulf of black” (Irving 238). This shows that the setting of Toms’ journey was dark and unhealthy much like the characteristics of Tom. This also shows that because the setting was corrupted, Tom was corrupted by falling into the environment around him, which ultimately led to his decision to make a deal with the devil. In addition to the effects of the setting, Aunt Chloe in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” talks about how being sold to the South is the “last severity of punishment. The threat that terrifies more than whipping or torture of any kind is the threat of being sent down river” (Stowe 136-137). This quote shows that the south is a corrupted place that is well feared by all slaves and blacks. This also shows that all who live there are tempted by the evilness and abusing of slaves, which could be the reason Mr. Haley, a slave owner in the south, beats his slaves and makes them wear chains. Both of the quotes given represent how the setting had a huge effect on the individuals there, giving a corrupt set of mind due to a corrupt setting, eventually altering the type of person they are.

Along with the setting both Stowe use symbolism to represent things that hold a significant key in helping form the individual. For example, in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” Eliza, a slave, escapes and crosses the Ohio River with one “wild cry and flying leap, she vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore, onto the raft of ice beyond. It was a desperate leap-impossible to anything but madness and despair; and Haley, Sam, and Andy, instinctively cried out, and lifted up their hands, as she did it” (Stowe 86). This shows that Elisa, with some unexplainable force crossed the river, this symbolizes the desperate leap for freedom. This quote also shows that her leap had some impact on Haley, Sam, and Andy, because the all yelled out and through up their hand; also, later Andy was so touched by her desperate leap to freedom that he decides to be proud of his skin, which clearly shows the affect of Elisa’s leap on others around her. In addition, in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” the Cabin and Tom should be a reminder “of your freedom, every time you see Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and let it be a memorial to put you all in mind to follow in his steps, and be as honest and faithful and Christian as he was” (Stowe 624). This shows that the cabin stood for freedom and that Tom was a symbol for honest and was a true model figure. This also shows that Tom is a person that impacts everyone he meets allowing them to be honest and follow him, which is shown later when his idea of loyalty to his master no matter what keeps Cassy from poisoning there master Mr. Legree. Both quotes are symbolic for the way little things, whether a person or an action can stand out and impact someone and maybe alter there way of life.

Through the use of characterization, setting, and symbolism, both Harriet Stowe and Washington Irving demonstrate that every individual has a quest to define themselves and that there are different ways you can do that by either giving in and giving up or staying strong, in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “The Devil and Tom Walker”. Both authors use characters to impact others in there story through the use of characterization. In “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” it’s a slave that finds a new look on life because of a white girl and in “The Devil and Tom Walker” its Toms evil life style due to the impact of the deal him and the devil made. Also, both authors use the setting to impact the characteristics of the people located in that setting. In “The Devil and Tom Walker”, Tom Walkers shortcut through the dark and terrible swamp cause him to do terrible things and Mr. Haley in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is a mean and corrupted slave owner due to him living in the South, were all slave owners are corrupted and have no emotion for the slaves. Finally, Stowe uses symbolism to portray the fact that certain things people do can mean much more to different individuals and ultimately have an impact on what they become, whether it was a simple leap or a person. This relates to mankind because throughout life there will be different places (like homes and schools), people (like family members, friends, or even a stranger), and events (like 911 or death of loved ones) that will help build character and impact the way of life. So take this into consideration through everyday life and embrace what comes your way, for better or worse, because these will be what stands out and helps shape you into who you will become.

1 comment:

Gabriella Chavez said...

Hey Sadie,
I liked your hook sentence about the growth process of a flower. I also liked how you used setting, characterization, and symbolism. It is very true that we should take into account those events that happen to us because they could help us make better decisions in our lives.
Great Essay. :)