Open Prompt Revisions

Dec.3rd

2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain the character Buck is used as a foil to the main character Huck. The two boys are almost the same age, have very similar names, and become very good friends. The author puts this character foil in the book in order to show the reader that upbringing and social status aren't everything.
The character Buck comes from an aristocratic family, one of high social class and incredible wealth. However, Bucks family acts very uncivilized and uneducated towards another family (who are their neighbors), the Shepherdsons, whom they are having a feud with. Buck is also not against slavery or think its wrong in any way, whereas Huck continually questions the ethics of owning another human. You would not generally think high social class and brutish characteristics go together, but you also wouldn't think a poor upbringing by an awful role model of a father would create a child like Huck; someone very clever, witty, and ethical.
Buck being well off and still being ignorant contrasts greatly to Huck coming from a lower social class and having sensible morals. This shows the reader that Mark Twain wanted them to realize that a person can never chose where they come from, but they can always chose where they go and who they become from there.
Due to the character Buck being Huck's foil, you can more clearly see what differentiates Huck as an individual. The reader finds out he has a good sense of whats right and whats wrong, especially when compared to someone like Buck, even though Huck came from a very unfortunate atmosphere as a child.

Nov. 13th

1990. Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary.

In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, there is a deep conflict between the main character Willy, and his son Biff. The biggest reason for the conflict between them is Willy's inability to accept Biff as his own being, and instead views him much like he views Uncle Ben; as a sort of idol. Arthur Miller created Willy's idolization of Biff in order to show how parents dreams for their children can shape a child's being.
Throughout the entire play Biff speaks of wanting to move out West again to do farm work. This dream of his is a rough contrast to his fathers dreams for Biff of being "successful". To Willy, Biff won't be great unless he's bringing in a handsome sum of money. This is something Willy thinks Biff can do because of his similarities to Uncle Ben, who was successful in Willy's eyes.
The similarities Uncle Ben and Biff share are that they are both not only liked, but well liked, a phrase they said often in the play that was extremely important to Willy. Willy also doesn't see himself in Biff, just like he doesn't see himself as a success like Uncle Ben. However, Willy takes comfort in not seeing his own personality in Biff because he knows he hasn't been successful in the business world, and the thought of Biff being unlike him gives Willy hope.
If Willy had accepted Biff's dreams to farm instead of insisting Biff follow his own demands to enter in the business world, this parent-child conflict wouldn't occur. However, this conflict is put in by Miller in order to show how much parents dreams for their children influence the child's life. Biff would be happy if he didn't have his fathers opinions of what it is to really be successful and a great man riding on him all the time, and because of his father's opinions his pursuit of happiness is faltered.
Arthur Miller creates many different character conflicts in Death of a Salesman in order to show different meanings. The conflict between Willy and Biff makes the audience think about how parents influence their children, and adds so much to the development of the characters in his play.


Oct. 28th

1987. Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader's or audience's views. Avoid plot summary.

Many people in this day and age have read the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. It's just one of those books; not only a classic, but a book that changed the world. People often wonder, what makes one of those books? In the case of Huckleberry Finn, it was Twain advocating social change and tradition. He took a very untouchable subject in that time period; the wrongs of slavery, and made it touchable, so to speak. He made this happen by using such techniques as language, imagery, and most famously, satire.
Language in Huckleberry Finn accentuates the need for social change through the character Jim. Jim speaks in a rough, southern dialect, unlike all the other characters. This signifies the difference between education of white Americas during this time period opposed to African American slaves. Though this language can often slows down the reader, it is also a important and sends the reader a red flag as to the difference between main character Huckleberry and slave Jim. Twain was trying to tell the reader that this sort of indifference wasn't right through the use of written speech patterns.
One of the strongest uses of imagery in this book is when Jim is captured in the end and made to live in a tiny little shack full of snakes, insects, and other nasty creatures that frighten him. He is given almost no food by the people that capture him, and is treated very harshly. This makes the reader feel bad for Jim, and sympathizes with the fact that the people in the book treat him on a lower social status due to his race.
This book is most well known for one thing- satire. Mark Twain uses it constantly throughout this book in order to poke fun at certain issues of the time. One example of this is how the Widow Douglas is incredibly Christian and religious, yet she owns slaves and doesn't think there's anything wrong with it. This shows that even good, church going people in that time thought it was right for a person to be able to own another human being. Twain is clearly trying to make the reader think that way of thought is ridiculous, and by doing so saying that racial inequality isn't right.
Though the use of language, imagery, diction, and satire, Mark Twain puts a pretty good argument as to why slavery is not a good thing in the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Clearly Mark Twain wanted the reader to make a more ethical decision on the topic of slavery.

Sept. 16th

1984. Select a line or so of poetry, or a moment or scene in a novel, epic poem, or play that you find especially memorable. Write an essay in which you identify the line or the passage, explain its relationship to the work in which it is found, and analyze the reasons for its effectiveness.

In Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" the last three lines are "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." These lines create a very profound meaning to the poem by using strong diction as well as language.
Frost uses the word "I" repetitively in this poem. By saying things such as "I doubted if I should ever come back" along with "I could" "I stood" and many other "I" sentences, he's making it more announced to the reader that in the poem, the road he's taking is his own decision. This repetition becomes most pronounced to the reader when Frost repeats in the last three lines "I- I took the one less traveled by...".
This piece has the feeling of a writer trying to be abstract with his language. Frost doesn't want the reader knowing every single detail, he doesn't try to make the scene appeal to the senses. It's as if he wants the reader to make up their own visual of what a "wood" is, or what the "difference" is, so that each person can take away a little something different from this poem.
These lines of text also shows the reader a deeper interpretation of the poem. Upon reading and rereading this poem, you can see that Frost is trying to say that in life, there are going to be many different paths you can take. As an individual, you're free to chose whichever one you want; but keep in mind that whichever road you take will lead you to a different outcome. If you're just reading this poem as a surface read for the first time, you might not get those thoughts from reading the ending of his poem. You just might think "Alright, this guy chose a road! Good for him." when in fact, he's trying to say something much deeper.
All in all, the last three lines of Robert Frosts poem really do have a deep meaning that is seen throughout the entire poem. He uses great diction and abstract language to show the reader a deeper meaning of a person in the woods trying to chose between to roads.