Tyler
Justice
Mrs.
Wilson
British
Literature B
Bell:
5
Final
Research Essay
28
May 2013
I
have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason
High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page
of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the
process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or
plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the
possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the
paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.
The
most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which
a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized
essay in which you show how a specific death scene helps to illuminate the
meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
Tyler Justice
Mrs. Wilson
British Literature B
23 May 2013
Death,
a Vast Emptiness, which Epitomizes the Human Experience
“In
each of us, two natures are at war – the good and the evil. All our lives the
fight goes on between them, and one of them must conquer. But in our own hands
lies the power to choose – what we want most to be we are” (Robert Louis
Stevenson). Society today finds death,
at every corner, and people tend to act a certain way, when the subject of
mortality is involved. People often view death as something to be feared but,
sometimes one must embrace the idea of death, to have a greater sense of purpose
in their everyday lives. Through the uses of death, characterizations, the
theme of good vs. evil, the use of foreshadowing, and symbolism, Ian McEwan’s
Amsterdam, William Blake’s “A Poison Tree”, Robert Browning’s “Porphyria’s
Lover”, and John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress”, the authors expose the darker
side of life, one filled with evil, and the deadly price of that path. An
individual, who has accepted the idea of death, may be not necessarily evil or
good it is their actions following this brush with death, which defines them.
Through
the use of characterization in all of the pieces, the authors show how each
individual deals with the after effects of death. In Amsterdam,
George’s initial reaction to Molly’s death, is one of the doting husband
however, in near the end of the novel his true motives are revealed. George for
the duration of the novel seems to just be a grieving widower of Molly but, the
twist is he had an ulterior motive throughout the novel. “Finally, after two
hours of meandering and backtracking, George Lane had a good idea.” “Look,
there was nothing wrong in purchasing those photographs. Actually, I can tell
you this, I heard he got a jolly good deal. No, Halliday’s mistake was in not
pulling the front page the moment he saw Rose Garmony’s press conference” (McEwan
138). This quote used supports the claim
that George used, Molly death, as a cover, to get back at her ex-lovers and
those who had hurt her, in her various romances. While in Amsterdam, McEwan
shows how the loved ones of the departed are affected, in “Pilgrim’s Progress”,
Bunyan shows how those causing the death are suspicious due, to the traveler’s
being different. “The townspeople at
Vanity Fair are immediately suspicious of Christian and Faithful, and they
arrest the two pilgrims and bring them to trial. Three witnesses, Envy,
Superstition, and Pick-thank, a favor-seeker, testify against Faithful. His
fate is turned over to a jury of townspeople” (Bunyan 422). While Bunyan
reinforces the idea that, the witnesses are going to convict the travelers due
to their supposed “sins”, he shows they have no remorse. Similarly to this, in
“A Poison Tree”, Blake shows how the narrator shows little remorse, for letting
his rage grow. The metaphor of the tree is used to describe how the narrator,
cultivated his rage, similarly one would a plant. “I was angry with my friend:
/ I told my wrath, my wrath did end. / I was angry with my foe: / I told it
not, my wrath did grow” (Blake ll. 1-4). Bunyan has the narrator not be
remorseful and he lets his rage grow, until it consumes him. In “Porphyria’s
Lover”, Browning uses his characterizations to show how the lover, also has a
lack of remorse. “Porphyria’s love: She guessed not how / Her darling one wish
would be heard. / And thus we sit together now, / And all night long we have
not stirred, / And yet God has not said a word!” (Browning ll. 56-60). Browning
similarly to the other authors shows how death can affect those involved; this
often has serious consequences for, both parties involved.
While
the authors use the technique of characterization, to show how those involved
with the death react, they also make use of the technique of
foreshadowing. In Amsterdam, McEwan makes use of foreshadowing, to show how Clive and
Vernon’s friendship has decayed throughout, the novel and the unforeseen
consequences it holds. McEwan uses this quote, to show how Clive knew that
poison being the details of the rape he witnessed, Vernon could blackmail him.
This also foreshadows the final events of the novel, when Clive and Vernon end
up poisoning each other. “He knew from long experience that a letter sent in
fury merely put a weapon into the hands of your enemy. Poison, in a preserved
form, to be used against you long in the future” (McEwan 149). McEwan uses this
quote in the novel to discuss the actual poison Clive and Vernon use on each
other at the end of the novel as well as, the metaphorical poison each person
has on each. Vernon knows Clive’s “poison” the details of the rape he
witnessed, and Clive knows Vernon’s “poison” about him and how he obtained the
photographs of Garmony. Both Vernon and Clive chose to act on the resentment
they felt towards each other, at the end of the novel. While in “Pilgrim’s
Progress” Bunyan uses the technique of foreshadowing to show how, the fates of
Faithful and Christian were already determined. The people at Vanity Fair
already decided to be suspicious of the strangers because they talked different
and refused to buy their wares. “Now was word presently brought to the great
one of the Fair, who quickly came down and deputed some of his most trusty
friends to take these men into examination about whom the Fair was almost
overturned….” (Bunyan 422). Bunyan does this to further elaborate on the fact,
that the people of Vanity, with their vice and corruption, almost immediately
distrust the strangers. Similarly to Bunyan in “A Poison Tree” Blake makes
reference to the fact like the people of Vanity, the narrator of the poem does
not trust strangers. The narrator of “A Poison Tree” makes use of his anger, to
show his disdain for the stranger, who tries to steal from him. “And it grew
both day and night, / Till it bore an apple bright; / And my foe beheld it
shine, / And he knew that it was mine…” (Blake ll. 9-12). While in “A Poison
Tree” the narrator contemplates of how to handle the stranger, similarly in
Browning uses this technique to show the lover contemplating what to do about
Porphyria. “For love of her, and all in vain: / So, she was come through wind
and rain. / Be sure I looked up at her eyes / Happy and proud; at last I knew /
Porphyria worshipped me: / Surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew /
While I debated what to do” (Browning ll.29-35). Browning uses the technique of
foreshadowing, to show how the lover knows while Porphyria is his, but, she
cannot be due to class distinction. The lover seems in this instance to truly
love Porphyria and is his own, sick way shows it by killing her. While
Browning’s narrator of the lover, and the narrator in “A Poison Tree” both
contemplate fate, all of the pieces use foreshadowing as a way to show how
events could turn badly in the future.
While
the authors implore the technique of foreshadowing, they also use symbolism to
wrap up their ideas that death is only the beginning of experiences. All of the
pieces explore what life would be like after death and the symbolism behind it
as a freeing experience. McEwan uses symbolism to show how, even after Clive
and Vernon end up killing each other, death gave them what they really wanted.
Even though, Clive and Vernon started out as friends they grew to hate each
other over, the course of the novel, in the end death was the only release of
the tension they felt for each other.
“They looked surprisingly at peace. Vernon had his lips parted slightly,
as though he were halfway saying something interesting, while Clive had the
happy air of a man drowning in applause” (McEwan 191). McEwan uses death to
show how Clive and Vernon got what they wanted. Clive looked as though, he got
massive applause he craved and Vernon looked as though, he was deep in some
kind of thought. It is somewhat ironic that both Vernon and Clive spent their
lives pursuing their ideals, and in death they found solace, in they got what
they craved most in life. While similar to McEwan, Bunyan uses symbolism to
show how Faithful, for not giving up on his ideals got to heaven, once again
for faithful death acted as a release. Faithful now no longer subject, to the
harsh realities he faced, like those at Vanity, does not have to fear
persecution anymore. “Now, I saw that there stood behind the multitude a
chariot and a couple of horses, waiting for Faithful, who (so soon as his
adversaries had dispatched him) was taken up into it, and straightway was
carried up through the clouds, with sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the
Celestial Gate” (Holt 423). Bunyan comments on those, who pursue their ideals
no matter what get rewarded. Bunyan does this by showing how Faithful, through
his beliefs and not seeming to show resentment towards, those who killed him.
Faithful is rewarded with admittance to the Celestial City, which is an
allusion to Heaven. This contradicted by Blake’s view that those who steal what
they want deserve death. Blake uses this idea to show how the only release for
the narrator’s anger is for something drastic to happen to the intruder, who
intends to steal from him. “And it grew both day and night, / Till it bore an
apple bright; / And my foe beheld it shine, / And he knew that it was mine, / And
into my garden stole” (Blake ll. 9-13). Blake uses symbolism in the apple, to
both symbolically represent Adam, Eve and Original Sin, as well as his own
ideals on punishment. Blake also uses symbolism in the metaphor of the tree, to
once again reinforce his theme of the poem. Blake’s theme being ultimately that
anger once started can only grow until; it is extinguished, usually by some act
of violence. Similarly to Blake’s viewpoint on anger, Browning uses symbolism
to further justify the lovers claim, that he did nothing wrong. The lover in
some sick way seems to try to show how, his actions towards his beloved were
justified. Browning’s lover attempts to say he did the right thing, because
Porphyria can now be with her beloved forever, just not alive. Although the
abuse of Porphyria’s corpse and seemingly psychotic state of her lover hint,
she did not see the apparent signs of some mental illness he very clearly had.
“Porphyria’s love: She guessed not how / Her darling one wish would be heard. /
And thus we sit together now, / And all night long we have not stirred, / And
yet God has not said a word!” (Browning ll. 56-60). The lover in Browning’s
poem further attempts to justify his logic, by trying to confuse his sense of
God, with a sense of justice. The lover also seems to exhibit no remorse or
sense of wrongdoing in having killed Porphyria. The lover makes another
constant attempt to justify killing Porphyria by, showing how he thinks he
spared her from social embarrassment, if their relationship became public. Browning
and the other authors uses symbolism to show how in death who, are affected can
find the things that they apparently lack in life. However, the ways they act
when faced with death define them as a person.
People
often view death as something to be feared but, sometimes one must embrace the
idea of death, to have a greater sense of purpose in their everyday lives.
Through the uses of death, characterizations, the theme of good vs. evil, the
use of foreshadowing, and symbolism, Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam, William Blake’s “A
Poison Tree”, Robert Browning’s “Porphyria’s Lover”, and John Bunyan’s
“Pilgrim’s Progress”, the author’s expose the darker side of life, one filled
with evil, and the deadly price of that path. Does death, necessarily mean that
the one who caused it is evil? This is not necessarily the case; death can come
in many forms and manifestations but, a person’s actions afterwards, are what
define them as an individual. Death is an ideal that is shrouded in myths; of
good and evil but, both sides must be embraced. The double-sided coin must be
embraced for it is; part of the human experience. People can see death in many
different lights in life; one person can view it as a tragedy. This can be
compared to other people in society who view death, as a sign of the relief
from the pressures of life. The experience of death, is a natural occurrence
and something that makes us human, it is natural to fear death, and at the same
time embrace it. “In each of us, two natures are at war – the good and the
evil. All our lives the fight goes on between them, and one of them must
conquer. But in our own hands lies the power to choose – what we want most to
be we are” (Robert Louis Stevenson).
Work
Cited
Blake,
William. "A Poison Tree". Dumfries, North Carolina: Holt McDougal
Inc., 2007. 718-732. Print.
<http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=0030789613>.
Browning,
Robert. "Porphyria's Lover". Dumfries, North Carolina: Holt McDougal
Inc., 2007. 907, 991-992. Print.
<http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=0030789613>.
Bunyan,
John. The Pilgrim's Progress. Dumfries, North Carolina: 2007. 418-424. Print.
<http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=0030789613>.
Landis,
Matthew. "Madness and Mysticism in the Poetry of William Blake."
www.litkicks.com. litkicks.com, 21 Jul 2003. Web. May 9, 2013.
<http://www.litkicks.com/Blake>.
McEwan,
Ian. Amsterdam. 1st ed. New York: Anchor Books, A Division of Random House,
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