Username: Password:Forgot your password? (Related) Remember Me
You are viewing 9mil (Related) 9mil 's journalCreate a LiveJournal Account (Related) Learn more (Related)
chutes too narrow (Related) the low dirty war (Related) cold dirty sheets (Related) celebrity minds (Related) anonymous room (Related)
a thousand different versions of yourself - in the end, everything simply began.
a thousand different versions of yourself - in the end, everything simply began.
07 May 2007 @ 10:28 pm
in the end, everything simply began.
dear journal:
you know what? only the cool kids post their english papers online. but i'm pretty damn excited about this one, and i think it's damn cool. also. it's 10:30 the night before it's due, and i'm done. in fact, i've been done since about 7. so there. ROAR!
p.s. i'm awesome.
Few times are as important to a person as their emergence from adolescence. In early 1900’s Italy, in a world unbothered by the socially accepted and the blatantly disruptive, Lucy Honeychurch learns that she too is unbothered when it comes down to her opinion- much like high school kids are discovering in this time. E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View should be taught in high school because students can relate to its strong portrayals of people and what’s socially accepted.
In A Room with a View , Lucy Honeychurch and her spinster Aunt Charlotte travel to Italy in an attempt at a great adventure for Lucy’s arrival into society. When they’re there, they run across several different characters, two of whom, the Emersons, cause distaste in Charlotte, but an emotion not negative in Lucy. When scandalous events unfold, Charlotte packs up her neice and sets to Rome, promising to never speak of what happened. When in Rome, the women meet with a man named Cecil Vyse, who asks Lucy twice to marry him, but is denied by her both times. When Lucy and Charlotte return to their homes, Cecil visits and once more asks Lucy for her hand, and is this time accepted. The events that unfold after that are typical of an engaged couple- an engagement party, visits with the soon to be in-laws, and trips around town. At one point, Cecil somehow manages to secure a house in Lucy’s town for the elder Mr. Emerson, and Lucy finds herself in a scandal once more with his son, George Emerson. At length, Lucy breaks off her engagement with the chauvinistic Cecil, and discovers her love for the socially frowned upon George. They revel in their love after their marriage in a hotel in Italy, gazing out their room with a view.
A Room with a View deals with a lot of points common in the fiction of that time period. Lucy is a woman just coming of age, and in doing so struggles with her ideals on social norms and what’s right and wrong. She struggles to form her own opinion, even though people around her are telling her what is accepted and what is not. Mr. Emerson and his son George are socially outcast because of their lack of faith and their general straight-forwardness that is mistaken with tactlessness. Cecil is a man assured in his belief that women are inferior to men for the simple fact that they are women. The rest of the diverse cast of characters- a gossiping but kind reverend, a set of sisters bent on seeing the world, a self-righteous novelist with her own set of ideals, a moody brother- add their opinions and character flaws to Lucy’s burgeoning new self.
In our world, social acceptance has evolved so that far less is thought of as unacceptable. Where once men and women were on different levels for things like scholarship and aptitude, now they are relatively equal. Homosexuality, once considered a crime and, for even longer, considered with distaste, is now far more accepted, though it still faces trial in the eyes of society. Atheism was once a thing of the scholars- few held beliefs in any religious system- then it turned into a social inacceptance- the church and only the church was right- now has become a topic of great contention. Still more things are fought over in the legal courts and newspaper these days.
E. M. Forster’s homosexuality was a thing of little contention in his lifetime in England. Though it was still not socially accepted in his time period, Forster held a great amount of respect towards him because of his scholastic reputation and wit. He penned many stories geared towards homosexuals and it was then that he began experimenting with the novel form and started his career. But socially, Forster was not accepted, nor did he feel he himself and the idea of homosexuality were. A year after his death in 1970, Forster’s last novel Maurice was published, though it was written in 1913 and 1914, Forster feared publishing it because “its sypathetic treatment of homosexuality would arose a violent reaction.” (McConkey 198) In the encyclopedia where his fear was revealed, written in 1986, Forster’s own homosexuality was not discussed, as even then homosexuality was not socially acceptable. Homosexuality in our own time is a big issue of debate, and high school students may be able to relate to Forster’s own struggles.
A topic which George Emerson personally debated with was the issue of religion and his own lack of faith. When he and Lucy exchange rooms in Italy, he, perhaps intentionally, leaves behind “a sheet of paper on which was scrawled an enormous note of interrogation. Nothing more.” (Forster 17) This reveals George’s personal feelings of confusion and existentialism, a thing which was not proper in society at the time. George’s feelings towards religion are further revealed when he states, in an Italian church, “I would rather go up to heaven by myself than be pushed by cherubs…” (Forster 26) This is just another fact for Lucy to swallow while she struggles with her own moral development. Even today, in our fast paced world where most everything is accepted, even in this country of America where freedom is what draws us together, Atheism is still not a social norm. In an online document on what Atheism is, Robinson states, point of fact, “There exists massive discrimination against Atheists in the U.S.” In 1986, while running for the 1988 presidency, George H.W. Bush replied to a reporter, “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.” This statement remains a clear cut description of the United States tolerance of unorthodox theories. High school students, in seeing the dealings of both past and present with Atheism and other social diversties, can become more aware of the discrimination and segregation some people may feel, and will perhaps become sensitive to those people.
One of the most poignant, but accepted, characteristics belonged to Cecil Vyse, who displayed his male chauvinism at every turn. The definition of male chauvinism is a term that describes the belief that males are superior to females. It is used to describe men who believe women are inferior, speak to women as inferiors, or treat women negatively based on their gender (“Male”). The Greek philosopher Aristotle was severely chauvinistic, and used derogatory terms towards women in most of his books on society. In his book Politics , he explains that, “The courage of a man is shown in commanding, of a woman in oberying.” He goes on to explain woman’s inferiority in Generation of Animals by declaring, “women are defective by nature (…). A woman is as it were an infertile male.” Women, even, are themselves given to feelings of inferiority. Mary Chudleigh, in her poem “To the Ladies,” speculates, “Wife and Servant are the same / But only differ by the name.” Lucy verifies the inferiority of women. “As no explanation was forthcoming, she shook off the subject as too difficult for a girl…” (Forster 103) Lucy’s mother even acknowledged the inferiority. “Her attitude was: “If books must be written, let them be written by men” (Forster 133). Cecil’s feelings of superiority are abundant in the book. “For he believed that women revere men for their manliness.” (Forster 105). And “At least she longed for attention, as a woman should, and looked up to him because he was a man” (Foster 114). Society’s acceptance of male chauvinism is shocking.
Prevalent among most novels read by high schools is the theme of coming of age. In A Room with a View , Lucy celebrates a new era in life by taking a trip to Italy. As quoted in a Wikipedia article discussing adolescence, “In the past (and still in some cultures) there were ceremonies that celebrated adulthood.” (“Adolescence”) For Lucy, her trip to Italy is her voyage towards adulthood, a last hurrah of childhood. It is in Italy that Lucy faces some serious descisions involving her opinions of people, and how she cares about others’ opinions of her. “In search for a unique social identity for themselves, adolescents are frequently found confused between the right and wrong.” (“Adolescence”). Indeed, Lucy is unsure about how she’s supposed to feel about some people, and this is one of the reasons she is loathe to admit her feelings for George Emerson to herself. She’s scared of how others will react. But in the end, it’s up to Lucy to decide, it’s up for her to figure out the person she wants to be. This time is described as “Emerging adulthood,” and is characterized by “relative independence from social roles and normative expectations… a time of life when many different directions remain possible, when the scope of independent exploration of life’s possibilities is greater for most people than it will be at any other period of the life course.” (“Adolescence”) Italy provides the background, Lucy finds the clues. “A rebel she was, but not of the kind he understood—a rebel who desired, not a wider dwelling-room, but equality beside the man she loved. For Italy was offering her the most priceless of all possessions—her own soul.” (Forster 107) Again, modern
teenagers will be able to see what can be, and the possibilities of forming their own opinions- no matter which way society feels.
In the end, it comes down to the student’s opinion of a book. Whether it’s good or not, though, doesn’t stop a book from communicating its messages, its unending truths. A Room with a View is a good book, and it’s filled with the sort of things high school students should be paying attention to. Breaking social boundaries and unforgettable characters, and of course coming of age- those are the things that will be of importance to a teenager on the cusp of freedom.
“Adolescence.” Wikipedia. 2007. 12 April 2007.
Aristotle. Generation of Animals. 350 B.C.
---. Politics. 350 B.C.
Bush, George H.W. Personal Interview. 27 August 1986.
Chudleigh, Mar. “To the Ladies.” London: R. Baldwin, 1755. Poems by Eminent Ladies. Ian Lancashire. 2005. University of Toronto. 12 April 2007
Forster, E.M. A Room with a View. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2005
“Male Chauvinism.” Wikipedia. 2007. 12 April 2007.
McConkey, James. “Edward Morgan Forster.” Colliers’s Enclyclopedia. 1986 ed.
Robinson, B.A. “Atheism.” ReligiousTolerance.org. 2006. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 12 April 2007.
have fun kids.
you know what? only the cool kids post their english papers online. but i'm pretty damn excited about this one, and i think it's damn cool. also. it's 10:30 the night before it's due, and i'm done. in fact, i've been done since about 7. so there. ROAR!
p.s. i'm awesome.
Few times are as important to a person as their emergence from adolescence. In early 1900’s Italy, in a world unbothered by the socially accepted and the blatantly disruptive, Lucy Honeychurch learns that she too is unbothered when it comes down to her opinion- much like high school kids are discovering in this time. E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View should be taught in high school because students can relate to its strong portrayals of people and what’s socially accepted.
In A Room with a View , Lucy Honeychurch and her spinster Aunt Charlotte travel to Italy in an attempt at a great adventure for Lucy’s arrival into society. When they’re there, they run across several different characters, two of whom, the Emersons, cause distaste in Charlotte, but an emotion not negative in Lucy. When scandalous events unfold, Charlotte packs up her neice and sets to Rome, promising to never speak of what happened. When in Rome, the women meet with a man named Cecil Vyse, who asks Lucy twice to marry him, but is denied by her both times. When Lucy and Charlotte return to their homes, Cecil visits and once more asks Lucy for her hand, and is this time accepted. The events that unfold after that are typical of an engaged couple- an engagement party, visits with the soon to be in-laws, and trips around town. At one point, Cecil somehow manages to secure a house in Lucy’s town for the elder Mr. Emerson, and Lucy finds herself in a scandal once more with his son, George Emerson. At length, Lucy breaks off her engagement with the chauvinistic Cecil, and discovers her love for the socially frowned upon George. They revel in their love after their marriage in a hotel in Italy, gazing out their room with a view.
A Room with a View deals with a lot of points common in the fiction of that time period. Lucy is a woman just coming of age, and in doing so struggles with her ideals on social norms and what’s right and wrong. She struggles to form her own opinion, even though people around her are telling her what is accepted and what is not. Mr. Emerson and his son George are socially outcast because of their lack of faith and their general straight-forwardness that is mistaken with tactlessness. Cecil is a man assured in his belief that women are inferior to men for the simple fact that they are women. The rest of the diverse cast of characters- a gossiping but kind reverend, a set of sisters bent on seeing the world, a self-righteous novelist with her own set of ideals, a moody brother- add their opinions and character flaws to Lucy’s burgeoning new self.
In our world, social acceptance has evolved so that far less is thought of as unacceptable. Where once men and women were on different levels for things like scholarship and aptitude, now they are relatively equal. Homosexuality, once considered a crime and, for even longer, considered with distaste, is now far more accepted, though it still faces trial in the eyes of society. Atheism was once a thing of the scholars- few held beliefs in any religious system- then it turned into a social inacceptance- the church and only the church was right- now has become a topic of great contention. Still more things are fought over in the legal courts and newspaper these days.
E. M. Forster’s homosexuality was a thing of little contention in his lifetime in England. Though it was still not socially accepted in his time period, Forster held a great amount of respect towards him because of his scholastic reputation and wit. He penned many stories geared towards homosexuals and it was then that he began experimenting with the novel form and started his career. But socially, Forster was not accepted, nor did he feel he himself and the idea of homosexuality were. A year after his death in 1970, Forster’s last novel Maurice was published, though it was written in 1913 and 1914, Forster feared publishing it because “its sypathetic treatment of homosexuality would arose a violent reaction.” (McConkey 198) In the encyclopedia where his fear was revealed, written in 1986, Forster’s own homosexuality was not discussed, as even then homosexuality was not socially acceptable. Homosexuality in our own time is a big issue of debate, and high school students may be able to relate to Forster’s own struggles.
A topic which George Emerson personally debated with was the issue of religion and his own lack of faith. When he and Lucy exchange rooms in Italy, he, perhaps intentionally, leaves behind “a sheet of paper on which was scrawled an enormous note of interrogation. Nothing more.” (Forster 17) This reveals George’s personal feelings of confusion and existentialism, a thing which was not proper in society at the time. George’s feelings towards religion are further revealed when he states, in an Italian church, “I would rather go up to heaven by myself than be pushed by cherubs…” (Forster 26) This is just another fact for Lucy to swallow while she struggles with her own moral development. Even today, in our fast paced world where most everything is accepted, even in this country of America where freedom is what draws us together, Atheism is still not a social norm. In an online document on what Atheism is, Robinson states, point of fact, “There exists massive discrimination against Atheists in the U.S.” In 1986, while running for the 1988 presidency, George H.W. Bush replied to a reporter, “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.” This statement remains a clear cut description of the United States tolerance of unorthodox theories. High school students, in seeing the dealings of both past and present with Atheism and other social diversties, can become more aware of the discrimination and segregation some people may feel, and will perhaps become sensitive to those people.
One of the most poignant, but accepted, characteristics belonged to Cecil Vyse, who displayed his male chauvinism at every turn. The definition of male chauvinism is a term that describes the belief that males are superior to females. It is used to describe men who believe women are inferior, speak to women as inferiors, or treat women negatively based on their gender (“Male”). The Greek philosopher Aristotle was severely chauvinistic, and used derogatory terms towards women in most of his books on society. In his book Politics , he explains that, “The courage of a man is shown in commanding, of a woman in oberying.” He goes on to explain woman’s inferiority in Generation of Animals by declaring, “women are defective by nature (…). A woman is as it were an infertile male.” Women, even, are themselves given to feelings of inferiority. Mary Chudleigh, in her poem “To the Ladies,” speculates, “Wife and Servant are the same / But only differ by the name.” Lucy verifies the inferiority of women. “As no explanation was forthcoming, she shook off the subject as too difficult for a girl…” (Forster 103) Lucy’s mother even acknowledged the inferiority. “Her attitude was: “If books must be written, let them be written by men” (Forster 133). Cecil’s feelings of superiority are abundant in the book. “For he believed that women revere men for their manliness.” (Forster 105). And “At least she longed for attention, as a woman should, and looked up to him because he was a man” (Foster 114). Society’s acceptance of male chauvinism is shocking.
Prevalent among most novels read by high schools is the theme of coming of age. In A Room with a View , Lucy celebrates a new era in life by taking a trip to Italy. As quoted in a Wikipedia article discussing adolescence, “In the past (and still in some cultures) there were ceremonies that celebrated adulthood.” (“Adolescence”) For Lucy, her trip to Italy is her voyage towards adulthood, a last hurrah of childhood. It is in Italy that Lucy faces some serious descisions involving her opinions of people, and how she cares about others’ opinions of her. “In search for a unique social identity for themselves, adolescents are frequently found confused between the right and wrong.” (“Adolescence”). Indeed, Lucy is unsure about how she’s supposed to feel about some people, and this is one of the reasons she is loathe to admit her feelings for George Emerson to herself. She’s scared of how others will react. But in the end, it’s up to Lucy to decide, it’s up for her to figure out the person she wants to be. This time is described as “Emerging adulthood,” and is characterized by “relative independence from social roles and normative expectations… a time of life when many different directions remain possible, when the scope of independent exploration of life’s possibilities is greater for most people than it will be at any other period of the life course.” (“Adolescence”) Italy provides the background, Lucy finds the clues. “A rebel she was, but not of the kind he understood—a rebel who desired, not a wider dwelling-room, but equality beside the man she loved. For Italy was offering her the most priceless of all possessions—her own soul.” (Forster 107) Again, modern
teenagers will be able to see what can be, and the possibilities of forming their own opinions- no matter which way society feels.
In the end, it comes down to the student’s opinion of a book. Whether it’s good or not, though, doesn’t stop a book from communicating its messages, its unending truths. A Room with a View is a good book, and it’s filled with the sort of things high school students should be paying attention to. Breaking social boundaries and unforgettable characters, and of course coming of age- those are the things that will be of importance to a teenager on the cusp of freedom.
“Adolescence.” Wikipedia. 2007. 12 April 2007
Aristotle. Generation of Animals. 350 B.C.
---. Politics. 350 B.C.
Bush, George H.W. Personal Interview. 27 August 1986.
Chudleigh, Mar. “To the Ladies.” London: R. Baldwin, 1755. Poems by Eminent Ladies. Ian Lancashire. 2005. University of Toronto. 12 April 2007
Forster, E.M. A Room with a View. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2005
“Male Chauvinism.” Wikipedia. 2007. 12 April 2007
McConkey, James. “Edward Morgan Forster.” Colliers’s Enclyclopedia. 1986 ed.
Robinson, B.A. “Atheism.” ReligiousTolerance.org. 2006. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 12 April 2007
have fun kids.
noise: girlfriend. avril lavigne.
say (Related)
