The Innocence of Thomas Sutpen

Chapter 7 marks a huge shift in the story because we finally hear from Sutpen's perspective. After listening to Sutpen, we view him not as the demon Rosa describes him as or the enigma General Compson thought he was, but as a very ignorant man whose life has been corrupted by fate. The narrative refers back to Sutpen's innocence several times( "Because he had not only not lost the innocence yet, he had not yet discovered that he possessed it"185), which brings up the question of nature vs. nurture. The chapter shows that Sutpen was not necessarily born evil, he just grew up in a very traumatic environment. There are several references to Sutpen's sister being pregnant without ever having been married (181), which could be read as allusion to Sutpen's father being incestuous and it’s evident that Sutpen grew up in a very poor, lower-class home. Chapter 7 makes it seem as though Sutpen is just a product of his environment where he learned that in order to make it in the world you have to be "unscrupulous"(201).  Instead of nurturing his moral instincts,  he goes to Haiti where he is consumed with completing his “design” and even abandons his wife when he realizes that she does not fit that design. He feels some remorse, but at this point he is already too far gone from his own humanity.

Death as the only end to revenge.

While reading through the three Dickinson poems, I noticed a common theme of death as a release from vengeance. Although these poems are not necessarily morbid, they all focus on death as an outlet of escape. In 237, the speaker says after she is “out of sight- in Heaven” will she be forgiven, which infers that she has some sort of guilt and fears retribution from the person she has wronged. She even uses the phrase “con” to infer that she has somehow cheated the other person by dying. 1172 also includes a speaker that is fleeing from the vengeance of nature, which I take to mean man, by hiding away in the security of the tomb. Both of these poems illustrate that vengeance is, unfortunately, a part of human nature and so is the desire to evade it. By framing it as a literal matter of life and death, Dickinson emphasizes the prevalence of revenge in society. While 1509 takes the perspective of the seeker of vengeance, not the guilty party, it also furthers the idea of retribution seeking as life and death when the speaker admits that “Anger as soon as fed is dead” and that only after their revenge is enacted can they move on in their life. Similar to Ahab in Moby Dick, the speaker in 1509 demonstrates a monomaniac focus on revenge.

Veneration of the Whale

From his lengthy descriptions and his genuine excitement over the intricacies of whaling, it is evident to the reader that Ishmael is indeed a scholar. However, he is not a scholar of math or science but of whaling and the ocean. Interestingly, however, Ishmael does not reserve his veneration for whalers like Ahab or Starbuck or even Queequeq, but instead puts on a pedestal the very species that he hunts: the whale. Throughout the novel, Ishmael venerates Moby Dick , and whales in general, the same way a scholar venerates the expert in their field.

For example, on page 379, he comments that like great men such as Shakespeare, the whale has a large forehead where their genius is almost visible like “antlered thoughts descending there to drink.” And, as with all of his descriptions of the whale, this effect is magnified by the leviathan’s size leading to the impression that such a large species combined with such a dignified appearance creates a “deity”(379) like figure which man fears. Later on, Ishmael continues to build the parallel between the whale and great men by contesting that the vapor that appears from a whales spout is similar to the “vapor” appearing from the minds of great men, “while in the act of thinking deep thoughts”(409). Ishmael’s fascination with the whale contributes to the theme of the power of nature vs. man.

Importance of Loyalty

In Hope Leslie, Sedgwick develops a plot that rewards characters who demonstrate loyalty and punishes those who do not. Magawisca serves throughout the novel as the most complex case study in loyalty because she remains loyal to multiple conflicting ideas. From the very beginning, she must balance her loyalty to her tribe by not warning the Fletchers about the impending Indian raid while still protecting Everell. Although Magawisca sacrifices an arm, her loyalty does not go unpaid throughout the novel. While Sedgwick could’ve ended the novel with Everell abandoning Magawisca and letting her stay imprisoned, he persists until she is free. Even though Everell is destined to be with Hope Leslie, Sedgwick emphasizes that Magawisca is not a victim, but instead gains emotional satisfaction from her undying friendship with Everell as seen on pg 266 after Everell first attempts to release her (“…seemed for a moment…in her exultation to forget the rocks and quicksand that encompassed her”).

            In contrast to the noble Magawisca, Sir Phillip Gardiner’s story ends in a tragic fashion when his spurned lover Rosa decides to ignite gun powder on the ship set for England. If Gardiner had any sense of loyalty, he would never become the “guilty destroyer” of a “hapless pitiable girl”(336) and would not have met such a violent end. Sedgwick clearly defines the villains and heroes in Hope Leslie and one must argue loyalty is one of the criteria used to distinguish between the two.

Breeze Riley Introduction

Hello, my name is Breeze Riley and I am a first year student from Union Bridge, a small town in Maryland. I am currently declared as a double major in Journalism and Mass Communication-Public Relations Sequence and Political Science. After graduation I would like to either work for the Maryland State Government or in sports communications. I enrolled in Engl 128 because English was always a subject I enjoyed in high school and had room for an elective this semester.  Although my favorite authors are British, I’m excited to be exposed to more American literature.  Here at UNC I am a member of the Alumni Relations committee for UNC Dance Marathon and a Career Peer for University Career Services. My absolute favorite thing to do is see live music and I am always excited to go to a concert. I enjoy most types of music but especially Punk Rock, Post-Core, and Broadway Musicals. I am a fan of all UNC Sports and my favorite professional teams are the Washington Capitals and D.C. United.  I couldn’t live without my Google Reader application since I read multiple blogs. My favorite way to de-stress from school is a healthy dose of comedy from Saturday Night Live or Parks and Rec.