Feminism Response

The idea that Chaucer's works are sexist is taken completely out of context. Literature reflects the society it is written about, not the other way around. Following that train of thought, The Knight's Tale merely stated the way things were at the time. Classically, women were obsequious to men, especially to those they were related to or those with rank. So the fact that Emily goes against what she wants to fulfill the wishes of the men around her would not be surprising during this time period. Not only that, but by claiming this work is sexist against women implies that there are no victories for the "fairer" sex. This idea, then, would be completely unsupportable. A large occurrence that should please feminists was the victory of Venus. Venus, in essence the goddess of femininity, conquered Mars, basically the god of all things macho. What that demonstrates is Chaucer might have some women characters overcome obstacles, but in the end the female won. However, she did not win because she was a woman, but because she was right. Finally, one of his most masculine characters relied on a woman at one point. In a different story, Thesus needed aid in making his way through the Labyrinth. With the help of Princess Ariadne, Thesus was led through the Labyrinth. Obviously by having a male have such dependancy on a woman, Chaucer was not a misogynistic chauvinist.

Final Ideal Society

Something that is uphold in my ideal society is deep thought. If I were to trade any of the choices I made, that would demonstrate a lack of that quality which would make me a large hypocrite. An ideal society does not need to begin with hypocritical thinking, it needs something that has been checked and rechecked before being put into action. Besides the fact that I thought out my choices so I did not need to trade, but the choices of people were not appealing in the least. I knew of the people, but I had never met them in person. Even if I had, I did not know them long enough to know what kind of people they were. Most people chose celebrities, which I see as a large problem. Say I were to have a diva like Paris Hilton in my society of scholars. Even though she has nothing she could really add, I have a feeling she would complain about physical labor and feel that she is somehow about about everyone. My point is, no one knows how their choices would react because they do not truly know who they are, or how they would act.
My ideal society is made of Christina DeSario, Christopher Player, Michael Rossi, Scott Pero, and myself. All of the members obviously know each other, so there is a level of comfort. There is a shared personality type among all of these people. Each one is considerate, generous, intelligent, curious, driven, understanding of how a society should work, with an appropriate amount of altruism. In addition, no one has a particularly crippling disease or disorder. This way, everyone will be able towards the advancement of the society.
However, there are a few problems that might occur within this society. There is a substantial gap between our leader, Mr.Player, and everyone else. The problem here might be whomever is chosen as a successor cannot be because of age, but the leader must find some quality in one of the followers. This might bring another problem about. One follower might become jealous of the chosen successor, believing they are more worthy. This cannot be avoided no matter whom you chose, this is human nature. A final flaw might be the lack of expertize. However, there are several unique skill among those in this society. Including languages, instruments, and all basic school subjects. Luckily, due to the technology available and resources for teaching, a expertize could be given to each member, and they could study to become an expert.

Ideal Society

In this perfect society of mine, the ideals would be shared by all, Michael Rossi, Scott Pero, Christina DeSario, Mr. Player, and myself. These basic sentiments are already a part of each member’s character, so they will be easy to continue. To begin with, there would be equality. Except the one necessary leader, each member is at the same level of importance. By only allowing the one person power (because he is the eldest) and not distributing any sort of large responsibilities among the rest, the followers will not bicker among themselves whom is more important. Next we would value intelligence. Our leader is a well-rounded teacher, which is a large step in the correct direction. The rest of us each are scholarly people, who enjoy knowledge and strive for more of it. Continuing, individuality would be largely encouraged. We are such a group of diverse people; between us five languages are spoken, at least five instruments are played, and a myriad of other talents are harbored within each member. Peace would be prevalent. Luckily this would not be too large of a problem. We are all calm, level-headed people, who are typically non-violent, yet we have members who can protect us. Finally, acceptance is a must. Due to our diversity, each person has varying beliefs. However because of our level-headed nature, I am confident that each member will hear out a person’s argument.

Essential Question #4 (Group 1)

The poem Invictus by William Henley would make for a fantastic introduction into Beowulf. The similarities between the two texts highlight the most prevalent themes in both works, bringing them to the forefront for literary analysis. In the first stanza, the theme is gratuity to god for the strength in the narrator's soul. By simply reading this line, and understanding Beowulf as a character, it would be blind of me to not see the connection. Beowulf's constant gratitude to god, proclaiming his glory, and dedicating all his feats to the lord most high, is capture perfectly in the final line of this stanza: "I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul". The next stanza demonstrates the strength of this soul in Beowulf and the narrator; "My head is bloody, but unbowed". This portrays the human qualities of the speaker, while also showing the extraordinary ability to remain strong, and not give up what it is the narrator believes in. In the third stanza, I notice some forces being cited that could very well be adapted to fit the epic of Beowulf. Can one not envision the evil Grendel and his mother when reading the line, "Beyond this place of wrath and tears looms but the Horror of the shade". Put simply, on the outskirts of this kingdom, that is saturated in paganism, is the demon hiding in the shadows. The proceeding line is once again demonstrating Beowulf and the narrator's courage: "And yet the menace of the years finds, and shall find, me unafraid. Finally, in the last stanza, we get the perfect way to sum up how Beowulf lives, and how he explain how all those in Heorot should: "I am the master of my fate". At first that may seem to say that he control his destiny, and he does, but notice the word choice of "fate". He realizes there is something beyond his control, yet he can have hope for a more desirable ending if he pleasing the being in charge: god.

Essential Question #3

Wealtheow is used as the prime example of the expected composure for women of the time period of Beowulf. Wealtheow is a hostess, serving everyone in the mead hall. As shown in the footnote, her name means "foreign slave". Wealtheow was dependendent on other, especially men. As seen in lines 618 through 620; "[Wealtheow] thanked God that her wish was granted that she might depend on some warrior for help against such attacks". Delving deeper into that one line, notice Wealtheow takes comfort in the fact that she can depend on someone. From this we can notice that women of this period have been brainwashed into believing their own worthlessness. She does not resent the fact that she can do nothing; she only revels in that there is someone who has come to her rescue from which she cannot escape herself. The subservient queen uncharacteristically interacts with commoners. Or perhaps, because she lacks a Y-chromosome, this would not be uncharacteristic. The manliest of commoners would be on the same level as Queen Wealtheow simply because of the substitution of estrogen for testoterone in her genetic recipe. On the lighter side of this period of male chauvinism, Wealtheow is able to act as the bond of the community; offering the mead cup to all, she links the young and old, poor and wealthy, women and man.

Essential#2

Every hero has social obligations set far above those they protect. Being the proverbial "top dog" comes with its own set of rules and regulations. First, a hero must do everything for the greater good. While this may sound easy enough, a hero might have to choose between two evils; choosing between good and bad, or bad and worse is amateur work. Which leads to another characteristic; a hero must be cunning and have good decision-making skills. They must understand how each of their actions will affect future events and choices they will have to make. In addition, a hero must understand that by accepting their role, they must be prepared at any point to make the ultimate sacrifice of themself. Not only that, but protection is a must, and they must live up to what they have made themself out to be. Finally, a hero must do what is right not because of what they will gain, but because it is what they should--they must--do.

Outliers 1&2

Rachael Kerr
AP English 11
May 25, 2010
Outliers Ch. 1&2

Although it may not be a lot, I have received some crucial advantages. I was raised by my parents to do my best; working hard meant more to them than the best grade I could receive. Luckily, I was always a student of higher intelligence, and exceeded my classmates in my work. As established in Outliers, this got me special attention from teachers. Some people might take the praise from parents and teachers as leeway to slack off, but not me. I was so scared that I might fail those who had so much faith in me; I always had the drive to be the best.
Along my academic career, I have had a few things tracking my success. One was the constant butting-in of my aunt; her intent was pure, but her methods were tainted. She herself is a teacher, and she confused me with one of her students. Another was again the paranoia and competition. I was never going to let the sacrifice my parents made by paying to send me to private school go to waste (and some of that drive was to completely surpass those who took that luxury for granted). And I would NEVER let anyone I did not like get better grades than me; spite seemed to get me pretty far.
Over the years, I watched my grades improve in certain subjects I never cared for (history), and ones I actually struggled with (5th grade history, 5th grade math, and penmanship). I always made sure to keep my grades up so I had nothing to worry about outside of school. As difficult as I make this sound, at my school it required little effort on my part.
Unfortunately, I got too used to this life style; I was so used to barely doing anything and being top dog. When I got to high school, I received a rude awakening to real competition. Regrettably, I dropped status. Although, I don’t beat myself up about it because those student above me deserve to be there and actually work to be there.
However, being in an Advanced Placement course has provided me with the exact kind of challenge I need. Having constant assignments that require actual concentration, thought, and academic prowess, I bettered my study habits and my intelligence. Not only in English, but by being (literally) forced to take an Advanced Placement course in US History I learned what I am truly capable of.

2nd Creative Writing

Rachael Kerr
AP English
May 20, 2010
2nd Creative Writing
Eight Defining Moments in the Life of a Spaz

One: As a kid, I loved watching my sister have to wake up every morning, put on some odd-colored jumper, and sulk off to school. I had the luxury of being underage (excluding this, never has that term been used in a good way for me). So after my sister was dragged to the legally required prison, I spent my day in one of her ballet costumes, or my pjs at my Granny Rose’s house. Here, I helped her do what would later become what is often held against me: my love of cooking. It didn’t matter how tired Granny was, or what other things she had to do; she always made time so I could memorize the recipe for scrambled eggs, or how to make really good French toast, all before I could spell my name. Maybe she saw potential in me, or maybe it was the lack of potential she saw in my sister (to this day, she still asks me to help her make brownies with the box instructions in hand). For better or worse, I was always trying to cook new things after this. Through that I learned what flavors go well together, what consistency sauces should be, and when to “give up” on your “new dish” and call a grown up to “put out the fricken fire”.
Two: Growing up with guys was so much better than any tea-party-hosting, bracelet-wearing, tiara dawning silly girls. Surrounded by boys with in-your-face attitudes, who listened to rap metal, played basketball with a hoop nailed on a telephone pole, watched WWF (that’s right, old school), and constantly wore cargo jeans two sizes too big, my character underwent a dramatic shift. If not for the long hair and shrill voice, my solid color XXL tee, bandana, bruised face, and ‘husky’ sized pants would have fooled you into thinking I hosted a Y chromosome. But wait it gets better, the boys were mostly Hispanic or black…Granny lived in Hyde Park. From them, I picked up just enough foreign words to get me in trouble, and some slang that will never escape me (ever heard me say something is ‘mad’ whatever? Yeah…got that from Marco…).
Three: Due to my rebellious stage, I never got my ears pierce as a young girl, and was far too apathetic to cut my hair. So I remained earring-less and scraggily-haired until seventh grade. Turning thirteen, I felt some changes were in order. My mother scheduled an appointment to lop off my mid-back length hair into a bob unable to be put into a ponytail. BIG MISTAKE. I have regretted doing this ever since. Yes, I am happy I donated the fifteen inches of thick waves to Locks of Love, a company for leukemia and chemotherapy patients, and yes, I do believe everyone should try a change, but this was a little much. I constantly remind myself how long my hair could have been now if I never cut it. The upside was, after losing ten pounds from my head, I looked about fifteen. I aged further after getting my ears pierced with gold studs.
“The good news is your earrings look wonderful,” the doctor said “The bad news is now you look about eighteen.”
And boy was he right, I was willing to bet I could drive my mother’s car around with no second glances. By looking older, I felt that I could act older and get away with it. This was true, and caused me to mature more quickly than my three-year-older sister. But I do not regret this in the least, I was able to connect with more mature people which made me feel good about myself. But freshman year with that hair cut was still hell…
Four: Ah high school, the place where no one’s self esteem is safe, where some kids are discovering intercourse and others are discovering deodorant, where everyone finds someone like them, no matter how weird. I was always a loner at my school, because every girl owned a “straightener”, and every boy listened to a rapper with the same name as colorful chocolate pieces. At high school, there were people who didn’t look at me funny when I’d quote Disney movies, or hum Linkin Park, or even when I seem to be reading my “comic books” backwards. In fact, I found they did the same things I didn’t realize I did (Resistance is what?). Going in, I was ready for the worst experience, every old teacher had been warning me of the difficulty of the work, and the challenges I would face remembering to do everything myself. But I was wonderfully surprised to not only see male teachers (of which my previous school had none), but to find that it was just a bigger version of grade school. The teachers were so much nicer, and all the subjects were so much more interesting. I thought it would be difficult being in an advanced English class my first year (especially when I had to sing to spell ‘banana’), but it really made me love literature all the more. And biology? It was my favorite class right next to history (something I thought would never happen). Going to high school set me up for some of the greatest accomplishments of my life; not only did I discover that I wanted to pursue a career in science, but for the first time, I played sports I wasn’t forced into! Crazy!
Five: Freshman and sophomore year, I played volleyball, a sport I always wanted to play but never had the resources. I tried once, and I learned never to try to overhand pass the setter ball. I absolutely loved playing, and each and every game was a source of entertainment and enjoyment. But there was something missing, I can’t describe it because to this day I am not sure what made me turn to soccer. Not to insult volleyball, but it was one of the best choices I had ever made. I sucked at soccer, not in the modest “I’m not all that good” sense. In the sense that hurt my ankle when attempting to kick the ball because I dragged my foot too much. I also found out the second to last game of the season that the goalie is allowed to leave the box, a fact that would have saved very many scored points. Despite the vacuum, the team accepted me and it made me feel really great. At first, I felt odd because both my father and my sister harbor an immense, nonsensical resentment for the “stupid European sport”. After I started playing, though, that didn’t matter to me. Soccer was the greatest sport in the world to me. Being the goalie, I felt every scored point was some way or another all my fault. I felt this way because I loved my team and I wanted to be the best I could for them, but unfortunately my best was far from good enough. But again, that didn’t matter to them; each game no matter how badly I screwed up (and believe me it happened often) they all made sure to congratulate me on a job well done.
Six: Also in high school, I was exposed to this curious species called “boys”. They were like me but with different genetic make-up, different tendencies, different likes and made me rouge and get all giggly. That is to say I didn’t like them…or the idea of them anyway. But somehow they entered my life. In hindsight, I should have been much more excited than I was but I understand why I wasn’t. All the “hot guys” my new girl friends talked about were people I had known all my life and acted exactly like at one point. But later when guys started to interact with me, I got where they were coming from. I slowly discovered my “type” as tall, tone, with longish hair; he liked music, video games, and just being; he knew what he liked, and wasn’t afraid to be himself, and if I was lucky, he had a sexy accent. And when I got a boyfriend, I really felt confident for the first time because I knew I had finally found someone who was just like me (and he was cute too!).
Seven: Drama. Not the snap-at-you-in-a-‘Z’-formation kind, but the spirit-fingered kind. I always wanted to get into it, but I never had the confidence or the opportunity. At my elementary school, the kids who got picked for the plays were the kids whose parents were on the PTO, which brought “getting involved with your children’s school” to a whole new level. But junior year, my high school finally decided to get together and bring the drama club back (or as they called it the “Performing Arts” club). This was fortunate for me in many ways, one being I would finally be in the literal spotlight I had always desired to be in. Another was that I would finally have someone watch me to tell me whether I had potential at acting at all, or everything I thought I could do was actually rubbish. Which brings about another perk, it finally put all of my psychotic tendencies to use. You see, I often times would run a situation (real life or what I believed to be) over in my head, which would periodically escape from my mind into my body and mouth, forcing me to act and speak as though I were a normal human being. Luckily, all that practicing faces in a mirror paid off.
Eight: Over the years in high school I had learned to express myself. The most important times were typically not in school (although once I did dye my hair red; I was called Ariel and placed under watch for fear of selling my voice by my best friend). When it came to seeing the real Rachael, you would have to catch her in between costumes, three days out of the year, in the Hynes Convention Center. Anime Boston, a convention where people who had so much free time they recreated costumes of their favorite Japanese comic or cartoon characters came to talk to other people with equal amounts of free time, and buy over-priced manga (as they were called) they could just buy at any bookstore. But it was there I was able to be myself by dressing up in whatever I felt like wearing, acting like someone else I revered as an idol, and meeting “best friends” I would remember until I left that day and slept. There was something exhilarating about being the odd one out among a group of ‘normal Bostonians’ (even if I ended up being the odd eighteenth out). After years of doing this, I brought some of that spunk back with me, and I started being the real me. I said what I felt, dressed and did my hair how I wanted, and learned that even if I wasn’t accepted by the 215 students at Trinity Catholic High School, I would always be accepted by the seventeen thousand con-goes at Anime Boston! Datebioh!

'City of Angels' Creative Writing

Rachael Kerr
AP English
May 18, 2010
‘City of Angels’ Creative Writing
The Uninterested Pauper
Everyone loves having that one rich relative who sends hundred dollar checks for birthdays, graduations, and insignificant shortcomings. Although you hate the fact that they flaunt their wealth, that is quickly defused by “Look! Free money for learning how to drive!” It so weird-too- that you only go to one party they have each year, with no gifts, but just a twelve-pack and your church clothes. So after all that, being given a week in their house would be a blessing from the most generous God. But for me, I was a little less loud-mouth hymn, and a little more “I have better things to do”.
But that didn’t matter because there I was, against my will on a four-hour plane ride from Camden, New Jersey to Beverly Hills, California. I remained quiet, feeling the appropriate course for someone of my stature should be barely seen, and never heard. I silenced my astounded reaction as I watched uppity businessmen get snippety with their flight attendant because their water wasn’t bottled using the water Bernadette drank from the bank. Here I was, eating peanuts from a baggie I brought with me (I thought you had to pay for the ones they gave you) and this guy was complaining his t-bone was too well-done. And these were the kind of people I was going to be bumping elbows with for the next week.
I knew I didn’t belong as soon as I got off the plane. As I turned to thank the hostess, the woman behind me walked right into me, not paying attention die to the pressing conversation of which of her tennis courts she would play on taking place beneath her manicured finger nails.
“Fuck!” I shouted.
Her alligator pumps tore the blister on my heel from my oversized hand-me-down shoes. She reeled back as if I had insulted how the fire red top she dawned complemented her overly bronzed face. Furious whispers from the snooty rubbernecking crowd chased me down the clanking steps, until I lost them in the overbearing shouting of cell phone conversations revolving around which of their vacation homes on which continent they offer for time-share next. My eyes darted from sign to sign until I recognized my name, strangely written in elegant script. Pushing past designer luggage with designer puppies in tow, I waved to what I assumed by his hat to be the driver.
“…Miss…Gray?” He would have sounded more courteous, if he wasn’t so confused. My oversized hoodie, faded jeans, and torn sneakers definitely caught him off guard.
This scene played out numerous times: meeting my escort, the doorman, the elevator operator, and the baggage boy. Each looked from me to the previous greeter, seeking for any hint to tell of a joke, hoping I was just a random orphan they flew in for shits and giggles, because they have nothing better to occupy their time, not the god-daughter of their master and lady.
My earlier sentiment about rubbing elbows was completely off-base. It would be damn-near impossible to accident brush any part of anyone in this mansion ever, this impossibility closely followed by being found walking around stark naked. Simply put, this mansion was massively-massive. In fact, my godmother did not know until the next morning that I had arrived the preceding afternoon. Enraged, she demanded an explanation for such insolence (she used those words exactly), seeing as it was clearly the fault of the people who could not find the tiny woman, not of the woman who was expecting a guest. Her dark eyes shifted quickly beneath her wrinkled skin, and her oddly pearly white teeth peeked out from underneath a heavily-made-up face. I knew her name was Felicia, yet she introduced herself as if I was the daughter of a business associate: overexcited with a lot of hand gestures and touching. Hastily, she called for her husband and son, who took a minimum of twenty minutes to navigate to our location. Henry, my godfather, was in his late forties like his wife, although years of stressful business had hardened his features into a permanent ‘thinker’ expression. Thomas, their son, was a reasonably handsome man but the idea of his wealth made him an automatic ten. He had an excitable disposition, but his character was burdened down with the naivety one only receives from a large sum of constantly available funds. At a first glance, it would seem like they were the kind of people I would not be confront too often. But first impressions are always wrong.
Within one day, everything I knew had been flipped on its head. After tossing and turning for hours in my king-sized bed in my czar-sized guest room, my cell phone alarm rang telling me to get ready for the worst experience of my life: rich people high school. I jumped in the shower for five minutes, before throwing on the best fitting and least worn clothes I had for my first day in Hell, and crossed my room to the engraved mahogany door. Hyperventilating from the long trek, I quickly caught my breath from a surprise gasp. The knob turned itself, and I soon stood eye to wrinkly eye with an unfamiliar butler. He was as shocked as I was; for me it was because I wasn’t expecting to ever be this close to anyone in this house, and him because I imagine he thought I was a homeless child who snuck in by mistake.
“Oh Miss Gray, I was coming by to wake you for school, but I see you have already prepared yourself...” The elderly butler explained, his voice trailing off as he looked me up and down.
“…its 6:15…wouldn’t I be late if I just started getting ready now? Or is the school that close by foot?”
He answered my question with a blank stare, I assumed that he didn’t speak much English, and thanked him as I passed to go down the stairs. After running through art filled hallways, and carpet lined sunroom, I made my way to the kitchen, where I was told to meet Thomas. A plump gray-haired maid occupied the kitchen, dashing from one side to the other, preparing a multitude of dishes looking reading to be photographed for a cook book. Apparently, this was everyone’s breakfast. And by everyone I mean Felicia, Henry, Thomas, and me. Around seven-ish, Thomas finally strolled in, paying no attention to the delicacies decorating the marble and onyx breakfast table; the same reactions with for Felicia and Henry. At seven-thirty I questioned our departure for school, stating that we would probably have to run to even get a tardy. I received the same blank stared but this time it was accompanied by Felicia’s answer of “it only takes five minutes by limo”. Strangely, this did not bring on a discussion of how long it would actually take, but of which vehicle Thomas wanted to ride in today- the Mercedes Benz, the Jaguar, or the BMW.
I stepped outside to get some fresh air after being suffocated by all the ostentatious smog created in that one tiled prison. I was sick to my stomach, not only because I was not used to the high quality of the breakfast spread, but because the things these people took for granted literally disgusted me.
Going to a hoity-toity high school was not all that different from a regular high school when you got down to the basics. The student and their conversation were pretty normal, but their subjects were slightly altered. Instead of “My parent are gone this weekend, who wants to have a killer party?” it was “My parents are going to Thailand for a month, who wants to live at my house?” It wasn’t “Your parents won’t lend you the car? That sucks”, but “Your parents won’t lend you the yacht? That sucks”. The torturous week flew by about as fast as lead weight blown across a desert by an asthmatic grandmother.
I reached my inner-peace on the plane; not because I meditated, because it was either block out the other passengers’ voices, or repeatedly slam my forehead against the tray table. After another grueling four-hour flight back to Camden, I stepped off the plane, calmly walked to my house, and softly opened the door. As I shuffled down the creaky hallway, passed through the doorframe into a room the size of the walk-in closet at my god parents house, and I placed on my bag on what Henry would most likely call a pillow. After examining the peeling wallpaper, the rusty faucet, and broken window pane, I dropped to my knees. God, it’s great to be home.

Dorian Gray Assessment #2

Rachael Kerr
AP English 11
March 30, 2010
Dorian Gray Assessment #2
Dorian Gray Characterization
Dorian Gray begins as an innocent, beautiful young man whose loss of conscience twists him into a corrupt yet equal beautiful being.
It could be said that Dorian Gray is the most controversial character in the novel, considering he never receives punishment for the unjust way he acts. But his personality is not static; Dorian was completely different in the beginning of the novel. Dorian was an extremely handsome young man, beaming with the stainless cloth of boyhood. It is through Basil that we first learn how impressionable Dorian really is; Basil does not want Lord Henry to meet Dorian, because he knows how Henry will act to Dorian. When Henry meets Dorian, he begins to influence Dorian in such a way that will continue throughout the novel: “the few words that Basil’s friend had said to him […] had touched some secret chord” (21). After seeing the most magnificent portrait of himself by Basil, Henry teases Dorian about the fleeting tendancy of youth, to which Dorian pleas: “If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! […] I would give my soul for that!” (28). Upon making this deadly bargain, Dorian never receives the harsh consequences of age or sin that traditionally write itself across one’s face. After realizing this lack of repercussions, Dorian loses all sense of morality, wishing only to seek pleasure, and disregarding his portrait growing evermore grotesque: “What did it matter what happened to the colored image on the canvas? He would be safe” (110). Dorian takes a dark turn, and kills Basil in cold blood as he attempted to show Dorian his wrongs. Nearing the end, Finally, being driven to the brink of insanity due to haunting phantoms of everything he has done, Dorian attempts to completely to rid himself of all guilt: “[the painting] has been like conscience to him […] he would destroy it” (228). He stabs the painting, and his servants find him “withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage” (229) with the same knife he used in his heart. In life he wished for eternal life, but true immortality only exists in death.
Dorian Gray is an incubus, a mythological demon that lures young women in using their aesthetics as a way to get the women to have sex with them to reproduce; Dorian is abuses his good looks for his own selfish gain, luring in the esteem less and simple minded.
A parallel would be to the main female character in The Hot Chick; within the first few scenes, she is shown using her good looks and sexual appeal to get away with not paying for food.

Lord Henry Characterization
Lord Henry is a overbearing, manipulative, yet light hearted man who lacks concern for those around him who might be affected by his paradoxical musings.
Lord Henry is a very influential speaker with an air of interest surrounding him, as demonstrated by Dorian: “There was something in his low, languid voice that was absolutely fascinating” (Wilde 23). Lord Henry speaks often without thought or a filter; sometimes in paradox, other times witticisms, then at times in cynicism. Although what he says might be queer and harmful, his listeners are fascinated and beg for more: “You must come and explain that to me some afternoon, Lord Henry. It sounds like a fascinating theory” (185). But Henry uses his listener’s interest to invite them close to him, so as he will be able observer them more closely. He regards those who are close enough to him to be considered ‘friends’ as ‘test subjects’. However, only those who can see through the haze he creates are the ones who truly understand him: “Lord Henry, I am not at all surprised that the world says that you are extremely wicked” (182).
Lord Henry is the Id of your brain, the pleasure principle; it revolves around what is wanted, when it is wanted, and devotes itself to getting that; he reveres himself in Hedonism, looking for nothing more but the fastest road to instant gratification.
A modern day parallel for Lord Henry would be to Germany’s Adolf Hitler; Hitler had property on the thin line between genius and insanity, and everyone around him knew that, yet he was such a fantastically motivating speaker he was able to turn an entire nation to genocide; Lord Henry was able to twist a naïve, innocent boy into a immoral, Hedonistic murderer.

Dorian Gray Assessment #1

Rachael Kerr
AP English 11
March 29, 2010
Dorian Gray Assessment #1
1. How terrible it is, when a man can no longer feel pleasure without hearing of another’s pain.
2. Life is the greatest thing mankind has received, yet we put restrictions on living.
3. Intelligence is unbecoming. While one wastes his time reading and thinking, he could be out, making important friendships and more important relationships.
4. Love is a useless emotion because to obtain it, a stronger, more exciting one must die first.
5. Women are like roses; if they see you play the right part, they will throw themselves at you.
6. Having children is not how you preserve yourself; quite the opposite. And besides, your children will never be wholly like you, cheap imitations at best. Why waste the time or winkles?
7. Lying is not the worst you can do to a person, they will never know. Being truthful is much more painful.
8. Suicide is quite useful; it can be a preservation tool. If used at one’s peak, it lends immortality to happiness because you will not have time to experience sadness.
9. What bore marriage is-like having the same meal every day.
10. The only real talent in this world is the ability to make other do what you want, and then you have every talent at your disposal.

Dorian Gray: Chap 12 & 13

"I[Basil] want you[Dorian] to lead such a life as will make the world respect you. I want you to have a clean name and a fair record" (156).

Basil is spoiling Dorian; instead of see the bad that he has done and being upset with him, he attempts to shame Dorian into fixing himself. Unfortunately, and as much as it pains me to say this, Dorian is too far gone to fix himself. Not only that, but Basil is the greatest culprit of blind optimisim; he truly wishes to see Dorian beautiful inside and out. But by doing this, he is only encouraging Dorian. When Basil says "You have a wonderful influence. Let it be for good, not for evil" (156), Dorian stops listening at 'influence'; Basil encourages Dorian's behavior by telling him what he can do to people, and by how Basil reacts to him.

"How quickly it had all been done! [Dorian] felt strangely calm"(163)
Dorian has fallen deeper into his pit of sin; he has killed his best friend, Basil. Oddly enough, after he has committed the murder, he acts removed from the situation, analyzing it in the strangest way. He attempts to excuse himself: "There had been a madness of murder in the air. Some red star had come to close to the earth" (164). Then, he justifys it by saying "And yet what evidence was there against him? "(164). This sounds like he is almost proud of what he had done. One question remains unanswered: What will become of the portrait? Will the horror of the painting increase dramatically?

Dorian Gray c.11

"For years Dorian Gray could not free himself from the influence of this book; or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he never sought to free himself from it" (Wilde 130).
Rewind to Sybil's death, and how Dorian expressed himself to Lord Henry: "If I had read this in a book, Harry, I think I would have wept over it"(103). Dorian does not seem to now be able to express his feelings to real situations, only in fictional ones. Perhaps this is how we can see the necessity of mortality to the purpose of life; why would anything matter if you have an infinite amount of time to make up for it? Because Dorian will never age and therefore never die, life has ceased to have the impact it once did on him. Without the idea that must cherish life while he has it, Dorian has becomed detached from all situations that everyone else feels. He becomes so lost in the book because it is something he does not necessarily understand. He speaks of the fear of looking in mirrors, water, and any reflective surface the main charcter has as he begins to lose his beauty; this fascinates Dorian because he will never experience this. It is the same reason for why he observes the painting in all its wonderful horror. He stares at the paint of what might have been, and laughs, knowing it never will.

"There were many...who...fancied that they saw, in Dorian GRay the true realization of a typer of which they had often dreamed in Eton of Oxford days- a type that was to combine something of the real cultture of the scholr with all the grace and dsitinction and perfect manner of a citizen of the world" (132).
This relates to our human tendancy of innately wanting to believe that something beautiful is beautiful all the way through. By observing Dorian, with his handsome face and intelligent nature, they believe that he must be as fantastically perfect on the inside as well. Unfortunately this is untrue; beauty is a corruptive power, as we can all see in Dorian's change. As cited later in the chapter, "it was remarked, however, that some of those who had been most intimate with him appeared, after a time, to shun him" (145). Dorian lets this undying beauty goes to his head, and allows the portrait to change more than it necessarily would if his soul were unchanged by the knowledge of what power he has.

Dorian Gray Ch3

"Yes, [Henry] would try to be to Dorian Gray what, without knowing it, the lad was to the painter who had fashioned the wonderful portrait. He would seek to dominate him- had already, indeed, half done so. He would make that wonderful spirit his own. There was something fascinating in this son of Love and Death" (Wilde 40).

Lord Henry can truly be reckless; in this simple thought we can see h is true nature and disregard for others shine through. He has not thought about at all about what this attempt at dominance over Dorian will do to him. Perhaps he will lose Dorian as a friend, or perhaps Dorian will become more dependent on him. As we see at the end of this chapter, Dorian begs Henry: "I feel I must come with you" (47). It is only the third chapter and already we see Dorian begging Henry to preach his nonsensical "wisdom" to his always.

"[Henry] played with the idea, and grew wilful; tossed it into the air and transformed it; let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent with fancy, and winged it with paradox" (44).

This perfectly describe Henry's thought-process. You will notice at no point does he filter was he says so as to not influence any of those around him. He just says what he means, but does not mean what he says. When he speaks, the colorfulness of his diction enchants any who hear him, and their enchantment leads them from rationality. They believe that what Henry says is absolute truth, and follow it as law. Even though Henry himself does not follow what he says; he know that the words that come for his mouth are mere silly fancy. And those who know him best, Basil, knows to pay him no mind when he goes on a tangent.

The Picture of Dorian Gray-Chpts 1-2

"I shall grow old...But this picture will remain always young. If it were I to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that...I would give everything!...I would give my soul for that!" (Wilde 28).

Plot point! This is the turning point for Dorian Gray; we see how seriously he take age now after Lord Henry's influence. Shortly after this, he snaps at Basil for judging him(only in jest) on his appearance. When Dorian's morality begins to change later in the novel, we will be able to come back to this and see ground zero. I do not blame Dorian for his jealousy of the painting; I actually feel very badly for him. I believe in his situation, after the bliss of ignorance has been stollen away, I would begin to have the same thoughts and feelings. If I were beautiful I know I would want that beauty to last forever; being young and seeing the possiblility of in a blink of the worlds eye, I could be the most elderly of the elderly, I never want my youth to end.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Preface

"To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim" (Wilde 1); if the art is beautiful, and yet the artist must be hidden, does that mean that the artist is ugly? Perhaps not physically, but morally ugly. Wilde describes these people as "those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming" (1).An interesting point he makes is about the nineteenth century dislike of realism. Realism, in the subject of art,means how a subject appears to be in real life with no interpretation. Could this dislike stem from the disparity between a person's image and their actual being? He goes on to say that this kind of morality can be used in art, or the "perfect use [art] of an imperfect medium [morality]"(1).Nearing the end of the preface, Wilde writes a small introduction to his book: "All art is at once surface and symbol./Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril./ Those who read the symbol do so at their peril."(2). He is referring to the main character and subject of the painting in question. The first line says that Gray's painting is the surface and symbol of his being, which explains how it becomes old and gruesome. The two following lines tell us that he (nor anyone else) cannot look upon it, lest they suffer the consequences.

Scarlet Letter Crucible Sythesis

Rachael Kerr
AP English 11
February 25, 2010
Scarlet Letter, The Crucible Synthesis

Sin and Its Necessarily Public Penitence
Sin is what keeps humans from divinity; how people deal with sin is how they can differentiate themselves. People can either atone for their sins, or completely ignore that they did them. Repentance is difficult, even for the greatest people, for pride is constantly overriding moral decisions. Some people believe that they need to be forgiven or even feel sorry; even if they do, why does it matter? Is it not said that only God may judge? By forcing someone to apologize, and seeing them badly if they do not do so, are humans not stepping on the Almighty’s toes? Excuses, excuses. To get around this, many people believe that by not speaking of what was done, over time the sin will fade into nothingness. Like footsteps on the sandy shore of life, the waves of time will wash away any traces of mistakes or wrongdoings. Simply because there is no light in the room does not make it empty, a simple inspection will undoubtedly reveal chairs and tables. When a human being ignores their sin they believe it is gone forever, but repression is never helpful and almost always hurtful; public repentance always has the best outcome with redemption and how that person is seen. Not only is this perfectly noticeable in everyday life, but in literature as well. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, affairs take place, in each couple with one character speaking out about what happened, and the other remaining silent. In both examples, the character that speaks out always is a better viewed character with more positive happenings, and the silent character is punished. In The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter, public repentance is more effective because it causes the characters to actually take responsibility for their actions, leading to moral growth, whereas private repentance leads to pain and anguish.
The prime example of triumph from public confession is from The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne confessed her sins to the public in the very beginning, which saved her in the end and even made her a better person. While her husband was away, she had an affair and became pregnant; therefore she had no way to keep her affair a secret. Her punishment was cruel and unusual by today’s standard, but ended with amazing results. The townspeople forced her to wear a scarlet ‘A’ to let everyone know she was an adulterer, and then made her stand on a scaffold in the town square. As all eyes are fixed on her, Hester experienced the consequences of what she had done. By having no way to back out of her punishment and dealing with it head on, Hester was able to repent more effectively. An interesting factor was Hester’s A; they made her stitch it herself, and as she leaves the jail where they kept her, she held her head high displaying the baby and her A; “The young woman… with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile…looked around…On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and…gold thread, appeared the letter A” (Hawthorne 50). Hester specifically makes her A gaudy because she wants everyone to look at it. Hester understand what she did was very wrong and that she deserves to be punished for it. Although it is very painful and damaging for her, Hester goes through her public punishment anyway.
As the story continues, the nature of the townspeople towards her undergoes a large change. They began to change the meaning of her scarlet letter: “Many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (146). Compared to other characters in the novel, Hester is viewed as most pious, generous, and dedicated. She is able to have her child and get through her penance and remain a good person because she was forced to repent immediately and without mercy. By having this extreme penance, she was redeemed the most. The reader views Hester as a good character throughout the book because of her full public repentance, which gives her the air of fully honest and strong-willed.
John Proctor from The Crucible was ashamed of what he had done, and tried to hide his affair. Only three people knew in the beginning: himself, the girl he got involved with Abigail Williams, and his wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth constantly scolded him for it, making it seem that public humiliation would be the worst way to go. However, it was the best option that he denied. After having Elizabeth swear she would tell no one, Proctor goes to court. During the court, Proctor must prove that Abigail is not the holy tool they make her out to be. The only way to do that is to admit to lechery. When Proctor finally does, there is a slight enlightening in the court but they cannot be sure he is truthful. Declaring that his wife knows, the court calls in Elizabeth. Of course she does not say anything, wishing to protect her husband, leading to distrust from the court. This situation could have been avoided all together if Proctor had confessed to lechery in the first place.
Eventually, Proctor is able to capture the courts understand, and their view of Abigail changes. From this point on, the reader notices a change in Proctor as well; he is more proud and resilient, defying the courts. Proctor becomes more respectable and certainly more admirable, and he is able to die willingly. Proctor does not agree to sign his statement that he works for the devil, because by doing this he condemns himself and others. In addition to a death sentence, Proctor will not sign for another reason; “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!...I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (143). He prides his name because it represents all that he is, and now that he confessed, he feels that he means more.
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter wanted desperately to be revealed as Hester has, for he was the one with whom she cheated. Dimmesdale kept his sin a secret, fearing the consequences, perhaps not for himself though. He continues to attempt confessions, using vague language but never saying it outright. Dimmesdale goes through a vicious cycle in his attempts to repent for his sin. The cycle began with Dimmesdale’s sin; Dimmesdale hates sin. He then feels the need to repent because of this hate. However, he cannot repent because it will shake the faith of the townspeople. He does not risk the damage because he holds the Christian faith as most important. Following, he feels need to do something, more precisely say something. So, he preaches to the people how bad he is. By doing this, they only put him on a higher pedestal and bask in his deeper shadow: “if [Dimmesdale] discern such sinfulness in his own white soul, what horrid spectacle would he behold in thine or mine!”(131). Finally by being more highly revered, Dimmesdale hates himself even more, which begins the cycle again. In the end with his dying breath, Dimmesdale confesses to his affair with Hester.
During most of the novel there are two conflicting views of Dimmesdale; either he is a concerned, pious man, or a cowardly one. Dimmesdale was viewed in a positive light because while he did not confess, he sure enough suffered. He suffered because he actually cared for the people, and sacrificed his health for their religion. However, Dimmesdale was very well a coward in some respects. He made plenty of attempts to confess, but only once did he actually explain exactly what he did. When he confessed, he died right after so he would not go through the consequences.
Abigail Williams from The Crucible felt empowered by forcing Proctor to cheat on his wife and did not attempt to repent in the least. Until Proctor revealed the two of them, she had thought it would remain a secret forever. Instead of feeling any sort of guilt for her sin, Abby viewed it as love between herself and Proctor. She then utilizes this vision to fuel her desire for Proctor. Abby twists her clearly malevolent intentions to eliminate Elizabeth, into a romantic crusade. This war for love is only desired by Abby, Proctor has no intention of ever being with her; “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby” (23). This infuriated Abby, pushing her to enact her vengeance, the entire time using Proctor’s lechery as blackmail to keep him from interfering. During this fiasco, Abby viewed her sin as a good thing and nothing but.
Through her wicked, selfish nature Abigail is a very off-setting character for the reader; there are several reasons that she is seen as an obvious antagonist. One is by using the protagonist Proctor for her own selfish gain. Two is because she feels no remorse by any of the damage caused by her reckless nature. This leads to three, because she makes absolutely no attempt to repent for her sins, and actually intended on keeping it a secret. By going the complete opposite direction of repentance, Abby’s end is worse than that of any character: “The legend has it that Abigail turned up later as a prostitute in Boston” (146). The reader is completely satisfied by this ending because she was a snide, contemptuous, immoral young girl only worthy of a loveless end.
By publicly atoning for one’s sins, a person is able to get the full redemption. Because peers are mostly harsh and unrelenting in their punishment, public confessions are not well received. By exacting an extreme amount of punishment, a sinner is able to see how bad their sin really was. Only through harsh consequences will a human learn the degree of their mistakes; this idea is called negative reinforcement. For example, if a dog tears up a pillow and the owner proceeds to give the dog a harmless yet firm smack on the nose with a newspaper, eventually the dog will associate the impulse to tear up something with a negative result like being struck. For humans the principle is the same; by receiving such shame and degradation, a sinner will always remember that feeling and take that sensation into consideration when faced with the option to sin. By privately bearing a sin, a person can find ways to make the sin not seem so bad. As human beings, people want to protect themselves, and because of pride they will attempt to create excuses. However if the guilty person were brought before others, they would not fair so well. In The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter, the characters that confess to their sins publicly are redeemed more greatly by the end of the book because it causes them to actually take responsibility for their actions. Hester began with public confession and lived a good life, Proctor began in private and half way through confessed publicly and he died an honorable death, Dimmesdale remained private until he used his last breath to confess then died with hints of cowardice, and Abigail never confessed publicly at all and became a prostitute. Comparing this series of decaying publicity and happy endings, it is plain to be seen that public penance is much more effective in higher doses. After all, if one cannot be truthful to others about the bad one has done, how can they be expected to believe in the good?









Work Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1850.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin, 1976.

Character Analysis- Pearl

Rachael Kerr
AP English 11
February 21, 2010
Scarlet Letter
Characterization-Pearl
Pearl Prynn is an odd, impish young girl, intent on punishing the two people whose love and sin she manifests.
Pearl is introduced as “being of great price,-purchased with all [Hester] has,-her mother’s only treasure!”(Hawthorne 81), yet more subtly as a rose: “to symbolize some sweet moral blossom…or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow”(46). To some of the townspeople she seems to be of demonic origin, which is understandable considering how she acts. Pearl enjoys being her mother’s torment as well as her father’s, Dimmesdale; she constantly reminds them both of their sin. Pearl seem so very intrigued by the scarlet letter, and at times reminds Hester specifically of it; “Pearl put up her mouth and kissed the scarlet letter too!”(190). As for Dimmesdale, she constantly call to attention his habit of holding his hand over his heart. But between them pearl is “the oneness of their being”(186). She is both of theirs, their treasure and their pain, bought with a cost greater than life.
Pearl is like the tattoo of a partner you though you would be with forever; you cannot rid yourself of it, yet every time you see it, you remember the mistake you made.
A modern day connection would be to the Cheshire Cat of Wonderland. It seems as though he only exists to torture you, by say forcing you to wear your scarlet letter, or causing the queen of hearts to threaten you. But after further inspection, he keeps on track, as does Pearl. When the Cheshire Cat asks Alice questions, they force her to question herself which lead her through Wonderland. When Pearl refuses to kiss Dimmesdale, she is imparting punishment on him, until he admits his sin.

Character Analysis- Hester

Rachael Kerr
AP English11
February 21, 2010
Scarlet Letter
Characterization-Hester
Hester Prynn is a strong-willed, dedicated Christian woman whose defiant nature turns her punishment into praise.
In the beginning, Hester is introduced to us as simply a defiant adulteress with child. But as the story goes on, it is revealed why Hester committed this act. She was in a loveless marriage that she never consented to; “I felt no love, nor feigned any” (Hawthorne 69). Continuing, the nature of her lechery is defined: it was a passionate affair with a man she still loves; Reverend Dimmesdale. After Hester’ daughter Pearl has been born, Hester can be further described as a dedicated mother, intent on bringing her daughter up in the Christian faith, even though Pearl does not admit to being taught any sort of religion. Nearing the end of the book, Hester’s reputation in the village has done a complete turnaround. Through her generous nature to the people of the town, despite their complete contempt for her, Hester has changed the meaning of the Scarlet Letter; “it imparted to the wearer a kind of sacredness…amid all peril”(147). Even after her punishment is over Hester continues to wear her Scarlet Letter, and this shows how greatly she understands the severity of what she did and that she must repent.
Hester Prynn is like edelweiss, a white flower able to grow in rocky soil and partial shade; by overcoming obstacles, and actually preferring the hindrances, Hester is able to become the most beautiful blossom.
A modern day connection would be to Susan B. Anthony. Only by undergoing public scrutiny, such as wearing men’s’ bloomers or a scarlet A, were both women able to gain respect and admiration.

Scarlet Letter Short Paper

Rachael Kerr
AP English 11
February 12, 2010
Scarlet Letter Short Paper
Dimmesdale’s Perfect Punishment
Human beings enjoy finding flaws in others, and making them repent for them. It is found to be amusing when one can look upon the stories of a person’s life and point out where they had gone wrong. A sense of pride is derived as the center of attention squirms while explaining themselves; this discomfort is punishment enough. Is it amusing-then-when someone goes as far as to actually punish themselves? It is not; sympathy arises as well as offers for assistance- sometimes even admiration for self-control. This situation plays over in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. After committing adultery but never being publicly punished like his partner Hester Prynne, Reverend Arnold Dimmesdale harbors a seed of guilt that grows. But this form of punishment fits Dimmesdale in the best way a consequence can. The perfection of Dimmesdale’s punishment lies in three factors: the punishment itself, how it relates to him, and that he sees it as a blessing.
The best way to describe Dimmesdale’s torment is a vicious cycle. The cycle began with Dimmesdale’s sin; Dimmesdale hates sin. He then feels the need to repent because of this hate. However, he cannot repent because it will shake the faith of the townspeople. He does not risk the damage because he holds the Christian faith as most important. Following, he feels need to do something, more precisely say something. So, he preaches to the people how bad he is. By doing this, they only put him on a higher pedestal and bask in his deeper shadow: “if [Dimmesdale] discern such sinfulness in his own white soul, what horrid spectacle would he behold in thine or mine!”(Hawthorne 131). Finally by being more highly revered, Dimmesdale hates himself even more, which begins the cycle again. This torture does not only affect Dimmesdale because of the pain in inflicts, but because he is able to see the affects past himself.
Dimmesdale’s torture is especially poignant for him. To begin with, Dimmesdale cares; he cares that he has sinned and not yet confessed. In addition, by not confessing he has led the townspeople astray. Dimmesdale cares that the people are praising someone who is not what they appear to be. As he explains to Hester; “Lost as my own soul is, I would still do what I may for other human souls! I dare not quit my post, though an unfaithful sentinel, whose sure reward is death and dishonor, when his dreary watch shall come to an end!” (178). Dimmesdale is actually concerned about whether the townspeople remain virtuous or not, and this is where it is understood why he does not want to confess. He worries about the name of the church and faith of the people; if they see that the one that was always regarded as most holy has failed and sinned, what hope do they have? By not confessing and causing guilt that is slowly killing him, Dimmesdale desires to save the innocence in the people, which he himself has lost. Not only does Dimmesdale care, but his punishment is ironic in what it requires. Dimmesdale attempts to make his way around confessing by making his guilt obvious. For example, by standing on the scaffold in the town square and screaming, Dimmesdale wanted people to come running and catch him standing where so many other sinners have stood before: “It is done…The whole town will awake, and hurry forth, and find me [Dimmesdale] here!” (135). However, the people only continue his cycle by respecting him and feeding his guilt. Dimmesdale wants someone else to reveal him, but what he needs to do that actually continues his cycle. Interestingly- and perhaps obviously- enough, Dimmesdale does not complain about his punishment, quite the opposite. He finds that his torment is a blessing and praises God for the opportunity bestowed upon him.
It is quite curious to believe that guilt twisted into physical anguish could be a blessing from God, but for Dimmesdale it is perfectly befitting. He believes this for a few reasons; first of all, his sin is secret. This fact is important because Dimmesdale believes that retribution is between a sinner and God. He expresses that “the heart, making it guilty of such secrets, must perforce hold them, until the day when all hidden things shall be revealed. Nor have I so read or interpreted Holy Writ, as to understand the disclosure of human thoughts and deeds, then to be made, is intended as a part of the retribution” (119). Second, Dimmesdale believes that everything that happened after he sinned was sent from God as a chance to repent: “[God] hath proved his mercy, most of all, in my afflictions. By giving me this burning torture to bear upon my breast….By bringing me hither, to die this death of triumphant ignominy before the people. Had either of these agonies been wanting, I had been lost forever!”(229). By sending him the tools with which to punish himself, by sending Hester’s revenge-driven husband Roger Chillingworth, and by allowing an ignominious death before his followers, Dimmesdale understand that he is being offered a test. Going through this test is a rite of passage, and success will allow him into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Dimmesdale died knowing that he was able to repent in this life, so as to be better prepared for Heaven: “were I worthier to walk there, I could be better content to toil here” (111). It would be strange to describe a punishment as perfectly fitting, but it must be in Dimmesdale’s case. Dimmesdale’s actual punishment, how this punishment struck him, and that he saw it as God’s blessing were all factors in its effect. The actual punishment was an unending cycle, feeding the dark seed of guilt growing in his heart. This affected him so harshly because he is truly considerate of his sins and his responsibility to the morality of the townspeople. Finally, he interpreted all of the negative events as divine chances to make up for what he had done. Only a man so concerned as this-with such a dedication to himself, his people, and his God- would be able to die with the assurance of Heaven.

Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1850.

Abigail's Fall From Power

Rachael Kerr
AP English 11
January 5, 2010
The Crucible Long Paper
Abigail’s Appeal is Only Skin Deep
What is it about aesthetics that makes humans’ perception of character twist? Is it because they want to believe that the beautiful are the same inside and out? Obviously, this is not always true; many attractive people abuse this ‘gift’ to get what they desire. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, one character uses this misperception to elevate herself into a large accumulation of power. Abigail Williams, an aesthetically pleasing seventeen year old girl, wields this beauty to not only bend one man to lechery, but also to manipulate the court system to turn tables on her enemies. Abigail’s rise to power was due to her splendor, but her fall was when the other characters realized it was only skin deep.
As she is first introduced, Abigail is extremely beautiful with a knack of dissembling which summarizes her ability to flaunt herself and tear things apart very well. Her strong personality and overbearing pride is what allows her to bend other young women to her will. Other girls are not the only people she bends to her will; she uses her overwhelming beauty to lead John Proctor to adultery. In fact, this is her beginning motive for all of the “witch” non-sense. Abigail wishes so much to be with John that she will do anything to be with him: “You loved me John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!”(Miller 24). Following his rejection, Abigail seeks her revenge and begins accusing Proctor’s wife Elizabeth of witchcraft. The power continues to go to Abigail’s head which leads her to accuse more and more people of witchcraft: “Abigail: I saw Sarah Good...Goody Osborne...Bridget Bishop...Goody Sibber with the Devil!”(48). From the start, she a conniving and sly, but is unable to steal her prize--John Proctor's heart. She disguises herself as a holy follower of God, like the rest of the townsfolk, to deceive them. She walks among them, appearing like the exact opposite of what she is: innocent and pure. Abigail is forever on the prowl and trying to get to Proctor. Keeping with her facade, she lashes out at other villagers in an attempt to secure John for herself.
As if it was not obvious enough, Abigail is hated by the readers. In being a deceitful, overbearing, manipulative yet “strikingly beautiful” (8) young girl, readers harbor a resentment as anyone would. Abigail is a ‘evil’ person in regards to human definition of character in society; she is not a person that would represent a model citizen. Although she is not the only sinner, Abigail is more detested because she is a ‘wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing.’ People hate seeing, knowing, and being around other people who they would call ‘fake’ or ‘two-faced’: basically, those who do not appear as they truly are. A perfect parallel would be to Angelica from the cartoon Rugrats. Angelica was a cruel, mean-spirited little girl and all the babies knew it, but the adults (the people who ‘matter’ and ‘can do something about her’) saw her as a little angel. This enraged the watcher because of their innate hatred of pretenders, and the fact that because of this charade, Angelica was able to squirm out of trouble. Fortunately, Abigail receives her just desserts in the end. By becoming a prostitute for a living, Abigail’s end is riddled with poetic justice. Abigail used her looks to get through life, thereby never learning a trade or how to do anything really. When she ran away, she needed a job to support herself and because she only had her looks, her only option was prostitution. Is it not ironic that the adulteress was punished with the choice of life by unwanted sex or death?
While some of the similar emotions readers have are coincidental, others are felt by all because Miller designed the events of the story to make the readers feel this way. For example, the readers’ feelings for Abigail come about mostly through the situations she is seen in. If she was just a bad character, the readers would dislike her, but not as much as they do when she specifically does something to aggravate them. First, the readers do not like Abigail because of who she is, and want to see her get caught. So Miller puts her in situations, where the illusion is that she will be caught, to excite the reader. Then, he makes Abigail weasel herself out of it to excite feelings of anger, frustration, and disappointment. For instance, just as Abigail is about to be revealed as a liar, she bats her eyelashes and creates another lie that will take the negative attention away from her, and draw in sympathy: “Abigail, looking about in the air, clasping her arms about her as though cold: A wind, a cold wind, has come…Your Honor, I freeze!”(108). Now, what is it about being human that makes readers feel this way? It is the innate expectancy that justice will be served. When Abigail does not receive her punishment, readers feel a grab-bag of emotions, ranging from jealousy to rage; the jealousy is for her getting away with literally murder, which the average human could not do, and the rage is because she was simply able to get power, and then abuse it.
Abigail’s beauty unfortunately allowed her to by proxy end lives of many innocent people, and this clearly demonstrates the very human flaw of believing that beauty requires something more than luck to receive. However, when it is revealed that Abigail lied about almost all of her facts, people begin to perceive her differently: “Danforth, as though with new eyes, looks at Abigail” (105). This is when she began to fall; Abigail tried to gain too much power as she desired to have and eat her proverbial cake. Her beauty was her power, the hollowness of it was her flaw. When she began, she only wanted to have John to herself by killing Elizabeth: “[Abigail] drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife!”(19). While this was malevolent enough, if Abigail left it at that, she might have gotten away with it. Then because no one found out about, even when she was questioned about it, Abigail felt a rush of false immunity. This immunity only worked for a short while because it was paired with her good looks. Finally, an epiphany came about: just because Abigail is attractive does not mean she is necessarily telling the truth.
From this point on, Abigail was not seen as infallible; in fact it was quite the opposite because now all the characters (including the judges) knew that she was lying the entire time. For Abigail, this was the point where she knew she had to run away, which led her to her paradoxical end of prostitution; this seems like a suitable end for a character such as Abigail. Abigail’s beauty is a hollow mask, much like the love a customer feels for a prostitute; the love is supposed to be there because it is essential to love making, but-much like Abigail’s character in lacking amiable qualities-it becomes half-done and pointless. After all, what is the point of a magnificently radiant flower when you know it is rotting from the inside out?