The ironic thing about the writings in this section that lead to the Victorian Age is that their theme is awfully reminiscent to the writings from the French Revolution, which brought in the Romantics. The bulk of these writings reflect either the pros or the cons to what is going on with the new advancements in technology of the time. So for some positive takes on the new use of science, we turn to the account of Fanny Kemble who was the first woman to ride on the steam locomotive, despite all of the opposition that came along with it being built. She loves it, with the new feeling of being able to cut through the air unlike before and to feel like flying as she described it was amazing (491). Also, on that very same page, we start to read about Macaulay who simply described these new advances as the "natural progress of society"(491).
People like Charles Dickens, Friedrich Engles and Henry Mayhew were not so optimistic about the new changes in society. In his account of an industrialized city he calls "Coketown," Dickens gives a very negative description of everything that is going on, going so far as to describe the new factories and machinery as giant prisons. He is upset that there is no longer a need for working with the seasons or with daylight, because of the new technology, people don't need to rely on the sun or warm weather for work. In his last sentence of his passage, he talks about gentlemen "that lived upon the best, and bought fresh butter, and insisted on Mocha coffee, and rejected all but prime parts of meat, and yet were eternally dissatisfied and unmanageable," saying that if these are the kind of people that an industrialized society produces, people who are wasteful and ungrateful of what they are given, then it is not a very good society (498).
Mayhew takes a turn similar to that of Blake's depictions of the Chimney Sweepers in his poems with the Watercress Girl. He, like Dickens, is unsure that society can properly function with people who are so detached from one another's lives. In particular, he speaks of this one 8 year old girl who's only purpose is to labor over watercress, who is already familiar with the "bitterest struggles of life" but has yet to ever play in a park or with toys (508). He also tells a similar heart-wrenching story of A Boy Crossing-Sweeper.
Luckily, at least from what I can see, living in America, industrialism has progressed to a stage where child labor is no longer needed, nor tolerated for that matter. But we must ask ourselves whether or not the forewarnings from writers like Dickens, Mayhew, and Engels had any substance value. If you think about, because of technology, we aren't even sitting in a class room having a personal discussion about these readings, we're writing blogs, does that mean that we're not personal with each other. Or for instance, when walking across campus and you see a familiar face you don't recognize, do you just look away or at your phone instead of saying "Hi"? I think that Engels said it best when he said that Industrialism will do nothing more than create an "isolation of the individual- this narrow-minded egotism" (502).
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Felicia Hemans
The hardest aspect about Felicia Hemans is trying to understand exactly what kind of writer she was - at least as far as her views on a woman's place are concerned. The women in some of her poems from the selected reading can be taken as very traditional and docile, while others can be seen as very heroic and passionate. After considering Hemans own life, one would probably think that she is less on the traditional side, seeing as how her own father left her family while she was a teenager and even her own husband ended up leaving her family. So while raising her children, their was no male dominant image in the picture for her, so it's easy to see how her writings may have reflected a woman scorned or may have even been "making fun" of the traditional housewife.
The woman depicted as the Wife of Asdrubal may seem rather demented and extremely intense. I had to reread certain parts of the poem just to be sure that I was understanding that she was actually burning herself and her children alive. But this may be a very romantic idea, that the woman would rather die than live to be the wife of a coward and have the children of a coward. Dr. Glance in his podcast asks is this woman a heroic female, a spurned lover, or a homicidal mother? I would like to say that more than anything she is a reflection of Felicia Hemans herself.
Hemans probably related the story of this woman to her own life, with her husband leaving her to go to Italy for "ill health" as the introduction reads in the book (405). Regardless, Asdrubal left his family in order to save his own life, and in some way, perhaps Hemans felt the same way about her own Captain. So she took her children and did the best thing she could think to do. Luckily, Hemans wasn't as extreme and vindictive as the wife of Asdrubal, because Hemans simply went back to live with her mother while the martyr of our story killed herself and the children, hoping that the "avenging spirits" of the children haunt Asdrubal "Till vain remorse thy wither'd heart consume, Scourged by relentless shadows of the tomb!" (408). She obviously wants her husband to pay for the shame that he put upon himself and his family in order to avert death, and perhaps the same is true for Hemans.
It is intersting to note, however, that the wife's name is never given, perhaps this is simply because there is no historical account of what her name was. But as far as the significance that it has to this poem, Hemans herself probably felt that women are too often not given credit for their own actions. Instead of history writing her down as this strong prideful woman who would rather die than be shamed, all her actions are based off of this cowardly man. History doesn't even recognize her as being her own person, the only way she will ever be known is as the wife of Asdrubal.
The woman depicted as the Wife of Asdrubal may seem rather demented and extremely intense. I had to reread certain parts of the poem just to be sure that I was understanding that she was actually burning herself and her children alive. But this may be a very romantic idea, that the woman would rather die than live to be the wife of a coward and have the children of a coward. Dr. Glance in his podcast asks is this woman a heroic female, a spurned lover, or a homicidal mother? I would like to say that more than anything she is a reflection of Felicia Hemans herself.
Hemans probably related the story of this woman to her own life, with her husband leaving her to go to Italy for "ill health" as the introduction reads in the book (405). Regardless, Asdrubal left his family in order to save his own life, and in some way, perhaps Hemans felt the same way about her own Captain. So she took her children and did the best thing she could think to do. Luckily, Hemans wasn't as extreme and vindictive as the wife of Asdrubal, because Hemans simply went back to live with her mother while the martyr of our story killed herself and the children, hoping that the "avenging spirits" of the children haunt Asdrubal "Till vain remorse thy wither'd heart consume, Scourged by relentless shadows of the tomb!" (408). She obviously wants her husband to pay for the shame that he put upon himself and his family in order to avert death, and perhaps the same is true for Hemans.
It is intersting to note, however, that the wife's name is never given, perhaps this is simply because there is no historical account of what her name was. But as far as the significance that it has to this poem, Hemans herself probably felt that women are too often not given credit for their own actions. Instead of history writing her down as this strong prideful woman who would rather die than be shamed, all her actions are based off of this cowardly man. History doesn't even recognize her as being her own person, the only way she will ever be known is as the wife of Asdrubal.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
The thing that I found interesting about Percy Bysshe Shelley is that he seems to use two opposing ideas to describe one common thing. For instance, in Ozymandias, he describes this great and powerful king who once ruled over all of Egypt, but now his only remains are this beaten up statue that doesn't even have a torso. In Ode to the West Wind, he also uses this idea of opposites describing the wind as a Destroyer and a Preserver.
I wanted to look more deeply at his usage of opposites in his poem Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, because we rarely see the beauty in intellectualism, we tend to separate the two as if they can never coincide and I like it that he identifies that these opposites can and do coexist. In the second stanza he asks the Spirit of Beauty, "Why dost thou pass away, and leave our state, This dim vast vale of tears, vacant and desolate?- Ask why the sunlight not for ever Weaves rainbows o'er yon mountain river;" (397). This quotation is Shelley's way of asking Beauty why it must leave, the sun doesn't always show beautiful rainbows, because the rainbows will always die and go away. He proceeds to discuss other opposites saying, "Why fear and dream and death and birth Cast on the daylight of this earth," wondering why every goo dthing must have an opposite (397). He goes on to discuss how even the wisest sages and poets can't get rid of our human doubts of all these "bad" opposites, so we can see that these things must exist, like the wind that carries a tune or the moonlight on a stream (398).
His second to last stanza is his vow to use Intellectual Beauty in his poetry. I think what he means by Intellectual Beauty is this understanding that all things must have an opposite or some counter that allow us to know exactly what it is. There can't be good without bad or else we wouldn't know how good feels. There can't be beauty without ugly or else we wouldn't know what beauty looks like, and so on and so forth. When he calls "Loveliness" awful, and makes the statement that Intellectual Beauty will "free This world from its dark slavery," he's continuing this idea of opposites and the world is dark because it has yet to fiind his understanding of just how awful loveliness can be, simply becasue loveliness must always be coupled, to an extent, with awefulness (398).
In this way he's somewhat like William Blake, at least as far as the theme of having opposing ideas to describe one thing.
I wanted to look more deeply at his usage of opposites in his poem Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, because we rarely see the beauty in intellectualism, we tend to separate the two as if they can never coincide and I like it that he identifies that these opposites can and do coexist. In the second stanza he asks the Spirit of Beauty, "Why dost thou pass away, and leave our state, This dim vast vale of tears, vacant and desolate?- Ask why the sunlight not for ever Weaves rainbows o'er yon mountain river;" (397). This quotation is Shelley's way of asking Beauty why it must leave, the sun doesn't always show beautiful rainbows, because the rainbows will always die and go away. He proceeds to discuss other opposites saying, "Why fear and dream and death and birth Cast on the daylight of this earth," wondering why every goo dthing must have an opposite (397). He goes on to discuss how even the wisest sages and poets can't get rid of our human doubts of all these "bad" opposites, so we can see that these things must exist, like the wind that carries a tune or the moonlight on a stream (398).
His second to last stanza is his vow to use Intellectual Beauty in his poetry. I think what he means by Intellectual Beauty is this understanding that all things must have an opposite or some counter that allow us to know exactly what it is. There can't be good without bad or else we wouldn't know how good feels. There can't be beauty without ugly or else we wouldn't know what beauty looks like, and so on and so forth. When he calls "Loveliness" awful, and makes the statement that Intellectual Beauty will "free This world from its dark slavery," he's continuing this idea of opposites and the world is dark because it has yet to fiind his understanding of just how awful loveliness can be, simply becasue loveliness must always be coupled, to an extent, with awefulness (398).
In this way he's somewhat like William Blake, at least as far as the theme of having opposing ideas to describe one thing.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"The Eolian Harp"
When I listened to the audio clip of the eolian harp on Dr. Glance's podcast, I automatically thought that it sounded eerie. I think it was because I expected it to sound like the typical harp that I'm accustomed to, so when I heard this actual type, it sounded almost gloomy and made me think of bad things to come. With that being said, I tried to relate that to the poem when I read it. During some of the first half or so of the poem Caoleridge relates himself to the "Footless and wild... birds of Paradise" (325). These birds, being footless, never stay in one place, they are free to roam as the please, always with their heads in the clouds, forever in flight, forever free. Coleridge seems to talk about how great it is to be one of these birds, speaking of light and sound, "Fairy-Land" and flowers, Melodies and music (325). It isn't until after he mentions his wife in the poem that he comes down to earth. With her "Darts," it's almost as if the woman shoots him down from the sky with a single look (326). Only then does he talk about how important religion is as a person. And by not addressing the birds of Paradise, he pretty much completely rejects them. All that I can think that this might mean, in relation to the sound of the eolian harp, is that our reality isn't quite as pleasent as we would expect for it to be. No matter how the wind blows, a sound will be created in the harp that we either adore or just tolerate, but either way, we have to deal with it.
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" was definitely a tale that had a lot of unexpected and surely unrealistic events take place, but it makes for a nice story. In an effort to find out the significance of the albatross, I kept finding that the general understanding of the metaphor behind it relates directly to this very poem! So, I figured I would just gain my understanding of the way in which Coleridge meant for the albatross to be portrayed. It is very clearly a sign of "good omen" as described by Coleridge in his side note on page 328, but it is also marked as a "pious bird" in that same side note. So when the mariner kills the bird and is thus cursed because of it, his crew or shipmates make him wear the dead Albatross around his neck. "Instead of the cross, the Albatross/ About my neck was hung" (330). Because Coleridge mentions how the cross would normally be worn around the neck, but instead the mariner muct wear the dead Albatross, shows that the Albatross, for the mariner atleast, has in a way become his savior. Just as many Christians may wear a cross to symbolize that they follow the teachings of Christ and appreciate him for what he has done, the mariner must pay his respect to the Albatross. In fact, the mariner is so controlled by the Albatross that it is not until he completely appreciates life around him and is able to pray that the Albatross falls from his neck (333).
When I listened to the audio clip of the eolian harp on Dr. Glance's podcast, I automatically thought that it sounded eerie. I think it was because I expected it to sound like the typical harp that I'm accustomed to, so when I heard this actual type, it sounded almost gloomy and made me think of bad things to come. With that being said, I tried to relate that to the poem when I read it. During some of the first half or so of the poem Caoleridge relates himself to the "Footless and wild... birds of Paradise" (325). These birds, being footless, never stay in one place, they are free to roam as the please, always with their heads in the clouds, forever in flight, forever free. Coleridge seems to talk about how great it is to be one of these birds, speaking of light and sound, "Fairy-Land" and flowers, Melodies and music (325). It isn't until after he mentions his wife in the poem that he comes down to earth. With her "Darts," it's almost as if the woman shoots him down from the sky with a single look (326). Only then does he talk about how important religion is as a person. And by not addressing the birds of Paradise, he pretty much completely rejects them. All that I can think that this might mean, in relation to the sound of the eolian harp, is that our reality isn't quite as pleasent as we would expect for it to be. No matter how the wind blows, a sound will be created in the harp that we either adore or just tolerate, but either way, we have to deal with it.
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" was definitely a tale that had a lot of unexpected and surely unrealistic events take place, but it makes for a nice story. In an effort to find out the significance of the albatross, I kept finding that the general understanding of the metaphor behind it relates directly to this very poem! So, I figured I would just gain my understanding of the way in which Coleridge meant for the albatross to be portrayed. It is very clearly a sign of "good omen" as described by Coleridge in his side note on page 328, but it is also marked as a "pious bird" in that same side note. So when the mariner kills the bird and is thus cursed because of it, his crew or shipmates make him wear the dead Albatross around his neck. "Instead of the cross, the Albatross/ About my neck was hung" (330). Because Coleridge mentions how the cross would normally be worn around the neck, but instead the mariner muct wear the dead Albatross, shows that the Albatross, for the mariner atleast, has in a way become his savior. Just as many Christians may wear a cross to symbolize that they follow the teachings of Christ and appreciate him for what he has done, the mariner must pay his respect to the Albatross. In fact, the mariner is so controlled by the Albatross that it is not until he completely appreciates life around him and is able to pray that the Albatross falls from his neck (333).
Thursday, June 4, 2009
William Wordsworth: Lyrical Ballads
From the Lyrical Ballads in 1798, I looked at two poems in particular: "We are Seven" and "Lines Written in Early Spring." I think that we are expected to take the young girl's opinion about her number of siblings as naivete. In her conversationg with the narrator she speaks of how there are sven of them, including her deceased brother and sister, who lie near her mother's home. When the narrator tries to explain to her that there are only 5 of them now, she refuses saying, "Nay, we are seven!" (201) But are we really expected to believe that simply because two of her siblings have left this world that they don't exist? Is it the young girl who is naive or is it the narrator himself? I think this poem deals with questions Wordsworth had to deal with after the death of his own mother at such a young age. Either he could remove his mother from his memory forever, ignoring her existence, or he could act as if she would always be his mother - even in death. It is easier to forget than to remember, but that doesn't make it better.
From "Lines Written in Early Spring" I find it ironic that Wordsworth can be "in that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts Bring sad thoughts to the mind" (201). It seems like such a "sweet" mood would make someone think good thoughts as opposed to unpleasent or sad ones. When Wordsworth goes on, to talk about the things that "man has made of man," he then proceeds to talk about the beautiful things of nature around him that find pleasure in simply being alive(201). I think what Wordsworth is trying to portray, through his own thoughts on life, is that it is our own fault that we aren't able to appreciate life as much as the flowers, birds, and twigs that he makes reference to. We do it to ourselves and to each other by taking little things, like the air that we breathe, for granted. And rightly so, Wordsworth is just in his question: "Have I not reason to lament What man has made of man?" (202)
From the preface of the second edition of Lyrical Ballads, I really liked reading Wordsworth's section titled [What is a Poet?] I think that a lot of the time in studying poetry we get overwhelmed (students and teachers both) in understanding the correct structures and rhyme schemes and such that make up the poem and end up not focusing as much on the actual words and on the meaning that the reader perceives. "Poetry... [is] carried alive into the heart by passion; truth which is its own testimony, which gives strength and divinity to the tribunal to which it appeals, and receives them from the same tribunal" (211). This follows the idea that poetry is meant to be left to the reader for their own interpretation and feelings about what they are reading. This is what he is referring to when he speaks of the tribunal; the reader receives strength or knowledge from what they've read and they give strength to the poem itself, the poet, and the topic of poetry when they enjoy it or take meaning from it. It shouldn't matter if the poem is perfectly organized and follows the correct iambic pentameter with abab rhyme scheme. All that matters is that it invokes some kind of meaningful passion in the reader.
From "Lines Written in Early Spring" I find it ironic that Wordsworth can be "in that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts Bring sad thoughts to the mind" (201). It seems like such a "sweet" mood would make someone think good thoughts as opposed to unpleasent or sad ones. When Wordsworth goes on, to talk about the things that "man has made of man," he then proceeds to talk about the beautiful things of nature around him that find pleasure in simply being alive(201). I think what Wordsworth is trying to portray, through his own thoughts on life, is that it is our own fault that we aren't able to appreciate life as much as the flowers, birds, and twigs that he makes reference to. We do it to ourselves and to each other by taking little things, like the air that we breathe, for granted. And rightly so, Wordsworth is just in his question: "Have I not reason to lament What man has made of man?" (202)
From the preface of the second edition of Lyrical Ballads, I really liked reading Wordsworth's section titled [What is a Poet?] I think that a lot of the time in studying poetry we get overwhelmed (students and teachers both) in understanding the correct structures and rhyme schemes and such that make up the poem and end up not focusing as much on the actual words and on the meaning that the reader perceives. "Poetry... [is] carried alive into the heart by passion; truth which is its own testimony, which gives strength and divinity to the tribunal to which it appeals, and receives them from the same tribunal" (211). This follows the idea that poetry is meant to be left to the reader for their own interpretation and feelings about what they are reading. This is what he is referring to when he speaks of the tribunal; the reader receives strength or knowledge from what they've read and they give strength to the poem itself, the poet, and the topic of poetry when they enjoy it or take meaning from it. It shouldn't matter if the poem is perfectly organized and follows the correct iambic pentameter with abab rhyme scheme. All that matters is that it invokes some kind of meaningful passion in the reader.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
William Blake: Songs of Innoncence and of Experience
The first poem that stuck out to me from the Songs of Innocence collection was "The Ecchoing Green." I immediately wanted to make a parallel between life and the poem itself. For example, we see that the poem has three stanzas, the first of which is a description of morning, of the rising Sun, birds singing, etc. which could be symbolic of birth or the beginning of life. The middle stanza is synonymous to life itself because it is of children playing which is like people living their lives. The quotation "such such were we the joys when we all girls and boys, in our youth time were seen on the Ecchoing Green," has to do not only with people living their lives, but with people reflecting on their lifetimes in older age, as the older people do when watching the children play in this stanza of the poem (79). Lastly, the Sun descends, the kids tire of their play and they leave the "Green" as we all must leave this Earth. Something else interesting to note is that in the last stanza the Green is no longer reffered to as "Ecchoing" but is now called "darkening" which furthers the idea that this is the end, so-to-speak. I think that the point of the Ecchoing Green is to serve as a positive way of reflecting on life while we are still living it, because just as the Sun must set, everyone has their time to go as well.
"The Chimney Sweeper" also caught my attention because it seemed misplaced. The young boy has experience of being a chimney sweeper, having lost his mother at a young ago, and having been sold practically into slavery as a young child by his own father. The things that still made it innocent were the facts that the boy was so young and that he has this dream of angels and heaven and some day everything looking better for him because "if all do their duty they need not fear harm" (81). And then it made sense to me that this poem was one of innocence because such an idealistic outlook on life, as opposed to being more of a realist, is still very innocent.
From the Songs of Experience, I liked the selection called "The Clod and the Pebble" because it shows two very different outlooks on life due to two very different lifestyles. The "Clod of Clay Trodden with the cattles feet" is used to putting the needs of others before itself so its song is one of almost extreme selflessness (88). This ideology is what creates Heaven because of true altruism and concern for others before concern for oneself. The Pebble, on the other hand, has been finely polished by the waters of the brook. It is used to being "taken care of" or treated by others and not doing for anyone else. It's extreme selfishness is the personification (if the Pebble were a person) of Hell. And maybe, these two extremes in some way relate to the extremes of the class system iin France during the French Revolution that we read about.
Finally, after reading "The Chimney Sweeper" from this selection, I completely understood why the first one was placed where it was. Although this young chimney sweeper has both of his parents in his life, he has the experience of knowing that he is constantly condemned for his happiness. His parents "are gone to praise God & his Priest & King Who make up a heaven of our misery," a quotation that can have two very different meanings, according to the caption (89). Either the divine beings create heaven from our pain or are delighted in our pain. And this is what takes away fromt he young boy's innocence. This is what makes him someone who has had experience because he has seen both sides of what knowing God has to offer. I think Blake wrote this, not because he wants people not to believe in God, but because he may think it is acceptable to question God's intentions with our lives from time to time.
"The Chimney Sweeper" also caught my attention because it seemed misplaced. The young boy has experience of being a chimney sweeper, having lost his mother at a young ago, and having been sold practically into slavery as a young child by his own father. The things that still made it innocent were the facts that the boy was so young and that he has this dream of angels and heaven and some day everything looking better for him because "if all do their duty they need not fear harm" (81). And then it made sense to me that this poem was one of innocence because such an idealistic outlook on life, as opposed to being more of a realist, is still very innocent.
From the Songs of Experience, I liked the selection called "The Clod and the Pebble" because it shows two very different outlooks on life due to two very different lifestyles. The "Clod of Clay Trodden with the cattles feet" is used to putting the needs of others before itself so its song is one of almost extreme selflessness (88). This ideology is what creates Heaven because of true altruism and concern for others before concern for oneself. The Pebble, on the other hand, has been finely polished by the waters of the brook. It is used to being "taken care of" or treated by others and not doing for anyone else. It's extreme selfishness is the personification (if the Pebble were a person) of Hell. And maybe, these two extremes in some way relate to the extremes of the class system iin France during the French Revolution that we read about.
Finally, after reading "The Chimney Sweeper" from this selection, I completely understood why the first one was placed where it was. Although this young chimney sweeper has both of his parents in his life, he has the experience of knowing that he is constantly condemned for his happiness. His parents "are gone to praise God & his Priest & King Who make up a heaven of our misery," a quotation that can have two very different meanings, according to the caption (89). Either the divine beings create heaven from our pain or are delighted in our pain. And this is what takes away fromt he young boy's innocence. This is what makes him someone who has had experience because he has seen both sides of what knowing God has to offer. I think Blake wrote this, not because he wants people not to believe in God, but because he may think it is acceptable to question God's intentions with our lives from time to time.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The French Revolution
I particularly enjoyed reading Helen Williams' works. Although I don't know much of the French Revolution and what led to it, I do know that in it was created a horribly extreme sense of the rich and the poor - and I was especially able to extract that from Williams's writings. In her "Letters Written in France, in the Summer of 1790" she writes, "May no such strong contrast of light and shade again exist in the political system of France!" (39). In my opinion, this begs the question of whether or not it is necessary to have evil in order to know what is good. I think that this quotation doesn't mean that there should never be a lower class of people - this is inevitable in any society. Rather, it means that there should be a good balance, hence her use of the word "contrast."
While reading [The Aristocracy] I thought that it was wonderful that in this post-Revolution time that a woman was teaching this Prince-to-be that democratic values and principles were the best to have in relation to the people of the nation. Even Williams' herself was astounded that the boy was willing to divide up his inheritance if it need be. But the piece turns ironic when Williams begins to talk about the women of high stature during the Revolution who made sacrifices of their prized possessions and jewels all for the sake of France. However, Madame Sillery herself wears an extravagantly adorned stone from the actual Bastille that is embossed with diamonds, laurel. emeralds, and cockade. What does this say about her true character? Perhaps this piece is here to let us know that even in the midst of such changing times, old habits die hard.
The poem "The Friend of Humanity and the Knife-Grinder" is really kind of ironic. The very first line, said by the Friend of Humanity, is "Needy knife-grinder!" automatically assuming that the man with his knife-grinder is needy because of his clothing and physical appearance (73). Wanting to know the story of how the oppression of peasants got him to his lowly position, the more prosperous man is not prepared for the response. After the knife-grinder tells him his situation isn't as bad as it looks, the so-called Friend of Humanity is obviously offended for having shown his generosity to someone who didn't need it and curses the knife-grrinder and kicks him down. This irony again must relate to the theme that no matter what changes around someone, their spirit and old habits don't leave so easily.
While reading [The Aristocracy] I thought that it was wonderful that in this post-Revolution time that a woman was teaching this Prince-to-be that democratic values and principles were the best to have in relation to the people of the nation. Even Williams' herself was astounded that the boy was willing to divide up his inheritance if it need be. But the piece turns ironic when Williams begins to talk about the women of high stature during the Revolution who made sacrifices of their prized possessions and jewels all for the sake of France. However, Madame Sillery herself wears an extravagantly adorned stone from the actual Bastille that is embossed with diamonds, laurel. emeralds, and cockade. What does this say about her true character? Perhaps this piece is here to let us know that even in the midst of such changing times, old habits die hard.
The poem "The Friend of Humanity and the Knife-Grinder" is really kind of ironic. The very first line, said by the Friend of Humanity, is "Needy knife-grinder!" automatically assuming that the man with his knife-grinder is needy because of his clothing and physical appearance (73). Wanting to know the story of how the oppression of peasants got him to his lowly position, the more prosperous man is not prepared for the response. After the knife-grinder tells him his situation isn't as bad as it looks, the so-called Friend of Humanity is obviously offended for having shown his generosity to someone who didn't need it and curses the knife-grrinder and kicks him down. This irony again must relate to the theme that no matter what changes around someone, their spirit and old habits don't leave so easily.
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