EN 209 Final
William Lloyd Garrison's biography
- prominent and uncompromising abolitionist - published The Liberator, an antislavery newspaper, from 1831 until the day that all American slaves were freed (34 years)
Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney's biography
- sentimentalist poet during the mid 19th century - human rights advocate - not a suffragist - poetic voice and style is either activist or didactic (women's expectations and manners)
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's biography
- African-American poet, author, and public speaker - abolitionist -
Jane Johnston Schoolcraft's biography
- Bamewawagezhikaquay "woman of the stars" was her Ojibwe name - first known Native American literary writer - wrote in a Native American Language - her mother was Chippewa and her father was Irish
Ralph Waldo Emerson's biography
- supporter of the antislavery movement - at the time, women were barred from higher education and scholarships were reserved exclusively for men
Lydia Marie Child's biography
- very influential antislavery author who came from an abolitionist family - believed men and women should be held to the same standard and given the same rights - abolitionist (An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans)
Angelina Grimke's biography
- abolitionist who wrote and lectured in favor of emancipation AND women's rights (hell yeah sister) - daughter of a wealthy aristocrat and slavery advocate - FIRST American woman to address a legislative body (note: bad ass bitch) (note: spoke on behalf of 20,000 Massachusetts women who placed their names on antislavery petitions) - spoke out during a time when women's opinions were unwanted and unwelcome
Fanny Fern's biography
- born Sara Payson Willis - legally changed her name to Fanny Fern to protect her identity after divorcing her abusive husband - by the 1850s was the highest paid newspaper columnist (male OR female) in the US - wrote about birth control, prostitution, and economic independence - known for her advocacy of women's rights, women's independence and educational reform for children
Walt Whitman's biography
- considered to be one of the poets who established the American style of poetry - served in field hospitals during the Civil War
Washington Irving's biography
- developed the name Diedrich Knickerbocker pseudonym and writer's persona - first american writer of the 19th century to achieve an international literary reputation - considered one of the inventors of the modern short story
Henry David Thoreau's biography
- environmentalist, transcendentalist, and didn't give a flying **** what anyone else thought about him - encouraged people to be thrifty, to live without unnecessary things, and appreciate the simple things in life
Harriet Jacob's biography
- first African American woman to write a narrative of the life of a slave - believed slavery was much harder for women than men
Nathaniel Hawthorne's biography
- grew up in Massachusetts. developed a love for reading after breaking his leg and spending a year in bed as a child. as a young man he worked as an editor and wrote short stories including "The Minister's Black Veil". married a woman named Sophia and they moved to Salem where he would go on to write The Scarlet Letter. - The Scarlet Letter
Edgar Allan Poe's biography
- initiated the modern detective story - romanticism - mainly wrote about terror and sadness
John Greenleaf Whittier's biography
- major advocate for abolishing slavery - humanitarianism
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's biography
- most popular poet of the 19th century - Romanticism
Emily Dickinson's biography
- one of the most important poets of the 19th century - after she died her family found her poems and published them.
Herman Melville's biography
- poet and novelist (Moby-Dick) - dark romanticism
Frederick Douglass's biography
- wrote 3 bestselling autobiographies - Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, LITERATE runaway slave, supporter of women's mf rights, and probs the most prominent abolitionist and human rights leader yeeeeee - did not view the Constitution to be proslavery because the preamble could be considered consistent with the abolitionist cause
"Bury Me in a Free Land"
poem by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper - pleads to not be buried in a land where slavery still exists after she's died. discusses the distress of slave mothers who have their children taken from them. - wants to make her audience question whether they can rest peacefully while slavery still exists
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
autobiography by Frederick Douglass - begins with Douglass as a slave in both mind and body. throughout the book he has a series of epiphanies that are turning points in his life. - the first epiphany is when he realizes what slavery is. he's born a slave on Colonel Lloyd's plantation, he never meets his father and only meets his mother a few times before she dies (he can't go to her funeral). his masters name is Aaron Anthony. when he gets older he realizes the reality of slavery and that he is a part of it - the second stage of his life begins with 7 year old Douglass being sent to a new master, Hugh Auld, in Baltimore. his second epiphany is when Mrs. Sophia Auld starts teaching him how to read (power of education baby). he realizes that the real reason slavery exists is not because the masters are better than their slaves, but rather because they keep their slaves ignorant. if slaves become educated it will be impossible to stop them from becoming free - as a young man Douglass begins his fight to be truly free. he talks back to his master, resulting in him being sent to Covey who is supposed to break his spirit. at first it works, however his third epiphany happens when he realizes he'd rather be dead than treated like a slave and stands up to Covey. he decides he'll never be whipped again and he never is - Douglass bounces from master to master trying to find freedom and after one failed attempt he makes it to New York and the. Massachusetts. his final epiphany is when he realizes that even though he is free, he cannot rest until slavery is abolished. so he sits down and writes this narrative of his life to educate others :)
"Appeal to the Christian Women of the South"
by Angelina Grimke - the only written appeal made by a Southern woman to other Southern women regarding the abolition of slavery - "I appeal to you, my friends, as mothers; are you willing to enslave your children?" - urged Southern women to help end slavery
"My life closed twice before its close"
by Emily Dickinson - questioning life after death - all that is certain is that we will part after we die - the only way we can be certain about what happens after death is if we die ourselves and experience it - before the speaker died herself, the deaths of two people who were significant to her in a way robbed her life of its vitality.
"Aunt Hetty on Matrimony"
by Fanny Fern - addresses whether it is more beneficial or detrimental for a woman to get married - written during a time when women who wanted to be successful had to get married - uses the persona of Aunt Hetty to talk to young women about men and marriage. notes that some men pay so little attention to their wives that they don't even notice drastic changes in their wardrobes. she goes on to defend her argument and says men blind themselves by not paying attention to their wives needs and being too self involved. after a long day of work he keeps to himself instead of socializing. she wants women to not let their thoughts be constantly revolving around the thought of marriage. - "after that you may wear your wedding-dress at breakfast, and your night-cap to meeting, and your husband wouldn't know it"
"Male Criticism on Ladies' Books"
by Fanny Fern - published in the New York Ledger - she calls out male writers who criticize her works because they're envious that her works are doing better than theirs and not because women's works are necessarily bad - "But seriously — we have had quite enough of this shallow criticism on lady-books .... Whether ladies can write novels or not, is a question I do not intend to discuss"
"Walden" Chapter 2
by Henry David Thoreau - Walden Pond is a mile and a half away from Concord. it's a mile-and-a-half away from civilization but it feels like an unexplored corner of the universe to Thoreau. he chose this please because he wanted to simplify his life to the bare necessities to truly live. the world moves too quickly and he wants to slow down and enjoy life. to understand the good parts of life you don't need to isolate yourself because the good parts are right here, right now, everyday. newspapers mask reality with opinions, prejudice, etc. and he wants to sift through it to find the reality.
Letter XXXIV [Women's Rights]
by Lydia Marie Child - Child expresses a distaste for how men often think they are helping women by objectifying them, and how she believes men are granted more individuality than women are - "... but when Christ said, 'Blessed are the meek,' did he preach to women only? 'Girls should be modest,' is the language of common teaching..." women should adhere to this but so should men - Child believed women were considered lesser simply because they lack the physical strength that a man uses to protect them - discussed how Child believes it's a disgrace that women are still looked down upon. she believes men and women should have the same rights and that men are in no way superior to women. she thinks its wrong that the world puts women down but men do as they please and face no consequences. she believes men should be held to the same standard as women.
"To the Public"
editorial by William Lloyd Garrison - DOPE ASS DUDE - published in the first issue of Garrison's newspaper The Liberator - said he would "strenuously contend for the immediate enfranchisement of our slave population" aka not only should slaves be freed, but they should be citizens with the right to vote and he would settle for nothing less - "I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—AND I WILL BE HEARD." - "posterity will bear testimony that I was right" **** yeah it did
"Resistance to Civil Government"
essay by Henry David Thoreau - criticizes slavery and the Mexican-American war - "That government is best which governs least" - Thoreau argues that the government is rarely useful and is often abused and perverted to the point where it no longer represents the views of the people. the only reason that they have power is because they're the strongest, not because they have the most legitimate point of view. the government is most useful when it stands aside; the people are credited for keeping the country free, settling the West, and educating the people. people should do what they believe is right and not necessarily what the law says. if a government is unjust its the obligation of the people to refuse and distance themselves from the government. people are not obligated to fight to eliminate evil but they are obligated to not participate in evil. Thoreau argues that the United States Government is unjust because they support slavery and practice aggressive war. being practical he doesn't want immediate elimination of government but he does want a BETTER government. He doubts the effectiveness of government reform and argues that voting and petitioning for change achieves little. to protest slavery he refused to pay taxes and spent the night in jail. this protest was better than advocating for reform within government. Thoreau argues that we have not only the right, but indeed the duty, to rebel. The enslavement of one sixth of the population and the invasion of Mexico represent tremendous injustices that we must not allow to continue.
"Nature" (Introduction and Ch. 1)
essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson - Emerson states we have lost excitement in creating new things because we try to understand the world through theories and histories about nature rather than personally observing it. he says one solution is to cast off ideas that distance us from nature and ourselves to later reexamine what were a part of. experiencing nature firsthand is the best way to gain insight rather than historian's teachings or scientist's theories. he distinguishes nature from art. art is natural objects that we alter for our own purposes. nature includes everything that is "not me" including our bodies. - emerson talks about looking at the stars at night and the way we perceive the objects around us. each night we rediscover the eternal in new ways, following the theme of progress. he says we take stars for granted because they're a constant present no matter where we live. they're both accessible and inaccessible because we can see them but cannot reach them, making them more elusive than we may imagine. our landscape is also accessible to us. nature is a whole, not a collection of individual objects. Emerson differentiates between poets and other people: poets see nature plainly, not superficially, like most of us. children accept nature as it is rather than manipulate it into something it is not like an adult would. when Emerson stands in the woods he feels the universal being (God) flowing through him as does everything in nature. "I am nothing. I see all." humans give human characteristics to to nature based on how we perceive it - transcendentalism
"Because I could not stop for Death"
poem by Emily Dickinson - Death is a man and he picks up the speaker to take her for a ride in his horse-drawn carriage. they move slowly and the speaker is at ease as they pass through the town and see children, fields of grain, and the sunset. when it gets dark the speaker becomes cold because she's underdressed; she wasn't prepared for her impromptu date with death. they stop at her burial ground with a headstone. this ride happened a long time ago and the speaker is long dead but she remembers the feeling as the horses heads pointed towards eternity aka an afterlife
"I heard a Fly Buzz"
poem by Emily Dickinson - about the moment of dying - the speaker is already dead and is telling us about what happened at her deathbed - the speaker heard a fly buzz before she died. the air was still. everyone around her cried.
"Much Madness is divinest Sense"
poem by Emily Dickinson - crazy people have it all figured out - crazy people are sane and sane people are crazy - the people in the mainstream or majority are wrong to attack people who disagree - people on the outside see things as they really are
"I'm Nobody! Who are you?"
poem by Emily Dickinson - discusses how it's sometimes nice to be a nobody rather than a somebody - its difficult to find companionship when you're in the public eye but nobodies can be anonymous together - because the author is ordinary she associates herself with everyone else rather than making it into a unique quality
"Some keep the Sabbath"
poem by Emily Dickinson - discusses how people spend the Sabbath or day of rest - it's supposed to be spent in the Church worshipping but instead the narrator sits at home - she discusses how people dress up for Church, however she believes in going in normal everyday clothes - she doesn't believe she would ascent to heaven by doing as the Church says but she's doing just fine on Earth even though she's paid less attentions to the Church sermons than most people
"'Faith' is a fine invention"
poem by Emily Dickinson - faith v. science - uses the word "see" to mean believing in God - "microscopes" refers to science in general - there should be a balance between faith and science
"The Bible is an antique Volume"
poem by Emily Dickinson - mocks the bible by calling it an antique instead of ancient - discusses the speakers doubts about religion - suggests that scripture may really be empty, something that we made up our of our own fears and desires
"One need not be a Chamber"
poem by Emily Dickinson - the demon lurks within us not outside of us - the real ghosts we should fear are in our own minds - discusses the notion that we have multiple selves that we have little understanding of - encountering yourself when you're lonely is far scarier than seeing a ghost
"My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun"
poem by Emily Dickinson - focuses on the speakers pent-up anger aka the loaded gun - discusses anger and its affects on us - its strangely rewarding to get angry but it can be destructive - people who feel invincible are covering something deeper and darker than anger, something much harder to express
"Learning to Read"
poem by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper - Aunt Chloe, an elderly former slave, conveys the value of literacy to blacks during and after slavery. Aunt Chloe was not literate until her 60s and stresses that its never too late to learn to read and write - literacy was viewed as the key to freedom and later the key to self-empowerment and economic independence
"The Slave Mother"
poem by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper - illustrates the cruelest aspects of slavery - children could be separated from their parents and sold to a different master - begins with a shriek and the description of a scared slave woman and her son. even though her son is her flesh and blood he does not legally belong to his mother and instead belongs to the slavemaster. the slavemaster could decide to tear the family apart by selling the child. the mother reflects on the joy her son has brought her before he's forcible taken from her. it ends with the shriek of the child as he's taken from his mother.
"A Psalm of Life"
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - published in The Knickerbocker - uses religious language (Protestantism) - The Psalmist: older man who asks what is the meaning of life? - very positive and optimistic - What is the meaning of life? A young man speaks from his "heart" and refuses to accept that after life our souls go to die. He says that life is real and true and that death is not our goal, our souls live on. We must seize the life we have and make the most of it. Life in the present, instead of in the past or future. We see it's possible yo live with meaning when we look to the lives of great men. We leave "footprints on the sands of time." We should be hopeful, try to achieve but also "learn to labor and to wait."
"The Slave Singing at Midnight"
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - wonders why the slaves were freed from Egypt by an angel, but not in America
"Sweet Willy"
poem by Jane Johnston Schoolcraft - reminisces on the death of her 2 year old son William Henry Schoolcraft - "they that sow in tears, shall reap again in joy" aka those who go through hard times now will enjoy happiness later (references the book of Psalms)
"Ichabod!"
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier - Ichabod means "inglorious" in Hebrew - about the Fugitive Slave Bill - attacks Daniel Webster's opinion on the bill - Webster is never named - Whittier used to be a supporter of Webster until the senator supported the Missouri Compromise - "when faith is lost, when honor dies, the man is dead!" Whittier tells his readers that Webster is dead to him because he has lost all respect for him
"The Hunters of Men"
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier - pissed that people are hunting fugitive slaves - suggests the hunters will give up if the public disapproves of what they're doing - Anti-slavery poem which reads like a hunting or drinking song, shows the absurdity and cruelty of hunting black men as if they are animals
"Indian Names"
poem by Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney - Sigourney was a huge advocate for the protection of Indian lands - wanted to change how the nation viewed minority groups (slaves, the poor, Native Americans) - talks about how Indians will always be present despite the United States government's removal of Indians from their lands.
"Death of an Infant"
poem by Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney - talks about the death of a little boy. when he dies they close his eyes.
"Reconciliation"
poem by Walt Whitman - about the author being angry at someone who has died - at the funeral he forgives him and kisses him on the face
"Spontaneous Me"
poem by Walt Whitman - describes the beauty of nature and the human body and their connection to each other - compares a man to a hairy wild-bee and its interaction with a full-grown lady-flower - establishes a difference between love and sex - sex without inhibitions is completely natural - nature has two aspects: human and non-human
"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd"
poem by Walt Whitman - mourns Lincoln after his assassination - Lincoln was the shepherd of the American people during the war and his loss left the North in a position where they had no leader - Whitman suggests that those who died violently in war are the lucky ones because they're no longer suffering - tries to determine the best way to mourn a public figure in the modern world
"The Wound-Dresser"
poem by Walt Whitman - war and what happens to the men who go to fight it - published after the war ended - describes the suffering that took place in the Civil War hospitals - discusses the poet's suffering and experience as he tended to the wounds of soldiers - uses the persona of an old veteran
"The American Scholar" paragraphs 1-20
speech by Ralph Waldo Emerson - "The American Scholar" is not an individual but an abstract ideal. talks about an ancient fable about "one man" who was divided into many men in order for society to be more efficient. Emerson wants to re-familiarize his audience with how the true scholar is educated and what the duties of this scholar are. - nature is a teacher that instructs individuals who observe nature to see the similarities between minds and nature. the circular power of the nature of both "whose beginning, whose ending he never can find — so entire, so boundless," making them eternal. at first the mind sees chaos in the infinite knowledge but over time organizes the facts through comparisons and distinctions. nature's laws are understandable because they are logical. the more we understand nature, the more we understand ourself and vise vera. "know thyself" = "study nature" - books contain the learning of the past but we must continue to write books and our own truths rather than rely entirely on books from the past. Emerson says books are dangerous if we do not write our own in our own age. they also pose a threat to the scholar's original thought, too much respect for the brilliance of past thinkers can discourage us from seeking new and individual truths and ideas. an example of a past thinker is a bookworm, someone who focuses entirely on books and ignores universal ideas. this person is passive and uncreative and is more spiritually distanced from God (and nature) than a thinker of original thought. "Man hopes. Genius creates. To create, — to create, — is the proof of a divine presence." Geniuses are also at a disadvantage because they mimic the writings of great writers before them rather than creating original work. Emerson thinks you should only look to others' works for inspiration if all of your creativity is gone. if reading is done correctly it is beneficial. history, science, and similar subjects should be studied and read. schools should foster creativity rather than rely on memorization of texts. ". . . [schools] can only highly serve us, when they aim not to drill, but to create."
"The American Scholar" paragraphs 21-45
speech by Ralph Waldo Emerson - Emerson believes scholars need physical labor. Action is secondary to thought but is still essential. to not act is cowardly. past deeds are transformed into thought, but recent actions are too entangled with feelings to undergo this transition. he compares recent actions to a larva which will eventually become a butterfly. an active person has a richer existence than a scholar who lives through the words and thoughts of others. the ideal life has balance between thoughts and actions. "A great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think." - scholars have obligations to society. they must have self-trust and have a mind that has wisdom for other people; by going through poverty and other hardships (sometimes self sacrifice) while seeking knowledge. uses an example of two astronomers. scholars must preserve wisdom from the past and communicate noble thoughts and feelings to the public, meaning they must always be independent thinkers. "He is the world's eye. He is the world's heart." scholars must be brave and want to improve human nature by fulfilling their individual natures. - concludes by discussing the classic, romantic, and reflective periods of western civilization and the dominant ideas of these periods. we are currently in an age of criticism, especially self criticism. dissatisfactions signifies growth and evolution of knowledge. - scholars must me independent, courageous, and original in their thoughts and actions.
"The Masque of the Red Death"
story by Edgar Allan Poe - dumb bad disease called Red Death is busting up the countryside. Prince Prospero rules the kingdom being hit by the disease but he doesn't give a ****! Prince Prospero is a weird ass and everyone besides his friends think so, but he throws dope parties so everyone kind of ignores it. He takes a bunch of knights and maidens and they hideout in a "castellated abbey" instead of dealing with the disease. The doors are welded shut so no one can get in or out. While the world ends the prince wants to party with tons of food, wine, dancers and shit. Five/six months in the Prince wants to host a dope ass party; seven different colored rooms (blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, and black) but the black room looks blood red. The black room is stupid creepy so no one goes in but there's a huge black clock in there that chimes every hour in a spooky tone. At midnight the clock chimes 12 times, but before it's done, some creepy ****er shows up looking like a corpse that was killed by Red Death (creepy real mask/covered in blood). The prince is spooked at first but then gets pissed and wants to know who tf crashed his party. He orders people to seize the guest but everyone is too sketched. The guest walks past everyone to the black room, Prospero goes after the dude with a knife but stops before going in to the black room. The guest turns around to face the prince causing the him to drop his knife and drop dead :/ everyone freaks out and goes after the figure only to realize theres no one under the costume and that its real ass Red Death... huge bummer but basically everyone dies super slowly after this and then the clock dies and the candles go out.
"William Wilson A Tale"
story by Edgar Allan Poe - narrator's fake name is "William Wilson" and he's an outcast. He's about to die so he's gonna tell everyone his story. - William Wilson talks about how men become evil by degrees, not all at once. He asks if his life has all been a dream because no one has ever been tempted or suffered like he has. He grew up in a Gothic-looking town in England and his parents gave up on him young. His school is old weird, and surrounded by a prison-like brick wall. The principal, Reverend Dr. Bransby, is also the pastor. The narrator notes how when the Reverend is acting as principal he's strict and severe but when he's acting as the pastor he's harmless. There's a spiked gate by the wall and playground. He lived in a dorm with other boys, the building is huge and confusing. He was in school from 10-15 with about 20 other boys. He remembers enjoying being here and notes that the memories are vivid despite how long ago this was. There's another kid with the same name as the narrator that he also calls William Wilson who is his competition in school and on the playground. He's afraid of other William and wants to be better than him, but no other boys notice the rivalry. William 1 and 2 both entered the school on the same day and were born on the same day. William 2 doesn't like being made fun of because he can't speak louder than a whisper. William 1 (narrator) reflects on his real name again because he hates it and the fact that he has to hear his name twice as much because of other William. William 2 copies William 1 in every way but no one notices but the narrator. William 2 is super moral which interferes with William 1's activities thru advice. Eventually William 1 starts to hate other William. He thinks he knew William 2 when he was younger. William 1 wants to play a prank on William 2 and sneaks up on him in his creepy tiny dorm room but when he approaches him he looks weirdly like him so he leaves the school entirely. When William 1 is drunk one night a visitor comes to his door and its William 2. William 1 tries to figure out who other William is and it turns out he left school on the same day as him. William 1 moves from Eton to Oxford and picks up gambling. William 1 becomes friends with a wealthy nobleman named Glendinning, he gains his trust and lets him win at gambling sometimes. William 1 hustles the **** out of Glendinning thinking he's rich enough to cover it but now his friend is broke. Then the doors to where they are gambling open and there's a dude in a cloak who tells everyone to look at the lining of William 1's left sleeve. Everyone realizes he was cheating and tell him to GTFO of Oxford and their lives. William 1 travels all over trying to lose William 2 only to realize that he only appears when he's up to no good. He gives up being a shit head for a little bit but eventually picks up his bad habit again. In Rome, William 1 is trying to have an affair with a married woman and William 2 shows up. William 1 drags his double into a room, draws his sword, and runs through his enemy. He turns to lock the door but when he turns around instead of William 2 he sees a mirror. In the mirror he sees William 2 covered in blood and about to die. William 2 speaks instead of whispers and says "you have conquered and I yield" and explains that William 1 is also dead because he only existed through his double. "thou hast murdered thyself"
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
story by Harriet Jacobs - discusses how slave life is different for men and women and how it was much harder for women - discusses the horrible reality of having a child that is born into slavery - Linda Brent: resident good person. smart, determined, the nines - Dr. Flint: this guy blows to say the ****ing least - Aunt Martha: Linda's badass grandma who is so dope a white lady buys her to set her free after Dr. Flint puts her up for sale - begins with Linda age 6, her parents are educated light-skinned slaves. when her mom dies she goes to live with her mom's young mistress who teaches her how to sew and read. when this mistress dies she (age 12) goes to live with a new 5 year old mistress, Emily Flint. when Linda reaches puberty Emily's dad, Dr. Flint, get creepy and leaves her notes and shit. she plans to escape by getting knocked up by Mr. Sands but instead of selling her, Dr. Flint comforts himself knowing her child can be his slave too???? the actual ****???? Then Dr. Flint tells her if she ****s him he'll free her and her kids (now 2 kiddos), if not she's gotta go be a field hand on his son's plantation. she refuses and goes to the plantation. 1 month later she escapes and watches her kids at Dr. Flint's hoping he'll sell them so they can escape. He instead keeps them with him at all times out of spite for SEVEN YEARS ???? eventually Linda escapes to New York and works for Mrs. Bruce. Then Dr. Flint dies and leaves Linda and her children to a new master. Mrs. Bruce hooks it up and secretly buys Linda and her kids their freedom
"Bartleby, the Scrivener"
story by Herman Melville - the narrator is a lawyer who was dependable rather than brilliant. he is appointed to be Master in Chancery by the state and establishes a respectable office on Wall Street. the three clerks: Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut. Turkey is a drunk that's only useful before noon because he gets drunk at lunch. Nippers is never happy with his desk arrangement and isn't a morning person so he's only useful after noon. Ginger Nut is the other two's errand boy and often picks them up ginger nut cakes. The narrator needs more help than these three bozos so he hires Bartleby, our main dude. Bartleby is pale, sad, and somehow a little too respectable but he gets hired in hopes that he'll be a good influence on the others. Bartleby gets set up in the narrator's office behind a screen so he's always accessible. he has a window but it looks at a wall. at first, Bartleby is a hard worker and is constantly hand writing copies (he's a scrivener) to the point where his work habits are a little creepy. he's supposed to check his work but he won't and when asked he responds "I would prefer not to." the narrator asks again and receives the same answer so he asks Nippers to check instead. a few days later he refuses to check his copy with the same response. Bartleby is unbothered but everyone else is dumbfound at his refusal to check his work. Turkey agrees with the narrator, Nippers says Bartleby should be kicked out of the office, and Ginger Nut says he's "a little luny". a few days later the narrator notices Bartleby never needs to leave the office and only eats the ginger nut cakes that Ginger Nut brings. ginger nuts are spicy and the narrator notes they have no effect on Bartleby. the narrator decides to not fire him and attempts to befriend him. one day Bartleby refuses to check the paper again and when he refuses in the same manner, Turkey threatens to beat him up and Nippers says it might be a whim. the narrator asks Bartleby to go to the post office but he prefers not to. he asks him to go to the other room and get Nippers but he prefers not to. the narrator gives up and goes home thinking about the weirdness of the situation. time passes and the narrator tells us there's four keys to the office: the narrator's, cleaning lady's and turkey's, but the fourth is missing. one Sunday the narrator stops by the office and Bartleby is there half naked. the narrator comes to the conclusion that Bartleby lives there full time. the narrator feels sympathy for him and realizes he's probably lonely. Barleby's desk is unlocked so the narrator looks in for clues and concludes he's saving his money but he's not sure why. the narrator wants to help him but cant. he decides to dismiss Bartleby the next day, give him some money, and help him find a home. Bartleby refuses to answer any questions about himself or his past. ??? basically goes on for a while and when Bartleby gets fired he won't leave and eventually the narrator moves his practice. Bartleby lurks outside the building when the new tenant kicked him out. eventually he's arrested and the narrator goes to visit him. the narrator talks to the cook and tries to feel Bartleby but he declines and the cook notes that his marbles are loose. when the narrator goes back a few days later Bartleby is dead. turns out his old job was disposing of letters that were never delivered, mostly because their recipients are dead. sad. depressing. long boring story.
"The Minister's Black Veil"
story by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Reverend Hooper: young, unmarried preacher who is very well put together and also wearing a veil. a good preacher who is typically mild and not passionate in his sermons - Mr. Joseph Moody lives in Maine wears a veil to atone for accidentally killing his friend. On Sunday in Milford everyone is going to church when the town sexton sees Reverend Mr. Hooper walking and cries out because there's something on his face. Everyone looks at him but doesn't recognize him even though the sexton says its Hooper. Someone else was supposed to preach that day but he had to attend a funeral. Hooper's veil hides his whole face aside from his mouth and chin. The townspeople cannot see his face but he can see them and he nods to them as he walks by but they're too shocked to do anything. They don't like his black veil and people speculate if his face is really behind it or if he's gone mad. Hooper delivers his sermon with the veil on and some women leave because they're shocked and uncomfortable. The sermon is about how humans hide their sins from one another, forgetting that God sees everything. The congregation feels like Hooper knows their sins. The townspeople have a hard time because his voice and gestures are the same but his sermon is darker and he looks scary. Squire Sanders doesn't invite Hooper to dinner like usual and everyone leaves church eager to talk about the veil. Everyone shit talks the preacher including the town physician and his wife. Hooper gives the afternoon service including a funeral for a young woman and his veil seems appropriate. Some old lady thinks she sees the woman's corpse shudder when Hooper looks at it. During the funeral Hooper says without a doubt the woman is in Heaven and encourages the congregation to live a good life so they will too. That night there's a wedding and Hooper is still wearing the veil. The wedding is somber and the bride looks scared shitless by Hooper. At one point he sees himself in the mirror and is so scared he spills the wine and runs into the night (the Earth is also wearing a black veil). The next day everyone is still running their mouths but no one asks Hooper why he's wearing it. A group goes to inquire but he looks sad so they refrain from asking about it. Hooper's fiancee, Elizabeth, is the only one not afraid of the veil. She asks him about it and he says he has enough to be sorry about to merit wearing it. She tells him the town will think he's committed a secret sin and encourages him to remove it but he says everyone has secret sins. She starts to be afraid of the veil, he asks her not to leave and pleads with her saying he'll only wear the veil on earth and tells her he's afraid to be alone. He won't lift the veil for her so she breaks off the engagement and leaves forever. After she leaves no one tries to remove or understand his veil. It makes Hooper sad that people are afraid of him so he stops walking in the graveyard. He begins to be afraid of the veil too and decides to never look in the mirror. Rumors about the veil being a result of his guilt swirl. The veil isolates him but makes him a great reverend. The townspeople's fears of him make them focus on religion. Hooper lives a moral life despite his reputation of having committed a sin. He becomes famous and earns the title Father Hooper. When Hooper is about to die many people visit even though he has no family and Elizabeth takes care of him even though she left him. He is confused but insists his veil stay on. On his deathbed he tells Reverend Clark that his veil should never be lifted on earth. Before he dies he says he sees a black veil on everyone's face.
"Young Goodman Brown"
story by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Young Goodman Brown steps into the street and kisses his wife, Faith, goodbye. She asks him to not leave her alone at night but he insists his journey must be done and leaves. He goes into the forest and is a little scared. He comes across a man sitting by an old tree. The man carries a staff that looks like a big black snake. Brown had agreed to meet this man but now he doesn't want to go through with their plan. The "traveler" declares Brown's ancestors to be evil and cruel, which upsets brown but they keep walking. They run into Goody Cloyse so Brown hides to avoid being recognized while doing bad shit. He overhears Cloyse tell the man she's a witch and devil worshiper. Brown then keeps walking with the traveler but decides he doesn't want to keep going. The traveler believes Brown will go through with whatever the hell they've cooked up and gives him the snake stick. Brown sits by the road and feels content that he isn't going through with the bad stuff. He hears two horses coming and it turns out to be the local deacon and minister on their way to do some bad shit. He gets bummed out about that and looks to heaven for reassurance but all he gets is a chaos of voices coming from the dark sky and he makes out the tormented voice of his wife. the voices fade and down floats one of the pink ribbons that Faith had in her hair earlier. Brown is convinced her soul is lost and "there no good on earth" and runs like a ******* through the forest. While he's peeved he runs towards a red, fiery light that turns out be an assembly of both moral and immoral people. they're gathered at a blazing alter? the leader steps forward and Brown steps up to feel like he's a part of something for once. He sees faith and then gives a speech on the sinfulness of humankind. the preacher invites Brown and Faith to participate in their unholy communion type shit. Brown tells faith to "look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One!" all of the sudden Brown is back in the forest and assembly is gone so he returns to Salem village. He sees the people who were at the assembly and gives them low-key looks because ~I know what you did last night~. the narrator wonders whether Brown fell asleep and dreamed this up. Goodman Brown stays in Salem for the rest of his life, never trusting the other townspeople. "his dying hour was gloom"
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
story by Washington Irving - 3rd Person POV - supernatural themes - Ichabod Crane (major weenie) lives in Sleepy Hollow. He is a teacher/choirmaster and wants to make the richest dude in town's (Baltus Van Tassel) hot only daughter (Katrina Van Tassel) to fall in love with him. He gives her choir lessons and it works (heck!). Some dude named Brom Van Brunt (hardass) wants to kill Ichabod for stealing the girl. Ichabod gets invited to a party at Katrina's house. It's a dope party but Ichabod gets dumped by her. When he's going home from the party he meets the Headless Horseman. The Headless Horseman chases Ichabod and when Ichabod thinks he's safe because he's reached the church, the Horseman catches up to him, throws his head at him and knocks him off his horse. The next day all that's left is the horse tracks, Ichabod's hat, and a pumpkin so everyone assumes Ichabod ran away to become a judge/died. BTW since Brom is a dope ass horseman and he has it out for Ichabod he might be the ~real~ horseman. - The Postscript tells us that our narrator/author, Diedrich Knickerbocker, heard the story from an old dude in Manhattan