Intro to Fiction – FINAL – Flashcards

author: nikolai gogol characters: Akaky, Petrovich the tailor, the VIP, Akaky's ghost (the corpse) setting: 1842, Russian capital of St. Petersburg Brief Summary: life and death of Akaky, an impoverished government clerk and copyist. He is very dedicated to his work, is teased for his poor looking overcoat, goes to get it fixed by a tailor named Petrovich, clerk superior decides to throw a party honoring Akaky's new amazing overcoat, leaving the party he is harassed by two ruffians who take his coat, he asks for help from the VIP who belittles him and then Akaky makes an unflattering remark about departmental secretaries which provokes the VIP to scold him and akaky faints. Akaky falls ill with a fever and dies. His corpse haunts the city and steals the VIP's overcoat.

author: hemingway characters: the american (the boyfriend), the girl (Jig is her nickname), the bartender setting: a train-station that is the stopping point between barcelona and madrid brief summary: the man and woman order two beers and the girl says that the hills look like white elephants. they fight and the american chastises the girl and says that he wants her to have an abortion... the entire story is them disagreeing about the operation and it concludes with the girl telling the man that she feels fine and theres nothing wrong with her.

author: fitzgerald characters: mrs. hanson, old man inside the church (the sexton), the virgin mary setting: post WWI Missouri Brief Summary: the story follows mrs. hansen, a corset sales woman, on her rounds in missouri which is a new territory for her that she earned via promotion. the problem is : no one allows her to smoke. shes finishing up her day and really wants a smoke. she ducks into a church, sees the votive candles burning... however, the sexton is in the process of putting them out... she gazes @ a statue of the virgin mary and al the sudden her cigarette is lit!

edgar allen poe characters: dupin: a savvy and learned parisian who helps the city's police solve crimes.. he uses psychology to foil the plans of a theif and uncover a stolen letter that the police of paris could not uncover by conventional investigations, narrator: dupin's friend. unnamed. he is in awe of dupin's brilliance and recounts dupin's explanations without doubting or challenging him. Monsieur G: the prefect of the paris police who is limited by his conventional police training so he relies on dupin's assistence in difficult crimes, Minister D: a government official and thief of the letter Setting: 1844 Paris Summary: in Paris... Dupin and narrator ponder the murders, the police arrive and say a letter has been taken from the royal apartments by minister D (a government official). the prefect says a young lady had the letter and it had info that could harm someone very important. this man came into the royal apartments and took the letter from the girl. dupin suggests the police search minister d's residence again for the letter. the prefect says he'll pay 50,000 for anyone who gets the letter. dupin says write a check on the spot, and then gives the prefect the letter. dupin says he obtained the letter by going to minister d's apartment and finding the letter among a group of visiting cards hanging from the mantel piece. he leaves a replacement letter that says "so baneful a scheme, if not worthy of altreus is worthy of thyestes which suggests the rivalry between him and minister d.

author: herman melville setting: wall street 1800s characters: the lawyer: owns a firm on wall street and employs 4 men as scriveners (copyists).. he is 60 years old, bartleby: young man hired by lawyer to work as a copyist.. starts out as an excellent copyist but when asked to examine his work for erros he says he "would prefer not to" and this becomes his catch phrase and it drives everyone crazy, turkey: oldest employee, good worker in morning but sloppy in afternoon, nippers: copyist who is the opposite of turkey (good in morning bad in afternoon), ginger nut: lawyer's errand boy Summary: the lawyer realizes ne needs another copyist. bartleby answers his ad and lawyer hires him.. he starts out as a reat worker. when lawyer asks bartleby to examine a document, he says "i would prefer not to" and lawyer is so shocked he cant respond. time and time again bartleby says he would "prefer not to" at every task the lawyer asks of him... he cant fire bartleby though because he is so puzzled by him and notices that he never eats or leaves the office.... also bartleby lives at the office and he pities him so he tells him to stop working. however, bartleby doesnt ever leave the office even though he refuses to work. as time goes on, the lawyer wants to kick bartleby out of the office. this causes him to live outside the building.. lawyer says he needs to go home and so bartleby moves outside a prison yard and dies.

author: franz kafka setting: europe from 1880-1922 characters: the hunger artist, the impresario: hunger artist's manager, the overseer: circus manager who discovers the dying hunger artist in his cage Summary: hunger artist fasts for a living and travels from town to town in europe with his manager... he puts himself on display in a locked cage and fasts for periods of time up to 40 days... in his prime, he was very famous... he is perpetually unhappy because he realizes he is only happy when he has accomplished feats of self-denial and control... professional fasting goes into decline and the audiences develop a taste for more exciting forms of entertainment... hunger artist joins a circus and becomes a sideshow and is often ignored... many days pass and finally a circus overseer notices what looks like an unused cage but its actually the hunger artist and then he dies of starvation.

author: nathaniel hawthorne setting: salem village 1692 characters: goodman brown: a young salem resident/protagonist.. he is a good christian who has married a woman named faith.. his curiosity leads him to accept an invitation from a mysterious traveler to observe an evil ceremony in the middle of the forrest. faith: goodman brown's wife.. young/beautiful.. brown views her as the embodiment of virtue however he sees her @ the evil ceremony. old man/devil: tempts brown into attending ceremony in the forrest, goody cloyse: citizen who reveals herself as a witch even though she is a christian who helps people learn the bible. the minister, deacon gookin: member of clergy in salem who is a follower of the devil. Summary: goodman brown says goodbye to his wife and sets forth on a road through a gloomy forest and comes upon a man with a serpent walking stick who greets goodman brown... goodman brown says he wants to return to the village for Faith and then an old woman hobbling through the woods appears who goodman brown recognizes as goody cloyse who identifies herself as a witch. before disappearing, the old man gives brown his staff. soon he hears the voices of the minister and deacon gookin who are going to the same evil ceremony. he sees faith and is certain that the entire world has turned evil and is forever a changed man.

author: charlotte perkins gilman setting: late 19th century american summer home characters: narrator: young newly married woman who is undergoing care for depression (Jane)... she is imaginative and a natural storyteller though her doctors believe she has slight hysterical tendency. john: narrator husband/doctor. restricts his wifes behavior and doesnt realize the negative effects of his treatment on her. jennie: johns sister who acts as a housekeeper for the couple... she suspects that jane is more troubled than she lets on. summary: story is told from jane's perspective (her diary).. she suffers from postpartum depression... there is conflict between jane/her husband who is also her doctor, over the nature and treatment of her illness... narrator describes her dislike for her bedroom wallpaper which intensifies into an obsession and she identifies herself with the woman she thinks is imprisoned in the wallpaper and spends her time crawling on all fours around the room, her husband discovers here and collapses in shock.

author: shirley jackson setting: small town on june 27 characters: tessie hutchinson: unlucky loser of lottery... draws the paper with the black mark on it and is stoned to death. when her family's name is drawn she protests and says it isnt fair, old man warner: the oldest man in the village, mr. summers: man who conducts the lottery, bill hutchinson: tessie's husband who @ first draws the marked paper, but picks up a blank one in the second drawing, mr harry graves: the postmaster. Summary: villagers of a small town gather in the square on june 27th, a beautiful day. tessie joins the crowd late. after the drawing, bill hutchinson reveals that he "got it." tessie argues that it wasnt fair because bill didnt have enough time to select a paper. mr graves puts 5 papers in for each member of the hutchinson family and when they draw slips, tessie picks the marked one and she is stoned to death.

author: guy de maupassant setting: france 1884 characters: mathilde loisel: protagonist.. blessed with beauty but not with the affluent lifestyle she yearns for. monsieur loisel: mathile's husband who is content with the small pleasures of his life but does his best to please his wife and when she loses the necklace, he sacrifices his own future to help her repay the debt. madame forestier: mathilde's rich friend who lends her the necklace. Summary: marhilde is pretty and charming but dissatisfied with her average life and wants to be wealthy. one night her husband returns home with an invitation to a formal party hosted by the ministry of education and hopes that mathilde will be overjoyed.. instead she cries and says she has nothing to wear so he gives her money to buy a dress and suggest she ask her friend, madame forestier, for jewels. at the party mathilde is the most beautiful woman in the room and has an amazing night. when the night is over, mathilde realizes the necklace is missing and despite excessive searching, the couple cannot find it. they purchase a necklace to replace the one they lost and work for 10 years to repay the debt of 40,000 francs. ten years later, mathilde sees madame forestier on a walk and approaches her. madame forestier doesnt even recognize her and mathilde explains that she's hardened with age/hardwork over repaying the necklaces' debt. @ the end of the story, madame forestier reveals that the original necklace wasn't even real and her 10 years labor was all for nothing.

author: anton chekhov setting: late 19th century russia characters: dimitri gurov: protagonist. an aging/dissatisfied bureaucrat who surprises himself by falling in love with anna. anna sergeyevna: gurov's lover. she has grown dissatisfied with her provincial lifestyle... initially the epitome of gentrified morality, she worries that gurov will not respect her if they become lovers and eventually realizes she'd sacrifice everything for him. Summary: a 40 year old man, dmitri gurov, is intrigued by a young woman walking along the sea in front of yalta with her small pomeranian dog. dmitri dislikes his wife and as a result has numerous affairs. one day this lady sits down next to dmitri to eat in the public gardens. he pets her dog/starts conversation... he learns her name, anna, and learns that she is married and is in yalta on vacation. over the next week, the two see each other a lot and grow close. anna excites dmitri's desire with her youth/beauty. the only thing that makes anna unhappy is the thought of her husband sending for her and her fear that dmitri doesnt respect her because they eventually sleep together. she leaves yalta. action switches to describing dmitri's daily routine in moscow (he works @ a bank). he thinks his memories of anna will soon wane but it doesnt happen and he goes to visit her. he arrives in her hometown and sees a production of the operetta, "the geisha", hoping that anna will be there and she is. dmitri confesses his love for anna and she reciprocates it and they plan for her to visit moscow. the story concludes with a description of anna's visits to moscow and the unbearable strain she feels living a lie. dmitri comforts anna but knows that they have a long way to go before they can live together openly.

author: katherine mansfield setting: 1922 in the sheridan family's backyard characters: mrs. sheridan: mother of the house, laura sheridan: story's protagonist (daughter), the workers: put up a marquee in the garden, mr. sheridan: husband. meg/jose/laurie: other sheridan children. kitty: a friend of laura/party guest, sadie: house servant, hans: house servant, mr. scott: lower class neighbor who dies during the story. em scott: deceased's widow Plot summary: sheridan family is preparing to host a garden party. laura is in charge of the party. after its all set up, they learn that their impoverished neighbor, mr. scott, has died. laura wants the party to be called off but mrs. sheridan says no. after the party, which is a success, mrs. sheridan decides to tell laura to bring a basket of leftovers to the scotts' house. laura is shown into neighboors' house by mrs. scott's sister and sees the widow/her late husband's corpse. she is enamored by the young man and when she leaves the house to meet her brother who's waiting for her, she is awe-stricken and unable to speak.

author: colette setting: restaurant (contemporary) characters: alice: protagonist, marc: alice's husband, maitre d' and the ex wife of marc. Summary: tells the story of an awkward situation: a new wife running into the woman who used to be married to her husband. alice has never seen marc's ex wife. the maitre d' tries to seat the couple near where the ex wife is seated and marc says no... once they're seated, marc explains to alice the situation... from then on, all alice can do is stare at the woman. marc says his former marriage was doomed from the start... alice sees the woman sitting placidly in her chair, smoking and gazing outside... marc characterizes her as a woman who could never be truly satisfied, in contrast to Alice who is obviously happy. alice envies marc's ex wife for her independence... while alice is extremely nervous, the ex-wife is calm and feels she doesnt need to indulge anybody. the last sentence tells readers that alice even sees the woman as superior + envies her ability to be without a man.

author: doris lessing setting: Richmond (suburb of london) characters: susan and mathew rawlings, their 4 children summary: mathew/susan rawlings are an intelligent married couple living in richmond. their 12 year marriage has produced 4 kids + innumerable sensible decisions. they have a superior attitude towards other couples who allow cliched problems to disrupt their harmony. mat hew is a subeditor @ a large london newspaper and when he cheats on her, susan forgives him. susan was an advertising artist before her marriage and longs for the day when her youngest children, the twins, begin school so that she'll have some time to herself. her seemingly perfect family life becomes insufficient, but she is resolved to avoid the typical responses to such inadequacy. susan battles increasing depression because she feels she has nothing worth doing/no spare time because her days are consumed with waiting for her children to come home, consulting with the maid, or worrying about dinner. finally she rents a hotel room to get some alone time and goes there every afternoon to sit and think. her husband assumes shes having an affair and tracks her down. knowing that his rational mind will not recognize her irrational feelings, she says she is indeed having an affair. the next day, she goes to the hotel room and kills herself.

author: kate chopin setting: louisiana, pre civil war characters: armand aubigny, desiree: armands wife, madame valmonde: woman who raised desiree, zandrine: servant, la blanche: a slave. summary: Désirée is the adopted daughter of Monsieur and Madame Valmondé, who are wealthy Creoles in Louisiana. As a baby, she was discovered by Monsieur Valmondé lying in the shadow of a stone pillar near the Valmondé gateway. She is courted by the son of another wealthy, well-known and respected Creole family, Armand. They appear very devoted to one another and eventually have a child. People who see the baby get a sense that something is unusual about it. Eventually they realize that the baby's skin is the same color as a quadroon (one-quarter African) slave boy—the baby is not white. At the setting of the story, this would have been considered a terrible taint. Because of Désirée's unknown roots, Armand immediately assumes that she is part black although Désirée tries to deny the accusation. Madame Valmondé suggests that Désirée and the baby return to the Valmondé estate. Armand, scornful with Désirée and no longer in love with her, insists on her going. Désirée then takes the child and walks off into a bayou, never to be seen again. Armand then proceeds to burn all of Désirée's belongings, even the child's cradle, as well as all of the letters that she had sent him during their courtship. With this bundle of letters is also one written from his mother to his father, revealing that Armand is, in fact, the one who is part black

author: toni morrison setting: first = state home for children called st. bonny's, second = 1960s @ the howard johnson's on the thruway, third = 20 years later @ the food emporium, fourth = newburgh new york, fifth = christmas even in a coffee shop in the 1980s. characters: twyla. roberta, maggie: the old woman who works in the home's kitchen/cant speak, mary: twyla's mother, roverta's mother. summary: twyla and roberta meet @ a state home for children, st. bonny/s, because each has been taken away from her mother. roberta's mom is sick and twyla's mother is promiscuous. one is black/one is white (we arent told which is which). despite their initially hostile feelings, they are drawn together because of their similar circumstances. they become allies against the "big girls on the second floor" and against the home's "real orphans".. they share a fascination with maggie, the old lady who works in the kitchen. one sunday their mothers come to attend church with them. twyla's mom, mary, is dressed inappropriately. roberta's mom wears a huge cross on her enormous chest. mary offers her hand, but roberta's mother refuses to shake it. twyla is humiliated. 8 years later, T/R meet again when T is working behind the counter @ the howard johnson's on the thruway, and roberta is sitting in a booth with 2 men. roberta and her friends are on their way to the west coast to keep an appointment with jimi hendrix. 20 years later, they are both married and meet while shopping @ food emporium where they get along well + reminisce. roberta is rich and married to an IBM executive/twyla is lower middle class + married to a firefighter. the next time they meet, racial strife threatens T's town of newburgh NY in the form of busing. as she drives by the school, she sees roberta protesting the forced integration. T is threatened by the protestors but roberta doesnt come to her aid. T joins the counter-picketing across the street from roberta. their last meeting is @ a coffee shop in xmas eve in the 1980s. roberta wants to discuss their last encounter and the conversation is sympathetic but ends on an unresolved note.

author: chinua achebe setting: Africa characters: Summary: story about a bright/ambitious headmaster named Obi who soon finds that his ignorance over the ancestry of his people can bring about the worst of fates. Obi is the main character and he just recieved news that he would be running a school that had been in dire need of help. obi wants to make the school as best as it can be and wants to make sure the outside of the school is painstakingly beautiful. @ this time, obi meets a scraggly man who violates the grounds of the school by walking along a worn path that the school is a part of. a teacher tells obi that it is a footpath that connects the village shrine with their place of burrial. obi demands the path be blocked for fear of letting the inspector see random strangers on the school property. the villagers sent a priest to speak with obi to preserve the path and says "our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it" obi scoffed @ these words and disregarded his own ancestry for modern beliefs. the path was left blocked. two days later, a woman died in the village and the tribe took this as a sign that misfortune was coming to them as a result of the closed path. so, the villagers tore down everything that covered the path. the next day, the inspector was horrified by what he saw. the moral: modern society should never destroy the basis of a person's beliefs (i.e., their culture + ancestors).

author: hanif kureishi setting: England 1990s characters: Parez, Ali: parez's son, bettina: prostitute Summary: parvez is a pakastani taxi driver living in England. he notices his son ali's behavior ahs changed: his room is cleaner, he broke up with his English girlfriend, and he seems to have no friends. parvez wants to talk to someone about his worries for his son, and decides to talk to his friends @ the taxi office. parvez always wanted to do well in england so that his son could have a good job and raise his own family. his friends show understanding and say they think ali is taking drugs/selling his possessions to buy more drugs. during parvez's last shift, his customers are mainly prostitutes. one of them is bettina who hes known for a long time. parvez talks with her about ali and she gives him hints for what he has to pay attention to in order to prove that ali is taking drugs. parvez observes ali's behavior and doesnt see any signs of drugs. one night parvez comes home very late and notices his son is awake and finds out that ali has been praying 5 times a day. ali's religious side is the reason for his change in behavior. parvez avoids all religions because of how he was treated badly as a child during Koran lessons. parvez wants to talk to his son but ali rejects him. parvez drives away with bettina and tells her that ali condemned him for drinking alcohol/breaking the rules of the koran. parvez wants ali to enjoy the beauty of life outside of religion. one day when ali is praying, parvez, drunkenly begins beating him up but ali shows no sign of fear. ali says: whose the fanatic now?

author: robert olen butler setting: New Orleans characters: dao: narrator, 100 years old, has lived many places such as vietnam, london, paris, new orleans. born during the vietnamese war in vietnam. he fled the country after the fall of south vietnam to the communists. ho chi minh: old friend of dao, helped win vietnam's independence from france. thang: son in law. loi: thang's youngest son. lam: daughter/thang's wife, and nameless eldest daughter, mr. le: murdered newspaper writer. summary: this story takes the form of an old man's memories and final attempts to deal with the past as he nears his own death. dao, almost 100 years old, is a vietnamese man in new orleans. believing he will die soon, he summons the important people from his past (a cultural tradition) including the ghost of Ho Chi Minh, his old friend and the communist nationalist who helped win vietnam's independence from france. in 1917, dao and ho chi minh (quoc) were living in london/paris. in london, ho worked as a pastry cook + dao as a dishwasher. as ho is in front of dao now, his hands are covered in sugar bc he is trying to make a special glaze but cant remember how to do so. dao realizes his family has become too americanized. he hears a conversation between thang (son in law) and loi (his grandson). both served in the south vietnamese army in the war. they discuss the murder of le, a newspaper writer who expressed that it was time to accept the communist government in vietnam to work with its leaders, which was the cause of his murder. he was killed in his chevrolet pickup truck which dao views as a symbol of his americanization. during his first apparition, ho asks dao if hes still a buddhist. (in paris dao embraced buddhism, his past, while ho embraced the future). ho wanted to speak with woodrow wilson, the president, who was in the midst of the peace accords that officially ended WWI, about helping vietnam get representation in the french parliament because @ the time, vietnam was a french colony. "a good scent from a strange mountain" is on the cover of dao's prayer book --> simplicity. after ho leaves, dao calls his oldest daughter to touch the doorknob and she says it is sticky. next night, ho returns and dao knows that ho is not at peace. dao says he should be @ peace because he saved their country and ho replies: there are no countries in the afterlife. the next day, thang and loi speak about the murder and its clear that they were involved in it which makes dao wish to be dead, believing hes lived too long. ho comes back again that night and dao suggests they make peace. the smell of sugar grows stronger and dao feels ho is passing through his body. he decides to never speak about his grandson's involvement in the murder. he remembers the recipe for the glaze that ho has been so unsuccessful in making.

author: tim o brien setting: shifts between war in Vietnam and present in U.S. characters: tim o brien: narrator. jimmy cross: lieutenant who is wrecked with guilt bc he believes that his preoccupation with his unrequited love for martha caused the death of ted lavender. kiowa: o'brien's closest friend. ted lavender: young scared soldier. dies in the story. summary: lieutenant jimmy cross of the alpha company carried various reminders of his love for martha, a girl from his college in new jersey who doesn't return his love. he carries her letters in his backpack and her good-luck pebble in his mouth. after a long day's march, he unwraps her letters and imagines the prospect of her returning his love. he wonders uncontrollably about whether or not shes a virgin. the narrator, tim o brien, describes all the things the men carry. mostly they are tangible objects: bug spray, weed, knives, gum... what they carry depends on several factors, including their priorities and jobs. for example, the machine gunner, henry dobbins, is very large and so he carries extra rations. nervous ted lavender carries weed and tranquilizers. religious kiowa carries an illustrated new testament. some things they carry are universal: compress, raincoat, groundsheet, tent. most men are common low ranking soldiers and carry standard assault rifles. all men carry the figurative weight of memory and the literal weight of one another. they carry vietnam itself, in the heavy whether and dusty soil. rank determines what they carry, ex: lieutenant caries maps, compasses, and responsibility for the men's lives. lavender dies and while the soldiers wait for the helicopter to take the body away, they smoke his weed and joke about him. kiowa wonders why he is not crying like cross. the morning after lavender's death, in the rain, cross crouches in his foxhole and burns martha's letters + photos. he plans the days march and vows to never have fantasies again. he plans to take the blame for lavender's death and decides his job is not to be LOVED but to LEAD.

homer

author: milton setting: garden of eden summary: milton's intention is to show that the fall of humankind is more heroic the the tails of virgil and homer. he invokes urania, the muse of christian inspiration, and asks for her to visit him in his sleep + inspire his words because he fears he's too old and lacks creativity. satan returns to the garden of eden the night after raphael's departure, 8 days after he was caught and banished by gabriel. satan disguises himself as a snake. he believes earth is more beautiful than heaven ever was and is jealous of adam/eve + their chosen status to occupy and maintain Paradise. the excess beauty of earth causes him to feel anguish. next morning, adam and eve prepare for their usual morning labors. they work seperately even though adam fears he will be more susceptible to satan's temptation when he's alone. satan (as serpent) finds eve alone and gets her attention, flattering her beauty. she's amazed that an animal can talk and he says that he can speak because he ate the fruit on one of the garden's trees. also, that the apple made him seek her out in order to worship her beauty. eve is amazed and follows satan to the tree of knowledge. eve is tempted to eat the fruit even though god forbids it. she gives into temptation and takes a bite of the apple... the earth feels wounded and nature sighs in woe, for with this act, humankind has fallen. eve's first fallen thought is to get adam to eat the fruit too.. adam knows they are doomed but because he loves eve and wants to suffer her same fate, eats the apple. they have sex. adam and eve fall asleep + wake up to see the world in a new way, recognizing their sins. the knowledge they gained by eating the apple was only of the good they had lost and the evil they brought upon themselves. they are shameful of their nakedness + cover themselves with leaves. they argue for hours.

author: ursula le guin setting: garden of eden summary: lead character is never named but it is inferred that it's eve. she tells how she's convinced the animals that names are not important, and one by one, the animals let go of their names. the yaks have trouble with this but ultimately agree. pets (dogs + parrots) also take issue with this, but eve says they can have their names like "froo froo" but not their categorical titles of "dog" or "parrot"... eve feels very close with the animals of the garden once they are all nameless and free. she realizes that she's the last being in the garden with a name and realizes what she did to the animals was unfair. eve tells adam she's giving up her name, and he doesnt care. he's in the midst of working on something and isnt paying attention to eve. she knows that adam doesnt understand the importance of what she's done when he asks a stereotypical patriarchal question: "whens dinner?"

author: joseph conrad characters: marlow: narrator and surrogate for author.. a traditional hero who is broken bc the world has defeated him in a fundemental way. he's not saddled with the angst of western thought. intermediary between the 2 extremes of KURTZ and the COMPANY: moderate enough 2 relate 2 reader, and open minded enough 2 identify partially with either extreme. kurtz: charistmatic. revolutionary thinker.. but not a fully realized individual but a series of images constructed by others. as marlow visits with his cousin, the journalist, and his fiancee: he sees that there seems to be no true kurtz. general manager: chief agent of company in its african territory. brick maker: marlow meets @ central station and seems to be a corporate spy. chief accountant, pilgrims: greedy agents of the central station who want, yet never attempt, to trade for ivory + earn a commission.. racist towards africans.. cannibals: natives hired as the crew of the steamer. russian trader: representative of dutch company and a devoted disciple of kurtz. kurtz african mistress: beautiful.. an enigma. kurtz's intended: naive fiancee who marlow visits after kurtz dies. aunt: gets him the job w company and believes in imperialism as a charitable activity setting: late 19th century: thames river, brussels, company offices, congo, belgian territory. summary: centers around marlow's journey up the congo river 2 meet kurtz. takes a job as a riverboat captain w the company, a belgian concern organized 2 trade in the congo. he encounters inefficiency and brutality in the company: african natives forced into slavery by company... cruelty of imperialism. arrives @ central station + finds his steamship has been sunk--> spends several months acquiring the parts to repair it. interest in kurtz gros. manager/brickmaker fear kurtz.. once ship is fixed, marlow + manager + the pilgrims + cannibals embark on a long voyage up the riger. ship is attacked by natives and helmsman is killed. marlow + crew arrive @ kurtz inner statin but instead of finding kurtz, they see a russian trader who claims that kurtz has "enlarged his mind" and that he established himself as a got with the natives... going on brutal raids searching for ivory... symbol: fence of severed heads. pilgrims bring kurtz our on a stretcher + hhe boards the steamer. russian tells marlow that kurtz is the one who ordered the previous steamship attack. kurtz disappears in the night, marlow searches him and finds him crawling on all fours toward the native camp.. he convinces him 2 return to the ship and kurtz's health is quickly failing. kurtz dies once the ship breaks down.. last words = THE HORROR THE HORROR. eventually marlow returns 2 europe and sees kurtz's fiancee who is still in mourning. marlow lies 2 her saying that kurtz's last word was her name.

author: james joyce setting: ireland ARABY: unnamed male narrator describes north dublin street, where he lives. thinks about the priest who died in the house before he moved their + the games he played w friends in streets... mangan (his friend) had a sister who came out in front of the house 2 call for her brother, which the narrator loved.. each day begins with glimpses of mangans sister.. he goes out of his way to observe her.. they dont talk but he ilys her. one morning, she asks him if he is going 2 araby (a bazaar)... she cant go... narrator offers 2 go and bring her something back --> period of eager/restlessness/anticipation... on morning of bazaar he reminds his uncle of his plan to attend the event, and uncle promises 2 get home early and provide train fair.. but dinner passes and the uncle still doesnt return... he waits and waits until 9 pm when unle finally gets home. narrator heads 2 bazaar as its starting to close.. never ends up buying anything bc he encounters "englsh" things which makes him feel oppressed. EVELINE: sits @ home recalling her childhood... abusive father whom she dreams of leaving... faces a dilemma: remain @ home like dutiful daughter of leave dublin w her lover frank the sailor. he wants 2 marry her and live in buenos aires... eveline reviews her decision weighing the pros and cons of each livlihood.. decides 2 go with frank.. but as shes about 2 board the ship, she appears detatched and overwhelmed and prays to god for direction. her previous decision seems to have never been reached. eveline resists frank's pulling of her arm towards the ship. frank is forced 2 go without her. eveline remains fixed 2 the land. THE DEAD: annual dance/dinner party held by kate and julia and their niece mary jane... housemaid lily greets guests... set @ the feast of the epiphanyon jan 6 that celebrates the manifestation of christ's divinity 2 the magi... katie/julia wait the arrival of their fave nephew gabriel.. when they arrive he tries 2 talk 2 lily as she takes his coat but snaps in reply 2 his questions. mary jane plays piano. gabriel dances w miss ivors,a fervent supporter of irish culture, she labels him a "west briton" bc he writes literary reviews 4 conservative newspaper... he dismisses this acusation... ivors corners gabriel about his lack of interest in his country. he exclaims that hes sick of ireland. gabriel gives a speech @ dinner praising the women for their hospitality... he laments that hospitality is undervalued and insists people must not linger on the past and the dead, but live and rejoice in the present w the living... everyone applaods. gretta, while gabriel later tells a story, is focused on a song that mr bartell is singing.... when music stops and guests leave, gretta is still detached. gabriel is enarmored with his wifes mysterious mood.. but soon grows irritated by her behavior. she bursts into tears and says the song from the party was one that a former lover sang 2 her and died after waiting outside of her window in the cold. gabriel is very disturbed and lies in bed contemplating his own mortality.

author: virginia woolf characters: clarissa dalloway: protagonist. as she prepares for the party we are privy 2 her thoughts. she's vivacious/cares about what ppl think of her/is self reflective often questioning lifes true meaning. struggles to create balance between her desire for both privacy + communication w others. thinks about her marriage 2 richard as opposed 2 peter and her friend sally seton. septimus warren smith: WWI vet suffering from shell shock, married 2 lucrezia. he's insane but views english society similarly 2 clarissa. he is her "double". peter walsh: close friend of clarissa's once desperately in love with her.. she rejected his proposal, moved 2 india, and didnt return 2 london for 5 years. critical.. plays w pocketknife.. cries a lot. sally seton: friend of clarissa in her youth.. she/clarissa were sexually attracted 2 each other. richard: Clarissa husband/member of parliament in conservative gov't.. plans 2 write a history of great english military fam (the britons) when labour party comes 2 power. hugh whitbread: clarissa old friend and writer of letters 2 the Times. lucrezia: septimus wife. elizabeth: only dalloway child. doris kilman: elizabeth history teacher who was fired from a job during war bc she's german. sir william bradshaw: renowned london psych. dr. holmes: septimus' general doctor. lady bruton: high society/friend of dalloways. summary: dovers 1 day in clarissa dalloways life while walking in her london hood 2 prepare 4 a party. after shopping 4 flowers, peter walsh drops by unnanounced. peter asks clarissa if shes happy with rchard but before she can reply, elizabeth enters and peter leaves to regent's park thinking about clarissa and is past. POV shifts 2 that of septimus, WWI veteran suffering from ptsd. pre war septimus was a lover of shakespeare.. now he's numb to the horrors of the world and sees nothing of worth in the england he faught for... suicdal. his dr. recommends that he go 2 a mental institution for having a "lack of proportion"... RICHARD eats lunch w hugh/lady bruton and help her write a letter 2 the Times. afterwards, he brings clarissa roses and is unable to however say "i love u". clarissa considers the void existing b/w ppl.. finds it disturbing. meanwhile septimus + lucrezia prepare for him to be taken to the asylum... to avoid this, he jumps out the window 2 his death. peter hears ambulence go by and marvels @ the level of londons civilizatoin.. goes 2 clarissa's party. all the partygoers, mainly peter and sally, have failed 2 accomplish their dreams. sir william bradshaw arrives late bc of his patient's suicide. clarissa exist the party and thinks about the death and identifies with him... she feels responsible for his death bc of her comfortable position as a society hostess.

author: virginia woolf - gloves turn to flowers - dick vs. richard - gloves "made her feel the beauty and fun"? = just as self interested + class-insulated as she does when reflecting upon septimus' death - materialistic vs. modernized. - conversation with hugh as being external vs. internal - flirtatious exchange with ms. anthruther... sexual encounter w sally setan

author: ralph ellison setting: the south, 1930s characters: narrator/nameless protagonist, grandfather summary: the narrator speaks of his grandparents, freed slaves who after the civil war, believed they were separate but equal... that they achieved equality with whites despite segregation. the narrator's grandpa lived a quiet life after freed from slavery. on his death bead he spoke bitterly to narrator's father and compared lives of blacks to warfare + noting that he himself felt like a traitor. he counseled the narrator's father to undermine the whites with "yeses" and "grins" and advised his family to always comply with whites. the narrator, too, lives meekly and receives praise from the white members in the town... his grandfathers words haunt him. narrator recalls giving a speech @ his high school graduation... the speech urges humility and submission as being essential for the advancement of blacks --> town lOVES his speech and arranges to have him deliver it @ a gathering of the community's most important white people. narrator, upon arriving @ the gatehring, is told to participate in the BATTLE ROYAL (as part of the evenings entertainment) narrator + some of his black classmates put on boxing gloves + enter the ring. a naked/blonde/white woman with a flag painted on her stomach parades about... white women demand that the black boys dont look @ her + threatens them. white men blindfold the black youths + order them 2 fight viciously. narrator is defeated in the last round. after men remove blindfolds, they lead the contestants 2 a rug covered with coins/bills. boys lunge for money only to discover that an electric current runs through the rug + white men push the boys face down into it. when it's time for narrator's speech, the white men laugh + ignore him. accidentally, the narrator says "social equality" instead of "social responsibility" and the white men get very angry.. he says he made a mistake... finishes speech 2 an uproarious applause. men award him a calfskin briefcase/scholarship to college for black youth. that night, the narrator dreams of going to a circus with his grandfather + that inside the briefcase, the grandfather finds a letter that says "keep this ****** boy running"

author: sandra cinseros setting: characters: narrator, friend, dolls summary: a sudden abundance of flawed barbie dolls makes the child narrator accept her own identity+ discard society's ideals of women. initially, the storyworld is that of materialism and perfection. the narrator values in her dolls the ability to play with them and see them as a reflection of her own self image in a perfect world... she describes the outfits of her dolls to her friend, saying that "yours is the one with the mean eyes..." the narration uses mainly first/second person, creating the world of the little girl narrator where her/her friend are the only ppl and the barbies are the only things of importance. girls repeat society's gender roles in their games: "your barbie is roomates with my barbie, my barbie's boyfriend comes over and your barbie steals him"... the flea market scene describes the mundane reality of the narrator's hometown, which is contrasted with her aspirations that are projected to barbie dolls that represent a different social background/lifestyle. narrator lists the flea market items in the same way as she did with her dolls, emphasizing the contrasting worlds. the initial story world is disrupted in the flea market scene + narrator finds flawed barbies for sale.

sapphire

author: david leavitt setting: contemporary, resort town characters: ted, paul, susan, charlotte, old couple: cavillaros Summary: narrated by Paul, man wo leaves his wife for another man. paul works as a real estate broker and lives in a house wife his wife susan and golden retriever, charlotte. paul/susan knew each other for their entire lives and always planned out their picturesque life together.. green lawn/mailbox/garage, etc... upon taking his dog to the groomer, paul meets Ted (the groomer) and they have an instant connection. charlotte bites ted and once susan hears of this, she orders paul to send ted a bottle of champagne, unaware of their "connection." he does, and then begins dating ted secretly... he abandons his old dream with susan and has a new dream of living with ted in their dream house or "love nest." paul has a more feminine role in their marriage, and is often bossed around by his assertive lawyer wife. paul eventually leaves susan, causing her to throw a violent tantrum, driving paul even further away. he stayed @ teds house initially, but then began seing susan again: talking/walking on beach... etc... so he moved into a motel. still everyday he visited his dream love nest that he wants to buy for him/ted. a week after leaving susan, paul takes ted to see the house and the moment is not as magical as paul hoped.. ted questions paul's commitment to him and says that he knows paul will eventually run back to susan. and he did. that very day, an elderly couple wanted paul's dream love cottage. when he got home from work susan changed her mind and told paul that they werent going to work out and asks him to give her alone time but threatens to end things FOR GOOD if paul goes back to ted. paul spends his time moving from house to house (real estate worker) and is essentially homeless.

author: gish jen characters: callie/mona, ralph, mrs. chang, ralph's grandfather, booker/cedric, mrs. lardner, jeremy brothers setting: U.S. suburbia summary: in the first part, Ralph's old world patriarchy is shown as coming to terms with american culture... ralph felt as if he were @ the head of the hierarchical chain.. the pancake house was HIS business + he ran it as he pleased. ralph saw himself, as callie relates, likened to his grandfather who was head of a villae. ralph started out fine with a successful business + he was considered a good boss/generous benefactor. eventually power corrupted him, he treated his employees badly.. they quit. ralph, an immigrant, did not really understand the american worker. he felt that as the boss, he deserved the respect his authority dictated. like his grandfather who was head of a village. ralph's wife explains to her daughters, "your father doesnt believe in joining American society. he wants his own society." Eventually, he finds two ilegal immigrants, booker and cedric, who want to work for him and gladly lend their subservience. now with booker/cedric, ralph felt in charge.. the other workers, however, were not so pleased and called immigration to have B/C deported. after this, ralph was without his servants... so he lost interest in reigning over the restaurant... hung around the house... his "american dream" was not coming true. one day, the family is invited to a pool party and mrs. chang is excited about it, for she wants to make an impression on people from the country club (wants 2 join). ralph tries to assimilate to make his wife happy... this is a major adjustment for him (going somewhere he doesnt want to/wearing a suit he hates). mrs. lardner is the party host... the party is different from the male dominated society of ralph's grandfather + he awkwardly tries to fit in... the man who is being honored by the party = jeremy brothers. he approaches ralph, drunk, and their conversation ends in ralph throwing his coat into the pool out of anger. ralph, having had enough of the "american experience" gathers his family and they leave. ralph remembers that he left his keys in the coat pocket (which is in the pool)... they decide to go to the restaraunt to wait till the party ends, call mrs. lardner, and then return to fetch the coat/keys. story ends as ralph says that his daughters need to dive in the pool + get the coat because they are good swimmers... "not like me"...

author: jhumpa lahiri setting: boston characters: summary: husband/wife: shukmar and shoba are notified that their electricity will be shut off @ 8 pm for 5 nights in a row to fix a power line. shoba tells her husband this, he looks @ her and notices that her makeup has run down her face (bc she went to the gym).. he reminisces about how she'd look in the morning after a party during happier times. six months earlier, shoba went into labor prematurely when shukmar was out of town on a business conference... for the 1st time, he welcomes images of parenthood. while out of town, he was alerted of the labor complications but by the time he got to boston hospital it was too late + the baby died. since then, shoba spends more time @ work (shes an editor). shukmar, however, finds himself unable to work... he/his wife have become strangers + always avoid one another... shoba always had the house stocked with groceries and was always prepared to cook lavish meals and entertain guests... now, shukumar cooked dinner for only the two of them to eat separately... tonight, in the dark, would be the first time they ate together in months. shoba suggests they tell secrets in the dark, like her family did in india when the power was out... next night, shoba comes home earlier so that htey can eat together before the lights go out... they each confess things back and forth... @ the end, they both cry because of all their new knowledge.

author: ZZ packer characters: dina= narrator, dean of yale, heidi, therapist... setting: yale college summary: Dina is playing orientation games on first day 2 yale.. is only black girl in her group... one game asks what innanimate object she would wanna be.. she says a revolver --> sent to dean's office, sentenced to 1 year of counseling + roommate moves out of room. one day someone is knocking @ her door and crying and begs 2 be let in and quoted a frank o'hara poem as though she made it herself in order to evoke dina's sympathy... girl turned 2 dina, smiled weakly... dina describes her as chubby. "how do you know that poem" she sniffed.. "imin your poetry class" said dina. this girls name was heidi but she made ppl call her henrik. she started crying again and said she "sucked some cute guys dick and he told everybody and now ppl think shes a slut".. dina asks why she did that and "arent u a lesbian?" henrik says no and asks dina 2 go 2 dinner... dina says no and that she never leaves her room, pionting to her ramen noodle stash. Dr. raeburn is dina's therapist... dina says her father was a dick + her mom didnt care. dina says she hates her dad. heidi approaches dina again, warning her that she shouldnt eat ramen and should eat real meals... hiedi put her arm around dina and "it had felt good" each table in the dining hall was racially segregated. heidi tells dina that shes going on a date with "mr dick" aka keith and dina says she's insane and gets very rialed up. a boy in the dining hall gave dina a note that said "wear black leather the less the better"... it was for a gay party. ppl think dina/heidi are gay. heidi/dina decided to work @ the saybrook dining hall. dina gets calld "lesbo" by frat boys when she spills food on them. @ therapy dina tells the story of a boy she once admired with nice shoes but she was embarassed for him to walk her home and see how poor she was. next day the girls shower together with a hose in the diswashing room and dina said she began to love heidi... heidi's mom got has cancer and died... dina didnt go to the funeral.. moved back to baltimore with her aunt and thought about visiting heidi everyday.

author: chinua achebe characters: its just achebe.. summary: achebe argues that writers, just as historians explore history, have to fulfill their assigned duty: to educate/regenerate their people about their country's view of themselves, their history, and the world... expresses his belief about how europe influenced africa's own self image... he makes it very clear that africans would suffer from the belief that racial inferiority IS acceptable, which he wants to CHANGE and calls upon african writers to be responsible for/dedicate themselves to - their society. achebe clarifies that his style of writing is new bc africans have been historically educated by the europeans + he shows that this view has been injected 2 the african mind. according to euros, an artist or writer is someone in revolt against society. achebe indicates that most of his readers are young + implies that they still can be educated... thus hes hopeful about a better self-image of africans. achebe claims that his readers regard him as a teacher (hes kinda pretentious lol)... he says no self respecting writer will take diction from his audience... however, he depicts himself as merciful bc he comprehends that his european influenced society needs to be otherwise educated. achebe sardonically illustrates one difference between europeans/africans by the example of "turning hygiene into a god"... but he also admits that africans have flaws 2, which is most significantly their willingness to accept and embody racial inferiority. short anecdote of 1940s christians who were shocked 2 see nigerian dances, exemplifying "the result of the disaster brought upon the african psyche in the period of subjecation to alien race".. he uses appeal 2 pity as he only presents the picture of the pathetic africans... also tells about a student who wrote "winter" instead of the african trade wind season "harmattan" simply bc he was afraid 2 b called a bushman by his peers... achebe doesnt want his ppl 2 be ashamed of their roots... he requests that his ppl confront racism and rediscover themselves as a ppl... obliging writers 2 educate society with their works. the essay concludes with achebe quoting a hausa folk tale in order 2 show that art + education do not need to be mutually exclusive

author: ama ata aidoo characters:nana amfoa, her granddaughter, lorry driver.. setting:african village and then township summary: we can trace the progres of the strong comitment that aidoo makes to the traditions of her african culture by examining this story... in this haunting story: the granddaughter of an old woman, Nana amfoa, undergoes a cesarean operation.. when the news reaches amfoa's village from cape coast, a mood of despondency grips her and quickly spills over to her neighbors... she travels to cape coast and the hospital where it seems at first that the old woman will meet insurmountable obstacles when the duty of the nurse requests her to wait for visiting hours before she can see the patient... but amfoa is eventually welcomed into the ward where she sees her granddaughter in good health, with newborn twins! important facts: vernacular rehetoric = readers can hear the way the Ewes converse... the lorry driver whose comments give the old woman insight into the township codes = a crucial bridge between tradition/modernity

author: le minh khue characters: narrator (dinh) , thao, nho setting: vietnamese war summary: the story is about 3 soldiers who are also teenage girls living in a mountain cave near the war front. for 3 years, their duty is to fill in craters left by the american bombers + defuse unexploded bombs by exploding them with dynamite. despite the dangerous/dirty conditions surrounding them, this is a place where their wishes and desire were born.. when not being soldiers, they are being teen girls: singing, laughin, sharing candy, talking about love, etc.... their youthful passions/romantic idealism about the war sustains them. although their bodies are scarred and wounded, they keep fresh flowers in an empty explosive canister in their cave below Ho Chi Minh's photo. they believe fiercely in their mission of protecting the trail + they envision themselves as heroes, even though they're basically just hauling dirt.. their common duty unifies them.

author: leo tolstoy setting: late 19th century russia characters: ivan illych: protagonist, gerasim: ivan's sick nurse... serves as a foil to ivan: healthy vigorous... peter: ivan's closest friend + fellow judge... represents ivan's social milieu. praskovya: ivan's wife... vladimir: ivan's son 'vasya'... summary: group of judges are gathered together in a private rom of peter ivanovich's courthouse (judge/close friend of ivan ilych).. he announces ivan's death. consoled by the thought that ivan died instead of them, the men in the room think of the promotions and transfers that ivan's death will bring. that evening peter drives 2 ivan's house 2 attend his funeral, while looking @ the corpse, he is bothered by an expression of disapproval and warning on ivan's face. ivan wife = praskovya.. she quizzes peter about possible strategies 2 maximize her dead husband's government pension. on his way out peter encounters gerasim, ivan's sick nurse.. he mentions that ivan's death/funeral are a sad affair, + gerasim surprises peter with the observation that "everyone dies someday." the story shifts 2 more than 30 years in the past.. description of ivan's life: ivan = second of 3 sons. age 13 he attends the school of law where he assimilates the values and behaviors of those with high social standing.. becomes an examining magistrate in the reformed judicial institutions + moves to a new province.. he marries + things progress smoothly until praskovya gets pregnant... her behavior disrupts the proper and decorous lifestyle cherished by ivan + approved by society... he then absorbs himself in his official work + distances himself from his family... @ work he prides himself on removing all personal concerns from his consideration and @ home he adopts a formal/distant relationship with his fan... time passes + he moves up in the ranks + expects to be awarded the post of presiding judge in a university town but doesn't... infuriated, he obtains a leave of absence and moves w his fam 2 his brother in law house in the country... moves 2 st petersbug 2 look for a higher paying job... buys + furnishes a new house in preparation for his fam's arrival in the city. he experiences discomfort in his side/unusual taste in his mouth.. doctors tell him different things... ivan is scared and depressed. one night while lying alone in the dark he is visited by his first thoughts of mortality.. he realizes his illness is a matter of life or death... his wife doesnt understand and care... ivan hates her.. Gerasim (his servant) begins spending every night w him and eases his pain + shows compassion... his daily routine is monotonous/maddening... as those around him continue 2 pretend hes not dying, he feels like hes surrounded by fakenes... VASYA, his son, is the only one who understands hi imminent death... that night, ivan dreams about a deep black sack... he's being pushed into the sack but cannot fall through... after this, he realizes there is no more joy in his life. the dream of the black sack returns and this time he's pushed through it and into the presence of a bright light... he dies happily after realizing that his entire life was artificial + makes peace with that fact.

author: frank o connor characters: belcher = englishman held prisoner by irish rebels... bonaparte = narrator holding the prisoners captive.. donovan: officer in charge of irish rebel group... feeney: intelligence officer. hawkins: 2nd english prisoner, noble: irish rebel, old woman: owner of cottage where story is set. setting: ireland, old woman's cottage Summary: the story opens with two englishmen, hawkins and belcher, being held prisoner by a small group of rebels somewhere in ireland during irish rebellion.. the group is housed in the cottage of an old lady who is religious/stern with the men. Bonaparte, the narrator, and his compatriot, noble, become friends with the english soldiers. Jeremiah, the third irishmen, remains seperate from the others.. he is the officer in charge. one evening jerimiah tells bonaparte/noble that the englishmen are being held as HOSTAGES.. if the english kill any of their prisoners, the irish will order the execution of hawkins and belcher in retaliation... bonaparte feels disturbed. later, feeney (intelligence officer for the rebels), arrives w the news that the 4 irishmen were shot by english + that hawkins/belcher are being executed that night. bonaparte hopes that the two men attempt to escape... but donovan shoots hawkins and belcher... bonaparte leaves and says he never again felt the same after killing the men.

author: philip roth characters: marx, grossbart, fishben, halpern setting: spring 1945-post european military operations (missouri) plot: sargent nathan marx, narrator, is rotated from germany 2 a training company @ camp crowder, missouri. served infantry in the european theatre of operations for 2 years. 1st night @ camp, marx is approached by 19 year old trainee sheldon grossbart who, concluded from the name 'marx' that he was also jewish.. marx doesnt like the mood of intimacy forced upon him by grossbart. next day marx issues public announcement which reminds trainees that they ARE allowed 2 attend jewish service... grossbart introduces him 2 larry fishben and mickey halpern... they all attend services. 1 week later captain paul barret calls marx 2 explain a letter from grossbart's father 2 congressman franconi which complains about the food that isnt kosher.. marx confronts grossbart who says the letter was a cover for mickey... marx solves the problem. grossbart disappears from marx's life and later returns 2 ask a favor for a pass that would allow him 2 go 2 see his aunt in st louis for a holiday, he agrees and gives passes to all the jewish boys. grossbart promises marx a piece of fish from his holiday meal and does not deliver.. marx realizes he's been tricked.

author: yukio mishima characters: setting: plot: young couple marries, he 31 she 23... husband is sent away on tour of duty for imperial army.. wife prepares to kill herself if he doesnt return.. he returns but doesnt tell anyone because he knows he wll be forced to perform an attack on his colleagues who are insurgents, which he cannot do.. so he performs seppuku.. wife agrees 2 die with him, though he trusts her enough to be a whitness 2 his death, knowing that she'll kill herself right after. they prepare, and have sex one more time. he stabs himself in stomach/neck... dies. wife's last dilemma is her wonder as to if she should unbolt the door so neighboors can find them? she does. then plunges knife into her neck + dies.

author: homer setting: Ithica characters:Odysseus in disguise, penelope, and eurcleia summary: when the suitors retre for the night, telemachus and odysseus remove the arms as planned.. athena lights the room 2 help them work... telemachus tells eurcleia that they're storing the arms.. next telemachus retires and penelope joins odysseus.. she came from the womens quarters 2 question the "visitor" (aka O.) bc he has claimed 2 have met her husband.. she tests his honesty + asks him 2 describe the greek, which he does perfectly --> Penelope cries. next, he tells penelope that odysseus had a long ordeal but is still alive + freely sailing the seas.. predicts that Odysseus will be back 2 ithica within the month.. she offers the "begger" (O.) a bed to sleep in but he declines and allows eurcyleia (reluctantly) to wash his feet.. upon hich she notices a scar and realizes its the exact scar odysseus got while boar hunting with his grandpa.. she embraces him but he silences her so that penelope will not be informed. before she retired, penelope describes 2 the "beggar" a dream that she had, where an eagle swoops down on her 20 pet geese and kills them all, then it perches on her roof and speaks in a human voice saying he's her husband... O explains the dream 2 penelope but she decides shes going to find a new husband nevertheless... the first man who can shoot an arrow through the holes of 12 axes set in a line

author: dante alighiere setting: early 14th C florence characters: summary: opens with a passionate address 2 dante's native florence: says there are so many florentines populating hell bc of terrible actions of the citizens.. he prophesizes that a day of mourning will come 2 the city.. poets move on to the 8th chasm, dante sees thousands of little flames.. leans forward on the ledge of the bridge 2 observe him and almost falls into the chasm. virgil says each of the flames contains a sinner, hidden from view by the fire arround it.. they are the evil counselors, aka the ppl who used their power and intellect 4 evil. dante said he wishes to speak with a great flame that splits away in 2 horns of fire which conceals ulysses and diomede, who are in hell bc of 3 evil deeds: the ambush of the trojan horse, weeping of Deidamia (kings daughter), and theft of Pallas Athena's statue @ the palladium. virgil, bc he is greek and dante is italian, speaks 2 the flame --> ulysses, who occupies most of it, tells the story of his death: had a wanderlust + convinced his friends to take a long journey with him.. saild for 5 months + as they sailed towards a giant mountain far beyond hercules' pillars, a storm broke + the ship sun.

author: david herbert lawrence characters: paul, ms hestler, bassett, oscar, lawyer setting: the heset family home summary: tells about how a mother's greed 2 have more and more money caused the death of one of her children. the son exerted all of his mental power to get the names of winning horses + died of mental exhaustion. mrs. hester was beautiful and married for love however was not happy.. she had 3 kids and didnt love them bc she thought they were thrust upon her... children felt unloved by her. they were poor but lived in style to preserve a superior social position... everything in the house seemed 2 whisper "more money"... which @ last became unbearable 2 her son paul, who learned from his mom that anyone could get rich with luck. suddenly, something told paul that he was very lucky.. with his imagination, he thought his rocking horse took him to where there was luck.. he spoke to their gardener, Basset, and collected the names of horses in the races. paul rode his rocking horse furiously + asked the horse to take him to luck... @ the end of this "journey" the name of the winning horse would flash into his mind.. he betted on the horse + often won with bassett as his partner. earned up to 320 pounds. his uncle, oscar creswell, was interested in the horse race... he discovered paul's betting... became a member of his team and betted money on a horse, Daffodil (based on paul's intuition) + won. paul gifted 5 thousand pounds anonymously to his mother through a lawyer... and instructed him to gift 1 thousand pounds 2 her on every special occasion and say it was from a "rich relative"... being greedy, paul's mom wanted all 5 thousand pounds @ once instead of over the course of 5 years.. and after she got her wish, the whisper in the house "More money" became fiercer. paul tried hard to know the names of the horses but failed. still he tried... he came down from the horse and lay unconscious on the ground with a fever... and shouted in a delirium "MALABAR" bassett played 1 thousand pounds on malabar and paul got 70 thousand pounds,,, ms hestler became richer and richer.. paul died in the night from mental exhaustion.