"Perhaps this planet could grow on one. Perhaps it could become a good home...and it could be a hideous place, the Duke thought." Can a harsh environment or situation be paradoxically "good" for a person? What other works of literature show characters in similar situations?
Maybe this is stretching it, but Wuthering Heights? When Catherine, the Mother, goes to live with Linton, could it be that it was "Good" for her, to become civilized, honorable, and obtain some social status, even though it is far from what she truely wants. Possibly Cathy, the daughter, herself could be used there as well, being forced away from her father's house, where she does eventually fall in love with Hareton. Maybe Heathcliff's "Planet" Grew on Cathy.
ReplyDeleteAnother example may be Frankenstein, when Victor Frankenstein goes to college at Ingolstadt. While there, Frankenstein often misses his family and his friend, Henrey Clerval. It would have been Harsh to be lonely like that, but it was good because of his particular goals, which would later on kill him... but let's not focus on that part...
And of Course, Never Cry Wolf. Farley Mowat had experienced some pretty bizarre feelings and situations on his little journey to the snowy desert. Almost anybody would think of a place like that as a Hell, though because of what he saw and learned about wolves, he grows to be comfortable with the place, even to a point of naming the local wolves and following them to examine their daily lives.
An example could be The Grapes of Wrath. At the beginning of the novel the Joad's are excited and optimistic about making their journey to California. Their hope is to start a new and improved life there in California's beautiful land.
ReplyDeleteHowever, once the Joads reach California they realize that it is not what they thought it be. California is full of families just like the Joads. And as a result of that there are a lack of jobs, decreases in wage, lack of decent housing riots, and fights. And when it looked like things couldn't get worse, they did.
At the end of the novel Rosasharon gives birth to a stillborn baby. She is devastated by her loss, but finds the courage to help out a starving man by breast feeding him. Her hope is that although she has lost a life, she might save one at the same time. Also her act of kindness kind of showed hope for our human race during the Great Depression. It showed that even during the worst of times people can be compassionate and kind towards others in need.
The Congo for Marlow in "Heart of Darkness" is the first thing that comes to mind.Yes the Congo was a terrible plae full of terrible people and situations but Marlow came out of "the heart of darkness" enlightened.He saw the very depth of human depravity and resisted what must have been a very seductive call to join the "dark side" so to speak.He saw the god-like state that it had elevated Kurtz to.But he also how in the end it destroyed him."The horror,the horror" of it all opened his eyes to understanding the world and himself better.And when he came out he was "a meditating Buddha".Enlightened.
ReplyDeleteYou know this might be a stretch but when I began thinking about it King Lear could also be very paradoxical in the fact that all of Lear's early life is spent focusing on his daughters. When we look at him going through his " crazy " stage he has actually come to face the fact that his daughters aren't quite what he thought they were cut out to be. So though his bad situation he is able to shed some light as to just what kind of people his daughters truely are.
ReplyDeleteI think this planet could make someone say home sweet home, but the wierd things that go on on that planet. But im not real sure what to post except that the planet is spesail to some people
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