Assignment #3- The Fountainhead

Prompt: Choose the scene in The Fountainhead that is most meaningful to you. Analyze that scene in terms of the wider themes in the book.
The philosophy of Ayn Rand is very important in this novel since the idea of objectivism is very much emphasized. She believes that that reality exists independent of consciousness and that there is direct contact through sense perception, where knowledge can be obtained through logic, specifically inductive and deductive logic; the purpose of life is the pursuit of one’s own happiness or rational self-interest. In short, objectivism is the principle that human knowledge and values are objective that have been determined and it is up to the man’s mind to discover them. When analyzing both Keating and Roark, Keating cares more about the pursuit of self-interest, in which he works in one of the most important architecture businesses and he hopes to gain a higher status in the business, going to the point of asking Roark for his help however, he also seems to fall in love. Roark cares more about the pursuit of happiness, in which he does not necessarily care about being at the top in his job and struggles against society.

In my opinion, the most meaningful scene in the novel is in the very beginning, where it is stated that Roark had been expelled from the Stanton Institute of Technology because of his refusal to abide to the traditions he found outdated. By Roark being introduced in the beginning and in this manner, the readers can foreshadow the type of person he is and have an idea of how he would progress throughout the novel. There is an important difference between Roark and Keating, they are total opposites as seen in Keating’s personality that is not reflected in Roark, such as his lack of creativity which shows his conformity to society. Roark does not agree with society or wants to comply with what has been established in the architectural world, as he shows his individuality through various drawing of buildings, which are not the typical buildings seen in the city; he stays true to himself.

In this scene, that identifies who Roark is, the various themes in the novel are exemplified, one of which is the importance of individuality. Roark serves as an example of a perfect man who is admired because of his talent and courage to resist the norms of society and that through it all, he does not change. The novel revolves around this character, who struggles to retain his individuality even in the face of all the obstacles put forth by society. Nevertheless, he is not the only one in the novel who faces the struggle of acting individually, since the most important virtue is to not change because society does not accept you. It can be seen in the novel that laborers are admired as individuals but feared as a group since they could revolt. At the end of the novel, he symbolically wins against society because he is able to live based on his own principles. Another of the themes is the importance of reason, which can be applied not only to this scene but to the characters specifically. In the novel, it is argued that everything worth thinking, feeling, or producing should be a result or reason and not of emotion. The fact that some of the characters, including Roark, defend their individuality through logical means further supports the fact that sentimentalism is not approved and does not lead to success. This idea tries to convey the fact that one should be cold-hearted and selfish, where feelings are not to be considered and that the mind should dominate one’s self to reach one’s dreams. Everything in the novel is very precise, as seen in the field of architecture, such as the various shapes used in the buildings. Also, Roark is an intelligent individual who does not conform to society and has a sense of creativity as shown in the various buildings he has created, which do not reflect those normally seen. He does not let himself be bent to what is found acceptable and normal, and if emotion were to dominate him, then his ideology could certainly change since he might become confused of who he is. However, a theme that might contradict the previously mentioned, in the cold love experienced between both Roark and Dominique. Love in one of the principles that is worth fighting for, just like individualism. Humans should be able to interact and experience love between each other. Both characters have expressed their feeling of independence, which they let go for each other. The love seems to contradict the idea of reason over emotion. However, they are both so demanding of their relationship to be perfect that it loses the emotional part and becomes logical. It is argued in the novel that relationships should help maximize people’s potential, where they should be precise and logical, the only manner in which it can be approved.

　　

Assignment #2- Symbols in The Scarlet Letter

There is an effective use of symbols in The Scarlet Letter that contribute to the various themes, such as that no one is free of sin. Everyone in the town blamed others, such as Hester, of committing a sin which helped to lessen their own guilt of other possible sins they could have also committed. The town was very cruel in forcing Hester to wear an “A” on her chest, so as to show her sin to everyone, when they were not brave enough to admit their own sins. Through the use of symbols in the text, the author is able to emphasize the theme.

One of the contrasting symbols is the town and the forest. The town is symbolic of civilization, in which there are laws and the human authority to punish those who do not obey. In the town, everything one does is carefully watched and judged. The forest represents nature, where there is no authority to enforce any laws and no society exists to dictate from right and wrong. The people can truly be themselves and assume alternate identities. When Hester and Dimmesdale both meet in the forest, they are able to express their true emotions and are together without anyone judging them, they are content lovers once again. Hester’s cottage happens to be located on near the town and at the edge of the forest, in the middle of both settings where the life in the town and the forest are applied. Another contrasting symbol is day and night. The day represents those who are socially acceptable since they have nothing to hide and also this is the time where everyone is being watched, in which they can be criticized by their actions. The night represents those who have to keep cover, since they have acted against societal laws but this is also a time that enables actions that are not approved by society. One example is when Dimmesdale, Hester and Pearl all stand on the scaffold but in which they are concealed in the darkness; this secret was kept in the dark for a long time. The night is when one can truly be themselves while in the day this must all be concealed and it all remains a secret.

The scarlet letter is one of the most important symbols in the novel. This emphasizes throughout the novel the adultery that the main character committed. The scaffold upon which Hester is condemned is shaped like the letter “A” and the scarlet letter is also shaped like an “A,” where this letter is significant throughout the novel. This serves as a reminder to both Hester and the town of her adultery. Later in the novel, the letter loses meaning and comes to stand for Able. This also shows the ineffective manner of punishment in the town. The letter “A” appears once again when the meteor passes by in the sky. The letter is interpreted by the town as meaning Angel because of Governor Winthrop‘s death, but Dimmesdale believes that he should also wear the letter, showing his guilt. This emphasizes the change of the meaning of the letter, where it becomes to mean whatever they want it to mean. Pearl is not only an important character but also an important symbol. She is the result of the adultery of Hester and Dimmesdale and cannot be hidden; she is there to remind them of how she came to be. Nevertheless, she is not necessarily a punishment to Hester but a blessing, a reason for her to keep living and to not give up.

Assignment #1- Facts About Mary Shelley

Five Interesting Facts About Mary Shelley:

1. The idea for Frankenstein came to her as the result of a ghost story contest between Mary, her husband, the poet Lord Byron, and Dr. John Polidori. It came to her in a dream.
2. She was essentially motherless and raised by an intellectual...much like Victor Frankenstein and his monster.
3. She wrote her novel Frankenstein at the age of 19 in 1818
4. She kept her dead husband’s, poet Percy Shelley, heart wrapped in silk until she died.
5. On the first anniversary of her death, her box-desk was opened and they found locks of her dead children's hair, a notebook she had shared with Percy Bysshe Shelley, and a copy of his poem Adonaïs with one page folded round a silk parcel containing some of his ashes.