The Yares of Black Mountain

In The Yares of Black Mountain, there is discussion of the war, comparisons between the North and South and other symbolic references mentioned in the text. This is one of the harder texts I think I have read thus far in this class. The Yares of Black Mountain is similar to Uncle Tom's Cabin in the way that the mom is driven by the child. Charley, the baby, is sick and really small and all he has is his mother guiding him to health and safety. His mother is a widow and all of her motivation comes from him. "The puny little boy in her arms was the only real thing in life to her." (247) We discussed in class that the reason people were being so nice to the travelers was because she had a baby. When Denby, the mother, finally reached the Yares it was as if she instantly felt comfortable with them. "She had an odd feeling that she had been adopted by some ancient knight." (258) The Yares were free of all materialism who had no position on clothing or educationing. Denby found herself not thinking or caring about how poor they were and started thinking of them as just anyone else. She soon formed a relationship with them and her baby was able to be cured. Has materialism taken over so much in our world that some people forget who they are? Does it cause them to forget what their main purpose in the world is?

Ragged Dick

As we discussed in class last Thursday there are many comparisons and differences between the role of girls and boys in American literature. In the stories we have read thus far, the girls in the readings have showed to be innocence, curious, adventurous little girls. There is an older male role usually portrayed, and a lack of mother guidance. The boys in the stories we have read have been more independent, charasmatic characters with huge personalities. In the stories that focus on the American girl role we have seen a lot of religious symbolism. In the boys we have seen a lack of religious symbolism. For example, in Ragged Dick, Dick does not even know what a Bible is. When Frank and Dick pass the Bible House Frank asked Dick if he had ever read a bible, Dick responded with, "'No,' said Dick; 'I've heard it's a good book, but I never read one.'" (303) In the previous readings, we have seen a role of a caretaker in the girls lives. In Ragged Dick, a role model figure is not shown or talked about. Dick is competent with living on his own and the reading shows how is he able to make a life for his own. In my opinion, in all of the readings we have read this semester the authors portray women to be helpless without a father or a man in their life. After reading Ragged Dick, it made me realize this assumption. In The Lamplighter, Gerty has Trueman; in The Wide, Wide World, Ellen has the old gentleman; and in The Hidden Hand, Capitola has Old Hurricane.

A Whisper in the Dark

The beginning of A Whisper in the Dark starts off with Sybil learning that she is to marry her cousin through a letter. The first interpersonal relationship we see that is out of the ordinary is this one. Today in our society people it is not seen normal to marry someone that you are related to for it is simply incestial. When I first learned about Sybil and her cousin, I found it wierd and gross but after reading their relationship grew on me and I found myself really interested in their relationship. The relationship between Sybil and her uncle is one that I find extremely odd and Alcott uses many descriptive words to show the relationship between them. "Not yet, young lady. You came here for your own pleasure, but shall stay for mine, till I tame you as I see you must be tamed. It is a short process with me, and I possess experience in the work; for Guy, though by nature as wild as a hawk, has learned to come at my call as meekly as a dove. Chut! What a little fury it is!" Uncle (218) Later in the book we find that Sybil is placed in an insane asylum by her Uncle. This alters the idea of the relationships Sybil has. Are we reading through her head? Is she really insane or is she not? This reading we do not see a mother/daughter relationship and I believe this shows why Sybil doesn't really know how to maintain relationships. She has never had a mother so is it reasonable to have close relationships with men including her uncle and cousin soon after meeting? Is she really okay with the fact that she did not have a decision to whom she was to marry?