edensliterarydiaries

[edensliterarydiaries]

Little Women by Louise May Alcott: Not a full embodiment of a Bildungsroman novel.

Written in 1868 and 69, Little Women is the part fiction, part memoir-esque novel of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Set in Civil War America, the novel tells the tale of the sisters, from their childhood in a ‘genteel poverty’ home to married women, with their own separate lives.

In the modern age, Little Women is seen as one of the original ‘coming of age’ narratives that, inspired too many comedy romances. However, after reading the novel, it can be argued that the Bildungsroman label only appeals to the fact that the sisters get married in the end. Apart from Beth, who passes from scarlet fever, the sisters manage to maintain their childhood passions well into part two of the novel; Good Wives (1869).

From the perspective of Jo (LMA), the passionate abolitionist and feminist ideas of the author is not prevalent. As, even in today’s western culture, the worldly imagination of a child can not be defined as thus until she is an adult. With a ‘mischievous glint in her eyes’, Jo evidently is trying to ‘be what (her father) loves to call ‘a little woman’ and not to be rough and wild.’ Quite the opposite to her artistic sister Amy and feminine sister Meg, both of whom embrace life, love and (one day) marriage.

Ergo, the typical feminist ideals cannot be fully embraced by Little Women.

All four sisters get married off by the end of part 2. Jo, the most outspoken of the group, ends up marrying Professor Bhaer, (a teacher from a boarding house she stays in during part 2). From the characters alone, it can be said that the book contradicts what we think the average feminist should be. As, from a 21st century perspective, a feminist is often associated with strength, leadership and wealth. In the context of the novel, such aspirations are limited to the rich 'married' women and widows of society.

Money and power are synonymous with each other. If you did not have the keys to such doors, you are left destitute of friends and any 'modern' pleasure in your life.

Another contextual idea that is explored in this novel is 'genteel poverty'. A label given to Alcott's family of sisters, and stays with them to the very end of the novel. It is rather confusing this label, as the family is neither poor or not 'well off' enough to earn at least an acknowledgment from society. (Suggests a 'lack of commitment', if you ask today's reader.)

The ideas associated with 'genteel poverty' can be extended to sisters Jo and Amy and their character development. Jo embraces radical ideas and imagination in her writing. Whilst Amy pursues fine art along with learning etiquette from Aunt March. Art and literature stereotypically go hand in hand, with their thoughts against societal standards. Yet, in Jo and Amy's case, it is suggested that they use such pursuits to distract themselves from their Achilles heel; lifelong dissatisfaction and, dare we say, hesitation.

Part One and Part Two of Little Women are polar opposites of each other. Maybe due to it being a memoir of LMA and her sisters. Or, could it be to get across the similarities and differences between childhood and adulthood.

A reassurance, if you will, that life and imagination will not see curtains once you leave home. Or, in the case of the sisters, imagination will not die once you commit yourselves to marriage. That being said, the 'memoir-esque' structure of the novel does connote LMA's abolitionist views of 'reality over ideals'. Which is evident in the lives of Jo and Amy. Who are seen to be reluctant in stepping into societal adult life (a true embodiment of LMA's perspective on life). However, in the case of Meg, that is not the case. A complete opposite to Jo and Amy, Beth having passed on, Meg wants marriage and the social life that comes with it.

With the exciting characters of Jo and Amy, you can say that calm stability desired by Meg provides balance in the novel. Something that is needed to avoid the novel being interpreted as the Sister drama Olympics!

In the end though, we can say that Little Women is one great adventure into love and friendship (a bit like your modern day soap opera!) People’s hearts get broken and revelations get realised right at the last minute. Novels to also pick up, should you love this book, are ‘The Marriage Game’ by Alison Weir and ‘Just Kids’ by Patti Smith. Both deal with characters that grow up throughout the novel (true Bildungsromans) and both come to terms with adulthood at the very end of the novel. I could write more about this light hearted drama. But alas, you can only write so much without rambling on and, potentially, going off path.

This has been a great read and I’ll be sure to pick up again once the weather gets colder.

Thank you and see you next time,

E xx

#english literature #american #american literature #writing #literature review #classic literature #little women #louisa may alcott #march sisters #jo march #amy march #laurielawrence #littlewomen #amyandlaurie #beth march #meg march

[edensliterarydiaries]

M Train by Patti Smith- Finding strength in revisiting your past life.

It can be said that American literature is one epic after another, whether it be set on Route 66 or in the beautiful prairies. M Train is no different. Patti Smith plausibly writes this novel as a method for making peace with her previous life. From the thrill of the microphone to the excessive destruction felt by the written word. Now, with her husband and long term friends moved in the next world, we feel a person that is satisfied with a life she had lived. We do not see despair in old age, but we see a person who has indeed completed life’s puzzle.

In the beginning of the novel, we start with Patti in Greenwich village. A place that represents the quintessential resident of New York City; the loveable workaholic tangled up in a web of repetition in the city that never sleeps. This plausible claim is conceived by Patti’s observation of the people and their ‘shuffling face cards with nothing worth preserving.’ Which makes life in today’s world seem black and white (and futile) compared to the vigour she experienced a mere 40 years ago; refer back to her first book ‘Just Kids’.

The focus on ‘shuffling’ and ‘cards’ connotes ideas of gambling and questionable uncertainty. Something that could allude to the emotional risk Patti took when travelling to her meaningful places (Mexico, France …) On the other hand, ‘shuffling face cards’ could say that the city people have nothing interesting beneath their surface value. A State of play we let grind hearts and souls against. Then, before we know it, we ourselves become the grey figures of this colourless dystopia.

The heartless world Patti offers is then met with the thoughts and feelings ties to Mexico. Whose colourful vigour and creativity provides a welcome balance between it and Patti’s home city. Visiting Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul suggestively creates this much needed spark in the novel:

‘although I craved solitude, I decided I could not pass on an opportunity to speak in the same garden that I had longed to enter as a young girl.’ -Patti on the opportunity to give a talk at Frida’s house opening to the public.

The complex structure of this sentence plausibly releases tension that has been so prevalent in the lead up to this much needed moment. Verbs like ‘craved and ‘longed’ lengthens this sentence and gives us an indication as to how much she had desired opportunity. Another thing to highlight is the imagination and childlike innocence of Patti. The use of ‘solitude’, ‘garden’ and ‘young girl’, in this long sentence, forces us to stay in this idealistic world of Patti’s for a bit longer. Patti travelling on her own is reminiscent of Big Sur by Jack Kerouac and the Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. The former reflecting heavily upon the art of living after the excitement of immortality is gone. The latter being a shadow of their former selves struggling to release themselves from the clutches of destructive pleasure.

The references to other literary works are, to an extent, deliberate. As they indirectly link to thoughts and moments relating to Patti’s own life. W.G Sebald’s ‘After Nature’ is the novel she refers to the most in this case. The way ‘he senses her husband’s priceless violin buried in the pit of her memory’ is very emotional. The words ‘priceless violin’ and ‘pit’ connote thoughts relating to death and sadness. Something we, unfortunately, think of when we first pick up these sorts of novels. These ideas of emotion and sadness are frustrating, especially in the case of Patti Smith. As a writer, with the childlike mind of hers, we would think she would have the urge to find happiness even in the midst of despair. Thankfully, Patti recognises this as she states that ‘she always hated loose ends’. ‘Dangling phrases, unopened packages (are like) a lone sheet on a clothesline before a vague storm’. (As we all do! Patti, as well all do!). The length of the sentence suggests frustration and, more specifically, the words ‘dangling’ and ‘clotheslines’ associate Patti’s observation with everyday chores and looming tasks. (Something we all find frustrating).

In the end, we have to say that M Train is indeed the embodiment of the human condition in the modern world: grey, faceless with glints of (original) creativity here and there. Patti, a multi talented artist, is indeed one of the last gems of literary genius we have left on the world stage. (That being said, there is nothing wrong with preserving the writings of the past). I would definitely recommend this novel as it could be the solution to finding excitement even in the mists of your 40s and 50s. If you want other recommendations, beyond Smith, Kerouac and Wilde, have a go at the sarcastic observations of Dorothy Parker. Or even the philosophical observations of Haruki Murakami in ‘The Wind Up Bird Chronicles’.

This has been another great rollercoaster of emotion and perspective on life itself. I would be sure to read it again soon.

Thank you Patti, thank you! Xx

#september 2023 #september #literature review #american #american literature #patti smith #m train #classic literature #modern classics #writing #book review

[edensliterarydiaries]

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A black mark of Social History is put under the microscope.

Under the education system, you were taught that Haper Lee’s novel was a product of its time as well as the closest we would ever get to understanding the culture of the segregated south.

Reading this classic a few years on, Lee’s novel can no longer be considered as just another insight into one of many undignified moments of social history. Written in the first person, Lee explores one of the quintessential assets of 1930s America; the ‘close-knit’ family.

From the family you’re born into, to the people in your hometown, it can be seen that the main characters are conflicted by their social and human morality. This is evident in the youngest character of the novel, Jean Louise (Scout), when she observed that she ‘was born good, but had grown progressively worse every year.’ Plausibly, her impressionable mind is referring to the negative effects of growing up. Focusing on the quote specifically, the placement of the comma presents Scout’s view as a reflection life itself; the ability to be good is short lived, whereas the bad parts of life can be sufferable longer. The ideas associated with the Bildungsroman novel also extends to the children’s thoughts of the adults of Maycomb, Alabama (the location of the novel). Lee presents them as figures of authority over children like Scout and Jem (the former’s older brother). Wether they are a dictatorial or democratic, the reader will have to see as the novel progresses. As we are only offered hints until court is in session. This view on character hierarchy is convincingly spoken of by Jem when he stated directly to Scout that “You can’t run three hundred miles off without your mother knowin’”. The irony of this coming from Jem is that the term ‘Big Brother’ is referring to the government propaganda of the time. Something that was promoting political control and an almost dystopian outlook on America society during the early 20th century.

From Jim Crow’s Laws to the great migration to California, shifts in the American economy were prioritised over emotional happiness and harmony.

The children’s perspectives are contrasted with the steadfastness of the father, Atticus Finch. His interaction with Jem and Scout are plausibly as direct and unwavering as any parent we, as readers, will ever encounter. To order Scout to, ‘hold your head high and … don’t let them get your goat’ is to urge her to stick to her moral beliefs, as Atticus’ daughter, rather than the conflicting views of Maycomb society.

The influence of Atticus is later confirmed in Scout stating that ‘(he) told (her) to delete the adjectives and just have the facts’. Advice coming from Atticus does suggest the powerful connection he has with Scout. Something that was very profound with Lee and her father who was also a lawyer in Alabama. A particular case her father took, which parallels the novel’s, was serving as a defence counsel for two African Americans who were accused of murdering a white storekeeper. In terms of Atticus, his role as the local lawyer serves as the glint of hope in the backwards world of the Deep South.

To highlight his own moral views on society, Atticus states to the jury that he’s ‘no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our… jury system—that is no ideal to (him), it is a living, working reality.’ Atticus harshly contrasts the theory of law with its practice.To increase the power of the latter, Lee uses punctuation, at the last minute, to emphasise ‘living (and) working reality’. This is further enforced by the use of a em dash to lengthen Atticus’ focus idealism. To join up ‘jury system (with) that is no ideal’, plausibly makes idealism seem tedious and overbearing. The toil between the ideal and reality, seen by the sentence structure, does suggests conflict between law and society’s emotions.

This contrast can also be linked to the political situation at the time the novel was set as well as when it was published. In 1930, the theory and ideal world propaganda was promoting was disguising the social effects suffered from the Depression and Dust Bowl. Whereas in 1960, the advertisements of the ‘white’ family home and ‘the Help’ system was contrasts with the Civil Rights movement that slowly grew to change everything.

Atticus’ use of contrasts is further explored by Dolphus Raymond. Someone who gets ostracised by Maycomb for marrying a black woman, Raymond is a courtroom viewer that the Scout and Jem come to know. To an extent, he also sees society as being conflicted between human reality and social ideals;

“Cry about the simple hell people give other people—without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too.”

The religious associations with ‘cry’ and ‘hell’ does plausibly allude to the reception of court case verdict later on in the novel. However, to contrast it with the colour ‘white’ associates the treatment of coloured ‘folk’ with purity and innocence. With manipulation being very prevalent here, Lee could be mirroring the novel’s character hierarchy with American society’s.

Overall, before I ramble on any further, it can be said that Lee’s idea of ‘close-knit family’ very broad. By including arguments surrounding the use of law and power during this time, Lee makes us realise how hard it is to stick with OUR (practical) logic over theoretical fanaticism. Unlike my previous review, you can give this novel the ‘Modern Classic’ label. A narrative that is relevant across all decades, Harper’s toil between ‘family’ values and human harmony, makes us question the lack of unity in today’s world. Separate political structures, ways to educate people and religious beliefs can make a person question where they belong regardless of birth.

This has been a rollercoaster ride of a read and I would be sure to experience it again in the near future. If you want to read or watch narratives that are similar to Harper Lee’s epic, have a go with;

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1966)

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (2015)

Dead Man Walking (film in 1995)

No Country for Old Men (film in 2007)

Thank you again for this wonderful experience Harper!

See you next time! Exxx

#september #september 2023 #english literature #literature review #writing #to kill a mockingbird #harper lee #american literature #americanbooks #modern classics #american #civil rights #depression era

[edensliterarydiaries]

The Secret History by Donna Tartt. The dangerous pursuit of climbing the social ladder.

The Secret History (SH) is an account of a murder in Hampden College, New England, through the eyes of outsider Richard Papen. A academic life that is similar to Tartt’s own, this novel artistically blends the rational with romantic ideals. However, after reading this stunning narrative, I have to address the title, so many say, it ‘truly deserves’: A Modern Classic. SH can plausibly be classified as a psychological crime novel that is derivative of other writings before it. From Crime and Punishment to Sigmund Freud’s essays, Tartt transforms the ideals of college life and academic study into one of morose horror. The knowledge of characters is greatly outweighed by the clear obsession with academia. From a first person account, we never get to know Papen’s fellow classmates, or the teacher Julian Morrow, on any other level beyond physical appearance. Instead, we become familiar with their love of Greek stories and rituals (only to kill a local man in the process, oops 😬😯).

SH is ‘devoid of character but has plenty of personality… there is nothing good beneath the heavy surface of academia’. -J.Wary, Michigan Daily

The influences of psychology in SH are evident in the difficulty these characters face outside the walls of academia. Papen, seeing hope for a better life in attending Hampden, only comes to observe that his ‘existence was tainted’ in the process and after. Yes, the death of his friend Bunny may have been the catalyst for such a perspective to be drawn. But, can the fact that Morrow insisted that his students have him as their only teacher be the cause for such an outlook too? (You had it coming as soon as you switched your tutor to Morrow as well Papen, we all saw it coming!)

We can see that his ‘morbid longing for the picturesque’ (NY Times) is a parallel to how private colleges are perceived by the common folk. As a ‘idyllic’ as it was on the brochure As the outsider, Papen’s, opportunity to escape the dull reality of Californian life is only met by the Dickensian tradition of financial and societal desperation; a long way from the better life he once dreamed of when coming to Hampden.

The opportunity to entrench yourself in the worlds created by classic literature is something our original five Greek students do persistently. With lots of money behind them, it is easy to get captivated by the romantic fantasy without feeling the consequence. The richest of the five, Henry, states that ‘Death is the mother of beauty… and what is beauty (without) Terror?’. The ideas behind Henry’s speech links back to the passage read by Camilla in the first class together.

In a ‘harsh and low and lovely’ voice, she reads about the ‘dark red and violent-driven rain of bitter savoured blood (that makes the character) glad’.

The repetition of ‘and’ both lengthens the sentence and makes Camilla’s speech creepily seductive. Yet, finishing the passage with a character that is ‘glad’ could be Tartt alluding to the murder later on in the novel. In the mean time, the excitement and vigour stemming from both Henry and Camilla’s imagery is plausibly seen as escapism away from the ‘monkish bare’ windows and ‘whitewashed walls’ of Hampden.

As a former student of the said ‘elite’ school life, time between those tall walls can be reminiscent of prison. Pursuing the idea rehabilitation was in the form of etiquette (often indirectly) and hazing Saturday matches and army training. All of which spat you out into the world with your school plastered on your psyche.

To be a Modern Classic, SH had to focus individuals personal morals and ethical behaviours both in their daily lives and in unusual situations (such as a murder). As a first person account, Tartt avoids this. She only lets us know Papen’s opinion on their physical appearance and any actions they commit. This alone, speeds up the pace of the novel. As Tartt does not stop to give us any background information of these students, especially Henry and Bunny, whose interaction is quite intriguing to Papen.

In contrast to the world of Greek literature, Papen’s description of his fellow students is reminiscent of the contents of a photo album. We see the images of people and know about what they did in life. But, we don’t know them beyond their physical appearance, what they like and dislike for instance.

The replacement of character development with the obsession with Dionysian madness, distances Papen (us as readers), from the original five Greek students. Under the spell of Dionysus’ words, it is plausibly easy for the students to be captivated by the colourful imagery displayed in such books. Especially in the black and white surroundings of Hampden, the classical world created connotes a Baroque undertone that is both captivating and sinister; the latter is more prominent to us than the former.

Can we plausibly see that Tartt is suggesting that literature was a way to escape the daily grind of academic life?

In the end though, it is difficult to see how SH can be a Modern Classic. Yes, Greek literature and elite university settings are visuals that are associated with the adjective ‘classic’. But, the limited character development does make Papen’s account of the events ,leading up to the murder, dry; no conflicting emotions or true feelings about certain events (beyond Papen) revealed in any way. Furthermore, being publishing in the early 90s, SH was released into a world that was in love with murder mysteries and psychological thrillers both in the book and on screen.

It is a product of its time, not a Modern Classic. The latter is used on a piece of work that is going to last and resonate with everyone over centuries. To state it’s a modern Classic would be to compare it against the works of authors from the early to mid 20th century.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928), for instance, uses letter writing and indirect and direct dialogues to convey Constance’s character development to us. Through letter writing and talking to specific ‘trusted friends’, we know how difficult her life was becoming with Clifford (the plausible predecessor of Richard Papen!). The main point to take away is that the character development aided the progression of the narrative. It did not lead the reader to express doubts or question anyone’s motives and inner beliefs and it certainly did not leave us to speculate what lead up to certain events.

Anyway, coming back to SH, I can say that it is a psychological crime novel. Tartt does suggest to us that there is more that meets the eye when it comes to elite colleges and the academic world. She also draws a dark shadow over feelings of temptation and ambition, especially in the case of outsiders like Papen.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone seeking something to read under the bed covers this autumn. If you grow to love it and form opinions about it (like I have) and fancy something more- then watch some crime movies from the 90s! (A good place to start would be The Good Shepherd (2006) and The Skulls 3 (2004).

Hoped you enjoyed this post as much as I did writing it!

See you in the next one!

Yours sincerely,

Eden xxx

#september #september 2023 #the secret history #donna tartt #secret society #dark academia #light academia #greek mythology #greek literature #literature review #english literature #writing #writing reviews

[edensliterarydiaries]

Forget me not (Watercolour study)

Forget me not flower in Watercolour

A perfect flower for the narrative of Wuthering Heights.

#watercolor #first attempt #september 2023 #september #wuthering heights #forget me not #flowers #botanical #botanic academia #botanical illustration #botanical art #emily bronte #bronte sisters

[edensliterarydiaries]

Wuthering Heights- A piece on human emotion by Emily Brontë

The preconception of this literary classic was of dread. Picking this up, I was already thinking about the long, drawn out revelations of a word that launched a thousand creatives to make for the next 200 years; suffering.

I’m glad to say that I was wrong in conceiving these thoughts. Wuthering Heights is a beautiful tale of love that pushes our three leading men into situations they are greatly unprepared for. To an extent, it is wrong to think that this is typical of the gothic genre. The dreams and visions these characters see are plausibly the result of mixed emotions in response to where Brontë uses them in the story.

This is no more evident than in the experiences of the novel’s most infamous character; Heathcliff. Described as dark and enigmatic, Heathcliff finds love in a girl (Catherine) who is promised to someone else (Edgar). To say rather quickly ‘be with me always-take any form-drive me mad!’ is one of many ways Bontë engraves her own passionate nature into the words of her characters. This quote particularly uses multiple dashes to speed up its pace. The lack of opportunities to breath, possibly was needed to create tension in Heathcliff’s voice. Moreover, lengthening a sentence filled with only one and two syllable words, emphasises the sheer urgency of his words to his Catherine.

The connotations of Brontë’s passionate nature are further solidified when Heathcliff finishes his love-filled plea with the command ‘do not leave me in the abyss where I cannot find you.’ To an extent, the chilling imagery can suggest that Heathcliff needs Catherine to fill a void in his heart in replacement of the cold darkness often associated with ‘the abyss’. Yet, due to the lack of experience we, as readers, have with such an image, it is also plausible that Brontë can be referring to the Yorkshire’s moors fog riddled scenery. However, the imagery of the ‘abyss’ can also connote ideas of religion. Even in the mid 1800s, religion was still a prevalent practice in the English countryside. Heathcliff can be foretelling a future where, without Catherine’s light, darkness is his only acquaintance. The imperfect and sharp changes in narrative speed is what makes Brontë’s writing imperfect; making it a plausibly unique gem in Victorian literature. The lack of any stable roads for the reader to follow, makes the novel reminiscent of a diary. The passion charged speeches and the constant wafting between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, can be seen as a reflection of Brontë’s own life. After the death of her mother and siblings, Emily and Charlotte spend time in Brussels before spending the rest of their days in their bleak Yorkshire homeland. Over this period of time, both sisters grew apart in their extreme personality; Emily was far ‘more appreciated for her passionate nature than Charlotte’ s decorous temper’. But, at the end of the day, ‘whatever the souls are made of (both) are the same’. It can also be suggested that Brontë wrote this novel in the midst of her travels. As the intense human emotions felt by the characters, contrasts the peaceful greyness of their surroundings. With nothing happening in the Yorkshire setting, neither from humans or environment, Brontë plausibly makes the stage for her characters smaller; therefore limiting distractions and increasing the tension.

Overall, Wuthering Heights is a testament to what it is to be human. We never have one true emotion we feel in any situation we experience. It is always a mixture of happiness and doubt or fear and sheer embarrassment (wait that’s what I feel!) In modern world, Wuthering Heights can be seen as a story of the typical non-committal. How many times have we committed to a relationship, with a person or place, and second guessed our intentions to pursue it. Brontë is certainly a quintessential writer for the human over a creator of fantasies.

This is certainly a novel I will be reading again and (maybe) I’ll have a go at some of Charlotte’s work. Who knows. Thank you Emily. Thank you. Xxx

-If you but struggle with the language of 1800s England but want to read a narrative similar to Wuthering Heights. Why not pursue Philippa Gregory’s Wideacre series and Betrayal at the Tudor Court by Darcey Bonnette-

#wuthering heights #nature #emily bronte #bronte sisters #writing #writers on tumblr #blog #english #english literature #classic literature #september #september 2023 #autumn #literature review #quote #yorkshire #yorkshiremoors