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Showing posts from June 16, 2014

Socio-cultural setting of Where are you going? Where have you been?

            “Where are you going? Where have you been ?” set in the 1960s in America. The sixties are the era of transformations  when style bloomed rapidly and ideas of peace and philosophy grew wildly. Joyce Carol Oates hugely portrayed the cultures and traditions of American in the sixties in this story. She exposed the way they lives their life and the culture and norms at that time. The revolutions and the movement. In this story, violence and sexuality had been given the focus point.             The culture of the 60s rich with style, fashion and trends that rises hastily. “Where are you going? Where have you been ?” exposed their life style widely .Oates used convertible jalopy painted gold and the way they dressed to symbolize  the pop culture .Connie and her friends wear short and bracelets on their feet. She also inserted the 60s trend where most of the teenagers spent their time in shopping complexes and diner. Furthermore, music is hugely explicit in this story. Th

Critics On Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Joyce Carol Oates was born in 1938 and wrote “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” in 1966 . She is a famous America author and had won many awards. Oates was raised in  the working-class farming community of Millersport , New York. She took on her grandmother talents  who loves writing. The story set in America in the sixties .The background in this story are Connie’s house, shopping plaza and restaurants. The story starts in a summer when a fifteen years old Connie spent her time in the house and hangout with her friends .One night, she went to a drive-in restaurant with her friends when a guy makes a threatening signal to her in the parking lot .She thinks nothing of it until one day when the guy make an appearance at her house when all her family attend a barbecue at an aunt’s house. The weird guy introduced himself as Arnold Friend and his friend Ellie Oscar, he kept showing off his gold jalopy to Connie. He ask Connie to join him for a ride. When Connie refused,  Arno

The Storm’s Socio-cultural Setting: Louisiana.

Written in 1898 but published 70 years later, The Storm obviously creates a huge hurricane in the publication process. Kate Chopin who was famous as a feminist author  bravely discussed adultery in this short story. However, the society was not open to this and the publication is delayed for a very long time and it’s finally published 65 years after Kate’s death. The background of this story is based on Louisiana in the late 80’s where Catholic influences was predominant. Throughout this story, Kate’s milieu largely affecting it in many aspects. Kate Chopin highlighted Catholicism in this story. However, she rendered adultery which is a sin that could bring to divorcement according to the Catholic Law. Louisiana’s population  generally is catholic and the society was opposed to adultery, rationale for delayed publication of The Storm. Kate had her education in The Sacred Heart Academy, she mentioned Assumption which is a Catholic village and the honor of a man prevent himself from

The Analysis and Critics on The Storm

The Analysis and Critics on The Storm By Kate Chopin Kate Chopin is an American Feminist writer. She was born in 1850 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was raised in a Catholic surrounding which was largely portrayed in this story. She is a French-Irish descendant ,thus she expertly slot in Acadian’s and Creole’s languages. The story is written in 1898 but published 70 years later .The Storm  takes place in Louisiana ,in a Catholic society during Atlantic Hurricane Season. The story started with hints that the storm is coming and cause Bobint and Bibi to wait in a store until the storm passed. In the second circumstances, the storm brought Alce and Calixta together . Enchanted to Calixta, Alce couldn’t hold himself from embracing her. Aware of it, Calixta pulled herself away and began to worry about her family. Subsequently, Alce tenderness while calming her brings back memories of the Assumption where they don’t go all the way. They ended having lustful and passionate sex until the

Socio-cultural setting of The Yellow Wallpaper.

         Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a feminist author that fights for the women rights. She had going through a rough milieu in her life when she almost lost her sanity. However, she managed to wake up from the disaster. Later, she began to write The Yellow Wallpaper that was published in the 18 th century when the women was dominated by men. The center of focus of her writing was the imbalanced position of women within a marriage. She insisted the fact that the society was robbing women’s life and freedom.             In the 1800s, women were entirely controlled by the man in their lives. Women were second-class society. Most women stay at home doing chores while their husband work. The women are meant to seek fulfillment at home. They were expected to limit their interest to the home and family. In the period, women doesn’t play a huge role and were looked as useless if they don’t know how to run the house. They were not encouraged to seeks for education.       After marriag

The Critics On The Yellow Wallpaper

            Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860 in Connecticut. She was raised in poverty and was left by her father at a young age.  As the result, she only had four years of formal education. At the age of twenty-one , she married Charles Walter Stetson and gave birth to a daughter. Soon, she suffered a mental breakdown and was treated with ‘rest cure’. Her condition worsen during the treatment .The Yellow Wallpaper was published in 1892 and is believed to be based on her illness. The Yellow Wallpaper set in the late nineteenth century in America, in a huge summer house, particularly in one bedroom upstairs.             The story started with the narrator describing the huge mansion that his husband rent for her  ‘Rest and Cure Treatment’. She had a queer feeling about the house and mentioned that she doesn’t like her room that is wrapped with an ugly yellow wallpaper. She complained that her husband belittle her illness and  she doesn’t like the treatment that she und

Post WWI American society and the connection to Hills Like White Elephants

World War I or The Great War or also called the European War happened about one century ago. The war destroyed everything in its path and left nothing but great depression. It’s also the biggest factor that led to World War II. It’s said to be a great loss that too many young lives were lost bringing so much destruction in it’s wake . According to history, many were dead not only because of the war but also an influenza had spread and killed triple the amount of people than the war did. Although the war itself is a waste, the soldiers still fought in the name of duty, nationalism, loyalty to comrade and for the alcohol. A British medical officer once said “Had it not been for the rum nation, I do not think we should have won the war” . George Washington’s advice kept the US uninvolved  in any wars for almost 150 years. The States had remained neutral and began to get involved in 1917 under President Woodrow Wilson rule’s. The Americans saw huge business opportunities from the wa

The Analysis and Critics on Hills Like White Elephants

The Analysis and Critics on Hills Like White Elephants.  By Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway is an American writer. He served in WWI ,Spain Civil War and WWII.  He traveled a lot and gained much experiences which he eventually portrayed in his writing. The story was published in 1927. Set in the 1920’s at a train station in the Valley Of Ebro; a junction between the train express from Barcelona and Madrid. The setting of the junction itself conveyed the meaning of two decisions that was needed to be made. The story flows swiftly at a bar, indicates that the society's drinking habits is prominent, confirming the facts that this story happened after WWI .  It starts with a couple waiting for a train to Madrid. While waiting, they went to a bar and ordered beers. They didn’t make a conversation but simply looked at things while trying new drinks. The girl, Jig commented that the barren hills look like white elephants. After a while, she retracts the comment, hinting that s