Modernism

1. The topic that I chose for modernism was Psychoanalysis. I’m not really sure what to expect, but I’m sure I’ll be reading some really interesting things. The human mind in my opinion is really interesting because it varies from person to person. I guess I’ll be reading a lot about crazy people or something.

2. This story was really confusing. Mostly what confused me was what was actually going on. I think that what was actually happening was that Mitty’s wife told him to buy a few things while she went to get her hair done. That seems like the most logical explanation to me. But there were parts in the story where Walter would be having episodes and stuff like the part where he was in the operating room with a few other doctors and he fixed the anesthesia. If I’m right about the plot then James Thurber did a really good job writing it to where people could understand it. I really liked the way that he described the characters. Walter and his wife reminded me of Rip van winkle and Dame van winkle, because both Walter and Rip were annoyed by their hen pecked wives.


Like I said before in the story there were parts where Walter would have these episodes or daydreams or whatever where he’s doing everyday things but he gets sucked into this “different world” almost. This is very different because before the modernists nobody ever really did this. Nobody ever actually went into detail about what went on in the minds of the characters.


Like for instance, after Walter drops his wife off at the hair dresser, he’s driving past the hospital and he has this really long episode where he’s doing surgery or something. “In the operating room there were whispered introductions: "Dr. Remington, Dr. Mitty. Mr. Pritchard-Mitford, Dr. Mitty." "I've read your book on streptothricosis," said Pritchard-Mitford, shaking hands. "A brilliant performance, sir." "Thank you," said Walter Mitty. "Didn't know you were in the States, Mitty," grumbled Remington. "Coals to Newcastle, bringing Mitford and me up here for a tertiary." "You are very kind," said Mitty. A huge, complicated machine, connected to the operating table, with many tubes and wires, began at this moment to go pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. "The new anesthetizer is giving way!" shouted an intern. "There is no one in the East who knows how to fix it!" "Quiet, man!" said Mitty, in a low, cool voice. He sprang to the machine, which was going pocketa-pocketa-queep-pocketa-queep. He began fingering delicately a row of glistening dials. "Give me a fountain pen!" he snapped. Someone handed him a fountain pen. He pulled a faulty piston out of the machine and inserted the pen in its place. "That will hold for ten minutes," he said. "Get on with the operation." A nurse hurried over and whispered to Renshaw, and Mitty saw the man turn pale. "Coreopsis has set in," said Renshaw nervously. "If you would take over, Mitty?" Mitty looked at him and at the craven figure of Benbow, who drank, and at the grave, uncertain faces of the two great specialists. "If you wish," he said. They slipped a white gown on him; he adjusted a mask and drew on thin gloves; nurses handed him shining . . .” I feel like that is direct evidence of what I was saying about the author trying to get us to psychoanalyze his characters.




3. a. In the first Poem that I read entitled Richard Corey it’s talking about a man who seems to be all that and a bag of chips and everyone loves him and thinks he’s a cool guy then all of a sudden he commits suicide and then everyone realizes that he wasn’t so perfect at all. I think that this poem would be a very good example of disillusionment. Because it’s basically tricking you into believing that something (the character) is so perfect but yet he’s not.


b. In the second poem, it was very hard to understand what was going on. I didn’t really like it that much because of that fact. I’m not really sure what it could be categorized as, but I think it could be Disillusionment because in the poem they about this wall, and every spring this wall is messed up so they have to fix it. Also in this poem there is a character that says “Good fences make good neighbors” I think he and readers of this poem are disillusioned from the whole point of the poem. From reading this poem I think that “bad fences make good neighbors” because if it wasn’t for this fence then these two characters wouldn’t have a relationship at all. They would never see each other. But because of this fence that they have to fix every year it makes them good neighbors.


c. A dream deferred by Langston Hughes was a pretty simple poem. I don’t believe it took much effort for him to write it because of its length, but in the poem he’s saying alot. In the poem he’s talking about the American dream for people who are living in the ghetto. He’s saying that these people are constantly told that their dream will come and it just keeps getting put off. This poem is a really good example of the Harlem Renaissance but it could be also argued as disillusionment, because it could be written to the disillusioned Americans that actually think that there is an American dream for all Americans.


d. The Negro speaks of rivers is also a very powerful poem. What I get out of this poem is that the author was looking at a river and imagining what it meant to the African Americans. It wasn’t until I heard what he wrote it for, and until I read it as he was reading it that I finally appreciate what he was trying to say. Since he’s talking about the importance of something to his people it would definitely be categorized as The Harlem renaissance.


e. I love this poem. I thought it was pretty funny, but kind of sad at the same time. Because back then when someone called someone a nigger it was very degrading to that person, but nowadays when someone calls someone that they are more than likely just joking and it’s not so serious. But it’s also sad because in the poem she says that she doesn’t remember anything else about her trip but this one white man calling her the N word. This poem would definitely be a Harlem renaissance poem.