Project Blog #11 - Jumping Frogs

"The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" was written by Mark Twain in response to humorist Artemis Ward's request for a funny story to add to a book he was working on. After reading the selection, I noticed that what people found funny back in the day of Mark Twain, and what people find funny nowadays is totally different...simply because I did not laugh at anything but the overall sillyness of the plot. Jim Smiley, who resides in a town in California, goes around the city claiming that his frog, Dan'l Webster, can out-jump any other frog in the entire county. A man from the county decides to take up Smiley on the bet. So Smiley then goes out to a local swamp to find a frog for the inspiring frog-jumper individual. While Smiley is out, the man puts a "quail shot" into Smiley's infamous frog. After returning with a frog for the man to use against Smiley, the race begins. Filled with lead, Smiley's frog obviously does not win, while the other man's frog easily claims victory. The man takes money from Smiley after he wins the bet and goes on his way after pulling a very clever hoax. As far as relating this idea to the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, it can be seen throughout the writing of Mark Twain that his characters do not value hospitality. The man in the story goes on and tells a narrative about something completely off topic of what someone asks him. I think that Thoreau valued the idea of hospitality because he demonstrates this idea in the story "Walden" (Wayne). In the story about the Jumping Frogs, being kind and generous definitely is not taken into perspective. Overall, the story was very interesting and had a good point. Mark Twain thoroughly enjoyed writing about the real life and pointed out that people were not perfect and sometimes humerus in their ways. I really love Mark Twain because he is a true native author.

Rasmussen, R. Kent. "'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County'." Bloom's How to Write about Mark Twain. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Center Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Wayne, Tiffany K. "Walden." Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Project Blog #10 - The Red Badge of Courage

"The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane describes the journey of one man's experience in the American Civil War. Crane wrote this short story in the midst of something he called "static idealization" which was a part of t he human condition (Shanahan). He is a part of the Union army, fighting against the idea of slavery and secession (Crane). While in his regiment, the main character experiences anticipation and a yearning to fight. It seems that he will never get the chance to show his battle wounds because he and his troop have yet to participate in battle. When he eventually is able to fight, he begins to have many thoughts running through his head about the war. He is scared that he will coward out of the fight, but then quickly realizes even if he wanted to run and hide, he would not be able to because he was surrounded by other soldiers (Crane). I find it interesting that the man did not want to fight necessarily because he wanted to serve his country, but wanted to have the personal honor and gain that he did serve and would be left with stories and wounds to tell for generations to come. This idea is portrays the ideas demonstrated in the Realism period. I think it can be said that not every man who served in the Civil War actually wanted to be there for the purpose of abolishing slavery, but rather to have the honor of serving and being able to tell others they were veterans of something extremely important in society. In relating these ideas to that of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, the idea of slavery becomes consistent between the two. Even though the man probably did not fight for all of the right reasons, he still joined the army with the thought of putting an end to slavery in his mind. I think that slavery is widely seen throughout realism because the corruption and degradation portrayed through the violence was finally being exposed to society shortly during and after the Civil War. It was real. It was horrifying. And it was a part of American history many historians classify as brutal and unlike the portrayal of the "American Dream".

Crane, Stephen. "The Red Badge of Courage." Glencoe American Literature. comp.
Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 493.

Shanahan, Daniel. "The Army Motif in The Red Badge of Courage as a Response to Industrial Capitalism." Papers on Language & Literature 32, no. 4 (Fall 1996). Quoted as "The Army Motif in The Red Badge of Courage as a Response to Industrial Capitalism" in Bloom, Harold, ed. The Red Badge of Courage, Bloom's Modern Critical Views. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts on File, Inc.

Project Blog #9 - The Story of an Hour

By far the most odd of stories we have read thus far, "The Story of an Hour" demonstrates the story of one woman's reaction to the death of her husband. Mrs. Mallard, whose husband was horrifically killed in a train accident, is notified of the news and begins to weep. One would think that her reaction would be rather saddened and upset, which in the beginning Mrs. Mallard is. But later in the story the audience sees that she is ultimately happy her husband is dead and gone. "Free! Body and soul free!" shouts Mrs. Mallard under her breath (Chopin). It is rather obvious she is enthralled that her husband was killed tragically. She locks herself in her room away from everyone else. I think she does this to secretly demonstrate her excitement. Once her sister comes to fetch her, she leaves her room and heads downstairs. Much to her surprise, her husband opens the door, completely unaware that there even was an accident in the first place. Then the story comes to an anxious end. Mrs. Mallard dies. Yup, she does from seeing her husband come in. Whether or not it was from the excitement she experienced earlier from her husbands "death" news, or the fact that she was shocked and upset to actually see her husband alive and living, is up to the reader to interpret.

This story demonstrates the philosophy of both Thoreau and Emerson because both men believed in the idea of freedom and equality. This philosophy can further be demonstrated in Ralph Waldo Emerson's speech about women's rights in Boston on September 20, 1855. As far as freedom goes, it mostly pertained to slaves, but during Chopin's time period, woman's rights was also a big issue for society. Women were often times constrained to their husband's wishes and had to do what they said. I think that Mrs. Mallard was happy her husband was presumably dead because she was ready to be "free" as she says and not forced to follow his rules and regulations anymore.

Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour" Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 554-555. Print.

Wayne, Tiffany K. "'Address at the Woman's Rights Convention'." Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Project Blog #8 - Willa Cather “from O Pioneers!”

Although Willa Cather's "O Pioneers!" is a rather long novel, the overall theme and plot of the story is very interesting and rather heart-breaking. The short excerpt reminded me of the story "The Grapes of Wrath". Because the novel focuses on a drought that effects a family and ultimately tears them apart, it can be said that struggle and perseverance were highly demonstrated by the main character, Alexandra. She is left with a tough decision after her father dies and leaves the farmland to her and her brothers. Emil, her brother, advises her to move from Nebraska in hopes of finding more prosperous land. Being the independent, strong, well-rounded, self-reliant, and dedicated young woman she was, she stuck to her gut instinct, which later resulted in promising crops in the future.

When compared to the philosophies of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, "O Pioneer" more strongly reflects the ideas of Thoreau. The setting of the novel played a strong role in the overall theme played in the story. Nature had a lot to do with the character's actions and thoughts. Thoreau highly valued nature and it can be seen in the following quote by Thoreau, "unhandselled nature is worth more even by our modes of valuation than our improvements are," (Goodman). I think that Thoreau saw nature as something precious and natural. Like in "O Pioneers" the characters of the novel rely on nature, like the land, seeds, and rainfall, as an important part of the measure of success they feel in life. The drought proved to be very hard on the family in the end. In the latter quote, Thoreau points out that the natural, beautiful picture of nature is single-handily the most valuable thing in our life. I think that "realistic" concept "O Pioneers" demonstrates with the importance of nature only further signifies the imp

act such beauty really plays on families lives, more so then than now. Unfortunately, technology has almost wrapped its hands around natural beauty and replaced it with man's loathed items. This work from Cather helps further preserve the wonder held in nature.


Willa, Cather."O Pioneer." American Literature. Columbus: Mc-Graw Hill, 2009. 488-489. Print.

Goodman, Russell, "Ralph Waldo Emerson", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)

Project Blog #7 - An Occurrence at Old Creek Bridge

"An Occurrence at Old Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce highly defines the realism time period because of its realistic characteristics. The story is about a man on the Confederate army being fooled by "Confederates", who actually turn out to be Yankees (Bierce). The young man is hanged, but the author catches the audiences attention by using literary methods known as flash-back and flash-forward. The realistic detail in the story also adds to its realism qualities. The author, according to Brett Barney, himself once served in the Civil War army (Barney). This detail seems rather minor, but plays a huge part in the realistic appeal the story portrays. The young man in the story, Farquhar, does not believe in slavery (Bierce). He feels it is wrong, which ultimately ties in with the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Emerson's "American Slavery" speech, he addresses the issues of slavery and the sin that comes along with the heinous act (Koch). It is clear that the literary figure is against slavery and wishes for its demise. This philosophy is also very similar to that of Henry David Thoreau. He believed people could take an individual stand on slavery and be civil disobedient about the issue (Wayne). Resisting the government, or in this case, the south's stand on slavery, the young man in the story is ultimately portraying the philosophies of both Emerson and Thoreau.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story because of its interesting use of flash-forward as well as flash-back. It is interesting to see the man's conscience going forward to his family and putting himself in a "safe" environment. Reality hits the young man when at the end of the story readers learn that he is hanged for his apparent wrong-doing. The story itself is rather sad, but I think that is what gives it its realism quality. Reality cannot always be happy, as the young man mentally thought. Reality is sometimes harsh and cruel which is demonstrated at the end of the story.

Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "Bierce, Ambrose."Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Koch, Daniel Robert. "'American Slavery'." Critical Companion to Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Bierce, Ambrose. "Fiction: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Fiction: The EServer Fiction Collection. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.

Wayne, Tiffany K. "'Civil Disobedience'." Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc

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Project Blog #6 - Letter to His Family

In Robert E. Lee's "Letter to his Son", Lee expresses the dismal of the Union's fall. It is evident that he fears the Union will erupt into war and fighting due to the growing tension and arguing over secession and slavery. These two issues took its toll on the United States, and Lee sees a Civil War breaking between the North and the South. "I must try and be patient and await the end, for I can do nothing to hasten or retard it," (Lee). In this phrase, Lee basically says that evil is upon the states, and that his only option is to sit back and let the fighting take its toll. When one reads this letter to his family, it is evident that he loves his country and does not wish to see it fall in ruins. Before reading this, I always had the perception that Lee was a strong advocate for slavery and its evils, but now it is self-evident that he strongly loved America and felt grateful for the framer's of the Constitution for providing such a proficient document. For Lee, seeing the Union tear itself apart would be almost terrifying.

Robert E. Lee's letter is very much apart of the realism era. He continually uses simple language and straight-forward grammar which strongly defined the realism time period (Quinn). This is more than likely because he never foresaw his writing to be published for individuals to analyze. But regardless, the letters were personally evading for his family. He gives advice to his son to never back down from what he believes in. This is similar to the ideas of both Thoreau and Emerson. In Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and Emerson's "Self-Reliance" qualities of sticking up for what is right is consistently portrayed.

Lee's letter put things in perspective for America at the time. The South time and time again went against the north to the point that war was the only way to solve the dilemma of slavery. Men were treated like dirt, yet it took thousands of lives lost to get anything solved over the issue. By following the example Lee portrays in his letter, the South could have avoided war with the North and compromise to save the humanity and dignity of countless African Americans.

Quinn, Edward. "Realism and Naturalism in American Literature." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gfflithem0707&SingleRecord=True. February 15, 2012.

Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Sons." Glencoe American Literature. comp. Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 385.

Project Blog #5 - Ain't I A Woman?

"Ain't I A Woman" by Sojourner Truth advocates the idea of woman's rights. She explains to the audience that she hears so many white men claiming how a woman should be treated, but reacts with her own account of how those ideas are really played out. It is obvious that Truth does not wish to sit back and take constant discrimination from society. In one statement, Truth points out that whites claim to have so much "intellect", but if they really possessed such qualities, they would not treat blacks, especially African-American woman, the way that they do (Truth). Consistently throughout her debate, Truth says the words, "and ain't I a woman?". She questions why so many whites claim that women deserve respect, but she herself does not feel that respect too?

As far as Truth's writing style, it can be easily compared to that of Realism. This characteristic of writing is best portrayed through simple and straightforward qualities (Anderson). In her speech, Truth uses reality as an example of her support for women's suffrage. Discrimination at the time was not an idea, but simply what countless African American's went through.

Truth continues in her sermon about the idea that African-Americans should band together and fight against the segregation and discrimination they continually go through. She says that God is on her side, and if woman had the power to mess up the entire world's fate in the beginning, then why should they not have the power to fix it now? This idea links to the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau. He believes that the common man, or in this case, woman, should stick up for what is right, regardless of society's opinion. Because of women like Sojourner Truth, African American's rights, both men and women, were granted. It can be granted that Truth knew in the back of her mind that the fight would be an uphill battle, but the end result would be more than any hard time she endured. Her resilience to these troubling events paid off as she became one of America's most predominately known suffrage advocates.

Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds."regionalism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, vol. 3, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online.

Emerson, Ralph W. "Self-Reliance." Ralph Waldo Emerson Texts. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.

Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 370. Print.

Project Blog #4 - Slave Gospels

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Go Down Moses", and "Keep You Hands on the Plow" are all slave gospel songs written during the oppressing times of the nineteenth century. While out in the plantation fields, slaves had very little hope to carry on and not give up. Together, generations of slaves compiled these hymns that gave hope to so many. These hymns reflect part of Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy regarding Christianity. He was a firm Christian who was employed as a minister for some time (Sanford). Characteristics of being of Christian faith were strongly portrayed through his philosophies and lifestyle. He believed that men should be treated equal regardless of their beliefs or background (Stanford). Many of the slaves working in the cotton fields put their faith in Jesus Christ. They knew that suffering and hardship would continue to come their way for a long while, so by believing that Christ would help "carry them home", as stated in "Swing Low" ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"), they were less likely to give up any thought of freedom. The Christian comparison made between these three gospels and the philosophy of Emerson can further be exemplified through "Go Down Moses". "Let my people go," as portrayed in this song, is repeated multiple times. The slaves, as people, felt the desire to be treated as human beings and not like dirt. They yearned to break free from the chains of their masters. Emerson, as stated by Stanford Education, believes that the church is responsible for helping those in need and not letting people suffer ("Go Down Moses").

The songs sang by the slaves are unique examples of history's way of working itself out. They never gave up hope, and like Emerson believed, put all of their faith in God and felt that He would not fail in getting them out of slavery. Emerson may have not showed his Christian beliefs in all of his writing, but because he was brought up as such, his morals and beliefs were weaved into his every day life and philosophy (Stanford).

Anonymous. "Go Down, Moses." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 345. Print.

Anonymous. "Keep You Hands on the Plow." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 346. Print.

Anonymous. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus; McGraw-Hill, 2010. 344. Print.

Goodman, Russell, "Ralph Waldo Emerson", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)

Project Blog #3 - Calvary Crossing a Ford

In the "Calvary Crossing a Ford", Walt Whitman describes the rough journey that the soldiers in the Civil War had to endure while fighting to preserve the Union. This demonstrates the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau believes that individuals should stick up for what they believe in and for what is right. It is even said that paying the ultimate price, such as death, is important in one's life. In order to relate the common theme, being civil-disobedient, once must have knowledge of the American Civil War. The original intent of the war was to preserve the Union. The Union was split due to the ongoing issue of slavery (Civil War Beginning). The brave and valiant men on the North's side fought for the freedom of the three million slaves who endured countless drudgery and discrimination. In Whitman's poem, he describes the "serpentine course" the soldiers have to cross in their journey (Whitman). His interesting and unique description demonstrates Whitman's respect he has for the brave army. The Union soldiers demonstrate a philosophy known to Henry David Thoreau as civil-disobedience, or standing up for what one believes. Thoreau is widely known for his practice of this virtue. During the Civil War, many men had to give their lives for what they believed in. This war demonstrated the fact that many United States citizens felt strongly about putting an end to slavery for good. Slavery is morally wrong and inhumane, and for the nineteenth century Union armies, sticking up for this belief was worth putting one's life on the line. This poem by Walt Whitman reflects the lives lost, but not in vain, during the Civil War. The armies insight into the good-sided human instinct widely follows Thoreau's philosophy. It is important that society grasp the importance of self-intuition because it played a vital role in how the history of America, like the journey for the soldiers, played out. The "silvery river" that American's were faced with ultimately determined whether self-sacrifice was more important than economic success (Whitman).

"Civil War Beginning." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

Whitman, Walt. "118. Cavalry Crossing a Ford. Whitman, Walt. 1900. Leaves of Grass." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.

Project Blog #2 - The Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" signifies the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, and that is the philosophical idea of civil disobedience. In Lincoln's speech, the president addresses the nation as one whole. He states that the men who "gave their lives" on the hallowed ground stood up for something that many believed was not wrong to do. Although Lincoln does not address the issue of slavery literally, it is widely known one of the main reasons the Civil War took place was on the issue of slavery and whether or not its justifiable.

One can compare Lincoln's address to Thoreau's philosophy of civil disobedience because he was an individual that stood up for the cause of a minority feeling the oppression of a society that was full of discrimination. The South was all for the idea of slavery, saying that it was economically efficient and caused no harm. Lincoln on the other hand demonstrates in his Gettysburg speech that the men, who gave their lives to restore a Union falling apart because of something as viscous as slavery, deserve so much credit and recognition. He feels that slavery is considerably wrong and cruel, so he defends the slaves and belongs on a side that was not always the most favored in the nation. Thoreau believes that an individual should not let an unjust crime go unnoticed and untouched. He feels that people should stick up for what is morally right.

The connection between Lincoln's speech and Thoreau's philosophy is strikingly similar when it comes down to the idea that doing what is right, even if it is not the popular decision, always pays off. According to Ray Graves, Thoreau believes that all citizens have the responsibility to do what's right. Lincoln further demonstrates this philosophy of Thoreau because he speaks up for those (slaves) who have no voice in a society powered by discrimination and economic, money-hungry plantation owners. His willingness to portray civil disobedience, even in a time of complete turmoil and national disaster, portrays the side of Lincoln that earned him a spot as one of history's most phenomenal presidents.

Lincoln, Abraham, and Roy P. Basler. "The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln."NetINS Showcase. Abraham Lincoln Online. Web. 07 Feb. 2012.

Graves, Roy Neil. "Responsibility in 'Civil Disobedience'." McClinton-Temple, Jennifer ed. Encyclopedia of Themes in Literature. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

100th Blog! - Frederick Douglass - Speech

In Frederick Douglass's "The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro", many interesting points are made that signifies the philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson. First off, according to Stanford University, Emerson's philosophy is highly structured around "self-reliance" (Stanford). He believes that in order for an individual to do something outstanding or make a good point, they must first come to terms with the fact that they are significant. Emerson basically says that confidence and an overall understanding of one's abilities to achieve greatness is in order before anything great can come from it. In Douglass's speech, he states that the Fourth of July means nothing to them because they lack the freedom that all other white men have. "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim," (Douglass). This day of celebration regarding freedom and victory mocks the common slave each and every year that they continue to labor in cotton fields and answer to their slaveholders.

Douglass motivates the slaves and points out that whites are claiming to live a life full of liberty and independence while blacks are simply tossed aside and treated unfairly. I think that like Emerson says, the blacks see the Fourth as their "self-reliance". They realize that none of them enjoy the freedom and liberty that comes along with the celebration of the Fourth.

Overall, I believe that Emerson's philosophy highly reflects Douglass's speech in the fact that both regard coming to terms with something that hinders greatness. For Emerson, it was realizing the true potential of one's self, while for the slaves, it was realizing that the United States was not the "land of the free" but rather a country full of oppression and inequality. Frederick Douglass's speech ultimately motivated slaves enough to realize that for them, freedom would come at a cost more devastating than the American Revolution.

Douglass, Frederick. "Africans in America." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. International Publishers Co. Web. 07 Feb. 2012.

Goodman, Russell, "Ralph Waldo Emerson", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)