Hamlet and Sethe: The Past Haunts Them

In Beloved by Toni Morrison, the life of a small family is rocked by the appearance of a mysterious woman named Beloved, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the long-dead daughter of the main character, Sethe. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, young prince  Hamlet’s life changes when he has an encounter with a ghost that claims to be the spirit of his dead father. Both of these works deal with ghosts in some way or another, but the attitudes are very different.

Beloved opens with a family consisting of Sethe, her daughter Denver, and the “baby ghost”, the ghost of Sethe’s unnamed daughter who she killed to protect her from a fate worse than death, living in the same house they’ve lived in for years. Sethe has no desire to leave the community, despite the fact that everyone in the area hates her for what she’s done to her family and her actions. But the arrival of Paul D., a man from Sethe’s past, causes Sethe to rethink this. He banishes the “baby ghost” and it seems that he might convince Sethe to move away, but then Beloved arrives and Sethe finds herself unable to leave. In Beloved, the character of the ghost  — even when the ghost is made material in the form of Beloved herself — symbolizes inaction and an inability to let go of the past. The ghost makes it so that Sethe cannot do anything in a literal and metaphorical way: at first, it makes it so that she has a reason to stay, and then it weakens Sethe so much that she cannot even physically leave the house.

Hamlet’s attitude towards the character of the ghost is similar in some ways and different in others. The ghost of Hamlet’s father forces Hamlet to act rather than stay stagnant: the ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Hamlet’s uncle in association with Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet is horrified by what he hears and begins to conceive a plot to avenge his father. The major difference in the attitudes of Beloved towards ghosts and Hamlet towards ghosts is that Beloved’s ghost symbolizes inaction; Hamlet’s ghost symbolizes action. But there is a similarity in that Hamlet’s ghost, too, represents memory. Hamlet had been trying to move on from the death of his father, but upon seeing the ghost “the memory of his father’s death is physically lodged in his mind and so he is forced to remember and continue to mourn” (Greg Bearnish, “The Ghost of Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Purpose is but the Slave to Memory”,
. “The ghost […] almost always directs attention backwards in time and causes the living characters to reflect on prior events,” and that’s true for both Beloved and Hamlet. And in both works there are characters that try to forget the past: Paul D. tries to exorcise first the baby ghost and then Beloved from the house, and Hamlet’s mother Gertrude urges him to accept death as a simple fact of life and is very passive about her husband’s death.

In the end, however, the appearance of the ghosts of Beloved and Hamlet lead to tragedy: Beloved ends with Sethe on the brink of death and Hamlet ends with pretty much every character dead. The moral is clear — focusing too much on the past and being unable to move forward into the future is dangerous.

On The Run

It was a sunny, bright, and beautiful day. Not too hot or cold. I thought about how I adored this perfect temperature while watching the waves elegantly morph into one another. My younger sister and I chartered a water taxi to take us from Venice to Bevazzana, where we own a small cottage left behind by our parents. I wanted to enjoy this beautiful day but every time I attempted a smile, or even a grin, my muscles wouldn't react. It was as if someone had severed nerves in my brain and my face was completely unresponsive. 

My sister was upset. I could tell that shock had began to root itself so deep inside of her that is was transforming into sadness. Fourteen is no age to have a serious relationship, but it’s not her fault that her body grew three years faster than her mind. My family and I always treated her like she was older and more mature than the other kids her age. I thought escaping London for the summer and moving to Italy would be a good idea for us after our parents passed away. How was I supposed to know that both of us would fall in love? 

We met on my fifteenth day in Italy. I was sitting on the edge of a dock, reading the only English newspaper I could find for sale, when he shamelessly interrupted me for directions. He laughed at me so blatantly it made me turn red. I was obviously no help, but I sat on that dock every morning for the next sixteen days, and he returned each day, making me laugh and smile, helping me escape the sadness I left behind in London. 

My sister rushed into the apartment and came to me on the balcony. Out of breath from sprinting up 14 flights of old stairs, she was smiling for the first time in seventeen days. “I have a date tonight!” she exclaimed. “He’s beautiful, tall, and amazing. You have to let me go, you just have to!” There was only one answer I could give her. Her happiness was mine as well. She had started seeing him every night, and always came home before I was asleep. And then one night she didn’t return. The following morning I awoke to my sister staring out of my bedroom window, and into the sky. Once a beautifully delicate bird, she mistakenly rid herself of her purity too early, and shattered her innocent outlook on life. She begged me to get us out of Venice. 

I went down to the dock for my daily dose of happiness. It had seemed that destruction and despair had decided to follow me wherever I traveled in an attempt to escape it. I had my secret weapon though. He found me every morning to relieve me from my misfortunes. Life had decided that today, no one was going to win. My portal from distress didn’t come to take me away one last time.

Waves crashing against the boat, salt from the water beginning to rest and accumulate onto my skin, my sister and I were once again on the run. 

Inspired by “Seatime” by Byron Otis

Let's decide what War is

War is seen as both a good and bad influence when it comes to balance in society, but there is no consensus on the view of this occurrence. Some see War as a force that can assist in reducing overpopulation by getting rid of the young men who, at the time, are of reproductive age. Some view war as solely destructive, a force summoned by Satan himself, to disturb peace and order and cause harm and ultimate carnage. Slaughterhouse 5 revolves around Billy Pilgrim, who recalls the memories surrounding the ruined German town of Dresden during World War II, which accelerated his spiral into insanity. 

Hotel Rwanda, a film depicting the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. War, as seen in both of these situations, serves both a cleansing and destructive purpose. Hotel Rwanda depicts a genocide of almost one million people over a 100 day period in 1994. Total destruction. Complete massacre. Houses, cars, buildings, and shops were all burned to ground or torn apart. Streets were covered with dead bodies. Not a night went by during those 100 days where gun shots and bomb blasts were not heard. The central question discussed in class, “What is the right day to think about war and the people in it?,” is answered by this sad film in a way that isn't pleasing to most audiences: war is sad, war kills many people, and war is useless. There is no point in causing war, especially one that promotes the massacre of fellow citizens over a years-old grudge created by an outside force. (Unfortunately, no one powerful enough was understanding of the fact that external forces created this conflict, and there was no use fighting over it.)

Another concept that is entertained in Hotel Rwanda is the question of, “Do humans beings have free will or is the universe deterministic?” The many members of the Hutu are killing people of the Tutsi. Toward the end of the film, an employee of Paul’s relays information regarding Tutsi’s escape from the land to Hutu leaders, which ruins the plans to escape the terror of Rwanda to a peaceful situation across the border. This film proves the concept that every human has free will, and the freedom to choose wether or not they want to use it for good or bad. 

The two central questions discussed in class can be applied to any film or piece of literature relating to war or conflict. I’ve noticed that when pondering these concepts, feelings of sadness and ultimate disappointment encompass my mind as I wonder the typical teenage-girl-carrying-pumpkin-spice-latte question, “why can’t we all just get along and be friends?” Films like Hotel Rwanda help me begin to understand the brutality experienced by those involved in war, but never will I be able to fully comprehend the struggles of those people stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Fictional Characters are like Destiny's Child

The definition of a round character is: “seen as complex and undergoes development throughout the story.” Foster explains that this complexity is usually in only one aspect or subject of the character’s life. In chapter ten of “How to Read Literature Like a Professor,” Thomas C. Foster brings to our attention the substance (or lack there of) in the characters of fictional stories.

         Human beings- real ones, that is- are the only subjects that be TRULY round due to the many aspects of our lives. For example, Foster explains, that villains can not have a sweet side to them that will not be taken advantage of. If these characters had more aspects to their life and personality, the story would include a whole lot of useless, boring information that would only help to disengage readers. The reason Voldemort is so exciting to readers, is because he is depicted to be a soulless, ruthless, evil that has dedicated his life to see the demise of Harry Potter. If Voldemort had a cute grandmother who made candles, and still cooks dinners for Lil’Voldy, he would not be seen as so cut-throat anymore. This is why we hire lawyers to represent us in court. We all have aspects of our lives that can be exploited, and be used to other’s advantage. Every trait a character has, on the other hand, is present for a reason. Authors write in certain qualities so that they can be used later in the story. (So if you notice any interesting descriptions or secrets being revealed about a character, expect those details to be used later in the story.) 

My costume construction teacher is Voldemort. But more of a Lil’Voldy rather than the classic Voldemort with the ruthlessness and lack of nasal structure… As you enter her classroom as a Freshman, she tries her very best- and succeeds- to scare the breath out of you. I have concluded that this method of discipline is to frighten students to the point that they never get comfortable enough to mess around and deliberately disobey her. After you are her student for long enough, you start to understand what things cause her to melt the facade of a crabby teacher to reveal her soft, mushy, personality. Foster is very correct in claiming that characters are not real… at all. All human beings, no matter how rough and rude they may seem from the outside, has a soft spot. We are the real round characters.

Foster also discusses the unfortunate scenarios that normally unfold when a character is the hero’s BFF. When nothing else effects the main character- because he is obviously the strongest, most courageous person in the whole world- his best friend, closest advisor, or dearest confidant is then messed with (or killed) to stimulate the main character’s Sympathetic Nervous System and prepare him to fight for, and defend the spirit of his lost mate. This comparison reminded me of Destiny’s Child, the musical trio that Beyonce eventually separated from. The other two members of Destiny’s Child, Kelly and Michelle, were eventually killed off of pop music’s world stage by Beyonce’s overshadowing talent and charisma. (yes, I am a fan.) Despite their efforts to be equal parts of this famed trio, Beyonce eventually had to choose her personal success over the bond the group had formed over eight years of working with each other. This topic is still one of the most sensitive in the musical entertainment industry. Does Beyonce deserve the fame and success? Unfortunately that’s what happens when you choose to stand next to the hero. 

Kelly and Michelle (as seen here, standing next to the hero)

Disney Channel Ruined My Life

A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides. Literature is just like a parallelogram because you can almost relate any fictional character to another character in another story. Thomas C. Foster explains in chapter four of "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" that after you read enough fictional stories, you will start noticing parallels in between characters in different stories, and maybe even people from actual history. 

Disney Channel is the number one recycler of characters. It's as if they don't even care if you notice because all of the shows on the network are basically the same frame with few minor changes so that they can re-brand with ease. 

Main Character:

• usually toward middle or bottom of social chain at Bland Town High School

• normally has a sibling (sometimes more than one) that is constantly argued with

• siblings typically have one mushy moment per season

• main character usually has a twist that makes them a completely unrealistic teenager

For example, Hannah Montana (Hannah Montana) is an international pop sensation when she's not busy being a typical teen just trying to make it out alive of some random high school in LA. Alex Russo (Wizards of Waverly Place) is competing with her two brothers for the family custody of magical powers. Raven Baxter (That's so Raven) can see visions of the future. Kim Possible (Kim Possible) was a teenage girl who wore the exact same thing every day (and didn't get made fun of for it) and after school her and her sidekick, Ron Stoppable, served as undercover secret agents protecting the world from the worst criminals on the planet.  Zack and Cody (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) live permanently at a five star hotel where their mother is the keynote entertainment. These Disney shows definitely effected my friends and I when we were younger. A thought that often crossed my mind was, "Why can't I be an international pop star who has magical powers and lives in a fabulous hotel?"

Another accurate example, though obscure, is that you may find certain parallels in between families. Sure, because of certain circumstances some familial structures can be totally different than others... but we all have one grandparent that shouldn't be smoking, but refuses to stop. We all have that one crazy aunt with a drinking problem, and an overly-conservative uncle who just wants a beer a good cigar. Even if your family doesn't abuse substances like I described above, the archetypes of those people probably appear at your Thanksgiving table every year. Foster uses the concept of parallelism to help the readers understand the deeper thinking required when reading literature. It’s not just about what you are reading in the moment, but it’s about making connections to what you have read since day one. Amateur literature readers like myself and many other high school students out there need to be making critical connections to other characters from other stories in order to start understanding this concept of parallelism in literature. 

Shrek isn't the only quest movie???

Shrek is a movie well known for being a classic quest-storyline that involves an ogre and a princess who has a curse cast upon her. In order to remove the curse, she must have true love’s kiss; so Shrek, an ogre who lives in forest, must take the princess back for her to marry her “true love.” The reason I refer to it as “a classic quest” is because the film that ends the way the audience expects it to… Shrek and princess fall in love, they kiss, they both take the ogre form, and live happily ever after. But Shrek is not the only film based on this concept of a plot that follows the quest outline; Home Alone, Alice in Wonderland, Where the Wild Things Are, and Annie are all classic movies that children grow up watching. When parents sit their children down for movie time, they don't consider it to be "quest training" videos. In "How to Read Literature Like a Professor," Thomas C. Foster guides readers through the typical layout for any plot that includes a journey by describing it as a quest, even when it's not. 

Due to Foster's uniformed way of categorizing plots, (since they are all quests) every movie or TV show I watch from now on will not be seen as an individual story line, but will just be another quest involving a different set of details. Gossip Girl is a six season TV show that focuses around Serena Vanderwoodsen, (the quester) who is the Upper East Side's it-girl. Her life throughout the show revolves around the common person's boy drama: which member of the top .001% to choose to be in love with. (her destination) Her father left her mother, her brother, and herself, when she was around 12, so daddy issues clearly exist is her life as well. (At one point he appears for a period of time to cure her mother’s cancer but then everyone found out he was giving her medication to make faulty test results: aka another dragon along Serena’s quest.) Finding stability in one person is Serena's primary motivation to decide which perfect boy she wants to settle down with. (her reason for going there) Of course she bounces from boy to boy, one premier education institution to the next, and one exotic island to the other, all with rumors and scandals following her via an anonymous gossip column, "Gossip Girl." (the obstacles on her way; another dragon) This popular show is probably the best example to help my generation understand Foster's point that almost every plot can be seen as a quest. It can be helpful to understand this concept not only to be able to analyze fiction more carefully, but also to be able to outline fiction that you may want to write yourself. 

This quest concept is not just one that is made for fictional writing. Even though we may not realize, many people are involved in many quests during their lifetime. For example: my mother (the quester) has wanted to fulfill her bucket list (her reason for going there) by traveling to Machu Picchu in Peru. (her destination) There are many dragons, or obstacles, that she had to “slay” before being able to fulfill her lifelong dream today. (We hiked to the Inca Bridge at Machu Picchu today. Hola from Peru!) Some of these dragons included budget, resistance from family members to travel to Peru, and time. 

Even though we may not think of it as a quest, many of our everyday issues can be outlined as such. I hope I have successfully contorted Foster’s guide to identifying quests so that you may always analyze every life situation, TV show, and film that you may see to check if it may be qualified as a quest. 

Serena Vanderwoodsen, Gossip Girl