The Search for Marvin Gardens

The author, John McPhee, explains almost two stories in the short essay. He talks about a tournament of Monopoly he is in and also a trip to Atlantic city. The author compares the rise and fall of Atlantic city to the board game. McPhee explains how the now shadowed streets of Atlantic city are covered up by what he compares to the “brightly covered boxes around the board” in Monopoly. The one place he describes that does not really belong is Marvin Gardens. It’s the one safe haven that was untouched by the slow fall of what used to be flourishing Atlantic city. When the author eventually loses the tournament of Monopoly it is evident that the loss is really the loss of Atlantic city. All the blocks that cover the Monopoly board, such as the Boardwalk, are really just places that are trying to cover up the decay of the city. I looked at the Boardwalk pieces as the casinos that surround Atlantic city. This was a very interesting piece because the author used a simply board game to show turmoil in the fall of the real world.

On memory

In this essay the author Jerome K. Jerome, explains that we cannot necessarily rely on the past to improve our futures. Jerome talks about that the past cannot just be remembered by stories from your grandfather because there is no way of knowing if what he is saying is true. The best way to connect with the past is through photographs and journals. I enjoyed reading this piece but I have a different point of view than the author. I believe it is good to remember the stories your grandparents or even parents tell us because it is a part of family history. Even if they are not 100% true it adds a bit of comedy and flavor to those stories. Sometimes the best stories are the ones that are not remember completely true.

The Search for Adam and Eve

“Scientists are calling her Eve, but reluctantly. The name evokes too many wrong images — the weak-willed figure in Genesis, the milk-skinned beauty in Renaissance art, the voluptary gardener in “Paradise Lost” who was all “softness” and “meek surrender” and waist length “gold tresses.”

The article discusses the “discovery” of Eve but with this discovery comes a lot of knowledge. We learned that Eve lived 200,000 years ago unlike the Eve the Bible describes living 5,992 years ago. As the quote describes Eve was depicted as a “milk-skinned beauty” but recent discovery suggests that Eve was dark skinned due to her location. Also the article brings up points that the human family tree began much earlier that what had been thought. The discovery brings up many questions in science such as Where did man come from? Who are our ancestors? The new discovery suggests that Eve most likely lived in a tribe making her muscular and able to hunt. The debate is on going on where humans came from and how we have evolved but these new discoveries are only stepping stones to finding these answers.

A Rose for Emily

“Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair.”

The story is set up into five sections. Each section tells a portion of Emily Rose’s life. The beginning of the story describes how she is not required to pay tax payments because her dad paid a lot of money to the town. When the mayor changes power he tries to make Emily pay these taxes but she refuses. As the story moves on we realize that Emily is very disturbed after her father’s death. She has been said to be talking to this man Homer which for some time is said to be her fiance. She even buys a toilet seat with Homer’s monogram on it. Emily receives a package that contains poison and the package is labeled “for rats”. The town people talk about how they think Emily is going to kill herself. The last time anyone saw Homer in her house was many years before Emily dies. When Emily is found dead they also find Homer dead in her bed and it is clear that he has been dead for many years. In the quote above we learn that grey hairs are found on the pillow next to Homer with an indent of Emily’s head in that same pillow. It can be assumed from this fact that Emily killed Homer with the poison and due to her psychological state she had been laying next to him even though he had been dead. This story was extremely creepy and unsettling.

Young Goodman Brown

This story describes Goodman Brown going to a meeting with a man in the woods. He tells his wife to make sure she prays in his absence. When he meets with the man he notices his staff that has a live like serpent on it. He does not trust the man but continues walking with him in the woods. This man represents evil and he tricks Goodman Brown. Goodman Brown thinks he sees people from his village, congregation, and his family all worshiping the devil in the forest. But then he finds himself alone with the staff. When he returns to the village he doesn’t trust anyone he sees not even his own wife because he thinks they have all turned evil. In reality he is the one that turned evil because he went to the woods and the devil tricked him into seeing things that were there. The people he thought he saw actually haven’t changed, his mind although has turned to evil. In the story the chose to go meet with the devil was the true risk.

Counseil to a Bacheler

“For younge mens’ wyves will not bee taught, and olde mens’ wyves bee good for naught”

This poem by Marianne Moore is short but sweet. The author describes that if one is young not to marry but if one is old then it is too late to marry. The whole poem in a way contradicts itself which is frustrating to read. The whole purpose of the poem almost discourages anyone from marrying because it is a waste of time. The quote above describes that young wives can’t be “taught” but old wives are good for “nothing”. Either way you look at it, marriage is just negative. The author clearly finds no use for marriage.

A Few Words about Small Breasts

Through this essay Nora Ephron explains that her life would have been dramatically different if she had larger breasts. She talks of the disadvantages of having a flat chest by explaining that without large breasts a women is not taken seriously. Ephron compares men to women and women to other women in this text. Not having a large chest, in her eyes, put her at a disadvantage to those with the feature. What Ephron proves in the text is that even with a “flat” chest she was able to accomplish extraordinary goals in her life proving that even though she does not have a large chest she has a large brain. As a man reading this it came to my mind “do women really think this way?” “Is that all that women think matters?” I think this essay was directed for men to think that way in order to show a certain shallowness that is present in people. Ephron even uses sarcasm such as “people think this is such a boring topic” in order to grasp the readers attention. Even in the the title Ephron describes this essay as “A few words” when in reality the essay is probably close to 3500 words. By using sarcasm and making small accusations Ephron is able to make the reader interested in what she is saying.

Once More to the Lake

In this essay E.B. White explains visiting his families lake house as a kid with his father and then as an adult with his son. The author says “I felt dizzy and didn’t know which rod I was at the end of”. Here the author is explaining catching a fish but at the same time is explaining an identity lost. White talks about how all the memories he has with his dad at the lake are “worthwhile keeping” but there is no mention of that when he is there with his own son.  He almost sees himself in his son and is trying to relive those memories through his son. The last sentence of the essay White states, “AS he buckled the swollen belt suddenly my groin felt the chill of death”. This is a chilling way to end an essay but in this quote the author comes to terms with his lost self. White realizes his own mortality through the new experiences his son is making for himself as White sits there to watch.

The White Negro

With such a bold tittle the author clearly wanted this essay to be noticed. “The White Negro” takes place in the 50’s after the second World War. The tittle describes the original hipster. A hipster is essentially a rebel who is not afraid of what they are labeled as or what anyone could possibly say about them. The hipsters in this case were white men who had the same interests as the common black man. They listened to the same music, dressed the same, and usually only talked to black men. Times have changed and so has the meaning of hipsters. To be a hipster now is more of a fashion statement at best. During the time of this essay the hipsters of that day were there to make a message not just to stand out from the norm and create attention.

Over-Soul

The over-soul is an idea Emerson has that every being has an overwhelming soul that is in each and every person that we can communicate with. Emerson explains that the more we accept the over soul in our lives the more moral acts we will do. It is not a God that needs praise or weekly attention but something that is learned through acceptance. Emerson brings a strong belief to this essay and it seems a bit radical. It is hard to believe what he is getting across but the essay is written with such power that it is not hard to lean towards his side.