Assignment 10 - Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe

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This assignment is a part of internal evaluation of student's academic activity in the Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University. Here is my assignment.

Name: Rohit Vyas

Class: Semester 3

PG Enrolment Number: 2069108420200041

E-mail: rohitvyas277@gmail.com

Course: M.A. English, at Department of English, M.K. Bhavnagar University

Paper 10 - The American Literature, Unit - 1

Submitted to: Department of English MK Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, IN.

Assignment 10 – Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe

Abstract

         In this assignment, an attempt has been made to give an analytical view of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories. Most of his short stories are known as tales of macabre and tales of ratiocination. This assignment focuses on Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”, a story of a ruthless killing of an old man, and the confession of the crime.

Keywords: macabre, poe, short story

Introduction

Edgar Allan Poe was a 19th century American poet, short story writer and literary critic. He is best known for his poem "The Raven" and a short story "The Black Cat". He has contributed in the genre of crime and horror. His collection of short stories are divided into two parts, tales of ratiocination and tales of macabre. The core elements of his stories are crime, murder, horror and investigation. "The Purloined Letter" is an example of detective fiction.

The Tell-Tale Heart is a story of a criminal who skillfully kills an old man for a silly reason. The story shows the inner recesses of human psyche. Published in 1843, the story is still very relevant in today’s time. There are several murders brutal killings happen in today’s society. The aftermath of the killing is unbearable to the killer that he himself confesses the crime.

At the very beginning of the story Poe gives the indication that the narrator or a protagonist is having acute sense of hearing. He could listen the voice from heaven and hell also.

The disease had sharpened my senses -- not destroyed -- not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. (Poe)

The reason behind narrator’s hatred towards an old man is his blue eye, the eye of the vulture. That was the only reason to kill the old man. This can be read in the psychological ways that how small reasons and trivial things can disturb the disordered person.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. (Poe)

The narrator describes how much he hated the eyes of the old man and then how he made rehearsals of killing. But on one midnight, he was determined to make the killing happen.

In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more. (Poe)

One can see the sight of relief is making a prefect mixture with the heavy atmosphere of killing. Readers often connect themselves with the narrator as he was suffering from a disease that caused him an acute senses of hearing.

After killing the old man the narrator hides the dead body of an old man under the wooden planks of the floor. Here again the keenness in adjusting the corpse under the planks is showing the gory brutality of the killer. He cuts off his arms and head and legs to fix the body.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. (Poe)

When the three policemen enter the house then a sudden change in his behavior is changing as if nothing has happened in the house. He becomes so suave and polite that the cops was getting satisfactory remarks about him.

But as the easy talk went on with the cops, the narrator grew pale and vehement. He behaved so anxiously that cops suspected him again.

Poe creates the environment of suspense and mystery throughout the story. And at the end, he reveals the inner agony of the killer. The narrator feels that the heartbeats are much louder that the police cops can also hear them.

“But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! --and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! –” (Poe)

At last, he couldn’t bear the inner illusion of heartbeats of the old man and he yelled.

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! --here, here! --it is the beating of his hideous heart!" (Poe)

To conclude, one can say that Poe has thrown some light on dark recesses on the mind. This story can also be read in a psychological symptoms of the narrator.

Hyperacusis is a hearing disorder that leads a patient to the uncomfortable state, resulting in pain an anxiety. This can be at peak by hearing the daily sounds like phone ringing, people talking, and running faucet and so on. The acute hearing Poe mentions is indicating to this particular disease.

Reference: Poe, Edgar A. The Tell-Tale Heart. PDF, Elegant Books, 1843.

Thanks.

Assignment 9 - Waiting for Godot: Absurdity and Existentialism

Hello Readers!

This assignment is a part of internal evaluation of student's academic activity in the Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University. Here is my assignment.

Name: Rohit Vyas

Class: Semester 3

Roll No. 19

PG Enrolment Number: 2069108420200041

E-mail: rohitvyas277@gmail.com

Course: M.A. English (2019-21)

Paper 9 - Modernist English Literature

Submitted to: Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of English MK Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, IN.

Assignment 9 – Waiting for Godot: Absurdity and Existentialism

Introduction

For over two centuries, existentialism has been a part of philosophy. It was believed that Jean Paul Sartre was the first existentialist but the truth is Soren Kierkegaard from the 18^th century is the founding father of this discourse.

It is not the first time that something has been thought or said earlier and the thought is given a term or a word. When John Donne was writing poetry bringing the far-fetched images he was not knowing that his style of poetry would be coined as “metaphysical poetry” by Samuel Johnson.

Similarly, much later in the 19^th century, Jean-Paul Sartre identified the thoughts of Soren Kierkegaard and coined the term “Existentialism”. There are many well-known thinkers who have given their thoughts and arguments on this philosophy. To name a few, Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Camus, Herman Hesse, Simon De Beauvoir are the key existentialists.

Waiting for Godot is a remarkable play by Samuel Beckett which can be best fit in existentialism and absurdity. If the characters are to be seen, only one character among six is invisible. Which is Godot, a titular character who is the central part of the play. Godot is awaited throughout the play and the characters like Vladimir and Estragon are making various ways to meet Godot.

Can it be asserted that, Vladimirs and Estragons are found everywhere? The statement is agreeable in terms of existentialism. Implications of society, religion and power are carved in such a way that it becomes utmost difficult for human beings to be free from those conditionings.

Existentialism, an umbrella of several other terms, is a philosophical movement which raised three pertinent questions relating to the individual.

Who am I?
Where did I come from?
What is the purpose of my life?

These questions are inevitable and difficult to answer. If one thinks deeper into the matter, one may get to know that gender, identity, language, birth place, names, religion all these are given by others. There is no individual choice given to select any of these.

It is also almost impossible to answer the place from where did we come from. Besides, epistemological readings say that this question is theological and philosophical. Several religious discourse are there which try to answer this question. Karmic philosophy, the idea of mind and body, soul and consciousness and many more.

The third question is the most important other than the two. It creates the existential angst and anxiety. This play touches the core part of the purpose and the worthiness of waiting.

Vladimir and Estragon are two characters who wait for a titular character Godot. If we think of religions we can consider this character as God. But theologically it is believed that one can't meet God without leaving the material world. The dialogue which Estragon speaks at the very beginning of the play is,

"Estragon: Nothing to be done!"

This nothingness and emptiness is the modern anxiety of the human beings. The play questions the readers that, can we live alone? How one can find the solace and salvation from live. The very idea of meeting to 'param tatva', or divine power is being questioned in the play. If one looks through the lens of spirituality one can say that divinity and supremacy comes from within.

What do we mean by being spiritual?

Spirituality is not only practicing Yoga and doing mediation. Spirituality can be practiced though the daily routine. One just has to be skeptical and a good questioner to the self. Whichever work is being done on hand, it can be questioned through the lens of integrity and accountability.

How does the play work in our mind?

Indeed this play is a mirror to society. Vladimir and Estragon are the reflection of human nature. Vladimir is mindful and remembers many things, but Estragon forgets many things. He hardly remembers things. One is representing the mind and the other is representing the body. This ongoing conflict between mind and body is never to be solved through worldly things. One has to go beyond this material values and greedy mindset and practice spirituality to look into this matter.

Pozzo and Lucky are also a reflection of different types of social roles people play in life. Pozzo claims the land ownership and Lucky is the slave of Pozzo. One enjoys power position and the other is subjugated and subdued in the hierarchy of power. Even Pozzo tries to free him, Lucky still wants to be the slave of Pozzo.

For the sake of meeting Godot, Vladimir and Estragon do almost all the gimmicks which are done till today. But after a long wait, when a boy enters in the play, then a ray of hope arises. The boy claims to be the messenger of Godot and says conveys that Godot will come tomorrow.

This idea of tomorrow is also interesting to see. Whenever we speak ‘tomorrow’ it becomes today just the next day. In short, tomorrow never comes, and the wait prolongs for days to years to decades. The word tomorrow also refers to the set measures of time like, hours, days, months, years and so on. If one looks at the dynamics of existentialism with time, then one may question: Are we passing through time or time is passing from us?

As a human we are given very short span of time like 80 to 100 years. In such arena we have to work till death. Without the expectation of any result or reward one has to work. Godot can be seen as reward also.

The waiting creates absurdity in the play. The way Vladimir and Estragon feel, we all can relate the angst and agony with our own ways of waiting. Because in the play, Godot never comes and the play remains silent about it.

Thank You.

Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot: Tragicomedy in 2 Acts. PDF, 1982.

Presentation 12 - English Language Teaching

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Here is my presentation of Paper 12-A English Language Teaching - 1

PPT 12 English Language Teaching 1 by Rohit Vyas on Scribd

Video - Acquisition of Second Language in India

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