Lara,though the editor-in-chief of the school publication, a good writer, a lover of books and a studious girl still proves that not all bookworms are Nerd..Lara is bubbly and approachable( if in good mood..) _) She knows a lot of thing (I mean a lot.) Ask her about something and she'll tell you a fact about something she had read..

Favorite Expression: WOOOOOOHHH (in a high pitch)

Asset: RED LIPS.

Literary Analysis of “Moonlight” by Guy de Maupassant

Abbe Marignan’s warlike name seems to imply that he is destined for a battle. A soldier of God, as he sees himself, who is unwavering and overzealous, is set out to fight not against an enemy of God rather against himself – for he opposes one of the most magnificent creations of God.

          Ironically, the Christian piety, which should have led Marignan to comprehend God’s will for Love and women, does not do him any good. Arrogance, stubbornness, sexism and harshness are Abbe’s characteristics contrasted from women’s modesty, gentleness and loving nature, which clearly symbolize the Love created by God, will send him to his doom.

          Throughout the story, Abbe Marignan’s personality is revealed through the narrator’s descriptions, his own actions and with the introduction of his niece.

“I am the servant of God, I should know his purposes, and if I don’t know them I should divine them.” This line suggests that Abbe believes that everything occurs because of logic. He also looks at himself more than an ordinary priest – that he can understand his God through his own reasoning. This belief will later be removed in him as the most illogical thing which he hates – Love – will appear to him to be created by his Master reserved for the highest purpose.

Since he is disgusted with Love, he also instinctively disliked women. “‘Woman, what I have to do with thee?” and he added, “You’d think that not even God himself was happy with that particular piece of work.’” His reasoning used to justify his hatred against women is honestly lifted from the Bible, from the scene of Wedding at Cana. However, Abbe’s interpretation of the verses is out of context, implying his stubborn and sexist nature. How can Abbe be so unwavering in his conviction that he defends it with just few scriptural verses?

A “pretty, light-headed and impish” Abbe’s niece, who seems to be actually less intelligent than his uncle, falls in love. The niece is very instrumental in projecting the idea that though she is less intelligent, the niece sees and experiences Love. But Abbe, with all his fixed, self-righteous beliefs, fails to understand Love.

“When ten o’clock struck, he took down…a formidable oaken cudgel…whirling it about fiercely in his great countryman’s fist…” Upon knowing his niece’s meeting with her lover, Abbe chooses to confront Love with harshness and violence.

Nevertheless, Abbe’s apparent prejudice is fated to change by several instruments used by the author. The author first used the setting to hint the readers that something will change about Abbe. “…surprised by a splendour of moonlight such as he had rarely seen…He felt feeble, suddenly drained; he wanted to sit down…to admire God in His handwork.” At this time, Abbe felt that the magnificence he is looking at is too divine to be seized. He is supposed to be a logical man, but he decides to sit down to watch the moonlight when he is out into the night to reproach his niece for meeting with her lover. The scene suggests that Love is illogical, not that it is created by the Master without purpose, but Love transcends reason and logic. As later in the story it will be told that Abbe is reminded of the great biblical scenes of love, he now understands that Love serves the highest purpose – “like the accomplishment of the will of God…”

Interestingly, Abbe will not change if not for the conflict that his own niece brings to him. The once internal battle which resides in his mind is now an external war which he chooses to oppose with violence. Finally, it is the niece that sets out all the twist of the story. Her shadow and her lover’s make the still, moonlit night alive, as though the serene beauty of the moonlight is specially made for them. The Abbe realizes that Love is pure, not fleshly, as once he believed because he sees women as devilish traps.

“Why had God done this?” In Abbe’s life, he tries to seek the reason of God’s intentions with his own reasoning. But in this moonlit night, it is God who answered the question by presenting to him the two lovers – their innocent love matched the glory of the night. “…as if he had entered a temple where he had no right to be.” Abbe loses his dignity, but with the shame he felt, he is now completely changed.

Therefore, “Moonlight” by Guy de Maupassant presents Abbe as a character who is doomed for a downfall, despite his religious piety, because of his arrogant characteristics. Abbe is a figure of man who is much more like a modern Pharisee. However, though God makes him ashamed of himself, Love is manifested, since the Master does not want Abbe to stay longer in his unchristian conviction.

Literary Analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe

          “The Cask of Amontillado” is a retelling of the true event at Fort Independence in Boston Harbor, where Poe was assigned as a military soldier. At the very beginning of the story, Montresor established his vengeance and hatred for Fortunato. Fortunato insulted Montresor, a proud wine connoisseur, that he must not consult Luchesi for tasting the Amontillado (pale sherry wine); it must he who should Montresor seek help to. This humiliation, the central conflict, was based on Captain Green’s passionate dislike against the better card player than him, whose name was Lieutenant Robert Massie – the owner of the gravestone which Poe had taken so much interest of.

          While Edgar Allan Poe was serving at the Fort Independence, he copied meticulously everything that was engraved in the gravestone. Seeing this inscription, “Near this spot fell Lieutenant Massie,” Poe conducted his own investigation.

          He learned that during the Christmas vacation, Captain Green and Lieutenant Massie were playing cards when the first called the latter a cheater. Both agreed that they should have a duel so that the “Seconds” prepared for their bout. But the Seconds left early for Dearborn Bastion. During their absence, Captain Green successfully killed the young army. To exact revenge, Massie’s comrades forced Captain Green inside a vault where he died there, imprisoned while still alive.

          In this light, it can be inferred that Montresor was the embodiment of Massie’s comrade’s revenge – the emotion which kindled them to slay Captain Green. Montresor’s capacity to close eleven tiers is an allegory of the combined hatred of Massie’s friends towards their comrade’s killer. Both Massie’s friends and Montresor killed their enemies by shackling them on a chains and leaving them imprisoned to die.

          Interestingly, one can also observe that Montresor led Fortunato to the catacombs of his palazzo. In early France, palazzo used catacombs as place for storing wine cellars and as a burial place for ancestors. Thus, it can be noted that while Montresor secured the tiers, he described that there were many bones in the place. “The Cask  of Amontillado”: it is like the cask signifying the casket and death. The Amontillado was the inanimate accomplice for Montresor’s achievement of vengeance.

          Sly tactic that Massie’s friends and Montresor used to kill their target was through pretentious friendship. Massie’s comrades showed the captain friendliness; Montresor also used friendship with Fortunato to lead him to his trap.

          Edgar Allan Poe was censored not to tell the story to anyone. However, he wrote about it only after a few years. Poe changed the setting and revised the characters’ professions but retained the manners of killing. This brilliance of Poe’s creative retelling of this history is probably inspired by his intoxication with wine, as Poe was a story writer who needed the spirit of alcohol for him to write well. Nevertheless, the wine intoxication brought the long forgotten history into life once again.

Literary Analysis of “Kan Turion si Kulakog”

          Uragun, Bicolano word defining one’s superiority, appears several times in the osipon “Kan Turion si Kulakog”. Whenever uragun is used in the characters’ conversation, it always refer to turi (circumcision) and to Kulakog, a fierce giant who is symbolism for turi. Association between those two words suggests the intimate attachment of the human psyche with culture. Accordingly, the Filipino culture treats uragun and turi as inseperable concepts. Hence in a cultural psychological standpoint, the characters’ reactions and dialogues regarding circumcisions are driven by cultural values and traditions.

          ‘“Uda makadaug ki Kulakog, siya sana uragun. Kaya ngani nagsunod n asana ko kina Papa saka Manoy,’ simbag ni Kokoy.”  This line explicitly tells that circumcision is viewed in the Filipino culture as a rite of passage symbolizing virility and manhood. Filipinos have been shaped to think that for a man to be considered a real man, he must be circumcised. This traditional concept is passed on a cyclical nature. It is no wonder, therefore, that even young Filipino boys tease their uncircumcised counterpart as supot, with loud laughs and blatant ridicule.

          ‘“Dini man ngani tubod sina Papa ki Dr. Handi Ong. Mas uragun kun kin Tsong Iyat ako magpaturi,” sabi ni Tolongges. This line is a clear evidence of how powerful culture is affecting people’s way of thinking and view of traditions over modern perspectives.

          Tsong Iyat and Dr. Handi Ong are representations of the culture’s polarities – the old and the new – which affects people’s psychological motivations for doing things like circumcision. Since both Tolongges and Kokoy conform to the cultural concept of turi, it implies that Filipinos are still perpetrated by the olden views on manhood. In addition, consulting decision based on culture is obvious in this line: “Diri na, Padi, sadtu kami ki Tsong Iyat tam as uragun sadtu. Sadtu man baga padi kita tinatak kadtu,’ simbag ki Papa ni Tolongges.” Therefore, it is already a psychological tendency for people to make decisions as what the cultural norm dictates. The human psyche is inclined to follow the norms because humans are conscious of their conformity with society.

          As mentioned before, Dr. Handi Ong symbolizes the modern view of turi. This is shown when Dr. Handi Ong told Bornok that circumcision is done not just to prove virility but also to avoid disease. Although culture shapes the humanity, humanity shapes the culture first. Her explanation shows that culture is still subject to changes for people continue to discover new things; mankind will continue reshaping the culture and even continue phasing out obsolete ones. Therefore, dynamicity of culture is a reflection of psychological motivation of humans to adjust their beliefs, practices and norms based on societal modifications.

          To sum it up, “Kan Turion si Kulakog” is a Bicol osipon which explores the psychological effects that culture cause on people’s behaviors, actions and words.

Literary Analysis of “Daffodils” by William Woodsworth

          “We do not look at things as they are; we look at things as we are.” Indeed, we do not appreciate things because they appear mediocre and mundane for us. We never take time to see the extraordinary with the ordinary. Certainly, the poem “Daffodils” by William Woodsworth captures the attitude of valuing simple things – the neglected beauty of nature.

          First stanza started with the persona strolling around, “I wondered lonely as a crowd.” This may seem like an oxymoron, however. But the first line shows how preoccupied the persona is. Perhaps, his mind is “crowded” with many earthly concerns that appreciation of simple things has been out of his priority. However, when he saw the crowd of golden daffodils, a different crowd accompanies him. He is no longer lonely and crowded with disturbing thoughts. The subsequent stanzas show how delighted the narrator is with the blossoms. He even compares the daffodils with other creations in the nature (Milky Way, waves, bay).

          Last two lines of the third stanza undeniably reveal how powerful small things of nature (daffodils) are in soothing the distressed mind and soul of the persona. Even at the last stanza the persona recounts that the images of those golden blossoms comes into his mind whenever he is sad or is thinking of nothing. The mere visualization of those dancing daffodils makes him feel the bliss of solitude. Nonetheless, it is contrary to earlier line in third stanza, (A poet could not be gay / In such a jocund company”. The persona, who is a poet, is thinking it’s impossible for those daffodils to constantly remind him of gladness. But the last stanza showed that even he is no longer on the fields of daffodils, his memories clings onto the joy that those little blossoms proffered to him.

          “And then my heart with pleasure fill / And dance with daffodils.” The poem’s last two lines suggest that the daffodils change the author’s mindset. Perhaps, it’s because daffodils are closely associated with spring. Spring has a powerful image of renewal, rebirth, optimism, gladness and growth – all these things can change the outlook of a wearied heart.

          Daffodils is used by the persona as the symbolism of the celebration of all aspects of human life, may it be simple or grand.

          The poem started with a negative mood but the daffodils eventually changed the tone of the poem.

          Indeed, “Daffodils” is a poem that reminds us that if we want to unload our heavy baggage, we only need to appreciate the littlest and seemingly-underappreciated wonder of the natural world.

Literary Analysis of the “Poison Tree” by William Blake

 Using Structuralism and Deconstruction Approaches

          William Blake’s poem “A Poison Tree” deals with a concealed anger which grew into a tree that bears the fruit of the enemy’s death.

          Considerably, poison tree is an oxymoron since literature has extensively used tree as an archetype which represent life. Therefore, it is unfitting to describe the tree as a source of danger – the poison. As an addition, the title immediately suggests that the persona’s hatred increased as the tree is also an archetype of growth.

          Lines are composed with sentences; some clauses are interrupted by brief clauses. The brevity of the lines sounds almost like an unmindful narration of the events. Hence, it suggests that the persona is indeed numb of the horrible result of his anger – the death of his foe -- or even implies that the desired revenge is already exacted, so there’s no trace of any guilt or remorse.

          First stanza reflects the nature of humans to express their anger with persons whom we love and to hide bitterness with person whom we dislike. Anger disappears when it is expressed, for the heavy burden is released. On the other hand, anger aggravates when it is kept and hidden. In this poem, the persona chooses to conceal his anger until it grows and increases in intensity.

          Following stanzas recounts how the anger is nourished. Similar with a genuine tree, the poison tree is cultivated with persona’s “tears” and “fears”. The tree flourishes with “smiles” and “wiles”.  At the face value, the poison tree is nurtured to look like a pleasant tree – a beautiful, deceptive trap for the foe’s ruin.

          Third stanza narrates how the poison tree bears an “apple bright”. Apple is often used to depict the fruit of the biblical Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which caused the tragic downfall of Adam and Eve. In other archetypal stories like Snow White, apple is used to bear the witch’s poison. Therefore, the bright red skin and the luscious smell of apples, tempting characteristics of the fruit, are the deceptions of the poison lurking on the seductive fruit. The author termed the fruit as “apple bright” since when an individual has been bedazzled with too much light, he becomes blind.

          “And he knew it was mine,” shows the enemy’s foolishness. The foe verily knows that the fruit belongs to the persona. The final stanza relates that the foe set out to the garden to steal the apple. Therefore, the poison tree is the metaphor for the persona’s trap. He might have pretended to be welcoming and friendly to his enemy, though the persona only wants to revenge. And like the apple, the foe bites the trap of the persona’s pretension.

          “A Poison Tree” is a well-crafted poem which compares the growth and fruit of anger with the poison tree and its fruit.

Literary Analysis of “The Other Two” by Edith Wharton

          “In his own room, he flung himself down a grocer. He hated the womanish sensibility which made him suffer so acutely from the grotesque chances of life.” This line from Edith Wharton’s “The Other Two” perfectly captures the feminist side of a man being troubled by his wife’s past flames. Whereas his wife can handle the untoward circumstances, whose name is Alice, Waythorn cannot help but to think. Accordingly, psychoanalytic feminist approach explores the feminist outlook working on a man’s body and a masculine perspective operating on a woman’s psyche.

          Throughout the story, Waythorn’s feminine characteristics and Alice’s masculine traits are presented. Waythorn sees Alice as a woman who has “perfectly balanced nerve”; he understands that only few woman know how not to worry and to think too much. Alice’s “composure” appeared to Waythorn as an exact opposite of his “unstable sensibilities”. Waythorn is, indeed, caught in instability. He always thinks that Alice is his possesorship, as well as Lily, but it isn’t. Though Alice does not have an affair anymore – and is already divorced -- with her two former husbands. The first is Mr. Haskett, Lily’s father. And the second marriage of Alice is vowed to Mr. Gus Varick. Waythorn always encounter Alice ex-husbands as Mr. Haskett is visiting the sick Lily and as Mr. Gus Varick shares a business partnership with him. Despite the situation, Alice seems unaffected as shown by this quote. “she had a way of surmounting obstacles without seeming to be aware of them”. Hence, Alice possesses masculine attributes because she is tough in handling the situation; whereas, Waythorn has become feminine because he constantly worries.

          But as much as Waythorn admires Alice, he is disgusted with her flexibility. He looks at Alice as a woman who actually evades difficulties in meeting up and talking with his former husbands. As Waythorn said, “she is easy as an old shoe – a shoe that too many feet had worn.” Alice is already worn out loving those two men, emotionally and sexually. Indeed, she lost all her privacy to them. Waythorn believes she lost her substance as Alice looks at the situation with mediocrity because she’s all right with the set-up. She already lost her privacy before.

          However, Waythorn defends Alice from his own judgment. He reasoned that it’s better to marry a wife who knows the art of sex than to marry a virgin who is innocent of the art. Thus, it can be noticed that Waythorn is fickle-minded as he finds reason to be disgusted with Alice but also makes up defenses to protect his wife from his own prejudices and biases.

          Although the story seems to present Waythorn and Alice as having swapped gender characteristics, the hard situation they are in instinctively brings out the stereotypes of men and women. Like all other men, Waythorn is idealist and proud. Idealism – fondness of things to be placed in perfect order and harmony – is attached to men’s egotistical nature. Waythorn would have really loved to live a normal life with Alice and her daughter if not because of her former husbands’ presences. Additionally, men are ideal in sexual context. They like women who can please and agitate them; Waythorn found that with Alice. Alice, who is showing a strong personality on the surface, is actually disguising her submissiveness. Women are stereotyped for being obedient both in positive and negative connotations. Alice is submissive because she lets Mr. Haskett and Mr. Gus Varick to talk to her, even with disapproval from Waythorn. She is so submissive that she let the situation control them instead of taking actions – just like a meek woman submitting her own will to her husband. Alice might not be worying; but her positivity suggests that she doesn’t really know how to manage the situation. But Alice has a way to temporarily reconcile their situation, and that is using her womanly charm. Women are known for using their charm to settle things into place. And that is what Alice radiates when confronted with the three men of her life in front the tea table.

          To sum it up, the work is written to show that untoward circumstances bring forth unusual characteristics in the male and female psyche and the usual stereotypes of genders.