The Winter Carnival for Gene - Essay Example

of the of the Submitted English 2 Lesson 6 & 7 Assignments Lesson 6 Exam Gene and Finny are drawn to eachother and share some character traits, but they are also very different. List the name of the character then list the characteristics that are unique to Gene or Finny beside their name. Then, list character traits they share. Gene: Jealous, Competitive, Talented, Studious, Guilty, Lack of Self Confidence, Immature, Adventurous, Fun Loving, Athletic, Introspective. Finny: Open Minded, Fun Loving, Talented, Uncompetitive, Athletic, Adventurous, Charming, Charismatic, Natural Leader, Good Talker, Mature.. Both: Talented, Athletic, Adventurous, Fun Loving. 2. At different times in A Separate Peace the weather seems to signal a change in the atmosphere of the action. Make a list of three specific weather descriptions from the novel. (You can use page references along with your description if appropriate.) Then, list the corresponding action in the plot. Weather Description: (Pg. 72) "In the air there was only an edge of coolness to imply the coming winter. Plot Developments: Things have changed at Devon, but its as if Gene and Finny are in a holding pattern. The ease of the summer session is gone, but the horrible events that follow in the winter are still a far way off. Weather Description: (Pg. 12) ” A little fog hung over the river so that as I neared it I felt myself becoming isolated from everything except the river and the few trees beside it. The wind was blowing more steadily here, and I was beginning to feel cold.” Plot Developments: Gene describes the weather when he returns to Devon in search of the tree that was the basis of the jump initiation rite of the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session that they had formed back in 1942. Weather Description: One bleak winter Saturday, Finny proposes the boys hold “The Devon Winter Carnival.” (Chapter 8). Plot Developments: The onset of winter brings darkness and despair to the characters of the novel. Gene has broken his leg but wants to celebrate the carnival by dancing with his one good leg. They all want the war to end and things to be normal again. 3. Compose an essay that describes the significance of the Winter Carnival for Gene. What does it symbolize when Finny opens the carnival by burning a copy of The Iliad? Why is it ironic that the Carnival ends with the arrival of Lepers telegram announcing his escape? Use at least two specific details from the novel to support your ideas. Now that Finny has a setback with his broken leg, he wants to train Gene into becoming an athlete and achieving the goals he had set for himself. Always jealous of Finny, Gene is now at peace with himself for taking over this role and considers that he has achieved something. They have decided to celebrate the onset of winter by holding a carnival but the arrival of Leper’s telegram stating that he had escaped the war is disheartening because it seems that none of them are ready to face the realities of life in the real world. Finny’s burning of the Iliad which they had read all summer signifies that the summer has indeed ended and they must prepare for a change in weather (Knowles, Chapter 8). 4. High school students are still reading A Separate Peace more than forty years after its publication. Compose an essay describing what you think the books enduring relevance is. What do the characters and the conflict say to people today? Do you imagine the book will retain its relevance in the future? Use at least two specific examples from the book to support your ideas. To me the enduring significance of the novel is that it is a coming of age story that is endearing and wonderfully told. It will especially appeal to the male psyche because it shows exactly how boys in a boarding school would behave at that age. The sense of aloofness and loneliness that characterizes their lives at this point could well have been the feelings of a major part of society in those war driven times. Humanity does not like distress for extended periods and longs for solutions- in this case a speedy end to the war. The conflict between the characters Finny and Gene are not unheard of in adolescence and would be easily identifiable with the youth (Knowles, A Separate Peace). Lesson 7 Exam 5. For the character traits listed below, identify whether one or both of the characters exhibit each trait in the excerpt and provide an example from the text. 1. Casual-Natalya: She is dressed informally. She jokes with Lomov when he first comes in. She offers him a cigarette and launches into a casual conversation about the weather and her hay as if they are old friends. 2. Stubborn-Natalya: She insists that Oxen Meadows belongs to her family, stating that they had ownership of it for 300 years before this was challenged by Lumov’s family. 3. Stubborn-Lumov: Lumov is equally adamant that Oxen Meadows belongs to him. He states that the peasants of Natalya’s great grandfather were allowed to use the land for 40 years in the time of his great grandmother, in return for making bricks. However the land is rightfully his. 4. Formal-Lumov: Knowing that he is going to propose to Natalya, Lumov is dressed in formal evening wear. He continues to address her as honored Natalya Stepanovna for most of their conversation. 5. Excitable-Lumov: Lumov is aware that he is getting on in age and needs to get married. He cannot sleep well and keeps on getting up every 20 minutes due to palpitations. He begins shouting at the end and clutches at his heart (Chekov, The Proposal). 6. Compose an essay in which you discuss whether Lomov and Natalya are a well-matched pair. Would their similarities or differences cause too many conflicts for a happy marriage or would they get along very well? Use at least two examples from the text to support your ideas. Concentrate on their personalities and character traits, not on the particular conflict over the Meadows. I do not think that Lomov and Natalya are a good match for each other. This is because one is formal while the other chooses to be informal. Although the worth of the land is not more than 300 roubles, they end up squabbling with each other and Lomov cannot even complete his proposal. On his part Lomov was not very tactful in making his proposal and although he meant to use the land factor to indicate the length of the relationship and understanding between their families, he should have not brought it up if he knew that it would trigger a dispute. Both are principled and would fight for their rights (Chekov, The Proposal). 7. In Lesson Five, you learned about the Literature of Romance. List two characteristics of romance literature. Then explain how these characteristics are shown in "Green Willow." Use one specific example from the text to illustrate each quality. The literature of romance is signified by naturalism and a return to basic unforgotten values or the simple things in life. It abhors urbanization and sophistication. There is also an element of magic and mystery, mixed with an element of sadness that is reflected in these stories. For example, the hero Tomotada cannot help falling in love with Green Willow as he is awed by her natural and simple beauty which seems so out of place in the harsh surroundings. Yet when she is suddenly taken away from him and he learns the truth about her and her parents, he transforms his grief into an undying promise to care for her and her parents who have been all been transformed into willow trees, their original form (Smith, Green Willow). 8. There are many definitions of a hero. In what ways is Tomotada a hero? Which of his actions are not heroic? Compose an essay that discusses the ways in which Tomotada is or is not a hero. Use at least two specific examples from the text to support your arguments. Honor, valor, caring and chivalry- these are some of the characteristics of a hero and Tomotada has all of them. He is a man of principle and keeps the honor of his master Lord Noto in mind at all times. He has distinguished himself in learning as well as combat. He is friendly and is admired by his fellow Samurai. He asks permission to visit his widowed mother and is granted it. Although he has every intention of meeting his lord’s request, circumstances bring him to the girl he must marry and he lives with her for five blissful years before her life is rudely snatched away. Love can be selfish and he decides to live with Green Willow in the mountains rather than return to his master. Even after her sudden and untimely death, he honors her and her parents by taking care of the two older and one younger willow for the rest of his days. The young man who is told the story hardly realizes that the old priest is Tomotada himself (Smith, Green Willow). Works Cited Chekov, Anton. The Proposal. Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. Smith, Brandon. Green Willow. Read More