Literature Analysis

Literature is a hodgepodge of devices, styles and variations in language and is far more than a story. Literature is an experience and to understand it requires more than a casual read. What turns a common tale into a classic? Edgar Allan Poe and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, both prolific writers, were ahead of their time. They both had a special gift for writing, but while alive were often misunderstood and criticized.

What is the difference between a fictional classic, and fiction such as that written by Stephen King? King allows a reader to escape reality. We get to live someone else's life even if within the confines of 300 pages or so. While Stephen King is a good book to settle into on a rainy day, it is not a book which one can study. Literature accomplishes the same goal of escape; however it is far more complex. Literature requires one to study the words and excavate for the deeper meaning behind them. Most writers today do not attempt to tell a story with a double meaning, or hidden irony. Authors of literature do and are why these pieces are categorized as classics.

The choice of words or language in a story, poem or essay is critical in determining quality writing. Poe used a formal style, not relying on the everyday. In "The Cask of Amontillado" Poe set's a gloomy stage and draws us into the story. "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge."

(Poe, E.A. 1846) Before we have even read half a page, we are already aware that the protagonist is beyond rage. Montresor vows revenge as one might vow to be faithful, in a calm calculated manner.

In "The Yellow Wallpaper" Gilman's approach is relaxed, questioning, and innocent. "It is very seldom that mere ordinary people like John and myself secure ancestral halls for the summer."

(Gilman, C.P. 1892) The language shows age with formal verbiage, but draws us in with the use of commonalities, things that a reader may be able to relate to. In "The Cask of Amontillado" Montresor is desperate and seeks revenge. He commits murder with no lingering guilt. Our unnamed character is also desperate. She is incapable of communicating and is fearful of being seen as a crazy person, when in fact the acts of her husband are what ultimately cause her decline. According to Nicole Smith, author of "Gilman's Technique in Portraying the Oppression of Women" (2007) the reader leaves thinking that her husband is more than a little responsible for the conclusion."

Edgar Allen Poe is known for creating pieces that embrace the darker side of the human condition. Why did he write such macabre? Poe's biography is a sad story about a boy who struggled to understand death and the meaning behind life. His childhood, loss of loved ones, acceptance of his peers and deep depression are what molded him into the writer that he became. This might account for the choices in characterization. The characters he created are closer to Poe that one might realize. "One commentator has claimed that Poe was using Montresor as his alter ego in pursuing vicarious revenge against his literary enemies when he wrote the story." (Dedmond, F. 1954) It is so farfetched to think that Poe had an alter ego? Perhaps, but the quiet sullen author did have a darker side. It is in fact his sullen behavior that propelled his writing. Poe used a calculated method in which to write and drew upon his experiences and feelings. Mellissa Howard, the author of "The Moral in Edgar Allan Poe" provides us with a reason for Poe's writing style. She studied "The Philosophy of Composition" written by Poe and explains that while it is believed that Poe lived in a moral void without giving thought to moral considerations is untrue. "Poe clearly understands the depraved nature of man, a nature that humans use all sorts of civilized conventions to buffer themselves against so that they can forget that they are no better than the serial murderer whose deeds they so avidly read about in the morning paper."

(Howard, M. 2007) In other words, we see the evil in others and are blind to our own.

Gilman was a well-known figure in journalism writing thousands of non-fiction articles for prominent magazines.Today, Gilman is considered an accomplished writer of literature; however this was not always the case. "The Yellow Wallpaper" garnered the attention of scholars and is a prime example of how Gilman interjected women's views into her storytelling. Perhaps while writing this piece Gilman was unaware of how closely the characters mental state was to her own. One cannot ignore that Perkins state of mind while writing "The Yellow Wallpaper" was that of discontent, a claim which Gilman agreed with. "Her desires point toward a 'liberating and disruptive force' that represents her unconscious.

(Lahnstein 1978).

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a determined woman who wanted to live the conventional married life, but also to have a career at a time when women's roles were limited to the restriction's of a kitchen. When Gilman wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" she had begun to succumb to depression shortly after the birth of a child. We may know this as post-partum today; but in this time period such problems were not recognized as serious. Gilman drew on her experiences not only with mental problems, but social expectations of women during this era. "The Yellow Wallpaper" was the beginning of Gilman coming to terms with who she was, but more importantly who she wanted to be.

Gilman's work for women's rights, later in her career titled her a feminist, a title which she was never comfortable having. Time Search states; "American writer, economist, and lecturer, an early theorist of the feminist movement, who wrote over two hundred short stories and some ten novels. Gilman refused to call herself a "feminist" (B., Gascoigne 2007)

The similarities of Edgar Allen Poe and Charlotte Perkins Gilman are unmistakable. Both came from broken homes. Both had mental problems and both escaped their reality by way of writing. While each has their own style, each portrays desperation in their story telling. Characterization is the key component to a believable story. Poe and Gilman paid close attention to the details of their characters. If they had not, these stories would never have been recognized. One passage has Fortunato asking what Montresor family arms looks like because he "forgets." This question is insulting to Montresor and adds to his anger. "Fortunato's ignorance of Montresor's coat of arms may be an insult even though the presumed insult cannot provide motivation for the killing."

(White, P. 2002) Poe's word choices are poetic and hint at his internal rage toward Fortunato. We can see this in his response and description. "A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushed a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel."

(Poe, E.A. 1846) Not only do we have to decipher the words he used to describe the family arms, but we can see from his word choice that he is feeling additional animosity toward Fortunato.

Gilman's descriptions of the character show an intelligent woman who can make decisions for herself, but does not because she thinks her husband

knows what she needs; after all he is a physician. "But John says if I feel so I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself - before him, at least, and that makes me very tired." It is clear that the character is not comfortable with her identity, she cannot be herself. She had been made to feel needy and thus unstable.

How does a writer bring a character to life? A character is described as; "a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature." Glossary of Literary Terms (2007) Characterization is an extension of this. Our character Montresor is not portrayed as good or bad. It is the

action of the character that aids us in determining what kind of person he is and thus coming to our own conclusion which in this case, is nearly impossible to decide. Poe carefully crafted this character so the reader would see a strong man that does not second guess his actions, or waver in his demeanor. The end result is a stiff, careful, deceptive man with quiet and patient anger.

Gilman's use of creating characterization is eerie. The author used her own feelings to bring the character to life and does so with intensity. The most intriguing portions of this story take place in the descriptions of her delusions. "Looked at in one way, each breadth stands alone; the bloated curves and flourishes - a kind of "debased Romanesque" with delirium tremens - go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity."

(Gilman, C.P. 1892) An otherwise normal, intelligent woman becomes obsessive, paranoid, deranged and insane. We know that the wallpaper is not as interesting as the delusion suggests and so we are forced to find meaning in other passages. Because the narrator of the story is unstable it begs the question, can we trust the narrator? We must focus on the other characters and events and realize that her descriptions of the wallpaper are merely her delusions.

What does tone add to a story? The tone of "The Cask of Amontillado" is serious. It takes place in the evening, beneath the city, inside the dark and damp catacombs. The surroundings are piled high with the bones of the dead. This approach gives the story intensity. The tone in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is desperate, isolated and lonely. In addition; the story is told in first person narration. This creates a journal effect, as if we are reading the innermost thoughts in someone's diary. The author provides us with detail, but details are limited. The primary focus takes place in the bedroom the yellow wallpaper hangs in and so details are abundant. One can picture the character gazing out the window to the wharf in the back of the house or out at the gardens. Initially we see a character that is held back by her controlling husband and slightly depressed. After some inner struggle our character is resigned to "doing as she is told." The isolation of the room, the lack of constructive tasks and fear propel her into delusion. After many weeks she begins to "live" within the paper. She has delusions that a woman lives behind the wall and one has to wonder if the woman living behind the paper is a reflection of the woman trapped within the walls of her bedroom. They are in fact one in the same.

Why then did these two writers write? Edgar Allan Poe wrote stories as an escape from own life. His tragic past played a large role in his evolution. Poe was depressed and knew loss as a faithful friend. Perhaps his writing was more of a biographical perspective of life, death and loss? Poe was not a light hearted individual, but a deep feeling man. While few writers took it upon themselves to write about death, suicide or depression, Edgar Allan Poe did so with fervor. He did not care what others thought of him, he knew only that he had to write. He is responsible for showcasing the human psyche and bringing out into the open "real" and "flawed" human nature. Melissa Howard asserts; "Perhaps these portraits are a mirror in which he subconsciously hopes that society will look into and in one of the portraits recognize itself for what it is-depraved and hopeless."

(Howard, M. 2007) We are not all church going, Bible carrying Christians. In fact some of us are evil plotting thieves, murderers or just plain sinful in our behavior.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was raised during a time when being a domestic was what mattered. Raising children and knowing how to sew were trophies of the time. Women did not have careers and certainly did not strive to be treated equally to their husbands. Gilman was a strong willed, brilliant woman who was not satisfied by such domestic things. She needed to explore life and her role in it.

Poe and Gilman are two writers from the same time period. Each had something significant to offer the literary world. Poe will be remembered as the one who did not care what his critics thought. Gilman, who was not appreciated for her immense talent while alive, will always be remembered for this particular story. There are several passages in each story that stand out and are personal favorites.

The last paragraph in "The Cask of Amontillado" is a prime example of Poe's use of the English language. The absence of guilt for such a sinful deed is perplexing. "No answer still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so. I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat!" (Poe, E.A. 1846) We are again faced with an unreliable narrator. When Montresor says; "My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so" we are supposed to trust that it is not the

act that is making him sick, but the dampness. One's heart does not sicken by dampness and so we must read into other events in order to trust the character and their words.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is acutely perceptive. The reader can feel themselves slipping into the characters delusions almost to the point of madness. Gilman's use of description creates chaos, confusion and forces one to read on, even when it becomes uncomfortable. This passage speaks of confusion. "The outside pattern is a florid arabesque, reminding one of a fungus. If you can imagine a toadstool in joints, an interminable string of toadstools, budding and sprouting in endless convolutions -- why, that is something like it." (Gilman, C.P. 1896) Gilman's use of the language and her own experience with depression give us a too real account of insanity. Further into the plot we begin to see her slipping from reality. "I really have discovered something at last. Through watching so much at night, when it changes so, I have finally found out. The front pattern does move -- and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it!"

(Gilman, C.P. 1896) This passage reveals an unstable, hysterical woman, who in today's world would require psychiatric treatment.

Literary devices can come from many areas. Personal experience is a device and without it would make a story much more difficult to tell. Emotions act as devices and give us the fuel we need to experiment. While it is true that anyone who can read and write can write a story, it is also true that writing is more than just words on paper. Setting, tone, plot, style and characterization are necessary and without it are just that, meaningless words on paper. Literature is a personal expression of one's self. Stories are a window into someone else's existence. We all perceive a story differently and an exceptional writer will tell a story from a variety of perspectives.