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Emily Gilles
Finding My Voice
Senior English Portfolio 2016

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Table of Contents
A Chronological Journey

1. Welcome to my Portfolio
2. The Difference in Views
3. Exceptional Against Adolescence
4. Setting from Different Times
5. Reflection on Ozymandias
6. Chaucer on Sex and Sexuality
7. Unit Plan for Life of Pi
8. Teen Sexuality, Relationships, First Love, and Consent in Unit Plan
9. Post Colonial Effects in In the Lake of the Woods
10. IRP
11. The Supremacy in Analysis of Humanism over Post-colonialism
through The Tempest

All original content by Ms. Emily Gilles

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Emily Gilles
English Capstone Reflection
April 2016
Welcome to my Portfolio
In the following essay, you will be invited to follow me through my analysis of
my progression as a student and ultimately as a teacher. I chose English literature as a
major because I have a passion for language and literature, and wanted to share that
passion with young students. Throughout my time in the English literature program, I
have continually strived to be the best in my classes and to develop all of my skills to
perfection so that I may later teach those same skills. If I am not above proficient in my
own writing and skills, then how can I possibly expect my students to believe in me and
how can I expect to be able to vocalize and teach those skills to them? This reflection is
organized by first evaluating why I wanted to pursue this degree, what I developed, what
objectives I met, then a breakdown of those objectives and skills in a chronological
timeframe, analyzing how research has shaped my understanding of texts, where I am at
now, and where I am going. I believe that I have accomplished all of the course
objectives and have showed significant growth and progression throughout my time at
Seton Hill University (SHU).
I first knew that I wanted to pursue a path in English and education after I was
impacted greatly by an English teacher in the eighth grade. This teacher embodied
everything that I wanted to be; she was intelligent, talented, thoughtful, caring, and
compassionate. When choosing a college, SHU seemed like the right fit for me with great
opportunities for me in the field I wanted to go into. When I originally chose to be an

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English major, I knew that I wanted to be able to know literature so thoroughly that if a
student asks me any question I would be able to answer it. I wanted to be able to read a
story for pleasure, and to read a story from a critically analyzing viewpoint. My original
goals were to improve on my skillsets, broaden my horizons, and become more open
minded to different aspects of the language and the literature. There was no written or
orally communicated set framework for setting up goals throughout all my courses at
SHU, however, I had personal goals developed before and during each course in order to
get the most out of the curriculum.
I believe that I developed a highly advanced skillset over the years, and some of
my earlier papers were so narrow-focused that they can be considered cringe worthy to
my now more developed self. I still believe that I have a long progression ahead of me,
but I am more well rounded and well read than when entering SHU. Academically, I have
always strived to be the best in all of my classes. However, during my time at SHU in the
English department I was not only competing with my peers, but with myself. I was
always trying to adapt and broaden my skillset in order to compete against my previous
writings, projects, and miscellaneous learning assessments. I gained a collection of skills,
and specifically gained my own personal writing style. I have always been above
proficient in writing, but I believe that I have finally found my voice. I have found my
voice by working with topics that I have enjoyed such as postcolonial criticism. This
methodology of criticism is what interests me the most when analyzing texts and
literature, and I found which authors and literary time periods I connect most with. Ive
found a new found love with writing lesson plans for novels, for Irish literature and the
search for identity, and for Modernist writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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The three most challenging objectives that I believe that Ive fulfilled as an
English literature major are to evaluating my own reading and writing practices, and
examining my place in the evolving field of literary criticism and production, collecting
and evaluating information from library and internet sources to compose critical research
papers dealing with literature, and comprehending and interpreting literature written in
English, representing a wide range of genres, styles, and cultures.
To begin, the first objective of evaluating my own reading and writing practices,
and examining my place in the evolving field of literary criticism and production I
believe that this was the most significant for me because of my career to become a
teacher. If I do not reflect and evaluate my own writing practices and skills, it will be
impossible for me to expect my students to do that. In regards to examining my place in
the evolving field of literary criticism and production, I always struggle with selfconfidence issues about the quality of my writing. For example, in my term paper for
Shakespeare, I was not satisfied with my writing even in the final draft. I revised,
rewrote, reconstructed, and began again with my writing multiple times throughout the
process. As a twenty page extensive research paper, I know that it is of a higher caliber
than most undergrads complete, but I still feel overly critical of myself when it comes to
adding to the research that is already out there on the subject matter of humanism and
postcolonial criticism in Shakespeare. However, I do believe that Ive grown throughout
my time at SHU with this objective. While Im still overly critical of my writing, I
couldnt imagine being told to write a twenty-page paper on Shakespeare without
laughing in disbelief. Ive come a long way, and I went from writing like a high school
student to writing like an academic scholar.

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The second objective that I met and significantly grew with was collecting and
evaluating information from library and internet sources to compose critical research
papers dealing with literature. To be quite honest, in high school I was terrified of going
to the library and looking up information because I was afraid if I didnt find what I was
looking for I would be ridiculed by some all-seeing library being. During my time at
SHU, I have discovered there is no library monster but there is much knowledge and
answers waiting for me. I went from being timid to entering the library, to spending
almost my entire junior year there, to now using the online database for new lesson
planning ideas within my student teaching experience. Even if it is not to write a paper, I
use these types of sources in order to see what is out there on a topic, and to increase my
knowledge even if slightly.
The last objective that I met and significantly grew with was comprehending and
interpreting literature written in English, representing a wide range of genres, styles, and
cultures. This objective is what truly helped me to find my passions within literature and
language. I explored different genres, I used different writing styles, and I explored
different cultures in order to find what I associated myself with as a person and as an
English literature major. I explored genres such as poetry that I was unfamiliar with, I
explored different styles and criticisms, and I explored different cultures with
postcolonial criticism and with Irish literature studies. By broadening my horizons
through my courses, I not only completed the objective but I learned to become
passionate about my interests.
In this section of my reflection, I will be pulling excerpts of my writings in
chronological order in order to show growth. To begin, I arrived at SHU in 2012, and at

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first did not have my personal writing voice and style developed and I was still
experimenting with what my interests were. For example, in my paper The Difference in
Views I took on a fairly simple task of writing an analytic paper about point of view
(POV). My essay involved Lord of the Flies, The Bluest Eye, and Train Dreams with a
simplistic thesis of the third person point of view is necessary in these novels to provide
insights that another point of view may lack (Gilles, 2012). I would not consider this
paper to be a poorly written paper, but it only engages with simple ideas.
During the spring of my freshman year, I was able to progress a little more in my
analysis skills. One paper that I wrote that worked with some outside research that I
thoroughly enjoyed was my paper Exceptional Against Adolescence. In this paper, I
analyzed a slightly more complex idea than simply a mode of observation throughout the
novel. I worked with the idea that Orson Scott Card uses the character Ender to show
that children should not be used to serve a purpose, no matter how exceptional the child
is (Gilles, 2013). The novel Enders Game was one of the first novels that I analyzed in
college that really began to develop my interests, and this paper connected with my
viewpoints as a future educator on how exceptional children should be treated. If I were
to write the same paper now, I would have more educational perspectives to write from,
but this was my first writing with a broader topic. During the fall of my sophomore year,
I moved slightly ahead again in my development with my paper Setting from Different
Times. This was during my first section of Major British Writers, and I began working
with highly complex texts such as Beowulf and Paradise Lost. I would not say that this is
a paper that was centered around content that I particularly enjoyed reading, but I learned
some valuable skills such as analyzing setting in terms of a storys development, and how

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the time period affects the writings. I was able to apply the time period, saying that
During this time period, language was just beginning to develop into the complex and
sophisticated verbiage that it is today. During the Anglo-Saxon period, the Celtic
language was nearly forgotten, and the new Germanic Old English was brought forth.
This created not only a new language, but also led forth for the new type of writings that
were created, mainly based from oral traditions (Gilles 2012). I had learned about
different writing periods throughout high school, but never had to remember them for
more than a few weeks at a time. Now, I was not only asked to know the information but
apply it, and thus grew as a writer.
During the spring of my sophomore year in 2014, I began to broaden my horizons
with the help of my professors to poetry analysis. I was never confident in my analysis of
poetry until I broadened my perspectives and allowed myself to take chances and be
incorrect in my analysis. I wrote Reflection on Ozymandias, which was miraculously
on one of the standardized tests that I had to complete in order to get my teaching
certificate. Not only did I have an advantage with analyzing the poem already, but I
instantly knew the answers to the questions. In my paper, I reflected on how the time
period affected both the poem and the accompanying visual interpretation of it saying that
the painting appears distinctly Romantic, in comparison with the poem. Despite its
modern origins, it follows a Romantic theme, with a solitary man looking over the sand
dunes (Gilles 2014). I showed progress in trying to play with different ideas in literature,
and with something that I was uncomfortable with. In the fall of my junior year, I
continued to advance with my paper Chaucer on Sex and Sexuality. This was one of
my most memorable classes with Dr. Collin Wansor because he engaged me in the way

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that I hope to engage my students: with humor. I was able to work with a topic that before
I had been too timid to explore, which was sexuality. My paper was based around: in his
writing, Chaucer expresses that sex is more than mere reproduction, it is used as
currency, power exchange, and to show a male dominated society (Gilles 2014). I
showed progression through this by working with difficult texts and topics that I had been
too narrow minded to explore before.
During the spring of my junior year in 2015, I truly began to develop a sense of
self in the literary world. I discovered three ideas that I believe I am most passionate
about: postcolonial criticism, lesson plan writing for novels, and the sense of identity
crisis that is unparalleled in any other type of literature other than Irish literature. I first
found my passion for postcolonial criticism in the course Literary Criticism with Dr.
Arnzen, when we would experiment with all types of different criticisms with the novel
In the Lake of the Woods. I wrote an essay, Post Colonial Effects in In the Lake of the
Woods that really explored greater ideas and criticisms. The thesis stated in In the Lake
of the Woods, we see negative aspects of post-colonialism through John Wades
experiences in Vietnam, specifically the othering that occurs between Charlie Company
and the natives (Gilles 2015), and I became fascinated with the idea of othering. This is
a concept Id never heard of, but knew right away with the effects of ostracizing and
making the excluded group feel subhuman. This passion for postcolonial criticism led me
to explore that idea within Irish literature, where there is such an intense sense of finding
identity that I was instantly astounded. In my essay IRP, which was an independent
research project, I explored postcolonial criticism in the form of intense nationality, and
analyzed how the novel House of Splendid Isolation explains the idea of what

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nationalism means to the people of Northern Ireland as well as the people of the Republic
of Ireland through the struggles of Josie and McGreevy (Gilles 2015). I felt an intense
love for the Irish sense of identity and self that Ive even toyed with the idea of getting
my masters in that subject area. Finally, I explored my intense love of education and
English coinciding in one form, which is lesson plan writing for novels. I was able to take
an independent study where I wrote a Unit Plan for Life of Pi where I integrated world
literature into assessments based on lesson plan writing. It contained elements such as an
imaginative class description, a unit title (which was Multi-Media Project and Cultural
Significances through Life of Pi), a purpose for the unit, the overarching goals and big
ideas, a rationale, adaptations, and assessments (Gilles 2015). This passion continued
through one of my other courses, which was centralized around young adult literature,
where I wrote the paper Teen Sexuality, Relationships, First Love, and Consent in Unit
Plan. The unit was a part of a curriculum that could be used as an elective within a
school system, and the unit will centralize around teaching the texts as literature as well
as covering the main ideas about teen sexuality, relationships, first love, and the
importance of consent in a manner that does not preach my ideas about these topics, but
rather educates the students on the topics as well as the texts (Gilles 2015). This was
possibly one of my most beneficial applications of skills, because it wasnt simply
English material but an application for the field that I wanted to enter. It was an
extraordinary experience, and I believe that I really developed my skills in every facet of
English literature.
During the fall semester of my senior year in 2015, I wrote the paper that I
arguably put the most effort into, which was The Supremacy in Analysis of Humanism

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over Post-colonialism through The Tempest. I wrote it, rewrote it, revised it, revised it
again, then finally got to the editing process until I had a beautiful twenty pages. I believe
there are things that I could still go back and rewrite and revise, but what I have is (in my
opinion) impressive for an undergrad. I argued humanism, in its entirety, is the best form
of literary criticism in order to get a more accurate and deeper meaning from Prospero,
Caliban, Miranda, and various themes throughout the play (Gilles 2015). This was one
of my most rewarding essays as well because I not only analyzed a difficult
Shakespearean text with two different types of literary criticism, but then compared the
two. This accumulation of skills is what I have been working towards throughout my
time at SHU, and finally achieved in my first twenty-page paper. In the completion of my
senior year, which is the spring of 2016, I have been student teaching and completing my
honors capstone course. While I did not include any writings from this time period, Ive
learned to adapt my writing to not only encompass literary accomplishments, but have
been working to simplify my verbiage and construct prompts for my students. I believe
that I have honed my skills, and now I am in the process of simplifying them in order to
teach fundamentals for my students in the hopes that they can develop just as I have.
One experience when research of secondary and primary sources changed my
understanding of a text, a theory, or an event was when I researched for my term paper in
Shakespeare. As noted before, the paper The Supremacy in Analysis of Humanism over
Post-colonialism through The Tempest caused me to look at the text itself, as well as two
different forms of criticism and compare them together. While I am an enthusiast for
postcolonial criticism, I recognize its drawbacks when looking at different texts and
chose that Humanism is the most accurate mode of interpretation for The Tempest. While

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my initial reaction is to only look for postcolonial criticism, my understanding changed
when looking at different ideas and ultimately I changed my viewpoint to fit the most
accurate interpretation that I could justify.
Currently, I believe that I am beyond proficient with my English skills in order to
move into my chosen field of work. I have been teaching for an entire semester, and even
though there were some texts that I taught such as a variety of civil war texts that I had
not covered in any of my SHU courses I have been able to use my skillsets that Ive
learned to excel. Ive been able to research on my own, implement my creativity and my
initiative in order to get it done and master anything that I put my mind toward. I believe
that I fulfilled my goals, both my own and those of my major.
Im currently searching for English jobs in the high school environment in Ohio
and elsewhere. Im hoping to eventually get my masters and possibly go onto get my
doctorate after Ive had a family and can retire only to teach in the college setting. I
believe no matter how my plans change, I will have the gumption to fulfill all of my
goals. Ultimately, this is something that I want to instill in my own students, and I cannot
be more thankful for the skills and knowledge that Ive gained throughout my courses at
SHU.

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Works Cited
Gilles, E. (2012). The Difference in Views. Unpublished manuscript, Seton Hill
University.
Gilles, E. (2013). Exceptional Against Adolescence. Unpublished manuscript, Seton
Hill University.
Gilles, E. (2013). Setting from Different Times. Unpublished manuscript, Seton Hill
University.
Gilles, E. (2014). Chaucer on Sex and Sexuality. Unpublished manuscript, Seton Hill
University.
Gilles, E. (2014). Reflection on Ozymandias. Unpublished manuscript, Seton Hill
University.
Gilles, E. (2015). IRP. Unpublished manuscript, Seton Hill University.
Gilles, E. (2015). Post Colonial Effects in In the Lake of the Woods. Unpublished
manuscript, Seton Hill University.
Gilles, E. (2015). Unit Plan for Life of Pi. Unpublished manuscript, Seton Hill
University.
Gilles, E. (2015). The Supremacy in Analysis of Humanism over Post-colonialism
through The Tempest. Unpublished manuscript, Seton Hill University.

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Emily Gilles
Dr. Wendland
The Novel
27 November 2012
The Difference in Views
Third person point of view is used to give an author freedom to express each
character while not being limited to a certain characters thoughts and direct vision. In the
novels Lord of the Flies, The Bluest Eye, and Train Dreams this point of view is used to
complement the plot and develop the characters. The point of view is used to achieve the
novels goal by giving accurate portrayals of each character, details about events that a
first person view might not provide, and insight on the entirety of the characters and
events. The third person point of view is necessary in these novels to provide insights that
another point of view may lack.

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In Lord of the Flies, Golding uses third person omniscient to provide information
that Ralph or any other single boy would be unaware of. Ralph as the main character
leads most of the action, however there are essential scenes and insights that he would be
unaware of but are necessary to complete the novel. Maurice provides an insight into the
mentality of the boys on the island and their view on behavior as they decline to
savagery. Maurice had received chastisement for filling a younger eye with sand. Now,
though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of
wrongdoing (Golding 43) which shows how he still has civility. Third person point of
view allows for Maurices thoughts and actions to be examined in a way that allows the
information about the childrens civility to be viewed as an entirety. Without this point of
view the events would have to be interpreted through a childs perspective and would
present the actions in an entirely different voice, which could ultimately cause the
meaning of the novel to change. Another example of the importance of using third person
in this novel is when Simon encounters the Lord of the Flies. When Simon encounters the
dead pig head on the stick he hallucinates and At last Simon gave up and looked back;
saw the white teeth and dim eyes, the bloodand his gaze was held by that ancient,
inescapable recognition. In Simons right temple, a pulse began to beat on the brain
(130). This is a vital scene in the book because it not only gives an insight into Simons
nearly mythical nature, but also shows how the boys are beginning to turn to savages by
leaving a sacrifice for the monster. Had the book been written in first person through
another childs perspective this scene would not have been included. The third person
point of view allows Simons character to be accurately portrayed in this scene as well as
in the scene after his death when his body appears to be glowing as it floats out to sea.

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The monster on the island is revealed as a man due to this point of view. The figure
descends from the sky and when the breeze blew, the lines would strain taut and some
accident of this pull lifted the head and chest upright so that the figure seemed to peer
across the brow of the mountain. Then, each time the wind dropped, the lines would
slacken and the figure would bow forward again, sinking its head between its knees. So
as the stars moved across the sky, the figure sat on the mountain-top and bowed and sank
and bowed again (83). The reader has information that none of the children have, which
provides dramatic irony. The action in the ending of the book when the boys turn savage
is controlled by this lack of information about the monster provided to the characters. In a
first person point of view the monster would have appeared for what the boys thought it
was and would have diminished the purpose of the monster as only an imagined fear
rather than a real fear. In this novel the third person point of view is used effectively to
describe the characters and the events in a way that preserves the navet of the boys
while giving evidence of their descent to savagery.

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In The Bluest Eye, Morrison uses both the first person and third person point of
view to accurately provide the motives and forces behind the characters actions. The
question of why this Pecolas child died and Cholly was the father is introduced in the
beginning of the novel, but since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in
how (Morrison 4). The novels intentions are to show the reader how everything has
happened and ultimately that provides the answer to why Pecola has become insane. Both
third person and first person are used to uncover the answer to this question, and each
adds a unique way to accomplish the novels goal. The select parts in first person are used
to show a reflection on Claudias past through both her childish and mature mind.
Claudia and her sister tried to see her [Pecola] without looking at her, and never, never
went near. Not because she was absurd, or repulsive, or because we were frightened, but
because we had failed her. Our flowers never grew (202). Claudias reflection of the past
in the first person shows not only her positive character development but also her past
childish thoughts on Pecolas fait. This shows not only how the kids negative reaction
towards her but also their innocent motives. The background narratives of both Cholly
and Mrs. Breedlove provide another example of the why behind Pecolas state of being.
Mrs. Breedlove was an active church woman, did not drink, smoke, or carouse,
defended herself mightily against Cholly, rose above him in every way, and felt she was
fulfilling a mothers role conscientiously when she pointed out their fathers faults to
keep them from having them, or punished them when they showed any slovenliness, no
matter how slight (126). This section of the novel utilizes the third person as well as the
personal thoughts of Mrs. Breedlove in first person. The use of these points of view
provides an adequate insight to the upbringing of the children and the influences that

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affect the family. Without these points of view there would be no information provided
rather than the actions and thoughts of Claudia. Without this background information
provided through these views the why and how would not be explained. The dual
points of view also allow the development of Pecolas insanity. In the scene after Pecola
believes that her eyes have been changed to blue she has a conversation between herself
in both points of view. Her alternate self claims that her eyes are are pretty, you know
and she replies with I know. He really did a good job. Everybodys jealous. Every time I
look at somebody, they look off (192). The use of third person as the other voice in her
head and her first person voice answering allows for an insight into her mind that is
necessary to show her insanity. This duality of perspectives not only allow for the goal
how to be expressed, but ultimately reveals the why of the novel.

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In Train Dreams, Johnson uses third person omniscient point of view to
accurately develop an overview of Grainiers life. Rather than highlight one event in his
life it provides information from his birth to death, which depicts an average and ordinary
life. Because of its ordinariness it is a unique novel that shows the value in a simple life
and leaves the reader to decide if his life was worthwhile. This purpose can only be
expressed through the third person. One example of the tragic ordinariness is when his
wife and daughter die and he lived through the summer off dried morel mushrooms and
fresh trout cooked up together in butter he bought at the store in Meadow Creek. After a
while a dog came along, a little red-haired female. The dog stayed with him, and he
stopped talking to himself because he was ashamed to have the animal catch him at it
(Johnson 46). This shows not only what kind of person Grainier is, but also gives an
insight into his normality in actions. The third person view is important in this section of
the novel because it shows the only time that he really shows emotions and his reactions
to the events rather than his thoughts on them. One event in his life that is exceptional
and shows his characterization is when he discovers that his daughter is a wolf. His
daughter was making no great speed and keeping to the path that led to the river. He
meant to track her and bring her back, but he never did (102). Grainier does not go after
his daughter for several imaginable reasons, but because of the point of view those
reasons are left for interpretation. The point of view complements the purpose of the
novel in this section by leaving Grainiers character and worth up for discussion. When
Grainier dies is another example of how third person point of view is the best to properly
accomplish the goal of the novel. Any other perspective would not provide information
about how a pair of hikers happened on his body in the spring. Next day the two

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returned with a doctor, who wrote out a certificate of death, and, taking turns with a
shovel they found leaning against the cabin, the three of them dug a grave in the yard,
and there lies Robert Grainier (112). This is an important closure to his life, which
completes its normalcy. It leaves a decision to be made on whether his ordinary life was
worthwhile, or if it was futile. The third person point of view is used efficiently to
provide information and a nearly unbiased outlook on Grainiers life to accomplish its
goal of deciding the value of a normal life.
The third person point of view allows for these novels to accomplish their goals.
In each of the novels the authors had an intended purpose that could not be accurately
carried out without the use of third person point of view. In Lord of the Flies its use helps
to accomplish the goal of accurately showing the boys descent from civility into savagery
by showing each of the boys actions as well as actions they could not know about. In The
Bluest Eye the use of third person as well as first person points of view helps to
accomplish the goal of providing a why and a how in accordance to Pecolas state of
being at the end of the novel. In Train Dreams its use helps accomplish the goal of
proposing the question of how to decide the value of a life. Without the third person point
of view, each novel would not have succeeded in its goal.

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Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1954. Kindle
eBook.
Johnson, Dennis. Train Dreams. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2002. Kindle
eBook.
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Vintage International Inc., 1970. Kindle
eBook.

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Emily Gilles
Dr. Jerz
EL 150-01
9 May 2013
Exceptional Against Adolescence
In the novel Enders Game there are questions raised about what should be done
with exceptional, or genius, children. Manipulation is used to control Ender to serve for
the military, which he believes is unjust. This poses the dilemma of whether or not
exceptional children should be used in the military, and also what would fall under the
category of child abuse. Orson Scott Card uses the character Ender to show that children
should not be used to serve a purpose, no matter how exceptional the child is.
Ender is created for the sole purpose of defeating the buggers. This in itself is a
form of child abuse and manipulation by the adults. Ender knows that it was the
governments idea, they were the ones who authorized it-how else could a Third like
Ender have got into school? (Card 5). Because being a third was looked down upon, it
immediately has repercussions with the other children, and also his own siblings. Ender
was created because the government gambled rightly that the third child Enders parents
produced would embody a balance of Valentines and Peters best qualities (Doyle 305).
This provides evidence that while Ender is an exceptional child, he was only a great
leader because of the manipulation and cruelty imposed on him by placing him in life and
death situations. Ender is considered a hero in the novel because of his choices, but
however some who were like him did not react well to the manipulation. According to
Doyle, composite scores, testing flaws, and the capacity to use ones gifts for either

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good or evil explain why some of the Battle school students are not heroes (307). Ender
is fortunate that his disposition allows him to survive as a hero, while others born to serve
this purpose were not so lucky. Ender was created to serve the one purpose of defeating
the buggers, and was manipulated into doing so through lies, harmful situations, and
abuse.
The manipulation forced upon ender makes him a great leader, while also causing
him physical harm. According to the essay Child Maltreatment and Adolescent
Development children are affected both by maltreatment which occurred during
childhood with lingering effects and by maltreatment that continues into or begins in
adolescence (3). Ender fits into both categories, and a majority of his abuse was
physical. Throughout the novel Ender faces physical abuse by not only Peter, but also by
his peers. After Ender was attacked by Bonzo he realizes that the power to cause pain is
the only power that matters, the power to kill and destroy, because if you cant kill then
you are always subject to those who can, and nothing and no one will ever save you
(Card 212). This physical abuse in turn affects Enders view on the world. Although
Ender is an exceptional child, he is still affected by the manipulation and the violence.
Again in the novel Ender is worn down physically after he finds out that he destroyed the
Buggers. This causes him to go into a depression, something that an adolescent child
would not have gone through had it not been for the manipulation. Enders physical
ailments are due to the manipulation of the adults, and this is considered abuse.
The manipulation used by the adults in the novel cause Ender mental harm. Ender
is manipulated by the use of both Valentine and Peter. The adults use Valentine in order to
bring humanity back to Ender, and to remind him that there is rightness and purity in the

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world, but Ender knew better. He hated [the men from the international fleet] so badly
that he cried reading Vals empty asked-for letter again (151). Peter on the other hand is
used to show Ender that he can be brutal, and also to remind him that he is not a monster
like Peter. He sees Peter in the mirror at Battle school, and he believed he was trapped at
the End of the World with no way out. And he knew at last the sour taste that had come to
him, despite all his success (141). Both children play an important part in Enders
growth that is prompted by the adults through manipulation and mental harm. Ender is
also manipulated by the withholding of information. Some such information is that Ender
has indeed killed two children before the battle with the Buggers. This information would
have dramatically changed Enders actions because of his hatred for being considered
evil. While in his depression Ender states that he never wanted to kill anybody. Nobody
ever asked [him] if [he] wanted to kill anybody (300). Ender is also manipulated by
which group he is placed into while in battle school. Once Ender is comfortable, he gets
moved into different groups and thrown into situations that a child should not have to
handle. If the sergeant picked on you, the others liked you better. But when the officer
prefers you, the others hate you (32). The changing of squadron shows how the adults are
manipulating Ender, testing him and pushing him to his limits, in order to bend them to
their will. All of these forms of manipulation are used in order to break Enders character
and to conform him to their savior commander.
Ender does not believe that the manipulation used on him justifies the Bugger
war. While the military might have had the best intentions nothing less than the fate of
humankind is at stake and time is running out. However, the fate of humankind is always
at stake, and in many ways is determined by the rearing of children (Gross 117). As a

Gilles 25
child, no matter how intelligent, Ender was given limited knowledge about the facts on
the war with the buggers. He believed that when the Buggers were destroyed that it was
just a simulation. This has a very harmful effect on Ender. Ender ends up helping the
Buggers by implanting their queen in order to revolt against the adults in the novel. He
believes that they were wrong, and he realizes that the buggers came to know [him],
even as [he] spent [his] days destroying them (Card 320). This means that the Buggers
also realized that Ender was innocent of false intents, and had been controlled. Ender is
unable to return to Earth because of the impacts that the adults manipulation has had on
him and those that surround him. This shows that the hero that he has become is only due
to manipulation and is unjust.
Ender is used to show that adults should not manipulate children in order to
complete a task because of the negative effects it has on them. While Ender survives
physically, psychologically he has been corrupted due to the agenda of the adults. The
manipulation and harm that Ender faces throughout the novel is not justified by the
Bugger war, since there was ultimately no longer a threat to humanity. Enders heroism
became a necessity to survive, and the adults nearly killed him to accomplish their
agenda.

Gilles 26
Works Cited
Doyle, Christine. Orson Scott Cards Ender and Bean: The Exceptional Child as Hero.
Childrens Literature in Education Vol. 35 (2004): p.301. Ebscohost. Web. 17
April 2013.
Gross, Melissa. Prisoners of Childhood? Child Abuse and the Development of Heroes
and Monsters in Enders Game. Childrens Literature in Education Vol. 38
(2007): p. 115. Ebscohost. Web. 17 April 2013.
Card, Orson Scott. Enders Game. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1977. Kindle
Book.
Trickett, Penelope K., Sonya Negriff, Juye Ji, and Melissa Peckins. Child Maltreatment
and Adolescent Development. Journal of Research on Adolescence Vol. 21
(2011): p. 3. Ebscohost. Web. 17 April 2013.

Gilles 27
Emily Gilles
Dr. Wendland
EL 264
5 Dec 2013
Setting from Different Times
Setting is a part of literature that changes drastically with the passing of time. In
the middle ages, setting was not only based on physical appearances but also on family
history, and the histories of the land. However, the renaissance setting pertained more to
how things physically appeared, and details evoked by sense in the writings. Each time
period brings a new style of writing into focus, a new style of what setting means, and
each specific style changes how literature is viewed, written, and interpreted. Beowulf
differs from Miltons Paradise Lost in how setting is used throughout the works to
portray different themes and ideas.
Setting during the Middle Ages deals mainly with historical context. During this
time period, language was just beginning to develop into the complex and sophisticated
verbiage that it is today. During the Anglo-Saxon period, the Celtic language was nearly
forgotten, and the new Germanic Old English was brought forth. This created not only a
new language, but also led forth for the new type of writings that were created, mainly
based from oral traditions. This led for the writing to be about heroic characters, and also
about the histories of the area. In providing the reader, or listener, with something that
they were familiar with, the writer was able to create something that was recognizable
and interesting through the setting. During the Middle Ages, many heroic epics were
written, and main themes of aristocracy, royal generosity, and blood vengeance were

Gilles 28
employed. This caused the writings to be poetic, and most if not all followed the basic
formulaic poetry of the time that used parallelism and alliteration. With this new,
complex style of writing emerging, the mostly anonymous authors focused on conveying
historical content and oral traditions of the area rather than intricate settings that were
based on sensory details.
In Beowulf, the classic setting used in literature during the Middle Ages is seen
mostly through historic tellings rather than sensory objects. According to Scherb, one of
the Beowulf poets chief resources in his ability to manipulate setting and symbol in such
a manner that evokes a large number of memoria in the course of his narrative,
sometimes in ways which comment upon the dynamics of cultural memory within
Germanic society (109). The abundance of historical background given to the reader
allows them to create a setting of their own, from what they are familiar with based on
the context given. With the histories of the people already known and recognizable, they
are able to use the names and people that are given in the setting to create their own
detailed backdrop for Beowulfs character. One specific way that this setting is employed
is when the Beowulf poet himself imagines such oral performances by having King
Hrothgars court poet recite a heroic lay at a feast celebrating Beowulfs defeat of
Grendel (Beowulf 27). These oral performances are familiar to the audience, and the
recitation of the lay allows the setting to be observed through how the particular lay is
given. The reader would see the setting as being given in at the feast celebration, and with
their historical knowledge of the time the setting would be developed. When the epic
poem begins, the readers are given a lot of background information, which sets the scene
for the action to occur. One example of this is when the discussion of power is brought

Gilles 29
into the story, and then it fell to Beow to keep the forts. He was well regarded and ruled
the Danes for a long time after his father took leave of his life on earth. And then his heir,
the great Halfdane, held sway for as long as he lived, their elder and warlord (32). The
content of most of the poem doesnt allow for much imagery to be handed to the reader,
but rather the reader is given detailed information about who as well as where the action
takes place, and then it is expected of the reader for them to create their own ideas on the
physical setting. The epic poem is a great medium for the descriptive qualities of type of
setting, because it is concise and formulaic in how the information is presented. Another
example of when detail of characters and background is used is after Beowulf defeats
Grendels mother, and they are celebrating at Heorot. It is described that Heremod was
different, the way he behaved to Ecgwelas sons. His rise in the world brought little joy to
the Danish people, only death and destruction (67), and rather than describing the death
and destruction of the city, to give the reader a visual sense, they describe Heremod. This
is an important factor in keeping the epic poem concise stylistically, and allows for the
audience to familiarize themselves with the characters, which in turn allows them to
create their own visual setting. The time period, as well as the themes of the epic poems,
causes the setting to be more factual and historically based than based on the senses, and
physical description.
Setting during the Renaissance deals with physical descriptions of places as well
as people and objects. During the Renaissance, literature was greatly influenced by
intellectual as well as cultural objectives. The themes of this time period moved away
from heroism and moved more into religion and the idea of love. Another main objective
of Renaissance literatures setting is the device of world-building. World-building allows

Gilles 30
the author to create a world based on the senses, something that the reader has to imagine
based on the details of setting, rather than its historical content. This alternate reality with
a functioning world other than our own is created through imagery, and through attention
to specific detail in the physical makeup of that world. Because of this, many
Renaissance writers focus on religion, and biblical settings in their writing. While they
model Earth in these stories, there are distinct differences that make them imaginative yet
create the realistic feel. This type of theme supplements the setting created, because it
allows for mystic objects to be presented, and allows for the reader to not only understand
the story, but understand the theology behind it as well. Not only is the theme
complementary to the setting, but the literary devices used in poetry of this time period
allows for the setting to be expressed through the senses. The poetry builds off of the type
of poetry that was written during the Middle Ages, advancing the language into
something similar to what it is today. This broadened the ability to make the poetry
musical, with different literary devices employed with this new, even more advanced
language. Renaissance writing takes on a completely different idea on what settings
purpose is in literature from the Middle Ages, building off the historical backgrounds and
adding in the senses for its description.
In Paradise Lost, the classic setting of the Renaissance is portrayed through
physical descriptions as well as objects dealing with the use of senses. The setting is
compromised of a tree, a garden, and a tableau of figures. . .for much of the action of
Paradise Lost. In this setting God created and married Adam and Eve and commanded
them to Be fruitful. In this setting Adam and Eve yielded to temptation and committed
sin (Labriola 267). The importance of having a central setting, and elaborating on that

Gilles 31
was developed during the Renaissance, and Milton capitalizes on this by the use of a
religious setting. Not only that, but
the setting of Miltons great epic encompasses Heaven, Hell, primordial Chaos,
and the planet Earth. It features battles among immortal spirits, voyages through
space, and lakes on fire. Yet its protagonists are a married couple living in a
garden, and its climax consists in the eating of a piece of fruit. Paradise Lost is
ultimately about the human condition, the Fall that caused all our woe, and the
promise and means of restoration. (723)
This extravagance of setting compared to the simple yet monumental actions of mankind
shows exactly how the Renaissance used setting to portray the theme of the work. One
way that Milton uses the senses to describe the setting is through fire imagery. In the
beginning of the first book, it is described as one great furnace flamed, yet from those
flames no light, but rather darkness visible served only to discover sights of woe, regions
of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace and rest can never dwell (727). This is a purely
Renaissance idea, because in previous time periods the physical setting was always
tangible, something that already existed or something that didnt venture outside the
familiarity of the audience. The fire is described to be alight, yet it did not put out
anything to provide sight to them, and only brings about dreary imagery based on the
sense of sight. Sight is a very tangible sense that was used during the Renaissance to
depict the setting, especially in Paradise Lost. Another sense that was used in regards to
creating the realistic world is the sense of sound. While the reader could not hear the
sounds described, the depiction given in writing allows for the reader to imagine the
entire world, and the entire setting. One specific sound used is in perfect phalanx to the
Dorian mood of flutes and soft recorders; such as raised to highth of noblest temper
heroes old arming to battle, and instead of rage deliberate valor breathed, firm and
unmoved (738). This sounds allows for the reader to understand what exactly Milton is

Gilles 32
describing when he talks about Satans army. Without the senses to describe this setting,
the work would lack its unique elements that compliment not only the historical and
biblical background, but the work as a whole. The Renaissance time period allows for
works such as Paradise Lost to use descriptions based on the senses to create a new type
of poetry that evokes deeper thought as well as a realistic world separate from our own.
Both Paradise Lost as well as Beowulf depict the setting used in literature of their
time period. Setting during the Middle Ages focused on historical backdrop based on oral
tradition, while setting during the Renaissance focused on the use of the senses to portray
places and religious ideas. The type of poetry moves on from a systematic pattern into
more extravagant patterns. Not only does the change in time period allows for more
advanced verbiage, but it also allows for a more complex nature in how setting is
employed. While they are quite different, the Renaissance setting does not completely
disregard the ideas used in the Middle Ages, but rather, it builds upon it. Setting is an
important element in any story, and the progression of its development changes from time
period to time period with the different styles and verbiage.

Gilles 33
Works Cited
Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Greenblatt and Abrams. New
York: Norton and Company, 2006. 26-97. Print.
Labriola, Albert C. The Aesthetics of Self-Diminution: Christian Iconography and
Paradise Lost. Milton Studies (1975): 267-311. MLA International Bibliography.
Web. 1 Dec. 2013
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Greenblatt
and Abrams. New York: Norton and Company, 2006. 723-852. Print.
Scherb, Victor I. "Setting And Cultural Memory In Part II Of Beowulf." English Studies
79.2 (1998): 109. Academic Search Elite. W

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Emily Gilles
Dr. Cusick
EL 265
4 March 2014
Reflection on Ozymandias
The assignment that I decided to elaborate on was on the reflection of
Ozymandias by Percy Shelley. I chose to elaborate on this particular exercise because I
found the poem by Shelley to be very interesting, and thought a visual interpretation
could go in multiple directions. The particular visual interpretation that I chose was by a
modern artist named Alex Zak. His painting was done in 2012, so it was very modern, but
contained many elements of Romantic painting, which created my interest on the piece.
The painting appears distinctly Romantic, in comparison with the poem. Despite
its modern origins, it follows a Romantic theme, with a solitary man looking over the
sand dunes. This appeals to both the love of the use of nature, as well as the use of the
solidary human that was so common during this time period. Along with those two
elements, there was the color of the piece that stood out as a classic Romantic painting.
The sky was deep red and blue, with a contrast between the backdrop of the dark sand,
and what was left of Ozymandias. Yellow was used for the collapsed statue, with close
attention to shadows in regards to the bright sun that was in the sky. However, the man
stood in contrast to what one would assume from a man during the Romantic time period,
as he wore a backpack and what looks like modern clothing.
When the painting was made led me to use it for this assignment because of the
time difference from when Shelley created the poem, the time period of Ozymandias, and

Gilles 35
also the time when the painting was actually made. I thought it was an interesting
concept, for Shelley to write about what an adventurer found that was hundreds if not
thousands of years old, and for a modern artist a while later to depict that same scene.
This was an interesting idea to me, especially because Ozymandias is a poem that
contrasts the inevitable decline of an empire or leader with the lasting power of art. This
also was powerful because this concept applies to her poem and his painting, that despite
the time difference it still has a lasting effect.
The painting also correlates with the poem. The physical description of the stone
statue is depicted in the painting, in my opinion. The poem claims that a shattered visage
lies, whose frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, and I believe that the
artistic rendering matches that description. From how the ancient statue lies, to how the
face is portrayed with what looks like a blank glare out onto the world, I think that Zak
did a very good portrayal of what Shelley was envisioning for the poem. Not only that,
but the description of what the statue stands for in the poem I think is represented by
what is in Zaks painting.
After reflecting on what other people brought to class for this particular
assignment, I am glad that I chose a modern work. The reason why I am glad is because
of the contrast in time periods, from the time of the real Ozymandias, to the time when
Shelley wrote the poem, to when Zak illustrated it. It shows the different time periods and
how they were viewed. Ozymandias is supposed to represent Ramses II, which was a
completely different time from the Romantic period that Shelley wrote in, and an even
different time from Zak, who illustrated this. I think the idea of the complete different
time periods on the reflection of the theme that art is timeless and has a lasting effect. I

Gilles 36
dont think that if I had picked any other poem that the drastic difference in time period
from when Shelley wrote the poem and when Zak illustrated it would have a real
advantage. However, because of the theme of Ozymandias, I think that my choice in
choosing a modern rendition of it was a good idea.

Gilles 37
Emily Gilles
ED 222
Dr. Wansor
12/2/14
Chaucer on Sex and Sexuality
Chaucers view on sex and sexuality is distinct throughout his literary works. His
insights into sexuality and the idea of gender roles are very powerful when looked at
from a modern perspective and a perspective of Chaucers time. Sex during his time
period was seen as only for reproduction, however Chaucer brings a new idea to that
concept. In his writing, Chaucer expresses that sex is more than mere reproduction, it is
used as currency, power exchange, and to show a male dominated society.
Chaucer uses the Pardoner to explore sexuality. The Pardoner is identified as a
eunuch, with No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have, / as smoothe it was as it were
late shave: / I trowe he were a gelding or a mare (Chaucer 689-691), and in this
identification he is able to focus his lusts on power and greed rather than lusting for flesh.
The Pardoner is unable to have a definitive sexual identity and uses that to his advantage.
He uses his lack of lust for sex to acquire money and with objectsrelics, sealed
documents, even language, regarded as a kind of objectthat he substitutes for his own
lacking parts. But these objects are themselves fragments, and cannot properly fill the
lack that hollows the Pardoners being (Dinshaw 568). Often during Chaucers time
period sex was used in lieu of currency, however, the Pardoner was not interested in that
and gained a lot more wealth because of his sexual identity. If you take a modern look on
the Pardoners sexual identity, it can become skewed from what Chaucer intended

Gilles 38
because in the contemporary sexual study the idea of transgender identities and sex is
looked at. However, I do not believe Chaucer had any notion of this when writing about
the Pardoner. Rather, Chaucers goal was to show how the lack of sexual desire is linked
with a stronger greed for money and power. The Pardoner is important when bringing up
sexuality because of his identity as a eunuch, but that does not define his entire entity. He
has employment and a personality beyond being void of his sexual organs, which is
something that Chaucer portrays through his great charisma. The Pardoner is able to use
his sexual state to his advantage, capitalizing on it in the aspect of his employment
through focusing on charisma and acquiring wealth through persuasion rather than
gaining sexual favors. This is a bold statement for Chaucer to make, and leads into his
other ideas on sex.
Connected with the idea of sex in exchange for power is the character the Wife of
Bath. The Wife of Bath is seen as a powerful woman who is in touch with her sexual
identity, and who uses sex in order to acquire power over men. During the Middle Ages
women were identified by their roles in life and society as wives, widows, mothers or
maidens and were portrayed in relation to a man or a group of men (Losonti, 132), and
the Wife uses this to her advantage. Chaucer uses the Wife to show a woman who is able
to manipulate older men based on her sex, and also makes the claim that power over men
is the one thing that all women want. Her age is important for this idea, because as she
has aged she has become less innocent and naive to these ideas and embraces her talents
for manipulating men. Rather than a young innocent girl being portrayed as unfairly
married to an older man, we see a powerful matured woman who uses her sexual identity
to manipulate men. While women during this time period were often portrayed as

Gilles 39
idealistic through being obedient and innocent, Chaucer gives us the view of a woman
who is powerful and bordering on conniving in order to gain power over men. In her tale
the Wife uses the traditional masculine attacks on her sex as a way of legitimizing her
own tirade; her husbands (or male readers) could equally well appeal to her scolding as
evidence of the contumaciousness of women (137), which helps her stance towards sex
and power. It is also interesting to look at the idea that Chaucer, as a man, is writing from
a patriarchal society in order to represent the ideas of what a woman truly wants. In the
question of whether Chaucer is accurately representing women of the time period, I bring
a modern view on the topic. While women who marry older men are now considered to
be gold diggers and can be looking only for power and material gain, that is not the social
normality. Women do desire power and can use their sexuality to achieve this, but there is
now more equality in the genders than there was in Chaucers time period so the need to
only find power through sexuality is not as prevalent. Chaucer is ahead of his time with
the Wife of Bath, and the idea of using sex in order to gain either wealth or money is still
a controversial topic during our time period.
One tale that discusses sex in a different way than previously engaged with is the
Reeves Tale; it engages with the view of rape. In this tale, sex is viewed as revenge from
the students to the Miller, which can be seen as an acquisition of power in its own means.
The women are seen as idiotic and nave because of the ease that Alen and John were
able to have sex with them. Chaucer has altered, just as many male writers have altered
the import of rape in their texts by rhetorically cliding womens protest and resistance, by
replacing womens voices with the words of male discourses on female sexuality
(Barnett, 145). The wife did not notice that John was not the Miller, and the daughter

Gilles 40
submitted to sex with Alen believing that they would have a relationship afterwards. This
shows the women in a negative light, and sex is seen only as a revenge and an acquisition
of power back to the students from the Miller. Rape is mystified and subsumed into a
representation as a harmless event that occasions a humorous revenge on a husband and
father (148) which compared to the Wife of Bath, has almost the opposite effect and
meaning for women. While the Wife was empowered, these women are raped and taken
advantage of, without personality and just as characters in the story. Chaucer is making a
statement on rape through his stories, repenting for what he has done in his personal life
by showing the students in a negative light. Feminine sexuality is seen as easily taken
advantage of, and sex is shown to be only a tool in order to exchange or take power.
Apart from The Canterbury Tales, the idea of sex and sexuality is discussed in
The Legends of Good Women. The tales are more about bad men then they are of good
women. It is in the awkwardness with which some of the stories fit the prepared formula
has led some reders to attribute to Chaucer a purely ironic purpose and method, and to
take his examples as proof of a satiric thesis: that good women are very hard to find
(Cowen 419-420). In Chaucers male dominated society a good woman is considered a
woman who is loyal to either her father or her husband, or both. This is shown throughout
the legends, particularly through the multiple women who die because of their love for
their male counterpart. Ariadne is left on an island to die from her lover, yet stays loyal to
him even as he sails away with her sister. Before this betrayal, there was a whispered
self-congratulatory aside from Ariadne to her sister in which she looks forward to their
improved social prospects . . .and to the enhanced reputation they will enjoy for having
saved a nobleman from an unjust fate (429) which shows how the women knew because

Gilles 41
of their gender that being connected to a man of this rank would improve their wellbeing. Ariadne is shown as loyal until her demise, yet her sister is shown negatively by
allowing this to happen. Chaucers emphasis on this is to point towards the idea of a good
woman during the time period, not to specifically give the women in the tale realistic
personalities. Sexuality is seen through the male dominated lens during Ariadnes legend,
which is different from the tale of Philomela. In this tale, Tereus, who is the husband of
Philomelas sister, Procne, rapes Philomela. In this legend, Philomela is not betrayed, or
forced into betrayal, in love, in the way that most of the other heroines are, since she is
herself neither lover nor wife. . .It is Procne who is betrayed, Philomela who suffers
(434). Philomela is shown as a strong woman as she weaves her tale into fabrics in order
to show her sister that she is alive and tell of her rape. Rape is seen as a horrible,
unforgivable act in this legend, which is not always the case with Chaucers works, such
as the Wife of Baths tale where the knight is forgiven. Philomela is shown as a strong
independent woman, but does not use her sexuality to her advantage. When compared to
males in this story, the women are seen as a lamb while the man is a wolf. It is her
sexuality that puts her into the situation; because she is a woman a man targets her as the
sexual object of desire. However, Chaucer also shows Procne as a strong character,
because she defends her sister despite her allegiance to Tereus. Chaucer again is showing
remorse for his own acts through these legends, and he gives an example of bonds
between sisters. Chaucer uses both of these tales to show a male dominated society which
views women as objects and as property. This idea has a very different effect on sex and
sexuality than the ideas expressed in the Pardoner and the Wife of Bath, but shows the
different views held during the time period.

Gilles 42
Chaucer shows different ideas on sex and sexuality throughout his different
works. Varying from a very strong portrait of a woman such as the Wife of Bath to a very
meek and innocent woman such as Ariadne, he shows the entire spectrum of whether
women use sexuality to their advantage or not. Sex is seen as an item to use for acquiring
money or power, and sex can take control over another person. Chaucer shows women as
either being controlled or having control themselves, but Chaucer ultimately depicts that
being controlled as a woman is negative. Chaucer is ultimately apologizing for his own
actions against women, and portrays what a woman should be through the Wife of Bath.
Chaucer deserves the high accord for his writing because of his complexities on the idea
of sexuality, and conveys modernistic views on rape culture and sex as a means of trade
or currency.

Gilles 43
Works Cited
Barnett, Pamela E. "`And Shortly For To Seyn They Were Aton': Chaucer's Deflection
Of Rape In The Reeve's And.." Women's Studies 22.2 (1993): 145. Academic
Search Elite. Web.
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales; Fifteen Tales and the General Prologue. New
York: Norton and Company Inc, 2005. Print.
Cowen, Janet M. "Chaucer's Legend Of Good Women: Structure And Tone." Studies In
Philology 82.4 (1985): 416-436. MLA International Bibliography. Web.
Dinshaw, Carolyn. Eunuch Hermeneutics. The Canterbury Tales; Fifteen Tales and the
General Prologue (2005): 566-585. Print.
Losonti, Alexandra. Discource and Dominion In Chaucers Wife of Baths Prologue.
Journal for Communication and Culture Winter 2011: 128-140. Online.

Gilles 44
Emily Gilles
Dr. Cusick
EL 410-03
12 March 2015
Interviews with Martel? Possibly add that in. Lot of prep work before the unit begins.
Unit Plan for Life of Pi
Class Description: 20 students, grade 11 or 12, class duration is 40 minutes, four week
unit with the novel and movie Life of Pi

Unit Title: Multi-Media Project and Cultural Significances through Life of Pi

Purpose of the Unit: The purpose of this unit is to analyze the different cultural
significances and research the information presented in the novel through a multi-media
project. During this unit, students will be expected to research the information in the
novel (geographically, religiously, zoology, or realistically, cinematically) while
analyzing the novel. The purpose of the multi-media project is for them to explore their
interests, either the geographical route that Pi took, the different religions and create a
project that represents Pis stance, through zoology researching different animal habits or
other things that Pi left out, or through a stance on which story Pi presents being the real
events that happened, and why, as well as cinematically through a comparison between
the novel and the movie and which was most effective in the students eyes and why. The
purpose is to allow the students creative liberty in exploring the texts intricacies in the
form of a multi-media project and a rationale paper behind their project. The multi-media

Gilles 45
project may be completed in groups or individually, but the groups must remain at three
or less people. The project MUST contain a bibliography of their research, with four
reputable sources beyond the novel. Reputable sources do not include Wikipedia,
although that can be a good starting ground in order to find sources/information.

Overarching goals/big ideas: Students will be able to reflect on their own creativity and
confidence with multi-media activities while exploring the novel. By the end of the unit
they will have created something that they are proud of, and will be knowledgeable about
the area that they chose to research from the novel. Through the multi-media project they
will be accustomed through different forms of communication other than simply speaking
and writing, and will be able to practice presenting when they show the class their created
masterpiece. Throughout the unit they will need to share their ideas in group, whole class,
and individual settings both verbally and in writing in order to explore different ideas. At
the end of the unit, the students should be experts in the content that they chose to
explore, as well as able to analyze the novel on the different levels presented.

Rationale: I believe that by reading Life of Pi both in class and independently will help
them to gain confidence and skills in reading a lengthier, harder text such as this novel. It
will not only help them to learn more about the intricacies of a novel such as this, but will
also allow them to explore their interests through research in order to create a multimedia project. By having them explore the text thoroughly for their chosen topic, as well
as researching outside of the class, they will gain valuable skills needed in order not only
to pass the class, but to succeed beyond the school. I based the unit from the common

Gilles 46
core standards and the Pennsylvania State Standard requirements for 11th grade Reading,
Writing, Speaking, and Listening. The purpose of this unit is not to overwhelm the
students with busy work, but to allow them to research and collect information into one
large, multi-media creation.

Adaptations: Have a note taker in place at all times, and provide students who need it
with an extra handout with the most important topics covered. For students with hearing
disabilities, give them a headset when it comes to any material covered through
technology (videos, audio clips, etc.). If students have a visual disability, text with larger
print will be available. Any other accommodations will go on a student-to-student basis in
regards to their individual needs.

Assessment: Assessment will be based on participation, reading quizzes set for twice a
week, and the end multi-media project. They will also be given the opportunity to journal
for additional points, if their quizzes are not satisfactory. These journals would just be the
question that they missed, and the correct answer with two sentences of explanation on
why that is the correct answer (for example, put the page number where it says the right
answer, or give a specific detail about it). The main chunk of points for the unit will come
from the multi-media project, which is due on the last Tuesday of the project, which is
when the class will begin presenting. All work is to be turned in on time, with exceptions
made if arranged with me. Revision for all work is accepted for a raise of the grade if
improvement/mastery is shown.
Week One: Introduction, and Part I

Gilles 47
Monday
An introduction to the unit will be held, including bibliographical information about the
author, and a brief overview of the geography that will be discussed in the novel. We will
go over the expectations that will be held through the novel, such as the quizzes that are
held every Wednesday and Friday. Even though this novel is less racy by far than a lot of
the other novels that will be discussed, depending on the class maturity/grade level, I may
send home a letter to parents explaining some of the controversial topics that might be
looked at during class (religion, cannibalism, violence). The first day will also be used to
hand out the materials, and introduce the multi-media project. There will be a few
examples, such as a film made about a topic chosen, or a replica made of the boat with
details about the novel added in.
The multi-media project will have four options to choose from, or another topic that will
need approved by the teacher of the students choosing.
Geographically: Mapping out Pis journey, including where they think the boat sank,
where the carnivorous island is likely located, and where he began and landed
Religiously: Create a multi-media project explaining how Pi could believe in three
different belief systems, or create the passports he spoke about to get into the one all
encompassing heaven
Zoology: Pick one/several animals mentioned and track whether Pis information is
accurate. How do those animals behave in the zoo? In the wild? Facts about them?
Research done? Endangerment, diet, etc.
Realistically- Which story do you believe? The one with animals, or the one without
animals? Have evidence from the novel to support your idea

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Cinematically: This option will require that the students rent the movie on their own, and
watch it independently. Which media was more effective? Why? Must quote both medias
Tuesday
Today we will begin with the novel. We will read aloud in class the authors note, then
continue with how much we will get done. It will be systematic reading, everyone will
get a paragraph and then we will continue around with volunteers. This way all the
students get a chance to read, but then arent pressured into reading twice. Participation
matters as a grade, which will be reminded to them. Any of the reading not finished will
be completed for homework. Reminder: Quiz days are WEDNESDAY and Friday.
Students will read up to Chapter 18. In class, we will stop and discuss anything the
students werent sure about or want to discuss. A focus will be made to see why some
chapters are shorter than others, the significance of this, and also at the italicized chapters
and the significances of this authorial interjection.
Wednesday
Today we will begin class with a quiz. The quiz will be short, just ten questions about
content of the novel. After the quiz is completed, we will continue with a whole class
discussion on the remainder of the reading. This should be guided by the students, but
prompted if they fall short. A reminder that the students who are unhappy with their quiz
grades will be allowed to journal corrections and rationales behind the corrections will be
issued. The students will be expected to read through chapter 25 for homework.
Thursday
Today will be another read aloud day. We will start with chapter 26 and get as far as we
can. We will again stop to answer any questions or issues that arise, with specific

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attention drawn to ideas by me. It will follow the same format as before, with one lap
around the class of mandatory reading and after that on a volunteer basis. Reminder: Quiz
days are Wednesday and FRIDAY. They are to finish Part I for tomorrow.
Friday
Today, we will begin class with the quiz. All quizzes will have the same format.
However, differently from Wednesday, the students will group into groups of 4 to discuss
what they read after the quiz is over. They will continue their analysis of the entire Part I
for the class, as I walk around and facilitate discussion. They will also, if they finish
early, be allowed to start brainstorming for their project. Monday will be a work day on
their multi-media project, so they must pick which project they are choosing to do by
Monday and tell me.
Week Two: Proposals and Part II
Monday
Today, I will have students submit an oral proposal for their multi-media project. They
may decide to be undeclared until next Monday, or change by then, but they need to have
a general idea of what interests them most. I will write it down, in order to track the
progress of their work. This will be a research day, either into the project that they
already chose or into more information about projects that they are potentially interested
in. Today will be held in the library, so they have access to resources. For homework,
they should read through chapter 48.
Tuesday
Today, we will respond to any questions or comments in a group form about the readings
form the previous night. After that, we will read aloud again. Same format as previously,

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and for homework they will read through chapter 60. Reminder of Wednesday quiz will
be issued.
Wednesday
Quiz will be held, the standard format. After the quiz, the students will engage in the
whole group discussion about the chapters read. This part of the novel has a lot of action
compared to the previous Part I, so it should be a livelier discussion. Keep it on track,
however, as this could veer into how the students would fare themselves at sea. If they
want to discuss that, they can make it their multi-media project! Keep it literary, focusing
on different aspects of the novel. For homework, the students will have to read through
chapter 75.
Thursday
Today, we will begin class by discussing the chapters read. Then again, go into reading
aloud as a class in the same format as before. Reminder that the quiz will be tomorrow.
Reminder that any journals they have completed will be accepted at this time and turned
back for either a raise in grade or in order for them to revise the journal again. For Friday,
they should read through chapter 93. Although this does not conclude Part II, it does
conclude his time at sea.
Friday
Today we will begin class with the standard quiz. After the quiz, we will get into the
group discussion format with me working as a facilitator. If there is enough time, we will
convene into a whole class discussion at the end of the period to discuss what they
thought in their small groups. Reminder that their final proposal, if not already approved,

Gilles 51
is due on Monday. It will be another library day, so bring their materials in order to work
on their multi-media project.
Week Three: Workshops and Part II
Monday
Today is the day that the students will turn in their final proposals for their multi-media
project. They will have the names of every member in their group, if they chose to be in a
group as well as their topic. They will have an idea how they want to present the topic
also, and will verbally tell me this to write down. The students will have the rest of the
time period in order to either make up quizzes the missed, or to work on their project.
Reiterate that they need four sources beyond the novel for this, and they need a one page
rationale written for their project as well. For homework, they will finish Part II.
Tuesday
Today we will discuss briefly what the end of Part II held, as well as read aloud in class
as much as we can of Part III. Homework for today is to read through 97, if not
completed in class. Reminder, quizzes will be held Wednesday.
Wednesday
Today we will start class with the standard quiz. After the quiz, we will discuss what they
read for today, as well as major themes of the novel. There will be no reading due tonight,
but they must work on their projects.
Thursday
Today, we will read the rest of the novel (or try) and the rest will be assigned for
homework. The same format for group discussions is used, and a reminder that there will
be a quiz on Friday is issued.

Gilles 52
Friday
Class will begin with the quiz, in the standard format. After that, we will discuss the
readings first in whole class discussions, then we will discuss the major themes of the
novel. Did they enjoy the novel? Did it move you? Why were 100 chapters significant?
Was it effective? Why? Monday will be their last workshop day in order to finish their
project, rationale, and bibliography.
Week Four: Final Workshop and Presentations
Monday
Final workshop day in the library. Today, we will pick names from a cup to see who will
present, and in which order. Two-Three presentations should be strived to achieve each
day, depending on how many students are in each group. If all students are in groups of
three, then plan accordingly. All presentations must be done by Friday, and if we finish
early we can watch the movie adaptation of the book.
Tuesday
Presentations!
Wednesday
Presentations!
Thursday
Presentations!
Friday
Presentations! All finished projects should be turned in today, as well as any final
journals the students may have. All bibliographies and rationales must also be turned in.
Any final words on the novel/presentations may be made by either myself or the students.

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Emily Gilles
Dr. Patterson
EL 344
11 May 2015
Teen Sexuality, Relationships, First Love, and Consent in Unit Plan
As an English Literature and Secondary Education major, I have a deeply rooted
desire to create unit plans in my undergraduate career that could be applied to my own
classroom in the future. This class has given me a variety of texts in order to create many
unique, well-centered units with multiple texts involved. That is why for Essay Three, I
chose to create a five week unit plan for a tenth grade English course that involves the
texts The Catcher in the Rye, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Speak. Two weeks
each will be dedicated to The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower,
while one week will be dedicated to Speak due to the difference of novel lengths. This
unit will centralize around teaching the texts as literature as well as covering the main
ideas about teen sexuality, relationships, first love, and the importance of consent in a
manner that does not preach my ideas about these topics, but rather educates the students
on the topics as well as the texts.
The purpose of teaching a unit that includes these three novels is to teach the
impact of teen sexuality and the importance of consent when discussing teen sexuality.
Relationships and first love are things that the students will be able to understand and
think about in regards to their own personal lives, and all these ideas are great guiding
tools in teaching the novels used in the unit in order to search for meaning and literary
devices. While teaching about teen sexuality would not be the only focus of the novel, it

Gilles 54
is a great way to get the students engaged. This unit, depending on the school it is taught
with, has the ability to be a multi-subject unit in collaboration with a health class. This
collaboration between subjects would allow the students to learn and discuss the novels
on multiple levels, and allow the conversation that occurs with the novels to be more indepth. The overarching goals and focus of the unit are that the students will be able to
analyze and identity teen sexuality, relationships, first love, and consent not only in the
novels but they will have the private opportunity to compare these ideas with their own
personal lives. While teaching these ideas and themes, the unit will also look into the
narration, voice, and other literary elements used in the novels.
In The Cather in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, we will look in depth about teenage
relationships, teen sexuality, and consent issues. Holden Caulfield is a very interesting
narrator to look at in these regards, considering his stance with women is portrayed as
highly different than the stances of his peers. As a class we will look at how Holden treats
the two main girls outside his sister that he interacts with in the novel, Jane Gallagher and
Sally Hayes. Jane is idealized in Holdens mind, while he has an hot and cold relationship
with Sally but is never physically intimate with her. We will discuss how Holdens
relationship with these two girls differs drastically with the relationships of his peers,
which could be equated to being intimate through date rape. As a class we would be able
to look in depth at the time period and how that would affect how teen sexuality is
viewed compared to today as well as discuss the idea of consent for the first time in the
unit. Another area in which we could look at consent and teen sexuality in this novel is
when the prostitute, Sunny, comes into contact with Holden. This novel is rich with issues
that contain teen sexuality, relationships, first love, and consent and is why this novel

Gilles 55
would be great to start the unit with. This novel in particular sets the stage for YA
literature to follow, and will be a great teaching supplement to the purpose and focus of
the unit.
In The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, we will look in depth
about young love, first love, teenage sexuality, and consent just as we did in The Catcher
in the Rye. The Perks of Being a Wallflower gives the students a much more modern
setting for these issues than The Catcher in the Rye had, yet we are still able to see that
same, or related issues, are still prevalent. Charlie is another interesting narrator to look at
for this unit because he has dealt with the suppression of his own molestation by his aunt.
Although he is not aware of this for a majority of his novel because of the suppressed
memories, it does directly affect how he views sexuality. Charlie experiences throughout
the novel a large portion of the negative aspects of teen sexuality and relationships, even
consent issues, through his interaction with his peers. There are a plentiful amount of
examples of teen sexuality that can be covered through this novel in the unit, but we will
be focusing on a few critical and different moments. The first is what was discussed
previously in the paragraph, about if Charlies view of sexuality was warped because he
was molested as a child. We will also look at Patrick and Brads homosexual relationship,
as well as how the relationship ended, and how Patrick responded to this with a string of
hook ups. We will look at Patrick and Charlies relationship, and discuss consent issues,
or if the students believe there are consent issues when Patrick kisses Charlie. We will
cover Sam and Craigs relationship and how infidelity ended it. We will also look in
depth about Charlies feelings for Sam, and what the significance of these feelings are in
connection with teen sexuality and first love. One last relationship that we will look at is

Gilles 56
Charlies sisters relationship with her boyfriend, and we will discuss the implication of
conception within teenage relationships. This novel is abundant with examples of teen
sexuality, relationships, first love, consent, and many more issues relating back to teen
sexuality, which is why it would be taught second in the unit. Because it is a highly
popular text and has a decently accurate movie adaptation as well, we would watch the
film and compare what teen sexuality issues they covered in both the book and movie,
and why the students thought some portions were left out. This novel is a key example of
YA literature that covers issues relating to teen sexuality, and because of its popularity
would be a good teaching text in getting the students engaged in the issues presented.
In Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, we will look in depth at teen sexuality, first
love (or lack of), relationships, and consent issues. This novel presents a large
opportunity to look at the importance of consent, and how rape should be viewed from a
high school classroom perspective. Melinda as a narrator helps to complement the idea of
the importance of consent because of her own difficulty in accepting that the rape was not
her fault, and that she should speak out about it. Not only are sexual relationships
examined in the novel, but also platonic friendship relationships, which would also be
good to examine in relation to general feelings of love. This novel is a prime example to
teach teen sexuality within and outside of relationships. The diary format also makes this
novel easily broken up and analyzed, which would be a nice paced end to the unit. This
novel, I believe, is important to look at as the last novel in the unit because it deals with
acceptance of something you had no control over, and ultimately speaking out against
what has happened as a negative byproduct of a warped view on teen sexuality. This is an
important message for high school students to receive, which is expressed most directly

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in this novel. While in both other novels the idea of receiving psychological help is
introduced, this novel makes it a central topic. This is a great YA literature novel to end
with because of the emphasis on consent, and shows a final, different perspective of teen
sexuality from a female perspective, which would be vital for a sophomore class to
analyze.
Overall, the goal of this unit is to examine teen sexuality thoroughly so that the
students both have a grasp of first love, relationships, consent, and also the literary
elements and themes that accompany the three novels. Each novel is highly acclaimed
and has been a part of popular literary culture as realistic novels, and I believe each
would be able to be taught in a high school classroom. The range of texts varies in size
and dates published as well as the settings of the novels, but all are realistic novels that
have great potential to be supplementary tools in a classroom. Having a difference of
gender in the narrators of the novels also helps to accentuate teen sexuality from both
genders perspective. I believe that these are the best texts to use for this unit from the
books that we have read throughout the semester because of their applicability to the
main ideas of teen sexuality that are being examined: young love, relationships, and
consent.

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Annotated Bibliography
Rohrer, Finlo. Why Does Salingers Catcher in the Rye Still Resonate? BBC News
Magazine. N.P., 5 June 2009. Web. 2 May 2015.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8084931.stm >
I chose this article to start out the unit for a journaling reflection activity for the
students on The Catcher in the Rye so that they can see the magnitude of people that the
novel has touched 58 years after it was originally published. The article is through the
BBC News Magazine, which is a credible and respected magazine. I think that this article
is viable to use in this project because it is an easy read and a good introductory article to
read to catch the students interest about the book, and because it also has a selection of
your comments where they can see real people responding to the book, not just people
they would consider as literary people.
Ban the Perks of Being a Wallflower from Schools, says B.C. Dad. CBC News. CBC
News, 28 March 2014. Web. 2 May 2015.
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ban-the-perks-of-being-awallflower-from-schools-says-b-c-dad-1.2587041>
I chose this article to start the second book of the unit for another journaling
reflection activity for the students on The Perks of Being a Wallflower so that they can
see the controversy that this book has caused in regards to teaching it in the public school
system, as well as to see the survey taken from the readers of CBC to see the publics
general opinion on the matter. The article is through CBC, which is a credible and
respected news website as well as televised news. I believe this article is viable to use in
this project because it would be a good introductory resource to hook the students

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interest, as well as to prepare them for some of the more controversial topics covered in
the novel.
Flood, Alison. Authors and Readers Rally to Defend Rape Novel from School Ban.
The
Guardian. N.P., 29 September 2010. Web. 2 May 2015.
<http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/sep/29/defend-novel-school-ban>
I chose this article to start the third book of the unit for their last introductory
journaling reflection activity on the novel Speak so they see again what a controversial
book it is in regards to teaching in the school system, as well as to see how other
acclaimed authors have rallied behind the novel to defend it from the banned book list.
The article is through The Guardian, which is an acclaimed and credible news website. I
believe that the article is viable to use in this project because it is another great
introductory article to hook the students attention as well as to prepare them for the topic
that is about to be discussed. Also, seeing the argument for why the novel will be banned
will help the students see the fallacies in logic that some people who try to ban books
have, and they will be able to make their own informed decision about banning books.

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Emily Gilles
Dr. Arnzen
EL 312
11 May 2015
Post Colonial Effects in In the Lake of the Woods
In the novel In the Lake of the Woods we see postcolonial theory implemented by
OBrien as he describes how Charlie Company others the people of Vietnam. In the
novel Charlie Company is depicted as the colonizers, or the American military presence
who do not fully understand their purpose in Vietnam, which begins to make them
associate the Vietnamese as an all encompassing other. This creates the distinction of us
and them, where the Vietnamese are a mysterious other that creates hardships for the
soldiers. This othering helps to cause Charlie Companys slaughter of the Vietnamese
people in the small town of Thuan Yen, also known as My Lai, on March 16th, 1968. In In
the Lake of the Woods, we see negative aspects of post-colonialism through John Wades
experiences in Vietnam, specifically the othering that occurs between Charlie Company
and the natives.
Tyson describes othering as the colonizers treatment of members of the
indigenous culture as less than fully human, and colonial oppression in all its forms
(421). This othering is implemented when Charlie Company sees themselves as the
embodiment of what a human being should be (401) because they view their own
culture as superior and more sophisticated, or metropolitan. It is because Charlie
Company views themselves as the superior while in Vietnam that this by default causes
them to view the Vietnamese as the other, therefore inferior to the point of being less

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than fully human (401). This viewpoint of the us and them has been generally
forgotten in the mind of the United States, which all too often happens to the colonizing
country, and OBrien has given us a harrowing reminder of the My Lai massacre in his
attempt to restore a sense of evil to Americas evolving national mythology about the
Vietnam War (Piwinski 201). By writing about this relationship, OBrien reminds
readers about the atrocities that occur during colonization, and warns about the fallacies
of colonial otheirng. This othering has caused Charlie Company to view the Vietnamese
as evil savages who needed to be exterminated, even if in reality the natives were
innocent men, women, and children. By discussing this relationship OBrien in breaking
new ground for Vietnam fiction, not only fictionally dramatizes the notorious massacre,
he also makes it the novels moral lynchpin as he explores the corrosive effect of
protagonist John Wades unsuccessful attempt to repress the evil he witnessed at My Lai
(196). This dramatization depicts the horrors that colonization can cause.
One initial instance of the othering that helps lead to the massacre happens in the
flashbacks that John Wade has throughout the course of the novel. When reflecting of the
death of PFC Weatherby, John Wade is quoted saying Fucking VC, he said when the
chopper took Weatherby away. Fucking animals. (OBrien 68) even though Wade
killed PFC Weatherby on accident. This is the first instance where we see the dissociation
of humanity of the natives from John Wade. Wade even claimed as a secret how much
he loved the place-Vietname- how it felt like home. And there was the deepest secret of
all, which was the secret of Thuan Yen, so secret that he sometimes kept it secret from
himself (73). Through these secrets we see that John Wade views himself as a true
colonist, and does not wish to admit that he was involved in the massacre. Colonizers

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often do not take credit for the effects of post-colonialism, much like John Wade does not
take credit for his role in the My Lai massacre.
The chapter of the novel that contains the massacre itself, The Nature of the
Beast (102) also holds many instances of othering. Examining the title of the chapter, we
see a savage reference of the indigenous people as beasts. Lieutenant Calley expresses his
hatred for Vietnam and voices what is assumed to be what the majority of Charlie
Company feels when he repeats kill Nam (103) several times. It is the repeated loss of
soldiers without seeing an enemy that helps brings about this othering, and makes the
soldiers lose the distinction between Vietnamese soldiers and citizens of Vietnam. Once
the massacre begins, the line between people and animals is blurred. OBrien uses Thuan
Yen specifically during this instance because if I [OBrien] was going to have an atrocity
or have an act of real evil, the My Lai thing presents itself with such rich possibilities and
such unresolved possibilities in the national psyche and in the human psyche (Piwinski
197), specifically in the sense of the nations distinction between us and them. During
the attack, John Wade sees a pile of dead goats. He found a pretty girl with her pants
down. She was dead too. She looked at him cross-eyed. Her hair was gone. He found
dead dogs, dead chickens (OBrien 106). By placing the death of animals intermixed
with the death of a girl, we are able to see that Charlie Company has completely othered
the Vietnamese as less than human and therefore should be slaughtered with the rest of
the animals. Charlie Company continues the massacre, and even John Wade is
responsible for killing a man with a wispy beard and wire glasses and what looks to be a
rifle. It was not a rifle. It was a small wooden hoe (109). John Wade is responsible for
othering the natives, assuming them to be violent savages out to kill him, when in reality

Gilles 63
it was a common gardening tool that the man was holding. John Wade, because of the
resonance of emotion and evil he felt during the attack, knows that significantly,
Vietnam is one thing John cant erase (Young 137), much like the emotion and evil that
is left behind after colonization. The idea that forgetting the attack goes back to the effect
colonization has on the nation and individuals identity. It is John Wades crucial evil act
of magic at the end of his second tour in the fall of 1969, the obliteration of his name
from Charlie Companys files, not only attempts to erase his presence at My Lai but it
also negates a radical form of knowing caused by a sudden clash with reality
(Kowalczuk 5). Although he tries to forget the massacre, it is now engrained into his
identity, and ingrained into the identity of Vietnam as a postcolonial nation. Othering has
occurred to the extent that now the relationship between Charlie Company and the
citizens of Vietnam will be nothing other than a postcolonial effect. Because Charlie
Company othered the natives and held them as savages and less than human in their eyes,
they slaughtered an entire village of innocent civilians in the name of war.
The extent of the damage done by the othering is felt throughout the rest of the
novel as well. During the sections titled Evidence, there are several instances in which
we see the continued effects of othering, and examples of othering from the members of
Charlie Company. One such instance happens in the court testimony of Paul Meadlo, in
which he is being questioned about the massacre. The interviewer asks if he attacked
children and babies, and Meadlo assents that the majority of the people killed were
children and babies, and that he expected at any moment they were about to make a
counterbalance (OBrien 136). Through Meadlos testimony we see that he does not
view the Vietnamese as fully human because he views them as an all encompassing

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enemy, where even babies were capable of attack. Meadlo saw the natives as a purely
savage enemy who is less than human, even though they were babies, who in most senses
are the most innocent human beings. During the massacre there was much
dismemberment of the Vietnamese citizens, which makes even on a purely physical level
the Vietnamese appear less than human. In another court testimony by Dennis Conti, we
get an account of the dehumanization: so they- Calley and Meadlo- got on line and fired
directly into people. . .it was automatic. The people screamed and yelled and fell. I guess
they tried to get up, too. They couldnt. That was it. The people were pretty well messed
up. Lots of heads were shot off. Pieces of heads and pieces of flesh flew off the sides and
arms (144). The decapitation and dismemberment of the natives shows physically that
Charlie Company was attempting to make them look less than human, since they believed
them to be this. William Calley was also interviewed in a court-martial testimony in
which he states that he didnt discriminate between individuals in the village. . .they
were all the enemy, they were all to be destroyed (141). Rather than viewing the
Vietnamese as human, and thus as separate individuals, he lumps them together into an
all-encompassing evil. Richard Thinbill, another member of Charlie Company, also
shows his position that the Vietnamese were less than human, stating that he didnt shoot
nobody. I shot some cows (193). He refuses even to acknowledge the fact that he
murdered human beings, instead referring to them only as animals. The narrator of In the
Lake of the Woods also asides that
I know what happened that day. I know how it happened. I know why. It was the
sunlight. It was the wickedness that soaks into your blood and slowly heats up and
begins to boil. Frustration, partly. Rage, partly. The enemy was invisible. They
were ghosts. They killed us with land mines and booby traps; they disappeared
into the night, or into tunnels, or into deep misted-over paddies and bamboo and
elephant grass. But it went beyond that. Something more mysterious. The smell of

Gilles 65
incense, maybe. The unknown, the unknowable. The blank faces. The
overwhelming otherness (199).
We see here that even outside of Charlie Company the United States soldiers feel the
effects of othering that accompanied the intrusion of Vietnam. It was a universal feeling
from the colonizers onto the colonized, yet it was Charlie Company that othered the
natives to the extent of a massacre. The Vietnamese, in Charlie Companies mind, were
lumped together as a them and a savage enemy that should be exterminated because
they were viewed as less than human.
It was the othering by the colonizers, Charlie Company, which led to the massacre
of the colonized, the Vietnamese. The misconstrued views that the soldiers held led them
to see the Vietnamese as less than human and savages, even though in reality they were
simply innocent men, women, and children living in a small farming community. By the
categorization of us and them, and entire village was slaughtered with little
repercussions. The negative aspects of post colonization are shown through John Wade
and his experiences as a member of Charlie Company in Vietnam.

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Works Cited
Kowalczuk, Barbara. "My Lai's "Fucking Flies!": The Stigmata Of Trauma In Tim
O'brien's In The Lake Of The Woods." War, Literature & The Arts: An
International Journal Of The Humanities 26.(2014): 1-14. Academic Search Elite.
Web.
OBrien, Tim. In the Lake of the Woods. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.
Print.
Piwinski, David J. "My Lai, Flies, And Beelzebub In Tim O'brien's In The Lake Of The
Woods." War, Literature, And The Arts: An International Journal Of The
Humanities 12.2 (2000): 196-202. MLA International Bibliography. Web.
Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today. New York: Routledge, 2015. Print.
Young, William. "Missing In Action: Vietnam And Sadism In Tim O'brien's "In The
Lake Of The Woods.." Midwest Quarterly 47.2 (2006): 131-143. Academic
Search Elite. Web.

Gilles 67
Emily Gilles
Dr. Cusick
EL 309
4 May 2015
IRP
In her novel House of Splendid Isolation, Edna OBrien shows a fierce reaction to
colonialism through both of the main characters, Josie and McGreevy. While McGreevy
is a legendary IRA soldier who has a strong pull for nationalism due to his resistance to
being an Irishman in British controlled Northern Ireland, Josie is a woman from the
Republic of Ireland who adapts a hybrid perception of a post colonized Ireland. Because
of her relationship with McGreevy, Josie gains a strong pull towards nationalism by the
end of the novel, and has a fuller sense of what it means to be Irish. The novel House of
Splendid Isolation explains the idea of what nationalism means to the people of Northern
Ireland as well as the people of the Republic of Ireland through the struggles of Josie and
McGreevy.
As an entirety, Ireland has a background of struggling to form cultural identities
because the nation was first colonized by Britain, then all but Northern Ireland gained
independence and formed the Republic of Ireland in the south. According to Lois Tyson,
a literary critic analyst, this meant that the Irish people were left with a psychological
inheritance of a negative self-image and alienation from their own indigenous cultures,
which has been forbidden or devalued for so long that much pre-colonial culture has been
lost (400). Northern Irelands Irish population have struggled with this identity crisis
because while half of the nation associated themselves as Irish, the other segment claims

Gilles 68
wholeheartedly that they are British. However in the Republic of Ireland, although there
are still effects of colonization being felt, most people identify as completely Irish and do
not feel as strongly towards nationalism and reclaiming the north as some of the Irish
northerners do. This is a main factor in why the IRA is now viewed as a band of
extremists and ultimately as terrorists. While this identity crisis has caused the emergence
of the IRA, it has also caused the idea of a Northern Irish identity to emerge. Once the
IRA became a political issue, surveys were taken have indicated that when asked how
they wish to describe themselves in national/political terms, the majority of Catholics
choose Irish while Protestants are equally divided between British and what has
become a new identity Northern Irish (McKeown 506) in Northern Ireland. Surveys
such as this show the identity crisis being felt in Northern Ireland, and a call for hybridity
of identity in order to stop the political turmoil that has been raised. The Northern Irish
identity calls upon this idea of hybridity, which encourages ex-colonials to embrace the
multiple and often conflicting aspects of the blended culture that is theirs and that is an
indelible fact of history (Tyson 404). Ideally if this Northern Irish identity is to come
about, the Irishmen of the north must accept both past and present histories of their
nation, and blend that history into their identity. This call for hybridity has brought about
a specific movement, The Peace Movement, which Bourke describes has been
established to challenge the growth of militancy in Northern Ireland and the methods of
the Provisional IRA in particular (93) and seems to be trying to bridge the gap between
the two identities into one, all encompassing, Northern Irish. The Peace Movement
involved the entire island of Ireland, where everyone tried to ban together in order to stop
the violence. While both sides must be willing to compromise on this issue, Bourke

Gilles 69
claims that this is something that must happen in order for there to be peace in all of
Ireland. He claims that if hybridity and peace are not achieved then the recognition of
Northern Ireland as the long-term property of an exclusive majority ensures that bitter
political contestation will survive for another generation in the province (117). Many in
the north, such as OBrien herself, are calling for an end to the violence by looking at the
past, present, and into the future to see their culture not as simply a postcolonial product,
but as a hybrid identity. Nationalism is still important to this new hybrid identity, but ir
would encompass all of the nations history, not just the pre-colonial histories. OBrien
calls for these delicate forms of Irish identity and nationalism to be examined in House of
Splendid Isolation, and shows the relationship between being Irish and being a nationalist
through both Josie and McGreevy.
OBrien shows Josies relationship with nationalism as a woman from the
Republic of Ireland through her growth in identity throughout the novel. One way that
OBrien uses Josie in this manner is against the background of the various female
characters, and through the construction of relationships with the male figures, then,
O'Brien uses Josie to engage the feminine models of Irish representation that have
extended their influence from the past into the present (Hatheway 126). The narration of
the novel allows different points in Josies life to be seen, such as before McGreevy when
she believed him to be simply a terrorist to the end, when she sacrifices her life for him.
Josie herself struggles with double colonization, which is when women are the victims
of both colonialist ideology, which devalues them because of their race and cultural
ancestry, and patriarchal ideology, which devalues them because of their sex (Tyson
405). Josie struggles with this in regards to her abusive husband, but once she meets

Gilles 70
McGreevy she is shown that nationalism can bring relief to this double colonization by
empowering her. Although Josie initially sees McGreevy as nothing but a terrorist, she
soon does an investigation of her own into the war between the Irish and British, where
she looks back at history and sees the possible outcomes that depend upon her reaction,
and Irelands reaction to the conflict (Hatheway, 123). Having the soldiers of Northern
Ireland come and tear through her house caused her to come to the conclusion that
nothing would make her betray him now. For one thing he has gone. For another she has
a revulsion against this youth, the lumpen way he walked across her floor, ignorant of the
chaos, and having the gall to welcome her home (OBrien 166). Josie encounters a
sincere and nationalist McGreevy, who she can empathize with, and then the rude and
nationalist soldiers, who she cannot identify with and ultimately makes her choice to
support McGreevy. Josie was able to see McGreevy as the humanized cause for
nationalism, while she could only see the soldiers as distant, rude figureheads. At the
very end of her life, Josie sees the value in Irish nationalism and she dies for Ireland. For
martyrdom. (224). OBrien herself stands behind Josies converted view of nationalism
in an interview, where she claims that
behind it is something much deeper and more bitter which is that Ireland is the
last wound of British imperialism. There is no doubt about that. . .Constitutional
change, cross-border liaison with the South and above all the police to become a
mixed force of Catholics and Protestantsthese are the first steps toward change.
And the Unionists will oppose them to the bitter end. And thats where it really
stands now (2).
OBrien as an author shows a strong pull towards Irish nationalism in her interview,
where she defends her characters stances on the importance of nationalism, thus defining
her own stance on the matter. Even though we see that there is at first fear and distrust
between the intruder and the old woman- Josie like most people in the Irish Republic

Gilles 71
considers the Republicans of the North to be terrorists who should be behind bars- but
slowly, as they start to communicate and learn about each others life and history, there
develops between them both respect and a kind of friendship, even love (LindahlRaittila 187). It is the sincerity of her friendship with McGreevy and the blatant rudeness
and ignorance of the soldiers that she encounters that leads Josie to a change in stance on
what it means to be an Irish nationalist. This perspective of a woman form the Republic
of Ireland as an Irish nationalist is vital to understanding the Irish duty of nationalism,
and shows the importance of finding an Irish hybrid identity to associate with in order to
find peace.
OBrien shows McGreevys relationship to nationalism as a respected and
seasoned IRA soldier by depicting him as a typical man on a mission, rather than a
bloodthirsty IRA terrorist. OBrien describes her opinion of the IRA in an interview,
where she discusses that everybody talks about the violence of the I.R.A and the I.R.A.
have been very violent, but let us also talk about the violence of the S.A.S., of the Ulster
paramilitaries. As many Catholics as Protestants were killed in the last twenty-five years.
Thats not mentioned. Thats not given the headlines. We have to be very, very, candid.
We have to put all the deaths on the table (2). By making McGreevy a highly likeable
character, while the soldiers are depicted in a negative light, OBrien is able to show both
sides of the war that are not usually highlighted. Even though McGreevys counterparts
are still seen in a negative light by their questioning about why he saved Josie as they
mocked him by saying whats she done. . .made a will in your favour? (173),
McGreevy defends himself by saying she hadnt done anything and couldnt have let her
die. By doing this, OBrien doesnt show the IRA as being on a pedestal or being a

Gilles 72
completely righteous cause but rather shows the distinction between men in the IRA who
believe in their Irish nationalism or men who are simply terrorists. We see even through
the brutal death of McGreevys wife when she knew it was coming. . .she could feel it
was coming. She was killed nursing the child (176) that McGreevy has a just cause for
his radical actions. The soldiers again are shown in a horrible light after the brutal murder
of McGreevys wife and child, and we see a justification for McGreevys involvement in
the IRA. OBrien includes a passing thought of one soldier after the death of an IRA
member, when the solder tells his comrades Im proud of what you did for Ireland this
night (193), which shows that both the soldiers and the IRA agents truly believe they are
doing what is best for Ireland. By showing McGreevy as a reasonable, caring man the
IRA perspective becomes more rational, and having the soldiers seen as brutal and
ignorant shows that both sides of the war must be examined. OBrien brings about the
idea that neither perspective is completely just, and rather Josies honest hybridity of
identity that we see her accomplish near the time of her death is what should be strived
for in order for a peaceful Ireland.
OBrien successfully explains what nationalism means to the people of Ireland
through the characters portrayed in House of Splendid Isolation. By examining the
relationships between Northern Ireland soldiers, the IRA, and a woman from the
Republic of Ireland, we see that the most peaceful solution to the turmoil is to accept a
hybrid identity. Although Josies acceptance of a hybrid Irish identity led to her death, she
can be seen as a symbol for peace in the future. By looking at the past and present,
Ireland will be able to look into how to end the turmoil and accept nationalism in a
positive light, rather than seen as radical terrorism. OBrien argues that although we

Gilles 73
cannot completely forget what has happened, we should move forward with acceptance
of past events in order to improve the future.

Gilles 74
Works Cited
Bourke, Richard. "Imperialism" And "Democracy" In Modern Ireland, 1898-2002."
Boundary 2 31.1 (2004): 93-118. Academic Search Elite. Web.
Hatheway, William K. "Breaking The Tie That Binds: Feminine And National
Representation In Edna O'brien's House Of Splendid Isolation." North Dakota
Quarterly 66.1 (1999): 122-134. MLA International Bibliography. Web.
Lindahl-Raittila, Iris. Subversive Identities: Feminity, Sexuality, and Irishness in
Novels by Edna OBrien. Affecting Irishness: Negotiating Cultural Identity
Within and Beyond the Nation. Peter Lang, 2009. Print.
McKeown, Shelley. "Perceptions Of A Superordinate Identity In Northern Ireland."
Peace And Conflict: Journal Of Peace Psychology 20.4 (2014): 505-515.
PsycARTICLES. Web.
OBrien, Edna. "An Interview with Edna OBrien." Canadian Journal of Irish Studies
22.2 (1996): 5-8. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol.
192. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Literature Resource Center. Web.
OBrien, Edna. House of Splendid Isolation. New York: Penguin Group, 1994. Print.
Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today. New York: Routledge, 2015. Print.

Gilles 75
Emily Gilles
Dr. Jerz
EL 311
9 Dec 2015
The Supremacy in Analysis of Humanism over Post-colonialism through
The Tempest
The play The Tempest by William Shakespeare has been
susceptible to all types of literary criticism. Most prevalently, postcolonialism is the methodology of choice. However, humanist criticism
is prevalent throughout the play, and is the best method of
interpretation in order to critically understand the characters and
actions of the play. Humanism is contrasted positively and negatively
throughout the play with different values through different characters,
which draws out deeper meanings from the plays. Humanism
ultimately prevails as the most beneficial criticism in order to
understand three of the main characters throughout the play: Prospero,
Caliban, and Miranda. The play ultimately shows these characters in a
positive humanistic light. This is done through Prosperos instruction of
the two pupils, Caliban and Miranda and their relationship, and through
the various humanist values expressed throughout the play. The
audience is introduced to postcolonial criticism because that is the
major discourse that the play has historically been looked at, however
when humanism is implemented then the audience has to be

Gilles 76
introduced to humanist values and ideals as well. This causes the
audience to make the decision of whether those humanist ideals are a
positive or negative driving force for the play. Humanism, in its
entirety, is the best form of literary criticism in order to get a more
accurate and deeper meaning from Prospero, Caliban, Miranda, and
various themes throughout the play.
For the purpose of this essay, we will look at the classic
definitions for humanism and postcolonialism, as well as the definition
given by experts in the Shakespearean field. The definition of
humanism used as defined by the oxford dictionary is an outlook or
system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than
divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential
value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human
needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems
(Oxford Online), and post-colonialism as a theoretical approach in
various disciplines that is concerned with the lasting impact of
colonization in former colonies: postcolonialism continues to unite
historians and literary scholars (Oxford Online). The definitions for
humanism and postcolonialism through the experts are that humanism
in The Tempest can be defined as seen through the prism of the Tudor
and early Stuart pedagogic precepts and ideologies, this play is indeed
deeply committed to the meaning of humanist learning and is filled
with scenes of teachers and students (Kumamoto 64) and

Gilles 77
postcolonialism can be defined as postcolonial criticism means that
postcolonial Shakespeare implies the inclusion of histories of peoples
and cultures outside the traditional Anglo-American scholarly world
(Singh 127). These dual definitions will help the audience to better
understand how the two critical theories will be analyzed within the
world of Shakespeare, specifically The Tempest.
Prospero is the most prominent figure throughout the play that
exemplifies humanist values because of the pedagogical strategies
that he uses with both Caliban and Miranda. Prosperos teaching can
be viewed in two ways: as oppressing and as a colonizing factor or as a
set of pedagogical strategies in an attempt to better both Caliban and
Miranda. It is overly ambitious to claim that The Tempest should only
be looked at in a postcolonial light because The Tempests value for
African and Caribbean intellectuals faded once the plot ran out. The
play lacks a sixth act which might have been enlisted for representing
relations among Caliban, Ariel, and Prospero once they entered a
postcolonial era (Nixon 576), so the audience can never know whether
this is an accurate reading without putting their own meaning into the
text. However, with a humanist reading of the text the plot is resolved
within the play. If read as a humanist text, the entirety of the play
shows the humanist values in both a negative and positive light, yet
Prosperos dedication ultimately shows that the positive characteristics
outweigh the negative. This is important because it gives meaning to

Gilles 78
the characters, and makes the audience make a decision. According to
Goran Stanivukovic, the play is allegorizing humanisms positive and
negative characteristics (99), primarily through Prospero. Prospero
translates his love of knowledge, which equates to humanist values, as
the reason for his banishment because his love for academia did not
coincide with the government that failed him. It is only when
postcolonial ideas are applied that this becomes idea becomes
appalling, and Prospero is seen as a villainous European who only
wishes to colonize Caliban to make him become assimilated with white
culture. On the contrary, the best reading through a humanist lens
shows Prospero as the man who believes that the reason for his failure
was because he searched for knowledge and because the government
itself had failed to effectively use humanist learning to its full potential.
Prospero first shows his relationship with the liberal arts when he
talks with Miranda in Act I, Scene II. The liberal arts are a main ideal of
humanist learning and philosophy, which Prospero greatly appreciates.
There is value in looking at Prosperos relationship with the liberal arts
because it adds an additional dimension to the play that the audience
would not receive if Prospero is labeled simply as a tyrant. Duke Pesta
suggests that if the audience keeps a closed mind, and has
postcolonial assumptions about the play [that] are so reflexive as to
deracinate The Tempest, causing it to vanish into thin air, leaving not a
rack behind. Once the initial argument evolved that The Tempest was

Gilles 79
primarily and consciously a play about colonialism, the premise was
accepted with little or no reservation. And so all this begs the
question, is The Tempest about colonialism or not? (274). If Prospero
is seen as that tyrant, then the audience misses out on the educational
advances that Prospero is able to bring about, and even his seemingly
failed advances with Caliban. Prospero claims that society does not
coincide with humanist values when he states:
And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed
In dignity, and for the liberal arts
Without a parallel; those being all my study,
The government I cast upon my brother
And to my state grew stranger, being transported
And rapt in secret studies(I. III. 84-96).
Shakespeare has placed this direct clash between the government and
Prosperos intense studying in order to let the audience see a critique
on total knowledge as an acceptable virtue. He claims that once he
was Being once perfected how to grant suits, /How to deny them, who
to advance and who To trash for over-topping (I.III. 145-147), yet that
study meant that he would ultimately be banished to the island. While
this is a negative portrayal, the audience ultimately sees this as
positive because Prospero comes out successful due to his reliance on
the values. The duality of these attributes adds an additional dynamic
to the play that could not be sought from a postcolonial stance.

Gilles 80
Shakespeare is not condemning Prospero, but is issuing a warning for
blind following of humanist ideals.
The positivity of Prosperos humanist ideals is exemplified when
his teaching strategies are able to successfully critique the ambition of
other characters in the play. According to humanist values, ambition is
one of the most destructive traits possible. We first see Prosperos
intent to rid Alonso and Antonio of ambition when he talks with
Miranda in Act I, Scene II when he tells her of the tretchery that they
brought to the two of them:
He being thus lorded,
Not only with what my revenue yielded,
But what my power might else exact, like one
Who having into truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,
To credit his own lie, he did believe
He was indeed the duke; out o' the substitution
And executing the outward face of royalty,
With all prerogative: hence his ambition growing (89-97).
By the end of Prosperos plan, we see that he has exacted his humanist
goals, because Prospero believes that he has diminished those ideals in
Alonso and Antonio after Ariel speaks to them, Prospero saying You,
brother mine, that entertained ambition, / Expelled remorse and
nature, whom, with Sebastian, / Whose inward pinches therefore are

Gilles 81
most strong, / Would here have killed your kind, I do forgive thee, /
Unnatural though thou art (5.1.85-89). Prospero believes that he was
able to change the ambitious into merciful and graceful subjects, which
had been one of the ultimate goals of Prosperos endeavors and his
teachings. This element would be completely missed if the text had
been only looked at in a postcolonial light, however it is one of the
main elements of the play when the plot is resolved. In the postcolonial
light, Prospero would continue to have been looked at as an oppressive
character who simply wants to exact revenge on any character
throughout the play that had crossed him. However, the humanist
viewing of these passages give the play deeper meaning.
Prosperos pedagogical strategies with Caliban and Miranda are
the most prevalent points on the positivity of humanism, and can go
unnoticed through a postcolonial lens. Prospero has preoccupations
with instructive authority. . .appears to express Shakespeares most
radical doubt about humanist education as magical art (Kumamoto
63-64), which is when the audience can see that Prospero has finally
achieved the enlightenment needed in his humanist values as he rids
himself of his magic at the end of the play, thus getting rid of his
instructive authority. Prospero claims that this rough magic / I here
abjure, and, when I have required / Some heavenly music, which even
now I do, / To work mine end upon their senses that / This airy charm is
for, Ill break my staff, / Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, / And

Gilles 82
deeper than did ever plummet sound / Ill drown my book (5.1. 56-63),
which shows the moment when Prospero realizes that his humanist
goals were concluding with success, so he would not need his tools any
longer. From a postcolonial standpoint, there is no redemption or
positivity from Prospero getting rid of his instructional tools other than
that he no longer is an abuser and suppressor of Caliban. Its the
humanist lens that gives the play a redeeming tone, and allows for
hope of both the inhabitants that they leave on the island and also
those leaving. Prospero, by ridding himself of the magic, accepts
completely the liberal arts rather than a magical art. He has accepted
that the liberal arts have not failed him completely as he is accepted
back into the political world through the atonement of Antonio and
Alonzo, and because his teaching has been successful on the island. It
is in his final actions when the audience sees Prospero sacrifices both
his dominion over the island and his love of magic, choosing to return
to Milan. In doing so, he restores a measure of justice to human
society, for he had been unjustly deposed from authority before the
play began (Boyce 521). Without the humanist values being
implemented, these pivotal moments would be glossed over. Prospero
is a defining character throughout the play who has struggled with
upholding humanist values, and ultimately exemplifies humanism as a
great vehicle for interpretation.

Gilles 83
Caliban is another main character where the audience can see
humanist values brought to fruition, yet is the most controversial in
regards of the implementation of post-colonial criticism. According to
humanist ideals, the audience is able to see the darker side of
Prosperos school-mastering based on humanistic learning, and it
inevitably finds ironies centered on the misfit between Prosperos claim
to the humanist mastery of the liberal arts (1.2.91) and his practice of
it on Caliban, Prosperos disaffected grammar school student
(Kumamoto 69). Despite Caliban being ultimately failed as a student,
the fact remains that nothing required Prospero to take Caliban in and
teach him, to virtually adopt him (Shin, 375). While Prosperos
pedagogical strategies were seemingly ineffective, humanism can still
be viewed in an ultimately positive light because of Calibans multiple
changes and improvements throughout the play. It is the postcolonial
theorists that see Caliban not as a student of Prospero but as a product
of an evil colonization attempt from a suppressive ruler. They do not
see Caliban as the perpetrator of an attempted rape, but as a victim of
oppression. Rob Nixon claims that as long as Caliban is still bound to
his former masters language, he is still partly condemned to live the
life of a servant (568), however this can be deconstructed because
Caliban himself is not a native to the island, and does not have a
language of his own to begin with. Pesta argues this point, saying that
there is no Calibanic culture here: no history or civilization or

Gilles 84
language. In order for there to be language in any meaningful sense,
someone would have had to teach it to Caliban and be there to speak it
with him, passing it on as a cultural legacy binding him to his culture
and people (276). Caliban cannot be a victim of colonization in this
sense because he was not the first inhabitant of the island, and did not
have his own culture and language to be replaced by Prosperos. The
humanist ideals allow the audience to get a more clear picture and
deeper understanding in viewing Caliban as a failed student of
Prosperos humanist teaching strategies rather than the narrow view of
a victim through the postcolonial lens.
Through a postcolonial lens, Caliban can also be looked at as a
religiously oppressed character. In Act I, Scene II, Caliban says to
Prospero:
And teach me how
To name the bigger light, and how the less,
That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee
And show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle,
The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile:
Cursed be I that did so! All the charms
Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!
For I am all the subjects that you have,
Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me
In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me

Gilles 85
The rest o' the island (140-150).
If its viewed in a postcolonial light, we see Caliban as a human that
was converted to Christianity and who is oppressed by Prospero in
multiple ways. He curses Prosperos oppression, and damns his actions.
However, this allows an oversimplified reason for the complex
relationship between Prospero as Calibans educator, then his
persecutor for Calibans attempted rape of Miranda. If we look at these
same lines in a humanist light, we see the deeper meaning of the
relationships between the characters. We see Prospero as Calibans
father figure and educator, then the broken trust after Calibans
malicious betrayal of Prosperos trust, and finally the mutual distrust
and hard feelings between the two characters. By interpreting this
quote as humanist rather than postcolonial, the audience is able to see
the characters with more depth, and with more emotion rather than
the characters fitting into strict molds.
Caliban as a creature is also an idea that is analyzed highly
through a postcolonial lens, but diminishes some of his intricacies that
could be provided in viewing Caliban literally as a creature in the
humanist lens. Pesta claims that in the anachronistic postcolonial
readings then, Caliban can only be viewed in the context of human
history and material identity, despite a lineage and physical reality that
reveals him ontologically part human and part something else (279).
In the postcolonial criticism viewpoint, Caliban must be analyzed as a

Gilles 86
human in order for that interpretation to fit, and must play the role of a
victim. Yet, in the actual text of the 1623 First Folio, Caliban is
portrayed as an inhuman creature and a savage and deformed slave.
A postcolonial look at the play portrays Caliban to be strictly human, in
order for the suppression to be warranted. However, the text itself
does not support that Caliban is a human. None of the characters mention Caliban to be
a human creature, and Prospero calls him a variety of names for beasts, saying in Act I,
Scene II:
Abhorred slave,
Which any print of goodness wilt not take,
Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee,
Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour
One thing or other: when thou didst not, savage,
Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like
A thing most brutish, I endow'd thy purposes
With words that made them known. But thy vile race,
Though thou didst learn (331-339).
If the only thing from that quote that is examined is that Caliban is a slave, then you miss
the context that this was after the attempted rape of Miranda when Caliban wished to
populate the island with more of his species. Even Stephano, upon observing Caliban,
sees that hes simply a creature so absurd that they could receive profit from him if they
took them back with them. Stepheno questions how he leaned human language, when
This is some monster of the isle with four legs, who / Hath got, as I take it, an ague (II.

Gilles 87
II. 78-79). Even an outside observer, not affected by Calibans attempted rape and fall
from love, can see Calibans true monstrous identity. Observing Caliban as an inhuman
creature allows for the humanist ideals to come in, and for them to give him a deeper
meaning other than that imposed on him by a close reading of the text with presupposed
ideas. Caliban as the inhuman creature he is allows for his character to be analyzed in a
deeper quality.
Calibans vocabulary is best analyzed as Prosperos educational product, while
often Calibans speeches are often analyzed in a postcolonial light. If the audience views
him as a student and a learner, they get a completely different viewpoint on his use of
language. Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometimes voices
That, if I then had walked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I walked
I cried to dream again (3.2. 148-155).
If the audience can digest Calibans character simply as Prosperos
experiment on humanist education, then the opportunity to view how
purely humanist ambition of cultural transmission is fulfilled. Through
those lines, Caliban is able to claim his native island, and because of
Prospero, poetry becomes the medium in which the power of claiming

Gilles 88
his land is most effectively expressed. Through this acceptance of
humanist learning, the audience is able to view Caliban in a positive
light as civilized rather than savage, and is not being oppressed
because of the use of the beautiful language. From these lines, the
audience may also infer that Prosperos teaching is a form of
enslavement if looked at through the postcolonial mindset. This is
because of the adoption of someone elses language forces them into
using that language as their primary medium for communication, yet
we do not see Calibans mastery of Prosperos language as negative.
Prospero uplifts Caliban in both interpretations, by giving him mastery
of language when he had none to begin with. At the end of the play,
there is the final vision of schoolmaster and student in their final
reconciliation between Prospero and Caliban in the aforenoted scene
enacts the consummation of the hard-won lesson that true humanist
learning or any significant learning arrives by trial and error on the part
of both students and schoolmaster (Kumamoto 77). In Act V, Scene I
we see Caliban accept Prosperos pardon, stating Ay, that I will; and Ill
be wise hereafter / And seek for grace (256-257), which is the final
acceptance and resolution between the two characters. Scholars argue
that Prospero can be seen as a bad humanist and attributing his
failure with Calibans education to unsuccessful teaching methods. But
on the whole, critics have not done justice to Prosperos intricate role
as homeschooling single parent to both Caliban and Miranda. Prospero

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acts as schoolmaster to both; his unorthodox educational methods,
although they fail with Caliban, work well with Miranda (Shin, 373).
Even though the educational methods ultimately fail, we see that for
all his villainy, Caliban contributes to the general sense of regeneration
with which the play closes. He recognizes his folly and expresses his
intention to improve himself in a religious metaphor- he will seek for
grade (5.1.295). His earlier behavior certainly makes us wonder if
reform is really possible, but Shakespeare pointedly elevates this
beastlike characters moral stature before he exits forever. However
appalling Calibans fallen state, he offers the hope for restoration to
grace that is part of Shakespeares sense of human possibility (Boyce
89). This is vital because it allows the audience to analyze Calibans
character to an extent and depth that the oppressed label that post
colonialism would not be able to offer the text. Ultimately, a humanist
viewpoint allows for the viewpoint that Caliban is not completely failed
by Prospero and has even felt a few postitive effects from those ideals.
The ownership of the island is also disputed to be best analyzed
with postcolonial properties, because Caliban had claimed ownership
to the island before Prospero and Miranda became stranded and in
control of the island. Caliban claims in Act I, Scene II that This island's
mine, by Sycorax my mother, / Which thou takest from me. When thou
camest first,/ Thou strokedst me and madest much of me (112-115).
In that argument Prosperos assimilation of Caliban led to the idea that

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in such circumstances, the insinuation that Caliban was incapable of
surviving on his own and did not even aspire to such independence in
the first place caused considerable affront and helped spur Third
Worlders to mount adversarial interpretations of the play which
rehabilitated Caliban into a heroic figure, inspired by noble rage to oust
the interloping Prospero form his island (Nixon, 564). However, this
idea is not directly stated in the Shakespearean play, but rather is in
adaptations inspired by a postcolonial way of thinking and ideology. .
Post-colonial adaptations are just that of the text, adaptations. There is
value in looking at adaptations that were inspired by the original text,
but that does not mean they are the values Shakespeare intended. In
The Tempest, Caliban himself is not indigenous of the island, so in all
technicalities he cannot be colonized if he himself came to the island
to make it his home as well. Postcolonial defense for Calibans
character was brought by the time Caribbeans and Africans took up
The Tempest, that is, from 1959 onward, widespread national liberation
seemed not only feasible but imminent, and the play was mobilized in
defense of Calibans right to the land and to cultural autonomy (566),
but if we look at Caliban as a non-indigenous member of the island,
which he was, we see that Prospero has as much claim to the land as
Caliban. This argument for a postcolonial reading is still valuable, but it
does not let the text speak for itself, and does not allow for each of the
characters to be analyzed to their full potential.

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While Prosperos pedagogical strategies did not ultimately work
well with Calibans education, Miranda has been only positively
affected by growing and learning in the humanist environment.
Miranda is not directly involved in many postcolonial critics arguments
because they simply considered her to be another driving force for
their idea of assimilation under Prospero. However, if Miranda is looked
at as another product of humanist teaching techniques, the audience is
able to grasp the play with a deeper meaning, and engage with
Mirandas character on different levels. In Act I, Scene II Prospero tells
Miranda of how they got to the island, saying Here in this island we
arrived; and here / have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit /
than other princesses can that have more time / for vainer hours and
tutors not so careful (171-174). Prospero has raised her instilled with
humanist values, the same values that he expresses throughout the
play. During Shakespeares time period, Prospero is acting as a liberal
humanist by squashing gender roles in order to teach his daughter in a
genuine humanist environment. The audience sees that the
contemporary dichotomy between womens and mens education
dissolves, through Prosperos andryogynous role as a schoolmaster and
single parent (383), which is a great portrayal of humanism truly
being for all of humanity. Miranda is portrayed throughout the play as a
likeable character, and a product of a loving and education oriented
father. Her actions throughout the play are gentle, and lovably

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innocent, even when she falls in love with Ferdinand:
Hence, bashful cunning!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant,
Whether you will or no (III. I. 199-204).
In examining how deep her innocence runs, the audience is able to see
the true representation of Prosperos achieved pedagogical strategies
and a deeper character than simply an oppressor. Because Miranda is
seen as this gentle, positive, and intelligent woman throughout the
play because of her upbringing in a humanist environment, we see that
humanism is portrayed positively. If the audience simply analyzes this
as a postcolonial text, then they miss on the genuine character that
Miranda is portrayed at and instead she is blanketed with the title of a
negative oppressor.
It is conveniently sidestepped often in postcolonial critiques of
The Tempest that Caliban originally was seen as an equal with Miranda
until his attempted rape. Prospero treated Caliban, up until that point,
as he treated Miranda; as an equal student who was open to learning.
However, that all changes and Mirandas angry disdain for Caliban,
who once attempted to rape her, displays the moral sensibility she has
learned from her father, but her innocence of society gives her a

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simplicity that in a less overtly fantastic context would be
disconcerting (Boyce 438). While the treatment of Caliban after that
can be seen as oppressive and unjust, Caliban did violate Prospero and
Mirandas values and disrupt the delicate balance between these
characters. A narrow-minded viewpoint of Prospero and Miranda being
unjust and oppressive to Caliban by trying to change him does not
allow for the humanist intricacies to be seen by the characters and
does not allow for their intentions to be expressed. If Prospero did not
wish for the betterment of those he was trapped on with the island in
hopes to some day leave, then the plays plot would have resolved
much differently. If the play is interpreted through a humanist lens
rather than postcolonial lens, the audience can see intricacies of the
characters. It was not until the rape attempt that Prospero condemns
Caliban with such force:
A devil, a born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains,
Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost;
And as with age his body uglier grows,
So his mind cankers. I will plague them all,
Even to roaring (IV. I. 245-250)
It was not until that time that Prospero cursed Caliban, and Miranda
followed her fathers instructions on how to treat Caliban. With this, the
audience can see that Miranda is the only human character in the

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play who does not undergo some sort of purging transformation, for
she does not need to. Innocent of lifes difficulties and compromises,
she repudiates evil and responds to nobility and beauty. She is most
pointedly contrasted with the evil Caliban. Both were raised together
by Prospero, but she has become a person of moral sensibility, while
he is a would-be rapist who declares that his only use for language is
to curse. Their responses to the arrival of strangers on the island are
also contrasting: she is filled with demure awe, he with crass fear
(438). The variety of the reaction of both of the characters to different
events shows not the suppressed Caliban, but of the failure that
Prospero had in teaching both of them together. Its through the
humanist viewpoint that the characters are able to be more dynamic,
and not restricted to roles imposed on them.
Another area of the play where the audience is shown a
disconnect of ideals is between politics and educations through
Ferdinand and Miranda. Without viewing the play as a humanist text,
you completely bypass this topic. Postcolonial criticism does not allow
for this deeper meaning to be found in the text, although its apparent
that Shakespeare put it in for a reason. This disconnect is found when
Ferdinand and Miranda are playing chess, which is considered to be a
game associated with political dishonesty. Humanism can be applied to
this scene in order to draw out the ideals which make the plot richer,
while the postcolonial criticism simply skips over the idea or bypasses

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that it is simply another driving force for assimilation on the island. Not
only is political dishonest shown if looked at in a humanist lens, but
Mirandas public display of her knowledge of chess also contradicts
conservative humanists idea of womens proper education (387),
and yet the audience sees that Miranda is an outstanding young
woman time and time again. The stage directions Here, Prospero
discovers Ferdinand and Miranda, / playing at chess (198-199), are
significant because Shakespeare could have simply written playing a
game, since he often does not give many stage directions. However,
chess was chosen to suggest that even love, represented in the union
of Ferdinand and Miranda, symbolizing restored harmony, is eclipsed
by politics (Stanivukovik 112). By making the specification of the
game being chess, Shakespeare parallels having just rulers being in
direct conflict with humanist ideals with the use of Ferdinand and
Miranda just as he had earlier in the play when Prospero was exiled
because of his humanist values. Even Miranda is seen positively again
as a strong female humanist thinker. If the audience accepts the
typical postcolonial interpretation of The Tempest, then they miss out
on the deeper meaning behind the stage directions and make Miranda
a more shallow character. Having this disconnect between just rulers
and humanist ideals is finally resolved, however, because Prospero is
able to use the humanist property of pedagogical education in order to

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unite Miranda and Ferdinand, and create atonement for Alonso and
Antonio.
Interpretation of The Tempest is so unique because the main
discourse of thought is postcolonial criticism, although humanist
criticism allows for a deeper understanding of the characters and
different themes throughout the play. The audience is able to see
humanist values intricately woven into the play, mainly through
Prospero, but also through other characters such as Caliban and
Miranda. Postcolonial adaptations of The Tempest are the most
accurate way to analyze things from the text that are exaggerated and
simplified into roles such as the colonized and the colonizers, yet
humanism is the best for of criticism to analyze the actual text that
Shakespeare gives in order to understand the characters at deeper
levels. While there are both positive and negative connotations
associated with humanist values, it is ultimately only when a total
reliance of those ideals clash with government values that it can be
seen as negative; even then, the audience sees that this is the best
way to analyze what the text conveys to the audience. The humanist
values allow the characters to grow through their pedagogical
instruction and become more enlightened and positive characters
overall, rather than oppressed and colonized individuals. The humanist
values portrayed throughout the play allow for the characters to grow,
and to express their humanity and humanities flaws in a positive way.

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Its the intricacy that the characters can be seen in that makes
humanism unparalleled in how the text should be analyzed as.
Shakespeare shows humanism in a positive light, guiding his audience
to accept Prospero as the guiding force of the play in order to reach
final acceptance, which leaves the audience with an uplifting and light
hearted play rather than an oppressing criticism on colonization.

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Kahn, Copplia. "Caliban At The Stadium: Shakespeare And The Making
Of
Americans." Massachusetts Review 41.2 (2000): 256-284. Art Full
Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 5 Dec. 2015.
Kumamoto, Chikako D. "Magic And The Early Schoolroom Of Humanist
Learning In
The Tempest." Journal Of The Wooden O Symposium 13.(2013):
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International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text.
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Nixon, Rob. Caribbean and African Appropriations of "the Tempest".
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13.3 (1987): 557578. Web.
Pesta, Duke. "Acknowledging Things Of Darkness: Postcolonial Criticism
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Tempest." Academic Questions 27.3 (2014): 273-285. Academic
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Singh, Jyotsna G., and Gitanjali G. Shahani. "Postcolonial Shakespeare
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Shakespeare (1745-0918) 6.1 (2010): 127-138. International
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Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Ed. Horace Howard Furness. New
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1964. Print.
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Studies inEnglishLiterature,1500190048.2(2008):373393.Web.
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