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Blog question #1
Part 1: I definitely believe that Larkin’s poem could be thought of as literature. For example, I imagine that for its time the poem could be construed as somewhat groundbreaking in that the language it used would not normally occur in every day conversation. Use of the word “fuck” even today might not go over so well with some groups of people, it could be thought that since the word “fuck” is still somewhat(but just barely) taboo to this day could that Larkin was ahead of his time with this poem, as most great literature is. Furthermore, the idea it presents doesn’t agree with the traditional western values that were prevalent at the time, this is especially evident as it was written near the end of/after the baby boom. The idea he put forth could create conflict with certain groups of people who subscribed to these values. In regards to the poem’s universality, I believe that most people could agree with it to a certain extent. Most people have at one point or another said that they never wanted to turn out like their parents but have mysteriously adopted some of their parent’s quirks. I don’t believe people would agree that every bad habit, quirk, or irrational outburst could be blamed on their parents though, and even if someone initially agreed with his idea, they would probably change their minds after a while.
Part 2: I believe I would describe Eveline’s character as being someone who has never had the ability to maker her own choices in life. She is someone who has had to deal with the loss of her mother, and her friends and on top of this has had to deal with her abusive father, and his unreasonable demands on her. Throughout the story Joyce makes it seem as though Eveline is not really in control of her actions, almost as though they are being forced upon her, such as in the opening sentence, where Joyce’s word choice makes it seems as though she is being subjected to the sights and smells, whether she wants to or not. Also throughout the story it is made apparent Eveline’s distaste for her job and the work she is forced to perform around the house, yet at the same time Eveline also seems to understand the importance of what she does. After finishing the story my opinion of Eveline changed quite a bit. Throughout the story I tended to pity Eveline, her bad treatment, and her loss of mother and friends, etc. However, when Eveline refused to abandon her father and her two younger siblings, my opinion of her changed from pity to a kind of respect of her selflessness. At the end of the story I believe she passes up the opportunity because a) she is afraid of the prospect of making a decision for herself, and scared of the consequences, and b) because everyone in her life has left her, and she realizes the impact this has on people’s lives and she doesn’t want to force this upon her father or siblings.
