The 5 Journal Entries

First Entry : The Tell-Tale Heart

I think there are two ways of seeing this story. First, it is possible that the eye truly was evil or that the main character was indeed mad. I personally believe that the author made it this way so we would have to decide ourselves between the two versions. More rational people would generally go for the madness scenario and some more esoteric would go for the other one. For my part, being more rational, I certainly prefer to picture the character as truly mad, being cheated by his own mind.

Second Entry : The Story of an Hour

This story is clearly a prefeminist one. It was written just before the real pro-women movements were to become a reality. It tells of the man ignoring the silent suffering of his wife and also who dominates her. All her life, she was never able to live for herself, everything had to go through her husband or actually be done by him. The husband was even unconscious of it and probably thought of himself as a very good and providing one. This text is about the unspoken but very alive will of women to manage their own life.

Third Entry : Hills Like White Elephants

This story can be linked with the previous one, The Story of an Hour. In both, women are dominated by men. The first one shows a minor form of domination, not much intended and weighting little by little on the wife’s mind. The second story sets in action a man clearly imposing his will on his girlfriend. She wants the child, as the author leaves small proofs of it, and the man doesn’t want it so she will have to get an abortion. This form is even more chocking than the previous one because of its clearer feeling of women being powerless.

Fourth Entry : The Lottery

This text relates to old traditions that are still in effect but doesn’t have any more sense. It can be applied to any society, but the author might have intended to aim the American people, herself being American. Every tradition that looses its meaning should always be revised instead of only stay as it is because of its status. I cannot think of a clear American example but only of one from India. There, wives are subject to a terrible fate might their husband die earlier then them, which is often the case considering that women are married younger than men. The only to avoid burning with their husband is either becoming a prostitute or going some kind nun. Their life ends with their husband, and this is performed by tradition.

Note : Because of the STM maintenance staff’s strike, I didn’t go to the play. I didn’t want to wait after the play until 23h00-23h15 for the metro to pass and finally come back at my home between midnight or later since I have to wake up at 5h30 the next morning for the same reason when my class is past midday, since a I am common transports user.

Fifth Entry : The Veldt

I liked this story because it was very different from the previous one. It was the first science fiction novel in the book. I had never heard from this story nor from its author but I was very surprised. Even if it was a science fiction story, it was made very believable by its psychological approach with the children. The nursery can be compared today with videogames which children can play for hours straight. However, children rarely become mad because of videogames and stories of parents killed because they shut the machine down.