Thoughts About The Cherry Orchard

Act I of The Cherry Orchard was slightly confusing at first. With all of the funny names, it was difficult to understand what was going on. Watching the film production while trying to follow along in the book definitely helped with understanding. The difference between the servants and the people who owned the house was extreme, at least in the way they carried themselves. "Mama" or Lyubov, although in debt and broke, acted as if she hadn't a care in the world. Anya, disgusted by her mother's actions, told Varya how her mother behaved: "she always ordered the most expensive things and gave the waiters a whole rouble." The essence and apearance idea came to mind with the way they carried themselves.

When Yasha "embraces" Dunyasha, she screams, and he exits the room hastily. Yet when asked what is the matter, she simply says through her tears "I have broken a saucer." This gives us a realistic, and disturbing, idea of what goes on between servants and masters.

Another interesting piece of information we receive in Act I is the relationship between Anya and Trofimov. Anya expresses joy upon hearing his name, and Trofimov states "tenderly" that she is his "sunshine...[his] spring." Apparently, something is going on between them, or is about to start.

Chekhov has an amazing way of presenting information and introducing us to the story. Events are already occuring, and we know their situation. It is as if we were thrusted into the middle of the play - in a good way.

"Nobody Kin Tell"

Okay. When a person says something, generally they are telling the truth. Except, of course, liars. Personally, I don't think that Mark Twain was a liar, therefore, when he said "that the model for Huck Finn was a poor white boy[...] who once helped a run away slave" (p.4 of this essay), why didn't they just leave it at that?

Now, a certain "scholar" thinks that Huck might be a black boy based on a certain "Jimmy". Okay, sure, maybe this Jimmy boy influenced Huck's speech. But personally, I don't exactly think that Huck was black, because, well, let me think, he wasn't a slave? Hm...good point, right?

This just proves that people generally don't know what they are talking about, and like to make stuff up out of nothing, when really the author of a novel meant something to be one way, and they twist and change it, so that it is something else. Huck Finn wasn't black. Sure, he talked funny, because he wasn't educated! And also, he spent time with Jim, who was black.

And why did somebody write about this? It is not a big deal. So what if Huck's speech was taken from a source that was African American? To me, it wouldn't change the story at all. I would still interpret it as Mark Twain writing in a critique-ish way about his society.

And personally, I don't think that it has anything to do with the way Huck constantly uses the "n-word". Although the writer is correct in that when the "n-word" is used within a certain group, it does not hold offense, I don't think that very enlightened statement has much to do with Huck not being black at all. Because, as you know, in the story, Huck wasn't black.

Mark Twain used a white boy to show how society can teach us something completely wrong, which we will think is right. He used a white boy specifically to show the change from when he was in that society, to when he was out of the society, because blacks were being enslaved, and whites were being taught that that was okay. If Huck actually was black, that would make his story confusing and take away what Twain had wanted people to get out of it.

And that is the end of that.

PuhTayToe PoTeighTow

In this article about Black-Face Minstrelsy, the writer takes a decided stance that Mark Twain was depicting the African Americans as uninteligent, and subservient to the white folk. Did Mark Twain "cast [Jim] in the role of the 'minstrel darky'?", he asks.

Although this could be the case, I think he used Jim to show how African Americans were during that time period. They were uneducated: never taught how to read or write. Therefore, people viewed them as 'stupid'. My theory is that their speech also sounded 'dumb', because first of all, they were uneducated, but also, because English was not their language. Many "Blacks" were brought from Africa, so they had a heavy accent once they learned English. Their children then learned English from them, accent and all. Therefore their speech was not 'dumb' or 'wrong' at all, merely just different. Just like American-English and British-English sound different, "Slave"- English and "Slave-driver" - English also sound different.

I would also like to take this time to show my disgust of how anybody could think that they were better than anyone else. How on earth did anybody ever justify the thought that because of the color of someone's skin, they were less of a human-being as someone

else?

Because Mark Twain was against the racism going on during his time, I like him, and therefore can make allowances for his wield of the "n-word", simply because he was using it in a way to critique the revolting way his society treated human beings with darker skin.

Yet, I still don't really like Huckleberry Finn. Okay, let me rephrase that. I do not like the novel's main body, the ending being the exception. I love that Mark Twain made it a happy ending, and I love his Jim. And I love how his Jim talked. But I don't like reading about slavery. It just is a depressing topic.

"Dah, now, Huck, what I tell you? -what I tell oou up dah on Jackson islan'? I tole you I got a hairy breas', en what's de sign un it; en I tole you I ben rich wunst, en gwineter to be righ agin; en it's come true; eh heah she is! Dah now! Doan' talk to me--signs is signs, mine I tell you; en I knowed jis' 'swell 'at I 'uz gwineter be rich agin as I's a-stannin' heah dis minute!"

Vocabulary From the Practice AP Exam

Supercilious - adj. Behaving or looking as if one thinks he is superior to others

Mr. Collin's supercilious attitude annoyed the people around him.

Duplicitous - adj. Deceitful

The duplicitous politician lost the people's trust immediately

Capricious - adj. Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

Girls are often criticized for their capriciousness.

Fickle - adj. Changing frequently, esp. regarding one's loyalties, interests, or affections.

The fickle boy was soon found out for what he was - a player.

Transience - adj. Lasting only for a short time

The transience sun was followed by the rain.

Parsing - verb. To analyze

I parsed the poem for a clue as to what it meant.

Malign-. adj. - evil in nature or effect; verb - speak out about someone in a critical manner

Some Vegetarians dislike meat, because of the malign way in which some animals are killed.

Exhortation - noun. an address or communication, urging someone to do something

The exhortation delivered by the school's president was so severe, that most of the group decided to follow through with his idea.

Eminent - adj. used to emphasize the presence of a positive quality

Mary's way of talking was so eminent, many people stopped whatever they were doing, just to give her their full attention.

Inept - adj. clumsy

John was so inept, he frequently received scoldings for falling down the stairs.

Ardently - (This word was used in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice) - enthusiastic or

passionate

After a period of time, Mr. Darcy loved Elizabeth most ardently.

Brusque - adj. abrupt or off hand in speech or manner

Sometimes I feel quite brusque when I have to tell my little brother to wash his hands before supper, for the millionth time!

Vindictiveness - adj. having or showing a strong desire for revenge

The vindictiveness of Hamlet led to the death of many people, including himself.

Didactic - adj. intended to teach; in the manner of a teacher, esp. in a patronizing way

The lecture was given so didactically, many students felt stressed afterwards.

Ascetic - adj. characterization of severe self-discipline and abstentation

Nuns must have ascetic characters, otherwise they would constantly sin.

Camaraderie - noun. Mutual trust and friendship

My camaraderie and I enjoy each others company so much, we spend almost every weekend together.

Despondency - noun. a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage

Sometimes after falling off the beam, I feel a sense of despondency

Elegy - noun. a poem of serious reflecton

The elegy was so confusing, you could barely understand what the reflection was about.

Annihilation - (annihilate)verb. to destroy utterly

The AP Literature exam will be annihilated by the super smart students of Mr. Tangen.

Plight - a dangerous, difficult, situation

The plight of a student's every day life is very strenuous.

Pastoral - to give spiritual guidance

My mother often finds it necessary for pastoral speeches.

Censoring the 'n'-word

All throughout the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, I was absolutely disgusted by the racism which dripped from each sentence uttered by the characters. Dr. Gribben from the University of Auburn said, "We may applaud Twain's ability as a prominent American literary realist to record the speech of a particular region during a specific historical era, but abusive racial insults that bear distinct connotations of permanent inferiority nonetheless repulse modern-day readers." I absolutely agree. But is there anything we can do about it? History has already been written. George Santayana - a famous philosopher - said,

"those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

I am sure that slavery will never come back to the United States, but Santayana's point is that we cannot just forget about things that happened long ago. It wouldn't make sense to disregard a part of history - merely because it is appalling.

Therefore, it wouldn't make sense to remove the 'n' - word, or 'injun', from Mark Twain's work, Huckleberry Finn. First of all, it would distort the past, to hide our feelings from what was and what cannot be changed. Second of all, it would be taking away an important part of the work, which creates a feeling of disgust, yet approval when Huck distances himself from society, and loses the racism which was taught to him.

In conclusion, as much as I am opposed to the 'n'-word, I would have to say that it should be left in Huckleberry Finn. Yes, racism is completely alien, and wrong. But Mark Twain put it in for a reason, "Twain himself was a passionate critic of American racism" (Benedicte Page). He wrote down history in a way which would keep it from being forgotten, and who are we to change a great writer's story?