You'll need to have read through the end of Chapter IV, first and foremost. Then, choose four (4) of the following questions to answer -- click on the "COMMENT" tag at the bottom of this post, and write (or "cut and paste") your answers there. At the risk of stating the obvious, these are not short answers. Doesn't mean I'm expecting four essays, but take your time, and think along the lines of "less is NOT more." ; ) For the sake of clarity, please identify (by #) which question you're answering. Answers need to be posted by the beginning of class on Monday, September 22nd. (Class time in computer lab will be provided on Friday, September 19th.)
1. What do you make of the chapter titles thus far? I think I spoke to the fact (to some of you at least) that, in part, they're just... funny. A question might be posed about the fourth chapter "having no title." Au contraire... the title is: "Fourth Chapter." Which strikes me as pretty freakin' funny, especially in context of the complexity and detail of the preceding chapters (and the ones that follow). Plus, not to give anything away, but the contrast between the specificity of the previous three chapters (where nothing really happens) and the stark simplicity of "Fourth Chapter," given what actually HAPPENS in that chapter, is pretty funny as well. Don't be intimidated by them... they'll make a lot more sense once you get into the book in general, and once you read the actual chapter in question. In some ways, they're like the punchline of the joke, which won't make sense until you've heard the joke itself... So I ask again: What do you make of the chapter titles? What do you think they "mean" or refer to (other than my "funny" theory)? What other possible function(s) do they serve?
2. In Chapter I, what do you make of Lucy and Miss Bartlett's concern over "a room with a view"? (Hey... where have I heard or seen that phrase before? It seems familiar somehow...) And for that matter, what do you make of Lucy and Miss Bartlett? How do they compare to the other British tourists in Italy and/or at the Pensione Bertolini?
3. Page 5, 2nd paragraph: "Miss Barlett, though skilled in the delicacies of conversation, was powerless in the presence of brutality. It was impossible to snub anyone so gross." Comments?
4. Page 7, 3rd paragraph from bottom: "It is so difficult -- at least, I find it difficult -- to understand people who speak the truth." What do you make of this statement, along with the paragraph as a whole, and its speaker?
5. Lucy and the piano... Interesting, no? How and why does she seem to change or transform (or possibly reveal her true self?) when she plays? Thoughts? (Note: See Mr. Beebe's quote at the bottom of p. 24).
6. Chapter III title. "Music" I get. "Violets" I get (and they'll become more important shortly). But "the letter S"? See page 28, and tell me what you make of this...
7. What do you make of Mr. Emerson (the elder) and George (his son)? Part of the fun and humor of the book, for me at least, is seeing what happens when you put two people like the Emersons in a situation with the other Brits who, for the most part, are TREMENDOUSLY uptight and concerned with etiquette and proper behavior and societal expectations and all that "stuff." Kinda like putting a bongo-playing slam poet who smokes clove cigarettes at a dinner table with a group of really uptight accountants... That's part of what this kind of "comedy of manners" is all about -- exposing the hypocrisy of social hierarchies and rules and expectations, especially when they cause people to act in ways that are insincere or dishonest or result in unhappiness...
1. What do you make of the chapter titles thus far? I think I spoke to the fact (to some of you at least) that, in part, they're just... funny. A question might be posed about the fourth chapter "having no title." Au contraire... the title is: "Fourth Chapter." Which strikes me as pretty freakin' funny, especially in context of the complexity and detail of the preceding chapters (and the ones that follow). Plus, not to give anything away, but the contrast between the specificity of the previous three chapters (where nothing really happens) and the stark simplicity of "Fourth Chapter," given what actually HAPPENS in that chapter, is pretty funny as well. Don't be intimidated by them... they'll make a lot more sense once you get into the book in general, and once you read the actual chapter in question. In some ways, they're like the punchline of the joke, which won't make sense until you've heard the joke itself... So I ask again: What do you make of the chapter titles? What do you think they "mean" or refer to (other than my "funny" theory)? What other possible function(s) do they serve?
2. In Chapter I, what do you make of Lucy and Miss Bartlett's concern over "a room with a view"? (Hey... where have I heard or seen that phrase before? It seems familiar somehow...) And for that matter, what do you make of Lucy and Miss Bartlett? How do they compare to the other British tourists in Italy and/or at the Pensione Bertolini?
3. Page 5, 2nd paragraph: "Miss Barlett, though skilled in the delicacies of conversation, was powerless in the presence of brutality. It was impossible to snub anyone so gross." Comments?
4. Page 7, 3rd paragraph from bottom: "It is so difficult -- at least, I find it difficult -- to understand people who speak the truth." What do you make of this statement, along with the paragraph as a whole, and its speaker?
5. Lucy and the piano... Interesting, no? How and why does she seem to change or transform (or possibly reveal her true self?) when she plays? Thoughts? (Note: See Mr. Beebe's quote at the bottom of p. 24).
6. Chapter III title. "Music" I get. "Violets" I get (and they'll become more important shortly). But "the letter S"? See page 28, and tell me what you make of this...
7. What do you make of Mr. Emerson (the elder) and George (his son)? Part of the fun and humor of the book, for me at least, is seeing what happens when you put two people like the Emersons in a situation with the other Brits who, for the most part, are TREMENDOUSLY uptight and concerned with etiquette and proper behavior and societal expectations and all that "stuff." Kinda like putting a bongo-playing slam poet who smokes clove cigarettes at a dinner table with a group of really uptight accountants... That's part of what this kind of "comedy of manners" is all about -- exposing the hypocrisy of social hierarchies and rules and expectations, especially when they cause people to act in ways that are insincere or dishonest or result in unhappiness...
2. Lucy and Miss Bartlett complain about not having room with a view. They talk about how the Cockney Signora couldn’t even give them their desired rooms they had asked for. I think Lucy and Miss Bartlett are snobbish because they have the attitude that they are better than everyone else. For example, when Mr. Emerson and George tried offering them their rooms, they turned them down because they could not sleep in a bed that had been accompanied by someone of lower social status. Compared to the other tourists, they are of a higher social class. They both expect to be pampered to and get whatever they want when they want it.
ReplyDelete3. These lines of text refer to Miss Bartlett trying to snub Mr. Emerson. She was powerless in Mr. Emerson’s presence because Mr. Emerson doesn’t care that Miss Bartlett is attempting to snub him. It is impossible to snub someone who doesn’t care in the first place. This angers Miss Bartlett because she did not succeed in her attempt to snub Mr. Emerson.
1. I think that the chapter titles in A Room with a View are witty but they also provide a little information of what to expect in the coming chapter. For example, Chapter one is titled The Signora. In the chapter Lucy and Miss Bartlett complain about how the Cockney Signora couldn’t give them rooms with a view. The chapter title gave a very brief look into what was going to happen in the chapter.
4. Mr. Beebe, sums up an opinion held by all of conventional society. Nobody can really understand the people who are direct and honest, since everyone else is so caught up in following decorum. Mr. Beebe explains that Mr. Emerson is just trying to be a gentleman and give his rooms to the women who are upset.
1. The Chapter titles are interesting. They reveal a lot about what is going to happen throughout the chapter. For example the first chapters title "The Bertolini" is about Lucy and Miss Bartlett arrival at a hotel called The Pensione Bertolini and a mishap with their rooms. Most of the Chapter titles in this book give the readers a look into what is to come in the chapter ahead of them.
ReplyDelete2. In the first chapter of the book Lucy and Miss Bartlett arrive at The Pensione Bertolini to find out that their request for "A Room with a View" has been overlooked. Lucy and Miss Bartlett are obviously High class and probably used to getting anything and everything they request so when they realize that they did not receive their desired room they probably felt disrespected. Throughout the rest of the chapter they complain, and rant, and complain some more about the mishap with their rooms. I think Lucy and Miss Bartlett are going to have a pattern throughout the book with being treated quite differently than they are accustomed to and not having things go exactly the way they desire them to. Compared to the other tourists Lucy and Miss Bartlett are stuck up. The characters that we have met so far are fairly modest but Lucy and Miss Bartlett look at their wealth as a way to show off and make people feel below them.
3. This statement is referring Mr. Emerson and Miss Bartlett. Mr. Emerson had just offered Lucy and Miss Bartlett his rooms, which had a view, in exchange for theirs. At first they both denied the request to switch rooms but Mr. Emerson is persistent, he's the type of person that will do anything to get what he wants. Miss Bartlett is appalled by his attempts to switch rooms because, how dare someone of lower class give charity to someone of higher class! Mr. Emerson doesn't let her arrogance stop him from getting what he wants. Miss Bartlett attempts to "snub" Mr. Emerson but he, frankly, doesn't care what Miss Bartlett thinks of him and her attempts to ignore him backfires and the more she ignores him the more he pressures her into switching rooms.
4. This line is said by Reverend Beebe, which is pretty odd seeing as reverends are supposed to be truthful yet he can't handle people who tell the truth. He says this line about Mr. Emerson because he has no filter. Whatever Mr. Emerson says pretty much goes into his head and out of his mouth simultaneously.
3.) Miss Bartlett is very prim and proper and so the way Mr. Emerson was speaking to her made her feel very uncomforatable, upset, and powerless and she wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. It was also impossible for Miss Bartlett to snub Mr. Emerson because he wouldn't have cared if she snubbed him because he isn't a part of that kind of "group".
ReplyDelete5.) Lucy seems to transform when she is playing the piano because she is able to open up and truly be herself. She can finally show through the music that she is not really who she acts like she is, Lucy has more of a rebellious spirit than she is able to show because a lady is not supposed to act that way. Also, through music, Lucy can be anyone she wants to be, because it is a way to express herself.
6.) The letter S is mentioned twice on page 28, and to be completely honest, I have no clue what to make of it. I don't know whether it's a person, or something to do with a person, or what it is. But whatever the letter S is that they mentioned, Miss Lavish was attracted to the mentioning of it, and it seemed to cause some upset when mentioned again.
7.) I think Mr. Emerson and his son George mean well, and are actually kind people. But I think that because they don't talk or behave the way the higher class people do, they are looked down upon. I also think that because of this, higher class people don't know what to do, or how to react to people like Mr. Emerson and George because they don't act like them, but Mr. Emerson and George are probably better people than most of the upper class people. Mr. Emerson and George are also being themselves, they aren't preending to be people they aren't just so they can fit into a higher society or so people will like them.
1. The chapter titles I believe describe the chapter itself, it sets you up for the chapter. The titles also I believe show the complexity of the chapter, whether it’s simple or more to that chapter. Chapter one is “Bertolini” and is just about the hotel and the beginning of the vacation. Chapter two is “In Santa Croce with No Baedecker” and the chapter is much more complex.
ReplyDelete2. Lucy and Charlotte even though they seemed disappointed that the room they requested wasn’t given to them, and the fact a Cockney was running the hotel seemed more confused that at this hotel it was just tourist that were similar to them and that there was no Italians.
3. I mean I think it is pretty rude but back then people of higher class thought like this and now we just don’t act like that, for the most part. I think she didn’t necessarily wanted to come off rude but I believe she was very stunned in the fact he spoke to her and it was like she hit a brick wall, the words couldn’t come out.
4. I think that he means that just being honest and telling the truth doesn’t always make sense but many people do so. The paragraph I think is interesting because the debate of polite and obligation comes up and it got me thinking about that for the first time, does being polite make things an obligation for people who don’t want to be obligated? I believe it is something to think about.
2. In “A Room With a View” Lucy and Miss Bartlett become troubled by the fact that they did not receive rooms facing a view. The way Miss. Bartlett handled this situation by complaining about it, but then refusing the offer of a new room, made her appear pompous and arrogant, like she was too good to accept a room from the men offering, seeing as they don’t have the same social status as her. Lucy, I believe has somewhat of a snooty personality but nothing like Miss. Bartletts. Comparing these two to other British tourists in Italy and at the Pensione Bertolini, it becomes obvious they put themselves on a higher pedestal.
ReplyDelete3. The quote “Miss Bartlett, though skilled in the delicacies of conversation was powerless in the presence of brutality. It was impossible to snub anyone so gross”, allows the reader to understand the situation so much more. It shows that Miss Bartlett’s uses many tactics to make others know they are of lesser status than her, by snubbing someone, she’s letting that person know that she does not need to speak with them any further nor does she want to. She does it in a way to be hurtful too, giving her power. As she tries to snub Mr. Emerson (as If he isn’t already aware of his lesser status) she soon realizes he isn’t going to go away that easily. She knows, and Mr. Emerson knows that he does not care if she excludes herself from his life. Therefore, Miss Bartlett becomes powerless.
4. Sometimes, people can be so caught up with decorum that they’re knocked off guard by someone who’s brutally honest. Lucy and Miss Bartlett are wrapped around the idea of perfect etiquette, behaving properly with good taste and propriety that when they come in contact with Mr. Emerson, his honestly comes off as a shock to them. When discussing this situation to Miss. Bartlett, Mr. Bebbe states “it is so difficult—at least, I find it difficult—to understand people who speak the truth.” Which to me, this statement might’ve been said to provide relief to the two women. By speaking to them and saying this, Bebbe allows the women to understand that Mr. Emmerson is simply willing to trade rooms and nothing more.
5. After Lucy plays the piano, it become apparent Lucy is in fact her own person. While Miss. Bartlett may have quite the influence on Lucy, Lucy shows she can be rebellious if she wants to. Lucy starts to deviate from the snooty, pompous attitude she gave off in the previous chapters. Playing the piano is a reminder of this, that Lucy isn’t her cousin Miss Bartlett, and that she doesn’t have to act exactly like her.
1. The first chapter, ‘Bertolini’, is just that. It gives the reader a visual of the venue that Lucy and Ms. Bartlett are staying at and the other guests. Chapter two, ‘In Santa Croce with No Baedeckar” describes the trip that Lucy takes to explore the city, and ends up losing her guide during the travels. In chapter three, Music relates to the finding that Lucy becomes visibly more interesting while she plays the piano. The “Letter S” is referred to in the story of Mr. Emerson warning Miss Pole of her stomach acidity. This is meant to strengthen the reader’s view that Emerson, though socially inept, is quite insightful. Chapter four, simply named Chapter 4, is titled as such to give as little notice to what occurs in the chapter as possible. There is little lead up into the climax of the chapter, so the stabbing of the civilian is a complete surprise to the reader.
ReplyDelete4. I think that with the time period that the novel is set in, it seems to fit. Most individuals in the book seem to twist their words to seem pleasant, yet are not truthful with their statements. The speaker seems genuinely sympathetic towards Emerson and how others view him. The whole paragraph he is defending the man to Ms. Bartlett, that though he seems insincere, he only has good intent.
5. I believe that while Lucy plays the piano, she is releasing the pent up frustration she has with her cousin, Ms. Bartlett. She is clearly being taken under her wing, and the way Ms. Bartlett wants her raised is a clearly different path than what Lucy wants to take. She is forced to live a dull, placid life, yet while playing the piano, she is able to escape into an extravagant new world.
7. Mr. Emerson and his son George pose an intense contrast to the other characters. They are very forthright with their thoughts, which are considered rude and gaudy. Lucy describes Emerson as “a very foolish old man” and “a very irreligious one”, both of which, especially the latter, are incredibly powerful statements of the time. Emerson makes it well known to Lucy that his son is deeply troubled, and still acts childish for his age.
(#2) While on their trip to Italy, I think Lucy and Miss Bartlett are concerned about seeing everything there is to see. They want to use their Baedeker, a tourist almanac, to see the most popular or best rated places in Florence. It makes sense that Miss Bartlett and Lucy throw a fit over not having “a room with a view.” I think part of the reason they throw the fit is because of the pressure Miss Bartlett feels from Lucy’s mother. Lucy’s mother, having paid for Miss Bartlett’s trip, expects her to take strict care of her daughter and to provide her with the best experience. Another part of why they throw the fit is because they’re used to having things go their way and coming from upper-class England, they’re shocked at how they’re treated upon arrival.
ReplyDelete(#3) Miss Bartlett’s reaction to Mr. Emerson is overdone and melodramatic. Mr. Emerson doesn’t have manners and speaks his mind and to Miss Bartlett that kind of behavior is unacceptable. Miss Bartlett claims the way Mr. Emerson made the gutsy move of offering the two ladies a room with a view was “brutal”. The only way Mr. Emerson is “brutal” is that he offers his rooms to upper class England tourists in an improper way. Miss Bartlett views herself as better than the Emersons and most tourists rooming in their hotel.
(#4) Mr. Beebe tries to stand in between the prim and proper and the ill-mannered citizens. His statement about the “difficultly in understanding people who speak the truth” proves he’s not truly halfway between these two different lives. Mr. Beebe is understanding with Miss Bartlett and the uptight lifestyle they live in England but he knows of the falsities and the insincere way they live. He favors the Emersons, even though they come off improper, because he believes they aren’t fictitious.
(#5) When Lucy plays the piano, she is able to create something beautiful while having the freedom she wants. She is able to be in control and take risks when she plays. Mr. Beebe realizes Lucy doesn’t fit in with the uptight society Miss Bartlett and her family are a part of. His response to her performance shows he’s aware of her curiousness and liveliness. I think Mr. Beebe is relieved and excited when Lucy plays and reveals her true self.
Miguel Bustamante
ReplyDelete2) It seemed to bother Charlotte most. I believe Lucy is just going along for the ride she seems not too strong willed; as if she has been born into a group and has gone along with it because, she has not found another option. Charlotte, I have a strong distaste for, she seems content with manipulating and gossiping about everything and everyone. She seems content only when she is complaining. She reminds me of the kind of people who buy cheap coffee everyday just so they can complain about it on twitter.
3) Forthright is not a valuable or meriting attribute to the “decorum” of the era. Hence, being able to put things delicately or having “tact” is admirable. It is then safe to assume Charlotte perpetually has another meaning when she speaks.
5) As I stated in my first response, Lucy has not found another group to hang out with to put colloquially. Music inevitably is her escape. She can play whatever she wishes, and “feel the notes”. Lucy has a side of her that is still asleep and has yet to be awakened.
7) I fear Emersons are going to be victimized in this story. The other characters are definitely going to attempt to ostracize them. However if it does occur then it might have a similar plot as the Pixar short “For the Birds”. In which they will make fools of themselves in their rigid insincerity.
ReplyDelete2) I think Lucy and Miss Bartlettes concern over the whole room with a view ordeal is really hilarious. It I was offered a better room with a view I’d take the offer so easily. The face that Lucy makes a big deal over it makes me laugh because she’s so anal about it. They’re the type of tourists who I wouldn’t be the kindest to because of how they initially reacted to Mr. Emersons offer.
3) I think that what Miss Barlett meant by being powerless in the presence of brutality, and that it was hard to snub someone so gross, was that her way of etiquette sort of clashes with the way Mr. Emerson presents himself. In this society, Miss Barlett is more of the uptight kind of person where as Mr. Emerson is more of the easy going, not really caring sort of person. Miss Bartlett doesn’t admire this way of presenting himself and it makes her upset because she’s never really encountered someone like him. She’s confused on what to do when Mr. Emerson talks because it’s not what she is used to and she doesn’t really like the change.
4) I think that the statement Mr. Beebe said about finding it difficult to understand people who speak the truth, showed how their uptight society really is. Mr. Emerson speaks his mind; he says what the truth is, but not necessarily in a bad way, just a way no one is really used to. Mr. Beebe simply is confused by the way Mr. Emerson can tell the truth that no one else does.
5) Mr. Beebe remarked to someone that if Lucy ever learned to live as she plays, it would be a great event. I think Lucy changes when she plays because she can truly show herself through the piece she is playing. Lucy wants to live life her way and be happy. When she plays music she can choose her own piece and be herself and not like everyone else. She’s passionate of her music because it’s her only outlet of emotions that differ from most people.
Francesca Gambino
ReplyDelete3. Miss Bartlett's "power" and "rank" come from her ability to snub and Mr Emerson, in all of his "grossness", renders her of that power. This is the
root of her distaste for the Emersons. She cannot assert herself as more imporant because they do not see her that way. This crushes Miss Charlotte
because the most important thing to her is to not only be seen, but also to be respected and in a way, feared. Not feared in the way one should fear Anton Chigurh or Voldemort, but in the way that one fears an intimidating boss that you
secretly admire. Mr Emerson's complete disregard for the social barriers set between them floors her.
4. This quote just sums up the the theme of the novel (as far as I've read anyway). All Beebe is saying is that he and someone like Miss Bartlett
have a hard time understanding people like the Emersons because it's impossible to be both direct while keeping up with the status quo that they're so desperate to belong to.
5. At the start of the novel, Lucy is a pretty unremarkable character. She is plain, has brown hair and does what she's told. She does nothing of note and says nothing of note. But she first begins to come alive when she is playing the piano. Mr Beebe says, "If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting--both for us and for her." Beebe recognizes the desire to live freely and with expression in her through her playing before she herself can even see it. Her "true self" at this point in the novel is someone battling with their two natures. Lucy cannot decide which side to commit to: the carefully
calculated side with Miss Bartlett or the more rebellious and free side with the Emersons. This conflict is actually mirrored through her playing the piano. The piano is a classic instrument, held in high regard in many societies. But the fact that Lucy's signature piece here is Beethoven (the biggest rock and roll pianist, if there ever was one) shows her desire to rebel. It also helps her escape from the pressures of her society, if only for a few moments. "Lucy at once re-entered her daily life."
6. I honestly think the "S" mentioned here stands for the word "stomach." I think it
would make sense on account of the lines,
"'All the same, she is a little too--I hardly like to say unwomanly, but she behaved most strangely when the Emersons arrived.'
Mr. Beebe smiled as Miss Alan plunged into an anecdote which he knew she would be unable to finish in the presence of a gentleman. ...
Her jaw dropped. She was silent. Mr. Beebe, whose social resources were endless, went out to order some tea, and she continued to Lucy in a hasty whisper:
'Stomach. ...'"
These women of stature and class have sticks so far up their asses that they won't even utter the word "stomach" in front of a man. It's almost comical.
2) In Chapter 1, when Lucy and Miss Bartlett are concerned over which room they got made it clear that they were part of the higher class that didn't want anything to do with the the lower class. Lucy especially complains about the Signora's accent and how it is a Cockney which means the Signora is in fact lower class. They were being stuck up about their particular room because they were used to rooms with great views and they are under the impression that they got a bad room.
ReplyDelete3) I believe the reason Miss Bartlett thinks that its impossible to "snub'' anyone so gross is because if you snub someone that is fact in the lower class then that is giving them all the attention that they want and that is not the purpose of snubbing or shunning someone in Miss Bartlett's perspective.
5) When Lucy plays the piano, It not only brings out her true self but it also her gives her comfort in being herself. She distances herself with Miss Bartlett and leaves "daily life" to become someone entirely unique and exciting. She also expressing herself through playing the piano and the piano playing says that Lucy is one of a kind.
6) I think the the letter "S" on page 28 stands for stomach because it is one of the subject of discussion Miss Lavish bring up, just like music and violets. Also, the word "stomach" is referred as "S" for the the rest of the conversation after it is said once to signify a higher class separation to never say that word in public.
Jaden Buono
ReplyDeleteSeptember 19, 2014
1. I had read the title to every chapter after I got to chapter four and I have to believe that it is pretty funny. At first I was thinking that maybe this was in the narration of a child but only a few of the chapter styles would suggest that. My second theory is that the chapter titles are just stating the obvious. The chapter titles also seem to just tell you what is going to happen in the chapter (except four and twelve). For example chapter six is called “The Reverend Arthur Beebe, the Reverend Cuthbert Eager, Mr. Emerson, Mr. George Emerson, Miss Eleanor Lavish, Miss Charlotte Bartlett, and Miss Lucy Honeychurch Drive Out in Carriages to See a View; Italians Drive Them.” This confused me because it just told me what they are doing in this chapter. It seems like a description on the back of a book. Chapter four and chapter twelve are made to surprise you. The titles of these chapters make them seem boring however the most exciting things happen in these chapters. I think the author wanted to catch the reader off guard and make you expect a dull chapter.
2. Lucy and Charlotte wanting a room with a view made me think “of course!” They both seem to be the typical high society woman who wants and gets everything. I quite enjoy Lucy because she seems to be trying to find herself in all this craziness and seems less snobbish that most of the women. Charlotte on the other hand seems very typical. She seems more selfish than Lucy and more demanding. She wants more than Lucy and is sneaky at getting things (such as the bigger room). However I do like that Charlotte is very protective over Lucy even though it means being rude towards others. Compared to all the other women Lucy seems like a bird breaking away while Charlotte is just like them all.
3. I didn’t really notice this saying until it was mentioned in class. I find it hilarious because it reminds me so much of me. I thought of it as a sort of slap in the face for Charlotte who was clueless at that point. She found that it was impossible to “snub” the Emerson’s as they wouldn’t care. Much to my amusement Charlotte doesn’t know what to think of the Emerson’s and later on in George Emerson’s, now Charlotte’s, hotel room, Charlotte seemed very concerned with whose room she took.
4. (Actually Number 7) I quite like the Emerson’s as they remind me of me. Their uncaring attitudes towards society made me want to meet them and their willingness (old Mr. Emerson at least) to give up their hotels rooms was pretty cool. I enjoy how they don’t stick to the status quo but instead are themselves. They seem more intelligent than the rest (except Lucy) and more willing to be abnormal. I relate to them a lot with the defying the status quo and being ignorant to others opinions. I feel I would get along with them but at the same time hate them (mostly George).
From Erin Stryker --
ReplyDelete2. Lucy and miss Bartlett are exactly the image of British tourists. Upon their arrival in Italy, they find fault in their accommodations rather than enjoying your vacation. One of Miss Bartlett's initial concerns is the rooms lack of a Baedaekker, the travel guide every British tourist. Many of the guests at dinner empathize with the girls yet do not offer any solution. Their fellow British tourists share in their shock when Lucy and Miss Bartlett are offered "a room with a view," and by two men, nonetheless.in typical British high society fashion, the two women are more concerned with the view from their rooms and the customs of travel and British society than they are with leaving the Pensione Bertolini and genuinely experiencing Italy.
3. In the presence of Mr. Emerson at a kid must be abandoned; Miss Bartlett does not understand how to do anything that is not based in proper social interactions, nor does she understand people who do not abide by these unwritten rules. Well Mr. Emerson's actions are described as "brutality" they are merely blunt. Miss Bartlett is powerless to snub him, not because he's not gross, but because he does not follow her "rules" or care for her opinions.
4. As a person of higher social standing, Mr. Beebe is accustomed to hearing things in unnecessarily complex fashion that things are said by anyone with basic manners. People, at least "decent" people do not speak bluntly; civil people have difficulties understanding these people because it is simply unacceptable to speak in the straightforward fashion that they do. The paragraph itself is written in an appropriately long-winded, rambling style as it is characteristic of the speech of civil people. However, I find that this style of speech is out of place for the Rev. Beebe as the word of God is simple and plainly written.
7. I find Mr. Emerson and George intriguing because they're so different than men of their time are typically portrayed. While they may be socially and apps, they are not rude. They are genuinely kind to miss Bartlett and Lucy, whether or not they intend to be. They believe that the women should take the rooms, not because they wish that women to be indebted to them, but because there should be no fuss over frivolities such as the view from my hotel room. Well Mr. Emerson and George are not concerned with social expectations, They are the only truthful and blatantly honest people at the hotel.
7. I think of the Emersons in this novel much like I picture my father at his first family dinner with my mother's parents. A long haired tattooed skinny philosophy major wearing john Lennon glasses and a bandanna surrounded by floral prints, cookie jars, and people who really value normalcy making veiled allusions to their extreme discomfort and disapproval. This novel illustrates the comedy that ensues when blunt honesty and abnormality faces extreme normalcy, passive aggressive sarcasm, and forced smiles.
ReplyDelete3. To snub is to shun from a social circle someone you believe has acted inappropriately. This method of social correction is only effective if the person who is being snubbed cares about being accepted in your social circle. Since Mr. Emerson does not care about etiquette or being approved of by Ms. Bartlette, her attempts to snub him prove entirely ineffective.
5. Lucy is experiencing confusion typical of young women of her time period. With such a strict set of rules and social etiquette to follow, Lucy struggles to please her family and elders, while maintaining her identity. The only time Lucy seems free of this struggle is when she plays the piano. When she is playing, no one else can determine how the piece ends. She gets to decide the fate of the composition, and it always ends in victory; unlike her day-to-day- life, in which others always seem to decide her fate for her.
4. This quote shows just how convoluted Victorian etiquette was. People were so preoccupied with behaving and speaking properly that they could hardly speak. You practically needed a key to discern what they were trying to tell you. By saying this, Mr. Beebe shows that, since he has grown up around this culture of shaded statements, he finds it difficult to understand people who make themselves easily understood- who speak the truth.
Kali Ryan
ReplyDelete3.Mr. Emerson, unlike Miss Bartlett, has a very abrupt and not so proper
manner. When he offended Miss Bartlett, she instinctively tries to ignore
him. Come to find out, her powers are useless on him. Snubbing a person
like Mr. Emerson, who could care less if they were being snubbed is
pointless. Snubbing only works if the person being snubbed cares what other
think of them. Mr. Emerson is not this person.
4.Though Miss Bartlett is perceived as a high-class lady of morals and
manners, she is nothing more than a pretender, fake and phony. The life she
lives and everything she says, is built on a foundation of lies. She is
dishonest so often that she is astonished when someone speaks the truth.
This, for the most part, is the case for many of the proper, uptight,
high-class Brits.
5.Lucy impresses her audience in Chapter Three while playing the piano. She
exposes a part of herself by showing how passionate and energetic she is.
Mr. Beebe predicts that one day she will live life with as much enjoyment
and zest as she plays the piano with.
6. I believe that the letter "S", in the chapter "Music, Violets, and the
letter S", stands for stomach. The word stomach is looked at as "foul" and
"improper", so people of such class could never say something so gross!