Entry 77: Pressure from Parents

In Faulkner’s story, “A Rose for Emily,” what conflicts existed between Emily and her father? How did the horsewhip fit into those conflicts? Why do you think their relationship ended up being the way it was? What similarities between your own relationship with your parents and the relationship between Miss Emily and her father do you see? If none, have you ever seen other people that have relationships with their parents like that?

• The conflict that existed between Emily and her father in the story "A Rose for Emily" by Faulkner was concerned with marriage. Because Emily's family was aristocratic and has a high status, Emily's father did not believe that anyone was fit to marry his daughter. Therefore, he drove away any and all suitors and kept Emily unmarried for a very long time. However, this conflicted with Emily's desire to love and to be love, and it twisted and distorted Emily's character so that in the end, she became a murderer who kills without any regrets. Emily's relationship with her father was that of a love hate relationship: Emily loved her father for being her father, but she hated him for keeping her away from love.
• The horsewhip was mentioned in the story when the narrator described the painting of Emily and her father. Emily's father was holding the horsewhip, and it signifies that his father is keeping and driving away the suitors using the horsewhip, and protecting Emily but sheltering and keeping her behind him and away from society and away from reality.
• My relationship with my parents differs because I am allowed a greater freedom when talking about relationships. My parents don't care who I am with as long as I still do what I am supposes to do, and in this case, it is referring to academics.

Entry 76: White Lie

Colonel Sartoris’s white lie to Miss Emily about her taxes is an attempt to spare her pride. Judge Stevens also takes steps to protect her, basically by allowing her to live a lie. What do you think about “white lies”? Is it morally acceptable to spare someone’s feelings by lying to him or her? If so, where do you draw the line? How do you feel about being lied to? Considering the disastrous outcome of the lies that were told to Miss Emily, what do you think might be the result of lying to help someone “save face” or simply just to avoid an uncomfortable situation?

• Many people tell lies to avoid uncomfortable situations, no matter if the lies are good or bad. Some lies are told to deceive, while other lies are told just to avoid awkward and uncomfortable situations. These are called white lies. White lies are usually harmless lies said to help and to protect other people. However, despite it appearing beneficial and advantageous, white lies are actually very similar to lies said to deceive. The only difference is the intention when the lie was told, and it is often very, very hard to tell the difference.
• White lies are usually not acceptable in society, because it is still a form of a lie. However, people often tell these lies because they believe that white lies are appropriate to save face during awkward and uncomfortable situations and help improve social relationships.
• I believe that white lies are essential because white lies are necessary for maintaining healthy social relationships. If we don't tell white lies, it will be very awkward. For example, imagine if a fat person asked you if he or she is fat or not. You wouldn't outright tell him or her that he or she is fat. So you tell a white lie so he or she won't feel awkward. The person wouldn't be hurt too because he or she knows that he or she is actually fat.

Entry 75: Shadow of the Past

In Faulkner’s story, “A Rose for Emily,” what ways is Emily affected by the shadows of the past? Explain how Emily has been shaped by the culture and historical period in which she lives. Discuss her family’s sense of its position in society, and cite details from the story to support your ideas. Then think about the world you live in today. Do you think that a similar story could be set in today’s world? Are there social groups in Taiwan, the US or elsewhere that are stuck living in the past, or that still reap the benefits of a bygone time? If so, describe these groups. If not, explain why you think so.

• Emily's higher social status as well as her father were two of the biggest shadows that affected Emily in the past, and these two things were influenced by the culture and historical period of the time Emily's story occurred in. In Emily's time period, the people of the South looked down on the African Americans. They also believed that women should marry and not be able to do the things that men know how to do. Emily didn't marry because her father drove off suitors because he believed that Emily was too good for them (because of their higher social status). This caused Emily's strong desire to find love, which she couldn't, because she was too old (for that time period). This later on caused Emily to cling onto her father even though he died, and ultimately, the events thwarted and distorted her personality so much that she became a murderer. Similar stories may happen in the present day, in isolated places that have not been influenced by globalization, in places that have kept it's cultural traditions alive despite of cultural imperialism. The places are most likely very rigid in thought, which is very similar to how people in Emily's time period think, and this may result in a similar story plot.

Entry 74: Poetry's Social Function

T.S. Eliot believed that poetry has a social function. He wrote, “I think it is important that every people should have its own poetry, not simply for those who enjoy poetry . . . but because it actually makes a difference to the society as a whole, and that means to people who do not enjoy poetry… Unless people go on producing great authors, and especially great poets, their language will deteriorate, their culture will deteriorate and perhaps become absorbed in a stronger one.” What do you think about this assertion? Do you agree or disagree? Do you see any evidence of deterioration in culture or language? Do you think poetry’s popularity has an effect on such things?

• I believe that this is quite a true statement. In human geography, there are the terms acculturation and assimilation. Both of these refer to when a culture that is not as dominate is integrated and merged with another culture that is more dominant. Then, as a result, the original not as dominant culture would disappear and people would conform to the society and traditions of the dominant culture. This is quite similar to what T.S. Eliot is saying in his quote. He says that unless people go on and maintain their culture (which is referring to the "...great authors, especially great poets,..."), their culture will disappear (which is referring to the "...their language will deteriorate, their culture will deteriorate...") and be assimilated into a stronger and more dominant culture (which is referring to "...and perhaps become absorbed in a stronger one."). An example of deterioration in culture or language today can be seen when hundreds of native languages are disappearing due to globalization and lingua francas (international languages used for communication, especially for trade and business). Not only poetry, but any and all literary works have numerous and various effects on things such as deterioration in culture and language as more people begin to pursue an education.

Entry 73: No Ideas But In Things

One group of Modern poets was the imagists. They wanted to describe commonplace subjects just as they are. The imagist poets were very different from many popular poets of the nineteenth century, who believed that poetry should be about certain lofty, “poetic” subjects. William Carlos Williams was one of the imagists, and you can see examples of his poems on pp. 667-669 of your text. His motto was “No ideas but in things.” Do you think there should be any limitations on the subject matter of poetry? What are poems written about today?

• I believe that there shouldn't be any limitations on the subject matter of poems. There may be many different forms and restrictions concerning the poem's structure as well as form, but I don't believe that this should also apply to the subject matter of poems. Poems are a literary device that allows for people to express their ideas and opinions on any subject matter that they wish to express their opinions or ideas or points of view on. People may but limits themselves, but it depends and varies from person to person. Poems can be on a wide variety of subjects nowadays. It can range from the most traditional subject matters to the most popular and unconventional subject matters. An example of a traditional subject matter may have to deal with religion and plain ways of living. For example, a poem may show one's ideas, beliefs, opinions, and points of views towards its author's god, as well as his or her beliefs concerning everyday life or concerning a particular subject in relations to religion. A more unconventional subject matter may be fashion and clothing. The topics that I would be interested would be associated with dancing, basketball, sleeping, eating, chatting, hanging out with friends, and so on (what a teenager would typically do).

Entry 72: War and Economics

A major war and major economic disaster marked the first decades of the twentieth century and had an important influence on the literary and artistic movements of the time. What similarities can you find with the beginning of the last century and the beginning of the one we are now living in? What differences do you see? How do you think historians of the future will describe the past twenty years? If the literature and art of the beginning of the last century was called “modern”, what might the label be for the contemporary period?

• Basically, there are many similarities when we take a close look at the beginning of the last century and comparing it with the beginning of the one that we are now living in. How so? Many people might ask. Let's look back at the question: a major war, the Great War, also known as World War I (as almost everyone knows, the "war that was supposed to end all wars"). Now think, are there any wars currently happening now? Yes, a lot, in fact. For example, there are many wars that are currently happening in the Middle East, as well as Southwest Asia. Then, let's look at the second part of the question: major economic disaster. This is very obvious and evident in the European economic crisis, where countries such as Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain are all in debt, and bringing down the other countries of the European Union. This recession in economy in Europe is influencing the economy at a global scale. Prices are also increasing drastically with global financial crises as well as the lack or dispute of natural and raw resources. This is making it hard for many people to survive, seeing as they cannot even fulfill their most basic needs.

Entry 71: Historical Influences

Look at the time line on pages 632-633 of your textbook and examine the political and social events that went along with the development of the Modernist movement. Which events are you most familiar with? Which events are new to you? Choose a few events that you think might have been particularly influential in shaping the artistic movements of the time period and describe what they were and why you think they were important. Do you see any historical, social, or political events in today’s world that might influence artistic movements, either now or in the future?

• The events that particularly had influence in shaping the artistic movements of the time period are usually bad and negative in some way. It is these negative events that caused the optimistic American Dream to be torn apart, resulting in people becoming pessimistic and causing and motivating them to change their ways of expression in art and literature. The main event is war. War caused many people to realize that the world is actually not optimistic at all, and the deaths and destruction of war just made people realize just how terrible war, and the world, is. Many people became depressed and pessimistic about the world, that war would not end and they would all have to suffer. Finally, the war ended. Then came depression, making it harder for everyone to survive. Prices inflated, money was lost, and people couldn't live without working themselves until they couldn't work anymore. This caused even more people to fall into despair, and this is when the modernist movement peaked. People began to not only depict the "true" nature of the world, also know as reality, they began to create art and literature that is totally and completely new, different from traditional ways of art and literature.

Entry 70: Social Influences – Entertainment

For most people in the 1930’s entertainment was limited to listening to the radio and going to the movies once a week. Considering the information text on p.638 of your book, reflect on the role popular entertainment then and now - what did it do for people? - and how it has changed in the last eighty years?

• The popular entertainment then was basically just something that people enjoyed when they were given the chance to, if they had the time as well as the money. Popular entertainment today is very different - it exists everywhere and every second. Most people enjoy entertainment through the medium of music. If you are able to afford for any more entertainment, then people may have books such as novels and comics, and even more advanced ways of entertainment through electronics such as radio, television, cellphones, and computers. How has popular entertainment changed through the last eight years? Well, the popular form of entertainment has improved through the new innovations and inventions of technology. It has become more sophisticated, and has become more widespread. For example, media in the form of television as well as newspapers and magazines can now be found in one place even though the place of production is somewhere else, maybe on the other side of the planet. Also, present day popular entertainment is more open minded, meaning that there are not as many restrictions as there were in the past. For example, girls may now be able to appear in media in "very revealing clothing" compared to the past, and there may be, for example, more fashion shows in the present day.

Entry 69: Make It New

Ezra Pound, one of the great modern poets, once said, “Make it new! Art is a joyous thing.” What do you think he meant by “new” art? Why does he emphasize the “joyous” quality of artistic creation? Why do you think that artists continuously break away from previous ways of doing things and traditional forms?

• When Ezra Pound says to "make art new", he is trying to convey the fact that people should be thinking of new ways to create art instead of copying or imitating the old ways of creating art. For example, people should stop following a certain pattern or format for art of literature. In art, people could try different shades of coloring, different themes, or different moods. In literature, people can try different themes, different moods, or even different point of views. For example, people could be writing in first person point of view, second person point of view, or third person point of view. Another way to vary it is whether the point of view is from that of a man, woman, child, or adult. The joyous quality of artistic quality is basically the ability of the visual or literary artist to create an art that is delightful and joyous, even though the topic or theme may be depressing. The joyous feeling still has a way to be expressed and conveyed. Art forms continuously break away from other art forms because artists want to be able to attract people's attention to their work, and sometimes when the work is too repetitive and predictive, then people wouldn't be attracted by it. Therefore, new art forms are created to attract people.

Entry 68: What's His Problem?

The “critical comment” on p. 662 of your text suggests that J. Alfred Prufrock has a problem. Now that we’ve had a very brief glimpse at Prufrock’s thoughts, what do you think that problem is? How would you describe it? How does the simile in lines 2-3 give us a clue to what is wrong with the narrator? What concerns does he reveal in lines 37-44? How do you think he feels about women, and how do you think he thinks women feel about him? What makes you think that? Use specific words from the poem to explain what is bothering Prufrock and what his problem is. Do you sympathize or identify with him? Explain.

• His problem is that he is too self-conscious; he cares too much about what others think of him. He hesitates and vacillates when it comes to decisions because he cannot decide which decision would please others and make others not think ill of him. Lines 2-3 suggest his depressing and negative nature, since he compared a natural, considerably beautiful scene, with an etherized patient. In lines 37-44, there is evidence showing that he's concerned about what others think of him. Prufrock wants to be with women mainly because he feels happy with them. However, he is afraid that the women don't like him that way and that he would take the intentions of the women in the wrong way. So generally, Prufrock is afraid that people will think ill of him, and he wants to prevent that. He is extremely self-conscious and he is never sure of himself. You could say that he has some signs of dependent personality disorder due to his inability to make decisions by himself, seeing as he ponders over possible circumstances too much. He is never sure of himself, even though he may appear confident, as lines 37-44 show (he's dress up, but people say he's thin).

Entry 67: The American Dream

The Modern Era in America was a time of great change. As you explore the introductory section to Collection 5, you will find references to the “American Dream.” By now you should have some understanding of the American mindset, formed by our readings up to this point as well as your own prior knowledge (from history classes, etc). Using that knowledge, answer the following questions: What is or was the American dream? What happened to the American dream in the early twentieth century? In what ways did modernism change tradition—especially in what people valued in art and literature?

• The American Dream is the ideal that America is a free country, and that it welcomes anyone and everyone. It includes ideas such as the possibility of being able to own property, which might have been impossible for people back in their home countries. The second part of the American Dream is very optimistic. It is the idea that no matter who, they will be able to succeed if they work hard. For example, they will be able to own property if they worked hard. Another important factor is that people will be able to pursuit happiness; there are not oppressive factors stopping or limiting people from their goals and dreams.
• In the early twentieth century, the American Dream shattered. The difficult conditions of life such as poverty, disease, and death all contributed to this. War that had broken out, as well as depression, brought reality to people, and they started to believe that the American Dream was all only just a dream. They then started to take onto more realistic approaches: first the realist approach, then the modern approach.
• The modernism movement started whole new ideas. These ideas differ from all traditional ideas. For example, it can be very fancy, compared to the plain style that the traditional Puritans used.

Entry 66: Better Things?

Willa Cather, one of the greatest American writers of the 20th Century, celebrated the courage, strength and fortitude of the frontier settlers in many of her works, and believed that a valuable way of life was disappearing with the advance of modern times. When referring to the modern age she said, “Men travel faster now, but I do not know if they go to better things.” How does this quotation frame the dilemma of the modern age?

• This quote frames the dilemma of the modern age by pointing out the fact that the human race now no longer has the courage, strength, and fortitude that the frontier settlers had before. Willa Cather is saying that even though present day technology is improving and even though current society is improving and becoming more and more convenient, people are losing the qualities that the people in the past have - the good qualities that a society need to thrive and succeed. The quote can also be quite literal. For example, the quote "men travel faster now" may refer to technology such as trains, ships, cars, buses, and airplanes (basically, technology that increases the speed we travel with). Willa Cather is saying that even though we now travel and transport at a faster rate and with more efficiency, it might not be a completely good thing because we are moving towards laziness, as well as issues such as the depletion of resources, pollution, and ultimately, the destruction of our environment, as well as planet Earth. Cather may be suggesting us to retain part of the past in order to continue on to a better future, and not a worst one.

Entry 65: You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

In the 1890s, when Kate Chopin wrote “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” women could not vote, were not financially independent, and had few opportunities for education or employment. Women’s rights activists were beginning to seek social justice, but change was slow. As you read Chopin’s story, what differences do you notice between the lives of women then and now. What connections can you make between the lives of women then and those of women in The Handmaid’s Tale? Do you think that things could ever change back to the way they were before?

• The main difference between the women then and the women in the present day is the difference in the amount of freedom. Women before didn't have the freedom to do what they want. Instead, they were limited by certain unwritten rules, and if they broke these rules, then they would be viewed as scandals and never be respected again in society. Women nowadays, however, have more rights and more property, even though only certain places have excessively more compared to before.
• The connection between the lives of the women then and those women in the Handmaid's Tale is that both of these groups are limited; they don't have any freedom. Both of these groups are oppressed by the society that they inhabit in, as well as by their respective cultures, traditions, and rules and the expectations of others from and within their cultures. These groups also have certain very specific obligations. For example, the women living in the time of Kate Chopin had the responsibilities of a housewife, and they have to take care of the house and the children. The women in the Handmaid's Tale had the obligation of being housewives as well, and the handmaids have obligations to be surrogate mothers to couples who couldn't bear children. Another important factor is that these obligations are not those that the majority of women wish to comply with, deep inside them.

Entry 64: A Reprieve

From time to time, everyone feels trapped by the humdrum duties of daily life. All of us fantasize about escaping from our boring routines. For a nineteenth-century woman of limited means trying to satisfy the needs of her family (like the character in "A Pair of Silk Stockings"), even a brief reprieve from the demands of domestic life could be a life changing bid for freedom and a temporary escape from day-to-day duties. Think about your own life. When you feel that it has become too boring, what escapes do you seek, both in reality and in your own fantasy world?

• My life is generally very plain, and you can say that it's boring in a way. I don't have much to do - it is mostly just academics that I concentrate on. I have my own interests, such as dancing and playing basketball, but sometimes, I have too much academic work and pressure that I have to give it up. However, I always find time to read novels. They can be on paper, on the internet, in Chinese, or in English. But reading novels is the thing I do when I feel bored, tired, or when I want to escape reality. Thus, I am very picky when it comes to the type and style of story I read. Another way that I escape boredom and stress is to watch TV dramas. Usually I don't actively seek TV dramas, but my mother is a huge fan. And just to let you know, I do my homework in the living room where the TV is, and my mother always watches the dramas when I am writing homework (because the playing times for the dramas happen to contrast with when I write my homework). So generally, these are the two things that I do when I seek escape from reality.

Entry 63: On Impulse

Everyone has impulses, some to do “good” things, and some to do “bad” things. Most people can control whether or not they actually act on their impulses, at least most of the time. People who can’t control their impulsive behavior often get into trouble and have problems getting along with others. Describe a time when you did something on impulse, or a time in which you had a strong impulse to do something but were able to control yourself. Try to describe what it feels like to have something pushing (or pulling) you to do something that you know might be the wrong thing to do in the situation. For example, when you know it is not right to make an inappropriate comment in class, but you do it anyway. If you can’t think of a situation in which this happened to you, try describing an example of impulsive behavior that you have witnessed in someone else.

• One of the strongest impulses that I always have, no matter at what time, is to read good stories. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes it's a bad thing. An example of it being a good thing is when it helps me improve my reading comprehension (for example, when the story is written in Victorian English, etc.) and my vocabulary (since there is a lot of unusual vocabulary used in Victorian period stories). An example of reading stories being a bad thing is when it distracts me from work. For example, I am very tempted to open up one of my new found stories and read it, but right now, I must concentrate on my work, since this is a very busy period for me, a junior. I have the normal load of classwork, SAT, and AP exams. Therefore, I must control my strong impulses so that they don't come into conflict with my academics, amongst many other things. This sometimes becomes very hard, because even though I succeeded in preventing myself from opening up my stories, my mind is still very distracted - it continues to drift towards that idea of reading a story or the plot of a story that I was reading at that current time. This is a very annoying and uncomfortable feeling.

Entry 62: Romantics v Realists

The shift from Romanticism to realism brought about new literary forms, new styles, and, most important, new attitudes in writers and readers. Write an entry in which you compare and contrast the basic attitudes and beliefs of the Romantic writers with those of the realist writers. Consider, for example, the writers’ subjects, characters, and attitudes toward human nature and their views on the purpose of literature. Use “A Mystery of Heroism,” The Red Badge of Courage, and the information from the introduction to the Realist period in your textbook to inform your writing.

• The romanticists created works of a variety of broad and diverse topics. However, all of these works have one central, man theme, and that is nature. Romanticists focus their works on nature in contrast to civilization and the "sophisticated" society that the majority of people lived in. In contrast to the romanticists, the realists depicted realistic (as the name implies) and everyday common scenes, which focuses more on civilization and society after the Industrial Revolution.
• The characters used as subjects for romantic works, both literature and the arts, are of the youth. Why? Because the romanticists believed that the youth had most connection to nature, since they are not yet corrupted by civilization and sophistication. Instead, the youth are young and naive, and would prefer to interact with nature. The subjects of the realists conflicts with this view. Their subjects are everyday common and ordinary people, who are most likely poor and live in horrible conditions.
• Romantics are idealistic, and sometimes overly idealistic. They believe that people could find truths in nature. The realists, however, were very realistic, as their name indicates. The realists believe that everyone is essentially bad in nature, and this is why the world is cruel and realistic. The purposes of realism was to bring people's attention to the cruel reality of society and the world, which was a response to the Industrial Revolution, when many people lived in horrible squalor conditions and could barely survive.

Entry 61: Mystery of Heroism

Consider Stephen Crane’s story, “A Mystery of Heroism.” Where do you think the mystery lies? Is it in the definition of what makes a hero? Or is it relating to the motivations of people who perform heroic acts? In the story, what are the motivations of Fred Collins to risk his life to get water? How do you think he feels about his own motivations? Does he understand them? What about yourself? Have you ever done anything heroic? How well do you understand your own motivations for the things you do?

• The mystery of heroism lies in that there is no definite definition of the word heroism. What defines heroism? It varies from person to person because of people's different vocabulary. Also, we don't know what people expect from a hero: the characteristics and their actions and reactions towards different situations. Another point of view concerning the mystery of heroism is, should we consider people's motivations when we are talking about heroism? What if someone with a bad motivation accidentally did something good and was classified as a hero? What about the situation in the other way?
• Fred Collin's motivations started out as a simple need to drink water because of his body's thirst and desire for water. However, he was later motivated by peer pressure: people kept on asking him, didn't he want water, and why doesn't he get water when he wanted to drink some? To Fred Collins, his motivations are now turned into obligations and duty because of peer pressure.
• I do not believe that I have ever been a hero. Everything that I have done for my sixteen years of life was normal and not out of ordinary. I would say that most of my motivations for certain actions usually stick with selfish needs (well, not necessarily selfish, but I do things for my own good most of the time). Sometimes, however, my motivation for my actions is based off on the want to help my friends or family. I can very well distinguish what my motivations are for things.

Entry 60: Think About...

Referring to the text pages 442-461, answer the following questions:

• How and when did American writers and poets respond to the Civil War?
• What are the basic characteristics of realism?
• What did the naturalist writers believe?

• The American writers were the first ones to respond to the Civil War. After the first few attacks and battles in 1861, the American writers started to respond in the newspapers by publishing their articles. As the war continued on, more responses appeared in the forms of published poems instead of articles, but still in newspapers.
• The basic characters of realism are quite different from the basic characteristics of romanticism and other forms of literature. The style of realism differs from that of romanticism because it's literary and visual works are not "sugar coated", and are not idealistic. Instead, as its name implies, it depicts realistic things and situations in a very realistic way. Some examples of situations include suffering due to war, poverty, and hunger. Realistic works are usually about ordinary and common people who live in poverty. The realistic era mainly started because of the Industrial Revolution and the devastating effects it had on society, its people, and its environment. The realists were just trying to respond to reality and trying to gain the attention of people so that they could change their conditions.
• Naturalist writers mainly believe in the scientific disciplines of psychology and sociology. They also believe that human behavior determines individual power. The naturalists take after the rationalist beliefs.

Entry 59: A Change of Heart

Think about what you learned about the previous periods of American literature we’ve studied, and particularly the Romantic period. What were the defining characteristics? Now take a look at the pictures on pages 449-456. Based on those images, what changes in the American mentality can you predict will be evident in the period covered in "The Rise of Realism"? Explain why the pictures lead you to think that way.

• Looking at the pictures in the textbook concerning especially the Romantic pictures, then comparing them with the pictures from the realistic period, I realized that there was a large difference. The main difference is nature. In paintings from the romanticism era, there are a lot of depictions of nature, while in the realistic paintings, there is a lack of nature. As the transition between the romantic era and the realistic era occurred, people no longer romanticize about the world,
• The realist ea is one where the world seems to turn its views into very realistic ones (as realistic as possible). The adjectives that are suitable to describe the works, both literary and visual, during this period include adjectives such as gruesome, cruel, suffering, and many more. The scenes that are usually scenes that depict war, poverty and the poor, hunger, and mostly commonly, death. It shows the world just how cruel the world is, and what the lives of the poor are like while the rich live off the poor and continue to use the poor to their advantages.
• I believe that the transition into realism has to do with the people reacting to the increasing hardships in life as industrialism occurs. Nature faded. People were squeezed into small spaces called their homes. People had to work all day long without sufficient rest. People had bad sanitation. People got sick. People died. And people got tired - resulting in the realistic depictions of life as people tried to call out to people for change.

Entry 58: I Exist

A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”

Before the Civil War, the United States was essentially an idealistic, confident, and self-reliant republic. What does the quotation above (from Stephen Crane’s War is Kind) suggest happened to the United States as a result of the war? What do you think Crane was trying to say about man's existence? How do you feel or what do you think about this point of view regarding the relationship between human beings and the universe?

• The quotation above from Stephen Crane suggests that as a result of the war, the United States changed its ideals about life because of the hardships of life during the war. People no longer believed that the idea of romanticism is the theory and idea of reality and of the natural world. They started to believe in realistic ideas, and thus came the period of realism and the realists.
• In the quotation above, Crane is trying to imply one thing about the man's existence: the man's existence is not at all important to the universe (which can also be thought of as god that created us). The man doesn't create a difference in the world, unlike what the universe can. The sentence "The fact has not created in me/A sense of obligation" allows us to infer that even if the man is reasonable or is asking for the universe to be obligated towards him, the universe believes that it should not be obligated to anyone, or else it wouldn't be fair.
• Regarding the relationship between human beings and the universe, I believe that it is quite reasonable, even though the truth is sad and depressing. Nothing will stop for any individual, and one person doesn't make a difference. The point of view of the poem is like saying that the universe continues on with what it was doing, regardless of what happens to any individual within it.