Tristram Shandy

I have a feeling that this will be a very short blog, because I have no ideas for an entry. I think it is pretty safe to say that, of all the stories I have ever read, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman was the most difficult to comprehend. I hardly understood any of the story. I found that I was often reading pages of the novel and not taking away anything from the text. It was extremely frustrating. I feel that this is mostly because of the digression in the novel. Tristram constantly tells the audience that he is going to begin to tell a story and then he will go off on a tangent about something else and never come back to that particular story; or he will come back to that story several volumes later. Another example of how Tristram Shandy, is difficult to read is because Tristram rambles on and on. I could be wrong but, I remember that there is a part of the story where Tristram's father and his uncle Toby are having a conversation and walking down the stairs, if I am remembering correctly it takes Tristram's father and uncle several pages just to walk down the stairs!
Although conventional for the time period in which the novel was written, the writing style is a little absurd, its hard to follow and it doesn't make sense. I eventually gave up on trying to understand Tristram Shandy, and I read the SparkNotes version. Which made the story easier to comprehend but not much more enjoyable.

The Governess

After I began reading The Governess, I developed a problem with the novel. The problem I have is, who is the governess? Throughout the story I wondered where is Mrs. Teachum, the supposed governess, and what does she do for these girls? What does she teach to them? I believe Miss Jenny is the real governess and teacher, and that Mrs. Teachum is just a figure in the background who leans on Miss Jenny for support.
Its odd that in the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Teachum is described as a woman who values educating the younger generation. Mrs. Teachum takes on these little girls to educate them and to teach them morals and ethics but the role she plays in educating the girls is very small. There are many instances where Mrs. Teachum leans on Miss Jenny. For example, Mrs. Teachum puts Miss Jenny in charge of the other girls and tells her to divide the apples among the girls; when the girls begin to fight over the largest apple Miss Jenny tries to stop the fight. Also, it is Miss Jenny who teaches the girls why it was wrong to fight over something so trivial. Another example of when Mrs. Teachum leans on Miss Jenny is when Mrs. Teachum calls Miss Jenny to her office and tells her to learn and write down each girls background so that she can read about her pupils. Mrs. Teachum should have spoken to her students individually and not have asked Miss Jenny to do it for her. Even though the girls do know that Miss Jenny is going to report back to Mrs. Teachum, it shows that Mrs. Teachum has a general lack of interest in getting to know her students. It is obvious that Miss Jenny really cares for the other girls.
Miss Jenny is the real teacher because in addition to teaching the girls to keep their hands to themselves, she teaches them additional morals and ethics from her own life experiences. She also educates the girls by reading fairy tales to them. Mrs. Teachum treats Miss Jenny like an assistant or an unpaid intern because she doesn't give her any credit for the work she does. Instead, of commending Jenny for being a leader, the narrator remarks that Miss Teachum is amazed to see the girls holding hands after they fought over the apple. The girls are holding hands because Miss Jenny spoke to them and helped the girls become friends. Another example of how Mrs. Teachum treats Miss Jenny like an aid is she tells the girls not to pay attention to the first fairy tale Miss Jenny read because the story wasn't real and the creatures don't exist. If Mrs. Teachum were a better teacher she wouldn't have missed that Miss Jenny was teaching a lesson to the girls.

Pamela

It is very disappointing that at the end of the novel Pamela, Pamela marries Mr. B. Pamela is very naive and innocent. Pamela thinks Mr. B is wonderful and she writes home that he is taking very good care of her and that he has given her money and some of her mistresses old clothes, he even pays special attention to her hand writing in the letters she writes. Yet Pamela doesn't question the attention he pays to her. Which is why the reader feels sorry for Pamela when Mr. B tries to assault and seduce her.

Mr. B promises to be kind to Pamela but he treats her horribly. Pamela protests her virtue, against Mr. B's multiple attempts to seduce her. Mr B is relentless and even goes as far as to imprison her in his house, and he cuts off her contact with her parents. It is hard to believe that Pamela marries Mr. B after he mistreats her. Also it is unfathomable that the reader is supposed to be happy with her decision. The alternate title of this novel is Virtue Rewarded. Pamela's story is a classic rags to riches tale. The author's point of view is that Pamela should be greatful that she elevates her socioeconomic status, but Pamela was not seeking to elevate her wealth and social status. Pamela sought to keep her virtue which she loses when she marries Mr. B. Instead of a reward, Pamela loses what she sought to protect and she is looked down upon for being a poor woman, who married nobility.

Intro Blog

Hi, my name is Emily Coon. I'm an English Major, which is the reason why I am taking ENGL 209. I am also taking this class because I really enjoy reading, especially novels. I have some experience with writing, but I think there is always room for improvement. By taking this class I'm hoping to become a little more rounded. Also, I'm happy to see that the texts on the syllabus are novels that I may not have ever read without taking this class.