Copyright (c) 2013 Illinois Wesleyan University All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta Recent documents in The Delta en-us Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:29:21 PST 3600 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/9 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/9 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:57 PDT Illinois Wesleyan University recently put on a production of The Broken Jug by John Banville. An amusing, if raunchy, interpretation of the play, it provides a very dark picture of humanity and society. Set in the middle of the nineteenth century in a town called Ballybog (in rural Ireland), it tells of the corrupt Judge Adam who breaks a valuable jug while attempting to make sexual advances on Eve Reck, one of the townspeople. When the case of the broken jug is brought to court, he attempts to blame Robert Temple, another townsperson. After all, the girl he advanced on is the only person who sees him during the entire incident, and she hesitates to blame Judge Adam because it would make others suspect him of the more heinous events that occurred that night; thus, he almost manages to escape.

]]> Mark Kasperczyk '10 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/8 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/8 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:56 PDT Although its memory remains a haunting specter in the national memories of Haiti and the Dominican Republic alike, General Rafael Trujillo's 1937 slaughter of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic remains without burial places or markers for its victims. This lack of what several critics have called "sites of memory" eventually became the catalyst for Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat's novel, The Farming of Bones, a novel that is both testimony and narrative to the events of 1937 (Johnson 7). Critic Kelli Lyon Johnson believes that The Farming of Bones works to create a new "narrative space" that serves as a site of memory for the massacre, with the specific intent of expressing "a national identity that includes members of the memory community previously excluded from historical discourse" (1).

]]> Kathleen Baker '08 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/7 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/7 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:55 PDT The Host's motives and the roles he occupies as self appointed leader of the pilgrimage to Canterbury and as host of the tale-telling competition are up for debate, as noted by several Chaucerian critics. Most agree that the Host remains a powerful force throughout the Canterbury Tales and that he only disappears from the forefront of the Tales because he has been wrapped into its core, as William Keen suggests. Following his rousing speech, which finalizes the General Prologue, the Host surfaces only occasionally and speaks in minute bursts. It is all the more important, then, that we as readers and interpreters keep in mind the function of these bursts as well as the Host's behind-the-scenes duties. The Host does not take a backseat on the journey, but drives the Tales along to further his own agenda, occasionally interrupting the pilgrims to make his presence known and to remind both pilgrims and readers of the power he wields over the group. In effect, the Host's bits of dialogue are not simply disruptive, but are a cohesive agent between the tales.

]]> Jessica Block '09 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/6 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/6 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:54 PDT In this paper, I will show that formal realism tells only a very small part of the story of the 18th century novel. While I do believe that realism, as defined by fidelity to individual experience, is the most definable characteristic of the 18th century novel, I will show that authors such as Henry Fielding and Charlotte Lennox realized the bias that formal realism imposes on a text, and that they attempted to create a more critically objective realistic view of humanity's diverse and subjective reality.

]]> Jim Kjelland '08 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/5 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/5 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:53 PDT Since the role of the imagination is so central in the Romantics' world view, their works are often greatly enriched by an imaginative reading in which the reader's own mind becomes an active participant in the work, performing the powers of imagination that the poetry describes. In my own experience, it was an unusual interpretation of a single word in Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" that illustrated within my own mind this power the Romantics praised.

]]> Valerie Higgins '08 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/4 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/4 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:52 PDT In the Middle Ages, masculinity was defined in contradictory ways, depending on the man's role in society. Such contradictions are evident in the literature of the time, especially within Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer defies the reader's expectations for certain male characters to demonstrate the conflicting messages sent to men at the time. The surprise comes from the fact that Chaucer's male pilgrims are identifying themselves with more than one definition of masculinity, rather than the definition expected based on the pilgrim's status and occupation. Among the pilgrims that deviate from the expected ''male'' gender role, the Friar and Pardoner both excellently illustrate the contradictory definitions of masculinity. Although there are pilgrims, such as the Man of Law, that may not defy their gender definition based on occupation, there are ambiguities in the Man of Law's characteristics, meaning that he may break from the expected gender definition. In addition, the characters and ideas presented in the Man of Law's tale illustrate the contradictions present in society.

]]> Leann Stuber '09 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/2 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/2 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:51 PDT Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/3 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/3 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:51 PDT Delta Editorial Board Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/1 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol3/iss1/1 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:49 PDT Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/12 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/12 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:46 PDT In Shakespeare's canon, Twelfth Night is considered one of his great comedies. According to formalist critic Milton Crane, "The great comedies such as Twelfth Night show ... Shakespeare working effectively within the tradition of classical comedy and enlarging it to encompass a rich and harmonious development of fundamentally comic matter" (Crane 8). However, Crane's conclusion is problematic in that it does not reconcile individual's romantic fulfillment with an overarching resolution for the play. Antonio, Malvolio, and Feste are three prominent characters in this comedy who are not comic. Antonio's love for Sebastian leads him into danger, and the audience never knows his final fate. The trick played on Malvolio is initially amusing, but quickly it becomes unsavory mistreatment. Feste, the clown of the play, is rarely funny in a traditional sense, instead performing a melancholic truth-telling role. It is not only these characters who contribute to the problematic ending: the three marriages are also inherently unstable. The cases of mistaken and hidden identities create romantic pairings based on a troubling foundation of deception. Despite its comedic elements, the ambiguous ending of Twelfth Night is not decisive or satisfying due to a lack of resolution in the case of characters such as Antonio, Malvolio, and Feste, and due to underlying problems in the three marriages.

]]> Rachel Shulman '07 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/11 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/11 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:43 PDT Geoffrey Chaucer's Wyf of Bath has been a controversial figure since she first appeared in the Wyf of Bath's Prologue and Tale (WB Pro & WBT) in The Canterbury Tales (CT) in the 14th century. Scholars cannot agree about how she uses her knowledge of "auctoritee[s]" (WB Pro 1), like Ovid. Some contend that she intelligently twists their words to articulate her proto-feminist beliefs while others believe she foolishly misquotes them. This inadvertently contradicts her beliefs, due to her misunderstanding of the misogynist texts she cites. This confusion is further compounded by Alisoun's tale, which is considered by many critics as contradictory to Alisoun's beliefs about gender roles in relationships. However, I contend that the WBT, compared with its analogues, is a proto-feminist tale that supports Alisoun's beliefs from the WB Pro, demonstrating her ability to twist texts and tales to fit her argument. Understanding how Alisoun "glose[s]" (WBT Pro 119) texts to fit her proto-feminist position concerning gender roles in relationships, as it is elucidated in the WB Pro, is vital to my contention.

]]> Megan Ames '08 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/10 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/10 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:42 PDT Shahrazad is noted for her story-telling to stave off death in the 1001 Arabian Nights. Similarly, Ava uses the creative process as a means for survival through recalling and rearranging her life's memories. Ava's re-situation in the impending face of death enables her to create a feminine self which sets her apart from traditional male language. In order to complete this separation, she implements sexualized language, fragmentations and silences into her thought order. In utlllzing these approaches, Ava is able to derive meaning from her life and accept her death.

]]> Amanda ReCupido '07 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/9 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/9 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:41 PDT Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" showcases sexual persuasion at its cleverest but most distressing. Marvell presents a compelling case for sex, but leaves unanswered questions about the conflict at the center of the poem: why and how is his mistress coy? Why should she believe him? Despite the troubling conflict that lies at its center, "To His Coy Mistress" sets forth an amusing, charming, and ultimately successful case that life is too short to hide away one's physical and emotional intimacy.

]]> L. Alene Theisen '07 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/8 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/8 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:40 PDT Anna Wulf, Doris Lessing's protagonist in The Golden Notebook, often appears to be a character who both seeks and enjoys thorough self-definition. She divides her life into four notebooks, each one representing a separate section of her history, personality, or character, as a means of creating order in her supposedly chaotic world. Despite this enjoyment of self-definition, Anna is less willing to be defined by others, such as when she must take on both the role of Michael's lover and of Janet's mother. She describes a feeling of tension regarding her various duties as "the housewife's disease," a sentiment which eventually develops into a male-directed resentment. If Anna does not adopt these roles, however, she is at a loss as to who or what she truly is. She then constructs the housewife's disease in order to help herself, in addition to her character, Ella, and her friend, Molly, self-define, particularly during the times when they feel misunderstood by their romantic partners. The resentment which stems from the housewife's disease may not be a desirable goal, but it is the only way Anna can connect to other women. Therefore, the disease is a necessary evil because it serves as the link between Anna and her female companions, allowing her to realize the truth of her situation, even if she may not ultimately alter her response to it.

]]> Anne Wilkinson '07 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/7 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/7 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:38 PDT Samuel Beckett's Malone Dies is a novel built on the creative gesture of a dying man, and as such it revolves around the tension between creation and disintegration. Even as Malone moves relentlessly towards death and final dissolution he responds by setting out to tell himself stories, writing, "Now it is a game, I am going to play" (Beckett 180). However, the stories quickly move beyond Malone's original intentions, becoming an exploration of the self rather than a flight from it. In Beckett's Malone Dies, the creative gesture of writing stories serves as the means by which Malone asserts his identity in the world, his stories presenting an uncompromising portrait of the limited, bleak mortal existence but nonetheless affirming an active, creating, and questioning human consciousness in the face of that existence.

]]> Valerie Higgins '08 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/6 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/6 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:37 PDT While there has been a great deal of investigation into the sources of Arthurian legend, much of this has centered around the influence of Celtic legends and has depended upon a strictly Christian catalogue of comparative imagery. Many of the tales of Arthur contain allusions, however, to Jewish biblical commentaries and legends. These connections demonstrate the presence of a strong Jewish influence upon the development of medieval Arthurian romances. Critic Sarah Roche-Mahdi writes that Heldris of Cornwall, the name used by the author of Le Roman de Silence, "delights in turning and twisting a word, in lifting a phrase, passage, motif, plot from its context, reversing, expanding or purposefully suppressing it" (7). Heldris makes significant use of Jewish source materials in this process.

]]> Renee Scherer '08 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/5 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/5 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:35 PDT Deviating from traditional literature in both style and structure, Carole Maso's contemporary novel AVA presents the story of a dying woman in a sensually rhythmic, poetic style. Memories return to Ava Klein, professor of comparative literature, world traveler, lover and friend as she lies helpless in her hospital room. But Maso's prose does not recount each tale in easily understood chronological or thematic order. Instead, the text is a compilation of Ava's recollections; fragments of each memory intermingle. Like a quilt lovingly woven together, the story begins incoherently and ends with devastatingly beautiful understanding. Maso, however, does not claim stylistic innovation. Highly reminiscent of French "écriture feminine."(1) AVA draws extensively from the works and theory of Hélène Cixous. Maso escapes the traditional masculine form and assumes a more feminine freedom of space and substance.

]]> Courtney Holden '07 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/4 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/4 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:34 PDT Of all the bawdy tales, or fabliaux, in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Cl), the Shipman's Tale (ShT) tends to alienate the most readers and critics, many of whom find it lifeless and plain compared to other, more colorful tales like the Miller's (MilT), Reeve's (RvT) and Merchant's (MerT) tales. Read as it usually is, as a fabliau that reduces sexual relationships to the level of commerce, the ShT seems flat and lacks a moral standard by which to judge the characters--anticlimactic and amoral, it is neither a tale of "most solaas" nor of "best sentence." However, Herry Bailey, who judges each story based on these criteria, lauds the tale, and so we must dig deeper than the surface to unearth its moral and entertainment value. I suggest an alternative approach to the straightforward reading of this fabliau: rather than the substance of the tale, the fabliau serves as the form. By telling a story of trade in the familiar guise of a fabliau, which the audience would inevitably associate with deception and adultery, the Shipman takes a stand on the morality of financial exchange, relegating it to the realm of japing and swyving, which elevates the tale to a level of "best sentence" that is absent from the fabliau on its own. Further, the Shipman, by drawing a comparison between merchants and monks who cheat their friends both financially and sexually, all while apparently presenting an honest and just merchant as the hero of his tale, quytes the Merchant pilgrim, who represents the class of his biggest business rivals. In this way the tale also acquires a playful aspect of "most solaas," and becomes a valuable contribution to the pilgrims' tale-telling contest.

]]> Rebecca Welzenbach '07 Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/3 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/3 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:33 PDT Delta Editorial Board Language and Literature English and American http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/2 http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/2 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:51:32 PDT Language and Literature English and American