The Fantastical Inspirations for "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

            After reading “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, Coleridge’s interests and ethics have become much more clear. He has a particular interest in ancient stories and the act of storytelling. This is apparent when he describes the wedding guest listening to the Old Mariner “like a three years child.” He believes it is valuable to listen and learn from your elders, and describes the wedding guest as “a sadder and a wiser man” rising from “the morrow morn” after hearing the Old Mariner’s story. Coleridge also must believe in supernatural beings due to the wedding guest’s questioning of whether the Mariner is a ghost or not. He exclaims, “I fear thee, ancient mariner!” and “thy skinny hand!”

            The poem went against the unrhymed language of traditional romantic writing, but held many of the themes commonly associated with the era. One such theme is the focus on the importance of experiences. The story is told largely from the Ancient Mariners perspective, highlighting the value of individuality. The romantic era of writing was among the first to focus a literary work on the storytelling of one major character. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner also exemplifies holiness in nature. Coleridge places the old mariner in the open ocean for the setting of the poem, making him seem small and vulnerable in comparison to the vast ocean. Nature is a spiritual element in this poem.

            The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was inspired by a number of historical narratives such as Captain James Cook's voyages, the legend of the Wandering Jew, and Captain George Shelvocke's 1726 “A Voyage 'Round the World”. In  “A Voyage 'Round the World”, a shipmate is said to have shot an albatross. This also occurs in Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Others claim the poem was inspired by a dream or that it was written while Coleridge was under the influence of opium.

            Coleridge struggled with an addiction to opium most of his life. It affected his social life and his career as a writer. In 1814, he separated from his wife and put himself in the care of a doctor. One of his most famous poems “Kubla Khan” was believed to have been written from an opium-induced dream. Evidence suggests that “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” may have been as well. During his sailing adventure, the old mariner and his crew are blown off course. They are eventually faced with dehydration and starvation. While lost at sea, they encounter an eerie ghost ship occupied by Death and Life-in-death.  These two ghosts play dice for the souls of the crew. The mystical nature of this poem and its supernatural elements would be difficult to come up with unless under the influence of opium. These imaginative elements marked a shift away from realism that began during the Romantic Era in literature.

            Coleridge’s literary devices help add to the fantasy elements and depth of the poem. He employs imagery to ignite the reader’s imagination. The imagery of “water snakes” and their reflective colors is one such example.

Lady Macbeth...The Cruella Deville of the Shakespearean Era

Lady Macbeth is definitely more villainous than her husband. She is a strong, fierce, and violent woman, which was very uncommon during the Shakespearean Era.  Next to the three witches, she was the most influential person in Macbeth’s downfall.  The three witches were the catalyst for Macbeth’s actions, and Lady Macbeth was the driving force. Since her relationship with Macbeth is on such a deep level, she can easily manipulate him to carry out such horrendous actions. Surprisingly, Lady Macbeth seems to be the dominant character in her marriage. This must have been quite a shock for viewers during this era.  Although she does not display her power over Macbeth in public, she humiliates him in private in order to get what she wants.  

            As soon as Lady Macbeth learns of the witch’s prophecy, she devises an evil plan to kill the king. Her husband appears reluctant to carry out the plan, but after enduring his wife’s mocking he eventually agrees. Her greed and desire for power is made clear when she claims that she would murder her own baby while nursing in order to have the power Macbeth could have. Such a statement portrays her ruthless and cunning nature.

            Despite how evil Lady Macbeth may seem she undoubtedly loves her husband.  Love is apparent between the two when Macbeth sends his wife a letter sharing his news of a promising future. She also knows him quite well and realizes that in order to gain the wealth and power she desires, she must con him into her plans. She insults his masculinity on the night of Duncan’s murder, claiming that she will do it since he is unwilling. This suggests that she is above him in courage and strength. However, she is unable to commit the murder because the king resembles her father as he is sleeping.  The fact that she in unable to commit the murder shows that she is not completely evil and does have a few benevolent emotions.

             Although Lady Macbeth greatly influenced her husband to murder the king, Macbeth could not have committed the act if he was not somewhat villainous. Lady Macbeth is more upright about her evil nature and more ambitious, but it would be illogical to say that Macbeth is not evil as well. He wanted to murder Duncan just as much as Lady Macbeth, but did not have the courage and ruthless ambition his wife displayed. She is not selfish in her plan to kill Duncan, she knows it is what her husband truly wants and believes it will benefit both of them.

            After murdering the king, Macbeth grows more comfortable with committing sinful acts. This is apparent in his murdering of Duncan’s two servants. He murders them carelessly and is not thoughtful or guilty afterwards. Since the murder of Duncan was so dangerous and extreme, the murder of two servants seems like easy work for Macbeth. I still believe that Lady Macbeth is more villainous due to her cunning and sly nature, but Macbeth’s villainous actions should not be overlooked.

Oh, The Places You'll Go...How Geography Shapes a Story

I had always considered geography as merely the setting in which the important aspects of a story take place. However, geography can in fact be the main focus and symbol of a story. Traveling to a new place signals a fresh new start. Foster’s example of Barbara Kingsolver’s “The Bean Trees” demonstrates how a character can change after moving from a closed to an open environment.

As readers, we must consider the affects of geography on a characters personality. For example, in the “Bell Jar” geography plays an important role in describing Esther’s insanity. The novel begins in New York City, which is often associated with endless opportunities and dreams. Ironically, this is where Esther begins to feel trapped inside her “bell jar” of feelings. Her need for security and closure is reflected in the secrecy of her chosen hiding place for attempted suicide.

Writers dictate our understanding of the geography in a story. If a writer describes a lively beach as depressing, then we as the reader are forced to see it as such. Geography is more than just a setting; it can sometimes be an explanation of a character’s entire personality.  Readers may consider themselves as just a consumer of the finished story, but we are actually a collaborator in the process of text creation. Therefore, we are an active voice in determining the meaning of a text. A writer must be aware of how they describe a fictional place in order to properly assert it into the readers’ mind. The geography of a story must be explained thoroughly so that the reader may understand its correlation with a character’s actions.

An example of how geography defines a character can be found in “The Great Gatsby”. The main characters Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy all live in the luxurious and upscale areas of New York. The fanciful setting in which they live definitely determines their arrogant and haughty behaviors. These behaviors would not be as common for a character living on a small farm in the South. The reader can already make inferences about characters before they are even introduced based on the geography of their living environment.

Geography is also tremendously important in the entertainment industry. Directors spend millions every year to build perfect sets or film in exotic locations in order to enhance a story and make it real for the audience. Every detail is important, especially when recreating a literary work on screen. The recent version of “The Great Gatsby” was far more effective in communicating the meaning of the story than the 1974 film. The 2013 film had a much more vibrant and outstanding set and engaged the interest of many viewers while also working to shape the characters.

In Jane Austen’s famous novel “Pride and Prejudice”, the story is set on a secluded island, allowing the social interactions of it’s inhabitants to be uninterrupted by the outside world. This explains why the class system is based on the importance of wealth in marriage rather than love. Geographical choices shape a story and are an important aspect in determining the outcome.

The Intimacy of Meals

            Chapter two discusses the importance of meals in literature, shedding a new light on the reasoning behind an author’s choice to include meal scenes in their writing. Before reading about these acts of communion, I had never given much thought to the inherit meaning of a meal within the context of a story. However, I now see that there is a great deal of importance and sensitivity with accepting a dinner invitation. Meals are a demonstration of the interactions between characters. The social nature and atmosphere of a meal can act as a premonition to future events in the story, or a reflection of events that have already taken place. For example, if two characters share a dark secret that in unknown to the rest of those at the meal, they may behave in a more nervous and suspicious manner.

            In Edith Wharton’s novel “Ethan Frome”, the protagonist Ethan has married a woman out of compassion and sympathy. He is, in fact, truly in love with their housekeeper Mattie. When Ethan’s wife leaves for medical purposes, he is left alone with Mattie for a night. Their meal that night is a very emotional experience that is laced with symbolisms of their feelings for one another. During their dinner alone, the household cat breaks a pickle dish, which happens to be the favorite wedding gift of Ethan’s wife. This is a symbol of the way that Mattie may break up Ethan’s marriage.

            Meals have a certain romantic nature attached to them. It is common for a meal scene to occur in a romance novel, especially on a first date. Accepting a meal invitation with another individual signifies a deep liking for said individual. Although we may not realize it, we take our eating habits very seriously and only choose to share those habits with a select few. Observing two people engaged in a meal can offer a lot of insight regarding their feelings for one another. Quite frequently in romance novels, authors depict scenes of couples dressed in fanciful outfits, sipping from wine glasses, and smiling together as they tell hearty jokes. This act of communion gives the reader a positive outlook on the future of a relationship, due to the upbeat nature of the meal.

            Food and meals can also act as a means for displaying wealth. For example, in Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol”, the Cratchit’s Christmas dinner is an unusual treat for the underprivileged family. The Cratchit’s choice to spend their hard earned money on food for an extravagant Christmas feast displays the intimacy shared during meals. Such a meal provided an escape for the Cratchit’s from everyday struggles and finances. The same could be said for lunch breaks and family dinners after a long day of work. A meal is regarded as a time of freedom from responsibilities with no expectations except for enjoyment of the food. Although a meal scene can appear simple within the context of a story, there is always a deeper meaning associated with such an important act of communion.

Violence...Is it more than just entertainment?

 

Foster's discussion of violence in chapter eleven is similar to his discussion of meals in chapter two. He emphasizes the fact that both events occur in literature for a given purpose. Violence is an intimate act between humans, as is sharing a meal with someone.

Previously, I had not considered violence to be a symbolic aspect of a story, but rather just a way for author’s to entertain and interest their readers. Violence is used to ignite certain feelings within readers, whether it’s sympathy for an innocent character, or relief for an evil character’s death. As I have seen in many movies, violence is also used to assert the agility and strength of a certain character.

On the surface, violence can seem unimportant, even accidental, but one must look deeper to truly understand the lessons an author is trying to teach us. In a well-known story called “The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas”, the death of the protagonist symbolizes the unreasonable cruelty of the Holocaust. Set during World War II, a German boy becomes friends with a Jew, and their friendship results in the death of both characters. The boy’s father, a radical Nazi, discovers his son has faced the same fate as the Jews he is mercilessly killing. This discovery causes him to see their killings with a fresh pair of eyes.

The popularity of violence is a continued debate especially with the recent controversies over gun control. The main question is: does violence in entertainment, literature, and video games make people more violent in the real world? The answer remains ambiguous, but one thing is clear: violence sells. Currently, the most popular video game franchise is “Call of Duty”, where killing is the main goal.  The adrenaline rush and power that is felt from violence is definitely a contributing factor to its popularity. I suppose it’s the feeling of power that attracts people to violent video games, a power that cannot be felt in the real world without serious consequences.

If people saw the true meaning of violence in literature, it would not be viewed as a negative affect on humanity. Most people who lack a trained literary mind see it as fascinating entertainment without a real purpose. To truly understand violence in a literary sense, we must consider violent acts as beyond the physical. Violence in literature functions at different levels, is perpetuated by different motivations, and is experienced in a variety of ways.

Violence is even portrayed in fairy tales. The first editions of stories such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Sleeping Beauty “ were originally targeted at a more mature audience. The stories described scenes of murder in detail, but were altered to appeal to a younger audience. The originally violent nature of children’s fairy tales is shocking to me. The modern day versions of these stories seem so innocent. The affects of violence in entertainment and literature are continually debated. Violence is a symbolic and important part of literature, but should be used in moderation. However, one cannot argue against the common need for violence in order to enhance a story.