"The Color Purple" Beck

When I first began the book, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, I found the narrative hard to follow. There were several reasons for this, the largest being the structure of the book is in the form of several letters written by a Southern black woman with little education living in the early 1900’s. These informal letters would often include poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and Southern jargon. I was initially overwhelmed as the letters of the main character, Celie, opposed the conventional, 21st century English I am accustomed to. Nevertheless, without the guidance of outside tools such as Sparknotes, I was able to understand the text and appreciate Walker’s writing style.

With the advent of the internet, it is extremely easy to use external summary sources, like Sparknotes, to forgo reading or supplement reading with other people’s interpretations of the book. While a powerful resource, I believe that Sparknotes should be avoided, at least for the duration of a book’s initial read. Books, like other forms of art, are meant to be a medium between the viewer and the creator. By adding the additional piece of interpretation (Sparknotes), the reader loses the ability to interpret the themes, symbols, and meanings in their own way, which is equally as valid as Sparknotes’ interpretation of the same text.

That said, Sparknotes can be a useful tool after the completion of the book. Like a book club, Sparknotes allows individuals to compare their interpretation of various elements of a book to what others agree on as the interpretation of the elements. Furthermore, the summary function can be used to assure readers that their understanding of the plot is in line with other’s.

In order to evaluate the source, and my understanding of The Color Purple, I compared my thoughts about the book’s themes, symbols, and characters to what Sparknotes thought. Before I went to the website, I jotted down some notes on a separate document, which outlined some of my interpretations. Because there is such a variety of information for me to compare, I am focusing this blog on the similarities and differences of the book’s theme and a few symbols, even though I also compared additional things such as characters, literary devices, and additional symbolism.

I thought that the largest theme of the book was the power of love and family. Throughout the majority of the book, Celie and her sister, Nettie are separated. Despite being apart for years, the sisters continued to care and write letters to each other, even though the correspondence rarely found their mark. Through the struggles of their totally different lives, the two held out hope that they would one day be reunited. Furthermore, I thought another important theme of the book regarded the power of women. For the majority of the book, Celie is abused and treated terribly by men. Her experience with men can be seen in another character, Shug Avery, expressing, “In Celie’s mind, men have a kind of meanness that women don’t possess” (Walker). Moreover, Celie’s foil, Sofia, is fiercely independent and fights back against her abusive husband instead of just taking it like Celie. The power of women the book emphasizes is seen later when Celie, fed up with the abusive, leaves her husband and starts a new, more successful life.

Sparknotes identified four major themes in the book. The power of narrative and voice, the power of strong female relationships, the cynical nature of racism and sexism, and the disruption of traditional gender roles. Sparknotes’ interpretation of narrative and voice was something I had not picked up on as significant during my read. The website says, “Walker emphasizes throughout the novel that the ability to express one’s thoughts and feelings is crucial to developing a sense of self” (Sparknotes). This articulation of the letters’ significant was interesting because it was very different from my own interpretation. I disagree with Sparknotes’ sentiment that writing letters empowered Celie to eventually leave her husband. I believe that her experiences, recorded in her letters, with strong females gave her the confidence and feeling of self worth that allowed her to resist. Aside from this, I generally agree with their analysis of the themes. The disruption of gender roles very closely resembles the theme of female power I previously articulated, while the power of strong female relationships is just a specification of my broader theme of the power of love and relationships. Lastly Sparknotes’ analysis of the cynical nature of racism and sexism added to my understanding of the book. While I was able to recognize the sexism in conversations such as the one between Harbo tells his wife, “Women work. I’m a man” (Walker), I saw it as an additional obstacle Celie had to overcome while finding meaning in her life, rather than an overarching theme of the book.

Lastly, there were a few interesting distinctions between my interpretation of symbols and Sparknotes. In the book, Shug Avery says, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it” (Walker). I believe that the color represents freedom and independence as Celie was never able to wear purple dresses because of her husband. The Sparknote editors write, “Walker uses color to signal renewals and rebirths at several points in the novel” (Sparknotes). While I agree with their idea that it represents a new “life” for Celie, I think that Sparknotes misses the larger point that this vibrant color represents the personality and lifestyle Celie cannot have until she is independent of other’s control.

In conclusion, the Sparknotes analysis of The Color Purple was interesting and helpful as it provided me with new information and interpretations of themes and symbols that I hadn’t noticed. Using this tool, however, only solidified my belief that it should only be used post-completion. Several of their analyses I disagreed with while I also found that symbols, such as the African tribe being hyperbolic of American gender roles, missing.

The Handmaids tale- hegerfeld

Spark Notes is a very popular website offering the opportunity to dive much deeper into a book and open up views that one did not see while reading the actual book. Many teachers see Spark Notes as a burden rather than a blessing, but it has much more to offer than just giving an out for a student who does not want to read a book but have a feel for what it is about. After finishing the book The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, I found it very helpful to read the Spark Note to help my comprehension of the book’s plot, character relationship, and important quotes.
  One aspect that I did not pick up very much from the book was some of the main character’s (Offred) relationship with other characters throughout the book. Atwood’s writing style to show Offred’s life before Gilead is done through many flashbacks by Offred, which I sometimes found confusing. The first relationship that I did not see correctly was between Offred and her husband Luke. Only through Spark Notes did I gain the knowledge that that relationship was an affair, and although they loved each other, was actually very wrong. Another relationship that was twisted in my mind was between Serena and Offred. From the time Offred finds Serena all the way to the end of the book, Serena treats Offred in low ways but I didn't realize how cruel Serena really was. When Serena tries to sway Offred away from her husband, and the commander, and towards Nick, the commander’s gardener and chauffeur. This was when Serena bribed Offred to sleep with Nick by telling her she could offer a picture of Offred’s lost child that she had before the time of Gilead. When reading the book I sort of overlooked this bribe by Serena and tried to focus on why she wanted Offred to have sex with Nick, coming to the conclusion that the biggest factor was jealousy that Offred was having sex with her husband. But now, after reading Spark Notes I realize how much more there was to this event. First off, according to spark notes, the photo that Selena said she would show Offred meant that Selena has known where her child was since the two were split up, which also increased tension between Selena and Offred. And secondly, Selena wanted Offred to have a kid and keep it as her own, scamming Offred into having her child. Without  Spark Notes this would've blown over my head.
    Another area that Spark Notes positively affected me was by going through the important quotes. “Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary” (Atwood, 33), when I read this I put some thought into it but I didn't think much about it. I believed it was just an inspirational message to keep Offred going with a decent mindset. Spark notes dove much deeper into the single sentence applying it to the entire book and plot, which now makes sense and makes many other things clearer. This one quote clarifies the whole way the Gilead society works and mutilates the women's minds. It symbolizes how rather than trying to make these women who suffer believe that the ways of this society are right, but just make them not have memories of the “ordinary” things of the life before.
   Finally, The Handmaids Tale’s is about a girl (woman) and the way she lives in a world where reproductive rates are low. Certain women have jobs to constantly have babies for higher class people. These women live in bad conditions with very strict rules about their everyday actions. As days go by, Offred encounters different situations, some that could get her in trouble. This was my (very) general overview of the book, but spark notes enlightened me in much more detail with new information. First, after reading the book, I didn't know that all of this happened and Gilead was created from a religious aspect. This makes me wonder what religion would ever make a society like this but spark notes isn't THAT reliable.
   In all, Spark notes allows students the ability to discover brand new aspects about a book that can help people understand what they are reading. It helped me comprehend what happened in the book, The Handmaids Tale, as well as helped me understand many facts I didn't know that cleared up a spew of questions that I had had.

The Color Purple - Ozbun

As someone who has used SparkNotes many times, I had never thought to question its accuracy or that its analysis may be faulty. Therefore, for this assignment, I took a new approach to reading and analyzing The Color People by Alice Walker. I made sure to take detailed notes often, and formed specific opinions on various characters and plot points. Then, when the time came to compare what I’d written with SparkNotes, I made sure to always consider the possibility that the word of SparkNotes is not law, and a difference in opinion or difference in understanding may be beneficial to me as a reader.

First, I disagree with SparkNotes discussion of the most important aspect of the book which sets it apart from many other novels, which is that the story is told entirely through letters written by Celie, the main character, and Nettie, her sister. SparkNotes claims that the purpose of telling the story in this fashion is to “emphasize the power of communication” (SparkNotes). However, I reached a very different conclusion. I believe that the reason the author chose to write through letters was to emphasize the difficulties the narrator's faced, specifically Celie. By making letter writing her only source of communication, Walker intended the letters to symbolize Celie’s cultural disadvantage, as if she was not able to simply narrate the story because of her low social status, and was thus forced to write letters to God. In addition, SparkNotes states “Both sisters gain strength from their letter writing, but they are saved only when they receive responses to their letters” (SparkNotes). I also disagree with this conclusion, because I believe the letters Celie wrote to God were the most powerful and influential of all, despite the fact that they did not receive a response. This is because the letters provided a sanctuary for the girls, where they could truly express themselves, and whether there is a response or not has no affect on their ability to express themselves freely. If anything, I think that the letters were more beneficial for Celie when there was no response, because she was able to freely talk to God and not have to worry or wonder at what his reaction may be, as she did occasionally with Nettie. However, because Nettie’s situation is different from Celie’s because she wrote specifically expecting a reply, so SparkNotes analysis about the importance of an audience does apply to her.

A major theme found throughout the book is that of racism, but it is a topic that is barely even mentioned by SparkNotes. SparkNotes says “The characters are largely aware of the cyclical nature of harmful behavior. For instance, Sofia tells Eleanor Jane that societal influence makes it almost inevitable that her baby boy will grow up to be a racist” (SparkNotes). However, this is the only comment the website makes on the topic. On the other hand, I believe that racism was a hugely important theme throughout the story, and that it deserved much more discussion on SparkNotes. Throughout the book, many issues which arise as a product of racism are not seen as such by the characters, and apparently not by SparkNotes either. For example, early in the book when Alphonso is trying to convince Mr._____ to take Celie and marry her, he says that she is dumb in comparison to Nettie, and because she is not as smart as her sister she will not amount to anything in life and thus is only useful as a housewife. SparkNotes attributes this perception to sexism and Alphonso’s cruelty, but I believe racism is also a major factor. If not for the deep rooted racism in the South during this time which kept African Americans inferior and prevented them from achieving professional success in life, Alphonso’s perception of his daughter’s worth may be much improved. Similarly, Celie’s perception of herself would doubtless be very different if not for the racism she has always faced throughout her life.

In the past, I likely would never have questioned the validity of SparkNotes claims. However, after closely reading Alice Walker’s classic The Color People, I have come to realize that the resource I have used for many years is not perfect, and my own analysis often differs with it. However, my understanding of this book has been greatly improved through this process, and I intend to apply it to many other books I read throughout my life.

The Scarlet Letter - Hostetler

Like most other novels composed prior to the 20th century, The Scarlet Letter is written in an English dialect lost in the modern world. Scripts written with this Middle English vernacular can be both hard to read and fully comprehend. Whilst amassing the comprehensible diction into a fuller understanding of possible outlining themes, it's beneficial to consult SparkNotes to trigger any thematic or analytical literature missed during the reading. The application of the provided philosophy on SparkNotes into my own understanding of The Scarlet Letter, allowed for the greatest wealth of knowledge and competence to be achieved.

The protagonist of The Scarlet Letter is a woman called Hester Prynne. It is through this character that the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, conveys one of the most powerful themes of the book: identity and society. Following her conviction of adultery, Hester is forced to wear the letter A across her chest. Defiant to let the symbol bring shame to her person, she embroidered an ornate scarlet A and wore it with pride, not embarrassment. Pearl, Hester's daughter, grew up knowing the letter outed her mother in society, but attached herself to its legacy and saw it as a token of power by exclusiveness. As the citizens of Boston Harbor attempted to disgrace Hester and Pearl, the letter became part of their identity, later eliminating the hatred through Hester's charitable works. SparkNotes adds that even when the townspeople considered removing the letter, Hester refused, not allowing her existence to be dominated by the rulings of others. Inversely, Reverend Dimmesdale exemplifies identity and society through his internal struggle with shame, yet outward appearance of divinity. Dimmesdale knew that, for the sake of all people, it was better to keep his secret hidden and his identity holy to continue influencing people with Christian ideals. However, his conscience ate away inside of him, eventually trumping his will to feign an identity to society, freeing himself of the heavy burden.

Throughout the entire book, I noticed the most important theme to be Sin vs. Evil. The sin of Hester and Dimmesdale is regarded as evil by the townspeople, governor, and clergymen. However, does their sin contend with the evil construed by the thoughts of Roger Chillingworth and Mistress Hibbens? Being a devout Christian, Dimmesdale knew what he did was sinful, yet he realized that it could do more good than harm; both by bringing Pearl into the world and providing empathy towards other sinners during his sermons. Similar goes for Hester, being the generous donor she was her entire life. SparkNotes helped emphasize where the true evil displayed throughout The Scarlet Letter lies: "Evil, in its most poisonous form, is found in the carefully plotted and precisely aimed revenge of Chillingworth, whose love has been perverted." I took the alias 'Black Man' to be of direct reference to Satan. If this analysis is correct, it only strengthens the case that the only evil exists in the Satanic witch, Mistress Hibbens, and Roger Chillingworth, in which even Pearl could sense his malicious presence. The moral I have gathered, and SparkNotes has reassured, is looking past ones sins is imperative when searching for evil, and this moral was ever present and impacting of the books plot.

While SparkNotes didn't bring about any unnoticed themes, it helped me realize almost every motif that flew over my head. Civilization verses the wilderness and the character's evocative names are two important occurrences that make a whole new light of the book. As shown by every character, presence in civilization leads to assuming a false personality to please everyone else and keep controversy out of society. The wilderness brings about ones true nature, free from all human judgement. Whether it's restoring young love into seemingly depressed people, or, in the case of Mistress Hibbens, worshiping an entity feared and frowned upon by the commonfolk, the reoccurring scene of the wilderness shows the reader each individuals true character. The importance of the names didn't cross my mind until SparkNotes prompted the idea. The subtlety of 'Prynne' rhyming with 'sin', the 'chill' in Chillingworth foreshadowing his cold-heartedness, the 'dim' in Dimmesdale representing a weakness of will, and 'Pearl' being a biblical allegory to salvation is just enough to see purpose and meaning in doing so.

In conclusion, I was thankful for consulting SparkNotes in the process of analyzing The Scarlet Letter. Although there wasn't much insight to additional themes of the novel, what did come of value were the unnoticed motifs of the story. By presenting these options to a reader, SparkNotes acts as an excellent resource to understand meaning when you believe the piece is lacking in it. SparkNotes both reassured my thoughts and opened my eyes to new ideas present in The Scarlet Letter. 

The Color Purple, Carlson, week 2

The Color Purple by Alice Walker tells the story of Celie, a young, abused black girl. You follow Celie’s life through letters, which she addresses to God, and then eventually to her loved sister Nettie. I only found Sparknotes this year in Ap Lang, and it helped me understand a particularly peculiar book for me, Fahrenheit 451. The themes were beyond me, as well as some of the language. I agree with the statement that a student should first read a book. A student's grasp on the book on a personal level. There is nothing in the world compared to reading a book and connecting it to yourself and in your own mind. Books have the ability to take anyone who can read to a different state of mind, and by just reading Sparknotes you lose the feeling of reading.

Growing up I was a fairly sheltered child. The most disturbing thing that had ever happened to me was the passing of my dad, but my mom raised me up knowing and being familiar with a healthy love, and I’ve always known my dad loved me as well. It was very hard for me to jump into a character's mind that was abused, especially physically. I’ve never been harmed by anyone on purpose before, so for me to understand molestation, rape, and abuse and their affects on someone is very hard. Celie in my opinion is not a very complex character, and very numb. I find that numb people usually are found to be dull, shallow, and simple. I might make this connection because numb people often feel empty inside, and emptiness is a simple concept, simply meaning if something is empty, there’s nothing there. If there’s nothing there, comparing that back to a human personality, a “nothing” personality would be someone who’s simple. To understand why Celie is numb however, is what I myself struggle a lot to understand. When I read the book I was often frustrated because I could not understand why she would react to things in certain ways, such as her lack of care of Mr. ____’s children, such as “Everybody say how good I is to Mr. _____ children. I be good to them. But I don’t feel nothing for them.” (pg. 26) When I first read that it was such a strange concept to me to not love a child. Not loving Mr. ____ I understood, but Celie’s lack of care for even the kids, and the fact that she views them almost as just another chore she has to take care of, confused me. By this point, I knew I had to begin to understand how abused people work, and dive into Celie’s mind to actually comprehend this book, and to somewhat enjoy it. So I began to ask my mom questions about it, and ask her how someone could be so numb, and have so little heart. After that I learned that abused people are locked off, and often don’t care about anyone or anything, because anything they’ve ever cared about becomes stripped away. There’s still some part of me that will never be able to fully understand why Celie has such a lack of depth with her emotions, but after reading this book I at least have now began to delve into the minds of those who are abused.

Sparknotes states about Celie that near the end of the book, she becomes self-empowered and she evolves into feeling happiness. I read about her beginning to sew and I caught the fact that it made her happy, and she began to see a purpose to life, but I never saw it as something that had begun to heal her, or made her actually feel anything different towards the world. One thing that Sparknotes also began to analyze on was the vastly varying experiences of both Nettie and Celie, “Critics have faulted Nettie’s letters for being digressive and boring in comparison to Celie’s. Although Nettie’s letters are indeed quite encyclopedic and contain less raw experience and emotion, they play an important role in the novel. As a black intellectual traveling the world in pursuit of “the uplift of black people everywhere,” Nettie has a vastly different experience from Celie.” (SparkNotes) I think that it is important to note how blacks were treated in all parts of the globe, and how many of them were just as numb as Celie, and it was the culture and society at the time that made them this way. It is the same as today, how today’s society focuses on sports and social media, and can also make us appear to be numb, and uncaring people.

Sula by Smith week 2

I have always been told never to use SparkNotes for assignments. I was told that if we were caught using SparkNotes or plagiarizing from SparkNotes then we would get in a lot of trouble and we would receive a zero for the assignment or project. However, I disagree with this approach; I believe that students should be encouraged to use SparkNotes after they finish the book or passage. Despite its negative stereotype SparkNotes actually is very beneficial in aiding a reader's knowledge and understanding of the events that occurred. If used properly then SparkNotes will allow readers to analyze the book and it’s features better, as well as give them additional information they otherwise would have missed.

Most recently I used SparkNotes after I finished reading Sula by Toni Morrison. While reading through the SparkNotes to enhance my understanding of the novel, I came across several tidbits of information that I had not picked up on the first time.This extra information allowed me to make better connections between my understanding and SparkNotes analysis of the events. For example, there was a drunk man who lived with Sula named Tar baby, I always assumed he was black when he actually was white, or that Plum (Sula’s uncle) was addicted to heroin when Eva set him on fire in his bed. This information helped me to understand certain situations that were confusing the first time I read it.

It became clear throughout the novel that there were characters who were connected to each other with a special bond that although they were different people they made one person. The most obvious example is the three boys Eva “adopted” and called them all Dewey. SparkNotes analysis of the Dewey brothers was consistent with what I had believed in that they had grown so attached to each other they became the same person. In the Dewey’s case this may have been what prevented them from fully maturing both physically and mentally as they were always  mischievous. This relationship is more importantly seen between Nel and Sula. I believe that they became so attached to each other because they were complete opposites. Sula always had an unstable situation at home, her mother had affairs with many men, her grandma had several boarders stay at their house, and a drunk white man lived with them. While Nel grew up in an oppressive and strict home. Her mother went to the most conservative church, was well respected, and would smother any imagination that Nel tried to express. It was these polar opposite lifestyles and feelings that allowed the two girls to become one. SparkNotes continued to say that “as they spent more time together they began to grow together because Sula allows Nel to express individuality, and Nel helps Sula think and process information better” (SparkNotes).

After I completed the book, and read through the SparkNotes there were two major differences between their analysis and my understanding. First was the topic/ theme of love. I had concluded that the bottom was a place of no love. It was a place where a mother could light her son on fire and watch another one burn, a place where husbands would have affairs with other women, a place where people would tolerate but ignore those who are different (Shadrack and the Dewey brothers), and lastly the bottom was a place where people were constantly drunk. On the contrary to my beliefs, SparkNotes assessed that the bottom was a place of intense love, but the conditions prevented people from expressing it. Eva disappeared for 18 months, and never played with her kids because she loved them and was spending all of her time trying to feed and take care of them. SparkNotes also concluded that Eva killed Plum not out of hatred for his addiction but out of love, as she could not watch him suffer and deteriorate back into a child. SparkNotes even goes to say that it is possible that Eva killed Hannah in the ambulance to end her misery from the burns she received, as well as the loneliness she felt. After reading the SparkNotes I have a new perspective and respect for Eva and the others who struggled to survive but still took care of their children. The other major difference is the central theme of the story. I had taken it to be that you never know what you have until it is gone, and that social norms are not enough to live by, but after reading the SparkNotes I now realize that it's not that. It actually is that good and bad come hand in hand, and that things are not always as they seem. The reason I had different themes is because there were times the it was hard to see both sides good and bad. For example white people building the golf course allowed the black to live better lives which is good, but it also made them live in solitude which was hard to see. Even when it was told that there was good and bad it was only short lived, so to me it was the end of the importance not a whole other set of good and bad (Sula’s death). The information I received from SparkNotes paired with the analysis offered helped me to realize that my original judgement was incorrect, and allows me to correctly comprehend the book.

Overall Sula has taught me that things aren’t always as they seem, that just because something is bad doesn’t mean that no good can come out of it, and that love is a complex emotion that can’t be fully understood from the outside. Without the helpful insights from SparkNotes I would have misinterpreted a large part of the book, and would have the wrong takeaways from it. SparkNotes when used properly give reader the little bit of extra knowledge that allows them to fully comprehend and use what they just read/ learned.

The Scarlet Letter- Fisher

Ever since a few students in my eighth grade social studies class were punished for plagiarizing off of SparkNotes, I have managed to avoid using the resource throughout my high school years. It was not until recently that I discovered SparkNotes is far more than simply a place to cheat, but rather a valuable resource for many types of academic work. Throughout my reading of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I often found myself questioning what the author meant, what certain things symbolized, and if my interpretation and analysis of the plot and characters was correct. Therefore, I found that SparkNotes worked nicely with my own thoughts to allow me to truly understand the book as the author intended.

My analysis of this classic novel begins to contrast with SparkNotes even in the first few chapters. In the introductory scene, the focus of the story Hester Prynne is paraded before a crowd of judgmental onlookers, while displaying a scarlet A sewn onto her clothing and an illegitimate child in her arms, in order to be publically shamed for adultery. The people’s reaction to this display is terribly cruel and heartless, so much show that I assumed the author intentionally made their comments overly dramatic, in order to prove a point, that Puritans were horribly rude and judgemental. This is supported by one lady's comment about the severity of Hester’s punishment, where she says “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead. Madam Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me” (Hawthorne. 60). I noticed that this Puritan women seemed to revel in Hester’s suffering, and thus assumed her reaction was heavily exaggerated by the author, almost giving it a satirical effect. It seemed to me that this theme occurred throughout the book, as people continued to treat Hester with cruelty. However, much to my dismay, SparkNotes had absolutely no comment on the matter, which suggests that the Puritans’ reactions were intended to be genuine. This realization drastically changed my interpretation of the book, as I then began to think of all it’s elements as literal, rather than unrealistically exaggerated. Therefore, this was a major way SparkNotes altered my understanding of the book.

One area in which SparkNotes falls woefully short is in their analysis of one of the main characters, Arthur Dimmesdale. One aspect of Dimmesdale that fascinated me was how his relationship with God was hurt by his sin, and how that weighed on his conscience. Throughout the novel, it seemed to me that the hypocrisy represented by Dimmesdale’s position as a religious leader, despite the fact that he committed a terrible sin, was a major factor which contributed to his mental, emotional, and physical distress. This idea is reinforced by Dimmesdale’s final monologue, where he refers to his ministers band as a “burning torture to bear upon my breast” (Hawthorne, 307). This line shows that Dimmesdale is aware of God’s anger with him. However, SparkNotes simply never addresses this issue at all, and instead focuses on his guilt from a moral aspect rather than religious. SparkNotes argues that the guilt Dimmesdale feels from letting Madame Hester take all the blame for their sin is the sole cause of his personal deterioration, and the religious component is a non-factor. This is evidenced when SparkNotes says “The fact that Hester takes all of the blame for their shared sins goads his conscience” (SparkNotes). Unfortunately, this is the only comment SparkNotes makes on the issue, so I am unable to know if my theory about Dimmesdale is correct.

My final comment on SparkNotes comes from their analysis of Hester’s daughter Pearl, where she is classified  a little more than a symbol, who is only there to question the relationships and people in the world around her. I wholeheartedly reject this conclusion, because Pearl’s role in the novel is much more than only a symbol. It seems to me that Pearl served as the catalyst for some of the book's major events, most noticeably Dimmesdale’s eventual confession. Were it not for her constant criticism and judgement, many characters in the novel would have doubtless acted differently. While Pearl is a powerful symbol throughout the book, just as SparkNotes says, when a character has a drastic impact on the plot as Pearl does, it is safe to say that her role expands far beyond that.

Therefore, one of my first ever experiences with SparkNotes was very disappointing. I found their analysis of two of the main characters of the book, Dimmesdale and Pearl, to be very poor, because it did not examine all the possibilities. However, the one area where the use of SparkNotes did aide my understanding was in my understanding of the author's overall tone, because if not for SparkNotes I would have incorrectly interpreted the book as exaggerated and satirical, rather than literal.    

       

 

Hamlet, Seeger

The play Hamlet, written by William  Shakespeare, is truly a triumphant of the English language. The underlying themes and messages woven into the intricate thread of the story help portray the character’s own self doubt, hopeless love, and disappointment. Central themes universal to much of humanity, including family, love, and revenge, are explored, creating an air of relatability and forward projection as the play barrels towards a tragic climax and sorrowful resolution. Due to the sheer grandeur of this epic play and the countless themes that it contains, both obvious and hidden, it is helpful to access sites such as Sparknotes in order to gain a better understanding of the complexities of this masterpiece.

Hamlet contains numerous iconic lines and thoughtful prose throughout the play, many of which still hold the same literary merit now that they did when the play was initially performed hundreds of years ago. Perhaps the most well known line from this play is the phrase “this above all: to thine own self be true”(1.3.88). Originally spoken to Laertes by Polonius as fatherly advice regarding Laertes’s upcoming travels, this quotation is a recurring theme throughout the rest of the play. It serves to further magnify Hamlet’s internal struggle regarding the series of events that the foundation of the play is built on. Throughout the play, he increasingly views his uncle turned King and father with the ultimate level of contempt. This man who stole his crown and destroyed his mother’s reputation  was the personification of evil to Hamlet. This initial dislike soon  morphs into hatred and rage as Hamlet is informed by presumably his father’s ghost that Hamlet’s father was murdered by the King, his brother. This knowledge, obtained at the beginning of the play, is the catalyst for Hamlet’s descent into madness; he becomes fixated on avenging his father’s death, and eventually allows for his rage to result in the unnecessary deaths of others, including Laertes and Ophelia. However, despite his intense negative opinion of the King and his increasing rage towards him as the play progresses, Hamlet goes against his instinct multiple times, resulting in an impression of Hamlet being self doubting.

According to SparkNotes,  Hamlet is a play of uncertainty and indecisiveness, often exhibited by Hamlet himself. Additionally, SparkNotes goes on to further say that Hamlet “shows us how many uncertainties our lives are built upon, how many unknown quantities are taken for granted when people act or when they evaluate one another’s actions”(SparkNotes Editors). Despite Hamlet’s obvious internal strife, as made evident in the above paragraph and often made known to the audience through the numerous soliloquies in the play, he has a wavering and inconsistent resolve regarding whether to be true to himself and his plan to avenge his father’s murder based upon the knowledge that he has gathered. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s main goal is to kill his uncle, thus avenging his father’s death. freeing his mother, and allowing for himself to take his place as Denmark’s rightful  king. However, multiple cases of inconsistency and self doubt ultimately contribute to Hamlet’s demise and tragic ending. Despite that fact that Hamlet convinces himself that “a villain kills my father, and for that,/I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven”(3.3.77-79), Hamlet is never able to summon enough courage to kill the King. He struggles with whether the message from the  ghost is legitimate, and allows for the doubts in his head to obscure his beliefs and drive for action.

One point that SparkNotes emphasized on which I completely overlooked was the family ties that allowed for the words“this above all: to thine own self be true”(1.3.88) to even be spoken at all. Laertes, Ophelia, and Polonius have a traditional family with traditional values and an apparent love for each other. Their family juxtaposes the family of Hamlet, who has a mother that he is extremely disappointed with, a father who is dead, likely murdered, and a new stepfather who happens to be his uncle and the man the Hamlet suspects killed his father. The quote “This above all - to thine own self be true”(1.3.88) and the love and meaning behind is would have flourished in a healthy environment, such as Laertes, whereas it would have been stifled in the environment that Hamlet inhabited. This lack of love and the negative environment surrounding Hamlet could have contributed to his indecisiveness; he was never raised to be true to his own self, but rather to serve his country and his dysfunctional family.

From the very first act with the introduction of the ghost and the cold nighttime setting, Shakespeare establishes a dark and morbid tone. According to SparkNotes, the very first line of the play, which opens with “Who’s there?”(1.1.1), serves to establish a feeling of uncertainty and darkness. Hamlet is the perfect character with which to best encounter this world. He himself is a tortured soul, and eventually becomes increasingly darker himself as the play progresses. The numerous scenes containing funerals, deaths, and violence contribute to the morbid feel of the play, as well as the declining mental sanity of many characters in the play. Hamlet is on a continuous spiral into madness for most of the play.  Additionally, King Claudius begins to become more deranged as he attempts to justify his murder and realizes that his soul is lost, and Ophelia begins to talk incomprehensibly after her father’s death; she beings to communicate only in sad songs and meaningless interjections.

After reading numerous Shakespeare plays and sonnets in school, I can confidently say that Hamlet was by far my favorite. Themes found in the play, including self doubt, confusion, love, and hate are all prominent in today’s culture. Despite being written over 400 years ago, this masterpiece still deserves a well respected spot on the bookshelf of every 21st century reader.

A Tale of Two Cities, Wescott

    Although sparknotes has a reputation for being the best way to escape a dreaded reading assignment and still get a satisfactory grade, it offers much more.  It can be used as a tool to further your understanding of the book you just read and learn about the themes, symbolism, or motifs you might have missed on your first read.  I recently finished A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and enjoyed the read.  However, there were many aspects of the novel that went unnoticed to me that I was able to discover because of Sparknotes.

    A Tale of Two Cities takes place during the French Revolution, which occurred in the 18th century.  The story follows characters such as Dr Manette, a man imprisoned for 18 years, Charles Darnay, an ancestor of French noblemen who married Dr Manette’s daughter Lucie and was eventually convicted for his father’s crimes, and Sidney Carlton, the alcoholic attorney that would save Charles.  These are just a couple of the many characters Dickens creates in his novel.  

    According to sparknotes, there are three major themes within A Tale of Two Cities.  The first is the possibility of resurrection and transformation.  According to sparknotes, “The narrative suggests that Sydney Carton’s death secures a new, peaceful life for Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay, and even Carton himself.”  It also suggests Sidney Carlton had a “christ like” death and would be resurrected according to the book.  I did notice that Sidney sacrificing himself in turn would save Charles and Lucie as that being the whole ending as well as Sidney becoming at peace with himself because of it.  However, I did not notice to Dickens alluding to him being resurrected.  After rereading the final chapter of the book, I was able to pick up some hints of this when Carlton exclaimed on the final page “I see my dear friends for whom I am giving my life living peaceful, useful, happy lives.  I see them holding a special place for me in their hearts, remembering me with love, as no one ever did before.” (Dickens, 238)  Although this quote isn’t referring to Sidney Carlton being physically resurrected, it does suggest that his memory will live on as him being a hero, that his name changed from nothing to a great man.  I believe this is Dickens’s intention of resurrecting Carlton in the story.  My first interpretation of these events was that Carlton’s actions weren’t for the good of his friends rather for his own well being, that he couldn’t live on with his disappointing life and Darnay’s execution would be the only way to get wort from his life.  The sparknotes take does fit better with the story however and makes the death viewed as more of a heroic action.

    One of the symbols from the story that is talked about on sparknotes is the broken wine cask.  According to sparknotes, “Dickens creates a symbol for the desperate quality of the people’s hunger.”  Here, Dickens is displaying the peasants of France’s craving for political freedoms.  They have been denied these freedoms all their life and now they are desperate for them, willing to take extreme measures in order to achieve them.  I did not make this connection when reading for the first time.  I just assumed the peasant’s dash for the cask to be a demonstration of hunger rather than symbolizing their motivation for the revolution itself.  However, after reading the later chapters in the novel, these hints are magnified, especially in Madame Defarge’s change in character.  She transforms from one with little attention into a vicious fighter hungry for vengeance.  

    Going off what I said above about Madame Defarge, she was probably my favorite character.  The change is one that is unexpected and gives her character depth.  She is also connected to Charles Darnay through the backstory (where Charles’s father and uncle killed her brother and sister), which connects the two characters while creating tension between them.  Also, according to sparknotes, what Madame Defarge is knitting throughout the story is a list of all the people who must die because of the revolution.  I find this interesting suggesting that the French Revolution involved many layers and planning.  I saw her as a symbol of the revolution as a whole because of her secretive beginning and dynamic end.  This wasn’t mentioned as a symbol on sparknotes, but that goes to show how we interpret literature differently than others.  Even though it is possible that the author had no intentions with this when writing the story, it can still be argued as a potential symbol.   Overall, Madame Defarge is an interesting character whose character offers an interesting dynamic to the story.

    In conclusion, sparknotes offers additional insight to a book to certain aspects that often go unnoticed with the first read.  Although it definitely shouldn’t be a primary way for experiencing a story, it can be an effective way to further one’s understanding and learning more of the deeper elements from the author.  My interpretations were definitely different than what sparknotes suggested, which goes to show how we all conceptualize writing in our own ways.

Death of a Salesman - Kennedy

While reading a book with complex and profound themes, I often find it helpful to see how the book is interpreted by someone with a different perspective. Other opinions and interpretations give me insight into elements of the book I had missed and clarify things I had misunderstood. There are many ways to become exposed to other interpretations of a book, such as discussing it with a friend or reading a book review. The resource I use for this the most often is SparkNotes, both because of its convenience and reliability. SparkNotes was especially helpful to me while reading and analyzing the themes of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.

One thing I would have completely missed without reading SparkNotes’ analysis was the play on words incorporated into the characters’ names. Willy Loman is literally a low man because he is not important to the world around him and has little wealth or belongings to leave to his family. SparkNotes also goes on to say, “While Willy and Happy willfully and happily delude themselves, Biff bristles stiffly at self-deception.” Although this is not a connection I would have drawn on my own while reading, it is an interesting observation and makes me wonder if Miller put other hidden meanings into names of the characters in Death of a Salesman.

Throughout the play Willy is shown to be obsessed with the past and be unwilling to accept his failures. SparkNotes touches on this, but I feel that they do not place enough emphasis on Will’s broken mental state. He would rather live in the past with delusions and hallucinations than accept that he has failed, both professionally and in raising his children. However, SparkNotes did do a good job analyzing Willy’s suicide and thought of it in a different light than I had. I had interpreted it as done in the shame of not being able to give anything to his sons after he had died and highlighted his inability to give up on his twisted view of the American Dream by believing his sons were destined to be great. SparkNotes, alternatively, describes the suicide as “a final skewed ambition to realize his full commercial and material capacity” and that Willy “achieves a professional understanding of himself and the fundamental nature of the sales profession.” It was interesting to see a different interpretation of Willy’s character development, and I think that both are plausible.

There are many recurring symbols throughout Death of a Salesman, and SparkNotes does a good job of explaining their meaning and significance. Seeds are used often throughout the play to represent a way for Willy to “prove the worth of his labor, both as a salesman and a father” (SparkNotes). The seeds act as analogy to Willy raising his sons, and the fact that seeds will no longer grow in the yard parallels how Willy’s sons no longer listen to him and how it is too late for him to parent and nurture them. However, SparkNotes also describes Willy’s attempt to plant seeds as signifying “his shame about barely being able to put food on the table and having nothing to leave his children when he passes.” This added another layer to the symbolism that I had not recognized at first. One symbol that I felt was left out by SparkNotes was the flute. Willy’s father was a flute maker, and the flute music is used as a motif throughout the play primarily when Willy is lost in the past or hallucinating. Also, the music and tempo of the flute shows Willy’s mood or the feelings he has associated with the memory he is seeing. The flute is an important aspect of Death of a Salesman and I felt it should have been including in SparkNotes’s analysis of the play.

Overall, SparkNotes does a good job analyzing the main themes, symbolism, and character traits in Death of a Salesman. I think that it is a very helpful tool to use while reading, both for Death of a Salesman and for other literary works, but it should not be used in the place of actually reading the book. Also, while it does give another perspective, it is not as effective as discussing the book with a friend or peer. The best way to be exposed to a multitude of diverse opinions is with a classroom discussion or debate, but SparkNotes is a good substitute when lacking the time or ability to do this.

The Scarlet Letter - Nordmann

Sometimes after reading a challenging book, you have the desire to discuss it with a friend and compare notes to see if you took away the same themes and symbols. When this isn’t possible, Spark Notes can be a wonderful tool to help further your understanding and enjoyment of the book. For me, that book was The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Published in 1850, the author occasionally uses language that is unfamiliar to our modern diction, making it hard to decipher what is happening throughout the story. While I was reading the book, the chapter summaries provided by Spark Notes were helpful so that I could double check that I was following along with the story correctly. After reading the book, I was able to compare my thoughts with Spark Notes on characters, major themes and symbols. 

The first symbol that Spark Notes discusses is the infamous scarlet letter for which the book is named. I was somewhat disappointed with how short the analysis for this symbol was, because it was such a major part of the book I was expecting more than just a short paragraph. However, Spark Notes does a good job of describing the transformation of the meaning behind the letter discussing mainly about how the “letter’s meaning shifts as time passes” (Spark Notes). In my opinion, I felt they should have explored more in depth the effect of the letter on Hester and how she was, in part, responsible for its shift in meaning. The letter sets her apart from the rest of society not just as an adulterer, but as a strong and independent woman who refuses to let her community define her. From the beginning of the book we see Hester take responsibility for her sin by proudly embroidering the letter onto her chest, and refusing to let it be a sign of shame. Hester shows the importance of hard work as she transforms the townspeople’s view of her and therefore, their view of the meaning of the letter. One interesting thing that Spark Notes found that I missed was that  “…the instability of the letter’s apparent meaning calls into question society’s ability to use symbols for ideological reinforcement” (Spark Notes). This calls into question all the labels that we use as a society and whether or not they carry any actual significance. From the lessons learned by Hester in this book one would think that brands and labels society places on people have no meaning unless they give into it. 

One character I was captivated by was Roger Chillingworth. After reading Spark Note’s analysis of him I realized even more details that deepened my curiosity of his character. A short fact that Spark Notes pointed out that I missed was that the name “Chillingworth” even gives a clue into his nature by suggesting he is “… a man deficient in human warmth” (Spark Notes). I felt that “the leech” was a fitting nickname for Chillingworth seeing as he sucked the life out of those around him; first in his marriage to Hester, and second in his relationship with Arthur Dimmesdale. I thought, and so did Spark Notes, that it was fitting for the leech to die after he no longer had a source of revenge to draw from. 

The next character that I found to be particularly intriguing was the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. His weak will and pride caused him to let Hester take all the blame and public scrutiny from their shared sin, but his conscience causes him physical and mental pain for the many years to follow. Again I was a little disappointed in Spark Notes summary of this crucial main character. One thing that I wanted to learn more about, but they failed to mention entirely, was the mysterious way Dimmesdale was always seen clutching his chest and then right before he dies how he rips away his minister band from his breast and shocks the crowd. I felt the crowd was being shown a scarlet letter similar to Hester’s that was placed on his chest as an act of God branding Dimmesdale as a sinner since he refused to take responsibility himself as Hester had done. Unfortunately I was not able to compare my speculations with Spark Notes because they left that piece of symbolism out entirely.

Overall, The Scarlet Letter left me to contemplate many universal themes such as the concept of identity and society’s view of individuals along with the importance of owning up to one’s shortcomings and sins. Without Spark Notes my understanding of the book would not have been as complete as it was and my reflection of the book would not have been nearly as in depth. Using Spark Notes allowed me to further my critical thinking and my ability to break down and dissect a complex novel like The Scarlet Letter. 

The Kite Runner-Fogel

        The quest for redemption is a difficult one, as it is shown in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The book’s plot highlights on a key lesson that all people can take from it; you are able to redeem yourself of cowardly actions and words from your past by proving you have the courage to stand up for what is right in the present. Throughout the book’s story I was also able to learn more about some of Afghanistan’s history and what Afghanistan may have been like in that time. When I read SparkNotes’ commentaries on The Kite Runner, it allowed me to comprehend and open my eyes to more of Hosseini’s themes, symbolism and motifs that I didn’t necessarily catch when reading. But at times SparkNotes did not fully analyze some of the symbolism and motifs to the best of their ability, which made me realize how much their interpretation differed from my own.  

        One theme that SparkNotes recognized better than myself is both Amir and Hassan’s son Sohrab’s characters are heavily influenced by the past. Amir defines himself by his past. His feelings of guilt for his past actions continue to motivate him in the present. Not only does he feel responsible for Hassan’s rape as kids, but Amir also feels responsible for Hassan’s murder because he thinks his actions led to Hassan’s death when he pushed Hassan and Ali out of Baba’s house. For Sohrab, his traumatizing past affects all of his behavior. The physical and sexual abuse he endured makes him flinch anytime Amir touches him. His parents’ death also creates fears of abandonment so much that he attempts suicide when Amir says he may have to go back to an orphanage. After reading SparkNotes’ comments on this theme, it made me realize why so much of The Kite Runner is spent on Amir’s past. This is because of how much the past influences him. As Amir says on the book’s first page, “The past can never be buried” (Hosseini).

        Physical features are very important things to take notice of when reading a book. They place a mental picture in my mind of what the characters look like, and can help me to understand the characters better physically, mentally, and emotionally. But what I didn’t take from one of Hassan’s features which were mentioned several times is the symbolism of Hassan’s cleft lip that SparkNotes took note of. SparkNotes showed me that the split in Hassan’s lip acts as a mark of Hassan’s status in society. It is one of the things that separate him from Amir because the cleft lip signifies his poverty, so the cleft lip indicates that he and his family do not have the money to fix the deformity. Later in the book, Amir’s lip splits from a fight which leaves Amir with a permanent scar much like Hassan’s. “In a sense, Amir’s identity becomes merged with Hassan’s” (SparkNotes). Just like Hassan once did for him, Amir learns to stand up for those he cares about and he becomes a father figure to Hassan’s son Sohrab. SparkNotes’ finding of symbolism of the cleft lip allowed me to realize that when I read a book, I need to dig deeper in order to find the author’s true meaning behind certain objects placed within the book.

        Kites were another use of symbolism in The Kite Runner. SparkNotes commented “The kite serves as a symbol of Amir’s happiness as well as his guilt” (SparkNotes). It then went into their reasoning of why they believed this. Although I believe what they said is true, I think the kites symbolized more than just happiness and guilt of a character. I believe that the kites with their glass strings symbolize the polarity between beauty and violence, simultaneously representing the country of Afghanistan at the time this book takes place and Amir and Hassan. The two main kite fights in the novel — the tournament Amir wins and the one at the end of the book — not only also represent Amir and Hassan but also symbolize the juxtaposition of roles, for at the end Amir has become the kite runner. Because of this, I think kites also symbolize the interrelationship between betrayal and redemption.

          A powerful motif shown throughout The Kite Runner is rape. It appears when Hassan and Sohrab were raped as kids, Baba stopping the rape of the woman in the truck with them as they flee Kabul, and the rape of Kamal that Kamal’s father implies. In our society we seem to avoid the topic of rape, but Hosseini opens the topic up so the reader is able to fully understand the point he is trying to get across when he brings rape up multiple times in the book. Hosseini shows that rape is not just physically violent, but it is also an attack on the victim’s emotions and dignity. Rape represents complete physical and mental domination of those who don’t have power by those who do, and Hassan and Sohrab suffer lasting emotional trauma from being victims of rape in The Kite Runner. SparkNotes did not take note of Afghanistan’s culture, which is that a person’s honor is extremely important in Afghanistan culture and the act of rape would belittle someone on an epic scale.

In conclusion, SparkNotes’ commentary on The Kite Runner was both beneficial and hurtful. It had comments that really allowed me to comprehend and understand parts of the book better, but it also only described the themes and symbols generally instead of finding the literal and deep meaning of what Hosseini strived for the reader to find. It made me not want to use SparkNotes again so that instead I can find what meanings books I read in the future entail by myself.

The Grapes of Wrath - LeTourneau

Thanks to the internet SparkNotes is an easy way for students to access a summary and analysis of a book that they must read.  This is of course the improper way to use it, it's best to use it when someone has a difficult time comprehending all the symbols and themes of a story.  SparkNotes also brings up ideas that someone alone may not have thought of; in this sense SparkNotes is a very handy tool to use when analyzing literature, such as the The Grapes of Wrath.

This book probably isn’t the hardest to find themes in, especially since the sort of themes are depicted in different medias and are political issues that people face today.  The main theme I found in the story was to never give up or as SparkNotes phrases it “The Saving Power of Family and Friendship.”  The Joads and other migrant families are faced with all sorts of issues that could easily stop anyone; such as not being able to find work, being harassed by other people, and the struggle just to survive.  The Joads continued to work towards their goal of getting to California and starting a new life there, SparkNotes leaves the prosperity of the family to their undying loyalty to each other.  I found that Ma was the main person holding the family together as she was always pushing everyone to work and get themselves together in order to do what needed to be done.  Even after Connie, Casy, Noah, and Tom left she was still focused on the main goal.  This could have easily stumped anyone, especially a mother who lost two kids and one of her daughters is grieving over her lost partner and stillborn baby.  Another aspect SparkNotes pointed out was the friendship between the Joads and Wilsons.  The two families are able to gain assets when partnered together, this points out a theme that unity leads to prosperity.

The main theme suggested by SparkNotes was “Man’s Inhumanity to Man.”  Migrants often deal with several things while trying to survive, but one of the hardest things to overcome is the way other people treat them.  This is seen in how the migrants are treated while moving, they’re called “Okies” and are often told to move along or just to stay away.  Both sides are struggling to get jobs and people in higher positions than migrants intend to stay in their position, resulting in their hostility.  SparkNotes says “The novel draws a simple line through the population―one that divides the privileged from the poor.”  Which is true in this story, people become so paranoid in situations that require a lot of change and lots of people don’t handle it well because they feel attacked, and this is something Steinbeck depicts successfully throughout the novel.

As stated above people feel hostile when their social status is threatened, but one of things the Joads never lose is their own humanity.  Despite everything they’d been through they still welcome the Wilsons and Casy on their trip, and at the end of the book Rose of Sharon feeds a hungry man.  The family could barley supply themselves let alone take on another family or just one person, also, the family has basically no food by the end of the story, yet they put another man’s needs before their own.  The family had lost so much and were likely to continue to struggle after the final pages of the book, yet the final moment of the book shows that the Joads hadn’t changed their moral values.  SparkNotes agrees as well on this subject, pointing out that through the entire story Steinbeck showed the “self-respect in order to survive spiritually.”  

One character I think showed a lot of self respect even though it was particularly hard was Casy, who doesn’t get enough credit, and who is also a character used to strengthen several other themes in the book.  The man was once a preacher, and their had been several times where he was asked to become a preacher again, but that wasn’t who he was anymore.  His morals had changed to believe that no amount of praying would do anything, that people needed to unite as one (relating to an earlier theme).  He goes on to get a group together to organize the migrants, which gets him killed, relating back to once again another earlier topic.  SparkNotes and I both agree that out of all the characters, Casy undergoes the most character development and is substantial to the plot and themes.

So, SparkNotes can enforce the understanding of a novel such as The Grapes of Wrath.  Bringing up other themes that one person doesn’t always think up themselves and resulting in a greater understanding of a novel.  Multiple people work on a story for the website, which in a way creates a discussion group for anyone to experience at home after reading the novel.  When used in that respect SparkNotes is one of the most helpful tools on the internet.