Reflection

I choose this topic because I found Gothic literature very interesting. But I have more experience with modern literature. So I decided to combime both topics. The reason I choose death as the underlining repersentation of the Gothic part of my project. Was because I find it very interesting. Which is also reflected in alot of my personal peices. Death is just as revlant to our lives as life is. As crazy as it sounds eventuialy we all will die. So i wanted to explore differnt forms of death. Those that arent biological. Because it is my personal belief and that most would agree with me, that thier are events that can transpire in ones life that are so great that it can break them. Break them to the point whens its almost as if they died. That the person they were and the one they are now is differnt. That thier fundamental personaliaty is affected. It might sound to vague, and one could make the argument that everything changes you. Which is true but its subtle compared to expriences im envisioning. I imagine major turning points that change you forever. I used ten different books as my example. Using a charcter that expriences a major change in thier life. A change that kills them and brings them a new.

Death by insantiy

Beauty is only skin deep. This statement is true and only useful to does that have something under thier skin. For Pecola of The Bluest Eye beauty was every thing. Even though she is much more than what outsides shows. Regardless of her beauty that is on the out as well as the in, she sees her self as ugly. Because she doesnt have blue eyes. Shes pushes her wish for beauty, which in reality is just the wish to be accepted. To the point of insantiy. Broken by the accumaltion of all her bad expiences and the thurst for acceptance, Pecola loses her self. Convinced she has blue eyes and in turn beautiful. Pecola that was loved by her friends dies, and is replaced by a narcist that scares everyone she knows away. She is left alone.

Death by Sacrifice

Those who will sacrifice thier lives and more for a greater cause die an honorable death. In the novel The Giver thier is such a person that is willing to make that sacrifice. Jonas is the young Receiver of memories. Memories that he will hold individually. With the burden of these memories comes the gifts of them. Like abilty to smell, taste, and love. Basic thing that are limited to the others of his town. So its alomost as if he was the only one alive. He alone feels. He alone yerns. Compared to him the rest of his communtie is dead. So to bring them to life and save his younger brother Jonas leaves. Commtting to sacrifice the life he knows for the benifit of everyone. So they can taste and feel and love.

Death by Acceptance

Death is the last foe for any warrior. But the only way to conquer death is to accept it. Because death is not a foe. Its cycle that can be violent or gental. But what happens when you willing envite the beast in. When you become resolved to your fate and accept it. Welcome it even. When the world no longer makes any sense. When you can only see people for the lies that they are, and your alone. Then the idea of dieing isnt as bad as it was imagened before. Even a welcoming picture. At this point when someone is so invested in the thought of dieing, arnt they in a sene already dead. Im life the flesh donimates the body. In death the bones donimate the body. But when Holden from The Catcher in the Rye began to fantasize about his death he began his own funneral. Not in the biological sense. Because for Holden the world hold little importance for him. He see people for what they really are. He care little for most. The first being his sister. Someone he only truly loves. Then thiers Jane a girl that he cares for, but not enough to put true effeort to seeing her. Finally thier is his brother Allie. Who is already dead and probaly one of the one poeple hes ever looked up to. Someone he misses very much is one of the reasons why death is so appealing to him. He cares nothing about education or material objects. For one such as Holden, life is just time consumsion to a biological death. because hes already don ewith the life he knows.

Death by Disappearing

When a tree falls in the forest and no ones around to hear it, does it make a sound? Thats question that has been contemplated since the day it was first asked. So i propose a new question. One in the same area but of different caliber. When a man disappears and no ones around to see him live his life, is he truely alive or dead. In the story Sleepy Hollow Ichabod Crane disappears, to never to be heard from agien. If he was never heard from agien and no comfromation on his death. He went into exile after getting his heart broken and being haunted. So is he live or dead in exile even if he breaths.

Death by Divinity

One who has become immortal is broken from the cycle that bounds everyone. In the novel Watchmen the character Dr Manhattan has become immortal. Though immortal all those he knows still lives. But the Dr over time is becoming unattached to those he knows and love. For him time is only a concept that doesnt affect him. Death is a phenomenon that does not mean anything to him. Besides this the onger he is the way he is. Which is comparable to that of a god. He no longer cares for humans or thier problems. So he has died emotionally, because he holds no stake in humanity. Perferring the queit void of Mars than that of Earth. He has become a god who no longer cares about the people he can save.

Death by Fear

Fear is the irrational response to ignorance and the unknown. Cowards desprates and free of courage die of fear. Thinking of them selves as they die, thring to save themselves. In the The Masque of the Red Death fear is the primary cause of death for the Prince and his guests. Instead of reaching out with thier influence and power to help the sick, the prince and hsi fellow nobals run in fear. Despite thier percations death finds them. In the physical form of the Red Death it self. A true man of power remains vigilant not fearful. That is why the Red Death stocked him and his party.