Hamlet summary

Hamlet:

Author: William Shakespeare 

Significant Characters:

Hamlet: He is the main character of the Story, he likes to hear himself talk and has an often over dramatic view of things. He is sinful and always down in the dumps, he loves his father but it is shown he really does not know him that well. He pretends to be mad, but over the course of the play he progressively descends into madness, not sure whether or not to kill Claudius. He has a disdain for his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle.

Horatio: He is the skeptic, the scholar, and Hamlet’s best friend. He is the only one who Hamlet fully trusts, him seeing the ghost acts as validation for its existence in the beginning.

Claudius:  Hamlet’s uncle, he killed Hamlet’s father in order to take the throne and Marry Gertrude. He is initially friendly towards Hamlet but upon learning that Hamlet knows his crime he begins to plot Hamlet’s demise.

Ophelia: Hamlet’s lover. She is torn between her love for Hamlet and loyalty to her father Polonius.

Polonius: He is the loyal servant to Claudius, he helps him plot. He is portrayed as a bafoon often, being mocked by Hamlet and eventually killed by him.

Gertrude: Hamlet’s mother. She is conflicted between loyalty to Claudius and Hamlet. Though she agrees to help Hamlet she still protects Claudius.

Setting: Elsinore, the capital of Denmark. 

Plot: Hamlet is very upset about the recent marriage of his mother Gertrude to his uncle Claudius, so soon after his father’s death. The ghost of Hamlet’s father is spotted by Horatio and some watchmen and Hamlet is taken to speak to the ghost. Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s death by killing claudius. He begins to act insane which Polonius initially diagnoses as a result of him ordering Ophelia not to talk to Hamlet anymore. when he allows Ophelia to talk to Hamlet, Hamlet scorns Ophelia and sends her into depression. After a time Hamlet stumbles upon Claudius alone and praying, he contemplates killing him, but decides not to, for Claudius would die with his sins cleansed. The irony being that Claudius had not truly been absolved. Hamlet is sent off to England, where he is captured by pirates to be returned to Denmark on ransom. Claudius makes a deal with Laertes for Laertes to kill Hamlet in a duel. The duel commences and mass genocide ensues, Horatio being the only survivor out of the main cast.

Quotes: 

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” This quote from Horatio sets the tone for the entire play. It not only presents the idea of the corruption, but it also allows for the linkage of the royalty to the state itself.

“Frailty thy name is woman” This from Hamlet displays his views on women. It justifies his anger towards Gertrude and his harsh treatment of Ophelia.

The style of Hamlet is a story told through deep characters and subtle hints. Most of the past evidence is given through convenient dialogue or long monologues by Hamlet. The tone throughout the play is very somber with death or remorse always being prevelent. 

The theme of Hamlet is the complexity of actually taking action, not only the action itself but the mental process it takes to undertake a momentous task.

Pride and Prejudice summary

Pride and Prejudice:

Author: Jane Austen

Major Characters:

Elizabeth Bennet: The second eldest Bennet and the main character of the novel. She is initially blinded by prejudice about Darcy, but later marries him. She is the most independent of the daughters, not believing in marrying for anything but love. This independence reflects Austen’s view of how a woman should be and results in her ending the novel as the most well off.

Jane Bennet: The oldest and most beautiful of the Darcy sisters, she is independent but not as much as elizabeth. She marries for love but refuses to go so strongly against her parents and society. She becomes the second most well off.

Darcy: A wealthy gentleman who is good friends with Bingley. He is very smart and always speaks his mind. He is prideful to a fault and looks down on those from the lower classes, this pride ameliorates over the novel.

Bingley: He is kind, generous, and in love with Jane. He purchases and estate near the Bennet’s, starting the novel. He does not care about class differences.

Mr. Bennet: He is cynically humorous and enjoys tormenting his wife. Though he loves his daughters he is often and irresponsible father and the task often falls to Mr. Gardiner to be the girl’s father figure.

Mrs. Bennet: She is the stereotypical woman of the time, obsessed with marriage for her daughters. She is oblivious to how others view her, often resulting in a negative  view of the family by members of the upper class,

Charlotte Lucas: Elizabeth’s best friend. She marries Mr. collins, an action only done to secure her financial and social stability. 

George Wickham: He is handsome and witty, initially attracting the attentions of Elizabeth. He is a gold-digger, only looking for a woman who can provide a large some of money. He eventually marries Lydia after Darcy pays him a large chunk of change.

Setting: Early 19th century England, mainly in Loungbourn and varies Estates.

Plot: Mr. Bingley purchases and estate near Longbourn England, this causes a stir in the Bennet household. They are invited to go to the ball, where Jane meets Bingley, and Elizabeth meets Darcy. Elizabeth is initially repulsed with Darcy and the feeling is mutual, but over more and more interaction Darcy begins to fall for elizabeth. Since Mr. Bennet has no male air, his home falls to a man named Mr. Collins when he dies, Mr collins come to Longbourn eventually proposing to ELizabeth. She says no, and Mr collins, promptly marries Charlotte Lucas. When Elizabeth goes to visit Charlotte she runs into Darcy and he eventually proposes, she rejects his proposal citing a information gleamed from Wickham and town gossip. Darcy leaves her a letter explaining himself and his relationship with Wickham, cause Elizabeth to realize she has feelings for Darcy. Soon after Elizabeth hears that her sister has run off with Wickham she rushes home. A search results in neither of them being found, but eventually word arrives that Wickham has agreed to marry Lydia, it is later revealed he did so after being paid a large sum of money from Darcy. Soon after Bingley proposes to Jane, and Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and they are both married.

The style of this is a 3rd person narrative from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennet. The narrator knows everything in the scope of the story. It is told in past tense with very short chapters splitting up the novel. The novel is not serious at all mostly poking fun at the characters pre-conceived notions. 

Quotes: 

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” This opens the novel and sets the tone for the entire book, it also implies that a woman will be in want of husband.

“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” This, states by Darcy to Bingley at the ball shows his initial prejudice towards Elizabeth, viewing her as just another commoner.

The theme of pride and prejudice is that socially held norms and views hold back those in society, and those who go against them for pure reasons will be the most successful. 

Ceremony Summary

Ceremony:

Author: Leslie Marmond Silko

Significant Characters:

Tayo: The main character, he is half white and half Laguna. He has recently come back from WW2 and is struggling with the aftermath of losing his cousin Rocky. He is symbol of the struggle of the people and how they can over come the white influence if they not only fight back peacefully but also adapt.

Betonie: A medicine man who helps Tayo complete his ceremony. He has a large amount of interaction with whites, which results in many distrusting him. He is very wise. He further symbolizes how both white and Laguna culture are needed to solve the problem of the corruption.

Josiah: Tayo’s uncle, he purchases cattle which Tayo helps to raise. He falls in love with a mexican woman named Night Swan. He teaches Tayo the native culture and treats him as a member of the family.

Rocky: Tayo’s adoptive brother and cousin. Rocky is the favorite and viewed by his mother as one to branch out and be successful in the world. He symbolizes the ideal that many Laguna hold, and his death represents where that route will take them.

Night Swan: Josiah’s girlfriend, she is strong willed and very attractive, she has sex with Tayo later in the story. She is the first of two major women in the story, showing the strong influence of women on a conflict that on the surface appears to be between men.

Harley: Tayo’s friend who came back from the war with a sever alcohol addiction. Harley

is the main of example of how not recognizing there is a problem will lead to your demise.

Emo: He along with the other Laguna who drink symbolize the white corruption on the Laguna and how fighting them only results in more destruction. Emo is a vet and has a large amount of resentment towards Tayo for his mixed blood. 

Ts’eh: She appears three times throughout Tayo’s journey to teach him important lessons. She represents how a strong female presence is necessary in order for them to be successful.

Setting: The Story has many different settings. Most of the story happens on the Laguna reservation, which Tayo needs to save from corruption. Another portion of the book occurs in the Philippines, showing the literal war and destruction that white culture causes. The uranium mine at the end of the novel is extremely important because it is Tayo’s final test and his completion of his ceremony, the uranium symbolizes the ultimate form of white destruction. 

Plot: Tayo is a young Laguna who has recently come back from WW2, he is damaged mentally and continually suffers. He cannot stop thinking of his dead cousin Rocky. He continually remembers the many influences on his life such as his uncle Josiah, Rocky, and Night Swan. These memories teach him lessons and slowly help him complete his ceremony, what is needed to cure him. The other veterans of the war have come back damaged too, but unlike Tayo they cling to alcohol, Emo being the most violent. As Tayo tries to cure himself they stand in the way. Eventually when Tayo is towards the end of his journey, Emo calls the police on him and Tayo is forced to hide, and eventually forced to watch them torture Harley to death. He emerges from all of this cured.

The style of ceremony is in a non-linear narrative. It constantly goes back and forth through time stringing memories together with the present in order to tell the story. It also has many poems and stories interjecting the text, they serve to give background information, put the story in a different light and foreshadow. The tone of the book is sad but there is hope shown throughout with Tayo’s continual redemption.

Quotes: 

"I was here almost a week before you came. How did you know I'd be here? Tell me that first." . Ts’eh is in tune with the land and native culture so she knows more and is more able to accomplish goals than Tayo, her probing into his knowledge is used to display how he is progressing on his route.

"because these goings-on around Laguna don't get me excited any more." She sighed, and laid her head back on the chair. "It seems like I already heard these stories before—only thing is, the names sound different." Grandma’s lines symbolize how the white corruption causes no new rebirth, no change, just never ending destruction, and how only through adaption and change can the Native people move past it.

Theme:

The theme of ceremony is that white culture has corrupted the native culture, and only through a return to old practices with modern adaption and influence can the corruption be removed.

Death of a Salesman Summary

Death of a Salesman: 

Author: Arthur Miller

Significant Characters:

Willie Loman- He is a washed up salesman who belives that the American dream can be easily obtained. He is unable to accomplish this and therefore his mental health steadily declines throughout the book. He symbolizes how the world will chew up and spit people out

Biff Loman- He is the son of of Willie. He was big shot in high school, but after failing math he does not live up to his potential and spends his time drifting from job to job. He has a problem with stealing things. He represents Willie’s ideals and what happens to those who follow them.

Happy Loman- He is the youngest son, and is always trying to live up to Biff. He has a large sex drive and overstates his importance. He represents Willie’s delusions of grandure.

Linda Loman- She is the extremely loyal wife of Willie. As everyone turns against Willie, she is the only one to stand by his side at every turn. She is the source of strength in the family, and displays how realism mixed with optomism provide more success.

Ben- Willie’s dead older brother who appears often in Willie’s delusions. He symbolizes wealth and success that Willie desires

Setting: New York and Boston. New York is where most of the play takes place either at the Loman’s home or at other areas throughout the city. The house serves to display that the Loman’s have achieved something and it is almost there’s. Boston is the distant place where Willie goes to sell. It is used to show how far Willie has to go and allow for him to operate in secrecy.

Plot: The plot revolves aorund Willie’s struggle to be successful. He procrastinates talking to his boss Howard about being moved to only New York, and when he finally does he is fired, this causes him to spiral into deeper and deeper mental insanity. His relationships with his sons causes him anger and joy, with them trying to please him. He slowly starts to fight more and more with Biff, culminating in Biff forsaking his father completely. It is revealed that the reason Biff lost hope is because he found out his father was having an affair with another woman. At the end of the play Willie kills himself in order to provide his family with life insurance money. The Irony being that they do not intend to use the money in the way he thinks they would.

The style of Death of a salesman is to use multiple characters who are very different to display the social criticisms that Miller holds. He uses long descriptive recounts, instead of live actions to tell the story. It is told from a 3rd person perspective mainly through the life of Willie Loman.

The tone is usually dark, this is done to show Willies plight, either through bad things happening to him or the brutal honesty afforded to him by Biff and Charley. 

Quotes: 

“And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want.” This quote shows the root of Willie’s desires and the reason why he continues to work. He wants to be loved and respected.

“riding on a smile and a shoeshine” This quote shows the desolate existence that Willie has chosen. The start contrast to what he thinks he does.

The theme of Death of a Salesman, is that the American dream is unobtainable for most of the people in the world, and those who try to obtain is will often lead themselves to ruin.

American Dream summary

The American Dream:

Author: Edward Albee 

Significant Characters:

Grandma: She is old, and is often the voice of reason in the house but it often does not show on the surface. Her role is to display the old American dream, and the affects new lifestyles have on it.

Daddy: He symbolizes indecisiveness, and that aspect of not being able to achieve satisfaction. He is whipped by Mommy and is hinted to not be able to satisfy her sexually.

Mommy: She symbolizes conformity gone wrong, having to have the agreed upon view of the American dream. This makes her unable to properly interact with other people, due to her inability to achieve this goal. She is generally mean spirited.

Mrs. Barker: She is an upper-class woman, who is generally perceived to not really care about the whole event and looks down upon mommy. She is what Mommy wants to be.

Young Man: He is hollow, he is the new American dream, he symbolizes how there is no true meaning behind the new American dream and that it is all flash and no substance.

Setting: Mommy and Daddy’s apartment, it serves as a middle class microcosm, and provides for the absurdity of much of what occurs.

Plot: The basic plot of the story is how Mommy and Daddy cannot achieve satisfaction. They often forget things and are ignorant and cold hearted. They are waiting for Mrs. Barker to arrive, but when she does they do not realize the real reason she is there and it is not revealed until the end. This reasons turns out to be bringing a new child for Mommy and Daddy to adopt, but Grandma and Mrs. Barker convince them and the Young man for the Young man to be the child instead. The story ends with Grandma leaving and breaking the fourth wall to make a few key points.

The style of the play is that of the Theatre of the Absurd, much of the play is ridiculous and seems unnecessary, the tone of most of the characters ridiculing one another. It is told in 3rd person with the only thing close to being a narrator is Grandma. The goal of this is to show how ridiculous those conforming are.

Quotes: 

“I no longer have the Capacity to feel anything” This quote from the Young Man represents how empty the new American dream is, and how the process that one goes through to get it can destroy one’s self.

“Why, any self-respecting woman would have gouged those eyes right out of its head” This statement from Mrs. Barker helps show Mommy’s cruelty, and willingness to do anything to get what she wants.

The theme of the play is how the new view of the American dream is causing those who would otherwise follow a different path an immense amount of displeasure and lack of satisfaction.