Intertextual

The character of Jane Eyre somewhat resembles the character of Jo from Little Women. Both are very strange for the women of their time; smart girls with an attitude uncontrolled by the restraints of society. Like Jo, Jane seems to be falling for an older man, and the attraction has become mutual. They are alike in the way that they both have a close, familial affection for a younger girl. Jo loved her younger sister Beth, a sickly young woman. Jane loves Adéle, a girl who is not family. Jane decides to, "cling closer to her than ever before" (Bronte 137) because of her pitiable family background and current situation. Jane and Jo both took a long time to fall in love. Jo was the objection of affection for Laurie, her next door neighbor. He was her brother figure, which kept her from ever reciprocating his feelings. Jane grew up for eight years surrounded by other girls. Love has never touched her heart, and she does not quite recognize it as it begins to enter. Thinking Mr. Rochester could be gone from Thornfield, she thinks, "how joyless sunshine and fine days will seem!" (139). This love has bloomed in her, but she sees it as an admiration, confused by its presence and unsure how to deal with it. Jo was also unsure how to deal with love, and she had to change her ways to feel comfortable with accepting it.

Intertexual annalysis

Christopher McCandless believes that happiness can only be real if one can share it with another person. Frankenstein came to a similar conclusion. After spending two years in solitude, he realizes the mistake he made: "I was lifeless, and did not recover my senses for a long, long time" (38). He had no one to share his secret with, and when Justine was accused and convicted of murder, Frankenstein, "felt the never-dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed of no hope or consolation" (59). Frankenstein has not spoken about the monster up until this point because he is afraid of being called a madman: "I well knew that if any other had communicated such a relation to me, I should have looked upon it as the ravings of insanity" (51). It is not just happiness that must be shared, but all of life. Undergoing Frankenstein's experiment alone has left him helpless. McCandless also says that people need to think they are strong. Frankenstein's experiment made him feel strong, only to come to realize how that strength was the cause of his downfall and the deaths of William and Justine, two innocent people.

How my perfect society ended up

Out of the five people I chose, I only kept Joe the Plumber and Oscar Wilde.

I kept Wilde because he is my favorite author. He is also a person I believe belongs in society. His personality was amazingly original and he cannot be topped in his eccentricity. I felt that the person he was contributed to society more than any other person I could have put in.

I kept Joe the Plumber for no reason other than I did not trade him. I also thought it was amusing to keep him because I traded for Sarah Palin and I thought they made an ironic pair.

I traded Gandhi for Angelina Jolie because I needed a woman for a parent. I had mostly men in my society and I realized it would not last if there was no procreation.

I traded Oprah for Sarah Palin. I thought that the two were both very alike and very different. Palin is a well-known woman. She has charisma like Oprah, but her political views are very different. I thought that it would be interesting to make a dramatic shift.

I traded Jesus for Kanye West. I thought it would be good to have a younger male for procreation and he's good for entertainment.

Ideal Society

In my ideal society, the five people I chose were: Oprah Winfrey, "Joe the Plumber", Oscar Wilde, Gandhi, and Jesus.

Oprah would be the mother figure, the leader, and the government. She is wise and charismatic. People tend to gravitate toward her. She has a large heart and would do well in a society built for the good of others. Other people tend to listen to her. They pour their hearts out to her, laugh with her, and trust her.

"Joe the Plumber", born Samuel Wurzelbacher, is the labor, the follower, and a businessman. He is the man that spoke against Barack Obama. He would be a follower of the government and would basically do the work that was needed. He is also very controversial, giving the people in society something to gossip about.

Oscar Wilde is the dreamer, comedian, teacher, and sexual being. He was an amazing play write and author. He would be a teacher and entertainer by making plays for society to enjoy. Through his life he was a sexual person, and so he has also been given the title of sexual being.

Gandhi would be a leader, poor, the father figure, and a teacher. He would work for those who needed justice. He was a patient, courageous man and would set an example for posterity as the father figure. He was influential and would be a leader.

Jesus would be the healer, clergy, teacher, leader, and enlightener. He would be able to preform miracles needed within this society. He would take care of the people's religious needs and their ailments. He would be a moral teacher and help the society stay on track.

I chose these people because I believe that society would be perfect with them as a part of it. I value fun, although I believe that there must be seriousness in something such as the set-up of society. Oscar Wilde allows my society to be silly and sunny, while Gandhi helps to remind people that life is not all fun and games and that things must be done for the good of the people.

Chivalric Code

1. Fight for what you believe in
2. Never disobey a superior
3. Never let an injustice go on
4. Give your life if you must
5. Treat civilians with respect
6. Do not torture your enemies
7. Salute fellow service men and women
8. Keep in touch with your family
9. Stay true to your significant other while away from home
10. Do your job to the best of your ability

Hrothgar starts off thanking God. This appeals to Beowulf, who is deeply religious, despite having been affected by Heorot's influence. Hrothgar sounds as if he has experienced the rapture: "It is a miracle how the mighty Lord in his generosity gives wisdom and land and high estate to people on earth" (lines 1708-1711). Then Hrothgar touches on his own faults. He says, "he suffers no setbacks until the seed of arrogance is sown and grows within him" (1722-1724). Hrothgar places himself at blame, saying, "he does not know how to resist the devil's insidious, secret temptations" (1730-1731). Hrothgar makes in clear that he is to blame because of his naiveté as a ruler. He goes on to warn Beowulf from becoming selfish and prideful. Hrothgar says that death will eventually come for Beowulf, saying in essence that he should be good as long as he is on earth, because it is only a short time. Hrothgar continues to say that he thought he had no enemies, and that he had overlooked Grendel. He thanks God once more to show his conversion. His last sentence is directed to Beowulf, in which he says, "we shall share many treasures" (1767), which seems as though he will slip back into his life of materialism.

Question 3

Wealtheow is portrayed as a woman who was wearing gold and served the men. She walks around as if her only job is to simply be pretty and serve the men at the feast. She reminds me a little of Mary Magdalene by the way that she is one of the few women mentioned and held a place among the men, unlike the other women who stayed in the background. We can expect that Anglo-saxon women are meant to not be a part of the fighting but still have a part in the world, even if it is simply to bring a cup around.