Jake Hooper

The  Country of the Pointed Firs, Themes and the Canon

The Country of the Pointed Firs is the story of a woman, the text’s narrator, who comes to Dunnet, Maine to focus on her writing. She stays with Mrs. Todd, rents a schoolhouse to write in, and ends up becoming friends with her landlady, Mrs. Todd, and her family and friends. Of course, there is more meaning to the story than that, but the fact that its basic plot can be summed up so easily expresses just how unimportant the story’s author, Sarah Orne Jewett, must have thought its plot to be. That this story is accepted and so highly acclaimed by literary critics and readers shows that an interesting plot is not always necessary for placement in the American Literary Canon. One reason for the praise this text has received is due to the themes introduced throughout the story, and how they convey the true meaning of the story in a way that the plot does not. These include the importance of storytelling in bonding a community’s members, the value of the community itself, a reverence for practical knowledge over educational knowledge, and the general importance of femininity and the female perspective. In this paper, I will focus on the inclusion of these themes throughout the story, and I will also touch on how these themes support that The Country of the Pointed Firs definitely deserves its place within the American Literary Canon.

It is apparent that a plot itself is hardly present within this story, let alone is it riveting or remarkable. What The Country of the Pointed Firs generally lacks in action scenes and an exciting plot, however, it makes up through its character’s descriptive storytelling to one another and the messages these interactions convey. Storytelling is a means for enhancing a sense of community and establishing friendships. In chapter 2, Jewett parallels the developing trust between the narrator and Mrs. Todd through working together with the trust that comes from storytelling, when Mrs. Todd tells the narrator she once loved “one who was far above her,” a man who Mrs. Todd had loved when she was younger. This is significant because it is the first instance when the reader realizes that sharing memories with one another creates trust and friendship in this story, as it often does in reality as well. Another instance that demonstrates the power of storytelling occurs through the arrival of Mrs. Fosdick to Mrs. Todd’s home. This woman represents that storytelling is able to both create bonds between two people and to strengthen those bonds as well. Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Fosdick talk for hours about subjects that ranged “from public to confidential,” telling one another stories they had gained while away and unable to converse often. This demonstrates how the loosening bonds between two friends can be immediately tightened, how the dying fire of friendship can be rekindled, through storytelling. Additionally, Mrs. Fosdick and the narrator establish a friendship through Mrs. Todd’s orders, leaving the two alone in a room to discuss the narrator’s trip to Green Island to meet Mrs. Todd’s mother, among other things. Creating ties between members of the community is extremely important to those in Dunnet Landing, which obviously makes the member’s appreciation for storytelling understandable. Another important instance regarding the idea that dialogue is more powerful than the specific plot of the story occurs in chapter 17; here, Mrs. Todd, her mother Mrs. Blackett, and the narrator are traveling to the Bowden family reunion by wagon. Compared to much of this story, this scene develops the plot more than most others. Jewett makes sure to stress communication’s importance once more in this scene, however, through Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Blackett speaking to the narrator about Mrs. Blackett’s sister who had lived in the area of Fessenden once. Even when action is occurring, the characters take their minds off of this and focus instead on memories to tell one another, definitely emphasizing the importance of storytelling and dialogue in the community and this story. Mrs. Todd and other townspeople tell many other stories throughout The Country of the Pointed Firs, as well. This woman obviously finds storytelling extremely important in bringing people together, and because those who live in Dunnet Landing all seem to be so close, these conversations are used to maintain those ties along with creating new relationships as well.

The close-knit community of Dunnet Landing and its surrounding areas is to be respected and admired, according to its portrayal in The Country of the Pointed Firs. It’s interesting that in this story, the narrator, an outsider who moves to Dunnet in order to focus on her writing, is one of the only characters who values her own time alone. She stops helping Mrs. Todd with her herbalist business when it gets in the way of this time alone, and she is seen spending hours in the schoolhouse working on her writing. Of course, the narrator becomes a part of the community before the end of the story, but it is important to not that an outside was one of the only instances where this valued individuality occurs. The other instance where acceptance into the community is not desired is seen when Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Fosdick tell the narrator the story of “poor” Joanna, and the reason she rejects her community is in order to punish herself. She isolates herself on Shell-Heap Island in order to escape the positive values the community is characteristic of. This portrays the value of the community in a positive light, because not only is Joanna’s reason for leaving negative, but Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Fosdick exclaim how they pity her for leaving and how she would have been better off to have lived around the community members, not isolated. This story presents living amongst other community members as something to be valued and somewhat expected in Dunnet Landing.

The common concept of street smarts versus book smarts is another theme that is entertained within Jewett’s story. The importance of practical knowledge as opposed to educational knowledge is clear, and this can be seen through many examples in the text. First, Captain Littlepage is an extremely learned man, and he is thought to be crazy by the other townspeople. In chapter 7, Mrs. Todd even says that people think Captain Littlepage “overdid” his reading and that it “affected his head.” This is a blatant statement against the values of educational knowledge, making the claim that too much of this can make a person crazy. In chapter 8, a scene that expresses the values of practical knowledge occurs when Mrs. Todd and the narrator are traveling by boat to Green Island to visit Mrs. Todd’s mother. Mrs. Todd takes control of the boat, saying that she wants to “do things my way!” The narrator states she is “we acquainted with Mts. Todd as landlady, herb-gatherer, and rustic philosopher,” and is now seeing the woman use her skills as a mariner as well. Mrs. Todd is an extremely well-rounded person, and all of the skills she exhibits in this story are respected and valued by others, supporting the idea that practical knowledge is more important in a small town like Dunnet Landing than is educational knowledge. One other example of how practical knowledge has a huge significance in this story is with Mrs. Blackett and her social skills. The woman is easy to talk to, personable, likable, and an overall social butterfly. Getting to know others is very important to her, and she even has a room in her home designed for just that. Although Mrs. Blackett doesn’t receive many visits from companions yearly, she has a parlor in her home that she keeps just for these visits. This is impractical, but it definitely shows just how valuable Mrs. Blackett finds social interaction to be, and her sense on the situation, along with the other examples previously stated, amplifies the claim that educational knowledge is not as important as skillful, practical knowledge in The Country of the Pointed Firs.

Femininity and the female perspective are majorly represented in this text. Jewett wrote The Country of the Pointed Firs around 1896, which makes this one of the earlier American feminist texts with a female author. Nearly all of the story’s main characters are women, including the narrator, an evidently wealthy writer, Mrs. Todd, a respected community member and successful businesswoman, and Mrs.Blackett, arguably the most likable and liked character in the story. A woman tells the story we receive, and she often recounts what other women have told her. The female perspective is clearly valued in that we hardly see a masculine presence within the story, along with the fact that there are very few negative portrayals of women in the story. This further supports that females are as important as and to be as respected as men in Dunnet Landing. Jewett’s portrayal of two of the story’s male characters strengthens the claim that the female voice is significant, also. The community sees Captain Littlepage as a crazy old man who doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and Elijah Tilley, a fisherman, is noted to take part in many feminine activities like knitting out of respect for his late wife. Mr. Tilley’s character sees these activities to be as important as “manly” activities like fishing, so his character reinforces the idea that men and women should be equally valued in this small town. Overall, this story addresses femininity with a positive air. The story concerns the lives of these small-town women, mostly, expressing the characters and their stories as valuable and respectable.

I support The Country of the Pointed Firs’ placement among other texts within the canon. With so many important themes introduced, Jewett created a text that wasn’t comparable to much else in American literature in the 1890s. An account of small-town women was given in this story, an account that was unusual and unexpected for the time. The Country of the Pointed Firs helps to diversify what is included in the American Literary Canon, and it expands what values the canon itself finds important. It represents that an over-exaggerated, unbelievable plot is not necessary to catch the eyes of readers and critics, and that a story can focus on themes and ideas more than plot itself and still be called a worthwhile text. This type of story was not always included in the canon, which is why The Country of the Pointed is so deserving of its inclusion. The story created a path for other female authors and for other theme-centric stories to make their way into the American Literary Canon and receive the attention and acclaim they deserve but once might not have been paid.

MY BODY METAPHORICALLY: is something that I thought of as a way to represent the thinking that I have been doing about the canon. The individual is another way of looking at the concept of the body, which is something that I personally like to study, I thought about how as a nation we are not merely defined by the actions of one person or even one group of people. It got me thinking that if the canon was similar to our country then the books would be like people. Just as there are a multitude of books that comprise the canon, so is there is vast grouping of people that comprise up our country.

Furthermore if a book represents a person, then maybe the person could then be viewed as a canon and they could be comprised of books the same way our National Canon is.This idea leads me to then further investigate some of the major themes of the canon- specifically the idea of individuality. This in my personal case is applicable because it relates back to the idea of the body (as a single object). Individuality was addressed in every single book that we read this semester. I believe that the idea of the individual is such a reoccurring theme because it is such an important and inescapable part of life. Individuals as a solo unit are separate from the “group” however this does not mean that they are still not influenced by it, just as the opposite is also true. The group has found a way to separate itself from the individual but still manage to influence it.

If you think about the group as the idea of America or American Identity this seems to make more sense. A book that is included in the canon- becomes part of the group, or the American Identity. Because it has been included it has the power to influence the thinking of the entire nation as well as the themes and ideals the nation finds important. Similarly to the books included in the canon having a great influence, the books left out of the canon have a similar power. The books that were rejected from the canon raise many questions as to why, and force the American people to re-evaluate whether there should be changes made. There is this sense of potential that comes from the books excluded, this sense of untapped resources.

Taking all of these things in mind, I thought about relating even closer to home, to the idea of self, since in a way the American Identity is rooted in the individual. My Personal Canon: My Body Metaphorically is the response that I came up with. If my body is a whole canon in and of itself, then my various parts and appendages are the books that comprise it. Just as your body is not comprised solely of one part/organ, neither can the American identity be comprised of the ideas of just one person or  the books of one set canon. All of us together, with our personal canons create the ultimate American canon and therefore the American identity.

My Eyes= The Scarlet Letter: showing passion, pleasure, and strength. Teaching the importance of holding your head high and making it through. Teaching that there are all things that we are going to be ostracized for, that is us up to us to determine if they are worth fighting for.

My Hands=My Jim: A reminder of what I can accomplish and where I came from. It is an inspiration of a read encouraging me to not let the obstacles that I face in my life stop me from continuously trying to reach my goals.

My Head=Moby Dick: It is a book that focuses on the idea of education, the benefits of information, the absolute and unwavering dedication to a dream. Ahab and his crazed descent into madness can be viewed as not only a warning sign to readers, but as an admirable quality because regardless of the outcome Ahab was willing to commit himself completely to what he believed.

My legs= The Adventures of Huck Finn: A completely exciting journey- reminding me to always be willing to go down new journey’s and being willing to never lose the innocence of childhood and to never to be content.

My heart=Ahab’s Wife: Taking me to the core and focusing on emotions and relationships and the strength that women have. Showing that there is always another side to every story that may not be originally be known to you.

My Feet=The Country of Pointed Firs: Showing me the importance of relationships, the importance of people and all about the connections that are completely possible to foster and develop if only we take the time to.

We are each an individual yes- but we are also a person in a sea of people. Together we help to create the American identity- the canon is simultaneously influenced by and the influence of, the masses. It is important that we constantly are creating our own personal canon, that way, as an individual we are still able to influence the masses. This is an image of my canon- my identity, everyone’s canon is different- everyone’s canon is unique- everyone’s canon creates the American canon.

This semester we discussed a handful of the texts considered part of the American literary canon. The themes prevalent in each work reveal a pattern; it seems as though canonicity and identity go hand in hand. So, for a text to be considered part of the canon, it must reveal some sort of underlying theme related to the culture, or identity of America at the time. It is necessary then, to periodically reevaluate this list to adhere to a society that is constantly evolving. The significant role religion has played in shaping American identity is undeniably true; the extent to which that religion dictates our thoughts, actions, behaviors, and relationships with those around us, is what many authors of 19^th century American Literature hope to capture within their work. In a lot of ways, religion defines who we are as individuals. Thus, conflicting beliefs provide for a constant debate. Many, if not all of the books we have read this semester touch upon the theory of religion, providing a platform for which we can compare human attitudes. By analyzing these texts, specifically Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Sarah Jewett’s The Country of Pointed Firs, we gain insight into some of America’s inconsistent views regarding religion, as seen through the lens of the author.

Those who consider themselves devout in their religious doctrine find it difficult to separate their spiritual beliefs from the beliefs of other religions, or God forbid (no pun intended), from the beliefs of those not associated with a specific religion at all. Regarding the later, the absence of religion is oftentimes misassociated with the absence of faith—that is, in human nature, the written word, and worst of all, the absence of faith in our country. After all, we cannot forget America is founded upon the Judeo-Christian belief that the Christian God is the only road to salvation. Taken directly from Jon Winthrop’s sermon “City upon a Hill,” one’s decision to negate these Christian ideals by worshipping another God, is pure neglect of our very existence as Americans:

Beloved there is now set before us life…in that we are Commanded this day to love the Lord our God…and the Articles of our Covenant with him. But if our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other Gods…it is propounded unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good Land (1630).

But, didn’t the Puritans flee to our very own New England in search of religious freedom from the Catholic Church? Hawthorne must have seen the irony there. The Scarlet Letter takes a stab at the hypocritical tendencies of the Puritanical ways, for the cruel and unnecessary punishment of poor Hester Prynne. Hester’s community wrongfully assumes a connection of church and state, even more so, church is state. Hester is pregnant with no visible father—an adulteress, represented by a gigantic letter ‘A’ upon her bosom, and therefore subject to eternal scrutiny. What happened to America, Land of the Free? Of course, it was the early17^th century, not necessarily a nation in touch with its Constitutional side, but that’s not to say we weren’t already thinking about it. This is why the process of reevaluation is so important for the legitimacy of the literary canon; our attitudes on different aspects of American culture are constantly changing to reflect the times. From Winthrop’s perspective, the topic of religion in our new country was not up to debate. By forgoing our freedom to choose, he wrongfully forced Christian standards and blatantly ignored the reasons we sought freedom in the first place. If we can distinguish our country by one thing only, it is our innate longing for the “American dream,” to transgress above and beyond the shackles of an authoritarian society’s attempts to deny us of our natural freedoms. Bear in mind, among these freedoms is the right to worship any religion, or none at all if so we choose. That being said, the Puritan ideal of a national Christian religion defies American identity down to the very core.

Surprisingly enough, Winthrop’s sermon also promotes an idea of community and understanding, on the basis that we are all united with similar ambitions. As “one republic, under God,” Americans allude to a strong sense of togetherness, careful not to take for granted the things that set us apart from one another. Taken out of context, this excerpt suggests just that:

we must entertain each other in brotherly Affection… uphold a familiar Commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality, we must delight in each other, make others Conditions our own…always having before our eyes our Commission and Community in the work, our Community as members of the same body, so shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (1630).

But, as accounts of American history and the words of so many great American authors have taught us, this “bond of peace” is only attainable by means of rejecting one’s individuality, thereby refuting our right to choose, and ultimately what it means to be an “American.”

Religion as we know it today differs greatly from the strict Puritan ideals immortalized in The Scarlet Letter, although I would argue in some cases, it’s not a far off comparison. A group of people so enthralled in worship, they go to extraordinary lengths to push the word of God unto others. The Scarlet Letter is much a story of sin, the representation of that sin, and the innate consequences of that sin. Hester commits the sin of adultery, whereby deliberately defying the moral code of the community, and must be punished. Today, matters regarding Hester’s religious and personal choices would be considered just that, personal. But, in the strict Puritan community, “religion and law were almost identical” (45). Hawthorne infuses his discontent with the Puritan ways through the characterization of different members of the community and how they react with one another. Reverend Dimmesdale denies his relationship with Hester, Pearl, and the scarlet letter. As the community minister, Dimmesdale is torn between his public role of preaching holiness and the personal anguish burning deep down inside, where the burden of guilt proves too strong to ignore. Hester on the hand, is able to overcome her sin by refusing to run and accepting the punishment, while not letting it negatively define her, as the Puritans had intended.

As Claudia Johnson states in the introduction to Understanding The Scarlet Letter, “It is about the hypocrisy of members of a community who refuse to acknowledge that each of them is just as human, just as subject to passionate feelings as the woman they label an adulter.” (2) Ironically, the same woman banished from the community is subject to a complete moral enlightenment on the basis of her punishment:

But Hester Prynne, with a mind of native courage and activity, and for so long a period not merely estranged, but outlawed, from society, had habituated herself to such latitude of speculation as was altogether foreign to the clergyman. She had wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness…Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers,—stern and wild ones,—and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss (#).

It is the knowledge of her sin that enables Hester to grow and evolve as an individual. The opposite is true of Reverend Dimmesdale. It is his deliberate refusal to be honest with himself and his community that Hawthorne uses as his demise. The Scarlet Letter incorporates themes of Puritanical crime and punishment, but with an outsider’s perspective. The hypocritical townspeople are stagnant and judgmental, but Hester and her daughter Pearl, the true embodiment of her sin, are strong, passionate, and honest, also females—imagine that. Hawthorne chose to represent his characters this way to show his disapproval with the strict nature of the New England society at the time, thus fitting in perfectly with the bounds of the American literary canon.

Continuing the theme of religion relevant to the New England territory is Sarah Jewett’s The Country of Pointed Firs. Rather than exploiting the hypocritical Puritan ideals of a community like Hawthorne, Jewett writes on the idea of Emersonian transcendentalism, where according to an essay “A Revisitation of transcendentalism” by **, the natural world is symbolic of the characters’ actions and transformations.” (1) Unlike The Scarlet Letter, where “it is the individual self in an isolated environment (ie. Hester’s banishment from society),” The Country of Pointed Firs suggests, “it is the communal self, the nature of the individual as a part of the community, that is a catalyst for the transformation of the characters.” (1). This way of thinking “undermines formal Christianity and elevates simple country people to a sublime and spiritual realm.” (1). Instead of challenging the dominating Christian religion directly, Jewett simply creates her own version of a communal woman’s religion. Josephine Donovan, a well known expert on religion within The Country of Pointed suggests,

…we find that the connections between women form a kind of secret society, that womanly lore is handed down from mother to daughter in a continuing matrilineal tradition of healing and hospitality. It is the woman’s function to be a loving center of the community. This is the ultimate transcendence Jewett presents. (377)

We see this role of a “loving center of the community” within Almira Todd’s mother, Mrs. Blackett. Even though Mrs. Blackett does not live on Dunnet Landing, the people of the community idolize and to a certain extent, they worship her. In this way, she can be read as somewhat of a female Godly figure. Even further emphasizing Mrs. Blackett’s role as a “Supreme” being, is the description of Green Island, where she and brother William live isolated from the rest of the community. “The sunburst upon that outermost island made it seem like a sudden revelation of the world beyond this which some believe to be so near” (29). Through the careful use of Jewett’s descriptive voice, Green Island assumes a symbolic role as the representation of some kind of Heaven.

Formal religion within the text of the novel is seen as submissive to nature as a spiritual influence. It would be interesting to see John Winthrop’s reaction to such a revelation. One would expect to see the church embodied as a strong influence in a New England Protestant town like Dunnet Landing, but as Francis Fike points out, “religion is considered by the characters more as the occasion for ‘meetin’ than as a source of strength.” (173) The only concrete representation of Christianity within the novel is Pastor Dimmick, whom is characterized as out of touch with the realities and needs of his people.  Mrs. Todd complains, “I couldn’t help thinkin’ he might never get no further; he seemed to know no remedies, but he had a great use of words” (71). Much like Reverend Dimmesdale, Pastor Dimmick is influential in his ability to preach “the word,” but he lacks the simple ability to recognize when he is overstepping his boundaries as a religious influence. He takes a visit to Shell-Heap Island with Mrs. Todd, where he hopes to enlighten the self-condemned Joanna Todd with the word of God. “He put on his authority and asked her if she felt to enjoy religion in her present situation, an’ she replied that she must be excused from answerin’” (69).” Mrs. Todd goes on to criticize the way in which Pastor Dimmick pushes the theory of religion on poor Joanna:

I thought he might have seen the little old Bible a-layin’ on the shelf close by him, an’ I wished he knew enough to just lay his hand on it an’ read somethin’ kind an’ fatherly ‘stead of accusin’ her, an’ then given poor Joanna his blessin’ with the hope she might be led to comfort. He did offer prayer, but ‘t was all about hearin’ the voice o’ God out o’ the whirlwind. (69)

All too often, the ability for moral Christian persuasion is at the hands of an insufficient character. Pastor Dimmick is unable to sympathize with Joanna’s situation because it is self-inflicted. When the word of God is just sitting there, waiting to be read, Dimmick doesn’t understand how someone could so blatantly deny it. Jewett plays on this fact, and through the failed attempt of Pastor Dimmick to inflict religion upon Joanna, she makes a statement alluding to the freedom we have as individuals to make that choice.

Opposite of Hester Prynne, Joanna Todd’s seclusion from society is a decision of her own. She is devastated when her fiancé leaves her for another woman, and feels as though she is unfit to be a part of society. “I have committed the unpardonable sin…I was in great wrath and trouble, and my thoughts was so wicked towards God that I can’t expect ever to be forgiven…I have lost my hope” (70). Joanna has come to terms with the relationship she has with herself, and is perfectly content in being alone. “You must tell those that ask how ‘t is with me, ‘an’ tell them I want to be alone” (70). By characterizing Joanna as being more comfortable in Nature and her own thoughts, away from the influences of the world, Jewett is making a statement about the unity and peace of an interpersonal transcendental life. The identity of America at the time, would not necessarily agree, but it is because of this fact, The Country of Pointed Firs belongs as a part of the American literary canon: the thoughts and minds of the American people are in a state of constant twists and turns, so the canon must be reevaluated to reflect those changes in behavior.

The importance of American Literature to capture the thoughts and attitudes of individuals in a civilized society is vital for a sincere knowledge of American identity. That is why the American literary canon is so important; it gives us valuable insight to the changes in our culture through the creative lens of the author. Books like The Scarlet Letter and The Country of Pointed Firs allude to the hypocritical presence of the Christian religion in the community. Regarding the nature of Puritanism and Transcendentalism, respectively, Hawthorne and Jewett present a well researched, and beautifully written look into the culture of individual human nature, and moral code within a society that attempts to tame it. By studying texts like these, readers have the opportunity to see into the past, where we can mature from it, and hopefully apply some of what we learn, to the culture of an ever-growing American identity.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York City: Random House Publishing Group,

2000.

Jewett, Sarah Orne. The Country of Pointed Firs. New York City: Dover Publications, 1994.

Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding The Scarlet Letter. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. Richardson, Melissa. “A

Revisitation of Transcendentalism.” 1998. The Domestic Goddess. 5

Decemeber 2011 <http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/richardson.htm&gt;.

et/domesticgoddess/richardson.htm>.

It is a shame that nothing brings a nation together like disaster. By noon on the Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001, America was undoubtedly united. President Bush was considered a hero when he declared the “War on Terror,” but by the end of his term he was criticized and ostracized for his international relations behavior. His motives were questioned and his ideas began to steadily fall out of favor. What happened? What always happens? People forgot. Denis Donoghue, graduate from the University College at Dublin, argues for the dexterity of Moby – Dick in times such as these. Whether or not the individual is sympathetic towards Ahab or Bush, the similarities in their stories cannot be disputed, and it is in ways like this that canonical texts remain relevant. Donoghue states that “President Bush is successful in his assumption that most American people are willing to endorse a simple allegory of good and evil” (2.) This is to say that Americans are a nation of citizens who see outside things in black and white, right or wrong, no in between. There are very few times where this philosophy is accurate, but many would argue that in the face of terrorism America’s outlook can be qualified. It is strange though that this good versus evil complex always has America on the favorable side. Americans tend to have the perception, Donoghue argues, that “if Satan is alive, he lives abroad” (3), and this can be proven again and again. There is no evil left in America, just people spawned from unfortunate situations; “Sadam Hussein and Osama bin Laden  are evil…[but] American men that do evil things just had bad childhoods, [including] absentee fathers, broken families, and unsafe environments” (Donoghue, pgs 3&4). Sadam Hussein and Osama bin Laden are terrorists, but Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Timothy McVeigh were all American citizens. This rhetoric reflects the quest of America, whose “ideological map of the world is to be redrawn on lines favorable to American interests” (Donoghue, 3). America has always been accused of being an imperialist nation in denial, but it seems no one in America even considered the truth in that statement because to do that would be to admit America is not always “the good guy.”

            So what does all this mean for Moby-Dick? One strength of canonical pieces is that they are a story that can really be applied to any other story. This quality, Donoghue argues, makes it “hard to pay attention to fictive sentences, images, and rhythms while American bombs are being dropped on Baghdad men, women, and children killed, hospitals ransacked by Iraqis, museums looted, and libraries burnt” (2), and that is absolutely true. The meaning of Moby – Dick is changed, or maybe strengthened by, current cultural events. Perhaps the twenty-first century American can’t relate to a disabled man chasing a whale, but when that crazed man becomes the leader of his or her country and that whale is a couple of citizens overseas, the text all of a sudden becomes clear. It is impossible to keep canonical texts from being influenced by modern events; to keep Moby-Dick in its true form would “need an interpretation…independent of the Americanization of politics and anthropology” (Donoghue 5). But this is proven to be impossible, as being “American” is a requirement in being a part of the “American Canon.” Thus canonical works are subject to change in value and in interpretation because they are under the subjection of American culture. Naturally, Donoghue says, “it would be difficult in these circumstances to read Moby-Dick as anything but a revenge play” (7). How then does the modern reader feel about Bush after spending over a hundred years criticizing Ahab? Donoghue argues that “Ahab is a man created by the first pride and rage until the second engulfs the first and nothing of the first remains” (7). Many American voices would say the same about President Bush.

There were multiple themes we discussed at length this semester, mainly those involving individuality versus community and whether freedom exists or not. However, while reading the different novels I kept noticing how often the theme of man versus nature was used. This may be due in part because all of the novels we read occur around the same geographical area, but I believe that America’s history and culture strongly revolves around nature and our relationship with it.

For instance, water is a huge symbol used in Moby Dick, Ahab’s Wife, and Huckleberry Finn to depict life, adventure, journey, and change. It is used to a lesser extent in The Scarlet Letter as well to symbolize escape (I believe Twain’s novel utilizes this same symbolism with the Mississippi River). Water is the most important natural compound on earth, and Americans have relied on it heavily over the centuries. We have used our rivers to travel, to harness energy, for business, and to supply our thirst and hunger.

All of the novels include characters that interact with nature quite often. More importantly, however, I realized that the characters depended on nature and even received revelations from it, as in The Country of the Pointed Firs: “Suddenly, as we looked, a gleam of golden sunshine struck the outer islands, and one of them shone out clear in the light, and revealed itself in a compelling way to our eyes…The sunburst upon that outermost island made it seem like a sudden revelation of the world beyond this which some believe to be so near” (25). This passage reminds me of the descriptions of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter, how she was a child full of light.

It is fairly obvious how Moby Dick is very strongly focused on the theme of man versus nature. This novel and the other ones we have read as well highlight the idea that man cannot overcome nature. We can only live with it. We can take on deadly seas and chase after colossal animals, but most likely nature will triumph. Huck Finn and Jim live in harmony with the Mississippi River; they rely on it for their escape, similarly to how Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl originally relied on the ship in the bay for their escape from the Puritan community. Overall I believe that American authors have been able to write about nature and man’s relationship with it in both obvious and subtle ways, and this contributes to our overarching idea of American Identity because we are always searching for something bigger than ourselves. Several of the nugget presentations from this week mentioned that as well, that our perspective is only a tiny one compared to the perspective of things greater than us: our country, nature, and God. As the narrator in The Country of the Pointed Firs pointed out, these forces and perspectives that are bigger than us sometimes reveals glimpses of themselves and authors often write about these revelations and how Americans are so intertwined with nature, in both peaceful and competitive ways.

The review of Ahab’s Wife portrays both positive and negative perspectives of the text. Both views give reasoning that I never thought of while reading the text. In “ ‘Ahab’s Wife’ Doesn’t Belong On the Same Shelf as ‘Moby-Dick’” article by Hershel Parker portrays a review of saying it is a ‘sprawling’ work, and it mimics other texts that are considered to be in the literary canon. The literary canon is a grouping of texts that are universal and considered some of the greatest novels of all time. Parker title says his opinion openly, `Ahab’s Wife’ Doesn’t Belong on the Same Shelf as `Moby-Dick’. In comparison, to the blogged review by Staci Thomas, where it was praising the text almost attempting to urge the readers to read Ahab’s Wife. The differences relate to differing sides of why each text could possibly fall into the canon and why it could not. The modern text portrays canonistic qualities, as Thomas points out, however Parker stresses the ideas of how a modern work can not coincides with the great novels like Moby-Dick.

Personally, while reading I did not pick up what Parker was saying. Parker says, “ For anyone who has read these authors, such moments tend to be embarrassing, as when Una encounters Hawthorne in the woods near Concord wearing his “odd black veil’.” While encountering this part I took it as its own portal. I thought adding these symbolism techniques only enhanced the writing, not necessary mimicking. While discussing, I almost considered in the canon. Using the words such as embarrassing, sprawling, and manipulation only mock the text.

In Staci Thomas’s blog, she brought the idea of Ahab’s Wife being “an epic from an epic.” Like Staci I too found the themes of the text and the feministic qualities of the text only improve the reading process. The novel had strong character development of Una, the wife of Ahab. The story of such a strong powerful women able to stand-alone and achieve so much while dealing with struggle is enlightening. As Parker in his review thought the literary references hurt the text, Thomas thought otherwise, “ The literary references in the novel are stunning.  The manner in which the author weaves thoughts of the writers of old into the story is fabulous.  For example, Shakespeare is abundantly referenced, quoted and used to develop Una’s character.  At one point, Una tells her cousin that she never found Hamlet convincing because of “…All that hesitation.  A person would either kill the king or go to another country.”  Her cousin responds with this telling observation:  “Hesitation is more natural for some of us than it is for you, Una (Paragraph 6). ” The themes in Moby-Dick and Ahab’s Wife were also similar, like the presence of religion.

With the differing arguments, I understand where a text being written father past the original work may appear to be mimicking and copying a text. However, I think the flow of the text, themes, character development, and universal ideals promote an entirely different novel. With using the canon as a reference, Ahab’s Wife as many qualities of the canon characteristics, so I think it can stand for itself. If Parker was referring to Ahab’s Wife not being on the same shelf as Moby-Dick for canonistic reasons, then it is understandable. The new-modern texts do not fit into the canon, even if they have the characteristics.

Not only do the canonical texts influence the literary world, the texts also add to popular cultural. There are restaurants named after these texts to iPhone cases with key images to depict certain aspects. These show even that even though there has been a great deal of time that has passed, popular cultural is still incorporating these themes in present day American society.

American identity portrays elements to depict its characteristics. These elements include diversity (cultural, religions, and ethnicity), desire for ultimate freedom, economic advancement, individualism versus community, and desire to explore. These characteristics help define the past and why America’s cultural is still influenced by these works. The national identity is what Americans relate to, even though it is diverse groups of people Americans still share the bond of being in the melting pot together.

There are restaurants that are named after Moby-Dick and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that based off of the canonical books. The food that the restaurants carry correlates with the food that would be eaten during the books or in that type of food genre. For Moby-Dick the fish, rice, and meat were the main staples for the menu. These foods go along with the whole book setting-taking place on a boat. For Huck Finn the restaurants focus on fish, like catfish, but including more southern food. This restaurant’s food is also linked to the setting of to book, the Mississippi River.

Popular cultural is also portrayed through graphic t-shirts in America. Graphic t-shirts portray a whole new form of art. The art is a way to express different messages at an everyday level. There are countless t-shirts about these books, either to spread to word or for enthusiast who want to visually wear what they literary like. These t-shirts are also a way to advertise the texts. Through these advertisements the name of the works will continue to spread, linking the past with the present.

Movies and adaptations have been moderated from the canonical texts. Movies like Easy A have changed from the original The Scarlett Letter to a modern-day application at a high school community setting, while incorporating the adultery and sin theme. Adaptations to canonical texts allows for a broader audience. Those who might not of read The Scarlett Letter may now want to know the reference in the movie to become more verse. Also, video games open a whole new market for canon to appear in popular cultural, because of technological advances there is a new access to textual adaptations into games. The Moby-Dick video game is where the player is the whale and tries to stay alive as long as possible while dodging boats, killing fishermen, and earning different type of bonuses. This game has incorporated a text into something that can be played in leisure time and is a source of entertainment.

These themes and aspects of the canonical texts being portrayed in today’s society confirm their status in the canon. The universal themes have lasted years and still significant in cultural to the point of being adapted to go along with the time period. These great American literary works because of their canonical factors, like race, gender, freedom, and the American dream, have impacted America’s culture.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter depicts the life of a Puritan society in early America. In this novel, it becomes clear that Hawthorne is not merely telling a story about a woman’s life and her misdeeds, but a critique about the hypocrisy of the Bible abiding society and their strict, unforgiving way of life. The true hypocrisy becomes evident through the treatment of the characters Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Mistress Hibbins, and Hester Prynne.

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is a highly respected member of the Puritan community. He is a beloved reverend that many people of the town look to for comfort. This is why no one could ever suspect him of being the father of Pearl, Hester Prynne’s child. Throughout the novel, Dimmesdale seems to handle the fact that he is hiding the secret of being Pearl’s father extremely well until Chillingworth and his evil doings finally get to Dimmesdale. In one scene, Reverend Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold in the center of town and screams out into the night in agony. He fears that he will be caught. However, the few townspeople that do hear his cry simply mistake it for a witch’s cry. As well, Reverend Wilson walks near the scaffold and Dimmesdale fears that he will be discovered and questioned by the other Reverend. However, like the other townspeople, Reverend Wilson somehow seems to not notice Dimmesdale upon the scaffold. This symbolizes the blindness and hypocrisy of the Puritan society. The Puritans merely assume that the scream is from a witch and the other Reverend simply does not see Dimmesdale because they are all blind to the fact that someone in such a great position of power could commit a sin. Furthermore, they were quick to judge Hester, a woman of normal social class, when she committed her crime but refuse to see what is right before their eyes when it involves a man in a position of power and respect, proving their hypocrisy. As well, in the climactic ending scene when Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester Prynne and their daughter Pearl after he has just given the best sermon of his life while all the townspeople look upon them, Dimmesdale reveals his chest to the entire crowd in order to reveal his own “scarlet letter.” However, after many days had passed, the people of the town were unsure of what they had scene occur on the platform. Some people claimed that they had seen a scarlet letter while others claimed that they did not see anything upon the Dimmesdale’s chest. The people who maintained that there was nothing upon Dimmesdale’s chest believe that he was taking on the sins of Hester in the last minutes of his life, knowing that he was dying. They then referred to Dimmesdale as being a saint, or an angel. The outright comparison of Dimmesdale to a heavenly being further depicts the hypocrisy of the Puritan society. They simply cannot see their beloved Reverend as being sinful. Even when they are faced with the fact that he could have committed a sin that they persecuted Hester Prynne for, they deny it to be true and make him out to be a sort of savior for the people of the town. The hypocrisy of the whole situation is that when Hester was found to be guilty of adultery, everyone was quick to judge her and punish her yet when someone of Dimmesdale’s stature is thought to be guilty of a crime, they refer to him as a heavenly being or a martyr.

Along with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the character of Mistress Hibbins serves to display the hypocrisy of the Puritan society. Mistress Hibbins is the sister of Governor Bellingham, but she is also commonly known to be a witch. However, because of her high social standing nobody bothers to do anything about it. It’s clear that Mistress Hibbins is a witch because she invites Hester to a party in the forest at which she says the Devil will present. Obviously, Hester denies this invitation. The true hypocrisy is that this woman, who is a known witch, is not so harshly judged as Hester Prynne was when she committed adultery. It seems as though the Puritans would have treated someone who dabbled in witchcraft more harshly, as that could physically harm someone, than someone who committed adultery, as adultery only affects the people involved. However, this is not the case as Mistress Hibbins is the sister of the governor. Although, it can be assured that if someone who was not at such a high social standing as Mistress Hibbins was thought to have been a witch, the townspeople would have punished or executed that person sooner.

The way that the townspeople treat Hester Prynne displays the true hypocrisy of the Puritan society. For example, they are so quick to judge Hester when she has done wrong and to punish her for her sins, however, when they realize that Hester is a beautiful seamstress. For example, when Hester first makes her appearance to the townspeople the judgmental Puritan women gossip rudely about Hester. One woman says “’I’ll tell ye a piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof, if we women, being of mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne. What think ye, gossips?’” (Hawthorne 46). This proves that the women, and townspeople, are judging her extremely harshly for her crimes. However, when the townspeople realize that Hester makes beautiful clothes, they decide to use her for her talents. It seems ironic that her talent for needlework was discovered by the beautiful letter “A” that she made for herself to wear for her punishment. One of the women even remarks at the beauty of her scarlet letter by saying “’She hath good skill at her needle, that’s certain’” (Hawthorne 48). Then the townspeople go on to criticize her for making her scarlet letter so beautifully ornate, as if Hester was making a statement about how she was not ashamed of her crime. Yet, later, they all desire her to do embroidery work for them. Her embroidery was used by women, ministers, and magistrates. She was also able to make clothes for funerals. It seems that the people of the town were quick to judge her but once they saw that they could use her talents for items they needed, the community quickly embraced her. Hester was only forbidden from making any type of clothing that could be worn by a bride at her wedding, as this seemed to be too sinful, and perhaps a curse. Along with her grand needlework, Hester helped the poor and sick people in the town. Hester becomes such a caretaker for people in the town “that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it mean Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 146). The fact that the townspeople now see Hester as being a good person now that it is to their benefit further shows the hypocrisy of the Puritan society. They did not want anything to do with her when she was only seen as an adulterer with an illegitimate child, but now that she makes beautiful articles of clothing for them and takes care of the poor and sick, they see her as a good person and view her as “able.”

As can be seen, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is clearly a critique on the hypocrisy and misgivings of the Puritan society in early America. Hawthorne evidently wanted to show how corrupt this strict bible abiding society truly was. Through the characters of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Mistress Hibbins, and Hester Prynne he does just that: the hypocrisies and double standards of the Puritan society are revealed.

By: Jessica Eastwood

While reading all of these reviews, the two that stood out to me the most were the New York Times review and the review on the blog. They both seemed to capture the true essence of the book better than all of the other reviews.

In the New York Times review, I liked how the writer discussed the fact that Melville would probably not like this book at all, based on the fact that he only gave Una ten lines in Moby-Dick and that he was against women even reading his book in the first place. I also enjoyed how this review celebrated the fact that Ahab’s Wife was about a woman’s adventure and pointed out the fact that it is not only men that are allowed to lead adventurous, exciting lives. While the author of this contrasts Ahab’s Wife to Moby-Dick by saying that Ahab’s Wife is a novel of compassion and that Moby-Dick is a novel of obsession, I would have to disagree with that. While Melville’s novel is about obsession I do not believe that Naslund’s novel is only from the point of compassion. I do feel as though Una can be slightly obsessive at times. She appears to be obsessed with men and obsessed with living an adventurous life. This review also celebrates that Una is not just a woman that doesn’t run into any problems in her life, but a woman who seeks out happiness in all situations. In some of the other reviews, they harped upon the fact that Una’s character did not seem complete because she never had any internal struggles. However, I disagree because she faced much adversity in her life and just because her character did not dwell on those challenges so much in the novel, doesn’t mean that she’s an incomplete character. I can see how this would make Una’s character more difficult to relate to but do not feel that this makes her an incomplete character. However, the New York Times reviewer understood this, and I feel that they were the closest to my opinion on the book.

I also enjoyed the review of Ahab’s Wife on the blogging website. I liked the emphasis that it put on the friendship aspect of the novel, which is an extremely important one. While Una has a lot of relationships with a multitude of different people, I feel that she needs all of them in order to survive. The other part of this review that also drew me to it was the fact that the reviewer talked about their own personal connection with the book and how they thought about their own friends and how their friends would fit into the book of their life. This, in turn, made me think about the book of my life and how my friends and family would play into it. I do agree with this reviewer when they comment on the fact that Una can accomplish anything she sets her mind to and how that sometimes seems irrational. While I did enjoy the novel as a whole, sometimes Una’s antics did go a little overboard. Una did sometimes act so confidently that it got to be a little irritating. While the author of this blog feels as though this is a feminist work, I would have to disagree. This is because Una seems to rely on men far too much to be considered a feminist. She goes back and forth from man to man and always seems to be craving a male’s attention. A true feminist work, in my opinion, would have the main female character totally apathetic towards men. The comment on the religion aspect of this novel was also very insightful. Una’s search for God and religion in this novel is extremely prevalent. I did feel as though Una’s look on religion seemed to be a little harsh, as did the reviewer. Just because some of her Christian friends always turn out to disappoint her does not mean that she should reject religion as a whole. The author of this blog also pointed out that this book has 666 pages. While this could just be a happy coincidence, it does seem a bit curious that this book is so anti-religion and ends up being 666 pages long.

Admittedly, Ahab’s Wife may not be the most perfect and accurate novel to supplement Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. With that being said, although some parts of the novel and aspects of the characters were a little problematic, I did enjoy this book as a whole and appreciated the fact that Sena Jeter Naslund added a feminine touch to the overly masculine Moby-Dick.

By: Jessica Eastwood

I’ve spent this entire semester thinking about the canon, what it means to be in the canon, and why a novel should be included in the canon. At first these questions seemed to be extremely overwhelmingly broad and extremely confusing. However, at the end of the semester, I feel as though I finally have a firm grasp on these questions know how to answer them in a decisive manner.

The literary canon provides a list of novels that are deemed to be a significant enough piece of literature that they should be regarded and read by everyone. While others may have a different opinion as to why a certain novel should be included in the canon to me it simply comes down to this: for a novel to be included in the literary canon, it must be able to appeal to a wide audience and be able to still be relevant many years after the novel was published, there by standing the test of time.

Through my research over the course of this semester, I’ve been looking for modern interpretations of a few of these novels in order to consider whether they are still relevant or not and should be included or excluded from the literary canon, according to my definition. I chose to elaborate on 3 of my favorite novels of the semester: The Scarlet Letter, Moby-Dick, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The Scarlet Letter is clearly still relevant in today’s culture because of the movie Easy A. The film centers around a girl, Olive, who is believed to be sexually promiscuous by her peers so she attaches a scarlet “A” on her clothes and wears it to school. Like Hester Prynne, Olive defies the society and wears her letter with a certain pride. She does not believe in conforming to the beliefs of her close-minded peers. This film brings the story of The Scarlet Letter to a new generation and proves that the main ideas in the novel are still important in today’s culture.

Another novel in the literary canon that is still alive today is Moby-Dick. One example of this is the Moby-Dick! Musical. This musical is a story about girls at a school that must put on a show based on the novel in order to raise money. Along with the musical version of the novel, there is a cover band named Moby Dick. They tour around the country performing at birthday parties, weddings, etc. While I am not sure why they named their band Moby Dick, it clearly shows that the novel still has a large prevalence today because they obviously named their band after something popular so that the reference would make sense to a wide audience. Furthermore, it is clear that Moby-Dick is still significant to today’s culture because Sena Jeter Naslund wrote a novel in 1999 in response to it. Clearly, for another author to write a novel based on another author’s work shows the importance of Moby-Dick.

The final novel that I will be looking at that is still shown, as being relative today, is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. One of the more clever modern adaptations I found was a website that sells floating raft houses. These raft houses are advertised as being just what people need in order to escape from the real work just like Huckleberry Finn. Also, on youtube, there are many videos that people made of modern adaptations of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I thought were pretty funny. Furthermore, as is true with Moby-Dick and Ahab’s Wife, My Jim is the modern response to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Clearly, as with the two previous novels discussed, Twain’s novel is still significant because another author decided to make a supplementary novel to it. Although all of these modern interpretations and references to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are interesting, my favorite is a news story that I found about a boy who was on the loose, committing burglaries, and living on the lam. The news article, from ABC News, refers to the boy as being a “modern-day Huckleberry Finn.”

For a novel to be included into the American literary canon it needs to be able to appeal to a wide audience as well as being able to stand the test of time. Obviously, the fact that these three novels are still relevant and highly referenced in today’s modern culture proves that they should be included in the American literary canon.

By: Jessica Eastwood