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Week 2
I have gone through first part of all the stories and decided to make the folio based on ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ as it sounds really interesting to me. After reading thoroughly the first part of the story, I can say that Mr. Morris, Sargeant-Major has gone through some rough and brutal phase for which he holds ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ guilty and responsible. There was some bitter fact that he hides from his friend, Mr. White though he warns him about the misfortune. As for Mr. White, I felt that he is curious to know about the truth behind ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ but at the same time somewhere down the line he has a greed of getting more by making wish to ‘The Monkey’s Paw’. Whilst Mrs. White and his son takes this issue in a humorous and light way.

From the very beginning author has set the mood of the story as suspicious and mysterious which fills the mind of the reader with a surge to reveal the unknown. From the suspicious environment created, it can be predicted easily that some ghosts and haunting is coming on the way.

Very cleverly author revealed that there is some misfortune related to the history of the monkey’s paw and a holy man has spelled something over the mummified paw of monkey but what is that misfortune? Also, what was happening upstairs after Mr. White wished for the first thing? These are yet unsolved questions.

Reading the very first part of the story, I can say that the story is filled with thrills, unexpected twists and will give us to read something that is unique. First part of the story is very powerful that has raised the expectations very high for the story as well as the way author has chosen to reveal the truth and mystery.

Week 3
‘The Drover’s Wife’, a short story that is described by the author in the most beautiful way ever. The most important and impactful portion of this short story was the narrative that has helped in setting the mood of the story. I realised that author has used the most suitable adjectives and has described each and every minute details in such a subtle way that one can easily depict the scenario and write a whole novel, let alone an essay.

Description of the environment of the house and the way of explaining the surrounding environment has given a very clear vision that how remote the area was. This helps the writer, writing essay on this story to analyse and describe the situation in a much better way.

As the story proceeds, author has given such a beautiful description of how brave the woman was by describing little past incidents which he stood by bravely. This gives a detailed vision of her bravery to stand by all the odds and lives in such a place that is filled with danger. Setting is of many type like setting as character, setting as metaphor etc. In ‘The Drover’s Wife’, setting of the character is the heart of the story. Author has not given any name to the Drover’s wife yet she is the central character of the story.

The emotion of a story, it’s central character and the message of the story can only be portrayed well through its setting. While writing an essay it is very important to know the theme of the story. Here, in ‘The Drover’s Wife’, the story described and cherished the victory of a woman against all odds. It tells about the sacrifices a woman does for her family. But none of these are stated directly rather the author has let the mood of the story to portray this.

Week 5
‘Dreadfully nervous he was and always had been but why would anyone call him mad? The disease had not destroyed or dulled his sense rather it had sharpened them. Acute hearing was the sense that was above all the others. He was capable of hearing even the lowest of sound in the earth and in the heaven. He can even hear the many sounds of hell. How can he be mad then? Hearken! And read his story calmly.

It is hard to say how the idea imbibed inside his brain; but once conceived, he was haunted by it day and night. There were no objective and so was the passion left in him. He loved that old man. He was never ditched by him and never ever insulted by him as well. He never desired for his gold. It was the eyes of that old man, that pale blue eyes which whenever fell upon him, his blood ran cold. He finally decided to take up the life of the old man and set himself free from the gaze of those eyes forever.’

Above is ‘The Tell- Tale Heart’ narrated in a third person limited point of view. It can be seen that in ‘The Tell- Tales Heart’ story is described from the first person view. When reading with the flow, reader tends to feel it as his own story contrary to the third person point of view. Third person point view always give a sense that the story is of someone else as it uses ‘he’, ‘his’, ‘him’ etc. to refer to the main character of the story.

The second person view on the other hand narrates the story using ‘you’ and ‘your’. Among all these ways of narration third person view is very common and is used by most of the authors. Second person view is less used. ("Google")

Week 7
The speaker came across a phase where his path diverges in a yellow wood; he regretted that he couldn’t choose both the paths. He had to traverse only one out of them. Finally, he came to a conclusion of opting the path that is less travelled but made a pledge that someday in his life he will travel the other road as well. Later in his journey he realises that both the roads are equally traversed and laments that he may never return to take the other path. The poet feels pain that how will he tell the story of the other road in future. At last, he gained consciousness that all the differences that changed his life for better was because he chose the road that was less travelled.

Did you notice anything different in the poem or story in the second and subsequent readings?

The true meaning and essence of the poem can be understood only when you read it twice. We tend to focus on the literal meaning of the words but when we read it twice or thrice then we realise the deep hidden meaning of the poem. Like in ‘The Road Not Taken’, the poet tells about his dilemma while deciding which road he must take and the regret of not taking the road that is traversed by many. Here, he is saying about the roads that we choose in life, that he chose in life. The road is used as metaphor to describe a much broader perspective, i.e., life. The road taken is meant for the decisions that he made in life. Hence, reading a poem more than one time gives a better insight of its meaning. Metaphors and similes are used to describe the complex decision making and way of living life by a simple example of choosing between the two roads.

Week 8
The most obvious symbol used in the poem “The Raven” is the Raven itself. The way raven whooshes inside the room and implicates dominion over the narrator shows the grave nature of the bird which symbolize the agonized memory of the author.

The unnamed narrator on one cold December night overhears a tapping on the door while he held a book in a jaded manner. He reflects in his mind in a reassuring manner that the stir was created by a mere stranger and then rebounds into his gloomy thoughts created due to passing away of Lenore and waits for the next day. He is stunned by the swishing curtains but reaffirms that the rustle was created by a late visitor. He moves towards the door, asking pardon from the visitor for not responding as he had been in a nap but as soon as he opens up the door, he hears and views nothing except the echoing noise of his own voice saying “Lenore”. Eventually it turns out that the visitor was none but a raven which could speak but could only utter one word “Nevermore” which later on leads to insane behaviour of the narrator.

Symbols simply put, can help create an enhanced and deeper meaning of a literary work. Often, they are also used to create a vignette of a situation and they are many- a- times left unexplained to let the reader decide and debate about its plausible meanings. This leaves ample room for discussion and understanding along with providing an opportunity for the reader to extend the canopy of their imagination.

Week 11
Six Gun Snow White is a mash up of snow white fairy tale and the author’s own retelling of this age old tale. This well narrated but succinct novel has such an enchanting way of describing events that it enthrals the reader and leaves them completely mesmerized and transfixed in the work. The author’s facility with words is outstanding and fits amiably with this speculative work of fiction. Although there are instances in the book which may sully the reading experience of the reader such as the ruthless description of Gun’s genitals, still the book does not dash the hopes of the readers and gives them a content worth cherishing.

There are various analogies drawn with the classic fairy tale of Snow white in this work. It encapsulates elements of age old Snow white such as Gun being the most beautiful daughter of the Crow people. Just as the Snow White, the protagonist of this tale is motherless as her mother passes away while giving childbirth and similar to Snow White, she was also raised in the guardianship of a cruel step mother. The protagonist is named “Snow White” after several years by her step mother and has to step into a cunning gun slinging world and survive with her own heroic instances and feelings.

Not only Valente uses these elements of similarity for her own purpose, but uses a witty manipulation of the story in her favour too. The title itself draws the reader towards the book and sets forth a wave of inquisitiveness in the reader. Since the basic elements and even the name of the protagonist are more or less the same, the reader does not get bored of the flow of the story line as they are already anticipating the outcome of the story in their mind.

References
Valente, Catherynne M. Six-Gun Snow White. New York: Saga, 2015. Print.

Poe, Edgar Allen. “The Raven.” The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Mineola, New York: Dover, 2013. 26-35.
Ebooks Corporation. Web. 7 January 2016.

Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” Works of Robert Frost. Boston: MobileReference, 2010. 127. Ebooks
Corporation. Web. 7 January 2016.

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Tell-Tale Heart.” The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings. Ed. David
Galloway. London; New York: Penguin, 2003. 228-33. Print

Lawson, Henry. “The Drover’s Wife.” Collected Prose. Volume 1: Short Stories and Sketches 1888-1922. Ed.
Colin Roderick. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1972. 47-52. Print

Jacobs, W. W. “The Monkey’s Paw.” Classic Horror Collection. Boston: MobileReference, 2010. 2142-67.
Ebooks Corporation. Web. 5 January 2016

"Google". Google.co.in. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.