Analysis of Works
FRQ Prompt #1
In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Either from your own reading or from the list below, choose a work of fiction in which the reader is confronted with a scene or scenes of violence.
Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how the scene or scenes contribute(s) to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Throughout I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream, Harlan Ellison utilizes scenes and mentions of violence in order to exemplify the dire situation the final five individuals of humanity are in. In the closing scenes of the story, Ted makes a final effort in order to release the other four individuals of his group from the malevolent clutches of AM. Ted’s ultimate act illustrates that even when all seems to be bleak there is still hope and a way out, no matter how small it may initially look.
In an idea conceived by a sliver of hope, the group of five partakes on an epic journey in order to find food. As they travel deeper into the massive complex of computers, they encounter numerous acts of violence enacted by AM. One of the character’s eyes are melted, an enormous bird that creates hurricanes with it wings is placed as an obstacle, and the group is injured in intense earthquakes. While these violent acts are creative ways AM projects its hatred for humanity, this view is only a surface analyzation. When examining the full meaning of the story, the way the group continues on their journey despite all of the violence they face is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
When the group reaches the end of their journey, they once again face the tortures of AM. Although they find the food they were looking for, AM has provided them canned food, but with no way to open it. As the group starts to loose their sanity, Ted, the narrator of the story, realizes that although they cannot escape AM clutches by suicide, they can by murdering one another. While their way of absconding is quite violent, the scene demonstrates that even when it seems like there is no hope, there is always a way out. In Ellison’s words, the ending represents, "...a spark of humanity in us, that in the last, final, most excruciating moment, will do the unspeakable in the name of kindness", even sacrificing oneself for others' sake.”
Overall, Ellison’s use of violence illustrates how that even in humanity’s final moments, despite differences, despite contrasting views of each other, we will choose kindness and find hope, no matter how small or bleak it may initially seem.
FRQ Prompt #2
Many works of literature feature characters who have been given a literal or figurative gift. The gift may be an object, or it may be a quality such as uncommon beauty, significant Social position, great mental or imaginative faculties, or extraordinary physical powers. Yet this gift is often also a burden or a handicap.
Select a character from a novel, epic, or play who has been given a gift that is both an advantage and a problem. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing the complex nature of the gift and how the gift contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
In The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore, the main character, Levendis, is a time traveler who uses his powers in order to right history’s wrongs. While Levendis uses his powers for good, he is often frustrated that he is “an unlimited person living in a limited world.” Because of his frustrations, he occasionally resorts to violence, ultimately illustrating that every individual possesses the power to be both benevolent and malevolent.
Levendis uses his time traveling abilities in order to push individuals in a positive direction. However, he doesn’t personally interfere with individual's lives often as he wants humanity to create major improvements by themselves. His positive acts are usually small acts of kindness. For example, Levendis helps old people cross the street, attacks a group of racist individuals who were harassing an interracial couple, and even changes the names of major historic events to their accurate titles, such as the Battle of Bunker Hill to the Battle of Breeds Hill. Ellison reinforces throughout the story that Levendis’s character is the physical embodiment of “doing one good deed a day.”
While Levendis utilizes his powers for good and to push humanity to overcome mediocrity, his powers tie closely to his temper. Levendis becomes irritated with being an unlimited entity among limited people. Because of Levendis’s lack of ability to control his emotions, he lashes out and harbors malevolent motives compared to his positive goal. He murders people, watches people be attacked without defending them, and once kicked a cat into a tree. These acts of Levendis demonstrate that even though he performs countless good deeds, he still possesses the ability to participate in unsavory endeavors.
Ultimately, Harlan Ellison’s demonstration of the duality of Levendis’s time traveling powers presents that human nature allows every person to have the capacity to partake in goodness as well as vile acts.
