Friday, March 20, 2020

The Necklace Review

'The Necklace' Review Guy de Maupassant  manages to bring a flavor to his stories that are unforgettable. He  writes about ordinary people, but he paints their lives in colors that are rich with  adultery, marriage, prostitution, murder, and war. During his lifetime, he created nearly 300 stories, along with the other 200 newspaper articles, 6 novels, and 3 travel books that he wrote. Whether you love his work, or you hate it, Maupassants work seems to illicit a strong response. Overview The Necklace (or La Parure), one of his most famous works, centers around Mme. Mathilde Loisel - a woman seemingly fated to her status in life. She was one of those pretty and charming girls who are sometimes as if by a mistake of destiny, born in a family of clerks. Instead of accepting her position in life, she feels cheated. She is selfish and self-involved, tortured and angry that she cant purchase the jewels and clothing that she desires. Maupassant writes, She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries. The tale, in some ways, amounts to a moralistic fable, reminding us to avoid Mme. Loisels fatal mistakes. Even the length of the work reminds us of an Aesop Fable. As in many of these tales, our heroines​​ one really serious character flaw is pride (that all-destroying hubris). She wants to be someone and something that she is not. But for that fatal flaw, the story could have been a Cinderella story, where the poor heroine is in some way discovered, rescued and given her rightful place in society. Instead, Mathilde was prideful. Wishing to appear wealthy to the other women at the ball, she borrowed a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend, Mme. Forestier. She had a wonderful time at the ball: She was prettier than them all, elegant, gracious, smiling, and crazy with joy. Pride cometh before the fall... we quickly see her as she descends into poverty. Then, we see her ten years later: She had become the woman of impoverished households-strong and hard and rough. With frowzy hair, skirts askew, and red hands, she talked loud while washing the floor with great swishes of water. Even after going through so many hardships, in her heroic way, she cant help but imagine the What ifs... What Is the Ending Worth? The ending becomes all the more poignant when we discover that all of the sacrifices were for nothing, as Mme. Forestier takes our heroines hands and says, Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was worth at most five hundred francs! In The Craft of Fiction, Percy Lubbock says that the story seems to tell itself. He says that the effect that Maupassant doesnt appear to be there in the story at all. He is behind us, out of sight, out of mind; the story occupies us, the moving scene, and nothing else (113). In The Necklace, we are carried along with the scenes. Its hard to believe we are at the end, when the final line is read and the world of that story comes crashing down around us. Can there be a more tragic way of living, than surviving all those years on a lie?

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Joseon Dynasty - Ancient Korean History

Joseon Dynasty - Ancient Korean History The Joseon Dynasty ruled over a united Korean Peninsula for more than 500 years, from the fall of the Goryeo Dynasty in 1392 through the Japanese Occupation of 1910. The cultural innovations and achievements of Koreas last dynasty continue to influence society in modern-day Korea. Founding The 400-year-old Goryeo Dynasty was in decline by the late 14th century, weakened by internal power struggles and nominal occupation by the similarly moribund Mongol Empire. A wily army general, Yi Seong-gye, was sent to invade Manchuria in 1388. Instead, he turned back toward the capital, smashing the troops of rival General Choe Yeong, and deposing the Goryeo King U. General Yi didnt take power immediately; he ruled through Goryeo puppets from 1389 to 1392. Dissatisfied with this arrangement, Yi had King U and his 8-year-old son King Chang executed. In 1392, General Yi took the throne and the name King Taejo. Consolidation of Power For the first few years of Taejos rule, dissatisfied nobles still loyal to the Goryeo kings regularly threatened to mutiny. To shore up his power, Taejo declared himself the founder of the Kingdom of Great Joseon, and wiped out rebellious members of the old dynastys clan. King Taejo also signaled a fresh start by moving the capital from Gaegyeong to a new city at Hanyang. This city was called Hanseong, but it later became known as Seoul. The Joseon king built architectural wonders in the new capital, including the Gyeongbuk Palace, completed in 1395, and the Changdeok Palace (1405). Taejo ruled until 1408. Flowering Under King Sejong The young Joseon Dynasty endured political intrigues including the Strife of the Princes, in which Taejos sons fought for the throne. In 1401, Joseon Korea became a tributary of Ming China. Joseon culture and power reached a new pinnacle under Taejos great-grandson, King Sejong the Great (r. 1418–1450). Sejong was so wise, even as a young boy, that his two older brothers stepped aside so he could be king. Sejong is best known for inventing the Korean script, hangul, which is phonetic and much easier to learn than Chinese characters. He also revolutionized agriculture and sponsored the invention of the rain gauge and sundial. First Japanese Invasions: In 1592 and 1597, the Japanese under Toyotomi Hideyoshi used their samurai army to attack Joseon Korea. The ultimate goal was to conquer Ming China. Japanese ships, armed with Portuguese cannons, captured Pyongyang and Hanseong (Seoul). The victorious Japanese cut off the ears and noses of more than 38,000 Korean victims. Korean slaves rose up against their masters to join the invaders, burning down Gyungbokgung. Joseon was saved by Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who ordered the construction of turtle ships, the worlds first ironclads. Admiral Yis victory at the Battle of Hansan-do cut the Japanese supply line and forced Hideyoshis retreat. Manchu Invasions: Joseon Korea became increasingly isolationist after defeating Japan. The Ming Dynasty in China also was weakened by the effort of fighting off the Japanese, and soon fell to the Manchus, who established the Qing Dynasty. Korea had supported the Ming and chose not to pay tribute to the new Manchurian dynasty. In 1627, the Manchu leader Huang Taiji attacked Korea. Worried about revolt within China, though, the Qing withdrew after taking a Korean prince hostage. The Manchus attacked again in 1637 and laid waste to northern and central Korea. Joseons rulers had to submit to a tributary relationship with Qing China. Decline and Rebellion Throughout the 19th century, Japan and Qing China vied for power in East Asia. In 1882, Korean soldiers angry about late pay and dirty rice rose up, killed a Japanese military advisor, and burned down the Japanese legation. As a result of this Imo Rebellion, both Japan and China increased their presence in Korea. The 1894 Donghak peasant rebellion provided both China and Japan an excuse to send large numbers of troops to Korea. The First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) was fought mainly on Korean soil and ended in defeat for the Qing. Japan took control of Koreas land and natural resources through the end of World War II. Korean Empire (1897–1910) Chinas hegemony over Korea ended with its defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War. The Joseon Kingdom was renamed The Korean Empire, but in fact, it had fallen under Japanese control. When Korean Emperor Gojong sent an emissary to The Hauge in June 1907 to protest Japans aggressive posture, the Japanese Resident-General in Korea forced the monarch to abdicate his throne. Japan installed its own officials in the executive and judicial branches of the Korean Imperial government, disbanded the Korean military, and gained control of the police and prisons. Soon, Korea would become Japanese in name as well as in fact. Japanese Occupation / Joseon Dynasty Falls In 1910, the Joseon Dynasty fell, and Japan formally occupied the Korean Peninsula. According to the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910, the Emperor of Korea ceded all his authority to the Emperor of Japan. The last Joseon Emperor, Yung-hui, refused to sign the treaty, but the Japanese forced Prime Minister Lee Wan-Yong to sign in the Emperors stead. The Japanese ruled Korea for the next 35 years until the Japanese surrendered to the Allied Forces at the end of World War II.