Response to Anne Sexton's "The Starry Night"

An aggressive peace, the words I think best capture the essence of emotion of Anne Sexton in her poem Starry Night. She frequently talks about dying, and getting swallowed, boiled, drowned, and isolated from the town down below, all things that can point to major anger and depression. But at the same time, through the anger, she sees the beauty of the starry night, with ‘no belly or cry’, alive parts of nature, and stars shining bright. Can we see beauty through even the most complicated and depressing (for lack of a better word) things?

In The Starry Night, it seems as if Anne is acknowledging that she is upset. In a way, being aware of your feelings calms you, giving us a sense of security. When we are angry, some like to let it boil down and maybe have some alone-time, where being isolated isn’t such a problem. We can all be our worst enemies, and sometimes when we can just think freely we can come to terms with ourselves, instead of storming off in a rage because of our anger, trying to punch someone. Maybe Anne isn’t so much of a crazy suicidal, but just trying to relate her feelings to the things around her. I know when I am angry, I think about dying. Ok, well, maybe less dying, and more simply leaving where we are and who we are, and being an observer (possibly on a hill looking down at a town and up at the stars, like Van Gogh). Dying is a natural part of life, it just happens to be what most people believe to be the end of our cycle, end equalling yikes.

At the same time though, we learned that Anne committed suicide! Huh. Interesting. I must say, some parts of suicide are sort of creepily simple. You control who you are, so why not control how you go? I know suicide usually makes people shudder, but is it always wrong and plain awful? Yes yes, it’s complicated, but maybe through Anne’s repeated ‘This is how/I want to die’ she was trying to say their is a beauty to death. It can be so peaceful, and even though she actually committed suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning in a locked car, drunk, you have to give her applause for coming up with a death that many people would be happy to live through. We all just believe what we see in movies, but in truth, death doesn’t have to be so bad, and anger doesn’t have to be so violent.

Entry #5, Theme in Charlotte's Web

Is doing what’s expected always the right thing?  I feel like a big theme in Charlotte’s Web is tradition of our daily lives, and how we carry out our duties.  A kind of mix between sexism and discrimination, this book portrays a world where everyone plays it safe, and silently lives their lives as others have planned them out to be.

An example of this, on page 133, is when Mr. Zuckerman wants to look at the tractors, while Mrs. Zuckerman wants to look at a deep freeze (or a refrigerator).  Back in the 1950s, it was a woman’s job to tend to the home, and a man’s to bring home the pay.  I guess there’s no big problem with doing what you’re supposed to, but I can’t help but wonder if it gets boring and awful sometimes!  For example, I try to do well in school and stuff, but when it comes to not J-walking or not talking back, it’s hard!  Having to do what your ‘assigned’ to do takes away the whole ‘finding yourself’ part of life!  We’re not all meant to be the same, because then the world would never progress.  Do some people simply do what they’re supposed to because they think that is who they are?

In the book Carpe Diem, the main character Vassar plays her parents game of ‘education all the time’ for basically her whole youth, but she never (until shipped to Cambodia for the summer) rebels against that by finally letting loose and allowing herself to have emotions.  She used to trick herself into thinking she’s happy.  How can we live like that?  Is it sometimes easier to do what people expect?  On page 124 of Charlotte's Web, the old sheep tells Wilbur to put up a fuss when he is being forced into his cage, because that is what is every ‘normal’ pig does.  When he does struggle, Mr. Zuckerman says "Nothing wrong with this pig."  So by doing a small thing ‘normal’, everything is ok with us?  I feel like there is so much more to an animal/person than one thing!  Just because I am a righty doesn't mean I am normal!  It seems like if we ever do the slightest bit wrong, it is blown out of proportion.  Is that why people always stick to the rules?  Because they are afraid that one ‘wrong’ thing they do will get blown up?   If this is the case, would it be better to fully be crazy so people will expect you to be crazy (and not make a big deal out of nothing)?  

In our lives now, the people that are different are both celebrated and scorned.  If someone follows the rules, some people take it as good, others as bad.  Typically the people not born in ‘my generation‘ take it as bad, while the ones around my age take it as ‘cool’.  Maybe people born in the 50s-70s (or about) are so used to tradition that they have a harder time accepting being more unique, while people born after then try to follow their own rhythm more.  I guess doing what you’re supposed to can suck and make you not be truly who you are, but in the 1950s, tradition was what mattered, and so that’s what people did to try to be themselves while being similar to everyone else.