Choose one of the following stories and write a short review.
1. The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
2. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar allan Poe
3. God Sees The Truth But Waits by Leo Tolstoy
*You can leave your outputs on post as a comment or pass a hard copy of it.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
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God Sees the Truth but Waits
ReplyDeleteGod Sees the Truth but Waits is a masterpiece written by Leo Tolstoy. The story is about a rich merchant named Ivan Dimitrich Aksionov. Ivan was traveling to the Nizhny Fair and was accused of killing a fellow merchant whom he met while traveling. He was sentenced guilty and was sent to prison. At first he tried several petitions but all of them failed. He then realized that only God knows the truth and He is the only one who could help him regain his freedom. He then dropped all petitions and prayed, he continued to be like this for twenty-six years. He was greatly respected by other convicts and called him Grandfather. One faithful day he met a new prisoner named Makar. He soon discovered that Makar was the one who framed him for killing his fellow merchant and was the true murderer. Aksionov also discovered that Makar was digging a hole in prison to escape, this hole was also discovered by the governor. Even if Makar is Aksionov enemy he still didn’t told the governor who dug the hole. The following night Makar went to Aksionov and confessed to him that he is the one who killed the merchant and was going to tell the governor in order for Aksionov to be released. Aksionov refused but Makar still told the governor that he is the one who killed the merchant. It took some time to issue the release order of Aksionov but by the time it was issued Aksionov was already dead.
For me the title is very fitting for the story but you have to understand and analyze the story properly first before realizing why the title is “God Sees the Truth but Waits. The title is like that because God knows that Aksionov is innocent but He still let Aksionov be imprisoned for twenty-six years before giving him freedom. The storyline is great and it will as the story goes on you will get more and more interested on how the story will end. It also shows that no matter how bad a person may look that person could still change and have a new life. The story focuses on how Aksionov will deal with his enemy. Even if Makar was his enemy he still tried to protect him from getting punishment because of the hole Makar dug. Maybe because of this or Makar’s conscience made Makar confess to the authorities that he is really the one who killed the merchant not Aksionov. In my personal opinion God used Makar to test wether Aksionov faith in Him is strong. Aksionov proved till the very end of his life that he is faithful to God.
This masterpiece is a very inspiring story. It also has several morals that could help guide future generations of students. It could also help other law breakers to turn away from their sins. Most of all it could help all of us become closer to God.
Submitted by:
Nolan Redji D. Domingo
III-Bohr
Mary Grace V. Dapito
ReplyDeleteIII- Niels Henrik David Bohr
Comment and Criticism
God Sees the Truth, But Waits
-by Leo Tolstoy
This is a short story written by Russian author Leo Tolstoy in 1872. The story, about a man sent to prison for a murder he didn't commit, takes the form of a parable of forgiveness.
Ivan Demtrievich Aksenov was a merchant living in a town in Russia, Vladimir. Although he was prone to drinking, he was not violent He was responsible and well liked by people that knew him. Even if a person is prone to something wrong, it does not mean that you will be always wrong. A merchant was just murdered. Aksenov was sentenced even if he did not really do it. There are some point in our life that we are accused of doing something and sometimes we get angry because of this. He spent many years in the prison and he was respected there. Aksenov is convinced that Makar Semonovich is the man who committed the murder for which Aksenov was blamed. Eventually Aksenov confronts Makar Semonovich, but he denies committing the murder. The guard found out something. Makar Semonovich approaches Aksenov later that day in a terrible state, and he eventually admits to Aksenov that it was he who killed the merchant. Aksenov forgives Semonovich, and he feels as if a terrible weight had been lifted. Makar Semonovich confesses to the authorities, and the process for Aksenov to be cleared is begun. Unfortunately, Aksenov dies before he can reach home, but he dies in peace.
I believe that Aknesov is a great man. He shows that if someone did something wrong to you, you must forgive them. The title of the short story fits its main idea. It is when Aknesov was blamed for murdering; he spent many years in the prison. It takes a long time before the truth be heard, just wait because God sees the truth.
This is a very inspiring story because it can guide you in all your ways and it can also light your path. It can also make your relationship with our almighty God stronger.
The Necklace
ReplyDeleteGuy de Maupassant
I like the story because it compares reality from fantasy. Mathilde and Loisel were married at a time when individuals were joined together more by financial status then love. Mathilde was from a poor family and wished that she was destined for more in life, including marriage. Guy De Maupassant, the author of " The Necklace" describes a relationship between two people with different dreams and how desires can change your life forever. Distinguishing between reality and dreams can bring relationships closer together with respect for one another. Matlide dreamed of luxury, acknowledgement and glamour at a young age. When marrying Loisel, Matlide believed she had settled for a lifestyle instead of receiving what she deserved, fancy dwellings, servants, and glamorous clothes. The story was interesting and really good.
Darryl B. Loyao
III - Becquerel
THE NECKLACE by: Guy De Maupassant
ReplyDeleteThe best things in life aren't things.
- Art Buchwald
The story was on the subject of a lady and her spouse living in France in the early 19th Century. The lady, Mathilde, is a very materialistic person who is never satisfied with anything in her life. Her husband, a deprived clerk in the Ministry of Education, is not a well-off man, but he brings home enough to get by. He enjoys the simpler things in life, yet his wife, Mathilde, cannot. Nothing is good enough for her. Her self-centered ways are apparent in her approach towards the material things in her home and in the way she treats her husband.
I liked the story because it portrayed a character of a woman who was so selfish that she doesn’t think of what they will eat in the future, or how could they survive, she just wants to show off something. It’s like there is a transition on the story between fact and fiction because the author, Guy De Maupassant, used symbolisms to present the ideas like greed of the woman and the patience of the man. It was good, and the details were presented in order. The story was so interesting that I indulged on it for a long time. It was fun reading it all over again.
As it was said in a passage from the bible, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” It shows that being materialistic is one root cause of all the evil in the world because we learn to steal other people’s belongings just to accommodate our crave for more luxurious things and throughout the story, Mathilde is portrayed as selfish and materialistic. These traits are shown through her unhappy manner towards her middle class life and through the awful way she treats her husband after all he does for her. Maybe after such a long, tiresome ten years of scrounging up money to buy a new necklace to replace the lost one, Mathilde will change her ways. Perhaps she will realize how much she really has in life, may it be material things or love from her husband, and stop constantly worrying about what she does not have. Maybe she will even recognize how much her husband gives to her and how little he receives in return.
If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.
- Anonymous
-- that’s the perfect explicit message that it to be understood by Mathilde. There are many things in her life that money can’t ever buy. The LOVE of her husband. :)
Francis Justine M. Malban
ReplyDeleteIII- Bohr
The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado was written by the famous literary icon Edgar Allan Poe in the year 1846. The setting was not mentioned. But it is a city in Europe. The story concerns about a man named Montresor, who sought for a deadly revenge on his fellow nobleman, Fortunato, who Montresor claims that insulted him. The work focuses on murder but it is not a tale of detection. After the crime, there was no investigation. It’s like, it’s for us to conclude what happened next after the night Montresor murdered Fortunato.The narrator, Montresor, tells the story of the night when he took revenge on Fortunato The two of them met each other for the first time in a carnival, then, Montresor carefully studied the weaknesses of his enemy. Then, he finally knew that Fortunato is a big fan of wines. So, what Montresor did was he bought a cask of Amontillado, knowing that Fortunato would be interested in tasting them. Montresor did not fail. He was able to be with Fortunato in the catacombs with the two of them alone. There where Montresor did the horrible crime. The point of view plays a very important role in influencing the reader's perception of the story. The first line of the story is a good example of how the narrator attempts to bring the reader to his side right from the start. "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”. Montresor, the narrator of the story, immediately tries to win the reader to his side by telling him that Fortunato has "ventured upon insult," and apparently crossed over the line. This attempt is clever, but the reader never gets a sense of what Fortunato has actually done to the narrator. This fact alone raises the question in my mind as to whether Fortunato has really insulted Montresor, or whether Montresor is creating it in his own mind. The story is very simple, yet, it is somehow hard to understand. The evevts on the story is not fully discussed. It’s like there are some missing information. Maybe this is just the style of the writer to make the readers have interest in reading his literary piece.
The Necklace
ReplyDelete►Guy de Maupassant
The story tackles on the life of Madame Mathilde Loisel and her husband Monsieur Loisel.Madame Loisel is a not so fortunate lady. She may have the looks but she was born from a not so rich family and married to a not so wealthy husband.
Mathilde, like any other ladies, desired for beauty, grace, and charm. One day, when she and his husband were invited in a grand ball, she was persistent of wearing something that will leave everyone in marvel. To her desperation, she forced out money from her husband just to buy a dress and asked her friend Madame Jeanne Forestier to lend her some jewelry.
After the ball, she noticed that the diamond necklace Madame Forestier lent her was missing! Loisel went back and check the possible places the necklace must have fallen on but he failed to bring the necklace back.
They decided to buy a necklace similar to what they lost. A diamond necklace is no small deal! They had to borrow money just to afford it. They spent ten years paying that debt. Madame Loisel lost her radiance with all the stress she had gone through. She then later found out that the diamond they lost was not genuine! What fools they have been.
The story was wonderful. It has thought us not to be enslaved by out materialistic side. Being enchanted by the sparkles of a thing can be very dangerous. Lastly, do not act like your somebody else when you are not.
The Necklace
ReplyDelete►Guy de Maupassant
The story tackles on the life of Madame Mathilde Loisel and her husband Monsieur Loisel.Madame Loisel is a not so fortunate lady. She may have the looks but she was born from a not so rich family and married to a not so wealthy husband.
Mathilde, like any other ladies, desired for beauty, grace, and charm. One day, when she and his husband were invited in a grand ball, she was persistent of wearing something that will leave everyone in marvel. To her desperation, she forced out money from her husband just to buy a dress and asked her friend Madame Jeanne Forestier to lend her some jewelry.
After the ball, she noticed that the diamond necklace Madame Forestier lent her was missing! Loisel went back and check the possible places the necklace must have fallen on but he failed to bring the necklace back.
They decided to buy a necklace similar to what they lost. A diamond necklace is no small deal! They had to borrow money just to afford it. They spent ten years paying that debt. Madame Loisel lost her radiance with all the stress she had gone through. She then later found out that the diamond they lost was not genuine! What fools they have been.
The story was wonderful. It has thought us not to be enslaved by out materialistic side. Being enchanted by the sparkles of a thing can be very dangerous. Lastly, do not act like your somebody else when you are not.
"The Necklace"
ReplyDeleteby: Guy de Maupassant
The Necklace (La Parure) is a short story by Guy de Maupassant. By the time "The Necklace" was first published, Maupassant had already established his reputation as one of France's foremost short story writers. The Necklace was first published in 1884 in the French newspaper Le Gaulois. The story has become one of Maupassant's most popular works and is well known for its twist ending.
The Necklace tells the story of a nineteenth-century middle class French couple, Monsieur and Madame Mathilde Loisel. One day, Monsieur Loisel was given an invitation to ball. Madame Loisel did not want to go because she has no suitable dress or jewelry for the dance. The clerk sacrifices his savings to buy her a dress, and suggests that she borrow some jewelry from her old friend, Madame Jeanne Forestier. Accordingly, Madame Loisel borrows a beautiful diamond necklace from her. At the dance, the pretty Madame Loisel is the center of attraction, with even senior officials admiring her beauty and grace. She has a wonderful time until the early hours of the morning. When the couple returns home, they discover that the necklace is missing.
Unable to bear the shame of informing Madame Forestier, Monsieur and Madame Loisel decided to buy an identical diamond necklace from the Palais Royal as a replacement. But, the necklace is really expensive and they end up paying thirty-four thousand francs. Both Monsieur and Madame Loisel are forced to takes on extra jobs and live in poverty. At the end of the ten years, Madame Loisel, now older, tougher, more worn, and less graceful from years of hard manual labor has an opportunity to tell her old friend of the lost necklace. Madame Forestier is shocked and informs Madame Loisel that her original necklace was, in fact, an imitation, "...not worth over five hundred francs!"
For me, the title is not that catchy but it’s alright because it fits the selection. Another thing that I noticed is that the sequencing of ideas was really in order. The beginning of the story was really boring but as the story goes, you will start to realize that the story is really interesting. One thing that I just don’t like with the work is it has so many words which are hard to understand. But, if you read between the lines, you will get the true and real meaning of those words.
This story is a story cleverly planned and superbly executed. I like the way the writer, Guy de Maupassant, gave and presented the detail in the story. The plot has a throbbing quality, a sequenced rise and fall which successfully retain the attention of the readers until the end. And, the reader will be surprised once he finished reading it because it is unexpected that the ending will be like that. The ending was really surprising and it is perfect. Also, you will realize some things in life by reading this. In general, the story was really a good and interesting one.
Francesca Lea G. Mañago
III - Niels Henrik David Bohr
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Necklace
ReplyDeleteGuy de Mapaussant
Grace Ria L. Bernadas
III-Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen
The Necklace is a story that depicts poverty in the olden English time and how important a person’s stature in the society is, one of the masterpieces of Sir Guy de Maupassant. Though The Necklace was actually targeted for an older range of audience, portraying real life situations and tells of a more mature kind of romance.
It tells the story of an overly ambitious middle class woman, who thinks that the natural beauty she possesses does not deserve poverty but grand and expensive jewelry… Truly a narcissist.
The main character does not really possess the characteristics and the attitude of the usual female main character, quite the opposite actually; selfish, self-centred and vain. But her unique personality makes the story much more interesting, same with her husband. For a man so submissive and so kind and so considerate to his own wife would be as rare as a 500 carat diamond.
The selection also became more enjoyable with the help of the words used in the selection, which were understandable enough for anyone to read. It makes the story very easy to follow, and in turn more appreciated. The way Guy de Maupassant described each scene, dress and character, made it a lot easier to imagine, and with such detailed descriptions, it would seem like the reader and the author have arrived into an agreement of the exact picture of the scenes. Unlike other stories, the transition of each scene was clear, the dialogues were effective and ‘feeling’ was just right.
The morals, telling about being humble at all times and being content with what you have, were magnificently shown in the story, giving a clear and everlasting message.
Aileen Lastrilla Robles
ReplyDeleteIII-Antoine Henri Becquerel
A REVIEW: THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
Montresor seeks revenge for the insults Fortunato gave him. Fortunato did not really understand what was happening at first but when he was all chained up, he became aware of his environment.
At first, I did not understand this story because of the words that was used. They were unfamiliar to me. But when I read the summary, I began to understand it. I can not understand that an insult can make you think to murder a friend. Anyways, that is not the topic of the story. The story focuses on the way Montresor murders Fortunato. Montresor’s plan of murder was absolutely perfect because nobody has found out about the murder for years. As for Fortunato, it was really sad to be killed by a friend whom you trusted. But it is also his fault that he was murdered. In my opinion, both sides was wrong in their actions. Fortunato would have not been murdered if he has not insulted Montresor but Montresor’s action of dealing with the problem was not an accurate solution for a noble man. He could have at least talk to Fortunato.
A side from the theme of the story, the short story was well written. Every action was well described and stated. I commend the author.
CRITICSM:
ReplyDeleteBeverly Q. Brandes
THE NECKLACE by GUY DE MAUPASSANT
Any one who had read a short story like this one, “The Necklace” (by Guy de Maupassant), must have found his heart deeply moved. The story certainly progressed magnificently that no one could declare two thumbs down to it, even one.
I am very sure that some might say that the author could have just been so cruel to the husband and to the wife. You see, after having been so elegant and gorgeous for just one evening together with the richest in town, Madame Mathilde Loisel lost her borrowed diamond necklace (I do not know yet that it is made of paste until I have read the ending). Consequently, the decision of the author to make Mathilde replace the necklace is truly remarkable. I mean we can read short stories with almost the same sequence of events but “The Necklace” proves to be unique. Instead of telling Madame Forestier that Mathilde lost the treasure, she replaced it with a “true” jewel. I think it is nice to present a story which reveals the values we are to act in life. Showing the readers to do an “ultimate deed” (that is working endlessly for ten years just to pay the debts used to buy the necklace) is awesome. I believe there are some misconceptions or other negative reactions about the story, but I’m sure than those.
One thing I would like to comment is what could have happened if Mathilde was contented with her dress; if she did not desire for more ornaments like what she did when she borrowed a jewel, a diamond necklace? She could have just wanted to gain enough confidence to mingle with the well-to-do. But her inner character was revealed after taking the risks to be a debtor of usurers and all the race of lenders.
I’m sure it is very hard to accept the fact that you almost risked your life to replace the necklace just made of paste. As a whole, there are three lessons the story inculcated in my mind; to be contented with what I have, to be hardworking and last but definitely not the least to PAY MY DEBT…
The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant
ReplyDeleteA Story Review
by Danielle Marie A. Parreño
III - Antoine Henri Becquerel
The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant
A Story Review
by Danielle Marie A. Parreño
III - Antoine Henri Becquerel
Great stories touch our lives. The Necklace is one of those stories which happen to touch our lives inconspicuously. In this selection, it was shown that not all grandeurs in life are a splendor themselves. Sometimes, we need not material possessions to show our real beauty.
Madam Loisel is the typical middle class English woman who happens to be gifted with beauty but unfortunately not the luxury of life. She aspires to be like the first class women, beautiful and magnificent physically which were enhanced with all those superb ball gowns and sparkling jewelries. However, with her status in life, she cannot afford to have those.
Nonetheless, Madam Loisel learned to be content with what she has in life when she lost the borrowed diamond necklace. She and her husband spent ten years in paying for the replacement necklace only to find out that the necklace they lost is in fact, not a real one. How very unfortunate for them but they learned a lesson that somehow they can never forget and never regret knowing.
The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant is a story wherein readers could either get astonished by the ending or touched by its implied lesson. Nevertheless, the lesson we got from the selection was cleverly hidden between carefully chosen words. The story was created in a very typical way but the twist is, the moral of the story was veiled in a way that it is up to the readers to find out about it.
God created each and every one of us equally. There is no one higher or lower than us. It is foolish for us to create such status in life wherein people put a barrier to each other. The Necklace portrayed to us a lesson in which we should all remember. Be content and let us be thankful in what we have in life instead of complaining. The rich may have what the poor doesn’t, but somehow the poor have something the rich cannot have.
Three cheers for this wonderful story, The Necklace.
Ma. Antonette F. Furio
ReplyDeleteIII - Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier
The Cask of Amontillado
One night, Montresor decided to take revenge to his fellow nobleman, Fortunato. At the same night, he was planning on how he will do vengeance. He plots to murder his friend when the man is drunk, dizzy, during Carnival because he is mad at him because of some unspecified insult.
He uses a cask of Amontillado, that was then out of season, to bait Fortunato. He wants to know his friend’s opinion about the wine. Fortunato goes with Montresor, they wander deep underground in the catacombs, from the wine cellars of the palazzo, where Montresor gives Fortunato more to drink. At one point, Fortunato makes a grotesque gesture with an upraised wine bottle. Fortunato then asked Montresor if he himself is one of the Masons – and Montresor says he is. Fortunato, disbelieving, requests a sign, Montresor displays a trowel he had been hiding.
Montresor repeatedly warns Fortunato, who has a bad cough, of the damp, and suggests they go back; Fortunato insists on continuing, claiming that "[he] shall not die of a cough." During their walk, Montresor mentions their family’s coat of arms, which looked like a golden foot crushing a snake whose fangs are embedded in the foot's heel - with the motto Nemo me impune lacessit which means, “No one strikes me with impunity”. When they come to a niche, Montresor tells his victim that the Amontillado is within. Fortunato enters and, drunk and unsuspecting, does not resist as Montresor quickly chains him to the wall. Montresor then declares that, he must leave him already.
Montresor then remorselessly climbs up the niche, burying his friend alive. At first, Fortunato, who recovers from his drunken state faster, shakes the chains furiously, trying to escape. Fortunato then screams for help, but Montresor mocks his cries, knowing nobody can hear them. Later, Fortunato laughs weakly and tries to pretend that he is the subject of a joke and that people will be waiting for him (including the Lady Fortunato). As the murderer finishes the topmost row of stones, Fortunato wails despairingly "For the love of God, Montresor!" Montresor replies, "Yes, for the love of God!" He claims that he feels sick at heart, but dismisses this reaction as an effect of the dampness of the catacombs.
Montresor reveals that it has been 50 years since the murder, in the last few sentences. He has never been caught, and Fortunato's body still hangs from its chains in the niche where he left it. The murderer, seemingly impenitent, ends the story by remarking: In pace requiescat (may he rest in peace).
God Sees The Truth, But Waits
ReplyDeleteLeo Tolstoy
“God Sees the Truth, But Waits”, the first thing that came into my mind when I read the title is that God knows the truth, but he waits a long time for us to find out. At some instances it could be true, and in the short story we were shown of one example. The story revolves around I presume a Russian named Aksionov, and his misery during his time in the prison. I think that the nature of the plot is kind of like against him because of all the bad things that happened to him. First, he was accused of murdering a merchant, then he suffered in prison for twenty-six years for doing nothing and when the time came for him to be released, he died.
For the narration of the story, I think it was well told and it was thoroughly explained to the readers. The happenings could easily be pictured and then we could absorb the details very well. Dialogues were very well conversed or said by the characters and were quite easy to apprehend. As a whole, the story was easy to comprehend because of the use of words and of the way of telling the story. Despite the fact that it was made a long time ago, present day people could understand very well without a hard time figuring out what a word means like in the Middle Ages Literature.
It didn’t just entertain us but it also taught us a lesson. It is seen that the protagonist was a very religious man and would always be said to be praying to God. It taught us to be prayerful and to turn to God not only in times of need but also in times when we are happy. It also shows us that God knows everything and sometimes would give us circumstances and give a long time for us to know and discover the truth. It shows us that he knows the truth and wouldn’t easily tell us that maybe for us to learn a lesson hence the title “God Sees the Truth, But Waits”.
review by Jed Berenguer
III-Bohr
JEDMUND M. SALES
ReplyDeleteIII- BOHR
CASK OF AMMONTILADO BY EDGAR ALLAN POE
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe is a criminal's account of a crime committed fifty years earlier. A crime for which he was never caught but now confesses.
The story begins with the Montresor, the narrator of the story, explaining the reason for the crime. According to Montresor, the victim, Fortunato has committed numerous injuries against him but it wasn’t until Fortunato insulted him that he vowed revenge. Montresor never gave any indication to Fortunato that he was angry with him or that he was seeking revenge and he does not let anyone including his victim realize that he is angry to the point of vengeance. Montresor studied his enemy thoroughly and knew of his weakness for good wines. As a result, Montresor used wine to trap his victim. Eventually, Fortunato quiets and Montresor continues his task. Just as Montresor is about to complete the wall, Fortunato begins to laugh and make comments as if the situation were a simple prank. However, Montresor’s responses cause Fortunato to realize the sincerity of his actions. Fortunato begs for mercy “For the love of God!” but Montresor simply echoes the phrase and finishes the task. The last sound we hear from Fortunato is the jingling of his jester’s cap
I need help..
ReplyDeleteRespect and that i have a nifty present: What Renovations Can You Claim On Tax house repair quotation
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