Summary: The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

UNEDITED ARTICLE

ANNICALOU TAÑAQUIN

III RUTHERFORD

The short story “The Cast of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allan Poe is a tragic story of revenge in an unnamed city in Europe. It focuses merely on the aristocrats in the middle ages. Montresor, the narrator of the story depicts about his vengeance to a man (Fortunato) who seems to have insulted him and caused him injuries. Injuries may have caused him so much that he is willing to dirty his hands just to make himself secure.

In an unnamed city in Europe, a man named Montresor had a secret anger to his fellow man Fortunato due to an unmentioned insult. In a carnival, he saw Fortunato drunk and wearing jester’s motley. That instant, he became happy because he thought that it is the right time to execute his well planned revenge.

As bait, he told Fortunato that he wanted to go to Luchesi to help check the authenticity of the Amontillado wine, he bought. But because Fortunato is a man with pride, he thought that Montresor looks up to Luchesi when it comes to wine and said that he is better. Even if he has bad cough, he still insisted in going to Montresor’s place to test the wine.

They proceeded to Montresor’s palazzo; here they wander deep to the catacombs. This time, he gave Fortunato more alcohol that’s why he grew a lot drunk. After that, he made a gesture, and when Fortunato didn’t recognize it, he had suspicions that he is not a mason.

As they walked, Montresor suddenly, told the story of his family. Of how fearless and how brutal they can be in terms of fighting and merciless killing. But, Fortunato didn’t think that Montresor’s motive is to kill him because he was too eager to taste the wine.

When pass by a niche, Montresor told Fortunato that the Amontillado is inside so, the man willingly entered. Inside, Montresor chained him to the wall but because of drunkenness, he didn’t seem to care. After that, he bid Fortunato goodbye and started pilling up bricks.

Few minutes passed and suddenly, Fortunato recovered from his drunkenness. He tried screaming but no one listened. He tried to break out from the chains but it is simply impossible. When the last row of bricks where piled, he begged Montresor to let go of him for God’s sake. And for the last time, he didn’t mind.

In the end of the selection, Montresor claimed that half a century has passed but still, no one has ever found justice for Fortunato; never in that time that he has been caught or alleged him. In that span of time, no one has ever disturbed the body of Fortunato. Lastly, he closes the story with a remark. In pace requiescat.

BE ONE OF US

ATTENTION:

To all non-elective english class students

You can let others see that you also have the guts to be a future generation good writer by contributing your original articles in this blog.

Leave your articles as COMMENT to this post.

WELCOME...

WHERE TO WRITE

To all aspiring writers, hope this video would help you produce better personal outputs and NOT A BETTER COPIED AND PASTED ARTICLE FROM THE INTERNET!!!SHAME on those who do that immoral and inhuman act.

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.

THE NECKLACE by GUY DE MAUPASSANT

Beverly Q. Brandes

III BOHR

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

A REVIEW: THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

Aileen Lastrilla Robles

III-Antoine Henri Becquerel

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.

Digimon vs. Pokemon

CRISTINA ABALOYAN

III RUTHERFORD

Nowadays, children and even adults are fond of playing computer games, reading manga, and watching anime. In these games, manga, and anime, Pokemon and Digimon are the most popular. These hobbies add color to their life, gives entertainment, and many more. Though these stuff are enjoyable and irresistible, these hobbies are much like any other form of entertainment which is frequently a cross disciplinary field.

Pokemon is a media franchise owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri around 1995. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own Mario series. Pokémon properties have since been merchandised into anime, manga, trading cards, toys, books, and other media. The name Pokémon is the Romanized contraction of the Japanese brand, "Pocket Monsters” as such contractions are very common in Japan. The term "Pokémon", in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 493 fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media as of the recent release of the newest Pokémon role-playing games (RPGs) for the Nintendo DS, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Like the words deer and sheep, the singular and plural forms of the word "Pokémon" do not differ, nor does each individual species name; in short, it is grammatically correct to say both "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon". While Digimons short for "Digital Monsters is a popular Japanese series of media and merchandise, just like Pokemon, which includes anime, manga, toys, video games, trading card games and other media. Digimon are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.

The concept of the Pokémon universe, in both the video games and the general fictional world of Pokémon, stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which Pokémon executive director Satoshi Tajiri-Oniwa had enjoyed as a child. Players of the games are designated as Pokémon Trainers, and the two general goals (in most Pokémon games) for such Trainers are: to complete the Pokédex by collecting all of the available Pokémon species found in the fictional region where that game takes place; and to train a team of powerful Pokémon from those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other Trainers, and eventually become the strongest Trainer, the Pokémon Master. These themes of collecting, training, and battling are present in almost every version of the Pokémon franchise, including the video games, the anime and manga series, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.In most incarnations of the fictional Pokémon universe, a Trainer that encounters a wild Pokémon is able to capture that Pokémon by throwing a specially designed, mass-producible tool called a Poké Ball at it. If the Pokémon is unable to escape the confines of the Poké Ball, that Pokémon is officially considered under the ownership of that Trainer. Afterward, it will obey whatever commands its new master issues to it from that point onward, unless the Trainer demonstrates enough of a lack of experience that the Pokémon would rather act on its own accord. Trainers can send out any of their Pokémon to wage non-lethal battles against other Pokémon; if the opposing Pokémon is wild, the Trainer can capture that Pokémon with a Poké Ball, increasing his or her collection of creatures. (Pokémon already owned by other Trainers cannot be captured, except under special circumstances in certain games.) If a Pokémon fully defeats an opponent in battle so that the opponent is knocked out, the winning Pokémon gains experience and may level up. When leveling up, the Pokémon's statistics ("stats") of battling aptitude increase, including Attack, Speed, and so on. From time to time the Pokémon may also learn new moves, which are techniques used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokémon possess the ability to undergo a form of metamorphosis and transform into a similar but stronger species of Pokémon, a process called evolution. On the other hand, Digimon started out as a digital pet called "Digital Monster," similar in style and concept to the Tamagotchi. It was planned by Wiz and released by Bandai on June 26, 1997. The toy began as the simple concept of a Tamagotchi for boys (as Bandai was also the creator of the Tamagotchi). The v-pet is similar to its predecessors, with the exceptions of being much harder and being able to connect to fight other Digimon v-pets. Every owner would start with a Baby Digimon, train it, evolve it, take care of it, and then have battles with other Digimon owners to see who was stronger. The Digimon pet had several evolution capabilities and abilities too, so many owners had many different Digimon. In December, the second generation of Digital Monster was released, followed by a third edition in 1998. Now the new Tamagotchi Digimon is Pendulum that has a total of 9 in the series. Bandai also has released a Non Related Digimon Tamagotchi.

With these two subjects, humankind has learned to enjoy life. Indeed, Pokemon and Digimon, served as the model of all media in making this world an exciting and challenging world.

A WISE FOOL

JEDMUND SALES

III BOHR

I think you are surprised, intrigue, and puzzled by the title. But I was literally talking about Jedmund Mescallado Sales.

Jedmund, or it can be "Jed" for short according to him. He was born on Dec. 10, 1993, a 14 year old student of Makati Science High School. Currently living in 69 B., B. Serrano street West Rembo, Makati city. Estimatedly 5'1 in height and 153.5 pounds. A boy that is fond of playing basketball, computers, reading and many things as well. A funny man, a man that look likes that he has no problem in life, but better think again. His motto is "Patience is a virtue" due to all the obstacles he encounter in his life especially on his studies that made his outlook for life that "there is still room for changes".

A wise fool indeed for he can become a fool for him to make other laugh or happy, but a wise too for in his decisions in life.

THE BAT OR THE SPIDER

JEDMUND SALES
III BOHR

As a human being, we all encounter the childhood stage. In short, we all became kids. A kid with an imaginative mind and creative thoughts, making them to idolize or even imitate some of the superheroes they often see in the television. Superheroes may be a human being with a super ability, or a person who save others without anything in return, and two of the most popular superheroes are Batman and Spiderman.

Bruce Wayne a rich man who has it's own company and also the secret identity of "Batman". Batman, the hero of Gotham city, and also known as "The Dark Knight". A defender of the oppressed and the enemy of the oppresser. The unique characteristic of Batman is he doesn't have any super powers and that he cannot fly like other superheroes. Despite being flightless, he continues to save others with his cool gadgets and awesome cars. Generally, we can say that Batman use brains and brawl only in fighting villains.

Peter Parker, an ace student, a writer for "Daily Bugle", and also the secret identity of Spiderman. Peter was a nerd with a puny body, but after he was bitten by a "radioactive spider" things change making him Spiderman. Spiderman is also known as "your friendly neighborhood". He also have unique characteristics, the spider sense he has, the power to release webs, and a enormous power and fast reflexes. Generally, we can say that he has been given a superpower in order to fight evil.

Batman and Spiderman, both superheroes, both flightless, both have the will to save others but still different in some ways.

ONE WAY by HIllsong United

Hey, guys!

As a result of the poll I posted, ONE WAY by Hillsong United touched the lives of most of you. So i'm posting this video as a sign of my gratitude for participating in the poll.

THANK YOU and GOD BLESS!

JESUS really is the only way...

MY LITTLE YELLOW IDIOT!

anne marla sm. villa

iii - lavoisier

As he waters the plant in his front yard, I watched him. He just waters those plants but stile there’s this something going on inside of me. Something that is really weird and completely hard to explain. Have you ever felt that whenever you see your crush you have this tickle in your body? That’s what I feel when I see him.

He walks to his neighbor but easily refused him for his neighbor is not really what he thinks he is. He’s not a fun person. With that attitude of his neighbor, he went straight to his best friend’s house. But like what happen with his neighbor, he was not welcomed. He felt completely lonely that made me feel the pain of being ignored. Within that loneliness, he decided to visit the restaurant where he works. “CLOSED” is the welcome he received. The day wasn’t going well for him. Everywhere he looks, fun is not seen. The atmosphere was very melancholy. There was no fun like what he was used to.

At the end of the show, he was sad and he failed to see an atom of happiness. It wasn’t like the ordinary episodes I have watched. And in every cartoon, the credits flashed on the screen ending his awful day. But no matter what the ending of today’s episode is, I know the others will turn out how they should be. So I guess I’ll be seeing you later at 4:30 in the afternoon. See you Spongebob Squarepants, my little yellow idiot!

John Kenneth Laureto Mariano

MONICA LOUISE INONOG

III ROENTGEN

As I enter my Elective English class, a strange but familiar face stands out among my classmates. He won't lay his eyes off of me unless I’m seated... He is the boy-next-door, the guy next to me, the one who holds my heart.

I will glance at him from time to time. Give him the sweetest smile and I will say,” I love you so very too much" quietly. He will just nod at me and then I will turn my attention again to my teacher's discussion.

I really didn’t know how this started. He is just the right guy for me. He understands my tantrums. He scolds me whenever I get myself into trouble. He listens to all the things that I would tell him like my life way back elementary. Most probably, he is the one who can narrate my whole life to the world. He knows exactly how to make me laugh when I refuse to smile. He stays with me very late at night even five in the morning when I can’t go sleep. His stares, it is like the phrase, "if looks could kill". He will "kindat" at me and I could do is turn my back on him because I want to hide that big smile on my face. And yes, it is deadly. There are so many things about him that keeps me loving him and lastly... There is something in my heart tells me I never would have known love if I had never met someone like him.

Let's admit he is just a boy and I’m still a girl but we can get old together because he completes my life.

John Kenneth Laureto Mariano. Bestfriend. Brother. Savior. Lover.

Let us see the next attraction!

ORE WA, KAIZOKU NI NARU!!!

A Character Sketch on Monkey D. Luffy

Grace Ria L. Bernadas

III-WCRoentgen

“I’ll become the Pirate King!” sounds like too big a dream for a twelve year old boy, right? Even all the people around him did not take him seriously, and made him a laughing stock.

I thought he would curse them, thought he would run, I thought he would cry, but to my surprise, he just pulled his straw hat down, enough to cover his eyes and smiled. At that time, I felt it, the promise contained in his words, the promising future hidden behind his smile.

Four years have past and the young boy now turned into a young man, seventeen years of age and started out his lofty quest. Without his own boat or his own troop, he sailed the vast and untamed ocean.

Starting from scratch, he found loyal and strong comrades, but getting them was no easy task. He fought people, whose strength were more monster-like than human, whose size were twice his. Even though he is clearly the underdog, not a trace of fear can be seen across his face; he stands strong and faces his enemy headstrong. He uses his ability—Gomu Gomu Noriyoku’, the power to have his body turn flexible as rubber to somehow cover the great difference in their prowess. Never giving up no matter how many times he falls, never accepting defeat, that is his way of life.

“…I’ll never go down before I defeat you!” He once said when he was fighting Lucci, one of the toughest enemies he had fought. Just like what he promised, he never fell down. Even though he was suffering excruciating pain, his determination to save his captured comrade, who was once his great enemy, never strayed.

Well, that’s just our future Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy. Always trying his best on everything that he does, whether it be saving his friends from the clutches of evil, or defeating 30,000 marines in just five seconds, or go past the clouds in the sky in their little boat, he would never back down, he would finish the task no matter how hard it is and eventually emerge victorious.

Monkey D. Luffy, though a fictuous anime character from One Piece, he truly deserves to be looked up to, not just by children, but also by everyone... by me.

God Sees the Truth But Waits by Leo Tolstoy

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

NOLAN REDJI DOMINGO

III BOHR

God 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.

THE NECKLACE by Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

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.

THE NECKLACE by: Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

Francesca Lea G. Mañago

III - Niels Henrik David Bohr

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.

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

MA. ERICKA T DURAN

III BECQUEREL

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 Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan POe

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

Francis Justine M. Malban

III- Bohr

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 by: Guy De Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

CECILLE DIANE MANGASER

III BOHR

The 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. :)

THE NECKLACE by Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

Darryl B. Loyao

III - Becquerel

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.