Boyoung Jun World Lit Journal

  Through this world literature class, I could get to know some famous writers and their writings. While reading their stories, I found some interesting differences between James Joyce's and Anton Chekhov's writing styles.    Like other writers, Joyce was also interested in the controversy on realism and symbolism, the two most influential literary methods. However, he did not take part in one side. Realism and symbolism both occurred in his writings, often combined.   On the other hand, Anton Chekhov is known for his realistic writing style. Also, he had an ambivalent style, which contains humor and pathos to present the little details of the characters' lives. He developed a technique of ending a story without climatic conclusions -'zero endings.'   I could know well about world literature by comparing the differences between two famous writers. I am looking forward to the works of other authors who we will talk about in the future too.

 rating: 5.5/10   It was hard to catch the author's intent when I first read this story. I think it's because of the tough themes such as 'death' and 'paralysis,' and Joyce's writing style that provides details and suggestions but never completes the puzzle.   The story tells about how 'death' affects individuals and society simultaneously. Father Flynn's death made the narrator refuse the crackers and disabled the narrator's aunt to broach the subject. It kind of 'paralyzed' the people.   This paralysis not only stops individual activities but also leads to the poor development of society. The writer may have wanted to address these kinds of issues. (101 words)

rating: 8.5/10   This story was the most impressive one for me in the entire story we have handled. In the story, Nikolai was a greedy man who even married a woman he did not love and was only interested in having a country estate. Ivan found that his brother became insufferably supercilious, and it is mentioned that even the gooseberries at his garden seemed sour and unripe. Since Nikolai was Ivan's brother, I could fully empathize with Ivan about the emotions one feels when someone close to them becomes so greedy.    Also, this story made me think about which is more important, the result or the process. Up until now, I have considered that visible accomplishments are much more important than the process of something which no one knows about. However, if the result is hypocrisy, like Nikolai, I thought it could be better to go through many trials and find a good meaning even though that process is callous. (160 words)

The Lady with the Dog - Anton Chekhov rate: 8.0/10.0   I was quite confused when I first saw the title 'The Lady with the Dog.' It was hard to imagine the whole storyline just by the title itself. I think this was why I could immerse myself in this story more and enjoy reading it. What I liked the most about Chekhov's skills in his writing was the expression of colors in diverse situations. For example, 'a fair-haired young lady ... a white Pomeranian dog', and 'the water was of a soft, warm lilac hue, and there was a golden streak from the moon upon it.' These expressions abled the readers to imagine the situation animatedly and more efficiently. Although I loved almost everything about this story, the ending was a bit erratic. The story ends with Anna feeling an unbearable strain of lying and Dmitri realizing the true love for the first time in his life. I think it would have been better if it had a slightly cleaner happy ending. These are the reasons why

The Student - Anton Chekhov(1894) rate: 6.5/10 [Crossing the Threshold]   Ivan, a student of the clerical academy, has hated the circumstances around him. It was dark and quiet in the forest, with a cold winter atmosphere. He even disliked going home, where his mother cleans the room and his father coughs beside the stove. Then, he approaches the garden owned by two widows, Vasilisa and Lukerya.   This is where Ivan starts to cross the threshold, leaving the ordinary world and taking a step into the adventure.   That night, Ivan tells the story about 'Peter', one of the twelve apostles. His story made Vasilisa cry and Lukerya to be in pain. The reactions of these two widows made Ivan realize the common emotions which link everyone, flowing one out of another. The story says that 'the inexpressible sweet expectation of happiness, of unknown mysterious happiness ... and life seemed to him enchanting, marvellous, and full of lofty meaning.'    Basically, his approach to th

A Sound of Thunder - Ray Bradbury (1952) rate: 7.0/10   The subject matter used in this story was quite new to me since traveling the past and killing T-Rex are not common in most stories. Also, it was interesting that no actual heroes appear in this story. The main character, Eckels, does not save anyone in trouble, contribute to society, or defeat enemies. Instead, he just ran off and even wandered around unsanctioned areas, posing a risk that might change the future. As a result, he got shot after returning to the present for his misbehavior. One thing I was inquisitive about this story was the message it wanted to convey. Without any heroes, accomplishments, regret, or realization, it did not seem to contain a hero's journey. However, after discussing the butterfly effect, one line came into my mind; 'The stomp of your foot, on one mouse, could start an earthquake, the effects of which could shake our earth and destinies down through Time, to their very foundations.' Th