TIMELESS

Madame Bovary

White Noise

The God of

Small Things

Contents

4 The Passion Review A review by Madame Bovary on Jeanette Winterson’s novel

5 What I Think of Madame Bovary Opinions of different characters on Madame Bovary

8 Death is NOT Complicated An Article by Dante on the subject of death

9 Connecting the Themes An article by Jacob Kuo on the subject of similar themes within the texts

12 Letter From the Editor Learn about the Editor’s views behind this April Edition of TIMELESS

4

The Passion Review By Emma Bovary

The Passion, by Jeanette Winterson, was one of the most romantic, yet infuriating novels I have ever read. I must say, when I first started to read this book, I did not have any high expectations for it. For the longest time it seemed like all it talked about was Henri's passion for Napoleon and Napoleon's passion for chicken. That is not the passion I was looking for! Passion is about true love! It is about an individual risking all that he or she has in order to be with another, not how much a man likes to eat chicken! Though I had my doubts about the unfitting title of the book, I continued to read on, hoping to find something that would be able to grab my interest. Jeanette Winterson met my expectations when the two protagonists, Henry and Villanelle, met each other. When Patrick passed away, it was that very moment, in my opinion, where Henri and Villanelle's fates intertwined. Oh it was just so perfect! It seemed like Henri's thoughts quickly moved on from Patrick to Villanelle, and the story all of a sudden becomes a lot faster paced. The more time Henri spent with her, the deeper in love he fell. He thought she was the most beautiful woman. Patrick's death triggered Henri's attempts to be with Villanelle! If he had lived, no one knows what would happen to the trio, and whether Henri would even confess his affections for Villanelle. It amazed me to see Jeanette Winterson use Patrick's death to pave a road for the story to shift in a whole new direction. My favorite moment in the novel was definitely when Henry retrieved Villanelle's heart for her. The scene with the two on the river reminded me much of the time when I myself went on a boat ride with Leon. Here, Jeanette Winterson sets up a very romantic scene and then uses magical realism to add on to the effects. Henry had to physically retrieve a chest with a beating heart inside of it! Earlier on in the novel, Villanelle told Henry to put his hand on her chest. When he did so, he felt no beating. After she consumes her heart, she again tells Henry to put his hand on her chest. The moment he felt the beating inside her chest was so touching and romantic! I have always been intrigued in true love and passion, and the character I feel like I can relate to the most is Henry. Although Villanelle is an adventurous woman who seeks after what she desires, she does not share my views on love. I really respect her will to do it takes to get what she wants! All women need to have strong independent qualities like her! Villanelle had only loved one person

in her life, and that was the mysterious woman she had met in the casino. Henri, on the other hand, cares deeply for Villanelle and provides constant attention to her. Oh, if only Charles could do the same! I was very disillusioned by the fact that Henry and Villanelle did not end up together. Overall, I thought The Passion was a great book, but the male protagonist should always be with the female protagonist in the end! When Villanelle said she only treated Henri as a brother, he was heartbroken...and so was I! They were supposed to live a "happily ever after" life, but instead Henri was sent to jail where he pretty much became a lunatic! The unexpected plot twist completely ruined the romance for me. Nevertheless, the book was still a great read. The way Jeanette Winterson can use her writing to spur different emotions within her readers is just truly amazing. However, I still think it would have been better with a happy ending.

5

What I Think of Madame Bovary

Villanelle: I really look up to Madame Bovary. I really do. She had the courage to chase after

love when I did not. The love of my life captured my heart and sealed it away from me. Due to her marriage, I was not able to confront her for the longest time. It was not until Henri retrieved it for me when I finally felt the beating in my chest. At the time, I thought I was finally able to escape from her grasp, but I was foolishly mistaken. There seemed to be no way to avoid her. I ended up buying a house only to realize that it was directly across from hers. Madame Bovary on the other hand is quite a woman. Not only is she passionate about romance, she searches for it with a great determination. I cannot say I can relate to her on having a husband like Charles.

However, I do have someone like him in my life. Even though Henri loved me, I only saw him as a brother. Yes, I made love to him, but I could not bring myself to embrace him with a lover's affections. I respect Madame Bovary's decision to search for love even when she was married to another man. She tried many times to be a good wife to Charles, but he just was not able to make her happy. Sometimes things just do not work out, and instead of putting yourself in misery, why not do something about it? I don't see anything wrong with that.

Hamlet: I despise Emma. Her actions were nearly as despicable as the incestuous acts my

mother had participated in. Call me a misogynist, but women cannot be trusted. Charles, like my father, was a husband who cared deeply about the women they loved, and look what happened? He was stabbed in the back, just like my father was. Sometimes I wonder, how is it that they are treated so poorly? They do nothing but please their loved ones, and yet they receive no appreciation in return. My mother claimed to have loved my father. If she did, then why was she the queen to my uncle within a month? As for Madame Bovary, not only did she commit adultery, she also spent all of Charles' money and put them in debt. She spent It sickens me to see people like Roldolphe and Leon who, without any sense of morality in their

minds, seduced the wife of another man. Their treachery, along with Claudius', should be faced with justice and punishment.

I was surprised that Madame Bovary would attempt to commit suicide...twice! I too have thought about the idea, but my

uncertainty prevented me from doing the act...Nonetheless, that changes nothing about Emma. She is still a despicable

woman.

Dante: Madame Bovary reminds me of Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, and many other poor souls who have been dammed by love. When Virgil took me through the Second Circle of Hell, I was overcome with pity. Like Madame Bovary, many of those in the realm of "The Lustful" were searching for true love. However, their ways of doing so were immoral, thus deeming their actions punishable. As a philosophical man, I can relate to Emma's desires. Had she never met Charles and stayed true to her covenant, maybe she would have had a different fate. Unfortunately, she did not know what she was getting herself into by accepting Charles' marriage proposal. From then on, she began to stray further and further away from God and committed many terrible sins that would caste her down as far as the Eighth Circle of Hell. Her acts of adultery, theft, seduction, and suicide should be met with God's justice no matter the excuses.

6

Velutha: Born into the lowest caste system, I had no opportunities in life. As the son of a

fisherman, I served the Mammachi's family as a handyman. I felt like the only ones who appreciated my services were Rahel, Estha, and Ammu. Every time I saw Ammu, I could not help but think of the unthinkable. I knew it was highly looked down upon in society for anyone to have an affair with an "Untouchable". However, our affections for one another were so great that we began to secretly meet each other at the river bank every night. In a way, I can relate very well to Madame Bovary. She too had her place in society, and yet she decided to go against it. Though many think she was wrong to commit adultery, I don't. Yes, it was her decision to marry Charles, but did she really have a choice? If he had not taken her away from her father's rural old farm, she would have been stuck there for God knows how long! Like me, she was not born with the most ideal opportunities. We were forced to make our own by going out of society's way. Madame Bovary was simply seeking for love, and there should be no society or caste system to prevent that from happening.

Babette: I have always feared death. That was why I went to Mr.

Gray. I never meant to hurt Jack, but I did what I had to do. If the pills could take my mind of the subject, then I will do anything to get them. Do not compare me with Madame Bovary because what we did was different. While I had a legitimate reason, Emma went behind Charles' back because of her lust for other men. I love my husband, and what I had done truly hurt me. It scared me to think of Emma's tragic death. It also made me regret taking Dylar. Like

me, she hoped for a peaceful death, but after she consumed the acid, “Her tongue protruded at full length from her mouth; her rolling eyes grew paler, like the globes of two lamps about to go out, so that one would have thought she was already dead, except for the frightening, accelerating motion of her ribs, which were shaken by her furious breathing, as if her soul were leaping up to break free.” These images are forever engraved in my mind.

8

Death is NOT Complicated By Dante Alighieri

There is nothing complicated about it. When people die, they either go to Heaven or Hell. In Hamlet by Shakespeare and White Noise by Don DeLillo, we see several characters question about what death is like itself and who should die first. Everyone seems to be missing out on the real subject here. Life does not end after you die. In fact, you spend the rest of your "life" as a soul in either heaven or hell. So the real question is, where are YOU going? From my trip to hell, I have learned that God's justice is not so forgiving to those who sin. For example, many great philosophers who did not know of God's existence have to spend the rest of their lives in "The Limbo" even if they had lived righteous lives on Earth. Even though there is no torture, they still cannot be with God in heaven. So instead of worrying about what death is going to be like, one should worry about what happens after. In Hamlet, we see the story start off with two main events: the death of Hamlet's father and the marriage of Hamlet's mother and his uncle. The series of events spurred the anger within Hamlet and his decisions to plot against his uncle. Don't get me wrong, Hamlet had every right to be upset. However, it was not his responsibility to deliver justice to Claudius and Gertrude. I'm a very compassionate

person, but as I have said God's justice determines everything. Gertrude will be punished in hell for her lust, and Claudius will be sent all the way down to the very last circle of hell, Cocytus, for betraying and killing his brother. Hamlet, on the other hand, led himself to his own downfall by trying to interfere. His acts of violence against his mother, Polonius, Laertes, as well as Claudius have secured his afterlife in the first ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell. However, he was fortunate to escape the second ring for he had almost committed suicide. "To be or not to be", he said. In White Noise, protagonist Jack Gladney and his wife Babette constantly ponder about death. The couple talks about their fears of dying as well as which one of them should die first. As I have stated, instead of worrying about the act of dying itself, they should worry more about following a righteous path. Babette desperately searched for ways to take her mind off the subject. She met Mr. Gray, who provided her with untested pills if she offered him her body. Out of her fear of death, she agreed to the deal and participated in adultery for months. Little did she know that by doing so, she has dragged herself into the second circle of hell, "The Lustful". Jack, on the other hand, also committed a sin out of his fear of death. After he found out about Dylar and Babette's affair with Mr. Gray, he decided that he wanted to try out the drug. When he found Mr. Gray in the motel room, he shot him three times, thus committing the act of violence against another and sending his soul to the Seventh Circle of Hell. Life on Earth is simply a phase that we humans go through before we reach the final destination of either Hell or Heaven, and the actions and choices that we make in the temporary world determines where we go. Hamlet, Jack, and Babette did not understand that, and as a result they have to learn it the hard way. It is a shame to see the downfall of such a passionate young man and a nice couple. I pray for their souls. However, let their mistakes be a warning for many others. For those who read this article, think about what you are doing with your lives. Unless you are a sinful man, there is no need to fear dying. For dying will lead you to a much better place. It will lead you to Heaven and God.

9

Connecting the Themes By Jacob Kuo

In this project, I sought to discover similar themes within a collection of novels, a play, and an epic that we have read so far in the school year. With a good amount of research, I have concluded that in all of the texts we have studied, except for Hamlet, compare main ideas to reality (Ex: Appearance vs. Reality). In Dante's Inferno, The God of Small Things, The Passion, White Noise, and Madame Bovary, there is a contrast between "Reality" and "Perfect Justice", "Romantic Ideals", "Magical Realism", "Appearance", and "Romantic Ideals", respectively. However, this does not conclude all the connecting themes present. The theme of immorality, specifically acts of lust and adultery, was found in all the texts. Dante's Inferno focuses a lot on the theme of extreme justice against immorality. We see a contrast between "Reality vs. the Perfection of God's Justice". We know that Dante was a very philosophical man and "he sought to raise the level of public discourse by

Villanelle had no heartbeat. It

was not until she consumed

her heart (literally) when Henri

felt the beating in her chest. In

reality, such a thing is clearly

impossible. However, Jeanette

Winterson skillfully

implements the magical

realism into the story. The

theme of lust was also present.

Villanelle did not love Henri

the way he loved her, but she

was still willing to sleep with

him. Also, the cook in the

army, who later we found out

to be Villanelle's ex-husband,

was especially lustful. Here we

see another example of one

using one's body to get

something that one wants. In

order to travel to places,

Villanelle decided to marry the

cook, who really just wanted

to marry her in order to sleep

with her.

In White Noise, DeLillo

presents a contrast between

"Reality and Appearance". For

example, to make himself

seem tougher, Jack Gladney

the level of public discourse by

educating his countrymen and

inspiring them to pursue

happiness in the

contemplative life." However,

it is uncertain whether Dante

intended to suggest his

readers to use Dante's Inferno

as a guideline for a righteous

life. Nevertheless, the epic

spurs a feeling of anxiety

within its readers. In The

Passion, Madame Bovary,

White Noise, Hamlet, and The

God of Small Things, there are

all themes of immorality, all

including examples that would

place characters in "The

Lustful", the Second Circle of

Hell.

In The Passion, one of the big

themes was "Reality vs.

Magical Realism". One of the

Magical Realism presented in

the novel was Villanelle's

missing heartbeat. Henri had

to go retrieve it from the

mysterious woman who had

an affair with Villanelle. Prior

to getting her heart back,

Villanelle

10

fabricates his character by wearing outfits and changing his name to a more "professional one". When he realized he did not have the ability to speak German, he tried to hide it. His Hitler Studies acts as a more powerful persona that covers his insecurity about his own identity. Another major theme, perhaps the most significant one, was the "Fear of Death". As the novel progresses, we see Babette and Jack constantly think about death and who should die first. Babette, out of fear, desperately searches for ways to overcome her struggles. She finds Mr. Gray, who provides her with a unique drug. However, in order to get the drug, she had to sleep with him. Here we see an example of one using one's body to reach one's goals and desires (Can be seen in The Passion and Madame Bovary). In Madame Bovary, Flaubert presents the theme of "Reality vs. Romantic Ideals". By reading her romance novels, Emma Bovary was convinced that her marriage with Charles would turn out to be perfect and that she would live a "happily ever after life". However, to her dismay, Charles turned out to be a boring man who had no romantic spirit. As I have stated in my Madame Bovary essay, "one of the biggest ironies in this novel is Emma searching for true love." In Reality, the affection that Emma was so intrigued in was the affection that Charles provided himself. Though he was dull, his love for her was consistent and never changing. However, Flaubert explicitly shows his readers that she did not realize it. The theme of lust was clearly presented in the novel. Not only did Madame Bovary commit adultery with Rodolphe and Leon, she also tried to seduce the guard to escape the debt that she owed. In The God of Small Things, we see yet another case of "Reality vs. Romantic Ideals". One of the main events was the involvement between Velutha and Ammu. Though the two were different in terms of class, they were persistent about seeing each other. The theme of lust is present throughout the entire novel. Obviously, Ammu's and Velutha's affair was one of the major scandals, and when it was discovered, the plot changes dramatically. What was a secret and romantic love affair turned into an act punishable by death and looked down on by society. Their lust for each other led to the death of Velutha and the disgrace of Ammu (her family was higher in the caste system). There were also other small scandals including Estha's molestation by the Orangedrink Lemonade man. One of the more important ones, however, was the incestuous relationship between Rahel and Estha. When they were united as adults, they made love to each other, going against all of society's expectations. In Hamlet, though there were no main ideas compared to reality, there was the theme of lust. The first example is the marriage between Hamlet's mother and his uncle, Claudius. The event happened only one month after the death of King Hamlet, whom Gertrude claimed she was so deep in love with. Yet, within a month, she has already fallen for Claudius' temptations and decided to make him her King. Her lust spurred the anger within Hamlet and his ideas of plotting against his uncle. On the other hand, not only did Claudius want power, he also wanted Gertrude.

Letter From the Editor

Jacob Kuo

In this magazine, we focused on assessing all the books we have read so far in the school year. These texts include The Passion by Jeanette Winterson, Dante's Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Hamlet by Shakespeare, White Noise by Don DeLillo, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, and The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Through "TIMELESS", readers can explore the similar themes within each text regardless of the time period that separates these written documents. Listen to the voices of many within these amazing stories. I implore you to think outside the box and use this valuable information to dig deeper and find more connections between these great books.

Citations: "Biography." Jeanette Winterson ‐ About ‐ Biography. Jeanette Winterson, 2008. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.jeanettewinterson.com/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=207>. 

Wetherbee, Winthrop, "Dante Alighieri", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2011/entries/dante/>.

"Interview with Arundhati Roy." The Progressive. The Progressive, Apr. 2001. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.progressive.org/intv0401.html>. 

"Don DeLillo's America ‐ A Don DeLillo Site." Don DeLillo's America. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://perival.com/delillo/delillo.html>. 

"Hamlet Writing Style." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/writing‐style.html>. 

"Why Did Shakespeare Write Hamlet." Write a Writing. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.writeawriting.com/write/shakespeare‐write‐hamlet/>. 

 

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