The Equestrian Princess- Glenna Loughlin 5th

The King of the North had three daughters, Pearl, Crystal, and Ruby. Ruby had a deep love for horses. The King of the North favored Ruby because of her wise, gentle, and loving spirit. Pearl and Crystal envied the attention Ruby received from their father and wanted to get rid of her.

One night Pearl and Crystal convinced Ruby to leave the North Kingdom to go to a valley full of wild horses. When the three daughters got to the valley, Pearl and Crystal told Ruby to get out of the caravan and search for the horses. As soon as Ruby got out, the two sisters quickly rode off, leaving Ruby for dead.

After a few days of wondering around, Ruby found a village. She soon realized that she was in the South Kingdom when she saw the castle. Near the castle there was a sign that read “stable manager wanted!” This sign caught her attention, but she knew she couldn’t pursue this job as a woman.

She goes into the city and decides to sell the jewels she had on at the time. She then uses the money to buy men’s clothes. She puts on the clothes and puts her beautiful auburn hair into a hat. To complete the look she smudges her face with dirt.

She then walks up to the front doors of the castle and knocks. A servant answers the door and Ruby asks about the stable manager job. The servant escorts her to the stables. She begins to interact with the horses while the servant fetches the prince. The prince comes out and is impressed with Ruby's skills and therefore hires her. As they spend more time with each other, she realizes that the prince has a great love for horses as well. As weeks go by, the two become good friends.

One day as the prince is riding, Ruby goes to the stable to get some shade. Not realizing that anyone was watching, Ruby takes off her hat revealing her beautiful auburn hair. The prince sees her from a distance and realizes that she is a woman! He is so stunned by her beauty that he gets off his horse and runs towards her. Ruby realizes that she has been seen and tries to hide, fearing the loss of her job. The prince tells her to come out from hiding so he can look at her. She comes out slowly. He realizes how close they have gotten and wants to marry her.

Meanwhile, The King of the North discovered Pearl and Crystal’s actions towards Ruby and banishes them from the North Kingdom. The two sisters, Pearl and Crystal, walk in search of help. They end up in the South Kingdom and go directly to the castle. They are brought before the prince and Ruby who are now married. Pearl and Crystal beg the prince and princess for help. Ruby recognizes her sisters and asks them why they are in the South Kingdom. The sisters, not recognizing Ruby, tell her that they have been banished and they need food and shelter. Princess Ruby replies “Why are you coming to me for help? Do you not remember taking me to a valley and leaving me for dead?” Pearl and Crystal immediately recognize their sister and are in shock that she is still living. They begged her for forgiveness. Ruby, being wise, gentle, and loving forgives them.

Ruby orders one of the messengers to deliver a letter to her father, The King of the North, to inform him that she is still alive and to invite him to visit her in the South Kingdom. The King of the North comes immediately to see her. When he arrives, he meets Ruby and the prince and celebrates her life and their marriage.

Heart of Darkness Part 1 Reflection

In Part 1 of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, characters such as Marlow are portrayed not only by their initial descriptions but by their actions as well. These characters set the mood of the book by expressing their feelings toward scenarios described.

When Marlow is introduced, he is described thoroughly by the narrator which suggests that Marlow is an important character. He is described as not only a seaman but also as a wanderer. Marlow is not only described in great detail but also begins telling stories of his seaman life. The author does not break off from Marlow’s story telling often to almost give Marlow the title of the narrator. Through this, there is a steady mood that is suggested as Marlow explains his thoughts. Marlow often tells about are his encounters or viewings of black slaves being treated harshly. He describes the black men in great detail and how he “could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope…” He also describes the a black man “…being beaten near by…” and how he “saw him, later on, for several days, sitting in a bit of shade looking very sick and trying to recover himself…”  By using these details, the author suggests that Marlow does not see these people as unimportant but as something interesting.  Marlow also describes them as “…not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, -- nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom” and how he “found nothing else to do but to offer him one of my good Swede’s ship’s biscuits…” Through these things, the author suggests that Marlow feels a bit of compassion towards these black people and how he “…stood horror-struck…” when viewing how the bad treatments effected them. Not only does Marlow observe the black people, but he also observes a painting in the manager’s room. He describes the painting in great detail and explains that it “arrested” him. Marlow spends time pondering on both the black people and things such as details in a house. Through this the author suggests that Marlow is not just an adventurer but a thinker and that he has a compassion for other things other than the material lifestyle.

By Marlow describing his past experiences and his feelings towards them to the four men with him, an observant yet sympathetic mood is illustrated. While Marlow describes his experiences in great detail, he also describes the way these experiences made him feel while they were taking place. Marlow does not end his complete thought until he expresses his reaction to what is going on around him. Whether it be the black salves, people talking about Mr. Kurtz, or how he felt when the boat sunk, he does not fail to describe his emotions in detail and how he outwardly expressed them. It’s almost as if Marlow forgets he is talking to four people and is just freely expressing his thought processes during his experiences. Through this, Marlow is seen as an observant yet sensitive person and therefor sets the mood of the first part of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

Chapter 9- It's More Than Just Rain or Snow

    Most people view rain or muggy weather as a low or sad scene. Although rain can be used to create this kind of scene, rain has other meaning when used in literature as Foster expresses in this chapter.
    People associate rain with gloom because of the way rain makes people feel, but rain also has a positive effect on people and in nature. Its positive effect is growth. Whether it be portrayed by plants becoming greener or growing taller or people getting a day to reflect on their lives.
    In literature rain's effects depend more on the character's reaction to the rain rather than the fact that it's just rain. One could dance in the rain while another might hide in their home all day. For example, in the movie Singing in the Rain, Don Lockwood sings and dances in the rain after being with Kathy. He dances and sings to express his joy for a new found love between Kathy and himself. Don is also excited about being a singing and dancing star now. The rain in this movie represents a new beginning. It represents Don's fresh start on achieving what he wants like singing and dancing and getting the girl. This rain in this film definitely doesn't represent sadness or gloom but instead represents happiness and newness. What one considers as bad weather, another could consider wonderful weather therefore weather does not just define the scene but also sets the characters in the scene.
    Like Foster said, rain also carries the plot along. It adds a little drama to the story and forces characters to come together through need or realization. Rain represents washing or cleansing. This could mean physical cleansing through the fresh water or mental cleansing. Rain causes people to think. Most people enjoy the sound of rain and love to fall asleep to it. Why? It means calmness, a new beginning just like the great flood that takes place in the bible.  In Daniel Marois’ article over biblical symbolism of rain, she describes that rain was seen as harsh and deathly in the story of Noah’s Ark but also represents new beginnings. This is portrayed by God telling Noah to build an ark for his and other’s safety. Noah follows his command and builds the ark. Shortly after, God wipes out the earth with a massive flood. Noah, his family, and other animals survive the flood. After the flood ends, God shows a huge rainbow. This rainbow represents the newness of the land and that God will always give one a fresh start or chance. The rainbow represents a promise, a finishing statement. It is the figure that people look forward to. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel, a signal saying everything will be okay.
     Rain doesn’t only represent bad or gloomy scenes but can also represent happy times or new beginnings. Rain can mean a variety of things in literature and is commonly used for setting the mood, characters, and plot.


   
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-biblical-symbolism-of-rain