Perception or Reality?

“Too often we colour our perception with other peoples’ pencils.”

─ Tim Winter

It is a common saying that perception is reality but I believe that it is merely a subconscious expectation of reality.

The biggest example can be that of the realisation of a child that the glossy image of beauty and success that they have always been shown is in real just an image, an illusion, is a big shock. It’s almost like a betrayal. The child feels vulnerable and exposed. He may think to himself that he has been deeply surrounded by lies all his life. Huge lies. And yet, he has been taught not to lie, to be honest. And so, he starts seeing everything around him, which has always been there, in a different light.

I believe that people only see through themselves; only hear through the filter of their own story. But, with gradual learning, the passing of time and experience, it is possible to realize that life is only as good as one makes it. All their lives, people are so busy in conforming to accepted values and perceptions that they forget to make their own perception, and make it their own reality.

Feline Preparation

Man often tends to make or have pre-conceived notions and ideas relating to issues and situations which we are faced with, everyday. These predictions or what we can call anticipations take place on a daily basis, whether consciously or unconsciously and are usually created through personal experience and a simultaneous instinctive response to a given situation. Similar anticipation exists in the mind s of animals.

Most animals possess a protective instinct in regard to the safety of their young and therefore they always attempt to take measures against any possible harm. The most relevant example would be of the endless effort a cat makes to find an enclosed and safe place to keep her kittens in right before they are born. It is common to see a pet cat, independently roaming around the house trying to sneak into corners, dressing cupboards, kitchen cabinets and other tiny, dark spaces which we may not have even noticed before. This struggle to find the perfect spot for her kittens to live in is a far-fetched anticipation by a cat which is essentially what will be needed.

Winter’s Tale Ends (further continued)

This concluding scene holds great dramatic and thematic significance as the first part of the scene was covered in heightened drama to prepare the audience of the arrival of Hermione after sixteen long years; however towards the end Shakespeare doesn’t seem to give the episode a proper closure. Also, in the end the reader is given the impression of a patriarchal effect as it is Leontes who eventually decides the fate of all the women, for instance he tells not asks Paulina to be with Camillo. This highlights the gender difference during the Elizabethan era.

Therefore this episode was able to address the main and final issue of the Oracle of Apollo that is the life of Hermione.

Winter’s tale Ends (continued)

The statue of Hermione is a symbol of redemption. After the music starts to play, the dramatic effect is heightened by the slow and gradual way in which the near to close statue, transforms into Hermione. After Hermione descends, Leontes speaks with great joy and declares that she is “warm”. Also, he refers to this act of Hermione coming alive to art. This brings in the theme of art and nature which was a much debated topic during the Elizabethan era. It was argued that art is only an attempt to recreate nature and some said that art could be used to create something even more real than nature, in essence saying that, art is nature. Hermione being symbolized as a statue brings in the concept of art and when this object of art comes alive it is nature that is to take the responsibility.

Furthermore, we see that after the increasing build up for the arrival of Hermione, when finally she is amongst the character, Shakespeare adopts a technique which results in the audience to anxiously wait for her to speak. She does not speak immediately and what builds up the drama is that all characters speak except her. Shakespeare makes Polixenes and Camillo comment on her actions as though she herself cannot yet speak. Polixenes says, “She embraces him”.

Thereafter, Paulina extends the drama by preparing Hermione for her daughter, Perdita. It is at this point when Shakespeare includes Hermione’s speech. She expresses her concern for Perdita and how she has been all these years. Eventually Shakespeare speeds up the course of events and begins to gather all the issues of the play and divert them to an end. Hermione is told about her daughter and Leontes gives an ending speech in which he vows to love Hermione forever and he asks Camiilo to marry Paulina. The play comes to an abrupt end with Leontes and Hermione reunited, Florizel and Perdita also united and Camillo and Paulina accepting to be together.

Winter’s Tale Ends

The last scene from the play, “The Winter’s Tale” by Shakespeare marks the end of the play and resolves all the issues which were faced throughout the play. The ending episode shows great dramatic and thematic significance through various ways. The scenario is when Paulina is keeping her promise and showing Leontes, Polixenes and Camillo the supposed statue of Hermione.

The beginning of the ending heightens the dramatic effect of the situation as Paulina asks for music to be played to awaken the statue of Hermione. This act creates or heightens the drama as music is something which adds to the excitement or significance of any situation. The use of words such as “awake her” make it seem as if Hermione had been put to sleep all these years and was in reality alive. Also, it highlights the theme of regeneration as it can be seen that Hermione is being resurrected from the dead. Till now, the audience and as such even the characters in the play had thought Hermione to be dead. But at this situation we see that she comes back to life. The fact that the audience is kept in the dark about whether Hermione is just “waking up” from her sleep, or whether she comes alive after death, adds to the dramatic effect of the scene.

Fanny Robin (character analysis continued)

When she is talking to troy about their marriage, she addresses him with a desperate, yet kind and loving and respected tone. Such is her sweet nature that even when Troy tries to avoid the topic of marriage she innocently keeps on persisting. She is weak-hearted and is a lonely character. Hardy shows her as an orphan, bought up by the respectable and dignified Mr. Boldwood.

Fanny does not have the confidence or will to stand up for herself. Without thinking twice, she goes to chase after a Sergeant who is not even in love with her. She is mistreated by him as he promises to marry her, but then does not. She becomes pregnant and Troy does not even know. Rather, he marries Bathsheba and while he enjoyed his life, throwing away all of Bathsheba’s money, Fanny was weak, penniless and desperate. She did not have any support, physical or emotional and died after giving birth. The baby also died. She died while she was on her way to The Caster Bridge Union House.

Fanny’s coffin stayed in the house of Bathsheba Everdene for a while and it was again realized that she did not have any family or loved one who would be deeply concerned for her.

Thus, an overall picture of Fanny is created which is that of a sweet girl who was taken advantage of. She is shown as weak and helpless and always dependant on others. Fanny’s character makes me feel sad as she was greatly mistreated and I think that she did not deserve to be treated so inhumanly. Also, I feel that even though she was weak physically, she was definitely not weak emotionally as anyone who experiences such depths of pain throughout life is bound to become strong, emotionally.

Fanny Robin (character analysis)

To a large extent, Thomas Hardy creates a very dull and weak picture of Fanny Robin in the novel, “Far from the Madding Crowd”. Her character makes me feel sad and angry as she is so severely mistreated that it is almost as if Hardy did not consider the fact that she is human and there is an extent to which she can take pain.

The very first time that we are introduced to Fanny in the novel, she is denied any individuality. Hardy refers to her as a spot, shape or simply, a shadow. She is given no identity of her own. Also, when it is shown that she is telling Gabriel Oak the way to the malt house and when after touching her hands and feeling her pulse, he offers her money, it can be said that she is not independent, yet very much dependant on others or helpless. Fanny does not walk with much confidence, rather with a bent down body and a clumsy walk.

Yet as much as she is shown as weak and powerless, Hardy had given her the strong characteristics of kindness and generosity. She helps Gabriel Oak when he wants directions. Also, it was known that she did not give any trouble throughout her service at the Everdene farm. Fanny is shown as a girl with a sweet and innocent nature, who is exploited by Sergeant Troy, so as to result in her unfortunate death.