324 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2021
    1. the children assembled together in some of the neighbours’ premises to play; and commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any assailant, or kidnapper, that might come upon us; for they sometimes took those opportunities of our parents’ absence to attack and carry off as many as they could seize.

      The children would be on the lookout for anyone that was coming for them. As the adults were busy working in the fields the children would climb trees to keep themselves safe since their parents were not watching them. They were easier to kidnap if their parents were not with them.

    2. The head of the family usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate tables.

      This demonstrates that the husband is superior so he gets to eat by himself. I wonder if they liked being alone while eating. I would not want to eat alone even if I was superior. It is similar to the manual "Of Domesticall Duties" where it mentions that the husband is the head of the family and is superior while the wife is the heart and is still considered high, but not as high as the husband. It follows the same lines here as the husband gets to eat alone because of his superiority and the wife has to eat with the slaves as they are considered inferior.

    3. When our women are not employed with the men in tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make it into garments.

      This represents their gender roles. Men worked outside working on growing crops while women worked on making garments.

    4. This is usually dyed blue, which is our favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and richer than any I have seen in Europe.

      Their clothing is dyed blue from a berry. That would be a neat thing to do to dye clothes.

    5. dowry is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of husbandry. These are offered by the friends of both parties

      So the friends of the bride and groom provide the dowry?

    1. I left my poor wife big with child

      He left his pregnant wife and family again. He does not stay with his family very much. Is it because he was bribed into marrying his wife? If he was going to be going on all these adventures, I do not think marriage was right for him right now since he is gone all the time.

    2. four hundred pounds

      Wow, he received a lot of money for getting married compared to the thirty pounds he had when he was living in Leyden. Did he marry for the money? It seems odd to include how much money he got from getting married.

    3. there I studied physic two years and seven months, knowing it would be useful in long voyages.

      Gulliver was a very smart man, he was looking into his future by realizing that he should take physics to help him later on in his life.

    4. My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons.

      This background information about Gulliver was really helpful as it allows readers to learn more about him, so they can better understand where he is coming from.

    5. he does this, leaving his pregnant wife behind and commanding his own ship.

      Every time he sets out to sea something goes wrong. Has he not learned this by now? Also, this time he is leaving his wife who is pregnant and he might not return.

    1. by no means he should tell him she was sold, but secretly put to death: for he knew he should never obtain his pardon for the other.

      The king knew that Oroonoko would not like what he did, so he told the messenger to lie to him and tell him that Imoinda was dead. However the truth is that she was sold as a slave.

    2. His eyes were the most awful that could be seen, and very piercing; the white of ’em being like snow, as were his teeth.

      The imagery describes his eyes to be white as snow. They were very distinct. His looks are perceived to be known as a superior.

    3. They thread these beads also on long cotton threads, and make girdles to tie their aprons to, which come twenty times, or more, about the waist, and then cross, like a shoulder-belt, both ways, and round their necks, arms, and legs.

      Behn does a great job describing exactly how men dressed. Her use of descriptive imagery allows readers to get a good picture of men's clothing.

    1. her Coat was of Pearl, mixt with blew Diamonds, and frindged with red ones; her Buskins and Sandals were of green Diamonds

      Wow, she became an Empress and now she has it all. She has all the jewels to make her look like an authority.

    2. gave her an absolute power to rule and govern all that World as she pleased

      Did she have to be married in order to rule her own world? Could she not have done it without the Emperor's power? This seems to be referencing that women were dependent on men and could not do anything without them.

    3. considering what dangers she had past, and finding those sorts of men civil and diligent attendants to her, took courage, and endeavoured to learn their language

      She was very brave to be all alone on this journey other than with animals and learn the language they speak.

    4. Those few men which were in it, not knowing whither they went, nor what was to be done in so strange an Adventure, and not being provided for so cold a Voyage, were all frozen to death

      This seems as if it was all part of her plan to have her own world and a fresh start by being the only one alive in the ship. She will be the only one that will make it to the island from the ship.

    5. That though I cannot be Henry the Fifth, or Charles the Second; yet, I will endeavour to be, Margaret the First: and, though I have neither Power, Time nor Occasion, to be a great Conqueror, like Alexander, or Cesar

      This demonstrates a big step for the power of women. Even though she does not have power to be a ruler of a place, she is determined to be one. Instead of comparing her power and time to other great rulers she sets her mind to making a world of her own. She will be the ruler of her own world and make all of her rules.

    1. Beeing made of him, he was the ground of all

      The evil stemming from her only came from Adam. She was made from him, so that is where she got it from. Just like temperament can be genetic, she her evilness it from who she was made from.

    2. But surely Adam cannot be excus’d, Her fault, though great, yet he was most too blame

      Although it was Eve's fault, it was also Adam's fault as well. She was not letting him get out of being blamed as he caused the fall of men as well.

  2. Mar 2021
    1. No, precious creature; I had rather crack my sinews, break my back, Than you should such dishonour undergo, While I sit lazy by.

      This shows that Ferdinand really loves Miranda. He would rather get himself hurt than see Miranda bear his logs.

    2. I might call him A thing divine; for nothing natural I ever saw so noble.

      This is the start to the love story between Miranda and Ferdinand as she is describing how she has never seen someone like him. She is instantly falling in love.

    3. some scholars and critics are now arguing that this play could be classified as a romance

      I agree with this as I think it should be classified as a romance because of the love at first sight between Ferdinand and Miranda. I don't quite see how it is a comedy.

    1. I’d give them all for Mephistophilis.

      Wow he really wants more power. He would give up all of his souls just for power and knowledge. To think he was going to take his life in the beginning and now he will do anything to gain power.

    2. While everything becomes possible to Doctor Faustus, he never uses his power for good; he becomes selfish, rude, and inconsiderate of why he wanted the power in the first place.

      If he was going to abuse his power, why would he make an agreement with the devil to give away his soul in 24 years? Seems a little backwards to me.

    3. He asks Mephistophilis questions concerning the universe, creation, and higher powers and all of Mephistophilis’ answers are very evasive which serve to alert Faustus that he might have made a mistake in making a deal with Lucifer.

      So Mephistophilis does not really have the knowledge that Faustus wants? He does not even give him good answers.

    4. Faustus ignores all signs and formally makes a deal with the devil.

      Why would he ignore the good angel, they just want him to be happy. I guess this was his best chance at gaining more knowledge. Was there no one else he could seek the knowledge he wanted?

    5. Faust is the story of a man who falls into a depression as he becomes bored and unsatisfied with his life as a scholar.

      This story seems like it would have been written today. Depression still occurs to this day.

  3. earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
  4. Feb 2021
    1. The third man agrees with himself how to divide the treasure

      I find it that anytime there is a group of three working together, one person always gets left out. Two people end up teaming up on the other one. To see that it has been like that since this time period that is insane.

    2. I will have money, wool, and cheese, and wheat, Though it be given by the poorest page, Or by the poorest widow in village,

      The Pardoner only seems to care about himself and is very greedy. He wants to take money away from everyone especially poor people, so they he can have anything he wants. With all of his earnings from lying to people he can afford all he has ever wanted because he earns lots of money.

    3. Is all my preaching, thus to make them free

      He says he does this to make the people free from the sins they have committed, but does he even have the authority to do that? He is just tricking everyone especially those who are not educated. He is only doing it, so that he can get more money.

    1. He never should have frightened me from drink

      He fourth husband should have never not allowed her to drink. She believed that she has the right to drink, and also however much she wants. She did not want him to ever scare her for drinking too much.

    2. some men desire us for our gold, Some for our shape and some for fairness told: 265 And some, that she can either sing or dance

      Men are only attracted to women that are pretty. They only look for their physical features and not who they really are. They do not care about their personality only their looks and talents.

    3. The three were good men and were rich and old.

      Her three husbands that she liked spoiled her with their money and because they were old it sounds like they gave her whatever he wanted. It still seems crazy that she was married to five men.

    4. Thus, by this same example, showed he me I never should have married more than once.

      She realizes that because of the Lord's example, she should have only married once instead of five times. She begins to realize what she did wrong.

    5. She gives him the answer to the question and shares it with the Queen. She is pleased and releases him so his life is spared.

      What was the answer to the Queen's question? Is it that women most desire men doing anything they ask them to?

    1. The beauty of the lady that I see

      How does he already know that they will get married if he had only seen her walk through the garden? I guess looks was the only thing that mattered because he never even met Emily.

    2. Oh, well has Fortune turned for you the dice, Who have the sight of her, I the absence.

      Arcite realizes how lucky Palamon was to win Emily. It it like Palamon won the lottery because he got the girl of his dreams and Acrite is living in sorrow knowing that Emily is not his love.

    3. To Athens, there in prison cell to lie

      I'm confused. If the two knights were wounded why were they sent to a prison cell until they die. Why wouldn't anyone help them? Were they an enemy? If Theseus was just willing to help the women whose husbands were wrongfully buried why would he not help heal the men instead of locking them up?

    4. And in his arms he took them tenderly, 100 Giving them comfort understandingly

      Theseus was hugging the women to comfort them because when they told him about their husbands burials he felt their sorrow. He felt bad for the women as he was thinking what he could do to help them.

    5. But sets his dogs to eat them

      This is disturbing. How was it even a thing that men's lives that were taken at war were not allowed to be buried or cremated, but they were able to be eaten by dogs? This sounds horrific.

    1. And all garbed in green this giant and his gear: a straight coat full tight that stuck to his sides, a magnificent mantle above, masked within with pelts pared pertly, the garment agleam with blithe ermine full bright,

      The knight was well dressed.

    2. But Arthur would not eat till all were served

      That was kind of him to wait and eat until everyone else had their food especially since he was the king. This is also a tradition and an appropriate thing to do to this day. Even now people wait for everyone to get their food before they begin eating as it is the polite thing to do.

    1. she and her second lord together, to seek a more abiding city, and were no more seen

      Bisclavaret's wife left him and found another lord as they ventured to a different city, so that she would not be attacked again. They were never seen again after they left.

    2. Neither did any of his house know the business which called him forth.

      No one knew where he was for those three days every week that he would disappear to. Was he cheating on his wife? Was he killing people or eating them because he was a werewolf?

    3. These two maidens were richly dressed in kirtles closely laced and shapen to their persons and wore mantles of a goodly purple hue. Sweet and dainty were the damsels, alike in raiment and in face.

      The imagery described here implies that he was attracted to these women and he was wondering if they were going to go to him and talk.