Journal Entry #4: A Gossip Story

In this journal entry, I will discuss one of the topics brought up in class: what makes a good person? We discussed people in general then went in further by narrowing it down to men and women in relation to A Gossip Story by Jane West. The question of “what makes a good person?” is brought up quite a bit by society today, and to answer these question I  will relate qualities from West’s story to people of today’s society.

Nowadays we define someone as a good person depending on their actions, and if those actions reflect their true personality. It’s very common nowadays to find people who are liars and use people, to an extent, to fulfill what they want; we call it “using” someone. Quite often we see people use others for personal needs, such as sexual fulfillment or helping with certain problems someone may face; once the person has fulfilled the duties the other will get rid of them only to find someone else. I most definitely do not view these people as good people. I have known people who are like those which I just listed, and I have friends who have been affected by people like this; it is sickening! In my opinion, a good person is someone who is truthful and upfront with everything; if they are able to admit their problems and willing to overcome those problems I can see a slightly better person, though I may not agree with the choices. In relation to this point, I consider someone a good person if they can look beyond someone’s problems, if they have changed or are willing to do so, and see them for who they are or want to be. Unlike some people like we see in old literature, a good person is not based on how much money they have, or how much power they possess over people. However, what someone does with that money could easily factor into if they are a good person; example, giving to those who don’t have much, donating to charity or even their community. It is not the money that matters; it is what the person chooses to do with it. In Jane West’s story, and even other forms of literature, tend to show characters that have fortune as good people.

Usually in older literary works, if a man has a huge sum of money then he is viewed as a good person. Money shows that the man will be able to support the woman and the family; money helped assure financial security and usually meant that they were unlikely to struggle when it came to finding land, a house, food for the family, and decoration and furniture for that house. A lot of people who have money believe they are better than others because they are better off, and society tends to depict those people as a model citizen of how others should strive to be like. That is not the case because some wealthy people are extremely arrogant and snobs; but there are those who decide to use their money for good and as some say “share the wealth.” I also believe that a good man is someone who can respect a woman, and as describes in A Gossip Story respects virtue. A man who chooses to respect a woman’s morals and not her body, in my eyes, is a good man because then the man can get to know the woman on a personal level and for who she really is.

Men are not the only ones who tend to use people in cruel ways; women tend to do so as well. In literature, and even today, if a woman was not virtuous then she was viewed by society as a whore and a bad person. Just because someone chooses to have sex does not mean they are a bad person; but, if they approach sex in a way where it is meaningless and using someone to fill their sexual needs, then, it can be viewed as a problem mainly when they make it a habit and it affects their morals. I have met some girls who have used guys for sex and are complete snobs and disrespectful. But, I have met others who realize their mistake, and still try to treat people with respect, and want to change; those are the women I have a respect for and consider good people, those who can admit their problems. I have noticed that society puts more pressure on women, when it comes to sex, than with a man. If a woman sleeps with a certain number of guys she is considered a whore, yet, if a man does it he is viewed as almost heroic. In my opinion, if anyone, man or woman, is using someone for sex it does not make them a good person, but that can be debated by many others. Women have always had more pressure put on them so it is harder for them to be accepted. A woman could make bad choices, some being sexual, but if other decisions she makes and her personal character are good then she should be viewed as a good person. Society always focuses on the negatives when it comes to people; it all has to do with this feeling of superiority and wanting to come out on top. This societal view reminds me of the concept of “survival of the fittest;” society wants to knock other people down on the ladder of life so that they can be closer to the top.

What really makes a good person? Nowadays it is hard to tell because everyone seems to do something that we portray as bad, but maybe that is because society has clouded our view of what “being good” actually is. People can agree that being virtuous is a good thing, but just because someone steps outside of that and has sex does not make them a bad person. Someone could have a lot of money but that does not make them a good person, it depends on what they do with it. Many could agree with what A Gossip Story depicts as a good person: someone who can admit their problems, someone who can look beyond another’s problems, someone who is upfront and has nothing to hide, and someone who appreciates virtue and treats a woman’s body with respect. Many qualities listed could be viewed as some that make a good person, but in today’s society you cannot just go by actions, or so it seems. Nowadays, it is not how someone presents themselves in front of you, because sometimes people find out the hard way that the person was lying the whole time. I believe that if a person is able to prove that the person he/she portrays themself as is who they truly are as a person, then, they are a good person.

Journal Entry #3: Pride and Prejudice

One of the most well-known and valued love stories in English literature is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I enjoyed this story because it showed me how some writers, like Jane Austen, viewed love. I have noticed how a lot of literature from this time period talk about social class, and that sparked an interest for me as a reader on this topic. The story Pride and Prejudice deals with reputation and social class, and how people were supposed to act; as well as the topic of love and what Austen saw as “true love.”

            When reading older literature and looking at how the world is today I can see that not much has changed for society. It seems that most people, whether they like to admit it or not, care about their reputation in one way or another and do what they can to stay in the positive light of others. I say most people, not all, because there are some who just do not care what people think at all; but, they are not the topic of this discussion. Reputation is determined by how someone presents themself in multiple ways: how they act, the clothes they wear, how they talk, and even eat. If someone dresses in a sloppy way, chances are people will automatically view them as a sloppy person. But maybe those are just the clothes that the person is most comfortable in, or maybe those clothes are all the person can afford. In this story, the people who have the most pressure put on them when it comes to impressing someone are the women. In society, I think that is how it is in general, and how it has always been. According to the story, women are expected to be “proud and conceited…handsome…educated” and “have a fortune” (11). Women have always been expected to act a certain way in order to be respected and be considered a woman; if they were to go against what they were taught it would be considered un-ladylike. When looking at reputation it also ties in with social class, and in this story social class is an important topic. In the story, the Bennets are considered the middle class, and because so Mr. and Mrs. Bennet want their daughters to marry into a good fortune so that they will be well off in the future. Mrs. Bennet begins to play match-maker for her daughters, but it seems as if she does not take into account what her daughters want in a man. I could understand that parents want what is best for their children, but to pay no attention to what your kids want and just worry about who seems respectable and who has the right amount of money is just absurd. There is a saying “money doesn’t buy happiness” and I believe that goes quite well with this story. When it comes to love, money does not buy that either; love cannot be bought; it is something that takes hard work and the right people to make it happen.

            Based on the elements of the story, Jane Austen definitely seems to be in favor of love, and not just that, but, she seems to believe in ‘true love.’ I noticed the humor of Austen while reading the story; she seems to poke fun at one character, Charlotte Lucas, who marries into fortune. Lucas ends up marrying Mr. Collins, who could easily be defined as foolish. Austen did this to show that some people do not marry for love; yet, they marry so that they will be well off and set for the future. At the conclusion of the story, Jane and Bingley get married, as do Elizabeth and Darcy. With the incidents that split the four up it seemed as if they would not be re-uniting; however, you see this element that the love was actually meant to be and that it was fate. This is where the ‘true love’ element comes in; no matter what happens, if you truly love someone, and if the love is meant to be the feelings will not go away and it will work out. Some of my close friends have gone through situations where they fight with their significant other and it seems like the two will not be getting back together; but, they talk through it and work through it and end up keeping the relationship going. Some have even gotten married. I have always wondered if true love is real or not, and based on what I have seen happen with my friends, and even some family members I believe it is. Austen’s message is very clear, she reveals just how strong true love actually is; she shows that no matter what happens true love will never go away and will never be broken no matter what the situation might be.

            Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has been viewed as one of the most treasured love stories, and it is easy to see why. The way that Austen captured true love and was able to express it in her story and show that it prevails even in the toughest of situations is a great one. I like how Austen included reputation and social class into the topic of love. The story revealed how society expected people to present themselves; it talks about how society defines a good man and how they viewed a good woman. It makes it seem like, no matter what we think ourselves our image is always defined by society; society controls everything. Austen also showed that it does not matter if you are an upper-class man, or a middle-class woman, if the two people are meant to be together then they will be because that is true love. At first, it did not seem like Elizabeth and Darcy were going to get together based off of how Elizabeth was reacting to him when the two first met. Yet, Darcy still developed feelings for Elizabeth. Overall, I really liked Pride and Prejudice and the message that true love does exist.