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Board: ELT e-reading group |
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''David Swan' by Nathaniel Hawthorne' - ChrisL (210 posts) January 29th, 2010, 11:40 AM (20 replies)
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer better known for 'The Scarlet Letter'. His writings are considered part of the the Romantic movement and are full of allegory and symbolism.
Click here to read David Swan
Looking forward to reading your comments.
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iriselina (14 posts) February 1st, 2010, 06:40 PM
Fascinating story! Somehow it brings to mind Coleridge and his Xanadu.
"Weave a circle round him thrice.....[Wealth, Love, Death ].....
...for all who see cry 'beware , beware' ,
....for he has drunk the Milk of Paradise".
Who is he? and why do people say 'Beware'?
Is the young man himself a threat to the others?
Is this the sleep of Innocence or the oblivion of another Superior power!
The Swan, itself a mythical bird, used as his name adds to the depth of the symbolism here.
Iris Devadason
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Tanguene (215 posts) February 2nd, 2010, 07:44 AM
Dear All,
I think David Swan's life is like any of our lives, asleep or awake we can hardly see what lies ahead us, be it luck or misfortune. In his sound sleep there were opportunities and disgraces he was exposed to while he even does not have the slightest imagination about. This state of things continues as he merrelly travels to Boston, and I think it means awake or asleep we don't choose what shall happen.
It's a good story with lessons for life.
Thanks
Tanguene
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SM Thompson (55 posts) February 2nd, 2010, 03:08 PM
The story "David Swan" by Nathaniel Hawthorne forces us to direct our sights on the elderly couple and the youth .. a focus of opposites with a language that is flowery, and quite poetic - creating an evocative narrative throughout the story!
SM Thompson Southampton: UK:
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Maria do Céu Costa (136 posts) February 2nd, 2010, 06:24 PM
Dear All,
We found "David Swan" a very interesting story filled with natural daily events narrated in a beautiful language. Nature, human and animal life, side by side , in a mutual company / protection.
If we were able to foresee every future need, we would not be likely to save ourselves a lot of trouble, I think.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Maria
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ChrisL (210 posts) February 4th, 2010, 12:12 AM
Marvellous connection Iris! Indeed it makes you wonder how much Coleridge has influenced Hawthorne.
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
The young men also sleeps near a spring (water - movement- change) and the name is also highly symbolic - in many cultures the swan is a symbol of purity but also of transformation- see the 'Ugly Ducking' fable' but also 'Leda and the Swan' ...
So should we expect that the sort of purity and innocence in which the protagonist is while sleeping to last or will it eventually come to an end as he takes his way to Boston and into the merchant's world?
Cheers - Chris
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ChrisL (210 posts) February 4th, 2010, 12:25 AM
Hi Maria
Agree...actually, I think it would be very likely that it would put us into more trouble. After all, life is not a RPG video game where you can load every time you make a mistake or a stupid choice. In real life we have to stick to our decisions based on the things we know and face the consequences. Life is a leap of faith, isn't it?
Love - Chris
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iriselina (14 posts) February 4th, 2010, 02:36 AM
Thank you Chris,
I was reminded of Coleridge straightaway, but then wondered whether I was reading far to much into a simple story which does have a simple linear narration.
But Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter is no ordinary tale either! Thanks for supporting me in this. Thanks for this lovely site too.As I say always, English teachers must read & write good literature if they are to teach writing.
Iris
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Maria do Céu Costa (136 posts) February 4th, 2010, 04:53 PM
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your reply alongside your sensible thoughts regarding Life.
In my view, if we see Life as "a leap of faith", we will certainly feel more motivated to continue our daily mission, even though we may find obstacles around us. Moreover, it will help us overcome difficulties and start anew.
I've also associated the "fresh bubbling spring" with "youth freshness", consequently with David Swan's, a twenty-year-old man.
Warm regards,
Maria
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Debris Rutkauskaite (1 post) February 5th, 2010, 07:20 AM
I have been technically overcome and my loging has been prevented.
Following comments by Chris, I should like to say that 'David Swan' by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a work of art, which is not common in the present day. It is wholly subjected to an explication of an exquisite belief that "Fate plays with two balls" (Sarbievius, a Polish-Lithuanian poet who wrote in Latin in early seventeenth century). The belief is shown to have been real and ideal to Hawthorne's generation. That is why the artistic pursuit is credible yet lofty. The author's verbal mastery is wrought without bypassing the frailty of human hopes and chances. That is why the story has the power to move a reader beyond the artificiality of fiction, even in the twenty-first century. Thank you.
Marija Liudvika Drazdauskiene
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SM Thompson (55 posts) February 16th, 2010, 05:22 PM
Nathaniel Hawthorne American novelist ... and one line caught my attention
"Room on top" said the driver!
What a generous view and its good to see a welcome note in this extract rather than a dismissive reply!
SM Thompson, Southampton: UK: Mrs:
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elsa machado (1 post) February 16th, 2010, 05:57 PM
Hi this is my first time in this reading group. I've recently registered. I read the story with lots of interest and although this is not an academic insight into the story (I'm just a very curious reader) I was startled by the beauty of the language and also by the content itself. it seems that the story is really about the bliss of not knowing: after all he doesn't regret anything because he doesn't really know what he missed. In the end he just sprang back to life with so much energy renewed not knowing that he had come close to changing it ... and happy because the future lies ahead of him, full of surprises.
thanks for sharing this and I hope I have time to future exchanges
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Cecilia (6 posts) February 22nd, 2010, 01:52 PM
Hello Everyone!
I always have trouble to keep up! Anyway I found the story conveniently open to the many readings we are sharing... I felt the judgement of the elderly; the thrill of the innocent/innexperienced? and was utterly relieved to read that "nature" saved him from the never-ending thirst of the wicked. Ignorance is bliss after all;) I wonder, though, if that's Hawthorne's message...
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SM Thompson (55 posts) February 22nd, 2010, 06:13 PM
Cecilia made some interesting connections on age comparison and its apposite to note that Nathaniel Hawthorne also refers to "a middle aged widow", a "young fellow" who looked "charming - in his sleep" plus "healthy and quiet age" and "old gentleman" drawing together a diversity of different ages, I guess!
SM Thompson, Author
Southampton: UK:
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faby (1 post) February 25th, 2010, 01:45 AM
fabi:
I read David Swam this text takes place in Boston, the protagonist is David Swam, the rest of the actors in this story are the antagonist because they criticize David Swan because he slept on the tuft of maples. He slept there because he was very tired but people didn´t understand. Who told the story is a narrator but this narrator is limited omniscient because the narrator knows about one or two characters, but not all. Finally it is a good story. You can know that the people don´t know you.
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ChrisL (210 posts) February 25th, 2010, 10:38 AM
Hi Elsa
Welcome to the Group! You are right when you speak about the 'bliss of ignorance'. I think it woudl be an unbearable burden if we knew all the options we have and had to decide among the various possible outcomes. Many times we simply have to believe and let it be...
I hope you can find time to come back to us :)
Cheers - Chris
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ChrisL (210 posts) February 25th, 2010, 10:41 AM
Hi Faby
Interesting point indeed - not even the narrator knows everything that is going on in this story!
Cheers - Chris
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bello (1 post) February 25th, 2010, 06:31 PM
“David Shawn” is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It has a theme where I can see appearance and reality in all the text. Also, it’s related on society because of the environment in which the story takes place. The city is Boston, with David Shawn as protagonist and the rest of the characters as antagonist. The narrator in this story lets us know about David’s life but he doesn’t tell us about all the characters, so in the case he is limited omniscient. This is a great story and we can identify different aspects that happen in our real life. For example, when the people criticize to David and they say things about him without know him. It’s an interesting story which we have to read twice for a better understanding.
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Maria do Céu Costa (136 posts) February 25th, 2010, 08:02 PM
Hi Chris & All
I would just like to add some notes:
- several people passing by David Swan ,who lay "sound asleep in the shade", showed different behaviours before his relaxing/resting time. It has made us associate it with different life situations to which people react from indifference, wrong deeds (e.g. the villains) to providing some help, support (e.g. as the pretty young girl did; the kind lady intercepting a stray sunbeam)
- The text is strongly illustrated by an amount of adjectives that mainly frame and intensify the atmosphere surrounding David, e.g. "little tuf of maples; a delightful mist; a fresh bubbling spring; his grassy lair; sunny road; rich gloom of damask curtains..."
We think the author wanted to save/protect youth, innocence, kindness, love.
Cheers,
Maria
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ChrisL (210 posts) March 7th, 2010, 03:24 PM
Hi Bello
Interesting point about criticism - how many times we do that without really knowing the other person's motives and story.
It just gave me a funny idea: what about if the roles were inverted? If actually the ones in a dream were the passers-by and the one really awake was David? Is is always a matter of what you see as real. isn't it? It could become a short story inspired by this particular one - maybe someone could write it for the next literary competition :)
Cheers - Chris
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Tanguene (215 posts) March 8th, 2010, 01:59 PM
Dear Chris and All,
I welcome the idea of re-writing the story for our next literary competition. I'd like to try it.
What I wonder in this story is that it is still secret to David Swan. I mean he doesn't even know what has happened and the first line tell us a lot about that:"We can be but partially acquainted even with the events which actually influence our course through life, and our final destiny".
It's funny when one learns that the reader knows more than the protagonist who I suppose should know best.
Thanks
Tanguene
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