Flowering Judas Summary

Judas Iscariot, the disciple, hanged himself from a tree after betraying Jesus Christ and giving him a kiss. The tree in which Judas hanged himself is known as “Judas Tree,” mainly found in Southern Europe and Western Asia. In the short story “Flowering Judas” written by Katherine Anne Porter the title is related to this religious event of betrayal, murder, and denial. The two main characters in this short story are Braggioni and Laura. Braggioni is a cruel, powerful leader of Marxist revolutionaries in and around Mexico City. Laura is a beautiful American women, age 22, who took up residence in Mexico. Braggioni, Braggioni’s wife, and Eugenio also perform certain actions that make them betrayers, however Laura is Judas the betrayer in

One of the most universal symbols of beauty is the flower. Their delicate buds hold such great beauty, while being so fragile and temporary. Despite their magnificence, flowers must remain stationary. It is a prison, yet no one thinks beyond the simplicity of a pretty flower. Like women, flowers are seen at face value without any concern for the lack of freedom, opportunity, and expression they have. Women are meant to be seen just how society expects and not any other way. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, female characters face the serious consequences of societal expectations and views on sexuality. Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses the motif of flowers to symbolize women and their virginity to demonstrate the confinement of women in society.

Judas at the Jockey Club written by William H. Beezley provides an accurate description of a struggling and developing Mexico while during the rule of president Porfirio Diaz up until 1910. Being divided into three sections such as Sport & Recreation (elite class), Rocks & Rawhide in Rural Society (lower class) and the title itself Judas at the Jockey Club. Beezley covers the changing class of Mexico through the view of sports and leisure activities. I believe Porfirio Diaz allowed the social tensions to occur causing Mexicans to separate from unity even though destruction and chaos reigned much of Mexico before him. During the presidency of Porfirio Diaz its often remembered as a period of oppression and social degradation of freedoms in Mexico. Diaz has also been associated with the general decline of quality of life of an average Mexican and the decline of social welfare institutions. Diaz was a liberal whose sole goal was to modernize Mexico and put a stop to any ethnic uncivilized actions. Mexico during that time was in a crossroads of two very different cultures: the industrial and the traditional.

Saint Judas was written by James Wright at the end of the 60s. Considering the format this poem can be regarded as a traditional Petrarchan sonnet with a rhyme of ababcdcdefgefg; however, the content of this poem and the way it was written is different. In this poem James Wright tried to mix the dramatic monologue with the Petrarchan sonnet, which is usually written in poet’s tone. Instead in this poem, the speaker is Judas: this enables the revealing of his thoughts and actions directly to the reader, so as to enhance his temperament and character.

In Latin America, where this novel is based, the flowers represent the purity of women; therefore, Marquez utilizes the symbol of flowers or flower buds to represent virginity. The female figures are mainly associated with this notion of purity; however, it is paralleled by the machismo concept of honor. In Colombian culture, honor is perceived as the fundamental moral trait that plays an essential role in keeping society bound to a strict moral pathway. This is paralleled by women’s social constraint of preserving their virginity; being ‘pure’ plays a crucial role in protecting a woman’s sense of virtue and dignity before she is married.

John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums” features many themes: themes of gender suppression, love, passion, and betrayal. This short story revolves around the character Elisa Allen who has a strong love and a great passion for her flowers, for her beloved chrysanthemums. However, when a mysterious man arrives towards the end of the text Elisa’s love and passion for the chrysanthemums weakens and she feels betrayed by one of the things she loves most. Steinbeck uses the unlikely encounter between the Tinker and Elisa, as well as, the encounter between Elisa and her husband as a way to express the theme of love and betrayal.

Walker continues to use negative imagery and ideas to reveal her hesitation towards the arrangement. The author uses these literary devices because she wants to illustrate Roselily’s reasons for marrying the man. Roselily does this because it is what's best for her and her children. In a way, Roselily is being forced because she does not have a better alternative to her current life. By marrying the man, Roselily will have a renewed lifestyle and reputation. Roselily imagines the flowers in her hand as kids. When she does this, her head fills with murderous thoughts. “A squeeze around the flowers in her hands chokes off three and four and five years of breath” (Walker 4). As guilty as Roselily feels, this shows how Roselily wishes she never had given birth to any of her kids. When she tightens her grip on the bouquet of flowers, she thinks of her children. Roselily dreams she did not give birth to these kids. Roselily’s ideas of murder could possibly be associated with her obsession with the idea of her personal spirit being robbed from her. Weddings usually give off positive connotations, however in Roselily’s mind she disturbs the happy wedding with dark thoughts such as the idea of murder. Deviating from the topic of “personal spirit”, Brent studies the ferocious thoughts swarming Roselily’s mind. “Roselily’s rebellious thoughts during the wedding ceremony go so far as to enter the realms of murder and blasphemy. She expresses a wish that she could be free of her three

As an American in the late 1800's, owning a farm was not too uncommon, especially if that farm was located in Mexico. At this time, though, Mexico was in the Porfirian Era (1876-1911). In this certain era, Mexico was being encountered by two very different cultures at the same time: the industrial, and the traditional. These distinctively separate cultures impacting Mexico made it as what can be described as "backwards" in a sense, as Mexico was practically regressing as the world around it was moving on to bigger and better things. Mexico was so behind that "many had concluded that Mexico had yet to advance beyond chipped rocks as utensils." (p.67). Mexico at this time had locked itself in

Growing up in the South and living life by working every day outside, and growing crops

There are many analogies between this short story and the myth of Persephone and Hades. When Persephone was taken by Hades she was admiring a beautiful narcissus flower, and during her first few months in the underworld she cried and wailed because she was unhappy. Hades gave her pomegranate seeds to make her happy, just as the man gave the girl alcohol to sooth her nerves. The man, practically begging the girl to go through with the abortion, saying it will make them happy again because they wouldn’t have to worry about it any longer. The man, in many ways resembles Hades, because he is stopping at nothing to have this beautiful youthful maiden to be his not

In Atwood's "Half Hanged Mary" and Miller's "The Crucible", the authors describe two different, yet similar instances of the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials, everyone has heard of them. They happened in Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were executed. Eventually, the colony admitted the trials were just a mistake. While both Atwood and Miller both seek to reveal the injustices incurred by the victims of the Salem witch trials, Miller focuses on the effects of hysteria and religious zealotry on society, while Atwood aims to commemorate the excruciating experience of a single victim.

Barbara Kingsolver uses green space to show the difference in culture between the American culture and the African culture. “Baza? he repeated, pointing at me. He delicately touched my forehead and recoiled, as if my skin might burn him. Any woman who has baza should take the two babies to the forest after they are born and leave them there” (211). The Poisonwood Bible is a story about a missionary family that travels to Africa to spread their religion. However upon arrival they are shocked to see the drastic difference between them and the natives. Throughout the book, the Price family deals with the cultural norms of Kilanga while trying to keep the family stable. The Price family life in Africa leads to a dangerous spiral of unfortunate

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbra Kingsolver, draws the reader into the chaotic African Congo, where the Price family is dragged into on a mission of God, to help the unsaved souls of this “wasteland”. Leader of the missionary family, Nathan Price is a man who is bent on eternal salvation for all the people of the Congo –whether they want it or not– and will not quit in his mission, regardless the consequences. Price is a volatile man, as Kingsolver points out by Nathans’ religious fervor, apparent sexist attitude, and belligerent nature.

Leah Price from “The Poisonwood Bible,” is a teenager in 1950, and Tata Ndu is an old leader of Kilanga, a small village in the Congo. Leah’s family is on a Baptist mission to the Congo and Leah’s family resides in Tata Ndu’s village. Everything the Price family preaches is against the values of the people of KIlanga, namely Tata Ndu. Leah has progressive opinions about women, and Tata Ndu is set in his ways of demeaning women. Leah believes that women should have responsibility outside the home, but Tata Ndu says that women belong in the home. Leah believes that women should choose their husbands, but Tata Ndu is hard in believing that women are property to be bought by men. The conflicting opinions between Tata Ndu and Leah can be blamed

The Synoptic Gospels are composed of the gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. These three gospels covered many of the same stories; yet, they disagree with each other on various details within certain stories. Also, numerous events that are in Mark, is not in Matthew or Luke and vice versa. Many historians have concluded that Mark was the first of the three gospels written and that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source to their own gospels. The Synoptic Gospels were first written in Greek, which would suggest to some ambiguity within Mark, Matthew, and Luke due to certain perceptions and translations within the Greek language. One ambiguity that is shown within the Synoptic Gospels dealt with Jesus’s view on marriage and divorce. Using