Download - Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven
![Page 1: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
CONTENT
Page Title
2-4 Literary Criticism On The Way Up to Heaven
5 References
6 Appendices : Synopsis On The Way Up to Heaven
7-8 Collaboration Form
1 TSL 3102 Literature in English
![Page 2: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
LITERARY CRITICISM ON THE WAY UP TO HEAVEN
Martin Luther once said, “Although a woman is a “beautiful handiwork of god,” she does
“not equal the glory and dignity of the male.” After reading The Way Up to Heaven by Roald
Dahl, maybe the common perception about woman being imperfect and weak will be changed.
The literary criticism that suits the short story is feminism. Feminism is support of social equality
for women and men, in opposition to patriarchy and sexism (Macionis, 2012). The Way Up to
Heaven took place in New York in around 1954. Based on Home Economics High School Text
Book, here is what young women learned at school in the 1950’s in America, “Have dinner
ready, prepare yourself, prepare the children, minimize all noise, be happy to see him, listen to
him, make the evening his”. This was happening to Mrs. Foster and became the main reason
she wanted to be free from her husband. She did not want to be controlled by her husband
anymore.
The female and male roles are defined just like the traditional gender roles. The man will
go out working and find the money while the woman will stay at home and do the house chores.
In this story, we can say that Mr. Foster is a successful man as it stated that , “Mr. Eugene
Foster, who was nearly seventy years old lived with his wife in a large six storey house in New
York City, on East Sixty second Street, and they had four servants.” It also identified in the story
that Mr. Foster is now no longer active in his many enterprises showing that before this Mr.
Foster is a busy man. Mr. Foster had done a good job as a provider to the family as he can give
a comfortable house for his family to live. Roobix Coob (2005) state that in 1950’s, women were
supposed to fulfill certain roles, such as a caring mother, a diligent homemaker, and an obedient
wife. Mrs. Foster did all the woman’s roles as the narrator mentioned in the story, “For over
thirty years, she had served him loyally and well. There was no doubt about this.” “… Mrs.
Foster was and always had been a good and loving wife.” This means that she is a very good
housewife and she always obeys her husband. When she planned to visit her daughter’s family
at Paris, it took months for her to persuade Mr. Foster to allow her to go. Besides that, the
author never mentions her first name in the story; he always refers to her as Mrs. Foster. In
contrast, he does mention her husband’s full name of “Mr. Eugene Foster.” By only allowing us
to view the protagonist as Mrs. Foster, the author illustrates that women were given definition in
society only through their husbands. Women had no role of their own.
2 TSL 3102 Literature in English
![Page 3: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Mr. Foster and Mrs. Foster have the traditional husband and wife relationship. Mr. Foster
is the family leader and Mrs. Foster will follow her husband’s instruction. In the beginning of the
story, we can see that Mr. Foster is overpowering Mrs. Foster. Mr. Foster aware with Mrs.
Foster pathological fear of missing flight, but he act likes he does not care. Sometimes, he is
just being late on purpose just to drive her crazy. The writer stated that, “He had disciplined her
too well for that.” The “discipline” that the author describes speaks of the power that men had
over their wives. By describing Mr. Foster in this way, the author illustrates the power position
customary in society in the mid-twentieth century. The things started to change until the end of
the story. The foreshadowing of Mrs. Foster true self in the story as mentioned by the writer, “It
was really extraordinary how in certain people a simple apprehension about a thing like catching
a train can grow into a serious obsession.” It is to point out the fact that Mrs. Foster often take a
small thing and turn it into an unnecessarily large thing but ironically, have the hearts to let him
own husband died and make it like nothing had happened. At last, Mrs. Foster is overpowering
her husband. She know that her husband is stuck in the elevator but she pretend that she did
not know and send a letter for him every week like nothing happened. In her way to Paris, it
stated that “She felt remarkably strong and in a queer sort of way, wonderful.” She felt relieved
because at last she knows that she is free from her husband. Maybe Mr. Foster is dominance
husband at the beginning of the story but it changes when Mrs. Foster is succeed to dominate
him by doing nothing to help her husband that stuck in the elevator. From the story, “In spite of
the cold the atmosphere was peculiarly oppressive, and there was a faint and curious odour in
the air that she had never smelled before.” The “curious odour” here is maybe the smell of a
dead man after six weeks left in the elevator. Mrs. Foster shows that it is not only man can
overpower woman, but woman can also do the same thing and even worst.
The attitude toward man held by female character is one of the elements in the feminism
literary theory. Mrs. Foster is a good wife but actually she keeps her true feelings from her
husband. She is afraid to tell her husband how much she want to spend her time with her
grandchildren and watch them grow because she knew her husband will never agree about it. In
addition, she always finds excuses to be separated from her husband. The author stated, “She
hated to leave the airport. She didn’t wish to see her husband.” Through the conversation
between Mr. Foster and Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Foster is so eager to leave the house since it is the
only way she can create the distance with her husband. She knew that her husband is stuck in
the elevator but she did nothing as it is the only chance for her to be free. She only wants to be
with her daughter and grandchildren and she felt that she cannot achieve his dream as long as
her husband is still alive. The author stated, “There was something deliberate and purposeful
3 TSL 3102 Literature in English
![Page 4: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
about this action; she had the air of a woman who is off to investigate a rumour or to confirm a
suspicion. And when she returned a few seconds later, there was a little glimmer of satisfaction
on her face.” The phrase “a little glimmer of satisfaction on her face” clearly described her
feeling after knowing that her husband had died and she is now free. She did not want to miss
out the only chance for her to be free and to be independent from her husband and live by her
own with her daughter and grandchildren.
For me, Mrs. Foster had gone through a lot with Mr. Foster. Mr. Foster as a husband
thought that he has a power over Mrs. Foster. He did not see Mrs. Foster as his wife, but as his
doll that obey his instruction. Mrs. Foster keeps her feeling for over thirty years and I can sense
that she is not so happy with her life. Her main aim is to be free from Mr. Foster’s control. In
“The Way up to Heaven,” the author systematically lays out his story and beckons the reader to
follow him through Mrs. Foster’s ordeal. In the end, it seems as though she has won her battle
against the evil and the oppressive husband is gone. The literary theory feminism was portrayed
clearly in The Way Up to Heaven. We can feel how Mrs. Foster is struggling to be independent
from her husband. Do not see woman as a weak gender if you do not know what they capable
of.
REFERENCES
4 TSL 3102 Literature in English
![Page 5: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
1. Macionis, J. J. (2012). Sociology. (14th ed., p. 310). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
2. Bressler, C. E. (2011). Literary criticism. (5th ed., Vol. 2, p. 143). United States: Pearson
Education Inc.
3. Kirszner, L. G., & Mandell, S. R. (2007). Literature : Reading, reacting, writing. (6th ed.,
p. 2089). Boston: Thomson Wadsworth.
4. Barbara, B., & David, W. (2006). Access literature : An introduction to fiction, poetry and
drama. (1st ed., pp. 1484-1485). Boston: Thomson Whadsworth.
5. Lamb, V. M. (2011). The American woman in the 1950’s: from the “ideal woman” to the
“woman in crisis”, The 1950’s and 1960’s American Woman: The transition
from the “housewife” to the feminist. 5-28.
6. Coob, R. (2005). Analysis based on popular media. A Woman's Role in the 1950s,
Retrieved from www.associatedcontent.com
7. Holt, J. (2005). The Ideal Woman.
8. “The way up to heaven”: A feminist reading. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://thebluestockings.com/2008/04/the-way-up-to-heaven/
9. Brewer, H. (n.d.). List of gender stereotypes. Retrieved from
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15910/1/List-of-Gender-Stereotypes.html
10. The way up to heaven. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.roalddahlfans.com/shortstories/wayu.php
Synopsis On The Way Up to Heaven
5 TSL 3102 Literature in English
![Page 6: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Mrs. Foster has a pathological fear of being late. Whenever she is in danger of missing a
train or plane or an engagement, a tiny muscle near her eye begins to twitch. The worst part is
that her husband, Mr. Eugene Foster, seems to torment her by making sure that they always
leave the house one or two minutes past the point of safety. On this particular occasion Mrs.
Foster is leaving to visit her daughter and grandchildren in Paris for the first time ever, and
she's frantic to think that she'll miss her flight. By the time her husband finally joins her at the
car, she's too far behind schedule. Luckily the flight is postponed til the next day, and Mr.
Foster persuades her to come home for the night. When she's ready to leave the next day,
though, her husband suggests that they drop him off at his club on the way. Knowing this will
make her late, she protests in vain. Just before the car leaves, he runs back in the house on
the pretense of picking up a gift he forgot for his daughter. While he's gone Mrs. Foster
discovers the gift box shoved down between the seat cushions. She runs up to the house to tell
him that she has the gift... and suddenly she pauses. She listens. She stays frozen for 10
seconds, straining to hear something. Then she turns and runs to the car, telling the driver that
they're too late and her husband will have to find another ride. She makes her flight and has a
wonderful visit with her grandchildren. She writes her husband every week and sends him a
telegram before she flies home six weeks later. He's not at the airport to meet her though, and
when she enters the house (after taking a taxi home) she notices a curious odor in the air.
Satisfied, she enters her husband's study and calls the elevator repairman. It had jammed and
she left him in the elevator.
Collaboration Form
6 TSL 3102 Literature in English
![Page 7: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
NAME : KHAIRUNNISA SHAROM
I/C NO. : 930815-01-7032
MATRIC NO. : 2ATE1106017
GROUP : 1 PISMP TESL 3 (SK) SEMESTER: 1
COURSE : LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
LECTURER IN-CHARGE : MISS NENNY DJUHARA BINTI JOHARI
DATE TOPIC NOTE SIGNATURE
18.2.2013 Received the coursework from lecturer in-charge.
Coursework should be send by 8th March 2013
(Miss Nenny)
20.2.2013 Understand the task – made a discussion with classmates.
(Auni Salma)
(Ainur Adhwa)
(Nur Haniffa)
(Arina Zafirah)
22.2.2012 Searching for a suitable topic. Searching on the internet about short story that is related to feminism.
(Khairunnisa)
23.2.2013 Select a short story entitled The Way Up to Heaven.
Make a mind map from the materials.
Organize the information according to priorities
Detailing the description (Madam Siti)
1.3.2012 Write a draft for the essay.
(Khairunnisa)
6.3.2012 Discuss the draft answer with Miss Nenny
Miss Nenny give some comments on my draft . (Miss Nenny)
7 TSL 3102 Literature in English
![Page 8: Literary Criticism on the Way Up to Heaven](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022082317/552ba05a550346d6478b4784/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
6.3.2012 Typing the final essay. Do correction in the older draft.
Read and check the essay to avoid grammatical mistakes.
( Khairunnisa)
7.3.2012 Ask classmate to peer check my essay.
Jolyn correct some punctuation errors.
Kamil correct the APA style in the reference.
(Jolyn)
(Mohd Kamil)
8.3.2012 Submit the assignment
(Miss Nenny)
8 TSL 3102 Literature in English