A Compilation of Some of the Writings of Rachel Horan

Table of Contents

Forward …………………………pg 1

The Tale of Cassandra Lunava … pg 2

The Many Faces of Grendel …….pg 3

A Modest Economic Proposal..…pg 5

Frankenstein……………………..pg 7

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott”Translated By Rachel Horan…….pg 9

Literary Themes of “The Lady of Shalott”….pg 10

Forward

This is a portfolio of my writings throughout my senior year of high school. It can be seen that my wording becomes more complex and sophisticated. My writing grows to be more organized and thought out. I have become better at writing well quickly. I have learned to better organize the thoughts I am trying to get across.

The Tale of Cassandra Lunava

By Along the road to Canterbury, there have been many to join our

pilgrimage. There have been learned doctors, noble knights, and even a merchant or two. Though

these were all very interesting people in their own right, not a single one of them has intrigued

me quite like the dreamer- minstrel they call Cassandra Lunava. In my spare time, I consider

myself a people-watcher, and no one has ever sparked my interests quite like her.

She first came across our troupe on our way out of the town of Dramidia where we went

to restock our increasingly low supplies. When she heard of our traveling group, she could not

have expressed her extreme need to join us more clearly than when she said, "Oh my goodness!

That would be the most absolutely perfect journey for me! Won't you please allow me to

accompany you along the journey? I will most definitely not take no for an answer! I can keep

people entertained with beautiful music and drumming or even a harp if you would like!" The

very first time she played the harp around the dinner fire; there was not a single word to be

heard. Every soul was frozen in place by the angelic sound of her bell-like voice accompanied by

the most melodic harp that has ever been played. The only movements being made were coming

from the fire, the bubbling stew, and a single solitary tear going down the cheeks of several

listeners.

At once I knew I had to get to know her and learn why she so desperately wanted to be

with us when she could easily be playing her beautiful music for royalty. When I finally got to

talk to her, I found she was a very deep person who completely absorbed and pointed out all the

beauty around her no matter how grotesque the scenery primarily seemed. She spoke of pure

love and beauty to all who would listen. She glowed with each word. Her flowing yellow hair

imitated the beauty of the sun she praised with her words, while her shimmering green eyes

reflected the beauty of the nature around her.

I finally got the chance to ask her the question burning with intense curiosity in my mind

and her answer surprised me, but at the same time made perfect sense. She was on the search for

love, that one, special, forever kind of love. No matter how much she loved nature and the

people around her, she needed that one true devotional love to make her feel completely whole.

She knew that this pilgrimage was the perfect way to begin her search for that one special

person. The one thing she said that completely threw me off guard that I will never forget was

that she said she may have already found that one special person. "How do you know?" I asked

her pleadingly. She gave me a knowing look and replied, "I knew the moment I felt that

undeniable, unexplainable attraction to you that I needed to spend the rest of my life with you."

That one sentence alone will forever grace the innermost thoughts of my mind from the moment

I awake to the moment I fall asleep with her in my arms. Yes, I am in love with Cassandra

Lunava and am proud to forever call her mine.

The Many Faces of Grendel

There have been many writings of the legendary Beowulf throughout history. One central

character in the legends of Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel is depicted in several different ways.

The differences are made evident in the epic poem Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel and the

novel by John Gardner. In some ways, the interpretations of Grendel are similar, but in other

ways they are quite different.

On one side, Beowulf has its own interpretation of Grendel. In Beowulf, Grendel is

considered a monster. He was seen as a symbol of fear to all who knew of him. It is even stated

in the very first line that he was “A powerful monster.” He was even called “That shepherd of

evil, guardian of crime” (l 309). He was born of two sea monsters and out of the marshes he

emerged. His actions are very primal and instinctive. The primal nature of Grendel showed when

he attacked the villagers because of his jealousy of their happiness. Grendel was so primitively

instinctive that he tore his own arm off to retreat from the dominating Beowulf. Not only were

his actions seemingly animalistic, but his physical features were as well. He was basically

covered in hair. Grendel even had the claws of an animal. Even though instinctually he was quite

like an animal, he was really rather intelligent. He uses tactics and stealth in his evil doings. He

would sneak up on those sleeping in the mead hall and prey on those who slumber without even

waking up a single other person there. Also, he was clearly smart enough to figure out where to

find the people he was looking for. He would plan his attacks before going through with them.

In the novel Grendel, Grendel is much more humanistic. He has human like features he

did not have in Beowulf. He thought things through much more than the animal like version of

himself in Beowulf. In Grendel, he states that he thought through the revenge he would seek for

his father (30). That is also one other difference between the two versions. Grendel was seeking

revenge for his father instead of merely being jealous of other’s happiness. Clearly he is much

more civil and intelligent than the previous version of himself. In Grendel’s narrative of the

civilization of man on page thirty one, it is apparent to see that he is quite the intellectual. He

explains the different scenarios in such realistic detail that it paints a perfectly clear picture in the

mind of the reader. He is even rational about attacking Beowulf. He knew exactly where to find

him and planned out how to go about doing so. Night would be seemingly the best time for an

attack especially if it is at an hour that the person would be sleeping. Although his plan was

foiled in the end, the plan was well planned and thought out for a creature seeking revenge.

All in all, different Grendel interpretations are both very alike and very different. He is

seen as quite animalistic in Beowulf while he is basically a near human in Grendel. In both

versions he is seen as intelligent. However, his intelligence is given more credit in Grendel.

Beowulf clearly sees Grendel as a primal monster while Grendel sees Grendel as an intelligent

human like creature.

A Modest Economic Proposal

The U.S. economy has been through many ups and downs since its beginning. The

Different states started out with the majority using their own types of money. Eventually a

monetary system was set up and was used throughout the country as a whole. Problems have

been forming and being sorted out throughout the entirety of the country’s separation from

Britain. One of the major problems has been too much being imported and not enough being

exported. This problem entails that other countries produce things that we need or can produce

things that we need at a cheaper price. This takes American citizens’ jobs away along with

American money. The lack of jobs, in turn, takes money away from citizens who could be

spending it in America and therefore improving our economy affecting both the companies and

the consumer. This is the main contributor to the economic problems of today. We, as

Americans, need to keep as much of our own money in our country as we can. Over all, our

economy needs a dramatic change or revival so to speak. The United States should go back to

using the bartering system within the country instead of using the monetary system.

The American government has tried a few different strategies in the past to help prevent

and even escape the current economic status. The most recent and well known solution was to

print off more money to put into the economy. This however, does not help raise the worth of a

dollar or to get our country out of the trillions of dollars of debt that it owes other countries.

Switching to the bartering system would help the U.S. to discontinue its increasing debt while

still getting the majority of what is necessary. Some factories could be instituted in the U.S. to

provide things to barter with and/or provide the things that are less necessary to barter with other

countries for. Along with this, the U.S. could barter things that are less useful to the U.S. now to

other countries that might find them more useful now. It would both allow for good and useful

trading while preventing waste of something that can be used.

Using the bartering system would be more difficult for some than for others unfortunately

because of the compromises necessary for it to work. The traders must agree on the worth of

item A in proportion to item B. Only then can a deal be struck. For example, if a person wanted

to purchase a pizza from a pizza place, they might trade supplies that could be used to pay the

employees of that pizza place such as food of other necessities. Another trading option could eb

to trade things using several things that could be traded again for different things. For example, if

a person wanted to buy a computer, he/she could trade their excess paper, a nice desk, and mabe

a lavish lamp.

Employees would be paid in necessities or things that could be used for trading for their

own luxuries. The employees could choose how they would like to be paid and what sorts of

goods they could receive for their work. This would get all sorts of different goods circulating.

Then those less fortunate would get paid with the things they need such as food and clothing or

even goods that could be traded for clothing and shoes.

A small portion of the “pay” received by the employees would still be monetary however.

This would go towards car payments, mortgages, and taxes. The reason behind this small

constant within the big change is to get the government out of the debt that it owes to other

countries. By stopping the constant swell of debt, the U.S. could finally just work on paying off

what is owed and decreasing the other countries’ tightening holds on the U.S. economy.

The U.S. would have newfound independence and a flourishing economy. Everyone

would be trading the goods they do not need for the goods that they do need. The country would

become more resourceful and less wasteful as a whole. Along with that, those that are in need of

jobs would be able to get jobs manufacturing necessities for others, along with themselves, while

receiving their own necessities. The country is overall much better off going back to the

bartering system than it is using the monetary system of today.

Frankenstein

The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is filled with internal conflict. One esample of

this is Victor Frankenstein’s choice to destroy rather than create a female creature. He did the

right thing by not bringing the female to life. More bad could have come from bringing the

female to life than good.

The creature tried to convince Victor that creating him a female would be for the best.

The creature says to Victor, “I am malicious because I am miserable.” (104). He said this in an

effort to show that he would become a better creature if he had a companion. He would even

treat Victor better and express this to him when he says, “Let him live with me in the interchange

of kindness; and instead of injury I would bestow every benefit upon him with tears of gratitude

at his acceptance.” (104). When the creature senses his reasoning is not being accepted, he

switches to threats. The creature threatens Victor when he says to him, “I will revenge my

injuries: if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy,

because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred.” (104). It is at this point that Victor

accepts the demand of creating the female creature.

Upon further thought in creation of the female creature, Victor comes up with even more

convincing reasons not to create her. His first negative thought towards the creation of the female

was, “she mght become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate, and delight, for its

own sake, in murder and wretchedness.” (120). In addition to that, Victor realized that, since man

is much more appealing visually than the creature, the female creature may deny the male

creature in search of an accepting man. Victor thought, “She also might turn with disgust from

him to the superior beauty of man; she might quit him, and he be again alone, exasperated by the

fresh provocation of being deserted by one of his own species.” (121). If the female creature was

to desert the first creature, he might go on a rampage and destroy all life in his path. However, if

the female were to accept the male and they start a life together, evil could also ensue. Victor

thought, “even if they were to leave Europe, an inhabit the deserts of the new world, yet one of

the first results of those sympathies for which the demon thirsted would be children, and a race

of devils would be propagated upon the earth…” (121). With these thoughts in mind, Victor

destroyed the female and threw her remains into the ocean.

Although he knew the creature would not react well to his decision, Victor was right to

destroy rather than create the female. The creature went on to kill Elizabeth and in relation

Victor’s father as a result of not creating the female. However bad their deaths were, many lives

might have been saved in the prevention of creating the female.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott”Translated By Rachel Horan

Part IOnce upon a time, there was a land with a river that had barley and rye on either side.

The barley and rye grew so tall that it seemed as if it met the sky. A road ran through these fields. This road led to Camelot. People used this road quite often and adored the lilies as they blew in the wind below in the island of Shalott.

The wind causes the willows to whiten, aspens to quiver. The little breezes put a chill in the air as they blow through the island in the river flowing down to Camelot. Four grey walls, and four grey towers surround a garden of flowers. This quiet isle embowers the Lady of Shalott.

Around the edges, covered by willow branches, the heavy barges pass followed by slow moving horses. Unannounced the shallop flutter with silk sail along the way to Camelot. Who has seen her waving? Who has seen her stand at the window? Is the Lady of Shalott well known in Shalott?

Only those who are harvesting the barley early, hear the cheery song that echoes clearly from the river leading toward Camelot. The harvester listens in the moonlight as he piles sheaves in uplands airy. As he listens, he whispers, “It’s the fair Lady of Shalott.”

Part IIShe weaves a magic web with exuberant colors night and day. She heard someone put a

curse on her. Now she stays and looks down at Camelot. She does not know that the curse is so she just keeps weaving. The Lady of Shalott does not care about much of anything else besides weaving.

Shadows of the world show through a clear mirror all year. She sees the nearby highway to Camelot in this mirror. There is a whirlpool spinning in the river. The gruff nearby village-churls and the girls of the market pass by in their red cloaks.

Sometimes groups of happy girls, an abbot on a moseying pad, a shepherd boy with curly hair, or a page dressed in red with long hair pass by heading toward Camelot. Sometimes, through the blue mirror, knights ride in twos. They Lady of Shalott has no loyal and true knight to call her own.

She still enjoys her web in which she weaves the mirror’s magic sights. Regularly funerals with feathers, lights, and music pass by towards Camelot. Sometimes when the moon was out, a young couple walks down the aisle late in the night. The Lady of Shalott says, “I am almost sick of the night.”

Part IIIAn arrow flies from the bow of a man who rode between the rows of barley as the sun

dazzled. The way the sun shone, it looked as if they beams of light were flames on the greaves of Sir Lancelot. There was a picture of a red-cross knight kneeling to a lady on his shield. The metal

of the shield sparkled as it traveled through the yellow field alongside the remote town of Shalott.

The gem stones on the horse’s bridle gleamed in the sunlight on the road to Camelot. It sparkled like a grouping of stars that shine at night. A silver bugle hung from the bold baldric. His armor rang as he rode down the road beside the remote town of Shalott.

The many jewels on the saddle-leather shone brightly in the cloudless whether. The helmet and its feather gleamed in the light as if it was one thing along the road to Camelot. As there often is in the purple night, a meteor and its tail flew through the sky below the stars above still Shalott.

His broad, clear brow grew flushed in the sunlight. His war horse trod on its burnished hoofs as it went down the road. His coal-black, curly hair stuck out from underneath his helmet as he rode to Camelot.

She left her web and the loom she crafted in upon. She took three steps across the room and saw the water lily bloom. Then she noticed the helmet with the feather as she looked down to Camelot. The web began to blow in the wind. The mirror broke cracked all the way across. The Lady of Shalott feared the curse had come upon her.

Part IVThe pale yellow woods waned as the stormy east-wind blew intensely. The broad stream

whipped heavily as the low clouds began to excrete rain over toward Camelot. She came down and found a boat that was floating under a willow tree. She wrote The Lady of Shalott on the side of the boat.

She floated on the river as if in a trance. She saw all of his mischance with her glazed eyes as she looked towards Camelot. At sunset she released the boat from it anchor. As she did this, she lay down in the boat and drifted down the river. The stream carried the Lady of Shalott far away.

She floated down the river to Camelot in her white robes that blew loosely in the wind. As she floated, leaves fell lightly upon her while she lay in the boat. She could hear the noises of the night as she floated. People could hear the Lady of Shalott singing her very last song as the river wound along willowy hills and fields.

They could hear her sing her mournful, holy song. Sometimes she sang loudly and sometimes she sang softly. She sang until her body grew frozen and her eyes darkened on the stream toward Camelot. The Lady of Shalott died singing as she reached the first house by the waterside.

The boat continued on floating beneath towers and balconies. It floated by garden walls and galleries. She floated by as a gleaming shape between the tall houses. She was dead pale and silent as she went along. People came out to the wharves to look upon the boat. Knights, burghers, lords, and dames all came out and read the name of the boat, The Lady of Shalott. They questioned who she was and what was there. The people grew mournful in the palace nearby. The knights of Camelot crossed themselves in fear. Lancelot said to himself, “She is beautiful; may the merciful God give grace to the Lady of Shalott.”

Literary Themes of “The Lady of Shalott”

There are many literary themes in the writings throughout history. The Lady of Shalott,

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, has several different literary themes within itself. It is a very strong

literary piece with strong themes throughout the piece. It contains some aspects of a tragic hero,

imprisonment, and unrequited love.

The lady in The Lady of Shalott could be considered a tragic hero. She has inner turmoil

working against her. The Victorian web even says, “Tennyson’s ‘The Lady of Shalott’ inspired

and intrigued many Pre-Raphaelite artists because of its tragic subject…” (Frauenhofer p.8)All

she is trying to do is work diligently on her weaving. The lady even has mysterious magic

working against her. Through a curse with an unknown origin, she is prevented from enjoying

the outside world with all its beauty and wonder. She, however, uses a mirror to see through the

window to the outside world. This is how she discovers the beauty of nature and the warmth of

love. The lady sees these things through the nature outside her window and the people she sees

pass by. When she sees Lancelot, her inner turmoil is greatly amplified. It grew to be so bad that

she could no longer resist looking out of the window. In the end, the lady could not overcome her

inner turmoil and gave in to the temptation of looking out the window, making her a tragic hero.

The theme of the lady’s imprisonment and separation from everything else was fairly

evident throughout the entire writing. Even the colors described in the poem give off a sense of

the extreme differentiation between the tower she is trapped in and the outside world. The

Victorian web says that this is “asserting her isolation from the activity of life” (Frauenhofer

p.1). Where she is was described as shadowed and grey while the outside has boundless natural

beauty. Outside there were flowers and other plants along with the people passing by. Her

imprisonment was such that she was not even allowed to look out of her own window at the

beauty of everything. She had to look at the reflection of the world outside her window and when

she dared to actually look out of the window, she was sentenced to die. She gave up her life to

see Lancelot as he rode by. Though she dared to look, Lancelot did not see her until she was in

her boat and dead. To the end of her life, she was separated from all living things. She died as

she floated down the river towards the people she had once dreamed of being a part of. The Lady

of Shalott was separated from all others by a curse until she died.

One of the most prevalent themes in The Lady of Shalott is the theme of unrequited love.

The idea of love was first brought to the lady’s attention when “seeing the ‘two young lovers

lately wed’ made her yearn for a lover of her own” (Frauenhofer p.2). This is where her want of

need for the affection of another human being may have been brought to her attention. Then,

another day, the lady of Shalott saw Lancelot passing by. He was so very beautiful to her, she

could not help but to look at him with her own eyes, not just by the reflection in the mirror, but

through the window itself. This is where she fell in love with Lancelot. Even though she may

have loved him, he still had not seen her. Thus her plight of unrequited love was made official.

Though her looking out the window caused her joy to get to see dear Lancelot, she knew that she

now must die. The lady chose to begin to travel in the direction of the people and Lancelot, not

knowing when she might actually die, in hopes that she might get to see them before passing.

The lady died long before reaching the village, therefore eternalizing her unrequited love for

Lancelot.