Comments for Frankin Evans – An Annotated Edition

Comment on “pleasant rooms,” by jenniferying

jenniferying — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:25:03 +0000

In this paragraph, Whitman starts to introduce what boarding houses were. He writes about how many of the advertisements for these boarding houses speak highly of how nice they were. To get a sense of what boarding houses are, Wikipedia describes it as “a house (often a family home) in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide “bed and board”, that is, at least some meals as well as accommodation.” This paragraph is very clean, and Franklin Evans states that he loved the lively prattle of children, which gives me a positive view on him.

Comment on “Drowsy Drunkenness” by techwhit

techwhit — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:59:14 +0000

At this point in the Novel, Franklin Evans has started drinking casually with Colby. He knows the negative effects of intemperance but at this point he seems indifferent to it. Only later in the novel, he sees the true evils of Brandy and Gin first hand.

Comment on “Deplorable Addiction” by techwhit

techwhit — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:37:11 +0000

This is an example on how intemperance not only affects the drinker but the love ones around him or her. This is a re-occurring them throughout the novel. The poor boy wanted to buy liquor for his mother. Franklin Evans followed the boy home to further assess his situation. To his horror, he found a wretch of a mother dying in her bed while two children are helpless and unsupervised.

Comment on “It Was One of Those Flippant Affairs” by whitnick

whitnick — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:47:10 +0000

I grew up hearing that very same line, “Everything that glitters is not gold”. At one point in our lives we have heard this saying and it is usually said when we want something we should’nt have, Franklin evans found that out on a night out. He and some friends decided to go to the theater after a few drinks of course. When they arrived the place was magnificent and full of people. There was basically energy in the atmosphere, very uptempo. When you go out for excitment, especially after drinking, you want that energy, noise, lights and people that feel the same way you do. That keeps the high going for all parties interested. The music seemed of more pleasure to Franklin evans than the play. Apparently the play depicted a society of people who are well to do, that have the best of manners and mannerisms, High Society at its best. Franklin evans found it nauseating, as would have Whitman. The fact that the audience applauded thunderously made it worse, to know that people enjoyed watching the ridicule of this type of society turned Franklins stomach. But he smiled anyway so as not to affend his fellowman. I don’t think Walt Whitman would have just smiled. He probably would have commented in the paper the next day about the whole affair, from the ambiance to the people and the acting. Franklin Evans was obviously not expecting what he saw. I question what he might of hoped to see. But I know it wasn’t that.

Comment on “Gossipping Tongues” by Koharu

Koharu — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:31:16 +0000

Heav’n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn’d,
Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn’d
-William Congreve, ‘The Mourning Bride’

Truer words could never have been written, especially when referring to Margaret. She was so bitter about Franklin leaving her to be with the widow Mrs. Conway that she sent not only her rival in love, but her own brother to their deaths. She was so caught up in her own jealousy that she ignored the danger she was placing her brother in- the same sibling who she pleaded with her owner to keep by her side.

Margaret didn’t just kill her sibling however. She also committed one of the greatest sins of the time- she killed a white woman. Margaret was always given a lot of leeway by the plantation owner, specifically with the overseer Mr. Phillips, but in killing Mrs. Conway, one of Phillips’ ‘kinswomen’, Margaret redrew the lines of Master and Servant and started herself on the path that would ultimately lead to her death.

Comment on “Near one of the ferries” by oatakan

oatakan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:27:49 +0000

Briefly, as Whitman does in his poems he is deeply observing the people that this was on the ferry which was just landed and people were getting off. As he catches up the details about individuals that he sees as interesting parts and he expresses them with his unique way.

Comment on “One bright cool morning” by oatakan

oatakan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:23:24 +0000

In this paragraph Whitman briefly mentiones the location, the place he was born. He details out that people, who lives in long island sincere and friendly. While the location is being explained we picture the stage wagons, the ones that horses pull in cowboy movies, front of a bar and the driver having a drink in the bar.Since the Franklin Evan’s basic concept is about alcohol consuming.

Comment on “Drowning My Horrible Agony” by lovelyd523

lovelyd523 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:01:59 +0000

I found this poem that i really liked. It is not really too much about the alcoholism, but the effects of it, mainly anger.

“Anger Says”

Anger says:
“I can destroy
The whole world.”
Peace says:
“Not when I work
Inside you.”
By: Sri Chinmoy
http://www.poetseers.org/the_poetseers/sri_chinmoy/library/sri_chinmoy_poems/anger_says/

We have to understand that anger is a waste and time and energy
And the gift God gave you.
Anger is just a feeling, an emotion that will soon fade
Its not worth the stress, anxiety, and worry that we do over it, that cause us to make bad decisions.
If we take time to think about those decisions we want to make, we then can look past the ones that will harm us and end up having bad consequences.
Everyone gets angry, in one situation or another, but its how you deal with it that will be the life or death of you.

Comment on “Drowning My Horrible Agony” by lovelyd523

lovelyd523 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:00:01 +0000

Analysis

Amber, I like the quote you chose. I think it includes a rich level of imagery as well as details. You have chosen a part of the book where I think actually shows the influence alcohol can have on a person.

I liked this line, “one moment only, did I think of drowning my horrible agony in drink; but cursed the very reflection, as it was formed in my soul.” This exemplifies the actual coping methods people use in different cases. In this case, the protagonist is dealing with suffering and pain. People have used drinking alcohol as a way to numb the issues of life, but records show that drinking can cause many dangers, including death and violence.

Sometimes as a result, people who drink a lot may tend not to think rationally about their next move. For example, when the main character, Franklin Evans saw Colby, the person that tempted him, he immediately felt disgust toward him. Franklin admits that he was influenced by Colby’s choice to do him wrong in some way or another and further enhanced his decision to act foolishly and get involved with crimes. Franklin does not hesitate to take matters into his own hands. Often when people are already upset, it doesn’t take long for them to react to the situation without careful thought. “I sprang madly toward the place where he stood.” There are other healthy ways to liberate anger and refrain from causing danger towards others. When anger is aroused anything can happen, including murder. Franklin, because of his level of anger killed Colby while under the influence. Both anger and intoxication played an important role in the killing.

Comment on “The greatest curse” by charlieurban

charlieurban — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:26:45 +0000

Franklin uses the Native Americans as an example of the destructive power of rum. His tirade against rum has substantial historical evidence. According to the encyclopedia the majority of Native Americans had little to no exposure to alcohol prior to Europeans coming to America. The article states that alcohol did not become a real issue until Rum began to be distilled from sugar produced in the West Indies. Native Americans had a greater affinity and weakness for rum than Europeans. Traders used Rum to influence Native Americans during negotiations. As Wayne Curtis Writes, “John Leder, in his 1672 account of trade with the Indians, boasted that with liquor one could ‘dispose them to a humour giving you ten times the value of your commodity’”(75). Colonists and Europeans knew the devastating effects of rum on the Native Americans and still allowed the trading of rum for furs. Ben Franklin wrote in his autobiography, “As those people are extremely apt to get drunk, and, when so, are very quarrelsome and disorderly, we strictly forbad the selling any liquor to them; and when they complained of this restriction, we told them that if they would continue sober during the treaty, we would give them plenty of rum when business was over…In the evening, hearing a great noise among them, the commissioners walked out to see what was the matter. We found they had made a great bonfire in the middle of the square; they were all drunk, men and women, quarreling and fighting. Their dark-colored bodies, half naked, seen only by the gloomy light of the bonfire, running after and beating one another with firebrands, accompanied by their horrid yellings, formed a scene the most resembling our ideas of hell that could well be imagined…”(192-193) http://books.google.com/books?id=1AMOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA192&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U39sdiRgpvDd4bFQxngK9JUJY98mQ&ci=215%2C378%2C568%2C400&edge=0. Although there were attempts by both whites and Native American’s to curtail and try to stop the rampant and destructive forces of alcohol, an unhealthy relationship between Native Americans and alcohol still remains. According to this report excessive alcohol consumption is the leading cause of preventable death in Indian Country. Further information about current alcohol abuse among Native Americans: http://www.drugfree.org/Intervention/Resources/MulticulturalCharts.aspx
“Fire-Water”: http://www.authentichistory.com/diversity/native/alcohol/Souvenir_Alcohol_Flask-Cherokee_Indian_Reservation_NC.html

Works Cited:
Curtis, Wayne. And a bottle of rum: a history of the New World in ten cocktails. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2006, 2007

Franklin, Benjamin. Benjamin Franklin: His Autobiography. New York: Derby & Jackson, 1859.