BA#7 Ian McEwan's Atonement

One of the secrets being kept in this story from the readers by the author is Lola's secret that she had sexual intercourse with Paul Marshall and not Robbie, whom everyone thought it was. The secret was first presented when Briony saw Lola in the grass with a man. Lola was scared when Briony said "she saw him" for she did not want Briony to know it was Paul. Briony got Lola to admit that it was Robbie after saying "Listen to me. I couldn't mistake him. Ive known him all my life. I saw him." I believe that Briony wanted it to be Robbie because she had a crush on Robbie and Robbie was having feelings for her sister Cecilia. It felt to me to have been jealousy and it was a way back of getting revenge.

This secret is related to the secret later in this book when Briony claims to have visited her sister and Robbie to apologize. It is later when we found out that the event did not really occur. Just like this secret, the reader is not told until later that it was not Robbie and really Paul Marshall.

I think this secret is extremely significant because it was was made this book. If we knew all along that it was really Paul Marshall and not Robbie, Robbie would not have went to jail or war, and neither would he have died at war (this being the majority of the book). Cecilia and Robbie most likely would have spent their life together and the entire book what had to have been the complete opposite from what it was.

BA #7 McEwan's Atonement

Lola holds the secret that it was really Paul Marshall who took control over her, not Robbie. "Lola. Who was it? .. It was Robbie, wasn't it?" - Briony "Because I couldn't say for sure. I mean, I thought it might be him by his voice."- Lola. (pages 155-157) Although it was only a small secret, it only benefits Lola and she harms Robbie by having him sent to jail when he did nothing wrong. Lola ends up marrying Paul Marshall a few years later after all of this has happened.

This secret is similar to Cecilia's love for Robbie. They are both relationship related. Cecilia's love for Robbie does not really harm anyone except for Cecilia leaving home when she is older. Briony also thought Robbie was hurting Cecilia in the library, but it was really where they started their relationship and continued to build off of it ever since. They ended up very happy together after being away from each other for so long all because of Lola's wrongdoing.

The secret is significant to understand the rest of the narrative because it is what helps hold the story together. Lola is disliked throughout the novel since she lied about the incident with Robbie and how he was sent to jail for no reason. She is only protecting Paul Marshall since he was so much older than her and since she apparently loved him. As a reader, I feel sorry for Cecilia that she had to deal with being apart from Robbie for so long when he was her true love.

BA#7 McEwan's Atonement

Probably the most major secret in the entire novel is that of Briony's. Towards the end not only does she admit that she was uncertain that it was Robbie who assaulted her cousin, but that she had a stronger feeling, and soon realized, that it was quite possible that it is now Lola's husband, Paul Marshall. This scene can be found half way down page 237.

This can be compared to Briony's assumption of Robbie attacking Cecilia in the library five years earlier. Because of this situation, she assumes that Robbie had taken advantage of Lola as well, which wasn't the case. Robbie loved Cecilia and "neither Briony nore the ware had destroyed it" 330). Because of this, Briony is inspired to write a new draft of her novella.

Not only understanding these secrets, but understanding the mindset of a pre-teen girl is crucial for the novel. Children around that age have not only an imagination, but a tendency to stretch the truth, to lie, and are extremely creative. Given this and the nature of Briony's character, it is a recipe for disaster for everything that Briony had witnessed. Briony later admits that growing up is what had made her confess her secret, that it wasn't Robbie and it was really Paul who raped Lola.

BA#7 Atonement

1.) Cecilia holds the secret that she loves Robbie. It's not a secret in the private no-one knows sense, but it the beginnings of their romance are a secret to them. For example there scene in the library, Briony thought Cecilia was being attacked, but the truth and the secret between Cecilia and Robbie is that it was true love "She meant the library, of course. It was theirs. No one could take it away. "It's our secret." she called out, in front of them all, just before the slam of the door." (250)
2.) This secret could be compared to the secret that Lola keeps from everyone in that it was not Robbie who raped her but Paul. Lola's secret only benefits her and harms everyone else. Robbie's and Cecilia's secret does not harm anyone and helps them foster a relationship. Both secrets change the course of lives, Lola goes on to marry Paul because she is not forced to disclose their objectionable affair "Given all that had happened, and all its terrible consequences it was frivolous, she knew, but Briony took calm pleasure in delivering her clinching news "(327). Robbie and Cecilia are allowed to build off of the foundation they built in the library.
3.) Understanding the secret is absolutely necessary. The reader learns to hate Lola and sympathize with Cecilia because of this secret. Lola goes along with a lie even though it sends an innocent man to jail. Cecilia clings to a memory to hold on to Robbie through years of being apart. This secret holds the entire novel together and shows character traits and flaws.

ba#6 mcewan's atonement

As of now, one of the main secrets that McEwan has proposed to us is who, throughout the course of the novel, will we hear their prospectives and what their legitimacy is. The story started out with many different accounts of the same day, as seen through different characters. Aside from the central characters, we don't know yet who will be a co-star or just a small character. The story, as it is going now, could go in many different directions.

This relates to Munroe's "A Real Life." In that story though we could tell whose character's eyes we were looking, it was often unclear how truthful the scene was. In "Atonement" we see that in each chapter, because it is told directly (in 3rd person) who is seeing the scene for us. Though the short story only told from one person's view, it is easy to see how the accounts might be very different had it been told from another. Also from Munro, "The Jack Randa Hotel" is similar to Atonement in the sense of not being able to gage who exactly the story will revolve around.

These questions are important to the story as it will unfold b/c it will allow us to witness the events that go on from different angles, sides, and hopefully be less bias towards certain characters, and therefore really get to know them.

BA #6 Ian McEwan's Atonement

One of the secrets being kept in this story is the relashionship between Cecilia and Robbie. There is evidence in this story that leads us to believe that there is some kind of tension between the two. The narrorator tells us that they used to be really good friends but now everytime they talk they argue, however it seems as though there both just nervous being around each other and they are hiding their feelings.

This secret relates to the secret from The Jack Randa Hotel in the sense that there are characters that are hiding their feelings. I believe that Gail hides her feels for Will and eventually confesses them through letters pretending to be another person. In this story there is tension between Robbie and Cecilia, i believe there emotions are revealed later on in the story.


Im not sure if this secret is significant to the book but it definielty leaves the readers very curious and wanting to read more to the story.

BA #4 The Jack Randa Hotel

I. A significant secret in this story is the one the author, Alice Munro, is keeping from the reader until the very end. We assume that Gail wants to meet up with Will again, but then Gail runs away from him and back to Canada as soon as she can.

II. The secret that Munro is keeping from us can be compared to the secret that Gail keeps from Will. Gail hides under a pseudonym of a dead woman to correspond with him through letters, pretending to be interested in the history of their last name, and in them she hides the nature of why she's actually writing--to discover what he's been up to in the time they've been apart. Munro has been decieving the reader in a similar way--up until the end we are led to believe that Gail and Will will have a confrontation, and that Gail will want to talk to him. But in the end we discover that Gail was just testing him and is more interested in seeing if he will follow her than in talking to him.

III. This secret is extremely significant to understanding the narrative because it is what the story has been leading up to the entire time. If instead Gail had stayed and talked to Will, the ending would not be so dramatic and the story would not have had as much as an impact.

BA #5 The Albanian Virgin

One of the secrets being held from the readers by the author is, Is Charlotte really Lottar? there is evidence that can relate the two characters together such as the struggles that they both had; Charlotte financially and Lottar with her struggles to make it around. Perhaps Lottar came from Charlotte? I noticed this a little further on into the story when i started learning more about Charlotte and about Lottar, later on i was able to make the realization that they were quite similar in ways.

This secret is similar to a secret from The Jack Randal Hotel in the sense that we are uncertain of the characters. Is Charlotte really Lottar? In the Jack Randal Hotel, Will is unsure if Ms. Thornaby is really Gail.

I think this secret is extremely important to the rest of the book because this story is about both Charlotte and Lottar and the connections with both characters. This book is very interesting and it leaves us with a huge question between the characters.

BA #4 The Jack Randa Hotel

I think the biggest secret being kept from the readers by the author is at the end of the book. We know that Gail and her boyfriend were having problems and they seperated- he went for another woman. In the story Gail travels to where the woman lives and begins writing Mr. Thornaby letters. After Mr Thornaby realizes it is Gail he is writing the letters to, he informs her, Gail gets nervous and flies back home. The biggest question for me is Do they get back together? What happens after she goes back home?

This secret is similar to a secret in The Road in the fact that we are left hanging in the end in both books. We do not know what happens in the end of either books.

Im not sure if I think this secret is significant but it does leave the readers curious and wishing there was more to read.

BA #3 Harrower's Blackbird

One of the secrets being kept from the readers in this story is whether or not Ray has been telling us the truth or not. To me, while reading this story I was a little unsure to if he was telling the truth. He sounded a bit believable for a while when he was telling Una that he told the lady he was seeing the whole story about the two of them. He later confessed that he lied and he really did not tell her anything for he didnt want to ruin what they have. To me this was the turning point, it proved to me that he did not have trouble or remorse for lieing. It made me quesiton the rest of the book.

Comparing this to another secret, Ray was telling Una that she was special and he had such strong feelings for her and she was mature for her age. In the last couple pages of the book quotes "The door opens and a Girl of twelve enters". This other secret (is he with this girl too?) makes us question the words that come out of Rays mouth.


This secret is very significant because if we knew the answer to it, we would know that answer to the entire book. This secret is what makes the book. If we knew the answer there wouldnt be any secrets.

BA#4 The Jack Randa Hotel

I. Munro's short story,The Jack Randa Hotel, holds many secrets. One significant secret is the fact that Gail pretends to be Ms. Thornebe in the letters she writes to a man named Will. This is a secret until revealed to Will about the truth.(PG.188)
II. Another secret in this short story is Gail's landlord is aware that Ms. Thornebe, had died, therefore she was aware that Gail was lying. Tension between these two builds as the landlord holds this secret.
III.These secrets did not effect me from understanding the short story, but as in almost all the other novels and short stories read in class, such as Blackbird, there is an open ending, and curious readers want to know what happens next. In the end of this short novel I am curious as to whether Will returns to her letters, or if he feels the way Gail does.

BA#4 The Jack Randa Hotel

I. There are many secrets being kept in this story. Gail who is also known as Mrs Massie, leave Will the man she's been writing, a letter that she sends him in a significant box. The letter tells Will that its up to him to find her. This leaves you wondering wether or not he actually will track her down, and what will happen.
II. This is similar in many ways to Blackbird. It leaves the story with multiple possibilities. It is also similar to the relationship between the main characters of Blackbird. I feel this way because in both stories the characters have feelings for one another but are almost ashamed to admit it.
III. This story i felt was very odd. It leaves you open with a lot of ideas on what could happen. I feel as though Monro is very good at leaving the reader hanging in a lot of work.

ba#5- munro's 'the albanian virgin'

1) 'the albanian virgin' has been the short story with the most substance of munro's thus far. There are a few secrets in this story, but the most intriguing one is that of the connection between Charlotte and Lottar. I think it to be more of a 'second-guess,' but the fact that Munro never specifies leaves it open to question. I first thought the connection to be when on page 85 Claire becomes the narrator and talks of Charlotte, which Lottar ("was what they made of it{her name} pg 81) is told by Charlotte. From there are a few connections between stories.
2) This secret reminds me of the story "Carried Away," merely because from the end of the story, through the next whole reading, I was confused about whatever happened to Jack, and the character whom Louisa sees at the end. It is a case of identity, where the characters are telling stories which could or could not be about themselves. In the case of "the Albanian Virgin," I trluy think that Lottar is Charlotte, and am about 90% believing that Gurdji is the Fransican priest. I am not so clear on that, as there is much less evidence of the priest vs gurdji as lottar vs charlotte (which are uncanny similarities).
3) This unknowing is definitely essential to the narrative, as it allows us to relate the two main, women, characters, Charlotte and Claire. Believing that Charlotte is telling Claire the life of her younghood is comforting to us, the reader, as we get to know Claire(and Charlotte). We are opened to similarities (being all alone for a period of life) and similar circumstances (not having any men {whether publicly or personally forced} upon you) and similiar endings (being the unknown {where did Charlotte and Ghurdji disappear to? for what reason, really, has nelson come to see claire? who was met by "him"--past or present?}). The connection between the two women characters is essential to the reading of this story, as you see their soul connection across different times, different cultures, and different circumstances.

BA # 5 The Albanian Virgin

1. The secret is that Charlotte is Lottar, this secret is kept from the reader until the end of the novel when the reader has enough information to figure out the story. " Iheard this story in the old St. Joseph's Hospital in Victoria from Charlotte, who was a sort of friend... (page 85)".
2. This secret is like the secret in The Road because both secrets are known by one character, the father in the road and Charlotte in Albanian Virgin, but the reader is left to make their own judgments. In both cases the son and Sylvia know more than the reader but not by much, and they do not tell the reader everything they know. The last line of Virgin states that she (charlotte) called him (the Franciscan) and he was waiting on the dock. In The Road the last few lines hint of a lingering possible future. In both cases the reader is not given explicit directions on what to think.

3. It vitally important to understand that Lottar and Charlotte are the same person. This is vital because otherwise the story doesn't make a lot of sense. The two narratives are intertwined so that if they don't have something connecting them other than the fact that Charlotte is telling him the story line falls apart. More than that Charlotte and the Franciscan were a love story, and throughout their history they came together and fell apart, it would fit the story if they were to come together again after being apart.

BA#4 Munro's The Jack Randa Hotel

1. One secret that is kept from Will is that it is actually Gail who is writting to him pretending to be Ms. Thornaby. Will has no idea that he is actually writting to hsi old girlfriend and not some elderly lady he looked up in the phonebook. Gail holds this secret from him. You realize that this secret is being held on page 173 after the letter to Will has been written. The narrator says "Gail writes this on an old portable typewritter..." (Munro 173).
2. This also reminded me of the story we read earlier called Carried Away when Louisa writes letters back and forth to Jack and how they don't really know who each other is when they meet in person. "'I always meant to speak to you'"(Munro 46). This is an example of Jack and Louisa talking when they meet. Of course this differs from The Jack Randa Hotel because Gail leaves before she even gets to meet with Will in person. "Hurry. Hurry. Her rent is paid. She must leave a note for the manager. She must take the money out of the bank, get herself to the airport, find a flight"(Munro 188). Thsi is an example of Gail leaving before meeting Will in person.
3. Understanding this secret is important to understanding the story because it is what the story is mainly about. Gail had gone to Australia to reconnect with her ex lover and gets scared so sge writes to him pretending to be another woman and when he wants to see her she gets scared and leaves. If we did not understand what she was doing by writting to him then the story would take on a completly different meaning.

BA #4 Monro's "The Jack Randa Hotel"

1. There are a few secrets that are in this short story. Two are kept by Gail (or Ms. Thornebe) herself (having an alias as Mrs. Massie to her landlord/renter person...because she is writing to Will, and her identity is unknown to him ... she knows that the real Thornebe died) and one is kept by Monro herself, ending the story on a cliff hanger. She leaves you wondering whether or not Will will chase after her. Much of the story is from Ms Thornebe's perspective and her point of view, not Will's, so it is hard to predict where the story may go if there were to be a part two.

2. These secrets mirror other things that we have read in class. It is open ended like The Blackbird and involves letters like in Carried Away. The constant building and suspense of the writing letters comes to a crashing halt when Will figures out that it is Gail. He confronts her on this (pg 188), but Gail leaves him the option to follow her back or not.

3.I think that Monro's focus was on how open ended the story is left, because you can certainly tell that the emotion that is there is strong, yet so is the uncertainty of whether or not Will will follow. I feel that if the other secrets were not in the short story, then the ending would not have as much meaning as it does. She builds it up for the reader to want Will to chase after Gail, but theres always a possibility of unrequited love.

BA#5: Alice Munro's "The Albanian Virgin"

1) I think the secret in this short story is if Charolette and Lottar are the same person. This secret is held by the author and is kept from the readers. Both Lottar and Charlotte disappear at the end of their stories and are both helped by a man who can end up being the same man. The priest who helps Lottar healed her when she was hurt and had a wooden cross that again appears around Charolette's husband, Gjurdhi, neck which is a clue that they may be the same person.
2) Another secret that is in the same story is what ended up happenings to both Lottar and Charlotte. The author leaves the reader to wonder what ended up happening to them. This secret relates to the first secret because if you knew if they were the same person then you would know what happened to Lottar. Charlotte disappeared from the hospital with Gjurdhi and the author never tells you where she went. While Charlotte was in the hospital she started to tell Claire the story of the Albanian virgin which makes the reader think she may be telling her own life story.
3) I think that understanding the secret isn't neccessary to understanding the narrative. This story has two narratives put together and the secret would let the reader connect them easier.

BA#4 Alice Munro's The Jack Randal Hotel

1. One secret that is being kept is that Gail is really Ms. Thornebe and is writing to Will. This is kept throughout most of the story and is what causes Will to go to the hotel that Gail is staying at to see her. The secret is told to the reader and is only kept from other characters, mainly Will, in the novel. We realize that a secret is being held on page 171 when we see that the letter Will had written says "Return to Sender, Died Sept. 13th". We see that she has died and learn that Gail is going to take her identity so she can write to Will.
2. This secret reminds me of the the short story Carried Away where Louisa was writing letters to her secret lover. It is the same basic idea that both women have lovers who don't know, or can't know their true identity. Louisa has never really met the man she writes to and Gail can't let Will know that it is her writing. Both women are struggling to form relationships from letters.
3. This secret is very important to understanding the story because it is Gail's reason for leaving and returning home. She leaves home to find Will and ends up writing him letters. When he finds out it's her she returns home so she doesn't have to face him. If the reader did not understand this secret, they would not understand the novel.

Alice Munro's The Albanian Virgin

1) The secret which has intrigued me the most and was hinted at in several places throughout the story was the secret regarding whether or not Charlotte and Lottar/ The Fransican and Gjurdhi the are the same person. I felt like The Fransiscan seemed to appear to be more similar to Gjurdhi; the most glaring example seemed to me to be the crucifix which both wore.

2) This secret can be viewed in step with the ambiguity at the end of the story regarding what happened to Charlotte after she was removed from the hospital at the end of the story. For if these pairs turned out to be the same people, this would be the second time that she was rescued by the same man from people imposing a fate upon her. In the first case, she was to be sold and married; in this case, her fate was being decided by the doctors.

3) I feel as though this secret is very important to the narrative. I feel this because this is a secret the entire story hinges on, the entire story changes meaning if it turns out one way or the other. If she is Lottar then many parallels can be drawn to her past life and current, but if she is not the characters must be looked at in a completely different way.

BA#4 Alice Munro's "The Jack Randa Hotel"

I. A secret that is withheld from the reader, by the author, is at the very end of this short story. The author leaves the reader not knowing whether or not Gail and Will ever come together again. This is evident in the last line of the narrative. Gail writes Will a letter and sends it to him in a box she bought in the airport in Australia. The letter reads, "Now it's up to you to follow me" (189).

II. This secret is similar to that of the feelings in the relationship between Una and Ray in Blackbird. Una and Ray are both afraid to share their true feelings toward one another because of the possible rejection or the many other things that could go wrong. I think that the relationship between Gail and Will is similar in that after their divorce, their having feelings for each other would not be strange but is something that would be scary to admit, especially considering he left her for a much younger woman and moved to Australia.

III. I do not believe understanding this secret is significant to the understanding of the narrative because it is about love, and love is not always comprehensive. Their relationship throughout the story is somewhat secretive in that she speaks to him as someone else in their letters. We are not sure of his true reaction to this aside from that he knows it is her. This is when she flees back to Canada and writes him the letter. I think that it is important to understand that this ending is very open to the reader to determine because it is about something that may be reconcilable or it may not. It is the readers opinion of the relationship between Will and Gail that will finish the narrative, in my opinion. I think that Will does go after her...or maybe that's just the romantic ending I love to read.

BA #3 Harrower's Blackbird

I would say that the most controversial secret in this play is whether or not we can believe anything that Ray has to say to Una.  We can't be certain if he actually to his girlfriend any of what happened, or for that matter, if he has ever had sex with any other 12 year old girls.  It's all left open for us to think what we wish, purposely.

Along with not being able to trust any of what ray says, I don't think Una's word should be taken as fact without giving what she says any thought.  For instance when she says that she has a good job, a few friends, and an ex-boyfriend, that she loves and wishes she was still with, we don't know for sure.  Ray makes a valid point about her friends letting her think about what happened every second.  If they were friends of any kind they would help her get passed what happened and certainly not let her go see him.

I don't think it's crucial to understand what the truth behind the secret really is to understand the story.  To me the main point of the story, like the actors from the play said, is the love for Ray that Una has never gotten over and she finds Ray to reveal that to him.  Although she's older in age, she has never matured that's why she can't find anyone that she truly loves and can stay with. 

BA#3 Harrorers Blackbird

1. the whole story ofthe blackbird consist of ray pushinf una away. She comes there to explain her feelings that she's been holding back for years. To her it's important to let her feelings known so she can move on. Yet Ray is completly disturbed by this confertation and the whole time he is begging her to leave and giving her answers to her questions that make it seems that he dosent care. As time goes by and the conversation is ongoing , Ray worms up and starts talking to her in a nicer way. all the way to the point where he kisses her. It seems that Ray secret is that he never got over Una because he has a weak spot for her, or he wouldnt have kissed her if he was so disgusted by her. Also he kept leaving and if he really didnt care he would of showed it to her by not returning.
2.the story explains that una has a significant other of which dosent know about ray. I feel that if he did know he would know that Una still has a weak spot for Ray. The secret that Una is keeping from her significant other is the same as the secret Ray is keeping from Una.
3.I believe that the secret of Ray still having feelings for Una is inportant to understand the narration. the author cleary gives a perception of Ray being angry that Una came to confront him , hes pasing back and forth and telling her to leave. Why couldnt he be calm and let her say her piece and leave or be angry and leave completly and go back to work. So this secrets explains why ray is angry and very emotional in this story.

BA #3 Blackbird

1.) First the reader doesn't know if anyone is really telling the truth. Ray and Una both confess to having sex when she was 12 and he was 40, but they make it seem like it was love "never desired anyone that age again(49)". I've read that the type of person who commits this type of crime NEVER does it just once. I believe Ray is keeping a secret from the readers and from Una.
2.) This secret is like The Road because the reader is left to make judgments based on the information given. Ray mentions that he read about people who sexually abuse minors and he said they never do it just once. The girl who walks in at the end is 12, exactly 12, the exact age that Una was, way to much of a coincidence. In The Road the reader doesn't know what the disaster was, but we know there was explosions and that it took time for people to die off so in both cases the reader has to infer.
3.) Understanding this secret is important because at the end the reader doesn't know what happens next, does Una follow Ray out to confront his significant other? Does she go away relieved of her emotional burden? Is Ray's urge to abuse children revived by seeing her and now he goes on a child abuse rampage? If the reader knows exactly what Ray has been doing in the years since Una they can make better judgments.

BA#3 Harrower's Blackbird

I. For fifteen years Una thought that Ray simply used her and left her for herself in the hotel room that night. He left after they had sex telling her he'd be back, but he never came back for her. Ray kept this to himself all of this time, keeping it from everyone, until now when he was explaining it to Una, because, as he said, "The lawyer said it sounded better if I had left you there because it showed I knew the seriousness the awfulness of what I had done. That I ran from you. Never to to return. Because of what it would sound like to a jury be made to sound like That I was going back for for more." (p 65). He kept it from everyone to protect himself, but it tore him apart inside.

II. This secret is similar to Una's secret that she keeps from her significant other about her past relationship with Ray. She does not tell him for her own benefit because she does not think that other people will treat her like a normal person with a past like hers. She says on page 76 "I've never told him. I didn't want to. I liked him too much. " She did not want to tell him because she felt it would ruin their relationship and she really like him just as Ray kept his secret to protect himself. Both individuals keep their secrets to protect themselves from being hurt by another, Una would be hurt by her boyfriend (she thinks) in that he would not want to be with her and Ray would be hurt by the judicial system because if he said he were going back for her they would think, as he stated, that he was going back for more, which would result in a much greater punishment. for him.

III. I think understanding that Ray was truly going to go back for Una after he had time to get cigarettes and think about things because it showed that he truly cared for her and that he was not using her for sex and did not kidnap her against her will. It shows that they had a relationship of some sort. It helps you better understand the play, but I think that it also makes it that much more difficult to accept because it is something that I find very strange - a 41-year-old man having an intimate relationship with a 12-year-old girl and not putting an end to it even when he knew he should have.

BA #2 Cormac McCarthy's The Road

I: At the end of The Road, McCarthy still leaves us hanging. He does not ever answer many secrets from the beginning of the book and just leaves us with more questions to secrets at the end of the book. The biggest secret at the end of the novel is whether the family that decides to take care of the boy are good people or cannibals. This relates to the question of whether the boy will soon find civilization now, be eaten, or maybe lose the "fire" and give in to cannibalism himself.

II: The secret of whether this family is good or cannibals also relates to the secret of who may have been following the boy and his papa the whole time throughout the novel. During the novel Papa did not trust anyone for they may be cannibals and whenever he heard people trailing behind him and the boy would be sure to leave sight. The boy and Papa never found out who was following them exactly because Papa thought they were cannibals but it could have been this "good" family that has now taken in the boy.

III: I believe these secrets are significant to understanding the narrative because they may give away many of the answers to the secrets. Answers to the secrets would help the reader significantly understand the ending better of whether the boy lives happily ever after or not. Some may also argue that the secrets are not significant to understanding the narrative, for McCarthy wants to leave as much as possible for you to figure out and imagine. He wants you to be in the boy and Papa's shoes and know just as much as them. If McCarthy ended up giving away any answers at the end then that would ruin his trend of secrets through the whole book.

BA #2 Cormac McCarthy'sThe Road

I:A secret which the reader of Cormac McCarthy's The Road wonders at the end of the novel is whether or not the "family" who suggest that the boy goes with them are really "good guys" or are actually cannibals feigning civility.

II:This secret can be looked at in the same light as the secret regarding what other humans, if there are many other humans, are doing the days after the disaster. We see this "family" at the end of the novel and one wonders if they are wandering people like the boy and deceased "Papa," or if they are living with other people either in a cannibal commune or some outpost of civilized humanity.

III: This secret may not be pivotal to the narration of the story, but very little outside of the events which directly effect the boy and the man are completely necessary. One of the author's goals of this novel seems to leave as much up to the reader's imagination as possible, so observed in that light, this secret is very important to the novel because it continues the trend of the author letting the reader know little or allowing the reader to assume almost nothing.

BA #2 McCarthy's The Road

I. McCarthy continues to give small details throughout the rest of the novel. At the very end, I was not sure what the future held for the boy and "papa". The boy and papa's destination was left in the hands of a complete strangers, in this "dark"society full of people living savage like lifestyles. It makes me wonder whether these strangers were trustworthy. I came to question as to what will happen next, but the book was at it's end. I never really was sure if the future of these two main characters would be in good hands or not.

II. Not only am I curious as to the boy and "papa's" future, but I wonder what is held for the future of their society. In this society, as the main characters struggle to survive, so do the people living similar lifestyles around them. What would happen with the people left, after almost everyone has taken part in being cannables(PG.127)? Or I wonder whether the environment changes, and everyone becomes suddenly stable.

III. The two secrets I had used in the first couple of questions, leaves a similar conclusion as I left in blog #1. These two secrets do not hold me back from understading the general storyline of the novel, but I am left curious. The novel ends, with loose ends, leaving many possiblities as to what could happen next. This book could definetly have a sequel, in which there is so many more details that can be unravelled.

BA#2 Cormac McCarthy"s The Road

Just to let you know, i accidentally posted an empty blog here is my real one

I. At the end of the novel, McCarthy leaves us with a good amount of unfinished business. We never find out who the people are that the boy goes with, we don't know what happens to the fathers body when they leave, we don't know where they go or if they even get there. It also seemed that the people had been tracking the boy and papas progress.
II. This is just like the secrets established in the beginning of the novel, when you dont know what happend, you dont know where they are, you dont know if "papa" is the boys father or just some guy who is taking care of him. Both secrets i am discussing leave the reader in the dark not knowing to much about anything going on in the book at all.
III. In my opinion i don't believe that the secret is that big of a deal to the novel because its the end, if McCarthy had wanted us to know what happened he would have either told us or left us a sufficient amount of evidence to let us draw our own conclusions on the ending.

BA#2 Cormac McCarthy"s The Road

BA #2 McCarthy's The Road

In the book there are many secrets that are never told to us. We do not know what happen in the disaster and we do not know what happened to the boy at the end. We do not know if the father is later eaten by other people once every leaves him. We also do not know if the entire world survives this catastrophe. We never find out what really happens to the world. Is this a disaster that happens to the U. S. only or did it happen world wide? Was it a meteor or an earthquake or bombs? Could it be a series of bad events? We will never know and that is kind of disappointing. At the end of the book the boy leaves with these people who we are lead to believe are 'good'. We are lead to think that because the man covers papa with the blankets like he said he was going to. Also, the man said to the boy to keep the gun. The mom also hugs and holds the boy as if he was her own, weather or not she was checking him out to eat later or not we will never know. This women could have really loved the boy also. Did they ever make it out of the chaos that they are in and find civilization? I hope everything works out for them and they are able to find some stability somewhere and can settle down again, but who knows.

BA # 2 McCarthy's The Road

I. I feel that one of the biggest secrets in McCarthy’s “The Road” is what happens to the little boy after he joins the man and his family, after the boy's father passes. McCarthy leaves the reader with “In the deep glens where they lived, all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery.” (Page 287).


II. In McCarthy’s “The Road,” the author ends the novel abruptly, leaving out certain significant details, such as in part I. Alice Munro, author of “Open Secrets” seems to do the same. One secret that remains in my mind is whether Jim Frarey was really trying to impersonate Jack Agnew when he ran into Louisa. "How is Grace? How is your daughter? Lillian?" (Page 46) Louisa asked Jim, who she thought to be Jack. He answered all of the questions almost implying that he was impersonating Jack. Though I wonder if, coincidentally, Jim Frarey had a similar life to Jack. The author never informs the reader what happened with Jim and Lousia never really knows as well.

III. I feel as though the secret discussed in part I is very significant to understanding the narrative because the author (the narrator) wanted to keep the reader wondering what would come next, throughout the entire text. It is only appropriate to end the novel in such a state. The reader is meant to question whether the boy survived or not, and to develop his or her own conclusions.

BA#2 Munro's Open Secrets

In Alice Munro's short story Open Secrets the reader and the characters unaware about what happened to Heather Bell on the trip in the woods with Miss Johnstone. It seems that not even the author knows what happened to Heather all that is told is how they were going on a hike, Heather asked to return to their camping site to collect something, then catch up with the group. However, after she leaves the group on the trail she is never seen again and there is no report of her death. You are aware of this secret on the second page of the story where it says, "It was about twenty-four hours since Heather Bell had disappeared..." After that you want to know how she disappeared, if they found her, where she was found, or why she never returned.
This secret is similar to The Road where the boy leaves with a new group of people. The reader is unsure what happens to the boy, if he survives, if they are good people, or if the world became a better place? Both Open Secrets and The Road leave you never being able to answer those questions. The characters in the stories are also not able to answer these questions. In Open Secrets it seems that people never knew exactly what happened, they only have their assumptions. Same with The Road the father will not know what has become of his son even the son is un-aware of what his future will bring.
To understand the secrets is not a necessity for the reader. The secrets are what force you to keep reading and wanting to know more. However, the reader would appreciate to know what happened. I know I am wondering if Heather was killed, ran away, or is still living. Also in The Road I would like to know if the boy survives or if the people he went off with were truly, "carrying the fire."

BA #2 McCarthy's The Road

The secret being held from the readers by the author is at the end of the book when the father dies and the little boy went off with the family. The book ends without telling us what ever happened to the little boy and if he ended up with the good people or the bad people. The boy says to the man "How do i know if your the good guys or not?" The man then states, "You dont. You'll have to take a shot." We do not know if the boy ended up survivng or if the people ended up eating him. There are clues that suggest that the people he is with now are not bad people. The man kept his word to the little boy by covering a blanket over the boys father. The man also had an oppurtunity to eat the man after he died which he did not do.

This secret is similar to the other secret from The Road (not knowing what happened in the disaster) in the sence that the author is hiding something from us in both circumstances. We are left in the end of the book not knowing what happened to the child and not knowing what caused the disaster.

I do not think the secret is significant but it does leave the readers with a lot of questions the book never told us. The secret is open to interpretation. There are clues that lead us to believe certain things but we never know for sure what really happened.

BA #1 McCarthy's The Road

1. In the beginning of the novel we see that there is a boy and a Papa. We do not know weather the boy is Papa's son or if it is his grandfather or just a nick-name. We also know that they are wondering, but we do not know the significance of what has happened in the world. On page 17 of McCarthy's "The Road" we are told that Papa is "Mostly worried about their shoes. That and food. Always food." We do not know if they are worried about shoes because they can't find any or just because theirs are being ruined. We know there is a shortage of food, but they will not go into the barn of the dead and look for food so they cannot be that desperate. That is when I realized there was a secret.

2. This secret is very much referring to the same secret that is revealed on page 52. We are told that "The clock stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions." We presume that the Papa and the boy are wondering because of what has happened at this point in the book at 1:17. This could be a completely unrelated event or it could be the reason why the country is in chaos. We have no idea to know if these events are linked together more then just a events in the same book or if the event that happened at 1:17 is the reason for the boy and Papa to be walking.

3. Understanding weather or not that this boy is Papa's son and that Papa is the boys father is very cruicial to the book. I would help us better understand why the man is so protective of the boy. Though the boy never calls the man Papa and the Papa never calls the boy son it leaves us wondering if something is up between them being related or a father son relationship.

BA#1 McCarthy's The Road

I.
This secret occurred between the young boy and his "Papa." Throughout the story, the boy had a pessimistic attitude toward the future. I suspect his secret is that he felt they had no hope of survival. His true feelings became apparent on page 55. The two were resting. The boy was woken up because of the severity of his father's cough. Papa told the boy "Its okay. Go to sleep." and the boy replied, "I wish I was with my mom." Further on, the author explains the death of the boy's mother. This validates my point that he had little will to go on. Meanwhile, his father was fighting for their survival.
II.
Both secrets are from McCarthy’s The Road. This time around, it is the father who has a secret from the boy. In the conversation held between Papa and his wife prior to her suicide, the woman mentions how if anything were to happen to Papa, that she and her son would be doomed. Even along side her family, the woman still felt hopeless. She told Papa on page 56 that, "I'd take him with me if it weren't for you" and soon thereafter, she committed suicide. Papa has never told his son that his mother wished to end both of their lives so as not to end up living in such disaster. Papa has not shared this secret with the boy and I predict he never will.
III.
I feel that the secret I chose is very significant in understanding the narrative. The boy seems very weak and hopeless and with characteristics such as these, it seems to me that Papa may be on his own soon. If Papa were to reveal his secret to the boy, the boy would probably attempt suicide himself. Thus far into the novel leads me to believe it to be one of two things: 1: a story of courage and the strength of family and love, or 2: one man's desperation for survival and his trials along the way.

BA#1 McCarthy's The Road

I: In the road there are many secrets that are kept from the reader right from the beginning. One of the biggest secrets kept from the reader is the fact of why so many people are dead. The author does not let you know what disaster was caused so many deaths. What happened could have been man made or environmental. Without knowing for sure how the situation is down south, the boy and Papa are hoping for a warmer and greater place to live.

II: This first secret leads us to another secret of why only the boy, his mother, and Papa were among only the few to survive what happened. If we knew answers to either of these to secrets then we may be able to justify why they survived or what happened. The first secret also leads to another secret of where exactly are they. All we know is that they are on an interstate and they are heading south. If we knew exactly where they were we may be able to justify whether the disaster was man made or not and how they could have survived depending on what kind of disaster occurred.

III: The secrets I chose may not be entirely significant to understanding the narrative but may definately be wanted by some people. If we knew all the answers to the secrets though, the reader would not be on the same level as the characters. It seems as if right now the characters may be just as lost as we are. We, the reader, are on the same path the characters are and we must read/walk on to find out the answers to the secrets.

BA#1: McCarthy's The Road

I: Many secrets are unrevealed through McCarthy’s blunt writing style. The reader is left pondering about when the disaster took place. The passages on PG. 52, says the power was out, not leaving specific detail as to when. Only left the blunt time of 1:17, not aware if it’s day or night.

II: This is connected to the secret, what the disaster? In the novel, details such as “ashes” only leave you thinking fire, an element caused by many disasters. Not knowing when or what left me wondering what is behind the characters journey and where they are off to.

III: These unraveled secrets are not significant when it comes to understanding the general story, but for curious readers, they’re left wondering what the disaster is, whether it’s supernatural or war, causing such instability. PG. 17 notes the characters’ struggle, as a reader I wonder what cause motivated the author.

BA #1 McCarthy's The Road

I: A significant secret held in McCarthy's The Road is the author's choice to withhold exactly what the disaster was. McCarthy leaves it so ambiguous that the reader queries whether the disaster was man made or an event which occurred naturally.

II:This secret can be compared to another secret which the author keeps from us, the secret of why the boy, "Papa," and the wife survived. These secrets are related because if the reader understood exactly what took place, perhaps we could understand why specific people died and other survived.

III: While this secret is not a necessity to understanding the novel as a whole, it would certainly provide an entirely different level of understanding the novel. While it makes sense the author wants to provide the reader with the same level of understanding of the disaster that the characters have, it is highly unlikely that the characters, several years after the disaster, would not have known what had happened.

BA#1 Cormac McCarthy's The Road

I. In The Road there are many secrets that the author keeps from the reader. For one, we have no idea what the real names of "the boy" or "papa" are, also we don't know how this catastrophe happened or how a select amount of people were able to survive. The world has turned into a wasteland with the characters left with basically nothing to survive but a grocery cart filled with some equipment and nap sacks with the essentials in them in case they need to abandon the cart. I feel in the story when "papa" finds the coca-cola in the broken machine and the boy realizes he wants him to have it because "It's because I wont ever get to drink another one, isnt it?" really expresses the boys understanding of the world he lives in, the only word he has known.
II. This is similar to "carried away" because secrets are kept about the truth of the dead body in the factory said to be Jack Agnew. The man who finds and for some reason touches the head did not think to look if it was Jack Agnew but that he thought it was.
III. I feel that Cormac McCarthy really didn't want us to have a whole lot of clues about whats going on. He leaves a lot of open ends in the book, especially with the lack of chapters which also seems to be significant with the direction that the story is going. More information would be a big help.

BA#1 McCarthy's The Road

1. In Cormac McCarthy's The Road, there are many secrets being kept from the readers. One specific secret is whether or not the man called Papa is the father of the little boy. The secret is being held from the readers by the author and is present throughout the entire novel. I first started to question this on page 55 where the little boys says " I wish I was with my mom". This could imply that the man is not his father and that the little boy had a different mother who is now dead.

2. This secret is similar to the short story Carried Away in that the author has withheld crucial information that can help the reader to understand the novel better. In Carried Away, we are unsure of who the man at the train station is in the end of the story. On page 49 we realize that Louisa isn't talking to show she thinks she is talking to. "That edge of a joke, that uneasy kindness, made her think of somebody else. Who's was it?". Knowing who he is would have led to a better understanding of the story instead of being left without answers. This relates to The Road because we are left wondering the entire novel if this is the boys father.

3. I don't think that understanding the relationship of the man and boy is absolutely necessary to understanding the narrative. I do feel that knowing would help make the novel a little bit clearer however we know that the man will do anything to protect the boy and therefore that there is some kind of bond between them.

BA # 1 McCarthy's The Road

In the Road, we are unsure if the man known as Papa and the woman referred to as wife are husband and wife. I don't think they are trying to keep it from the reader, but it is very confusing as to who is related and if the boy is their son. On page 53, it says "She is standing in the doorway in her nightwear, clutching the jamb, cradling her belly in one hand. What is it? she said. Are they referring to the boy that is traveling the road now or another child? After the wife died, she was also often referred to as "her". Was the man dreaming or thinking about the past? " He thought about the picture in the road and he thought that he should have tried to keep her in their lives in e some way but he didn't know how."

In Carried Away, there is a secret similar to this one dealing with who is married to who. Jack Agnew continued writing letters to the librarian known as Louisa Doud. He kept his marriage to Grace Agnew a secret from Louisa. When he died, the reader was able to find out this secret. In The Road, we are still unsure of how each character is related to one another.

I think knowing how each character is related is important, because it would make the reader understand how the man and boy know each other and if the woman referred to as the wife did have the boy as a son. The talks between the man and boy are very simple and I often wonder if they are father and son. They look out for each other while traveling the Road and stay away from bad people.

BA #1 The Road

One thing we don't know about the situation that they are in is the extent (range) of the catastrophe.  They don't know any details about the condition of the "south", the place to which they are headed for warmer weather and a potentially, but not guaranteed, better life.

 The secrete of the extent of the damage is directly correlated to the secrete of what caused the destruction and decay in the first place.  If we knew what caused the damage we would be able to calculate the extent of it.  They are taking a dangerous and possibly fatal journey to a place that may be just as severely in ruins as the place at which they are now.  We are led only to see the extend of the damage by how far they have traveled south and we know little to nothing of where they are.

Having the secrets is what makes the story appealing, you do not need to know exactly what happened to understand why things are happening.  If Cormac McCarthy described everything intricately then we would have nothing to discuss.  If we knew every detail then it would be a journal of the two characters lives.

BA#1 McCarthy's The Road

One secret that is kept from the readers in The Road is what actually happened to cause the boy and father to have to travel the road. You find out in the first couple pages of the book that the world they are living in is nothing like the world we view. They talk about being naked, sleeping outside, and having no color. This gives the reader the impression that something must have happened to the world these characters are living in to cause it to be without color. The author even talks of when a "shear of light and then a low series of conclusions" came which is the cause for the power supply to end. This indicated to the reader that some act, nature disaster, or destruction occurred.
This secret is a little like Carried Away in Open Secrets where we do not know exactly how the Jack Agnew died. The author tells us of a man who was killed in a factory by a machine and is beheaded. However, the man who actually touched the head of the dead man said he did not even look to see if it was truly Jack Agnew. Therefore, just like we know there was some type of destruction that happened to the land we do not know if that is what caused them to be starving, struggling, and moving toward the south.
This secret is not critical to understand the narrative; however, details about it would help answer questions the readers may have. If the reader knew when the tragedy happened they would be able to see how long the man and son have been living in this which could justify some of their actions. Also if we knew about how the tragedy formed we would be able to understand the struggle by realizing what it would be like if that happened to us.

BA #1 McCarthy's The Road

In The Road by Cormac McCarthy, one of the secrets being held from the readers by the author is "Why are the man and the child the only survivors?". When i first realised there was a secret being held was in the opening sentence when it says the man just woke up in the woods with the child sleeping right beside him, and then again on the second page where it says they were "Looking for anything of color. Any movement. Any trace of standing smoke."


When comparing this secret to another secret in Open Secrets, it is similar in the fact that the readers are not being told something (there is a secret) but as you read further into the text, more information is being revealed about the secret. In Open Secrets we know little about the man that sends Louisa letters but then as we read on we soon find out the man was married and he was writing those letters possibly because he did not think he was going to live much longer, being in the war.


This secret is definitely significant in understanding the narrative because it is leaves the reader wanting to read more into the book. It leaves the reader with many questions. I believe once we are told this secret the whole book will come together and we will get a better understanding of what is really going on in The Road.

Welcome to the Blog for Contemporary Literature (Section 2)

You'll be using this blog to "post" (create a text entry on the front page) or "comment" (respond to another student's post). For each post, you should consider significant secrets in that week's reading assignments. Over the course of the semester, you will create at least 7 entries: at least 2 posts and at least 5 comments. (You may have more posts or comments, but you should have at least one entry per week.)

To make things clear, you'll need to number each post or comment as BA #x (according to the one due that week: so, for BA #1, you'll examine the secrets in McCarthy's The Road; for BA #3, you'll look at Harrower's Blackbird.) To create a post, click on "New Post" at the top of the blog page. To create a comment, click on "Comments" at the bottom of the blog posting to which you want to respond.

For each post, you will need to do the following, in the order given, including the numerals to designate the separate parts of the assignment. Label the post BA#x, plus the author and title of the literary text: thus, BA#1 McCarthy's The Road, then provide the following in your post:

1. Provide a short (no more than 50 words) summary or description of the secret. Be sure to indicate who holds the secret (a character, the author, or reader) and from whom the secret is kept (a character, the author, or reader). Also indicate (by quoting and citing) where in the text you realized that there was a secret being held.

2. Compare this secret to another secret, either from the same text or from a text we’ve already read in class. (Again, no more than 50 words.) This should not be a simple observation of how this secret is "just like" another: they're both about love, they are both kept from someone they love , or they both compromise a character's aspirations. Such statements are invariably trite overgeneralizations. Maybe the secrets you're comparing are of a similar nature but the different characters have different motivations for keeping them; maybe both secrets are kept for similar reasons but they have different consequences; maybe both secrets are kept from the reader but one is eventually revealed while the other one is not. Note that each of these examples presents differences within apparent or surface similarities, an approach which generally isn't a bad way to go. You MUST support your answer with evidence that you quote and cite from the text(s).

3. Argue (no more than 50 words) whether or not understanding your chosen secret is significant to the understanding the narrative.

For your comments, you should agree or disagree with a post’s conclusions about a secret's narratorial significance (part 3) by providing and explaining NEW evidence that either supports or questions the post.