My first merit blog

Ariana Grant

Ms. Clinch

AP Literature

1 September 2012

Literary Merit of Summer Reading Books

For a novel to have literary merit it must show the quality of the novel in depth. My summer reading books were The Known World by Edward P. Jones and Beowulf. I believe The Known World showed literary merit through their themes. For example he engages you through one theme that I found. Slavery can take a toll on both the physical and mental aspects of your life. This was seen through the character Barnum Kinsey. He was constantly mentally fighting the concept of being truly free. It says, “One was Barnum Kinsley, then considered by everyone to be the poorest white man in the county, “saved”, as one neighbor said from being a nigger only by the color of his skin.” He was considered white trash because he was very poor and this class distinction separated him from fitting in with the whites or blacks. Though he is not African American he is still enslaved in his mind because he does not feel worthy to set out into the world. Another prominent theme in the story was the concept that some individuals have the need to obtain power over others in order to feel self-worth. This was seen through “Moffett stood and listened. He took a perverse delight in hearing them, was lulled into sleep by the sound of their fighting”. This is significant because although Moffett is a priest, he still has the mindset of a slave owner. He is able to draw in all the black people in their community and give them hope. He is used to captivate others and bring a sense of peace, so it is ironic that there is such hate and animosity in his own household. He watches the two women in his life, wife and sister in law, fight over him. This sick sense of calm he attains from this sight shows a flaw in his character. In Beowulf I understood a theme to be a hero is defined not by the battles they’ll won but by the inner courage, will power, and drive of that man to reach his goals. This was seen through “Beowulf my friend your fame has gone far and wide,…in all things you are even tempered, prudent, and resolute... Forever you will be your peoples mainstay and your own warriors helping hand.” This is significant because the author uses characterization to draw the reader in. It furthers my point that it is more important to be a good individual/leader then the amount of battles he won. In order for a novel to have literary merit it must have themes that can stand the tests of time. Both of these novels had classic themes. Also the styles of both novels were intricate, so that made sure that the plot could not be surmised. I enjoyed being able to pick my novel of choice and then the novel from the list because it allowed me to get a sense of what type of literary elements to look for throughout my school year. I believe I do need help in analysis because I do not want to simply summarize.