The Emperor is Divine Blog 1

            So far for me, this novel has been extremely monotone and dry, which makes it difficult for me to continuously read at points.  I can read a section, but need a break after, because there is not the type of emotional appeal that I am accustomed to. With that being said, I think there is a different type of emotional appeal that I am now starting to get used to after having read the first three sections. In addition, I think that if the book was written differently, it would have taken away from the story.

            Although it is monotone, readers can definitely pick up on the sense of strength it portrays, especially when it comes to the woman. The woman is trying to be strong for so many people, she cannot show how she really feels and how much these events are ripping her apart. The first time readers really get to see how difficult of a time the woman is having and how much she is struggling to do what must get done is when she breaks down after she lets the bird into the wilderness after the children are sleeping. She just sits down, has some wine, and cries; something I believe that every woman and person would need to do if they were going through what she was going through. There is a definite sense of irony, because the only time the woman can display how she truly feels is at night, in the dark, when no one can see her. It is like the mask can finally come of in the darkness and safety of the silence.

            It was after reading this section that I could see the emotional appeal in the novel, and this type of emotion is definitely something that I can relate to. The woman seems kind of numb, because she is trying to not let the heavy burden she is carrying take over the best of her. She is doing her best to prepare for the worst while still trying to hope for the best. She does not show emotion, because she believes that she cannot; that it is a sign of weakness.

            I can definitely relate to this character. Although I have not been through and had to do anything as traumatic as her, I am the same way. I rarely if ever show emotion in front of people, especially if it will make me look vulnerable and weak. I have walls that are very very high and very very difficult to break down, as does the woman in the book. We have emotion, but we do not know how to handle it and chose not to. We chose to be the strong one, the one that everyone can always rely on, the one to be there and not only pick up the pieces, but put them back together. We take our emotions and do our best to put them into actions. The actions are a front so that no one ever really questions whether or not you are alright.