Cao !

Cao, Jasmin
ENG 120
Professor Killian
11/30/2017
Annotated Bibliography

1. Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories. New York:
Random House, 1958.

Breakfast at Tiffanys by Truman Capote illustrates Holly Golightly, a carefree and

independent young women who seeks to discover her identity in a conservative and conventional
society during the nineteenth century. In the novel, Hollys restlessness, instability, and
unorthodox ways result in her controversial image in a society where women are portrayed as
inferior and submissive compared to men. Hollys failure to meet the societal standards and roles
of a proper woman forces her to become a distinct outlier in her community. Throughout the
story, Holly struggles in finding her place in the world and obtaining the key to her happiness
due to the the immense difficulty of surviving as an outlier against the constraints of social
constructs. However, despite the brutal limitations placed by societal norms, Holly heavy
prioritizes her liberty and successfully acts against the fundamental rules that govern her society
for the purpose of defending and protecting her beliefs. In other words, harsh societal
expectations and emotional challenges fail to deprive Holly of her freedom, desire for adventure,
and search for experiences that will help her discover her inner self and purpose in life. In my
paper, Hollys courageous challenge of societal standards and the roles of women during the
nineteenth century will be compared to the arduous journeys and characteristics of both the
narrator from Araby and Santiago from The Alchemist. For example, the narrators search for
freedom in the mundane society of Dublin and Santiagos decision to defy the odds and fulfill his
Personal Legend or ultimate goal in life, and Hollys pursuit of change and self-actualization
illustrate the environmental, situational, and characteristic similarities between the three
individuals.

2. Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York: Harper Collins, 1998.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho portrays a young shepherd who faces great adversity and
hardships to pursue and fulfill his Personal Legend. Throughout his journey, Santiago finds love,
gains an immense amount of knowledge about the world, and discovers himself. Santiagos story
conveys both the hardships of fulfilling a Personal Legend as well as the powerful rewards that
result from sacrifice, perseverance, and endurance. Though everyone has their own Personal
Legend, or their destiny in life, most people never end up pursuing it. Coelho explains this by
 Cao !2

delineating that people are more fearful of failing in the pursuit of their dreams rather than
obstacles of the journey itself. However, the universe will conspire everything to help people
such as Santiago attain their Personal Legend if they are willing to take on the challenge. Thus,
The Alchemist successfully delineates the importance of self-discovery through pursuing our
Personal Legend and ultimate goals in life. In my paper, Santiagos desire for exploration and
adventure in his mundane life as a shepherd is compared to Holly Golightlys similar carefree,
wild spirit and the narrators (from Araby) seek for escape from his oppressive society.
Furthermore, Santiagos environmental resources such as the universe and powerful individuals
along his journey is contrasted with the limited resources of the narrator to illustrate the
differences in their journeys and obstacles as well as the crucial role of resources in goal
attainment and success.

3. Joyce, James. Araby. Dubliners. Margot Norris: W.W. Norton, 2006, pp. 20-25.

In Araby by James Joyce, the narrator gradually grows out of his innocence and naivety
as the environmental and social influences of his society place limitations on his capabilities by
diminishing his creativity and passions. More specifically, these influences such as financial,
emotional, and cultural struggles cause his unfruitful quest for purpose and meaning in his
mundane life to end in vain. The destruction of the narrators hopes and idealizations causes him
overwhelming pain and despair, an experience that allows him to quickly mature into a man.
However, his inability to ultimately overcome his difficulties forces him to realize the harsh
reality of life, the oppression of his dreams, as well as his fixed position in the dull, mundane
society of Dublin. The story of Araby successfully portrays the end of childhood and the
beginning of adolescence by illustrating the loss of innocence through maturation. In my paper,
narrators desire for freedom in the mundane society of Dublin will be compared to similar
journeys of Santiago from the Alchemist and Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffanys. For
example the narrators search for adventure and growth, Santiagos desire to defy the odds and
fulfill his Personal Legend or ultimate goal in life, and Hollys pursuit of change and self-
actualization illustrate the similarities in their environment, situations, and journeys. Similarly,
the ultimate failure of the narrator in finding and obtaining the key to his happiness and defeat
against societal norms will be contrasted with the greater successes of Santiago and Holly.

4. Tomova, L. Is Stress Affecting Our Ability to Tune into Others? Evidence for Gender
Differences in the Effects of Stress on Self-Other Distinction. Psychoneuroendocrinology,
vol. 43, issue 10, 2014, pp. 95104.
 Cao !3

According to psychologist L. Tomova, social interaction skills improve in women under

stress, while men respond to stress in a fight- or-flight manner and with increased egocentricity
and less adaptive regulation, delineating the genetic and developmental contrast between
women and men and its influence on their behaviors and attitudes during difficult situations. In
other words, women are able to handle stress emotionally than men can. This finding may
explain why Holly from Breakfast at Tiffanys is able to accept herself and continue to pursue her
interests despite the harsh struggles of surviving as an outlier against conservative societal norms
while the narrator from Araby ultimately falls into despair and hopelessly gives up his ideals as a
result of his powerlessness in a stagnant and unpromising society. Similarly, though Santiago
from The Alchemist ultimately fulfills his dream of achieving his personal legend, he
encountered numerous experiences in which he failed to handle the obstacles in his path and was
on the edge of giving up his ideals. Therefore, the discrepancies in gender play large roles in
determining the ideals, values, and actions of all the characters. The genetic and developmental
differences between male and females are utilized in my paper to portray the importance of
gender in shaping our beliefs, behaviors, and ultimate success.

5. Wunrow, Zachary B. Holly Golightly and the Endless Pursuit of Self-Actualization in

'Breakfast at Tiffanys." Inquiries Journal, vol. 6, no.9, 2014, pp. 1-3.

Wunrow emphasizes the nonconformity of Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffanys by

Truman Copote. The independence, unstable, and nonorthodox lifestyle of Holly causes her to
become an outcast of her society due to her inability to fit within the social standards of a proper
woman during the nineteenth century. Thus, Holly successfully challenges popular opinion and
revolutionizes the role of women during that time period. Furthermore, Wunrow highlights
Hollys avoidance of a settlement and stability as well as her extreme reluctance of jeopardizing
personal freedom, which portray her desire to live her passion and ultimately discover and
express her true identity. In other words, despite the disadvantages and obstacles encountered,
Holly continues to live as an independent woman in search of her place in the world through
pursuing self-actualization and her dreams. In addition, Wunrow illustrates Hollys changes in
identity as she elevates herself on the social ladder and as she experiences emotional challenges
throughout the story. In my paper, Hollys challenge of societal standards and the perceived roles
of women during the nineteenth century will be compared to the tough journeys of both the
narrator from Araby and Santiago from The Alchemist. For example, though each character
experiences varying obstacles along his or her journey, all three stories involve common themes
such as pursuit of dreams, freedom, resilience, and self-discovery.
 Cao !4

6. You, Xuqun. Age Differences in the Influence of Induced Negative Emotion on Decision-
Making: The Role of Emotion Regulation. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2017.

Xuquns study showed that, compared to younger adults, decision-making among older
adults was less influenced by negative emotions. According to their findings, older adults tend to
maintain their emotional well-being and have better emotion regulation. As a result, adults are
less susceptible to the influence and consequences of negative emotion than younger adults are.
Furthermore, the study illustrates that older adults have been discovered to behave in a more
calm and effective manner than younger adults when challenged with obstacles such as negative
emotions and situations. This immense difference in stress management between varying age
groups can possibly explain why young adults such as Santiago from The Alchemist and Holly
from Breakfast at Tiffanys were able to continue to fight towards their dreams and delineated
greater success in their journeys while young teenagers such as the narrator from Araby was
unable to cope with hardships and adversity during his unfruitful search for freedom and change
in his society. This strong correlation between age and the ability to handle stress is used in my
paper to portray the significance of age in maintaining our emotional well-being, and decision
making, and ultimate success.