Final Blog

Fences is a very dramatic play in which family and friends of the protagonist Troy face hardships and dramas that ultimately affect the relationship between everyone in the play. Troy is a hardworking character with a wonderful family that he inflicts his stubborn ideas of morality. This affects a lot of his relationships especially with his son Cory. Troy often acts as if he knows the path Cory should take and it often leads to conflict. Eventually their father son relationship is smashed. Troy did not want for this to happen because he felt that he was simply looking out for his son against the harsh realities of life being a black man. Troy also cheats on his wife with another woman and ends up impregnating the other woman. This also leads to more conflict with Troy’s wife, Rose who does find out about Troy’s hypocritical actions. The woman who Troy was having an affair with dies after giving birth and Rose decides to take the child and raise it as her own. I personally, would never wanted to see Troy again if I were Rose and nonetheless raise the child as my own. However, Rose is a very caring mother to all even those who are biologically not hers. She is the typical Brady bunch mom with a big heart and tons of understanding for her children. Troy also has a best friend named Bono. Troy and Bono share a lot in common especially in terms of their pasts. They also both work as garbage men in a time when African Americans were still not treated with the full amount of respect that they not only need but deserve. In conclusion, this story leaves me, the reader, wondering about what life has in store for me and if it is as dramatic as the stories that I have encountered in this English class. Overall, this is my final blog and I did enjoy it. Perhaps now I will start my own blog on something else because this blog has opened my eyes to my enjoyment of writing.

Final Blog

Fences is a very dramatic play in which family and friends of the protagonist Troy face hardships and dramas that ultimately affect the relationship between everyone in the play. Troy is a hardworking character with a wonderful family that he inflicts his stubborn ideas of morality. This affects a lot of his relationships especially with his son Cory. Troy often acts as if he knows the path Cory should take and it often leads to conflict. Eventually their father son relationship is smashed. Troy did not want for this to happen because he felt that he was simply looking out for his son against the harsh realities of life being a black man. Troy also cheats on his wife with another woman and ends up impregnating the other woman. This also leads to more conflict with Troy’s wife, Rose who does find out about Troy’s hypocritical actions. The woman who Troy was having an affair with dies after giving birth and Rose decides to take the child and raise it as her own. I personally, would never wanted to see Troy again if I were Rose and nonetheless raise the child as my own. However, Rose is a very caring mother to all even those who are biologically not hers. She is the typical Brady bunch mom with a big heart and tons of understanding for her children. Troy also has a best friend named Bono. Troy and Bono share a lot in common especially in terms of their pasts. They also both work as garbage men in a time when African Americans were still not treated with the full amount of respect that they not only need but deserve. In conclusion, this story leaves me, the reader, wondering about what life has in store for me and if it is as dramatic as the stories that I have encountered in this English class. Overall, this is my final blog and I did enjoy it. Perhaps now I will start my own blog on something else because this blog has opened my eyes to my enjoyment of writing.

shiloh

When I first saw the assignment said to read “Shiloh”, I immediately thought of the story with a young boy and his dog. I was wrong. Bobbie Ann Mason’s “Shiloh” is a very different story. The story is a very depressing one about a couple’s marriage that is about to end. There are several signs that foreshadow Norma Jean’s decision to leave Leroy. For example, Norma Jean is always exercising or eating healthy. I have noticed that a lot of the time whenever someone I know is about to break up with someone or they just get dumped they start to care about their appearance and do various things to not only improve their life but keep themselves busy. Norma Jean seems to be doing exactly that throughout the short story. Leroy also knows it because he notices the changes in Norma Jean and the distance between them. The couple got together at a young age and their infant, Randy, died of SIDS. This awful event still haunts Norma Jean and Leroy years afterwards. Randy is always talking about his son to strangers. The ironic thing is that Norma Jean and Leroy never discuss Randy together. This is also a sign foreshadowing that their marriage is coming to an end because they have lost their open line of communication. They both are suffering from depression. Another thing I noticed about “Shiloh” is the influence traditional gender roles had on the outcome of the story. Generally speaking, men are the ones supporting the family while women stay at home. Now, Leroy is stuck at home and finding hobbies that traditionally women enjoy. It also seems a bit as if Leroy does not want a job because Norma Jean is the one finding jobs for him and he has excuses for why he should not do them. Norma Jean also seems fed up with the fact that she is working and Leroy is not.

Shiloh

When I first saw the assignment said to read “Shiloh”, I immediately thought of the story with a young boy and his dog. I was wrong. Bobbie Ann Mason’s “Shiloh” is a very different story. The story is a very depressing one about a couple’s marriage that is about to end. There are several signs that foreshadow Norma Jean’s decision to leave Leroy. For example, Norma Jean is always exercising or eating healthy. I have noticed that a lot of the time whenever someone I know is about to break up with someone or they just get dumped they start to care about their appearance and do various things to not only improve their life but keep themselves busy. Norma Jean seems to be doing exactly that throughout the short story. Leroy also knows it because he notices the changes in Norma Jean and the distance between them. The couple got together at a young age and their infant, Randy, died of SIDS. This awful event still haunts Norma Jean and Leroy years afterwards. Randy is always talking about his son to strangers. The ironic thing is that Norma Jean and Leroy never discuss Randy together. This is also a sign foreshadowing that their marriage is coming to an end because they have lost their open line of communication. They both are suffering from depression. Another thing I noticed about “Shiloh” is the influence traditional gender roles had on the outcome of the story. Generally speaking, men are the ones supporting the family while women stay at home. Now, Leroy is stuck at home and finding hobbies that traditionally women enjoy. It also seems a bit as if Leroy does not want a job because Norma Jean is the one finding jobs for him and he has excuses for why he should not do them. Norma Jean also seems fed up with the fact that she is working and Leroy is not.

Half and Half

Amy Tan’s “Half and Half’ is an emotional story in the heart of racism, family issues, and regret. All of which are reoccurring in the stories I have been reading in this English class. The story has several forms of conflict. The four most featured in the story is racism, religious issues, regret, and of course a failing marriage. The story, unlike many that I have studied, shows the effects racism has on people other than African Americas. The narrator, Rose, is a Chinese American while her husband is white. This caused many people, including their very families, to disagree with such a match. Religiously speaking the mother in the story lost her faith after a very terrible and unfortunate event happened while the family was on vacation years before. The mother fought so hard to bring her son back and had the uttermost faith he would until it did not happen. He drowned and disappeared into the vast ocean. After such a tragedy, faith was no longer a part of the family. After the accident, everyone in the family was struck by guilt. In the present of the story, the main issue is the divorce taking place between Rose and her husband. Rose feels that trying to fix things is a waste of time. She also realizes that there were many signs that pointed out that their marriage would not work out in the slightest bit. Rose loved being depended on her husband and he loved being the decision maker. When the tables were turned, arguments became a normal thing and their relationship was tested. As the story shows, their marriage was not strong enough at the time to make it through tough times and find a spot to connect in the middle. Now, Rose must come face to face with her mother to deliver the shocking news.

Everyday Use

“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker is a short story about an African American family. The family faces several problems that are all put into play when Dee arrives to visit Mama and Maggie. Dee has lived an entirely different life than Maggie and Mama. Dee is a blessed young woman because she had the opportunity to go to school and become an educated member of society. However, an education has caused Dee to forget about family and her very own heritage. Dee thinks that by wearing traditional African clothing, changing her name to an African name, and greeting the family with some expression in an African language that she is keeping her “heritage” alive. However, Dee is sadly mistaken. The story goes on to prove this by showing Dee’s lack of regard for the quilts and other family items that have been passed down from member to member of her family. Maggie and Mama are entirely different from Dee. They have not been well educated and are used to a simplistic yet financially hard lifestyle. Neither of them cares a lot about what is going on in the world around them. Maggie and Mama both UNDERSTAND their heritage. They remember how to make quilts and how to use the items that Dee wanted to take with her. Mama and Maggie both seem to be humble. Dee, on the other hand, seems arrogant in the way that she boasts her education around the place. She talks to Mama and Maggie in a condescending tone as if they are not smart enough to understand what Dee is talking to them about. Walker seems to want to show the reader two major things. The first thing is that heritage does not have to be about an entire country but rather about family traditions in themselves. The second thing is that education is a helpful and unhelpful thing for people. It’s helpful because it gives them an open mind to things but it also takes away from the simple things of life.

"I Stand Here Ironing"

“I Stand Here Ironing” is one of the most depressing stories that I have read in a while. The story takes place as the narrator of the story, Emily’s mom, is on the phone with someone. The person on the line seems to be concerned about Emily’s behavior. As the mother tries to justify herself she takes a trip down memory lane to see the entire truth. Emily was the first child of the narrator. She was born during the Great Depression period. It seems as if times were really hard then and the mother could not financially take care of Emily. When the mother was finally able to take care of Emily, the mother often put her new husband and her new family instead of attending to Emily. At one point, Emily, was old enough for nursing school. During this time, Emily would constantly make up excuses for why she needed to stay home. The mother kept telling herself “ I know” but did not do anything about it. The story never directly says what happened at nursing school but it seems like it was abuse. Throughout Emily’s life she was faced with loneliness, abuse, and the hardships of not having a close relationship with anyone. All of that, plus moving a lot caused a lot of emotional damage to her. Emily’s mother seems to be feeling remorse because she did not do more for Emily. Emily seems to anorexic as well. The story also shows the hardships of being a mother. Presented to society as a rewarding experience the burden of carrying so many responsibilities is often not mentioned. The story tries to reveal that and the importance of having a loving relationship with one’s children. The mother, and Emily, both seem to have a lot of problems that they need to come in terms with.

Niki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni writes poetry in terms that easier to understand than most for me. The words she uses are simple, yet they convey a much larger meaning. For example, “Niki Rosa” is a short poem that has a lot of feeling yet it is not so difficult to understand. The narrator of the poem is trying to get across that even though times were bad she was happy. All of the “white folk” as she calls it think that just because they were poor or their parents sometimes fought that black people were miserable in childhood. To the narrator, it does not seem to be the case. She had her family and that was all that mattered to her. Her love is her wealth. “I’m not Lonely” is another of Niki Giovanni’s poems that seem simple yet the feelings were so strong in the poem. The narrator of the poem shows that she has grown stronger without the other person there with her. The poem never reveals who the other person is but I am guessing it was their significant other. The narrator had nightmares about that person leaving them but now that the other person is gone the bad dreams have went away. On the other hand, the poem could be saying that the narrator is lonely and in denial. The narrator has so much space in her bed and she is not scared. I think this poem could go either way. “Poem for Black Boys” is the final poem I read that has such a strong meaning. Living in such a harsh world makes the black boys she is talking about grow up too quickly. Instead of playing typical childhood games they are forced to grow up. However, the narrator emphasizes at the end they must learn to be their own heros and teach the older black people their new games.

Niki Giovanna

Nikki Giovanni writes poetry in terms that easier to understand than most for me. The words she uses are simple, yet they convey a much larger meaning. For example, “Niki Rosa” is a short poem that has a lot of feeling yet it is not so difficult to understand. The narrator of the poem is trying to get across that even though times were bad she was happy. All of the “white folk” as she calls it think that just because they were poor or their parents sometimes fought that black people were miserable in childhood. To the narrator, it does not seem to be the case. She had her family and that was all that mattered to her. Her love is her wealth. “I’m not Lonely” is another of Niki Giovanni’s poems that seem simple yet the feelings were so strong in the poem. The narrator of the poem shows that she has grown stronger without the other person there with her. The poem never reveals who the other person is but I am guessing it was their significant other. The narrator had nightmares about that person leaving them but now that the other person is gone the bad dreams have went away. On the other hand, the poem could be saying that the narrator is lonely and in denial. The narrator has so much space in her bed and she is not scared. I think this poem could go either way. “Poem for Black Boys” is the final poem I read that has such a strong meaning. Living in such a harsh world makes the black boys she is talking about grow up too quickly. Instead of playing typical childhood games they are forced to grow up. However, the narrator emphasizes at the end they must learn to be their own heros and teach the older black people their new games.

"Good Country People"

“Good Country People” is a short mind-bottling story that shows people are not always as they seem. The story begins misleading the reader to make them believe that the story is centered around Mrs. Freeman. However, the story is actually about Hugla . Hugla is a rebellious, “educated”, and very confused individual. She has a degree is philosophy but she does not seem to know anything about life or people. I find it ironic that she has such a degree but lacks common sense. Hugla tries so hard to be spiteful to her mom, Mrs. Hopewell. Hugla also has a heart condition. It seems to me as if Hugla is very desperate for attention but does not understand that negative attention is not the type she needs. One day a “bible salesman” shows up with a rather large pity story that everyone in the home believes. The salesman claims to have a heart condition as well. Hugla is immediately attracted to the boy; and she plans to meet with him in private. Everything seems to be going as smoothly as she wanted it to. However, the cards change when the salesman reveals his true self. His mask is revealed and it turns out he is a sick pervert who wants her wooden leg. It was foreshadowed from the beginning because he has such great interest in it. It turns out a “ country boy” outsmarted the highly intelligent Hugla. Hugla was abandoned by him in the barn in the top loft. He stole her wooden leg and Hugla was left to realize just how “smart” she truly is. This story reveals the uttermost dark side of people and how no one is what they seem or claim to be. The fact that Hugla had no faith in God also seems to play a big part in the story. Without faith in a higher power, Hugla sees life in a sort of black and white terms. She had to come to terms with the fact that she cannot survive on her own.

Week 13!!!

“Sonny’s Blues” is a short story that reveals to the reader the harsh realities of life for some people. These realities include drug addictions impact on family life as well as loosing someone very close. The narrator of the story is self-centered until he finds himself slapped in the face with the reality of what has happened to his brother Sonny as well as his own faults. The story begins with the narrator learning the awful news that Sonny is in jail. This news leads the narrator to a trip down memory lane. During this time, the narrator learns that Sonny’s problems have always been there. . However, the narrator has been too busy with his own life to intervene in Sonny’s life As a matter of fact, the narrator never even wrote to his brother in jail until his own daughter died. Sonny, like most men living in Harlem at the time, was pulled into the dark hole of a typical Harlem lifestyle. Drugs as well as living in poverty was a main issue most people faced. Sonny is the opposite of his brother the narrator. Sonny wants to go further than what he was born into yet, he lets the thing he doesn’t want the most to happen, happen. Sonny expresses his anxiety through his music. The main problem Sonny faces is his drug addiction. A temporary solution to a not so temporary problem is drugs to Sonny. The narrator of the story does eventually become close with Sonny after the death of his own daughter. Despite the flashbacks the narrator has, the narrator still chooses not to see the true root of Sonny’s problems or even who Sonny truly is at all. It is not until the very end of the story that the narrator finally opens his eyes. Sonny takes his brother to watch him play his jazz . It was not until this moment that the narrator saw his brother for the first time.





Randall Jarrel was a war veteran in the US Army Air Force. It is evident that impact war had on his very soul in his poem “Losses”. The word “dying” is used so much in the poem that it overtakes the reader’s emotions. It sends them on the exact mission of the narrator. The mission this time would be death or surviving. In order to survive they must kill people that they do not know. The narrator emphasizes that they do not know whom they are killing. At the same time, their existence is very bleak. They are just casualties or if they survive they get medals. The narrator gives the reader an insight to the poor sad lives of those who fought in war. Jarrel also mentions dreaming in a lot of his poems. It seems that if dreaming is his only escape from the ever reoccurring theme of death. Death is not to be taken literally, however. Death is more like a heavy weight lifted from him because the life he is living is like dying anyways. The first two poems are definitely the darker of the three that I read.War seems to be a popular subject to write about. The final poem titled “ Girl in a Library” is surprisingly different from the other two. This poem seems to be a descriptive poem at first but after reading it a second time I realized more of what was actually going on in the poem. The poem shows a girl who does not realize her potential. She is very boring and simple. Although, the girl seems to be an average girl with little educational comprehension she is eventually given respect from the narrator.



Sylvia Plath definitely knew how to touch hands with the darker side of life. Each of her writings seem to give me the chills as I read them. “Lady Lazarus” was the first poem I read. To me, it seems as if this is a poem about her repeatedly trying to kill herself. She claims she is a cat with nine lives. The first time it happened was an accident but the rest were on purpose. The doctors are her enemies. This is some pretty grotesque writing. I would have assumed that her husband or someone else she was close to would have known the signs that something was not quiet right with her. It would be interesting to know what she thought about and how she behaved. The way Plath uses the German language in her poems also give them that eerie atmosphere. Although the poems are very dark they seem to lure me in. I couldn’t help but reread them over again just to try to understand or put the poem down. “Daddy” is an even darker poem to me. Plath seems to innocent in the beginning then she goes on to her normal outrageous writing style. She uses a lot of references to the war that was going on during her life. Perhaps, her father fought in the war. She does not seem to think the war is right and seems angry at her father for fighting in it and dying for an unjust cause. I am not too sure though interpreting poetry has always been a weakness of mine. I did notice that she referenced to her trying to kill herself in both poems. Perhaps dying is what she wants to do. She claims it was a calling for her in the first poem I read.

A Raisin in the Sun

“A Raisin in the Sun” is one of the most easily related to pieces of literature that I have read this far into the semester. This play is very touching in ways that it shows people of races what it is like to live in poverty but also shows people who are struggling with poverty that there is always hope. The play takes place in a time when African Americans were still not given the respect they deserve. It is evident when the Youngers decide to buy their dream home in an all-white neighborhood. In a sad reality the local people in the neighborhood object to the idea of having an all black family move into their snowy white neighborhood. The Youngers were offered a nice sum of money to not move into their dream home. However, at the end of the story the Youngers do move into the home regardless of what the locals want. The play is focused around the family and all their conflicts and dreams that surround them. There is a lot of drama that happens like struggling with poverty. The family shares a small two bedroom “house” with only one window. Being poor affects a lot of the choices the family makes in the play. For example, because of the financial situation the family is in Ruth considers getting an abortion when she discovers she is pregnant. Walter is blind by the idea that money will buy happiness and he struggles throughout the play to come up with something that will give the family instant money. He also loses a great deal of money to a so-called “friend” thinking that he was investing to get rich. Beneatha, too, is feels the affect of the family’s current financial situation. She dreams of becoming a doctor but she needs money to continue with her schooling.

The Rest of week 11

The Man who was Almost a Man is the story of a young man named Dave who had a messed up idea of what it is to be a man. He was a poor black boy that worked in the fields every day. His pay was not given to him but to his mother. Dave begins the story talking about how he deserves to buy something with his money. Afterall, Dave had been working very hard. Unfortunately, the item Dave wanted to buy was a gun. He bought the gun from a man named Joe at the store after persuading his mom that he was buying the gun for his father. The way Joe thought did not seem rational. It was as if he had the body of a man but the mind of a child. Dave was very emotionally unstable which was the main conflict of the story. Noone saw Dave as a man because of this. Dave’s undying desire to be called “a man” led him to make poor decisions. Dave’s entire perception of what a man is supposed to be is wrong. Dave thought that being feared is what makes a man. Perhaps this is because his father beats him which is mentioned in the story. Either way, the longing to be feared caused Dave to go on a shooting rampage late one night. He often thought bizarre thoughts about shooting at Mr. Hawkins house. Mr. Hawkins is the man Dave worked for and also the owner of the mule that Dave accidently shot. In the end, Dave runs away on a train in hopes to find a place where he can be a man. Becoming a man is a natural thing that is emphasized in many cultures throughout the world. If only Dave would have had the right idea of what a man truly is he would not have gotten himself in such a sticky situation. Dave acted completely childish by lying, playing with a gun, and running away from home. All of his characteristics were making him not be a “man”.


Powerhouse by Eudora Welty is a short story that takes the reader into a wondrous new place. That place is the audience of an eccentric colored musician named Powerhouse. It is in this short story that readers alike go into the amazing world of early African American music as well as glance at the harsh realities of racism. This short story uses lots of vivid imagery as well as interesting comparisons to show one what “Powerhouse” and his band were really like. Welty says, “There’s no one in the world like him”, talking about Powerhouse. She also describes him based on racist things that people have characterized various categories of people. For example, she says that Powerhouse “ looks more like a Asiatic,monkey,Jewish,Babylonian,Peruvian,fanatic,devil”. Powerhouse really get’s into the music he is playing as if in a trance. The music that Powerhouse plays is Jazz. Jazz was an important part of African American’s lives. If once looks deeper into the story there is a darker side to such a light-hearted story. There is afterall, the constant talk of the telegram that said “ You’re wife is dead”. It makes me wonder whether or not his wife is really dead. The way the various band members talk it seems as if she might be alive and has just wondered away some other place. This story was hard for me to understand. Out of everything I have read this semester, Powerhouse is definitely the most complicated thing for me. I understand that Powerhouse is a laid back guy that continues to play his music despite everything that is going on in his life.

Flight

Flight written by John Steinbeck is a story surrounding a young man named Pepe. Pepe grew up on a beautiful peaceful farm with his mother and two siblings. Pepe’s father is absent in the story. He is said to have died years before. The death of Pepe’s father seems to play an important role in Pepe’s actions. For example, Pepe always carries his father’s knife with him and is always playing with it in some manner like throwing it into a post. Pepe is constantly saying “ I am a man” to Mama. However, Mama is very condescending toward Pepe and calls him a “peanut” or a “chicken”. The fact that Pepe is constantly struggling with his mother to prove that he is a man may have influence on Pepe’s decisions. Pepe made a horrible decision on the night his mother asked him to go into town and get medicine and salt. While he was in town, Pepe drank wine and got into a quarrel with another drunken man. The fight did not end well because Pepe stabbed the other man. This led to the main plot of the story where Pepe goes on a journey to try to stay alive despite people coming after him for his childish actions. The journey itself brings about much paranoia and obstacles.Flight has a lot of foreshadowing. At the beginning of the story, the knife seems to play an important role. A knife is used to cutting things open, tearing things apart, and even killing. The knife seems to symbolize Pepe being torn apart from his family and his innocence. When Pepe left to town I was very much aware that something bad was going to happen. Throughout Pepe’s adventure in the forest I had a feeling that the story would end in death. I actually noticed that most literature that is required to read in school whether it be high school or college ends in some type of tragedy. The entire short story has many vivid details about the setting which includes not only the farm but the nearby beach and the forested mountains. The details are the only thing to brighten such a melancholy story.

week 10

Langston Hughes wrote poetry and stories about African Americans that were slaves or were in some sort of trouble. His short story “ On the Road” tells the story of an unemployed large African American visiting a minister. Sargeant is the African American’s name. He is living a very poor life because he has no money and no one to help him. He is cold and hungry and has no home. It is snowing. The minister who is supposed to be a man of God shuts the door in his face after telling Sargeant to go to the homeless shelter. The problem is all the homeless shelters are full. This short story reveals the cruel reality that many innocent people had to face then and still have to face today. The only difference between then and now is that people aren’t discriminated against because of the color of their skin. Sargeant goes to another church and hits the door frantically trying to get help. Several members of the town try to get Sargeant away from the church but Sargeant refuses to move until he finally pulls the church down. In a dreamstate Sargeant dreams that he met Jesus and had a conversation with him as well as visits a train yard. He eventually wakes up to find himself in jail. This short story, like Langston’s poetry really helps readers of today learn about the cruel treatment that African American people underwent during early American history. Hughes, like many other African Americans and civil rights activists believed that all people were created equal. In his amazing poem “Question” Hughes makes an amazing statement that everyone is equal in death. Race does not matter when life is over on this Earth. Money means nothing in the eyes of death. Rich or cotton picker it doesn’t matter Hughes says we all go to the same place when we die.

The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber is a short story by Ernest Hemingway that leaves the reader wondering what exactly was Hemingway trying to show the audience? At first, it seems as if Hemingway is portraying women as problems to men. The main characters of the story are Macomber, his wife Margot, and their tour guide Wilson. Macomber obviously has many problems with his wife Margot. Margot demoralizes her husband by making fun of his fear of a lion as well as leaving the bed while he is sleeping to join the tour guide in a display of intimacy. The betrayal goes even further at the end of the story when Macomber comes face to face with death and his wife shoots him in the back of the head. It is not clear whether or not Margot shot Macomber on purpose. However, given the state of their relationship it seems as if it was a cold blooded murder which leads me to believe that Hemingway wrote this story to reveal the hardships of a intimate relationship and the insanity that very well could take over a person in a rocky relationship. There is also the fact that Margot was hysterical at the end of the story as she pleaded with Wilson to stop with his sarcastic insensitive remarks. Margot was not entirely a villain. She had to deal with the slightly arrogant Macomber who up until their visit to the safari thought of himself as a top of the world man. Margot may have been trying to save Macomber when she shot him. He was afterall, about to be charged by one of Africa’s powerful beasts. When Macomber came face to face with the wild untamed forces of nature his arrogance faded and he became a sad man trying to survive the hardships of nature and a relationship that was falling apart. He was a character trying to once again be on top of things after he was embarrassed by the lion incident. Wilson is a cold apathetic character. It seems as if he is always trying to add more trouble to the already dying relationship between the Macombers. For example, after he sleeps with Macomber’s wife he tells Macomber that he should control his wife and make her stay in camp. He always seems to be contributing to the problems. At the end of the story he seems to find the death of Macomber funny.

Barn Burning is a short story by William Falkner in which one of the main characters, Sartoris, is forced to make decisions about what’s right and wrong all on his own. His father , Abner Snopes, has a non-traditional way of seeing justice. Perhaps Snopes suffers from some type of personality disorder. The constant conflict between Sartoris and his father leads to the burning of more than just a barn. It leads to the burning of a family. I think the burning barn symbolizes the relationship between one boy and his family. It is Sartoris’s own morals and understandings that allow him to make the right decision to go against his father’s rebellious unethical ways; and stand up for what is right. Sartoris knew that his father did burn the barn and was about to burn another. He felt obligated to keep his secrets to himself because it was his family he was going up against. Snopes is a abusive and selfish man. In my eyes, he is not even a father to Sartoris. Snopes tries to turn Sartoris into a spitting image of himself but it does not work. Sartoris ran away from his horrible so – called father and warns de Spain of his father’s evil plan. Sartoris loves his father. However, Sartoris’s instincts led him to make the decision that led to his father being shot. Sartoris is left alone at the end of the story listening to the only thing that is real to him- nature. Sartoris did not want to hurt his family but he wanted an end to all the drama he had to endure everyday living with his deranged father. A lot of people have to come to terms with what is right. Too often what is taught to children is not what is morally right.

Their Eyes were Watching God

The title Their Eyes were Watching God refers to the uncontrollable forces that are present in everyone’s life. Hurston depicts nature as a godly force, but not in the religious meaning. Although Janie is on a journey to find her voice, there are no religious references throughout the novel. For example, Granny’s sorrow and pain pushes Janie into a marriage based on status, not love. Janie is constantly struggling to make her grandmother happy, but her voice is much too strong to be unheard. Her heart guides her away from her first husband, Logan, because she felt no love for him. Logan used his power and material objects to bribe Janie to become an obedient. Janie breaks away from the force of Logan and moves on to her second husband, Jody. When Janie first met Jody he promised her all the things she has ever coveted, such as love, power, and expensive clothes. Janie sees hope for her future and decides that she needs to take control of her life, but she is appalled by control. Janie must have independence. Jody gained all the power he wanted. He built a whole African American town and became major. Janie assumed that she would find fulfillment in being the mayor’s wife, but instead she found more oppression. Even on Jody’s death bed, Janie persistently expressed her negative emotions toward him. The next force or “god” in the novel is her love for Tea Cake. Love is the most powerful force this is shown through her devotion to Tea Cake even after he leaves her one night and takes her money. Their relationship endures the hard times and they live happily in the Everglades socializing and farming. The last of the force is Mother Nature’s wrath, the hurricane that changed the lives of Janie and Tea Cake forever. Tea Cake has too much arrogance to admit that he can’t defeat the power of nature. Of course, he doesn’t learn this until after the devastation. A rabid dog bites Tea Cake, and he becomes insane. The power of rabies overcame his senses. Tea Cake becomes delirious and believes that Janie is cheating on him. He beats her to death and attempts to shoot her, but she takes the last stand and ends his life with a bullet.

These are the God’s that the characters are watching. They are not god, but forces of nature whether it be natural disasters or flaws in human nature. Throughout the book Janie is on a spiritual journey, not only to find peace, but to find her voice and use it properly. She aims to be strong willed, but she also longs to achieve the perfect balance. Language is an art that must be perfected. By the end of the novel, Janie has learned to communicate with others, speak her mind, and find inner peace within her.

There is a sense of community that stays with Janir throughout her life, she never forgets her past, but builds upon it to open doors to enlightenment. Each marriage represents a different time in Janie’s life. Her first marriage was based around her idealized concept of instantly falling in love. Her second marriage represents the fulfillment of her dreams and sense of adventure. Her last marriage with Tea Cake represents true happiness, love, and completion of self.

The social construct of racism are evident throughout the very beginning of the book. For instance, her fellow black peers teased Janie when she was young because she lived in the white folks back yard and had nicer clothes than the other African American children. Logan, her first husband, also comments that she is too high strung and acts as if she is white. The idea that black people restrain their own capabilities of progress is also apparent. Whenever Janie first moves to town one man comments that it’s the black folks who hold their selves back because they are always jealous of what others have. At the same time, whenever Janie is on trial for murder an all white male jury finds her innocent. Her own black friends shun her, while the white women sympathize with her. The ideals of race are very complex throughout the book, but it is obvious that Hurston intended to get the message across that everyone is equal. For example, whenever Janie is describing her child she recalls the first time she ever noticed she was black. She had no idea where she was in the photograph until the other children pointed it out. The idea of race is not as important as the idea that human beings create our own social constructs, not just based on race, but status and gender as well. The men in Janie’s life try to control her, but her strong willed spirit prevails and she returns home to her community with peace in her heart and experience behind her belt.

Week 8 Blog part 1

John Redding Goes to Sea

John Redding Goes to Sea is a tragic short story in which the main character, John Redding, faces a battle between his longings and what his loved ones want for him. Throughout the entire short story there was something about John that was different than everyone else. He wanted to travel and see the world. His mother, a static character, with a typical personality thinks that her son has been bewitched and that is why he wants to travel. She cannot open her eyes to the fact that her son is an individual. John’s father is a dynamic character who supports his son. He wants his son’s dreams to come true. John Redding’s uniqueness is a surprise to the traditional homebody community. John Redding is very intelligent and as he grows older it shows. His dialect changes from the standard southern African American dialect to that of a well educated individual. John Redding eventually marries a young woman after a very short amount of time. However, his desire to see the world never ends. This desire causes conflict amongst John and the women characters of the story. His father still supports him. One night, John decidesthat he is going to see the world regardless of what his wife or mother says. His mother reacts in a cruel way that sends pain deep into John’s heart. The irony of the story is that the very night the fight happened John left to help work on a bridge. A terrible storm came and it caused the death of John Redding. John Redding’s dream did come true, but only in death. A desperate mother and wife beg the other workers to collect John’s lifeless body. The only supporter of John’s dreams, his father, says for them to leave him alone.

A Wagner Martinee
A Wagner Martinee is a short story with various themes and a darker yet love filled atmosphere. The narrator of the story is a man named Clark. Clark begins the story with news of his aunt Georgiana’s visit. This short story is based around the visit of Georgiana and the lesson’s she teaches Clark. Georgiana is a poor woman with little in her life. She was not always that way. Her words she says to Clark and her basic appearance reveal her depression. Clark takes Georgiana to the opera to try to cheer her up. It does more than that. It sends her into tears because she does not want to leave. Georgiana faced a lot of changes when she decided to leave. Her life went from having money to do anything to living in poverty- where every dime counts. This dramatic change gave her nephew, Clark, new insight to the affects decisions can make on one’s life. Clark sees how his aunt Georgiana had so many things in her life she once loved such as music. However, by eloping she lost it all and had to adjust to some major life changing events like poverty. She went from living an easy life in Boston to a hard life in Nebraska. Her new life on the farm is less than gorgeous. She has a down right pitiful home. The weather in her new home is described with quiet detail. The weather itself could be comparing the way the decision Georgiana made and how it has changed her. She was once young and beautiful and now she is old with dramatic changes in her appearance such as false teeth. Although the story seems short it has a lot of deeper meaning. The deeper meaning is especially shown in the age old saying that decisions should not come lightly.

Robert Frost

Robert Frost is perhaps one of my favorite poets that I have discovered in my education thus far. His nature themed poems with a dark edge to many delight my senses. If I had to pick a favorite it would definitely be "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". I love this poem because of it's wonderful imagery. I recall when I was a kid sitting in the doctor’s office when I saw a painting of a man in the woods with a horse on a snowy evening. I often imagine the man from the poem to be the same man in the painting. I often think about Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken". I guess it's due to the fact that I am often second guessing myself. I love the imagery in this poem as well. I also like the fact that Frost leaves the reader guessing whether the road one takes truly matters. It also makes me think a bit about fate and whether or not it exists. “ Mending Wall” is another of Frost’s poems that I really enjoyed. I think the wall is symbolizing protection for the neighbor while it is prison for the other narrator. The wall stops the narrator from feeling complete freedom. The poem “After Apple-Picking” suggests more than just a tired old men exhausted from a day of picking apple. If one looks deeper into the poem the imagery such as the ladder on the ground , the half-filled barrels, and the narrators thoughts at the end of the poem suggests that the man questions whether what he is feeling is normal. The imagery shows a darker scene instead of simply an old man picking apples. It takes a lot of rereading for me to truly point out the imagery and the underlying meaning of Robert Frost’s poetry but it’s worth it.

The awakening

The Awakening is a traumatic story of a woman named Edna. Edna finds herself in a whirlwind of emotions that dramatically change her life and all those around her. At the beginning of the novel Edna is an ordinary married woman with children. However, that all takes a quick turn when she meets a man named Robert. They spend most of their time on the beach. During this time Edna begins to feel differently about life and who she is. Being around Robert just like being around the sea makes her feel free in a way she had not experienced before. Edna begins to rebel against society and it’s standards for woman. She does this by leaving her husband, getting her own place, having an affair, and spending lots of time painting. Her sudden change in lifestyle begins to have it’s toll on her especially after her true love Robert leaves. The departure of Robert and the chaos she has created for herself causes her to commit suicide. I think of this as a tragedy. Edna was finally free but at what cost? There were plenty of alternative methods that she could have taken such as seeking a divorce. The novel foreshadowed that she would kill herself in the midst of the sea. She often described it as beautiful and seductive. I think the sea was symbolizing Robert.

The Yellow Wallpaper

The Yellow Wallpaper is a daughting tale of a young woman who is a victim of circumstance. She was born in an unfortunate time when cures were often diseases. She begins the story as an average woman who recently had a child. She mistakenly thinks that the visit to her new “home” will be a pleasant one. To her surprise, she looses the bit of sanity she had. The narrator is the young woman in the story who suffers from postpartum depression. She is given the bed rest cure often described for other woman during the Victorian Era. I believe the bed rest cure is a horrific display of masculine control during this time. It is often sad to believe that new mothers had to endure such an unethical “treatment”. It makes me very thankful to know that I was fortunate enough to be born in a generation full of medical advances so I never will have to forgo this barbaric treatment. It does not surprise me that the narrator loses her sanity. It is obvious when she begins to lose her sanity because the way she speaks in no longer proper as it was at the beginning of this short story. Her words and sentences no longer made sense after she started losing her sanity. The yellow wallpaper represents the freedom that not only the narrator needed and wanted but it also represents the freedom that all women deserve. Ironically, the wallpaper could also be seen as a prison. The peculiar thing about this story is that the narrator has a hard time seeing that it is her husband’s fault that she is placed in the room with the yellow wallpaper. The ending is definitely my favorite part of the story because it reveals the complete madness the narrator has become.

The poetry of Emily Dickinson

When I think of poetry the first name that comes to my mind is Emily Dickinson. I admire her work because she makes it completely her own. Conventional rules mean absolutely nothing to her and that is one of the main reasons I love her work. Despite the fact that she was often condescended by editors of her time she continued to write beautiful poetry for the sheer enjoyment of it. That is what I consider a poet. One of my favorite poems she wrote is number 712. The couple of lines in the poem are what attracted my attention. “ Because I could not stop for Death--- He kindly stopped for me”. I love the way this poem looks at death as more of a gentlemen than someone to be afraid of. Another poem that I really admire is number 632. This poem she compares the brain to several things including the sky, the sea, and the weight of God. She often talks about the brain in her work. I think the fact that she always talks about the brain in her poems shows that she was not only a very introverted person but she often pondered about the marvelous ability the human brain has. With just a speck of imagination one can take themselves to a completely new world full of whatever one chooses. I too am interested in the amazing abilities the mind has. I also find that Emily's use of metaphors is superb. The way she takes emotions and makes them concrete and beautiful is a far more valued skill to me than sticking to society's ideas of how things should be written. I have noticed that all of the writing we have read this week were somehow connected to peace and nature sprinkled with some darkness.

A White Heron

Sarah Orne Jewett's short story “ A White Heron” is a serene story that takes one to an entirely different time and place. The story is about a young girl by the name of Sylvia who lives a classic lifestyle on a farm with her grandmother. She finds common ground with nature and it is in nature that she confines herself. Sylvia takes her cow out on walks and milks her everyday. One a particular journey she comes across a stranger in her path. A young man with a handsome face who ends up crashing at her home for a couple of nights. During this time, Sylvia discovers she has a lot in common with this hunter---or so she thought. They both have a love for birds but in an entirely different way. Sylvia loves to observe birds and leave them unharmed. The rambling young man enjoys hunting birds and mounting them on his wall. Sylvia is faced with a decision to reveal the whereabouts of a mysterious white heron in the region to the young man or to keep the birds secret a secret. This is the main conflict between city value and rural value. It clearly demonstrates that Sylvia longs to keep her tradition alive. She has no interest in showing off birds that she has killed. The story glorifies nature in many ways. For example, Sylvia climbs the highest old tree in the forest to be able to stare at the remarkable beauty of the sea. The imagery that is present throughout the story shows readers the beauty of nature that is untouched by mankind. I can understand why this story is sometimes called a conservation story because the great lengths the story goes to provide the audience with a never ending morale that nature should be left to take care of itself.

A New England Nun

New England Nun

Freeman's short story “New England Nun” is my most favorable read out of the assignments for the week. I found it to be more interesting and full of emotions. The protagonist, Louisa, lived a simple and complex lifestyle all at the same time. A woman with grace and delicacy she waited on her fiance for fourteen years. Over time, Louisa began to lose interest in more than Joe. She lost interest in the thoughts of changing her already enjoyable lifestyle. I had no idea that Louisa and Joe were even a couple from the sounds of their conversations. It was evident that their relationship was lacking passion. I suppose society put high standards in the time this story was written on keeping promises of marriage. It took a lot of courage for Louisa to make a decision to end a relationship that she knew would not be promising for her or Joe. The dog, bear, and canary all reveal important information about the protagonists personality. They each show how she has an underlying desire for freedom. To be married takes away her freedom. I often ponder about the same thing myself. I do not believe that Louisa is entirely nun-like. She chooses to live her life the way she does because she enjoys it. It's about the freedom to live the way she desires. Just because the protagonist likes to live her life in a peaceful,routine, and quiet environment does not make her a nun. The fact that she did live just a simple lifestyle helped me to relax while reading the story. Today's society is so fast paced it is a difficult task for me to even focus to read when I have so many other things that need to be done. I would love to spend a day in Louisa's shoes.

Response to Huck Finn

When I began reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I knew that this would be a book unlike any I had ever read before. The issue of slavery had never been something I was interested in because it reveals how unorthodox people can be. Although it's essential to remember the past so it won't be repeated, I choose not to dwell on it.
I was surprised by the various issues the book addressed. Huck did alot more than experience an awespiring adventure as he journeyed down that river. He managed to stay true to himself despite what other people wanted.Huck remained the beautiful young boy that saw good in people even though he had experienced the worst. For example, Huck's father was a pathetic excuse for a father. Pap was what Huck called his father. Pap spent all of his life drinking and causing trouble. Huck still loved his father even though his father had not shown Huck the love he deserved. I often see the exact same thing happening with people who I have interacted with in my life.The character Jim was a very acceptable father figure in for Huck in my eyes. Jim still was there for Huck in ways that a father would be. He treated Huck with respect and shared his knowledge with him.The only problem was the fact that Jim was a slave.
Society at the time was very corrupt. Twain often shows this by exposing citizens attitudes toward slavery. The town Huck formerly lived in put a great reward for Jim and even blamed him for the "death" of Huck. Huck puts aside all that he has learned by helping Jim. This I think is one of the most important themes Twain wanted to address. Twain understood that sometimes what is considered the right thing to do by society is not always the right thing to do. I believe that is one of the main reasons the book became such a success. All people should learn from Huck and other great characters in books throughout history.

Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Rebecca Tester. Reading is one of those things that I enjoy when I  take the time to finish a book. However, reading is simply not one of my favorite things to do. When I do read, I enjoy a wide variety of books and articles.  Dan Millman's Peaceful Warrior Saga are my favorite books of all time. I really enjoy inspiration fiction. When it comes to nonfiction I love to learn about nature, famous people and what they did, as well as any and everything I do not know enough information about. I look forward to reading the assignments for this class. Most of the assigned works I have not read before.