I have read many of Amy Tan's writings, and I must say she is a very important spokesperson for the dynamics of the Chinese-American family that has immigrated to the U.S.. The children acclimate to their new environment much easier than the elders of the family This puts a huge strain on all the family members involved. This is a recurrent theme in her writings.
The story we read this week by Amy Tan was titled Half and Half. On the surface this story is about a young woman who is going through a divorce, and her hesitancy to share with her mother for fear of reprisal. If you look deeper though, you see a story about faith, fate, and the stressed relationship between a mother and a daughter who might as well be worlds apart. Through the story within the story about the tragic death of the main characters younger brother while on an outing to the seaside we are able to clearly define the moment the mother loses her faith. She tries everything she can think of to try and bring her boy back from the ocean. She tries christian prayer, oriental mysticism, and it isn't until the inner tube she has thrown into the water is pulverized by the rocks and waves that she finally gives up and goes home. From then on, her little bible can be seen under the too short table leg which to an outsider is seen as sacrilegious and strange, but even now after all the years she still makes sure the bible is clean and free of dust. Perhaps this is a symbol of the last vestiges of hope the mother has. I think deep down somewhere the mother still has some modicum of faith, however small, that keeps her going, and this little, white bible reminds her of this fact.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Alice Walker- "Everyday Use"
Despite the fact that Alice Walker was the last of eight children, born into poverty, she surmounted the odds and became a very important voice for the rights of southern blacks, especially women. Her most famous book is probably The Color Purple which was adapted for the screen, and received critical acclaim. She even won a Pulitzer Prize for the book.
The story we read this week by Walker was called Everyday Use. The story opens with a mother dreaming of being reunited with her daughter after years of separation. She imagines being on a television show and being the kind of woman her daughter wishes she would be- articulate, light skinned, thin, and witty. In reality she is a large, husky woman well-suited for hard labor rather than intellectualism. She is a realist who sees the importance of hard work and doesn't have time for frivolity. She has two daughters. One is Dee who left long ago, and said while she may be back in the future she certainly wouldn't bring any of her friends to meet her mother and sister in there little shack of a house. She thinks she is better than they are, and when she finally does come for a visit, she is snobbish and uppity. The second daughter's name is Maggie. Maggie was caught in a fire years ago, and is now a timid little waif of a girl who shuffles around with her eyes to the ground. She is unsure of herself and doesn't interact well with other people.
The main part of the story is about Dee paying Maggie and their mother a visit with a man she may or may not be married to. They have taken on African names, and put on like they are better for it. Dee has become Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo because, she says, Dee is a name after those who oppressed her people. Anyway, Wangero and this man waltz in and start taking things from the small house. They take a butter churn and say they will use it as a centerpiece. She even wants to take some quilts made from fabric from three generations to hang up on her walls. These quilts have been promised to Maggie, but Wangero says she will just ruin them-that they aren't for everyday use. Everything in the house is quaint and kitshy to Wangero and her man-friend when, in reality, it is a very utilitarian house with very utilitarian things in it. These everyday use items are seen by Wangero as something to put into a museum, not as useful things meant for everyday use. In the end the mother grabs the quilts from Wangero and gives them back to Maggie who she knows will appreciate them and put them to the good use they were meant to have.
The story we read this week by Walker was called Everyday Use. The story opens with a mother dreaming of being reunited with her daughter after years of separation. She imagines being on a television show and being the kind of woman her daughter wishes she would be- articulate, light skinned, thin, and witty. In reality she is a large, husky woman well-suited for hard labor rather than intellectualism. She is a realist who sees the importance of hard work and doesn't have time for frivolity. She has two daughters. One is Dee who left long ago, and said while she may be back in the future she certainly wouldn't bring any of her friends to meet her mother and sister in there little shack of a house. She thinks she is better than they are, and when she finally does come for a visit, she is snobbish and uppity. The second daughter's name is Maggie. Maggie was caught in a fire years ago, and is now a timid little waif of a girl who shuffles around with her eyes to the ground. She is unsure of herself and doesn't interact well with other people.
The main part of the story is about Dee paying Maggie and their mother a visit with a man she may or may not be married to. They have taken on African names, and put on like they are better for it. Dee has become Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo because, she says, Dee is a name after those who oppressed her people. Anyway, Wangero and this man waltz in and start taking things from the small house. They take a butter churn and say they will use it as a centerpiece. She even wants to take some quilts made from fabric from three generations to hang up on her walls. These quilts have been promised to Maggie, but Wangero says she will just ruin them-that they aren't for everyday use. Everything in the house is quaint and kitshy to Wangero and her man-friend when, in reality, it is a very utilitarian house with very utilitarian things in it. These everyday use items are seen by Wangero as something to put into a museum, not as useful things meant for everyday use. In the end the mother grabs the quilts from Wangero and gives them back to Maggie who she knows will appreciate them and put them to the good use they were meant to have.
Bobbie Ann Mason- "Shiloh"
Having never read anything by Bobbie Ann Mason before this week I was pleasantly surprised by the story Shiloh. It was a story about the relationships between a husband and wife, a mother and daughter, and a son-in-law and mother-in-law. These three very different relationships each had their own dichotomies and nuances. The husband and wife (Leroy and Norma Jean) have a very strained relationship. The husband was injured in an accident when he was driving his tractor-trailor, and has been unable to work because of this. The wife is used to having lots of time to herself, and doesn't quite know how to relate to her husband now that he is always there. Norma Jean sees his presence as a hinderance and is slightly resentful towards him. Leroy feels this strain but doesn't really know what to do about it. He wishes they could be closer and that they could be able to enjoy this time together. The mother and daughter (Mabel and Norma Jean) relationship also appears to be strained, but for different reasons. It seems like a stereotypical mother-daughter interaction. Norma Jean feels like a little girl around Mabel, and Mabel still tries to control her daughter's life. She wants Norma Jean to be a better wife and daughter. She suggests that the couple take a trip together to Shiloh, Tennessee with hopes that it will straighten her daughter out and strengthen her and Leroy's relationship. Now, the relationship between Leroy and Mabel is another story altogether. They seem to be able to stand each other, but not really like one another. They have trouble interacting, but manage to be civil to each other.
The overall theme running through the story is that Shiloh will save all the relationships involved in the story. It was where Mabel went on her honeymoon, and she is confident that if the married couple take a trip there that it will solve all their problems. In the end Leroy and Norma Jean do take the trip, but with different results than expected. Once they get there Norma Jean announces that she wants to leave the marriage. She then gets up and walks off. At the very end of the story she turns around and waves her arms at Leroy, and we are left wondering what she means by this gesture.
The overall theme running through the story is that Shiloh will save all the relationships involved in the story. It was where Mabel went on her honeymoon, and she is confident that if the married couple take a trip there that it will solve all their problems. In the end Leroy and Norma Jean do take the trip, but with different results than expected. Once they get there Norma Jean announces that she wants to leave the marriage. She then gets up and walks off. At the very end of the story she turns around and waves her arms at Leroy, and we are left wondering what she means by this gesture.
Billy Collins and his poetry
I was surprised to learn of this poet named Billy Collins. He was the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry in 2001 and 2002, gives reading all over the globe, and often reads his poems on NPR (which I listen to all the time), but somehow I have managed to not hear of him until now. I must say I really enjoyed these few poems we read this week, and I plan on looking up more in the future.
The first poem, Winter Syntax, was about the difficulty of forming a complete thought. Collins used the images of of a cold, winter night to explore the idea of how one comes by, and is able to express, a thought. "But the traveller persists in his misery" until he is finally able to get his point across. The next poem, Books, was about how a person can get lost in a book; how what we read can transport us into another world. It is a remembrance of days gone by and the adventures had by an avid reader. The third and last poem was entitled Introduction to Poetry. It was about how silly people can be about poetry. All they want is to have a firm meaning they can grasp onto while a poem has so much more to offer. Collins implores the reader to flow with the poem-to see where it will take them. He wants us to explore the images presented and decide for ourselves what the poem means to us individualy, not look for a clean-cut, starched universal meaning. He wants us to really get lost in the words and syntax and decide for ourselves where the poem is going to take us.
The first poem, Winter Syntax, was about the difficulty of forming a complete thought. Collins used the images of of a cold, winter night to explore the idea of how one comes by, and is able to express, a thought. "But the traveller persists in his misery" until he is finally able to get his point across. The next poem, Books, was about how a person can get lost in a book; how what we read can transport us into another world. It is a remembrance of days gone by and the adventures had by an avid reader. The third and last poem was entitled Introduction to Poetry. It was about how silly people can be about poetry. All they want is to have a firm meaning they can grasp onto while a poem has so much more to offer. Collins implores the reader to flow with the poem-to see where it will take them. He wants us to explore the images presented and decide for ourselves what the poem means to us individualy, not look for a clean-cut, starched universal meaning. He wants us to really get lost in the words and syntax and decide for ourselves where the poem is going to take us.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Nikki Giovanni
After looking up a biography of Ms. Giovanni at www.nikki-giovani.com I was very intrigued to read her poetry. Born in 1943 inTennessee and raised in the suburbs of Cincinati, Ohio, Nikki Giovanni quickly became a renowned writer and activist. She won many awards for her writing and has been named Woman of the year by several magazines. She currently teaches at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
So, I finally read the poems assigned this week and am left wondering what took me so long to read them. I feel they are excellent portrayals of what it was like to be black and a woman in the 1960s and 1970s. Ms. Giovanni captured her desperation as well as her strength of character. She wrote of the misconceptions people had about someone who grew up poor and black in the poem titled Nikki-Rosa. The character wants to focus on her good memories, but nobody understands how she could even have any good memories at all. The poem also speaks of black love being equal to wealth. Just the fact that her family was together was enough. It didn't matter that they never had much in the way of money and property.
In the poem I'm Not Lonely Giovanni writes of a woman alone, but better off because the man that was there is now gone. She knows she should feel lonely, but all she really feels is relief that it is all over.
The last poem by Giovanni was my favorite. I like her play on words,and the be-boppy style in this poem. I also see this poem as a cry to her fellow citizens (especially the children) to really wake up and think about what they were doing. She was asking that they come to the realization that their situation needs to change or the future will be lost for the young ones of the day.
So, I finally read the poems assigned this week and am left wondering what took me so long to read them. I feel they are excellent portrayals of what it was like to be black and a woman in the 1960s and 1970s. Ms. Giovanni captured her desperation as well as her strength of character. She wrote of the misconceptions people had about someone who grew up poor and black in the poem titled Nikki-Rosa. The character wants to focus on her good memories, but nobody understands how she could even have any good memories at all. The poem also speaks of black love being equal to wealth. Just the fact that her family was together was enough. It didn't matter that they never had much in the way of money and property.
In the poem I'm Not Lonely Giovanni writes of a woman alone, but better off because the man that was there is now gone. She knows she should feel lonely, but all she really feels is relief that it is all over.
The last poem by Giovanni was my favorite. I like her play on words,and the be-boppy style in this poem. I also see this poem as a cry to her fellow citizens (especially the children) to really wake up and think about what they were doing. She was asking that they come to the realization that their situation needs to change or the future will be lost for the young ones of the day.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Tillie Olsen
I Stand Here Ironing, by Tillie Olson was the story of a mother trying to figure out where things went wrong with her daughter. She has received a call from one of her daughter's teachers saying she (the daughter) needs help, and could she (the mother) please come in for a visit. The mother sees this as an exercise in futility as she herself has no idea how to help her daughter let alone tell someone else what to do to help her seemingly lost daughter. She keeps going back to the fact that her daughter had been such a beautiful baby, so full of promise. This thought keeps recurring as the mother goes over and over the girls awkwardness while growing up. There were years where the girl was considered homely, and it wasn't until recently that she was once again seen as a lovely, beautiful girl, but her new-found beauty is discomforting...she is not used to being a creature of beauty. Her mother talks of her daughter's uneasiness with herself now that she has grown into a young woman.
Most of the story is spent on the mother's sense of regret and remorse over the way her daughter was raised. She feels that she was a failure, and that even her best mothering was nowhere near adequate. She is constantly blaming herself for her daughter's awkwardness and dis-ease in life. She cannot get past the thought that even though she did the best she could, she is responsible for all her daughter's problems when in reality she has been a good mother, and everything she did was so her daughter would be safe and secure.
Tillie Olsen was a strong proponent of the rights of all individuals, and her stories portrayed the struggles of the underdogs and poverty stricken people of the United States. I think her writing holds so much power because she herself was forced to deal with poverty and had to work many menial jobs while trying to raise her family.
Most of the story is spent on the mother's sense of regret and remorse over the way her daughter was raised. She feels that she was a failure, and that even her best mothering was nowhere near adequate. She is constantly blaming herself for her daughter's awkwardness and dis-ease in life. She cannot get past the thought that even though she did the best she could, she is responsible for all her daughter's problems when in reality she has been a good mother, and everything she did was so her daughter would be safe and secure.
Tillie Olsen was a strong proponent of the rights of all individuals, and her stories portrayed the struggles of the underdogs and poverty stricken people of the United States. I think her writing holds so much power because she herself was forced to deal with poverty and had to work many menial jobs while trying to raise her family.
Flannery O'Connor
I liked the reading we had this week from Flannery O'Connor entitled Good Country People. The four main characters in the story are Mrs. Hopewell, her daughter Joy (who insists on being called Hulga), their tenant farmer's wife, Mrs. Freeman, and the young man impersonating a bible salesman. (I just realized how appropriate the characters names are, and applaud Ms. O'Connor for her wit and sense of irony.) We are first introduced to Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Hopewell during one of their morning talks.
Mrs. Hopewell is a widow and craves these talking sessions with Mrs. Freeman. If it weren't for Mrs. Freeman, she would be left alone with her surly daughter who insists on being called Hulga (the ugliest name Joy could come up with--perhaps just to incense her mother). Mrs. Hopewell continually attests to the importance of "good country people," and insists there is no better kind. When the seemingly modest, simple young man comes to the house disguised as a bible salesman, she is instantly convinced that he must be an upstanding individual because he seems to be a good country boy with good morals and manners. In the end though we find that he is a demented con who cares about no one, and covets the crutches of the physically disabled.
I think the moral of the story is twofold; Don't judge a book by its cover, and appearances can be deceiving. While the message of the story seems a little cliched, I think Ms. O'Connor found a very creative way to get her point across. I really enjoyed this reading.
Flannery O'Connor accomplished much in her short 29 year life. Her writings were filled with ironic wit and stark realities. I saw a great deal of these traits in our reading by O'Connor this week.
Mrs. Hopewell is a widow and craves these talking sessions with Mrs. Freeman. If it weren't for Mrs. Freeman, she would be left alone with her surly daughter who insists on being called Hulga (the ugliest name Joy could come up with--perhaps just to incense her mother). Mrs. Hopewell continually attests to the importance of "good country people," and insists there is no better kind. When the seemingly modest, simple young man comes to the house disguised as a bible salesman, she is instantly convinced that he must be an upstanding individual because he seems to be a good country boy with good morals and manners. In the end though we find that he is a demented con who cares about no one, and covets the crutches of the physically disabled.
I think the moral of the story is twofold; Don't judge a book by its cover, and appearances can be deceiving. While the message of the story seems a little cliched, I think Ms. O'Connor found a very creative way to get her point across. I really enjoyed this reading.
Flannery O'Connor accomplished much in her short 29 year life. Her writings were filled with ironic wit and stark realities. I saw a great deal of these traits in our reading by O'Connor this week.
EXTRA CREDIT: Owens, Peeler, Pope
On Thursday, April 14 I had the pleasure of attending a poetry reading featuring Scott Owens, Tim Peeler, and Ted Pope. Scott Owens recieved his MFA at UNC Greensborough, and is an instructor at Catawba Valley Community College. He is very active in the local poetry scene. Tim Peeler has six published books, and won the Jim Harrison Award for his book on baseball. He is currently the poet- in-residence at Catawba Valley Community College. Ted Pope is an up-and-coming local poet, who collaborated with Mr. Peeler on a book entitled Waiting for Charlie Brown which they read from on Thursday.
The first poet to read was Scott Owens. He opened with a loud "CON-SPIC-U-OUS" followed by a short poem that I am assuming is called Conspicuous. He then proceeded to read seven poems, my favorites being Theology and Who Hasn't Contemplated Civil Disobedience While... (I couldn't get the whole title). Theology was based on questions asked by his daughter after losing her grandmother, and Who Hasn't Contemplated... was about imaging letting a bunch of chickens free from their cages on a poultry carrying truck while stuck behind one on the highway. Another poem I liked was titled (I'm not sure I have this title correct) Meanings and Poultry. This was a poem about singles night at a local grocery store. Scott is comparing women's anatomy to parts of poultry, and commenting on the ridiculousness of the situation.
Next, Tim and Ted read together from Waiting for Charlie Brown after Mr. Peeler read a poem from his own book entitled Chaos. The poems from the collaborated book concerned two brothers who lived in a trailer on a small family plot. They were both drug-addled and the brother portrayed by Ted was extremely paranoid. I really enjoyed the dichotomy between the two brothers and the way they were each brought to life by the two poets. Tim's character was slow and somewhat reserved while Ted's character was frantic and uptight.
Unfortunately I was not able to stay for the poetry slam, but I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the three local poets. I didn't know much about the local poetry scene before this month and plan on exploring it in much more depth now that I have an idea what it is all about.
The first poet to read was Scott Owens. He opened with a loud "CON-SPIC-U-OUS" followed by a short poem that I am assuming is called Conspicuous. He then proceeded to read seven poems, my favorites being Theology and Who Hasn't Contemplated Civil Disobedience While... (I couldn't get the whole title). Theology was based on questions asked by his daughter after losing her grandmother, and Who Hasn't Contemplated... was about imaging letting a bunch of chickens free from their cages on a poultry carrying truck while stuck behind one on the highway. Another poem I liked was titled (I'm not sure I have this title correct) Meanings and Poultry. This was a poem about singles night at a local grocery store. Scott is comparing women's anatomy to parts of poultry, and commenting on the ridiculousness of the situation.
Next, Tim and Ted read together from Waiting for Charlie Brown after Mr. Peeler read a poem from his own book entitled Chaos. The poems from the collaborated book concerned two brothers who lived in a trailer on a small family plot. They were both drug-addled and the brother portrayed by Ted was extremely paranoid. I really enjoyed the dichotomy between the two brothers and the way they were each brought to life by the two poets. Tim's character was slow and somewhat reserved while Ted's character was frantic and uptight.
Unfortunately I was not able to stay for the poetry slam, but I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the three local poets. I didn't know much about the local poetry scene before this month and plan on exploring it in much more depth now that I have an idea what it is all about.
Friday, April 8, 2011
James Baldwin and "Sonny's Blues"
James Baldwin's writing was greatly influenced by the racial situation in the 1950s that continued into the 60s and 70s. He was an avid activist in the civil rights movement and his writing intelligently and accurately portrayed the struggles of the African-American during this time period. According to his biography in our textbook another common theme in Baldwin's writings was the struggle to come to terms with homosexuality and interracial relationships.
In the story Sonny's Blues we are introduced to a man who is trying to come to terms with the fact that his younger brother (Sonny) is a lost soul caught in the trap of a heroin induced lifestyle. He has lost touch with Sonny after a falling out after their mother died, and doesn't hear anything from him for some time until he reads about Sonny being arrested in the newspaper. This is a wake up call for him. He realizes just how far away he has let his brother get. He feels the distance and very badly wants to close the gap, but is having trouble reconciling himself to the fact that it may have been his fault that Sonny is where he is. So, after some time he writes to Sonny and reestablishes their connection. He doesn't really undersand how Sonny has chosen the life he has, but he realizes the importance of family and wants to have some sort of connection with his brother. Sonny tries desparately to show his brother why he lives the way he does. He reasons through his drug abuse by saying that sometimes life was just too much. There was too much agony to bear soberly. His brother tries to understand, but cannot truly relate. He cannot fathom having to use drugs to escape the heartache and suffering of life. It isn't until the end of the story when he first-hand witnesses the struggle within Sonny as he tries to find his way on the piano that the elder brother is able to understand what Sonny had been trying to tell him all along. And it isn't until Sonny finds his own voice (through the music) that he can understand his brother as well. In the end they each experience a turning point and can each see where the other is coming from, and we are left with a feeling that maybe everything will be allright after all.
In the story Sonny's Blues we are introduced to a man who is trying to come to terms with the fact that his younger brother (Sonny) is a lost soul caught in the trap of a heroin induced lifestyle. He has lost touch with Sonny after a falling out after their mother died, and doesn't hear anything from him for some time until he reads about Sonny being arrested in the newspaper. This is a wake up call for him. He realizes just how far away he has let his brother get. He feels the distance and very badly wants to close the gap, but is having trouble reconciling himself to the fact that it may have been his fault that Sonny is where he is. So, after some time he writes to Sonny and reestablishes their connection. He doesn't really undersand how Sonny has chosen the life he has, but he realizes the importance of family and wants to have some sort of connection with his brother. Sonny tries desparately to show his brother why he lives the way he does. He reasons through his drug abuse by saying that sometimes life was just too much. There was too much agony to bear soberly. His brother tries to understand, but cannot truly relate. He cannot fathom having to use drugs to escape the heartache and suffering of life. It isn't until the end of the story when he first-hand witnesses the struggle within Sonny as he tries to find his way on the piano that the elder brother is able to understand what Sonny had been trying to tell him all along. And it isn't until Sonny finds his own voice (through the music) that he can understand his brother as well. In the end they each experience a turning point and can each see where the other is coming from, and we are left with a feeling that maybe everything will be allright after all.
Sylvia Plath and her poetry
Sylvia Plath has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read The Bell Jar as a young teenager. When I read the book for the first time I felt I had finally found a voice for my own struggles with depression. While Plath's poetry was full of angst and darkness, I found it to be brilliantly written. I really liked how she was open and honest about her struggles with mental illness. Some might say that Plath was overindulgent in her representation of death and suicide, but I see it more as outlet for her feelings; it was a way for her to purge herself of all the negative emotions she was experiencing. Writing was her attempt to survive in a world in which she felt lost and alone. If more artists and writers were as honest and forthcoming as Plath was I think there would be a lot less stigma associated with mental illness.
In her poem Daddy Plath speaks of her regret at never having a chance to really get to know her father. She speaks also of her resentment towards the memories he left her with of a fascist German soldier fighting for Hitler. And then, in the end of the poem, she writes of her first suicide attempt. She blames it on her father, saying she just wanted to get back to him.
In Lady Lazarus Plath gets into the gritty details of her depression and attempts to escape the agony that was her life. She now wears the battle scars that represent her struggles, but they came at a great cost. I think she is also talking about the failings of the treatment she received for her depression. She speaks of the doctor being the enemy and how she felt stripped bare in front of the doctors and other patients in the hospital.
In her poem Daddy Plath speaks of her regret at never having a chance to really get to know her father. She speaks also of her resentment towards the memories he left her with of a fascist German soldier fighting for Hitler. And then, in the end of the poem, she writes of her first suicide attempt. She blames it on her father, saying she just wanted to get back to him.
In Lady Lazarus Plath gets into the gritty details of her depression and attempts to escape the agony that was her life. She now wears the battle scars that represent her struggles, but they came at a great cost. I think she is also talking about the failings of the treatment she received for her depression. She speaks of the doctor being the enemy and how she felt stripped bare in front of the doctors and other patients in the hospital.
Randall Jarrell and some poems
I must say I didn't care for the poetry of Randall Jarrell. Some of the poems were rife with the atrocities of war (such as Losses and The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner), and the others were convoluted and, while I was able to get the general meaning of them, I could not help feeling like I was missing something hidden between the lines. The poems just seemed too simple and obvious; even after I read them three or four times each I couldn't understand what I was missing.
I did like the imagery in A Girl In a Library. I could easily picture a young college girl, lulled to sleep by her studies, dreaming of sylphs and fairy tales and grander things than her life has to offer. She has left the world of home economics and physical education for the world of myth and grand history. She imagines herself in a place far more exciting than school has offered her. Perhaps the girl intuits the futility of the task set before her. Perhaps she is aware that home ec. and phys. ed. are but bits in the doldrums of life.
In Losses Jarrell seems to be talking about the realization that death is real and palpable came to him after he joined the army and went into combat. Before that death had seemed like something that only happened to other people. People distant from his personal sphere. He writes that it was something that happened to "aunts or pets or foreigners." These are all entities outside his insular life. After he joins the war though, he is hit with the significance of death and dying. It becomes something personal and real. And in The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Jarrell seems to be saying that death loses its edge in a state of war. When the gunner dies they simply wash his body away without a thought and without much fanfare. He was just another casualty of war.
I did like the imagery in A Girl In a Library. I could easily picture a young college girl, lulled to sleep by her studies, dreaming of sylphs and fairy tales and grander things than her life has to offer. She has left the world of home economics and physical education for the world of myth and grand history. She imagines herself in a place far more exciting than school has offered her. Perhaps the girl intuits the futility of the task set before her. Perhaps she is aware that home ec. and phys. ed. are but bits in the doldrums of life.
In Losses Jarrell seems to be talking about the realization that death is real and palpable came to him after he joined the army and went into combat. Before that death had seemed like something that only happened to other people. People distant from his personal sphere. He writes that it was something that happened to "aunts or pets or foreigners." These are all entities outside his insular life. After he joins the war though, he is hit with the significance of death and dying. It becomes something personal and real. And in The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Jarrell seems to be saying that death loses its edge in a state of war. When the gunner dies they simply wash his body away without a thought and without much fanfare. He was just another casualty of war.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A Raisin In the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry accomplished much in her 35 years of life. She was not only the first black writer to win the Best Play of the Year award in New York City, she was also the youngest playwrite to earn that recognition. Handbury's parents were well-off and strong advocates of complete integration of african-americans into American society. Lorraine carried these ideals into her adult life and into her writings.
Hansbury's play A Raisin in the Sun was met with great praise. It was the story of an African-American family trying to live the American dream. All the Younger family wanted was to have a nice home where they could live in peace. The story began with a typical day in the Younger household. The mother, Ruth, is getting her son, Travis, and her husband, Walter, up to go to school and work respectively. Their apartment is small and cramped-young Travis has to sleep on the sofa in the living room-and they are trying to beat the neighbors into the shared bathroom. While they are getting ready there is talk of money that is to arrive the next day. This is to be their ticket to freedom. Lena Younger (the mother of Walter) is expecting a settlement from the death of her husband, and the whole family has grand plans for the money. Walter wants to use it to start a liquor store, Beneatha (his sister) wants to go to medical school so she can become a doctor, and Ruth and Lena both want to buy a house so they can have a home to call their own.The next day the money comes and Lena goes out to find a house. Later she returns with the news that she put a down payment on a nice place in a nice neighborhood. The only problem was that it was in white neighborhood. The play progresses and a man named Karl Lindner stops by to try and persuade the family not to move. He says it would just be better for all parties if the family stuck to their own kind. This attitude was very popular among the people of Hansbury's time. Equal but separate was the social norm. I feel this was the most important message of the play. That this idea needed to be challenged and abolished was Hansbury's most prominant theme of the story.
I also watched the movie made from this play and was very happy with how the story was kept intact and not convoluted as many works are when transformed for the big screen. Sydney Poitier gave a top-notch performance as Walter, and the rest of the cast was very good as well. If any of my classmates did not watch this movie I would highly recomend that they do so because it was a very accurate portrayal of what was going on at the time of its production, and it helped me see the true nature of the story. It really gave it life.
Hansbury's play A Raisin in the Sun was met with great praise. It was the story of an African-American family trying to live the American dream. All the Younger family wanted was to have a nice home where they could live in peace. The story began with a typical day in the Younger household. The mother, Ruth, is getting her son, Travis, and her husband, Walter, up to go to school and work respectively. Their apartment is small and cramped-young Travis has to sleep on the sofa in the living room-and they are trying to beat the neighbors into the shared bathroom. While they are getting ready there is talk of money that is to arrive the next day. This is to be their ticket to freedom. Lena Younger (the mother of Walter) is expecting a settlement from the death of her husband, and the whole family has grand plans for the money. Walter wants to use it to start a liquor store, Beneatha (his sister) wants to go to medical school so she can become a doctor, and Ruth and Lena both want to buy a house so they can have a home to call their own.The next day the money comes and Lena goes out to find a house. Later she returns with the news that she put a down payment on a nice place in a nice neighborhood. The only problem was that it was in white neighborhood. The play progresses and a man named Karl Lindner stops by to try and persuade the family not to move. He says it would just be better for all parties if the family stuck to their own kind. This attitude was very popular among the people of Hansbury's time. Equal but separate was the social norm. I feel this was the most important message of the play. That this idea needed to be challenged and abolished was Hansbury's most prominant theme of the story.
I also watched the movie made from this play and was very happy with how the story was kept intact and not convoluted as many works are when transformed for the big screen. Sydney Poitier gave a top-notch performance as Walter, and the rest of the cast was very good as well. If any of my classmates did not watch this movie I would highly recomend that they do so because it was a very accurate portrayal of what was going on at the time of its production, and it helped me see the true nature of the story. It really gave it life.
EXTRA CREDIT Bowers and Byers
On April 1st I had the pleasure of attending a poetry reading by Cathy Smith Bowers and Kathryn Stripling Byers in the CCC&TI gym.
Cathy Smith Bowers is from Lancaster, SC. She studied at Winthrop University, and did her graduate work at Oxford University in England. Cathy is now the poet laureate of North Carolina. For her part of the reading, Mrs. Bowers read five poems. They were Syntax, The Napkin, Where's my Frog, The Suit Our Brother Could Have Worn, and Shadowdancing. It would be hard to decide which poem was my favorite as I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. If I had to choose though, I would probably say Syntax was my favorite because I love words and writing and messing with syntax and semantics. Along with her reading, Cathy gave the audience a couple tips about writing poetry such as begin with a visual, and recreate whole experiences with your words. She also said that you shouldn't be to afraid of rejection...just be persistent and patient if you are serious about writing.
Kathryn Stripling Byer was born in Georgia, but has lived in North Carolina since 1968. She studied at both Wesleyan University and UNC Greensborough. She was the NC poet laureate before Mrs. Bowers, and is currently the poet in residence at Western Carolina University. Kathryn read three of her poems. They were Piece of Cake, Lent, and Dulcimer. My favorite of the three was Piece of Cake because of how she played with words and free-associated from word to word. Ms. Byer's advice as far as writing poetry was begin with an image, create a story and follow it through until the end.
I really enjoyed seeing these two poets and am looking forward to the next poetry event at the school.
Cathy Smith Bowers is from Lancaster, SC. She studied at Winthrop University, and did her graduate work at Oxford University in England. Cathy is now the poet laureate of North Carolina. For her part of the reading, Mrs. Bowers read five poems. They were Syntax, The Napkin, Where's my Frog, The Suit Our Brother Could Have Worn, and Shadowdancing. It would be hard to decide which poem was my favorite as I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. If I had to choose though, I would probably say Syntax was my favorite because I love words and writing and messing with syntax and semantics. Along with her reading, Cathy gave the audience a couple tips about writing poetry such as begin with a visual, and recreate whole experiences with your words. She also said that you shouldn't be to afraid of rejection...just be persistent and patient if you are serious about writing.
Kathryn Stripling Byer was born in Georgia, but has lived in North Carolina since 1968. She studied at both Wesleyan University and UNC Greensborough. She was the NC poet laureate before Mrs. Bowers, and is currently the poet in residence at Western Carolina University. Kathryn read three of her poems. They were Piece of Cake, Lent, and Dulcimer. My favorite of the three was Piece of Cake because of how she played with words and free-associated from word to word. Ms. Byer's advice as far as writing poetry was begin with an image, create a story and follow it through until the end.
I really enjoyed seeing these two poets and am looking forward to the next poetry event at the school.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Richard Wright
Despite a life of adversity and depravity, Richard Wright soared into the literary world at an early age. It was as though he had been born to write, and published his first story while he was still in high school. When he had reached his full potential in the South, he set off to the North where he really flourished in Chicago and New York until he moved overseas in 1947.
The Man Who Was Almost a Man is the story of a boy,Dave, who very badly wants to become a man as soon as possible. The main way he can see to do this is to purchase a gun and shoot it. Dave is blind to the fact that guns actually kill; he simply thinks that real men carry weapons. He begs his mama until she finally relinquishes the two dollars Dave needs to purchase a revolver from the local store. She gives him the condition that he must bring the gun straight back to her so she can give it to his father. So he goes and buys the weapon from Joe, the owner of the general store, but instead of giving it to his mother he waits to go home until everyone else is asleep. He then takes the revolver and hides it under his pillow. Early the next morning Dave sneaks off to Mr. Hawkins' farm where he works plowing the fields. Once out of earshot of anybody else, Dave takes the gun out and wonders at the heft of it- so much power in such a little thing. Then he decides it is time to see how the thing shoots. What happened next was far beyond his expectations. The recoil of the gun nearly took his arm off, and he had no idea in which direction the bullet went. Dave notices Jenny (the mule) has run off, so he runs after her, trying to get her to calm down. As he gets closer to the mule he notices a hole in her side. It finally dawns on him what has really happened. He has accidentally shot Jenny.
The whole story eventually comes out and it is determined that Dave must pay for the dead mule. Instead of facing his punishment, Dave ends up running away. By not facing up to what he did and by not accepting the consequences of his actions Dave still remains a boy in my eyes. I think in order to truly become a man he must first learn to be responsible and trustworthy.
The Man Who Was Almost a Man is the story of a boy,Dave, who very badly wants to become a man as soon as possible. The main way he can see to do this is to purchase a gun and shoot it. Dave is blind to the fact that guns actually kill; he simply thinks that real men carry weapons. He begs his mama until she finally relinquishes the two dollars Dave needs to purchase a revolver from the local store. She gives him the condition that he must bring the gun straight back to her so she can give it to his father. So he goes and buys the weapon from Joe, the owner of the general store, but instead of giving it to his mother he waits to go home until everyone else is asleep. He then takes the revolver and hides it under his pillow. Early the next morning Dave sneaks off to Mr. Hawkins' farm where he works plowing the fields. Once out of earshot of anybody else, Dave takes the gun out and wonders at the heft of it- so much power in such a little thing. Then he decides it is time to see how the thing shoots. What happened next was far beyond his expectations. The recoil of the gun nearly took his arm off, and he had no idea in which direction the bullet went. Dave notices Jenny (the mule) has run off, so he runs after her, trying to get her to calm down. As he gets closer to the mule he notices a hole in her side. It finally dawns on him what has really happened. He has accidentally shot Jenny.
The whole story eventually comes out and it is determined that Dave must pay for the dead mule. Instead of facing his punishment, Dave ends up running away. By not facing up to what he did and by not accepting the consequences of his actions Dave still remains a boy in my eyes. I think in order to truly become a man he must first learn to be responsible and trustworthy.
Eudora Welty
Wow. Eudora Welty was quite the writer. While reading Powerhouse I felt I was in the middle of a crazy, be-bop jazz number. It was a wonderful, beautifully written tale that rode, like musical notes, up and down and all over the place. I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable, if not a bit sad. Welty held a certain intensity throughout the whole story.
Powerhouse was an impressive fellow. He played the piano with much fervor and enthusiasm, and he was completely present in the story. Powerhouse was a man with a presence, but it was hard to figure out exactly what that presence consisted of. He wasn't your average African-American jazz musician from Harlem. He commandeered the dance hall, but he wasn't a drunk and he didn't act crazy. Welty writes that he was in a trance...that he listened as much as he performed. I wish I knew more about the music he played because I'm sure the songs held great meaning for the times Powerhouse was performing in.
The theme of segregation was strong in Powerhouse, and Welty did a good job describing the dichotomy between the "white dance hall" and the "black juke-joint." Even with all the differences, Powerhouse is a star on all stages. Wherever he goes, the people swoon. But, despite this fact, Powerhouse seems lonely. He wants the love of his girl, but she has forsaken him and taken her own life. Now Powerhouse is left alone, with only his music.
Powerhouse was an impressive fellow. He played the piano with much fervor and enthusiasm, and he was completely present in the story. Powerhouse was a man with a presence, but it was hard to figure out exactly what that presence consisted of. He wasn't your average African-American jazz musician from Harlem. He commandeered the dance hall, but he wasn't a drunk and he didn't act crazy. Welty writes that he was in a trance...that he listened as much as he performed. I wish I knew more about the music he played because I'm sure the songs held great meaning for the times Powerhouse was performing in.
The theme of segregation was strong in Powerhouse, and Welty did a good job describing the dichotomy between the "white dance hall" and the "black juke-joint." Even with all the differences, Powerhouse is a star on all stages. Wherever he goes, the people swoon. But, despite this fact, Powerhouse seems lonely. He wants the love of his girl, but she has forsaken him and taken her own life. Now Powerhouse is left alone, with only his music.
John Steinbeck
I have always loved the writings of Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men are two of my all-time favorite books. Steinbeck's portrayal of human struggle is amazing. His writings get down to the nitty-gritty details of life. I think his authenticity comes from the fact that he himself knew struggle and hardship. He worked at hard, dirty jobs from a young age and this is reflected in his writing.
I had not read the story Flight before this week, but I enjoyed it as much as the other Steinbeck works I have read in the past. The story begins on a small farm run by Mama Torres and her three children near Monterey, California. In the story the tension slowly mounts as Pepe readies himself for a trip into town and we are introduced to the knife which will be his demise. Late that night he returns to Mama Torres drunk and frightened and tells her what happened while he was in town. It turns out that while he was there he killed a man with his precious knife. Mama Torres sends him off into the night hoping that he will be able to escape his punishment for his misdeed. All he takes with him are his knife, the clothes on his back, and a small amount of food and water. Soon after he leaves he cuts his hand when he is trying to defend himself. From this point on Pepe's luck takes a turn for the worse, and his trials truly begin. The details of Pepe's sufferings are related vividly by Steinbeck. I cringe every time Pepe's injured hand is jarred, and when he finally meets his demise I am somewhat relieved because it means he won't have to suffer anymore.
I had not read the story Flight before this week, but I enjoyed it as much as the other Steinbeck works I have read in the past. The story begins on a small farm run by Mama Torres and her three children near Monterey, California. In the story the tension slowly mounts as Pepe readies himself for a trip into town and we are introduced to the knife which will be his demise. Late that night he returns to Mama Torres drunk and frightened and tells her what happened while he was in town. It turns out that while he was there he killed a man with his precious knife. Mama Torres sends him off into the night hoping that he will be able to escape his punishment for his misdeed. All he takes with him are his knife, the clothes on his back, and a small amount of food and water. Soon after he leaves he cuts his hand when he is trying to defend himself. From this point on Pepe's luck takes a turn for the worse, and his trials truly begin. The details of Pepe's sufferings are related vividly by Steinbeck. I cringe every time Pepe's injured hand is jarred, and when he finally meets his demise I am somewhat relieved because it means he won't have to suffer anymore.
William Faulkner
William Faulkner had a very prolific writing career that eventually won him a Nobel Prize in Literature. The award was granted for works that were mostly out of print by then, but it must have been an honor just the same. His biography said he was on the forefront of the avante-garde scene in the late 20's and the 30's, but I saw little of that in Barn Burning which we read this week. I was hoping to read more of his experimental works and will have to look into them when I have some spare time. I do agree with his biography in that his writing is rather labyrinthine and slightly hard to follow. I had to reread passages in order to keep the story straight in my head.
Barn Burning was a story about a man named Abner with anger issues and how this effects his family. He is almost constantly on the move, with the family in tow, because of his outrageous actions. If Abner feels slighted in the least he goes off and does something drastic. We see this in the opening of the story when he admits he burned down his neighbor's barn because the neighbor kept letting his hog roam free, and again when Abner purposely ruins his bosses' rug because he feels the boss is an obstentatious snob. Finally, in the end of the story, we see Abner gathering up kerosene and can only assume he is going to burn down the barn of his boss.
I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this story. To me, it was simply a tale of a downtrodden man with a huge chip on his shoulder. There appeared to be no real social commentary as far as I could see. Despite this fact, I enjoyed the story once I got into it. It was full of emotion and very well written.
Barn Burning was a story about a man named Abner with anger issues and how this effects his family. He is almost constantly on the move, with the family in tow, because of his outrageous actions. If Abner feels slighted in the least he goes off and does something drastic. We see this in the opening of the story when he admits he burned down his neighbor's barn because the neighbor kept letting his hog roam free, and again when Abner purposely ruins his bosses' rug because he feels the boss is an obstentatious snob. Finally, in the end of the story, we see Abner gathering up kerosene and can only assume he is going to burn down the barn of his boss.
I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this story. To me, it was simply a tale of a downtrodden man with a huge chip on his shoulder. There appeared to be no real social commentary as far as I could see. Despite this fact, I enjoyed the story once I got into it. It was full of emotion and very well written.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was a great spokesperson for his fellow African-Americans in the early twentieth century.His writings expressed the heritage, contemporary trials, and beauty of his brethren. I found his writings to be meaningful portrayals of his time. I especially liked Hughe's free-style, be-bop poetry. the way the poems, such as Dream Boogy, flowed was like frenetic jazz tunes interspered with solemn blues and deep emotional phrases.
I liked the reflective poem titled Aunt Sue's Stories. This was a poem of wonder at the past...a past unknown to the child, but full of heavy truth nontheless. I also like the poem Harlem even though it was very sad. I think Hughes was trying to tell what happens to all the dreams and hopes of the poor people of Harlem when they realize there is no way out. When they realize that their dreams must be shelved, for day-to-day living takes its toll.
These poems covered a variety of themes from music to history to love and even death. They also spoke of African-American ideals, history, and future.
The story On The Road, in my opinion, was very sad. It showed the plight of one lonely man, Sargeant, who had nowhere to go and nothing to believe in. He felt as though Christ had forsaken him, and even the church (which was supposed to be open to everyone) was closed to him. Then he has some sort of psychotic break and imagines the church crumbling to the ground, burying with it the very people who told Sargeant no (who had not allowed him into the building). He imagines he is walking with Christ who leads him to the hobo yard where Sargeant can sleep. In the morning, when Sargeant wakes he tries to hop a freight train, but the car is full of cops who take him to jail.
I liked the reflective poem titled Aunt Sue's Stories. This was a poem of wonder at the past...a past unknown to the child, but full of heavy truth nontheless. I also like the poem Harlem even though it was very sad. I think Hughes was trying to tell what happens to all the dreams and hopes of the poor people of Harlem when they realize there is no way out. When they realize that their dreams must be shelved, for day-to-day living takes its toll.
These poems covered a variety of themes from music to history to love and even death. They also spoke of African-American ideals, history, and future.
The story On The Road, in my opinion, was very sad. It showed the plight of one lonely man, Sargeant, who had nowhere to go and nothing to believe in. He felt as though Christ had forsaken him, and even the church (which was supposed to be open to everyone) was closed to him. Then he has some sort of psychotic break and imagines the church crumbling to the ground, burying with it the very people who told Sargeant no (who had not allowed him into the building). He imagines he is walking with Christ who leads him to the hobo yard where Sargeant can sleep. In the morning, when Sargeant wakes he tries to hop a freight train, but the car is full of cops who take him to jail.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Ernest Hemingway
I've always liked reading stories my Hemingway. He expressed a great love of travel and conquering nature. Their was also a great depth of the emotions (however negative they were) found in human-nature in his writings.
In the story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber Hemingway tells the tale of a man, his unfaithful wife (Margot), and a sleazy expidition leader (Wilson). The expidition leader is disgusted by Francis Macomber as well as society in general. He sees Francis as a coward with nothing to offer the world. Margot also sees the cowardice in Francis, and this causes her to have absolutely no respect for him.
Margot and Wilson end up sleeping together, and Margot rubs it in Francis' face but he is too spineless to do anything about it. She has cheated on him in the past and knows Francis will not bully her because of her indescretion.
In the end Margot ends up shooting Francis while he being borne down upon by the buffalo he is trying to shoot. Whether or not this is an accident is left up to suspicion as the story comes to a close.
While the story mainly focuses on the negative aspects of all three characters I still enjoyed reading it because of the graphic detail Hemingway put into it about all three of their natures. I left the story feeling as though I had a good, thorough understanding of the people in it.
In the story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber Hemingway tells the tale of a man, his unfaithful wife (Margot), and a sleazy expidition leader (Wilson). The expidition leader is disgusted by Francis Macomber as well as society in general. He sees Francis as a coward with nothing to offer the world. Margot also sees the cowardice in Francis, and this causes her to have absolutely no respect for him.
Margot and Wilson end up sleeping together, and Margot rubs it in Francis' face but he is too spineless to do anything about it. She has cheated on him in the past and knows Francis will not bully her because of her indescretion.
In the end Margot ends up shooting Francis while he being borne down upon by the buffalo he is trying to shoot. Whether or not this is an accident is left up to suspicion as the story comes to a close.
While the story mainly focuses on the negative aspects of all three characters I still enjoyed reading it because of the graphic detail Hemingway put into it about all three of their natures. I left the story feeling as though I had a good, thorough understanding of the people in it.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
In "Their Eyes Were Watching God" Hurston wrote of one woman's journey through life as she searched for love and happiness. It was a story about Janie, a woman who only wanted to share her life with someone who would love, respect, and support her as much as she loved, respected, and supported him.
Janie's first relationship was with Logan Killicks whom she was forced to marry. All Janie wanted was the idealistic love, but that wasn't to be in that marriage. Mr. Killicks is cold and distant and eventually we see him become abusive towards Janie.
Her next relationship was with Joe Starks. He showed up suddenly one day as Janie was working around the yard. After a little flirting, Starks asks Janie to run away with him. And so begins marriage number two. At first this was an ideal relationship. Joe seemed to truly love Janie, but eventually we see that he is holding her back. He treats her as if she is a stupid, useless piece of junk. Janie is not "allowed" to do anything other than occasionally tend the store. While she managed to eke out a life with Joe, it wasn't until he died that we saw Janie really come to life. It was as if, through her bad marriages, she had learned what it was she really wanted and needed in her life. She finally saw herself as a real human being who was worthy of respect and happiness.
After some time alone when she was able to form an identity separate from anybody else, she met Tea Cake. He lifted her spirits right up. He took Janie fishing, taught her games, and just generally treated her with respect and love. Although Tea Cake is mildly deceptive at first, their marriage proceeds to a point where they are at peace with one another. They worked together and had fun together.
Then Tea Cake got bit by a rabid dog. He was sick and there was no hope for recovery. Janie had to watch him deteriorate until he was completely out of his mind. In the end it came to the point where he was going to kill her if she didn't do anything about it. She ended up having to shoot him in order to save herself.
Once again, Janie was on her own. She moved back to the house she had shared with Joe Starks and started her life over alone but at peace with it all.
I like that Zora Neale Hurston wrote about life and people and did not focus as much on race or gender as issues. The people in her stories were just individuals with individual lives fraught with problems and obstacles just like anybody else. Hurston's characters spoke to such subjects as happiness, sorrow, financial woes, safety, and the search for real love and peace in life. These tings drove their lives forward rather than race or gender. Hurston wrote of family dynamics that breached the lines defined by the color of a person's skin.
Janie's first relationship was with Logan Killicks whom she was forced to marry. All Janie wanted was the idealistic love, but that wasn't to be in that marriage. Mr. Killicks is cold and distant and eventually we see him become abusive towards Janie.
Her next relationship was with Joe Starks. He showed up suddenly one day as Janie was working around the yard. After a little flirting, Starks asks Janie to run away with him. And so begins marriage number two. At first this was an ideal relationship. Joe seemed to truly love Janie, but eventually we see that he is holding her back. He treats her as if she is a stupid, useless piece of junk. Janie is not "allowed" to do anything other than occasionally tend the store. While she managed to eke out a life with Joe, it wasn't until he died that we saw Janie really come to life. It was as if, through her bad marriages, she had learned what it was she really wanted and needed in her life. She finally saw herself as a real human being who was worthy of respect and happiness.
After some time alone when she was able to form an identity separate from anybody else, she met Tea Cake. He lifted her spirits right up. He took Janie fishing, taught her games, and just generally treated her with respect and love. Although Tea Cake is mildly deceptive at first, their marriage proceeds to a point where they are at peace with one another. They worked together and had fun together.
Then Tea Cake got bit by a rabid dog. He was sick and there was no hope for recovery. Janie had to watch him deteriorate until he was completely out of his mind. In the end it came to the point where he was going to kill her if she didn't do anything about it. She ended up having to shoot him in order to save herself.
Once again, Janie was on her own. She moved back to the house she had shared with Joe Starks and started her life over alone but at peace with it all.
I like that Zora Neale Hurston wrote about life and people and did not focus as much on race or gender as issues. The people in her stories were just individuals with individual lives fraught with problems and obstacles just like anybody else. Hurston's characters spoke to such subjects as happiness, sorrow, financial woes, safety, and the search for real love and peace in life. These tings drove their lives forward rather than race or gender. Hurston wrote of family dynamics that breached the lines defined by the color of a person's skin.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Zora Neale Hurston: John Redding Goes to Sea
In "John Redding Goes to Sea" Thurston writes of a young man from Florida who feels destined to travel the world, but is being held back by his family (namely his mother and, later in the story, his wife). From a very early age he plans on joining the navy so he can go to sea and experience all that the world has to offer. His mother, though, is not so keen on the idea. She wants to keep her boy close so she can keep an eye on him. She also doesn't want to face the worry of having John so far away.
John Redding's father, on the other hand, is more understanding and supportive of his son's dreams. Throughout the story he tries to convince his wife that John should be allowed to fulfill his destiny with his mother's blessing, but she stubbornly refuses to give in to what she sees as whimsy. Even when John gets a chance to join the navy she states that the only way he will ever leave is over her dead body.
In the end John fially gets what he wants although not in the way he was hoping for. He goes to help secure a new bridge when a horrible storm rolls in. His mother, father, and wife wait up all night for the storm to end and for John to return. In the morning John's father goes down to the bridge site only to see his son floating downstream to the sea.
Even though this story was fraught with tension and angst I must say I enjoyed reading it. Hurston's character development was excellent, and the story flowed along without effort. I also liked the fact that Hurston addressed issues such as the fact that, while good intentioned, sometimes the family can be a hinderance and that mothers don't always know best.
John Redding's father, on the other hand, is more understanding and supportive of his son's dreams. Throughout the story he tries to convince his wife that John should be allowed to fulfill his destiny with his mother's blessing, but she stubbornly refuses to give in to what she sees as whimsy. Even when John gets a chance to join the navy she states that the only way he will ever leave is over her dead body.
In the end John fially gets what he wants although not in the way he was hoping for. He goes to help secure a new bridge when a horrible storm rolls in. His mother, father, and wife wait up all night for the storm to end and for John to return. In the morning John's father goes down to the bridge site only to see his son floating downstream to the sea.
Even though this story was fraught with tension and angst I must say I enjoyed reading it. Hurston's character development was excellent, and the story flowed along without effort. I also liked the fact that Hurston addressed issues such as the fact that, while good intentioned, sometimes the family can be a hinderance and that mothers don't always know best.
Willa Cather: A Wagner Matinee; Paul's Case
I don't usually like it when an author writes from the point of view of the opposite sex, but I think Willa Cather's stories are fairly believable. While reading "A Wagner Matinee" I thought the main character was female until towards the end when the aunt actually calls him by name. But, perhaps, gender isn't really important. I just found it interesting that the two stories we read by Cather were both written from the male perspective.
In "Paul's Case" we see a young man who is disillusioned with his mundane life. Paul feels he is destined for greater things; that he is meant to experience the finer things in life. Once he has tasted of these things he is content to let go rather than face the punishment that surely awaits him. His being has been satiated, so he simply lies down and waits for the release that is bearing down on him (the train and death).
I thought "A Wagner Matinee" was a very sad story. In order to survive a difficult life on the prairie, Aunt Georgiana had to give up the beauty and passion of the music she so dearly loved as a young woman. By taking her to the matinee, Clark rekindles those old feelings and, in the end, she doesn't want to leave the theatre only to return to her harsh prairie life. She would much rather remain with the magic and beauty of the music, but she realizes she must return to the prairie where there is not any time allotted for such things.
I enjoyed these readings by Cather this week. She was a very interesting woman whose writing reflected her propensity to challenge gender roles. I believe that by writing from the male perspective she was able to make the point that men and women are not so different from one another. Maybe she was trying to make the point that we are all just people with similar emotions and trials in life.
In "Paul's Case" we see a young man who is disillusioned with his mundane life. Paul feels he is destined for greater things; that he is meant to experience the finer things in life. Once he has tasted of these things he is content to let go rather than face the punishment that surely awaits him. His being has been satiated, so he simply lies down and waits for the release that is bearing down on him (the train and death).
I thought "A Wagner Matinee" was a very sad story. In order to survive a difficult life on the prairie, Aunt Georgiana had to give up the beauty and passion of the music she so dearly loved as a young woman. By taking her to the matinee, Clark rekindles those old feelings and, in the end, she doesn't want to leave the theatre only to return to her harsh prairie life. She would much rather remain with the magic and beauty of the music, but she realizes she must return to the prairie where there is not any time allotted for such things.
I enjoyed these readings by Cather this week. She was a very interesting woman whose writing reflected her propensity to challenge gender roles. I believe that by writing from the male perspective she was able to make the point that men and women are not so different from one another. Maybe she was trying to make the point that we are all just people with similar emotions and trials in life.
Susan Glaspell: Trifles
I thought the play "Trifles" was a good example of how Susan Glaspell's writing reflected the oppression and frustration felt by the women of her time. We are led to believe that Mrs. Wright killed her husband because she felt she had no other way to escape his dark, negative presence. He made the house a depressing, unpleasant home, where not even a canary had a chance to sing. It appears that his killing the small bird was the last straw for Mrs. Wright. She could shpoulder no more of Mr. Wright's oppression and negativity.
Mrs. Hale speaks of visiting the Wright home and how she came to avoid visiting there because "it never seemed a very cheerful place." She also alludes to the fact that Mrs. Wright used to sing just like the bird, but doesn't anymore. It is as though the life has been sucked from her marrow. This is further evidence of the oppression placed on the household by Mr. Wright.
The play also addressed the importance of the little things in life. I think Glaspell was trying to show that it is these small "trifles" that keep a person sane, and provide a focus when things go awry. And it is through these trifles that the real story is told. I felt as though Glaspell was trying to show the women as real people with real feelings and problems. It is through the little things that I got a sense of not only the plight of Mrs. Wright, but also Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. All three women in the play are trying to exert their independence in a world ruled by the men in their lives.
Glaspell was an authentic writer who used her worldly experiences to color her pieces. She left behind the quaint writings of girls looking for happiness in marriage for the stark realities of the negative influences society placed on the "modern woman." Once she found her true voice she took on the role of a major voice for the women of her time.
Mrs. Hale speaks of visiting the Wright home and how she came to avoid visiting there because "it never seemed a very cheerful place." She also alludes to the fact that Mrs. Wright used to sing just like the bird, but doesn't anymore. It is as though the life has been sucked from her marrow. This is further evidence of the oppression placed on the household by Mr. Wright.
The play also addressed the importance of the little things in life. I think Glaspell was trying to show that it is these small "trifles" that keep a person sane, and provide a focus when things go awry. And it is through these trifles that the real story is told. I felt as though Glaspell was trying to show the women as real people with real feelings and problems. It is through the little things that I got a sense of not only the plight of Mrs. Wright, but also Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. All three women in the play are trying to exert their independence in a world ruled by the men in their lives.
Glaspell was an authentic writer who used her worldly experiences to color her pieces. She left behind the quaint writings of girls looking for happiness in marriage for the stark realities of the negative influences society placed on the "modern woman." Once she found her true voice she took on the role of a major voice for the women of her time.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Robert Frost...Poetry
I enjoyed reading Robert Frost's poems this week. What I really like is the way he parallels man and nature. An example of this is in the poem "Birches." The trees could have been bent by the ice storm, or perhaps they were curved by a young boy at play. I believe in Frost's mind the later was the more enchanting choice. This poem was one of my favorites this week. The imagery of a boy climbing higher and higher and then, SWOOSH, bending down to earth on the feathery bough was magical. And the picture Frost painted, with his words, about the ice storm was just as compelling. His descriptions of the branches clicking together, bending under the weight of the ice, and finally shattering was very appropriate and realistic.
The second poem that caught my attention, for completely different reasons was "Home Burial." This poem was full of anger, sadness, and despair. The anguish felt by the woman was evident through the whole poem. She couldn't understand how the man could go on as though nothing had happened, and she was angered by his seeming lack of emotion. On the other hand, the man didn't understand why the woman was so upset or why she was taking it so hard. They just couldn't relate to each others different ways of dealing with the loss. I think this happens often when a couple losses a child. One wears his/her grief on the outside while the other internalizes his/her feelings. I have heard of this breaking up many relationships because the people involved just cannot empathize with one another.
A third poem I really liked was "For Once, Then Something." I guess the reason I enjoyed this poem was because of the meaning I picked up, and not so much the imagery that drew me to the other two poems. To me it had to do with taking the time to look deeper in order to find out what is truly below the surface in any given situation. Sometimes you will be suprised by what you find. I also think Frost was making a statement about patience. If you do not slow down and appreciate the moment, you may miss the beauty of those fleeting flashes of clarity which will be gone before you know it.
The second poem that caught my attention, for completely different reasons was "Home Burial." This poem was full of anger, sadness, and despair. The anguish felt by the woman was evident through the whole poem. She couldn't understand how the man could go on as though nothing had happened, and she was angered by his seeming lack of emotion. On the other hand, the man didn't understand why the woman was so upset or why she was taking it so hard. They just couldn't relate to each others different ways of dealing with the loss. I think this happens often when a couple losses a child. One wears his/her grief on the outside while the other internalizes his/her feelings. I have heard of this breaking up many relationships because the people involved just cannot empathize with one another.
A third poem I really liked was "For Once, Then Something." I guess the reason I enjoyed this poem was because of the meaning I picked up, and not so much the imagery that drew me to the other two poems. To me it had to do with taking the time to look deeper in order to find out what is truly below the surface in any given situation. Sometimes you will be suprised by what you find. I also think Frost was making a statement about patience. If you do not slow down and appreciate the moment, you may miss the beauty of those fleeting flashes of clarity which will be gone before you know it.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Edith Wharton... The Other Two
I like "The Other Two" by Edith Wharton less than I like the readings by Crane this week. I guess I just have trouble relating to Wharton's story. It was set in a world governed by money and high-society, neither of which I have much experience with. I don't think Waythorn would have kept up a relationship with Varick had money not been a key constituent between the two of them. And I don't really understand how Waythorn was able to stomach the thought of Haskett visiting every week, especially after his wife lied to him about speaking with Haskett during the first visit. It just didn't seem believable to me that Waythorn didn't show more animosity towards "the other two." I also thought it rather unlikely that he would so readily move from pessimism to acceptance of the troubling, but necessary, relationships between himself and Varick and Haskett. I think I would have trouble being involved with my husband's previous romantic partners, and I certainly wouldn't be happy if he were to be involved with them either. I guess one of the messages in Wharton's story would be to accept those things you cannot change. For various reasons, both personal and business, Waythorn is caught in relationships with his wife's ex-husbands, and he figures the best way to deal with the situation is to accept it and move on with his life. Another message may be that if you truly love and trust another then the involvement of past interests should not be such a problem. Perhaps Wharton was writing of the virtues of a loving and strong relationship and how two people who have this can withstand much if they stick together.
I think this story epitomizes the the writing style of Edith Wharton. She focuses on the upper class within which she grew up and is thus a very believable writer because she is writing about that which is familiar to her. I just couldn't relate because I lack her perspective on life. So, while this wasn't one of my favorites because of the subject matter, I still think it was a very well-written story.
I think this story epitomizes the the writing style of Edith Wharton. She focuses on the upper class within which she grew up and is thus a very believable writer because she is writing about that which is familiar to her. I just couldn't relate because I lack her perspective on life. So, while this wasn't one of my favorites because of the subject matter, I still think it was a very well-written story.
Stephen Crane...Poetry
I didn't care for the poetry of Stephen Crane, but there were a few poems that stood out to me. I enjoyed "I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon." To me this poem represents the fact that people will blindly follow a path without question, regardless of logic and/or truth. Their lives are an exercise in futility. Another meaning I gleaned from this poem is that it could possibly be a portrayal of someone who is stubbornly set in his ways and refuses to change no matter how silly s/he is being.
The second poem I enjoyed was "In the Desert." I say enjoy, but it is such a bleak poem that perhaps I should let it suffice to say that I was moved by the imagery of the poem. While I couldn't formulate a concise meaning as to what Crane was trying to say, I think this poem might have something to do with bad habits. I believe Crane was saying something along the lines that some people will continue with the same, familiar habits even if those habits are detrimental. This poem may be a metaphor for the way people harm themselves with their own lifestyles.
The third poem I that I liked was "A Man Said to the Universe." I see this poem as an affront to Christianity, or, maybe, religion in general. Crane may be saying that there is probably no god who cares for humanity, but if there does happen to be one, he is unconcerned with people in general.
Crane's poetry spoke of his utter disdain towards people. His work as a journalist seems to have opened his eyes to the squalor and hypocrisy of society. His poems also reflect his (anti-) passion for was and all the atrocities it creates. As I said before, I didn't really care for these poems as a whole, but I do think Crane was a talented poet whose use of imagery is astounding.
The second poem I enjoyed was "In the Desert." I say enjoy, but it is such a bleak poem that perhaps I should let it suffice to say that I was moved by the imagery of the poem. While I couldn't formulate a concise meaning as to what Crane was trying to say, I think this poem might have something to do with bad habits. I believe Crane was saying something along the lines that some people will continue with the same, familiar habits even if those habits are detrimental. This poem may be a metaphor for the way people harm themselves with their own lifestyles.
The third poem I that I liked was "A Man Said to the Universe." I see this poem as an affront to Christianity, or, maybe, religion in general. Crane may be saying that there is probably no god who cares for humanity, but if there does happen to be one, he is unconcerned with people in general.
Crane's poetry spoke of his utter disdain towards people. His work as a journalist seems to have opened his eyes to the squalor and hypocrisy of society. His poems also reflect his (anti-) passion for was and all the atrocities it creates. As I said before, I didn't really care for these poems as a whole, but I do think Crane was a talented poet whose use of imagery is astounding.
Stephen Crane...The Open Boat
I enjoyed reading "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane. He filled his story with much detail, and I was able to lose myself in it. Whether from these details, or the fact that I have spent a lot of time on boats (I grew up on Lake Michigan), I could feel the hardship the men in the dinghy were going through as they tried to stay afloat. I know how hard it is to row against the current and waves. As the story progressed I could imagine the frustration the men felt while waiting for someone to rescue them. They were stuck out beyond the breaking point of the waves and needed a larger boat to come and transport them safely to shore. When they see the man on the shore their excitement grows in anticipation of rescue, but the men in the boat soon realize that the man on the beach, along with several others who have now joined him, are simply tourists and not rescuers. This throws the four men into laments of frustration. They cannot believe that they have made it so far only to perish within site of land and safety.
The ending of the story is bittersweet. While most of the men made it through the surf, the oiler did not. In the second to the last paragraph Crane casts a somber light on what should have been joyous proceedings by having the body of the deceased carried close by the survivors. This was a powerful way to end the story as it made me realize that life is precious and the power of nature is great.
Stephen Crane accomplished much in the little time he was alive. His writing was powerful and detail oriented. I read "Maggie, A Girl of the Streets" when I was in high school and enjoyed it as much as the readings we had this week by Crane. While his writing is rather dark, I like the stark reality Crane portrays in his writings.
The ending of the story is bittersweet. While most of the men made it through the surf, the oiler did not. In the second to the last paragraph Crane casts a somber light on what should have been joyous proceedings by having the body of the deceased carried close by the survivors. This was a powerful way to end the story as it made me realize that life is precious and the power of nature is great.
Stephen Crane accomplished much in the little time he was alive. His writing was powerful and detail oriented. I read "Maggie, A Girl of the Streets" when I was in high school and enjoyed it as much as the readings we had this week by Crane. While his writing is rather dark, I like the stark reality Crane portrays in his writings.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a very interesting woman who lived ahead of her time. She held to strong feminist ideals in an era of male dominance. Her biography calls her one of the "ancestral mothers of the modern feminist movement." She had much to say about women's rights as well as many other political issues. It seems she was a very intelligent woman with much passion for her causes. This may have been one reason she suffered from periods of mental anguish throughout her life. For, while she had the support of many, I imagine she met with much opposition which could have led to her unrest and depression.
In her story "The Yellow Wallpaper" Gilman portrays a woman caught in the malaise of depression with nowhere to turn except further into her self. While her husband, John, thinks he is doing the right thing by isolating her and keeping her quiet, he is actually exacerbating her condition. All she really wants to do is be free to express herself with her writing, but John has forbidden this, so she feels all the more trapped. With nothing else to do she turns her attentions to the ugly, yellow wallpaper. At first she simply sees it as a horrible decorating mistake, but after awhile she begins to see it as having a life of its own. Slowly she becomes more and more obsessed with the images she sees in the wallpaper. Instead of sleeping at night she starts examining the paper more and more thoroughly. Eventually she finds the figure of a woman trapped behind the swirling "bars" in the foreground. I believe this woman is a parallel not only to the main character in the story, but to Gilman herself. The woman in the wallpaper tries desperately to escape her confines just as the woman in the story wishes to escape her own bindings. In the end, the main character actually starts ripping the paper off the walls in an attempt to free the woman trapped inside and save her own sanity.
I agree with the description of this story as a horror story. This poor woman is trapped in the outer confines set up by her husband as well as the inner confines of her own psyche. The horror, in my opinion, comes not from a traditional antagonist, but from within the mind of the main character.
In her story "The Yellow Wallpaper" Gilman portrays a woman caught in the malaise of depression with nowhere to turn except further into her self. While her husband, John, thinks he is doing the right thing by isolating her and keeping her quiet, he is actually exacerbating her condition. All she really wants to do is be free to express herself with her writing, but John has forbidden this, so she feels all the more trapped. With nothing else to do she turns her attentions to the ugly, yellow wallpaper. At first she simply sees it as a horrible decorating mistake, but after awhile she begins to see it as having a life of its own. Slowly she becomes more and more obsessed with the images she sees in the wallpaper. Instead of sleeping at night she starts examining the paper more and more thoroughly. Eventually she finds the figure of a woman trapped behind the swirling "bars" in the foreground. I believe this woman is a parallel not only to the main character in the story, but to Gilman herself. The woman in the wallpaper tries desperately to escape her confines just as the woman in the story wishes to escape her own bindings. In the end, the main character actually starts ripping the paper off the walls in an attempt to free the woman trapped inside and save her own sanity.
I agree with the description of this story as a horror story. This poor woman is trapped in the outer confines set up by her husband as well as the inner confines of her own psyche. The horror, in my opinion, comes not from a traditional antagonist, but from within the mind of the main character.
Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin's biography was rather sparse. About the only thing I gleaned from it was that she was rather pampered for most of her life. This fact seemed to be what led her to write as she did. Her characters dealt with issues of inner turmoil rather than external circumstances. All their base needs (food, shelter, water) have been met so they can afford to dwell on the wants and desires rather than the necessities of life. Their lives are of the mind rather than the body.
Chopin's story "The Awakening" was a very interesting reading. Ms. Chopin paints a portrait of a well-to-do woman who strips herself of all conventions of society. Edna Pontellier "wakes up" one day and finally feels alive in the truest sense of the word. Her senses are heightened and she is overflowing with emotion. What brings her to this point? What finally wakes her up after all these years? Love. And not the love for her husband and children, but the love for a man named Robert Lebrun whom she encounters while on vacation on the island of Grand Isle in the Gulf of Mexico. This man brings to life something in her that had until their meeting had lain dormant inside her. After Mrs. Pontellier experiences this "awakening", she becomes caught up in a whirlwind of self-satisfaction without regard to how she is affecting those around her. She literally as well as metaphorically distances herself from those who love and care for her. All with the hopes of one day being reunited with her beloved Robert.
When Robert does return from Mexico, where he had escaped to earlier in the story, he is cold and distant towards Edna. He says he doesn't want to be responsible for ruining her life or the lives of those connected to her. Finally, he leaves for good, leaving only a note stating that he has left because he does love her. This sends Edna into a state of despondency that ultimately leads to her demise. She has lost her sense of wakefulness and is thrust back into her former "deadened" self. In the throes of her depression, seeing no other way out, she revisits the resort where the story began. She goes down to the water, strips herself naked, and swims until she can swim no more, thus ending her life and the story. What had initially "awakened" her became her ultimate departure from life.
Chopin's story "The Awakening" was a very interesting reading. Ms. Chopin paints a portrait of a well-to-do woman who strips herself of all conventions of society. Edna Pontellier "wakes up" one day and finally feels alive in the truest sense of the word. Her senses are heightened and she is overflowing with emotion. What brings her to this point? What finally wakes her up after all these years? Love. And not the love for her husband and children, but the love for a man named Robert Lebrun whom she encounters while on vacation on the island of Grand Isle in the Gulf of Mexico. This man brings to life something in her that had until their meeting had lain dormant inside her. After Mrs. Pontellier experiences this "awakening", she becomes caught up in a whirlwind of self-satisfaction without regard to how she is affecting those around her. She literally as well as metaphorically distances herself from those who love and care for her. All with the hopes of one day being reunited with her beloved Robert.
When Robert does return from Mexico, where he had escaped to earlier in the story, he is cold and distant towards Edna. He says he doesn't want to be responsible for ruining her life or the lives of those connected to her. Finally, he leaves for good, leaving only a note stating that he has left because he does love her. This sends Edna into a state of despondency that ultimately leads to her demise. She has lost her sense of wakefulness and is thrust back into her former "deadened" self. In the throes of her depression, seeing no other way out, she revisits the resort where the story began. She goes down to the water, strips herself naked, and swims until she can swim no more, thus ending her life and the story. What had initially "awakened" her became her ultimate departure from life.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Joel Chandler Harris
First I will address Joel Chandler Harris' story "How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox." I grew up with a book of Uncle Remus stories and found them to be humorous anecdotes as a child, but after reading this story as an adult I was offended by Harris' portrayal of the slave community.According to his biography he was just recounting the stories he had heard growing up. I don't think he did them justice though. I don't think his stories would be considered legitimate literature in this day and age, and I believe Harris would be branded a bigot and racist were he to try and publish these stories today. His decision to use the black vernacular seemed extremely patronizing and mocking of the people he supposedly respected. I do believe, however, that Harris was simply trying to honor the stories and beliefs of the "negro" population of his time. He probably meant absolutely no harm when he set out to write these stories, and if I look beyond the dialect and goofy portrayal of these people I can see a good message and a hint of the humanity and intelligence Harris could have put in the forefront of the stories.
Now, on the other hand, in "Free Joe and the Rest of the World" we see Harris portraying the "negro" as a human being lacking the respect he justly deserves. This was a very sad tale of a man lost in the world once he was freed from his servitude as a slave in the American South just after the Civil War. I think Harris more than adequately described the plight of the Southern African-American who had the illusion of freedom in the late 1800's. Once released from their "masters" these unfortunate souls had nowhere to turn for solace. They were trusted and accepted by no one other than the "poor white trash" who also lacked the respect due to all human beings. These "free" people had nowhere to work because they were trusted by no one. Both the former slave owners and Joe's own people shunned him and treated him as an inferior person who should not be given the time of day. Joe was forced to live hand to mouth on whatever charity he could find. His lot was to suffer silently and alone. For all intents and purposes he was invisible to almost all others.
Although I don't agree with the portrayal of the African- American in the Uncle Remus stories, I do think that overall Harris was an insightful and intelligent writer. He obviously knew his subject matter well, and wrote thoroughly and believably.
Now, on the other hand, in "Free Joe and the Rest of the World" we see Harris portraying the "negro" as a human being lacking the respect he justly deserves. This was a very sad tale of a man lost in the world once he was freed from his servitude as a slave in the American South just after the Civil War. I think Harris more than adequately described the plight of the Southern African-American who had the illusion of freedom in the late 1800's. Once released from their "masters" these unfortunate souls had nowhere to turn for solace. They were trusted and accepted by no one other than the "poor white trash" who also lacked the respect due to all human beings. These "free" people had nowhere to work because they were trusted by no one. Both the former slave owners and Joe's own people shunned him and treated him as an inferior person who should not be given the time of day. Joe was forced to live hand to mouth on whatever charity he could find. His lot was to suffer silently and alone. For all intents and purposes he was invisible to almost all others.
Although I don't agree with the portrayal of the African- American in the Uncle Remus stories, I do think that overall Harris was an insightful and intelligent writer. He obviously knew his subject matter well, and wrote thoroughly and believably.
William Dean Howells
"Editha" by William Dean Howells begins with an extremely idealistic view of war. Through Editha the reader is drawn into a world full of excitement and grandeur with none of the realistic consequences found in real life. She wants George to go off to war because, in her eyes, it would be romantic. She could pine for her love while he was away fighting for a "just" cause. And if he returned wounded it would be all the more romantic because she could rush to his side and tend to her "hero" as a mother tends to her child.
As the story progresses George is persuaded by Editha to go and fight for his country. She, again in the throes of her fantasy, convinces him to go by stressing the fact that nothing bad could possibly happen because once the opposing army sees his troupes they will retreat without a fight. All will be well and George will have the badge of a hero.
But things don't go according to Editha's plan. When George is quickly killed without a chance to prove his patriotism she is shocked into reality by the situation. She meets with George's mother to give her the news and is justly chastised Editha for sending George into the war in the first place. Editha's fantasy world is shattered. After this meeting she sinks into a deep depression and withdraws from the world.
Editha's depression lasts until, later in the story, she is having her portrait painted. The artist is of the opinion that George's mother was speaking out of vulgarity and her comments should be disregarded. This is enough to raise Editha's spirits and send her back into her glamorous fantasy world where she can once again live without regard to the consequences of life.
I found Howell's writing to be very base and topical. The character of Editha was explored on the surface without any real depth into what made her tick. This may have been the purpose of Howells though. Maybe Editha was simply a base and topical character who had no real depth. She was so deep in her fantasy world that she had no real personality to be explored.
As the story progresses George is persuaded by Editha to go and fight for his country. She, again in the throes of her fantasy, convinces him to go by stressing the fact that nothing bad could possibly happen because once the opposing army sees his troupes they will retreat without a fight. All will be well and George will have the badge of a hero.
But things don't go according to Editha's plan. When George is quickly killed without a chance to prove his patriotism she is shocked into reality by the situation. She meets with George's mother to give her the news and is justly chastised Editha for sending George into the war in the first place. Editha's fantasy world is shattered. After this meeting she sinks into a deep depression and withdraws from the world.
Editha's depression lasts until, later in the story, she is having her portrait painted. The artist is of the opinion that George's mother was speaking out of vulgarity and her comments should be disregarded. This is enough to raise Editha's spirits and send her back into her glamorous fantasy world where she can once again live without regard to the consequences of life.
I found Howell's writing to be very base and topical. The character of Editha was explored on the surface without any real depth into what made her tick. This may have been the purpose of Howells though. Maybe Editha was simply a base and topical character who had no real depth. She was so deep in her fantasy world that she had no real personality to be explored.
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce went into great depth and detail in his story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." It was apparent to me that he had a real knowledge of the fear that comes before death. Perhaps he learned of these things while fighting in the Civil War.
The story opens with a man (who we later find out is named Farquar) on a bridge with a noose around his neck; this sets the dark tone that flows throughout the whole story. In the moments before Farquar's imminent death he is sent on a wild fantasy in which he just barely escapes his demise. In his imagination he falls from the bridge into the river below where his perilous journey to freedom begins. He is able to free himself from his tethers and escape from his own execution. Bierce so vividly wrote of the adventure that I was surprised in the end when it all turned out to be a fantasy.
Even though I have never had a similar experience I was able to put myself in Farquar's place because of the detail put into the story by Bierce. I have heard many near-death stories, but this is the first where the person is forced into the throes of his imagination. Usually people talk of their life passing before their eyes, but in Bierce's story Farquar is transported into another realm altogether.
Overall, I didn't care for Bierce's subject matter, but he was obviously a very talented writer with a vivid imagination. I was disappointed that the story didn't hold much of Bierce's bitter, ironic humor. In his biography there are several darkly humorous quotes that exemplify his cynical nature. I particularly like the one about birth being the ultimate disaster. I guess I also have a somewhat cynical outlook on life because I can truly relate to his brooding nature.
The story opens with a man (who we later find out is named Farquar) on a bridge with a noose around his neck; this sets the dark tone that flows throughout the whole story. In the moments before Farquar's imminent death he is sent on a wild fantasy in which he just barely escapes his demise. In his imagination he falls from the bridge into the river below where his perilous journey to freedom begins. He is able to free himself from his tethers and escape from his own execution. Bierce so vividly wrote of the adventure that I was surprised in the end when it all turned out to be a fantasy.
Even though I have never had a similar experience I was able to put myself in Farquar's place because of the detail put into the story by Bierce. I have heard many near-death stories, but this is the first where the person is forced into the throes of his imagination. Usually people talk of their life passing before their eyes, but in Bierce's story Farquar is transported into another realm altogether.
Overall, I didn't care for Bierce's subject matter, but he was obviously a very talented writer with a vivid imagination. I was disappointed that the story didn't hold much of Bierce's bitter, ironic humor. In his biography there are several darkly humorous quotes that exemplify his cynical nature. I particularly like the one about birth being the ultimate disaster. I guess I also have a somewhat cynical outlook on life because I can truly relate to his brooding nature.
Henry James
Henry James was an American writer who happened to spend much time in Europe throughout his life which greatly influenced his writing. This is particularly evident in "Daisy Miller: A Study." While the other stories I read this week focused on American wars or their aftermath, Daisy Miller dealt with high European society and how an "uncultured" American girl fit into the norms and morays of the time and place.
Daisy is a young woman who is spending a holiday in Europe with her mother and younger brother, Randolph. She is a girl who couldn't care less for the conventions of European society. She does everything she wants without regard for her reputation. Even though it is not respectable for a young lady to be out and about by herself, without the accompaniment of a courier or her mother, Daisy gallivants through the story, oblivious to the mounting scorn around her. In the end this carelessness and egocentricism lead to Daisy's demise. Rome is rife with malaria that is transported by the bugs that come out at night. Everyone (including Daisy's suitor, Giovanelli) knows there are outdoor places that are to be avoided after dark. Daisy seemingly believes she will not be affected, and so we find her out at the Colosseum late at night with Giovanelli. A couple days later she comes down with the "Roman fever", and soon after she dies.
Throughout the story Winterbourne (an American who spends much time in Europe) is deeply intrigued by Daisy. Her thoughts and actions make him wonder profusely at her personality. As the story progresses so do his feelings for her until he is completely enamoured. He is also saddened when he finds out about Daisy's alleged engagement to Giovanelli. After she takes to her sickbed he learns, through Daisy's mother, that Daisy had not been engaged after all. This lifts Winterbourne's spirits temporarily, but, alas, Daisy dies soon after this confession. Winterbourne is left wondering what could've been.
Although I was somewhat annoyed with Daisy's self-centered personality I did enjoy reading this novella by James. His attention to the details of the personalities in the story lead me to believe that he was very astute and must have been a life-long study of people and how they interact not only with others, but within themselves as well.
Daisy is a young woman who is spending a holiday in Europe with her mother and younger brother, Randolph. She is a girl who couldn't care less for the conventions of European society. She does everything she wants without regard for her reputation. Even though it is not respectable for a young lady to be out and about by herself, without the accompaniment of a courier or her mother, Daisy gallivants through the story, oblivious to the mounting scorn around her. In the end this carelessness and egocentricism lead to Daisy's demise. Rome is rife with malaria that is transported by the bugs that come out at night. Everyone (including Daisy's suitor, Giovanelli) knows there are outdoor places that are to be avoided after dark. Daisy seemingly believes she will not be affected, and so we find her out at the Colosseum late at night with Giovanelli. A couple days later she comes down with the "Roman fever", and soon after she dies.
Throughout the story Winterbourne (an American who spends much time in Europe) is deeply intrigued by Daisy. Her thoughts and actions make him wonder profusely at her personality. As the story progresses so do his feelings for her until he is completely enamoured. He is also saddened when he finds out about Daisy's alleged engagement to Giovanelli. After she takes to her sickbed he learns, through Daisy's mother, that Daisy had not been engaged after all. This lifts Winterbourne's spirits temporarily, but, alas, Daisy dies soon after this confession. Winterbourne is left wondering what could've been.
Although I was somewhat annoyed with Daisy's self-centered personality I did enjoy reading this novella by James. His attention to the details of the personalities in the story lead me to believe that he was very astute and must have been a life-long study of people and how they interact not only with others, but within themselves as well.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Mary E. Wilkes Freeman
Mary E. Wilkes Freeman's story, "A New England Nun," challenges the notion that a woman alone is an unhappy, lonely woman. Through Louisa Ellis, Freeman shows us that this is not always the case. Louisa cherishes her independence and the thought of losing it fills her with dread. Freeman captures Louisa's nervousness and trepidation about her impending marriage so well that I am easily able to fall into the story and have much empathy for the character.
As the story begins we are introduced to her fiance, Joe Dagget. The first encounter between the two of them is filled with tension and unease. Joe moved the books, Louisa put them back. It is obvious from the beginning that things will not go well for their relationship. As the scene progresses I grow more and more tense along with Louisa. I feel myself cringing throughout their encounter, and when Joe finally leaves the house I realized I have been holding my breath in anticipation of some sort of outburst that never comes.
See, Louisa has been waiting for Dagget to return from a journey where he has made his fortune. The plan is for the two to be married upon his homecoming, but life does not always go according to plan. In his fourteen year absence, Louisa has grown to enjoy her life alone. She cannot imagine giving up her little home and her precious routines. She has become comfortable with her yellow canary and her sad, chained-up dog. Louisa feels that only in her own home can she be truly happy and free from the judgement of others. She can easily spend her time cleaning, organizing and doing her "pointless" needlework. These are the things she takes pride in and she would hate to give them up.
throughout the story Louise yearns for a way out of the impending marriage. In her heart she knows it would be a mistake, but she sees no way out. That is, until she hears Joe and Lily expressing their love to one another. As she listens to them, she feels an immense release of tension as she realizes she is no longer chained to a man she does not want to marry. After she and Joe go their separate ways, she sheds a few tears and is once more able to settle into her simple, yet satisfying day to day routines without fear of reprisal.
As the story begins we are introduced to her fiance, Joe Dagget. The first encounter between the two of them is filled with tension and unease. Joe moved the books, Louisa put them back. It is obvious from the beginning that things will not go well for their relationship. As the scene progresses I grow more and more tense along with Louisa. I feel myself cringing throughout their encounter, and when Joe finally leaves the house I realized I have been holding my breath in anticipation of some sort of outburst that never comes.
See, Louisa has been waiting for Dagget to return from a journey where he has made his fortune. The plan is for the two to be married upon his homecoming, but life does not always go according to plan. In his fourteen year absence, Louisa has grown to enjoy her life alone. She cannot imagine giving up her little home and her precious routines. She has become comfortable with her yellow canary and her sad, chained-up dog. Louisa feels that only in her own home can she be truly happy and free from the judgement of others. She can easily spend her time cleaning, organizing and doing her "pointless" needlework. These are the things she takes pride in and she would hate to give them up.
throughout the story Louise yearns for a way out of the impending marriage. In her heart she knows it would be a mistake, but she sees no way out. That is, until she hears Joe and Lily expressing their love to one another. As she listens to them, she feels an immense release of tension as she realizes she is no longer chained to a man she does not want to marry. After she and Joe go their separate ways, she sheds a few tears and is once more able to settle into her simple, yet satisfying day to day routines without fear of reprisal.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sarah Orne Jewett
In her story "A White Heron," Jewett teaches a lesson about the preciousness of nature and all it holds.Through the eyes of eight year old Sylvia, and her treatment of the white heron, we are shown the importance of preserving such beauty for future generations to enjoy as we (adults) have been able to. The wonder and awe experienced by young Sylvia as she climbs up through the branches of the tall pine tree is precious and is an experience everyone should have at least once in a lifetime. Even at her young age Sylvia understands this concept, and so she keeps quiet when questioned by her grandmother and the guest about where she has been.
Another concept brought to light by Jewett is that country life is far superior to city life. Especially when raising children. The hectic city life that Sylvia left behind when she came to live with her grandmother was constrictive and frightening whereas in the country she is now comfortable roaming free, and has acquired a sense of peaceful awe at her surroundings. Near the beginning of the story she actually states that it was as if she hadn't been alive before the move to the farm.
Having grown up in both rural and urban settings I tend to agree with Jewett's point of view.There is a beauty and a sense of freedom that can only come from the wide expanse of solitude of a place far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Another concept brought to light by Jewett is that country life is far superior to city life. Especially when raising children. The hectic city life that Sylvia left behind when she came to live with her grandmother was constrictive and frightening whereas in the country she is now comfortable roaming free, and has acquired a sense of peaceful awe at her surroundings. Near the beginning of the story she actually states that it was as if she hadn't been alive before the move to the farm.
Having grown up in both rural and urban settings I tend to agree with Jewett's point of view.There is a beauty and a sense of freedom that can only come from the wide expanse of solitude of a place far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson wrote with an intense passion that only a true artist is able to express. Whether her topic is love, love-lost, religion, nature, or death, Dickinson captures the most extremes of the emotional spectrum in her poems.
At times she comes across as ecstatically happy as in poem 214 where she expounds on the beauty of a Summer's day and how she can much more easily become inebriated by her beautiful surroundings (I assume of her garden) than on any of the finest liquors.
In contrast to these feelings of utmost, unadulterated happiness is seen in poem 241 where she states "I like the look of agony, / Because I know it's true--." This, to me, proves that she is no stranger to the darkness, despair, and striffe in the world.
Another theme in Dickinson's poetry is the casting off of traditional Christian values. While it could be seen as an excuse to further isolate herself, in poem 324 she speaks of how it is unnecessary to worship in church. She writes "Some keep the Sabbath going to church-- / I keep it, staying at home--." Also, in poem 185 she alludes to the fact that science is just as (if not moreso) important than faith in the "modern" world. This concept was probably not very well-recieved in her time, especially among the New England Protestant population with whom she was surrounded.
Finally, I am of the opinion that much of the extreme emotion in Dickinson's poetry comes from her life-long isolation from the world outside her garden walls. One who spends too much time alone is very succeptable to wide variances of feelings and thoughts that, at times, may be blown out of proportion. But, I imagine, that is where much of the beauty in her words comes from as well.
At times she comes across as ecstatically happy as in poem 214 where she expounds on the beauty of a Summer's day and how she can much more easily become inebriated by her beautiful surroundings (I assume of her garden) than on any of the finest liquors.
In contrast to these feelings of utmost, unadulterated happiness is seen in poem 241 where she states "I like the look of agony, / Because I know it's true--." This, to me, proves that she is no stranger to the darkness, despair, and striffe in the world.
Another theme in Dickinson's poetry is the casting off of traditional Christian values. While it could be seen as an excuse to further isolate herself, in poem 324 she speaks of how it is unnecessary to worship in church. She writes "Some keep the Sabbath going to church-- / I keep it, staying at home--." Also, in poem 185 she alludes to the fact that science is just as (if not moreso) important than faith in the "modern" world. This concept was probably not very well-recieved in her time, especially among the New England Protestant population with whom she was surrounded.
Finally, I am of the opinion that much of the extreme emotion in Dickinson's poetry comes from her life-long isolation from the world outside her garden walls. One who spends too much time alone is very succeptable to wide variances of feelings and thoughts that, at times, may be blown out of proportion. But, I imagine, that is where much of the beauty in her words comes from as well.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
While I enjoyed this novel by Mark Twain, I was left with many mixed feelings about it. Intellectually I knew it was Twain's purpose to write a satirical novel portraying the ridiculous nature of society with all its hypocrisies and absurdities, but on another level I was offended by the role he gave to Jim as a completely imbecilic, stereotypical southern slave. I felt as though Twain could have gone further in order to show Jim as a human being first, and then a slave. But perhaps that was just because the novel was a product of an era where blacks were always seen as inferior. I just expected more from a writer like Twain who so astutely conveyed the ills of society and was able to satirize the ridiculous nature of the men and women of his time. I kept waiting for Jim to be cast in a more favorable light, but was repeatedly let down.
Another thing that gave me mixed feelings was the total absurdity of every single character in the story. On the one hand I agree with Twain's portrayal of conventional society as absurd, but I had hoped to encounter at least one person of character and dignity at least once and, again, I was let down. Every single character was deeply flawed in my opinion, and there was hardly a redeeming quality among the bunch.
I do think Twain did a great job using the river to tie the story together into a coherent novel. It neatly connected one adventure to the next giving the story a sense of consistency. I also liked how Twain used the river to add to the turmoil in the novel. Huck's inner turmoil while constantly battling what was right and what was wrong was amplified by the churning waters.
Through the character of Huck I was made to question my own sense of morality. His character also made me think about what we, as a society, do on a daily basis without regard for others and without first thinking about the implications of our actions. Also, how many of our actions are made because that's what "everyone" else is doing? Do we do what we do because it is moral and reputable, or are we following blindly?
Another thing that gave me mixed feelings was the total absurdity of every single character in the story. On the one hand I agree with Twain's portrayal of conventional society as absurd, but I had hoped to encounter at least one person of character and dignity at least once and, again, I was let down. Every single character was deeply flawed in my opinion, and there was hardly a redeeming quality among the bunch.
I do think Twain did a great job using the river to tie the story together into a coherent novel. It neatly connected one adventure to the next giving the story a sense of consistency. I also liked how Twain used the river to add to the turmoil in the novel. Huck's inner turmoil while constantly battling what was right and what was wrong was amplified by the churning waters.
Through the character of Huck I was made to question my own sense of morality. His character also made me think about what we, as a society, do on a daily basis without regard for others and without first thinking about the implications of our actions. Also, how many of our actions are made because that's what "everyone" else is doing? Do we do what we do because it is moral and reputable, or are we following blindly?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Hello from Jessie
My name is Jessie and this is my second time taking this class. I love to read, and that's a good thing because there is a lot of reading for this class. I will read anything from the classics, to pulp fiction, to books about psychology and sociology, and everything in between. I like the readings in this class because we will cover a good representation of all time periods included. I am also looking forward to the blogs as I love to write almost as much as I like to read. Good luck to everyone, and here's to a great Spring semester...
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