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.
Friday, March 25, 2011
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.
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