Monday, December 7, 2009
The End of Another Semester
The end of another semester is drawing to a close. It’s exciting to know that there’s a break from all this work is coming soon. It isn’t that exciting though, because the end of one semester only means the beginning of another. College really isn’t all that bad, though. School is what is expected of you, with the gradual add-ons of responsibilities. I don’t really know what to do with myself when I’m done with college, other than get a job. It’s comforting to know I can sit back for at least the next two years and think it over.
Chapter 15 and 17 Poems
The first poem I read in Chapter 15 was “ This is Just to Say.” The point of this poem was to show that it is not always the point of a writer to write cryptically. Sometimes, words are meant the way they seem, without a hidden meaning or metaphor behind them. I was able to read the poem and immediately understand what it was about without having to look below its surface. The author is simply apologizing for eating the delicious plums from the refrigerator.
Another poem I read was “Grass,” by Carl Sandburg. Sandburg’s poem is full of allusions, or an indirect reference to something not precisely mentioned. His poem is narrated by grass. The grass is speaking to the survivors of events marked by death. It is telling them to bury them in the ground, sooner or later; it will grow over the graves and cover the catastrophes that had once taken place there. It would be as if the events had never taken place.
Last, I read “Carnation Milk.” It was written by an anonymous writer. The purpose of the poem is to show a different style of English. I found it the most entertaining out of the poems in the chapter. It has a straight to the point, almost sarcastic tone. It sticks in your head with its witty rhyme scheme.
The first poem in Chapter 17 I read was a haiku called “The Piercing Chill I Feel.” The haiku, by Tanguchi Buson, uses tactile imagery to gains his audience’s attention. The poem is three lines, but gives the makes the worst chill go down my spine. A man, who recently lost his wife, is in his room when he steps on one of her belongings she dropped on the floor; a comb that she used to run through her hair.
Second, I read “The Falling Flower,” by Arakida Moritake. Also a haiku, it talks about the beauty of nature. It focuses on a butterfly, landing on a tree branch. Mortake compares the prettiness of the butterfly to a flower. Two entities in nature that make the world a more beautiful place to live.
Third, I read an example of Contemporary Haiku. Walt Whitman’s poem, “The Runner,” caught my attention. It is a modern version of the Japanese Haiku, written in English. The modern haiku describes the characteristics of a person running down the street. It describes his or her body, clothing, and actions.
Another poem I read was “Grass,” by Carl Sandburg. Sandburg’s poem is full of allusions, or an indirect reference to something not precisely mentioned. His poem is narrated by grass. The grass is speaking to the survivors of events marked by death. It is telling them to bury them in the ground, sooner or later; it will grow over the graves and cover the catastrophes that had once taken place there. It would be as if the events had never taken place.
Last, I read “Carnation Milk.” It was written by an anonymous writer. The purpose of the poem is to show a different style of English. I found it the most entertaining out of the poems in the chapter. It has a straight to the point, almost sarcastic tone. It sticks in your head with its witty rhyme scheme.
The first poem in Chapter 17 I read was a haiku called “The Piercing Chill I Feel.” The haiku, by Tanguchi Buson, uses tactile imagery to gains his audience’s attention. The poem is three lines, but gives the makes the worst chill go down my spine. A man, who recently lost his wife, is in his room when he steps on one of her belongings she dropped on the floor; a comb that she used to run through her hair.
Second, I read “The Falling Flower,” by Arakida Moritake. Also a haiku, it talks about the beauty of nature. It focuses on a butterfly, landing on a tree branch. Mortake compares the prettiness of the butterfly to a flower. Two entities in nature that make the world a more beautiful place to live.
Third, I read an example of Contemporary Haiku. Walt Whitman’s poem, “The Runner,” caught my attention. It is a modern version of the Japanese Haiku, written in English. The modern haiku describes the characteristics of a person running down the street. It describes his or her body, clothing, and actions.
Hamlet Questions
Act 1 (3)
Horatio is a friend of Hamlet’s from school. Horatio was very respectful of Prince Hamlet, and as the play when on, Hamlet began to rely heavily upon him. Horatio lives through the end of the story to tell the tale of Hamlet.
Act 2 (3 & 4)
Polonius’ word play and metaphor shows him as a conniving and manipulative character trying to convince the queen her son, the next person in line for the throne, has gone mad after his father’s death. It also downplays him a bit, making it hard for the audience to want to listen to his useless words. Polonius does not know how to make a speech simple and sweet.
Polonius is a foolish character, however, he was wise to tell his daughter, Ophelia, to stay away from Hamlet. Although Hamlet had great love for her, he was burdened by the troubles of his evil uncle.
Act 3 (2 & 4)
Gertrude is guilty of pretending everything in her world is all right. She does not cope with reality, and instead of mourning her husband’s death, she marries her brother. In Act 3, Hamlet reproaches her for doing such a deed. She is protecting Claudius, the man who killed her first husband and Hamlet’s father. As the play wears on, I do feel sorry for her. She is blinded to see that Claudius was the real culprit behind King Hamlet’s death and does not understand he is completely manipulating her.
The play in Act 3 explains that humbleness in Elizabethan theatre was key. It was not acceptable to be exuberant with your lines or to have exaggerated hand gestures, however, it was not acceptable to be lame, either. The scene shows that they took their theatre very seriously.
Act 4 (2 & 3)
Ophelia goes mad with loneliness. Her father is killed by Hamlet who is in turn sent away from Denmark. The two people she cared for most are suddenly taken away from her. She no longer has anyone but her brother, who not nearby, to rely on. She knows she will never see the man who raised her ever again and thinks the love of her love is gone from her forever.
As Ophelia goes mad, Shakespeare shows no intelligent thoughts coming from her character. She is not only acting insane when she has an audience, but when she is on her own as well. Shakespeare gives Hamlet’s thoughts reason, but when someone is watching, he does not quite act like himself.
Act 5 (2)
Fortinbras celebrates Prince Hamlet. He thinks highly of him and despite all the tragedies in the play, shows light on what could have been if only Hamlet lived to rightly rule the kingdom. He lightens the end of the play that is plagued with death.
General Questions (1,2,7)
The play’s dramatic question is whether or not King Claudius will get away with his brother’s death. The question is formed early on in the play when King Hamlet’s ghost appears to Prince Hamlet, explaining his death. The turning point of the play is when Hamlet is sent off from Denmark, with a secret order of his death given to English soldiers.
Claudius is perceived as the villain in the beginning of the play. Shakespeare wastes no time in letting his audience know that Claudius is not innocent. When King Hamlet’s ghost begins to appear, it’s apparent something is wrong. A ghost is not going to haunt its past life if its death was anything but natural. It is also natural to assume the one person who has everything to gain from King Hamlet’s death is the culprit.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are one of the many representations of betrayal in Hamlet. If they were cut from the play, if would take away some of the drama at the point where Ophelia goes crazy and would take away proof of Hamlet’s genius.
Horatio is a friend of Hamlet’s from school. Horatio was very respectful of Prince Hamlet, and as the play when on, Hamlet began to rely heavily upon him. Horatio lives through the end of the story to tell the tale of Hamlet.
Act 2 (3 & 4)
Polonius’ word play and metaphor shows him as a conniving and manipulative character trying to convince the queen her son, the next person in line for the throne, has gone mad after his father’s death. It also downplays him a bit, making it hard for the audience to want to listen to his useless words. Polonius does not know how to make a speech simple and sweet.
Polonius is a foolish character, however, he was wise to tell his daughter, Ophelia, to stay away from Hamlet. Although Hamlet had great love for her, he was burdened by the troubles of his evil uncle.
Act 3 (2 & 4)
Gertrude is guilty of pretending everything in her world is all right. She does not cope with reality, and instead of mourning her husband’s death, she marries her brother. In Act 3, Hamlet reproaches her for doing such a deed. She is protecting Claudius, the man who killed her first husband and Hamlet’s father. As the play wears on, I do feel sorry for her. She is blinded to see that Claudius was the real culprit behind King Hamlet’s death and does not understand he is completely manipulating her.
The play in Act 3 explains that humbleness in Elizabethan theatre was key. It was not acceptable to be exuberant with your lines or to have exaggerated hand gestures, however, it was not acceptable to be lame, either. The scene shows that they took their theatre very seriously.
Act 4 (2 & 3)
Ophelia goes mad with loneliness. Her father is killed by Hamlet who is in turn sent away from Denmark. The two people she cared for most are suddenly taken away from her. She no longer has anyone but her brother, who not nearby, to rely on. She knows she will never see the man who raised her ever again and thinks the love of her love is gone from her forever.
As Ophelia goes mad, Shakespeare shows no intelligent thoughts coming from her character. She is not only acting insane when she has an audience, but when she is on her own as well. Shakespeare gives Hamlet’s thoughts reason, but when someone is watching, he does not quite act like himself.
Act 5 (2)
Fortinbras celebrates Prince Hamlet. He thinks highly of him and despite all the tragedies in the play, shows light on what could have been if only Hamlet lived to rightly rule the kingdom. He lightens the end of the play that is plagued with death.
General Questions (1,2,7)
The play’s dramatic question is whether or not King Claudius will get away with his brother’s death. The question is formed early on in the play when King Hamlet’s ghost appears to Prince Hamlet, explaining his death. The turning point of the play is when Hamlet is sent off from Denmark, with a secret order of his death given to English soldiers.
Claudius is perceived as the villain in the beginning of the play. Shakespeare wastes no time in letting his audience know that Claudius is not innocent. When King Hamlet’s ghost begins to appear, it’s apparent something is wrong. A ghost is not going to haunt its past life if its death was anything but natural. It is also natural to assume the one person who has everything to gain from King Hamlet’s death is the culprit.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are one of the many representations of betrayal in Hamlet. If they were cut from the play, if would take away some of the drama at the point where Ophelia goes crazy and would take away proof of Hamlet’s genius.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Movies Versus Books
After thinking about “A Worn Path,” and how the movie affected my point of view, it made me realize that watching a movie is never as good as reading the book it is modeled after. It seems like that for a lot of people. If a person that has read a book goes to see the movie, you always hear the person say the movie was not that great, or at least it wasn’t as good as the movie. The movie is never quite the same as what I imagine the book to be. If the movie does match up to what I thought the book should be, then something is cut out because movies can only be so long.
The Day After Thanksgiving
What kind of person does it take to stand outside a store, at a crazy time in the morning, just to buy Christmas gifts on the day after Thanksgiving? I’m so excited for the holidays; it’s my favorite time of the year, like most other people. However, it seems that ever since I started working in a retail, they have gotten just a little less pleasurable. People go absolutely nuts about their Christmas gifts. It is as if that is one of the most important aspects of the holidays. It’s such a drag walking into work and being bombarded by an insane crowd of moms and dads trying to find the newest thing out for kids.
"A Worn Path"
Point of View- “A Worn Path”
Point of view has the ability to change the mood or tone of a story. It allows the reader to understand the tale from a certain character’s perspective. Another way to influence the point of view is how it is delivered to the audience. A story can be listened to, watched, or read. If the tale is read or listened to, it allows the reader to envision how the characters and settings look. The writer will say how the characters and setting look, but the details are left up to the reader. If the tale is watched in the form of a movie or film, then hardly any details, if any are left up to the audience’s imagination. Reading “A Worn Path,” then watching the short film changed my views of the story quite a bit.
The short film of “A Worn Path,” was put in the terms of how the director envisioned the story. The movie took the author’s characters and exaggerated them. The settings of the tale were the same as I had imagined them to be, but the director took characters and stretched them to their farthest extreme. The hunter was as redneck as a hunter could get, the nurse at the clinic seemed condescending instead of helpful, and the grandmother appeared absolutely pitiful. The movie made the grandmother’s situation appear a hundred times worse than what I had thought it to be. It almost made me feel hopeless. An elderly lady who is capable of making the trip she was taking on multiple occasions should not seem so hopeless. I thought her to be stronger than what she was portrayed.
After reading and watching “A Worn Path,” I decided reading was a much better way to learn the story. I did not agree with the director’s view of the story and preferred the freedom of imagining what the author wanted. I disliked the hopeless feeling the movie gave me from the grave characteristics the director gave the characters. The tone of the story was not upbeat in either form of the story, but the movie had a more dry and negative feel. My point of view did change after watching the movie form of the short story, “A Worn Path.”
Point of view has the ability to change the mood or tone of a story. It allows the reader to understand the tale from a certain character’s perspective. Another way to influence the point of view is how it is delivered to the audience. A story can be listened to, watched, or read. If the tale is read or listened to, it allows the reader to envision how the characters and settings look. The writer will say how the characters and setting look, but the details are left up to the reader. If the tale is watched in the form of a movie or film, then hardly any details, if any are left up to the audience’s imagination. Reading “A Worn Path,” then watching the short film changed my views of the story quite a bit.
The short film of “A Worn Path,” was put in the terms of how the director envisioned the story. The movie took the author’s characters and exaggerated them. The settings of the tale were the same as I had imagined them to be, but the director took characters and stretched them to their farthest extreme. The hunter was as redneck as a hunter could get, the nurse at the clinic seemed condescending instead of helpful, and the grandmother appeared absolutely pitiful. The movie made the grandmother’s situation appear a hundred times worse than what I had thought it to be. It almost made me feel hopeless. An elderly lady who is capable of making the trip she was taking on multiple occasions should not seem so hopeless. I thought her to be stronger than what she was portrayed.
After reading and watching “A Worn Path,” I decided reading was a much better way to learn the story. I did not agree with the director’s view of the story and preferred the freedom of imagining what the author wanted. I disliked the hopeless feeling the movie gave me from the grave characteristics the director gave the characters. The tone of the story was not upbeat in either form of the story, but the movie had a more dry and negative feel. My point of view did change after watching the movie form of the short story, “A Worn Path.”
Monday, November 9, 2009
Weekends...
It never seems the weekends are long enough. One quickly passes by only for a new week to come. The new week slowly creeps by with the weekend dragging along behind it. I have class 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday- giving me a longer weekend than most, and it still seems like it isn't long enough. The semester needs to hurry up and draw to a close so I don't have to worry about doing my homework every night or getting up for class in the mornings. I can't wait for Christmas break and I'm sure when it's over I'll be praying for summer to be here.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Questions 2
“Sonny’s Blues”
1. The story is told by Sonny’s brother. By having his brother, and not Sonny tell the story, it leaves information out as to what he’s really up to and see a worried brother’s point of view.
2. He’s a teacher, showing responsibility and somewhat boring. He went for a safe job that would offer him security.
3. The story would be more exciting if it were told by Sonny. We could hear about the interesting characters he was mixed up with and the exciting places he got to see. His brother makes the story seem sober.
4. His daughter dies, inspiring him to write his brother.
5. His mother asks him to look after Sonny. He doesn’t always keep his word, but he kept it at the end.
6. Not naming all the characters adds more emphasis on Sonny. It shows how much “Daddy” is thinking about him.
7. He has taken his life’s woes and experiences and incorporated it into his music.
“A Worn Path”
1. It was written with an objective point of view. The narrator tells the story without telling what a person’s thoughts were.
2. It’s ironic her name is Phoenix because a phoenix is a type of mythical bird that doesn’t exist. Throughout the story, she has visions of things that really aren’t there.
3. It adds a trippy effect. Every time I would encounter a moment when Phoenix was having a vision, I felt like I skipped a paragraph and had to go back to reread the page.
4. She is belittled. They treat her with courtesy, but talk to her like she’s a kid. It shows she was probably in a more northern state by a smaller town by how nicely they treated her.
5. The dog has energy. She wishes she were young and had the energy to get through the forest like him.
6. The saying has a larger relevance. It shows she’s beginning to get old and helpless in her old age. It is the onset of despair that she soon can’t help her grandson.
Word count- 350
1. The story is told by Sonny’s brother. By having his brother, and not Sonny tell the story, it leaves information out as to what he’s really up to and see a worried brother’s point of view.
2. He’s a teacher, showing responsibility and somewhat boring. He went for a safe job that would offer him security.
3. The story would be more exciting if it were told by Sonny. We could hear about the interesting characters he was mixed up with and the exciting places he got to see. His brother makes the story seem sober.
4. His daughter dies, inspiring him to write his brother.
5. His mother asks him to look after Sonny. He doesn’t always keep his word, but he kept it at the end.
6. Not naming all the characters adds more emphasis on Sonny. It shows how much “Daddy” is thinking about him.
7. He has taken his life’s woes and experiences and incorporated it into his music.
“A Worn Path”
1. It was written with an objective point of view. The narrator tells the story without telling what a person’s thoughts were.
2. It’s ironic her name is Phoenix because a phoenix is a type of mythical bird that doesn’t exist. Throughout the story, she has visions of things that really aren’t there.
3. It adds a trippy effect. Every time I would encounter a moment when Phoenix was having a vision, I felt like I skipped a paragraph and had to go back to reread the page.
4. She is belittled. They treat her with courtesy, but talk to her like she’s a kid. It shows she was probably in a more northern state by a smaller town by how nicely they treated her.
5. The dog has energy. She wishes she were young and had the energy to get through the forest like him.
6. The saying has a larger relevance. It shows she’s beginning to get old and helpless in her old age. It is the onset of despair that she soon can’t help her grandson.
Word count- 350
Questions
“A Rose for Emily”
1. The iron gray strand shows she was lying with him after his death for a long time. It shows how desperate she was for company.
2. The town is the narrator. He professes to be speaking for the people of the town.
3. The narrator’s point of view adds mystery to the story. If we had Emily’s point of view, we would know what’s going on.
4. The foreshadowing did add interest to the story. Emily buying the poison and saying craziness ran in the family foreshadowed Homer’s death. Killing him sounded so crazy it made it hard to believe the foreshadowing.
5. Emily is not capable of accepting change. She wouldn’t give up her dead father’s body and she killed a man to keep his company forever.
6. She was a southerner with money- Homer was a blue collar Yankee.
7. I find it shocking dark humor. The end of the story left me speechless.
8. The author is sympathetic toward Emily. He doesn’t place her in a bad light even though she does insane things. She is not murderous; she’s just suffered a lonely life that has in the end deranged her. The author calls the story “A Rose…” because her character blooms through the story. Her insanity slowly unfolds as the story progresses.
“Teenage Wasteland”
1. The story is told by an outside character. The narrator uses limited omniscience. The story seems to be through the mother’s eyes even though she isn’t the actually person telling the story.
2. The significance of the opening paragraph is to show Donny’s innocence. He had a bright future, and somewhere along the way he lost it.
3. Daisy wants her children to look good. She is always listening to what other people do instead of making up her own mind. She just listens to Donny’s teachers or to Cal.
4. She doesn’t blame him for messing Donny up even more, however, it may be because she knows it’s truly her fault.
5. Daisy puts off her daughter for Donny. She won’t even talk to her when her daughter reaches out to her.
6. His presentation of Daisy is Satirical. He shows her as a woman without a strong sense of self, and she pays for it by losing her son.
Word Count- 385
1. The iron gray strand shows she was lying with him after his death for a long time. It shows how desperate she was for company.
2. The town is the narrator. He professes to be speaking for the people of the town.
3. The narrator’s point of view adds mystery to the story. If we had Emily’s point of view, we would know what’s going on.
4. The foreshadowing did add interest to the story. Emily buying the poison and saying craziness ran in the family foreshadowed Homer’s death. Killing him sounded so crazy it made it hard to believe the foreshadowing.
5. Emily is not capable of accepting change. She wouldn’t give up her dead father’s body and she killed a man to keep his company forever.
6. She was a southerner with money- Homer was a blue collar Yankee.
7. I find it shocking dark humor. The end of the story left me speechless.
8. The author is sympathetic toward Emily. He doesn’t place her in a bad light even though she does insane things. She is not murderous; she’s just suffered a lonely life that has in the end deranged her. The author calls the story “A Rose…” because her character blooms through the story. Her insanity slowly unfolds as the story progresses.
“Teenage Wasteland”
1. The story is told by an outside character. The narrator uses limited omniscience. The story seems to be through the mother’s eyes even though she isn’t the actually person telling the story.
2. The significance of the opening paragraph is to show Donny’s innocence. He had a bright future, and somewhere along the way he lost it.
3. Daisy wants her children to look good. She is always listening to what other people do instead of making up her own mind. She just listens to Donny’s teachers or to Cal.
4. She doesn’t blame him for messing Donny up even more, however, it may be because she knows it’s truly her fault.
5. Daisy puts off her daughter for Donny. She won’t even talk to her when her daughter reaches out to her.
6. His presentation of Daisy is Satirical. He shows her as a woman without a strong sense of self, and she pays for it by losing her son.
Word Count- 385
Monday, November 2, 2009
"Parker's Back".... again.
After reading "Parker's Back" several times, I seem to have never-ending thoughts about it. It's not just "Parker's Back" that got me thinking, but it was the rest of Flannery O'Connor's short stories that our class has read, as well. Each of her stories are strongly composed of its characters and not so much its setting or plot. After carefully dissecting each main character, it seems that at some point they have a certain thing in common- trying to discover themselves.
I believe it's one of the most important qualities a person can possess- knowing what kind of person you are. Being a college student, it seems that this is the prime time for me to make this discovery. I feel as if I already have, but who knows, I may find something different down the road. People always change, but no matter what, there's always a person's true core, holding the qualities they, as a human being, possess.
I believe it's one of the most important qualities a person can possess- knowing what kind of person you are. Being a college student, it seems that this is the prime time for me to make this discovery. I feel as if I already have, but who knows, I may find something different down the road. People always change, but no matter what, there's always a person's true core, holding the qualities they, as a human being, possess.
"12 Angry Jurors"
Last week, I went to see "12 Angry Jurors" on campus. My favorite thing about the play was the stage. When you walked in and sat down, you were a part of the setting. A table was in the middle with raised seats surrounding the center in a circle, making the audience feel like the jurors in court. It was a small stage which made it feel very personal, unlike any other play I've seen. The Hatiloo was a small theater, however, the audience was not made to feel like an actual part of the play. It made the play much more captivating, with the actors so close to you that they could be touched.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
"Parker's Back"
Out of the three stories we had to read by O'Connor, "Parker's Back" seems to be the odd ball out. The other two stories, "Revealtion" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" each reveal the physical prejudices people can have against other people who are different from them. However, the characters of "Parker's Back" do not focus on this. The characters focus more on religion, beliefs, and personality. Also, the short story does not have a character that directly represents O'Connor. Her mother is represented by the nagging wife who is extremely religious. O'Connor slightly represents herself in Parker, who is trying to please his wife, but never quite makes it to the degree he wanted to.
Monday, October 26, 2009
"Revelation"...
Flannery O'Connor's short stories show how much the world has changed in the last 50 years or so. The main character in her piece of literature, "Revelation," is a perfect example of this. The main character, a farmer's wife, is a nasty piece of work. As the story progressed the less I liked her. Her comments were obnoxious and completely prejudice against anybody but herself and anyone else like her. It hit me after reading the story, however, that this was written decades ago when it was more acceptable to talk this way. If the wife were living in present times, she never would have made it out of her doctor's office alive before being attacked by all the patients, instead of one girl.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Peer Review
When sitting in class, there were a few people who said they did not enjoy peer editing. I understand it can sometimes be a bit embarrassing to show someone a crappy paper you may have hastily written the night before, but peer editing is one of the most helpful tools when writing. I get sick of looking at my papers and can't catch half of my own mistakes by the time I'm done writing them. Even if I go back at a later time, I still can't properly edit my papers. If something is unclear to other people reading it, it will help me reword sentences to make my point more obvious. Peer editing can do no wrong to your papers, unless the person editing your work doesn't know what they're doing.
O'Connor and the South
Reading Flannery O’Connor’s writing makes it apparent she comes from the southern parts of the United States. The lifestyle found in the old south has weaved its way through her short stories: “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” “Revelation,” and “Parker’s Back.” To start off with, the setting of her stories do no take place in a state above Tennessee. Each story radiates the feeling of being in the country. In “Parker’s Back” and “Revelation,” the main characters work on a farm while in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the characters mainly have to drive through Georgia to get to Florida.
It is not only the settings of the stories that gives away O’Connor is from the south. Above anything else, it is her characters that let the audience know where her heritage lies. All of her characters would seem out of place if you were to put them somewhere like California or Massachusetts. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” consists of a family with the grumpy grandmother who lives with her son. The grandmother is always reminiscing about the good old days in Tennessee. “Revelation” shows the typical prejudices a person could have against the “types” of people who live in the southern regions. The wife in the story did nothing but thank the Lord she was who she was and not a piece of white trash or a disgraced black woman. “Parker’s Back” consists of a black man trying to find his way in the world. He is continuously searching when he begins courting a girl. He courts her by bringing a basket of fruit from the farm he works. He brings her things such as peaches, a fruit that symbolizes the south.
It is not only the settings of the stories that gives away O’Connor is from the south. Above anything else, it is her characters that let the audience know where her heritage lies. All of her characters would seem out of place if you were to put them somewhere like California or Massachusetts. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” consists of a family with the grumpy grandmother who lives with her son. The grandmother is always reminiscing about the good old days in Tennessee. “Revelation” shows the typical prejudices a person could have against the “types” of people who live in the southern regions. The wife in the story did nothing but thank the Lord she was who she was and not a piece of white trash or a disgraced black woman. “Parker’s Back” consists of a black man trying to find his way in the world. He is continuously searching when he begins courting a girl. He courts her by bringing a basket of fruit from the farm he works. He brings her things such as peaches, a fruit that symbolizes the south.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Flannery O'Connor Questions
"A Good Man is Hard To Find"
1.O'Connor begins to foreshadow at the very start of her story when the grandmother begins to talk about the "misfit" who escaped from jail. As the story progresses, she continues to talk about how much better it would be to visit Tennessee than go to Florida, hinting the readers something will happen if the family doesn't listen to the grandmother. Her conversation with the restaurant workers only further proves something will happen to the family by reminding the reader the "misfit" is still out of jail.
2. The grandmother always seems to be the typical, nagging older member of a family. She lives to reminisce about her past. As the story moves along, she seems to turn into a more caring, grandmother who is looking over everyone, to almost childlike at the end, not wanting to get in trouble with her son for causing the accident.
3.At the end, she realizes the man is going to kills her and claims to be his mother. She reaches out to his should trying to console him, but he kills her. She thought that maybe he would have mercy oh his own mom.
4. During the conversation, the reader learns the identity of the people and what their intentions are. The "misfit" has a very dim view of the world. He claims to be a bad man who doesn't belong anywhere. He tried to have a family, and couldn't even succeed at that.
6. The echo Mrs. Turpin hears is the answer to her worries. The girl at the doctor's office severely hurt her feelings. This made Mrs. Turpin self conscious and she wanted to know if she is as low down as the girl thought her to be.
7. She learned that people are people. You can't classify a person based on what the appear to be. You can't judge somebody based on the color of their skin or the clothes they wear.
"Parker's Back"
5.Parker believes there is nothing out in the world for him. Staring out into nothing is exactly what there could possibly be there- nothing. It shows he thinks of himself as alone with nowhere to go.
6. Parker wants to do something to impress his wife, only for her to beat him out of the house with a broom.
7. This shows Parker is very aware of himself and his actions. He knows he acted insane the night before and had every intention of not acting the same way the following day.
8. His quote shows he is by no means a religious man. If a man does not deserve his own sympathy, then nobody could save him. This goes to show that he thinks he doesn't deserve any of his own sympathy and can't be saved.
9. Sara Ruth wants the name written on his papers showing he was saved. Whispering his name through the key hole symbolizes him unlocking the door for her to open it. When he says his name, it frees him of his past ghosts because he is admitting to who he is.
1.O'Connor begins to foreshadow at the very start of her story when the grandmother begins to talk about the "misfit" who escaped from jail. As the story progresses, she continues to talk about how much better it would be to visit Tennessee than go to Florida, hinting the readers something will happen if the family doesn't listen to the grandmother. Her conversation with the restaurant workers only further proves something will happen to the family by reminding the reader the "misfit" is still out of jail.
2. The grandmother always seems to be the typical, nagging older member of a family. She lives to reminisce about her past. As the story moves along, she seems to turn into a more caring, grandmother who is looking over everyone, to almost childlike at the end, not wanting to get in trouble with her son for causing the accident.
3.At the end, she realizes the man is going to kills her and claims to be his mother. She reaches out to his should trying to console him, but he kills her. She thought that maybe he would have mercy oh his own mom.
4. During the conversation, the reader learns the identity of the people and what their intentions are. The "misfit" has a very dim view of the world. He claims to be a bad man who doesn't belong anywhere. He tried to have a family, and couldn't even succeed at that.
6. The echo Mrs. Turpin hears is the answer to her worries. The girl at the doctor's office severely hurt her feelings. This made Mrs. Turpin self conscious and she wanted to know if she is as low down as the girl thought her to be.
7. She learned that people are people. You can't classify a person based on what the appear to be. You can't judge somebody based on the color of their skin or the clothes they wear.
"Parker's Back"
5.Parker believes there is nothing out in the world for him. Staring out into nothing is exactly what there could possibly be there- nothing. It shows he thinks of himself as alone with nowhere to go.
6. Parker wants to do something to impress his wife, only for her to beat him out of the house with a broom.
7. This shows Parker is very aware of himself and his actions. He knows he acted insane the night before and had every intention of not acting the same way the following day.
8. His quote shows he is by no means a religious man. If a man does not deserve his own sympathy, then nobody could save him. This goes to show that he thinks he doesn't deserve any of his own sympathy and can't be saved.
9. Sara Ruth wants the name written on his papers showing he was saved. Whispering his name through the key hole symbolizes him unlocking the door for her to open it. When he says his name, it frees him of his past ghosts because he is admitting to who he is.
If I had the power to changer something...
If I had the power to change something, I would change the amount of time in a day. It always seems as if there is never enough time to accomplish what needs to be accomplished in a day comprised of 24 hours. A day can be carefully and meticulously timed out so things can get done, but it always seems to be impossible. 36 hours would be a good amount. If there were 36 hours in a day then you would be able to get things done AND still have enough sleep that night. As a college student, not enough sleep seems to be the way of life, even on the weekends when there's no class to attend.
" A Good Man Is Hard To Find"
"A Good Man is Hard To Find" intrigued me. It caught my attention because at the beginning, it was a story that could be found in multiple households at almost any place in the United States. Even though the story seemed ordinary, it still caught my attention. Although the grandmother seemed liked nothing more than a nuisance, I felt great pity for her. She lived with her son and his family, who paid no attention to her. However, from the son's viewpoint, I can understand why he treats her the way he does, but it doesn't make him right. She was trying to tell him she wanted to see somewhere different on their vacation, but he wouldn't have it. If he had only listened to her, they never would have been killed. The grandmother was constantly ignored, and a grandparent shouldn't be treated that way, no matter was annoying they could be.
Fall Time!
In my opinion, fall has got to be the most exciting of the four seasons. Never at any other point of the year do I feel more anticipation than when the weather begins to cool down and the days become shorter. The leaves change into an incredible array of colors that can be stared at for an eternity. The cold weather also means the holiday seasons are just around the corner! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are within reach, after waiting for them all year. The holiday seasons means lots of family and big meals you gain a million pounds from and days off school!
Monday, October 12, 2009
One Day I Dreamed...
I was about 11 years old the last time I had a nightmare that made me cry. I was enjoying my comfortable bed full of way too many pillows when I began to dream about my crazed fifth grade science teacher. I was on a lake with a dock when her perfectly manicured finger nails and heavy made-up face began to chase me. It was not bad enough my old science teacher was chasing me, but she had to have pink, squirming jellyfish in her hands. They were literally squirting grape jelly out of their tentacles and were desperately trying to get me. In the end I managed to swim away, because the jellyfish didn't have the ability to swim. For the next few weeks, my old science teacher was my villain.
I Wish Someone Told me...
I wish someone told me that high school really was not the end of the world. You're so wrapped up in what is going on in that particular moment of your life, you don't realize that what's going on doesn't really have that much importance. A bad hair day, a breakup, or an "F" on a small quiz really wasn't going to be that big of a deal. I know I was so wrapped up in the small things of my life that those things now seem to not even matter. As a college student now, I am at least aware that I have not quite encountered what things the world holds. I do know, however, that bad frizz is not quite it.
Blurbage
How I would summarize my life in a blurb.... if I were a villain.
Dashing through dark alleys, sprinting from screeching car alarms, it is imperative to keep a lookout for the super-villain, Natasha. A big, mean, bully-like girl at an intimidating five feet, zero inches tall, and a massive 120 pounds! Her life is devoted to deceit and treachery. She may look innocent and friendly, but she is made of nothing but a stone cold heart. Never let her trick you with her fake smile. She's only trying to fool you! With a blink of an eye she will steal everything you own, even your favorite pair of Christmas boxers! Hold on to your prized, and not-so-prized possessions. Before you know it, they may all be gone.
Dashing through dark alleys, sprinting from screeching car alarms, it is imperative to keep a lookout for the super-villain, Natasha. A big, mean, bully-like girl at an intimidating five feet, zero inches tall, and a massive 120 pounds! Her life is devoted to deceit and treachery. She may look innocent and friendly, but she is made of nothing but a stone cold heart. Never let her trick you with her fake smile. She's only trying to fool you! With a blink of an eye she will steal everything you own, even your favorite pair of Christmas boxers! Hold on to your prized, and not-so-prized possessions. Before you know it, they may all be gone.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Villains
In class, we talked about what makes a hero and how heroes are respected figures. Well, what about villains? What characteristics makes a person be viewed as a villain? If a person is considered a villain, is it possible for them to be respected, as well?
Like a hero, I believe a villain is judged by his intentions. Whether the person's intentions are to purely cause harm to others or it is a selfish intention and the result is harming people, would be what I would consider a not so upstanding character. Although this may sound horrible, I also believe a villain can be respected. For example, take Adolf Hitler into consideration. He was responsible for millions of deaths, but what he did was unimaginable. He wrote a book and told the world his plans and then set out to do it, almost successfully. He was able to convince thousands of people to follow him and his preposterous cause. It may be a horrible act, but it is an act that almost no other person would be able to accomplish.
Like a hero, I believe a villain is judged by his intentions. Whether the person's intentions are to purely cause harm to others or it is a selfish intention and the result is harming people, would be what I would consider a not so upstanding character. Although this may sound horrible, I also believe a villain can be respected. For example, take Adolf Hitler into consideration. He was responsible for millions of deaths, but what he did was unimaginable. He wrote a book and told the world his plans and then set out to do it, almost successfully. He was able to convince thousands of people to follow him and his preposterous cause. It may be a horrible act, but it is an act that almost no other person would be able to accomplish.
"A Streetcar Named Desire"
Tennessee William's play, "A Streetcar Named Desire," was well reproduced by the Hattiloo Theater. Historically a black theater, I forgot the show was even meant to be played by a caucasian cast. Like "Cigarette Girl," I was not excited to see this play. Atleast this time I had the luxury of dragging my boyfriend along with me so I was not by myself. Even he ended up enjoying it. The cast delievered a good performance and I would recommend it to anybody to go see it. The main character, Blanch, did a terrific job of carrying the story along. The only negative thing I can say about the show was that it was slightly confusing at times. Certain things were implied, however, those implied moments were not always easy to understand.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Cigarette Girl
The preview of Cigarette Girl made me expect a cheesy, lame film. I walked into the Brooks museum with practically no expectations of a good time. I sat in the back of the theater, anxiously waiting for what hadn't even started yet to end. They started off the presentation of the movie with a short film that was most likely one of the strangest things I have ever seen. However, when the movie finally started, I found myself being slowly sucked into the story line. Throughout the movie, you saw the character of Cigarette Girl develop. In the beginning she appeared to be a nobody. As time moved on you saw the goodness of her character. She was a true hero and stuck up for those who needed help. She did not have to help anyone, she did it on her own accord. By the end of the movie, I was impressed by the plot and it left me with the thought: Could the world one day be in a similar state as the world Cigartte Girl lived in?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Questions
Group 1 Question 3
Connie is the main character of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” She carries the storyline from the beginning to the conclusion. Joyce Oates paints a picture of Connie’s life and shows how it becomes tainted by the appearance of sinister Arnold Friend. Her emotions control the tone of the story; especially the fear she gains after realizing Arnold is not a man with good intentions. The story is left off with the reader wondering what Arnold is going to do to her.
Group 2 Question 1
Connie’s identity, like the house she lived in, was a work in progress. Day in and day out her mother would make attempts to fix the house, to no avail. It needed repairs and fixings in just about every area. How the house would look like in the end, no one will ever know since it was never finished. Like the house, Connie’s mother was always trying to fix her. She was an adolescent girl who was still learning who she was. The end of the story was left off and it is assumed that she never returned home. Therefore, her identity, like the house, was never fully developed.
Group 3 Question 2
The family Connie belonged to was not one that contains close bonds. Her mother is a woman who has started to become insecure about herself as age sits in. Her father also seemed to be fighting a losing battle with age. Connie practically despised her sister due to the favoritism she received from their mother. Carol Oates limited their roles in the story to show how Connie’s life was on a day-to-day basis. It appeared that Connie was not crazy about her family, however, she basically gave up her life so they would not be harmed by Arnold Friend.
Group 4 Question 3
The setting of the story could be in any town. Any random guy could be as sinister as Arnold Friend at any hamburger joint. The settings the story occurs in are ordinary places that could be found in the smallest of cities. It makes the story more eerie to know that a man such as Arnold could be found anywhere. It is almost as if Oates is trying to warn her readers.
Connie is the main character of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” She carries the storyline from the beginning to the conclusion. Joyce Oates paints a picture of Connie’s life and shows how it becomes tainted by the appearance of sinister Arnold Friend. Her emotions control the tone of the story; especially the fear she gains after realizing Arnold is not a man with good intentions. The story is left off with the reader wondering what Arnold is going to do to her.
Group 2 Question 1
Connie’s identity, like the house she lived in, was a work in progress. Day in and day out her mother would make attempts to fix the house, to no avail. It needed repairs and fixings in just about every area. How the house would look like in the end, no one will ever know since it was never finished. Like the house, Connie’s mother was always trying to fix her. She was an adolescent girl who was still learning who she was. The end of the story was left off and it is assumed that she never returned home. Therefore, her identity, like the house, was never fully developed.
Group 3 Question 2
The family Connie belonged to was not one that contains close bonds. Her mother is a woman who has started to become insecure about herself as age sits in. Her father also seemed to be fighting a losing battle with age. Connie practically despised her sister due to the favoritism she received from their mother. Carol Oates limited their roles in the story to show how Connie’s life was on a day-to-day basis. It appeared that Connie was not crazy about her family, however, she basically gave up her life so they would not be harmed by Arnold Friend.
Group 4 Question 3
The setting of the story could be in any town. Any random guy could be as sinister as Arnold Friend at any hamburger joint. The settings the story occurs in are ordinary places that could be found in the smallest of cities. It makes the story more eerie to know that a man such as Arnold could be found anywhere. It is almost as if Oates is trying to warn her readers.
Nancy Drew
Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was to read the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene. Nothing could have been more satisfying or entertaining than to curl up with my newest volume of Nancy Drew and read it from beginning to end in one sitting. If anyone was daring enough to interrupt me, I would become upset. Generally, I had the intentions of just ignoring everything around me that tried to capture my attention, which was a great annoyance to my parents. Page after page, I would be hanging in suspense to see what the next clue Nancy would find to solve the crime. There could not have been a better past-time on a warm summer night than to read a Nancy Drew book.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Alleen Rowe
The story of how Alleen Rowe was murdered will never be forgotten. At the age of 15, she disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Her mother, Norma Rowe, reported her daughter missing only for the police to say she more than likely ran away. In reality, Alleen Rowe was led from her house to the middle of the desert by three people and killed by being repeatedly struck in the head with a rock. The murders buried her body in the sand and left it hidden in the arid terrain for years. The news of Alleen Rowe’s murder sparked the inspiration for several different types of writers to permanently write down her story for future generations to hear.
Prestigious news magazines took great interest in spreading the bone-chilling story. Journalists and the judge who tried the case wrote articles that were inserted into Time Life Magazine. The articles in Time Life Magazine gave an accurate reporting of what happened to the Arizona teenager. A timeline of the demise of Alleen Rowe and two other female adolescents is told. Background information that led up to the crimes is made public to let readers aware of the killers’ motivations. The judge who tried the case was able to focus more on the man who was put on trial and give more information on the man and what happened to him during the trial.
Carol Oates was also inspired to base her fiction story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” on Alleen Rowe. Her short story focuses on the eeriness of the murders’ personas and Alleen Rowe’s habits as a high school girl. The basic story is the same, however, minor details are slightly changed around. Carol Oates’ story was turned into the movie “Smooth Talk” to let audiences get a visual of how strange her killer was.
Even the legendary singer and songwriter Bob Dylan felt the need to write something that memorialized the murder. People around the world listen to his famous music. Bob Dylan sang about how her life had come to an end and she had to unwillingly let go. He sings the sad tale of a girl dying who had her whole life in front of her.
The murder case inspired writers from prestigious news magazines, to fiction writer Carol Oates, to even song artist Bob Dylan. No matter what style the story is written down in, the basic information is accurately relayed with evolving details. Each style gives a different point of view to the murders. The writers’ works collaborate together to have one thing accomplished: Alleen Rowe’s story will never be forgotten.
Prestigious news magazines took great interest in spreading the bone-chilling story. Journalists and the judge who tried the case wrote articles that were inserted into Time Life Magazine. The articles in Time Life Magazine gave an accurate reporting of what happened to the Arizona teenager. A timeline of the demise of Alleen Rowe and two other female adolescents is told. Background information that led up to the crimes is made public to let readers aware of the killers’ motivations. The judge who tried the case was able to focus more on the man who was put on trial and give more information on the man and what happened to him during the trial.
Carol Oates was also inspired to base her fiction story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” on Alleen Rowe. Her short story focuses on the eeriness of the murders’ personas and Alleen Rowe’s habits as a high school girl. The basic story is the same, however, minor details are slightly changed around. Carol Oates’ story was turned into the movie “Smooth Talk” to let audiences get a visual of how strange her killer was.
Even the legendary singer and songwriter Bob Dylan felt the need to write something that memorialized the murder. People around the world listen to his famous music. Bob Dylan sang about how her life had come to an end and she had to unwillingly let go. He sings the sad tale of a girl dying who had her whole life in front of her.
The murder case inspired writers from prestigious news magazines, to fiction writer Carol Oates, to even song artist Bob Dylan. No matter what style the story is written down in, the basic information is accurately relayed with evolving details. Each style gives a different point of view to the murders. The writers’ works collaborate together to have one thing accomplished: Alleen Rowe’s story will never be forgotten.
Ingredients, Recipes, and Their Products
All forms of literature are products of separate pieces put together in a particular fashion. The separate pieces, or the ingredients of a work of literature, can consist of a plot, characters, settings, and much more. These separate pieces, or recipes, are then combined in a specific manner to create things such as short stories, poems, plays, or essays. The combined pieces are then read by a person to get the final product: an idea or meaning that leaves the person in deep thought. The deep thought leads to pulling apart the recipe to see its ingredients. As a result, the reader sees the work of literature in a new light with a better understanding of what the author wants people to get out of his or her work. The short story, “A & P” and the poems “Rites of Passage” and “The Only Girl at the Boys’ Party” are examples of recipes that are meant to leave the reader with the resulting product of a deep meaning.
John Updike’s short story, “A & P,” a boy narrates an ordinary day at a grocery store. Updike uses a multitude of ingredients to get his readers to understand his intended product. He uses his character Sammy, an important ingredient, to describe the store he works at in great detail. The detail vividly describes the setting, another ingredient, of the story as a boring, everyday supermarket that can be found in any town or city. The tone of the story is dulled, to emphasize the average quality of Sammy’s place of work. Sammy standing up for what he believes in is the climax of the story. Updike makes his character a hero for having this quality. The reader is then left with the product, wondering what the qualities of a hero should be.
In the poem “Rites of Passage,” written by Sharon Olds’, gives the final product of what she thinks a hero should be. Sharon Olds’ poem focuses on making the reader believe that wisdom is what makes a person heroic. Some of her ingredients include irony, setting, and conflict. The major conflict in her poem is it is her son’s birthday and all the boys are fighting each other, trying to prove who is the toughest of them all. Her son then cleverly finds out a way to calm all the boys down with a simple solution, saving his party and the sanity of his mother. Ironically, after he calms his friends down, they begin to play war games. The poem takes place in a living room, full of six and seven year olds and birthday decorations. These ingredients are put together according to its recipe, to get the final thought that the little boy’s wisdom makes him a hero.
Another poem by Sharon Olds’, “The One Girl at the Boys’ Party,” also focuses on a person’s wisdom, or even intelligence, as what makes up a hero. Instead of a woman’s son being the hero of the poem, a woman’s daughter is the main character. Like the previous literary works, the character is an ingredient. Other ingredients Olds uses in this poem include setting and point of view. The daughter is at a swimming party with a group of bustling boys. Her mother’s proud tone tells how smart her child is in comparison to the other children there. It does not matter that her daughter is the only girl there and therefore seen as the weakest, but that her daughter could beat all the boys just because of her wit. The product of the poem is leaving the reader thinking that intellect is stronger than a physical force.
Focusing on what makes up a literary work- the ingredients, recipe, and final product- is an important task when reading. It gives a deeper understanding of what an author has written. Focusing on these three items helps give a reason behind what a reader’s thoughts are when examining a piece of literature. Pulling apart these three pieces of literature has allowed me to find reason behind the authors’ words and why the authors wrote their works the way they did. By dissecting the recipes’ ingredients, I have discovered the final products.
John Updike’s short story, “A & P,” a boy narrates an ordinary day at a grocery store. Updike uses a multitude of ingredients to get his readers to understand his intended product. He uses his character Sammy, an important ingredient, to describe the store he works at in great detail. The detail vividly describes the setting, another ingredient, of the story as a boring, everyday supermarket that can be found in any town or city. The tone of the story is dulled, to emphasize the average quality of Sammy’s place of work. Sammy standing up for what he believes in is the climax of the story. Updike makes his character a hero for having this quality. The reader is then left with the product, wondering what the qualities of a hero should be.
In the poem “Rites of Passage,” written by Sharon Olds’, gives the final product of what she thinks a hero should be. Sharon Olds’ poem focuses on making the reader believe that wisdom is what makes a person heroic. Some of her ingredients include irony, setting, and conflict. The major conflict in her poem is it is her son’s birthday and all the boys are fighting each other, trying to prove who is the toughest of them all. Her son then cleverly finds out a way to calm all the boys down with a simple solution, saving his party and the sanity of his mother. Ironically, after he calms his friends down, they begin to play war games. The poem takes place in a living room, full of six and seven year olds and birthday decorations. These ingredients are put together according to its recipe, to get the final thought that the little boy’s wisdom makes him a hero.
Another poem by Sharon Olds’, “The One Girl at the Boys’ Party,” also focuses on a person’s wisdom, or even intelligence, as what makes up a hero. Instead of a woman’s son being the hero of the poem, a woman’s daughter is the main character. Like the previous literary works, the character is an ingredient. Other ingredients Olds uses in this poem include setting and point of view. The daughter is at a swimming party with a group of bustling boys. Her mother’s proud tone tells how smart her child is in comparison to the other children there. It does not matter that her daughter is the only girl there and therefore seen as the weakest, but that her daughter could beat all the boys just because of her wit. The product of the poem is leaving the reader thinking that intellect is stronger than a physical force.
Focusing on what makes up a literary work- the ingredients, recipe, and final product- is an important task when reading. It gives a deeper understanding of what an author has written. Focusing on these three items helps give a reason behind what a reader’s thoughts are when examining a piece of literature. Pulling apart these three pieces of literature has allowed me to find reason behind the authors’ words and why the authors wrote their works the way they did. By dissecting the recipes’ ingredients, I have discovered the final products.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Comparing Heroes
“A &P,” “Rites of Passage,” and “The One Girl at the Boys’ Party” all tell completely different stories. However, each of the stories has the common theme of having a different kind of hero. In “A & P,” the author focuses on standing out from the crowd and sticking up in what a person believes in. The author’s definition of a hero is within someone’s individuality and the ability to go beyond what is expected of you. In “The One Girl at the Boys’ Party,” the author values knowledge. The only little girl in the midst of a group of bustling boys is able to outsmart them all. The girl thinks critically instead of jumping headfirst into the pool the way the boys do, showing that if she were to be in a predicament, she would be better able to handle herself than the boys. In “Rites of Passage,” wisdom is what the author focuses on. It was the boy’s birthday and all his friends were trying to fight each other. He wanted to have fun and found a way to calm everyone down with a simple sentence. Each story has a different trait that is valued. The message from these stories tends to lead to the thought that a hero has no simple definition, but is in the eye of the beholder.
John Updike's View on Sammy
John Updike describes the character Sammy in his short story, “A & P” as a well-intentioned young American. Updike views Sammy as an ordinary, “blue collared,” kid who wishes to be an individualist in a time when people were expected to conform. In Updike’s eyes, Sammy is a hero since he was sticking up for what he believed was right. His character was fighting a feminist’s battle as a young male. The fact that Sammy liked the girls he was standing up for was a natural reaction, being an adolescent.
Hearing John Updike’s opinion of his character makes my views of Sammy change slightly. At first glance Sammy seems like a selfish boy with an alternative goal rather than just trying to be the nice guy. Everybody is going to have some type of selfish motivation to get them to achieve a goal. I still see Sammy as choosing the hero role at a convenient point for him, however; perhaps he really did want to stick up for the girls since it was the right thing to do.
Hearing John Updike’s opinion of his character makes my views of Sammy change slightly. At first glance Sammy seems like a selfish boy with an alternative goal rather than just trying to be the nice guy. Everybody is going to have some type of selfish motivation to get them to achieve a goal. I still see Sammy as choosing the hero role at a convenient point for him, however; perhaps he really did want to stick up for the girls since it was the right thing to do.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Is Sammy a Hero?
In 2005, a teenager by the name of Jordan Thomas was in a life altering accident. At the age of 16, Jordan and his parents took a scuba diving trip on their family boat. Jordan jumped out of the boat and his feet were pulled up by the boat’s wake into its spinning propellers. The propellers in turn cut up his legs and left him helpless. His parents, doctors, did their best to help him as they rushed back to shore to get their son to a hospital. After extensive surgery, Jordan still lost most of his right and left leg. He now has to depend on a set of prosthetic legs to walk for the rest of his life.
After his life altering accident, Jordan Thomas realized what he was going to make his life’s purpose about. The prosthetic legs that enable him to walk like a normal person cost $24,000 on average. Insurance will only cover up to a fifth of the costs. Since he comes from a well off family, Jordan was fortunate enough to easily obtain a pair of prosthetic legs. However, many families do not have the option to pay that kind of money for medical help. Children in particular, who will out grow several different sets of limbs that cost thousands of dollars cannot have the luxury of an arm or leg with a bendable joint. Seeing how much the prosthetics help his life, Jordan Thomas wanted his opportunities to become available to small children. He started the Jordan Thomas Foundation as a way to raise money to give kids a chance to have a normal childhood. The charity raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through bracelets, fundraisers, and cookouts.
Jordan Thomas helped children have the ability to run and play the way a child is suppose to. He was deeply affected by his condition and realized there are people in his same condition that could not get the help he had received because of a lack of money. Jordan Thomas had the intention to help others for the sake of making the world a slightly better place. His foundation was not started to gain a little bit of fame or limelight. He is a true hero for the children who can now live happy lives instead of being looked at as outcasts.
True heroes are defined by the intentions behind their actions. If a person saves someone’s life, but only because of selfish motivations, it does not make him or her a true hero. The person may be a hero in the eyes of the person they saved, however, it does not make him or her a true hero at the core.
Since a person’s intentions are the definition of a true hero, Sammy, in “A & P,” is not a true hero. In the short story, Sammy quits his job to impress the girls. Quitting his job does not seem to be that much of a sacrifice for him to make. Throughout the story Sammy’s bored tone makes it apparent he does enjoy working at the grocery store. He may have been trying to stick up for the girls; however, his motivation was to get their attention. He did not want to stick up for them because he thought they were treated wrong and is therefore not a true hero.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Chapter 1 Questions
Page 6
1. There are a few differences between the North Wind and the Sun. The North Wind is impatient and forceful, while the Sun is patient and persuasive.
2. The North Wind's force backfired on itself and made the man wrap the blanket around himself tighter.
3. The Sun is patient and gently coerced the man to take the wrap off by slowing shining more light on him.
4. The human in the story serves as the lesson.
5. The story is an example of the old saying "patience is a virtue." If something is forced, things are less likely to go your way.
Page 8
1.The end of the story is the exposition. Only four sentences are used to tell the story.
2. Tzu changes the subject to the tortoise in order to give a metaphor of his answer. He makes a point that what happened to the tortoise will happen to him as well. He makes the point more apparent when he makes the servants answer the question he already knows.
3. The story shows how wise the fisherman is. Despite the honor of working for the prince, he realizes that it will do him no good.
Page 19
1.Updike makes the supermarket seem ordinary by the character's tone of voice and describing things in the store such as the items mixed together in isles. The detail helps to show the boredom of his character and how this is a story that could happen in real life at anytime.
2. Updike shows the character's attitude toward his job. He shows he is a typical teenager- bored, waiting to get out of work. Sammy wanting the girls to know how he stood up for him does make him less of a hero. If he truly ment it he wouldn't have cared if they heard or not. Sammy's thoughts are fully displayed versus Death's in the other story.
3. The exposition of the story is when the three girls walk in and Sammy describes what they are wearing.
4. He slowly goes from criticizing the girls to merely observing them.
5.The conflict becomes apparent when Sammy's boss comes into the story. His boss looks at the girls and tells them off for wearing their bathing suits inside the store. The climax of the story is when Sammy quits his job in their defense.
6. Sammy quits his job to impress the girls.
7. Sammy began to like the girls. He admired them when his boss walked into the room.
8. He means he's going to have to find a job and tell his parents why he quit working at the store.
9. He states that the supermarket society is lame. It's always the same with hardly any excitement. One grocery store is the same as the next.
1. There are a few differences between the North Wind and the Sun. The North Wind is impatient and forceful, while the Sun is patient and persuasive.
2. The North Wind's force backfired on itself and made the man wrap the blanket around himself tighter.
3. The Sun is patient and gently coerced the man to take the wrap off by slowing shining more light on him.
4. The human in the story serves as the lesson.
5. The story is an example of the old saying "patience is a virtue." If something is forced, things are less likely to go your way.
Page 8
1.The end of the story is the exposition. Only four sentences are used to tell the story.
2. Tzu changes the subject to the tortoise in order to give a metaphor of his answer. He makes a point that what happened to the tortoise will happen to him as well. He makes the point more apparent when he makes the servants answer the question he already knows.
3. The story shows how wise the fisherman is. Despite the honor of working for the prince, he realizes that it will do him no good.
Page 19
1.Updike makes the supermarket seem ordinary by the character's tone of voice and describing things in the store such as the items mixed together in isles. The detail helps to show the boredom of his character and how this is a story that could happen in real life at anytime.
2. Updike shows the character's attitude toward his job. He shows he is a typical teenager- bored, waiting to get out of work. Sammy wanting the girls to know how he stood up for him does make him less of a hero. If he truly ment it he wouldn't have cared if they heard or not. Sammy's thoughts are fully displayed versus Death's in the other story.
3. The exposition of the story is when the three girls walk in and Sammy describes what they are wearing.
4. He slowly goes from criticizing the girls to merely observing them.
5.The conflict becomes apparent when Sammy's boss comes into the story. His boss looks at the girls and tells them off for wearing their bathing suits inside the store. The climax of the story is when Sammy quits his job in their defense.
6. Sammy quits his job to impress the girls.
7. Sammy began to like the girls. He admired them when his boss walked into the room.
8. He means he's going to have to find a job and tell his parents why he quit working at the store.
9. He states that the supermarket society is lame. It's always the same with hardly any excitement. One grocery store is the same as the next.
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