Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Conclision and reflection
I just wanted to say that even though i was skeptical, walking into this class, it is an experience i will never forget. When my advisor suggested it for the summer, i thought she was nuts, but i am glad i took it because i have not felt like i was stuck in a classroom at all, i felt like its been a pleasant experience and im going to miss this class and seeing everyone twice a week but i am glad i formed a bond with Ameesh, Lauren and you because without taking this class i would not have had to opportunaty to do so, It really is a very bitter sweet moment, im anxious to see my grade and im sad its has ended, but honestly i would not have chosen to spend my summer in any other way. It has truly been a blast. What i take away is new friends, and a deeper understanding abou women in literature which i hope to pass on
Monday, June 23, 2008
Class for 6/23 2008 Women of Color?
Maxing Hong-No Name Women:
This was a sad story. Its a tale about a mother telling her daughter a secert. it is a sfamily secret and apparently it is to remain that way for all time. Her mother tells her that although she the daughter has been lead to believe that her father only ahd male siblings, that he once had a sister. However, she is erased form the family lineage when she becaomes pregnant even though her husband is not in town and its not possible. She is then shamed by the villagers and humiliated when she is ready to give birth, feeling hopeless, she then drowns herself along with her daughter in the water well. I find this story to have really harsh consequences, the reader is left to speculate on how she becomes pregnant. we do not know if its rape, or she feel in love wiht someone else. it si very ironic to me that the title is called no named women and all the women in the story are identifiend namelessly in the story. for me the themes here were oppression, conformity, secrets, and evil. this was a very troubling tale for me to read.
Joy Harjo: Deer Dancer:
This was a very difficult short story, for meto comprehend, becuase there was so much denseness in in, it held great meaning. I read it as these drunkrads are in a bar in the coldest time of the year and a prostitute comes in and dances. the Peoblemd is we do not know if she was hired, and she also does not look like the typical prostitite because she is discrible as beautiful, and alomst like a diety. she is discribed as a deer, and beautiful and graceful. the meaning that i got from it is that of Salvation, the drinkards were the indians with no way out, who needed an escape, and the prostitute served as a beacon of inspiration and hope to them. it was very deep and i dont believe it is a work i will soon forget.
Sandra Cisneros:Women Hollering Creek:
This is a tale about a woman who was once happy in life until she get s married to a highly abusive husband. She feels she cannot leave and feels trapped, due to the fact that there is a child between the tow of them and he takes care of her child. Her husband si basically scum and he makes her feel as bad as he can by destroying her personal belongings whenever they get inot it. When people see her bruises, there is an arrangement for her to escape. Its a tale that hits more close to reality than most individuals are willing to admit.
On another note:
I was glad i got to "lead" the class discussions yesterday. it was a kind of new experience that i really enjoyed, however it felt very wierd interviewing my own mother, but i learned a lot more about her than i knew before. if you have any comments for her or questions just let me know and ill be sure to inform her.
This was a sad story. Its a tale about a mother telling her daughter a secert. it is a sfamily secret and apparently it is to remain that way for all time. Her mother tells her that although she the daughter has been lead to believe that her father only ahd male siblings, that he once had a sister. However, she is erased form the family lineage when she becaomes pregnant even though her husband is not in town and its not possible. She is then shamed by the villagers and humiliated when she is ready to give birth, feeling hopeless, she then drowns herself along with her daughter in the water well. I find this story to have really harsh consequences, the reader is left to speculate on how she becomes pregnant. we do not know if its rape, or she feel in love wiht someone else. it si very ironic to me that the title is called no named women and all the women in the story are identifiend namelessly in the story. for me the themes here were oppression, conformity, secrets, and evil. this was a very troubling tale for me to read.
Joy Harjo: Deer Dancer:
This was a very difficult short story, for meto comprehend, becuase there was so much denseness in in, it held great meaning. I read it as these drunkrads are in a bar in the coldest time of the year and a prostitute comes in and dances. the Peoblemd is we do not know if she was hired, and she also does not look like the typical prostitite because she is discrible as beautiful, and alomst like a diety. she is discribed as a deer, and beautiful and graceful. the meaning that i got from it is that of Salvation, the drinkards were the indians with no way out, who needed an escape, and the prostitute served as a beacon of inspiration and hope to them. it was very deep and i dont believe it is a work i will soon forget.
Sandra Cisneros:Women Hollering Creek:
This is a tale about a woman who was once happy in life until she get s married to a highly abusive husband. She feels she cannot leave and feels trapped, due to the fact that there is a child between the tow of them and he takes care of her child. Her husband si basically scum and he makes her feel as bad as he can by destroying her personal belongings whenever they get inot it. When people see her bruises, there is an arrangement for her to escape. Its a tale that hits more close to reality than most individuals are willing to admit.
On another note:
I was glad i got to "lead" the class discussions yesterday. it was a kind of new experience that i really enjoyed, however it felt very wierd interviewing my own mother, but i learned a lot more about her than i knew before. if you have any comments for her or questions just let me know and ill be sure to inform her.
Class for 6/18 2008 Wat what is a woman of color
Toni Morrison "Recititaf":
This was a story about two girls who find themselves in an orphanage, not because of the death of their parents, but rather because their parents could not take care of them. Twyla and Roberta are of two different races, however we do not know who is black and who is white. Margaret was the mute figure in the story however, she seems to tie the story together as a whole. She seemed to serve as a link between the kids and the adults. The themes that i felt were most prevalent in the story were, Family, Friendship, Oppression, and Discrimination. I felt that this was mostly a story about life; the things that we can control and the things that we cannot control.
This was a story about two girls who find themselves in an orphanage, not because of the death of their parents, but rather because their parents could not take care of them. Twyla and Roberta are of two different races, however we do not know who is black and who is white. Margaret was the mute figure in the story however, she seems to tie the story together as a whole. She seemed to serve as a link between the kids and the adults. The themes that i felt were most prevalent in the story were, Family, Friendship, Oppression, and Discrimination. I felt that this was mostly a story about life; the things that we can control and the things that we cannot control.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Class for 6/16 2008 Some views of Motherhood and the Father
Rebecca West "Indissoluble Matrimony"
This was a story that had all the elements that one does not want to have in their marriage, a husband who tries to be dominant figure in the relationship but who is clearly not, and a wife who comes off as a bit of as a bit too dominant for a wife. this story spoke to me because when i was younger i my favorite aunt was had an abusive husband and every weekend while i was there, he would beat her mercilessly. and they would fight with pots and pans and all that other stuff, so the brutality of the fights of George and his wife. its very ironic that they are obivously different in prsonalities, yet they still sleep in the same bed and remain married because marriage is supposed to be an unbreakable bond. The themes that are most prevelent to me here are: Control, Marriage, Confinement because both are trapped in this un-compatable marriage. In a way i guess its okay to have fights once in a while in a marriage, but its not okay to fight continuously and although its not exactly clear to me if Rebecca West, the author meant for the fights to be physical, verbal, mental, or metaphorical, a fight is still a fight. and im not entirely sure if one of the spouses is bi-polar and if that what causes the fights or if its some other disorder. because the wife still welcomes her husband after these brutal fights.
Anais Nin "Birth":
This story spoke to me the most perhaps because, im a pre-mature baby, myself, i was born 7 months premature and was put in an incubator bottle and the doctor told my mother i would not survive..lol 22 years later here i am, he also told here i might be short, but i turnd out okay, but any way, i felt for this lady because it is sad to go through the process of a premature labor and the stress only to find out that one has a still-birth. from the title i knew that the story would not be of a traditional nature, it is a kind of depressing story and i felt really sad after i read it. the themes here are very easy toidentify: Death, Life, Birth, Depression, and persiverance. In my case, i am glad that when the doctor asked my mother if they should consider euthanasia, she said hell no. they wanted to mercifully and painlessly put me to death. Thankfully with t he grace of god, i stand here today with good health and its all because my mother beleived in me.
This was a story that had all the elements that one does not want to have in their marriage, a husband who tries to be dominant figure in the relationship but who is clearly not, and a wife who comes off as a bit of as a bit too dominant for a wife. this story spoke to me because when i was younger i my favorite aunt was had an abusive husband and every weekend while i was there, he would beat her mercilessly. and they would fight with pots and pans and all that other stuff, so the brutality of the fights of George and his wife. its very ironic that they are obivously different in prsonalities, yet they still sleep in the same bed and remain married because marriage is supposed to be an unbreakable bond. The themes that are most prevelent to me here are: Control, Marriage, Confinement because both are trapped in this un-compatable marriage. In a way i guess its okay to have fights once in a while in a marriage, but its not okay to fight continuously and although its not exactly clear to me if Rebecca West, the author meant for the fights to be physical, verbal, mental, or metaphorical, a fight is still a fight. and im not entirely sure if one of the spouses is bi-polar and if that what causes the fights or if its some other disorder. because the wife still welcomes her husband after these brutal fights.
Anais Nin "Birth":
This story spoke to me the most perhaps because, im a pre-mature baby, myself, i was born 7 months premature and was put in an incubator bottle and the doctor told my mother i would not survive..lol 22 years later here i am, he also told here i might be short, but i turnd out okay, but any way, i felt for this lady because it is sad to go through the process of a premature labor and the stress only to find out that one has a still-birth. from the title i knew that the story would not be of a traditional nature, it is a kind of depressing story and i felt really sad after i read it. the themes here are very easy toidentify: Death, Life, Birth, Depression, and persiverance. In my case, i am glad that when the doctor asked my mother if they should consider euthanasia, she said hell no. they wanted to mercifully and painlessly put me to death. Thankfully with t he grace of god, i stand here today with good health and its all because my mother beleived in me.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
OCtavia Butler 6/2 Kindred
Dana is the protagoinst who travels back and forth through time to save her ancestor so she could exist. the story starts off really wierd and and i kept waiting for her to wake up from her dream but i slowly realized that the entire story would be like that and i slowly started to appreciate the work and enjoy it. her husband in th present is really supportive although he is white and it really funny that in the past they know she is different but they cant figure out whats off about her. it was a very enjoyable reading for me. I especially liked the themes of love, survival, race, and evolution trhough time. it made it much mor enjoyable for me to read
Monday, June 9, 2008
Class for 6/9 the absence of race
Judith Sargent Murry "On the Equality of the Sexes":
I like the fact that this speech is very commanding and Murry seems to be speaking with passive agression instead of just speaking from the perspective of a fearful woman. she asks if nature is "partial in he distributions" when it comes to equality between man and woman and i think its not nature that is the problem, but society. seh talks about how old people generally have tend to have the same type of stories to tell regardless of sex. I liked the fact that instead of the body, she compared the souls instead. I personally agree that the souls of men and women are equal and so the bodies should be treated as equals as well. She says that she believes that all advantages given to men in the bible is strictly metaphorical. im starting to relate my mental thoughts to some of her ideas as well.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman "False Play":
This reading left me smiling because all o could think of was the term hyppocricy. the mother is forcing the child to say he loves her event though she does not truly love him. At the end, the child gives in and lies after seeing some fake tears from his mother. I cant help but think that the child is actually grown and the mother is older and trying to force the love of the child. This reading just shows the way everyone sometimes lies a white lie just to keep the peace. its easy to know when someone is faking and even a child can tell when the parent is not sincere.
"The Mother's Charge"
This was a straight forward reading, all i deciphered is that a mother is giving her child some advice on what is right and what is wrong. giving her traditional lists of what has been passed down to her from the generation before her to be passed down to all her descendants. It is felt to me like i was reading a book of rulds that are not imposed but understood. She is grooming her daughter to know the right from the wrong.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman: "The Yellow Wallpaper":
To be frankly honest, i dont know how many times i have read this short story and every time i read it, i discover something new. The protagonist and her husband John are rent a mansion because the protagonist needs mental rest. she is then put into this nursery with a wallpaper that "commits every artistic sin." i believe that her husband confined her because he believed time away from people would heal her but it only made her worse because she began to focus on the yellow wallpaper in the room. I believe that there is a lot wrong with her, first i beielve she is a little nuts, second, i believe that the has a serious case of OCD, and third, i believe she has an over active imagination, all these three things together work against her because when someone is confined wit nothing to do their mind begist to wander. I feel that her obsession with the wallpaper is symbolic for the feeling of women being trapped
I like the fact that this speech is very commanding and Murry seems to be speaking with passive agression instead of just speaking from the perspective of a fearful woman. she asks if nature is "partial in he distributions" when it comes to equality between man and woman and i think its not nature that is the problem, but society. seh talks about how old people generally have tend to have the same type of stories to tell regardless of sex. I liked the fact that instead of the body, she compared the souls instead. I personally agree that the souls of men and women are equal and so the bodies should be treated as equals as well. She says that she believes that all advantages given to men in the bible is strictly metaphorical. im starting to relate my mental thoughts to some of her ideas as well.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman "False Play":
This reading left me smiling because all o could think of was the term hyppocricy. the mother is forcing the child to say he loves her event though she does not truly love him. At the end, the child gives in and lies after seeing some fake tears from his mother. I cant help but think that the child is actually grown and the mother is older and trying to force the love of the child. This reading just shows the way everyone sometimes lies a white lie just to keep the peace. its easy to know when someone is faking and even a child can tell when the parent is not sincere.
"The Mother's Charge"
This was a straight forward reading, all i deciphered is that a mother is giving her child some advice on what is right and what is wrong. giving her traditional lists of what has been passed down to her from the generation before her to be passed down to all her descendants. It is felt to me like i was reading a book of rulds that are not imposed but understood. She is grooming her daughter to know the right from the wrong.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman: "The Yellow Wallpaper":
To be frankly honest, i dont know how many times i have read this short story and every time i read it, i discover something new. The protagonist and her husband John are rent a mansion because the protagonist needs mental rest. she is then put into this nursery with a wallpaper that "commits every artistic sin." i believe that her husband confined her because he believed time away from people would heal her but it only made her worse because she began to focus on the yellow wallpaper in the room. I believe that there is a lot wrong with her, first i beielve she is a little nuts, second, i believe that the has a serious case of OCD, and third, i believe she has an over active imagination, all these three things together work against her because when someone is confined wit nothing to do their mind begist to wander. I feel that her obsession with the wallpaper is symbolic for the feeling of women being trapped
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Class for 5/28
ON being Brought from Africa to America:
This reading had so many stems to it: the undertones of a greater meaning: undertones of being grateful for comming here, refernces to god and lines that seem to carry a double meaning. the entire work to me, seems to have been scripted very well and delivered on the page.
"To the Right Honoroble William": this piece is also craftily written and like bri said it seems like the character appeals to the person the letter is addressed to in a broader sense first, but slowly comes around to talking about the slaves which is really what the writing is about the main theme seems to carry an under note about being trapped and wanitng freedom.
Harriet Jacobs "Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl":
Starts off innocently enough, but the character things take a turn for the worse when the girl in telling here story says that as she turned 15, her master started coming on to her and whispering foul words in her ear, and when she would refuse to give him what he desired he would tell her and she was his "property"..I felt bad for her because she had no one to turn to, because her Mistress instead of protecting her was jealoused of her. Beauty is a curse to the slave girl, because she will be even more envied by her Mistress, and misused by mer master. It makes me feel really bad that people who knew that was wrong kept their quiet and not respond to the matter and try to put an end to it. Mrs, Flint the Mistress instead of keeping a closer eye and lock on her husband, instead speant her time living in suspicion of her slaves, this is a really ignorant way to live in my opinion and i think she should have known better. It says that she did keep an eye on her husband, but apparently it was not close enough in my opinion. its sad that he threatened her with death just because she did not want to have sex with him. The slave never wished ill will on her Mistress which is strange to me because the Mistress was not very nice to her. Surprisingly the mistress did offer a little aid, and that alone means that even the most corrupt people can be merciful. was nice to learn her name was "Linda"..Its sad that she had to get pregnant for her master to eas off on his intentions, this is overall a depresssing and realistic tale to me:
Sojournet Truth: "Aint i a woman": I must admit that this is the first speech that i have ever read that gave me chills even though i was not present when it was given. She spoke so intelligently especially whe nseh said that "Nobody ever helped me into a carriage." this sentence is so true, men back then talked about what needed to be done for a lady yet the slave women were not considered ladies except when it cameto sex. perhaps the most unforgettable statement to me was whe she said that eve, the first woman was strong enough to turn the world upside down, so several women aught to be able to turn it back right side up. she is right, women bring life into this world so they deserve equal rights, whether they are black, caucasian, or white.
This reading had so many stems to it: the undertones of a greater meaning: undertones of being grateful for comming here, refernces to god and lines that seem to carry a double meaning. the entire work to me, seems to have been scripted very well and delivered on the page.
"To the Right Honoroble William": this piece is also craftily written and like bri said it seems like the character appeals to the person the letter is addressed to in a broader sense first, but slowly comes around to talking about the slaves which is really what the writing is about the main theme seems to carry an under note about being trapped and wanitng freedom.
Harriet Jacobs "Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl":
Starts off innocently enough, but the character things take a turn for the worse when the girl in telling here story says that as she turned 15, her master started coming on to her and whispering foul words in her ear, and when she would refuse to give him what he desired he would tell her and she was his "property"..I felt bad for her because she had no one to turn to, because her Mistress instead of protecting her was jealoused of her. Beauty is a curse to the slave girl, because she will be even more envied by her Mistress, and misused by mer master. It makes me feel really bad that people who knew that was wrong kept their quiet and not respond to the matter and try to put an end to it. Mrs, Flint the Mistress instead of keeping a closer eye and lock on her husband, instead speant her time living in suspicion of her slaves, this is a really ignorant way to live in my opinion and i think she should have known better. It says that she did keep an eye on her husband, but apparently it was not close enough in my opinion. its sad that he threatened her with death just because she did not want to have sex with him. The slave never wished ill will on her Mistress which is strange to me because the Mistress was not very nice to her. Surprisingly the mistress did offer a little aid, and that alone means that even the most corrupt people can be merciful. was nice to learn her name was "Linda"..Its sad that she had to get pregnant for her master to eas off on his intentions, this is overall a depresssing and realistic tale to me:
Sojournet Truth: "Aint i a woman": I must admit that this is the first speech that i have ever read that gave me chills even though i was not present when it was given. She spoke so intelligently especially whe nseh said that "Nobody ever helped me into a carriage." this sentence is so true, men back then talked about what needed to be done for a lady yet the slave women were not considered ladies except when it cameto sex. perhaps the most unforgettable statement to me was whe she said that eve, the first woman was strong enough to turn the world upside down, so several women aught to be able to turn it back right side up. she is right, women bring life into this world so they deserve equal rights, whether they are black, caucasian, or white.
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