Reflections on Poems

Silence p. 708:

    Marianne Moore's poem, "Silence," is about a father expressing his thoughts or advice to his child. The poet explains the father's advice about superior people, in his own word's, the father is quoted throughout most of the poem. The thoughts that the father is giving about superior people, is that they never make long visits, independent, they like to be alone sometimes, and that they are robbed by their speech. The father is trying to express that once you speak your thoughts then they are known to everyone, therefore you are robbed by it. I believe the quote, "The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence," is the main point to this poem. This quote is trying to express that actions speak louder than words. You can not just say your going to do something and then not do it, this is what the author meant by being robbed. Rather, if you just do what you're going to do, without just saying it, then you show by action not words.

Grass p. 714:

    Carl Sandburg's poem, "Grass," makes a huge statement about history and war. The poem talks about how grass grows overtime and how we forget things that happened at certain places. Sandburg is expressing that where certain battles and wars happened, that there is now grass that covers these areas and that they are covered up and hidden now. This poem really touched me by this. It expresses how we have forgotten about all the souls that have been lost and the battles that have been fought. It as if the grass is covering up, for all these tragic deaths, and people want to forget that these wars ever happen. This poem gives us this strong message of how people have forgotten these tragedies, by the use of grass covering up these battle grounds. I believe he is trying to show us, that even though the ground has changed and it now covered with grass, that people should still remember these battles and the souls that were lost, and not be like the grass, that hides and covers these battle grounds now.

Lonely Hearts p. 721:

    Wendy Cope's poem, "Lonely Hearts," describes personal ads in newspapers. It seems as if involves two speakers, that are writing back and forth. The poet repeats the first and second lines throughout her poem. These two lines are in the form of a question, as if a lonely heart is stating something about themselves and also stating what they are seeking for, and then asking the other lonely heart if they are the person they are seeking for. This poem involves a man and a woman, who seem to be writing to one another. This technique that Cope uses, with two different speakers are what makes this poem interesting. It reminds me of the song, "Escape," by Jimmy Buffet, in which he uses this same technique, of two people talking to one another by personal ads. In fact this is what intrigued me to read and reflect about this poem, because the poem reminded me of the song, or really vice versa, because the poem was written first. This shows that this idea of using two different speakers throughout a poem or song is still used today.

The Piercing Chill I Feel p. 743:

    Taniguchi Buson's poem, "The piercing chill I feel," even though only three lines, gives us a lot of imagery. I could see and imagine this scene of a widower stepping on his dead wife's comb. I could imagine a man stepping out of bed one morning closely after his wife passed away, onto comb. When he feels the piercing of the comb on his heel, he not only feels this, but also he remembers his dead wife. Feeling and seeing her comb, sends a chill through his body, as if his dead wife was right there with him. So, even though this poem is very short, I could still imagine this in my mind as if I was right there watching it happen.

The Victory p. 748:

    Anne Stevenson's poem, "The Victory," is about a mother who thought she would be fulfilled and victorious in life by having a baby. The mother believes that she has won when her baby boy is born. But as the poem goes on, the mother seems some what resentful in her decision and regrets having a child. She realizes that having a baby is a lot of work. She then begins to believe that it is not her that is victorious, but it is her baby, son who has won. The mother is very upset at this fact and questions why she must love him, since it is him who won in the end and not her. This poem is very sad and shows how some mothers want to deny their children. Also, how some mothers get very upset at the fact that their children get all the attention and they do not receive any.

Not Waving but drowning p. 757:

    Stevie Smith's poem, "Not Waving but Drowning," gives us the image in our mind about a person who is need of help, and who is crying out for help, but no one realizes it, in time. He relates this message as if a man is drowning in a pool. The poem involves two speakers, the dead man and a speaker who is talking about him. As the speaker talks about him, it as if the dead man replies to correct what he says. The message within this poem is to be close to people, and to not go out to far, where people can not hear you.

Reflection Dec. 5

    Throughout this semester I have had to do at least three blogs a week for my English class at the University of Memphis. Even though at first I dreaded it, I really started to enjoy it towards the end. These blogs some what opened my eyes to reflect on things in my life, like school, work, and relationships. Throughout my blogs I have been able to reflect on certain stories that our class was reading during the semester. My reflections on stories helped me to see that stories affect people in many different ways. The way I felt a story affected me would be completely different than how it affected other students in my class. By learning this I realize that this was the beautiful art of literature. Literature opens up people's minds to see who they truly are and what they believe in. I believe that this was on of the main things that our teacher wanted us to understand and to get out of her class.

    Every week my blogs changed subject, even though sometimes it was hard. Some weeks my blogs would just come to me and I would have no problem, doing them, but other weeks I had no idea what to write about and it was struggle to find something to write about. But, I truly felt like these blogs helped me in exercising my writing skills and also the blogs helped me reflect on things. I do not look at my blogs as being school work and a hassle, but now I look at them as being enjoyable and my time to reflect. Sometimes, my blogs would be about absolutely nothing, and other times my blogs would be very personal. I felt like these blogs were in some way a journal for me, and they helped me get my feelings out of my head. Therefore, some of my blogs were kind of like my therapy. Even though this semester is coming to an end and I am not required to do three blogs a week anymore, I will probably try and make a point to write down and reflect on things in my life at least once a week. Overall I really enjoyed my blogs and being able to express my thoughts and feelings to people.

Word Count 382

Hamlet Answers

Hamlet Questions p. 1588-1589

Act 1:

3. Horatio is considered to be a servant to Hamlet, but during the first act Hamlet tells Horatio that he will not be called a servant by him anymore and that Horatio is considered to be a friend now. By the end of the play, Horatio seems to be Hamlet's right hand man, Hamlet even tells Horatio while he is dying that he wants Fortinbras to be the king of Denmark. Hamlet basically sees him and Horatio as equal by the end of the play.

Act 2:

3. His performance suggests that he knows everything and he is certain that Hamlet is mad in love with his daughter Ophelia. Also, it shows that he is somewhat of a controlling father and wants to protect his daughter from Hamlet.

4. Polonius is not completely foolish; he is just trying to protect his daughter. Polonius might be capable of genuine insight, because he was once a young man too; therefore he understands what goes on in young men's minds. An example of wise judgment by Polonius is when he tells Ophelia to ignore Hamlet. This is simply a father's instinct to try and protect his daughter. An example of deluded judgment by Polonius is that he thinks that Hamlet's love for Ophelia is the only reason why he is so upset and angry. This is deluded, because Hamlet clearly shows that he is angry with his mother Gertrude and his uncle the King.

Act 3:

2. Hamlet accuses Gertrude of killing his father, the King, and then marrying her husband's brother. My attitude towards Gertrude at this point is not the same way I feel towards Hamlet. I do not feel bad for Gertrude; because she married her dead husband's brother and did not even think about how it made Hamlet feel.

4. Hamlet tells the actors not to exaggerate or be too dramatic, and to not just read the script either. Instead he wants them to act natural and let their instincts show them how to act. Hamlet's remarks to the actors show us that the Elizabethan theater tends to over dramatize their roles. Hamlet's remarks also serves to advancing the story by, he wants the play to be as real life as possible, by doing this it will remind the King of what he did to Hamlet's father, and Hamlet will be able to see if he is guilty or not.

Act 4:

2. Ophelia's father's death, the fact that Hamlet tells her that he does not love her, and also the fact that Hamlet is taken away from her, caused her to go mad. Many lines make the audience interpret these reasons. Ophelia's songs that she sings in act four scene five, all tell messages about her father's death and how Hamlet has left her. Also, King Claudius's speech in act four, scene five on pages 1554-1555, and lines 71-92, explains all that Ophelia is hurting from and how it has made her made.

3. Shakespeare portrays Hamlet's artificial or fake madness, by the fact that he is not really mad he is just upset and angry. Hamlet's madness is somewhat made up by his family and friends. They think it is odd that he is grieving over his father's death and how he is angry at the Queen and King that they simply just label him as mad. Another reason why Hamlet's madness is not real is because, he tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he is deceiving his uncle-father and his aunt-mother into thinking he is mad. Where as Ophelia, have many things happen in her life that cause her to loose her mind. In showing how Ophelia is truly mad within the play, she sings song that does not make much sense to the other characters.

Act 5:

2. Even though Fortinbras is not seen much within the play, he does however deserve to be in the play. His character needs to be included in the play, because Hamlet is about to die, he declares Fortinbras as the next king.

General Questions:

1. The play's major dramatic question is "To be, or not to be?" This question is formulated in act three scene one, on page 1520. Here Hamlet is contemplating suicide, he wondering if he should end his pain and misery. This question makes us wonder if he will end up committing suicide or not. The play does not really have a turning point, instead it seems that one bad thing after another happens, and things just keep getting worse.
   
2. In act one scene five, lines 33-40, we perceive that Claudius is a villain. The ghost of Hamlet's father tells him that his murderer know wears the crown. This happens to be Hamlet's uncle, his father's brother, Claudius.
   

7. If the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are cut from the play, then the story looses Hamlet's statement that his "uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived in his madness." This statement is very important, because Shakespeare is trying to tell us that Hamlet is not really mad and insane.

 

Word Count 848

Black friday

    The biggest shopping day of the year is known as "Black Friday," this is the day right after Thanksgiving. Every year my aunts and my mom go shopping on "Black Friday," my mom and I usually do not go as early as my aunts. This year I told my mom I probably was not going to go this year, because every year it seems to get crazier and crazier. So while I slept in my mom went shopping. My boyfriend, Ben, his mom also went shopping on "Black Friday," as well. I woke up around ten o'clock and called my mom to see where she was. She said she had went to Toys R Us, and that it was crazy. She said that she had heard that when they opened the doors at midnight that people pulled out their tazor guns and were shocking people as they entered the door. Luckily my mom was not there, when it happened. She said that she was on her way to target and that she got my niece, her granddaughter's toys that she wanted. I figured that I would get ready and try and see if I could get some shopping done. When I finally got out, it seemed that the madness had worn down. The stores that I went to were not very busy and the lines were not that bad. I did not even attempt to go to Target or Wal-Mart because I knew that they would be packed. My mom however did go to Target and she said that the line to check out, wrapped around to the back of the store. She was in line for about thirty minutes. After that she decided she was done for the day and went home. I did not get much done either, because I really did not know what exactly I was looking for. I ended up getting some small presents for my family and some shoes for my boyfriend at Bass Pro.

    I really do not understand all the hype of Black Friday, unless a child wants some new game system or a new toy that is on sale. I would rather do my shopping in peace rather than with thousands of people around me fighting for gifts. Also, I tend to find more sales the week before Christmas, because the stores are trying to get rid of the stuff. I am not going to worry right know because I do not have a lot of my shopping done, at least not yet. If worse comes to worse I know that everyone enjoys gift cards. Therefore, I am going to focus on my finals for school and worry about Christmas shopping later.

Word Count 451

Thanksgiving

    Thanksgiving, of course, is about spending time with friends and family, good food, and remembering what it is you are thankful for. I had to go to three different houses to eat Thanksgiving diner and by the third stop I swore I thought I was about to pop. The first house me and my boyfriend had to go to was my aunt and uncle's down in Mississippi. Their house is about forty-five minutes away in North Hernando. We got there about two o'clock and all of my dad's side of the family was there. All the cousins played football outside while the aunts finished preparing the food and exchanged the nieces' and nephews' Christmas list. I was starving after playing football in the backyard, so I got a huge plate of food, my boyfriend on the other hand did not eat much because he wanted to be able to eat a lot at his family's house. After we got through eating, my cousin's and I had to pull a name out of a hat. Every year we do secret Santa between the cousins and we have to buy a gift for someone under twenty dollars. I wish that just one year I could pull one of my girl cousins' names, because every year I pull a boy's name and I never know what to get them. After I found out whose name I got, my boyfriend and I had to leave to go to his uncle's house for his mom's side of the family's Thanksgiving. We got back into Memphis around 4:30, and rushed over to his uncle's house. I really did not want to eat again, because I knew we would be going to his mom's house in a little bit for dinner. Therefore, I ate a little desert because I did not get to have any at my aunt's house. Since we got there late everyone was starting to leave including his parents, because my boyfriend's mom was having Thanksgiving dinner for his dad's side of the family at seven o'clock at their house. We got to his house at about six o'clock, which meant that I had an hour to settle my stomach. So, I walked around the block twice to try and help regain my appetite. When it was time to eat dinner, I was still had not regained my appetite, so I only ate a small plate of food. After I ate, felt like my stomach was seriously about to pop, I defiantly ate too much at Thanksgiving. In my boyfriend's family, it has become somewhat of a tradition to play poker during the holidays. Therefore, we all played and even though I had no clue what I was doing, I ended up beating all of them and it was such a surprise. I won forty dollars and gave twenty of it to my boyfriend, because he was pretty upset that he lost to me. Overall I had a great time on Thanksgiving, even though I do not think I will be able to eat anything for about a day or two.

Word count 517

I Never Want to Pick Up Another Turkey Again

    I never want to pick up another frozen turkey ever again. I say this because I work at Schnucks as a cashier, and it is Thanksgiving week. This is my third year at Schnucks as well as third Thanksgiving there. This past weekend was not to bad as far as being busy. But last night which was Wednesday, was completely insane. I got to work at two o'clock and had to work until nine o'clock that night. I did not have a register to check on, because my boss scheduled more checkers than we had registers, just incase someone called in sick. Luckily, no one did, and therefore I ended up checking on other checker's registers while they took their lunch. Our store got a lot of complements from customers, because they were grateful that we had every lane open. The customers said the hardest part for them was trying to find a parking spot. I ran from register to register for most of my shift, which actually made the time go by faster. When there were no breaks to fill, I would help bag and "direct traffic" as my boss would say, which meant that I would tell customers that were ready to check out, which line was the shortest. I am glad that I kept pretty busy because it made the time go by fast, but by the time my shift had ended I was so exhausted. I am so thankful that I do not have to work on Thanksgiving, because I would probably loose my mind. Even though we always close at four o'clock on Thanksgiving, cashiers still have to stay late because even though we close at four does not mean the customers will be through shopping at four. I feel bad for all the cashiers that have to stay late on Thanksgiving, but I am really glad that I am not one of them. In my opinion I think stores should be closed on Thanksgiving. But, I guess company's want to try to make as much money as they can, therefore that will probably never happen. Anyways, at least we will have a few days to recover because, people will be eating leftovers for a few days and also the biggest shopping day of the year is the day right after Thanksgiving. I really hope that I do not have to pick up another turkey again or at least until next Thanksgiving.

Word count 407

How Point of View is changed

    The point of view is not exactly changed between the story and the movie of "A Worn Path." But, the point of view is shown or displayed in a different way between the movie and the story. There is a difference in how the audience may interpret the point of view to be. The point of view of the story makes the audience feel like they are being told or described something, where as the movie represents the story as though the audience is right there watching the story as it happens.

The point of view in the story "A Worn Path," by Eudora Welty, is nonparticipant objective, because even though the narrator is not a character, the narrator however describes Phoenix and describes what she is going through and the things she sees in her mind. The audience or readers are seeing these events happen and being played out, but without any judgment or ideas about these characters put into his or her mind. The narrator or point of view paints a picture for the setting and the mood of the story. It is very descriptive in describing the events that Phoenix experiences during her journey. The style of this point of view makes the audience feel like they are being told this story from an outsider point of view. This is the main difference in the movie, because the audience feels like he or she is the outsider watching the story as it takes place.

The movie does not have someone telling the audience what is going on, rather it uses characters and demonstrates what is going on. The point of view is still a nonparticipant objective. The reason being because, the audience becomes the outsider or the fly on the wall that is watching the story being played out. But, it does however eliminate the fact that the audience feels like he or she is being told the story, almost like eliminating the middle man. The use of settings and actors eliminates the fact that the audience is told by a narrator, instead the audience is shown what happens. The point of view is almost invisible in the movie, but yet it is still there. The point of view is somewhat invisible because, the audience does not have someone telling the story, but it is still there because it is brought to life by the actors.

The difference of point of view in the story and movie is simply that in the story the point of view is clearly nonparticipant objective, the audience is being told the story through an outsider and through the movie the audience becomes that outsider or flies on the wall. The audience is shown the point of view almost through the outsider's eyes rather being describe and told the story through the outsider's words. This difference makes the point of view change because, it makes the audience feel like he or she is the outsider watching the story happen. Therefore, the point of view between the story and the movie is not changed completely, but it is altered, which makes the audience see the story take place rather then hear about it.

Word Count 556

 

      

Writers on the Road Series

    The literary event, "Writers on the Road Series" at Burke's Bookstore, was great experience. "Writers on the Road Series" gives students, who are aspiring to be future writers, a chance to read their work to audiences. Also, it gives them a chance to speak with other students and answers questions that other students might have about becoming a writer. The place where this event took place was at Burke's Bookstore on south Copper. The seating was very limited and a lot of people had to stand. They probably did not expect as many people to come that did, but we managed all to squeeze in to listen to the students read. The atmosphere was laid back and relaxed even though it felt like we were on top of one another. It was nice that is was small because, it gave a chance for the students to connect with the audience. Another plus to it being a small audience in a small place was that the audience could hear the student speak very clearly withou0t a bunch of noise or interruptions. Although there were a few interruptions because where they were reading was right by the entrance to the store. And since the audience was squeezed in the students decided to stand while reading their work so the audience could see them. Therefore, anytime someone would enter the store the writer and to move over and tell the person that was entering the store that they could come in. This caused a little distraction not only for the audience but for the student reading as well because; they had to stop what they were reading and start again. This was really the only big downfall to the setting and stage of the event. Besides the interruptions the event itself was very enlightening.

    Although I am not becoming a writer, this event enlightened me on how writers write the stories they do, rather it is from own personal experience to something that is completely made up in his or her minds. The two poets mainly used personal experience for their ideas on their poems, but sometimes they also added things and changed things up a bit. Even though fiction is considered to be made up, the two fictional writers stilled seemed to get their ideas from something they could relate to or have experienced. The girl fictional writer, even though the story was fiction, she still got the idea and setting from a bar in her hometown. Through this I learned that sometimes fiction may hold some sort of truth or idea within the story.

    Besides the fact that the setting was limited and some of the audience members had to stand and there were a few interruptions with people entering and leaving the store, the event was a great experience. The experience was great, not only for the audience, but for the student writers as well. They got a feel for what it is like to read their own stories to an audience and also how to express and connect with an audience while reading their stories. I hope that Writers on the Road Series will keep going and that other future writers and college students get to experience this event for years to come. It is a great way to see how the writers come up with their stories and also a great way for students who are in college and aspiring to be writers themselves, a chance to ask questions. It is definitely a learning experience from both ends, and who knows maybe one of those four students will become famous one day.

Word Count 604

Reflection Nov. 13

    My boyfriend, Ben, and I are helping his Aunt Amy and Uncle Scott, move to a new house this week. We have been helping them move for about a week now. I can not believe how long it has taken. In the middle of the week she got so frustrated with moving that she just started throwing away stuff. Her attic was filled with fifteen years of stuff, stuff that she had forgotten about and stuff that she did not even know why she was saving. It has been a nightmare moving, I am in such shock about how men think the right way to move is. Us girls have been wiping stuff off and organizing things as we put them in boxes. And yesterday after Ben and Uncle Scott had been at the house moving things all day. Aunt Amy and I came to the old house to find stuff thrown unto the trailer, stuff that had not been wiped off yet and stuff that was halfway packed. We could not believe their idea of how to move was. I could not help but to laugh because Aunt Amy yelled at Ben and her husband like they children. It was so funny. After she calmed down me and Ben had to leave to go to a literary event for my English class. It was a lot of fun and got our minds off of helping his Aunt and Uncle, move. But, I will talk about that event in another blog. After the event we went back over to help them move. When we got back all that was left to move was the big like, furniture, refrigerator, and washer and dryer. Finally, we got everything over to the new house, all that is left there is the huge fish tank. Now all that is left to do is organize the new house and decorate it. This is basically the girls' part. We have started to organize things and hopefully by the end of this week or the beginning of this week we will finally have the stuff unpacked and them settled into their new house.

Word count 356

Reflection Nov. 3

    The fall is so exciting and wonderful. I love the fall; because it is so pretty and so many holidays are coming that bring friends and families together. The leaves are changing and falling off the threes and we just had Halloween which was a night that I will never forget. People are starting to buy things at the grocery stores to prepare for their Thanksgiving dinner, which is in two weeks. My store was pretty busy this last weekend, it went by so fast. The new people could not believe how busy it was and I told them that it was only going to get busier and they should get use to it. It is getting colder and colder outside as the days pass. Right now it the weather is changing to winter, it is cold in the mornings, nice during the day, and then cold at night again. The only thing that is bad about the weather changing is the fact that people become sick more often, because their bodies are trying to get use to the cold weather. Also, it is becoming darker at night, which is probably the only thing that I do not like about the fall. Families are coming in town for the holidays. People tend to give more donations during the holiday seasons, like donating food to the food bank and donating money to people in need. The fall makes me so happy because, I get excited to see my friends that are away at college come home for winter break and I get to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins that I have not seen in a few months. The fall is definitely one of my favorite seasons, but it is about to come to an end, because winter is near. But after winter it will be spring time, which is my other favorite season.

Word count 313

Answers to Questions for Sonny’s Blues & A Worn Path

 

Answers for "Sonny's Blues":

1. "Sonny's Blues," is told from Sonny's brother's point of view. Sonny's brother does not fully understand why Sonny became a heroin addict and why Sonny chooses the things he does. This affects the story, because Sonny's brother finally understands Sonny and his life and what he has been through.
   
2. The older brother's profession is an algebra teacher. The fact that he is a teacher suggests that his personality is caring and helpful. He wants to help Sonny beat his problem and addiction.
   
3. The story would be changed if it were told by Sonny; by we would know more about his experience and how he felt. Also, Sonny's point of view would be a lot darker and deeper. Since, Sonny was under the influence in part of the story, he would be considered as an unreliable narrator.
   
4. He decided to write Sonny when his little girl, Gracie, died from polio.
   
5. The narrator's mother asked him to look out for Sonny and watch him. He tries to keep his promise to her by making Sonny stay with Isabel and her family while he is away. But, Sonny ends up dropping out of school and joins the navy. When they got back the older brother tried to help Sonny, but all they did was fight and finally he gave up on Sonny. Then he tries to help Sonny again, by letting him stay at his house after he got clean.
   
6. The names of the major characters affect the story, by showing that they were close. The names of these major characters were Mama, Daddy, and Sonny, relates to the fact that everyone has a family, which connects the story to the audience. The fact that the older brother was not named puts the reader themselves in the story.
   
7. The statement "Now these are Sonny's blues," shows that he is finally ready to let go and be free of his addiction to heroin, his suffering. Sonny made his music his own by telling his story through music. Sonny's blues makes people become free of all their grief and sufferings in life.
   

Answers for "A Worn Path":

1. The narrator is a non participant who is impartial omniscience. The narrator is not a character in the story, therefore he or she is a non participant, and he or she is impartial omniscience because he or she describes and presents the thoughts and actions of Phoenix Jackson.
   
2. The significance of the old woman being named Phoenix Jackson is that she may have once been a slave and never learned to read or write, also she probably did not know her real name, therefore she was named after cities Phoenix and Jackson.
   
3. This technique contributes to the stories effect, because Phoenix is very old and is starting to forget things. In some ways she may not be able to tell reality from her dreams.
   
4. Phoenix is treated with kindness by the white people she meets, they understand she is old and needs a little help doing things. The story takes place in the south at the end of the depression.
   
5. She admires that he is not scared of anybody. This attitude tells us that she is a brave woman and that she admires people who are not afraid of anything.
   

This statement shows reveals that she may be going through a hallucination again. It seems as if she is thinking of something else and her mind was in a different place.

Memphis Matters outside Event

    Memphis Matters at Theater South was a very interesting and exciting event. Memphis Matters is about real issues concerning Memphis citizens and their lives. This event was not elaborate and there was not a lot of money put into props and staging. The setting was simple and showed that they did not need to be elaborate to be able to express their points. I enjoyed the fact that the audience seating was small because, it brought a sense of closeness between the audience and the actors. Since this was such a close setting, we got to know about the audience members and the actors and their stories. These stories ranged from funny to serious, from happy to angry, and from loosing love to finding love. Also, the type of style and arrangement of the event was casual and free, and anything could happen. The fact that the actors used the style of improvisation was very important and meant a lot to the point they were trying to get across with Memphis Matters.

I have never been to an event quite like this one; therefore the style of improvisation was very new to me. There was no script, no structure, and no guidelines, which showed that anything could be a story. Through improvisation audience members got to tell the actors an issue or story that they had within his or her life. Then the actors would act out these different stories and issues that people had. The theme of Memphis Matters is very important because, it shows that what is happening to people here and different places also affects Memphis as well. I am sure this event can be liberating for some people. It can be liberating, because the audience members get to see his or her issue played out on stage and also they see that other people believe that their issues and stories do matter. And that these issues and stories do not just affect certain people, they affect everyone around them. Also, it shows that anyone's story can be turn into a play of some kind. Basically, life is one big show that we are waiting to be played out. Like a story we are waiting in suspense to see what happens next in our lives.

Memphis Matters is a great event and I hope that people keep supporting it. It is a great experience for all people. People do not even have to love literature or plays, to be able to enjoy this event. It opens people's minds and ideas about stories and about how their own stories matter. This idea that anyone's story matters and that it affects everyone, is very interesting and inventive idea. I never would have thought that I would be touched by people's stories and lives that I did not even know, but that is what makes this event interesting. It is definitely worth the experience of learning how everyone matters. I would advise everyone to go to Memphis Matters, but only if they are willing to open their minds and see how everyone's stories affect them and their lives.

Word Count 518

Reflection Nov. 1

    I am reflecting today on Halloween. Last week, I wrote a blog about my plans for Halloween and what I was going to be for Halloween. Like, I said last week I was going to a Halloween party and my costume was a gangster. I went to work at eight o'clock and got off at four o'clock. All day we gave candy to the little boys and girls who came into the store. The kids were all adorable, most of them were wearing their costumes and they were all excited to tell me what they were going to be and what they were doing for Halloween. When I got off work, I went straight home to get ready. There were so many people at the party. I could not believe all the different type of costumes that people wore, no one was dressed a like. The costumes ranged from cute and sweet to scary and strange. The scariest one, I thought was the guy who dressed up as Hell Raiser, with all the needles sticking in his head. The funniest ones were these to guys who dressed up like their girlfriends; they even wore dresses and heels. But, there were a lot of really good ones and it was awesome that everyone actually dressed up and got into the Halloween spirit. A lot of good memories were made that night and I will never forget them. It was a great party and I am so glad that I went.

Word Count 249

Reflection Oct. 29

My reflection today is about one of my outside events. I chose to go see Alice Randall, the author of the book "Rebel Yell," last Thursday at Davis-Kidd bookstore. The event on my English class's blog said that it was supposed to be at seven o'clock. I thought I was early when I got there, because I arrived at 6:15, but when I went in I realized that the author was already speaking. I noticed that the sign said that the event started at six o'clock. Even though I was late I still got to see the author speak for about fifteen minutes. It was a great experience, even though I can not use it for one of my literary events because I only saw the author speak for a few minutes. There were a lot of people there to see Alice Randall and also another author as well. I thought that the setting was very relaxed and casual, since the author was speaking in the middle of the bookstore. I thought that the authors should have spoke at separate times rather than at the same time, so that the people could get a chance to see both of them speak without having to go back and forth. I would like to go to another reading, not just because it would count as an event, but because I can fully experience what it is like to see an author read and speak about his or her book. I asked the cashier when they would have another author read, but he did not have the list for November yet. I plan on going back up there next week to see if they have the schedule out. Also, I hope the next reading I go to will last longer than thirty minutes, but I do understand that these authors are very busy people. But, I hope the next author I see will talk for at least an hour. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable and nice experience and I especially liked it, because it was very relaxed and casual. I would definitely go to another reading at Davis-Kidd Bookstore.

Word Count 358

How are the Characters Different and Come Together

 

    The character of O. E. Parker, in Flannery O'Connor's story, "Parker's Back," is very distinct and in some ways the same as the charters of the grandmother and Mrs. Turpin. In the story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," the grandmother, considers herself to be a lady and that times are changing and there is becoming less and less good people. In the story, "Revelation," Mrs. Turpin is a lady who believes she is better than other people and tends to judge them. Parker is the opposite of them, he is what they might think of as trash or that he is from a lower social class than them. All three of them however share the fact that they all have a revelation. It is important to show how the grandma and Mrs. Turpin are different from Parker.

    Parker has many distinct qualities that make him different from the grandma and Mrs. Turpin. The grandmother and Mrs. Turpin are from a higher social class and Parker is considered to be in the lower social class. The grandmother and Mrs. Turpin are judgmental and tend to believe that they are some what better than other people. Parker instead is someone that they might judge, because his body is filled with tattoos. The grandmother and Mrs. Turpin believe in God and religion, and Parker does not. But, religion is what brings these characters together and connects them.

    How these characters come together is through the fact that they all have revelations. Also, even though Parker is from a lower social class, he still tends to judge people and make assumptions about them. Parker obviously does not believe in God or religion, but his wife however does. Sarah Ruth, states that God will look down on him because of his tattoos. Parker grows very irritated and frustrated with her. Parker believes that tattoos help him deal with his frustration. He only gets tattoos on the front of his body, because he wants to be able to look at them. But, when he runs out of room, his frustration with Sarah Ruth grows even bigger. He decides that to deal with this he needs to get another tattoo that she will enjoy, on his back. While he was working, he wrecked the tractor he was on and it caught on fire, this is when his revelation starts to happen. He decides right then and there to go get his tattoo on his back. He picks out the picture of the Byzantine Christ, he heard a voice that told him to stop and go back. It is almost like Jesus had told him to pick this picture. Parker believes that Sarah Ruth will be amazed by his tattoo and will like it. After, Parker's tattoo is finished he does not want to even look at it, and some what wants to deny that he ever got it. On his way home Parker sat in an alley examining his self and he finally realized that he now believes in God. When Parker gets home and shows his tattoo to Sarah Ruth, she gets very upset with him and says that he is an idolater and she beats him. This is what connects him to the other characters because, even though they see things clearly in the end and realize the true meaning of religion and faith, they still get punished. The fact that Parker is completely opposite from the grandmother and Mrs. Turpin does not matter; really they are all the same, because they all did not know the true meaning of faith in the beginning and realized it in the end. .

Word Count 623

Reflection Oct. 24

    Today I am reflecting on Halloween. I can not wait for next weekend because I am going to a Halloween party with my boyfriend and we are dressing up as gangsters. Every one I know is dressing up for the party. His middle brother and his wife are dressing up as pirates and his youngest bother and his girlfriend are dressing up as baseball players. I am so excited for this party because, I have not been to a Halloween party in forever it seems like. My boyfriend's uncle's band is playing and there is going to be contest for the scariest, most creative, and best overall costumes. I doubt I will win anything, because I just went to the store and bought a costume, instead of trying to create my own. But, I can not wait to see what all costumes people are wearing. We bought so much stuff to decorate for the party, like fog machines so the house will be foggy, banners, extra, the whole works. Also, two houses down there is a haunted house. These people make a haunted maze in their backyard every year to make money. It supposed to be scary; my boyfriend went through it and says it is pretty good, so we will probably go through it before we go to the party. I think that this Halloween is going to be great and one to remember. I hope it is a lot of fun and I can not wait for next week to write a blog about what went on at the party and Halloween night.

Word Count 265

Reflection Oct. 22

    My reflection today is about how people's dogs seem to reflect their owner's personalities. I was at the vet the other day and realized that the dogs in some way really represented what kind of person the owner was. The first person and dog, that I realized was like this was this big guy who seemed to work out a lot. I did not talk to the owner, but his dog was an English bulldog. They both had broad shoulders. The dog seemed like all he was thinking about was running and playing fetch, as the owner seemed like all he could think about was working out. At first I thought this assumption might have been a coincidence, but then I saw a teenage girl and her miniature poodle. The girl seemed very prissy, and very in to herself. Of course I know it is bad of me to say things like that about her because I do not know her, but this was just the impression that I got. She was all made up, as if going to the vet were a fashion show. Her dog had that kind of attitude to. The dog would not sit in the floor, it either had to sit beside her in the chair or the girl had to hold her. The dog's fur was very clean and white; it looked like the dog was rarely outside. What was crazy is that I over heard the girl talking to the receptionist and the reason they were there is so that the dog could get groomed. The girl told the receptionist that she would pick up her dog after her massage appointment. I was laughing in my head because the dog gets pampered to while the owner gets pampered as well. This is when I really started thinking that dogs are seriously like their owners. The next dog and owner I saw was and older gentle man and his dog that was a basset hound. The man looked around the age of about seventy and the dog looked pretty old as well, because he had grey fur. The two of them walked in real slowly together and they both slowly sat down. The man did not really talk to anyone and seemed to be observing the other people. The dog did the same, he did not get up to go see the other dogs, and instead he just laid there watching the other dogs bark at one another. Then I started looking at my dog and I realized that my miniature dachshund, Missy. I realized, like my self she is interested in what everyone else is doing, but sometimes just wants to be alone and not bothered. Also, she can not stand the fact that our other two dogs get attention. I was like that with my brother when I was little; I hated it when my parents paid attention to him and not me. I guess this means that the saying that a dog is a man's best friend is true, because the dogs since how their owners act and learn to act the same way.

Word Count 525

Reflection Oct. 20

    My reflection today is about my service hours for my special education class. I have to earn only five hours of service to people with special needs. I have not decided what I might do for these hours yet. The reason I have not done it yet is because, even though I am excited, I am also very nervous to do it. I have been around people with special needs, but I have never had a whole lot of interaction with them. I am scared that I might do something wrong. But, I also know that other students might feel the same way, and that the people who direct these events understand that some of us might be nervous. With that said I feel some what reassured that everything will be okay. I know that I will enjoy working with special needs people and that I will learn a lot. I am becoming a dental hygienist, and therefore this experience will help me to understand how to deal with patients who have special needs. It is getting closer and closer to the end of the semester and I need to figure out what I might do for my volunteer hours. I keep delaying it, because of all the other school work I have and also because I work part time. I need to stop procrastinating and get it done. I really hope that these hours will be a great way to learn and get to know how to interact with people who have special needs.

Word Count 255

Reflection Oct. 16

    My reflection today is about my grades. I am so nervous about my grades this semester. I am trying to get into UT, so I can become a dental hygienist, but they only accept thirty four people a year. Therefore, it is very competitive. I also, just found out that if I retake a class UT will not take the better grade and instead they just average them. So, now I am really scared, because I am afraid that my grades will not be enough. I only have a 3.0 GPA, therefore I have to get a B or better in all of my classes. And I know that there is tons of people trying to get into UT. So, it is not just based on grades it is also based on who you know as well. I have tried to shadow at my dentist's office, but it is really hard to get hours between school work and my job at Schnucks. Plus, I am under pressure about my grades and if they will be good enough. I really hope I can succeed in my grades and be able to go to UT. If I do not get accepted I do not know what I will do because, even if I retake a class again to try to get a better grade it will not help that much because, they will just average it. I want to get accepted the first time, because I will feel like a failure if I do not. I am really hoping to increase my GPA over the next year to a 3.5, even know it says they accept as low as a 2.75 GPA, I need to make sure that I am the best of the best. I am stressed out, I think I just need to take a deep breath and relax, because I know that it will all work out in the end.

Word Count 321

Reflection Oct. 15

    I love to go walking especially in the fall that is why my reflection today is about me and my boyfriend's mom walking in the park today. Her and I always walk together and also, go to the same gym together as well. We were going to go work out at the gym, but since it was such a nice day outside we decided to go walking at the park by the house. This park is one of my favorite parks to walk at because it has lots of trees and also a small pound where you can see a lot of ducks and geese. Also, the walking path goes all around the park, and there are such cute little houses all around the park. Anyways, the reason why I decided to write about this particular time is because, we saw a lot of different characters there.

There were a lot of people at the park that day, I guess because it was such a nice day. We passed a lot of people on the walking path; of course you have to say hello and wave because, that is what people do in Bartlett. The people we passed were of all different shapes and sizes. There were very young people walking to very old people walking. The whole time while we were walking our attention was kept the entire time because of all the different types of people we saw. The first group we saw was a bunch of preteens, dressed up as witches. We could not figure out what exactly they were doing but, they had a whole bunch of balloons and they were playing some type of game. The next people we saw were little kids, I guess they were around the ages of five and seven. Their parents were with them and they helping them feed the ducks at the pound. Also, while we were walking we heard some one playing the bag pipes. He was an older gentleman probably around seventy, he sounded very good on them and I am sure it is a hard instrument to play. When we passed him on the path he said he was getting tired and we told him that he was great and we enjoyed his music. And last but not least we passed what looked like a class from a school on a field trip. They were by the jungle gym and the tennis courts. They were all dressed up in different Halloween costumes. They were all so cute. The characters were, Indiana Jones, Snow White, a Ninja, Star Wars characters, and also one of them was dressed up as a teddy bear. They were all playing and were having so much fun, I could remember back when I was that age and Halloween meant so much to me. The walk was very enjoyable that day because, of all the fall activities going on. We enjoyed our walk at the park very much.

Word Count 495

Reflection Tuesday Oct. 13th

    I want to reflect on peer reviewing. Our class peer reviewed today in class and I believe it helped my paper a lot. I also got an outsiders point of view on the paper and they opened my eyes to new ideas about the stories we were writing about as well. My group all chose different topics therefore; it gave us a chance to see how our other peers thought about these stories. I felt like my peers did a very good job on his or her papers. Their views on my paper helped me see mistakes that I did not catch before while I was reviewing my own paper. They gave me great ideas in which to change my paper to make it stronger and easier to understand. It was a good way to get advice on the paper before you have to turn it in. I learned a lot about my paper and how the audience would think of my paper. I know that peer reviewing open my eyes and ideas about my paper. It was a great learning experience and I hope that we continue to keep on peer reviewing because it teaches people a lot about his or her paper.

Word Count 207

Reflection on weekend Oct. 12

    My reflection today is about my weekend. This weekend was insane, but I had a lot of fun. I had tons of homework to do, that I never thought I would finish it between work and activities. Friday night I got most of my chemistry homework done before my boyfriend's little brother's homecoming game for Bartlett high school. We ended up not going because, it was raining, but the rest of his family did. After the game a lot of people came over to my boyfriend's house. It was nice to hang out with friends after a long week of school. Saturday, I think was the craziest day. I woke up late and had to be at work by ten o'clock. I literally rushed to get ready and make it there on time. I was so tired from the night before and I was running on like four hours of sleep. But, of course Schnucks was packed because, we had a good sale and the customers were trying to get their shopping done before the football games started. I do not think I sold so many Lunchables, frozen vegetables, and TV dinners, in my life. When customers here they can get something for a dollar, they go crazy and try to but all they can. Anyways after a long day at work, I go to my boyfriend's house to find out that we are throwing a party for his middle brother's baseball team, he is a coach for a new college called, "Shepherd Film Academy." So, I get there and see all these guys outside, and then I find out that I have to start preparing the food for them, because my boyfriend's mom was not there. So, I helped make the food and I guess it was good because, they all ate it. But, I think guys will eat anything, as long as it is free. Anyways, it was a lot of fun getting to meet his players, even through I should have been working on my homework, which was my intention, but it did not happen. Even though I was having a great time at the party, I decided to go sleep at about one o'clock, because I was exhausted. The next day, I heard about what all happened after I went to bed, and I was glad, I did call it quits when I did because, some people got out of hand. Sunday, I got to sleep in because; I did not have to be a work until twelve o'clock. Even though it was not as busy as the day before, it was still pretty crazy; I guess people were trying to buy food for the week. But, the rush did die down by the time I got off work. And I did however finish my chemistry homework and my lab report, and here I am now writing my last reflection for the week and fixing to work on my rough draft for English.

Word Count 497

Reflection for Thursday Oct. 8

    My reflection today is about my boyfriend's Thursday night cruise-in, for his car club. He joined his car club about a year and a half ago, they are called, "The Memphis Chevrolet Classic Car Club." They have a cruise in, every Thursday night in the parking lot at Kirby Whitten and Stage road. At first I did not like going to it, because I did not have anyone to talk to. Most of the members of the club are older men and women, my boyfriend and I are the youngest people in the club. I enjoy going now because, after joining the club, I got to know a lot of the members and they are all very nice people. Our parents think we are weird for hanging out with people that are their ages, but I told them ounce they got to know them they will see how nice they are. I can not even explain how nice and pretty some of the cars are. Sometimes, I feel embarrassed because, my boyfriend has his 1987 Chevrolet truck next to these gorgeous classic cars. But, the members of the club are very laid back and are proud of him and his truck. I used to not care as much about classic cars, but after finding out how much time and effort it takes to put into these cars, I now appreciate them. And I never thought I would say this, but I actually get excited for the Thursday night cruise-in. It has grown so much over the past two years. So many people go now, one night we had over three hundred cars there. The restaurants around the parking lot, even give us discounts on food because, we bring so much business on Thursday nights. I just can not believe how many different types of cars there from new to old. And now more and more young people are coming up there, so there are more people of my age, to hang out with. It is exciting to talk to these people about their cars and their stories behind them. Some of the members have owned their cars since they were teenagers, I guess they were pretty smart for not selling them. I would love to own one, but I am sure I will never have the chance because, as years go on they become harder and harder to find, and therefore more expensive to buy. But it makes me think that maybe thirty or forty years from now my car might be considered a classic and maybe be worth some money one day. These cars are as pretty as the ones you see on TV at the auctions. I advise anyone to go that is in to cars, you will be blown away. But, we will only be up there for a few more weeks because, winter is coming. If you do not get a chance to go this year try to come up there next spring, it starts back up again in March.

 

Word count 504

Tuesday’s Reflection

    My reflection today is about my job at Schnucks grocery store, and why I love working there during the month of October. I am a cashier at Schnucks and I have worked there for a little over two years. I enjoy working there, because we try to raise money for different causes through the year. My two favorite ones to raise money for are St. Jude and for breast cancer. During the month of October our store is covered in pink. We just got through a week ago putting decorations up for breast cancer awareness. I also love working in October, because we also get to wear pink shirts, instead of our uniform shirts, to work everyday. Since the guys are not to keen on wearing pink we ordered shirts that are black with a pink ribbon on them. Our store has a lot of products like "Fiber One," "Yoplait Yogurt," that give so much money to breast cancer, when some one buys their products. Everyday, I have a bought a yogurt for lunch, because we have a box that collects the pink yogurt tabs, to benefit breast cancer. So, if you buy yogurt, save the pink tabs and drop them in the box. If you shop at Schnucks make sure to buy the products that have pink labels on them, because you are helping raise money for breast cancer. We also sell pink breast cancer reusable bags that also benefit money to breast cancer, they are only a dollar. Also, right now we are selling "Pin up a Pumpkin," for St. Jude's children's research hospital. We sell them at the register and they are only a dollar. This is a great cause, because St. Jude has helped many children fight cancer. I have even known some children that have gone there. I have had a lot of people donate, just for the sake that they are happy that their children are healthy. It is a great cause, and I hope one day that they do find a cure for cancer. I am so proud that I work for a company that tries to help these organizations and help raise money for them. It is good to see that companies do not always think of themselves, and how they can earn a buck. This is why I chose to reflect on my job, because even though they are trying to earn money, they also try to give back and help others in need as well.

 

Word count 415

Reflection on past week

    I am reflecting on this past week. This past week was very chaotic and I had a lot of stuff to do. It was stressful and I am so glad that it is over now. First, I had to help my work, Schnucks, prepare for breast cancer awareness month, by putting up pink ribbons all over the store. It was nice to see my work get involved in the breast cancer cause. I had a lot of chemistry homework to do; I probably spend at least two and half hours a night, working on it. I still have some problems left to do, but I finished most of it. I had a microbiology test last week, and it was pretty hard. I really hope I past it, because my teacher only gives three test a semester. Also, like I said in my last reflection I am was working on my informative speech for my Oral Communications class. I had to work on my lab report for my chemistry lab, and I had a lot of trouble with it, some of the questions are really hard. I also had to start preparing for my tests one is Oral Communications and the other is in my Special Education class. Both of these tests are considered to be my midterm, and I hope I do well on both of them later this week. Also, I went to the play "A Street Car Named Desire," by Tennessee Williams, on Thursday which was a lot of fun. It was a great way to take a break from school work, especially since I had taken my microbiology test earlier that day. Even though it was considered an activity for my Literacy Heritage class, I actually enjoyed myself and the play. The cast did a great job with their roles and the characters they played, especially Bronzjuan Worthy, who played Blanche. It was a great experience and I enjoyed it very much. Therefore, between work and school, I had a very busy week. I am glad its over and that I do not have another week like this one for a long time.

 

Word Count 356

Reflection on my speech

    I am having a hard time with my speech in my Oral Communication class; therefore I have chosen to reflect on it. It is very hard for me to get up and talk in front of people, especially people I do not even know, I am terrified. I am scared that I will forget my information and my mind will go blank when I am giving my speech. It is an informative speech, therefore it can not be persuasive, and it can basically only be facts. I am having trouble not being persuasive because, I want my audience to agree with me. I have to have what is called an attention getter at the beginning of the speech. I have no idea what I will say to grab my audience's attention and to make them interested in what I am talking about. I have gathered a lot of information and facts about my topic. I am not sure about what facts I am going to use yet, but I have some time to figure it out. I have to make it interesting to my audience so I am trying to figure out a story that relates to what I am talking about. This is hard, for me because I am not sure where I can fit my story in my speech and still get my point across, in enough time. I have made an outline on the speech, and I think I need to narrow down the information to fit the time limit. I also have to show a visual aid within my speech. I do not know how I am going to do this with out taking away from my speech. Visual aids are hard to use, because I have to find something that will stand out and that people will remember. I have a pretty good idea about what my thesis will be, but I am having trouble with my conclusion. I have to pull all my information into one sentence and say why it is important. Also, I am having a hard time because, I keep pushing it off. I keep pushing it off and procrastinating because, I have to do work and study for my other classes. Also, I am putting it off because, I dread giving speeches. But, I think I will be okay if I just create some time management and try and work on it everyday.

 

Word Count 403

Reflection on “A Street Car Named Desire”

    The play "A Street Car Named Desire," by Tennessee Williams at the Hattiloo Theater, was a great experience. The play was very dramatic. It represents love and what people will do to find it and to keep it. It is about a lady named Blanche who goes to stay with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley, because she lost the family land. The play represents Blanche as being a liar and some what crazy. Stanley is represented as being controlling and he reveals who Blanche really is. Stella is represented as being forgiving, loving, and she does not want to believe the rumors. The actors who were in the play did a very good job in understanding his or her roles. Blanche was played by Bronzjuan Worthy. She did a great job in representing the character of Blanche. She really connected with the audience when telling her story about what happened to her first husband. Stanley was played by Ekundayo Bandele, he as well did a great job in connecting with the audience. He also shows that he can make Stella forgive him, no matter what he does. Stella was played by Krissi Cain-Bolden. In watching the play, it turns out that Stella is somewhat the middle person, the person who keeps the peace in the house.

The play helped me understand the characters true personalities in play "A Street Car Named Desire." Watching the play, put a better description in my mind of the seen and the issues involved in the play. The play left me feeling sorry for Blanche, even though she was a liar. It shows that she was some what scarred by what happened to her first husband, and that she is desperate for a man's affection. Even though she lies about the things she has done, I believe she still did not deserve what happened to her. Stanley rapes Blanche, while Stella is at the hospital delivering the baby. Stanley then convinces Stella that her sister Blanche is crazy. They decide to send her to an insane hospital. This makes me feel sorry for Blanche, because the one time she does not lie, no one believes her. They make her think that she is going on a trip. And when the doctors come to the door to take her to the hospital she starts to freak out. But, and this actually makes you think she really is insane, when the male doctor offers his hand to her, she accepts it and says that she has always enjoyed the kindness of a gentleman. This play was very depressing and dramatic, but I believe that is what makes it such a great play.

 

Word Count 447

Reflection on Mike McCarthy Speech

    

    Mike McCarthy speech was interesting. His speech was laid back and very casual, which, with what I could gather, was kind of like his personality. His speech showed me his point of view on life and how he interprets things. I believe he was interesting, because he had a different way of looking at things, than I did. But, I believe he some what had an extreme way of thinking about life and how people should be and act. During his speech, he talked about his passion for comic books and his reasons behind his ideas and stories. For instance, he said that he uses woman in his stories, to show how women can use their womanly powers to fight evil. I enjoyed the fact that he was different, because he kept my attention the whole time while he was speaking. He said many times throughout his speech that he loves the city of Memphis and Elvis Presley. He told us that he believed that pop culture was during the years of Elvis's life, and that pop culture has disappeared in America. He also showed some of the books that he had read, that were kind of like his guide lines in life. One of the books was called "Sexual Persona," which to him, gave him some truth about his thoughts and ideas of life. Some of the things he talked about I could sort of go along with and see where he was coming from, but some things I could not. One of the things I agreed with was that we need to find something different or unique about ourselves and embrace it, open it up. And for example something that I did not agree with was when he told us to drop out of school, to be able to live life and find out who we are. I believe that we do not have to go to the extreme of dropping out of school, to be able to find out who we are. Even though his views were very different from my own, I believe it was a good experience to see some one else's views. Also, the experience helped me to understand the reasons why he chose to write comics and his passion behind them.

 

Word Count 380

Answers for "Harrison Bergeron"

1. The opening sentence implies that people are equal, meaning that no one is better than anyone else. The people that were stronger and smarter had handicaps on them to make them equal. The 211th, 212th, and the 213th Amendments made equality happen. Capitalism and American democracy do not exist anymore. The Soviet-style totalitarianism was the form of government that was used, meaning the government had control over the people and everyone was equal. The elimination of advantages, difference, and competition suggest that the government did not want to be over thrown. To make sure that they would not get over thrown, they created handicaps for the citizens who were prettier, smarter, and stronger, so that they could control them and make them forget their thoughts.

2. These changes are not impossible under American capitalism, because some one or a group of people can become so greedy, that they want to control of everything and everyone. The human tendency that people will go along with something, even if they believe it is right or wrong. With that said there is also the tendency of some people to speak out and stand up for what they believe in. In away, these tendencies are the end result of middle class greed, envy, and pettiness, because the middle class wants to be equal, because for the most part it seems that people who are in the middle class, have a very hard time trying to rise above it. Therefore, the middle class wants the upper class to come to their level. The experience from the late twentieth century suggest that it felt like, rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. The popularity of shows like Oprah's and Rosie O'Donnell's, hints at that the rich can help the less fortunate, for example Oprah gives her audience members gifts. These figures maybe considered role models, because they try to help people and solve their problems. The center stage of these shows is people's problems and issues that they might have. Barbie dolls being redesigned to look like "real" people, shows that in reality most people do not have a perfect body and looks, and some people believe that Barbie dolls represent what girls are supposed to look like when they get older. The trend of grade inflation shows that over the years we have become more advanced and that we are expected to know more. For example, when I was younger I did not learn my ABC's until I got to kinder garden, now I hear that kids are expected to know their ABC's before they get to kinder garden, also they have to know how to spell and do math. Also some elementary schools have even started to teach their children a secondary language. The practices of youth sports such as giving equal playing time regardless of ability, not keeping score, and that every team gets a trophy, shows that people believe that children are being hurt by competition and that every kid on the team should be created equal. This is a bad idea because, I believe the child will be hurt even more, because it does not teach the child to strive and be the best they can be.

3. The function of the agents is to keep everything in order and to make sure that the smarter and stronger people are wearing their handicaps. The people who are handicapped are considered to be the threats to society that these agents fight. If a person does not wear his or her handicap, the agents believe that he or she will try to over throw the government. These handicaps make the meaning of life pointless; there is no freedom of thought or choice. Also these handicaps were drastic measures to make people equal. People that were pretty had to wear ugly mask, people that were strong had to wear heavy metal, and people that were smart had to wear a radio in their ear that would make a sharp noise every twenty seconds, so they would forget what they were thinking.

4. Vonnegut is parodying the fact that America believes that people should be equal, and that people are becoming less competitive, because they believe it is wrong to tell a child they can not play in a game, because they are not as good as the other children on the team. Also, that people believe it is wrong to represent beauty as being and looking like a supermodel. The conceptions of equality that motivate such policies and trends, is that people want to believe that they are just as good at sports as anyone else, that they are just as pretty, and that they are just as smart.

5. There would be equality in commercial life by the concept of an agreement of trade, meaning someone will give someone else something whether it is money or something else, for something they need or want. The equality is the fact that people will agree with each other on what they will be paid or what they will trade. Yes, the capitalist social forms, do some what create inequalities at least of income and wealth, because I believe if you are extremely good at something verses some one who is mediocre, then I believe you should be paid more. Yes, it points to an irresolvable tension because, it shows that not everyone wants to live that way and that the government has to force the way of life upon them.

6. That it is unfair or unequal that the citizens have to live a certain way, but the government can do what they want.

7. Hazel had an average intelligence, and George's intelligence was very high. They can not remember things because, Hazel could only think of things for a little bit, and George had a handicap earpiece that would go off every twenty seconds, so he would forget about what he was thinking. Vonnegut might be parodying, the fact that when people get older they loose their memory. The story warns against two things. The first one being that equality does not really work because, people like to be different and have their own opinion. The second one being that if you stand up for something and against what some people believe, you might suffer consequences, for example Harrison Bergeron got killed because, he went against the government's rules and tried to over throw it and become the new leader. The handicap radio makes George forget what he was thinking. This relates to the mass media because, they do not always give all the details of a story and instead, they say things that they want people to here.

8. Harrison Bergeron is a threat to society because, the government believes he was plotting to over throw them and he managed to escape from prison. He is only fourteen years old. He wore earphones, instead of a radio because, he was a genius, he wore thick glasses, that made him blind and gave him headaches, and he wore three hundred pounds of metal because, he was so strong.

9. The significance of the real Harrison appearing on TV is to show that they were not lying and that he wants everyone to know that he did escape and that he wants to over throw the government. He repeats that he is the Emperor, because the people would forget because, they either had short term memory or they were handicapped with a radio in their ear, to make them forget. Yes, Vonnegut is suggesting a return to feudalism, in a sense that people would not be able to move up in society, meaning that the class you were born into is the class you would stay in for all your life. Yes, it is similar because, in both cases the characters believe that they have won and have accomplished what they were trying to do, but they did not accomplish anything because, they are both killed for standing up for what they believe in.

10. Harrison is trying to over throw the government. Yes, because they are both standing up for something they believe is right. In "A & P," Sammy believes that the three girls were not inappropriately dressed, and stood up for them. In "Harrison Bergeron," Harrison believes that everyone should not be equal; therefore he tried to stand up to the government and got killed. The young believes that things should change and the old like the way things are and believe it should stay the same. It relates to the fact that the economy is in trouble. The suggestion concerning ownership of means of production is that everything should be equal, and that no one can make anymore money than anyone else.

11. The significance of Harrison's statement is that he believes there should be a kingdom, in which he is the king and the musicians are the barons, dukes, and earls below him. He values the fact that he should have peers to help him decide what to do and also to help control his country. Beauty and aesthetics play the role in Harrison's rebellion by showing that he believes that things should be beautiful and that beauty should not be shunned upon.

12. The meaning behind Harrison's and the ballerina's flight-like dance and kissing, is that on the ground they are equal and not different from each other, and in the air they are showing that they are different and not equal. This statement means that they stayed in the air which denies the law of gravity, which means that things were going to change.

13. The meaning shows that even though you may stand up for what you believe in and that everything will be okay, there will always be someone to take you back to reality. Diana Moon Glamper's name may suggest that she is the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology. The ethos conjured by the mythological association of the Greek goddess Diana and the Moon, shows that she believes that men and women should not be together and they should not have romantic relationships. Ms. Glampers is similar to Lengel because, they both believe that sexuality and public display of affection should not be displayed in public.

14. Hazel Bergeron forgets what she is crying about because, she has short term memory loss. Hazel and Mrs. Gradgrind are similar. Mrs. Grandgrind can not explain herself to her husband and Hazel can not explain why she is crying. The meaning of the last words of the Bergerons, is to show that Hazel could tell that George had a very strong noise in his ear, meaning that something big must have happened to have caused the noise.

15. Vonnegut's story is striking, because everyone is supposed to be equal, when in reality the Handicapper General, has the power to do what she wants when she wants to. The appropriate limits in the story to ensure equality, is that everyone is brought down to a standard, instead of being brought up, this is because, the government wants people to be stupid and forget things, so they can not be over thrown.

Assignment for Thursday 9/24

From reading the short story, "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oats the main character seems to be Connie, but after reading the true story of what happen, it seems that the main character is actually Arnold Friend. Charles Schmid is the real Arnold Friend. The short story describes Arnold as having black shaggy hair and that he was older than the rest of the kids. the true story shows that Charles was an older guy, age twenty three and had black hair, which represents the relationship between him and Arnold. In the true story it states that Charles had decided one day, to see if he could get away with murder. Charles in fact, did rape and murder three girls, two of which were sisters. The story shows how Arnold/Charles would pick out a girl he liked to be his victim. It also shows that Arnold has an accomplice to the murders, which is his friend Ellie, in real life his name was John Saunders. Through Connie, the story creates an example of what might have happened and also incite to what the victim's thoughts were and what they might have went through. Therefore, the short story uses the character of Connie to show how Charles would lure the girls into going with him.

The character Arnold Friend is Charles Schmid in real life. Charles was a murderer in Tuscon, Arizona, who murdered three girls. Arnold Friend is an appropriate name for Charles. Charles was confident and he would act friendly to his victims that were perhaps insecure with themselves. He would appeal to them because he would make them feel good about themselves. Arnold was not wearing nice clothes; instead he wore scuffed boots, blue jeans, and a dirty shirt, which showed that he did not have a lot of money. His car is significant by showing who the real Arnold Friend was. It was an old jalopy, which also meant that he did not have a lot of money. The true Arnold, Charles was actually adopted, he did not work, and he would rely on his adopted mother to give him money. Another significance of the car is the numbers written on the fender, "33, 19, 17." These numbers translate to Judges thirty third book, chapter nineteen, verse seventeen. The verse translated is the title of the short story, "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" In one of the non fictional works about the true story, it states that the parents were to blame, because they did not pay attention to what their kids were doing and where they were going. Also, the title might show that Arnold does not want Connie to tell her parents where she was going and where she had been. The last significant thing about the car was the smashed fender that had "done by a crazy women driver," written on it which shows that Arnold does not have respect for women. Arnold's language is significant, because at first he talks friendly and nice to Connie. But, towards the end of the conversation before Connie leaves with him, his true voice shines through. He starts being aggressive in his words, which shows that Arnold is not as nice and friendly as he puts out to be; instead he is mean and controlling. This shows that Charles manipulated girls into thinking he was a nice guy, and convinced them into going with him, so he could rape and murder them.

Arnold takes Connie to a grassy field in his car. Arnold takes advantage of Connie and rapes her. He takes her back and tells her not to tell anyone where she has been or who she has been with. Connie does however tell her sister what happened to her, and then the story ends. But, I believe that Connie's story is very similar to the victim Gretchen Fritz. Gretchen Fritz had a relationship with Charles. But, she was very jealous of him, therefore their relationship ended. Gretchen also had a sister named Wendy, who was also murdered. And when they left to go to a drive in one night, they never came back. I believe that since Connie told her sister, June what happened to her that they became closer to one another. Therefore, a possible continuation to the story maybe that Connie and June started to hang out more often, and Arnold became worried that they would tell their parents what happened to Connie. So, Arnold decided to murder them one night while they were out together. Now that he had murdered them, his secret would be safe and no one would ever find out.

The setting of the story "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oats, is in a small town. Connie's neighborhood is rural and the houses are far apart. Her house is old and she has a long dirt drive way. Also, part of the story is taken place in a small town, at a movie theater and a local drive in diner where all the older kids hang out. This setting functions in the story, because usually in small towns everybody knows everybody and they know everything about everyone. This shows that Arnold Friend may be an outsider, because no one knows who he is, but since everybody knows everybody, it was easy for him to get information about Connie. Also, the setting shows that people believe, small towns are safe and that the crime rate is low, but really things do happen, but the victims are too scared to tell anyone. For example, Connie did not tell her parents that she was raped. This crime could happen anywhere at anytime. Oats chose the setting of a small town, to express that Arnold Friend was not a familiar face. Also, since it was a small town, Connie did not want to tell her mother because, she knew that everyone would find out about her.

word count 1,018

How Different Stories Work Together

The different literary works and the actual non fiction stories of what really happened in the murders of the three girls in Tuscon, Arizona, all intertwine with each other. The non fiction stories, "Murder in the Desert," "Crime: Secrets in the Sand," and "Arizona: Growing Up in Tuscon," tell about the murders, and also explain the different details within the fictional works. They are fictional stories, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been," by Joyce Carol Oats and the movie "Small Talk," were the most connected to the story of what happened. Bob Dylan's song "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," basically explains the situation of being raped, which is what happened to the girls who were murdered. Also, the Utube video "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" was basically a very short story of what happened in the fictional stories, but the ending is very different which makes it not as creditable.

Arnold Friend, is the character of Charles Schmid, who is the real murder in the non fictional stories. The non fictional works, explain Charles in the same way as the fictional stories do. Charles is an older guy with black hair, who decides to murder a girl, to see if he can get away with it. The fictional and non fictional stories are the same by explaining that Charles had a friend with him, whose real name is John Saunders, and he is nineteen years old. But, unlike the fictional stories, the non fictional stories explain that Charles had a girlfriend named Mary French who was nineteen years old, and who was an accomplice to the murders. Another similarity that we can possibly make between the fictional stories, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been," by Joyce Carol Oats and the movie, "Small Talk," and the non fictional stories, is Connie, in real life her name was Gretchen Fritz and she was seventeen years old. The fictional works explain that Arnold Friend had his eye on Connie and that Connie did go with him and that he brought her back home, and she told her sister what happened. In the non fictional work, "Murder in the Dessert," it explains that Charles likes a girl named Gretchen Fritz and she as well had a sister. But, unlike the fictional works, she and Charles have a relationship, but then it ends. Also, he ends up murdering Gretchen and her sister Wendy one night, when they were supposed to go to a drive in. Therefore, this information to an extent might be the situation that is perhaps explained in the fictional stories. Although it is important to see how the fictional and non fictional works, are similar and different, it is also important to see how the author gives the readers a key point or code to explain the true story.

The key point in the fictional stories "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been," and "Smooth Talk," is that Arnold lets Connie know a secret code on the side of his car which is 33, 19, 17. In the fictional stories it does not explain what this code might mean. After reading the non fictional stories of what happened, it almost seems as if the author of the fictional stories was giving the readers a code. In the fictional stories, it describes Arnold as being a lot older than Connie. Therefore, thirty three might have stood for Arnold's age in the story, even though the real man Charles was twenty three years old. In the fictional stories Connie is fifteen years old. But, as stated earlier, Connie's story is somewhat related to the real victim named Gretchen Fritz. Gretchen was seventeen years old, which might have stood for the number seventeen on the side of the car. The last number nineteen stood for his friend Ellie's age, which in real life his name was John Saunders. Also, the number nineteen could have stood for his accomplice, who was not mentioned in the fictional stories, but her name was Mary French, and she was nineteen years old. Therefore, from reading the non fictional stories, the readers can interpret the code to be ages.

Through these examples, readers can see how the true story has stayed the same, or has changed in the fictional works. The description of Arnold Friend, or Charles Schmid, did not change within the fictional stories. They are also the same because they explain that Charles had a friend with him. But, unlike the fictional stories, Charles also had his girlfriend with him, Mary French; this however, shows how the story was changed. Another similarity, the readers might connect between the non fictional and the fictional stories is the story of Connie and how it is similar to the real story of Gretchen Fritz. Also, the code "33, 19, 17," in the fictional stories, even though Charles's real age is different, tells us the ages of the accomplices to the murders and the victims. In conclusion, these facts show how important it is, when reading a story that the reader must also look at the true story, if there is one, to see the similarities, changes and also codes or key points that the author may give.

Word Count 884

Choices Will Stay With You

The stories, "A & P" by John Updike, "Rites of Passage" by Sharon Olds, and "The One Girl at the Boy's Party" by Sharon Olds, all show different challenges and situations that young people will become faced with. The choices that the young people make within these stories, shows what kind of person he or she will be in the future and if he or she will become sheep like, meaning following the norm. The stories are all based on different stages in a young person's life. "Rites of Passage," is based on the child stage, ages six and seven, "The One Girl at the Boy's Party," is based on the puberty or maturing stage, most likely teenage years, and "A & P," is based on the young adult stage, late teenage years or early twenties. The outcome of these young people's choices is important to thier future and growing up.

In the story "A & P," the main character, Sammy is a young adult, faced with the challenge to stand up and defend the three girls in bathing suits. Sammy believes that Lengel was embarrassing the three girls, and instead of keeping his mouth shut, he decides to quit his job in thier defence. Sammy realizes that he quit his job for nothing, because the girls were not outside and the customers were still shopping and checking out as if nothing had ever happened. Aslo, Sammy has now embarrassed his parents and he will be known as quitter in his small town. But, Sammy showed that he was not a sheep, because he stood up for what he believed at the time was the right thing to do. Unlike Sammy, the son in "Rights of Passage," does however change the way people think and ressolves the issue. In "Rites of Passage," the lady's son's situation arises at his birthday party. His friends were arguing who could beat up whom, and were not paying any attention to the fact that it was her son's birthday. The lady's son decides to stop the arguing and fighting. He makes the boys all agree, by announcing that they could all beat up two year olds. Now that the boys all agreed, they could focus on playing and celebrating her son's birthday. This shows that he will become a different knid of man, and will not be a sheep, meaning a follower; instead he will be a leader. Although, "A & P" and "Rites of Passage," show examples of not being sheep like, by standing up to somebody, there are however, other ways of not being sheep like. This example is in the poem, "The One Girl at the Boy's Party." The daughter is at an all boys pool party, therefore she is considered not to be a sheep, because she is the only there, of the opposite sex. This poem, deals with the situation of loosing virginity or at least the temptation of it. At the beginning of the poem, the author describes the girl as though she is a prime number, meaning that she is innocent and pure. The boys surround her and watch her, as though she is a piece of meat for them to eat. The parent describes the daughter as being overwhelmed by the boys. The daughter is doing math problems in her head throughout the poem, which leads to the fact that she may not be a prime number anymore. The parent comes to the realization that the daughter is coming of age, and that she is faced with the challenge of whather to be pure or not. Also, this relates to being a sheep, will she stay a virgin and not be a sheep, or will she loose her virginity and become a sheep, like everybody else? The author leaves the reader with the impression that the daughter is tempted to not be a virgin anymore. Therefore, the mainpoints in these stories are similar, even though the main points are expressed in different situations.

In "A & P," Sammy was a sheep, and then he decides that he does not want to be a sheep anymore and quits his job. In "Rites of Passage," the son shows that he will not ne a sheep, and instead he will lead. In "The One Girl at the Boy's Party," the author shows that the daughter was not a sheep, but she will soon become one, by loosing her virginity. The first main point of these stories, is to show that some people are followers, some people can change things and become leaders, and others will stand up for what they believe in, it does not matter if they are right or wrong. The other main point of these stories is to show that the decisions these young people make will stay with them in the future.

word count 809