Okay I'm not holding back just to warn you.
I found the relationship between Shannon and Bone one of the most interesting things in the story. These two girls are social outcast, so its only fitting that they came together. Shannon and the Pearl family came into Bone's life are an important time. Bone has started her search for religion and Shannon seems like the perfect friend to have because of her connections. The moment that Bone pulls Shannon into the bus seat is the moment that her and Reese's relationship changes. Reese fades into the background until Shannon and Bone have their fight. I didn't see Bone and Shannon as real friends. Bone uses Shannon for a few reasons (1) for religion and (2) for a way out of her house and I can't say I blame her. If I had to deal with Glen I would find everyway I could out of the house. Shannon death was... horrible. Can you imagine losing a child that way. The whole scene was tragic.
"Shannon had put her glasses back on. She had the lighterfluid can in one hand and she took up the long handled fork in the other. She poked the coals with the fork and sprayed them with the fluid. The can made a popping noise as she squeezed it. She was trying to get more of the coals burning it seemed. Or maybe she just liked the way the flames leaped up. She sprayed and sprayed, pulled back and sprayed again. Shannon shook her hand. I heard the lighter-fuild can sputter and suck air. I saw the flame run rught up to it and go out. Then it came back with a boom. The can exploded, and fire ballooned out it a great rolling ball. Shannon didn't even scream. Her mouth was wide open, and she just breathed the flames in. Her glasses went opaque, her eyes vanished, and all around her skull her fine hair stood up in a crown of burning glory. Her dress whooshed and billowed into orange-yellow smoky flames. I saw the fork fall, the wooden handle on fire. I saw Mrs. Pearl come to her come to her feet and start to run toward her daughter. I saw the men drop their ice tea glasses. I saw Shannon stagger and stumble from side to side, then fall in a heap. Her dress was gone. I saw the smoke turn black and oily. I saw Shannon Pearl disappear from the world."
I just could not believe it. I thought that Bone and Shannon were going to be friends agian and that happens. Just think Shannon died thinking that Bone hated her. Another thing who lets their 11 or 12 year old daughter play with fire and then blame Bone! Who was wrong in this situation Bone or Mr. and Mrs. Pearl.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
I have one word to describe Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison WOW!!! What a story!!! I have read most of the story and will try my best not to ruin the future chapters for you.
I see the "White Trashness of this family, but you also see the importance of family. I feel so bad for Bone she is condemned from the beginning with that stamp on the birth certificate. I was born out of wedlock and my mother choose also not to have the father on the birth certificate, but that was no long done because it was in the 80's. Without that stamp I knew from an early age that I was different and very much like Bone I called my stepfather "daddy" because my friends talked about their fathers and the time they spent with them. I always felt weird because I didn't have a father. You don't see this from Bone so much, she seems to think more about what her grandfather was like.
This family seems to put a lot of weight on Bone she seems to know too much about life too soon. Her mother works hard and loves Bone, but I feel almost like Bone is a burden to her mom especially seeing that she was so young when Bone is born. But at the same time you see this amazing mother, daughter relationship. On page 30 you see a snip it of this relationship
"I smiled wide, not really believing them but wanting to. I held still then, trying not to flinch as Mama began to brush relentlessly at my knotted hair. If I got a permanent, I would lose those hours on Mama's lap sitting in the curve of her arm while she brushed and brushed and smoothed my hair and talked soft above me. She always seemed to smell of buttery flour, salt and fingernail polish-a delicate insinuating aroma of the familiar and the astringent. I would breathe deep and bite my lips to keep from moaning while my scalp ached and burned. I would have cut off my head before I let them cut my hair and lost the unspeakable pleasure of being drawn up onto Mama's lap every evening." This was an astounding moment between mother and daugther. She knew at an early age she knew how important it was to let her mother brush her hair. When I was little I remember my mom brushing my hair and hating every minute of it. I complained and eventually she stopped. I wish I did as Bone did shut my mouth and cherish the moments.
One last thing that I think is with in the chapters that you all will read. Is that I predict that Daddy Glen is a bad person maybe a wife beater and Granny knows that he is bad that's why she doesn't like him. I know a little differently now. You'll see
I see the "White Trashness of this family, but you also see the importance of family. I feel so bad for Bone she is condemned from the beginning with that stamp on the birth certificate. I was born out of wedlock and my mother choose also not to have the father on the birth certificate, but that was no long done because it was in the 80's. Without that stamp I knew from an early age that I was different and very much like Bone I called my stepfather "daddy" because my friends talked about their fathers and the time they spent with them. I always felt weird because I didn't have a father. You don't see this from Bone so much, she seems to think more about what her grandfather was like.
This family seems to put a lot of weight on Bone she seems to know too much about life too soon. Her mother works hard and loves Bone, but I feel almost like Bone is a burden to her mom especially seeing that she was so young when Bone is born. But at the same time you see this amazing mother, daughter relationship. On page 30 you see a snip it of this relationship
"I smiled wide, not really believing them but wanting to. I held still then, trying not to flinch as Mama began to brush relentlessly at my knotted hair. If I got a permanent, I would lose those hours on Mama's lap sitting in the curve of her arm while she brushed and brushed and smoothed my hair and talked soft above me. She always seemed to smell of buttery flour, salt and fingernail polish-a delicate insinuating aroma of the familiar and the astringent. I would breathe deep and bite my lips to keep from moaning while my scalp ached and burned. I would have cut off my head before I let them cut my hair and lost the unspeakable pleasure of being drawn up onto Mama's lap every evening." This was an astounding moment between mother and daugther. She knew at an early age she knew how important it was to let her mother brush her hair. When I was little I remember my mom brushing my hair and hating every minute of it. I complained and eventually she stopped. I wish I did as Bone did shut my mouth and cherish the moments.
One last thing that I think is with in the chapters that you all will read. Is that I predict that Daddy Glen is a bad person maybe a wife beater and Granny knows that he is bad that's why she doesn't like him. I know a little differently now. You'll see
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Cherrylog Road James Dickey
I have gotten to know Dickey well through his book The Deliverance. Out of all the pieces I decided to talk about "Cherrylog Road". This piece is intense the language he uses is hurried and anticipating. The main character is a man probably a young man in a junk yard jumping from car to car while he waits for Doris Holbrook (who seems to be his lover). Doris as a character seems like she is also young and rebellious looking for a good time. I also picture Doris as some sort of artist because she is going to the junk yard for car parts. This maybe a more modern day approach to Doris, but I just picture her a some sort of sculpturer. The setting like I said before is a junk yard in a rural area and it also seems to be in a hot area probably down south and/or the summer.
The author describes Doris as mouse "I heard Doris Holbrook scrape Like a mouse in the southern state sun". And I felt that the main character is the blacksnake because it describes the "blacksnake as dying with boredom" then it hunt the mouse. The blacksnake can also symbolize the man's penis "So the blacksnake, stiff/ With inaction, curved back to life, and hunted the mouse"
The couple has the junkyard and the junkyard alone they don't seem to spend any other time together. "We left by separate doors/Into the changed, other bodies/Of cars, she down Cherrylog Road/And I to my motorcycle" They leave "by separate doors" is them going their separate ways into their separate lives.
I really liked this poem because it is clearly written by a man and at the same time I understand the message it is not confusing at all. The images are easy to understand and the relationship is to. This poem is better then reading The Deliverance.
The author describes Doris as mouse "I heard Doris Holbrook scrape Like a mouse in the southern state sun". And I felt that the main character is the blacksnake because it describes the "blacksnake as dying with boredom" then it hunt the mouse. The blacksnake can also symbolize the man's penis "So the blacksnake, stiff/ With inaction, curved back to life, and hunted the mouse"
The couple has the junkyard and the junkyard alone they don't seem to spend any other time together. "We left by separate doors/Into the changed, other bodies/Of cars, she down Cherrylog Road/And I to my motorcycle" They leave "by separate doors" is them going their separate ways into their separate lives.
I really liked this poem because it is clearly written by a man and at the same time I understand the message it is not confusing at all. The images are easy to understand and the relationship is to. This poem is better then reading The Deliverance.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Flannery O’Connor’s Revelation Make up blog
The piece was pretty good I like the conflict between social classes. There is also the stereotype of “White Trash” that I find interesting. Especially considering that I live in a trailer park, which is stereotypically a white trash place to live. So it makes me question Mrs. Turpin’s ideals and assumptions of the “white trash” characters. I honestly could not believe that whole thing about the manners. There are people who all the money and “class” who are just as rude as the “white trash” in the story. I agree that the child should have moved over on the couch, but sometimes kids have a mind of their own.
Mary Grace was an interesting character and she was defiantly making Mrs. Turpin uncomfortable with her scowls. She went nuts on Turpin but I think it is because she had the ability to see how fake Mrs. Turpin was being. This ability may have come from how her mother behaves because her mother told Mrs. Turpin that she wasn’t fat, so I think her mother was fake also. With that being said maybe that is why she lost it on Mrs. Turpin because she can’t direct her anger at her mother, so maybe she turned her anger toward her mother on to Mrs. Turpin. It’s just a thought.
I liked the little comments that Mrs. Turpin was thinking, but didn’t dare to speak. “Next to the ugly girl was the child, still in the same position, and next to him was a thin leathery old woman in a cotton print dress. She and Claud had three sacks of chicken feed in their pump house that was in the same print.” I like this one especially because it demonstrates how she looks down on the woman because she has to make her own dress from chicken feed bags and then from their she assumes (correctly) that the little snot nosed boy belongs with this woman based on her clothes.
The nurse was another description I enjoyed was the nurse. She is chewing gum, wearing red heels, and has blonde hair this makes her seems kind of trampy at least to me.
The pigs were an interesting detail in the piece. The comparison between the ways Mrs. Turpin treats her pigs and the “white trash” lady treats them. Mrs. Turpin treats them almost like humans cleaning them every night not allowing them to touch the mud. The white trash lady treats them like animals allowing them to wallow in the mud and not cleaning them at all. Then at the end you see Mrs. Turpin looking at them describing them as “idiot children” then toward the end she sees their human like compassion for each other.
Mary Grace was an interesting character and she was defiantly making Mrs. Turpin uncomfortable with her scowls. She went nuts on Turpin but I think it is because she had the ability to see how fake Mrs. Turpin was being. This ability may have come from how her mother behaves because her mother told Mrs. Turpin that she wasn’t fat, so I think her mother was fake also. With that being said maybe that is why she lost it on Mrs. Turpin because she can’t direct her anger at her mother, so maybe she turned her anger toward her mother on to Mrs. Turpin. It’s just a thought.
I liked the little comments that Mrs. Turpin was thinking, but didn’t dare to speak. “Next to the ugly girl was the child, still in the same position, and next to him was a thin leathery old woman in a cotton print dress. She and Claud had three sacks of chicken feed in their pump house that was in the same print.” I like this one especially because it demonstrates how she looks down on the woman because she has to make her own dress from chicken feed bags and then from their she assumes (correctly) that the little snot nosed boy belongs with this woman based on her clothes.
The nurse was another description I enjoyed was the nurse. She is chewing gum, wearing red heels, and has blonde hair this makes her seems kind of trampy at least to me.
The pigs were an interesting detail in the piece. The comparison between the ways Mrs. Turpin treats her pigs and the “white trash” lady treats them. Mrs. Turpin treats them almost like humans cleaning them every night not allowing them to touch the mud. The white trash lady treats them like animals allowing them to wallow in the mud and not cleaning them at all. Then at the end you see Mrs. Turpin looking at them describing them as “idiot children” then toward the end she sees their human like compassion for each other.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
A Street Car Named Desire Movie vs. Play
I enjoyed the movie a little more then the written play. There were various little differences, which didn't really take away from the writing. Marlen Brando was quiet attractive and it seemed like he was oiled up every scene. The actors did a great job portraying the characters. Marlen Brando did a great job with Stanley he made him come alive. The actress that played Blanche did a really good job playing the "crazy" Southern Belle. She even moved the way that I pictured with over dramatic arm movements etc. Stella was the only actress that I found kind of ho-hum. She bored me, but I guess she was what Stella seemed like in the play. I also didn't picture her in a house coat and she never really looked pregnant or was it just me.
Blanche was even better on screen she showed many signs of her nuttiness. The hands constantly to the face and rubbing her eyes, her constant bathing, making sure she her hair is perfect. She is always wearing the perfect thing and even tries to cover up her drinking, which I feel was a problem. She was very interesting to watch. I felt so bad for her at the end of the movie she had such a rough time (loss of her family home, her job, her reputation, her boyfriend, her sister, etc.) She was such a tragic character to begin with, but in the movie she was just moving.
Blanche was even better on screen she showed many signs of her nuttiness. The hands constantly to the face and rubbing her eyes, her constant bathing, making sure she her hair is perfect. She is always wearing the perfect thing and even tries to cover up her drinking, which I feel was a problem. She was very interesting to watch. I felt so bad for her at the end of the movie she had such a rough time (loss of her family home, her job, her reputation, her boyfriend, her sister, etc.) She was such a tragic character to begin with, but in the movie she was just moving.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
A street Car Named Desire
All I can say to the end of "A Street Car named Desire" is WOW!! That was an extremely difficult decision to make. I don' t know if I could choose my husband over my sister especially when the accusation was rape. I have to say that Blanche is a bit nutty through out the play, but I think the rape was what pushed her over the edge.
As I learned what happened with her husband I understood why she lied so much because the truth is what killed him. Then on top of it all she is living with a crazy amount of guilt. Her life was kind of rough she got married at sixteen, finds out her husband is gay, then drives him to kill himself, loses the family home and then all that stuff that proceeds that. I found her a little over dramatic at times like in the scene with Mitch on page 664 "Eureka! Honey, you open the door while I take a last look at the sky. I'm looking for the Pleiades, the seven sisters, but the girls are not out tonight. Oh yes they are, there they are! God bless them! All in a bunch going home from their little bridge party... Y'get the door open? Good boy! I guess you - want to go now..." I just could see her hanging kind of over the rail of the steps, yelling. http://www.naic.edu/~gibson/pleiades/pleiades_myth.html
The link above is about the cluster of stars called Pleiades you can read the story on that link, but a brief synopsis is that the girls are the half sisters of Hyades. They were seen and wanted by the hunter Orion to the extent that Zeus changed the girls into birds and placed them in the sky to protect then when Orion died he also placed him in pursuit. I just wanted to know what the real story was compared to Blanche's view of it.
As I learned what happened with her husband I understood why she lied so much because the truth is what killed him. Then on top of it all she is living with a crazy amount of guilt. Her life was kind of rough she got married at sixteen, finds out her husband is gay, then drives him to kill himself, loses the family home and then all that stuff that proceeds that. I found her a little over dramatic at times like in the scene with Mitch on page 664 "Eureka! Honey, you open the door while I take a last look at the sky. I'm looking for the Pleiades, the seven sisters, but the girls are not out tonight. Oh yes they are, there they are! God bless them! All in a bunch going home from their little bridge party... Y'get the door open? Good boy! I guess you - want to go now..." I just could see her hanging kind of over the rail of the steps, yelling. http://www.naic.edu/~gibson/pleiades/pleiades_myth.html
The link above is about the cluster of stars called Pleiades you can read the story on that link, but a brief synopsis is that the girls are the half sisters of Hyades. They were seen and wanted by the hunter Orion to the extent that Zeus changed the girls into birds and placed them in the sky to protect then when Orion died he also placed him in pursuit. I just wanted to know what the real story was compared to Blanche's view of it.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Zora Hurston
I am really enjoying "Their Eyes Were Watching God" I have already read Monday and Wednesday reading. Janie is a relate able character, she is a strong woman. If I wanted something to read I would not have picked this book myself and I am always a little scared by assigned reading because they are "the classic" and tend to be boring, but this is very good. The language is difficult, but once I read for a few chapters I started getting to the point that I reading it fluency. I was wondering how much of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is true or based on things that happened in her life. I did read the information in our text about her and see that her father was the mayor of Eatonville. So maybe Jody/Joe was based on her father and Janie is loosely based on her mother. You can defiantly tell that Zora lived in Eatonville she describes the people and the town so well.
Janie seems unhappy with Joe because he is controlling, but she stays with him. I didn't understand why, seeing that she left her first husband so willingly. Another thing I didn't understand was why she could just leave her first husband and marry another without a divorce! Why is that?? Doesn't that make her marriage with Jody null and void?? That confused me. Jody was not a like able character. I just didn't like him, he seems like a smooth talker who gets what ever he wants. Janie is a good example of this he got her to run off with him, considered her a trophy wife and then in the end she was just a way to look like a man. At the end of his life he doesn't even trust her and wont take food from her and wont even allow her in his bedroom. He is just a mean power hungry man and I think he got what he deserved in the end.
I thought it was kind of interesting that the chapters talking about Eatonville where focused on the men of the town and more specifically Jody. It demonstrates Janie and the rest of the women's influence on the town. They are unimportant. I felt that Janie was pushed too far into the background at times, but I guess in shows who Janie was in relationship to Jody and the men towns folk. As for the women other then Janie they are literally no existent except the occasionally conversation between Janie and Pheoby.
Janie seems unhappy with Joe because he is controlling, but she stays with him. I didn't understand why, seeing that she left her first husband so willingly. Another thing I didn't understand was why she could just leave her first husband and marry another without a divorce! Why is that?? Doesn't that make her marriage with Jody null and void?? That confused me. Jody was not a like able character. I just didn't like him, he seems like a smooth talker who gets what ever he wants. Janie is a good example of this he got her to run off with him, considered her a trophy wife and then in the end she was just a way to look like a man. At the end of his life he doesn't even trust her and wont take food from her and wont even allow her in his bedroom. He is just a mean power hungry man and I think he got what he deserved in the end.
I thought it was kind of interesting that the chapters talking about Eatonville where focused on the men of the town and more specifically Jody. It demonstrates Janie and the rest of the women's influence on the town. They are unimportant. I felt that Janie was pushed too far into the background at times, but I guess in shows who Janie was in relationship to Jody and the men towns folk. As for the women other then Janie they are literally no existent except the occasionally conversation between Janie and Pheoby.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Porter's The Last Leaf and The Grave
Can I just start off with Wow!! The Last Leaf was not my favorite of the Porter Pieces, but it gave some incite to who Nannie was and her relationship with Uncle Jimbilly. I found it interesting that Maria didn't realize that Jimbilly and Nannie were married. It illustrates the relationship that they show to people. They were not married because they love one another, but they say that over time you develop a love for the person you married. I also thought it interesting that they do not talk about their children in a way that illustrates that the children have two parents. Its almost like their spouses are dead. Then there is the scene where Jimbilly and Nannie are sitting on porch I think that Jimbilly was trying to create a better relationship with his wife, but she quickly shut that door on him. Its just an "interesting" relationship to say the least.
The Grave opens with a VERY interesting little bit of information about the Grandmother moving the husband's body twice. Why would you want to move a dead body twice?? In this time period we move the bodies to where the person wished to buried, but we don't dig them up and move them when we move. I wasn't really sure what Porter was to do with this opening. I guess it brings in the idea of moving the dead family members to the public cemetery. Then we see the children playing in the empty family plot. I think the way the children are playing and dressed are illustrators for the fact that the family is out of control now that Grandmother is dead. I was amazed by the fact that Miranda was willing to stand over her brother while he skins the rabbit with out a problem. I would be walking away from that. EWW!
I definitely enjoy the women writers over some of the men we have read so far.
The Grave opens with a VERY interesting little bit of information about the Grandmother moving the husband's body twice. Why would you want to move a dead body twice?? In this time period we move the bodies to where the person wished to buried, but we don't dig them up and move them when we move. I wasn't really sure what Porter was to do with this opening. I guess it brings in the idea of moving the dead family members to the public cemetery. Then we see the children playing in the empty family plot. I think the way the children are playing and dressed are illustrators for the fact that the family is out of control now that Grandmother is dead. I was amazed by the fact that Miranda was willing to stand over her brother while he skins the rabbit with out a problem. I would be walking away from that. EWW!
I definitely enjoy the women writers over some of the men we have read so far.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Dry September-Leaves much to interruption
I really enjoyed Faulkner's "Dry September" for a few reasons, first it leaves much to interruption. It doesn't spell out what is going on. Even the characters are very mysterious some of them not even having names. The second thing I like is the way it switches from one character to another and back between the chapters. Third I like that it focuses on the characters involved more then the surroundings or what is happening. I like that the author kind of protect the reader in the beginning they don't come right out and say that Minnie was raped, they don't tell you what happens to Willie in great detail (it is implied) and at the very end they don't tell you point blank that the Barber shoots either himself or his wife. The way its written it seems like there should be a sequel.
I don't know if anyone agrees or disagrees with me, but my interruption of this story is that the barber was the one who "raped" Minnie or he was having some sort of relationship with her, which is implied by him being a main character in the story or maybe he felt extremely guilt for what happened to Willie that he kills himself at the end of the story. I think that the men killed Willie to punish him and show the rest of the "black sons" that the white men will not stand for this kind of behavior. I also don't think Willie did what was said. I think he was completely innocent. I'm not sure what happens to Minnie is it possible that she is pregnant?? She falls ill at the end or is she going crazy.
"They removed the pink voile and the sheer underthings and the stockings and put her to bed, and cracked ice for her temples, and sent for the doctor. He was hard to locate, so they ministered to her with a hushed ejaculations, renewing the ice and fanning her. While the ice was fresh and cold she stopped laughing and lay still for a time, moaning only a little, But soon the laughing welled again and her voice rose screaming."
This paragraph implies that she going crazy, but that may be because she knows that the truth will come out eventually. I know that at 38 or 39 it was not common for women to have children back then, but its still possible isn't it??
I also think it is very weird that Minnie is so willing to go to the movies with her friends after being "raped". I can understand that she wants to keep up her appearance and as it is she is kind of tainted by dating the widower, but I don't think that I would be so willing to continue me life as it was before. Another then just popped into my head when the heck did someone rape her she is always a home with her mother and Aunt or when she is out she is always with friends. I just thought I would point this out.
I don't know if anyone agrees or disagrees with me, but my interruption of this story is that the barber was the one who "raped" Minnie or he was having some sort of relationship with her, which is implied by him being a main character in the story or maybe he felt extremely guilt for what happened to Willie that he kills himself at the end of the story. I think that the men killed Willie to punish him and show the rest of the "black sons" that the white men will not stand for this kind of behavior. I also don't think Willie did what was said. I think he was completely innocent. I'm not sure what happens to Minnie is it possible that she is pregnant?? She falls ill at the end or is she going crazy.
"They removed the pink voile and the sheer underthings and the stockings and put her to bed, and cracked ice for her temples, and sent for the doctor. He was hard to locate, so they ministered to her with a hushed ejaculations, renewing the ice and fanning her. While the ice was fresh and cold she stopped laughing and lay still for a time, moaning only a little, But soon the laughing welled again and her voice rose screaming."
This paragraph implies that she going crazy, but that may be because she knows that the truth will come out eventually. I know that at 38 or 39 it was not common for women to have children back then, but its still possible isn't it??
I also think it is very weird that Minnie is so willing to go to the movies with her friends after being "raped". I can understand that she wants to keep up her appearance and as it is she is kind of tainted by dating the widower, but I don't think that I would be so willing to continue me life as it was before. Another then just popped into my head when the heck did someone rape her she is always a home with her mother and Aunt or when she is out she is always with friends. I just thought I would point this out.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Desiree's Baby
Yesterday Erinn and I were talking after class about Desiree's Baby and Erinn raised an interesting idea that Desiree and Armand were both Mulatto. When I read the story my impression was that she was white from some of the symbols throughout the story. Such as the constant white images surrounding Desiree the dressing gown is one major example and while I'm talking about the dress the frailness of it because it was ripping so easily as she was walking. Another thing that made me think she was white was when she compare her arm to Armand's arm and she was whiter then he was if she was also Mulatto then wouldn't they be closer in color.
Something that I was just thinking about was the idea that the LaBlache child could also be his. That's what first came to my mind when she was looking back and forth between the two children. I think she realized that the LaBlache boy looked like her baby in more ways then one because earlier in the text there is mention that he spends time at their cabin.
I also think of Desiree as a strong female character in a way because when her husband tells her to leave she takes upon herself to commit suicide. Suicide is commonly seen as the cowards way out, but in Desiree's situation I don't see it that way at all. She is trying to take the shame that she "thinks" she has brought to Armand's home away. Wiping the slate clean in a sense by riding the world of her and her son. To me this makes her almost heroic or a martyr.
I loved the story, but hated how it ended because I want to know what Armand did after he found that letter, how did he feel. There is so much missing he could have felt guilty and then in turn either let his slaves go or treated them with more respect or even committed suicide himself. Or he could have gotten angry with everything that just happened and took out on his slaves or he could have gone crazy and locked himself in the house much like Rodrick in The Fall of The House of Usher. There are so many possibilities.
So what do you think?? Is Desiree is white or mulatto? why? Do you think she is a strong female character? Why or Why not? What do you think happened after the story?? And what do you think of the idea that the LaBlache child being Armand or am I crazy to think that??
Something that I was just thinking about was the idea that the LaBlache child could also be his. That's what first came to my mind when she was looking back and forth between the two children. I think she realized that the LaBlache boy looked like her baby in more ways then one because earlier in the text there is mention that he spends time at their cabin.
I also think of Desiree as a strong female character in a way because when her husband tells her to leave she takes upon herself to commit suicide. Suicide is commonly seen as the cowards way out, but in Desiree's situation I don't see it that way at all. She is trying to take the shame that she "thinks" she has brought to Armand's home away. Wiping the slate clean in a sense by riding the world of her and her son. To me this makes her almost heroic or a martyr.
I loved the story, but hated how it ended because I want to know what Armand did after he found that letter, how did he feel. There is so much missing he could have felt guilty and then in turn either let his slaves go or treated them with more respect or even committed suicide himself. Or he could have gotten angry with everything that just happened and took out on his slaves or he could have gone crazy and locked himself in the house much like Rodrick in The Fall of The House of Usher. There are so many possibilities.
So what do you think?? Is Desiree is white or mulatto? why? Do you think she is a strong female character? Why or Why not? What do you think happened after the story?? And what do you think of the idea that the LaBlache child being Armand or am I crazy to think that??
Sunday, February 4, 2007
The Fall of The HOUSE of Usher
Let me start with saying I love Poe's poetry and have not read any of Poe's short stories except the Tell-Tale Heart, which it you you enjoyed this piece I suggest reading that one. My favorite Poe poems are Annabel Lee and A Dream With a Dream (so I think you should check those out too). For some reason I have always found Poe an interesting character he has a lot of mystery to him such as the speculation about his death, some people say he suffered from depression and some feel he may have been an alcoholic. If he was any of these I think it had a wonderful effect on his writing.
The Fall of the House of Usher is very interesting because it makes you think. The end happens so quickly that I wasn't sure if any of the events really happened. Poe has a way of confusing at least me with the way the end was written. I think the end makes you question the narrator's sanity. Did any of the story really happen?? Can you imagine someone running up to you in a panic swearing that he spent a week in a crazy guys house and the guy's sister died, so they buried her, then she came alive and fell on the guy and they were both died, so they (the person telling you the story) ran away and as soon as they left the house it came crumbling down. I would probably laugh at the person. I can just imagine the narrator running to the nearest place and telling the story and everyone laughing at him and saying "The Usher house has been vacant for 10 years" or "The Usher house burn down 10 years ago."
My major concern with this piece was the last paragraph on page 104 where it says "I had learned too, the very remarkable fact, that the stem of the Usher race, all time honored as it was, had put forth, at no period, any enduring branch; in other words that the entire family lay in direct line of descent, and had always with very trifling and very temporary variation, so lain." I briefly mention my interruption of this quote in class and will mention it again. I believe that there is a hint of incest going on in this family. I don't know if any one has any education on family trees, but I have a little my grandmother has traced our family back a long way in fact to John Rolfe and Pocahontas any way back to my point the Paragraph says that the family is in direct line from the descent. If you were to draw a normal family tree it branches out pretty wide with husbands, wives, children, aunts, uncles etc. but if you consider a family tree were the sister and brother have a child or two children and so on and so forth the tree doesn't branch out it is in direct line with the grandparents, maybe I over thought this, but this was the first thing I thought when I read it. I also see Erin's point with the ending of a family, but how realistic is that because that means their are no Aunts, Uncles or Cousin nothing left from the Usher family. I find this weird because my family on one side (my father's side) is very large and on my mother's side is kind of small. On my dad's side of the family I have 3 uncles (my dad's brothers) and two Aunts (my dad's sisters) they all have spouses and children. With all the them I have 16 or more cousins and 18 or more second cousins. My mom's side she has two brothers who have 2 children each. I find the Usher family weird also because wasn't it common to have a lot of children back then but then again maybe I'm wrong.
Sorry it's so long. I had a lot on my mind.
The Fall of the House of Usher is very interesting because it makes you think. The end happens so quickly that I wasn't sure if any of the events really happened. Poe has a way of confusing at least me with the way the end was written. I think the end makes you question the narrator's sanity. Did any of the story really happen?? Can you imagine someone running up to you in a panic swearing that he spent a week in a crazy guys house and the guy's sister died, so they buried her, then she came alive and fell on the guy and they were both died, so they (the person telling you the story) ran away and as soon as they left the house it came crumbling down. I would probably laugh at the person. I can just imagine the narrator running to the nearest place and telling the story and everyone laughing at him and saying "The Usher house has been vacant for 10 years" or "The Usher house burn down 10 years ago."
My major concern with this piece was the last paragraph on page 104 where it says "I had learned too, the very remarkable fact, that the stem of the Usher race, all time honored as it was, had put forth, at no period, any enduring branch; in other words that the entire family lay in direct line of descent, and had always with very trifling and very temporary variation, so lain." I briefly mention my interruption of this quote in class and will mention it again. I believe that there is a hint of incest going on in this family. I don't know if any one has any education on family trees, but I have a little my grandmother has traced our family back a long way in fact to John Rolfe and Pocahontas any way back to my point the Paragraph says that the family is in direct line from the descent. If you were to draw a normal family tree it branches out pretty wide with husbands, wives, children, aunts, uncles etc. but if you consider a family tree were the sister and brother have a child or two children and so on and so forth the tree doesn't branch out it is in direct line with the grandparents, maybe I over thought this, but this was the first thing I thought when I read it. I also see Erin's point with the ending of a family, but how realistic is that because that means their are no Aunts, Uncles or Cousin nothing left from the Usher family. I find this weird because my family on one side (my father's side) is very large and on my mother's side is kind of small. On my dad's side of the family I have 3 uncles (my dad's brothers) and two Aunts (my dad's sisters) they all have spouses and children. With all the them I have 16 or more cousins and 18 or more second cousins. My mom's side she has two brothers who have 2 children each. I find the Usher family weird also because wasn't it common to have a lot of children back then but then again maybe I'm wrong.
Sorry it's so long. I had a lot on my mind.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Shallow Barn and the American Dream
For this week's post I want to talk about Kennedy's "Swallow Barn". Out of what has been read so far I enjoyed this one a lot. I love the images even though they were a little confusing. I love that the first chapter was focused on the house and its grounds. This caught my attention because it seems so different from today's writing, which to me seems like its all about the characters and not so much about the surrounds. I believe that the setting is a key component in in the story, it affects how the character acts in the setting (comfortable vs uncomfortable, etc.) and it allows the reader to feel more like they are in the story.
This leads me into the topic I would like to focus on. The idea that the piece is out dated and that the plantation is/was a symbol of the American Dream. What is the American dream anymore? Is it still to live in a big house? Has it changed that much since this piece was written? My idea of a dream life is to get a good job, get married, live is a house (a comfortable size house), have two cars (one for my husband, one for myself) have some kids (one or two), watch my children grow up and grow old with my husband. Is this a crazy dream? Should I be wishing for a huge house like Brittany Spears, 15 cars, husband after husband, party that never end, etc. I feel like the generations coming consider that their dream.
I do have to say that when I was younger and saw Gone with the Wind the first time I wished I was a Southern Belle and then I read "Scarlet" and still felt that way, but after years of education I don't really want that so much because I know the truth about being a Southern women during that time period.
So what are your thoughts on the American Dream? What do you think it is, but I am not sure anymore.
This leads me into the topic I would like to focus on. The idea that the piece is out dated and that the plantation is/was a symbol of the American Dream. What is the American dream anymore? Is it still to live in a big house? Has it changed that much since this piece was written? My idea of a dream life is to get a good job, get married, live is a house (a comfortable size house), have two cars (one for my husband, one for myself) have some kids (one or two), watch my children grow up and grow old with my husband. Is this a crazy dream? Should I be wishing for a huge house like Brittany Spears, 15 cars, husband after husband, party that never end, etc. I feel like the generations coming consider that their dream.
I do have to say that when I was younger and saw Gone with the Wind the first time I wished I was a Southern Belle and then I read "Scarlet" and still felt that way, but after years of education I don't really want that so much because I know the truth about being a Southern women during that time period.
So what are your thoughts on the American Dream? What do you think it is, but I am not sure anymore.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
John Smith I'm not a Fan
I was really excited when I signed up for this course until I saw the big red literature book. Why? Because I took Early American literature a couple semesters ago and this book was very similar. I also have a prior reading relationship with Captain John Smith, who might I add is BORING!! I found John Smith's inventive spelling interesting and frustrating. I think that is the teacher in me. I wanted correct the spelling all the way through. Out of the two pieces I found the one entitled "From The Generall Historie of Virginia" more interesting. I found the description of the Powhatan interesting. He calls them poor salvages, makes comments about the fact that the king has many wives and children. I thought it was also interesting that the children gave John gifts. I take it as John thinks he was superior to them and the Powhatan know it.
When I took the early American lit class we discussed the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas. I personally think that Pocahontas was just a kind soul that didn't want John to be hurt, but John basically thought she saved him because he was superior to her. European men were very egocentric in my opinion. He also shows his egocentric nature when he talks about himself in the third person, which I find really annoying. I definitely can't wait till we move on to more modern literature, but for now I will work through it.
When I took the early American lit class we discussed the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas. I personally think that Pocahontas was just a kind soul that didn't want John to be hurt, but John basically thought she saved him because he was superior to her. European men were very egocentric in my opinion. He also shows his egocentric nature when he talks about himself in the third person, which I find really annoying. I definitely can't wait till we move on to more modern literature, but for now I will work through it.
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