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.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
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.
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