Week Ten Blog Post 2

I have to say when I decided to take this course last spring I was a bit pessimistic as to how I was going to like this course.  However, after completing the first section of this course I knew immediately that I was going to enjoy this course very much.  Since I was young I have always enjoyed reading and even enjoyed pondering on the underlying meanings behind specific works that I read.  So this course really gave me good practice and helped me to fine tune some of the strategies that I use to decipher and digest the materials that I read.  Having been unable to read for pleasure while I am in school, I am greatly looking forward to putting these strategies to use on the next work that I read.  I have been meaning to read "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy for a long time and now that I have new strategies for greater comprehension, I am really looking forward to delving into this work.

Week 10 Blog Post 1

This course has offered some very insightful strategies for reading and digesting literature.  Of all the works that we read/studied during this course, I have to say Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," was the most interesting.  Maybe its because I did my semester paper on this story, but regardless I have to say this story impacted me the most because it really gave me a glimpse into the emotional and physical burdens experienced by American servicemen in Vietnam.  By applying some of the strategies that I learned from this course I really was able to gain a deeper appreciation for this story and the works I read in the future.

"Trifles" by Susan Glaspell.

The play "Trifles" was a different kind of play and was quite entertaining.  I had a hard time grasping the overall meaning of the play though.  In my opinion the theme behind this play was: don't look to deep because sometimes what we are looking for is right under our nose.  What I found extremely ironic was that while the "law professionals" were roaming about trying desperately to find evidence that would point to the murder, the wives were the ones who actually solved the case be nosing around her sewing equipment.

"Fences," by August Wilson.

"Fences," by August Wilson was a very intriguing play and told a vivid story.  I took this story to mean that  every individual has trials to overcome in his or her life and it is up to us how we deal with those trails, whether it be that we fight them and refuse to succumb to temptation or cave and embrace the subject of our desire.  I had high hopes for character of Troy because he was placed at such a high place in the story and was given the opportunity to be a great influence over his family.  However, as the story went on I soon realized that he was going to be a disappointment and squander his leadership opportunity.  The character of Cory personally stood out to me because he seems to have dealt with many of the same struggles I have in my life.  Although he had a much harder life it appears, I too have struggled with striving to make my Father proud and having a much more godly Father have been able to hear his approval.  My point is that I know the feelings that go in to trying to please your Father and they are not pleasant.  I was really pleased with the ending because Cory ultimately decides to attend his Father's funeral.

"Harlem [Dream Deferred], by Langston Hughes.

This particular poem seems to oscillate  from a negative and positive light, most often expressing the negative outcome more than the positive.  However he does make a point to end the poem on a positive note by saying "Or does it explode?"  In my mind, he did this to reestablish a glimmer of hope for the reader who can directly relate to the poem’s message.  The overall meaning of this poem was to inspire the readers of his poem to take action and not defer one's dreams, which is something that all people need to hear.

"Learning to Love America," by Shirley Lim

In"Learning to Love America," by Shirley Lim she seems to utilize a particular and specific word choice to indicate that she is expressing her reasoning for why she fulfills the title of her poem.  Every line seeks to relate to the reader her personal rationale for “Learning to Love America.”  It also, seeks to relate the journey that she took to come to the conclusion of loving America.  I understood this poem to mean that she had experience much inner turmoil before she realized that America was a country that was worth her devotion.  I specifically liked her line "Because I have a son is to have a country."  

Let me not to the marriage of two minds.

The poem "Let me not to the marriage of two minds" by William Shakespeare is a poem that I interpret to mean that only independent people should get married.  People who tend to change due to being in a relationship should not be in one because it causes damage to both parties in the relationship.  But if love can be found that doesn't cause ether parties to change then it should be cherished because it is very valuable.  I'm not sure that my interpretation is correct or even remotely close to what author had intended but I am getting the impression that love between people who do not remain independent is doomed to failure.  However, love that allows for its parties to retain their own independence will prove successful and is very precious.