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.

"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.

Of the all the poems we read this week I found "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost to be the most insightful.  My interpretation of this poem was that humans should not simply take the easy road in life because life is not measured based on success but rather on making an impact on others lives.  This poem does a very good job as shedding light on the human condition, indicating that humans alway take the road that is the easiest instead of taking the road that is harder but in the end leads to a fuller life.

"White Lies" by Natasha Trethewey

"White Lies" was a very enjoyable poem and allows the reader to gaze back at a familiar point that everyone in their life has experienced, rebellion.  The author captures a point in a young girl's life when she  is discovering the consequences for acting disobediently.  This poem also does a phenomenal job at capturing the racial tension that was prevalent when this poem was written.  Personally, I took this poem to mean that although black and white people may have different appearances, they all have the same struggles, having to fight the carnal desires of self gratification.  This poem also illustrates the common moral fiber that is placed at the heart of humanity despite race to teach our kids to act right and obediently.

"Grass" by Carl Sandburg

"Grass" was a very intriguing poem because it seemed to place meaning on an everyday ordinary item that we would normal see meaning in.  To me "Grass" was poem about how although mankind is horrible to one another, there is an overall  plan for this world that God holds in his hands.  Despite the fact that humans may start and proliferate warfare in the end "the grass" will restore order and balance to our world. The grass also seems to be an object that will take away our sorrows and hold on to them so we don't have to.  "Grass" by far was my favorite poem from this section and it really spoke to me on an emotional level.

"One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich" (2nd Thoughts).

There was one particular part of the book that really spoke to me and that was the part where Alyosha tells Shukhov that he is happy that he is in prison because it helped propel his faith and caused him to gain a deeper and stronger faith.  I do not know if I would be able to think that way, even though I am a Christian.  As Americans I think that we are so spoiled with the blessings of freedom that we often forget the hardship that some of our Christian brothers and sisters are forced to endure on a daily basis.  As of now I know that my faith is minuscule compared to Alyosha's but one day I hope I can look at difficult circumstances the way he does instead of the way I have been.  Personally, I think this portion of the story was meant to give encouragement to the reader that the characters can prevail, even though they are forced to endure their present circumstances.

"One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich" (1st Thoughts).

I cannot imagine having to live in a "work camp" in Soviet Russia.  The men that were forced to endure such tormented lives must have been some very hard men.  What I found interesting was the life lessons that are learned in such conditions.  For instance, Shukhov's inclination to hide and stash his food struck me as a natural instinct that people experience in tough situations.  Shukhov showed many signs that he was going to be able to serve out his term and make it through, however.  For example, he always seemed to assess each situation differently and devise a plan to enable him to extract as much benefit out of it as possible.  Due to this attitude, Shukhov was able to endure and live on.

"A Good Man Is Hard To Find"

The ending to this story really threw me off.  In fact, it is safe to say that I had no idea the ending was going to unfold as it did.  When the car accident happened I know that the story was going to shift dramatically, but I had no idea that it was going to end as it did.  I found the character of the Grandmother quite exasperating and quite frankly annoying, but after the reading the entirety of story, I realized that her role in the story was pivotal and important.  I think the overall meaning of this story was that the author was trying to get across the idea that because of Man's broken condition it can be easy for humans to start going down the wrong road, and once an individual starts down that road it is very hard to turn back.

"The Things They Carried," By Tim O'Brien (Second Thoughts)

After reading this story and giving my mind time to digest the material, I came to the conclusion that Tim O'Brien is doing his best to create a story that portrays the true aspects of war.  I think he does this particularly well when he writes, "He wished he could find some great, sadness or even anger, but the emotion wasn't there and he couldn't make it happen."  Here Tim O'Brien is showing the true emotions of an individual in combat.  Kiowa doesn't know what to feel at this point and it seems that his emotions are confused between feeling happy that he is still alive and sad that his friend was just killed.  Unable to figure out which way to feel, Tim O'Brien is able to capture conflict of emotion that is so often experienced in combat.  Although my time in Iraq was not nearly as combat intensive as what most veterans experienced in Vietnam, I do know the emotions that come to the surface when faced with tough and nerve-racking situations.  I would guess that it would be very hard to capture the emotions that appear in a combat situation, but in my opinion Tim O'Brien completes this task very well.

"The Things They Carried," By Tim O'Brien (First Thoughts)

The conundrum that Tim O'Brien creates with Lt. Cross' love for Martha adds a much needed context to this story.  It seems that his love for Martha is what keeps him going in Vietnam.  He seems to look forward to the times when he can just sit and contemplate the time he has and wants to spend with Martha. In my opinion, this aspect of the story is attempting to bring a sense of humanity into a world where humanity is hard to find, beings that they are in the thick of fighting in the Vietnam war.

"The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson

I found "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson quite confusing.  The story begins by talking about how the boys were building a pile of rocks and then goes on to relate the importance of the Lottery.  Much of the story talks about the different people from the town selecting pieces of paper out of the box that is used every year for the lottery.  In the end it appears that Tessie Hutchinson draws the piece of paper that everyone wants to avoid and as a consequence is forced to stand in the center of the circle consisting of villagers who began to pelt her with rocks.  What I am having a hard time understanding is what is Shirley Jackson trying to elude to?  I mean is the "stoning" suppose to be like a "hunger games" type ritual where they select one person form the village every year to be killed for some reason that the story does not reveal?  I'm not even sure what the point of the story is suppose to be.  I guess the only conclusion I came to was that maybe Shirley Jackson was trying to portray that LIFE in general is risky and sometimes there is nothing we can do to avoid our destiny other than be resigned to it.  If anyone has any answers to my questions I would love to hear others input.

"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry

"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry was an interesting read.  The characters of Della and Jim were especially intriguing.  I like how the story seems to focus primarily around Della and her quest to find an exquisite gift for her husband.  Della's determination to do whatever it takes, or in this case sell whatever it takes, to obtain the means by which she can purchase the gift she wants for her husband is reflected in her decision to have her hair cut off for money.  The fact that her hair is regarded as her prized possession helps portray the depth of her love for her husband and the value she places on his happiness.  Throughout the story the reader can't help but wonder if Jim feels the same way about his wife and in keeping with his reputation O. Henry does not disappoint.  O. Henry ends his story with an ending that most readers do not see coming.  The story ends with the husband, Jim, revealing that he had done the same for his wife during his quest to make her happy.  Jim had sold his most prized possession, his watch, to be able buy her the set of hair bushes that she had coveted for so long.  To me this story displays the love that Jesus often talks about in the Bible, a type of love that is completely unselfish and unrestrained.

"A Pair of Tickets" by Amy Tan

During the entire story Jing Mei seems to be haunted with anxiety because she is unsure of how her half-sisters will respond to her arrival.  What I found most interesting about this story was that although Jing Mei was extremely concerned how her estranged siblings would feel about her she never lost interest in learning about her family that still resided in China, which in turn, helped her to realize that family bonds run deeper than superficial emotions.  Everyone can take something away from the ending of "A Pair of Tickets" because it seeks to establish the importance of familial relationships and ethnic bonds.

"Cathedral" by Raymond Carver

The ending to "Cathedral" was not what I was expecting but was subconsciously what I was hoping for.  I particularly liked the fact that the main character, who had a poor attitude, was the main focus of the story and ended up being the one who changed for the better.  His transformation from a cynical man to an enlighten believer shows the beauty in the human experience that we take so for granted everyday.

Chapter 29 Backpack Literature

After having read this I'm glad to know that I am not the only one who has felt like he is writing what everyone else has written before in relation to a particular literary piece.  I am pleased with the fact that I have been already utilizing one of the active reading steps, note taking.  I started taking notes a few years ago while reading a historical book and now find myself doing it regularly when I come across a particular fact that I want to make sure and remember.  Beyond that, however, I've realized that I need to start using steps like looking up unfamiliar words, preview the text, and reread if necessary.  If I implement some of these strategies I think my comprehension will dramatically improve.

Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Lecture

In this literary piece it becomes evident that what Solzhenitsyn is trying to express is that Art can help conquer evil by allowing people to better understand one another.  In addition, Solzhenitsyn makes is it exceedingly clear that literature, which is considered a type of art, also has a distinct purpose of recording past human experiences and thus is able to serve as a unifying factor for mankind.  In my opinion, the overall theme of this piece is that Solzhenitsyn is trying to convey to artists, readers, and writers that all their respective roles are important, however, with each role there comes specific responsibilities, but all the participants that fill these roles should do so in a manner that seeks to unify mankind through knowledge, not divide mankind through violence.

ENG200

Hello all this is my ENG200 blog.  Welcome and feel free to comment on my posts.