A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner was a very interesting story about a woman who kept to herself once she lost her father and the "love of her life." Her father didn't allow for her to have acquatnces so once he died, she was all aone. I believe that Emily came from a highly respected family, but the town started talking about her. I think that they were jealous of her family and that is why they continued to enjoy her sadness. It seemed that they wanted her to be down and thats why they gossipped about her and stayed in her business.
Emily seemed to become a cold person as she got older and I don't balme her. When Homer Baron came to town, he basically swept her off her feet. She had never experienced love so most likely he was her first love. The town gossipped about them getting married and when he left they were ahppy to some extent. They just wished she could've been embarrassed in front everyone. Emily's character was sort of scary. When she brought poison, it showed even more of how crazy she was.
The ending wasn't such a surprise to me. I figured that she had killed Homer so he would never leave her again. I have watched alot of "Snapped" on the Oxygen channel and many of the women killed the their husbands or the ones they loved with poision. An expert said that when woman murdered it was usually by poison. The fact that she killed him and was most likely laying next to his dead body didn't seem that outrageous because she desperately wanted to be with him. It reminded me of the movie Psycho.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Hills Like White Elephants
This story was about a conversation between an American man and a “girl” who is spouse. I assumed that the woman was younger than the man and not from America. The first time that white elephants is mentioned is by the lady when she is looking at the mountain. The term “white elephant” can mean something that is rare and costly or something that is unwanted by one person and maybe usable by another.
The man and woman continue to have a normal conversation until out of no where the man starts to talk about a some kind of operation. He says, “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig.” This is the first time that he refers to the woman by this name. The name is very awkward, but may be a nickname. He keeps talking about the operation and how simple it is. It becomes obvious that he is trying to persuade her to get the operation. They never actually reveal what type of operation it is, but the only operation I can think of that would make a man beg a woman to get is an abortion.
The man tells the woman that after the operation they will be happy because “It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy.” I’m guessing that “it” refers to the baby or the fact that she was pregnant. I believe that they were acting very selfishly. The woman said that they couldn’t have everything because “once they take it away, you never get it back.” I think that “they” referred to children and “everything” referred to their own freedom.
The woman seemed to get more frustrated as he kept talking about what they were going to do. Its like deep down she didn’t want to do it, but she knew she had to because of him. Since they are at the train station, this story probably took place in the early 1900’s and they were probably on their way to have the operation. At the end of the story when the man comes back to the table, I could picture the woman putting on a fake smile to make him happy and then lying about being fine.
The man and woman continue to have a normal conversation until out of no where the man starts to talk about a some kind of operation. He says, “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig.” This is the first time that he refers to the woman by this name. The name is very awkward, but may be a nickname. He keeps talking about the operation and how simple it is. It becomes obvious that he is trying to persuade her to get the operation. They never actually reveal what type of operation it is, but the only operation I can think of that would make a man beg a woman to get is an abortion.
The man tells the woman that after the operation they will be happy because “It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy.” I’m guessing that “it” refers to the baby or the fact that she was pregnant. I believe that they were acting very selfishly. The woman said that they couldn’t have everything because “once they take it away, you never get it back.” I think that “they” referred to children and “everything” referred to their own freedom.
The woman seemed to get more frustrated as he kept talking about what they were going to do. Its like deep down she didn’t want to do it, but she knew she had to because of him. Since they are at the train station, this story probably took place in the early 1900’s and they were probably on their way to have the operation. At the end of the story when the man comes back to the table, I could picture the woman putting on a fake smile to make him happy and then lying about being fine.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Proposal for second essay
I would like to talk about the relationship between siblings. (Sibling rivalry)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Essay 2 topics
Since essay 2 has to do with family, I started to think about my family in order to come up with ideas. One thing I found interesting was how a funeral brings a family closer, not matter what they are going through. Its like they put their differences aside in order to pay respect to the person that recently died. Sometimes a funeral also serves as a family reunion because distant relatives and friends all reunite.
Another topic is how a person grows and gets "promoted" to higher positions. For example, as a child, one acts like a child, but when he/she grows to a higher positions, he/she looks down at childhood and remembers how it felt to be a child. A teenager acts like a typical teenager and acts rebellious against their parents, but when the teen grows and becomes a parent with a teenager, he/she learns what they put their parents through when they were younger.
Another topic is how a person grows and gets "promoted" to higher positions. For example, as a child, one acts like a child, but when he/she grows to a higher positions, he/she looks down at childhood and remembers how it felt to be a child. A teenager acts like a typical teenager and acts rebellious against their parents, but when the teen grows and becomes a parent with a teenager, he/she learns what they put their parents through when they were younger.
Ordinary People
The movie Ordinary People was about a family who was actually not ordinary, but ordinary in the sense that there is not such thing as ordinary. The setting looks like it takes place in the 80’s. The son, Conrad, seemed to be disturbed at first. It was evident that something was wrong with him. He had the same nightmare over and over and this was most likely the root o his sadness. In school, Conrad was quiet and inattentive. He was unlike a normal teenager because he didn’t have any friends or a social life. At home, he didn’t really converse with his parents. His father seemed more worried about him than his mother. Since Conrad was in the hospital for four months, it becomes clear that he is depressed.
When Conrad started seeing the psychiatrist, he revealed that he would like to be more in control. Conrad’s father was very supportive of Conrad. He showed him love and kindness, but Conrad’s mother was the opposite. She didn’t show Conrad any emotion and he seemed more concerned about herself and her family’s image. This is why she was so upset with her husband when he told one of their friends that Conrad was seeing a psychiatrist. The mother acts like she is uncomfortable around her son. I believe that she loved her older son more and she blamed his death on Conrad. She was not the only one though because Conrad also blamed himself for his brother’s death.
After two suicide attempts, frequent visits to the psychiatrist, and the death of his good friend, Conrad realized that it wasn’t his fault. He stopped blaming himself. His father realized that his wife had changed and he didn’t love her anymore. After the mother left with her emotionless attitude, everything seemed to come together. The movie ends with the father and son telling each other “I love you.” This is ironic because the movie was about how the mother didn’t show any emotion towards Conrad and how she stopped showing emotion towards her husbands and after she leaves they tell each other what she was afraid to tell either of them- I love you.
When Conrad started seeing the psychiatrist, he revealed that he would like to be more in control. Conrad’s father was very supportive of Conrad. He showed him love and kindness, but Conrad’s mother was the opposite. She didn’t show Conrad any emotion and he seemed more concerned about herself and her family’s image. This is why she was so upset with her husband when he told one of their friends that Conrad was seeing a psychiatrist. The mother acts like she is uncomfortable around her son. I believe that she loved her older son more and she blamed his death on Conrad. She was not the only one though because Conrad also blamed himself for his brother’s death.
After two suicide attempts, frequent visits to the psychiatrist, and the death of his good friend, Conrad realized that it wasn’t his fault. He stopped blaming himself. His father realized that his wife had changed and he didn’t love her anymore. After the mother left with her emotionless attitude, everything seemed to come together. The movie ends with the father and son telling each other “I love you.” This is ironic because the movie was about how the mother didn’t show any emotion towards Conrad and how she stopped showing emotion towards her husbands and after she leaves they tell each other what she was afraid to tell either of them- I love you.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
I Stand Here Ironing
I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen was a very complicated story. The woman was talking the entire story, but it did not mention who she was talking to or they never responded to her. I believe that the mother was not there for her daughter. When whoever she was talking to asked her to help her daughter, she said, “You think because I am her mother I have a key, or that in some way you could use my key.”
I wonder what happened to Emily. The stories that her mother was telling about her childhood showed that she was a normal child at first. The woman kept repeating how beautiful she was when she was a baby. That suggests that she didn't believe she was beautiful then. Emily's father ran out on them when she was born. The woman said that he “could no longer endure sharing want with us.” I think this impacted her greatly ans the new baby made her frustrated. She had to work and was struggling financially.
I think that Emily was suffereing from child abuse because her mother would leave her in the house by herself and send her off to places. I'm not sure the mother was entusiastic about her first baby because she never smiled at her. She didn't show Emily any emotions. The place that Emily was sent to was kind of awkward. I't not sure why she was sent there, but she became very skinny and frail. When she returned home she seemed very depressed and sad.
This story is the type of story that the reader has to read over and over to understand.
I wonder what happened to Emily. The stories that her mother was telling about her childhood showed that she was a normal child at first. The woman kept repeating how beautiful she was when she was a baby. That suggests that she didn't believe she was beautiful then. Emily's father ran out on them when she was born. The woman said that he “could no longer endure sharing want with us.” I think this impacted her greatly ans the new baby made her frustrated. She had to work and was struggling financially.
I think that Emily was suffereing from child abuse because her mother would leave her in the house by herself and send her off to places. I'm not sure the mother was entusiastic about her first baby because she never smiled at her. She didn't show Emily any emotions. The place that Emily was sent to was kind of awkward. I't not sure why she was sent there, but she became very skinny and frail. When she returned home she seemed very depressed and sad.
This story is the type of story that the reader has to read over and over to understand.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Sonny's Blue
The first thing I noticed about Sonny's Blues is that Sonny and his brother reminded me of two typical siblings. The older sibling makes their parents proud and the younger sibling tries not to be like the older sibling. In this case, Sonny has been hooked on drugs and Sonny's brother, who's name is never stated, finds it hard to understand. Their relationship reminds me of the relationship between Connie and her older sister in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"
James Baldwin uses a lot of figurative language in this story. The most noticeable is his constant reference to the "darkness." I think that the darkness represents bad. In the very first paragraph, he refers to the "darkness" from outside. Before it was known that the narrator was Sonny's brother, it was obvious that he loved and cared for him. He thought about Sonny all day while he taught class and compared the younger Sonny to the boys in his classes.
When Sonny's brother talks to Sonny's friend, the reader can tell that he has little respect for him because he keeps referring to him as "boy." I think that he doesn't respect him because of his appearance, how he carries himself, and his addiction. The guy (Sonny's friend) showed his ignorance through the way he talks.
In Sonny's letter to his brother, he realizes that what happened to him hurt a lot of people. This shows that he wasn't selfish and he understood how his actions affected others. The story that their mother tells Sonny about his father's brother made me wonder if that caused Sonny's father to treat him differently than how he treated his brother.
There are so many questions that are left unanswered in this story. What did the newspaper article say? Where was Sonny before he was sent home?
James Baldwin uses a lot of figurative language in this story. The most noticeable is his constant reference to the "darkness." I think that the darkness represents bad. In the very first paragraph, he refers to the "darkness" from outside. Before it was known that the narrator was Sonny's brother, it was obvious that he loved and cared for him. He thought about Sonny all day while he taught class and compared the younger Sonny to the boys in his classes.
When Sonny's brother talks to Sonny's friend, the reader can tell that he has little respect for him because he keeps referring to him as "boy." I think that he doesn't respect him because of his appearance, how he carries himself, and his addiction. The guy (Sonny's friend) showed his ignorance through the way he talks.
In Sonny's letter to his brother, he realizes that what happened to him hurt a lot of people. This shows that he wasn't selfish and he understood how his actions affected others. The story that their mother tells Sonny about his father's brother made me wonder if that caused Sonny's father to treat him differently than how he treated his brother.
There are so many questions that are left unanswered in this story. What did the newspaper article say? Where was Sonny before he was sent home?
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