English 121

Invisible Man

2005-04-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

I feel that this novel deals with stereotypes and racism. I feel it is very interesting to look at. We also looked at the chapter Differences in the Theory Toolbox; I thought it was quite interesting how this pertains to the novel. The main differences I would say is one of area were the narrator moved to the north from the south. Both worlds are very different and there was even a time in the book where a black woman was yelling at him to take his trash and called him a field nigger, yet she was black herself. I saw that very interesting that they are discriminated on there own races, I feel she had always lived in the north or at least worked in the house as a slave.We still see many differences in the way we perceive people today in big cities people grow up with cultural diversity all around them compared to rural areas where people rarely see these differences. I grew up in a moderate size city and had cultural diversity now I am living in a rural area and many people are racists and only deal with other races if they are put in that situation.

The House of the Spirits

2005-03-30T04:14:00.000-08:00

In the book The House of Spirits Ideology plays a big role. Even though it’s not always evident it is still there. In this novel ideology is seen in many ways through generations, religion, social statuses. The biggest player of ideology in the book is Esteban Trueba he is the most stubborn when it comes to change and even when things are changing he keeps his same train of thought.

I would have to say that the biggest issue though the book was social class and who should be together. If you had a good family name it didn’t matter if you had lost all your money one would still have good social status. I think it was quite interesting that Clara could not be in love with Pedro Tercero because he was a worker of her father’s farm. To me love should be important even if it means marrying someone in a different social class than your own.

I also see a big role in ideology when the government is changed and Senator Trueba still thinks that democracy will rule again. It takes him a long time to see it was not going to happen in his lifetime.

Duplessis

2005-03-10T04:01:00.000-08:00

If I where to ask her a question about her writing it would have to be how your authority affects the readers response to your writing.

Antigone

2005-03-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

I think this play was a very interesting play, I thought it was interesting that it was a different version of a classic play. I liked how the main character has a strong bond with her family even if burying her brother meant her own death. I liked how the play tried to give us an understanding of the culture in that time even though it would be completely conceived differently today in the US than back when the play was based on. Where in Greece they saw her burring her brother (that fled in war and died in shame) as a crime, we see it today as it would be wrong not to burry him.

I think that Antigone’s sister Ismene should have helped her sister through the whole play instead of just at the end of the play. It seems to me like she wanted to help at the end of the play to get some of the attention that Antigone was getting.

Gregorio Cortez

2005-02-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

I feel it is very interesting to see all the variations of this mans story, at the beginning of the story the way he is described is very vague. I think this is so people can try to relate to there heroes. As the different people sing the song or tell the story there are many differences from his personality to his appearance. I feel that these are changed to fit to the people’s opinions of what happened or should happen when they are telling the story.

When looking at this story different cultures will think different things. Down by Mexico people could see him as a hero and someone standing up for himself where people from the north could think of him as a criminal.

Blood Wedding

2005-02-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

The whole play including the title foreshadowed disaster and despair. The mother is very protective of her son, so he doesn’t end up like his father or his other brother. I think it was quite interesting that the mother was so worried in the beginning about her son being killed by a knife and at the end of the play she sends him after Leonardo, who runs off with the bride, where they both ended up dead.

I think subjectivity plays a big part in this play. Everyone has a title and not a name except Leonardo. I feel that this shows when you step out of the normal that it can be disastrous.

Another big part is symbolism, this would be the beggar woman she was not in the cast and only showed up right before the two men killed each other with there knifes.

The Awakening

2005-02-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

In reading Kate Chopins The Awakening I found the ending quite compelling. As she was committing suicide she said she was thinking of Leonce and the children she also states "Good bye - because I love you" I feel that this is her way of giving herself up for her children and her husband. She said she would give her life but not her self but I feel she gave her life because she new if she didn't her children and husband would face many hard times in life. I think she realized what she was doing made her want to spare the life for her children and husband.

In the beginning of the story her husband talks about how his wife is not interested in what concerned him and that bothered him. I also questioned why a wife would not be interested in what concerns her husband and even in a time were women were to obey and focus on there husbands and children. Did she once show interest in her husband or did she never have interest at all?

In class we discussed what we felt the point of Ednas awakening, and I feel that it had always been in her for the fact that she came from a different background and had a different sense of reality from the start. I think the main thing that brought it out in her was when they went back home from the summer vacation she was expected to cater to everyone else.

Yellow Wall Paper

2005-01-31T06:27:00.000-08:00

In the yellow wall paper I found this story rather different. In a way I feel it was her saying she was intraped like the woman in the yellow wallpaper. I think she felt traped by her husband planning everything she does and restricting her to do things she likes.

One Passage struck me and caught my eye. “you think you have mastered it, but as you get well underway in following, it turns a back-somersault and there you are. It slapes you in the face, knocks you down, and tramples upon you. It is like a bad dream.” (page 7) It made me think of how life is. Once you have it figured out something always happens to make you not understand life.

It shocks me that she is not aloud to see or take care of her baby, or write. I think her husband was making her condition worse if not better by telling her it was getting worse and keeping her locked up all day and night.

Douglas

2005-01-31T06:25:00.000-08:00

While reading Douglas I couldn’t help but feel for the slaves, knowing I have never been put in a position like the slaves have I can’t help but wonder how mentally strong you had to be to deal with all the suffering.
It shocked me that at an early age the mother would be taken from the baby. I think doing this would slow down production; it’s a known fact that when people are happy they work better. It is logical to put the infant in the care of an elderly lady to old for work in the field to get the most possible use out of the workers. I think the infants should have been put in the care of the elderly woman in the day when the work is being done and allow the mother to have the baby at night.
Later on in the book he talks about how he learned to read and what his master said and did when he found out. I feel this is the main turning point in the story. I think this is the place were he got his determination to finish learning how to read and write and free him self. Even though it took a great deal of time after that. I thought he was a very smart and he had a great deal ingenuity and resourcefulness. I don’t feel that if his master would have said all those harsh things like “he would not be fit to be a slave” and others, that Douglas would not have found the strength to continue on or even understand what he could do with the power of reading.
It was also the point were he should that Mrs. Auld was described how she had changed with the power. I also feel that it may have been her husbands punishing her for teaching Douglas how to read could be a great factor.
I enjoyed learning how Douglas had tricked the little white boys how to read through the book and then how to write. It was quite amusing to see that he would challenge the kids who could write longer words.
I think his real test was when he went to live with Mr. Covey. At least untill he stood up for him self, his getting wiped and beat. Then his master would not protect him from Mr. Covey. It almost seemed like he had lost his determination to be free for a while. Then on the day he rebelled he remembered that drive he once had.
Douglas talks about going to another man, Mr. Freeland, and his comparison of the two were quite interesting. I found that the name of the man could not have came in a better time, from a brutal, mean man to a nicer, passionate man.
I felt it was rather interesting on how they had there escape planned, with the boat and the protections. That Douglas had written out. I was shocked when the constables came to take them away to jail for planning to run away and how Mr. Freeland’s mother called him a devil. I thought he was very clever on how he was able to burn his pass and told everyone else to eat them with there biscuits.
I feel that it was an amazing story of a man with great determination and mental strength.

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2005-01-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

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