Outside 5

For my last outside event I went to another poetry reading. I really enjoy the readings that take place at the Otherland’s coffee shop, so I only saw it as fitting to once again go see one. The one I saw for the final time only had two readers. The first reader was a female who read a non-fiction story. Personally, I really did not like it. She read for about 20 minutes, and I probably knew what was going on in the story for about 5 of those minutes. She jumped all over the place, so much so that there were several times I thought she started reading a new story, until I would hear the main character’s name to be reminded that it was still the original story. I don’t, or can’t, see how anyone in the audience could have really enjoyed her story. It was so hard to follow. The story made me feel like giving her one of the books we receive in English class that shows us how to summarize things, oppose to using a lot of wordy sentences to get a point across. I could have told her whole story in about 45 seconds, and it would have made a ton more sense. The other guy who read was very good. He started off singing a Christmas song, to introduce a Christmas poem. I thought this was very neat. Although the poem was about how depressing his Christmas’s always are, and how dysfunctional his family is, I still smiled when he sang. The poems I remember the most from his set were those on Heartbreak. He had two poems about a breakup with a girlfriend. He seemed absolutely crushed about it, and you could tell when he read these poems, his feelings were real. The thing I got out of his reading was a new meaning of courage. He was incredibly courageous to pour his heart out in front of a bunch of people he didn’t know. He opened his soul, and although seemed a bit shy, did not hesitate in reading these. My personality is completely opposite from this. I barely talk to my friends, or my boyfriend about my feelings, let alone a whole crowd of people. I am very closed, and can’t even imagine writing using so many raw emotions. He really inspired me, and made me respect him. He made himself vulnerable, which is an extremely risky thing to do. I feel like he may have inspired me to open up a little more. The result after the poetry reading was somewhat like that at the end of the Grinch. My heart that was two sizes too small grew a couple sizes that day.

Hamlet Questions

Tara Telford
ENGL 2201
Wendy Sumner-Winter
December 2, 2009
Hamlet Questions
Act 1
3. At the beginning of the play Horatio was more of a servant to Hamlet than anything. He was inferior to him and although they were friends, their relationship grew throughout the play, and at the end of the play they were very good friends. They created a bond throughout the play and became closer to one another.
Act 2
3. His performance may suggest that his personality is uplifting and somewhat comical. Instead of just relaying what he thinks, he puts a spin on it using play on words and many metaphors. It also may suggest that he is very intelligent and uses metaphors and more intelligent phrases when he speaks.
4. I don’t believe that Polonius is entirely foolish, but he is just naïve. He loves his daughter and believes that everyone else does as well, which makes him believe her denial of Hamlet could lead him to madness. He was wise because he knew that Hamlet was mad before many others in the play.
Act 3
2. Gertrude is not guilty. She does not believe she did anything wrong and does not believe the allegations that Hamlet makes on Claudius. Hamlet charges her with cheating on his father. Our attitude is the same towards her as Hamlet because we also believe that she is a cheater. Our sympathy towards her diminishes as the play goes on because she never believes her son. The only time that I felt bad for her was when Claudius accidentally kills her, and then doesn’t seem to upset about it.
4.We learn that the Elizabethan theatre portrays many dark stories about betrayal and death. Hamlet’s remarks serve to advance the story because he was a narrator and it helped for everyone to understand and also to try and make it more obvious the real point he was trying to get across with the play.
Act IV
2. Ophelia goes mad when she finds out that her dad gets killed. She appears to be mad because she walks around dazed, and looks like she is not present.
3. Hamlet’s madness seems too crazy and not real because the things that he does are absurd. Ophelia’s seems believable and you feel bad for her. She is more dazed, where Hamlet is just acting like a lunatic.
Act V
2. I would argue that they needed a clean sole to take over after all the betrayal and wrong done by everyone else.
General Questions
1. This play’s dramatic question is whether or not he will succeed in filling his father’s wishes and to seek revenge for his death. This question is formulated after Hamlet finally sees his father in ghost form. This is also the turning point of the play because it is when you find out for sure that Claudius is the bad guy, and that Hamlet is going to seek revenge on him,
2. Personally, I believe from the very first Act in the play that Claudius was a villain. When I found out that he married Gertrude only 2 months after the king’s death I made an assumption about the kind of person he was. Paralleled to the “Lion King”, I predicted that Claudius was jealous and was the one who killed the King.
7. If these characters were taken out of the play I don’t believe that the play would be missing much. Nothing would really be lost because I did not feel that their role in the play had anything to do with the plot or the final outcome. It would have still succeeded to get the same message across without them.
Word Count: 606

Last Week

It’s crazy to think that this is the last week of classes. I feel like I haven’t even hit the mid term time yet. This semester absolutely flew by. It always seems like the semesters fly by when soccer season is going on. Because I’m so focused on soccer for so long, once it finally ends I finally feel like a normal student. This happens near the second week of November, so technically I’ve only had less than a month of being a real student. I always feel like exam time creeps up on me, and never do I ever feel prepared for it. No matter what I do to prepare, I never feel like I will be ready. It’s an on going cycle. Thankfully, we do not have a finally in Literary Heritage as well.

Word Count: 136

Christmas Songs

I absolute love Christmas. It is my favorite Holiday, and I am so glad that it's finally Christmas season. One of the best parts of the Holidays is listening to Christmas songs. They are so pleasant and are so fun. Personally, my favorite Christmas songs are usually the slower ones. I love listening to great singers sing such beautiful songs. My very favorite is "O Holy Night". I always get chills when I hear this song, not only because of the lyrics, but also because of the notes that one needs to hit while singing this song. It's incredible. Another one of my favorites is "Christmas Shoes" because it tells such a sad story. It's about a boy who wants to buy shoes for his dying mother, but doesn't have enough money. I almost tear up every time I hear it. Whether it's "Grandma got run over by a Reindeer" or "Silent Night", Christmas carols always put a smile on my face, and warmth in my heart.

Black Friday vs. Boxing Day

Being a Canadian, I had never experienced Black Friday until I came to school in Memphis. Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in America. It is the day after Thanksgiving, and the sales are unreal. Stores open at ridiculous hours of the morning, and people camp out overnight and crash the doors when the stores open. In Canada, we have the same thing, but instead it's called Boxing Day. Boxing Day takes place on the day after Christmas. It's interesting when these two holidays take place. Black Friday takes place when Christmas season officially starts, therefore you can find great deals to buy Christmas gifts, whereas Boxing Day takes place the day after Christmas, therefore you can spend all the money that you got for Christmas. Personally I like Boxing Day better because there is nothing more exciting than getting a bunch of gift cards and money for Christmas and knowing that you can go out the very next day and get great deals. I might just have this bias because I have experiance Boxing Day for my whole life. I now get the best of both worlds because I am in America on Black Friday, and go home for Christmas. What a delight.

Road Trip

For Thanksgiving, I went to Michigan with 3 of my roommates. The drive to Michigan takes about 11 hours, not including stops. For some reason, I've always loved road trips. Most people use them to sleep, and dread the time they have to spend in the car, but personally I really like them. Rarely do I sleep on road trips, I'd rather stay awake, keep others in the car company, listen to music, find new radio stations along the way, and observe the changing scenery. When someone says they are going to be in a car for 11 hours it is usually thought of as absurd, but it didn't even seem that long to me. When I was driving, everyone else was usually asleep. I find serenity in listening to calming music while driving down an empty highway, with a bunch of peaceful passengers in the car. I definitely can tell why so many songs talk about driving in a car and feeling serene (ex. Lost Highway by Bon Jovi, At Full Speed by Jack's Mannequin, Fast Car by Tracy Chapman etc.). So Although most people can't wait for the trip to be over, I quite enjoy the quality hours in the car on a road trip.

The end is Bittersweet

Last Friday, we lost out first round of NCAA's which ended our season. It still hasn't completely hit me yet. Our team went through so many struggles and triumphs this year, and to think that it's all over is surreal. We were all hoping to make it further in the tournament this year, so it was disappointing to make it to the same place that we have the last 2 years. Since August 4, I have played soccer every single day (even 3 times a day during preseason), so that fact that I will not have soccer until January is crazy. It's such a huge part of my life, and I feel like something is missing without it. Although I am sad, it is also a good thing because I have been missing a lot of class and now I have time to catch up and get ready for finals. I guess for a month I get to see what it's like to be a normal college student.

Remember the Titans

My all time favorite sports movie is definitely "Remember the Titans". I just recently watched it, and it reminded me of how much I love it. My team watched it on our way to the NCAA tournament, and we all felt motivated after watching it. This movie is awesome because it not only deals with the competition in sports, but also the problem of race. It is an underdog story, but not the typical one you usually see. It is so powerful because at the time this movie took place, race was a huge issue. These boys became teammates, and no longer cared about race. They all felt like a family, and therefore didn't even notice that race was an issue. I think I can really relate to this after being on the Memphis woman's soccer team. Our team is honestly like a family, and I could never imagine discriminating against anyone. We are all equals and I would stand up for any one of them in any situation. This movie reiterates the unity of team, and being on a team like that, I understand how phenomenal it is.

Red Cups at Starbucks

Every year I look forward to when the cups at Starbucks turn red. This sounds very silly, but it has a lot of meaning to me. Around Christmas time, Starbucks always change all their cups to red. I feel like this is the moment that I really realize that Christmas season is on its way. Every year, I go to Starbucks at the beginning of November in anticipation that the red cups will be out. Sometimes it takes me a couple visits, but when I go there and the red cups are out, I get ecstatic. I take this as my cue to start being in "Christmas mode". I usually start listening to Christmas music, think about Christmas shopping, and start making my Christmas list. Although it sounds dumb, its kind of like a reminder to me that Christmas is coming.

Sonny’s Blues
1. Sonny’s Blues is told from the point of view of his older brother. He is a major character in the story, and writes in the first person. Because the narrator is a main character in the story, you really see the emotion and feelings that the characters have. Also, we feel towards Sunny the way that the narrator does. At the beginning of the story, we are confused and we don’t get why he chose drugs. You almost find yourself questioning Sunny just as much as the narrator is. By the end of the story, when the brother goes and listens to Sunny play, the reader also feels like he or she now understand Sunny and what he went through.
2. The oldest brother is a teacher. This suggests that he wants to help children, and guide them in the right direction. I think that this is directly related to his brother, and the fact that he was not able to guide him in the right direction. He feels because he lost his brother, he needs to try and help other young boys get their lives on track.
3. The story would be completely different if Sonny told it. We would not wonder about Sunny, but would know how he was feeling. It wouldn’t really be about the realization at the end of how music related to Sonny’s life, but would be more like an autobiography describing his drug addiction. We would not be left in suspense at all about his situation. Also, the brother would not have been a major part of this story, because the point of the story is Sonny and is drug addiction.
4. The narrator writes his brother when his daughter, Gracie, dies. I believe he feels that he lost someone in his family, and doesn’t want to lose someone who could be a part of his life. He writes him to try and reconnect with him and regain their relationship, and in a way, save him.
5. The narrator’s mother asks him to take care of Sonny, and look out for him. Initially, the narrator does not do this because he loses contact with him and lets him get lost in the world of drugs. Eventually, he does keep this promise but making an effort to try and get Sonny back on his feet and to understand and beat the addiction.
6. They are very happy names. They make me think of a perfect family who calls their parents Momma and Daddy, and a son that is bright and happy, named Sonny. I think these were chosen to juxtapose the actually situation. This family is from the perfect family, and Sonny is far from a bright and happy character. It shows the reader that you can’t judge a book by its cover.
7. The last four paragraphs to me were the most inspiring part of the whole story. Throughout the whole story, the brother didn’t understand music the way Sonny did. He couldn’t see the serenity, or meaning it brought to Sonny. While he is playing, the brother witnesses the struggles Sonny has been going through his whole life. His rises, falls, and complications all come out in the playing of his music. He goes through moments of happiness, stress, insecurity, and nervousness all in one set of music. It can be called the “Sonny Blue’s” because it is a story of his life, and all the misfortunes along with it. This music has become its own because by listening to it one can relate each part to a portion of his life.


A Worn Path
1. The point of view in this story is from a narrator that partially all knowing, and partially objective. The narrator can describe Phoenix’s hallucinations, but cannot see into any other characters. Also, the narrator is not a character in the story, but is just someone telling the story.
2. The old woman could be named Phoenix because a Phoenix is a bird in mythology. A fire will occur, and the old phoenix will reduce to ashes and a new phoenix will be born after the flame. This can parallel the relationship the old lady has with her grandson and how she feels about the circle of life.
3. The meshing of Phoenix’s hallucinations with real life helps create a more vivid picture of the Phoenix, and also give the reader the opportunity to use their own imagination to see what is real and what is make believe. It also makes the reader somewhat confused, just as the grandma is, and kind of puts the reader in the characters shoes and makes you feel the same way that she does.
4. The white people in the story believe that she is crazy. They are nice to her, but think that she is out of her mind. This may show the time it was taken place because black people were not respected. They are nice to her because she is old, but do not care about her of respect her the way they would a white woman.
5. She admires that the dog is fearless. It appears to be scared of no one. This tells the reader that courage is a quality that Phoenix greatly appreciates, and wishes she had this quality.
6. I believe that his has more meaning than just a vivid picture of the lady. I believe that the idea that she is in armor can reflect the fact that she closes herself off the other people, and does not let anyone into the real her. The way she is positioned may be paralleled to the fact that she has almost given up, or has been defeated. These two images gives a reader a better understanding Phoenix and who she really is.
Word Count: 969

This week we are going to the Conference tournament for soccer. Our team had a little bit of a rollercoaster season. For the past two years we won regular season and now we are ranked 3rd going into the season. We seem as though we are underdogs to win, but if you were a member on our team, you’d know that we have just as much chance to win as anyone else. Everything now is do or die. We lose, We go home, one mistake, our season is over. From here on in, it’s Darwin’s theory. Surivial of the fittest, and the weak no longer have a season to play.

Word Count: 110

On November 8, 2009, the Lady Tiger’s won our third straight Conference USA Championship. We played against UCF in the final, a team who was ranked 8th in the country. We were the complete underdogs going into the game, even though we were the defending champions. The TV announcers didn’t believe we could do it, the other teams in the conference didn’t believe we could do it, but we sure did. Not only did we beat them, we killed them. We blew them out 3-0, and it felt so awesome. We are currently the only team in C-USA to win three championships in a row. Our team has overcome so much this season, and I’m so proud of everything that we’ve accomplished.

Word Count: 122

In class we discussed Flannery O’Connor’s story “Revelation”. I always find it interesting to see what other people’s opinions are on stories. Our teacher really enjoyed this story, where as I did not. We analyzed different meanings in this story and also compared it to her other stories. The main character in this story could be compared to the grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. We really thoroughly talked about the theme of the differences of generations. I noticed this right off the bat when I read this story, because it’s something that also pertains to everyday life. There is always that gap between generations. Stereotypes from both points of view are always given. For example, as a member of the young generation I am stereotyped to be lazy, ungrateful, and a free loader. I hate this stereotype because I am an extremely hard worker and don’t take many things for granted. It’s interesting how this story was written so long ago, yet there was still the gap between generations.

For one of my outside events, I attended the poetry reading at the Otherlands Coffee Shop. I loved the experience! I have never been to a poetry reading before and didn’t really know what to expect. I do enjoy poetry, but some poetry I have a hard time understanding. I saw 4 different poets recite their poetry. The first poet was very similar to what I would expect at a poetry reading. His poems were very deep, and most of them I didn’t understand. When I looked around, many other people appeared to really appreciate them, so I figured that I just wasn’t connecting with his work. Two of the other poets were very good. I didn’t have a difficult time understanding and enjoying their poetry. The poet who read his work third was unreal. I found myself laughing during the whole time he was up there, and even on my way home. I thought his style was brilliant, and he captivated the whole audience. His poems were extremely random, but so hilarious. My favorite was the one about the “Avocado colored toilet”. He started off his reading with this one. He wrote a poem about putting an “Avocado colored toilet” in the back of a persons truck, and although this sounds very questionable, it was awesome. The way he read his poems and so much animation and excitement. If I were to read them on paper, I would have not gotten the same effect. This experience made me realize that presentation is so important. When I compare the third poet to the first poet this became really evident. The first poet spoke quietly into the microphone, had his arms crossed, and was very timid. The third poet didn’t need the microphone because he was so loud, put emphasis on certain words, and used many hand gestures. Maybe the reason that I didn’t enjoy the first poet wasn’t because of this poetry, but because of the presentation. He didn’t engage me, where as I couldn’t get enough of the third reader. The main experience I learned at this poetry reading was the critical difference in style of poetry and presentation. I realized that I personally enjoy a very animated, funny style of poetry and presentation. I learned presentation is so important, and even if something is not excellent, a great presentation can change that.

The Twelve Angry Jurors

For one of my outside events I went to see the play “The Twelve Angry Jurors” put on by the University of Memphis Theatre department. I very much enjoyed the play, and thought that it was very well done. The play was about a murder trial where a boy is being convicted of killing his father. At the beginning, all the jurors except for one think that the boy is guilty. After continually discussing, the whole jury changes their opinion to not guilty. The idea of the story was very interesting, but I thought that the play was a little slow, and a little too long. They dragged out some part, and some things were very repetitive. The play made me put myself in the shoes of a juror. At the beginning of the case, I would have voted the boy guilty. After listening to all the arguments, I no longer believed that the boy killed his father. It really showed me how irrational we are at making decisions. A boy’s life was at stake, and almost every jury member didn’t think twice about putting up his or her hand. As human beings, we don’t analyze things deep enough. On the surface, the boy seemed guilty, but when dug deeper, it was pretty clear that he wasn’t. For example, when the old man who testified in court said that he saw the boy run out of his house everyone just assumed that was true. When they measured out the distance and timed him walking, it was very clear that it did not take the amount of time that he said, and in fact his statement was very false. As humans, I think that we may be too trusting. All humans make mistakes; it’s a part of whom we are. In this case, the jury can’t just believe that the man saw the boy run out of the stairwell, or believe the women saw the boy out of the window, we need to take in to account that humans make mistakes. I also enjoyed the different characters in this play. They were all very unique, and brought something different to the story. I thoroughly disliked the racist Southern lady. She made me very angry because she was so close-minded and so racist. Overall, this play was well worth my time, and showed me a lot about life and human nature.

Reflection on "Why do I Stay"

Recently, I read the poem "Why do I stay" by an anonymous author. It is extremely powerful, and very disturbing. The poem is about a women who gets emotionally and physically abused by her husband. She writes the poem in first person, and this style made me connect more to the poem. I felt horrible for how trapped this lady felt, and could understand how many women around the world feel the same way. "I wish I could just shut up, and be a good wife, and never make him mad." This quote from the poem was so powerful for me. Women all around the world make themselves believe that it is their fault that they get abused. It makes me want to talk to this woman and tell her that she isn't the cause of this, and she shouldn't have to put up with it. Women all around the world should read this poem, and respond to it in a positive way. It was so powerful, and although I've never been in a situation of abuse, feel like I understand what if feels like after reading this poem.

Reflection on Flannery O'Connor

After reading Flannery O’Connor’s stories and the critical readings, there are many evident examples in her writing of social upbringing. One of the things that stuck out for me the most was the issue of race. All of her stories contain a very distinct view on Black people, and she is not afraid to graphically describe how she feels about them. I realize that in the olden days a word like “Nigger” was more tolerated, but the extent that she discriminates against Black people is directly related to her being a Southerner. Race is, and has always been, a huge issue in the South. White Southerners are generally brought up to agree with their parents beliefs, which back then, were very one race dominated. I am from Canada, which is a very multicultural country. Although in the olden days I’m sure race was an issue still, when I listen to my grandmother or great-grandparents talk, they believe that race was not that important. After reading three of her stories, there were strong examples of racist thinking in all of them. I felt very uncomfortable reading them because I was brought up in a way to accept everyone as equals. As an outsider, it seems much different here in the South. There is an obvious split between races that is evident in almost every situation. Because O’Connor is a Southerner, her stories seem to revolve around race, and involve race, when I didn’t see that it was necessary. This may repel some audiences, and in some cases may attract them. I can see other Southerners who were raised the same way to enjoy what she writes, and understand where she is coming from. On the other hand, when I was reading these stories, especially “Revelation”, I felt completely uncomfortable and wanted to stop reading. I could see other people who were raised the same as I was to feel this was too, and that will also impact the way people feel about O’Connor and her stories. Overall, I think Southerners would appreciate her writing much more than non-Southerners because they can relate better.

Flannery O'Connor Questions

Tara Telford
ENGL 2110
Wendy Sumner-Winter
October 20, 2009

Flannery O’Connor Questions

A Good Man is Hard to Find

1.I believe that Flannery O’Connor foreshadows the outcome of the story in the first paragraph. When the Grandmother talks about reading about the Misfit in the newspaper it hints on the fact that he may come up again in the story. Also because she is so insistent on going to Tennessee instead of Florida and no one else agrees with her, it makes the reader believe that something might go wrong. As the story progresses, O’Connor hints at the conclusion of the story. By stressing taking a different way just because of the Grandmother, one may believe that something will go wrong. Also, her stressing about “A Good Man is Hard to Find” makes us believe that something may happen. The fact that she brings up the Misfit again while at Red Sammy’s makes the reader sure that it wasn’t just a coincidence that he was brought up earlier in the story.

2. The Grandmother is a very outgoing, outspoken old lady. She is very traditional, and is one of those old people who don’t understand that things in society change, and things are not always like “the olden days”. As she continues speaking in the story, her remarks tell us that she is very true to herself. She doesn’t care who she offends by saying what she feels. She also is a control freak, and very confident in herself. She always wants Bailey to do things her way, even though she is the one imposing on their trip. Throughout the story, I believe she remains fairly static. Even when in front of a murderer, she is still very outspoken and persuasive. She doesn’t hold back, and although she is nervous, she still talks until she’s blue in the face.

3. When the Grandmothers head clears from an instant she realizes that the Misfit is actually a lot similar to herself. When his voice cracks as though he’s about to cry, she notices his weaknesses, and realizes that he is not in complete control of the situation, even though he makes it appear that he is. She can parallel this to herself, and tries to act the way she would want someone else to act towards her in that situation. This action backfires and ends up getting her killed.

4. While the others are in the woods, we learn that the Misfit and the Grandmother are actually very similar people in many ways. Their vulnerability and outlook on some situations are alike. They discuss Jesus and other religious issues. At the beginning of their conversation together the Grandmother is terrified, but she warms up to him. The Misfit looks at the world in a very pessimistic view. He figures that no matter what you do, you’re going to get in trouble, so you might as well do whatever horrible thing you want. He also doesn’t agree with Christian religious views, and has the attitude that Jesus should have just let things be. I believe that because of the hardships in O’Connor’s life, she might have similar views as the Misfit. The way she writes the character of the Misfit makes us believe that maybe she felt the same as him.


Revelation

6. I believe that when she makes this statement she is refereeing to herself. Throughout the whole poem she is so critical about everyone else and finally she sits back and takes a look at herself. Who does she think she is for judging everyone else, when she has just as much reason to be judged? She is so offended by what the girl says to her, but in truth, she is judging everyone else in the same way.
7. The final revelation given to Mrs. Turpin is the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. The whole story consists of her talking about what a “good person” she is and all her great qualities, but most of the time something criticizing to someone else comes out of her mouth. She doesn’t realize until the end that she is exactly the kind of person who she despises. Her new attitude is that she should not be judging people on what they appear to be. Black people, white trash, and any other people who she has chosen to judge should remain equal.




Parker’s Back

5. This statement gives us the insight that Parker feels forced by religion and government. He feels as though he has no choice in the matter, and its going to be reigning over him no matter what. This is strong foreshadowing for what happens at the end of the play when Parker gets the tattoo of God on his back.

6. After he runs into the tree and wrecks the tractor he immediately goes to get the tattoo on his back. Parker gets tattoos when he is dissatisfied with his life. This is the reason why he got the tattoo. The reason he got it on his back is not only because it’s one of the only places left on his body, but because he cannot see it on his back. He has not been saved by God, and doesn’t feel like he needs to look at him, but God is still with him. By putting the tattoo on his back is signifies that even if you can’t see Him, He’s still watching over you. In a way, he is also relating this to Sarah Ruth. He got the tattoo in memory of her, because God reminds him of her. I think that he knows she’ll be mad that he got it, but also delighted in a way that he got it of something she loves and believes in.

7.This demonstrates that at the moment, he is in an outer body experience. Because he knows and admits that he is in a crazy state and will soon go back to normal means that Parker knows himself very well. He knows as a person he does not want a tattoo of God on him, but in the state that he’s in, he does at the moment.

8. This statement justifies that Parker’s personality is negative yet realistic. You can tell that Parker is not a dreamer. He knows reality, and he’s not afraid to state his opinions in it. He knows what situation he got himself into, and instead of expecting sympathy for it, he recognizes that it’s his own fault, and just choses to live with it and be miserable.
9. Sarah Ruth refuses to recognize Parker by his initials to prove the control she has over him. At the beginning of the story he states he will never tell a soul his name, and makes sure she does not say it aloud. When he says his full name it’s an example of him subsiding to her authority. He realizes he is not as tough as he thought he was, and realizes that as much as he tells himself that he doesn’t love Sarah Ruth, he does. This vulnerable state that he’s in makes him very emotional, and causes him to break down.

Acting is not suited for me

After filming our Youtube video as a creative option for the essay, I realized that acting is not a career suited for me. Although I had fun time doing it, after watching the video again I realized that I was not very convincing. Some of the scenes took a lot of time to film because we kept laughing. If acting was my career, I wouldn't be able to laugh everytime something in the scene was funny. Also, we did a lot of improve in our skit, which helped me out because I am terrible am memorizing lines. After rewatching to skit, I realized that I did good by trying a task that I am not great at, but it's clear that I should not take up acting as a profession.

Writing Reflection On Youtube Video

Tara Telford
ENGL 2201
Wendy Sumner Winder
October 14, 2009
Writing Reflection

Because we have not created our video it is hard to reflect on our work. I can however, reflect on our overall group work and peer evaluations. It’s very interesting to work in groups because everyone brings something different to the table. People bring up ideas that I know that I would never think of, and I love that. I think our group meshes well together, and we all have a sense of humor, which is key to the skit that we are doing. Everyone brought their own idea, and own variation of the character that they were playing. The peers who reviewed my proposal also helped me too. They encouraged me to discuss the scene further, and I worked with this and changed it. They both also gave me an A- which made me go back and add more to it so that it would be an A quality proposal. Overall, I have enjoyed this assignment and I’m very excited to film our video.

Felicia Hall

As one of my outside events, I went to see Felicia Hall speak the the Rose Theatre located on campus. Felicia is a very succesfull athlete and business woman. She played basketball in college, played on the USA Women's National Team, managed a WNBA team, and worked for Nike. She spoke about the steps that she took to reach her goals. She was very loud and outspoken. Her speech was inspirational, escpeciall being a student athlete. She discussed steps we need to take, and resources we need to take advantage of to be successful. As a sophmore in college, I should be thinking about my future. She made me really think about making strides towards my future plans. Seeing how successful she was in like because of how driven she was inspiried me to want to do the same. After the meeting I started looking up different career options and job shadowing opportunites. Overall, Felicia was an inspirtaion to me, and I believe that her talk really gave me a kick in the pants to start thinking about the future.

A modern spin on "The Glass Menagerie"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uASlR5mMLfw

Fact or Fiction?

When it comes to choosing a book, I enjoy books that are fact, and real life situations, oppose to fiction. As a math major, I prefer facts and concrete pieces of information over allowing my mind to wander and imagine about different fantasy’s. I find when I read fantasy books; I question things too much and get frustrated that those things could never happen in real life. I find it hard to just accept that it’s fiction, and I do not enjoy the book usually. When I’m reading biographies or stories based on real life events, I find myself intrigued at the fact that this actually happened. I’m content when I’m reading because in a way I feel like the book is telling me the truth, where sometimes reading fiction, it’s almost like I’m being told a fib. There are a few fantasy books that I enjoy, but overall, I enjoy books based on real life much better.

Because my soccer team was out of town this weekend, I did not get the chance to go to the play “A Streetcar Named Desire”. I did, however, rent the movie. Although it was not the best movie I’ve ever seen, it was very interesting. The thing that bored me the most was the fact that the setting did not really change throughout the whole movie. Once I accepted the fact that I was going to be watching the same room for two and a half hours, I didn’t mind the movie. It does a very interesting job of portraying an “American Family”, which seems perfect from the outside, but truly is very troubled. Stella and Stanley were the biggest example of this for me. At the beginning of the movie she talks about how in love she is with Stanley and acts as though their relationship is perfect. In reality, he is verbally and physically abusive to her, but she stays with him anyways. Blanche also tries to seem perfect on the exterior, but in reality she has so many problems with confidence and facing reality. She wants to remain living in her youth, which is clearly long gone. This movie did a good job on comparing reality to fantasy, and also the fact that things aren’t always as they seem on the exterior. Although I did not love this movie, I thought it portrayed these things very well.

“The Glass Menagerie” You tube Remake

For our You Tube video I will be portraying the character of Amanda in “The Glass Menagerie”. To create a good video, we believe that we need to add more humor than the book did. We believe that by doing this is it will also make it more modern. I will be acting as the “crazy mother”. Similar to the Amanda in the book, I will bask in my youth, and pray that my daughter lives a life like I did. I will be similar to a mom that you see in a show like “The Real Housewives of Orange County” or “Toddlers and Tiaras”. If one hasn’t seen these shows, you can expect a stereotypical blonde, bimbo, plastic mom, who makes her daughter dress nice, wear makeup, do her hair, and try and be popular. My character in our play will be like a “cougar”, still living in her youth and seeking younger men. We believe that by playing with the character of Amanda, making her like one would expect a rich lady from somewhere like Hollywood would act, it will create humor in the story. These kind of mothers are seen everywhere in movies, and by changing Amanda more into this stereotypical character, viewers will be able to relate and respond better to the story. She will respond to her son in the way that proves that he just doesn’t understand her and how perfect she was in her youth. He also doesn’t live up to her high expectations of what a man should be like, and this disappoints her. The “Amanda” that we are creating in our play will be very humorous and entertaining to watch, which furthermore will make a somewhat dull moment in the play more exciting.

Music as Literature

One of the most effective types of literature that is often forgotten about is music. Music does a great job in telling a story, and is very enjoyable. Some people may argue that music is not literature, but why not? It tells a story, and the person listening to it usually has a response to it. It can make you feel sad, happy, mad, or even hopeful. Sometimes the lyrics are what attract us to the song, and sometimes, it is just the music. The rise an fall and different tones can tell stories without needing words. Musicians are so talented in the sense that just by creating sound; they bring the listener into a different world. Instead of sitting down and watching a movie or reading a book, listening to music is also a very effective way to connect with literature.

Protagonist or Antagonist?

It may seem weird, but growing up I always enjoyed the antagonist in a story more than I did the protagonist. The villain always kept me more interested than the hero. I believe that stories that have a strong character for an antagonist are much more exciting than having a good protagonist. Take the newest “Batman” for example. Heath Ledger did such a unreal job playing the Joker, Batman was barely even recognized. The movie would not have been even close to as good as it was without such a strong antagonist. The protagonist does make viewers enjoy the movie because generally we don’t like to see bad things happen, but the villain causes so much controversy it keeps the viewer on his or her toes. Call me crazy, but if you look at any of your favorite movies, I bet you’ll realize that they have a strong antagonist, and it was part of the reason you enjoyed the story so much.

Response to "The Truman Show"

This past weekend I watched the movie “The Truman Show”. I have seen it once before, but I was very young and didn’t appreciate it as much as I did watching it for a second time. After taking a film analysis course in high school, this movie has so many inner messages and meanings that are so interesting. The lighting, word choice, and characters are chosen to perfection. I found it very interesting that all of the characters who live with Truman have “Hollywood” like names. The creator of Truman’s world, Christoff, has the root word “Christ”, which was not chosen by accident. It’s also interesting to note all of the hints that Truman gets that he is living in his own world that he does not pick up on. All the advertising and day to day similarities are somewhat hidden, and I definitely feel like if I watched the movie again I’d pick up on more of them. Overall, I really enjoyed “The Truman Show” and would definitely watch it again.

What are the implications of the opening sentence, "The year was 2081, and everyone was finally equal" (7)? What happened? Are capitalism and American democracy dead? Did Soviet-style totalitarianism finally prevail? What does the elimination of advantages, difference, and competition suggest concerning the nature of the changes that have taken place?

This story goes over 70 years into the future and gives a version of what the world will be like. The government enables a way of living that creates complete equality to a very extreme extends. There is no such thing as competition. Capitalism and American democracy do not exist. Soviet style totalitarianism completely dominates. Everyone becomes equal and does whatever the government tells them to do. The way people are forced to live is completely cruel and inhumane. By eliminating any advantages and differences between people it causes people to live as robots. No thought, no real emotion, nothing. As one who lives in society where differences are embraced, these changes seem dreadful, and no one in the right mind would want to live under them. These people, unfortunately, don’t know any better, and are told that competition is bad. Fortunately, we know better.


Are such changes impossible under American capitalism or are they likely results of just such a system? What human tendencies underlie the sort of world described by Vonnegut? Are these the end results of the progressive spread of middle class greed, envy, and pettiness (the character of, for example, the shoppers in Updike's "A&P")?. What does the experience of America in the late twentieth century suggest? What does the popularity of shows like Oprah's and Rosie O'Donnell's hint at? Why are such figures role models? What is given center stage in such shows? What about Barbie dolls redesigned to look more like "real" people? How about certain trends in elementary/secondary and even higher education (e.g. grade inflation)? What of practices in organized sports for youth such as giving equal playing time regardless of ability, of not keeping score (and acting as if one didn't know what the score was); of giving medals to players on teams regardless of how they finished in their league?

I believe that changes like this are impossible under American capitalism. We thrive on competition here in America, and I don’t think anyone would agree on letting everything be equal. Humans all have a competitive side, or a side that thrives to be different from others. Although in this story all people are suppose to be equal, human tendencies would create people to want to be individuals, even though they wouldn’t be aloud to be. In a way though, people wish we were all equal, Vonnegurt just takes this to an extreme. In a way, this way of life, to an extent, could be the result of the spread of the middle class. This extreme, clearly, would not happen, but as middle class people grow more jealous and greedy they yearn to be equal to everyone else, and as it is progressively spreading, this means they will have more power. In the late twentieth century, it is suggested that we embrace differences, not repel them like shown in this story. By noticing the popularity of talk shows like Oprah and Rosie O’Donnell, we become even more aware of our societies accepting of differences. Rosie, being a homosexual woman, and Oprah, being an African American woman, do not fit into the stereotypical mold of the American society. These woman are role models because they do not fit the norm, and they prove its okay to be different, and embraces that and talking about it is given center stage in these shows. It shows that we, as Americans, appreciate diversity, and are not interested in everything being alike. Another example is the fact that Barbie dolls are now being formed to look like real people. We are not all 7 feet tall, Caucasian, blonde, blue-eyed, DDD cup, and gorgeous women. Barbie’s are more realistic when they all look different, and it creates a better image for children playing with them. If we were all the same intelligence, there would never be a cure for any diseases, or new inventions that could be life changing because no one would have the chance to create them. Going through school all at the same intelligence would be pointless, and it wouldn’t push anyone to be successful in life. In a way, it’s important to keep children somewhat equal. Equal playing time in sports can be seen as a good thing, because kids should not be forced to be competitive at such a young age. In a way, equality in sports is only hindering those who are talented. They should be rewarded for being skilled. As proven, equality should exist in some situations, but a happy medium needs to be found. Differences also need to embraced, not shunned
What are the functions of the agents of "the United States Handicapper General" (7)? What threats to society do such agents combat? What political processes could lead to such absurdities? How is radical mediocrity achieved and enforced?

The “Handicapped General” is in charge of making every equal. Some sort of handicap brings down any advantage someone has. Society will become completely boring and strip everyone of who they really are. God gives people gifts for a reason, and for these gifts to be taken away is ridiculous. In communist counties, some governments try to control their people. A process like making everyone wear the same physical attire is an example of this. Radical mediocrity is enforced by government and laws, and furthermore achieved from the threat of consequences.

What actual developments, policies, trends involving government-enforced equalizing, "handicapping," in America might Vonnegut be parodying in "Harrison Bergeron"? What conceptions of equality motivate such policies and trends?

An example of government-enforced handicapped is security in airports. We are all treated equally, as though we are all terrorists and are threats to society, even though a very small number of us are. Harrison is proving that we are all different people so we should all be seen as different. It’s important not to discriminate and that’s why this is present, but it’s also not to falsely accuse someone of something, and when going through security measures, everyone feels like a criminal.

How is the conception of equality related to basic forms of commercial life such as the commodity and money and the social roles of buyer, seller, and wage-laborer? (Consider what Marx observes about equality and simple commodity circulation on p. 291.) Do capitalist social forms inevitably produce tension around equality by spreading an anti-aristocratic ideology of equality, egalitarianism, that can provoke movements for social equality such as the civil rights movement or the feminist movement, while at the same time continually creating inequalities (at least of income and wealth)? Might the reliance in the story on the government to enforce equality point to such an irresolvable tension?

The flow of money throughout our economy is an equal cycle through the buyer, seller, and wage-laborer. No one person has an advantage over another. It differs from the story, though, because there is competition in the market, and the key to this story is in creating equality with no competition among people. Capitalist forms create a more realistic sense of equality. We should all start out equal, just like in the market system, but there should be competition and room to succeed. We should all be able to be individuals, and if some are not allowed to do this, they will revolt. It’s therefore important to start off and make sure it is known that everyone is equal, but to allow for individualism and advancement through successes. Yes, the reliance in the story on the government on enforcing authority points at this irresolvable tension.




Former U.S. Senator from Nebraska Roman Hruska was (in)famous for saying, during the hearing for a poorly regarded (and ultimately unsuccessful) nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court: "Well, mediocrity should be represented in the Court, too." How does that sort of thinking relate to what Vonnegut's getting at with this story?

The idea of mediocrity in the Court means that everyone should be equal. Within the Supreme Court, there are definite figures of authority and anyone in this role would not support the idea of mediocrity. Senator Hruska relates to what Vonnegut is portraying in his story but trying to make everyone equal, but as people did not respond well to him, they would no respond well to the methods used in this story either.

How are George and Hazel Bergeron described? What sort of life do they lead? What is Vonnegut parodying here? What does the story warn against? To what extent do television, radio, and the mass media generally function like George's mental handicap radio? (Consider Neil Postman's observation in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: "this ensemble of electronic techniques called into being a new world-a peek-a-boo world, where now this event, now that, pops into view for a moment, then vanishes again. It is a world without much coherence or sense; a world that does not permit us to do anything; a world that is, like the child's game of peek-a-boo, entirely self-contained. But like peek-a-boo, it is also endlessly entertaining" (77). "Infotainment" did you say?

George and Hazel are described as equal to everyone else. Each person could not have individuality. Although George is smart, he has been “handicapped” to bring him down to the level of everyone else. They are both average looking people. They lead a very boring life because everyone in society is alike. They can’t think for themselves, or have their own opinions. Vonnegut is parodying the government trying to control us and telling us what to think and how to act. The story warns against dictatorship and government control going to far. Media tells us what they want us to hear. In a way, this is the same as the handicaps that are placed on people in Vonnegut’s story. It regulates what people hear and what people know.


Why is Harrison Bergeron such a threat to society? How old is he? How has he been "handicapped"?

Harrison Bergeron is a threat to society because he does not agree to follow the ways of the government. He realizes that differences are important and in this realization, attempts to overthrow the government. He is only 14 years old, but proves to be smarter and braver than everyone else in the world. His handicaps were placing weight on him because he was athletic, putting a clown nose on him and shaving off his eyebrows to make him look ugly oppose to his normal good looking self and putting earphones on him that send sound waves so his train of thought gets interrupted.


What is the significance of the real Harrison suddenly appearing on the TV set where his escape from prison was being reported? Why does he repeatedly say, "I am the Emperor!" (11)? Is Vonnegut suggesting a return to feudalism and its aristocratic political institutions? Is this similar in some way to the case of Ellison's protagonist on the stage of the Bingo game?

The significance is to show him as being an individual as different, and breaking the mold of everyone else. He says “I am the Emperor” because it falls under his plan of other throwing the government. He is saying that now he is in charge. No, I do not believe that Vonnegut is going to the extent of suggesting a return to feudalism. Yes I believe it is somewhat similar.


What is Harrison trying to accomplish? Can his actions be compared to those of Sammy in Updike's "A&P"? (Harrison says "I shall now select my Empress!" while Sammy chooses his "Queenie"). What different sets of values clash in these cases? How are the young pitted against the old? How does the motif of the rescue of the 'damsel in distress' translate in socioeconomic terms? What is suggested concerning the ownership of the means of (re)production?

Harrison is trying to accomplish an overthrow of the government. He can definitely be paralleled to Sammy in “A&P” because Sammy tries quits his job to prove a point the authority in the story. Both characters are also looking for an ally in their mission and that’s why they both pick a female to stand by their side. In both cases the main characters are trying to be different, but in the case of Sammy he doesn’t try and overpower the authority, he just stands up to it whereas Harrison is violent and tries and takes over. In both stories the young prove to be braver and more like “heroes” than the old people. Both stories have the main character rescuing the female from society, and this is very stereotypically true in society, that there is always a female waiting to be rescued. This suggests that the male, or dominant character, is always aware that he needs a female in his plan, because that’s the only way he can continue the trend of being different/ By reproducing more like himself he can succeed in this.


What is the significance of Harrison telling the musicians, "I'll make you barons and dukes and earls" (12)? What different values underlie such ennoblement? What role do beauty and aesthetics play in Harrison's rebellion?

It means that they will be rewarded for embracing their differences. The value of individualism would be a motive for this ennoblement. Harrison wants those who are beautiful to be able to show it. Harrison convinces people to take off their masks and whatever else is making them physical unattractive and let them be their self. He believes that people should be able to be comfortable with their appearance, and if they are beautiful, that should also be pleasing to others to look at.


What is the meaning of Harrison's and the ballerina's flight-like dance and kissing? What is meant by the statement, "not only were the laws of the land abandoned, but the law of gravity and the laws of motion as well" (12)?

It means that the government was tying them down and for a couple seconds they were given the chance to be free. They were, for a moment, living in a world with no boundaries. They were not restricted by anything, and were able to be free in every aspect. It’s a great symbolism to how much the government was affecting their life and holding them down.


What is the meaning of Harrison and the ballerina being shot down by Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General? What are the suggestions of her name? What ethos is conjured by the mythological associations of the Greek goddess Diana and the moon (e.g. virginity, coldness, sterility). How is the figure of Ms. Glampers similar to that of the manager, Lengel, in A&P?

The meaning goes back to the power of authority. They had a chance to rebel and be free for only a moment, and then, soon enough, they got caught. It means you cannot get away with anything, or cannot try and be greater than the authority figure. Her name suggests that she is in charge, and has all the power. Telling the story of the Greek goddess really connects to the reader’s emotions because it makes us feel for the innocence of all the people living in this horrible society. The two characters in this story and “A&P” are similar because they are the ones in power, and prove to have almost no emotion to the rest of the world.


Why does Hazel Bergeron forget what she is crying about? How is this similar to, for example, the case of Mrs. Gradgrind in Dickens's Hard Times? What is the meaning of the last words of the Bergerons, "that one was a doozy" (13)?

She forgets what she is crying about because society has made her into a robot. She is not allowed to have any intelligence or emotion, so when an ounce of either is shown, it is shot down. The last words “that one was a doozy” are showing how equal everything has become in this society. They cannot even experience real life situations, and do not understand how difficult, and at the same time awesome, the world can really be. She meant that one was tough, but little does she know what real life is like.


What's striking about Vonnegut's story is its hyperbole: equality is enforced in every identifiable respect. What are the appropriate limits to ensuring equality and why?

The extent of enforcing equality in this story is to a ridiculous extreme, but in real life, a happy medium needs to be found in enforcing equality. We should make sure everyone is given an equal opportunity for everything, but once that playing field is level, it’s important to have competition and opportunity to succeed. Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest should be evident in society. We should not create inequality for things that people cannot control, but for advantages over other people that are gained, it is completely acceptable.

Rare Occasions

Everyone knows that after reading a book, the movie is usually a disappointment. About 95% of the time, the book is better than the movie. Although I believe that this is true, I have found a couple instances where the movies are actually better than the movie. Two specific ones that I distinctly remember are the movie “21” based off of the book “Bringing down the House” by Ben Mezrich and “He’s just not that into you” based on the book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo . The book “Bringing Down the House”, is a tale of Mezrich’s life as a card counter. Although the movie is the same story, it makes a more exciting turn of events, and therefore a more action packed movie. The book deals a lot with the specifics of counting cards where the movie focuses more of the thrill of the event. In the case of “He’s just not that into you” the book is letters to the authors, and the authors respond. One reading the book would never expect this to turn into a movie, but the director of the movie did a fabulous job. They used specific stories and examples from the book about relationship issues and made them into characters in the movie. It was a very creative way to display a very mediocre book. It added a storyline to a “How to” type book. These are two books that I have read that just do not compare to the quality of the movies.

Regarding the short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", answer the following questions in paragraph form (one from each group), and in such a way that someone stumbling upon your blog could figure out what you're writing about. Also print your work out and bring it to class on Thursday.

Group 1

3. Who is the story's main character, Connie or Arnold Friend?

Arnold Friend is the main character in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?". Although it may seem like Connie is the main character because she is the protagonist, when it is looked into further, it makes much more sense that Arnold is the main character. After reading about the Charles Schmidt trial it’s very easy to see that this story is based on him, and what he did. Having said this, because the story is based around Charles Schmidt (or “Arnold Friend”) he becomes the main character. Connie is an important part of the story, but she is just a naïve girl. It could be any girl who Arnold chooses to become infatuated with. The specific girl isn’t important; it’s the character of Arnold and his psychopath personality.

Group 2

2. Who is Arnold Friend? Do you think he is appropriately named? What is the significance of his car? His clothing? His language?

Arnold Friend is a convicted murderer and rapist named Charles Schmidt. If you question this fact, read articles about Charles Schmidt and his trial and you will definitely become convinced that the character of Arnold is completely paralleled to Schmidt. He is a creepy stalker who is obsessed with young girls, and is mentally unstable. Naming Charles Schmidt Arnold Friend is very appropriate. Abbreviated his name becomes A. Friend, and that’s what he pretends to be to Connie. He acts normal about the fact that he is basically kidnapping her and tries to convince her that he wants to be her friend. His car signifies him being older than her and having a way out, where, as she is upset because she is stuck. It makes it somewhat appealing for her to go with him. His clothing makes him not a typical stalker or murderer. He tries to dress like everyone else, and therefore Connie doesn’t initially see him as a predator. The way he speaks is the most important. He’s very persuasive, and can make Connie do whatever he wants. He is very smooth when he speaks, and rarely changes his emotion.

Group 3

3. Where does Arnold take Connie, and what happens to her? Write your own continuation of the story.

Arnold takes Connie to a field and rapes her. He tells her that he is taking her here. He thinks that he is making a beautiful setting for them to “make love”, but as his version of the situation is altered by his psycho personality. She subjects to being raped to save her family. When Connie leaves the house Arnold will drive them to a field just like he said. Ellie will stay in the car, and Arnold will tell her to get out of the car, and then start to rape her. She will not fight back because she is worried for her family.

Group 4

2. Describe important images that you see in the story and what they do to create meaning within the story.

The most important image seen in the story is young, naïve girls. The story almost portrays it as Connie’s fault that she is so high on life and doesn’t realize that dressing and acting the way she does makes her a target for predators like Arnold. This meaning is that it’s not always smart to live as high on life, and naïve as Connie was. Another image evident in the story is the act of a man persuading women. Arnold successfully convinces Connie to leave with him, even though she knew it was a horrible idea. The idea of women being submissive to men ties into this idea. It touches on the fact that men prove to have an upper hand in the relationship between a man and a woman.

Just a Game of Telephone

What does the childhood game “telephone” and literature have in common? Surprisingly, more than one would think. The game “telephone” consists of a group of people sitting in a circle. The first person makes up a sentence and whispers it to the person beside them, who then relays the sentence to the next person, and so on. Once the sentence has made its way around the whole circle, the last person says the sentence out loud. More often than not, the sentence is much different than it originally started. It may have the same meaning, but a couple words or details are usually altered. Interestingly enough, literature can be the same way. A single event can be portrayed through articles, stories, movies, or even songs. All forms and specific parts of each can work together, while also being original, in telling a single story. In the case of the murderer Charles Schmidt, several different forms of literature collaborated to tell relatively the same story. Although the basis of the story was the same, all versions of the story had critical differences. After seeing many different points on the story, it’s important to notice the similarities, differences, and to reflect on why people take such different paths of telling a story. Paralleled to the game “telephone”, even though the story starts the same, it can always end different.

Similarities are what connect any group of things to make them alike. In the case of literature, similarities help us tie together different stories to create one “made product”. Regarding Charles Schmidt, different articles, a song, a story, a movie, and a short skit, all tell the same story. Although each one of the mentioned forms of literature is based on the same event, not every one addresses the event, or even follows the true story. Though this is true, the similarities between the stories allow the reader to connect them all to one common topic, Charles Schmidt. The key similarity is the description of the antagonist in all these stories. Charles Schmidt, or “Arnold Friend”, is described in all pieces of literature the exact same. Schmidt is good looking, is muscular, wears lifts in his shoes, puts on makeup, and many other small details that become critical to the conclusion. This non-stereotypical murderer/rapist makes the story more unique and compelling to follow. Also, the fact that he takes advantage of young, naïve girls is pin pointed in all of these forms of literature. Although literature can take many different turns throughout telling a story, key points are always necessary. In finding the similarities between pieces of literature it helps us draw them all to one single event, and in turn, that event is able to preserve its original purpose.

Differences are what make the world what it is today. If everything was alike, nothing would be interesting. Regarding literature, differences are critical. No one wants to hear a story told the exact same way over and over. The glory of literature is that there are different forms of it to portray a story, but also leeway within these forms to completely change characters, plot, setting, and whatever else in a story, and still have it based upon one event. The Schmidt trial inspired many writers and producers to create literature based on the event. Although some forms ended with death, some ended with rape, some left us wondering, and some even left us with Orlando Bloom, each story was based upon the same event. If one of these single pieces of literature was read it might not be obvious as to what inspired the author to create it, but after experiencing the alter versions of the story, it is proven that the pieces of literature worked together to create the same idea. The differences just make the story appeal to different audiences, display a different purpose, or were inspired by the author’s personal view of the situation. Every person is encouraged to be an individual, and literature should be aloud to be the same way.

After analyzing the same story told in several different forms, it becomes evident that literature often collaborates to form a common conclusion. Charles Schmidt was a man who murdered 3 girls, but the story of him also inspired others to put their own personal twist on the event. Though some do not even have the same endings, obvious similarities in all pieces of work make it easy to see that all were based upon the same event. Just like in “telephone”, although the “made product” may end up being different, it can still be based upon the same original event.

Favorite type of Book

Although I enjoy reading a wide variety of books, my favorite books to read are autobiographies. I am a person who loves to hear about real life experiences, and learn about other peoples struggles and triumphs. As I am still very young, I'm so intrigued by life and what it has to offer. Reading other people's experiences help me realize what I want my life to become, and in contrast, what I do not want it to become. I also really appreciate the realness of autobiographies. The fact that it comes directly from the person, after reading the story I feel like I know the author on a personal level. Specifically, I enjoy reading dark, disturbing autobiographies. "A Child Called It", by Dave Pelzer, is one of my favorite books. It is so disturbing, but at the same time, it is extraordinary that he survived through the childhood that he had, and was strong enough to share his story with the rest of the world. I love when stories tug on my emotions, and autobiographies generally find a way of connecting with me on a personal level.

Striving for the Same Goal

It’s funny how somehow, someway; anything in this world can be connected. You can take two things, that seem like they have no relation to each other, and find a way to connect them. In the case of three specific pieces of literature, “The Only Girl at the Boy’s Party” by Sharon Olds, “Rights of Passage” by Sharon Olds, and “A&P” by John Updike, one similar product can be drawn after tearing these stories apart. A common theme, otherwise known as a trope, occurs throughout these stories, even though at first glance they seem nothing alike. Throughout similarities and differences between the three stories, the made product of all the stories is the parallelism of adolescent to adult, or the “growing up process”. After thoroughly analyzing all three pieces of literature, it’s easy to come across the conclusion that all stories portray the same message, just in a different way.

In Sharon Olds’ poem, “The Only Girl at the Boy’s Party, she uses the observing of the growing up process to show the transition from child to adult. Although this girl is still young, there are so many things about the situation that mirror this story to something that adults would experience. Coming from the parent’s perspective, it points out the fact that they are watching their child grow up right before their eyes. Either being surrounded by the opposite sex, or fitting in with a male stereotype at the party, the small girl is out of her normal comfort zone, and although she doesn’t know it, she’s slowly making the transition from girl to young woman. One of the similarities between this poem and the other two pieces of literature is the fact that the main character is “different” or stands out of the crowd. Another similarity between this poem, and especially “A&P” is the fact that it plays with different gender roles. What girls and boys should be viewed as, oppose to what they are viewed as. The extraordinary attention to detail is also similar throughout these three stories. This story is different from the others in the fact that it is only about one character throughout the whole poem, whereas the other literature describes more than one person.

Another great poem by Sharon Olds, “Rights of Passage”, clearly draws the same conclusion as the other pieces of literature. The poem parallels young boys to men. The style switches throughout the poem going from man to child, and vise versa. Olds uses a group of boys at a birthday party, and makes them seem as though they could be a group of men going to war. The descriptions such as Generals and small bankers make the comparison of actions these boys make to those that men make. It shows the growing up process, also from the parent’s point of view. These young boys already have thoughts of those of adults, even though they haven’t even reached their teen years. This poem is similar to “The Only Girl at the Boy’s Party” because it comes from the parent’s perspective. It stands out from the other poems because it doesn’t include both sexes and the indirect comparison of them.

Though this one may not be as obvious, “A&P” takes the product as a boy entering the “real world”. Sammy creates an act of debatable heroism, in a moment of adrenaline and teenage hormones. The result of him quitting his job results in a change in his life, and him realizing what life, as an adult will really be like. The line “…and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter”, is the deal breaker in the fact that this poem is about growing up, and comparing and paralleling life as a youth to that of an adult. The most obvious way that this story is different from the others is, well, it’s a story, not a poem. Sounds dumb? Yes, but that changes a lot in terms of amount of content and style of writing. Also, this story is from the mind of the main character, not a third party observer. Overall though, there are many more similarities between “A&P” with the other two stories than differences.

Through looking at the way youth is paralleled with adulthood, and how the growing up process cause be noticeably viewed, it’s clear that the purpose of all three stories is striving for a similar outcome. Though at first glance these three pieces of literature do not seem to have many similarities, when picked apart and analyzed, it is found that they in fact have more similarities than one would expect. As previously mentioned, the world is very strange in many ways. Whether it is known or not, everything is connected, it just takes some picking apart to realize.

Character development creates stories

Recently, I have read a couple Jodi Picoult books and I am extatic at her writing technique. Something about the way she writes stories is absolutely captivating and intrigues me to want to read more of her books. The most predominant thing, and the thing I wish to discuss in this post is her character development. Before reading Jodi picoult I never looked too much into character development. It is extraorinary how Picoult developes her characters throughout her novels, and how it makes so much of a different. In "My Sister's Keeper" Picoult writes each chapter by indivdual characters point of view. By doing this, the reader really feels connected to each character in a different way. They undersatnd what the character is thinking, and this evidently makes the story easy to understand. The smallest details about characters are pointed out, and it helps us realize why the ending that occured did. Another book that is written by Picoult that is very character driven is "Nineteen Minutes". This book is about a school shooting, and the whole book leads up to the trial after the shooting. A surprise ending is a main aspect of this book, but the character development is absolutely cruicial. There are so many different characters, but the reader feels as though the personally know every single one. We feel like we know where the shooter is coming from, and where all the victims are also coming from. Being an impartial third party makes this story very intriging and the characters all become a part of the reader. Overall, Picoult's novel have showed me how important character development is in creating a great story.

In comparison to the story “A&P” the heroism in these two poems is somewhat similar. All three use the adolescent of the story to be the “hero”. Should children, or youth, be portrayed as heroes for acts unintentionally made? Similarly, in all of the stories, the main character, or the “hero” is the odd person out. In “The Only Girl at the Boy’s Party” it is the girl, in “A&P” it is Sammy, and in "Rites of Passage" it is the birthday boy’s. All of these characters intentionally, and unintentionally stand out in different ways. Personally, just as I have stated that I do not believe Sammy committed acts of Heroism, I also do not believe that either of these other characters did. It is another very vague situation in which I believe few people would believe any heroic act occurred. Although there is a lot of symbolism, especially in "Rites of Passage", with class systems, rankings, authority, and power, I still do not see heroism displayed referring to my definition of a hero. In "The Only Girl at the Boys' Party", there is a sense of heroism by it comparing to taking a stand for gender rights, but I still don’t see a true hero coming out of the story. In all, I believe because I do not use the word “hero” loosely, I cannot classify a lot of stories as heroic or obtaining heroes in them.

John Updike vs. Me

I was very enlightened after watching the interview with John Updike online. It was interesting to see the author’s perception of the story “A &P” in comparison to mine. Overall, I feel like I had a lot of the same thoughts about this story as John Updike did. When reading the story, I became very aware of the fact that Sammy was infatuated with the three girls in bathing suits. The way he looked at them and took notice of every detail about them, and put them, especially Queenie, on a pedestal. In Updike’s interview he mentions the fact that Sammy is kind of a blue-collar boy looking for a white-collar girl. He mentions social hierarchy, and the fact that the girls are clearly above Sammy. It was refreshing to see that when reading the story I had the same perception about the relationship between Sammy and the girls as what the author was trying to portray. One of the differences between my perception of the story and Updike’s was that he sees Sammy’s act in the end as a “noble deed”, where I just see it as him looking for attention. In Updike’s interview he never once refers to Sammy as a hero, in fact, he states the exact points that I use to prove Sammy was not a hero. He mentions that Sammy “gives up his job for the girls”, and that “he becomes their champion even though they don’t know it”. The fact that he wanted the girls to see the deed he committed made him un-heroic. I believe that in a way John Updike had the same view about Sammy being a “hero” as I did. Overall, the way I viewed Sammy was much the same as the way Updike viewed Sammy and therefore my thoughts stayed the same after watching the interview.

Hero is in the eye of the beholder

The word hero is a very loaded word. A hero in some people's eyes may not be a hero in an others, and vise versa. In a way, heroes are in the eye of the beholder. A child striving to be a professional hockey player may see Sidney Crosby as a hero, whereas lots of people would not. An African American women may see Rosa Parks as a hero, where some other people may not. We all have different standards, and different opinions of who falls under the category of "hero". By definition, a hero is "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities". Immediately this can be criticized for an obvious reason. Why "a man" instead of a person? Can't a woman also be a hero? In my opinion, the word hero cannot be defined. Hero can mean thousands of different things depending on the context. Something inside of us tells us what a hero is, and who we think should be referred to as one. A great example of a well known "hero" is Martin Luther King Jr. He stood up for what he believe in, and fought for man kind. He was not afraid of his opposition, and intended to improve the quality of life of Americans, especially minority groups. As compared to the previous definition, Martin Luther King Jr. fits it to a tee. He is a man who was very courageous, and was admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. This example proves that, in a way, the definition of hero is a very broad, but useful annotation. But what about a person who doesn't fit this definition? I consider my mother to be a hero. She raised two great children, acts as a wonderful wife, maintains everything around the house, and is always there for me when I need her. Day after day she saves me from mistakes I might make, troubles I'm having, and decisions I have to make. Compared to the definition of hero stated about, does my mother apply to it? No, not really, but in my eyes she is. So although I have given the definition of a hero and an example of a hero who fits the description, I have also portrayed the fact that other, non stereotypical "heroes", can be heroic in the eye of the beholder.
In the story "A&P" by John Updike, the question of whether or not Sammy is a hero becomes evident. As I stated earlier, heroism is an arguable issue. Some people may believe Sammy was a definite hero, and others may not. Comparing Sammy to the definition stated earlier, Sammy somewhat fits it. He did have courage for standing up to his boss, and he did have noble qualities for acting for the good of the three girls who were being discriminated against. It can also be seen that he does not fit the definition of a hero because he did not have distinguished abilities and was not admired for his deeds. Although it's a toss up whether Sammy fits the description of a hero, in my eyes, I don't see him as a hero. In the real world, you can't just quit your job because your boss is trying to enforce a rule. Sammy is not admirable because he does not do it to make the world better, he does it to get positive attention from the girls. This becomes clear when he says "I look around for my girls, but they're gone, of course". The fact that he wanted them to see him be a "hero" takes away the heroic qualities that he may have possessed.
Overall, although some people may believe Sammy was a hero for what he did, I believe that a somewhat heroic act does not make someone a hero. Hero, as previous stated, is a loaded word, but in the story "A&P", no hero stick out for me.

Chapter 1

Page 6
1. The North Wind has a more demanding personality. He is a short term thinker, and when he wants something done, he wants it done immediately. As the story shows, he tries to use force to get the traveler to takeoff his cloak. He also may be narrow minded because the only way he thinks to prove he is stronger is by using force. On the other hand, the sun looks outside of the box. His personality is more persistent and patient. He slowly puts his plan into action, and it ends up working in the end
2. Although the idea of trying to blow the cloak away from the man was smart, it ended up backfiring. The stronger the North Wind blew, the colder the traveler got, and the more he wanted to keep his cloak wrapped around him.
3. The sun was effective because he didn't use force, but instead made the traveler want to remove his cloak. The sun made the temperature very warm, and the traveler was too hot with the cloak on so he decided to remove it. The sun used persuasion instead of force.
4. The human is the guinea pig in the competition between the North Wind and the Sun. He is the controlled variable so that they both have a fair chance of winning the challenge. The human also makes it easier for readers to relate to the story. The reader can easily put themselves in the travelers shoes to see what they would have done in the situation.
5. The moral of this story was "Persuasion is better than force". In this fable, the whole paragraph leads to this conclusion. The North Wind tries to use force to win the challenge and he fails. The sun uses persuasion and convinces the traveler to want to take off the cloak and this tactic allows him to win.

Page 8
1. Exposition is the opening part that introduces characters and sets the scene for the story. This story is very short so doesn't have much exposition except for the first couple sentences. Chuang Tzu uses two sentences to set up the dramatic situation.
2.The protagonist changes the subject to provide a reason why he does not want to be a part of the government. He doesn't answer the question directly and immediately because he wants to provide an "out of the box" reason for his answer. Yes, it serves a purpose that he makes the officials answer a question because after providing this obvious answer, it makes them really look at Tzu's point when he turns the question around.
3. Chuang Tzu proves to be very wise. His personality seems as though he is very upfront and confrontational. He is not afraid to tell the officials his true opinion.

Page 19
1. The details that stand out to me as being particulary true to life were most of the ones that had to do with the three girls. Specifically describing the appearances of the girls and referring to the one as "the queen". This always can seen when a group of people are hanging out together, there is always an evident leader. I found it interesting how he took so much time describing every little detail of these girls. It shows the reader how close Sammy was paying attention to them in the book. The attention to close detail also helps expose the character of Sammy and the reader feels like they know him and are in the store with him when the events of the story take place.
2.Updike does a great job in describing the character of Sammy. He writes as though you know everything going on in Sammy's head. Sammy seems to have low self esteem, which is why he quit his job so that the pretty girls would notice him. He also is very critical, as he points out every little flaw on each of the girls. On the posivtive side, Sammy is somewhat heroic because he stands up for something that he believes is unjust. Sammy is less of a hero for wanting the girls to notice because it proves that he was doing it for attention and not just to make things right. Sammy is more thoroughly portrayed than the doctor in the "Godfather Death" because we are aware of this thought process throughout the whole incident. We know what reasons he is doing it for and witness the decision.
3. The exposition is the very first paragraph because it introduces the characters, sets the scene of the event, and gives the reader some insight as to what the story will be about. The detail of Queenie is important to the story because it shows the pedastol that Sammy puts her and the girls on, which makes it easier to understand why he makes such a rash decision at the end of the book.
4.Yes, as the story develops you can see him take more of an interest in the girls. He watches their every move, and by the end of the story you feel like he knows them. At the beginning he is just very critical of their appearances, but doesn't seem as interested in them as he turns out to be.
5. The dramatic conflict occurs when Sammy in finally in contact with the girls and the manager causes a seen. When the manager gets mad at the girls, the crisis in the story begins. The climax of the story is when Sammy quits his job.
6.Sammy quits his job to show the girls that he is standing up for them. He does this in the spur of the moment. Granted he might be doing it to prove a point to the manager, but the main reason was to create an image for himself that would impress the girls.
7. The fact that Sammy was so intrigued by the girls made me believe that he might end up doing something rash. The forshadowing to Sammy feeling sympathy for the girls is when he says "Now here comes the sad part of the story". It shows that he feels bad that the girls are singled out by the manager when it doesn't seem necessary. Also, as Sammy observes the girls ask for help finding diet peaches and are being checked out by a man Sammy says, "Poor girls, I began to feel sorry for them, they couldn't help it". This was forshadowing the sympathy that Sammy felt towards the girls.
8. The conclusion of the story proves that sometimes acts of heroism go unoticed, and that by doing something to prove a point you will not always be rewarded. When Sammy says "I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter", he means that he now realizes that sometimes you have to play the game, even if you don't agree with the rules. He felt sorry for the girls so he quit his job which will be a huge problem. His personality is going to have to become more passive and he is going to have to learn to sit aside and watch as things happen that he doesn't agree with.
9. Updike makes the comment that even in supermarket society there are rules that need to be followed and a hiearchy that exists. The supermaket society is paralleled with the real world.