Defining Goodness

I'm not sure if "goodness" is really that easy to define. Some people show their "goodness" by donating money, some by volunteering and some maybe by just setting "good examples" Are people any less good if they don't have money to give or time? I think to be good you need to have passion, understanding and wisdom.

Antigone

I feel that Anitgone is a heroine. She stood up for what she believed in and although she went against the laws of her time, she stood up for laws that may have the need to be changed. I think that this play kind of reminds me of a lot of the things people have stood up for in real life even thought they went against the laws of their times. Like slavery, women's rights and gay/lesbian marriage. Just because the law says its wrong or it used to be considered unacceptable does it really mean it is wrong? If there is generally a good reason to go agaitnst then maybe it is worth the trouble. I believe she stood up for a good reason.

Good People

In "Good People" the two characters are both religious people. This is the first thing that is to make the reader think they are "good people". But really, if you are to truly follow in the religious ways...I believe anyway...there is no sex before marriage.  Not only did the couple have sex, but they got pregnant and they were considering an abortion. Another thing that is frowned upon in the church. There is one part where the girl is described as "Down to earth" and this is to lea the mother to believe that she is good people. i suppose that is supposed to mean that the girl is maybe aware of her surroundings and what life is really about. Toward the end there is mention of disgracing the family by keeping the baby and raising it, but that is truly what a good person is. Someone that goes through something that isn't easy, but in the end chooses the right way, not the easy way.

A Good Man is Hard to Find

I think "A Good Man is Hard to Find" starts out by trying to make us think that the son is not being a very good person by not taking his mom on vacation to where she wants to go. Then the two children who come off as naughty, by the way they speak "freely". The girl makes a comment about the place being a dump when they stop to eat, and even with the Misfit she make the comment "What are You telling us what to do for?"
After the accident the "goodness" changes drastically. The Misfit with his two accomplices pull over with no intentions of helping the family. They view the children and take them all to be shot with their parents. That is just heartbreaking and one was just a baby. The grandma tried to talk the Misfit out of the killing, by saying she knows he comes from good blood and that he just needs to find Jesus. In the end he kills her too. I seems that they have no feeling what so ever. 
None of the character's stood out as more "good" then the others. The son seemed to try to protect all by reasoning, the mother just agreed that it would be best to go back by her husband and the grandma tried to plead the 3 men from killing them all.

A Midsummer Night's Dream #2

I watched the film "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Amazon Prime.
A Midsummer Night's Dream. Dir. Peter Hall. N/A. MGM. N/A. Streamed Video.

I am glad that this assignment had me watch a a video/play after reading it. I did feel a little confused in some spots of the reading because I had to get the definition of the word and reread the sentence sometimes, but for the most part I think I followed along. The video was more of an "Ohhhhh. I see what he means here." It seemed like the video stayed pretty close to the same wording to the play. I thought there was maybe a few spots where there was a word switched out with something more current, but nothing dramatic.
It was a lot easier for me to understand with the visual though.Seeing the way the actors responded and presented the wording helped with what Shakespeare was saying. I even had pictured the men and women dressed almost the same way, but the women seemed to be a little more 70's style to me.
Now the forest fairies are what surprised me the most. I thought that the director in the movie styled the king of the fairies to look almost like, what I vision anyway, the devil. I felt like the movie portrayed the king and queen of the fairies as a good and evil, which I didn't pick up in the reading.
I really enjoyed reading the play and then watching it. I think I may have to do this with more plays. I have done it with books made into movies quite a bit, but the play was very enjoyable.

A Midsummer Night's Dream #1

Since "A Midsummer Night's Dream" has a few different plots, I find it difficult to pin point the protagonist, or hero. That being said, I think that the hero in this play may be the villain too. I believe the protagonist is the king of the fairies, known as Oberon. Oberon has came to give good blessings on the Duke's marriage, but in the mean time wants to play a trick on the Queen of the Fairies, Titania. He sends Puck to go and get a flower that will make someone fall in love with the first living thing they see. He also notices that a women is following a man in the forest the she loves, but her doesn't love her; Demetrius and Helena. He has Puck place the stuff on Demetrius eyes, but Puck find Lysander instead. So now both Lysander and Demetrius are in love with Hermia. Oberon sees that they are to fight to the death and sends Puck to correct his mistake and take the love potion stuff of Lysander's eyes so that Lysander and Hermia continue to love each other and Demetrius and Helena love each other. He also feels for his Queen and takes the potion off her. in the end, the 2 couples end up together and the King and Queen of the fairies aren't fighting anymore either.

Those Winter Sundays

Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays" reminds me of my Grandpa from my younger days. He talks of his father getting up early on Sundays and my Grandpa would always be up early on Sundays. In the summer time he would take us kids fishing and I remember his hands, just as described in the poem as he would hook the worm, dry cracked and weather from working the farm and the store. I can see the No on ever thanked him line in the Death of a Salesman...I kind of feel like Willy felt he worked a thankless job. He traveled and sold and we still doing the same job with no thanks from the company. Maybe this is how the young boy felt in the story, the A&P, were he quit? 

Then in the poem he talks about waking up when the house is warm, the work that the father did is to warm the house for his family. Maybe a job were you aren't thanked, but certainly not thankless. And the last part of the poem; what did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? I think this is what Willy in The Death of a Salesman maybe felt his whole life, like something was missing the whole time, when in the poem, and for my Grandpa, it is the love you feel from a loving family.

Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is about Wally, a traveling salesman who seems to be chasing "the American dream." He wants the loving family, with smart, successful children, the nice big house and lots of money. Wally is married to his wife, Linda, and has two sons, Biff and Happy. It seems at first the Wally may be getting something like Alzheimer's, but it seems that his family thinks he is suicidal and his work, brother and nephew think he is going crazy. I think Wally may have been unhappy with how his life turned out. He feels like he missed out on the opportunity to get rich quick. He was always looking for the "big" deal to make him big and well know. He never really wanted to work hard to get where he was. His affair seems to be another run at trying to be big, by sleeping with the lady that will let him right through to the buyers? He keeps remembering his bother saying I went into the jungle and came out rich, but what does rich really mean. I think Linda had said it right at one point when she says something like, He has all he needs right here. I think he had the wrong view of rich. I think he also gave his kids the wrong view as they were growing up too. He could have worked a decent job and still have the house and the family and be rich beyond money. In the end, he killed himself so he could get his wife and boys money. The one thing he seemed to value over life.

Theme

I think "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" and "Trifles" maybe be similar in theme since it seems that both of them seem to have a some sort of questionable act upon them. In the poem it mentions Uncle's weeing band sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand and find even the ivory needle hard to pull. Is there a reason that the ring is a heavy on her hand? The play's ending ends in an act of hiding evidence, but the poem seems to end in happiness it seems. At least the tigers go on dancing and Aunt Jennifer took whatever it was with her to the grave.

Trifles

In Susan Glaspell's "Trifles", you meet two women named Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. This story seems to take place somewhere in the upper midwest, since they seem to mention that they are not to far away from Omaha and that Mrs. Peters is originally from the Dakotas. It becomes apparent that the two ladies are not really against each other, but don't seem to agree on Mrs. Wright's innoncence....or maybe her motive. At the beginning of the story, it seems that Mrs. Peters has already decided that Mrs. Wright killed her husband cold blooded, but Mrs Hale seems to have some compassion. Most of the story is the two women discussion the way the house looks and trying to find a motive. I think Glaspell did this to get well both sides of the story, really. I think she wanted the readers to have compassion and yet know that the women did kill, quite viciously too. If Mrs. Hale hadn't had talked about how Mrs. Wright used to sing so beautifully in the choir and how this man hardened her would we as readers agreed to the hiding of the dead bird and the fixing of the stitching? The two women hid evidence from the law. This ending is a great ending to get the reader to say "would I have done the same thing?"

Reflection on The Silence

I decided to do my project on the poem "The Silence" by Phillip Schultz. For this project I wanted to do a poem I hadn't done before. I haven't been a big poem reader and wanted to get a few more under my belt. I went to poets.org and picked the subject of alcohol and started reading until I found one that spoke to me. This one was the one. I chose this option because I wanted to see if I was actually understanding what was written. I want to know if I will be able to figure it out in the future so I can maybe keep reading some poems, since I did seem to find this section enjoyable. Extremely difficult, but enjoyable. I found this poem challenging because it seemed to jump from one thing back to another, so I wasn't quite sure I was following it right away, but in the end I think I got it. I think I gained another prospective of how to view the time that grows between friends.

The Silence

For this assignment I chose"The Silence" by Phillip Schultz.I have already been working on trying to write about the poem and am about ready to start typing my paper. I choose this poem because it reminded me right away of all the friends I have that I don't keep in good contact with from high school and so on.I know it it's hard took when life keeps moving on, but I think what t the speaker is trying to point out is that sometimes all someone needs is Theo friend to talk to, to listen our just to be there. The poem also discusses a time a grief the both had that the both enshrined with alcohol. This must have been the turning point in their lives. When one took the road of school and never stopped. The other got off the road but never helped his friend with his troubles either. The friend would call when he was drunk. In pain. The speaker still dreaming. In the end the speaker realizes even the angels couldn't help his friend ease his pain.

The Twenty-third Psalm

For Entry #2 I decided to pick "The Twenty-third Psalm" - Anonymous

I believe that this poem has a controlling metaphor because it talks about the greatness of heaven/God.
The author uses the figurative language to make the trials of life and death seem scary. But he matches it with peaceful things. This makes me think that although life/death may seem scary at times, there is a peaceful happy place waiting for you.
I feel that this poem has a calming affect, because some of the things the authors mentions things that calm me. For example: green pastures, still waters, for thou art with me, they comfort me and surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Leaving the Motel

For Entry #1 I chose "Leaving the Motel" by W.D. Snodgrass

1.
I'm not 100% sure on this one, but the speaker isn't the author. I believe it is the couple or maybe one person speaking for both of the people in the poem. There isn't really anything that identifies whether the speaker is male or female. At the beginning, line 3, it says fold your collar, but this again could be one speaking for both. But the speaker is involved in an affair.

2.
They are at a motel and getting themselves ready to leave after having some sort of extra marital affair. The speaker mentions kids holler near the pool-they'll stay the night. They also mention the second bed, giving the licence plate numbers, paying, next time in other rooms with other names. A lot of motels have pools and a second bed and most place request your licence plate number and finally, you have to pay for the hotel and give a name for the room. I seem like its an affair because the speaker says things like keep things straight so they don't take each other's things home for their spouses to find. Again, different names-they are trying to cover their tracks. The speaker also says not to take anything so that no one can find it.

3.
I think the tone is kind of secretive yet rushed. They say "out of sight" and "Keep things Straight"-"which they won't care to trace" and "can't press claims".

4.
I believe the theme of the poem is the secretiveness of extramarital affairs.

Home Burial

Home Burial by Robert Frost has two speakers, a woman and a man, whom I assume are husband and wife because they talk about their child that is buried out in their yard. The wife seems to be openly grieving about the loss of the child and seems to be mad that the husband isn't grieving at all (well in her mind anyway). The first spot I noticed that the wife is upset is when she when she didn't want to tell him what she stopped to look at out the window. She didn't really think that he know that it was the child's grave. Then she mentions how she is upset how he dug the grave for the child and how she didn't know the man who was digging the grave and how he came back into the house with the mud on his shoes and going on with everyday life. It is almost as if she couldn't stand the sight of him after that point.
The man seems to be upset with the women going to find comfort in others and not with him and wants to work through this together. He tells her to don't go to someone else this time. He also asks her to help him, to help him talk, but he really doesn't get a chance to talk about the child. He even says he is cursed at one point. I think that is trying to say that he can't please her either way. He finally says that she needs to stay or else....basically...

A Certain Lady

Below are my responses to the questions following Dorothy Parker's "A Certain Lady"

To whom does the speaker seem to be talking?
It seems he is talking about a woman that he is in love with. He says "paint my mouth for you a fragrant red" (line 3). I think this means that he is talking about getting lipstick on his mouth from hers. He also says "That I am gay as morning, light as snow, And all the straining things within my heart You'll never know" (lines 10-12). This is why I think he is in love with her.

What sort of person is he?
He seems a little love sick and dramatic at the same time. Either way, may in love. Or lust.

How do you feel about him?
I feel kind of bad, because it seems the he feels very deeply for this woman, but I get the impression she is not in love with him. "When you rehearse your list of loves to me" (line 5); "And when, in search of novelty, you stray," (line 21).

Which habits and attitudes do you like the least?
I think I like this the least "And you bring tales of fresh adventures-Of ladies delicately indiscreet; Of lingering hands, and gently whispered things. (Lines 15-17) It seems as if he is either sleeping with a prostitute.

How soon can you tell that the speaker is not altogether happy about his conversation and conduct?
I think line 11; "And all the straining things within my heart - You'll never know

In what tone of voice would you read the first twenty-two lines aloud?
A soft almost loving tone.

What attitude would you try to express toward the person spoken to?
Loving and friendly at first.....

What tone would you use for the last two lines?
Maybe quietly and sad, but also a little sinister.

How would you describe the speaker's personality?
He seemed very kind, but also seems a little naughty, but maybe I think that because I just keep thinking the woman is a prostitute.

What aspects of her behavior are most crucial to the poem's effect?
Line 10 "That I'm gay as morning, light as snow" and lines 24&25 "And what goes on, my love, while you're away, You'll never know.

Richard Cory

I think that Edwin Arlington Robinson's "Richard Cory" showed me the perception that some people have can be very wrong and the perception some people give can just be a wall guarding them from letting people in. It talks about the man who was "richer than a king" and they "went without the meat". It shows that he seemed to think that Richard Cory had everything that any man could ever want, but yet the very last line was "Went home and put a bullet through his head." Did Richard really have everything he wanted. May be he just wanted a friend? He fluttered pulsed when he talked...was that rage or jealousy? It reminds me of the old saying "be careful what you wish for". One may be rich, but he may not be happy. Maybe it is true when people say I have I all need and I need what I have. Richard had riches, but did he have what he really needed?

Head, Heart

This is the first time I had read Head, Heart by Lydia Davis. I feel this poem very deeply. I think that the poem can relate to people in real life. Where head is the friend or family member trying to help you. Trying to tell you life goes on or everything happens for a reason. Or when the Pastor tells you that God has called his child home. 

Then heart is you. The sorrower. The one that wants the help, but more than anything, you want to hold or touch or talk to that person you loved so  much. You can't tell "heart" that everything happens for a reason and it still not hurt more then being hit by a car. Love hurts. The loss hurts even worse. Years later the heart still hurts and head still tells you that it is life. Move on. But never forget. Heart will never forget.

A & P

This story was set back in the 50's, I believe, at a local grocery store in the summer time. The Narrator is Sammy and he is working the checkout when three girls, must be around his age come in wearing only their swimsuits. Sammy quickly labels the girls, which I find very interesting. I know that everyone has labels for people, but labeling one Queenie was, well weird for me. I guess I never really had a "leader of the pack" that I can remember.

Anyway, the manager of he store tells the girls that they need to have the shoulders covered the next time they come to the store. I'm not really sure why Sammy does it, but he quits in protest for the girls. The girls are already gone, so for them to even notice what he did wasn't going to happen. Did he hope to be their Knight in Shining armor? I mean, really? That just seems really lame to me, but maybe some girls just eat that right up. I suppose that is what Sammy is hoping for. I can't wait to see the thoughts some of the other people had on this story.

Boys and Girls

This story is about a young girl growing up in rural Canada. This story hit real close to home with me. My family never lived on a farm, but we live in small (50 people and most of them related to me) town in MN and raised chickens and rabbits. This story tells about the perception of boys and girls from the narrator's eyes and the way boys and girls are perceived in the world. The narrator was sort of a tom boy at first, wanted to do what her dad and brothers did. I was like that too. I always wanted to help Grandpa in the field, pick rocks, bail hay, work the cows and the hogs. She thought housework was boring too. Again, so did I. Who wants to stay inside and do house work when you can be out having fun in the sun or snow, where all the action is. I think when they put the horse down was the turning point for the narrator. She started doing typical girl things. Daydreaming and dresses and even learned to enjoy the house work. I did get into the boys and the house work but I still enjoy getting my hands dirty every once in a while.

The Thing in the Forest

The Thing in the Forest is about two young girls, Penny and Primrose, who are sent away from the danger in Briton in WWII. It seems both Penny and Primrose had pretty simalar upbringings and both seemed to have no clue to what was going on. They both must have been scared to death of what was to come of them. They talked and filled each others heads and stomachs with fear. When out in the forest of the mansion they were shipped to, they saw a worm like creature that look and smelled like the worst thing in the world. I believe that this is their fear taking form. I think two very scared girls were so scared that they may have saw something and made it even worse than what it was. But everyone believes to see things when they are scared. Their minds playing tricks on them, some might saw. When they returned, they see the book with the fairy tale and they never see the creature again. I think end the end they both seem to overcome their fear and find a way to carry on with their lives.

The Birthmark

The Birthmark is about a scientist who gets married to a beautiful women, but in his mind, has one flaw and because of this falls just short of perfection. The scientist is Aylmer  and his wife is Georgiana. This story has a sort of symbol in it, that I believe is the hand. The hand is the one flaw that Georgiana has that is a birth- mark, in the shape of a hand, on her cheek. I think in this story the symbol, the hand, represents the hand that gives life and takes it away. Aylmer thinks that he can reach perfection by getting rid of the birth-mark on Georgiana's cheek. Is there truly perfection? And why didn't Aylmer listen to his dream? The dream seems to clearly tell him that he will kill her trying to get rid of the birth-mark, but yet he is so hell bent on getting rid of her "flaw". In the end he does kill her. He reaches his perfection, but the perfection is never his to have. I think that is the lesson that may be learned. Never try to take what is not yours or what you have may be taken away from you. Be happy and love what you have.

Interpreter of Maladies

This story starts out in India with the Das family, who seem to look Indian, but are American and the tour driver, Mr Kapasi (narartor) who is from India.
I really like how this story pointed our right away how the world has certian views on people. Right away Mr. Kapasi thought that the Das' where Indian and should speak the langue, but they were dressed like "tourists" It is amazing how you tell where someone is from just by the way they are dressed.

I'm not sure if I have figured out why is was so intruged by Mrs. Das after she thought his job as an interpeter was romantic. I am thinking that he was just so happy that someone even payed attention to him. It seems that he was not in a very strong relationship, especillay after his son died. He didn't even really talk to his wife anymore. 

Mrs. Das was drawn to him right away after she heard what his job was. Why is it that she thinks that he interpets that he is full of some sort of wisdom to help her with her guilt. I do believe that Mr. Kapasi was right asking her if it was guilt. I think she may have realized that maybe he was right and that is why he was upset. I also think that both Mr. and Mrs. Das must not be happy. The both seemed to be perfectly ok with bickering infront of the children. 

Finally, when Mr. Kapasi saves the boy from the monkeys, they don't as much thank him. Why? Don't they realize that it was their actions that led to the monkey attack? 

A Pair of TIckets

This story is taking place in China. Mostly on a train and then in a hotel room The narrator, Jandale, seems to be telling a story of a major event of her mother's life, which, in turn, makes it a major event in her life. Maybe it even opens her eyes to the heartbreak her mother was going though for a lifetime.
At first, she seems to be afraid to share in the same joy as her father when he sees his family. She is afraid her sisters will be sad and the meeting of them will be, well, horrible. She seems to think they will blame her for her death. I'm not sure if this is a cultural thing I don't quite understand, but I find it hard to believe that they would blame her. I do see so much compassion in Jandale. She is so concerned about the babies or little girls her mother left behind. I asked myself, would I feel the same way? Would I be upset? Then at one point she says something like, did my mother wish it that she had her two babies and not me? She is full of questions and is very nervous about the meeting.
When the meeting comes, I cried. It truly was like a family, like one of her Auntie's said...you are their own sister, their only family. They just knew right away that they belonged. No one one hated or resented each other. They were all just happy to see each other.
I think that is what the author is trying to say, maybe. No matter what, an ocean or a doorway, you will always be loved by family.

We Real Cool

I come to the conclusion that this poem seems to be mocking pool players at the Golden Shovel. It seems like the poet thought that maybe they were uneducated or something. Or, maybe, they did something that just hit the wrong cord with the poet so she just decided to write a poem mocking them. All in all, the poet seems to think that all they do is play pool, try to act cool and die.

Sonny's Blues

I'm not sure I found this story moving at all. I feel like the author was trying to go for a moving effect, but I just didn't feel it. I feel that this story was maybe more so a real account about real life siblings. The fact that the narrator chose the easy way out by not contacting Sonny when Sonny really could have benifited from the comfort and help he could have offered. Isn't this they way most people chose? The easy way out so you don't have to confront your feeling and you can avoid being hurt? In the end, I think, he finally learned what Sonny did to comfort himself and that maybe, just maybe, Sonny wasn't any different then he was. In the end we are all the same. We all hurt and we all s,mile. Just because we do these things in different ways and handle each situation differently doesn't make anyone any better than any one else.

Why I Live at the P.O.

This story, seems to me, is kind of about jealousy and stubborness. Sister seems like she is still upset at Stella-Rondo for taken away her boyfriend. Stella-Rondo seems like she just likes to be the center of attention, at least in sister's eyes. We do only get the story from Sister. But it really is quite comical how it all goes down and sister moves to the P.O. Both Sister and Stella-Rondo seem to be in a race to see who they can get on there sides. Sister by trying to get everyone to believe that Shirley T. isn't adoped and Stella-Rondo "twisting the words" of everthing Sister says. I really do think the best part is Uncle Rondo wearing Stella-Rondo's kimonos. In the end Sister packs up anything she she bought or planted and moved on down to the P.O. and so far has lasted 5 days. I'm sure, as in most family situations, that she or one of the family members will break down and start talking. It will most likely be the two sisters.

The Cask of Amontillado

I really liked how this grabbed my attention right away. "The thousand injuries of Furtunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge." I thought this had to be good. I thought that Montresor had to be plotting this revenge for a while. He did wait until the right moment, when Fortunato was already drunk and wanting that Armontillado. The way he used his "sincerity" to lure him deeper into the tunnel. Having everything in place, waiting for Fortunato to come and ready to box him in. Montresor must have been a little bit crazy to be able to put up that wall the whole time he can hear Armontillado in there with his screams, laughs and cries. Yet, he is simply getting revenge for, well, for what? An insult? If I was a jury member at Montresor's trial, I don't think I would believe an insanity plea. He planed this out to a T and only 50 years later does it come out of his mouth. He doesn't even seem remorseful about it. His tone almost seems like he is trying to warn someone else to not cross him.

The Shabbat

I would like to start out by saying that I loved this one. I feel that the narration brings out a differnt point of view for people and how they see what is going on around them. I have heard people say to watch what you say in front of your children, but I don't think some people realize how much we can learn from them and this story may bring that to life. The first comment that made me realize this was something like Iranians are olympic champians with gossip and then there was one about the currency for when she wanted to go shopping.
This is a very touching story to see how families lived through war going on right outside their doors. To have to wonder if a bomb killed your family and your friends. I think some peoeple live in fear all the time, but this does not stop them from living their lives. If they had wouldn't have people like Rosa Parks.

Cathedral

Cathedral is about a man, his wife, and his wife's blind friend and how the blind friend is going to be visiting the husband and wife at their home. The husband is narrarting the story and tells everything form his point of view.
From the beginning I feel that the husband is angry that the blind man is coming to visit. I feel like he thinks he is going to have to go out of his way to make the blind man feel welcome in his home. I came to realize that he is jealous and not angry. He seems to be real jealous of the tapes his wife and the blind man. I think he thinks the blind man may know more about his wife than he does and that his wife may open up to the blind man more than him. I also think he is uncomfortable with the blind man. Not knowing how to make small talk and act around him. I'm not sure I even liked the ending. I mean, I don't know if the husband even took anything from the expeience with the blind man or not. He says he didn't want to open his eyes. Was this because he was trying to see the world from a blind mans point of view or does he just not want to see the way his wife is looking at him?