Everyday Use #1

This short story written by Alice Walker confused me greatly. I had trouble keeping up with what the author was trying to shape together by the miscellaneous details and I just couldn't really seem to grasp what it was throughout. Now when I looked up and saw that chapter three in this book is all about characterization it helped me out a little, so I reread it and looked for the real development behind the main character. I noticed little details the second time that showed how brilliantly the author snuck in little mentions here and there that helped create the mother's personality so well. The way that she snakes her way around not giving the quilts away really intrigued me as a reader and allowed some interesting dialect to occur. I like that way that she stops herself from judging others because this gives her a very welcoming persona to go nicely with the content she that she has from being stripped down to nothing but her home. The author adequately characterizes the remainder of the girls very nicely by including a lot of emotional clues. Such as when the quilt argument is taking place, "Dee looked at me with hatred"(Walker). The subtle hints that Walker includes about not telling Dee that the Mother is really holding off on the quilts because she wants to give them to Maggie shows her goodheartedness but also revealed some of her character at the same time. In the end, I wasn't sure if I thought that the lying was appropriate mostly because I think that lying is wrong. I think that the author might have done this on purpose just to have the reader prepare their own imaginative persona built up in their head one way or the other. I enjoyed the way that the author characterized all of the roles in Everday Use and thought it was a nice read.

Interpreter of Maladies #8

This story, Interpreter of Maladies, in it's entirety confused me at certain points because of the development of the character's in Jhumpa Lahiri's story. The slow build in the thinking habits of Mr. Kapasi, the taxi driver, allowed the focus in the beginning to stay on the family and this driver. I thought this was a smart move by Lahiri because I was able to really see the family as a whole and Mr. Kapasi as an individual before I intertwined their stories together. The background information given by Mrs. Das later on in the story helps in the understanding of her actions and thought process which became really evident in the rereading of this short story. The compiling thoughts from Mr. Kapasi really allowed me to believe that Mrs. Das was a woman that did the right thing and was going to show him simple kindness that one would expect in a story as this. Therefore the ending really surprised me when Mrs. Das revealed the startling news that one of her children was not her husbands. This fact will influence Mr. Kapasi and how he sees his wife and family. I would not be surprised at all if this actually changes his treatment of the people in his life into a relationship that he cared about more. I hope that this would have a permanent change in his life because of how significant the information is to a relationship as intimate as marriage. Appreciating what God has given us through marriage seems to be neglected so often by so many people that I hope an event as drastic as this occurring in any one's life would have a long-lasting impact. I feel as though this is an unhappy ending. Unhappy because Mr. Kapasi now has to know for the longest time what this woman has told him without letting her husband in on the secret. Knowing someone is enduring a long pain does not sound like something that I would want to stand by and have at all. The end seems to relate Mr. Kapasi's scenario to that of the monkey's when he writes, "Solemnly observing the scene below"(Lahiri).

Hazel Tells LaVerne #3

Hazel Tells LaVerne is a very straightforward poem written by Katharyn Machan that throws a twist on the classic princess and the frog scenario. The way that the poem is shaped, I naturally had to read the words exactly as are on the page in my head. This created a nice flow throughout the line variation and helped me to hear the voice that the author was trying to create so well. The use of mashing some of the words used together to really help emphasize how the authors mind was thinking at the time seemed very well done and thought out. I loved how the m was added to both "Flushm"(Line 9) and "Hitsm"(Line21). By using this humorous tone throughout her poem, Katharyn influenced the mood to fell casual and very inviting. These both helped add to the humble aspect of the ending where she spoke in seemingly bewilderment about herself being a princess. I enjoyed the spacing of the end of the poem because of the disbelief that I could really feel in her mind. It was almost as if we were not hearing how she would have narrated the scene to someone else, but actually as though we were a part of her mind that heard all of the thoughts and not just the one's that were expected. By writing her poem in such a casual and flowing manner, Katharyn aptly made the scene feel both real and natural. What an overall enjoyable, delectable poem.

Mr. Z

Mr. Z written by M. Carl Holman poured on diction that helped give very descriptive pictures. He went through an entire lifespan and adequately depicted a misunderstood person. He portrayed someone that was told right from wrong from the opening line with, "Sign of error"(Line 1). Question one does not really ask a question but states several words that are a part of the diction that stands out so much in the poem. The list begins with profane which is used in line ten to indicate a sort of reverence that this character might have for God and the religious life. I thought this was important in the span of the poem because of the reference to the Jewish religion and other dining points. The second vocabulary word pointed out was kosher. This word deemed itself important because of the connection that I saw in the fact that this person seemed to have to have their life approved by someone else. Control had to play an important role in this personas life. The use of exotic in this poem related to the remainder of the skin color points that occurred. Because of the color of this persons skin, they seemed to be treated differently their entire life. I would be extremely bothered by this if it occurred in my own life. I liked the use of exotic so much because it went directly with skin. Instead of cueing in directly on what exact tone it was, exotic leaves an air of mystery as to wether we are completely sure of what it is or not. Genius. The last word pointed out was obit. I had to look it up the first time I read through the poem so I only found it appropriate that it was including in the first question about diction that I came across. As vague about the writers that he is, I thought about why the author would use obit here a lot. Is it because of the vagueness of the diction that did not directly involve the person? Was it because of the recent death? I am not entirely sure, but I would like to think it was utilized because of how it gives the last line of the poem such a substantial sound. 

Dream Deferred

In Dream Deferred, a short poem written by Langston Hughes, the use of similes draws in the imagination behind the poem. At first glance, I thought the poem surely was only to describe what the author really truly thought about his personal dreams. But when I really contemplated the rhetorical questions posed about whether a dream turned into this or that, I found that I had to think of my own personal dreams and aspirations and what happened to them when I gave them up. This genius displayed through the use of like and such descriptive diction brought fourth such vivid memories that I could not help but really enjoy the poem.
The second aspect that I truly admired in the poem was his ability to call forward so many various memories. By beginning the poem with a reference to nature by writing, "Like a raisin in the sun"(Line 3), I immediately began to think of accomplishments that I had once aspired involving the outdoor life. He then proceeded to take on a new aspect of aiming towards the fact that putting off a dream is similar to failing by writing, "Fester like a sore"(Line 4), which also made me recall the feeling of reminiscing on a forgotten dream as something sad. I enjoyed the middle section that brought up the wonderful portrayal of dreams as a memory to enjoy by comparing it to a sweet that has only gotten better with time.
The conclusion made me wonder how might this authors dreams be holding up. Why end on such a sad note that speaks of dreams holding us back and exploding? I would imagine that this author had to have had a particular inspiration that would make the poem of such wonders end in such an abrupt manner. I still remain in the position that I thoroughly enjoy this poem because of the literary devices used in the similes throughout.

Interpretation

I agree with Perrine about this notion that not all insights into poetry are correct. Although the way that Perrine began his argument really aggravated me, I still came around to agree with the concept. I wonder if he wrote the intro in a manner to get people to not agree so that it would all come around in the end? It worked if that was his plan. His intro irked me to a degree because I have felt at certain times that a poem really could be about seemingly anything according to my previous experiences. I was bothered by the introduction because it seemed as though this article was going to tell me about how many various interpretations can be correct, but then the author so clearly stated that he was going to argue for the idea that there are incorrect readings of poetry. "In a court of law"(Page 1), really started turning the wheels in my head when I read it because I was forced to think of the proceedings in a court of law. At first I thought of a jury, and how they can truly interpret the evidence represented in any way that they think is correct. Then I circled back around to the evidence and started to understand the meaning that Perrine was inferring. It is not so much about what is thought about the article, but why it is being thought. The evidence is what can be clearly found. What is found in a poem is what an idea about the poem should be based upon. I had never even considered going about an interpretation in this way.
The article really did change my personal viewpoint on the interpretations of poems through the way that Perrine so clearly broke down the poems that we had previously looked at in our class. His logical thinking about the diction the poet had provided us really convicted me. It made me think about what I had thought the poems meant according to what I had read. I realized that I based my thoughts solely on accounts of my own that I recalled in the past. I did not even bother thinking of the obvious flaws in my own conclusion. Because I enjoy science so much, I found it very helpful when Perrine compared the findings in literature to those that are found in the science field. When I read a poem in the future, I will definitely use that idea of looking for my evidence in the poem provided to support my conclusion. I will definitely think about this article often when I am attempting to come up with a reasoning for the majority of my thoughts in this class from now on. They make an argument a lot stronger, and logically sensible.

Reading Photograph

Taken in Cambodia near the Angkor Wat temple.

The End (169-180)

Throughout The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I wondered to myself if I liked the book or not. I have come to the conclusion that I would like the book better if there might have been one theme that really stuck out to me instead of the ones that I became aware of while reading it. I found myself comparing this to The Perks of being a Wallflower because of the battle I felt that Nick was having throughout the book with himself. I felt as though Nick was experiencing nostalgia because of both his inability to commit to the relationship with Jordan and his sad attempts at being a part of life. He was used so often as a piece in this stupid puzzle that ended with the one good man I liked dead. I wish that either this theme would have been exemplified or modified in a way that revealed the theme of the wrongdoings of humanity being revealed by living in the past. It seemed that because Gatsby loved Daisy in the past he thought that he should rightfully have her now. I do not think that this is how our lives should be done. It bothers me that one would feel entitled like that in the future. I hope that I myself do not do this. I was also bothered by the lack of talking that Nick did. Why didn't he reveal the truth about the wreck? I definitely would have told everyone. It is what should have been done. The pride shown by Gatsby's father was another miscellaneous point that I could not relate to the rest of the story and that bothers me. What was the point of bringing his family back into the scene? Was it because I was told his family was dead and he inherited his money? Is this just supposed to be a revelation of the lying and absurdity of all that Gatsby was made up of? "Borne back ceaselessly into the past"(Page 180), is this a reference of the past being brought up through Gatsby's father? I would have liked an ending that connected more of the dots personally.

Death (Pages 157-168)

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, life and death occur. I was able to experience life through the descriptions of the events by Nick about the going-abouts of Daisy and Gatsby. I experienced death through the killing that Daisy inflicted upon Mrs. Wilson and the two deaths brought on by Mr. Wilson upon Gatsby and Mr. Wilson. I was so hoping that Mr. Wilson might be able to come around to the conclusion that it was actually Mr. Buchanan that his wife was cheating with and not the great Gatsby. I wonder what Daisy thought when she first heard the news. I hope that Mr. Buchanan and Daisy attend the funeral anyways. I am not sure if I see the purpose in including the selection of Mr. Gatsby's father coming into town for the funeral also. It appeared that he had not done much for his son anyways. Nick seems upset, but I am not sure if he has come to the full realization of what has actually occurred yet. I bet that dealing with such a death as this is not one that is easy to overcome. I like how the author has created the climax at such an unsuspecting point in the book. It usually comes about in the center with a lot of downward action not really pertaining to the book, but just when I thought that Gatsby had lost his love and the plot had come to a conclusion, the curve ball was thrown with the murder and suicide. I found that Nick was dealing poorly with the death when he thought he heard Gatsby say, "Look here, old sport, you've got to get somebody for me. You've got to try hard. I can't go through this alone"(Page 165). This is when I felt sad because Gatsby wasn't going through it alone, he had Nick.

Upset (145-156)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has developed this character called Gatsby in an interesting but also confusing way. I found it interesting because of the mysterious aroma that ensued the entrance of Gatsby into the plot. I found it confusing because of the many side stories that were contained in the revelation of the story line of Gatsby's life and all that he has done. This ending is looking to be one that I will not enjoy for the reason that I like it when despite what wrong might occur, the right people end up together. As of now, I do not see Gatsby ending up with Daisy. The saddest part of my thinking is that I figure Daisy might end up in jail leaving Gatsby heart broken in the world forever. I do not think that anyone is going to believe the story that Gatsby was driving the car that struck Mrs. Wilson. Mr. Wilson seems so torn that the possibility of him going after Mr. Buchanan seems very real and alive. I would not mind at all if Mr. Buchanan got what was coming to him. He has done so much wrong and ruined his own marital relationship and then prevented the relationship from occurring between Daisy and Gatsby. The continuous flashbacks that Gatsby describes do not draw me into believing that he belongs with Daisy. On the contrary, I believe that the way he forced her to feel secure and confident in him when he clearly had neither was the wrong thing to do. The fact that he admits, "He(Gatsby) had deliberately given Daisy a sense of security...he had no such facilities"(Page 149), really bothers me because I had hoped all along that he had done the right thing from the start ergo rightfully earning her unshakable love. I was entirely wrong.

Sad Story (Page 133-144)

Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby develops many characters through a quick paced plot that will brings me to the edge of my seat. I feel so bad for this group of people that have come together through what I would call misfortune. The fact that Daisy and Gatsby did not end up together in the first place is enough to bring forth tears. On top of that, when they are finally reunited, they are separated by minuscule detail in an argument that no party besides Mr. Buchanan can call the truth. Gatsby seems to have been ruined as a person in this last part. I am sad because I thought that he would rightfully triumph over Buchanan because of all the wrong that Buchanan made happen, but instead Buchanan revealed wrong that Gatsby had partaken in and this whole situation got messed up. Daisy hitting someone with the car just does not seem right at all. how could this ridiculous love story be coming to such a horrible ending? The power that Buchanan has over Daisy is very upsetting. The tones of voice and body language that he portrays make me feel bad for Daisy since she must endure them for what appears eternity at the conclusion of this passage. I hope that those deserving each other will end up with the right person. I wonder if Nick will be able to commit and actually get with jordan once and for all. The way that he dropped her hand saddened me. Why don't these people end up with the right people! The effort that Gatsby seems to be putting in is getting ridiculous. "If he tries any brutality she's going to turn the light on and off again"(Page 144), gives the reader a glimpse of how attached and really brainwashed that Gatsby is to the idea that he is going to end up with Daisy. Now I am not even sure if Daisy wants to end up with Gatsby anymore. She just goes along with the flow way to much.

Breaking Point (Pages 121-132)

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is now reaching a climactic point where the possibility of world's breaking is becoming a reality. It seems as though the relationships that Mr. Buchanan has in his life might be coming to an inevitable end. It is inevitable because of the actions that he has taken in order to set himself up to get the deserving punishment that is coming his way. He has cheated on his wife multiple times with different women in various place. How could he expect to maintain a healthy, loving relationship with his wife? I find this notion completely ridiculous. No one in their right mind would allow themselves to be on the end of a relationship were being cheated on is a regular. I hope that Daisy follows through with her word and leaves Mr. Buchanan for good. She deserves Gatsby because of the time that he has waited and the perseverance that was shown. In the argument that ensued between Gatsby, Daisy, and Mr. Buchanan, I found Daisy's cry for help when she said, "I love you now-isn't that enough? I can't help what's past"(Page 132). She understands that her current situation may not look the nest for Gatsby to intrude upon, but she knows deep down that her past feelings and current feelings combine to be stronger for those that are directed towards Mr. Buchanan. The detail in this selection was amazing. The spot about Daisy dropping the cigarette and light, the description of the pain inflicted on Gatsby, and the confidence displayed by Mr. Buchanan all came together so well to develop this high tension scenario that no one in their right mind would willingly desire to be apart of.

Confrontation (109-120)

The Great Gatsby scribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald contains characters that are full of love and laughter, and in this reading, they began to clash. Throughout this selection, I found that the tension between the characters was caused by the revelation to Mr. Buchanan that Gatsby and Daisy are in love. I realized this is what the tension was created by when I read, "She(Daisy) had told him(Gatsby) that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw"(Page 119). Infuriated it seemed that Mr. Buchanan was motivated to figure out if this was really what was happening between the two with every action that he took. His sudden desire to go into town seemed to be spurned on by the hopes that there would be another sign of love between Daisy and Gatsby. I think that Mr. Buchanan might actually come to like the idea that he has an out from the relationship that has been continually degrading. I know that Mr. Buchanan likes his mistress very much due to the fact that he wanted to show him off at one point to Nick. Now that he is aware of his wife's love for Gatsby, maybe he will be inspired to change his opinion of marriage and break it off. I think that this would be the best for the both of them. I just hope that they are able to pull it off smoothly! On a side note, I am curious as to how intense the relationship between Nick and Jordan is because of the quick reference to spending time together in New York including a visit with some of her family. Perhaps another relationship will develop also, I guess I will find out soon enough!

Variation and Complication (97-108)

In this reading of The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I came to understand Gatsby as a man better. It seems as though he is a round character because of both the way that he changes his emotions and because of the knowledge that I am constantly gaining from the side stories told. I found that the building up of the party scene and the tension created by the presence of Tom Buchanan was incredibly effective. Through the use of both superb diction and a variation in syntax, I found the writing style of Fitzgerald to be well done. On page 104, Fitzgerald describe the mood of the party as, "The same people, or at least the same sort of people, the same profusion of champagne, the same many-colored, many keyed commotion, but I felt an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn't been there before"(Page 104). I found this particular portion of the passage to be so effective because of the development of the thought by the reader demanded by the structure of the sentence including the commas and the description through the diction. I found that this was important to the passage as a whole for the reason that we could relate to how Mr. Buchanan was acting and why he was acting that way. His curiosity began to reveal itself over the course of this chapter through his interest in both Gatsby and his wife. It appears that for the first time Mr. Buchanan is worried about how and who his wife is spending time with. How ironic. Mr. Buchanan himself can cheat on his wife, but his wife cannot do as she pleases? This seems very unfair and I, personally, am hoping that they might end their relationship happily in order to pursue their real lovers.

Bewilderment (Pages 85-96)

Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald has continually built up the character Jay Gatsby. In this previous section, I was very impressed at Fitzgerald's ability to build the tension between Gatsby and Daisy. The way that he describes the various actions taken by Gatsby that were advances for conversation and interaction seemed very real. The dream like state that Gatsby walked through his house in was portrayed so wonderfully by this idea that the beauty of Daisy was overpowering all else in the house. I found the diction in this particular selection of the book to be picked wonderfully. The author developed a dark setting with the rain and the gloom that was about then altered the mood by changing the weather and brightening up the relationship of the reunited friends. I wonder if Fitzgerald did this on purpose. It created a nice emotional story by writing so much about the nature then having the human(Daisy) be more beautiful than any manmade object that Gatsby could show off in the hopes of impressing his guests. I also liked how they eventually had nothing to do so they fell back on another splendor in life by having a guest play the piano. When Fitzgerald was describing events taking place, he used words that I found both as wonderful diction, and funny to the current situation. "...Began to cry stormily"(Page 92), was my favorite because of the way that he had described the rain and weather earlier in the reading. I ma curious as to what is going to develop between Gatsby and Daisy. By the description of Nick, they are already becoming a couple as easily as they had before. While he is leaving they are so out of it that they barely notice his going. I would like to know if Gatsby has fallen so hard for Daisy so quickly because of infatuation or because of their history together.

Anxiety (Pages 73-84)

It seems as though F. Scott Fitzgerald has finally decided to release the caged Gatsby character in this passage of The Great Gatsby. I have been waiting to figure out this Gatsby guy for the majority of the book, and now it everything is coming together. I wonder if the fallout with Daisy is the even that Gatsby referred to as very sad in the previous chapters. The development of this plot has been very weird in my opinion. The way that some things are told from the retrospect throws me off. Plus the way that other people have commentary throughout telling stories has made me reread a couple of times. I do like the way that this leaves the future action of the book as a toss up though. I really have no idea whatsoever what is going to happen next. I really hope that some sort of scandal occurs and these characters that are secretly in love will end up together. Maybe Tom will be able to get with his girl that he truly appears to love. I like that idea because it frees up Daisy to relieve Gatsby of all anxiety and it means that Tom will be happy with his girl for once. I found the story about Daisy getting married depressing because of the fact that she really did not want to get married but just did it anyways. Was the letter she held to so dearly from Gatsby? I am making the assumption that it was from Gatsby. I hope this meeting of Daisy and Gatsby ends well. The description of Gatsby before the meeting just added to the excitement when they described him as, "Pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes"(Page 84). I hope Gatsby can catch Daisy off guard and make her fall for him all over again.

Wonder (Page 61-72)

So far in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald I have felt a mood of mystery woven in the writings, but in this past reading a new sensation came to my mind. Wonder. I began to not just feel the mystery induced by the lack of knowledge of the characters, but now with glimpses of what their histories contain, only wonder fills my head. I wonder about what will the next excursion with this most intriguing Mr. Gatsby will bring about. It seems as though this book could go into any different direction at all and I would not be surprised at all. Hopefully I would be awed at how such an intricate introduction to the story could face about and turn into a well-thought-out story line. Even Nick seems to begin to feel this wonder in the air. I sensed he did through the way he included the descriptions of the outcomes of some peoples lives in the list of those that visited Mr. Gatsby's that summer. He even seems to declare his feelings of wonder when he thinks, "Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder"(Page 69). I was not sure wether Fitzgerald was trying to imply that the Jewish man in the story had a particular dialect because of the way that he spelled out the Jewish man's words. It seems nearly impossible to even attempt to guess what will happen next, but I cannot lie I am excited to figure out the relationship with Jordan and the possibility of figuring out the "sad event" in Gatsby's past.

Honesty is the Greatest Policy(Pages 49-60)

Throughout this selection of chapter three of The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I began to learn more of this Gatsby fellow. While Nick attended a party at Gatsby's house, I was able to learn facts about Gatsby through the conversation that they held. The author again drew me in with his insane ability to draw my attention to the mystery of this character. I'm not sure that I am entirely keeping up with the time that is passing by because of the random side stories throughout. How far apart have these events occurred? It seems as though they have entirely been in the summer he has been present but then how much is he actually working? He talks of frequently going to New York and working and stalking people but does not give solid time periods for how long events in his life are occurring. Towards the end of this selection, Nick gives out insight into his relationship with Jordan and I would like to better understand how relationships normally went about in this time period. It seems as though he genuinely cares for her, but his doubting of her morality is evident in the clips of her inability to tell the truth. Why does it seem that he is about to drastically change something in his life? I first began to wonder if a momentous change is about to occur when Nick thought, "Nevertheless there was a vague understanding that had to be tactfully broken off before I was free"(Page 58-59). Where might this story take us next?

Revelation (Pages 37-48)

In this passage of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I finally got to get to know Gatsby a little bit. He is a man thoroughly made of mystery. It seems as though no one really knows much about the fellow. I like Gatsby so much already. The less I know about him the more I just want to know. This also allows my imagination to really build him up as a complete mystery;therefore, he has endless possibilities! He can end up being absolutely anything and the only way that I am going to find out more about this marvelous Gatsby is by reading and finding out. He could end up being a foil character for various of the previously described characters. It would make sense to me that Fitzgerald would build up these side characters in order to better contrast the main character that is yet to be entirely revealed. The conclusion of the pages that I finished seemed so appropriate. Instead of Nicks friend giving him any kind of descriptive important response, "He's just a man named Gatsby"(Page 48). This novel is really turning out to be one that I enjoy more than the last mostly because of the mysterious aspect, but I think that I already am relating to the male characters better in this book than The House of Mirth.

Attraction (Pages 25-36)

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, discussion between friends in a New York apartment reveals a lot about their current marital relationships and how they came to be. It is funny to me how openly they talk about what their feelings are at the current time face to face because of the lack of face to face contact in today's world. I also find it humorous that they, just as we do today, get together and consume alcohol and then proceed to complain about how the relationships in our lives are not as we wish they were to be. The reminiscing floods the characters with remorse about ether how quickly they acted or how they wish they would have acted. I felt sad when reading that even back then people found themselves in situations to be unfaithful to their spouse and grasped the opportunity. On page 36 when Mrs. Wilson found herself thinking, "You can't live forever; you can't live forever"(Page 36), I felt horrible for the man that she married. She was so ready to move on from this man that she once loved that she later even exclaims that she never loved him at all! The characterization of both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson was interesting because of the descriptions of appearance and how attractive they appeared. Mr. Wilson seems a boring fellow while on the other hand Mrs. Wilson comes off as having a beauty that draws you in, instead of being blown away at first glance.