With the decline of reading for pleasure in children and even adults, where do you see this heading? Is the decline really big enough to cause concern? Can people get enough information from other types of media to be able to make it in this world? If people are reading the materials necessary for their jobs and schooling, is it a must that they read for enjoyment?
I am wondering if we might not turn into a zombie world. Walking around as if lifeless, with no purpose at all. I was wondering about the world of literature and its impact on our society and I asked these questions: With the decline of reading for pleasure in children and even adults, where do you see this heading? Is the decline really big enough to cause concern? Can people get enough information from other types of media to be able to make it in this world? If people are reading the materials necessary for their jobs and schooling, is it a must that they read for enjoyment? My first question about the decline of reading in adults and children and where it is heading was answered by an article by the National Endowment for the arts. They say that people who don't read are less likely to participate in sports, go to museums, help with community projects, etc. When I did a survey and asked the same question about 60 percent agreed and 40 percent disagreed. Those that disagreed had pretty good thoughts on it. They said that they themselves weren't much on reading and that they still participated in sports activities and such. Those that did agree said that they participated in activities as well as reading and said that those who do not read much seemed more likely to not participate in social and extracurricular activities, but instead sit and watch television. My second question about cause for concern wasn't clearly answered. With all of those that do read out there, still millions, maybe there isn't cause to worry. Then I thought about those that do read and participate and those who just sit at home and do nothing but watch t.v. If those that do not participate in activities in community activities and such start to out number those that do, we just might have a world of zombies. People just might start walking around lost, not knowing how to interact with each other. When I surveyed people asking if they thought it was a bad thing if people read for leisure or not, it was about 50/50. I think to get a more concrete conclusion I would need to survey more people, only about 10 people answered my survey. I didn't ask why they thought it was a good or bad thing. But It came to my mind, why don't people read for leisure? Are the books out there boring? Are they hard to understand. I think with all of the books out there, we need to maybe dig deep sometimes to find ones that are enjoyable. There has to be some kind of book that appeals to each individual persons likes and dislikes. I think authors these days are trying to make their literature more enjoyable by making nice easy to read books, take Amy Tan for instance. She says, "at first I wrote using what I thought to be wittily crafted sentences, sentences that would prove I had mastery over the English language. " Later I decided I should envision a reader for the stories I would write" (Kennedy 135). I think that if we all dig deep maybe we can each find something that appeals to us so that we can keep reading alive. My other question about people getting the same information from other types of media was answered by Dana Goia (NEA) and he said that, "print culture affords irreplaceable forms of focused attention and contemplation that make complex communications and insights possible." So, yes you can get information you need, but the benefits of reading are much more. People are reading for their jobs, but it is not the same as reading for enjoyment. In short, if we don’t do something now, we may have a future where we are all just walking around like zombies lost on how to communicate with each other.
What do you think? Do you think that if we as individuals stop reading for leisure, we may lose our ability to communicate effectively with each other? How important is it to get children to read and keep them reading into their adult lives? Do you agree that reading gives us more than other media can?
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Blog 22 freestyle
In watching different clips of Othello on you tube I would have to say that the newer version of Othello, "O" is my favorite of the Othello movies. I think that I like its up to date language and story. I think that whoever wrote the movie "O" did a good interpretation of the original play. That said, of the clips that I watched of " Othello" on you tube that went along with the dialogue of the play I would say that the 1995 one with Laurence Fishburn was a good one. I guess it is because I am more into the newer movies with better sound, color and altogether visual appeal. It think it is great that they keep coming out with newer versions of plays like Othello, so that people like me who can't totally get the whole picture because the language holds us back, can at least get a better understanding of the play when we see it visually in film.
Blog 21: Othello scene Response
I watched scenes from different Othello's on you tube. I really enjoyed the clip of 1995's Othello with Laurence Fishburn. The clip in particular that I am talking about is the end of the play where Othello makes a last statement about his hurt in what happened with Desdemona. Othello talks about how he loved Desdemona to well. Laurence does a good job showing the pain that Othello feels in killing Desdemona. It is very heart felt and genuine. It is a very sad ending in the play, but watching it on film makes it resonate even more.
Blog 20: Quote response Othello
IAGO
She did deceive her father, marrying you;
And when she seem'd to shake and fear your looks,
She loved them most.
OTHELLO
And so she did.
IAGO
Why, go to then;
She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,
To seal her father's eyes up close as oak-
He thought 'twas witchcraft--but I am much to blame;
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon
For too much loving you.
OTHELLO
I am bound to thee for ever.
(Shakepeare 961)
I chose this quote because it just shows even more how Iago messes with Othellos head. He points out that Desdemona easily deceived her father in marrying Othello. He says that he is to blame for Desdemonas father thinking Othello used witchcraft on her. And then Iago is so good at playing on Othellos emotions by telling him that it was because he loved too much. When Othello says I am bound to thee forever it shows how much Othello trusts Iago and how easily it will be for Iago to keep manipulating the situation as he does keep doing. Even though it is still hard for me to understand quite a bit of this play because of the way it is written, the lines that Shakepseare uses are so powereful. And it just goes to show we are human and no matter what century we live in we all are to trusting at times and are easily swayed by what others we hold in high regard might say to us.
She did deceive her father, marrying you;
And when she seem'd to shake and fear your looks,
She loved them most.
OTHELLO
And so she did.
IAGO
Why, go to then;
She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,
To seal her father's eyes up close as oak-
He thought 'twas witchcraft--but I am much to blame;
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon
For too much loving you.
OTHELLO
I am bound to thee for ever.
(Shakepeare 961)
I chose this quote because it just shows even more how Iago messes with Othellos head. He points out that Desdemona easily deceived her father in marrying Othello. He says that he is to blame for Desdemonas father thinking Othello used witchcraft on her. And then Iago is so good at playing on Othellos emotions by telling him that it was because he loved too much. When Othello says I am bound to thee forever it shows how much Othello trusts Iago and how easily it will be for Iago to keep manipulating the situation as he does keep doing. Even though it is still hard for me to understand quite a bit of this play because of the way it is written, the lines that Shakepseare uses are so powereful. And it just goes to show we are human and no matter what century we live in we all are to trusting at times and are easily swayed by what others we hold in high regard might say to us.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Blog 16: Scene from O
The scene I chose was one between Hugo and Michael. It takes place after Michael gets in trouble for fighting with Roger. Hugo tells Michael that he needs to get Desi to talk Odin into helping him get back on the team. In the beginning of the conversation Hugo says to Michael, "Am I your boy? Am I your boy?" And he says yes. It just shows how good Hugo is at manipulating people. He makes them trust him and pretends that he is helping them for their own good. So then Hugo moves forward with his plan to take down Odin by telling Michael that he needs to hang out with Desi as much as possible to get her to talk to Odin for him. Michael is just wanting back on the team, he doesn't know that Hugo is setting him up to make Odin mad. Hugo is a great manipulator. I have never come across manipulation like this in my life, but I think there are many people out there just as manipulative as Hugo.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Blog 19: Freestyle
The Othello play is kind of heard to get into. The story itself is good enough, it is just that the words that are used are hard to comprehend. It does help that the meanings behind some of the words are at the bottom of the page, but it still kind of takes away from the story when you have to go back and forth so much like I do. I know that this is normal for a Shakespeare play, it is just kind of hard to get an understanding of what is going on at times. I can see where Shakespeare's work was like no one else's though.
Blog 18: Quote Response
Two things are to be done:
My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress;
I'll set her on;
Myself the while to draw the Moor apart,
And bring him jump when he may Cassio find
Soliciting his wife: ay, that's the way
Dull not device by coldness and delay.
(Shakespeare pg. 953)
These lines that Iago says were pretty meaningful to me. With these words you know that his plot to break up Othello and Desdemona will most likely end badly. There is still a lot of the play left and this at the end of the second act tells me that what's to come out of this will not be good. It also shows the lengths that Iago will go to to break up Othello and Desdemona, his hate for Othello goes that far.
My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress;
I'll set her on;
Myself the while to draw the Moor apart,
And bring him jump when he may Cassio find
Soliciting his wife: ay, that's the way
Dull not device by coldness and delay.
(Shakespeare pg. 953)
These lines that Iago says were pretty meaningful to me. With these words you know that his plot to break up Othello and Desdemona will most likely end badly. There is still a lot of the play left and this at the end of the second act tells me that what's to come out of this will not be good. It also shows the lengths that Iago will go to to break up Othello and Desdemona, his hate for Othello goes that far.
Blog 17: Trifles
MRS. PETERS (with a rising voice). "We don't know who killed him. We don't know."
MRS. HALE (her own feeling not interrupted.) "If there'd been years and years of nothing, then a bird to sing to you, it would be awful--still, after the bird was still."
MRS. PETERS (something within her speaking). "I know what stillness is. When we homesteaded in Dakota, and my first baby died--after he was two years old, and me with no other then--"
MRS. HALE (moving). "How soon do you suppose they'll be through, looking for evidence?"
MRS. PETERS." I know what stillness is." (Pulling herself back). "The law has got to punish crime, Mrs. Hale."
MRS. HALE (not as if answering that). "I wish you'd seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang." (A look around the room). "Oh, I wish I'd come over here once in a while! That was a crime! That was a crime! Who's going to punish that?"
(Glaspell pg.818)
I chose these lines of dialogue out of Trifles because they seem to me a very powerful part of the play. It seems to me the women are realizing that Mrs. Wright very well could have committed murder, but they are trying to think of things that would cause her to be troubled enough to do that. When Mrs. Peters says, " I know what stillness is." I was given the idea that Mrs. Peters feels for Mrs. Wright in the fact that she seemed to live in nothing but stillness. When Mrs. Hale says, " I wish I'd come over here once in awhile! That was a crime! That was a crime! Who's going to punish that?" I realized that Mrs. Hale realizes that Mrs. Wright may have committed murder and if she had been more of a friend to her and given her companionship Mrs. Wright would not have hung her husband. When I read "the law has got to punish crime Mrs. Hale," I did get a sense that Mrs. Peters is still a little hesitant on keeping the dead bird her and Mrs. Hale found a secret especially since she is the sheriff's wife. I did find it very interesting though, that they did at least want to keep the secret for the time being. That is a big secret to keep.
I thought the ending was interesting. It made you think about what might happen later. Since Mrs. Peters is a little more hesitant, I kind of imagined her spilling the beans in court or something and her husband being very ashamed that his wife did not come forward in the first place. And then Mr. Hale also not being happy with his wife for keeping things from him as well.
MRS. HALE (her own feeling not interrupted.) "If there'd been years and years of nothing, then a bird to sing to you, it would be awful--still, after the bird was still."
MRS. PETERS (something within her speaking). "I know what stillness is. When we homesteaded in Dakota, and my first baby died--after he was two years old, and me with no other then--"
MRS. HALE (moving). "How soon do you suppose they'll be through, looking for evidence?"
MRS. PETERS." I know what stillness is." (Pulling herself back). "The law has got to punish crime, Mrs. Hale."
MRS. HALE (not as if answering that). "I wish you'd seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang." (A look around the room). "Oh, I wish I'd come over here once in a while! That was a crime! That was a crime! Who's going to punish that?"
(Glaspell pg.818)
I chose these lines of dialogue out of Trifles because they seem to me a very powerful part of the play. It seems to me the women are realizing that Mrs. Wright very well could have committed murder, but they are trying to think of things that would cause her to be troubled enough to do that. When Mrs. Peters says, " I know what stillness is." I was given the idea that Mrs. Peters feels for Mrs. Wright in the fact that she seemed to live in nothing but stillness. When Mrs. Hale says, " I wish I'd come over here once in awhile! That was a crime! That was a crime! Who's going to punish that?" I realized that Mrs. Hale realizes that Mrs. Wright may have committed murder and if she had been more of a friend to her and given her companionship Mrs. Wright would not have hung her husband. When I read "the law has got to punish crime Mrs. Hale," I did get a sense that Mrs. Peters is still a little hesitant on keeping the dead bird her and Mrs. Hale found a secret especially since she is the sheriff's wife. I did find it very interesting though, that they did at least want to keep the secret for the time being. That is a big secret to keep.
I thought the ending was interesting. It made you think about what might happen later. Since Mrs. Peters is a little more hesitant, I kind of imagined her spilling the beans in court or something and her husband being very ashamed that his wife did not come forward in the first place. And then Mr. Hale also not being happy with his wife for keeping things from him as well.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Blog 15: Marjane Satrapi-Persepolis
This graphic novel was a great read. It held my interest the whole time. At first in opening the novel I thought great, another comic book. But it definitely is not a comic book. It is easy to follow and the pictures give even more image to the story. I learned a lot about the history of Iran. Marjane was a very brave girl and I assume that she is a very brave woman now. I think it was a great idea for her to put her story in a graphic novel.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Blog 12: Quote Response Satrapi
Before this sequence of frames, Marji has been helping her maid Mehri write letters to the boy next door that she is in love with. Marjis' dad find out and goes to the boy (Hossein) next door. In this following sequence he lets it be known that Mehri is their maid and not their daughter.
(First clip) Father: "I am your neighbor. I would like to have a few words with your son."
(Second Clip) Father: "Ok, I'll get to the point: In know that Mehri pretends she is my daughter. In reality she is our my maid."
Hossein: "Really?"
(Third Clip) Father: "Do you want to continue seeing her?"
Hossein:"Ehh..."
(Fourth Clip )(without any hesitation, Hossein gave all the letters he had received to my father.)
Father thinking to himself: "But this is Marji's handwriting."
(Fifth Clip) Father to Marji: "Tell me what these are!"
Marji: Letters!"
Father: "Why didn't you tell us anything?"
(Sixth Clip) Father: "You must understand that their love was impossible."
(Seventh Clip) Marji: "Why is that?"
Father: "Because in this country you must stay within your own social classes."
(Eighth Clip) Marji: "But is it her fault that she was born where she was born??? Dad, are you for or against social classes?"
(Ninth Clip) Marji narrating: "When I went back to her room she was crying. We were not in the same social class but at least we were in the same bed."
(Satrapi 36-37)
The words that stand out to me are when her father says, "Because in this country you must stay within your own social classes." It is important because it points out just how harsh the government was. That you would be punished for going outside of your social class is wrong. Yes, there are people here in the U.S. that may look down on a lower social class if they are in a higher one, but we are free to choose what social class we can date. It just shows how strict the government was and even though Marji's parents didn't agree with the way things were going, they still felt they needed to follow such rules to keep as much peace as possible. In the 8th clip you can see how upset Marji is and it is illustrated so well. The image of her with her hands on her head and a look of discouragement on her face shows her feelings about the situation. This is important to the novel because it just shows how the rules were so harsh and how a child like Marji didn't understand. I am sure a lot of children were lost on the rules and why they were rules. I think it shows the frustration Marji felt in what was going on all around her. This interests me because I am not one to really read and learn about other things that are happening or have happened in this world. I have been spoiled by living in the United States all my life. Things like this just make you realize how good we have it in America.
(First clip) Father: "I am your neighbor. I would like to have a few words with your son."
(Second Clip) Father: "Ok, I'll get to the point: In know that Mehri pretends she is my daughter. In reality she is our my maid."
Hossein: "Really?"
(Third Clip) Father: "Do you want to continue seeing her?"
Hossein:"Ehh..."
(Fourth Clip )(without any hesitation, Hossein gave all the letters he had received to my father.)
Father thinking to himself: "But this is Marji's handwriting."
(Fifth Clip) Father to Marji: "Tell me what these are!"
Marji: Letters!"
Father: "Why didn't you tell us anything?"
(Sixth Clip) Father: "You must understand that their love was impossible."
(Seventh Clip) Marji: "Why is that?"
Father: "Because in this country you must stay within your own social classes."
(Eighth Clip) Marji: "But is it her fault that she was born where she was born??? Dad, are you for or against social classes?"
(Ninth Clip) Marji narrating: "When I went back to her room she was crying. We were not in the same social class but at least we were in the same bed."
(Satrapi 36-37)
The words that stand out to me are when her father says, "Because in this country you must stay within your own social classes." It is important because it points out just how harsh the government was. That you would be punished for going outside of your social class is wrong. Yes, there are people here in the U.S. that may look down on a lower social class if they are in a higher one, but we are free to choose what social class we can date. It just shows how strict the government was and even though Marji's parents didn't agree with the way things were going, they still felt they needed to follow such rules to keep as much peace as possible. In the 8th clip you can see how upset Marji is and it is illustrated so well. The image of her with her hands on her head and a look of discouragement on her face shows her feelings about the situation. This is important to the novel because it just shows how the rules were so harsh and how a child like Marji didn't understand. I am sure a lot of children were lost on the rules and why they were rules. I think it shows the frustration Marji felt in what was going on all around her. This interests me because I am not one to really read and learn about other things that are happening or have happened in this world. I have been spoiled by living in the United States all my life. Things like this just make you realize how good we have it in America.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Blog 13: Quote Response
I shoot the Hippopotamus
With bullets made of platinum,
Because if I use leaden ones
His hide is sure to flatten 'em.
Hillaire Belloc (pg.544)
This is a short and to the point poem. It is interesting how he rimed platinum with flatten'em. It's a cute poem and a testament to how tough the poet thinks the body of a hippo is. I like poems that rime and are cute like this.
With bullets made of platinum,
Because if I use leaden ones
His hide is sure to flatten 'em.
Hillaire Belloc (pg.544)
This is a short and to the point poem. It is interesting how he rimed platinum with flatten'em. It's a cute poem and a testament to how tough the poet thinks the body of a hippo is. I like poems that rime and are cute like this.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Blog Entry 12: Poem Paraphrase
Robert Bridges "Triolet" (581)
When first we met, we did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master;
Of more than common friendliness
When first we met we did not guess.
Who could foretell the sore distress,
This irretrievable disaster,
When first we met?—We did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master
When we first were introduced to each other we did not see love for each other. We saw us being friends and that was all. We did not know that we would fall in love and it would be in charge of us and complicate things. We had just hoped to be friends but it turned into love and love overpowered us and complicated things.
When first we met, we did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master;
Of more than common friendliness
When first we met we did not guess.
Who could foretell the sore distress,
This irretrievable disaster,
When first we met?—We did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master
When we first were introduced to each other we did not see love for each other. We saw us being friends and that was all. We did not know that we would fall in love and it would be in charge of us and complicate things. We had just hoped to be friends but it turned into love and love overpowered us and complicated things.
Blog 11: Quote Response
This is taken from Robert Frosts' poem "Acquainted with the Night." (576)
I have been acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain-and back in rain.
I have out walked the furthest city light.
I chose this poem because of its simplicity. It's meaningful, but easy to understand. This poem is in the form of a sonnet and Terza Rima. I would say that this poem is about someone who is always traveling always moving and does not really have a home to go to. This person seems to travel mostly at night and therefore knows it well. The person also seems to be isolated from other people whether it is by choice or not I am not sure.
I have been acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain-and back in rain.
I have out walked the furthest city light.
I chose this poem because of its simplicity. It's meaningful, but easy to understand. This poem is in the form of a sonnet and Terza Rima. I would say that this poem is about someone who is always traveling always moving and does not really have a home to go to. This person seems to travel mostly at night and therefore knows it well. The person also seems to be isolated from other people whether it is by choice or not I am not sure.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Blog 10: Song Quote Response
"All our lives we've dreamed about it
Just to find that it was never real
This sure ain't no great Valhalla
Coming closer each turn of the wheel
Forlorn, adrift on seas of beige
In this our Golden Age"
Just to find that it was never real
This sure ain't no great Valhalla
Coming closer each turn of the wheel
Forlorn, adrift on seas of beige
In this our Golden Age"
(Gray)
What words leap out as important? It think the whole passage in itself it important. This isn't a poem this is a song and the rest of the song is just as meaningful. This is the very start of the song and to me it starts out hard hitting from the beginning. All our lives we dreamed about it just to find it was never real make you go wait a minute, dreamed about what? And then you have the part saying this sure ain't no great Valhalla and you think oh okay, Valhalla is kind of a fairytale place and the song is saying and this isn't like that. And the rest of the lines in this passage just point out how we are kind of forlorn and lost right now even though this is our Golden Age.
How is this passage important to the poem? I think that this passage is very important to the song because it opens it up to what is to come.
What interests you about it? I guess it is a dark song once you get into it. But I guess what I like about it is the song put together with the music. The first time I heard the song I wasn't so sure about the sound and the voices, but it really does make the song what it is.David Gray is a great writer and singer in my opinion. And even though this is a song, I would say if you read it and never heard the song before you would not know much of a difference between it being a poem and song except for the chorus.
What words leap out as important? It think the whole passage in itself it important. This isn't a poem this is a song and the rest of the song is just as meaningful. This is the very start of the song and to me it starts out hard hitting from the beginning. All our lives we dreamed about it just to find it was never real make you go wait a minute, dreamed about what? And then you have the part saying this sure ain't no great Valhalla and you think oh okay, Valhalla is kind of a fairytale place and the song is saying and this isn't like that. And the rest of the lines in this passage just point out how we are kind of forlorn and lost right now even though this is our Golden Age.
How is this passage important to the poem? I think that this passage is very important to the song because it opens it up to what is to come.
What interests you about it? I guess it is a dark song once you get into it. But I guess what I like about it is the song put together with the music. The first time I heard the song I wasn't so sure about the sound and the voices, but it really does make the song what it is.David Gray is a great writer and singer in my opinion. And even though this is a song, I would say if you read it and never heard the song before you would not know much of a difference between it being a poem and song except for the chorus.
Blog 8: Poem Paraphrase
For a Lady I Know pg.424
There is a lady of the white class
When she thinks about what heaven might be like
She sees the white people still being full of laziness
And the black people doing all of the hard work
There is a lady of the white class
When she thinks about what heaven might be like
She sees the white people still being full of laziness
And the black people doing all of the hard work
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Blog 7: Freestyle
"Fenjin was baffled by his teacher, who looked ferocious and muttered to himself mysteriously, and whose jaundiced face was covered with dark puckers. For the first time Fenjin thought of Mr. Chiu as an ugly man." (Ha Jin pg.170)
I took this quote from the short story "Saboteur." This story is about a man who is put in jail for something he did not do. This man had been stricken with acute hepatitis before being put in jail. Well, the man gets out after 2 days, but is still very upset with the police in detaining him on false charges and also detaining his lawyer and treating him badly. The first thing the man does is go to all of these different restaurants and eat, but he only eats a little bit and moves on to the next restaurant. When it says for the first time Fenjin thought of Mr. Chiu as an ugly man, my initial thought was that it was because of his being ill from the hepatitis. Then I realized it had more meaning. Mr. Chiu was out with a vengeance and the sight of it was so ugly. I don't think that Fenjin knew that Mr. Chiu was trying to spread his hepatitis around, but he did see that he had a hate that was not good. It is only the end where you find that people died and hundreds became ill from acute hepatitis that you realize how far Mr. Chiu was taking his vengeance and how meaningful it was for Fenjin to say that he was an ugly man.
I took this quote from the short story "Saboteur." This story is about a man who is put in jail for something he did not do. This man had been stricken with acute hepatitis before being put in jail. Well, the man gets out after 2 days, but is still very upset with the police in detaining him on false charges and also detaining his lawyer and treating him badly. The first thing the man does is go to all of these different restaurants and eat, but he only eats a little bit and moves on to the next restaurant. When it says for the first time Fenjin thought of Mr. Chiu as an ugly man, my initial thought was that it was because of his being ill from the hepatitis. Then I realized it had more meaning. Mr. Chiu was out with a vengeance and the sight of it was so ugly. I don't think that Fenjin knew that Mr. Chiu was trying to spread his hepatitis around, but he did see that he had a hate that was not good. It is only the end where you find that people died and hundreds became ill from acute hepatitis that you realize how far Mr. Chiu was taking his vengeance and how meaningful it was for Fenjin to say that he was an ugly man.
Blog 6: Quote Response
"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going at first." (O.Henry pg.162)
I particularly like this quote in the story, because it gives you a sign of what's to come. All along throughout the story you know that this couple has hardly any money. And you know that they love each other and would sacrifice most precious thing for each other. So when he says this after seeing her hair has been cut off, you know that maybe what he bought was for her hair. And knowing that they have no money, mostly likely he did indeed sell his watch to pay for the present, not knowing that she sold her hair to pay for a chain for his watch. It's just irony at it's best.
I particularly like this quote in the story, because it gives you a sign of what's to come. All along throughout the story you know that this couple has hardly any money. And you know that they love each other and would sacrifice most precious thing for each other. So when he says this after seeing her hair has been cut off, you know that maybe what he bought was for her hair. And knowing that they have no money, mostly likely he did indeed sell his watch to pay for the present, not knowing that she sold her hair to pay for a chain for his watch. It's just irony at it's best.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Blog 5: Freestyle
I was thinking the other day about how I like to listen to music more then read books. If you think about it, a song is like a short story. It might not be a clear story, but there are some short stories that have not been real clear that I have been reading lately, which I have to interpret myself. Just like these short stories, songs can have symbols in them ( a certain word in the song) that you might hear and go, oh this is what that means. Just like there are great writers of literature that affect how we think and feel, there are great writers of music that can affect how we think and feel as well. Just a thought! : )
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Blog 4: Quote Response
" Bill Hutchison was standing quiet staring down at the paper in his hand. Suddenly Tessie Hutchison shouted to Mr. Summers, "You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!" (The Lottery, Shirley Jackson pg. 217)
I think that this line in "The Lottery" is very meaningful. As you go along reading you don't really have much of an idea what the lottery is about. People are joking and seem fairly happy. And then when Bill is quietly looking at his piece of paper and Tessie gets upset, you start to realize that maybe this lottery means something more and it's not maybe that good of a thing. You start to wonder what is really going on.
I think that this line in "The Lottery" is very meaningful. As you go along reading you don't really have much of an idea what the lottery is about. People are joking and seem fairly happy. And then when Bill is quietly looking at his piece of paper and Tessie gets upset, you start to realize that maybe this lottery means something more and it's not maybe that good of a thing. You start to wonder what is really going on.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Blog 3: Freestyle
I guess my biggest problem with reading these days is not being able to get into the book from the start. I guess my question would be, How far do you need to read into a book before you decide it is boring? I have the bad habit that if the book doesn't hook me after a couple of pages I am done. Any thoughts on this?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Blog 2: Quote Response
"Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning froward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair." (A Rose for Emily, Faulkner pg.35)
This end quote is very interesting to me. Reading the story I was aware of something more going on, but could not quite place it. I knew that Miss Emily is seen as being off her rocker a little, but throughout the story I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was just a sad lonely woman. Not until the end of this story where they find the body of a man in her room did I get a different idea about Miss Emily. Then ending it with these lines and talking about the strand of gray hair put it altogether. The strand of hair gave me the thought that Miss Emily was indeed mentally off, not only did she keep this body in a room, the gray hair on the pillow brought it altogether as to how off she was. The meaning of the gray hair to me, is that she was so out of reality that she lay beside the body of the man as if it were a living human being. I guess this line interested me most, because I noticed things that made Miss Emily noticeably odd, but then reading the end just brought it more into a shocking idea of what kind of person she was.
This end quote is very interesting to me. Reading the story I was aware of something more going on, but could not quite place it. I knew that Miss Emily is seen as being off her rocker a little, but throughout the story I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was just a sad lonely woman. Not until the end of this story where they find the body of a man in her room did I get a different idea about Miss Emily. Then ending it with these lines and talking about the strand of gray hair put it altogether. The strand of hair gave me the thought that Miss Emily was indeed mentally off, not only did she keep this body in a room, the gray hair on the pillow brought it altogether as to how off she was. The meaning of the gray hair to me, is that she was so out of reality that she lay beside the body of the man as if it were a living human being. I guess this line interested me most, because I noticed things that made Miss Emily noticeably odd, but then reading the end just brought it more into a shocking idea of what kind of person she was.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Blog 1: Readers Autobiography
My name is Mary McDonald. I am going to EOU for my associates in business. I am what you call a non-traditional student. I play co-ed city league softball on La Grande and I go to many tournaments throughout the summer. I also have two jet skis and enjoy going playing on them whenever I can. I am not much of a writer, but I will do my best.
When I was younger I used to read a lot. I grew up being read to and I loved it. When it came to reading as a kid in elementary school I read a lot, a lot of it was the determination to get the awards that were given after reading a certain amount of books, but I believe that I really did enjoy reading some of those books. As a teen I read a lot of V.C. Andrews, I guess I really enjoyed the twists and the drama those books brought. I really don't read much now. The books I have read lately are pretty off color. The most recent one I am reading is one by Tucker Max, which is very much off color. Why do I enjoy these kinds of books? I guess you could say comments I have on a daily basis are pretty off color (don't worry I Will not use off color comments here). I do like to read Dean Koontz every once in awhile, I like the suspense type stuff.
I asked three different people what they read and why.
Jessica said that she likes to read books because they are an escape from reality. The books that she has been into lately are the twilight books and books by Nora Roberts. Like me, Jessica grew up reading lots of books, unlike me she still likes to read a lot.
Rikki says that she actually likes reading some of her textbooks, mainly the theater textbooks as that is what she is into. She is also into books that have a political side to them, books that try to convince you to see one side of something. Our tastes are very different, I am not really into the learning type of literature.
Rob really doesn't read any books. He is more into hunting and sporting kind of magazines. He says that they are of more interest because they are made up of various articles that serve his interests more. I would have to agree, I myself like a good magazine to sit down with every once in awhile.
I asked three different people what they read and why.
Jessica said that she likes to read books because they are an escape from reality. The books that she has been into lately are the twilight books and books by Nora Roberts. Like me, Jessica grew up reading lots of books, unlike me she still likes to read a lot.
Rikki says that she actually likes reading some of her textbooks, mainly the theater textbooks as that is what she is into. She is also into books that have a political side to them, books that try to convince you to see one side of something. Our tastes are very different, I am not really into the learning type of literature.
Rob really doesn't read any books. He is more into hunting and sporting kind of magazines. He says that they are of more interest because they are made up of various articles that serve his interests more. I would have to agree, I myself like a good magazine to sit down with every once in awhile.
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