Discussion of Last Essay

     I have decided to write a short fiction story like "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie. This is because I like the story plus I liked the way it was written with short sentences and punctuation. The way the story flows makes it real simple and easy to read. I looked up other stories that Sherman wrote and they also seemed to be written in the same format. I like stories that are different from the everyday where the story ends up being good. I am going to have a random ending to my story so the reader will not see it coming. Sherman wrote "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" in an interesting way that captivated me. I am not much of a reader and for a story to catch my interest is pretty cool. I want to write like Sherman so whoever reads the story would tell others about it. Some of Sherman's works are fanciful and that is how I will probably write my story. I like fiction because it allows for your imagination to wonder and grow with the story. In the story that we read that he wrote was all done in twenty four hours so it also has a realistic time to it. Sherman's "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" is also a pretty short short fiction story so it does not drag out even though a lot of different activities take place in the story. That is why I feel like I will be able to write a short fiction story using his style because I like his style and hopefully will be able to create a piece like it.

Antigone Comparison to contemporary violence

      After reading this play, I think that the plays should stay the way they are on how they tell the story. In today's society, television has a cruel way of showing violence which does not entice the audience like a play does. A play allows for ones imagination to work and makes the scenes more interesting to watch. The special effects are what make plays so unique. In movies, if there is a killing of some sort it is shown like it happens all the time and usually there is not much emphasis put on it. As for plays, the violence not being shown makes it more allusive and enticing to the audience. Even though the violence is not always shown, the audience knows it is there. Violence in today's society is all around us and it is as though the media wants to expound on it all the time. In plays such as Antigone, the violence is usually subtle and straight to the point. If plays did act out their violence they would be a lot longer and would not be as creative as they are now. Plays also allow the audience to engage in what they are actually watching. They show too much violence on television for younger kids. With plays younger generations can watch too with their parents and enjoy the shows. Greek tragedies are a lot different from today's violence and should stay that way. Dramas and plays allow for the past way of literature to be expressed for today’s generations.

The Lottery Comparison

     After reading "The Lottery",  it made me realize how blindly people follow certain rules or traditions. In today's society, one comparison would be the way we follow the ideas of the media. It is like everybody wants to know what is going on and what is cool and whatever is on television, or what people say in Hollywood  that is cool and in style and we as a society follow it blindly. It is as if people want to be accepted so bad they will do whatever the cool people tell them to do. And by doing this we form to a "tradition" that we just keep on doing and we do not even realize it. I am familiar with this "tradition" because I see it happening all around such as school and work. School is the biggest example because everybody is trying to look cool and to do that they follow the other "cool" people like the football players and cheerleaders by copying whatever they do. This tradition is not needed just like the tradition of stoning a citizen in "The Lottery". But the sad thing is I am familiar with this "tradition" because I also follow it. I like to be cool and not get picked on so I blindly follow what is cool and what is not to be accepted by by peers. People follow traditions such as these because sometimes like in "The Lottery", people are afraid of change. The media has a huge impact on the way we live and how we act yet we still follow what it tells us to do.

Short Stories Blog

     After reading the first short story"The Use of Force", it reminded me of going to the doctor and not listening to my parents. I remember not wanting to go to where when I was forced I did not listen to my parent's orders. What I did not understand from the story is why the doctor put up with it. If I was him after she knocked off my glasses I would of left or stopped trying to help until the parents had control of their daughter. Sometimes I think that children act that way to get attention from whoever will listen to them.
     In the second short story "A Visit of Charity", that little girl who visited saw the nursing home the way most children see it. Even when I go sometimes now it is usually cold and dark and not very pretty. The old women remind me of some people I have visited at places like that over the years, there just sick of the place and do not really know how to treat company because some of them are not in their right mind. Most older women like that also like to talk continuously because they do not get many visitors.The girl in the short story represents innocence to the world and to her surroundings.
     And in the third short story "Sleepy", it was not what I expected. The servant is just wanting to get some sleep but her master does not let her because he makes her do all the chores including keeping the child asleep. It reminds me of when I am at work and wanting to leave so bad but I keep getting orders from my boss telling me to do my job. I think if only I can get everything done I can go home but stuff keeps coming up that I have to take care of and it drives me crazy like the woman in the story who ends up killing the child so she can finally get some rest. 

Making Comparisons Question 1

      After reading the question, I agree with the critcs as stereotyping them as average males and females. As a male after reading "Dover Beach", it made me think of this couple by the sea even though he used the sea as a metaphor. I think this is the way that most males look at poetry as the typical love scene. It expresses the guys concern for the relationship and it describes the way he feels about the situation. The poem also shows how their love for each other can help them make it through anything.
      Also in the second poem "My Husband's Back", the reader could stereotype that this poem is for the feamles. The female here is stating how love is an anchor and can get them through life's disappointments. Most female poetry I believe looks at love as a positive element and this poem to me seems to be doing the same. I think that females like in this poem put too much emphasis on love and that is sometimes the downfall. Women believe that without love it would be hard to go on living life. They use love as a shield to protect them from harm. In the second poem Susan shows how the power of love is great and that is what makes me think of this poem as stereotypical toward females. The critics of these poems have a understanding of the way they both display the meaning of love. That is why I agree with them because most poems such as these two allow the readers to understand how each a male and a female can look at love in different ways.

First Essay prompt

      I have decided to write about the song "Walking on the fightin side of me" by Merle Haggard. I have chose this song because it is a country classic and has rhythm in the words. The song talks about how the singer is mad with the way our soliders are treated and even looked down upon. This song speaks to me cause I have family that are currently in the service of our country and it is them who help keep our land free. In the song Merle describes how we take for granted the liberties that we have and because of this we do not give them the appreciation that they deserve. I believe that this song can be considered poetry because poetry is sometimes used to inspire people and maket them see things in a different way. This song tells the story of a man that is just tired of the way Americans act toward their freedom and is going to let them have it if they come complaning to him about war. The song is poetry because it speaks to people in the way that poetry does. The song also has some good metaphors which keeps the song moving in a rhythmic pattern. And I chose this song because it is country and I am from the south and it gives me a since of pride for my country and people who fight and die to keep this country the way it is. Personally I am not a big fan of poetry but when one can break down a song like this and really look at it it allows for young people like me to get involved with poetry.

Lyric decision

The song that I have decided to do is Merle Haggards's "Walking on the fightin side of me." I chose this song because it is a country classic and has rhythm already in the words.

The Secretary Chant

The poem I decided to blog about was "The Secretary Chant". At first I did not understand what the poem was exactly about but after my close reading it again I realized she was describing how she had become her job. She was stating that she was once a women and her job had formed her into all the objects and chores she does at work.