Class Reflection

As a student I think that nI have grown in this class. I think that my appreciation for different kinds of literature has grown drastically. I also think that I have gotten more used to talking and sharing my ideas in front of my peers, as well as being able to think more critically about literature in general. One of the most challenging things for me still is analyzing poetry. The poetry that we read was good, but I still felt that I really had to stretch my mind to be able to dissect it. I think that I have improved as a writer. I think that with each paper I built on the weaknesses that I had in the paper before and always tried to clarify my writing and make it better.

I had the most positive reaction to Blankets, ABC, and the two novels. I liked these texts particularly because they caught my attention and were of interest to me personally. Although I probably wouldn't have read them on my own, I'm glad I got a chance to read them in class. The texts I struggled with were some of the poems and Shakespeare. I like Shakespeare, but it is just more intricate than the other texts and takes more time to understand. I felt the same way with the poems. Sometimes I find it hard to accept the fact that there are so many interpretations of 1 single text. 

I must say that at first I was very skeptical of the graphic novel genre. I didn't really consider graphic novels to be literature I guess, I just thought of them as comics, and lumped them all together into one category. I think that my interpretation of it was challenged by the first one we read. I wasn't too sure even then if I would like them, but once we started ABC I was hooked so to speak. I think that as we read these texts I found myself realizing that they were indeed literature. They all had a deeper meaning, and the pictures helped me to understand the characters. I have come to like graphic novels, and again, if not for this class I probably wouldn't have read one.

I really enjoyed the reading and the response papers. I think the response papers was a good opportunity for us to show what we were thinking and have a way to demonstrate our understanding of the text. Although there was a lot of reading I enjoyed it. I consider myself to be a bookworm, ad usually during the school year I don't have time to read, so this was a great thing for me, because I was learning and doing something enjoyable. I think that the blog posts would have been more effective if we had posted on each other's posts more often. I think its a good idea, but maybe could be more effective.

Overall, I do feel better prepared to think critically about texts. Since we covered a great deal of literature and many genres, I feel as though I could work through a text if it were given to me. I think that this class has given me a lot of insight into different genres of literature that I wouldn't have come across otherwise. As far as the course goes, I thought it was great and enjoyed it very much :)

Gaiman and Shakespeare

Wow...I don't really know how to respond to the Gaiman text. I was confused, and didn't realize there were two 'stories' going on at once until about half way through : /

But....I think that Gaiman's technique and approach is an effective one. I think that his idea of taking the original text and inserting the feelings/conversations/ideas of the audience who are watching the play is different. I was confused at first because I could not differentiate between those characters that we in the Shakespearean play, and those that were watching it and commenting. If you notice though, (which I clearly didn't until half way through) when the audience is interacting the speech bubbles are black and it looks nothing like the panels of the actual play, like on page 81. I think that in some ways Gaiman's approach does take away from the original because it turns the interpretation of the play, but on the flip side it's nice to have someone else interpret the play other than Shakespeare himself. I think that although Gaiman's interpretation was choppy it worked. 

Helena and Demetrius

So, after reading through A Midsummer Nights Dream, I must admit I felt quite overwhelmed. I tried to keep up while listening to the BBC version posted on the blog, and that seemed to help a lot. One of the relationships in the play that I found most interesting was the one between Helena and Demetrius. Its the typical she loves him, but he doesn't love her scenario. While Demetrius is betrothed to the beautiful Hermia, and has professed his love for her, Helena can't help but to still love the man that will seemingly never love her.
In the passage in Act 2 Scene I, we see Demetrius and Helena in a struggle to come to terms with their 'relationship'. Demetrius tries to get her to leave him alone and says "I love thee not, therefore pursue me not." He is stern with her and makes it very clear that he does not love her, nor will he ever-his love is vested in Hermia. After Demetrius tells her that he may have to tell her that he cannot love her her reply is "And even for that do I love you the more. " Helena's infatuation with Demetrius makes her look needy and lost. She can't seem to understand that he will not love her. Her character in the play is a little crazy I think. She almost seems to be stalking him. Creepy? I think so. But i guess love can do that?....
All throughout this part of the scene there is an obvious struggle as Demetrius tries to get away from Helena. I think that Helena just wants to feel loved and have someone reciprocate her feelings for a change. Although her character seems a bit weird, I think that she just wants to be accepted. She wants to receive the attention that the beautiful Hermia gets.
Now....when Puck and Oberon come into the play I know this is where the 'play within a play' begins. At this point in Act 3 scene 2, we know that Puck has put Demetrius, Helena, and Lysander under the 'spell' by using those flowers. This is when Demetrius and Lysander profess their love for Helena. Demetrius says "O Helena, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare thine eye?". Helena is being swooned over by not 1 man , but 2. I think for her this is a huge deal. She got what she wanted. The affection of the man she loved: Demetrius.
This was truly one complicated love triangle.

Working Thesis Paper #2

Ok, this is rough...but I have an idea.

I want to discuss Persepolis and the idea that conflict changes how we see the world, faith, and our self-identity. I think that Marjane finds herself through dealing with the Iranian Revolution, and her set backs and growth show how conflict and violence help to shape an individual.

So maybe it would look something like this?

Conflict, violence and terror reek havoc on individuals everyday, yet the set backs and difficulties these issues bring help to create a new outlook on life, identity and faith. 

Any suggestions??

I am most likely doing the traditional format for this paper

Persepolis and Neruda's Poem

The panels that I chose to look at were on pages 142. In this scene Marjane has just found out that there was a bombing in her neighborhood. At the time she was out shopping with her friend Shadi, and rushes home to ensure that everyone is ok. When she arrives she is greeted by her mother and they hug. Marjane's mother tells her that the bomb struck the Baba-Levy's house, and on page 142, we see their house in shambles, a pile of rubble...

Marjane is upset as she knows that her friend Neda was most likely home when it happened, and upon seeing the turquoise bracelet, her worst fears are confirmed. Although the text doesn't say that they were indeed all home when it happened, I got the feeling that they were. In the first panel, where it shows the house in shambles, I think of Neruda's line in his poem that says "and the blood of the children ran through the streets without fuss, like children's blood. We do not see any blood in the actual frame, yet we know blood was shed. A child represents a certain level of innocence, and it is this loss of innocence that makes us feel sad when reading through this part of Persepolis. I'm sure there was a struggle on the Baba-Levy's part to escape, yet there was no great 'fuss' in the end. The people responsible for the bombing accomplished what they had intended.

Another line from his poem that I thought was similar was when Neruda says "Come and see the blood in the streets". This line is suggestive of all of the turmoil and grief that fills the streets and lives of people during war and conflict, conflict that is obviously affecting Marjane and her loved ones.

This conflict transforms identity because it ultimately changes how Marjane views herself, her country and her faith in the country. She is left to deal with the fact that she must leave Iran to go to Vienna so that she can live a life without problems, yet escaping to Vienna proves almost as difficult for her. She changes her image, her habits, and her beliefs to try and fit into a 'world' that she doesn't belong in. Vienna is not her home...Iran is. And this takes some changes in herself before she realizes this. I think her attitude towards life and the faith in her country changes as the novel progresses and in the end, I think she has realized who she is.

Part One Persepolis and Poems...

I must say that I was a bit surprised after reading through the first part of the novel and the poems that were posted on the blog. I was shocked at the attitude of the Satrapi family. I guess I just believed the typical stereotypes that we all hear on the news about the people in the middle eastern countries. I couldn't believe that they were so forward with their beliefs and thoughts. i found it interesting that they were so in touch with the 'modern' world, while the world around them was ravaged and changed without consent.
The poems that were posted all spoke o the text as well. I think each had its own aproach, and addressed the 'good' and 'bad' aspects of war. I think that Satrapi thinks of the war as both good and bad in that she has her own beliefs about what should be happening and what should not be happening.
The first part of the book was interesting, and I'll be curious to see how it ends...

Oranges and Coming of Age (from Monday Oct 13th)

I think that every person has his/her own beliefs, yet we all choose to act on those beliefs in different ways. My family has strongly shaped my belief system, although as I have grown I have developed my own beliefs as well. In Oranges, belief in God is always upheld, especially by her mother and the Pastor. Jeanette's belief in God and sexuality change as the novel progresses. She begins to question her beliefs at a young age, and eventually explores those beliefs with Elsie, Melanie, and Mrs. Jewsbury. On page 134 Jeanette said "If there's such a thing as spiritual adultery, my mother was a whore." You can tell Jeanette is upset and is questioning her role, and her mother's. Even though in the end Jeanette seems to be okay with her mother, I think she still is struggling to figure out where she belongs. Jeanette tells Melanie "I love you almost as much as I love the lord", showing her struggle to accept the fact that it is possible to have such strong feelings for both of them. In church, page 104, the Pastor tells the congregation that both Melanie and Jeanette have fallen under Satan's spell. The church all seems to believe this statement and the girls are escorted out.
Another thing that I notice in the book so far was the foreshadowing. The oranges that her mother has been feeding her eventually turn into the orange demon that she must face while making decisions. The story of Winnet and the sorcerer runs somewhat parallel to Jeanette's story too because in the end, both are abandoned and shunned by the one person who claimed to love them. They both seem to face their own demons in life at a young age, but both grow and learn from it too.

A Panel from Blankets

The panels that I chose to write about were the panels on page 168. In this part of the story Craig is asking his mother if he can take some time off of school to go visit Raina. Up until this point his mother had a fairly negative opinion of the whole idea, but once Craig tells her that Raina's parents are Christian, then everything is good to go, and there are no longer any issues. You can see his face brighten, and her frown turn into a smile. It is obvious that Craig knew that as long as his mother knew they were Christian, then he had a fighting chance to go see her.

Now, in my opinion, the mother seems a little naive about the circumstances. She is choosing to believe that just because Raina's parents are Christian that Craig and Raina will not be together and there will be no problems with sleeping arrangements. The role of religion is a reoccurring factor throughout the first half of the book. Not only is it made clear that his mother is religious, but his Pastor asks Craig if he plans on going into the ministry, and urges Craig to do so. Like Jeanette, I believe that Craig is struggling to find where he 'belongs'. I also feel that all of the religion that he has been bombarded with will somehow influence his decisions on what he wants to do with his life later on. 

Another set of panels is on page 61. In this set of panels he is in Sunday school, and his teacher is talking about hell, and Craig is imagining the night his brother was put in the cubby hole. That night seems to run parallel to the way the Sunday school teacher is depicting hell to be. This worried me a little for Craig's sake. As such a young child, I wouldn't think that that was normal, or even right to teach children in that way. Visually it is intimidating because the background is black and all of this negative energy is being remembered. Another set of interesting panels is on pages 201-208. In this scene Craig gets in trouble for drawing pictures of naked women on the bus, and is made to feel guilty by his parents because he has disappointed God. With all of these negative forces around him, its no wonder why Craig is hesitant on whether he want to join the ministry or not. I think that religion runs parallel to a good chunk of the text so far, and is interesting to note the similar struggles that Craig and Jeanette seem to share.

"The Bluest Eye" close reading

I decided to look at both the context and the language used in a certain passage. On pages 48 and 49 Morrison is talking about when Pecola is going to the store to buy some candy. Morrison talks about the reaction the man in the store has to her, and how he feels. One thing I noticed was that when Pecola was trying to tell him which candy she wanted he responded by saying "Christ. Kantcha talk?". Even if you consider the time period for this piece it is quite interesting to note, that even he, can't talk all that well. He seems to stumble in front of a young girl, its as though he is scared of her. Another part I found interesting was when she went to pay him for the candies. He was reluctant to touch her hand to take the pennies, and why? All because she is black. I also think there is some idea of superior/inferior throughout this text. The stereotypes also come back into play...
Its also sad to read that she knows his distaste for her is her "blackness". Even at such a young age she knows, or at least seems to know, that she is considered to be the lesser between the two. Is

Working Thesis...

Ok, so i don't know exactly what I am going to have my thesis be...I'm bouncing back and forth between "American born Chinese" and "The Bluest Eye"....
If I were to go with Yang's text I would use the thesis such as: Yang uses his characters to display the raw emotion that a person feels when ostracized, and does so by showing how they feel, contradictory to how people actually react in real life situations.
As for Morrison's text i would go along with the idea of the use of language that is prevalent in the text: The diction that Morrison uses to describe various characters plays on the stereotypes that we as a society have all come to assume and apply to all people.
I think I like my idea for Morrison's text better because I can pick several passages where she goes into detail about something or someone and I can examine what she wants/intends for the words to mean, and how this affects the reader/audience.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Would considering repetition and/or similarities be too much?

Emerson and Yang response...

The section that I found the most compelling of Emerson's was the last one that began "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...". I thought that Emerson was trying to state that even if people may think it is wrong, or people won't approve of it we need to say and show what is on our minds. Being consistent in one's beliefs is important to being yourself. If I am not true to my convictions and beliefs then I am doing myself no good. According to Emerson, in order to be myself, I must run the risk that I am 'misunderstood', for if I am misunderstood then I have been true to myself. That alone speaks volumes. I think that in order to be great we must not think about what others think of us, or let their opinions reflect what they want us to be, or what we "should" be.
I believe Yang plays on this aspect of thinking a little bit too. On page 20 for example: after being thrown out the monkey king enters his chamber and smells monkey fur. He had never noticed it before, yet he does after having been ostracized from all the others. He then sits and thinks of how to get rid of the smell. Had he taken this slight against him in a positive way, he wouldn't think the smell of the fur was a bad thing, just a part of who he is. By pondering how he is going to get rid of it, he is fueling the fire that the others have started. By not speaking up and standing for what he felt he, in a sense, gave in and let the others' views get the best of him. Although Yang and Emerson were not saying the exact thing in that example, it does show how Emerson's idea works, if taken in a positive direction.

American Born Chinese Part 1

I was initially very surprised when I read the first part of this book. I did not really realize that this text would be so forward with regard to race. As for the text itself, I found it much easier to read after having read McCloud. I thought that it was easy to follow and it helped having the images there because I could see the emotion that Yang wanted to get across. The page that I chose to focus on was page 30. In these panels Jin is at his new school for the first time. The teacher, Mrs. Greeder, is introducing him to his classmates, and this is where the trouble starts. His teacher, all the while smiling, tells the class that their new classmate's name is Jing Jang. The sad part is, that isn't his name at all. And when Jin corrects her, she moves on still smiling as though nothing happened. And as if to make the moment even more dramatic she tells the class that he and his family have moved all the way from China. Again, Jin corrects her and she restates that he is from San Francisco. Although these three panels seem insignificant, I believe they are really important. I think that Yang is trying to show that we, as Americans, are not used to diversity and when we are confronted with it we don't always know how to handle it. I think the teacher is the prime example of a white American that takes for granted the wonderful things that other races bring to our great country. These panels show that we do not take the time to appreciate or get to know other types of people all the time. If we all did, then we would not be incorrectly pronouncing names, or making such generalized assumptions, like that he just moved from China. Her expression doesn't change throughout either of the panels, which makes me confused. How can someone mess up so much information about someone and feel nothing? The word China is bolded in the text.I think this was done intentionally to give dramatic effect, to show that the teacher was trying to make him seem more interesting. Had Yang not bolded the word, I don't think it would have been as effective. The last panel that shows all the students speaks volumes as well. The expressionless faces show little to no sign of acceptance or acknowledgement that Jin is even there. To me, all three panels show the lack of effort and acceptance on our parts.

bell hooks

Wow, after watching those video clips I don't know what to think about some of the images that I've seen before in plenty of films. These images have never quite hit me like this before. When hook's was talking about the roles of women during the war and how they were put in the spotlight for a time, I tried to think back and recall images I had seen before. What I didn't take into condsideration I guess was when she showed the image of the man returning home from war/work and the women was waiting in an apron with food in hand. This picture bothered me. Why is it that popular culture has to push away a good thing? Women were very helpful during the war, helping to maintain things at home. So when the war was over this was all forgotten? I find it irritating that society and our culture chooses to ignore and set aside important things in our past and present. Race, gender and culture are all important to discuss because somehow or another they seem to affect and reach into our daily lives. We all know everyone is different in their own way (good ways) but why does our society only highlight the negative?

Visual Images...What do they mean?

I chose to look at the image "La Guernica". As far as color goes, the use of dark pigments says something to me as the reader/interpreter. The dark colors at the top do not align with the thought of Bang, that states that freedom, happiness and triumph are placed at the top of the images. I think that the only peaceful image at the top is the object that looks like a light...maybe this was supposed top be representative of nearing the end of a bad time. On the other hand, some of the images, like the bull, and the people are distorted and abstract looking. The overall piece seems to be broken, and sad. Maybe this was to show the feelings of the people living during this period?? I also think that the jagged edge of the sword is countered by all of the rounded images, which leave me feeling a little less on edge about it all. I think that the size of the image also plays an important role because it shows that this was a meaningful event in time. I think that Bang was right in some sense, the larger the image is the more powerful it can be. I think that this painting is full of ways in which it can be interpreted. I know I only scratched the surface...

What are real books?

A real book is anything that would inspire or evoke thought. You can read a piece of fiction, nonfiction, magazine, etc. and as long as there is some thought about it's content, I think it could be deemed as 'real'. I don't necessarily think that there is such a form of text that isn't real. Although fiction isn't 'real' in content, what is real is that it is there and it can spark some emotion.
I do not read comics that often, nor do I tend to read graphic novels on a regular basis. At first I was hesitant. I did not think that i would enjoy McCloud's text. As I began reading however, i found that I had been missing out on a way of viewing text and a way of understanding it. I was a bit overwhelmed while reading the first few chapters however; there is just so much to take in all at once. Maybe it'll get easier as I continue reading...

Article Response

After reading the article, i believe that multimodality is the various forms that the text comes as. Each of these forms evokes different emotions from us, as readers. I understood multisemiotics to mean that each form, or mode, of text brings about different reactions from us depending on what form we view it in, whether it stimulates our eyes, our smell, or taste, etc. So I'm assuming that they use the word mutisemiotics because each form evokes multiple reactions. Multiliteracy then, would mean that an individual would know how to look at and interpret all forms of multimedia. In everyday life you would encounter multimodality or multiliteracy by reading a newspaper, or watching the news. When watching the news on tv you perceive the information through visual text and audio (you see it and you hear it). While reading textbook, you would encounter the linguistic aspect and the visual aspect because you see the text and you have to be able to process the text. Multimodality is all around us and we encounter it everyday. After reading McCloud's text I was a bit scatter-brained. I am not one to read comics, so trying to read this text was almost distracting for me. I was more concentrated at first on the visual aspect of it, rather than the language/words. Although, I have never read this type of text before, this multimedia takes this particualr text to a whole new level.

What is an American?

After reading through the poems assigned, the way I read the poems changed. I believe that an American is someone who has seen, or even gone through challenges in life. An American is a person that is able to overcome adversity and manage to make the best out of the situation. In Hughes' poem, "I, too, Sing America", I feel a strong sense of will and determination. I think that when he says "Besides, they'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed--" I think he is trying to say that no matter what background or culture you come from all Americans are beautiful. All Americans have the right to be here and consider themselves Americans. In "I Hear America Singing" I feel as though Whitman is saying that no matter what social class you belong to, or what title you hold, it does not matter- you are still an American. These poems made me think that Americans are strong, not only in what they do, but what they think and believe as well. As far as what their songs were, I'm not sure, maybe it was just meant to represent the story of their lives. Everyones song is different, that's what makes being an American so great.

Picture :)

This is a picture of the marine corps depot in San Diego, CA. My boyfriend is a U.S. marine and recently graduated from here this summer. I got to travel out to CA for his graduation and had a blast. It is absolutely beautiful out there and the depot truly is a beautiful sight. I have never felt more pride in my country and boyfriend then I did when I witnessed those 327 men in the graduating class earn the title of "U.S. Marine".
US Marines

Two Theories...

One of the first theories that stuck me as intriguing was the socialist theory. In today's world I believe that it is important to not only be able to see class struggles and inequality, but also to understand it. While social change seems to be all around us, trying to occur, I think it is extremely important that we be able to lead that social change. By looking through the socialist lens while reading literature, I believe we will gain the knowledge to help lead such changes.
One of the other theories that caught my eye was Reader response. I think that one of the main purposes of literature is to make the reader dig for deeper meaning. If the purpose of this theory is bring about personal reflection on the material, then it is crucial. Not only does the dissection of the text show that there is deeper meaning, but also allows for growth as a student and teacher. I think that reader response is important because it brings about new ideas and issues.
As far as deconstruction of text goes, I think it's interesting. But it seems to me that deconstruction could get confusing depending on what each individual thinks, and what basic assumptions they make. But this topic definitely made me think. Shines a new light on how I could read a text.