My favorite story this semester was The Veldt. I really enjoyed the sci-fi genre and the fact that it was set in the future unlike most of the stories we read this semester that are set way before my time. Also the twist at the very end, while somewhat disturbing, made the story that much more interesting. I also loved how the author left the outcome of the very end when McClean walks in the room up to readers whether the lions kill him as well or he escapes from the nursery. Another aspect of the story that made it very appealing was all the foreshadowing leading up to the death of the parents such as the parents hearing their own screams coming from the nursery.
My least favorite story was The Girl. The characters were so flat. It was one long boring sentence. The mom reminded me of my mom when she really gets on my nerves. I don't have much to say about this story but I really did not enjoy it except for the fact that it was a really short read.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Conscience of the Court
What conflicts does Laura Lee face in this story? Which one do you think is the most difficult for her to face?
Laura Lee faces many different conflicts within this story. One is man vs. man, in the fact that she is facing Clement Beasley in court. He claims that she attacked him when he tried to collect the collateral listed for a loan that Mrs. Celestine Beaufort Clairborne, the lady who Laura Lee works for, defaulted on. She also faces man vs. society simply, because as a black woman facing criminal charges in this time period, she most likely will not be treated equally. Also Laura Lee faces man vs self when she questions herself about whether her husband was right in saying that she can be too loyal to people sometimes. I feel that the biggest conflict she faces is man vs society because society at that point saw black woman as inferior to white people, especially men. So the struggles of getting a fair and unbiased trial was what I could see as the most challenging for her to face.
Laura Lee faces many different conflicts within this story. One is man vs. man, in the fact that she is facing Clement Beasley in court. He claims that she attacked him when he tried to collect the collateral listed for a loan that Mrs. Celestine Beaufort Clairborne, the lady who Laura Lee works for, defaulted on. She also faces man vs. society simply, because as a black woman facing criminal charges in this time period, she most likely will not be treated equally. Also Laura Lee faces man vs self when she questions herself about whether her husband was right in saying that she can be too loyal to people sometimes. I feel that the biggest conflict she faces is man vs society because society at that point saw black woman as inferior to white people, especially men. So the struggles of getting a fair and unbiased trial was what I could see as the most challenging for her to face.
A Worn Path
Are you sympathetic towards Phoenix, or any other characters?
I am very sympathetic towards Phoenix because she is in no mental or physical condition to be making this trip by foot. However, she is fulfilling her duty as a caretaker to her grandson to walk all the way to town to get him medicine for his throat.
What's the effect of having an outside narrator?
By having an outside narrator opposed to having Phoenix narrate, the audience doesn't always know what is going through Phoenix's mind. She is basically crazy and without her verbalizing her thoughts it is hard for us to understand why she is behaving in certain ways and more importantly why she is going on this trip (which we later find out is for her grandson).
I am very sympathetic towards Phoenix because she is in no mental or physical condition to be making this trip by foot. However, she is fulfilling her duty as a caretaker to her grandson to walk all the way to town to get him medicine for his throat.
What's the effect of having an outside narrator?
By having an outside narrator opposed to having Phoenix narrate, the audience doesn't always know what is going through Phoenix's mind. She is basically crazy and without her verbalizing her thoughts it is hard for us to understand why she is behaving in certain ways and more importantly why she is going on this trip (which we later find out is for her grandson).
Friday, June 26, 2009
A Spinsters Tale
The story is a flashback to the past for the narrator. Explain why the author may have chosen to present the story in this manner. What is the significance of the title?
The fact that the audience knows how Elizabeth's life ends up gives the audience a chance to see what events could lead up to a little girl eventually ending up as a single woman who is very alone. Women back then are supposed to get married and have children, so this story gives insight into what events in a woman's life might cause her to never get married. Also, the audience never can have a sense of hope for Elizabeth since they know from the beginning that she ends up as a Spinster and has no hopes of a promising future before her.
The fact that the audience knows how Elizabeth's life ends up gives the audience a chance to see what events could lead up to a little girl eventually ending up as a single woman who is very alone. Women back then are supposed to get married and have children, so this story gives insight into what events in a woman's life might cause her to never get married. Also, the audience never can have a sense of hope for Elizabeth since they know from the beginning that she ends up as a Spinster and has no hopes of a promising future before her.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Lady with the Dog
What do you think of Dmitry when he is first introduced? Do you see any conflicts arising from his character?
I think he has grown to dislike his wife. He is bored with his marriage and is looking to meet someone who can spark his interest. "his wife now looked nearly twice as old as he did. She was a tall woman with dark eyebrows, erect, dignified, imposing, and, as she said of herself, a "thinker." At this point I did not want to read much more about this large, boring lady, and I inferred that Dmitry was as bored with his wife as I was at this point in the story. The story goes on to say that "the desire for life surged up in him" when we first saw Anna. This attraction to someone besides his wife was the first sign of a potential major conflict in the story.
I think he has grown to dislike his wife. He is bored with his marriage and is looking to meet someone who can spark his interest. "his wife now looked nearly twice as old as he did. She was a tall woman with dark eyebrows, erect, dignified, imposing, and, as she said of herself, a "thinker." At this point I did not want to read much more about this large, boring lady, and I inferred that Dmitry was as bored with his wife as I was at this point in the story. The story goes on to say that "the desire for life surged up in him" when we first saw Anna. This attraction to someone besides his wife was the first sign of a potential major conflict in the story.
Chrysanthemums
How and why does the man use Elisa’s vulnerability to his advantage?
Every time the man asks for some type of work that he could be paid for Elisa gets annoyed and tries to send him away. However, once he finds her weakness, her Chrysanthemums, and begins to express his interest in them she doesn't a have problem with giving the man some pots to repair. Not only does she give him the pots to fix, she also is actually really attracted to him and has to hold her self back from reaching out for him. Later on in the story she becomes upset when she finds the flowers on the side of the road and realizes he was lying the whole time about him needing the seeds for another one of his customers.
Every time the man asks for some type of work that he could be paid for Elisa gets annoyed and tries to send him away. However, once he finds her weakness, her Chrysanthemums, and begins to express his interest in them she doesn't a have problem with giving the man some pots to repair. Not only does she give him the pots to fix, she also is actually really attracted to him and has to hold her self back from reaching out for him. Later on in the story she becomes upset when she finds the flowers on the side of the road and realizes he was lying the whole time about him needing the seeds for another one of his customers.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Conversion of the Jews
I do feel he portrayed the Jewish characters in a negative light. He accomplishes this through the actions of the Rabbi and Ozzie's mother. Ozzie is an innocent boy trying to understand the Jewish religion. When he comes up with a question that the Rabbi cannot answer, he request to speak with Ozzie's mother. Eventually, when Ozzie brings up the question on another occasion, the Rabbi hits Ozzie in the face. His mother also hits him when he tells her why she has to go speak with the Rabbi. To me this portrays a people who resort to violence in the face of conflict and do not try and talk things out logically. This defiantly a negative portrayal of the Jewish characters.
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