southernlit

Bastard Out Of Carolina

2006-05-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

I decided to write my last blog about evaluating Bone's self worth in, "Bastard Out of Carolina," and how family and life experiences influenced her. Bone really had a miserable life. She was up against poverty, physical and mental abuse and a poor family life at times. Just the fact that she was brought up as a Boatwright made her life challenging in that she wasn't "from money" and she wasn't able to blend in with the rest of some of her middle class peers. This made her feel badly about herself and feel inadequate and inferior to others whether they were her neighbors or her peers. She was also up against physical abuse from Daddy Glen and mental abuse from he and her mother. The fact that she just wanted her mother's love and approval and that she didn't want to make the decision of her mother leaving Daddy Glen was a terrible situation to have to put up with. The physical abuse she received from Daddy Glen was repulsive and certainly something that no one should ever have to put up with. This also made her feel badly about herself because of the abuse and made her self worth seem even less. In addition, her relationships she had with her family and her friend Shannon never really made her feel whole and good about herself, since no one was completetly there for her when she needed them most. There certainly were people who helped her through some hard times but no "one" person throughout the novel.
What then makes a person feel like they are something of worth? Is it really what other people say or do to them, there circumstances and experiences they have, or does it simply come from within themselves? I feel that many of these variables influence someone's self worth, it's ultimately what they know about themselves inside that truly makes the ultimate decision on this issue.It's someones own conscience and love of themselves that makes them feel their true worth. If someone is up against obstacle after obstacle in life they have to make a decsion inside and to the world about who they really are and what kind of person they're to become. Bone knows right from wrong and she knows that all that has happened to her will certainly impact her throughout life but she will make a decsion one way or another to make herself feel good and whether or not she is deserving or feel badly about herself and become a failure. She may be a Boatwright but she also has a deep desire to do the right thing and save herself from a bad situation. She wants help from God to be saved, but she will decide whether or not she'll be saved from her circumstances and her experiences. Her feeling of self worth and where she goes in life will be hers and hers alone. It will define her or break her. I think she is survivor .

Cherrylog Road

2006-04-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

I was drawn to this poem by Dickey because I felt like I was walking right along with the young guy in the junkyard of cars. Each car had a story behind it and the details such as when he wrote, "a blue Chevrolet, releasing/ The rust from its other color,/ Reared up on three building blocks," really gave me a mental image of what the cars looked like. The reader was given more details in knowing that the cars were getting overgrown by weeds and grass. This again gave me the feeling I was right there with him.
The guy then reminised about meeting his girlfriend years ago here and having sexual encounters with her. He described how she would,"escape from her father at noon," and,"Amidst the gray breathless batting/ That burst from the seats at our backs," the reader knew they were having sex. The guy then talked about the significance of the title of the poem when he explained, "We left by separate doors/ Into the changed, other bodies/ Of cars, she down Cherrylog Road/ And I to my motorcycle." The guy was saying they both left in different ways, she by walking, and he by his motorcycle ,so not to be caught. It is something you would imagine young teenagers doing. He never forgot that name of the road that brought his lover to him and where he watched her depart...
The guy then explained in the end how restored and refreshed he was after each encounter and he would ride away on his motorcycle feeling great.
I'm not sure I interpreted this correctly but that's what I thought the poem was about.

The Presentations

2006-04-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone is doing a great job on their presentations. They are all intersting and I have learned a lot from them. The presentation on Jacob Lawrence was beautiful. I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful panels that Lawrence painted. It was neat to see "The Life of Frederick Douglas" depicted in the panels. I especially smiled at panel #32 that showed an American Flag on some land. It showed Douglas coming back to Maryland as a free man--beautiful. I would love to go to The Schomberg Library in Harlem to see the largest collection of black history and art. From what everyone was saying, it's worth the trip!
Another one of the presentations that caught my attention was on music. I honestly never "loved" country music but I can appreciate the stories the songs often tell and the feelings and emotions you can just feel when the singers are on stage etc. I guess I never really thought of country music as America's music but it certainly does reflect our country. I can see how commercialized though the industry is becoming.(American Idol etc). Unfortunatley, money is often the motivator for change and how certain things are appreciated and presented in our lifestyles. Well done everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flannery O'Connor

2006-04-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

O'Connor is a very descriptive author. In the story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," O' Connor has written the story based from the grandmother's point of view. She definitely represents the old south. O' Connor describes that she is dressed in "white cotton gloves....and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print..." She's all dressed up for her journey to Florida just in case she gets in an accident and if she's seen lying on the side of the road, she will still be identified as a lady! I thought that this would be important later in the story since it was such a bizarre statement for someone to think about. Of course this proved true later at the end of the story when the grandmother was shot on the side of the road after the accident. O' Connor also depicts the grandmother as disgusted in not getting respect from her grandchildren. Respect of one's mother and having control over children is a characteristic that is important for a "southern belle".The grandmother is also seen as being very religious.Religion is important to O'Connor as she reflects this in her writings. The grandmother reflected her deep commitment to God when she kept telling The Misfit to "pray".
One of the aspects that stood out in this reading and also in "The Displaced Person" was the blame of europeans for the downfall of opportunities in society.We saw the negative depictions of polish people with Stanley in "A Street Car Named Desire". I thought it was interesting that the grandmother in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" said, "in her opinion Europe was entirely to blame for the way things were now".Europeans were also put down in "The Displaced Person". Mrs. Shorley says, "They ain't where they belong to be at."We no longer are seeing just racial differences but ethnic differences as a topic of contention from our authors.

A Streetcar Named Desire-The Film

2006-03-28T11:18:00.000-08:00

It's interesting to see the characteristics of this film that make it stand out from the play. First and foremost the setting of the play stands out as significant since the dark background gives the viewer a feeling of a depressed area. The viewer can see that Stella and Stanley live a very simple life. Blanche even stands out among the other characters even before she opens her mouth because her dress is too prim and proper for where she is. She also appears "lost" right from the beginning. Also, the lights flashing outside when Stella and Blanche are talking and Blanche gets upset, lets the viewer know something "just isn't right already" with Blanche. The background train getting louder and louder also proves significant because it's right before Blanche proclaims she is the one who tried to save Belle Reve and it's at that moment she tries to make Stella feel guilty for not being around to help her.
The cat meowing loudly also makes the viewer jump, giving us the feeling that nerves are already getting stretched out and people in the film aren't at peace. The viewer can also pick up on the fact that there is some chemistry between Blanche and Stanley that the reader didn't pick up on initially in the play. Just the way Blanche looks at Stanley and grabs ahold of his arm when the cat shrieks, lets the viewer know that something is going on already with them. Also the echoing of phrases, gives the viewer a sense of craziness that we now know depicts Blanche heading towards a mental inststution. Many of these setting effects says much more than what the reader was able to learn when reading the play. The phrase , "a picture is worth a thousand words" is very true between the play and this film. All of these effects make the film say much more than what the characters are literally saying. I wonder though, how many of these effects I would have picked up on and seen some significance in, if I hadn't read the play already.

A Streetcar Named Desire

2006-03-21T06:25:00.000-08:00

This play was something different than we've read so far. I've finished it. I really got into Williams' style of writing and found it very hard to put down. The only problem I saw with reading it was I almost didn't want to take the time to read the setting notes and background descriptions because I just wanted to see what happened in the discussions between the characters! The relationship between the two sisters Blanche and Stella was very interesting. The two of them were so different but the reader definitely could pick up on the bond the two of them had despite Stanley being such a big influence between them. I could see how frustrated Stanley was that Blanche was overstaying her welcome and how the conflicts with Stella rose up. Williams did a good job showing the physical violence that came out of the arguments between Stella and Stanley. The role that men had over women was very disturbing and it made me cringe everytime Stella was slapped or hit etc.
I was a little disappointed on the ending. I think Blanche went crazy and the only way Stella and Stan could get her out of the house was by having the doctor and nurse come get her. I was hoping Blanche would get her act together and the "rumors" etc about her earlier encounters weren't held against her. I guess the hopeless romantic in me wanted to see Mitch and her get together and perhaps live near Stella and Stan, or at the very least have a life togther!
I am looking forward to seeing the film version of this play. Like many plays that are made into movies it will be intersting to see if there are any additions made or alterations to Williams original piece. All in all, this was an easy read and a work that I found hard to put down.

Zora Neale Hurston-How It Feels To Be Colored Me

2006-03-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Although Hurston seems to ignore and downplay racism, I can't help to admire this work since she remains so optimistic despite her place in society. It's the kind of attitude that many successful people have when they deal with problems or adversity.Her perspective in that she really does try to look at her situation as being the problems that white people have towards blacks is significant to me. She can't change her situation so she changes her reactions to others is so refreshing.
In the beginning of the passage, Hurston describes her ordeals of welcoming the whites to Florida. She was the "welcoming committee" and took as much interest in whites as they did in her. She really did seem to enjoy the Northerners passing through.
I admire her statement when she says, "I do not belong to the sobbing school of Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a lowdown deal and whose feelings are hurt about it. .........No, I do not weep at the world-I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife." What a great perspective and attitude. She has too much of life to engage in. She couldn't be bothered at feeling sorry for herself.
She also notes that she does acknowledge her race but again emphasizes the fact that she "doesn't always feel colored." She then turns the situation around and says "Sometimes it is the other way around. A white person is set down in our midst, but the contrast is just as sharp for me. " Hurston, explains that whites can feel their race too.
Still further in the piece, she talks about just being herself and feeling like she has no race. She's just a person. This attittude can have such a positive effect on her race and even for those whites who still may think they're special.
When she sums up her life she talks about being a "brown bag in company with other bags of white,red, and yellow." Other colors of the world live amongst her and the world remains as one.
Hurstons upbeat style makes me want to read more of her works. She has a style and attitude that makes anyone see the better things in life and to not get caught up in our disadvantages but rather look at ourselves and what we can do to make our "lot in life" different, and perhaps better.

Katherine Anne Porter

2006-02-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed the special realtionship that the Grandmother and Nannie had in these stories by Porter. What a treasure the two of them had to have such a special bond . It was wonderful to read how their friendship began, "in early childhood", whereby Sophia Jane actually "picked" Nanny out, "I want the little monkey."
Porter did a great job depicting black and white coming together and how she said, "During all their lives together it was not so much a question of affection between them as a simple matter of being unable to imagine getting on without each other." Sophia Jane treated Nannie as an equal whether they were sitting on the side of the house watching the children or when Sophia Jane told Nannie, of course she was going to heaven! "God doesn't look at the color of anyone's skin."
I also liked how women were shown to be the matriarch of the family.Women were depicted as being strong in their matters. The Grandmother was shown to be wise when she was able to give each of her children a "strip of land and money" so that they could go off on their own. It was conforting to see the progression of history.
My favorite story though was "The Last Leaf" because Nannie was able to embrace her own heritage and become independent in her own little cabin. The children reflected on how they realized what she had done for them in some ways. It was even nice to see that she disconnected from Jimbilly and was adamant on not wanting to serve any man anymore!
The storyline was also much, much easier that Faulkner, but as we discussed in class, it still contained many deep thoughts and ideas.

Delta Autumn

2006-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

This particular story was easier for me to understand than, "The Bear."Isaac travels to a hunting camp with a group of younger men.He talks about how the wilderness is shrinking and how his lifespan is coming to an end too. He says there's the same amount of time before both will be gone.The wilderness has dwindled down throughout his life.
He also has an encounter with Carother Edmonds lover, who turns out to be a negro. This is important since she has a son which represents the next generation. Carother Edmonds is heir to the "white" branch of the family tree and she represents the "black" branch of the family tree. I think this is the main point of this story.
When Faulkner uses dialoque, like he did in this piece, I have found it to be much easier to follow the storyline.

Delta Autumn

2006-02-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Bear

2006-02-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I have only read about fifty pages of The Bear. I have gotten to the point in the story where Old Ben dies, and a few days later, Lion dies as well. I have also read that Sam Fathers collapses after the fight and dies after Lion.
I have found this part of the story reflecting Faulkner's desire to show the relationship of man and nature. I thought it was beautiful how Faulkner started off the hunting expedition. He was explaining that Isaac was entering the forest with Sam. He was showing how man and nature were meeting and how man was leaving their way of life and beginning a new dimension of life in nature. Faulkner says, "...The surrey moving through the skeleton stalks of cotton and corn in the last open country, the last trace of man's puny gnawing at the immemorial flank, until, dwarfed by that perspective into an almost ridiculous dimishment, the surrey itself seemed to have ceased to move as a solitary small boat hangs in lonely immobility tossing up and down, in the infinite waste of the ocean water and then the impenetrable land which it nears without appreciable progress, swings slowly and opens the widening inlet which is the anchorage. He entered it. Sam was waiting..." .
I also think the bear that their hunting represents how man is trying to conquer and capture nature but nature is much too wild to let that happen, at least for a while. Well man captures nature when Old Ben dies, and this could show how destructive and determined man can be. Mankind can destroy nature and be possessive of it.

Chopin, Johnson, and Faulkner

2006-02-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed reading Chopin's, "Desiree's Baby" and Johnson's, "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man". Both were easy reads and had the characteristics of having "passing" themes in them. Passing is when a person who's black can "pass" as being either black or white. It"s unsettling to know that at the time period these works were written, there was a lot of paranoia about whiteness and the threat of "diluting" the white race. "Passing" is a common theme in works by African American women authors too, which I read last semester.
I also started to read Faulkner's works.The characters are confusing and the storyline sounds like babble after awhile.Although there is a lot of humor in "Was" for example I don't like Faulkner's style of reading. Is anyone else feeling the frusrtation level reading this piece and the next reading, "The Fire and the Hearth"? I'm looking forward to going over each work slowly in class so I can get the characters straightened out.

Frederick Douglas

2006-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

This man is absolutely amazing! I can't believe the hardships, beatings, and ordeals he had to go through.I loved to read about his passion for teaching other slaves to read.It seemed such a terrible risk to put himself in a position of being found out of what he was doing, but he knew the desire his fellow friends had. The certainly risked beatings too!
The beatings he endured were horrible to read. I couldn't imagine even surviving any of them. Especially when he had to walk seven miles once when he was so sick and bloody. It was awful that he almost lost his eyesight several times and how many white people just stood by and watched these whippings without even flinching. How did the whites sleep at night.
I also thought it was so degrading when Douglas was working for Master Hugh and the money he made was handed over to Hugh at the end of the week. Hugh would occassionally give him twenty five cents!!!!! I don't know how Douglas' spirit endured the torture and changeover between masters either. I know that I wouldn't have been able to endure such deplorable conditions, however, the reward of freedom would be an incredible incentive.
It seems like society has come so far compared to this time period but we still have a lot of discrimnation even in "modern times". I wonder if there will ever be a day of true equality for all.

wheatley poems

2006-01-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

I really admire the wit of this African American poet. I think she is very clever in how she very subtly discloses her " voice" in her poems. She uses religion to give her the "power" to speak to audience about the abolition of slavery yet remains humble toward her reader to keep their attention and seemingly respect by her. I have to admit that I did research on her last semester about her works and how many scholars have called into question the authenticity of her works and wether or not she's the real author.

hello

2006-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Hi ! I'm just posting my first entry and making sure I've set up this blog correctly. This course sounds like it's going to be interesting and I'm looking forward to reading the different works by all the different authors.

hello

2006-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

southernlit

Bastard Out Of Carolina

Cherrylog Road

more presentations

The Presentations

Flannery O'Connor

A Streetcar Named Desire-The Film

A Streetcar Named Desire

Zora Neale Hurston-How It Feels To Be Colored Me

Katherine Anne Porter

Delta Autumn

Delta Autumn

The Bear

Chopin, Johnson, and Faulkner

Frederick Douglas

wheatley poems

hello

hello