Fall Blogging Portfolio
My blogs are about how I feel about the literature stories I have read in my American literature class. This is my first attempt at blogging so hopefully with time and practice I will become more natural in blogging. I have created a "Blogging Portfolio".
Thoreau and Civil Disobedience, is interpretation of how we define our place in society.
Poetry Slam Dunk, is comments i cave to Trish on her interpretation of How Happy is the Little Stone and The Sun Kept Setting, Setting Still.
Poe’s the rave, is a response to Trish's research about the raven.
I didn’t like Emerson’s essay called Self Reliance. I find it interesting that he criticizes the law and explains that no law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Without laws what would protect him his own nature well, this would create total chaos. Emerson seems to view himself as a higher being and this bothered me. If self reliance is so important than why is me going to school to bettering my self considered society building a robot, isn’t this better than just sitting on my butt reflecting myself?
I found that I agree with some of Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience teachings. it was interesting that he says that the government, even though the backbone of our society, causes people to ignore who they rally are. It is very true that society uses money to function.
I found reading An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge to be interesting. I like how the author really didn’t comes out and explains the setting of the story, but rather gives several clues that allows us to discover the period in time. The vivid descriptions made me become hooked it what was happening. I also like how the author switches from the present to that of the past throughout his writing. I felt that this whole description of what is happening is taking place in the split second between life and death. This is everything racing through his mind before the rope strangles him. I find this to be very true. In the spit second it to tear my ACL seemed to last forever. I remember in that split second thinking I just twisted it I’m ok, to I just tour my ACL, to what is taking so long for someone to come help me.
I disagree with Trisha that the primary concerns for writing this story were to condemn war. I thought he was mocking war. How stupid it is to hang a man because he believes he and his side are right and the other side will here nothing of it. The very last sentence states, that he died of a broken neck and was swinging back and forth between the timbers is the best part of the story.
Poe's, "The Raven" was a literary piece I found difficult to understand . It wasn’t clear to me what actually the bird that landed on the man's perch was signifying. I did notice the mood changed as I read it. I agree with the statement SE-Ann made that in the beginning it seemed to be positively about the meaning of "Nevermore" and then at the end that it was weird when mentioning the significance of evil taking place. Trish brought up some interesting ideas I never thought so many literary links would be made in The Raven a compelling narrative structure, a dark atmosphere, hypnotic verbal music, and archetypal symbolism. I see how the first to elements fit into The Raven but have trouble making the other two fit.
It interested me the different ways Chillingworth would use to get information regarding his suspicions of Dimmesdale being his former wife’s, Hester, lover. The first exampleChillingworth showed this when saying, “Why should not the guilty ones sooner avail themselves of this utterable solace?”(p.120) I think that Chillingworth is trying to get a confession by referring to religious beliefs held by Dimmesdale. I think this is a very smart maneuver because it is something that could work, but it seems that Dimmesdale is able to outsmart Chillingworth not letting him know the deep secret that haunts him.
I liked how the author showed Pearl becoming more mature with age. He did this in several ways. She starts to see a connection between Dimmesdale holding his heart and her mother’s “Scarlet Letter.” I see how this holds true for children because I experience it every day by working in the SHU kindergarten.
For me the “Scarlet Letter” meant more than just standing for adultery. She is now seen as having this letter stand for able the towns people actually come to her for advice. I really liked the way Hawthorn portrayed each character. I feel he got his point across to his reader, that was to make them think, to do exactly what we did in class have discussions.
I really continued to enjoy this book in several different ways. As I finished each chapter I became more interested than I had been in the beginning.
I just wanted to say everyone did a great job the poetry slam way interesting. I have one small comment to make about presenting to your peers. Last Wednesday I had a chance to hear some professors complain about giving a presentation for the celebration of education. They said they didn't want anyone to show up so they wouldn't have to present to others. I hope all these professors take this into consideration when they have students presenting to the class.