Presented below is my second portfolio for American Literature 1915-Present.
I found the blogging to be a great concept and a way to interact with our peers about our weekly readings, however I did find it extremely difficult to keep up with the workload. I don't know if it was just me, but as an adult in this class while trying to maintain my personal obligations and my other classes, while working full time, it was tough keeping up with the amount of reading, therefore my blogging was not as strong as I wish it could have been. It is not an excuse, simply life, but all I can say is I tried my best, and as long as I know I gave what I could while keeping up with other responsibilities I still feel proud, even if it doesn't compare to others that seem to have posted a lot more. I wish I could have done more, I did enjoy the readings, and I have a new appreciation for literature, and my main goal was to make sure I did get the readings completed, even it not always on schedule. I can say I did try!
Killing time or everything else! What will work? 3/26
See the wonder, realize the danger, than react, run for safety! 3/26
Uh oh...I'm in trouble Matthew Henderson 3/21
Turtle Better Than Yacht Owners? Jennifer Prex 3/21
Madness Christopher Dufalla 3/22
Roethke: In A Dark Time Quinn Kerno 3/23
Painful Reminder April Minerd 3/23
Roethke, paranoid, of even plants? 3/26
Plath, a young talent with pain and depression that evolved into death 3/26
Survival can be hard to live with...4/27
Do I need new specs? Christopher Dufalla 3/11
Getting the most out of it, but not through your own eyes! 3/20
Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not there! 3/27
Evil or just a threat? Nikita McClellan 3/14
Altering Fixed Positions Rosalind Blair 3/19
Keeping in Mind the Big Picture Marie Vanmaanen 3/23
Coldest Day in August, really? 3/15
Marked in more ways than one. 3/15
Keep it Simple Rebecca Marrie 3/16
Symbolism Embolism Joshua Wilks 3/23
When Myths go Awry Alicia Campbell 3/23
This statement by Jeanine shows that Miller is expressing through this character that life is hard. It is harder to stay here in this world and try to survive than to make a choice to end your life by committing suicide. The suicide answer is a quick and, if successful, final result for that person. In everyday survival in life this is not the case however. We all struggle with our own issues day in and out, and we often feel that our life is like chaos. Miller has Felix say on page 7 that, "Tragedy is my life". I am sure we all have often felt this way one time or another...but if we continue feeling this way it can spiral downward into a depression that can result into suicide thoughts or even attempts. However, as Henri sees where he has gone wrong, by this unfortunate event of Jeanine trying to commit suicide, but failed. This has given Henri the opportunity to try to make up for it. He now realizes what he has done, "I think I never really saw what I meant to her. Sitting with her day after day now...for the first time I understood my part in her suffering. I betrayed her Felix, It's terrible." (14) In our own lives we all have felt betrayed by someone we love, at some point. This feeling seems to resonate throughout the play. Especially in the end when the figure, man, son of god, is trying to decide whether he should come down and pay the price of committing his own suicide for the people's salvation. Henri, "Whoever you are! - I thank you for my daughter's return to life. And before your loving heart I apologize for ignoring her for so many years, and for having led her in my blind pride to the brink of destruction." (109) I believe that we all can relate very much to this play, we all know we conduct our own lives so very busily that we don't take time to see and appreciate what we have and greed in whatever form, over comes us inevitably.
O falling fire and piercing cry
and panic, and a weak mailed fist
clenched ignorant against the sky!
In reading Elizabeth Bishop's poems it is obvious that she was, as indicated, very meticulous in her writing. The fact that they stated she wrote "plainspoken" and " an unmannered originality of simplicity" just seems strange that she, even with poor health, wasn't about writing of misery. Her poem The Armadillo seemed to speak as many per the blogs interpreted of meteorites, or possibly a volcanic eruption. There was also reference to fireworks even, but the fire balloons reference makes me lean more toward the thought of meteorites due to her references of other signifiers such as "Last night another big one fell. It splattered like an egg of fire". My interpretation of Elizabeth's use of words in this poem makes me think that we all like to watch meteors, which can be so beautiful and mesmerizing but we also forget the damage and devastation it can cause upon impact. The reference to the displaced and hurt animals seemed to show that it could have even been even a volcano erupting due to the reference of "a handful of intangible ash with fixed, ignited eyes". The emotions you feel is wonder at first, than you start to see the danger, and then the remorse sets in and reflection can bring on frustration with the amazement of nature and how it works whether it is a meteor hitting the earth or a volcano erupting. We stand in astonishment at the wonder, but than realize you need to run for safety, doesn't this seem to relate to many feelings or emotions humans feel and the reactions as well?
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In reading this article I must admit is seemed difficult to follow, and I know that it is because I am not on the level that a person is that would be writing this type of academic paper, which is fine. However I did seem to pull some things from what I read.
I believe that the obvious is the Garden of Eden, American dream, land of the plenty, the significance of water, laws of nature, laws of the government and capitalism. What I found to be intriguing was that fact that Cassuto states,
The sight of faceless corporate "monsters" intentionally destroying the land's
Fertility moved the tenants to violence. Yet the Joads and their neighbors had
often planted cotton and were at present sharecropping frenziedly in order to build
up a stake to take west: "The whole bunch of us chopped cotton, even Grampa"
(90). The differences between the Okies and the banks lay more in scale and
philosophy than methodology and eventual result. Both sides participated in the
capitalist mechanism, but the banks had better adapted to thrive within it. (78)
I see this statement as an unobvious claim, I would not have considered the tenants as exploiting capitalism as well, but reading this article it has given me another thought, and I can now see this POV. I know that I had stated in my paper 1 a quote from page 205 about the tractor being considered the evil enemy of capitalism because it turns the tenants off of the land. But really this does not support capitalism being evil, as Dr. Jerz pointed out to me, it is a type of communal ownership of the means of production, a type of farm co-op in a socialistic society. So just because the characters Steinbeck writes of may not seem to intend to take on the selfish role it seemed of capitalism, they often did and Cassuto does not seem to accurse them, even if it was in ignorance.
Cassuto also states,
This ideological evolution progressed naturally from the dominant myths. As
industrialism began to dominate the West, the accompanying mindset fit a unique
niche in the Amercian dream of rugged individualism and merit-based
achievement.
This statement shows that the people have to become educated and leave behind the myths, in order to survive in the new era. To me Cassuto often confused me, but actually made me think more about certain pieces that he was touching on that seemed relevant to me. He also did though have many pieces that I just could not relate to, but that is to be expected at my level I suppose. But I do not consider it a wash, it had good points.
This statement by Foster in chapter 25 seems to be popular so far in the blogs posted that I have read so far. It stands out to me because it is so very true. We all go about our business day in and day out in our own ways, and there is nothing wrong with that, only that we are not seeing the bigger picture that writers are trying to open those views to us with their writing. This statement is not literal in the sense of the actual act of seeing with your eyes, Foster plays on the words in the sense of your interpretations due to your own ideas, thoughts, beliefs, cultural background, historical knowledge and level of analyzing literature. It is more about being able to separate the world we live in here and now, and the world and time era that the writer is, or was, writing in and how perception would have been at that point in history. Our own scenarios in our past will narrow our understandings only to what we know. We have to open our eyes up much broader, to see more of the picture that the writer is trying to paint for us. Such as, if you will, beyond our peripheral vision, and look harder and deeper into the text for what is not obvious to us. We all like the obvious, let's admit it, it is less work to get it that way. So as we all have learned and continue learning that it takes work, practice and more practice to get us to move beyond our own sight. We all have to admit that even the most liberal people still have difficulty seeing beyond their own views and really truly seeing others perspectives. The funny part is Foster also mentions on page 228, "So how much is too much? What can we reasonably demand of our reading? That's up to you." How true is this? Foster shows through page 232, "We'll miss most useful lessons if we read it through the lens of our own popular culture." Foster has mentioned before, in earlier chapters, that we must be able to ask the right questions, and this is what prescription we will need to focus our lenses. Just as we need adjustments on our glasses to see better, we need adjustments on our points of view in order to "see" clearer.
In reading chapters 21-24 for this week the chapter that spoke to me the most was chapter 21, Marked for Greatness. Foster helps to understand that that is usually going to mean something if a writer gives a character a different shape, deformity, physical mark or imperfection it is going to probably have a significance to that character and what is going to come. This may seem to be obvious however I know I have read and seen many stories where characters have such, but did not think that much about them at the time. Now he presents it is the sense that is simply about being different, "Sameness doesn't present us with metaphorical possibilities, whereas difference -from the average, the typical, the expected - is always rich with possibility." (194) After reading Matt Henderson's blog about conformity can stand out too, that conformity can almost be a kind of deformity. After reading his blog it does seem to make sense to me what he said, other than that if all want to confirm to the same, than it is not going to appear to be a deformity, because we all want to look, act and talk the same. Than we would be the same, would we not? So I am not sure on that one, but Foster's comment, "The character marking stand as indicators of the damage life inflicts." "But even the others bear signs illustrating the way life marks all who pass through it." We all have physical or emotional imperfections or scars that are symbolic to us each individually and has it's own meaning and depth to it. We will see these totally different than others will, as Alica Campbell's response states that normal is relative, and that normal can be different for the reader as to what is normal for the characters in literary works. I agree with this and that a writer can use conformity to tell us the same things, but if we go back and think of most stories, or movies, a character is going to have something that sets them apart from the rest, as Henry was trying to do in Act III when he returned from home in Wilders play, The Skin of Our Teeth, "Oh, no. I'll make a world, and I'll show you." (111) This difference is going to speak to each of us as our own personal history allows.
Wilder's comic and yet bizarre approach to satire in his play, The Skin of Our Teeth, made it a difficult start for me to get into this play. Once I got moving though, it seemed still a very strange sense of approach that Wilder takes to get his message of the struggles of humanity through to the audience. His use of all of the famous historical events that most people are at least aware of, if not totally educated on, he counts on our association with these things. With the quote above Wilder gives a sense that most of the audience is going to think he is off his rocker to say that a day in August is one the coldest days, and who would have a fire going on a day in August, when normally we experience the hottest days of summer. The sense of puzzlement and confusion set in immediately to me, and I feel most people would think the same. But if we are following Wilder's set up, he is showing you that his character's statements, such as through Sabina "I don't understand a single work of it, anyway, - all about the troubles of the human race has gone through, there's a subject for you. Besides, the author hasn't made up his silly mind as to whether we're all living back in caves or in the New Jersey today, and that's the way it is all the way through." (11) Wilder's use of repeated statements, settings, etc., such as repeating that it's cold in Act 1, such as the dinosaur says, "It's cold." (15), shows that like the continued life cycle repetition we must always keep that desire to continue on, such as his reference not to let the fire die out, or we die. Wilder uses certain settings, words, names, weather, characters and events in history and pulls them all together into this crazy little play by appealing to each person in the audience. Wilder is showing through all of these we all will have a personal story, maybe not directly related due to the era it came from but that we can relate it to, by use of dinosaurs and mammoths, the invention of the wheel, the ice age, depressions, wars, and his characters stopping the play and speaking to the audience. In all of these methods he is showing that even through each catastrophe humanity can pull through it somehow as long as they desire to. Wilder shows that the way of pulling through each disaster in time is through Mr. Antrobus and his speeches, such as "We've come along ways. We've learned. We're learning. And the steps of our journey are marked for us here." Wilder's depiction of the many struggles in life, and through all of these time eras proves that it may be a difficult battle for humanity to continue climbing upward but we must never lose that desire to start building again and to begin again.
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This blog entry is to show what I have been able to post in response to my on reflections as well as others in the literature that we are reading in American Literature 1915-Present EL267. But not without great difficulty, and still apparently I am still having some troubles. It is not due to lack of trying, because God only knows I am trying, but here is the best I can do. This class has opened many new ideas, blogging for one, which as most see I am still struggling with, learning how to close read as well as to understand how textual evidence over the faith and emotional responses is the key. Trying to put something into a thesis as a non-obvious versus obvious is also been quite a challenge. I am including my dates if the trackbacks do not work, I apologize, but I am trying and that is all I can say. The blogging is great but I am just having a lot of difficulty with it, giving much frustration at times for myself.
"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar" (1/30)
Imagination Station (2/6)
"All happy families are the same, but every unhappy one has its own story." Really? (2/20)
The devil, Gila monster, and California, what's your poison? (2/26)
Interaction
Rose Knows All (Jennifer Prex's blog 2/19)
Foster's helping me cheat (Sara Benaquista's blog 2/20)
Pluck it from the sky (April Minerd's blog 2/21)
Depth
Loss of Innocence (2/6)
Nine month's...and counting! (2/14)
Rose of Sharon, blossoms into nobel knowing women? (2/20)
Discussion
A Turtle in Disguise (Aja Hannah's blog 2/19)
Steinbeck is painting a vivid picture of what the challenges of this time era is presenting to the people in the country. By this piece depicting that the people in the country are battling what seems to be the obvious enemies, but how something else can come along and also poison us before you even realize it has happened. Each of which will take its own and unique form, but ultimately all show that struggle with capitalism and how that form can transgress into another. The way Steinbeck uses this quote given by the character Casy above proves he started out as a preacher struggling with his ultimate and obvious enemy, the devil. Casy's struggle with his sins as Steinbeck explains in earlier chapters, "I'd take one of them girls out in the grass, an' I'd lay with her." (29), seemed obvious as Steinbeck banks on the readers knowledge that these things would be wrong for someone in Casy's position to be doing. But as Steinbeck has Casy move into the Gila monster comparison it is showing that the enemy can come in any form, and unexpectedly even change it's form and attack the characters in a whole different way. Steinbeck portrays that each of these character's have their own enemy that if not paying attention, like this Gila monster, will come up and bite. And no matter what measures they seem to take to chop it away it is too late for that poison has already dripped into their blood through the hole created and the damage is done. It will stay attached to them unless they take extreme measures to pry it away.
So far Steinbeck proves in earlier chapters that the land tenants enemy is the tractors, the gas attendant in chapter thirteen's enemy is "them pretty yella stations in town" (174). The dog's enemy was "a big swift car" (177). What further enemies will be surfacing as we read on to complete the novel? California here it comes...
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I believe Steinbeck also proves that Rose of Sharon is dainty, but powerful. Take for instance her name, Rose of Sharon, this unique name symbolizes a rose, which is dainty, delicate, round and soft. All of which Steinbeck uses to describe her on page 136, "and Rose of Sharon behind, walking daintly" and also on page 129, "her round soft face, which had been voluptuous and inviting a few months ago, had already put on the barrier of pregnancy, the self-sufficient smile, the knowing perfection look...her whole body had become demure and serious." The use of the word "knowing" in relation to her look in this section sends out a message that she has a way of knowing of such things to come. And could the word "serious" also set the tone of what that might be. The word balanced is used several times by Steinbeck to describe her, page 129, "and she balanced, swaying on the balls of her feet," and also again on page 129 "she balanced on her toes now, for the baby's sake", and finally on page 129 as well, "There was a balanced, careful wise creature who smiled shyly but very firmly at him."
Steinbeck also eludes that she is of nobility, he references on page 129, "Her hair braided and wrapped around her head, made ash-blond crown." Also on page 134, Steinbeck states, "Connie Rivers lifted the high tail-gate out of the truck and got down and helped Rose of Sharon to the ground; and she accepted it nobly, smiling her wise, self-satisfied smile, mouth tipped at the corners a little fatuously." And another reference on page 134 as well, "This is Connie, my husband." And she was grand, saying it.
The woman's intuition I believe hits right on as to Steinbeck's foreshadowing, because for the character Rose of Sharon being pregnant all of these pieces above can also be interpreted that her sense of intuition is heightened due to her pregnancy.
As to what will happen next winter, could it be a death? As in Foster's chapter 20, page 183, "In fact, our responses are so deeply ingrained that seasonal associations are among the easiest for the writer to upend and use ironically." As well as in Foster's chapter 20, page 178, "winter with old age and resentment and death."
I agree that Steinbeck opens our minds through the character Rose of Sharon that there is more to it than what the story is showing at this time.
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