I believe that John Henry was a real person. I believe this because stories get there start from something that truely happened in ones past. Stories happen from past experiences, a dream, or thoughts on a situation. John Henry was a man of great ability. He had great work ethic and died doing his work. He had something that you don't see now a days - he took pride in his work. He lived to do his job and his job was to be the best driver there was for the railroad. That is why he took on the challenge of the steam driver - he knew he would win. As I think about it I feel like he almost had to die to prove his point at being the best. He is a great example to all workers because he shows them to never give up and you can accomplish anything.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was an interesting book because if the many controversies that arose in the book. Slavery and racism too name the main ones. Amanda's Blog talks about them. Another quesion that came up was if Jim was a parental figure to Huck? I don't think of Jim as a parent to Huck, but more like a big brother.
Huck was playing tricks on him and would joke around with him almost like he was the younger sibling. Like when he puts the rattlesnake in Jim's bed ant it bites him. I don't think that Huck really tries to hurt Jim. He also never turns in Jim when he gets frustrated with him and wants to give up. The one chance that comes to mind is when the river boat crashes and Jim gets rescued by two white men and they ask who is on the boat and Jim contemplates with himself about turning in Jim. He does not. I believe this shows the brotherly bond that they have.
No matter what siblings do to one another and how mad and frustrated they get they are still there to help them in times of need. They would do anything for one another. They stand by each other til the end. This is shown by Huck and Jim throughout the story.
The Native American stories interested me greaty because of the fact that most of the stories have references to the 'great white man' and all the Native Americans wanting to be like them. They wrote things in certain stories about how they were not good enough and they caused most of the problems that occured. For example, "The creator clothed them. And when the two couple lie down to sleep at night he placed an apple by the side of each pair directing them not to touch or eat of them. In the morning it appeared that the woman of the yellow skin people had eaten the apple that was laid near the two, and they were naked. The white skinned people had not eaten the apple placed for a temptation; and their clothing remained upon them. "
The way that these stories are told I get a feeling of overpowerment by the 'white man'. What I mean by this is I think that the 'white man' forced Native Americans to write these stories like this because of the negative light the Native Americans are portrayed in.
The creation story intrigued me the most because it was very similar to the creation story in genesis but yet it was different. Like how there were a white couple and a yellow couple. And the fact that a piece of fruit was involved by eating it and the yellow couple realizing that they were not clothed. I think that the only reason the Native Americans wanted to be like the whites was because the whites had the power that they wanted.
The Devil's Dictionary was Ambrose Bierce's way of calling out all of the people in society who were to proper and prissy for the times. He wrote the Dictionary not to make people mad, but to get them to realize how silly they were acting. It made them see how they were. I personally found the Dictionary hilarious because of the way he thought the words should be defined. However, people might find it offensive because the words speak the truth and the truth hurts. He pointed out the flaws in society and I think that takes great courage to write about society like that. Bierce's honesty was what made the Devil's Dictionary so great; because of the controversy. If it weren't then no one would read it today. Some of my favorite words are:
BEAUTY, n.
The power by which a woman charms a lover and terrifies a husband.
CIRCUS, n.
A place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool.
SAINT, n.
A dead sinner revised and edited.
ME, pro.
The objectionable case of I. The personal pronoun in English has three cases, the dominative, the objectionable and the oppressive. Each is all three.
Well after reading Mike's Blog on SHU in the 1990s I decided to make my own list of things around SHU that my friends and I notice around here. If some of the stuff on here is confusing just comment and I'll try to explain it to you
SHU of 2004
1. Midnight Breakfast is seriously the most popular activity on campus. If you don't go your so missing out!
2. Finding a parking spot is the new SHU activity.
3. Sully Lawn is the place where all male athletes (no matter what sport) congregate.
4. The freshman are given the true SHU tour, including the places where former students have died, the tunnels, and the bell tower to name a few.
5. Before students were allowed to smoke in doors. Now they have designated spots to smoke and are not allowed to smoke anywhere else. (RIP Brownlee Smokers Cirlcle)
6. People still say hi to you no matter what you look like. It's just that the "freak" punk clothes have be replaced with old sweatpants and dirty SHU sweatshirt.
7. The entire month of November will be Football Recuit month.
8. Students will walk for 10 minutes in the rain, snow, and below 0 temperatures to go get food from SHU cafe, to then get there, realize that it sucks and decide to go to Sheetz later.
9. On a weekly basis something happens to a SHU student, like getting kicked out, drops a class because their failing, or has to talk to Dr. Robin. Within the next 12 hours everyone on campus knows.
10. Wal-Mart, Sheetz, Eat n Park, and anything else that is open for 24 hours are you favorite hang out spots.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper was about a woman who was kept in a yellow wallpapered room by her husband because she was ill. After reading this work I thought to myself, "She was not ill at all in the beginning, but later on I believe that she started to become sick." I believe it was her husband and his ways that made her stay sick all the time. In my opinion, it didn't even look like he made an attempt to make her well. This woman is almost completly isolated and she wants to have a friend, keep a journal, or take a walk outside. All three of these request by her are denied by John, her husband. She stills keeps the journal which I find to be very interesting because she is going againest his wishes for once. This sign was the first sign that she was going to over come him and the situation of her sickness. In the beginning, she tries to blame the way she feels towards him due to her illness. “I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes. I'm sure I never used to be so sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition.” As time proceeds, she begins to get worse and is pleaing with John to leave the house, or even just the room. He once again tells her no. So now that she can't do anything she wants to except write in her journal, which one sees less of, she becomes infatuated with the yellow wallpaper. She sees shapes in it and these shapes become a woman. She frees the woman by peeling off the wallpaper. I belive that this woman trapped is her and she is trying to free herself. But she does not become free. So she finally cracks and decided that she cannot take it anymore. She has a rope that she uses to escape her prison. John is now scared because he has no control over his wife anymore. He faints and she now sees him as the burden he once saw her as. "Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time!" Lori's blog has a good insight to this work. Her views are a little different from mine own, but still very interesting.
Out of the five Robinson works that we had to read the one that I liked the most was Richard Corey. The whole poem had the lingering idea of money doesn't buy happiness and apperences can be deceiving. I personally enjoyed how in the beginning of the poem it started out with the idea that he was loved by all and they all believed that ingeneral he was happy too. The lines:
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked.
This shows that no matter how high on a pedestal the towns people put him, he still kept his feet grounded. He didn't feel that he was anything special but yet society thought differently. When he kills himself because of this internal aggresion it comes as a shock because of how happy everything seemed. They went on with their work not knowing anything until that day. It just reinstates the cliche appearences can be deceiving.
The Br'er Rabbit stories were very confusing to read. I really didn't understand the many point to the stories. From what I gathered from it I think that the beginning of African American culture was told through the stories of what this rabbit did. He went under went many tricks to arrive at these stories. The main story I would like to focus on would be Why the Negro is Black because it the only story that I really understood. I found it interesting how the negros had a choice to be black or they could go to the pond and get washed white. Also, how some of them couldn't make up their mind so they went only body in and kept their head out and they became Asian. This reminded me of the Native American stories because once again another race is competing with whites; wanting to be like the white race. I understand that other races have it hard because of sterotypes placed upon them and they are trying to reach the same social status. I just wish that the stories wouldn't come off with them looking so highly to the whites. The white race is not perfect even though it comes off that way. I just want to have a story where all the races are equal and can accept themselves for who they are.
I am going to discuss the 2 main men in this play, who are Jack Rance and Dick Johnson. The reason I chose to talk about the men and not the girl was because I think that the girl revolves around the mens' actions. If the men would not come and see her at the Polka and ask her to kiss them or marry them there would be nothing exciting and suspensful about this play. Well I guess for the guys in our class the fact of being chased by the law and almost killed is enough action for them.
The first man we encounter in this play is Jack Rance. Now when I first read about him I felt that he was the cocky, "I'm the Best", has to have what he wants guy. He has his heart set on marrying the Girl, even though he was already married to another woman back in New Orleans. When I read that line I seriously said to myself, "What a dirt bag! I don't care how far away she is you are still married and that's that!" The Girl knows that he is married and refuses to kiss him. I believe that he feels she is playing hard to get, because he can't believe she would not want him for a husband. He asks her to marry him and she doesn't give him an answer. He begins to feel guilty for himself to make her feel bad. He then begins to guilt her into liking him. With the quote, "But once when I rode in here, it was nothing but Jack -- Jack -- Jack -- Jack -- Jack Rance! God! I nearly got you then." "Did you?" "Then you went to Sacramento and Monterey...and you changed..." He is basically trying to manipulate her into marriage because he can't deal with the fact that someone does not want Jack
Rance.
Then in walks Dick Johnson, a new man in town. People are suspisous of him because they do not know of his business in Couldy Mountain. She sees him and she becomes almost intrigued by him. This makes Rance frurious. He does not understand how a complete stranger can walk in and have her fall head over heals, and he can know her for years and she still won't marry him. The Girl and Johnson strike up a conversation about how they met on the road to Monterey. Johnson states how he has thought about her all the time and this drives Rance crazy. He tries to change the subject by yelling at him to state his business being here. Rance wants Johnson run out of town because he feels threaten by him. The Girl comes to Johnson's defense and saves him.
Johnson is actually Ramerrez, an outlaw/greaser that the sheriff (Rance) is looking for. He has to conceal his secret to the Girl because I feel he does not want to put her in harms way. I think he knows by coming into the Polka he is risking his safety. I don't think that his intentions of going into the Polka was to rekindle his love for the Girl but to see what Rance's plan of action was to capture him. The fact that the Girl owned the Polka was fate. He knows by her being here that it will complicate the situation. He says, " Johnson, what the devil's the matter with you?" because he can't believe he still has these feelings for her and is willing to give up everything for her.
Later Johnson goes over to the Girl's home in the moutains to see her because he just has to; he can't stop thinking of her. He loves her andgives her true loves kiss. However Rance catches him there and he is enraged for two reasons: 1) because Johnson is there to steal the heart of the Girl and 2) because Johnson is Ramerrez, the outlaw he is looking for. However the Girl hides Johnson because she truely loves him and only him. The Girl pleas with Rance to let Johnson/Ramerrez alone, but Rance is out to find him and hang him. I think that this is because of jealously and the fact that he is the sheriff. The Girl makes a bet with Rance. She says that if Rance can beat her at 3 games of poker she will marry him. But if the Girl beats Rance he must leave both her and Johnson alone. He agrees because of his attiude that he's the best and he thinks that she can't beat him. She does win and Rance leaves.
Rance goes back on his bet and arrests Johnson/Ramerrez later. I feel that he does this because he is still trying to abide by the law and his word. The Girl comes when she finds out and tells Rance to let him go. Rance is hesitant. Johnson just wants to tell the girl good bye and accepts the fact that he will never be with her. This shows that he loves her so much that he sacrifices everything for her; a sign of true love. I think that Rance finally lets him go because he realizes his loss and will never get the Girl. This is a big step for him because he is realizing that he can't always get what he wants.
Questions:
1.) What do you think would have happened if the Girl lost the poker game? Do you think she cheated/she knew she would win? Do you think it was a smart move on her part?
2.) Do you think that Rance let Johnson go because he loved the Girl and wanted her to be happy or do you think that he finally accepted his loss?
3.) Do you think that Johnson came into the Polka just to see what Rance was up too or to see the Girl again?
The Girls of the Golden West is a play written by David Belasco. It is set in the times of the California Gold Rush. The play is a love story between the Girl who owns the Polka and a stranger that comes to town and how it affects the lives of the people who live in Cloudy Mountain, California. The Polka is a saloon where the miners and the high men of society unwind after long days of work and is run by The Girl (Minnie Falconer), whom every man is in love with but can't have.
The Men of Cloudy Mountain, CA