When reading the Native American stories, I found several of the stories to be rather interesting but I also found many of them to be difficult and hard to comprehend as several of my classmates have also pointed out in their blogs. The aspect that the majority of these readings were possibly not one hundred percent reliable really made me wonder if what I was reading was legitimate or not. As Dr. Jerz explained in class, these stories are told for numerous generations and passed down from one individual to another. This shows as with the childhood game of “telephone” how each person may change the story to fit their acceptance levels.
The Native American story that I found to be the most interesting was called “The Flood.” I believe that I liked the story so much simply because I had to read it over repeatedly to make sure that I was comprehending every aspect of the short story. I found it very interesting that when the boy was traveling to Pinawa that he brushed up against his dead uncle and was instantly a dead man. I found when I was continually reading over this story that I was always trying to interpret what the “bumping up against” might have implied in the story. I believe that after several deliberations that it was essentially the essence of bumping up to a dead spirit. This was exactly how the young boy died. I believe though that the uncle may have been similar to that of an angel that was coming for the young boy after he might have died as well.
When reading the story of Crazy Horse, I found that I have several similarities that were mentioned throughout Erin’s blog entry. I also found that Crazy Horse’s negative viewpoint of the White Man because of the United States Army was also a complete shame. Crazy Horse did not meet every American so for him to actually believe that every White Man was like that of the United States Army is not only unfair but also unjust as well.
I think that it is not only interesting to read these Native American stories but also to study their origins as well. I find that several of the Native American stories are similar to the stories that I have grown up and have been taught both through my religion and studying the stories of Genesis but also the folk tales that are passed down through my generations of origin.
When reading the ending of the book, I found myself constantly expecting something more drastic to happen that what I felt actually did. I was almost let down to find out Huck and Tom went to so much trouble to free Jim, and Jim was actually a free slave anyways. I was so mad and almost put myself in the situation and I was really mad at Tom for doing that particular aspect. I was so furious because I could in a way see one of my friends doing that to me. I know that Tom was seeking to make the freeing and escape of Jim to be like the novels that he read and the ultimate adventure, but being in Huck and Jim's position it was a real dirty trick to play.
I also found in the ending of the novel that I was also disappointed that the novel seems to almost start directly from the beginning. I state this because of Huck's last sentences like that he was going to be tried to made civilized again and he didn't like that fact. I found that I was telling myself well here it goes all over again and the story of the adventures will start over again. However, the adventures might not be the same but it is almost like a continuous cycle beginning again.
In reading the book, I really didn't mind the story as a whole. I just felt that I was expecting more in terms of the ending of the book. I really do not know what I was expecting. I believe I expected some great marvel because of the surprising adventures that Huck ventured into. I was just expecting more of a surprise and in a way I was overshooting my expectations. I guess the ending was just a major let down for me.
In “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, the Mississippi River plays several roles and holds a prominent theme throughout much of the story as a whole. Huckleberry Finn and Jim are without a doubt the happiest and most a peace when floating down the river on their raft. However, the river has a much deeper meaning than just a compilation of water. It almost goes to an extent of having its own personality and character traits. The river offers a place for the two characters, Huck and Jim, to escape from everybody and even everything in society and leaves them with a feeling of ease. In the middle section of Huckleberry Finn, the river takes on more of a concrete meaning and will be discussed more so in the paragraphs that follows.
Before investigating exactly the roles that the river played in this section of the novel, I decided to actually get a dictionary definition of river before continuing. However, I believe this may sound very simply but it may indeed clear up controversies or confusions found later on in the presentation. The definition of a river is simply a natural wide flow of fresh water across the land into the sea, a lake, or another river. I found this definition to be rather what I had intended and decided to now find how the novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” used the river in the context as a whole but more importantly as symbolism in the middles sections of Chapters 16-31.
The majority of symbolism in regards to the river is found in Chapter 18 when Huck and Jim return to their raft after an adventure in which they get caught up with a feud between the Grangerford’s and the Shepherdson’s. Huck believes that “he had never felt easy till the raft was two mile below there and out in the middle of the Mississippi.” This quotation shows exactly how Huck feels in regards to the river in this case the Mississippi and its ability to portray a peaceful mind-set. The river in this context shows a more peaceful setting than that of society. As the author shows, the river and its society is calm and the land and its society is troublesome in a variety of different aspects.
I found another quote rather similar and close in context to the first that shows exactly the river in regards to a peaceful and serene aspect. Huck and Jim also after escaping from the feud on land believes that “there warn’t no home like a raft after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.” This continues to argue the point that the river is a place of freedom from the terrible situations found on land. As stated in the quotation, the river was a home where Jim and Huck could relax, feel comfortable, and generally be at ease. This was very easy to comprehend as a reader but to envision a home as the river or even a raft on a river does not necessarily coincide with ideals of a picturesque home.
In Chapter 19, we continue to view exactly why Huck felt the river was so peaceful through the various descriptions offered about by the author. The author in this chapter seems to make his words flow like a river and generally captivate the audience to a point in which they feel the calmness of the river as well. Huck begins by telling that “sometimes we would have that whole river all to ourselves for the longest time. Yonder was the banks and the islands, across the water; and maybe a spark or two—on a raft or a scow, you know; and maybe you could hear a fiddle or a song coming over from one of them crafts.” This particular quotation brings an individual into the story to almost picture the aspects described by the author. In reading this quotation, you can just literally sense the flowing of the river and the peaceful sounds that were outlined. This not only outlines the calmness of nature but the ability for freedom. The freedom is portrayed in the ability to do as one pleases when and even wherever they decide to do so.
The last and most prominent example of the river symbolizing peace, calmness, and freedom was the ability of Huck and Jim to when they wanted “lit the pipes, and dangle their legs in the water and talk about all kinds of things.” The most surprising aspect was when Huck stated that “we was always naked, day and night.” This continues to portray the theme of peace, calmness, and freedom that is given to the characters by the river. The most obvious is that because the river was so peaceful and calm that it led to their freedom to do as they please without the barriers given by society on land.
When reading this part of the novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” I found that Huck and Jim were set in a period of society that was or can be labeled as somewhat hypocritical, judgmental, and hostile. However, the characters have one escape that being the Mississippi River. The river is a quiet and peaceful place where Huck and Jim can revert to any time to examine any predicament they might find themselves in. The natural flow of the river and its calmness causes deep thoughts, which shows how unnatural the collective thought of society can be. We actually see Huck grow up having the river as a place for solitude and thought, where he can participate at times and other times sit back and watch. The ideas of nature, peace, and freedom, are presented in the form of the river where Huck and Jim go to think. The river is a very important part of the novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” because it shows that the river signifies calmness, peace, and freedom for both characters. Huckleberry Finn is actually struggling to find himself in regards to his freedom to be an individual created by his own morals and not societies and Jim is essentially looking for freedom from slavery. It is essentially through the river that we see each character grow and realize the capability they each possess.
Questions to Discuss:
1. Can you as an audience find any other examples of when the river was used as a symbolism of peace, calmness, or freedom for the characters?
2. Do you see any other areas of symbolism in regards to the river that is taken on throughout the novel?
3. What are some other areas of symbolism mentioned throughout the novel that really struck your attention?
4. Do you agree that the river is a symbolism of especially freedom? Explain. If not, what do you think the author is trying to use the river as throughout the novel?
The conflict between society and the individual is an important theme portrayed throughout “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Huckleberry Finn in a way faces many aspects of society, which gives him the struggle of choosing his own individuality over society. In the beginning of the novel, we see that Huck practically raises himself and relies on his instincts to guide him through his life on Earth. In the world as Huckleberry Finn views it, society has corrupted the notion of justice and morality to fit the needs of its people in the nation at a particular period of time. In the next various paragraphs, I will show examples of how a society can greatly influence an individual, and sometimes the individual must break off from the accepted values and determine the ultimate truth for themselves.
In the very beginning of the novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Huck plainly states that he did not wish to conform to society. Huckleberry Finn states in Chapter 1 that “the Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would civilize me.” This essentially led for Huckleberry Finn to state that he “got into his old rags and my sugar hogshead again, and was free and satisfied.” We find in this novel that Miss Watson is constantly picking at Huck and trying to make him as conventional as possible. We would often find in the novel how Miss Watson would constantly direct orders to Huck. These orders included that he must not “scrunch up like that, and set up straight.” I found that in reading this beginning section that Huck wants to be seen as an individual a person who is independent and has the willingness to live a life free of such complications.
After realizing this component of Huck’s personality, we can further identify the development of Huck as an individual that is outside of societies liking. We find next in the book that Huck’s own instincts tend to hold him in a higher moral standard than those of society. We first see this in the novel with Huckleberry’s decision to help free Jim, a known slave, is an example of one such occurrence. Huckleberry Finn recognizes Jim as a human being, but is actually fighting the beliefs bestowed upon him by society that believes slaves should not be free. However, it is even more important to realize though that Huckleberry’s decision creates the conflict between society and him. But, what Huckleberry Finn does not realize is that his decision defines his personal justice, the righteousness, and even the heroism of his own self that is developing.
The most prominent example of Huck’s ability to develop a self outside the constraints of society is best outlined in Chapter 31. The most compelling aspect was when Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson to return Jim, yet he ends up ripping the letter and wishes to help free Jim. When Huck states “all right, then, I’ll go to hell,” Huck concludes that he is actually evil, and that society has been in the right all along. The concept that Huck doesn’t realize is that his goodness comes actually from within.
In reading the final sections of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” I found several other web log entries of my peers to coincide with several of my findings both in research and breaking down the text. The entry that I wanted to especially touch upon was done by Erin Manko. I agreed both with her presentation and blog entry that outlines in terms of slavery that Huck wanted and did go against society in terms of accepting Jim as a friend and not just a slave. It was after this presentation that I decided to research this topic further and discuss it more in depth as I have done.
I have found in researching the novel in terms of depth that I uncovered topics that were not necessarily found when reading it the first two previous times. This area of research goes to show and prove exactly how much information can be retained with discipline and an open-mind.
When reading Viktor E. Frankl’s novel, Man’s Search for Meaning, I reminded myself of a common quote that I tend to hear very often. This quote has always been hard for me to grasp in believing that “everything happens for a reason.” Survivors of the Holocaust have always had my utmost respect and admiration. It was not until I read Man’s Search for Meaning, when I realized that the majority of the Holocaust survivors actually have accomplished several massive feats. The ongoing topic or lesson that really inspired me was the fact that an individual can’t control fate. In reading this novel, I learned that according to Frankl if you allow fate to guide you then you will be amazed at what happens from that specific point in your life. I was almost saddened that an individual would have to learn this fact in life by not trying to manipulate his fate in some of the scariest and most dangerous situations.
The most moving story for me in Man’s Search for Meaning was without hesitation the story of Frankl and the inspiration that his young wife at the time brought to him. When Frankl was wearing rags each day as well as shoes without soles when working, Frankl would in this moment speak silently in his mind to his wife and in these times he believed that he heard her speak back to him. He passed the day doing hard labor and conversing silently with his wife. He actually didn’t know if she was dead or alive but her spirit there with him proved the power of true love on the human heart and soul. I found this actual part to be so inspiring. It is so interesting to see how a little aspect of remembering your wife can get an individual through one of the most horrible times in their life as well as in history in general.
I really learned a lot from this book as well as the significance that I found it to portray. This book again showed me the power that an individual must possess to endure such a situation as had occurred with Dr. Frankl. I continue to find that the significance of these stories is to show the power of the human voice and the ability of individual persistence as well. With each new story, I find different successes and failures throughout their life but the common ground is that every individual suffered the consequences of a terrible occurrence in history that most would love to forget or neglect to ever talk about again. I actually believe these stories must be heard because they are a part of who we are as individuals but also as a society as well.
I find this experience only compared to really one other situation. This was essentially when we were assigned to read Elie Wiesel. This novel I used as a building block to stand for information that I would later build on with other narratives as well. This was essentially the case when I read Viktor E. Frankl’s novel Man’s Search for Meaning. I actually found myself comparing and contrasting the stories but also setting each aside to show the certain individual characteristics.
This activity clearly connects to the College Objectives of Historical Perspective (because I have examined not only my own historical perspective but also the individual from the novel) and Reflection (because of the ongoing basis of reflecting not only on my own experiences and beliefs but also on what I have learned and are continuing to learn about myself from these novels). I believe that I will take several various components with me from this area of the course. I will not only educate my fellow peers in the future of the wide variety of materials in the world to study but also my future students in the classroom as well.
In reading and discussing Ambrose Bierce's work "The Devil's Dictionary," I found several different topics to be very interesting. I felt that after reading the dictionary and discussing it in class that I was very eager to research Ambrose Bierce and see if any of his characteristics or traits in his personality might show whether he was indeed showing personal negativity towards women or just individuals in general. After doing this, I hope to comment on the discussion in class with the knowledge that I have acquired in regards to Ambrose Bierce as an individual.
When reading the dictionary, I personally did not take offense to some of the definitions aimed directly at women. However, I saw that several of my classmates took a different view when reading this very long and detailed piece so I felt it was a necessity to see what individuals that have researched Ambrose Bierce have said about his personality and demeanor in general. I found that in his time, Bierce established himself a kind of literary dictator of the West Coast and was so respected and feared as a critic that his judgment could "make or break" an aspiring author's reputation (http://www.online-literature.com/bierce/). I found through this particular research that Ambrose Bierce was a very influential individual that really could state freely anything he felt but also was a critic that could as said make or break an individual in regards to what he thought of them. This was the first conclusion that brought me to the ultimate topic that because of this known characteristic that Ambrose Bierce may actually have felt negativity towards women and other members of society in general and was able to express it freely because of his known reputation and status.
This particular part of my research did not leave me fulfilled in terms of truly believing that Ambrose Bierce was or could have felt personal negativity towards women and others in society so I continued my research. The next area of research that I found was not necessarily on the personality of Ambrose Bierce but was his dealings with primarily women in his life. Ambrose Bierce left home at the age of fifteen years old because of his relationship with his parents. This was Ambrose Bierce's first negativity of women. He did not even return home to attend his mother's funeral, which can definitely be seen as a relationship that was hurting and never completely strong (http://www.cateweb.org/CA_Authors/bierce.html). Ambrose Bierce's next encounter with women in his life was his wife of thirty-three years (http://www.cateweb.org/CA_Authors/bierce.html). This wife actually walked out on him after the thirty-three years and left Ambrose Bierce on his own (http://www.cateweb.org/CA_Authors/bierce.html). These two occurrences can definitely outline that Ambrose Bierce was surely hurt by women in his personal life that could easily point to his negativity towards women primarily in his writings.
After investigating these two particular areas of research, I really believe that I have to agree with Amanda's presentation. I do believe that after seeing both his reputation and personality that Ambrose Bierce was an individual that was definitley feeling negativity towards women and was portraying it in his writing. I also agree with Nabila in that Amanda showed several words not just one that "poked" fun at women. I could see along if one of only a few were against women but that was not the case it was actually several that gave a direct point towards an individual opinion of society particuarly women.
I really join everybody to get involved in this conversation. I found the best way was to show my point in regards to the reading as well as the research that was found. This way I will not be conveying the idea that I am just hurling accusations at you. I hope that this helps to clarify any questions that were raised in our class discussions and helps any of my classmates with possible areas that they could research to counteract my new findings.
I have comprised what I call a "Blogging Portfolio." This portfolio shows my best work in terms of literary works that I have read thus far. My entries span far beyond just my simple opinions. With each link, I have showed my ability to cover every piece of work, researched fully in terms of topics, interacted with other fellow blog members, and simply just portrayed my ability to use this technological supplement to its fullest potential. I will under every link introduce you to the topic as well as its ultimate significance. I hope that each and every individual that views this portfolio can not only see my growth but also the potential I hold in the future for continuing these types of intense examinations.
A More Intense Look at The Raven
This entry is written in regards to Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. I used my own personal interpretation and ideas to formulate exactly what the author was implying in the raven that landed on the man’s perch. I also found several online resources that actually supported this idea as well. The investigation that I did on The Raven was so significant because I not only used it as a research area but there are also several links to other blog users that essentially portrays deep interaction and discussion. I encourage you to enter because you too may also become involved in this topic and wish to join in on the interaction and discussion.
More Intense Look at An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
I personally wrote this particular response to Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. I wrote in regards to how I felt the author used tone as well as different types of effects throughout the literary work. This blog entry is also significant because of its ability in my opinion to highly research as well as interact with other individuals. I join you to actually see my point of view, which may actually be different than what you had first intended.
More Intense Look at Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street
This blog entry explains the symbolism that I found in Melville's, Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street. This entry is significant because the symbolism that you may have thought of may actually not be exactly what I chose. This symbolism is mentioned throughout the text but is not obvious to some individuals. I suggest you enter this link not only to uncover the writing that uses research, interaction, and discussion but to also find out exactly what symbolism I found in this particular literary work.
The Scarlet Letter and Symbolism
I wrote this particular entry to also show symbolism that I found throughout the literary work The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This work was also significant because I researched and discussed with other members of the blog world in terms of all the types of symbolism that can be found in this novel. I hope you follow the link above to see what type of symbolism that I discovered through personal perspective as well as through research.
Reflection #1--Presentation on For Annie
This actual entry is very different from the rest of my other types of work. The blog entry is significant because it actually is in response to an oral interpretation that I did in my American Literature class. I read over my poem to fellow classmates and then critiqued myself on the abilities that I felt to either possess or not to possess. If you like this poem or just simply want to see my opinion in regards to my presentation, I encourage you to enter the world of my own personal reflection.
Examining Different Classmates Poetry Slams
In this particular link, I have also reflected not on my own presentation as mentioned in the link previous to this one but on different individuals that also did the same type of work. This link is very significant because it shows the intense works of different individuals and not necessarily that of my own. This link will allow the audience to view a variety of different poetry slams as well as possible key points if an individual is ever to actually complete this form or task. It is very interesting to see exactly how a poem can be interpreted in a variety of ways. You should enter you may be pleasantly surprised at the various forms of presenting poetry.
Discussing the topic of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Essay "Self-Reliance"
This blog was a way for me to communicate to my audience that I had read this essay, but it also showed that I analyzed it in terms of my own meaning as well as interpretation of the areas that I thought Emerson was trying to portray. This reflection covered three areas that I believe constitute a well-thought entry. I used both research, quotes from the text, and personal reflection to show my deeper meaning of the essay. This simply means that this blog entry is more than just one area but a combination of several various areas of intellectual thought.
Discussion of Poe and Melville
This particular blog entry is in my own opinion one of the most crucial areas of my development. This actual entry gave several individuals the opportunity to comment on my blog, which in turn made me realize that a further investigation was needed. From the comments that were brought up by these individuals, I found myself revising this area of my blog entry into another more detailed passage that was listed above (A More Intense Look at The Raveni>).
The Scarlet Letter Part 2
I found this entry also in regards to Nathaniel Hawthorne's second part of The Scarlet Letter was very essential in terms of measuring my growth in evaluating a literary work. This entry was written without conducting any research and in turn I receieved a comment from fellow bloggers that really made me wonder exactly what all was in this book that I could explore. This particular blog entry made me passionate to explore the symbolism that was found in The Scarlet Letter. After several hours of research, I was able to put together The Scarlet Letter and Symbolism that better reflected my abilities to deeply and passionately explore a novel. This is a very important stepping stone for me in terms of my blogging abilities, and I encourage everybody to view the progress that has been made as a whole!
This particular entry was also a very influential area in terms of marking personal growth in my blogging ability. I found that in this particular reflection that I seemed to just hurl certain accusations or opinions at my audience without necessarily doing research of any type to back up my ideas. Thus, this particular entry along with the comments that my peers so generously gave to me allowed for me to take a more in depth look at what I was trying to convey through this reflection. I found the comments made me actually want to look at the text again and find an area of symbolism that I found influential. From this specific entry, I researched and wrote the previous stated entry of a More Intense Look at “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street.”
Nabila Uddin
Bartleby, the Scrivener
I found Nabila Uddin’s blog entry to be very intriguing as well as raise several questions for me in particular. I found her insights were great on this piece of work, but I also say where I could help her improve on her reasoning by being the first individual to comment on her blog, give feedback, and asking questions. In this particular comment, I asked Nabila some questions on how she interpreted the story and felt the authors underlying purpose was in writing the story.
I really like how Jennifer Haun took the chance to comment on a topic that we analyzed in a class discussion. However, I found that she could possibly elaborate a little further on her rationalization of what age or when Pearl should have been told about the true meaning of the letter “A.” I believe that I both helped Jennifer realize these loop holes and was able to help her in elaborating more fully.
In reading Erin Manko’s blog entry, I was able to see more fully the symbolism found in the novel but was also able to see how she could analyze this in terms of our current happenings. I also questioned Erin Manko that if she were to have to decide on a purpose of this book what exactly would it be and then to simply explain her reasoning. I hope that you take a look to see what choice you would make if given the opportunity.
Reflecting on the James McBride Lecture….
This entry had nothing really to do with any assigned literary works but was an activity that I attended at Seton Hill University. I found this activity to have so much meaning to me in regards to academic life as well as personal that I felt blogging about it would really help me in regards to getting everything said that I had on my mind. My goal was to be successful at accomplishing this task and I hope that you find that I did indeed accomplish this goal.
Ralph Emerson wrote many different pieces dealing with the subject of transcendentalism, which was a term that he would become known as the father or creator. One of his most famous works that I read is the essay “Self-Reliance.” In the essay, “Self-Reliance,” Emerson spoke on the supposition that the individual should be completely dependent upon God, and that every person has been put into their certain life and position by God and that the person needs to trust mainly just themselves. Ralph Waldo Emerson states that God has put the power to handle aspects, to think, and to act into each individual and that the individual needs to then trust what God has put inside them to do different things with their lives.
The idea to me is almost that of fate, except for the fact that we have the choice of which road to take. Fate is the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s idea is that God has put the choice in us, but he has given us all of our individual attributes for the course we decide to take. In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson wrote, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, and the connection of events”. Emerson also gave the idea of trusting ourselves through the high God. Emerson said that you have to trust in God to tell you what to do and even what you can think. He said that if you do this that God will give you any possible answers. Another quote from his admired essay, "Self-Reliance," supports this. “And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark.” Emerson also had the idea that we need to be ourselves, especially in the things that we say. Again from the popular essay, “Self-Reliance,” he spoke about how we need to say what we think one day, and then speak what is on our mind the next day, even if you completely go against what you said the first time. Then, he states that people will definitely not understand you if this happens. That goes along with the whole idea about how transcendentalism was widely misinterpreted because even the magnificent minds that discovered it did not completely understand its full meaning and possible implications. Emerson concludes with his final thought to say that, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” Emerson is obviously the individual that discovered transcendentalism, and his great ideas were conveyed in his works. Ralph Waldo Emerson helped pass the philosophy on to other individuals. The most famous of these is an individual named Thoreau. Thoreau was a student under Emerson and also wrote many sections on the subject matter of transcendentalism.
I can personally remember reading about Thoreau and Emerson in a philosophy class at Seton Hill University a few semesters ago. I can recall several times in reading these particular passages to question exactly what the individuals were trying to convey through their messages. I often found myself wondering well didn’t the writers just say something similar to this subject matter and now they are stating something that contradicts the last point that was made. I found both Thoreau and Emerson to be very intelligent figures but I could not help wondering since these two individuals were so intelligent did they not help to coin a term “transcendentalism” that was even over their heads let alone the audience that they were talking with.
When reflecting on the poetry slam, I found several positive aspects to be shown in every individual that presented. I was surprised at the different possible ways that not only one poem but several poems can be interpreted in regards to certain individuals. I found the most successful poems that were fully implemented were when the individual presenting actually took on the personality and characteristics of the author when he was actually writing the poem. This is essentially how I felt when listening to these presentations. Although there may not be an exact answer to what every poem may actually mean, if an individual truly has a personal grasp on the meaning of the poem it is ultimately portrayed in their presentation as well as their confidence to perform the interpretation.
In watching the various poems that were presented, I found three individual presentations to be the most interesting and influential in regards to their interpretation of their chosen poem. The first interpretation that I thought was excellently portrayed and well prepared for was from Se-Ann Williams. I believe that Se-Ann used her voice to portray the different emotions in the poem and also utilized her body to show that we all have questions regarding whether or not we are going to heaven and I saw that in several of her various motions. I also liked how Se-Ann used her voice in showing higher and lower extremities. I know that I not only enjoyed this presentation, but I was also able to realize exactly how Se-Ann interpreted this poem, which I thought was an ultimate positive in regards to her literature slam.
The second individual that I was really impressed with in regards to their oral interpretation was Shanna DeFrances. I really enjoyed how Shanna used props in her poem and actually utilized it to the ultimate fullest. I simply mean that she actually talked to this rock and carried on somewhat of a conversation. I also like how Shanna somewhat memorized her poem. I feel that her interpretation was not only successful because of her confidence but also the use of props and her memory.
I also found Katie Aikins poem to be very well performed. I really like how she used her body and knelt on her knees to show the audience that the individual in the poem had a sense of inferiority or was lower than another individual. I also liked her ability to talk soft in certain parts of the poem and to talk louder to show the change in either lines or scenes in the poem. I felt her presentation as well as the others that I have mentioned really caught my attention and were the most meaningful for me because they truly got the point across of how they felt the poem was interpreted.
I have learned from every individual different aspects that can ultimately help me in making my presentation of a poem better. I believe the human voice, body language, and props make a presentation take on another form in regards to how an audience either accepts or does not accept a poem. In my next oral interpretation, I hope to be able to utilize more of these traits because I believe it will ultimately make me feel better in terms of my personal performance. I believe that overall this poetry slam was really interesting and made me realize exactly how many different forms a poem can actually take on in terms of context.
When examining my oral interpretation of the poem For Annie by Edgar Allen Poe, I found the process of evaluating myself and my performance to be very difficult. I found the best way to realize my strengths and weaknesses was to consult my fellow peers. In the next various paragraphs, I will explain these two areas of strengths and weaknesses in greater detail as well as depth.
The first area I will examine includes that of my strengths. In my peer evaluations and my own opinion, I believe that vocal variety, body language, and vocal tone were all fully utilized in my presentation. I tried to use in my oral interpretation both my voice and body to show thought changes as well as emotion changes outlined by Edgar Allen Poe. This makes me ecstatic to realize my intentions were met through my own expectations as well as through those of my peers.
The second area that I would like to discuss includes the weaknesses portrayed through my oral interpretation. The only real weakness that I found in my oral interpretation was my constant pacing when reading the poem. I tried to show the movement of different areas in the poem by moving to different locations in the room, but I believe I may have done too much in this particular area of the interpretation. If I were to actually do this interpretation over again, I believe I would not have physically moved as much but when I did move make it more drastic to portray certain areas of the poem.
I truly believe that overall I was very pleased with my oral interpretation, For Annie by Edgar Allen Poe. I was actually surprised that for my first experience of ever doing this type of work that I actually had as much success as was shown. I plan to fix my weaknesses in the next oral interpretation and keep up my strengths to essentially perfect my work as a whole.
In reading the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” I found myself to question the interpretation that I had found to be the most logical. I believe in the next paragraphs I will discuss my interpretation of the story as a whole with appropriate research and then I will explain exactly why I politely disagree with a fellow classmate due to these certain points that I have discussed. My primary goal is to simply show that through research I believe my ideas to be correct.
The first area that I found in the specific short story included sections from the second paragraph. The exact positioning of the men and the careful attention to terminology in the description of their postures portrays to be an effect of actual real-life events. This can also be noted in research that I found that was conducted by the University of New Brunswick. They believed that Bierce was actually using the coined term “reality effect.” This essentially meant he was signifying a specific historical movement in literature and a mode of literary representation without regard to period. This is exactly where my thoughts were going when reading this particular short story.
After completing this specific area of interest, I then continued reading the short story for the second time and analyzed another key factor that was very similar to my own thoughts. When reading the middle of this story I began to pinpoint the exact tone of the author Ambrose, I felt this was when he was writing the third paragraph. In the third paragraph, I believe that the tone of this author in this particular story tends to be rather dry and exact. These two different words came to mind in realizing the tone because the author seems to be stuck on giving exact details when relating to different aspects in the story that it gives a sense of a dry environment. The example of being dry and exact can be seen in his constant repetition of facts such as stating to the audience, “The man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age. He was a civilian, if one might judge from his habit, which was that of a planter.” The citation of facts upon facts comes across to me as being highly dry and precisely exact in terms of a literary work.
The research from the University of New Brunswick also agreed upon this area of my reasoning but they also went further in discussing the tone of the author. They believe that Bierce's tone is established in the fourth paragraph as being dry, ironic, exact, and almost pedantic--the voice of a satirist. In stating that of a satirist, they essentially mean a humorist who uses ridicule and irony and even sarcasm. By the fourth paragraph, I do not know if I completely agree with the use of ridicule, irony, and sarcasm but throughout the story I do see where this could be essentially a truth.
After completing this research, I looked over several of my other classmates’ different entries and found that I did essentially disagree but politely with another individual. The only individual that I could find that even blogged about this topic was Nabila Uddin. I really respected her opinion on stating that the story would have been better if it would have had a happier ending. However, through my research of the stories underlying meanings I have showed that the author particularly wrote this literary work in the manner portrayed to specifically convey to the audience his significant tone as well as his ability to use the concept of “reality effect.” I believe this story was written in this exact way to show the author and his particular style. If the story was actually written with a happier ending, the actual meaning would have been taken away from the author and his purpose.
In completing this research, I found myself to learn a large amount of information in regards to not only the meaning of the work but also the style of the particular author. I hope that I was able to convey this same information to my audience and I encourage any of you to join me and get this topic to be a real discussion piece.
In reading Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street, I found a particular area to play a significant role in the evaluation of this story on a personal level for me. This area was the constant mention of different types of foods I found that all of the characters were from a nickname that implied a different area from the food groups. This area really intrigued me to search for an underlying meaning of this constant topic of discussion. In the next various paragraphs, I will examine different parts of the selection as well as research found that ultimately supports my beliefs.
The characters seem to always be thinking about the topic of food. The first part of the story describes Turkey “moistening a ginger-cake between his lips, and clapping it on a mortgage for a seal.” This quote showed me that the characters not only ate continuously but actually were so consumed in this process that they actually let it get in the way of their ability to successfully complete their job. Another example that I will include describes Nippers ability to speak of nothing but food as well. Nippers actually is described after suffering from indigestion to continue to self-indulge in ginger nuts, cakes, and apples. This again shows the authors portrayal throughout the story of the characters being constantly overindulged in the thought or consumption of food.
The second area that I wanted to discuss was the author’s constant comparison of the characters to actual different types of foods. I will explain two particular instances that occurred throughout the story that made me wonder exactly why of all objects to compare the author used the topic of food groups. The first instance that I found very obvious was when the author described the effect of Nippers coat to the “same principle that too much oats are bad for horses.” As mentioned before, the narrator uses the comparison of foods to describe an aspect in regards to the characters as I have just previously shown.
I also found another example of this particular instance again in the story when describing another character. In this case, Turkey’s disposition is actually stated to take on “brandy-like” characteristics. This is somewhat different because brandy is not necessarily food but is a form of drink that is consumed as food is as well. This again really intrigued me to actually find why the author used so many comparisons of the characters with that of food or forms of different types of drinks.
In doing research to support my intuitions, I found one individual to share several of the same ideas as I have in reading this particular story. The research was conducted by Robert N. Mollinger. I found several of his research topics to be very interesting. The topic that really was intriguing was his belief that through this hunger description that the author is showing the psychological profile of the subjects and their desire for nutrients as associated with Erik Erikson in 1950 and the basic need of a fulfiller to meet these needs.
I completely agree with his area of research in regards to the characters. In my opinion and being a psychology major, I believe the characters are definitely lacking a major component in their lives. I believe that the characters are all looking for a fulfiller of their needs and in this case it is actually their boss that is somewhat helping to fulfill these needs.
When looking over blog entries of my classmates, I found myself to disagree politely with another classmate in terms of information. Sara Remaley also in her blog saw the different occurrences of food in this short story. She believes that it is just simply redundance occurring, but after completing my research I found this is actually a characteristic that the author is trying to use to portray the need that must be fulfilled from the different employees.
In concluding, I truly believe that this area of describing the characters both in terms of food and comparing them in regards to this area is actually a way of showing the audience the true desperateness of the characters. This will allow for the individuals to be able to really see this characteristic in the new employee that will be brought to the office. I was first caught off guard in viewing an author that highly illustrated such a strong use of similarities but after continuing on through the passage and doing heavy research. I now really believe that I am able to understand this area of the author’s writings and hope that I have done the same for you as well. I encourage my classmates to please respond to my research and disagreements. I would love to get a real discussion going!