JessicaPierce: December 2009 Archives

As of now, I feel like I can claim that I truly am a blogger. At the beginning of this class, I definitely never thought I would ever like blogging or want to blog. But it's actually a release for me. I like writing, or blogging, about what we read. It helps me get my thoughts out. I see why it has become so popular lately; it's actually kind of fun. Although I cannot say I have enjoyed every assignment, I can say that I have become a better communicator by relaying my thoughts to my classmates through intelligent and informed entries. I can also say I've learned time management and the value of doing the work before it's due to avoid stress.

Overall, blogging has been a positive experience. There have been times I wished the blogs.setonhill.edu site would just shut down, but it really has helped me in many ways. Its nice to get feedback from classmates and have discussions over interesting topics that we all write about. I will probably keep blogging or start a journal of some sort after this class to keep track of my thoughts in a clear, concise way. Who knows, maybe my blog will be famous someday... but for now, I'll stick with my setonhill blog.

This my second portfolio (Portfolio 3) of blogs at Seton Hill for EL 266: American Literature 1800-1915. The links below will take you to my writing.

Coverage: Below are links to my blogs about the assigned readings.

Clemens - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Ch36-43) - New Cruelty

Mallioux - The Bad Boy Boom (pg:43-50) - Mature Readers Only

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Ch23-24) - this heart, it beats, beats for only you

Scott, Kevin Michael - "'There's more honor': Reinterpreting Tom and The Evasion in Huckleberry Finn" - Boy-play world

Smith, D.L. - Huck, Jim, and American Racial Discourse - Life-changing Manipulation

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Ch25-26) - Isn't It Ironic?

Traditional, "John Henry" - A Tale of Hope

Washington - Address of Booker T. Washington - Give Credit for Good

Du Bois - "The Souls of Black Folk" - A Look Into Education 

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Envoi) - A New Way of Thinking

Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - A New Look Into Something Old

Depth: The entries below are the ones I feel that I went into depth with, or sparked a conversation.

Clemens - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Ch36-43) - I gave my analysis of the character of Tom.

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Ch23-24) - I went into depth about the metaphor of heart disease.

Traditional, "John Henry" - I fully answered every question posed and gave my own insight on John Henry.

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Envoi) - I gave my take on literature coding.

Interaction: Below are blogs from my classmates in EL266 that I have commented on.

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MeaganGemperlein/2009/10/power_of_the_people.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JessicaApitsch/2009/10/disappointment_in_the_characte.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MeaganGemperlein/2009/10/self-gratification_or_survival.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/HeatherMourick/2009/11/friends_or_foes.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JessicaApitsch/2009/11/oz_has_never_been_civilized.html

Discussion: The following blogs have been included in class/group discussion or comments.

Clemens - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Ch36-43) - This sparked discussion with classmates, and we also talked about Tom's character in class.

Mallioux - The Bad Boy Boom (pg:43-50) - We talked about the intended age of the reader in small groups during class.

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Ch23-24)  - This blog sparked discussion and comments from my classmates.

Smith, D.L. - Huck, Jim, and American Racial Discourse - We talked about Jim's claim to fame in class.

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Envoi) - We discussed this in class, and it also intrigued classmates.

Timeliness: The blogs below were posted with enough time to give my classmates a chance to comment.

Clemens - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Ch36-43) - New Cruelty

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Ch23-24) - this heart, it beats, beats for only you

Washington - Address of Booker T. Washington - Give Credit for Good

Du Bois - "The Souls of Black Folk" - A Look Into Education 

Foster - How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Envoi) - A New Way of Thinking

Xenoblogging: Below are a few blogs that I commented on and gave further insight to.

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JessicaApitsch/2009/10/disappointment_in_the_characte.html - I gave my insight on Huck and Tom.

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MeaganGemperlein/2009/10/self-gratification_or_survival.html - I shared my views on Tom's persona.

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/HeatherMourick/2009/11/friends_or_foes.html - I shared my foil theory for Huck and Tom.

Wildcard: A blog about my overall experience with blogging for this class.

A Reflection on Blogging

Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1905)

"'I shall take the heart,' returned the Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world." (Chapter 5)

I really liked this quote. It was nice to read The Wizard of Oz again. I remember watching the movie and being in the play in elementary school, but I have never looked into it in much depth. From the above quote, it is easy to see why The Wizard of Oz is still popular today: it is a timeless classic. It is full of characters at different levels of life who are all after the one thing they feel will complete them. Obviously, anyone can relate to this. Everyone, at one point in their lives, has searched for something or wanted it dearly. Also, the story is a great outlet for escape into a fantasy world with a little dog and a magical floating house.

When analyzing the quote I chose, I found it interesting that the Tin Woodman would say that brains are not sufficient for happiness. A brain is indeed what his traveling partner, the Scarecrow, was searching for to be complete. I wonder how the Scarecrow felt when this quote was uttered, considering his desperation for a brain. But all readers can agree that happiness is the best thing in the world, and happiness is almost always a bi-product of love, thus the need for a heart.