Be Lissy

Justin Bieber's Adolescesnce Careless Shame & Recpercussions

2014-01-24T17:24:00.001-08:00

Justin Bieber got in trouble again, again Tod got mad of all the people judging him, and looking down at him, when in fact they are the very same people who had admired, and looked up to him.

There are so many child prodigies,singers, and actors, that turn out fine but on the other hand for every person turned out to be functional, there are probably at least five that turn out to be dsyfunctional during there adolescence and adult years.

Everyone makes mistakes but there is certainly a line people cross into the infamous realm making stupid decisions because of popularity and competition. No more because of learning by thier mistakes, now it's enabled to just make them purposely because they think they can afford the repercussions ( not taking the law seriously or being above the law, which is insane and delusional).

Like Justin Bieber's DUI, which is the most common and the least of my judgemental concerns. I really am not putting him down for this situation, it actually happens to everyone. What I am disappointed at was egging house, video taping pissing in that bucket, and punch a person at Universal Studios Horror Nights. Milly, in your pooing, with all the drugs and Molli she brag's and sings about, she is sure not on the news for public mistakes like Beiber has accomplished.

What really freaks me out about beibers actions is, he videos tapes himself for all his fans to see. That's what dissapoints me, for everyone that looks up to him, they also think what he does is acceptable to society. "If Beiber does, than so can I". That scares me the most.

One Day Famous

2014-01-18T18:46:00.001-08:00

I would love to be famous, one day. Doing odd hugs and/being a powerful business woman, as well!

I have been dambling in the fields of sociology, business, research, human resource, and entertainment industry. I am currently a paid audience member, as well as, job hunting in my qualified major category and finding my niche.

Graduating Senior

2013-10-04T11:59:00.001-07:00

Life as a graduating senior, is amazing, I can't believe I'm here. I would of never believed someone who told me 11years ago that Ibbe graduating when your 31 years old from CSUN.

I am almost done and my last final is next Tuesday. Wow, want to make money, and correct/update my resume like I need to correct/update myself and wardrobe.

I am done, finals over, my true love is Tod Burnam, and my BA, Sociology !

Today I can to the realization that I need my LCSW license clinical sociologist or social work and in prefer to obtain this I need to get me MSW, which is excatly like MFT but just taught through different philosophies.

Preparation for Graduation is less than 365 days!

2013-01-10T19:42:00.001-08:00

I am going to CSUN and am estimated to become a graduate by Fall 2013. Also, I am working towards being a Mediation and Conflict Resolution Certifacation by Spring 2014. I am taking six classes 5 courses and 1 internship course. This is going ro be a fun semester and I am looking forward to blogging the next 365 days about separtucally and inconsistent, of course. Going on a trup to the sequoias in Yosemite for four days right before school starts. I should be working by Fall and as I take my last undergradaute classes I need inorder to walk. 30 years old and proud to be finally finding my calling; sealing it all with a BS! My major in Sociology: Work and Society.

Project D.A.T.E. Peer Educator Program / Internship starting officially starts in a couple of weeks but I need to go there next Tues from 9-12 unofficially, just to be blunt. We have make presentations and present them to classes that request this education. I am also hoping to join the committe inorder to look goid as a coordinator some day. This is so exciting! Hopefully by the end of this hay ride this year I can finally know what I want to do with my life. Senior year of College and I finally feel like one.

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This is a Thought You Can't Refuse

2012-12-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

I have learned allot about literary analysis, as well as life in general. I found it describes the author and who they are in a sense. If they are a hopeless romantic they are going to express it either through their character or through the main concept if their story. I've came to the realization that there is definitely a line the separates almost segregates non-fiction from fiction but its very thin at times, maybe even vague and often iron-curtain-like. I learn, like any artist, they express themselves and their life like a journal of their life, through their art; like their own language!

What I have enjoyed the most about this course was, I have enjoyed expressing my perception in each short story and responding to my fellow students as I read their opinions, as well. I have learned allot from the variety of literary terms and form authors used to write their form of fiction. I like the questions the challenged us on each short story and the inter connection they had with each other. I love to write, so this excited and motivated me for my self-expression through these deep short fictional stories. This course was completely therapeutic in comparison to my other courses, to find clarity and cure for my writer’s block, it really helped.

I have always enjoyed allegories, symbolism, and metafiction. I love when an author expresses a certain theme and main point through something else, maybe even more animated for more of the majority of society would relate to the story consciously on a universal level. The allegory of the cave was one of the first allegories I have heard and I absolutely fell in love with it; I was in a philosophy class when i figured it out but it opened me to a whole new major which was my calling, "Sociology"! I.really enjoyed reading these short stories expanding my mind even more by learning about metafiction and symbolism; which relates to what I am learning in Sociology which is Symbolic interactionism.

In conclusion, I have thoroughly enjoyed the way this whole class was constructed. I really had fun interacting with the whole class, reading each individual post, and sharing ours too. My favorite author of the stories were Edgar Allan Poe and his sick twisted versions of life and death. I also enjoyed,Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "The Yellow Wallpaper (1899)" it was a horrific view of women in the past when being treated like commodities or, in better words, objects. The story was about a women confined to one all room prescribed from working (which in the eyes of the reader, usually self-imprisoned women and dominating masculine in the world, see working with an everyday life so silly things women including how's work which is full time in women's only job at that time with housework and left work meant for women, in general. So for her not to work means not to.have a life. Back then, housework was the only work looked upon as only work women should do. In fact you were looked down upon for working outside of the home or even attending college. We have evolved, in our society’s view, a long way but not with the help of this story as well as others by the same author as well as other feminist at that time. That was my favorite, even over Edgar Allen Poe. I am so glad I enrolled in this class, it helped not only skills to interrelate and interpret literary art but my confidence, as well; Thanks to all contributing to my success!



	Re: This is a Thought You Can't Refuse by Tara Hall - Saturday, December 8, 2012, 11:24 PM I liked what you wrote about most authors writings are like a journal of their lives. I really like this perspectiveas well as your thoughts on how far woman have come. I couldnt agree more.

This Thing Called Love

2012-12-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Usually traditional love stories are positive,a dream come true, with an ending of happily ever after! Both stories portray the dark and ugly side of love that people often brush under the rugged and overlook like the pink elephant in the room. Divorce, adultery, rejection, pain, rape, abuse of all kinds, neglect, heartbreak, jealousy, and other bad conclusions are sometimes a resort of,"love" too. "love" is a subjective chemically reduced action that is not always innocent, positive or happy. Love could be such a beautiful thing only when its a devotedly mutual. When its not mutual it could be very hurtful, antagonistic, lonely, and heartbreak. I truly feel its better to love and be loved than never love at all. Love always had these cons attached to it but usually the pros always supersedes them, if the live is true enough. There is so many different types of love because it has such a wide spectrum, the most traditional kind of love is true love which is more rare than we want to believe.

Doris Lessing’s story, “How I Finally Lost My Heart”

The story has an awful dark .lonely, and depressing side of love and all it entails, bad and good. This narrator talks about her loves of her life first, the three lovers, father, brother and the one, not to mention two marriages a few loves affairs. She questions if love is still possible after that same love failed her. In her case she had looked for love in all the wrong places. It reminds me of Marilyn Monroe and her quest for love. Rumors had it, Joe DiMaggio, the famous baseball player, was the closest to true love as she got. The narrator has bad luck, upon her quest of love she seemed like she ran into allot dead ends. This is clearly a woman who has given up on love and don’t want to feel anymore. Her notion was if she got rid of her heart, she won’t feel anymore pain. Hopelessly given up on love, she didn’t live with her broken heart anymore.

Symbolism- "A,B,C," & "Woman in the Train" are symbolizes present in the story. Taking away the names from her loves and labeling her "three loves as A, B, & C" ; symbolizes her numbness of love, almost forgetting her three conquests by labeling them as an equation justifying why she doesn't need her heart anymore; rather pull it out over not wanting to even use it at all. The women on the train was symbolic for a mirror towards the narrator's life; they both suffered with a broken heart. The narrator feeling sorry for the woman on the train as she watched her and her partner fight and related with moments she had with her past lovers.

Extended metaphor- The heart she doesn't want anymore, being heartless, and her numerous conquests, or what she calls love, in her life. She doesn't want to feel and it doesn't want to love, she doesn't want her heart anymore. Sometimes you have to first accept your own heart and be in love with yourself in order to find true love and give your heart away to the right person.

Allegory- Heartless, Lust/Infatuation, Love and Heartbreak are definitely expressed through allegories throughout the whole story. The most main allegory was of love and the harsh reality I would love could be, of which both stories relate too. It takes loving yourself and being responsible for your own heart is the first steps of a foundation for true love. Unfortunately the narrator seemed like she skipped that learning lesson in her life.

Octavio Paz’s story, “My Life with the Wave”

The author uses symbolism to describe his version of what love and marriage; using a wave as the main symbol for the live of the character's life. In the story the character falls head of heels in love with each other, so he brings her home, and marries her. The infatuation stage had them smitten for each other with no fussing, arguing , and fighting. The wave suddenly get struck by sadness and depression and falls under this style for quite a while, anything the character tried to do couldn't make it up for any didn't know what to do to make her happy you love her so much. So last desperate attempts at making her happy, he brings a bunch of fishes to the wave, which lights her face up and makes her very happy. After a while the wave spends all her attention on these fishes and not on the main character; of which gets really jealous of the whole situation. Eventually, the wave gets very dissatisfied and antagonistic towards him leading to the character having no choice but to rid himself of the wave. So he eliminated the wave from his life unburdening himself from the emotional baggage he wasn't strong enough to deal with leaving him with a lesser burden of a broken heart (which, I’m sure, hurt worst when the wave was present in his life). "The Wave" is a great symbol for the love that occurred through this story. Waves come in intervals and increments but never really represents stability. A wave is the best object to tie down and expect to be yours forever; they are a constantly changing, so it makes sense the narrator labeled his ex wife as a wave.

Symbolism- "Fishes" and "The Wave" are the loudest symbols apparent throughout the story. The, "Fishes" symbolizes the other inch love interest or people in your life that are outside of the character’s and her’s circle/environment. "The Wave" which is his wife and symbolizes a enigma of emotion and possibly a mental illness like bipolar where a person suffers from highs of mania and lows of serious depression. The wave keeps moving, never settling down, always changing moods filled with heavy emotion, and living life in mood intervals.

Extended metaphor- The Wave, the character fell in love with. The relationship between the wave and character is like a surfer riding a wave; you can’t ride that one forever its not possible. It goes to show that sometimes love isn’t enough to survive through the waves of a relationship, just end up drowning with a secure life boat too.

Allegory- Love, Jealousy, and Divorce/Separation are definitely expressed through allegories throughout the whole story. The most consistent and main allegory was of love and the harsh reality that isn’t enough to hold a relationship up its just one of many supplement necessary to keep a relationship alive.

Re: This Thing Called Love
by Eduardo Valladolid - Saturday, December 1, 2012, 08:51 PM
You presented your ideas in a very clear and organized manner. You truly understood the themes and key concepts- Thank you for helping me obtain a deeper understanding of this story, too. Great job

Re: This Thing Called Love
by Matthew Berkeland - Saturday, December 1, 2012, 09:23 PM

You did a really great job on the analysis. Both stories doing show the dark side, and a somewhat more realistic side, of relationships. There was a lot of symbolism that helped bring the reader in to the story and visualize the passion. Good job.

Stranger than Metaficition

2012-12-29T13:08:00.006-08:00

Doris Lessing’s story, “How I Finally Lost My Heart”

The experimental literary techniques used in this story fall under categories like, Surrealism and Metafiction; her reluctant quest of giving her heart away whether meaning for good or to the Mr. right. The metaphors of hear quest only makes it more obvious that heartbroken from the search for true love is the "real" subject of this story. The narrator goes through a series of past lovers, thinking back on if she has ever lived at all. She recalls two serious loves, taking their identity away and labeling them as A and B. The third serious love was short lived almost considered a potential serious love labeling it C. Since she has made apparent is on the search or hopeless upon this search for true love, she just wanted to give up and give her heart away. I think she also points out how there are many different kinds of love, like the love she poses for her father and brother, which is more profound but different than what she is looking for. The harsh point being proved was the narrator seems how to find it easier getting having someone else trying to take care of heart then taking responsibility her own heart by finding love within herself and curing her own heart broken problems. It goes with that expression, "You can’t love someone else, until you love yourself first".

Octavio Paz’s story, “My Life with the Wave”

The experimental literary techniques used in this story fall under categories like, Surrealism and Metafiction; they very apparent throughout the story, like for example, "The Wave" its easier to talk about the downfall of falling in love making love the "Real" object of the story. Humanity and the nature of the human is challenged with a vixen-like wave of seduces the character all the way up to the alter. “The Wave” becomes bored wanting more and searching for it in other places but her marriage. There is a lot of signals that she goes through waves of emotions on a drastic levels like Bipolar or in other words Manic depression. Her waves of emotions are similar to the highs (mania) and the Lows (depression) that a person with the mental illness of manic depression would usually go through. This story gives a perspective of how not all relationships are picture perfect and cook cutter but something sometimes needs to be worked on and worked out together as a partnership; unfortunately these kinks that need to be worked on can sometimes feel impossible to resolve and can tear a relationships apart.The jealousy drives the character to get rid of the wave, which leaves him with a broken heart. This is an example of our human nature to fall in love even if its too healthy or the best choice for us. The nature of being in a toxic relationship and having no choice but to end it even if he really loved "The Wave", he had to get rid of her for his own sake. He couldn’t handle the strenuous emotional baggage the wave carried with her.

Re: Stranger than Metaficition
by Jivan Muradian - Saturday, December 1, 2012, 06:58 PM

Although the surreal nature of "My Life with the Wave," is apparent from the get-go, Lessing's "How I Finally Lost My Heart," hides this from the reader until the end of the story. I feel as though it accentuates the meaning behind the experiences and does a lot to portray the true feeling of heartbreak suffered by the female character. Very nice work, Alissa.

Re: Stranger than Metaficition
by Madison Spielvogel - Saturday, December 1, 2012, 07:17 PM

Great work on both stories. My favorite of your two was the analysis on "My Life with the Wave". I like how you point out the emotion levels. Great job

Re: Stranger than Metaficition
by Yajaira Lopez - Saturday, December 1, 2012, 08:39 PM

Alissa, you did a good job on how surrealism and metafiction was used in both stories. I found your analysis of "My Life with the Wave" interesting because you made many good points of the story. You helped me understand the story and the feelings of the man more than before.

The Protagonists and The Outcast

2012-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

In the short story, "A Hunger Artist", The hunger artist is an interesting character its like Pinocchio, when the puppet master kidnapped him and made him sing, " I have no strings to pull me" for money. A slave of entertainment for money. Like Pinocchio , The hunger artist is definitely the protagonist of the story. Unfortunately the author's pessimistic spiritual outlook bleeds through his expression of the character being a depressed protagonist but a protagonist nonetheless. The symbolic meaning or the allegory of Jesus Christ is a consist theme through this story support the protagonist the hunger artist was. The right hand man unfortunately wasn't the same person as the overseer and allowed him to die publicly such as Christ our lord. He lives in a straw lined floored cage, so lonely plus other features symbolizing the a human. Gandhi was a charismatic authoritative human leader that stopped wars and brought peace with his ability to fast. His suffering showed the attribute of a human, when eventually he clasped and the time has come to eat again like every human needs to do. I think the most human symbolism was when he eventually died like every human is destine to do, if he wasn't human he would have expressed a form of immortality to fast for ever but he was definitely human in the end.

In the short story,"A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings",The old man with wings reminds me of the child actors that get screwed by their parents like Cory Phelps, he was a well known child actor that made good money but by the time he turned eighteen he had no money left over for him to attained because his parents took it all and transferred it to their accounts. My point is his parents were like the couple exploiting him with a lot better fancier chicken coop, like the old man with enormous wings. The old seemed like the simple outcast slightly wounded and in need for shelter. He appeared in the couple's back yard and they had no shame using him to get rich. The fact that the man with wings was suffering showed that he may be human or symbolized a human. Also the way he was scratched up, wounded, and near towards death when the couple found him in need for help in their yard, he definitely resemble a human. His resembles a human as he shows his human side when he is in need of self care relying on his right hand man The Impresario to make sure he lives, stops his fasting before he dies, nurturing him to health and practically force-feeding him.

In conclusion both,"A Hunger Artist" and "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" represented a common theme of humanity in quite a few attributes. The desperate need for attention, medical, and general care (like feeding, shelter, sleeping, and nurturance). Another thing they both have in common is the suffering they go through and the desperate need for acceptance. in ,”A Hunger Artist” the artist himself replaced his appetite of food with attention as we watch him suffer through desperation for the craving of the crowd as he dies publicly; he dies as the crowd dies off; at the moments when he is done fasting for his spectators he relies on his right hand man The Impresario to take care for him.The crowd by accepting the hunger artist kept him alive at peace accepting his amazing ability to fast/starve without dying, just as the old man from ,”A very Old Man With Enormous Wings,” survived by the acceptance of the couple to spare her his life and take him in to nurture, heal him back to safety and good standing, at the old man’s most vulnerable moment he had to rely on the couple that took him in allowing him to live in his chicken coop and be visited by spectators.

Re: The Protagnists and The Outcast
by Yajaira Lopez - Saturday, November 24, 2012, 09:16 PM

Alissa, I found it interesting your comparsion between the old man in "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" to child actors. That did not crossed my mind when I first read it but I'm glad you mentioned it. Just like parents take advantage of their children who are in the entertainment business, the couple in the story take advantage of him. It is sad that they exploit him in that way. Good analysis!

Re: The Protagonists and The Outcast
by Amy Linsamouth - Saturday, November 24, 2012, 10:30 PM

I enjoyed reading your analysis. The couple that left the angel in the chicken coop appeared to treat him adequately, although they exploited him. They didn't kill him as suggested by the "wise woman." It was sad way for the old man to survive.

Re: The Protagonists and The Outcast
by Allen Ghazarian - Saturday, November 24, 2012, 11:04 PM

Alissa,

I liked your comparisons of the characters to today's problems, its something I also felt were significant. I agree with you, the themes of both stories present a theme of humanity in distinctive ways.

Re: The Protagonists and The Outcast
by Tara Hall - Sunday, November 25, 2012, 12:22 AM

I like your comparison to both stories being about humanity. I think both these stories have a real moral to them. They are also quite sad.

Last Days of Granny Weatherall

2012-12-29T13:03:00.006-08:00

Granny Weatherall paints a portrait of a strong, persistent, old fashion woman. Also according to the story and meaning of her last name, “Weatherall,” signifies the meaning that she has weathered all kinds of difficulties and without a single thought of ever giving up the fight. She awards herself of being a good mother and wife, as well as a good person. She is a elderly grandmother with three children, the fourth perhaps died at birth, and two loves and notches in her belt in her life. Her first love, George, left her alone at the altar, jilted for first time. She has been trying to forget about him since but has been unsuccessful. She mentions she would love to let him know she forgotten about him and she lived a happy life. Her husband and seeing love, the live of her life dies twenty years before her never getting ti see his kids all grown up. She had been awaiting death ever since his but never once gave up on life or was stopped, she always determinedly kept giving living life to the fullest as a housewife and mom, as well as a midwife and nurse in order to make money and survive.

This was a great example of a near-death experience. The entire story gives me an idea of how that may be like. Granny’s experience was her whole life was flashing through and every little emotion and behavior brought her back to relived another memory in her life. She seemed like she made peace with allot of things. She is proud of all that she had accomplished and how she never gave up even when faced to hold up a family alone she did it with loving pride and virtue. These are the things that was flashing through her head.

She does hold a larger amount of bitterness and remorse throughout this near-death experience, in other words the last moments towards death. She felt bitterness towards her first live George who left her at the altar but she felt suffocated with him was well. Or maybe that moment she fell to the ground, in the priest’s arms who wanted to kill him for what he did but she said not to, realizing it herself he had left her alone. Bitter for her husband dying so young and never getting to see how all her children turned out. Bitter but yet remorseful of her daughter Cornelia she treats her so bad sometimes and feels shame as Cornelia loves her waiting hand and foot for her. Bitter to the young doctor that she thinks doesn’t know anything because he is such a young man.

The experience of being near-death and floating from inside her mind to being luminescence and seeing everything like a fly on the wall, was a peculiar perspective but it gave a detailed insightfulness , almost like a third dimension, to this interesting story. She jumped from the omniscient narrator to first person narrator action. I think she does a wonderful experience illustrating this story using a dramatic moment in Granny’s life the last moments of her life to fit in a nutshell her whole life’s story.

Re: Last Days of Granny Weatherall
by Travis Bruce - Saturday, November 17, 2012, 12:18 AM
Alissa,

I enjoy your connection to the story this week and your analysis definitely cements your understanding. I enjoy how Porter realized Granny in a realistic and genuine way. While I see how Granny does seem bitter at the very end, I feel she is justified to hold such feelings. I think Granny feels resentment because she doesn't like being treated like a kid. Anyways, I enjoyed your analysis.

Re: Last Days of Granny Weatherall
by Yajaira Lopez - Saturday, November 17, 2012, 11:01 AM

I like how you included and described the meaning of her last name. It made me understand more the person she was by learning about the meaning of her last name. Also I felt the same way about the experience of being near death. The experience made the story so much interesting to read.

Re: Last Days of Granny Weatherall
by Joanna Cardenas - Saturday, November 17, 2012, 05:20 PM

I like how you mentioned that her last name, Weatherall, was something that signified Granny. Granny weathered through many difficulties that made her look like a strong woman but on the inside she was a wreck. Great job on your analysis.

-Joanna Cardenas

Re: Last Days of Granny Weatherall
by Eduardo Valladolid - Saturday, November 17, 2012, 07:05 PM

Yup! I agree with you. Throughout this whole story, I kept wondering if this is what being so near to death felt like. I found it to be quite beautiful to have all these images and memory come back to mind so vividly. It´d be nice to remember our best days rather than focus on the last days which aren´t very pleasant for anyone. Good job!

Moral Compassion & The Jewish-American Writer

2012-12-29T13:01:00.004-08:00

Compassion, the core of religion, the heartbeat of life. Yiddish culture, a world of values. The Jewish voice, the urban voice, the simple voice. The immigrant experience, a world permeated with love and responsibility --permeated with moral compassion. Humanist faith, passionate concern for ordinary people. Throughout his writing, Bernard Malamud uses Jewish heritage, speech patterns, and sensibilities to create an atmosphere of a world in which every life (mundane and sacred) matters. In your analysis, please consider how Malamud "consciously" reflects the ideal of moral compassion towards the ordinary man and woman.

There is defiantly compassion portrayed through out both stories expressed through the eyes of this wonderful author. There is allot of obstacles faced throughout both of these stories that seems like it was struggles in life experiences of himself. The are they are Arthur how to pattern of those elements that he used for other stories like love in resistance, and redemption. Mendel had a tough life, it seems like that experiences I read from his character being mentally disabled and suffering from that for the last 47 years to hit close to the other and really described in the way that it was maybe his brother or close person in his life experience this, that the author witnessed first hand. It brings a,sad element if Darwinism and survival to the fittest. The bearded guy name Ginsberg that represented the grim reaper was scary and made me think maybe the author was going for symbolized Ginsberg as a knazi. Will the half witted son survive without his father, in my opinion, yes. Could Muhammad’s father be as the same way the character of Mendel is. I enjoyed reading about Leo and his quest to find love, happiness, loyalty, and Rabbinical righteousness. I feel the author is trying to make a point about love. His point of of love of love is expressed through predestined situations, what was already predestined meant to be before you were born and not through arranged marriages or forced upon by a marriage broker or matchmaker. Destiny worked its magic and brought in brought the magic makers daughter to Leo buy a picture that he came across. Even though that Leo with your not to pursue his daughter because of that bad reasons and she's a bad girl he didn't anyways that's what love is and that's why it's predestined. The author seems also like he expresses that his practices and life as a student becoming a Rabbi could be very lonely at times and keeps you out of touch with a social life and society, which is even more lonely.

Please post an initial analysis of at least 500 words. In addition to your own initial analysis, please respond to five (5) of your classmates. In your responses to your peers, write at least 3-4 thought-provoking sentences.

Re: Moral Compassion & The Jewish-American Writer by Jacob Johnson - Sunday, November 11, 2012, 04:45 AM
	You bring up a good point about predestination. Salzman was very shocked that his daughter's photo was in with those other pictures. That surely is predestination. Especially the fact that she is a prostitute and now a rabbi wants to marry her. Her life is predestined and she will make a turn around because of God's will for her life. Good post.

Magical Elements

2012-12-29T13:00:00.001-08:00

For this week's first discussion forum, please select one "magical element" from each Malamud story and describe the significance to each story's meaning.

Note that you need to analyze one element from "Idiots First"

A story about a mentally disabled kid who fought for his life that has a loving mother who is a widower and single. Mendel struggled all his life as a retard and by the time he was in his late misfortune with a kid a was warned he was going to die and had to send his half witted son to see Uncle Leo in California before midnight. Mental struggles because he is thirty five dollars short on getting the ticket for his son Isaac. A great bearded man uniformed named Ginzberg stops him and refusing to collect or pass goe because its twelve indicating death. Love, sacrifice,survival, and death in a hostile world.

and one from "The Magic Barrel."

Leo is a lonely person who wants a wife a ask the matchmaker Salzman to bring him a wife. Leo needs a partner and his social life back. As elementary King process continues, Leo catch a glimpse of grams of a beautiful woman in the picture of a beautiful women the matchmaker carried kept for himself to self. Leo wants to know who it was? The matchmaker explained she is his daughter and he is very overprotective of Leo from his daughter. Despite the objections from the peanut gallery the matchmaker and the mystery woman’s father, Leo pursues the matchmaker’s daughter. Love and redemption is the magical elements. Leo is a rabbinical student in New York. Like a Romeo and Juliet situation.

Describe the symbolism of the magical elements -- religious or mundane -- and how each magical element reflects an aspect of character, plot, or theme.

Love and redemption for Leo who is a rabbi in training and dedicated to god a student of the rabbinical culture. Leo earns for live and comes across a marriage broker symbolizing a salesman for love which is Leo’s particular need of love. The symbolism representing love is expressed throughout the story but destiny coming into play. His first date was unsuccessful with Lily and he wasn’t interested in the other pictures in the envelops. Just just had the picture of the daughter. The daughter was shunned and warned Leo by her own father not to go for her she is bad, practically acting like she was dead to him. There is slight insinuations that she is a prostitute. The love prevail and Leo saw her despite of Salzman says.

Another example of live and survival in a hostile world was portrayed by a mentally disabled character named Mendel. The love he received from his mother helped him survive a long life having a son that he lived just as much. Unfortunate is received news that is was going to die by midnight so out of live he scrounged up the last monies he had, which wasn’t enough, and tried to buy a ticket for his son Isaac to go to California to stay with his uncle. Midnight came quick and the grim reaper dressed or disguised as the beaten guy named ginzberg did not let him pass refusing to collect anymore tickets. Isaac missed his chance and Mendel did the best he could to save him from himself.

Why did Malamud choose to incorporate these particular magical elements in his stories?

Love is a powerful thing and meant a lot to him, also death, redemption, and survival are issues he perhaps struggled with in his life and wanted to express it throughout these stories for the audience could feel the way he wanted to in order to relate and gave sweet understandings.

What does "magic" add to each story's tone and meaning?

The supernatural and prophecy-like ways the stories both went . The mysterious ways love works out.

Please post an initial analysis of at least 500 words. In addition to your own initial analysis, please respond to five (5) of your classmates. In your responses to your peers, write at least 3-4 thought-provoking sentences.

Good luck and have fun!

Being Tim O'Brien

2012-12-29T12:59:00.001-08:00

The difference between character/narrator "Tim O'Brien" and author Tim O'Brien, are very slim to none. I’m I'm pretty sure that Tim O'Brien as an author experienced these advants in Vietnam and he turned in something to a character to describe it in more detail for us to share those horrific experiences of death while he was away and while he was home when he was little. His whole point of view is to focus on celebrating death celebrating when the people were living. That was how he found his peace of death.

The repetition of dialogue and imagery is very obvious and apparent throughout the narration of both Tim’s short stories I have read. Mr O’Brien narrator in a I form which is considered first person, biography, but, nonetheless, interpreted as fictional turning himself as a fictional character. The repetition lines when he talks about death and Wars specially the Vietnam War but um asleep those 2 themes. He also mentions love within us it is stories as he connects his first experience of death with his first earliest experiences of love with a girl named Linda. The other repetition I have noticed is his empathy, compassion, guilt, shame and sincerity for the people he witnessed dying and the people, some even innocent, that he had to kill. There also is similar repetition throughout both story signifying Tim is trying to make sense out of the young boy soldier's death, Linda, and other situational traumas that have occurred and rationalize/questions his life’s purpose.

There are many strategies for coping that a patent through Tim O'Brien's writings and both stories, for instance: the advent of the life of the Vietnamese youth AND the use/placement of Linda in a war story. O’Brien’s narration, as a character, took empathy to a whole different level, as he literally put himself in the boy’s shoes and fixate on what the boy’s life could be if he didn't die. As with Linda he coped with it as not only his first experience of love, and why life is meant living, but how people of any age could die, and life is not permanent. It was a loss of innocence for Tim O’Brien the moments where he coped with Linda, his first love and tragically his first death, a death of an innocent, who did not instigate this upon her unlike the deaths of Ted Lavender, Curt Lemon, and Kiowa.

The word if the day is Metafiction meaning the psychological meaning of storytelling (the author discussing the process of fictionalizing while telling the story) which appeared amongst the narrations of both stories. That is a very psychological maneuver on his behalf. Who knows if he really went to war and experienced all this but he convinced me by the way he wrote his stories by storytelling it in and as first person, the experience, perspective. It was extremely clever the way he constructed his short stories, I enjoyed reading it. He has tendencies to rationalize and make sense of his life and his true purpose.

Re: Being Tim O'Brien
by Tara Hall - Saturday, November 3, 2012, 10:53 PM

Great job. Very detailed and in depth. I agree that his first love was a loss of innocence.

Re: Being Tim O'Brien
by Sonia Caceres - Sunday, November 4, 2012, 02:51 PM

Alissa,

Good anlaysis! I agree with you that O'Brien is very much like his characters. Also that this character is a way for him to tell his personal experiences and be able to cope.

Re: Being Tim O'Brien
by Shelby Haffey - Sunday, November 4, 2012, 07:11 PM

I agree with you that there seems to be no difference between the narrator and Tim O'Brien himself. The only thing that is different is that he is in control of what he writes and what the narrator is feeling and thinking and showing to the readers. Very in depth and detailed analysis!

Re: Being Tim O'Brien
by Clara Herrarte - Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 05:30 AM

Alissa,
I LOVE the way you point out the loss of innocence. There is definitely a parallel between those two deaths and the gravity of the loss of innocence in each.

-Clara

Death Becomes Them "Trauma of War"

2012-12-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

The title, "Trauma of War" could have an interpretative meaning for O’brien’s trauma for the war on life as well as specific trauma of the war in Vietnam. He is a very over analytical, empathetic, guilty, shameful, and compassionate throughout his storytelling.

"The Man I Killed"

Tim O’brien obsessively emphasizing about a vietnamese boy’s death. We witness guilt and remorse taking over O’brien as he describes this youth’s life being cut off, he had potential to be anything, he could of been a thriving, and successful scholar. The intro was very graphic and horrific describing the boy splattered like," rice krispies". He continues to using many coping mechanisms in order to ridding himself of the guilty shame that is taunting him, justifying the reasons why it would be better if he is alive, and why he had to die or that he is dead. He is so fixated on his remorse, guilt and shame he attempts to negotiate with himself to justify the young boy’s death. He also questions why he had to shoot this young soldier and what a future he could of had, and what if he had a wife and child he abandoned because he was dead.

" He was a slim, dead, almost dainty young man of about twenty. He lay with one leg bent beneath him, his jaw in his throat, his face neither expressive nor inexpressive. One eye was shut. The other was a star-shaped hole." (Clayton, pg 796). This quote refers to the young boy vietnamese soldiers who got killed by a grenade like rice krispies. This kill got O’Brien to transition from the killer’s perspective to an observer’s perspective as he watched this gruesome encounter with what he may have caused. He gets fixated with the young vietnamese boy and rationalizes the life he cut off. Its clever the way its written out because with this story and this quote in particular he writes it in a third person perspective. Within these perspectives he creates these series of mixed up unconnected fantasies and observations about this little soldier boy he his head that he expresses on paper for us to experience as a witness how it may be like mentally if you would of killed an innocent child with potential for a greater life that you destroyed. My interpretation of O’Brien’s descriptive explanation of the star-shaped hole in the young soldier boy’s eye is both a means of disengaging with himself and the notion that when you die or the boy’s death the/his body becomes beautiful and mystical. The boy is constantly being reminded during this quote and throughout the short story so the death could be fresh in Tim’s head and ours too.

"The Lives of the Death"

In this particular short story he uses allot if metafiction to speak as an author and to speak as the experiencer all at the same time. He describes the kills and deaths that he witnessed and caused throughout the Vietnam War which brought him back reminiscing of the first death he witnessed which was also his first love. As he talks about Linda, he also mentions several stories of death throughout the duration of the time he was fighting the Vietnam War. There is another concept that has to do with Linda which, I have learned prior to do reading this, is about rite to passage in other words loss of innocence as he witnessed his first love and first death. Tries to make sense of his life by writing but as he does this is it the author or character or both. O’brien shows obvious actions of his experience of Linda’s death as if it was more important than the deadly tragedies of the deaths of Ted Lavender, Curt Lemon, and Kiowa. This makes sense because unlike the soldiers deaths he witnessed at war, Linda, was completely innocent, having done nothing to instigate the tragedies she faced when dealing with her deadly tumor that lead her to death.

" Sometimes I can even see Timmy skating with Linda under the yellow floodlights. I’m young and happy. I’ll never die. I’m skimming across the surface of my own history, moving fast, riding the melt beneath the blades, doing loops and spins, and when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy’s life with a story." (Clayton, pg 802). The first experience O’Brien had witnessing one of his fellow soldiers die provoked the trauma he experienced, when he was nine, his first death, Linda who was defeated by a brain tumor, which happened to be his first love. This experience of death when he was nine helped him develop the right kind of coping tools of life to deal with the future deaths of his fellow soldiers during the war. Its quite a horrific situations the character Tim had experienced during the war and when he was young. The character and, maybe even the author, gives implications through this quotation where he has a need for telling these stories of his tragic memories as he relives it, because in his perspective it almost like he brings these ghosts back to life as if they never died in the first place making them immortal, they are always by your side in his head, at least.

Re: Death Becomes Them "Trauma of War"

by Travis Bruce - Saturday, November 3, 2012, 09:44 PM

Alissa,

Your analysis of "The Man I Killed" is telling. I think oftentimes what is not portrayed is the remorse many veterans feel after serving their time. While death in times of War is justified, it definitely changes the human condition. The effect is devastating to those in combat and O'Brien shows this. Keep up the insightful analysis!

Re: Death Becomes Them "Trauma of War"

by Tara Hall - Saturday, November 3, 2012, 11:05 PM

Very detailed analysis. I like how you wrote Tim experienced war when he was young with losing Linda. Very insightful

A Mountain for the Broken Hearted

2012-12-12T13:26:00.001-08:00

The film director and cinematographer deliberately select locales that will embellish a film's themes or atmosphere. They will also position the camera to show certain angles -- shooting a character or landscape in a certain way to highlight some aspect. In my opinion there were some scenes that stood out more than others like for instance, there was a scene where Jake meets Anne for the first time and they are at a rodeo. .She was seducing him at that time dressed in red, being a seductress and Jake fell for it because he was getting rejected and feeling vulnerable and lonely himself. I'm pretty sure Jake was wearing blue, he always seemed lonely and sad. The directed made everything in warm colors and somewhat dark shading. The world we were privileged to learn about seemed so sad and lonely with moments of solidarity, friendship, and love lighting passionate fires twice a year on Brokeback Mountain.

The movie is so sad I can't imagine how heth ledgers wife when is seen here has been kissing the other guy and she must've felt so I am leaning in isolated from her at Marion general life realizing who he truly loves. I’m surprised she stayed with him the long. It's as if they were living a lie together just for the 3 children's sake but eventually and can't last long in the voice happened.

In conclusion I choose one or maybe more of such a scene that I deemed as important or just fascinating, and describe its impact on characterization, theme or the atmosphere of the setting. So in that case, there are a few scenes, One scene is the story heth of his father and how he took him to see what happens to homosexuals which they get beaten to death. So he always has this anger because he loves jake and he doesn’t know what to do about; he knows he doesn’t want to die. The anger heth showed leaving Jake for the first time leaving him, missing him, and right about to marry his love, he blows up and punches the barn, starts crying and wanting to get in a fight with anyone who ask if he is alright or evens looks at him funny. The movie is so sad and leaves there mourning or crying over the whole situation. I think it is such a tragedy similar to Romeo and Juliet. but this case Jake gets killed and Heth carries out his last request to spread some if his ashes on Brokeback Mountain.

Re: A Mountain for the Broken Hearted

by Alissa Gray - Thursday, October 25, 2012, 10:44 PM

please forgive me for posting this draft. I posted my final right after this one, hope I don't get marked down. I changed the names of the characters. Check out my final draft the second thread I replied with.

Re: A Mountain for the Broken Hearted

by Megan Zullo -

Saturday, October 27,

2012, 10:27 PM

That scene was a very harsh seen in the movie and very hard on Ennis. I must agree that i feel that scene was important in helping people understand why Ennis was so cold to Jack because he feared for his life, thanks to his father.

Re: A Mountain for the Broken Hearted

by Jacob Johnson - Saturday, October 27, 2012, 10:35 PM

I think you are right about Lureen being portrayed as a seductress. The bright red lips and costume lured Jack right in. However, he realized early on that he was not happy in that situation and sought out what he wanted but could not have completely. The same was true for Ennis when he fell to the ground and punched the building, it was as if someone had died and that he did have to re-live at the end.

History & URLs for The Women's Suffrage Movement

2012-12-12T13:19:00.002-08:00

The woman suffrage promoted the liberation and freedom a women should have instead of the social inequality they were suffering from or even deprived by at that time period. The pioneers of women suffrage movement were as follows from History of Women's Suffrage,”The demand for the enfranchisement of American women was first seriously formulated at the Seneca Falls Convention (1848). After the Civil War, agitation by women for the ballot became increasingly vociferous. In 1869, however, a rift developed among feminists over the proposed 15th Amendment, which gave the vote to black men. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others refused to endorse the amendment because it did not give women the ballot. Other suffragists, however, including Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe, argued that once the black man was enfranchised, women would achieve their goal. As a result of the conflict, two organizations emerged. Stanton and Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association to work for suffrage on the federal level and to press for more extensive institutional changes, such as the granting of property rights to married women. Stone created the American Woman Suffrage Association, which aimed to secure the ballot through state legislation. In 1890 the two groups united under the name National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). In the same year Wyoming entered the Union, becoming the first state with general women's suffrage (which it had adopted as a territory in 1869).”1

Prohibition was a big issue was one of the firs moves women had an influence of promoting and passing, which prohibited all people to stop drinking, selling, and making alcohol whatsoever. This untimely stop and prevented tons of domestic abuse instances. That was one of the reasons it got passed was to cut down and eliminate domestic violence. According to this website called History about prohibition is explains,”In general the Prohibition Party was concerned about protection of home and family. Indeed one of the early, temporary names adopted by the Prohibition Party was the "Prohibition Home Protection Party." 2At this time women's suffrage was very closely tied to efforts of the Prohibition Party since the Democratic Party altogether rejected the concept and the Republican Party balked at it.”3 The website has allot more to talk about to, explaining all about Prohibition which co-sided with the women’s rights movement and suffrage. The even occurred right before women were allowed to vote but I think this gave women the power to make sure they are heard through voting as well.

Women’s right to vote was pushed by the greatest pioneers of the Women’s suffrage group. I found a cool website that explains this and more.. I can’t imagine how it would be like if I wasn’t allowed to vote because I was a female. According to a timeline from the cool website called Votes for Women: Timeline that I had found it explains, “1869: The women's rights movement splits into two factions as a result of disagreements over the Fourteenth and soon-to-be-passed Fifteenth amendments.”4

Conclusion, women struggled a lot and fought a lot to get where we are today.I am so thankful of that, cause right now as a women, even if it is still not completely equal yet it has gotten allot closer than it use to be. We are still dealing with making the same amount of money as men. As well as other benefits and privledge Men still reciev before a women does. Men make 20% more then women a t same job. What a struggle women went through. The stories do a good job explaining some points of view on ow it was like. . All in all nothing really has changed about men making more money it's just evoled that women are working more than men and taking their jobs, so the stats read it differently because less men are working but that ones that are, are making more money then the women with the same jobs.

1 "History of Women's Suffrage | Scholastic.com." 2004. 22 Oct. 2012 <http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/suffrage/history.htm>
2 "History - The Prohibition Party." 22 Oct. 2012 <http://www.prohibition.org/new_page_3.htm>

3 "History - The Prohibition Party." 22 Oct. 2012 <http://www.prohibition.org/new_page_3.htm>
4 "Timeline from: A History of the American Suffragist Movement, © The ..." 22 Oct. 2012 <http://www.suffragist.com/timeline.htm>

White Elephant in the Room

2012-12-12T13:17:00.005-08:00

A cold hearted situation of giving up life to have a better life. its not like she would get sick or was forced to do it because she wouldn’t survive. They just decided too get this operation because they wanted to rid of their mistakes. The American guy was pushing it on hard core. The Beer was a symbol and instigator on several aspects of this story. Maybe if it wasn’t for that alcohol in the first place they wouldn’t have to have this operation or even the stress of having to make a choice. Also the alcohol helps destroy her chances of making any other choice but to go to through this particular operation.

White elephants means a trivial, little to no value, so, what may, " The hills like white elephants" meant the hills have no value. This minimalist styled short story does a good job describing without describing what that trying to do. As they struggle about having the operation or not and weighing down the options. They are young and have their whole life to live, so they travel to get this operation. I think the female tries to minimizes the whole operation by saying that comment,"The hills like white elephant" meaning its no big deal. Which instead of feeling better about the situation , he felt annoyed about having to make an decision in the first place. The hills may symbolize the baby and the elephant will always stand for the awkwardness and untold loud teeth liking ignoring the elephant in the room or the expression alone, “the elephant in the room” which is that the Spanish girl might of wanted to keep the baby in the end but I’m not sure her opinion mattered as much when ignored like a elephant. The hills would like the white elephant, perhaps the baby would of liked it’s mother.

The couple seemed like they were making a big decision maybe about a baby. The words danced around the subject. But they argued and struggled about keeping it but knew the best thing was to go through the operation. I doubt they were dancing around a new nose or boob job they had to go cross country to another place completely just to perform this particular operation. The theme was abortion, and how a immature and careless American man went out to have some fun and accidentally knocked up a Spanish girl. Here is this whole situation where you have the American man trying to persuade her and push her to have this abortion. So she drinks her problems away and tells her self it will be all better then if she gets rid of this mistake. Even though deep inside she wants to keep it and at least wants the American Man to acknowledge how it would be nice to keep it but she knows it would more like not happen. A good quote i liked from the book showing her conflict with keeping the baby or not. So here she is pregnant but that doesn’t stop her because she wants to try absinthe. The quote goes, “Yes,” said the girl. “Everything tastes like licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe.” in comparison with her always wanting to try absinthe and finally doing it goes also with how she always wanting a baby growing up but as she found herself pregnant she didn’t want to be pregnant, she didn’t want to have a baby inside her. It goes along with that saying, “ Be careful what you wish for because It just might come true”.

Re: Elephant in the Room by Allen Ghazarian - Saturday, December 8, 2012, 07:20 PM
	Alissa, I love your breakdown of the story and how you were able to decode the symbolic meanings behind everything.

Araby

2012-12-12T13:14:00.002-08:00

I agree with the author and appreciate her point if view. I feel this story is somewhat romantic. On the subject of the lonely quest to the bazaar and a gift for a lady. He wouldn't been interested in the bazaar in the first place without Megan’s sister going off on how cool and magnificent it was. The lonely quest is a very mature and wise way of looking at it because in the end of that whole experiences and experiences to come all he has is himself and only himself. You were born alone and you die alone. The symbolic memory of the priest, funeral and all the lovely memories he had. The childhood memory of the new girl moving in the a new neighborhood. The guy shared the same kind of memories as a little boy welcoming Megan’s sister and how she knew to his neighborhood. The sister talk his head off about the famous bazaar, after he introduced and befriended her welcoming her to the new neighborhood. After all the talk and excitement about visiting the bazaar and getting a gift to bring back to Meg’s sister, he realizes the bazaar it was not as cool and excited for him.

I definitely feel that this author provided you a new and perhaps deeper understanding of the story. I think its the sometimes lonely, brutal, truthful side of what love and romance is like. He went there alone for the hope to bring something back but maturely saw no real investment or potential investment for an expression of his love for Megan’s sister a stranger with no true regard for him just the potential investment. This lonely but realistic realization leads him to believe that, that wasn't the love he desires, his love he will share with and for someone one day won’t need to be bought. Also the boy seemed like he wasn't interested in this amazing bazaar because he could not relate to Megan's sister's point of view and fantasy about the place. He was too sheltered of failure with the town and life he learned to live that the shock of how different the Bazaar was didn't make him comfortable it almost seemed like a culture shock to him. He probably also realized by not being interested in the Bazaar he had little to relate and be interested in the girl he loved. Maybe because she was new to the neighborhood he was intrigued but then got suddenly turned off by the end of the night as the bazaar closed down and that's why her choose to buy nothing for her. It makes sense that the only person knowing and dreaming to go to that bazaar was an out of towner who wasn't quite sheltered from the outside world and knew there was so much more she wanted to see and do.

I really enjoyed reading this story and the other one but this was my favorite. Love and the feelings of failure of love can really help bring anyone to maturity and adulthood, its the harsh depth reality that can open anyone’s eyes to seeing the real world. Like I always so though, “Its better to love and beloved then to never love at all.

Re: Araby

by Allen Ghazarian - Saturday, October 6, 2012, 10:55 PM

Alissa,

I agree with you also, romance plays a significant role in Araby. It's the common theme of "how far will you go for love".

Re: Araby

by William O'Neill - Saturday, October 6, 2012, 11:34 PM

The story by Joyce was amazing I thought. Just the way he writes makes me want to sit back and keep reading his work, it's captivating the way he invokes such tension, such uneasiness, reality, and passion in his description of early love and desire. He would be writing a normal plot description, then all of a sudden you would be in the boys head by the end of the paragraph and he would describe the girl's "soft hair" and such. One of the best pieces I have even read.

Re: Araby

by Tara Hall - Sunday, October 7, 2012, 12:28 AM

I like how you mentioned the romance piece in araby. I like how you compared that to growing up. Good job

The Rite of Passage

2012-12-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

For the "Rocking-Horse Winner" it was a destiney and rite of passage as a man witnessing his degenerate gambleholic father play the horses and hope he doesn’t lose. Of which the boys memory is of winning the race as he races with the horses on his rocking-horse and twistedly defines his memory with the word, "Luck" or "Lucky". I think you shouldn’t chase luck it just fall on your lap. Paul’s passage to adulthood starts when he longer care free and the truth he believed when he was a child contradicts cracks like a broken vase of flowers and there lies the truth he sees about gambling and being lucky. The apple doesn’t fall from the tree. Paul’s defense of luck ultimately leads to his own death unfortunately proving the same. The hero archetype was portrayed by the father’s unrealistic yet imaginative lucky on winning the horses and large amount of cash for the family saving the day, being a hero, for Paul to follow by. Thats when the Oedipus Complex and conflict theory plays its part as the mother tries to put Paul’s father’s gambling addiction in true perspective as she dreads and hopes that her son doesn’t follow into his father’s footsteps; she instead leads him away which leads him more closer and back to his destiny that he will feed his genetic/nurtured addiction, chase the luck he would only seldom have a taste/glimpse of but never catch until he died of such illnesses just like his father.

In the story, "Araby" the unnamed narrator does his own rite of passage into adulthood by discovering the harsh truth about love, martialism, true love, and how different they are sometimes. Unfortunately for him Megan’s sister loved and fantasized about the bazaar not for him. When he makes this hurtful, frustrating, and aggravating, epiphany he buys nothing, not only feeling the rejection and unwanted from the seller at the Bazaar but from Megan’s sister, as well. The experience of love and loss. The quest for the Holy Grail wasn't successful but he took out of it for life, that carried him into adulthood was a grail enough. He would never want to buy love for anyone, love can't be bought or its not true love. I can’t imagine how it was to feel so lonely, as he watched all the lights turn off as the bazaar closed and did not have anything to bring home to Meg’s sister must of been so lonely; on top of everything the way that the seller made him feel unwanted. In my opinion he was considered pretty ordinary because all poeple at one point or another been in that kind of situation having to make a decision on if this particular person they feel more whether love or lust is worth winning them over and their love over by buying them something or even buying their love. Even the ordinary discovery on what they want out of love and the right person they believe they should be with for this love they want. Its an ordinary crossroads everyone faces at one point in their life.

	Re: The Rite of Passage by Allen Ghazarian - Saturday, October 6, 2012, 10:47 PM
	Alissa, Your comparison to the holy grail in "Araby" was very good, I completely forgot to include that piece into my analysis but you did a fantastic job at it. Both are very tragic stories that could've turned out a bit better had they had the experience of life.

Re: The Rite of Passage by Eduardo Valladolid - Saturday, October 6, 2012, 11:44 PM
	I enjoy your transition between both stories. I especially appreciated how you approached this analysis by calling it a rite of passage. Definitely fitting for both these boys.

The Psychology of Poe

2012-12-12T13:08:00.003-08:00

The story themes reflect Poe's real-life experiences,I feel like this story reflects the theme of secrets, mystery, travel, exploitation, revenge, murders, scandal, Authority, and death by comparing it to his life which was all thee above and more especially when he became famous for his writings. The theme of being the only witness in a murder or tampering with evidence, I’m not sure what's more relative. The House of the Usher may have showed a theme of depression, illness, gothic, death, murder, revenge, vengeance, lioness, and evil. The house is rottoning and diseased infested just like the narrator's friend, who seems to be part of this gothic Usher family.

The atmosphere reflect the tragedy in his life by portraying The murder, the relationship between the police and Duplin, and Europe are extremely relative to his actual life. I’m sure He was around a lot of death throughout his life. The few females in his life like his mother, aunt, grandparents all died when he was young adolescent and he slept in a morgatory in the formaldehyde room, so morbid and somewhat gothic. His first love had died and then he married his first cousin who had died after a short period time, not sure if he ever had children.

Yes, the characters (and their actions) somehow mimic his life-long relationships and the one relationship that stands out the most with the police and Duplin. He had a lifelong relationship with the police and/or the investigators because of all the death that had occurred throughout her life.Edgar Allan Poe had a lifelong relationship with a certain friend who plays the narrator in the house of the Usher. I’m sure he had a friend that he felt like was somewhat estranged because he didn’t recognize him anymore from how they knew each other as a child.

It seems like these stories kept his sanity on point whenever he goes through any kind of tragedy, makes sense of it, and cope with it by turning it into a beautifully morbid gothic stories. Someone who comes to mind when thinking of Edgar Allen Poe nowadays it would be Tim Burton.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Emilia Hovakemian - Friday, September 28, 2012, 05:24 PM

That's a very good point! Perhaps his dark writings were a way for him to keep himself "sane." Maybe they were like his own personal diary that he shared with the world, in the hopes that he could understand it, and it would understand him.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Jivan Muradian - Friday, September 28, 2012, 06:45 PM

Good call on likening the atmosphere surrounding the Usher household with the atmosphere that surrounded Poe. I really hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes a lot of sense. I feel like the tragedy that surrounded him kind of pushed him to create these very dark settings, because it was what he was accustomed too through out much of his life. Nice work.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Yajaira Lopez - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 11:39 AM

Alissa, I like how you listed all the themes you found in both stories especially in The House of the Usher. The themes you provided are perfect examples of what Edgar Allan Poe experienced during his lifetime. I also agree with you when you say Tim Burton is a perfect example of someone like Poe today. He does provide a dark creativity in his work.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Courtney Kaplan - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 12:50 PM

I completely agree that Poe's writing was an outlet for his extreme sadness. There is no greater triumph for an artist then to turn physical pain into a form of art. I'm really happy that you mentioned this in your writing, I think it's extremely significant.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Shawn Williams - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 02:17 PM

He seemed strong to write about all of his problems in such elegant stories. I guess stories are made through someones struggles? Depression is a huge theme in his stories and its clear as night when he mentions them.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Megan Zullo - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 03:21 PM

I enjoyed the correlation between the police surrounding him in his life time. I could not figure out why the detectives would be involved in a story and why he would write one of mystery.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Nicole Moncree - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 05:04 PM

I agree that Poe chose writing as a way to cope with what was going on in his life. Not growing up with your parents can be really tough. And losing the person that you love can be just as devastating. I know writing makes me feel better about a lot of stuff as well. Great job!

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Andrew Shooshtari - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 08:46 PM

I believe that stories and his literary work were contributed by his experiences. He endured tough times all throughout his life and even after. I believe this darkness and troubling times helped contribute to his popularity. I agree that the writing might have been an outlet to help keep him sane. Very interesting

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Gabrielle Amado - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 11:12 PM

Alissa,

You make some very interesting points, and I think that you do have a point in regards to many of the themes that seem to run through his work. I don't know if I would compare Poe to Usher, I consider him more of the narrator, and Usher is different parts of his life. Food for thought.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by William O'Neill -

Saturday, September 29,

2012, 11:45 PM

Did you find any connection between Roderick Usher, and perhaps the struggles within Poe's own mind? Poe had a dark childhood and family story, just as the Ushers and their personified house. Also, Madiline to me very much mirrors the Virginia Clem that Poe lost to illness.

Re: The Psychology of Poe

by Clara Herrarte - Saturday, September 29, 2012, 11:55 PM

Alissa,
I do believe that Poe was surrounded by death and I also do believe that this influenced his work very much.

-Clara

The Tainted Forest

2012-12-12T12:57:00.002-08:00

I chose to discuss the staff for the symbol on the Young Goodman Brown encounters in the forest from the old man’s hands holding the staff into the hands of his own (the turning point of his religion and faith. This staff is very symbolic in of biblical and theological perspective. The detailed carving of the serpent represented the devil’s servant an evil demon so to speak. It is relative to the story of Adam and Eve the offering of the Apple. Eve took it and lost her innocence, gaining shame, guilt, embarrassment all because she gave in to curiosity and temptation. I actually think the Apple has a relative symbolic connection to the rod/staff. Goodman Brown’s curiosity got the best of him by leading him to the decision to venture in the forest. I Analyzed the meaning of the symbol as it pertains to a key theme in the story. Losing faith and believing in his religion and questioning it by going against it. Being lead by temptation.

This symbols portrays the old man is more of a demon than human, almost representing the devil himself or at least one of his minions and as for Goodman Brown by holding the staff he leads himself on the way towards a very evil path.

After the show to the venture Georgia for is in question his faith his savings never been the same I feel like he lost and lonely life is faith in God of shame or after just giving into temptation.

He had a good relationship with his wife having faith in him which represents their faith as a couple and now after returned from the forest of evil his wife had lost whatever fate she had and his life, he was no longer fulfilled.

He seems like his life never recovered after being tainted in the forest and so he hasn't been able to reach true happiness nor the purity ring is Sons of the have been is he had once before because of the fact that he has a screaming in the sand and probably not proud of how much.

Fear of losing faith, walking a different path than his forefathers living the more traditional and conservative Puritan life. For example his father would never walk into the Forest of pleasurable temptation and the Devil him reminds that he is not like his forefathers, he is not pure and orthodox, I think. Another example is how the English Puritans treasured the woman's’ faith overpowering the males lack of faith if there was at anytime. If the wife had faith in her husband it would overpower would save the male and revive his faith. Unfortunately in Goodman Brown’s situation after returning from the forest his wife never redeemed her faith therefore he completely loses his faith and any chance he had to resist the devil. There is a quote from the book which I truly appreciate and it goes, “By the sympathy of your human hearts for sin ye shall scent out all the places—whether in church, bedchamber, street, field, or forest—where crime has been committed, and shall exult to behold the whole earth one stain of guilt, one mighty blood spot.” Which means, in my opinion, once trained you can never be untainted. once you have walked the path of evil there is a certain point where you can’t turn around and go back from it.

Re: The Tainted Forest

by Allen Ghazarian - Saturday, September 22, 2012, 10:20 PM

Alissa,

I do agree, this story is very biblical and theological as you mentioned. It seems like every few sentences I read, I was able to make a religious connection to it. You did a great job here at covering all the bases, I enjoyed this.

Re: The Tainted Forest

by Nicole Moncree - Saturday, September 22, 2012, 11:32 PM

I believe that the story is a reflection of Hawthorne's religious beliefs. Throughout the whole story there are a number of biblical references. But only evil seemed to stick out the most. The fact that evil can be all around us, tempting us in any way it can. Great analysis!

Re: The Tainted Forest

by William O'Neill - Saturday, September 22, 2012, 11:51 PM

I really liked when you started discussing his forefathers and the reference to his father. This part in the story was a little chaotic and to pull that out of it was very observant. Maybe the part where his mother would hold him back was showing that the men of Hawthorne's generation were straying further from right and wrong, and the teachings of their upbringings.

Re: The Tainted Forest

by Jacob Johnson - Saturday, September 22, 2012, 11:59 PM

I agree with the man was symbol of the devil. He led Goodman Brown down the crooked path once he accepted the maple branch that was taken from a tree. This also was a symbol as in the tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. Good post!

The Black Veil in the Room

2012-12-12T12:51:00.003-08:00

I think Clayton’s theories pointing out specific characters and plot points definitely apply to this story. Clayton has an in depth perception of how the story went, practically a philosophically sociological view, I like his aspect and explanation or notion on what the hidden meaning and analysis was. Revendred Hooper had his puritan followers believe that guilt and sin were okay if you keep them hidden from you family and community. In this story Hooper was in denial of is black veil and doesn't want to face the fact that he wears one. He basically finds comfort in the sin/darkness, shame he wears as a black veil while wearing a black veil. It's a conflict of settling and not redeeming himself for the guilt-ridden, dark, and secretive sins he wears above his head. Everything unraveled as Reverend Mr. Clark pointed out how it wasn’t godly nor puritan like to wear these black veils, that everyone needs to purify/redeem themselves, and take off these black veils of darkness. The followers before Reverend Mr. Clark spoke up or pointed this out, felt a sense of estranged settling confort by not mentioning the pink elephant in the room because the black veil that the Reverend Hooper wore made it okay for all the other people to wear their black veil.

Yes, I totally agree with Clayton's assessment -- that Hawthorne's main point is that humanity hides behind a veil. I agree on how how humans hide from behind a veil and they think it's okay. I also think this is a another good example of diffusion of responsibility, everyone following the leader and no one is to be blamed for the mere fact that everyone is wearing the veil including their reverend (which turns into their society's norm).

All humans, at least in this planet, have a little tiny part of them that live a secret, sinful side. I believe is a balance of that makes humans human and part of it is sin but it's you going out with a purity. Without sin they're in there is no use for charity are for a redemption and for the greater good there needs to be a balance like the moon and the sun darken night it has to be for humans to get maintain their sanity.

Human nature needs a stability, balance, and questions to fit answers that they stumble upon throughout their lifetime. Sometimes we look at religion as guide on how to place our puzzle full of Q&A together, in order to find the true purpose of why we are here on earth and find peace on where we go there after. Everyone has a reason and plays a part with their life for the overall purpose of life itself. I also want to point out the circle of life and how humanity and human nature evolved.

Re: The Black Veil in the Room

by Amy Linsamouth - Saturday, September 22, 2012, 11:09 PM

I agree that Clayton's perception is very deep. I enjoyed reading the passage as well. Reverend Hooper was guilty over whatever act he did.

Re: The Black Veil in the Room

by Stanley Hu - Saturday, September 22, 2012, 11:26 PM

I think minister Hooper was trying to show everyone that they were also guilty of sins just like he was. He was just open about it, instead of pretending to be perfect.

Re: The Black Veil in the Room

by Jacob Johnson - Sunday, September 23, 2012, 12:17 AM

I think Hooper was trying to preach through his actions initially. With all the commotion he created he then explained to his fiancee but in doing so she was able to realize her own hidden sin in my opinion and understanding. I agree the human nature needs a balance and it is up to the person to come to grips with how they handle their own convictions or hidden sin. Good post!

Civil Rights

2012-12-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

English 364OL - The Short Story
Discussion: URLs to Civil Rights Sites
Stories: "Sonny's Blues" & "A Worn Path"

James Baldwin and Eudora Welty display a strong sense of place and heritage, directing our consciences to the inequities in American society.

Both "aim" at unraveling the repressive myths of white society and at healing the estrangement in the lives of black Americans (Cassill & Bausch).For this forum, you need to respond to several items.

First, please search the Internet for historical and cultural information on the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King, The Harlem Renaissance, the Black Power Movement, etc. As you research the various Internet sites, consider the setting and identity of black Americans during the course of the 20th Century (including each story's setting). Please post at least two URLS with a brief (5-6 sentence) description of each site.

The Black Power Movement
http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/africanamerican/blackpower/index.html

This site is a wonderful URL to check out concerning The Black movement. Within the page that pops up it explains how some Black Americans stood up and gain power (sense of superiority) and pride represent their Black community after being suppressed and discourage violently from doing so in the past. It explains the development and unity of The Black Panther Party during wartime Vietnam and such.

Martin Luther King
http://www.thekingcenter.org/

This site is completely dedicated to the history of the legendary Martin Luther King. From the speech,”I Had a Dream” to where he was born and raise with his preacher father. Picture galore to show the greatness and change he inspired for US and breakthrough of equality amongst race.

The Civil Rights Movement
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/

This site is wonderful to upkeep on the historical moments that had happen in our past. I really enjoyed going through this site and looking at all the wonderful pictures and moments, as harsh as they seem, we have come a long way from then.
Second, consider Langston Hughes poem "Harlem" in regards to the plight of this week's characters and in regards to your Internet research.

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

In addition to the initial analysis of your Internet urls, please write a 250 word response to the Hughes poem!

I think that this poem has is sad and depressing. He looks at a dream so the dark and distant like an illusion or gift he will really never receive just get teased by. The intolerance, racism, and discrimination he has gone through because he is a black american at that time gives him little hope for any of his dreams to come true. For him to even gain hope seems like a distant dream of it’s own. The raisin makes a great symbolism for a dried up dream, if a dream is put on hold or in other words neglected for too long it eventually dies out or as he said,”dries out like a raisin”. That’s extremely deep. The sweet and edible insinuations are interpreted as ven if the dream is still sweet it’s smaller than it use to be; like a raisin shrunk from how it was which was a well rounded beautiful green or red grape. As the dream shrinks like a grape to a raisin losing sight of the grape, the dreamer loses sight of his dreams and hope. During the time the poem was written in the civil rights/post-WW2 the dreamers happen to be suffering Black Americans. I thought Hughes poem’s last lines were just as symbollicaay vgua and deep all at the same time. Clever and short words to put it. Saying ,”Maybe it just sags, like a heavy load.” Says to me that the dream and hope is getting old and worn out like their clothing and skin or even lost in the heavy load of baggage and enslaved labor that their force to do. The dreams and hopes get lost in the saggy emotional and physical baggage they carried from all this hardship.

You may include both in one post OR you may create separate posts.

Lastly, kindly respond to five (5) of your classmates AFTER you visit their website links! In your responses to your peers, write at least 3-4 thought-provoking sentences.
Good luck and have fun!

The two URLS you provided were really great. The first site provided us readers to explore different sections which I really like. I enjoyed it because we were able to concentrate on that certain event alone instead of reading all of the events at the same time. In the second site I found the exact thing like you did. I as well enjoyed looking at all the pictures and moments. We were able to see what truly happened. In addition, I agree with your interpretation of the dream. It was sad and depressing. It spoke about the feelings after not having any hope in that dream anymore or not being able to go after it. I also agree how this poem had great symbolism.

I've never really had what I would call a "hero." Since I was a very small child, I've always seen humans as being flawed (I was a strange child!), and therefore I guess I just never created an image of a "hero" in my head. As an adult, though, I've begun to have more "heroes," as I realize that a hero is not a flawless person, it's just one that stands up everyday for what is right. Martin Luther King Jr. has always fascinated me, as I wonder where in the world he ever found that amount of strength and courage. It's incredible to think that someone can look directly in the face of death or imprisonment or injury on a daily basis and still march on. It's pretty incredible.

I agree with you Alissa. This poem is pretty depressing yet provides us with so much history from the civil rights movement. I love your analysis on how "the dream shrinks like a grape to a raisin.." That is very powerful and great deep thinking. My favorite link out of your 3 is the civil rights movement one. I love how it gives us an introduction to it and tells us the conclusion to it as well. Great job!

Re: Civil Rights by Jivan Muradian - Saturday, September 15, 2012, 06:21 PM
	You can definitely feel a sense of lowered morale and a feeling of desperation through the words of the author. However, I felt like there was a brief sense of optimism in the last line of the poem. I found your view on the interpretation the "heavy and sagging" line to be very fitting. The baggage of fighting off such inequalities would definitely result in a depression of sorts.

Good work on finding those relevant URL's. The Black Power movement is a portion of history that few understand and many should know about. I too found the King Center online and discovered a wealth of information on Dr. King. I agree with your idea that the raisin in the sun is a metaphor for a dream denied. Additionally, Hughes certainly represented the worries and frustrations of his people; especially during that period in history (1950's).

Everyday Use

2012-12-12T12:42:00.001-08:00

In "Everyday Use," Alice Walker asks us to consider the definition of tradition. Is tradition defined by speaking and doing, yes of course the tradition can be brought down by many ways speaking and doing is one of the many. There are ways to preserve tradition and how to pass it down both daughters portrayed it in a different ways. I feel like Dee’s way of looking at tradition was like the way the villages especially the elders looked at the lottery tradition, kind of ignorant. Wikipedia defines,” A tradition as a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past.”

The story's title, “ Everyday Use” helped me define tradition throughout this short story because the quilts were passed down from generation to generation for everyday use and not to keep in a glass frame untouched away from use at all. That is the theme and point of this wholesome story.I like how it was obivious why the quilts belonged with Maggie and how traditional Maggie and her mother were in compariosn to Dee who was educated and tradition in her roots not with her family.

The way that Maggie and mama always got stuck.using these antique treasures when someone else would have it around the house for looks, like Dee would do. And the same went for the quilts because its traditional for everyday use.

The story narrated by the mother because in my opinion on why it was narrated by the mother was that it was narrated by the mother to give the reader a outlook on the mothers unconditional love for her daughters and the way that she looks at him and her purse at her perspective on the whole situation on traditions it is her that is passing down the traditions your daughter so it would make sense if she would tell than her two daughters would.

I agree with you that the daughters both had different ideas about how tradition was interpreted. Complete opposites, if you ask me. Dee felt that observing the quilt was the best way to uphold tradition whereas Maggie would put the tradition to everyday use and use the quilts for their intended purposes. I had a hard time following the last paragraph but I agree with your statement that Maggie was a bit ignorant as to the true value and meaning of a tradition.

Re: Everyday Use by Susan Espinoza - Saturday, September 8, 2012, 10:04 PM
	im confused whats the theme of the story? everyday use passed down through generations? I think the theme in the story is dichotomy.

Re: Everyday Use by Jivan Muradian - Saturday, September 8, 2012, 10:11 PM
	I also found that the daughters had a completely different view on how the heirlooms should be used in order to honor, and remember, their grandmother. However, I feel as though there isn't always a right way to use an item that's been passed down for so long. It's not as important as to how the item is upheld, but rather the memory attached to the item itself.

I agree that the daughters viewed tradition in entirely different ways. Where Maggie may not have an education her viewpoint was more logical and realistic. She would have used the objects for everyday use. Dee on the other hand would have taken the heirlooms and placed them for museum pieces in her home to show off. She would not know how to put them to use or how to hand make a quilt like Maggie. Its true their mother did show her unconditional love despite their differences. Good analysis.

The Dying Games Tradition

2012-12-12T12:38:00.001-08:00

The short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a horrific tale of what a society can really do when they follow traditions blindly. This reminds me of the book and movie The Hunger Games but at least their traditions are meant for food and more of twisted purpose then this petty Lottery that lost it's meaning a long time ago. Ignorance was the to blame for many reasons, first reason would be the black box, which isn't even there original box be used for the lottery in fact the original boxes lost many many years ago, even before the town elder was born the Black box was lost. Even Mr Summers at times suggest to revamp the shabby old not original black box but no one wants to mess with tradition. On thr flip side and much hypocritical not Mr summer did convince the village to chagne there wood chip lottery tickets to slips of paper. Second reason, I don't understand how these parents complain just letting children of their children of the village get killed or stoned to death by a blindly immoral and unethical tradition. Thirdly, the way the village doesn't know their own anthem, song and salute, but these have been lost. to this annual tradition that happens every June 27th. Fourth reason is Even though there is some people that want to stop the lottery the elders think it will only cause chaos isolation and trouble as he put it in the book, if they stop the lottery. Concluding with the fifth ridiculous and final reason, How can there be some many poeple complying and alowing the chance of their children dying and not doing anything about it because it’s a tradition of the village’s.This is also a perfect example of diffusion of responsibility. Diffusion of responsibility is a tendency for individuals in large groups to avoid responsibility and usually conforming and complying with a negative or normlessness action/activity by being apart of it but doing nothing about it since they are in a large group expecting one of the other people in that group to do something in instead of them. For some reason I think back symbolically on all the times and situations in the our past history when stuff like this happens. Hangings of African Americans during the 1950’s. How there would +be groups of people and even parents bringing their children to watch these immoral lynchings like it was a family tradition to hate a specific race and watch them die like it’s okay. It’s not right to just kill people for no reason. Marriage, for instance, was created so the man of the family had a specific person that all his stuff will go to when he dies. Women at that time were even considered assets. But if the man didn’t have children then all assets would go to his wife.but ever since the industrial revolution and child labor laws were upheld all children and wives turn from assets to liabilities.

Re: The Dying Games Tradition by Stanley Hu - Saturday, September 8, 2012, 05:26 PM
	When I first heard of the Hunger Games, it was a total reminder of The Lottery, and clearly inspired by Shirley Jackson's work. The blind adherence to tradition and authority showing a terrifying willingness in people to turn on their friends and neighbors. The Hunger Games is an excellent example of a modern retelling of The Lottery.

I enjoyed reading your analysis. I will have to see The Hunger Games now so I can see the comparison to this story. You did a great job breaking down all the ridiculousness of this lottery

Great analysis. I definitely thought this resonated with "The Hunger Games" as well and I included a brief mention of that book/movie in my own analysis. There are many instances in this short story where I pictured characters from that movie in the town square.

	Re: The Dying Games Tradition by Megan Lessa - Thursday, September 13, 2012, 06:28 PM
	Interesting perspective! And I dig that you reference the Hunger Games! I also thought that you mentioning the fact that the villagers don't even know their own anthem is specifically poignant. It just speaks to the fact that tradition is valued far more than meaning and purpose.