Friday, February 25, 2011

Journal #36

My favorite meal is probably Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother's house. She cooks an unusual Thanksgiving dinner, because we eat with her for lunch, and we go to my father's mother's house for supper. She knows that we will have the standard Thanksgiving dinner for supper, consisting of turkey and sometimes ham, mashed potatoes, noodles, rolls, deviled eggs, and often some other things as well. At my mother's mother's house, we eat turkey or ham, macaroni and cheese (my favorite food), potatoes, green beans or corn, delicious rolls with jelly, and all of it in abundance. The meat is always cooked perfectly, with steam billowing off of it and it is very easy to cut. The macaroni and cheese is made from scratch, and it is amazing. The cheese is gooey and the noodles are delicious. The potatoes are very soft and buttery, and they are always very hot. I do not like green beans, but my family does, so they always eat some and they say that they are really good. I like the corn, because it is also buttery, which is always a good thing. The rolls are always soft and flaky, and the jelly is also cold and homemade. She always makes the most delicious food, and I absolutely love going to her house. She always has amazing food, and every morning that we are there for breakfast, she makes us cinnamon rolls. They are so soft and chewy, and the icing is dripping down the sides. They may be store-bought, but they taste as if they are homemade, because she puts so much love into them. She makes amazing cookies that are known throughout half of the junior class, and she also has homemade icing that has been spread throughout our family, and I love going to her house to eat, because she always makes the best food. Everything that she makes is homemade and delicious, because she cares so much about the people that she is making the food for.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Journal #35

It would be very hard to be a reporter during a war, because it would be just like being in the army, without killing people and having to interview people and give reports. It would be just as scary as having to fight in the war while overseas, and it would be the same amount of danger. Since one would be staying with the troops, one would have the same worries of ambushes in the middle of the night, of bombs randomly blowing up and hurting, maiming, or even killing people, oneself included, and of being shot while one is trying to get the latest news. It can be very complicated being in the trenches overseas with troops, and it shows that people will go to great lengths just to know the latest news about what is happening, when we could in all reality go about getting the news in different ways. We could try to find people in the troops that may have wanted to get a degree in news or reporting but could not afford the schooling without going into one of the armed forces. We could give them the chance to help us and tell us everything that they see and know about the war, because then we would not have to send any extra people there with writing articles or cameras or any other utensils needed for the news. We would not get in the way of the troops, because they would not have to deal with the extra people and the extra duties that they would bring. We would not have to feed all of them, protect all of them, or clean up after them. If we did want to bring reporters, we should make them care for themselves, because they are just adding to the work of the troops, who are already occupied full-time with their safety and trying to win battles in the war. There are pros and cons to being a reporter in the trenches with the troops, but I would definitely not want to do it.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Jack London — "To Build a Fire"

"To Build a Fire" is the story of a man who was out in the wilderness trying to reach his friends (London). He was following a trail that went through the woods and it was negative fifty degrees outside and rapidly dropping (London). He had a dog with him that was following him to his friends' house (London). He wanted very much to get there, although an old man in a shop that he had passed through warned him not to travel (London). The old man said that it was too cold and too dangerous to travel outside without a hiking partner (London). The man did not heed the old man's warning and went out hiking anyway (London). He managed to avoid most of the holes that were filled with water, but eventually his foot went through one and started to freeze (London). He had matches with him, so he built a fire and lit it to keep him warm (London). However, the tree that he was pulling branches from dropped all of its snow on him and his fire (London). He had to keep moving and try to build another fire (London). He kept trying and kept trying, but his fingers were going numb because he had to take his mittens off to make the fire (London). Soon, all of his extremities were numb, and the man started to panic (London). He started running down the path as fast as he could, which on numb, frostbitten feet was very hard (London). He kept stumbling and falling, and eventually he gave up trying (London). He lay down and waited for the cold to take him, and he quickly fell asleep and passed away (London). The dog lay for a while, waiting for its master to get up, but when he realized his master was dead, he went back in the direction of their camp so he could find a new owner (London). This work is Realist, because it is in the moment and realistic. It is kind of ridiculous that it is so cold, but it is realistic that someone would go out hiking alone and freeze to death (London). It is not Naturalistic, because there is no studying of the man or his feelings, just descriptions of them (London). It is also not Regionalistic, because while there is mention of the landscape, there is no promotion behind it (London). This work does not really reflect society, because it is about one man and his opinions and methods (London). There is nothing about religion or government, and there is a little about nature, in how cold it was and how the snow hindered his progress (London). There is also some about how the rivers and streams, while frozen over, still could be broken through to make things freeze (London). There was not much about human nature, but there is some in the fact that people are stubborn and do not always want to listen to others that may be more knowledgeable (London). There is also nothing about the American Dream, because this man is not planning anything for the long term, he is more worried about reaching his friends (London). There is no figurative language and there is also nothing about a Hero, because there is no American Dream (London). London wrote this very well, and it is almost heartbreaking when the man dies.

London, Jack, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. ""To Build a Fire"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 601-14. Print.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Edwin Arlington Robinson – "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy"

These two works are also very different, even though they are by the same author. They both tell stories of people yearning for something that they do not or can not have (Robinson). In "Richard Cory", everyone thought that he was the greatest thing on earth and that he had everything and could never be in want (Robinson). They went home and cursed the few things that they owned, when suddenly, Richard Cory killed himself by shooting himself in the head (Robinson). No one could believe it because of how amazing they thought he was, but he obviously wanted something that he could not have and he found no alternative solution (Robinson). In "Miniver Cheevy", Miniver is a young boy that was born in the time period that the work was written, but he had always wanted to be with King Arthur and his knights (Robinson). He always felt like something was missing and that he would never be able to do what he really wanted to do, because he really wanted to live in that time period, and that was basically all he could think about becuase his desires consumed him that much (Robinson). He was desperate for the chance to live with King Arthur, but he never got the chance (Robinson). These works fit in the Realist period becuase they are both realistic (Robinson). Often, it seems like the people that have the most or are the greatest are more likely to kill themselves, and it is totally plausible for someone to kill themselves(Robinson). It is also realistic that people feel like they were born in the wrong time period, and feel like they should be able to go back in time so that they could fit in and find somewhere to belong (Robinson). They are in the moment, and they are full of emotion as well (Robinson). These works are not in the Naturalist period, because they have nothing to do with science or the evaluation of humans or their reactions to certain situations (Robinson). These works are also not Regionalistic, because they have nothing to do with land or any regions whatsoever, so they can not be from the Regional time period (Robinson). These works reflect society pretty well, because they proclaim that everyone wants something that they can not have, and they can go mad over not getting it (Robinson). These works have nothing with religion or with government, and there is nothing in there about nature (Robinson). These do reveal things about human nature, however, and they are things such as the need for more and the desire to have the best (Robinson). These ideas have been taught to people since they have been born, and by this time it is human nature to want to have and be the best. These works have not much about the American Dream, except for the fact that they both want something that they can not have (Robinson). There is no figurative language, and there is nothing about a Hero, because these poems end well for neither of the subjects (Robinson). Robinson did a good job in writing these poems, because they are intruiging and the endings are unexpected.

Robinson, Edwin A. ""Richard Cory"/"Miniver Cheevy"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 573-76. Print.

Paul Laurence Dunbar – "Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask"

Dunbar's "Douglass" and "We Wear the Mask" are both different poems that both have a somber mood. "Douglass" talks about Frederick Douglass (Dunbar). It says that they are in a situation where everyone needs Douglass to be there for them and comfort them and reassure them (Dunbar). "We Wear the Mask" is different, in that it says that the world sees us as certain people, but in all reality we only let them see us with masks on (Dunbar). It claims that the world never knows the real person behind the mask, and that the world may not even know we have a mask on (Dunbar). They may take us at face value, which would not allow them to see very much of a person, and not try to get to know us at a deeper level at all (Dunbar). These poems are both very different, but they both have the same note of sadness in them that makes the reader upset (Dunbar). These poems are not cheerful or happy, and could easily ruin someone's mood. These poems fit in the Realist period, because they are both realistic (Dunbar). While they may be sad, they are both realistic and could possibly be true (Dunbar). They are both also emotional and they are in the moment, not looking toward the past or the future (Dunbar). These works are not Naturalistic, because there is no science involved (Dunbar). There was a lot of emotion used in writing these two works, and there was no studying of humans or of their reactions to different situations (Dunbar). These works are also not Regionalistic, because there is nothing in them about a certain place (Dunbar). Dunbar is not trying to promote a certain area or put down a certain region, and there is not even the mention of certain places anywhere in the works (Dunbar). These works kind of show society, but they show it through Dunbar's eyes so it is a tainted view (Dunbar). These works show society as a mean, ruthless, emotionless group, and that is not always true (Dunbar). Sometimes society can be very kind and open-hearted, so the view of society in these works is not necessarily to be trusted (Dunbar). There is nothing in these works about religion, and the only mention of government is in "Douglass" when he is trying to say that slavery should have ended sooner (Dunbar). That is also the only mention of nature, because he compares how long it took slavery to end and the obstacles that it had to go through in terms of nature and the sea (Dunbar). There is nothing really about human nature except for the fact that humans will always try to hide their true emotions if they are not deemed appropriate for the time that was taking place (Dunbar). There was nothing about the American Dream, except the African Americans' American Dream of being freed from slavery (Dunbar). The only figurative language was the comparisons to nature, and those are pretty self-explanatory (Dunbar). There was not a Hero involved in these works, and the Hero could only be the one to save them from slavery (Dunbar). Dunbar was an author that stood for his beliefs but often felt caged in by society (Dunbar).

Dunbar, Paul L. ""Douglass"/"We Wear the Mask"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 568-71. Print.

Chief Joseph – "I Will Fight No More Forever"

Chief Joseph's speech is very short, and may not necessarily mean a lot to a number of people, but it rings true, and many Indians hold it in high regards. It showed how weary he was of fighting, and how he just wanted to find a way to finish the fighting so he would be able to look for his children and make sure that they were all there with the rest of the tribe (Joseph). He was too tired of dealing with all of the pain and heartache that comes with war, and he just wanted to stop learning about deaths from the fighting (Joseph). He did not want to lose anyone else to the random, pointless skirmishes that had been taking place along their trekk to Canada in the hopes to escape to freedom, but the Americans rounded them up and shipped them off to reservations while they had gotten very close to their target point (Joseph). This work fits in to the Realist time period for a number of reasons (Joseph). It was definitely in the moment, and it was very realistic because it was what was happening at the moment (Joseph). It entailed a ton of emotions, because Chief Joseph was so involved with the events that had been happening, and that proves that it is Realistic (Joseph). It is not Naturalistic, because there is the emotion in the work, and there is nothing scientific at all (Joseph). There is no studying of humans or studying of their emotions, and science is not even mentioned or insinuated in this work (Joseph). This work is also not Regionalistic, becuase they had been going all over the place, and there is nothing about a specific place that they had been or were going to (Joseph). This work kind of reflects society, becuase it shows how upset the Indians were and how the Americans were trying to take over everything with no consideration for anyone or anything that had been there previously (Joseph). There was nothing about religion (Joseph). Chief Joseph was talking to their government, and it just shows that he was ready to stop fighting (Joseph). There was nothing about nature, and there was only very little about human nature (Joseph). The little about human nature was about Chief Joseph and how people will always be willing to give up wars if they think their efforts are futile or they are more worried about what is happening to everyone else (Joseph). There is nothing about the American Dream, there is no figurative language in this speech at all, and there is nothing about a Hero (Joseph). One could say that the Hero would have been the one that led the Indians to safety and kept it to the least amount of casulties necessary, but that would have been extremely hard to come by (Joseph). Chief Joseph did a good job by himself, and not very many people would have wanted to change the fact that it was Joseph that led them through such hard times. Chief Joseph was very influential and his people looked up to him immensely. He led them through many hardships and they were always willing to listen to his advice.

Joseph, Chief. ""I Will Fight No More Forever"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 531-33. Print.

Edgar Lee Masters – "Spoon River Anthology" (or excerpts from)

There were two excerpts from "Spoon River Anthology" that needed to be analyzed for this blog, and they were both very different. They each draw the reader in and make the reader want to read every story that is in "Spoon River Anthology". They are all very descriptive and paint a picture of lives that were filled with joy and happiness (Masters). "Lucinda Matlock" speaks of woman that lived a long and illustrious life where she cared for her children and kept the house (Masters). "Fiddler Jones" was about a man that tried to be a farmer, but who was so good at playing the fiddle, he never got anything done (Masters). They are both very different works, and they are both part of a greater number of works compiled in "Spoon River Anthology" (Masters). Masters made these works very complex, as they are all poems and are supposed to be considered the epitaphs for those people (Masters). They both fit into the Realist category, but it is hard to tell why (Masters). While the poems reflect on the past, they tell what the person is thinking in the exact moment that they are written, and both of the situations are realistic and could have easily happened (Masters). These works are definitely not Naturalistic (Masters). They have nothing to do with science, and they are full of emotion (Masters). These works shows that in poetry like this, it is a lot harder to try to fit science into them, which in general makes it a lot harder for these works to be anywhere close to Naturalistic (Masters). These works could kind of be considered Regionalistic, because they talk all about Illinois (Masters). They talk about different areas of Illinois and things that can be done there, which can qualify this work as Regionalistic, though it is not necessarily obvious (Masters). These works do not really reflect society, but they talk a little bit about small towns and the interactions between people in those small towns (Masters). These works do not talk about religion or government, but there is a little bit about nature (Masters). There is not much about nature, but in "Fiddler Jones", there is a little about the fact that he was a farmer and farmers work with nature (Masters). There is not much about human nature, but in "Lucinda Matlock", there is a claim that states "It takes life to love Life", which basically says love is incredibly important in life, and that is a part of human nature (Masters). There is nothing about the American Dream, although they are both happy in their lives and what they did (Masters). There is no figurative language in these works, and there is also no mention of a Hero in either of them (Masters). They may each think that they are their own Heros, but that is mildly dumb (Masters). Edgar Lee Masters wrote extremely well when he wrote these works, and each one that is read makes one want to read more and more of them. They are intriguing and draw the reader in, which is what is wanted from every work that has ever been written.

Masters, Edgar L. ""Spoon River Anthology" (or Excerpts From)." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 514-17. Print.

Mark Twain – "Two Views of the River"

This work is very different than the last work of Mark Twain's that was analyzed. This work is more serious, and instead of necessarily telling a story, it shows that too much of a good thing can be bad (Twain). This work talks about Mark Twain's years as a steamboater (Twain). It talks about how in the beginning, he marveled at the beauty of the river and the sunsets that reflected off of it, but he soon lost the newness of it all (Twain). He said that after he had learned his trade of boating well, he lost all concept of the beauty of the river (Twain). He then began to notice the same things, but he realized the meaning for the boat that came from those things (Twain). He realized that some meant that the river was getting shallower, others meant that one well-known landmark would soon be gone because the tree would die, and yet others meant different things about the current (Twain). These things could all hurt the ship, and since that was what he had been trained to notice, that is what he began to see (Twain). He lamented over this and realized what a shame it was, but he also knew that there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it (Twain). It made him yearn for the times where he could just look at the river and marvel in its wonder and beauty instead of looking for the things that could be harmful (Twain). This work is Realist, because it shows what he is thinking of in the moment (Twain). It shows his feelings and it is definitely a realistic situation that he was in (Twain). This work could be a little bit Naturalistic, because of the way that he describes the river in the end (Twain). He is more analytical at that point, like scientists are, and it makes the work lean toward the Naturalistic end (Twain). This work is not Regionalistic (Twain). While it talks quite a bit of nature, it does not try to promote a certain region or put down a certian region (Twain). He is more describing the landscape than talking about life there (Twain). This work does not really talk about society at the time, because it only talks about the point of view of one man, and one can not know what the others were thinking (Twain). This work does not talk of religion or of government, but nature was very important to this work (Twain). This work shows that too much nature, or different jobs, can detract from nature and can just hurt the experiences one could have in nature (Twain). This work does not really talk about human nature, but there are things about how he is very upset about the fact that he can not really take nature at face value anymore (Twain). There is nothing about the American Dream, but Twain really wants to see nature again as he could in his youth (Twain). There is no figurative language, and there is also nothing about a Hero (Twain). Twain was a good author that could write in a number of different styles. He was very complex, and that makes for good stories.

Twain, Mark. ""Two Views of the River"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 504-05. Print.

Mark Twain – "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County"

This work is comical, just as a good deal of Mark Twain's works. It is complete fiction, but it is very interesting, and shows something different from the Realist period than most people are used to seeing. Mark Twain basically wrote two stories when he wrote "The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" (Twain). First, he wrote a man that had been asked by his friend to talk to town citizens about a man named Leonidas W. Smiley (Twain). In this story, the author describes that he asked a bartender who got Mr. Smiley confused with a Mr. Jim Smiley (Twain). This begins the second story, which is all about Jim Smiley (Twain). The second story talks about the fact that Jim Smiley was willing to bet on anything, and even though he did not normally have any idea what the outcome would actually be, he often won because of pure luck (Twain). It talks of a few different animals that Jim Smiley had that, though seemingly tame and meek, always managed to win whatever bet Smiley had on them (Twain). This work is Realist, because it is really about two friends conversing about an old one, which makes it in the moment and realistic (Twain). It is realistic that one could ask about a person they used to know, and the person that they asked happens to like telling tall tales (Twain). That person could have made up a tale like this one, and that goes to show that this story is realistic (Twain). This story is not Naturalistic, because this work has nothing to do with science or studying the reactions of different people (Twain). It is also not Regionalistic, because it has nothing to do with different regions of the United States (Twain). This work reflects some of society somewhat well, because it shows that some of the more rural towns still were places where everyone knew everyone else (Twain). It shows that they were all still friendly with each other and were willing to lend a helping hand (Twain). It does not have anything about religion, government, or nature, but there is a little about human nature (Twain). This work shows that some people like to have a lot of attention and that they will do ridiculous things such as making up insane stories, just so they will get all of the attention that they want to get (Twain). There is nothing about the American Dream in this work, because it is more of a made up story than anything else (Twain). There is no moral to it, and it shows nothing of people moving up in society (Twain). This work has no figurative language, although it consists of dialect, so it can get mildly confusing at times (Twain). There is nothing about a Hero in here, because the Hero ties in pretty closely to the American Dream, which is also not in this work (Twain). Mark Twain was an incredible author that wrote many works that are still influential to a number of people even today. Many people look up to him, and it is right that they should do this because he was such a good author.

Twain, Mark. ""The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 496-502. Print.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Stephen Crane – from The Red Badge of Courage

This work is a very emotional work that can leave the reader with mixed feelings. This work is about a man while he is at war and how he is feeling while he is under fire (Crane). It is about a man that is furious about his inadequacies and the things that he can not do against the other men (Crane). In this work it describes that the man is not furious about the fact that there at men rushing at him in the smoke, but that he is furious about the rage and the feelings that are suffocating him (Crane). This work can show many different things about people, and it is very enlightening for people that are not in the military. People can take this different ways, because it shows a different side to people that is not normally shown when one reads works. This work fits in the Realism period, because it is realistic and shows how the man is feeling in the moment (Crane). It shows what he is thinking right now, instead of in the past or in the future (Crane). This work is somewhat Naturalistic, because of how this man is compared to so many different things (Crane). He is compared to things like subjects of scientific studies are compared to things, so that one can understand the relation (Crane). It is almost studying his feelings and what he wants to do to kill all of the men around him (Crane). It is studying him in a certain setting to see how he reacts and to see if the researchers could find that all people react in the same way to certain situations (Crane). This work is not Regionalistic, becuase it has nothing about certain places or how they are better than others (Crane). It is not a promotional work for a certain region (Crane). This work reflects society at that time period not very well (Crane). It shows that they were beginning to have a greater interest in science and how the human brain works, but it does not show current events, political issues, or opinions on global issues (Crane). It does not show what people were thinking. There was nothing about religion, government, or nature, but there is some about human nature (Crane). This work shows how frustrated humans get about their inadequacies (Crane). It shows the human nature behind the desire to be happy and not worried (Crane). There is not really anything about the American Dream, because this man is not getting anywhere in the world, and there is also not figurative language (Crane). Lastly, while there is no mention of a Hero, this man's Hero would be the perfect person that would not have dark clouds hanging over him and would have a gun that could do more than just one shot at a time before reloading (Crane). Crane wrote an interesting piece when he wrote this work, and there were mixed feelings over it. People were not sure how they should take it, and Stephen Crane may have hoped for that when he was writing it. He could have wanted it to be a work that made people think, and could have provoked a wide variety of emotions from a number of people.

Crane, Stephen. "From "The Red Badge of Courage"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 493. Print.

Kate Chopin — from The Awakening and "The Story of an Hour"

Kate Chopin was a radical author for her time, because she wrote of how women wished to be free (Chopin). She wrote of how women could do nothing except care for their husbands and children, and how often they wanted to just be free to live their own lives (Chopin). They did not want to have all of their decisions made for them, and they wanted to let their true emotions show (Chopin). Kate understood how those women felt, for she was a wife and a mother as well, although her time as a wife was cut short when her husband passed (Chopin). Her works were very controversial at the time, and often they went unpublished, because she could get no one to look at anything that radical and filthy (Chopin). After she had passed, when women were fighting for their rights to vote, someone found all of Chopin's works and published them, helping the women's cause (Chopin). This work definitely fits with the time period of Realism, because it is about the moment and what the women were feeling (Chopin). Her works showed a lot about women's true feelings, and that shows that her works were incredibly realistic (Chopin). These works were not Naturalistic, because they were not a calculated study of women and their feelings, it was just about letting the emotions run freely (Chopin). These works did not have any Regionalistic characteristics, because there was nothing about a certain place or how one region was any better than any other region (Chopin). These works show quite a lot about society at the time. They show that women of the time were often very unhappy with their lives, but that they could do nothing about it (Chopin). Even when Chopin wrote these works, no one took her seriously, and that shows that the men either did not care what the women were thinking, or they did not think that Chopin was right, so it was only her works that they did not care at all about (Chopin). There was nothing about religion, for a woman's feelings about her personal life do not necessarily always involve God (Chopin). There is nothing about government, because this problem did not stem from the government, it stemmed from stereotypes of the time (Chopin). There was nothing about nature, but human nature played a large role in these works (Chopin). These works showed that human nature is to let one's feelings out, but women of the time could only do that in private (Chopin). They show that when one is in a tough position, one will often bend to make everything work out well until they are bent so far they will break (Chopin). This shows the American Dream of women, to get their freedom from a life of boredom and pain (Chopin). There is no figurative language, and there is also nothing about a Hero (Chopin). Kate Chopin wrote radically for her time, but she was eventually recognized for her great talents. Many people look up to her, and she was an amazing and strong woman that deserves all of the credit that she gets. People really appreciate her straightforward style, and enjoy the fact that she was willing to speak her mind.

Chopin, Kate. ""The Awakening"/"The Story of an Hour"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 491+. Print.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Willa Cather – from O Pioneers! and "A Wagner MatinĂ©e"

Willa Cather often wrote about life on the prairie, for that is where she lived while she was young (Cather). In the beginning of her career, she wrote many works that portrayed the prairies as awful (Cather). She hated her prairie life and showed that all throughout her works (Cather). Later in her life, she changed her point of view and started portraying life on the prairie as a good thing (Cather). She realized that while life was hard on the prairie, it helped one become stronger (Cather). It called to ambitious people, and those people had to be extremely creative to survive (Cather). These works were definitely Realist, because they talked about things that happened in the past that were affecting the moment that they were in. The works were bursting with emotion, which makes them nothing like the Naturalist works of the time. There was no science involved, and science was almost irrelevant to them. This work was definitely Regionalist, because it was all about life on the prairies and how things were in the West (Cather). While in the beginning Cather wrote about the bad things on the prairie and the tragedies that befell many of the pioneers that traveled west, she eventually did write about the good things on the prairie (Cather). She began promoting it as a good thing, and that is characteristic of Regionalistic works of the time (Cather). This showed society of the time, because they had mixed feelings about the prairies. They did not know what to think, and often when something is not known, people automatically chalk it up as a bad thing. Some works of the time helped this opinion to grow, even when people did not really know what they were talking about. These works do not talk of religion or of the government, for the do not have necessarily as much importance when one is out on the prairie with no other human to be seen in the surrounding areas (Cather). Cather's works both talk about nature, and about how the prairie is a bleak landscape that is one color: brown (Cather). They talk of how life on the prairie is so hard because of the droughts or overwhelming rain (Cather)). Weather on the prairies were contradictions, and no one ever knew what they should expect when they were planting and cultivating their crops. There is a little about human nature, and how it is easily broken when one lives on the prairie (Cather). When one came from privilege but fell in love with a man that lived out on the prairie, it was often easier to fall apart, because on has to do everything for oneself, instead of having help (Cather). These works talk about the American Dream of expansion and having everything that one could ever want (Cather). There was no figurative language in the works, because they were both straightforward (Cather). There was also not a Hero in either of these works, for there was really not position for a Hero to come in (Cather). Willa Cather was an influential author about the prairie, and many people listened to what she wrote in her works.

Cather, Willa. ""O Pioneers!"/ "A Wagner Matinée"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 489+. Print.

Robert E. Lee – from "Letter to his Family"

Robert E. Lee was very important to the Civil War, and even before that, he did a great deal for the United States army. He was a very intelligent man that came from a prestigious family. When the Civil War was beginning, Lee was heartbroken (Lee). Lee did not want the United States to fall apart into a country that needed force to uphold its laws and its idea of brotherly love (Lee). Originally, President Lincoln requested that he be the general for the troops that were in the Union, but when Lee's home state of Virginia seceded, he decided that he could not fight against his home state (Lee). Lee decided to go fight for the South, because he could not handle fighting against his home state and his family that was there (Lee). He quickly moved to the top of the ranks, and he became general of the Confederate army (Lee). He did well for a while, but he eventually lost too much and had to surrender to the North (Lee). We have letters that he wrote to his family before the war, and in the letter to his son, he talks about the heartbreak that he was experiencing over the breaking up of the United States (Lee). This work is Realistic, because it talks about his feelings at that moment in time (Lee). It is not Naturalistic, because it does not evaluate or study humans or what was happening (Lee). It is not really Regionalistic, even though it discusses different regions of the United States, because it is not trying to promote a certain place over others (Lee). This reflects society at that period, because while many people may have thought a war was inevitable, they did not want one (Lee). While many people were upset about the treatment between the North and the South, they wanted a war even less. This work has nothing about religion, and not really much about the government (Lee). It has a little, because Lee talks about the fact that if they had a war, their government would dissolve into nothing (Lee). There is nothing about nature, and the only human nature was about a work that Lee had just read because his son had sent it to him (Lee). The American Dream is not really in this work, but Lee's American Dream could have been that the Union would not break up, which did not end up happening (Lee). There was no figurative language in Lee's letter to his son, and there was also nothing about a Hero (Lee). This work was a lot about Lee's feelings about the politics going on at the moment and what was going to happen to the Union more than anything else, and while he wished for there to not be a war, his wishes did not come true (Lee). He was a very honorable man that wanted the best for his country and the people in it, rather than wanting the best for himself or for personal gain (Lee). Lee was an incredible general and man, who did his best to preserve the country.

Lee, Robert E. "Letter to His Family." American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 382-85. Print.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Sojourner Truth – "And Ain‘t I a Woman?"

Sojourner Truth was a good orator as well as Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, but what gave her more of an impact was the fact that she was an African American, and a woman as well. Sojourner Truth fought very hard for rights for African Americans and for women, and she wanted to show the world that there was nothing different between them all (Truth). In her speech, she showed the world that many men were saying that women were delicate and needed help getting into carriages and getting over mud puddles, she was a woman and no one had ever helped her with any of that (Truth). She showed the world that as an African American slave, she had never gotten the benefits that the rest of women got (Truth). She showed that since she had to work as a slave, she had done hard work that many men in the North could not do, because she had no choice and had to do it (Truth). This work fits in the Realism period because it is in the moment and not about the past. It looks forward to the future and concentrates on what could happen (Truth). It is realistic, and she made realistic demands and proved her point based on things that she had gone through (Truth). It does not fit in the Naturalism period, because the speech was given with feeling and it showed the feelings of everyone (Truth). It was not scientific and did not study humans, so the Naturalists would not claim it as theirs (Truth). It is also not in the Regionalism period, because it is not based on a certain region of the United States that wants more attention (Truth). While this work does not really have anything to do with religion, it has a lot to do with government and different issues of the time period (Truth). This speech, while it does not outright attack the government, it is fighting to go against what the government had been saying (Truth). She wanted to get rights for African Americans and women alike, and to do that, she needed to go against the government. She wanted to be able to do everything that men could, because that is what she had been doing her entire life (Truth). This speech does not talk about nature, unless her working in the fields would count, and there is not much about human nature (Truth). One could say that it was about human nature, because she is trying to change ideas that had come to pass because of some original human nature (Truth). This also talks about the American Dream, because one of the most basic American Dreams is equal rights (Truth). She really wanted equal rights, not just for her, but for many other people as well. She was a minority, but she did not want to be treated as such (Truth). There was not any figurative language, and there is not much talk about the Hero, but the Hero would be the one to give them their rights (Truth). Sojourner Truth was an important orator who wanted equal rights for everyone and thought they were very important.

Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain't I a Woman?". Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 368-70. Print.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Anonymous – "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Go Down, Moses," "Keep Your Hand on the Plow"

African Americans really wanted their freedom, and there are many ways that they would find to talk about it (Wilhelm). They made up many different songs that would discreetly talk about it (Wilhelm). They often did not come right out and say it, but the majority of their songs are completely about their freedom or their slavery. Their songs definitely belong in the Realism period. Their songs, while not necessarily realistic in all aspects, are Biblical and do tell stories of Biblical events that are real and true (Wilhelm). Their songs are in the moment, and do not concentrate much on the past (Wilhelm). A few songs tell of how they came over from Africa, but most of their songs talked about the slavery that they were in at that moment or the hope for a better future (Wilhelm). Their songs do not belong in the Naturalism period, because while they may involve nature, they do not talk about human beings as something else to study or about the decisions that humans make and why they do them. These songs could possibly fit into the Regionalism period, because they may have talked about features that are unique to that area, but I do not think the African Americans were concerned about getting their area of dwelling more attention. These literary works are very good about showing us things from that time period. They show us how awful slavery was, and they show us how desperate the African Americans were to get their freedom (Wilhelm). The works show us that the African Americans never lost hope or gave up, even though they were in horrible circumstances where they could not do anything wrong or they would get hurt, beaten, or even killed (Wilhelm). It reflects society in that time period because it shows that no one in the North completely knew what the slaves were going through, but the South did know and they turned a blind eye. Religion is definitely involved in these songs, because some of them are concentrated on events that happened in the Bible (Wilhelm). They wove religion in because they thought that they were like the Jews that had been trapped in slavery in Egypt for an extremely long amount of time (Wilhelm). The African Americans thought God would save them like he did the Jews, and that is why they chose some of the stories that fit their same situation (Wilhelm). There is nothing about government in these songs, and not really anything about nature (Wilhelm). There could be a little bit about human nature, because they show how much the African Americans hoped for their freedom and how desperate they were to get it (Wilhelm). The American Dream for them was almost the same, because they wanted their freedom more than anything (Wilhelm). There was also a lot of figurative language, because they called the South "Egypt", and the North was often either "heaven" or the "promised land" (Wilhelm). This was also about the stories of the Jews, because that was their situation as well (Wilhelm). The Hero was probably anyone that would save them, but there was nothing about the Hero in these songs. African Americans had a hard life as slaves, but they found ways to talk about their freedom and entertain themselves at the same time.

Anonymous. ""Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"/"Go Down, Moses"/"Keep Your Hand on the Plow"" American Literature. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly A. Chin, and Jacqueline J. Royster. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. 344-48. Print.

Abraham Lincoln – from "Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865" and "The Gettysburg Address"

Abraham Lincoln was a great orator, and he was great at inspiring many people. His speeches helped him be elected President, and he continues to be an inspiration to many people today because of the great things that he did while he was President and the speeches that he made that were so encouraging and inspirational. These two speeches are both from the Realism period, but they do not fit in the Naturalism or Regionalism periods (Wilhelm). That is seen because of the fact that while his speeches are realistic and in the moment, they do not portray humans as just another animal species that they can study as Naturalists did, and they are not about just characteristics of a certain region that is trying to get attention, like Regionalists (Wilhelm). His speeches, while they did involve God and some of the things that were written in the Bible, the speeches were mostly about what was happening in the moment (Wilhelm). He talked about trying to end the war as fast as they could, but he also talked about how it was God's will and how they would not be able to do anything against God's will (Wilhelm). In his Gettysburg Address, he was consecrating the battlefield that all the soldiers had fought and died on, and he was very inspirational, because he talked about that they could really do nothing more to the ground than the soldiers that had been there had already done (Wilhelm). He realized that the greatest sacrifice was death, and there was really nothing that the living could do to add to that great sacrifice (Wilhelm). They could only realize the gifts that they had been given and try to give others those same gifts (Wilhelm). He was very in the moment, because he did not dwell on the past and the tragedy that had happened, he concentrated on what they were doing for that battleground in the moment. These works reflect the time period, because they are all about the Civil War, which was going on during his entire Presidency (Wilhelm). The speeches are about ending it and remembering all of the people that gave their lives for the living (Wilhelm). These speeches do have religion in them, because Lincoln talked about God and how it was God's will that they are fair to everyone and need to end the slavery (Wilhelm). This speech does not really talk that much about government, but since Lincoln was President, these speeches are all about the government and what they are doing (Wilhelm). These speeches do not talk about nature, except for consecrating the ground that the Battle of Gettysburg had been fought on (Wilhelm). While the speeches did not have to do with human nature or psychology, these speeches definitely have to do with psychology, because Lincoln was so inspirational, he probably could get people to do whatever he wanted them to do after his speeches (Wilhelm). This talks a little about the American Dream of African Americans in being freed (Wilhelm). There was not figurative language, and there is also no mention of the Hero (Wilhelm). Lincoln was an incredible speaker, and he is still very inspirational.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Douglas Fisher, Beverly Ann. Chin, and Jacqueline Jones. Royster. Glencoe Literature. New York, NY: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.