Oates and Mason

Both stories we read for this week - Bobbie Ann Mason's "Shiloh" and Joyce Carol Oates' "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been"- deal with romantic relationships and desire in very different ways. Both stories also share the trait of ambiguous endings. The audience is left wondering if Mason's Norma Jeane kills herself, and if Oates' Connie was raped at the end of the stories. Using evidence from the story, do you folks agree with these endings, or do you think something different happened to these women? I have my own opinions, and they don't necessarily mesh with the above endings. I'd like to know what you guys think. Make sure to use textual support in your answers!

Dave's Dilemna

After reading Richard Wright's "The Man Who Was Almost a Ma," what do you folks think of Dave's decision to buy the gun and how it affected his life? Do you think it was a good idea or a bad idea? Tell me why - prove it with examples from the story. Think carefully about Dave's life before the gun, and how he acted after. Was he turning into a man, or was it forcing him to make poor decisions? Either way ( and I can agree with both sides), tell me why.

Mob Mentality

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," one of the short stories we read for this week's classes, the reader is faced with a troubling scenario. I read this story years ago, and forgot how disturbing it was until I reread it in preparation for class. If one of the definitions of great literature is that it is timeless, how is "The Lottery" still relevant today, especially when applied with the idea of mob mentality? Use examples from contemporary issues or situations you are familiar with, from personal experience or from current situations you may have heard about/read about/seen on the news or internet. Try to match details from Jackson's story to details from the example you choose.

Colors

In Toomer's "Blood-Burning Moon," the author uses various colors to create the image he wants the audience to see. Read over the story closely to find colors besides the more obvioius, "black and white." Why do you think Toomer used these particular colors? What do these colors represent for you? Use evidence from the story and personal experience if you care to in order to illustrate your point.

Comparisons

In Jean Toomer's "Blood-Burning Moon," we see rage unfiltered through main characters Tom Burwell and Bob Stone. In this story, is Louisa important to both men? Either of the men? What is the role Louisa is playing in this story? Yes, she is the love object, but how else does the author use her to create tension between the black man and the white man? How does the author use her to display prejudices and viewpoints of blacks by white in the context of this story? Use textual support for your answers - the song lyric at the end of each section, the dialogue between Louisa and Tom in section two, the full moon, the mob scene at the end of the story when Tom is killed.

Something to Think About

Hi folks! Sorry the blog is late...because I'm late in posting, I will be checking the responses on Monday morning. This gives you plenty of time to think about the question before responding.

I'm going to use this blog as a place to discuss irony in literature. We'll also touch upon it in class, but I figured I'd use this space for you all to explore the definition and apply it to our reading so we can have a discussion instead of a lecture.

The definition of irony when used in literature - a technique used by a writer to show truth or a message in a story. This is done by using a situation or character to convey one idea, in order to convey the truth of another idea to the audience. Example: If my friend woke up with two black eyes, and I told her, "You look nice this morning." What I said to her is false, and brings out the truth of the situation: that she looks awful with her face beat up.

Using this definition of irony, let's apply it to Dee/Wangero, one of the main characters in "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker (you know, the second story you all read so carefully this week for class). What is the irony of Dee's reverting to traditional African culture, while shunning her family's roots? What is Dee actually doing to her family's history by doing this? Use quotes to back up your opinion...how do the mother and Maggie play into this irony? How do they showcase the true history of the family?

To Make Matters Less Complicated...

Thanks for those of you who participated in the last blog. I really appreciate the largest turn-out of respsonses since I started this beast in the beginning of the semester.

Onto "Sonny's Blues." Page-wise, this is the longest story we will be reading all semester. Dr. Pruss mentioned several times that this is a difficult story, as did some of you after you read it. So, let's talk about it. What is "Sonny's Blues" actually about? Is it about characters? The ghetto? Drugs? Family? Music? What do you think the larger issues are behind the plot of this story? Take this blog as a place to ponder, to risk your opinion. As our class continues, I've noticed how people are beginning to voice their opinions from personal experiences. Let's keep it going here.

Choices

In today's class, we discussed Miss Emily, Faulkner's main character in the story we read for this week's class, and Aileen Wuornos, the so-called first American "female serial killer." We discuss often in class how society forces certain people into the roles they exist in, but here, I am more interested in the choices these women make to contribute to their roles in society. How did these women come to end up in the positions they do (re: recluse, prostitute)? What are some choices you've personally made that have effected your position in life (negative or positive)?

Re: Workshop

Since this is the first time I'm teaching this kind of class, I'm curious to know your responses to the workshops we had in class on Wednesday. Be honest with me, please, because I want to know if this format worked for you. Did you feel comfortable in this kind of atmosphere? Did the questions in class help clarify the purpose of the papers you read? Did you find this workshopping to be helpful or harmful to the development of your paper? Any other comments, observations or gripes can be listed here. I want to read what you guys think, so I can help everyone even better for the next paper.

Because They Said So

Alright, so we're a bit behind because of all the New England weather, so I'm going to use this post as a place to help you all with your papers a bit. On Wednesday, we're going to discuss further Hemingway's and Banks' stories. You guys had great insights on last week's blog, and I want to hear what everyone else has to say who didn't comment on last week's post.

So, in preparation for your impending papers, I suggest you guys pick one quote from any of the stories we've read so far ("Girl", "The Accident", "Hills Like White Elephants", and "Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat") and include it in the blog. Why does this quote resound with you? Why did you pick it? How could you tie it in with any of the questions in the prompts you received for the paper due on the 26th? Examples from the stories, as well as from a LiterActive document, is required for the paper. Use this post to start gathering ideas and making sense of the quotations and your own interpretations of the story. This will also help in the development of your thesis for the paper. Looking forward to see what you guys pick...

Banks vs. Hemingway

Hey guys! Thank you to those who posted on last week's blog - for those of you who didn't, there is a penalty. If there is a problem setting up an account, let me know IMMEDIATELY so we can remedy the problem.

As discussed yesterday in class, the theme linking these two stories is obvious: abortion. However, I am interested to know why each of you think the actual word wasn't mentioned in either "The Hills Like White Elephants" or "Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat." Why do you think this is?

Just like stereotypes, there are certain words that remain unspoken in contemporary society, though we are aware of their presence. What are some of these words? Why aren't they ever directly addressed, even though most people understand the meaning? Why do these words even exist?

Again, these questions are springboards if any of you are having trouble beginning a blog. What do you all really think about these stories? Not whether you like them or not, but WHY you think they are effective, i.e good literature. Or maybe you don't think they are quality pieces - I want to read what you all really think. Why do you think we are studying these particular stories?

Transitioning

Hi folks! I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you - the first week of class was fantastic. I appreciate all your views and contributions, and look forward to the rest of the semester.

While you all comment on the blog this first week, please be sure to include your names in your post - especially if your handle for this blog is different than your actual name. This way, I can make sure to give you credit for your thoughts.

As we enter the second week of class, I believe it's important we keep connecting all the new ideas discussed in class. This kind of connection will not only help you with crucial critical thinking skills, but help you streamline your ideas for the upcoming essays for this class.

Like I mentioned in the syllabus, please use this space as a place to further explore what we've already covered in class - "Girl", Sylvia Plath's journal entry, Ted Hughes' defenses and explanations. All the documents I've used so far (aside from Plath's poem, Mirror) is available either in the textbook or on the Literactive CD. This blog is a free forum - say what you want to say, to the best of your ability, as long as you remain polite and thoughtful. This is especially important when responding to others' blogs or ideas.

So, here's a prompt for those of you a little unsure where to start:

I personally am intrigued by Kincaid's use of the word slut in this book - especially after hearing the word read aloud in last Monday's class. The narrator (who was actually Kincaid) made the word sound beautiful. How is this word still used today? In common conversation, as insult, or even just as greeting between friends? Why do you think this word still holds the weight it does? Why do friends use this word to address each other if it still has such a negative connotation? What expectations is put upon those who are addressed as a "slut"?