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)?