When Tim Parrish gave a talk at the University there many aspects of his presentation that I enjoyed. One of my favorite parts was when he gave a reading of the same scene in his new book told two completely different ways. Previously when I envisioned how autobiographical representation of an event in someone 's life should be written I thought that the writer had to stay as true as possible to how they actually remembered the events of that day. However Tim Parrish blew this perception away when he read aloud two very different retellings of a fight he had been in as young kid. The very different writing styles and details exhibited in both retellings open my mind to a completely new concept in writing. This concepts is that when one is giving a retelling of an event they experienced, can they ever truly give a true recounting of everything that happened? I say this because when one considers it, when we are in an environment, especially a social setting there is so much going on around us. There are the thoughts occurring in our head, plus the events occurring in our environment, all compounded also with our perception of everything taking place around us. Now depending on the impact or message I wish to relay to the reader as a writer, I would include certain aspects of the situation that I deem important in my retelling and leave certain aspects out. There fore the lesson I learned form Tim Parrish's readings was that as a writer I should always be conscious of the many different angles from which an event or scene in story can be told. I would then chose a version which aligns with the message or impact I wish to impart to the reader.
Another aspect of Tim Parrish's talk I enjoyed was his comments on his writing process. Whenever I write something I always get frustrated when ideas and words don't come very easily . There fore it was nice to hear from a professional writer that you shouldn't force the writing process but rather work diligently when you have the time and are inspired.
11/13/14
coming home again analysis
Coming Home Again
By Chang Rae Lee
Coming Home Again by, Chang Rae Lee centers around a young man's reflection on his relationship with his mother as her death approaches. When the main character was younger he had a relatively close relationship with his mother. He often watched her cook in the kitchen and he she was his first basketball coach. In fact, in the text there is even evidence to suggest that when it came to basket ball his mother was like one of his idols or heros being that he says he kept his mother's photo from her high school basketball championships "on the same shelf that housed the scrapbooks I made of basketball stars, with magazine clippings of slick players like Bubbles Hawkins and Pistol Pete and George (the Iceman) Gervin". Yet as he grew into a teenager and assimilated more to American culture their bond and understanding began to strain. The reader saw this most prominently when as teenager he told his mother "Well, maybe you should consider it practice ", when she asks him to call the bank for her. It's can be inferred from the text that his mother asked him to do this because of her "imperfect english" and his arrogant and condescending reply hurt her deeply. The distance between them grew even further after the main character went off to boarding school. However as shown in the chosen quote above it was a decision they both would come to regret as her death approached and they realized just how little time they had together.
One of the most important aspects of familial relationships that not only the quote but the text highlights as a whole is the detriment of poor communication between loved ones. In the text the author points out that after he went to boarding school his mother "believed back then that I had found her more and more ignorant each time I came home. She said she never blamed me, for this was the way she knew it would be with my wonderful new education". However that was not how the main character felt about his knew environment or his mother . Rather the authored voiced that " My own secret feeling was that I had missed my parents greatly, my mother especially, and much more than I had anticipated". But because they never voiced these thoughts to each other or had a open conversation about the boarding school situation at the time when they should have, the time he spent at boarding school transformed into a period in their lives they both regret spending away from each other. One can even say in the chosen quote above the mother and son years later still haven't fully opened up and understood each other. I say this because the son doesn't go on to explain to his mother why he feels he would have liked her even more if he had never gone to boarding school. The tragic fact that the mother dies without him wholeheartedly letting her know all she meant to him when he was growing up and how much he appreciated her, is the powerful tool Chang Rae lee uses to warn the reader of the detriment concerning miscommunication with the ones you treasure the most .
By Chang Rae Lee
“But you know what?” she spoke
up. “It was better for you. If you stayed home, you would not like me so much
now.”
I suggested that maybe I would
like her even more.
She shook her head. “Impossible.”Coming Home Again by, Chang Rae Lee centers around a young man's reflection on his relationship with his mother as her death approaches. When the main character was younger he had a relatively close relationship with his mother. He often watched her cook in the kitchen and he she was his first basketball coach. In fact, in the text there is even evidence to suggest that when it came to basket ball his mother was like one of his idols or heros being that he says he kept his mother's photo from her high school basketball championships "on the same shelf that housed the scrapbooks I made of basketball stars, with magazine clippings of slick players like Bubbles Hawkins and Pistol Pete and George (the Iceman) Gervin". Yet as he grew into a teenager and assimilated more to American culture their bond and understanding began to strain. The reader saw this most prominently when as teenager he told his mother "Well, maybe you should consider it practice ", when she asks him to call the bank for her. It's can be inferred from the text that his mother asked him to do this because of her "imperfect english" and his arrogant and condescending reply hurt her deeply. The distance between them grew even further after the main character went off to boarding school. However as shown in the chosen quote above it was a decision they both would come to regret as her death approached and they realized just how little time they had together.
One of the most important aspects of familial relationships that not only the quote but the text highlights as a whole is the detriment of poor communication between loved ones. In the text the author points out that after he went to boarding school his mother "believed back then that I had found her more and more ignorant each time I came home. She said she never blamed me, for this was the way she knew it would be with my wonderful new education". However that was not how the main character felt about his knew environment or his mother . Rather the authored voiced that " My own secret feeling was that I had missed my parents greatly, my mother especially, and much more than I had anticipated". But because they never voiced these thoughts to each other or had a open conversation about the boarding school situation at the time when they should have, the time he spent at boarding school transformed into a period in their lives they both regret spending away from each other. One can even say in the chosen quote above the mother and son years later still haven't fully opened up and understood each other. I say this because the son doesn't go on to explain to his mother why he feels he would have liked her even more if he had never gone to boarding school. The tragic fact that the mother dies without him wholeheartedly letting her know all she meant to him when he was growing up and how much he appreciated her, is the powerful tool Chang Rae lee uses to warn the reader of the detriment concerning miscommunication with the ones you treasure the most .
11/11/14
Edison, New Jersey Analysis
Edison, New JerseyBy Junot Diaz
"Each payday I take out the calculator and figure how long it will take me to but a pool table honestly".
In Junot Diaz's short story Edison New Jersey, due to his occupation, the main character of the story comes into close contact with the consequences and allowances of the social and economic divide between him and those of the upper class on a daily basis. For example he recognizes the insult and belittlement present when his customers "give them water in paper cups", or "agonize over leaving, lingering by the front door, trying to memorize everything they own, as if they don't know where to find us, who we work for". As a consequence of constantly being exposed to these microaggressions, it is almost as if he begins to yearn for the economic status which would grant him access to privilege, power, and the expensive things. This is why I believe every payday he calculates how much more money he would need to buy the luxury item so many of his affluent customers buy.
However after he does the calculations he always realizes that an item bought easily without a second thought for his rich customers, could not be attained by him even after years of hardship and toil. In the short story he says "Money never stuck to me, ever". Yet I believe its important to note that even though he is aware if this fact, most likely better than anybody, he still takes out his calculator every payday to do the calculations. This means that he still hasn't given up hope. But while the action of him calculating how long it would take him to buy a pool table "honestly" begets the sense of hope he might have in himself and his situation, his thefts say something else entirely. The thefts he commit speak not only of the realistic pessimism he may have towards the future, but also speak of complacency. Almost as if he has accepted his economic status for what it is, and seeing no way out, decided that his best option is to steal.
Another area of the story where the closely intertwined relationship between power and money is shown is through the relationship between Mr. Pruitt and his "maid". From the story I got a sense that Mr. Pruitt wasn't keeping the young girl as a maid, but rather it was more of a sex slave or mail order bride type of situation. I say this because when the main character meets her finally face to face she expresses a deep desire to escape the house. Not to mention it seems that Mr. Pruit has provided her with only four simple articles of clothing for her closet, yet the main character found an entire collection of assorted lingerie in her drawer. While it is pointed out in the story that Mr. Pruit has a full wardrobe for himself, and apparently loves cloths. Additionally when the young girl refers to where her family lives she says "I don't know the address. I have it written down. My mother and brothers live here". It can be inferred from the story that reason why she returns to Mr. Pruit is not out of love , but rather financial and political( green card) stability. The power associated with Mr. Pruit's economic status plays a pivotal role in this type of a situation. Also although the story let the reader know that she returned to her family for a brief period of time, the reader is not told whether they welcomed her or not.
11/6/14
The Cariboo Cafe Analysis
The Cariboo Cafe
By, Helena Maria Viramontes
" Children gotta be with there parents, family got to be together together, he thinks. Its only right ".
In Helena MariaViramontes's short story, The Cariboo cafe the kidnapping of two small children is perceived through the eyes of not only the children and the perpetrator, but also the key witness who eventually reports the crime. However what is the most surprising and unexpected aspect of the story is the sympathetic light the kidnapper is painted in The woman who kidnaps the children is not a cold-hearted monster who preys on the weak and innocent. Rather she is a desperate and broken woman who lost her only child in the most tragic of ways. In turn her will to live and enthusiasm for life had also departed along with her son. This is why I chose the quote," Children gotta be with there parents, family got to be together together, he thinks. Its only right", for my analysis.
The loss of her son and the extreme guilt she feels has destroyed the woman's life. The reader could say in a way the wellbeing of her son was essential t to her happiness. In fact in the story the woman liken raising a child to building a kite. The similarity lies in the fact that i order to raise a child "you must bend the twigs enough, but not too much, for you might break them. You must find paper that is delicate and light enough to wave on the breath of the wind, yet must withstand the ravages of the storm. You must let the string go, eventually, so that the kite will stretch it's ambition." However the crisis the woman must grapple with is the fact that someone has unjustly cut the the physical link she has to her son. This is crisis that the reader also finds in the owner of the diner, who is also still suffering the lost of his son in war . The intimate crisis of losing a family member is also one that the reader observes that Sonya refuses to undergo through her rigid refusal to let go of her brother's hand. There fore I conclude that the importance of a family sticking together is a main theme seen in the story.
11/4/14
Seventeen Syllables analysis
Seventeen Syllables
By, Hisaye Yamamoto
"It was as though her mother had memorized it by heart, reciting to herself so many times over that its nagging vileness had long since gone."
This quote can be found at the end of Rosie's mother's explanation of why she had married Rosie's father and I chose it because it revels to the reader of extent of the sacrificial position Rosie's mother was placed in the past and currently in the future. Through the story of why the marriage occurred the reader learns that after Rosie's mother had been impregnated by a young man in Japan, she felt that she would not be allowed to marry the young man due to her family's social class. In addition even after she miscarried she still found herself "despised by her family" and incredible uncomfortable because although " her family did not turn her out , she could no longer project herself in any direction without refreshing in them the memory of her indiscretion". There fore in a last ditch effort to save her future and reputation, Rosie's mother had to threaten suicide in order to allowed to leave her home country and marry a "simple boy". A poor young girl like Rosie's mother in the past would not have been allowed or encouraged by society to marry a rich man or get pregnant out of wedlock. There fore in order to fit herself into the mold society and her family had sculpted for her, and to ensure her survival, Rosie's mother had to sacrifice herself and her homeland to come to foreign country to marry a simpleton.
Then as wasn't enough of a punishment for her supposed "indiscretions", years later when she found herself through writing poetry she must once again sacrifice her lifestyle and desires in order to fit into the mold her husband wants of her. This mold is one where her sole purpose in to exist as a house wife who " kept house, cooked, washed, and did her ample picking of of tomatoes out in the sweltering field". It is also implied in the story that husband is so upset and perturbed by poetry Rosie's mother writes because it is beyond the scope of his understanding as a simple man, and also because allows Rosie's mother to be independent of him. There fore in order to keep the peace, Rosie's mother decides to give up the poetry. However she also takes this tragic moment as opportune time to warn her daughter not to get married. The warning combined with Rosie's mother 's past and present gave me a strong sense the author wished to warn and educate the reader of the detriment a women's gender can evoke in her life if she is not careful and aware of the harsh reality of the patriarchal society we live in.
By, Hisaye Yamamoto
"It was as though her mother had memorized it by heart, reciting to herself so many times over that its nagging vileness had long since gone."
This quote can be found at the end of Rosie's mother's explanation of why she had married Rosie's father and I chose it because it revels to the reader of extent of the sacrificial position Rosie's mother was placed in the past and currently in the future. Through the story of why the marriage occurred the reader learns that after Rosie's mother had been impregnated by a young man in Japan, she felt that she would not be allowed to marry the young man due to her family's social class. In addition even after she miscarried she still found herself "despised by her family" and incredible uncomfortable because although " her family did not turn her out , she could no longer project herself in any direction without refreshing in them the memory of her indiscretion". There fore in a last ditch effort to save her future and reputation, Rosie's mother had to threaten suicide in order to allowed to leave her home country and marry a "simple boy". A poor young girl like Rosie's mother in the past would not have been allowed or encouraged by society to marry a rich man or get pregnant out of wedlock. There fore in order to fit herself into the mold society and her family had sculpted for her, and to ensure her survival, Rosie's mother had to sacrifice herself and her homeland to come to foreign country to marry a simpleton.
Then as wasn't enough of a punishment for her supposed "indiscretions", years later when she found herself through writing poetry she must once again sacrifice her lifestyle and desires in order to fit into the mold her husband wants of her. This mold is one where her sole purpose in to exist as a house wife who " kept house, cooked, washed, and did her ample picking of of tomatoes out in the sweltering field". It is also implied in the story that husband is so upset and perturbed by poetry Rosie's mother writes because it is beyond the scope of his understanding as a simple man, and also because allows Rosie's mother to be independent of him. There fore in order to keep the peace, Rosie's mother decides to give up the poetry. However she also takes this tragic moment as opportune time to warn her daughter not to get married. The warning combined with Rosie's mother 's past and present gave me a strong sense the author wished to warn and educate the reader of the detriment a women's gender can evoke in her life if she is not careful and aware of the harsh reality of the patriarchal society we live in.
10/28/14
Saboteur Analysis
Saboteur
By Ha Jin
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"Within over a month eight hundred people contracted acute hepatitis in Muji. Six died of the disease, including two children. Nobody knew how the epidemic had started".
The short story Saboteur is an exploration of one character's radical shift in his faith and belief in institutions and the government when he is unjustly locked away in a prison for days on end. However whilst the majority of story expands more into the situation of how it intimately feels to be harmed and failed by the institutions you believe are there to protect you, the author also brings another complex concept to light. This concept is how should one act and more importantly show resistance to a governing body or authority whose corruption and self-serving actions have negatively harmed you. The quote chosen describes the route of opposition the Mr. Chiu, the main character of the story has chosen. However the path of revenge he has chosen to take on his aggressors is one that has been rashly thought out is being carried out through intense anger.
After he has been made to bend and yield before the whims of the police officers who arrested him, Mr. Chiu decides to spread his disease amongst the different food vendors in the city. I arose at this conclusion due to the scene where that "As if dying of hunger,Mr.Chiu dragged his lawyer from restaurant to restaurant near the police station, but at each place he ordered no more than two bowls of food. Fenjin wondered why his teacher wouldn't stay at one place and eat his fill". What raised my suspicions about Mr. Chui's motives and deterred me from the view that he was simply enjoying his freedom out of prison was the fact that the only stopped at restaurants that where near the prison, where potentially the corrupt police officers he hated might frequent. In addition, as he was eating at these places he kept mumbling darkly to himself, "If only I could kill all the bastards!". However in the quote that I have chosen the reader comes to the realization that that Mr. Chui's rash actions had far-reaching and unpredictable consequences.
It is in this quote I feel as though Ha Jin made an extremely powerful commentary on the potentially devastating impact of ill-planned, ill-timed, and emotionally driven retaliation against governing bodies and authorities which have inflicted harm. From the quote the reader can surmise that that he most likely not only infected and fatally impacted his intended targets, the police officers, but also many innocent people, including the next generation- the children. There fore through Mr. Chui's character, it is as if Ha Jin is telling the reader, one can do more harm than good if they do not plan their resistance against corrupt governing bodies and authorities, with a level-head and a clearly defined positive impact. Fro when the reader views the big picture of what happened in the world of the story, Mr. Chiu's thoughtless actions ended up being more of a terror and literal disease to the livelihoods and futures of the people of Muji, than the corrupt police force ever were. In the end he became all that he had vehemently claimed he wasn't in the beginning - a saboteur.
By Ha Jin
"Within over a month eight hundred people contracted acute hepatitis in Muji. Six died of the disease, including two children. Nobody knew how the epidemic had started".
The short story Saboteur is an exploration of one character's radical shift in his faith and belief in institutions and the government when he is unjustly locked away in a prison for days on end. However whilst the majority of story expands more into the situation of how it intimately feels to be harmed and failed by the institutions you believe are there to protect you, the author also brings another complex concept to light. This concept is how should one act and more importantly show resistance to a governing body or authority whose corruption and self-serving actions have negatively harmed you. The quote chosen describes the route of opposition the Mr. Chiu, the main character of the story has chosen. However the path of revenge he has chosen to take on his aggressors is one that has been rashly thought out is being carried out through intense anger.
After he has been made to bend and yield before the whims of the police officers who arrested him, Mr. Chiu decides to spread his disease amongst the different food vendors in the city. I arose at this conclusion due to the scene where that "As if dying of hunger,Mr.Chiu dragged his lawyer from restaurant to restaurant near the police station, but at each place he ordered no more than two bowls of food. Fenjin wondered why his teacher wouldn't stay at one place and eat his fill". What raised my suspicions about Mr. Chui's motives and deterred me from the view that he was simply enjoying his freedom out of prison was the fact that the only stopped at restaurants that where near the prison, where potentially the corrupt police officers he hated might frequent. In addition, as he was eating at these places he kept mumbling darkly to himself, "If only I could kill all the bastards!". However in the quote that I have chosen the reader comes to the realization that that Mr. Chui's rash actions had far-reaching and unpredictable consequences.
It is in this quote I feel as though Ha Jin made an extremely powerful commentary on the potentially devastating impact of ill-planned, ill-timed, and emotionally driven retaliation against governing bodies and authorities which have inflicted harm. From the quote the reader can surmise that that he most likely not only infected and fatally impacted his intended targets, the police officers, but also many innocent people, including the next generation- the children. There fore through Mr. Chui's character, it is as if Ha Jin is telling the reader, one can do more harm than good if they do not plan their resistance against corrupt governing bodies and authorities, with a level-head and a clearly defined positive impact. Fro when the reader views the big picture of what happened in the world of the story, Mr. Chiu's thoughtless actions ended up being more of a terror and literal disease to the livelihoods and futures of the people of Muji, than the corrupt police force ever were. In the end he became all that he had vehemently claimed he wasn't in the beginning - a saboteur.
10/21/14
Everything that Rises Must Converge Analysis
Everything that Rises Must Converge
by Flannery O'Conner
"The further irony of all this was that in spite of her, he had turned out so well. In spite of going to only a third-rate college, he had, on his own initiative, come out with a first-rate education; in spite of growing up dominated by a small mind, he had ended up with a large one; in spite of all her foolish views, he was free of prejudice and unafraid to face facts. Most miraculous of all, instead of being blinded by love for her as she was for him, he had cut himself emotionally free of her and could see her with complete objectivity. He was not dominated by his mother"- pg.4
This quote perfectly sums up the mindset of the main character of this short story. He is a self righteous and hypocritical young man who seems to be obsessed with proving him self to be superior to his racist mother. However what strikes the reader as odd is Julian's supposed misson to terrorize and make his mother uncomfortable. He doesn't just seem to want to separate himself from her emotionally in order to view her unbiased as the quote would imply. Rather is seems he is on a misson to cause her emotional pain and discomfort. Almost as if he is seeking vengeance on her for behaving and thinking the way she does. For example in the story Julian states outright " everything that gave her pleasure was small and depressed him". One would expect never expect a son to this about his mother. Rather the hateful sentiment expressed in the quote would more likely be exchanged between two enemies.
Yet what is even more puzzling is his reasonings behind why he is so resentful of his mother. He claims that she is blinded by her love for him and she was happy to sacrifice herself in order to grant him an education. Yet his mother's selfless actions does not inspire an out pouring of love and gratitude. Rather he says "The law of it was to sacrifice herself for him after she had first created the necessity to do so by making a mess of things. If he had permitted her sacrifices, it was only because her lack of foresight had made them necessary". In this quote its almost as if he blames his mother for her creating a situation in which she would have to sacrifice herself for him and in turn he would be forever indebted to her. The Julian goes on to state that "All of her life had been a struggle to act like a Chestny and to give him everything she thought a Chestny ought to have without the goods a Chestny ought to have; but since, said she, it was fun to struggle, why complain? And when you had won, as she had won, what fun to look back on the hard times! He could not forgive her that she had enjoyed the struggle and that she thought she had won." Now it seems as if main character is angry his mother being happy to sacrifice herself for him and has warped their mother-son relationship into a competition where he should always be the victor. However the great irony is that the reasons why he feels he should be considered superior to his mother are completely hypocritical. Just as how his mother is a racist, he follows suit when referred to the african american man on the bus as a " a better type-negro". Almost as if he was talking about a separate species, not another man . Yet through his all his self righteous efforts to break his mother's spirit never does he consider the far reaching consequences of his actions. This was a lesson he learned the hard way after he unknowingly continued to torment his mother while she had a heart attack.
by Flannery O'Conner
"The further irony of all this was that in spite of her, he had turned out so well. In spite of going to only a third-rate college, he had, on his own initiative, come out with a first-rate education; in spite of growing up dominated by a small mind, he had ended up with a large one; in spite of all her foolish views, he was free of prejudice and unafraid to face facts. Most miraculous of all, instead of being blinded by love for her as she was for him, he had cut himself emotionally free of her and could see her with complete objectivity. He was not dominated by his mother"- pg.4
This quote perfectly sums up the mindset of the main character of this short story. He is a self righteous and hypocritical young man who seems to be obsessed with proving him self to be superior to his racist mother. However what strikes the reader as odd is Julian's supposed misson to terrorize and make his mother uncomfortable. He doesn't just seem to want to separate himself from her emotionally in order to view her unbiased as the quote would imply. Rather is seems he is on a misson to cause her emotional pain and discomfort. Almost as if he is seeking vengeance on her for behaving and thinking the way she does. For example in the story Julian states outright " everything that gave her pleasure was small and depressed him". One would expect never expect a son to this about his mother. Rather the hateful sentiment expressed in the quote would more likely be exchanged between two enemies.
Yet what is even more puzzling is his reasonings behind why he is so resentful of his mother. He claims that she is blinded by her love for him and she was happy to sacrifice herself in order to grant him an education. Yet his mother's selfless actions does not inspire an out pouring of love and gratitude. Rather he says "The law of it was to sacrifice herself for him after she had first created the necessity to do so by making a mess of things. If he had permitted her sacrifices, it was only because her lack of foresight had made them necessary". In this quote its almost as if he blames his mother for her creating a situation in which she would have to sacrifice herself for him and in turn he would be forever indebted to her. The Julian goes on to state that "All of her life had been a struggle to act like a Chestny and to give him everything she thought a Chestny ought to have without the goods a Chestny ought to have; but since, said she, it was fun to struggle, why complain? And when you had won, as she had won, what fun to look back on the hard times! He could not forgive her that she had enjoyed the struggle and that she thought she had won." Now it seems as if main character is angry his mother being happy to sacrifice herself for him and has warped their mother-son relationship into a competition where he should always be the victor. However the great irony is that the reasons why he feels he should be considered superior to his mother are completely hypocritical. Just as how his mother is a racist, he follows suit when referred to the african american man on the bus as a " a better type-negro". Almost as if he was talking about a separate species, not another man . Yet through his all his self righteous efforts to break his mother's spirit never does he consider the far reaching consequences of his actions. This was a lesson he learned the hard way after he unknowingly continued to torment his mother while she had a heart attack.
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