• How does this poem combine the images of war with the ideas of birth and death?

The poem specifically talks about the death of an Iraqi solider.  The images of a burnt, dead body leave nothing to the imagination and give a sense of despair and for lack of a better term, death to the reader.  At the same time though, it is hard to imagine that life could be present as well.  In every death, there is a rebirth.  This is especially true when some form of religion is added into the equation.  The words wife, baby, and sperm all add to the same ideal that even though one life is ending, another is just about to start.

• Why does the author focus on the idea of sperm banks and procreation in the portrayal of the atrocities of war?

With war, there is always death.  The soldiers fighting in this war obviously had to of known that there would be the risk of death in the service.  As a precaution or maybe just to give their wives peace of mind, the went to a sperm bank and preserved the possibility for future offspring.  I think the author wanted to somehow make war seem like a ridiculous act that men would actually freeze their sperm to make sure they would be able to live on even if they did die.  It is almost like war couldn't kill them completely.

• Why is it important that the Iraqui soldier is talking to a poet rather than just a journalist?

A journalist would tell the facts or maybe exaggerate them for a more interesting story but the poet would show the many layers to the story.  There would be feeling, emotion, ideas, thoughts, and many other aspects that a journalist would not be able to portray especially through a straight article report.  It also is a matter of what side the journalist was on and if the article would turn out being biased or not.

With freedom to be who you are and what you are, it is a definition of individuality. People decide on a day to day basis how they want to be perceived. Although, my response to this reaction was not anything close to this one. I wasn't exactly sure on how to take the story when I first read it. I looked at the story as something that unidentified a person but not exactly was from the idea of freedom to decide and perception of self.

I think the author was effective in getting her point across. It makes sense to say that as one does wrong, they are stripped of their rights and in this case, name. It seems like such a little thing to do but in retrospect, it has a large effect on the individuality of that said person.

A lion is a large animal similar to a cat. They are one of the most dominant animals in the wild and you can find them often in Africa. They have large mains and are preditors. Basically, if you are a Lion, you are in charge.

A lioness is a female lion. They do not have as much hair as the male lion. They take care of the young and even though they are females, they have a strong influence of their societies.

The similarities between the two is that they are both from the same species. They eat the same food, the both reproduce, they both hunt, they both are intimidating.
The differences are, the gender of the lions, the behavior and how they act towards other lions is different, the hunting and gathering of food. The core differences would be their behaviors and their gender.

In the story, She Un-names them, it seemed very  much like the Adam and Eve story and at the same time, like the Noah's ark story.  There was obviously some biblical influence on the story.  It seemed odd that the Yak would be so secure in the title of the their names.  I didn't quite understand the part about a gift being re-gifted since I couldn't find the original gift.  Maybe the gift was the name that they were given.

In the story Journey of the Magi, it was another story influenced by the bible.  It almost showed the other side to the Magi's.  They were talking about drinking, and carrying on in a manner not familiar to those of which we normally think about when we think of Magi's.  The birth of Christ was also described from the perspective of someone in favor of the Magi's rather than solely focusing on Christ.

In the story, A Cold Coming, I think the title has a lot to do with the actual text.  Within the story, the author talks about the sex and reproducing.  And to be perfectly honest and crude, coming is another word used for ejaculating.  When saying cold coming, that's basically saying he is dead but his sperm is still being used.  It is a morbid thing to think about someone's life being continued from his sperm even after their death.

Christina Hoffecker
English 102--066
April 8, 2008SWA 10
I have decided to use “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie. In this story, there are many cultural and historic aspects. The culture that is specifically talked about is one that as a society, we have somewhat overlooked. The speaker is a Native American living in Washington state recalling his life as the challenges he was faced with. He pulls in the racial and ethnic discrimination that was shown towards him and people of similar race into the story. There is also the mention of the land rewarded to the Indians in the 1900’s which clearly adds to the historical influences. I am not at all familiar with Native American culture. Although, even with this being said, I plan to argue that the speaker in this story has a distorted view on how Native American’s fit into today’s society.

Christina Hoffecker
English 102--066
April 8, 2008SWA 10
I have decided to use “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie. In this story, there are many cultural and historic aspects. The culture that is specifically talked about is one that as a society, we have somewhat overlooked. The speaker is a Native American living in Washington state recalling his life as the challenges he was faced with. He pulls in the racial and ethnic discrimination that was shown towards him and people of similar race into the story. There is also the mention of the land rewarded to the Indians in the 1900’s which clearly adds to the historical influences. I am not at all familiar with Native American culture. Although, even with this being said, I plan to argue that the speaker in this story has a distorted view on how Native American’s fit into today’s society.

Christina Hoffecker
English 102-066
April 7, 2008
Annotated Bibliography-SWA 8 and 9
Boeck, Greg. “The Native American barrier; Few athletes make it to college; cultural forces hinder progress” USA Today, 22 Feb. 2007: pg 1CIn this article, the author talks about how Native American athletes are somewhat looked over and have to try much harder than their other raced counterparts to get noticed. It is funny that there should be an article talking about sports and college since in the story, the speaker mentioned that he was going to be the one to get away, to succeed in college and be really good at sports. I can use this article to argue that Native Americans do consider themselves different and will go to all lengths (in this articles case, moving to a different high school) to be noticed.
“A Tribal Question; Native American children should not be harmed by a law intended to preserve Indian families” The Washington Post 9 October 2007: pg A16
In this article, they talk about how social injustice and domestic violence can be somewhat overlooked due to the ethnicity of the individual, which in this case is Native American. In the story, the speaker stays close with his family and understand the importance of having one. Even in his situation where he lives at home, his mother still helps him out. I can use this article to back up the statement that within Native American culture, their idea of family is a bit different than ours which in turn, affects how they live their lives from day to day.
Miller, Jennifer. “Native Americans enlist for turf and tribe” Christian Science Monitor 20 August 2007: pg 20
With this article, the author talks about how important land is to Native Americans. It is no secret that much of their land was stripped from them and in replacement, second rate land was handed over with much consideration. The reservation was a place that the Speaker in the story knew he had a home. Even when things started to go sour with his girlfriend, he knew he’d always have a place to go at the reservation. In my paper, it would be very easy to say that with Native American’s associating a piece of shared land as their home, they are further isolating with the norms of society.
Davolt, Steve. “Wells Fargo makes inroads with minority outreach” Employee Benefit News, 1 July 2006
It is nothing out of the ordinary to understand that Native Americans are nowhere as well of as their non-Native American counterparts. With this being the case, many lack the sufficient resources needed to live a basic life. That is when companies come into play. By helping out, they are not only advertising to the Native American community but they are also showing the country that they care for the forgotten minority. This gives evidence that many Native Americans usually end up working at jobs that are less than desirable and still then, they can’t seem to get bye very well.
Genocchio, Ben. “Visions of Native Americans in Today's World” The New York Times 17 Sept. 2006: pg 10.
This article nicely describes the culture aspect and history found with Native Americans. It describes how art played a large role in describing everyday life, rituals, and customs. It is very important because these are the things that help set Native Americans apart from other ethnic groups. We look largely at how they conduct their lives and make judgments accordingly. I think it is important to know the historical and cultural background in arguing about this story. With out knowledge about their past, you wouldn’t have any clout in saying that Native American’s are able to isolate themselves due to their cultural practices.
Shaughnessy, Dan. “They've had some chief concerns” The Boston Globe 12 October 2007: SPORTS; Pg. C5
In this particular article, the subject of discrimination is a major concern. Many of us know that it has been a long standing tradition to name sports teams after characters with the Native American or “Indian” being one of them. The portrayed image separates the group further away from todays society and culture by showing a grotesque image supposed to be a Native American. It is not the Native American’s fault that they are treated differently especially when society wants to show them as one way when they are really something completely different.

In comparison to the different versions, I would have to say the big differences would be the actions are less clear in the first version compared to the second version. The language is a bit set in country slang. The stories are the same just the second one is simplified.

The draw backs to the first one would be: The language is not exactly clear when they are describing the situations. I had a hard time following the italicized parts. Another draw back would be keeping the characters straight from moving back and forth between the past and the present.

The pros to the first one would be: This is obviously the original so the story originated from this play. It gives us a sense of how the people talked and carried themselves in the day and age.


The Second one was a simpled version and it was easier to understand. Some of the dialect was lost due to a clarification in the language thus losing some of the character in the play. It was easier to follow and I didn't get confused at all.

I think the first one was better for cultural and historical analysis. The dialect and the setting was a direct link to the culture and historical background. In the second one, everything was watered down so they lost these aspects.

In historical themes, Anorexic pulls from the Salem witch trials that occurred during the 1700’s. This is a direct link to what had occurred in past accusations. For cultural background, all girls know about eating disorders. The diseases that are caused by the need to be thin are ingrained in a females mind from a very young age. I know some about the Salem Witch Trials from school but I know much more about eating disorders from person experiences with friends, family, and myself.

The clues from this story are the witch and the python. I think religion is being pulled into this poem. The context makes the poem sound like the Bible story of Adam and Eve. The sin of eating an apple was punishable by death. They are significant because that is the justification for starvation in this story. Eating is a sin and must be avoided at all costs.

I would like to have more information on the Salem Witch Trials. I think with that I’d be able to expand on the supposed sins committed by these people. It would also be useful to look over the Adam and Eve story again just for a refresher. My key words would be Heretic, python, claustrophobia, half-truths.

I think the main theme for No Name Woman is tradition. The family and community were so wrapped up in the tradition that they hardly had any concept of human decency. They totally disregared what the woman felt for what they believed would be better off in the sense of tradition.
The point of view is from the No Name Womans niece. She talks about how everything had affected her and the idea that hopefully she wouldnt also be looked at the same way. The setting had a lot to do with the idea sense it was in old China and in a village. This probably wuoldnt have been nearly the issue if it were in an area based less around tradition.

The theme for Becky was racisism. Becky was not accepted because of her mixed child and neither was her child. People cast her away and did not want to have anything to do with her. Even with all this, they still supported her for the fear of the lord. It is ironic that they would help her because of religion but not because of the actual person that she was.

The point of view is 3rd person. It is an outsider looking in but they dont know how Becky is feeling or what is actually going on in the situation. The setting is country and small town. Everyone is pretty close nit and they all know everything about everyone.

How to date a ....
I was sort of taken back by this reading. It was almost a how to do guide on girls depending on their race and what their ideals could be. But it does seem kind of true though.

No Name Woman:
I can understand the tradition behind the villages in concerning family ideals. It seems like they were very in touch with the community and everything they stood for. Women were obviously treated differently.

War: history, Iraq, death, brown, tan, controversy, blood, hospitals, guns, weapons, cold, black and white, innocent, emotions

Gunner: mentally unstable, black, huge guns, insignificant motive, accurate, emotional, Virginia Tech, gas stations, homicide, man

Attack: dark alley, women, knife point, rampage, hit, shoot, drop bombs, Middle East, red, screaming

A lot of my images are being formed by the Iraqi War footage. I have grown up seeing this and its sad that I associate many of these negative words with a country that we shouldn't be at war with in the first place.

b) World War 2: black and white, British, pearl harbor, japan, Hitler, old fashion weapons/machinery


The Death of the Ball

Now that I understand the meaning of the poem, the words are so much more than what I thought they were. I think the authors message is one that is very realistic. It isn't a pleasant thought to think of especially being washed out by a hose. I think the speaker knew he was going to die when he went up in the air. He didn't have much or any hope.

Randall Jarrell-the same year he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. He failed to qualify to fly, however, and instead worked for the Army stateside as a control tower operator

Jarrell's reputation as a poet was established in 1945, while he was still serving in the army, with the publication of his second book, Little Friend, Little Friend, which bitterly and dramatically documents the intense fears and moral struggles of young soldiers

In these poems his earlier, Audenesque style modulated into a flatter, greyer, more homely idiom, appropriate for recreating the dailyness of barracks life as well as the disasters of combat

* I think he was influenced by how he wasn't able to fly like he would of liked to. In stead of showing the postive side, he always went for the negative side

I thought the first reading from the Strategies book was especially interesting with the facts about history within the reading. It makes a lot of sense to note that something like that could really affect how the reader percieved the text. For someone who knew very little about a topic, the reading could make no sense to them. The second reading from the strategies book was very religious in the theme. It had a bit of background information but really, you didnt get much in terms of history. The reading from the Carolina Reader seems very much like a rebirth. Like the author had a certain type of life but then he was able to come from that and be reborn.

I think my paper might be based to heavily around personal experiences and not enough around a general audience or wearer of the item being described. I felt like once I had said what was exactly what I wanted to say, there was not much more to add to it. I also thought that I was repeating myself a lot with my description of the user and the judgement that I had given out. I did think my thesis statement was strong but maybe not my closing paragraph so much.

With my poster, I was trying to get across the point that drinking and driving was not only illegal but dangerous. I chose this issue because I have had a friend die from a drunk driver. It is an issue that I hold very close to my heart and I am very adiment about it. I used bold letters and scratchy handwriting to get aross the point. I also put a martini glass on my poster to make sure that if the audience didn't understand it from the words, they would most definitely understand it after seeing the image. I could probably only use this poster in areas where parents would be part of the affected audience. A college campus would not be the ideal location.

Topic Proposal

I chose my Chaco sandals, outdoor sandals, as my text. They have a stigma of being active, hippy, sometimes trendy shoes depending on the wearer. The purpose of the text is to protect your feet, wear outdoors, and be versatile. The shoes say a lot about the type of person who would wear them. It would be typical that the message would be something along the lines of, this person enjoys the outdoors, understands the importance of sturdy shoe and at the same time, is up to date with fashion and the latest trends. The distinctive design of the brand makes it very easy to recognize. Also the labeling of the brand in a very noticeable location adds features worthy of noting. The words of the shoes makes them official, the design makes them recognizable, the color (which is one of about 25 different varieties) was specified to my own liking. All of these elements create a brand that is known and appreciated by many walks of life. I think the intended audience of the text is outdoor enthusiasts, but at the same time, people looking to portray a certain image concerning the environment would also be considered as part of the targeted audience.
Thesis:
Something as simple as shoes can portray a complex image; Chaco’s are not only worn by outdoor enthusiasts but by many types of people who see them as an image molder versus a functional shoe.

I think that a lackluster poster wouldn't cause people to ignore the cause. They might actually pay more attention to it since it wasn't very good. Design, although, is an important tool in grabbing attention and making the issue known to the public.On the interstate 20, in Columbia, there is a billboard that has a picture of an addict and a saying used to influence people not to do drugs. The picture was slightly disturbing and every time I drive by it, I am affected by the image that it portrays.

In response to the readings, I think they were helpful in setting out somewhat of a guide line for our papers. I have a better understanding on exactly what we're supposed to be doing for the assignment. To comment on the actual reading, I didn't think that the Girl Power piece was anything new. It was a common arguement that I have heard over and over again, and not just from taking women's studies classes. The way her paper was set up though, did help me get an idea for my paper.

I am a PC fan, although in reality, I would be happy with either computer. The mac has always been the sleeker of the two computers and generally, people seem to feel more important when they carry around a mac computer. Mac's are so completely different than regular pc's. This can sometimes turn off traditional users that are so used to the standard pc. The software is different, but still user friendly with some time. There are many useful features with a mac and they can be very helpful in getting things done. The only thing about using a mac for a word assignment is the format that it is in. Mac's are not nearly as popular as PC's when it comes to documents so a lot of things do not format to the Mac. Mac's advertising consists mainly of the idea that Mac's are the new wave of intelligence involving computers. Very modern and streamline models describe the usual plan of action that the Mac company presents.

The movie/song that stands out in my mind is Phantom of the Opera.
The movie is based off of a musical with lots of very. The meaning these songs are usually about love and hardship.
"Gentlemen goodluck, if you need me, I shall be in Australia."

#1
I chose Paul Brown's "Swinging". I think the authors central claim or agruement was to reflect on the life that this young man had past, present, and future. He talked about how he had made it out of Fayetteville and that was an accomplishment by looking at the trends and lifestyles that his friends had. The author used a lot of visual components, images of the back country, gorge, mountains and the typical good ole' boy to describe the situation. Metaphors were also a large part of the text. There was no instances of rhyme, rhythm or alliteration. I think the visual components of the text added to the main idea that the main speaker in the story had left his hometown.
#2
In Paul Brown’s, “Swinging” it is noted that very often, the main character has mentioned his almost escape from the previous life he used to have. In many ways, he was grateful for his opportunity since his friends were basically a model for what his life would have been like if he hadn’t gone to college. I would think to argue in this paper that the main character of this short story was revisiting a part of his life that was very familiar to him since in a way, since he had been able to escape.

In Sonny's Blues, my first impressions were of a set of brothers that had deep differences but in the end, they seemed to come together through tragedy.  I first had the impression that the speaker was a woman until Sonny referred to him as brother.  I especially liked the piano influences.  As with being a musician myself, I can understand how so much emotion and stock can be put into a performance.

What struck me the most interesting in Videotape was how they described the girls emotions and reactions.  It was a bit unnerving to read about such events but at the same time, interesting because not often does something like this actually happen.  I didn't really understand the point of making this into a somewhat fictional story.

Walking to class today, I was in a pretty calm mood. I have a class right before this one in 006 Gambrell so it was literally walking next door. I'm not sleepy anymore since I've been awake since 6:40. If I were to paint a color to describe my mood, it would probably be a royal blue. Not much drama but serene in the same sense.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Question 6
In how he talks about Indians not living in the city and basically only on the reservation is his way of saying that they seclude themselves from the rest of society in a way. I think this kind of situation is very common especially in areas where the minority feels pushed away and not accepted. It also makes the reader think about the insecurities and hardships groups sometimes face. That they are more comfortable with people similar to themselves than possibly branching out and being part of the rest of society.
Hills Like White Elephants
Question 5
I think that Hemington is slightly biased in his writing that deals with women. He makes them seem inferior and at times, stupid. In this particular story, his characters talk about a subject that in no means should be taken lightly although the male speaker does exactly that. He tries to convince the woman to have an abortion without even considering her say. In fact, the woman hardly spoke up about the matter and basically just agreed with what the man said or changed the subject. I can’t see how he would be standing up for women at all in this story.
Girl
Question 3
The mother says a lot in this story because she is lecturing the daughter on how to become a proper young lady. It really deals with the fact that the mother wanted her daughter to grow up and know how to handle herself in the correct way. The daughter doesn’t say much because it usually isn’t the child’s place to talk back and disagree. When the daughter does say something, it is usually something that she feels pretty strongly about and something that actually mattered to her. Even if the statement was long over due, it still had some substance in how she went about in saying it.

In the translations of the Golden Grone, I thought it was easier to understand the second one. The wording in the second one was less complicated and in general, I was able to comprehend what the author was trying to say. They both basically said the same thing but in the second one, the message is more straightforward.

The Girl poem was really moving. It made me think about a lot of things involving how women are being preserved and life in general. The speaker was writing to her daughter with what she thought would be good advice for her future. Some of the advice seemed very biased and written in a subservient manner. It wasn't very woman empowering but then again, it didn't seem like it came for a feminist time period. In some parts, the speaker was actually putting her daughter down by referring to her as a slut.

With Earnest Hermings "Hills Like White Elephants" the couple was on vacation. They were in Barcelona enjoying life and drinking alcohol. The author suggests that the wife has something wrong with her and that her husband is urging her to go through with something. It seems like this vacation that they are on is sort of like the last thing they do together before what ever happens. The wife also talked a lot about landscape and how they reflected shapes of elephants.

Warm-up and Freewrite

Close Reading is paying specific attention to the text when you're reading a passage. It means analyzing words as if they mean more than just the actual text that is on the page. When reading closely, technique and sentence order becomes more important than it would have been if not for reading closely.

Pastoral refers to the life and description of those involved in countryside life.

OED Definitions

• A person or thing associated with spiritual care.
• A rural and idyllic scene or picture.
• Pastoral poetry as a form or style of literary composition.
• Relating to the tending of livestock.

[<>PASTURAL adj. and n.) <>PASTOR n. + -lis -AL suffix1. Cf. Old French, Middle French, French pastoral, adjective (c1200-96 with reference to spiritual leaders, 1247-96 with reference to shepherds), Italian pastorale, adjective (a1243-96 with reference to bishops, a1375-96 with reference to shepherds), Spanish pastoral, noun (1376-96 with reference to St Gregory's work) and adjective (1350-1450 in an ecclesiastical context, 1490 in cantico pastoral). With senses at branch A. II. cf. PASTORALE n., PASTOREL n., PASTORELLA n., PASTORETA n., PASTOURELLE n., and foreign-language parallels and models cited s.vv. With sense B. I. cf. also PASTURAL adj.

My definition compared to the OED definition were fairly similar. They both concerned a type of writing and they both envoked a sense of countryside.

Mistress is a woman, leader of a household. I usually associate the word in a negative manner to describe an adulterous woman.

A Shepherd, religious, livestock, leader, Jesus, poor, spiritual, english, old, traditional, countryside, green, Ireland, England, storybook, content, leading sheep, outdoors, farming, dog

desert-dry, sandy, no water, hot, sun, religous, not much life, void of emotions, lonely, oasis

Universe-movie, world, large, green, blue, continents, planets, darkness, stars, cold, earth, gases, beatles, starwars, many different ones.

Thursday 1-24

In the poem, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, the shepherd is the main speaker of the poem. He is addressing the matter of a proposal to a woman that he loves. In the first stanza, he basically comes out and asks for her love and marriage, in return she would receive all the pleasures and desires that she could ever want. He goes through the poem advertising the things that he would adorn her with including, the finest cloth, jewelry, flowers, not having to work. After all the descriptive wording, he says that she would make him the happiest man alive if she would accept his hand. This poem is a love poem that was meant to court a woman.

For the response to the poem, The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd, the woman basically expresses why she thinks all he said was very unrealistic. She does in fact say that she could love him but what he says just isn't true. In the beginning she talks about how if they lived in an ideal world, he promises could happen. Although, since this is not the case, typical life situations would have to happen, they would not be able to go without working since he was just a poor shepherd, his love for her would run dry like everything else in the world, and all the valuable and pretty things that he offered her would break and go out of fashion. The Nymph also replies with that even with all the beautiful things in the world, they are still not a substitute for love. At the end, she says that even without these things, if he really did love her and didn't try to marry her with these promises, she could love him back.

In the poem To His Coy Mistress, the author is very much in love with a woman. From line to line, he starts out saying that she could play games with him forever if times was not an issue. They could spend lazy days together and he would appreciate her more and more every day. His love for her would grow and be so present that he compared it to be larger than an empire. After this, he starts describing how he'd spend so much time admiring her beauty, timing in the years. And although no other woman could dare tempt him, if he should slip up and be unfaithful, he would never be good enough for her again and not bother to dare dishonor her. Since they are both young, the author suggests that they seize the day and make the most of it with their love. Especially after this, they need to be able to appreciate each other so that their love would last a lifetime.


6-D
Names such as "Black Elvis", "June Star", and "Red Sammy" seem the most metaphoric. Black Elvis is a contradictory metaphor since Elvis was far from being black. Also with this name, we are given an insight on what the story has in store for us. We are able to figure out aspects that this will be dealing with African Americans and music. With "A Good Man is Hard to Find", these names describe important things. Stars in June are similar to a good man by meaning that good men are very special. Also with Red Sammy, I think of baseball and all things related. The names give us a hint that this story will in a way be quite juvenile in comparison to the impression that the name gives.

6-E
Grandmother, in literal terms, manes your mothers mother. It also gives me the sense of someone that cares for you, loves you, and spoils you. Grandmother can also describe a strong backbone in a family.

Strategies:
I really thought that these examples were very helpful. I have always had trouble with academic reading, especially when the reading was long and detailed. In the past, I have always used the skeleton outlining method and the annotation method but I had never really thought of a collage to describe the context of a academic passage.

3. The focal point is what the author wants to convey to their readers. It is the topic sentence and what is meant to be discussed.

4. A genre is a category used to place and name texts that have similar features and commonalities.

12. Context is what is found within the text. It is also the who, what, when, where, and why that is found in the text.

13. People approach text differently because not everyone looks at the same thing when reading. Some people look at the length, context, or actual structure of the passage.

15. Details are important in texts because they add depth and interest to the text.