Writing a blog over the past quarter was a new experience for me. Although I have taken an English class every year since I was at least six, this was the first time that my reflections were in an open forum that my classmates (or anyone with an internet connection) could read. I felt that it really contributed to the overall quality of the class, forced me to think about the writings in a new way, and allowed me to share insights with my peers.
My early blog posts were very academic and structured. I cited specific samples from the text and treated the assignments like they were formal papers. I remember at the beginning being very hesitant about writing the posts and worrying that everyone else’s would be way better than mine. Looking back, this seems kind of ridiculous because it’s college and we’re all just here to learn. That’s another psychological issue for another paper, I guess.
As the quarter went on, my posts got more and more informal. The best posts that I wrote were ones where I felt really passionate about what I was writing about. If I really liked the story or poem, I tended to write longer posts that had deeper insights. I won’t lie, some of my posts were a little on the short side (just like me). You could definitely tell which posts I put effort into and which ones I slapped together in about ten seconds.
I also really enjoyed reading the feedback from people in the class and seeing what people thought of what I was saying. Sometimes, I would write about things that I thought were really obvious and people would comment that they hadn’t thought of the story or poem that way. I don’t think that this is because I’m some sort of super-human genius, but people just have different points of view and don’t always think of things the same way. A lot of times, people would say things in their posts that I had never thought about.
The opposite of this, of course, was that people disagreed with me sometimes. In my post for Fiesta, 1980 I really ripped the Dad apart. Generally, I’m just not a fan of people who deprive their children of food at parties. However, there were a lot of people that didn’t see the Dad as the ultimate source evil. They challenged what I said about him and his role in the story. It made the story even more interesting and complex to not pin all of the conflict on one character, but to view him as a complex character.
The blog functioned in the class as a tool for discourse. Because of this, I wrote with the intention of my classmates reading what I had to say, although anyone can read it, really. Because I was doing this with that thought in mind, it wasn’t really the best writing I could have done. However, I think that it really important for everyone to practice engaging in discussions civilly and expressing their opinion well. This was really good practice at writing a blog that formulates discussion on a topic.
Blogging has had a fascinating effect on our society in the past decade. For this class, keeping a blog opened up discussion and engaged the class. I think it is important that everyone practice blogging and use new social media tools because they will be an integral part of our future. Blogging has become a skill that will be valuable in the workplace, as well as in being engaged in the world.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Essay on "How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)"
The sometimes tumultuous relationship that mothers and daughters share has been the subject of many literary works. This bond affects both parties in profound ways that they themselves may not even understand. Many stories have been written to explain the complicated feelings that a daughter has with her mother. In “How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)”, Lorrie Moore implements an unconventional style that provides a unique perspective for the familiar topic of mother-daughter relationships.
Moore starts the story in the 1980s and slowly travels back in time to the 1930s, recounting events that have happened in the interim. This deviation from the traditional, linear story forces the reader to think about events in a new way. It shows where the narrator is and then proceeds to reveal the path that leads her there.
When reading the events of her past, the reader thinks of them in the context of the narrator currently sitting on the bus, looking at babies that belong to someone else and missing her mother. “The Mothers can see you eyeing their children. They smile sympathetically. They believe you envy them. They believe you are childless.” (240-241) Right away, the emotional state of the narrator is revealed and there is a mystery surrounding who she is. The story becomes “What made the narrator who she is?” rather than “What will the narrator become?”
The other interesting technique used by Moore is that she tells the story in second person. This creates a story that reads like advice or commands instead of traditional story being told. At the end of the entry for 1975 it says, “March, like Stella Dallas, spine straight, through the melodrama of street lamps, phone posts, toward the green house past Borealis Avenue, toward the rear apartment with the tilt and the squash on the stove. Your horoscope says: Be kind, be brief. You are pregnant again. Decide what you must do.” (p 242) The burden of what to do with an unplanned pregnancy is placed, not on the narrator, but on the reader. Although the reader, of course, cannot make an active choice about what to do, they are forced to consider what they would do. This makes the story more personal for the reader, rather than just an abstract concept.
The other affect that the second person point of view has on the story is that it mimics a How-to Guide that might be feature in a magazine or advice column. In 1978 it says, “Bury her in the cold south sideyard of that Halloweenish house. Your brother and his kids are there. Hug.” (p. 241) This comes across as a command on how to properly bury your mother and interact with your family. Of course, unlike traditional How-to Guides, this story does not portray ideal scenarios and how to do the absolutely right thing.
As this unconventional guide travels back in time, the life story of the narrator unravels, revealing a somewhat troubled past. In 1965 she says, “Try to figure out what has made your life go wrong. It is like trying to figure out what is stinking up the refrigerator. It could be anything.” (p. 245) It is also revealed that the narrator has had three abortions in the course of her life. In her mind, her life ha been imperfect and she has been less than an ideal person.
Throughout the story, however, we can see the strong relationship that she has had with her mother and how highly she values it. She says, “Think about your mother. Sometimes you confuse her with the first man you ever loved, who ever loved you, who buried his head in the pills of your sweater and said magnificent things like “Oh god, oh god,” who loved you unconditionally, terrifically, like a mother.”(p. 243) This denotes not a sexual relationship, but one of intense love. The narrator sees her mother, and all mothers, as the greatest source of unconditional that others aspire to attain.
The first time that the narrator has an abortion, she calls herself “a zoo of insecurities.”(p. 245) Even if she doesn’t realize it, she believes that she cannot live up to being the source of unconditional love that her mother has been for her.
In 1967, the narrator’s mother moves in with her because she is sick. The narrator says, “You feel many different kinds of emptiness.” (p. 244) Shortly after this, she has her second abortion. As she takes care of her mother and feels the pain of her deterioration, she continues to actively make the decision to not become a mother herself. Although she loves her mother, she can’t see herself fulfilling that role for someone else and putting them threw the same things that she has been through.
The unconventional method of storytelling in this story engages the reader in a different way and forces the reader to examine the influences that created the person that the narrator is. As she goes through life and faces challenges, the reader must think about the relationships between parents and children and how they affect who we become. The choices that we make often determine the people we become and are shaped by those that we have held a close bond with.
Moore starts the story in the 1980s and slowly travels back in time to the 1930s, recounting events that have happened in the interim. This deviation from the traditional, linear story forces the reader to think about events in a new way. It shows where the narrator is and then proceeds to reveal the path that leads her there.
When reading the events of her past, the reader thinks of them in the context of the narrator currently sitting on the bus, looking at babies that belong to someone else and missing her mother. “The Mothers can see you eyeing their children. They smile sympathetically. They believe you envy them. They believe you are childless.” (240-241) Right away, the emotional state of the narrator is revealed and there is a mystery surrounding who she is. The story becomes “What made the narrator who she is?” rather than “What will the narrator become?”
The other interesting technique used by Moore is that she tells the story in second person. This creates a story that reads like advice or commands instead of traditional story being told. At the end of the entry for 1975 it says, “March, like Stella Dallas, spine straight, through the melodrama of street lamps, phone posts, toward the green house past Borealis Avenue, toward the rear apartment with the tilt and the squash on the stove. Your horoscope says: Be kind, be brief. You are pregnant again. Decide what you must do.” (p 242) The burden of what to do with an unplanned pregnancy is placed, not on the narrator, but on the reader. Although the reader, of course, cannot make an active choice about what to do, they are forced to consider what they would do. This makes the story more personal for the reader, rather than just an abstract concept.
The other affect that the second person point of view has on the story is that it mimics a How-to Guide that might be feature in a magazine or advice column. In 1978 it says, “Bury her in the cold south sideyard of that Halloweenish house. Your brother and his kids are there. Hug.” (p. 241) This comes across as a command on how to properly bury your mother and interact with your family. Of course, unlike traditional How-to Guides, this story does not portray ideal scenarios and how to do the absolutely right thing.
As this unconventional guide travels back in time, the life story of the narrator unravels, revealing a somewhat troubled past. In 1965 she says, “Try to figure out what has made your life go wrong. It is like trying to figure out what is stinking up the refrigerator. It could be anything.” (p. 245) It is also revealed that the narrator has had three abortions in the course of her life. In her mind, her life ha been imperfect and she has been less than an ideal person.
Throughout the story, however, we can see the strong relationship that she has had with her mother and how highly she values it. She says, “Think about your mother. Sometimes you confuse her with the first man you ever loved, who ever loved you, who buried his head in the pills of your sweater and said magnificent things like “Oh god, oh god,” who loved you unconditionally, terrifically, like a mother.”(p. 243) This denotes not a sexual relationship, but one of intense love. The narrator sees her mother, and all mothers, as the greatest source of unconditional that others aspire to attain.
The first time that the narrator has an abortion, she calls herself “a zoo of insecurities.”(p. 245) Even if she doesn’t realize it, she believes that she cannot live up to being the source of unconditional love that her mother has been for her.
In 1967, the narrator’s mother moves in with her because she is sick. The narrator says, “You feel many different kinds of emptiness.” (p. 244) Shortly after this, she has her second abortion. As she takes care of her mother and feels the pain of her deterioration, she continues to actively make the decision to not become a mother herself. Although she loves her mother, she can’t see herself fulfilling that role for someone else and putting them threw the same things that she has been through.
The unconventional method of storytelling in this story engages the reader in a different way and forces the reader to examine the influences that created the person that the narrator is. As she goes through life and faces challenges, the reader must think about the relationships between parents and children and how they affect who we become. The choices that we make often determine the people we become and are shaped by those that we have held a close bond with.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Essay Topic
For my essay, I would like to talk about Moore's "How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)". I think that the structure provides an interesting format for exploring the narrator's relationship with her mother. As she reflects on her past and how she related to her mother, she provides 'notes' that read like advice to younger girls. In fact, the story is labeled as a how-to guide. I thought this was an interesting idea since the narrator's history is less than ideal.
Within this context, I would also like to talk about the narrator's relationship with her mother and how her feelings toward her build the story goes, even though it goes backward in time. As the story evolves, the reader understands more and more about the complex relationship between the narrator and her daughter and how it has affected her life.
Other topics that I might throw in are abortion, sex, rebellion, maternity, loss, and family. We'll just see how it goes.
Within this context, I would also like to talk about the narrator's relationship with her mother and how her feelings toward her build the story goes, even though it goes backward in time. As the story evolves, the reader understands more and more about the complex relationship between the narrator and her daughter and how it has affected her life.
Other topics that I might throw in are abortion, sex, rebellion, maternity, loss, and family. We'll just see how it goes.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Dead Man Laughing
In her essay "Dead Man Laughing", Zadie Smith explores the roll that comedy played in her life and in the life of her father. For him, comedy became a way to deal with his problems and shortcomings. It was easy to laugh and commiserate with the characters that his favorite comedians played because he could relate to them. It was a sort of cathartic experience for him to be able to laugh at something that was really bothering him.
As bleak as it sounds, the darkest moments of his life were the funniest because they were just so absolutely ridiculous. This was true of his death, as well. As he watched his daughter running around trying to make everything perfect for him, he just smirked. In the end, all her worrying was for nothing anyway, and he was able to see the humor in it.
I totally get that. I have a real problem making snide comments in really awful situations. I feel so uncomfortable and awkward in traumatic events, that I just kind of laugh and make fun of people. If anyone tries to get emotional when I die, I will probably just laugh at them. Honestly, who wants to be sad when they die anyway? Being serious is just for squares.
I think that humor is really good way to deal with serious issues. It provides a very non-threatening platform to talk about class, race, or the trauma of being shorter than all your friends. If you can laugh about something, how bad could the problem really be?
As bleak as it sounds, the darkest moments of his life were the funniest because they were just so absolutely ridiculous. This was true of his death, as well. As he watched his daughter running around trying to make everything perfect for him, he just smirked. In the end, all her worrying was for nothing anyway, and he was able to see the humor in it.
I totally get that. I have a real problem making snide comments in really awful situations. I feel so uncomfortable and awkward in traumatic events, that I just kind of laugh and make fun of people. If anyone tries to get emotional when I die, I will probably just laugh at them. Honestly, who wants to be sad when they die anyway? Being serious is just for squares.
I think that humor is really good way to deal with serious issues. It provides a very non-threatening platform to talk about class, race, or the trauma of being shorter than all your friends. If you can laugh about something, how bad could the problem really be?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)
In the short story How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes) Lorrie Moore uses a unique style of story teller that engages the reader in a different way. Slowly, she takes the reader back in time through each year of her life, pointing out important things that happened and exploring how her mother affected her and how they interacted.
I felt, as the story progressed, that I was slowly being pulled back in time with her. As I slowly went back in time with the narrator, I was thinking about my own life and how it compared to hers. I was drawn further and further into the story until I reached the beginning of her life. This reverse linear story telling made more interested in the story than if it had just been the story of her life from beginning to end.
The other interesting thing that Moore did was telling the story as commandments to the Reader. It is literally a how-to guide of her life. I thought this made the story interesting and got the plot across while imploring the reader to step in her shoes. She talks about abortion, the death, sex, and how all of this is related to the relationship she had with her mother. At the beginning she is trying to cope with this loss and a takes the reader through everything that she experienced.
I felt, as the story progressed, that I was slowly being pulled back in time with her. As I slowly went back in time with the narrator, I was thinking about my own life and how it compared to hers. I was drawn further and further into the story until I reached the beginning of her life. This reverse linear story telling made more interested in the story than if it had just been the story of her life from beginning to end.
The other interesting thing that Moore did was telling the story as commandments to the Reader. It is literally a how-to guide of her life. I thought this made the story interesting and got the plot across while imploring the reader to step in her shoes. She talks about abortion, the death, sex, and how all of this is related to the relationship she had with her mother. At the beginning she is trying to cope with this loss and a takes the reader through everything that she experienced.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Job History
The structure of Annie Proulx's Job History does not follow the typical structure of a short story. There is no real rising action and definitive climax. Rather, the structure of the story mimics real life. It follows one man through the ups and downs of his life, pointing out significant moments and referencing various historical events.
I think that this story could not have been told any other way. The chronological structure of the story emphasizes the message of the story. As the reader watches Leeland journey through life, a lot of things come up that seem sort of irrelevant, but often we find out later that they are very important. For example, it seems sort of like just a fun fact that he feeds his baby beer to keep it quiet. Of course, when the child has convulsions and suffers brain damage that seems kind of important. (Don't feed your baby beer.)
I think that this story could not have been told any other way. The chronological structure of the story emphasizes the message of the story. As the reader watches Leeland journey through life, a lot of things come up that seem sort of irrelevant, but often we find out later that they are very important. For example, it seems sort of like just a fun fact that he feeds his baby beer to keep it quiet. Of course, when the child has convulsions and suffers brain damage that seems kind of important. (Don't feed your baby beer.)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Fiesta
Junot Diaz's short story Fiesta provides an insight into the life of a family who has been torn apart by the behavior of an abusive father. At different instances throughout the story, the narrator points out how each member of his family has been hurt by his father's antics. His mother is no longer happy and vibrant, but has become meek. Even his baby sister, cries whenever she hears the her father's voice.
I think that setting the story at a party was a very interesting choice. Even at a time when they should be celebrating and socializing with friends, Papi's affair is weighing heavily on the family. The party serves more as a reminder of what the family should be, as opposed to what they are.
I think that setting the story at a party was a very interesting choice. Even at a time when they should be celebrating and socializing with friends, Papi's affair is weighing heavily on the family. The party serves more as a reminder of what the family should be, as opposed to what they are.
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