Dalloway Reply

I saw during class discussion, how Mrs. Dalloway was not really intune with herself.  Through the mirror which she looked, she saw how hard she had to work to be herself.  Which made me think that isn't herself wat all. So who was she suppose to be?  She couldn't be with Peter because they were too much in-sync with eachother.  She couldn't be with Sally because, thats just not right, but yet she didn't feel exactly right in the hostess life, though she enjoyed it.  I guess I have yet to figure out who she would is suppose to be.  That is the point i suppose.  You are who you are because of the things in life that you chose.  They always happen for a reason, and they mold you into who you are.  There will always be the what- if - factor in life. This doesn't mean you are not happy with your life, it just means you are curious about where else you'd be in life.  I think Mrs. Dalloway is best off in her current situation, even if it isn't a life full of love like she desires.  She is living a good life, and maybe love can be re-kindled.

Initial Dalloway

I enjoyed Mrs. Dalloway.  I thought it had a lot of twists and turns with Mrs. Dalloway.  She was conflicted with her life, like was this what it was all suppose to be about.  She loved being a hostess, yet she loved being with Peter.  She also loved Sally, which I found totally gross, and strange for this era.    Because that is frowned apon.   I liked how this is over one whole day.  I would love to write something like this, about my day, my everythought and thoughts of people near to me.  Mine would probably be a much larger piece of literature.    I really liked the insane world of  Septimus, I wish he would have gotten better, instead of killing himself.  This story by far has the most characters!  It was a very time consuming story, but it was worth it.  I loved how it went time by time.  Time was obviously important to the author not only because she told us times but big ben was a big symbol for Mrs. Dalloway.

A Room Of One's Own

themes I see- Money ( if that can be a theme),girl power, society
I think the title has to do with women in this society, where men are superior.  A women needs her own room to do whatever she enjoys.  Which wasn't very common, though men had studies where they could just sit and smoke a pipe if they pleased.  Not only should a women get a room, she should get her own independent life-style if she desires!  Our country built of equality has never really gotten the equal part down.  The white men seems to rule over everyone; once slaves, women, children and now gays, the poor, when will it end?   
        I love how she explains that the books written about women were  "been written in the red light of emotion and not in the white light of truth"  This is typical man, getting all fired up about a topic before they know facts. I found it ironic she talks a lot of women's freedoms, yet since she has the inheritance, she doesn't work.  Maybe working back then for women wasn't something of freedom.  The end of Chapter 2 was great because she envisioned all the things men, women doing too! 
        The picture she paints in Chapter 3 of the women who are the important in a story, are really not important all.  She says they  "Some of the most inspired words, some of the most profound thoughts in literature fall from her lips; in real life she could hardly read, could scarcely spell, and was the property of her husband "  This is sad and true idea she has found.   She also finds it impossible for any women to have written in the time of Shakespeare due to the lack of education.  The character she creates, Judith Shakespeare, I found it a bit odd to go into such great detail to prove her point.  I love the point she makes at the end of ch. 3,   that a genius mind must has no obstructions.  All artists much overcome a lot of opinion from the outside world, but women suffer the most from it.   To be a success you must block out what  is going on outside, and take your mind to it's own place to create works of art.

The Story of An Hour.

I find it ironic upon the death of her husband, Spring is alive, fully blooming out her window.  The description words used by Kate Chopin are very strong.   As she sat there staring off into space, I thought she might just die right then and there.  I do believe in people dying of a broken heart,  its tragic and true.   I enjoyed the phrase " she was enjoying a very elixir of life through that open window"  I love taking in scenery and basking in the glory of mother nature.  You feel so small when compared to everything in the world and universe.  It helps me realize that what  I think is such a big deal or problem, really isn't.  It was empowering that she saw how much life she had ahead of her, she wasn't just going to give up.  Oh and of course, who would walk through the door,  Mr. Malard!  Then, the Mrs screams and dies right there.  Just when i thought we would have a good, happy ending.   She died of heart disease, is that the same as a heart-attack?  I don't really understand the ending words-  of joy that kills.  Unless she died of a heart-attack, like she was so happy she died.

Claude McKay and Harlem Ren.

Though I wasn't in class this week, I did a little research of the harlem renistance.  I found that the Harlem Renaissance was an expression of African-American social thought and culture that took a place in newly-formed Black community in neighborhood of Harlem.   Characteristics of the Harlem Renisiance I can across are:

Desperation

Sadness

Hopelessness

Love of God

Semi-dark

Talks about the existing discrimination

Excellent rhythm

Comments on racism indirectly and directly

Identity issues

Racial pride

In Claude Mckays poems he is very passionate about the hard times.  He makes you feel the way he feels by using great expressions and words.   I can feel how down, beat and trampled he lives, or what he is seeing being lived. 

Sweat

The dialog in this is hard to understand because of the hard accent it has.  It goes back and forth like play but not all the dialog is labeled.  Through Delia's abuse, I can see still has a little bit of optimism in the form of Karma.  She says he will reap his sowing.  I am a believer that good things happen to good people and Karma will punish the bad.  I sure hope her husband gets what he has coming to him.  Does the snake have any significance? or is he just being a jerk, probably just being a jerk, like all the men in this story. And why did she keep it?!   I am glad she kept it, because it came to bite him in the end.  I didn't pick up any secret themes or anything from this story, it was just nice that her husband got what what was coming.

Claude McKay, poems

If We Must Die.
I honestly and ashamed to be American sometimes when I look back in history.  This time frame in-particular where racism and ignorance was in full bloom.  I am glad to be alive in today's society where equality is alive, and forever will be.  I know that there are always going to be problems with judgment but it never should have been that bad.  No one should should have to feel as if they will die in vain, and like a hog.  This poem is so strong!  I love the end-  Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back.  People who were getting discriminated against were so strong and they had to be just to make it through a day.  And they fought till their final days.

A memory Of June.
This sounds like a love poem, but McKay is in love with the month of June. You could interpret it as June being a person, it uses a lot of personification if it is literally about the month of June.  The last line is adorable;  My soul takes leave of me to sing all day A love so fugitive ans so complete. 

The Barrier
The barrier of skin is an on-going struggle in our society.  There will always be minorities and superiors.  I feel that now there are even more barriers, the poor/ rich, gay/straight, men/women, children/elderly etc.   This poem is about looking past that exterior or skin color.  McKay understands that beauty is  only skin deep, but society doesn't agree with him in 1922. 

The Tired Worker
It is so crazy the things we take for granted these day.  Sleep is something most of us can just do whenever out schedule permits, we can nap for sleep for an entire night.  But we don't think much of it.  I have never been so physically exhausted to the point that ached.  This worker is weary and longs to sleep.   I love the line come tender sleep and fold me in thy breast.  It is such a sensual line, it makes me want to curl up and sleep right now.    I know the feeling of dreading the morning as this person does, but I really have no reason to dread it.  I wake up to nothing compared to what an oppressed person of the 1920s did.

Trifles Retort

In class we discussed the sexist vibe that came with this story.  Of course the men were sexist it was in 1916.  I still find it hilarious that the women were being 100 times smarter than the men.  No where did it say Mrs. Wright was the killer.  If my husband was strangled in the middle of the night, I'd go nuts.  I probably wouldn't have not went to get help, because that just seems suspicious, but maybe she really was too stunned to do anything.   I didn't know what the word Trifles meant, and now I understand.  It's usually the little things that make a big difference.  People say don't sweat the small stuff, well i believe sometimes you have to worry about small stuff, details if you want to find the answers.  I think when she was rocking in her chair, she may have been a bit relieved of what happened.  She did laugh at something that was said, but I don't think she killed him.   As the bird had suffered a harsh death, so did her husband.   I feel like she is free now and though her precious bird is gone, she can be a songbird now... if she doesn't get convicted with murder.