Dynamic (poetry response)

The dynamic characteristics of one's own personality is epitomized and examined in W.S. Merwin's "To Myself." The entire reflection touches on the ever-changing self-conciousness that one experiences in the ever-changing relationship one has with theirself.

It seems to me that people are constantly searching for who they truly are and who they are meant to be. Some would argue that they never truly find who they are. Furthermore, due to the dynamic tendencies of who someone truly is, one can be constantly searching for something that keeps running away. However, I personally feel that nobody will ever truly understand who they are. They may decide that they are someone specific who's purpose is to perform a certain action, however there is always the chance that the person who is searching never truly acheives their intended actions.

Duty. Honor. South America. (Eveline)

Questions:
1.) Where was Eveline going to move to?
2.) Why didn't Eveline end up going?
3.) When is it important to honor your family's wishes vs. doing something to benefit yourself?

The theme of this story is the importance of getting your priorities in order.

Joyce's "Eveline" is a constant clash between staying true to one's own familial obligations versus doing what in the long run benefits the individual. There is constant internal conflict when eveline must decide if she will stay in Ireland to care for her family and fulfill her promise to her mother that she would in fact do so, versus joining a man who would give her a life and possibly love in a new, better place. The only problem comes when she decides that she has none of the deeper feelings for the man that would ultimately lead to happiness as far as relationships are concerned. I'm left stumped as to whether or not her decision was a good one.

Bizzare (Araby)

Questions:

1.) Why did the narrator in this story want to go to the bazaar so badly?

2.) Why did the narrator see himself as a "creature derided by vanity?"

3.) What are the true value of material objects, and why (however unfortunately) are emotions usually not enough?

The theme of this story is how people should learn to put emotions before possessions.

This story is coming up empty for me.  I'm not sure if the entire story is about the narrator being irked by his father's lateness and the subsequent lateness at the bazaar, or if it is about how attraction in the physical realm is not something to place value upon, or if it is something completely different from these.  As I am so lost at this point, i am at a loss for comments on this writing too.  I'll develop this further at a later time hopefully by which I will have gained insight on this story.

A Bunch of Misfits (A Good Man is Hard to Find)

Questions:

Level 1: Where was the family ultimately headed on their vacation?

Level 2: Why does the family act so coldly to the grandmother?

Level 3: What is more important, living with ties to the past or being aware of changes in society? 

The general theme of "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is a look at the general corruption of mankind as it has progressed from generation to generation.

-Note- The following commentary may offend some.  You've been warned.

I cannot state my opinion of this story lightly, or without moderate swearing.  This story pisses me off.  From the grandmother's unhindered use of racial slurs to the anticlimactic ending that was fostered by the grandmother's lack of coherent memories and her insistence of bringing her damn cat, this story was a giant middle finger to me as a reader.  Ok, so I guess that really what chaps my ass more than anything else is the grandmother and her inability to put a filter on what she says (ironic that I would put that particular line in this post, i know) and reacts.  The grandmother seems to be the type that does not shut up despite the obvious fact that the family has grown tired of her presence (that they want her to move to FL, not dead).  She also has the old-fashioned tendency to refer to African Americans as "niggers," which in my personal opinion is only half-understandable.  Times change, and people need to keep up with the curve.

Fourteen to One (The Rocking-Horse Winner)

Questions:

Level 1: What was the primary concern of Paul's parents?

Level 2: Why was Paul's mother so cold in respect to love?

Level 3: What does it really mean to be lucky?  Does one really need luck in order to lead a happy life?

The theme of this short story is how one cannot judge one's own life in terms of love lest it become emotionless and empty of all of the redeeming qualities that truly define quality of living.

 

D.H. Lawrence's short story, "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is an interesting view on what it truly means to be "lucky."  It would seem that the characters in this story are possessed with becoming lucky.  The only problem lies in the fact that what the characters define as luck is really an empty existence that would not be called a fulfilling lifestyle by most standards.  The family is accustomed to living in absolute luxury, despite the fact that they simply do not have the financial backing for it.  Because of the constant stress that being in debt incessantly exerts on people, the family looses sight of the true qualities of what the family unit is all about.  The mother obviously has no inner feelings for her children as deep down she does not feel connected to them.  Rather, she merely sees it as her obligation to provide for her children, and therefore puts on a facade that would prevent the outside world from knowing the truth.  Their life was all shine and no substance.  Everything would ultimately fall apart.

Guinea Pig

The theme of Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing" is somewhat difficult to understand. It seems that it's effectively a mother stressing about how she wasn't able to provide for her first-born all of the privileges and opportunities that she wishes she could have. This is truly a predicament on the part of the mother, as during the depression it was increasingly hard to provide a good life for one child (let alone 5), and she is constantly stressing about the lack of experience she has in raising a child. Given the set of circumstances presented to the mother, I don't believe that she really had a chance to provide any better for her daughter more than she did. It's only sad that the rest of the world didn't see her daughter in the same light as she herself did.

White People Crazy

The general theme presented in "The Lesson" was an insider's realization of the class system in America. I feel as though the reactions presented in the characters of the children in this story are not entirely unfounded based on the fact that the only life they have ever known is one of poverty, and along with this the only actions they have grown accustomed to are the ones associated with living a life on this level. Sugar's question, "Can we steal?" goes along with just such a situation where a group of impovereshed children are brought to a store such as F.A.O. Schwartz. I remember going there as a child, and although I never actually did, I considered stealing items even coming from a fairly well-off family. However, I also remember how empty the items there were. They had a fairly impressive price tag on them, but the Porche 911 radio-controlled car that I got from there (cost about $70, could've gotten it elsewhere for less than half this), only lasted me 3 days. In retrospect, this money could've been used for much more useful things. On a final note, it's important to be aware of one's situation, so you can decide what steps need to be taken should you be able to improve on it.