Freewrite

This morning I was thinking about how I am continously late to English because my prior class gets out at 9:15 at the School of Music. A color to define this situation would be gray.
I was also thinking about getting a new purse. A color to define this situation would be red.

Sherman Alexie

The narrator feels discriminated against because of the color of his skin. He feels the cop pulled him over because of his color and that the store clerk thought he was suspicious because of his ethnicity. He does feel out of place sometimes because of this. I believe he has reason to feel this way because the officer was obviously being racist with his comment. The author is obviously trying to get this point across because he calls the characters in the story either white or indian.

Jamaica Kincaid

In this piece of literature the mother is the main speaker because she speaks more often than the daughter. The daughter hardly talks because the mother is preaching to her and out of respect she rarely speaks. The mother is also the main speaker because she is teaching the daughter about how to carry herself. Her daughter obviously takes a secondary role in this conversation.

Hemingway

The couple was arguing about an abortion. Clearly Jig was worried about it and brought it up frequently. I felt as if she needed the man to tell her it was going to be okay so that she would feel more justified. The man seems as if he is not strong enough to deal with the thought of a child coming in to the picture. Jig is going through with the abortion because it helps her hold on to hope that their relationship will be the same as it previously was.

Ernest Hemingway "Hills Like White Elephants"

Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" is about a male, simply called The American, and a female named Jig. The couple is deciding whether or not to go through with an abortion. The man wants her to go through with the operation because he is not happy with the possibility of her having a baby. He says that the operation is normal and "it's just to let the air in." He also assures her that this operation will make their relationship comparable to how it was before the pregnancy. Deep down Jig knows that this will not happen because she keeps on questioning him about their relationship and if it will get better. She wants to drop the subject many times because she doesn't want to deal with and come to terms with what is happening in her life. The couple is obviously not on the same page. However, the man makes the decision to go through with the abortion because he takes their bags and they get ready to board the train. The train is taking them to Madrid, which is probably where the abortion will take place.

Jamaica Kincaid "Girl"

"Girl," by Jamaica Kincaid consists of a list of orders from a mother given to her daughter about how to handle herself in life. Since all of her advice and orders are stringed together, it seems as if maybe the mother is having a flashback of all the things she advised to her daughter. The mother wants her daughter to be a good person and not the "slut" she often warns about. The last line is very interesting. The mother says, "You mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won't let near the bread?" It seems as if the daughter takes heed to what the mother was telling her over a period of time. Because the mother says this, I believe that in the end the daughter turns out to be a very smart woman. The baker knows this and will not let her near the bread because he knows that she is aware of whether it is good or not.

Esenin "Golden Grove"

I found the first translation of "Golden Grove," by Philip Nikolayev to be a little confusing the first time I read it in its entirity. After reading it the second time I was able to grasp its meaning a little better. Some of the words used in this translation make it harder to comprehend the work. The second translation was easier to read and to gain understanding from. The translation was very straight forward and easier to understand. Overall, I like the second translation better. As time goes by people talk differently and it would be interesting to know when both translations were created. Since I am part of a younger generation I would think the second translation was written later.
The translations do have similarities. First of all, both tell the same story. They use similar words when describing those without a home. One uses the word "wanderer" and the other "rover." The words used in the ending of both poems are also very similar. The tone of both translations also seem very melancholy.
However, the two translations have their differences. The first translation uses many words to get simple points across, while the second translation sems short and to the point. As I stated above, it also seems as if both translations were written at different periods of time. Overall, the second version seems more "user friendly" and is more easily understood.

Warm-Up and Freewrite

1. Close reading is reading a text for complete understanding. When close reading, evaluate the text and pay close attention to the words used and the ideas presented. The purpose is to gain insight into what is being read and to be able to discuss the text with great understanding.
2. Pastoral is acting as if one were a shepherd. The formal definition of pastoral as a verb in Oxford English Dictionary is to play at being shepherd or shepherdess. Etymology: N.E.D 1904. Nymph is a pretty young woman. The formal definition is a chiefly poet, beautiful young woman, a maiden, a damsel. Etymology: second half of 12th century, Old French. Mistress is a secret lover. The formal definition of mistress is a woman loved and courted by a man, a female sweetheart, or a female considered to be chief, first, or unequalled among a specified group. Etymology: 13th century.

Freewrite:

1. Heart: love, family, people
2. Desert: dry, hot, sand, mirages, alone
3. Universe: huge, search for the unknown, earth, people, stars, planets, exploration, empty
4. Shepherd: sheep, mentioned in the Bible

6-E pg134-135

"Grandmother" represents the strength, backbone, and love in a family. When I think of my Grandmother I think of love, affection, and an overall caring attitude. I imagine her in the kitchen cooking delicious meals, talking to loved ones, and sewing Sweetgrass Baskets. Overall, Grandmother means love.

6-D pg 134-135

The names "Black Elvis" and "Butch" are metaphoric. Black Elvis is a guitarist and shares other traits with Elvis. Both men dress similarly and and Black Elvis sings some of Elvis' songs. Certain elements from the text also link Black Elvis to Elvis. One quote is, "He was Black Elvis. He had a show to put on." Black Elvis wants to be similar to Elvis in the fact that Elvis was legendary. Black Elvis wants to show everyone that he himself is legendary and can be successful. Black Elvis represents change. Elvis changed the way some looked at music and dancing. Black Elvis changes the way his community views him through his music.

Sir Walter Raleigh “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”

Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" states the nymph is not necessarily interested in all of the material items the shepherd could give her. The poem begins with the nymph stating that she would only take the shepherd's offer if the world and love were young and if time were not a factor. She states if the shepherd gave her gowns, shoes, beds of roses, and amber studs, that with time these items would be useless. She is looking for a relationship that can stand the test of time. She wants a love that will never fade. The poem comes to a close with the nymph stating, like at the beginning, if time were not a factor she would be the shepherd's love.

Christopher Marlowe “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”

Marlowe expresses the love of a passionate shepard for a woman who goes unnamed during the poem. The shepard details all of the wonderful things he can give and do for the woman if she will be his mate. Many of the things he details are materialistic. He discusses giving her "a gown made of the finest wool" and "fair lined slippers for the cold, with buckles of the purest gold." It seems as if the shepard is ignorant because he believes a good relationship can be built on materialistic things. He is asking for a woman to love him if he gives her exquisite items. He underestimates the woman because he believes if he gives her beautiful items, she will fall in love with him.

Notes/Comments to Strategies

Notes:

• always differentiate between leisure and academic reading
• academic reading should be purposeful
• most people that read for leisure read passive
• primary text: original piece of fiction or poem
• secondary text: literary criticism or other historical articles of information
• summary: a restatement of the main ideas
• dialogue, double entry journal: write quotations from the text and add responses in a two column list

Comments:

When I read for academics, I like to formulate summaries as I read the text to make sure I am on the right track as far as understanding the material. I thought the material that was assigned was similar to material that I have already reviewed in previous English classes. However, I gave me a review of how I should approach reading and responding to various texts I may encounter.

Study Guide from Beyond Words-20 Questions

3. The focal point of a text is what the writer decides to discuss. Focal points can be found in the
form of thesis statements, topic sentences, big headings, and in many other forms.

4. Genre is a category used to identify text with consistent and familiar features.

12. Context is the who, what, when, where, and why of a subject matter.

15. Details are important in texts because they often offer support for a claim or make a story
seem valid.

19. The Wall Street Journal uses hedcuts because the paper believes in focusing on hard news
and not using photographs that could possibly overwhelm the surrounding text.