Ending on a good note..

I choose to take this class hoping to read novels in which I could relate to the characters. My favorite novel of this semester was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, with Maya becoming such a strong character in tough times really inspired me. I enjoyed most of the readings in Lives and Times and thought they all shared such powerful and intriguing themes.

During the course of this class I felt my writing had improved. With the literature we have read in class, I have enjoyed learning about the characters and relating them with other characters from the previous novels. I felt I had benefited from the class discussions we had each day over themes and the different points of views about the novels, memoirs, and short readings. This class brought me in deeper senses of close reading as well as analyzing such novels and coming up with other important themes. I have definitely taken away much information from Humanistic Studies and hope to get a chance to read other books by Maya Angelou.

"Lost in Translation"

As we talked about Translations in class on Monday, I came across the theme we discussed "lost in translation." Discussing the many definitions of love for example, I found we can mistaken love for other meanings. In Translations, although the play is written in English, it is meant to be seen as though many languages are presented throughout the play. The characters in Translations speak different languages in order to communicate within each other better.


Discussing the meaning of love I found can be translated into other words. Love is powerful, one can love as a feeling, attitude, or used as a generic pleasure such as "I loved that meal I just ate" and it can used to intense interpersonal attraction such as "I love my family." Love is very difficult to define, as abstract, love can be a deep feeling caring for another person. The meaning of love in other languages use multiple words to express some of the different concepts that we as English speaking people believe it to be. Sometimes we might not know how to love someone because we don't know what love actually "is." An online article stated that from this, "Jealousy is not love, Lust is not love, Fear is not love, Keeping people all to yourself is not love, and Expecting something from someone is not love." Love can have different importance throughout someone's life.

"Servants of the Map"

Max, the main character, finds himself quite displaced at times at the college he attends. His personality is brought out when he describes his love of botany. Botany is a scientific talent of Max’s life. He describes his love for botany when he used to spend much time in the garden with his mother before she passed away.

The thought of his mother appears again as he enters the mountains. He recalls her saying, “Look. Remember this, there is something special in you, she said. In the way you see (47).”

The meaning of Omishto's name

Omishto's name defined her true identity towards the end of this novel. Her name characterized herself given that she is an independent and powerful woman who "follows." Omishto, following what she believes and not what her mother says, stays strong as she turns away from her family. Omishto turns towards what she believes is right, the Taiga people, following her surroundings and her own beliefs. Her name draws to many conclusions throughout the journey of Omishto and her relationship towards the Taiga people, Ama, and her mother, as the one who "follows."

Two sides to each story?

In Power, Omishto feels she is on both sides of the story feeling horrible. Knowing what Ama did to the panther was wrong but also, considering it was right. After this incident going to trial, Omishto feels changed as Ama feels changed. Having protesters at trial, they feel it is wrong to "kill land, animals, and to destroy any of it." Omishto feels they "do not see themselves or know their own history." On the other side, the native protesters speak for Ama and want to make an argument for "our rights." Omishto once again claims, "both sides are wrong, but both sides, also, are right." At the end of the chapter, the people at trial believe "there is not enough evidence beyond a doubt." Omishto feels Ama was wrong, but "she too is creature, animal." Omishto feels they went against their wills, but Omishto goes on to say " who am I to judge, me being such a part of this other world, both these other worlds." At the end of the chapter, it is also mentioned that story is all the people want, as if their is a part they have to have or need.

Power

In our class discussion we discussed what cultural landscape meant. Defining its meaning, I came to find cultural landscape as a geographic area defined by lifestyle of those who live there. In the novel Power, we see Omishto feeling comfortable and safe in her boat. She feels as "a whole continent" being surrounded only by water. The cultural landscape defines Omishto being an independent girl. Ama feels connected with nature and the "spirit world." Her home not being filled with lights, or a television, her affection was shown towards the outside of her home filled with Cuban lizards and plants looking like gold. Ama was viewed as a simple woman in the eyes of most of the people.

Omishto and Ama both do not live around others. Living in a boat or a house with a strong desire for nature, they are different people and do not care what others think of them. Their relationship truly is shown as Omishto stays with Ama as she kills the panther which she knows is wrong.

As I identified cultural landscape and its relations with the characters in Power, I looked back on our first personal essay. In our first essay we wrote about a place or space significant to us in order to tell others something about ourselves. I feel this relates to Omishto and Ama explaining their place and space. This allows the reader to identify who they are based on the place and space they live in and how it brings out their character.

This Blessed House

This Blessed House shares the relationship between Sanjeev and Twinkle a couple married for a short time, and their conflicts. The couple truly relates to the saying "opposites attract." They have only known each other for 5 months and during this time I feel they are now noticing their differences. As they move into a "blessed house," Twinkle finds many religious objects and feels great importance from them. The religious objects seem to suite Twinkle's personality. Twinkle's personality is looked upon as being free-spirited as her husband is worried about what other's will think, especially when concerning the "Virgin Mary" statue. Sanjeev is a very picky man and shows a little bit of obsessive compulsive disorder in the way he always cleans up ashes off the floor from Twinkle's cigarettes. The couple show their differences towards each other, but with different personalities sometimes the saying "opposites attract" is true.