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.

Making a difference?

Ever wonder how you could do something to make a difference? Going to the presentation on the Darfur conflict, really caught my eye. Having a graduate of Notre Dame tell a story in which she and a few others were arrested to make a difference, struck me. To this day she told us even with her misdemeanor, she is still glad she made a difference in someones life. Professor Miguda explained to us that even though the conflict is over in Darfur the crisis is still there. She goes on to say women and children are still hurting to this day. Professor Miguda tells us that we can make a difference in one's life rather it be big or small, we can save someone by doing an act.

Names: What do they truly stand for?

As I reached the ending of Lucy, I concluded that just like Lucy, we often have our own meaning behind our names. Names our often what shapes you, and how it reflects on oneself. We are often given nicknames in which people characterize or define us through shorter names then our given name. Some people are named after relatives, finding similar qualities later on in their life relating to the person’s identity. I do not feel though names have personalities themselves. When we are given a name at birth, as we grow older we shape our name by doing the things we do. We represent our own name by being the individual that we are. Names clearly have meaning and reflect upon what we do with our own lives to shape it’s meaning.

Catching one's attention

In our class discussion on Monday we talked about Literary Style. Literary Style is what keeps us following along with the literature we read. It includes the types of language used to describe images, ideas, stories, events, dialogue, and description. Literary Style can be used by an author creating meaning through language used throughout their context. Literary Style is the voice from within as the writer is speaking throughout a story.

In our class discussion on Monday we briefly discussed the importance of a letter compared to an e-mail. Based on the classes response to preferring a letter over an e-mail, I too agree. A letter has a deeper sense of meaning than an e-mail based on its type of paper, handwriting, scent, and its message, given the words being written in upper case or lower case. An e-mail can be typed in a matter of time and one can feel no emotion as to the handwriting of a letter can express one's emotion. A letter can be more personalized, one can set it around them to see each day and can make one feel at home as an e-mail can show no emotion and as soon as someone reads it they can click delete or keep it with their many files to dig through later on.

The Relationship between Lucy and Mariah

I first had to reread some of the parts on the relationship between Lucy and Mariah in order to understand what they brought towards each other. Lucy thought of Mariah as a mother figure, the time spent at the Great Lakes and the conversation she had with Mariah who believed daffodils were significant. Lucy felt love from Mariah, " This woman who hardly knew me loved me, and she wanted me to love this thing- a grove brimming over with daffodils in bloom- that she loved also." Lucy felt that Mariah recognized the best and worst of her own mother. When Mariah took Lucy to a field of daffodils, Lucy hated daffodils as much as Mariah loved them. Lucy's reason goes beyond her British school which she was forced to memorize a poem about this species of flower. Lucy ends up showing her forgiveness and insight towards Mariah.

Overall I am anxious to read the rest of Lucy, and to experience how the relationship plays out for Lucy and Mariah. I am ready to read on!

"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings"

Given the title "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," I questioned what this book would be about based on its cover as well as its title. After reading this memoir I have enjoyed every piece of information about Maya and her growth and maturity into adulthood. The experiences she went through made me realize a lot about our society today and Maya's story has probably in some shape or form relate with others. The other characters in this book played such interesting and important roles forming Maya's identity. One in particular that I admired was the one who stuck with her until the unexpected ending, Vivian. As we all know she did not play a motherly role in the beginning but in the end her strength and honesty really brought out Maya's character and the similarities they shared.

A quote I really liked was at the end when Mother whispered to Maya, "See, you don't have to think about doing the right thing. If you're for the right thing, then you do it without thinking." I felt that this quote opened up the issue of trust and Maya's relationship between most of the characters valued and showed trust.

Breaking a Sweat...

The place where I go everyday is the Angela Athletic Facility, whether its exercising on the machines, going to work out classes, or hitting golf balls in a separate room in the basement of the gym I spend my time in this place. The gym is quite spacious hosting large crowds for concerts, basketball games, and other such activities like intramural games. The facility always is noisy with people entering and leaving, conversations between one another on the machines or workout classes, and the practices going on the basketball courts. Attending the gym I always walk out feeling better about myself because with a busy schedule and being gone all day it does keep me motivated and going throughout the day, knowing I just ended a power workout or a practice.

I know what it's like to wear high heels on the weekends and feeling somewhat of pain on Sunday mornings. Subtly disrupting the logic of going to the gym in tennis shoes, or some kind of a flat shoe, I had my friend attend our golf workouts in heels. Walking into the gym she was already getting many stares because she did have on yoga pants and a t-shirt along with her 5 inch black heels. This greatly affected her purpose of going to the gym to workout because not only were people looking at her confused but our workout instructor told her some of the moves we were going to do she would have to take them off or she would hurt herself. Watching her perform the workout in heels for most of the time did stir up the gym atmosphere and she was brave enough to do such thing because I could just imagine having pain after wearing heels during a workout with much motion. My friend obviously looked out of place in her heels during a workout and the people showed much confusion on their face. Next time your at the Angela Athletic Facility look around you to see how many women are wearing heels while working out because it is not common in this type of atmosphere. The atmosphere is full of activities going on involving one to move around and heels would leave one in pain leaving the Angela Athletic Facility.

Girl, Interrupted

Seeing Girl, Interrupted for the first time I'd have to say it was a pretty intriguing movie. It kept my attention throughout the whole movie and made me recall back to the article we read in class, "The Yellow Wallpaper." Looking at the craziness of the women in the mental hospital made me realize how much of a less intense life Susanna was living and managing her problems. Although the bottle of vodka and the bottle of aspirin were a major destruction to the body, one could agree it to be a sign of suicide. From looking at today's society celebrities overdosing has become more prevalent. For Example, Brittany Murphy and Micheal Jackson, two important celebrities dying from overdosing. Has this changed the way one looks towards their problems? We look at the 1800's and the 1900's differently because of technology and drugs being available but the conditions are still similar within the lives of the women from the movie and today's lifestyle of many women.

Hello Class!

For me, writing is like hitting a golf ball..you can hit it off the tee or the ground but it takes much practice in order to hit and control the perfect shot.

1) My strengths as a writer are being creative and developing good points on my papers.

2) I need to improve my writing by developing clearer ideas. I also need to work on my thesis statements.

3) I would like to work on having a stronger thesis in my papers. I also would like to work on developing my paper with better structure in order to get my point across.