Dasia Alexander

“The Family of Little Feet” was the vignette that shocked me since it portrayed the girls in the story as both confident and vulnerable at the same time. The girls wore their high-heeled shoes and went out into the world in search of freedom and adventure, but they were also aware of the dangers that come with being a young lady. It amazed me how willing the girls were to take chances and have fun despite the possible consequences of their behavior. “Red Clowns” was the vignette that grabbed my interest since it had examples of symbolism that had me thinking about the story’s significance. The red clowns symbolized the demands put on women to be cheerful and entertaining, even when they may not feel that way. The clowns’ red paint also made me think about how society regards women’s feelings as too emotional or illogical. The story raised many issues for me regarding women’s roles in society and the expectations placed on them. “The Three Sisters” vignette caused me to be a little puzzled since it was loaded with metaphors and symbols that I didn’t completely comprehend. The three sisters symbolized different phases of life, but I wasn’t sure what the colors they wore or the goods they carried meant. The vignette left me confused and interested.    

In “Little Snow White,” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton it can be made easier to understand by Bettleheim’s beliefs on fairy tales. Fairy tales, according to a certain theory, help people examine their unconscious brains and deal with psychological concerns. This is true in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” since the protagonist’s thoughts and ambitions ultimately lead to her tragedy. Another theory holds that the evil stepmother in “Little Snow White” depicts the ego’s desire for power and control. This is important in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” since the opponent is the protagonist’s ego. Bettleheim’s perspectives help in understanding the themes in these works. Similarly, Anne Sexton’s poem “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” explores into the original fairy tale’s darker elements, such as envy and the desire for power. Sexton’s description of Snow White’s interaction with the dwarfs is especially outstanding since she presents them as flawed persons with their own fears and goals. This is consistent with Bettleheim’s finding that fairy tales help people to confront their own psychological issues by projecting them onto fictitious characters.

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is about a girl named Connie who comes across a man who is not very kind to her. The story discusses several interpretations of the event, such as viewing it as a fairy tale or a story about how awful things may happen in our society. However, the story also states that there is no straightforward explanation for the story’s meaning. The story is like a warning to young people about the awful things that may happen in America. Connie, the main character, is like many young people at the time who were unaware of the threats in the world. Arnold Friend is a nasty character who deceives and harms others. The story warns young girls to be cautious and mindful of the dangers that may arise. Regarding Rena Korb’s essay, I believe that she is suggesting that some people may perceive Arnold as a representation of either the devil or the potential consequences of giving up our freedom to someone who is harmful. The story also serves as a lesson to beware of caution as well as to be aware of putting our trust in others and the places we travel to.

In “How to Read a Poem,” Edward Hirsch notes that while studying a poem, readers frequently make three incorrect assumptions. I discovered after reading William Butler Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” that I had assumed the poem was straightforward and lacked deeper depth. However, after reading Hirsch’s paper, I realized that this assumption was incorrect. The poem’s simple language and structure can be deceiving, since there are deeper themes at work, such as a desire for isolation and a simpler existence in nature. Overall, reading these poems has taught me the value of not forming preconceptions when approaching a new poem. I was able to better comprehend the speaker’s desire for a simpler existence in nature and the romantic theme present in the poem by paying great attention to the language and imagery used.                                                

The author and literary work I am focusing on for my literary essay is “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara. My thesis statement of my literary essay is: “Through the use of various literary devices and characterizations, Toni Cade Bambara’s ‘The Lesson’ highlights the themes of social and economic inequality, the importance of education, and the transformative power of knowledge.” To support my thesis,  I feel that using secondary sources that analyze the symbolism and characterization in “The Lesson” and the historical and social context of the story would be helpful. The BMCC databases I have explored to date include JSTOR and Gale Literature Criticism. I found several articles and essays analyzing “The Lesson” in these databases, but I chose “Economic Inequality and Social Justice in Toni Cade Bambara’s ‘The Lesson'” by Linda Sue Grimes and “Bambara’s the Lesson” by Jerome Cartwright. These sources provided valuable insights into the themes and literary techniques used in the story, as well as the historical and social context in which it was written.

I was very impressed by Kate Chopin’s “Story of An Hour,” she effectively combines comedy and tragedy in my opinion. My concern was amplified by the Victorian era’s setting when I considered the restrictive lifestyle women were expected to live during the period. I was immediately drawn to Mrs. Mallard’s excitement and sense of freedom after learning of her husband’s unexpected death. Yet as I continued to read I observed her go from crying to daydreaming of a life free of her husband’s influence, and my feelings swiftly changed. I was baffled and astonished by the ending’s unexpected twist; I never imagined that her spouse would still be alive. My heart sank as Mrs. Mallard’s joy turned into a shocking surprise and ultimately led to her tragic death from a heart attack.  

As I read the short story”A Good Man is Hard to Find,” I noticed the story’s interior depth. It discusses various issues, including racial prejudice, stereotyping, humanism, and religion, using colorful language and imagery that draws the reader’s attention to the author’s point of view. One of the most striking examples of stereotyping in the narrative is shown by the grandmother and The Misfit’s opinions. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the grandmother maintains feelings of racial biases, which are reflected in her behavior and vocabulary. But, as the story goes, we see her prejudices and judgments eventually shift, resulting in a total transformation of her character. This transition does not end with the grandma. The character of The Misfit is similarly portrayed as a stereotype, with his criminal past and violent actions overlooking any possibilities for compassion or understanding. In addition to the themes of stereotyping and prejudice, the story also explores themes of humanism and religion. The grandmother’s transformation, from a self-centered and manipulative character to a more empathetic and self-aware one, is indicative of a larger message about the power of humanism. Through her experiences and interactions with The Misfit, she is forced to confront her own prejudices and shortcomings, ultimately leading to a more profound understanding of herself and the world around her.

In my opinion, the timeless human experiences and behaviors I discovered while reading Oedipus the King are the attitudes of the characters in the play, such as the behaviors of wife Jocasta and King Oedipus. In my perspective, the King is intelligent, but he also has a great sense of knowingness which can cause him to seem as if he has a big ego. I had the impression that the characters’ realistic characteristics are ingrained in their personality, as seen by their behavior throughout the play. Since he vows what he feels is right, the king displays indications of rage as well as arrogance. The play also depicts the humanistic experience of incest, as he murders his father and marries his mother. Jocasta’s discussions and conversations are another example of humanistic behaviors.  

The citizens of Thebes are the chorus in Oedipus the King, and they may be considered background voices as well as the jury in the community since they are listening to both sides of the narrative and even begin to question and confront some of their questions and views. The chorus is used to convey emotion, sentiments, opinions, and even to answer audience questions. (470)”We look at this man’s words and yours, my king, and we find both have spoken them in anger. We need no angry words but only thought how we may best hit the God’s meaning for us.” I chose this passage because it exemplifies the chorus’s thoughts and how honest they are; they are basically expressing that the King and Creon have both shared some words out of fury and pride at first, I felt as if although the citizens are loyal to the king, I felt as if the chorus was on Creon’s side as if they believed him until a certain point of time. I believe that the chorus provides the necessary back-and-forth to keep the play flowing.

In the beginning of the short story Araby, I would describe the young boy as being very affectionate and sensitive. Due to the fact the boy has a huge crush on Mangan’s sister he is very descriptive of her as well as how he watches her from a distance and infatuates about her. He shows signs of desperation as he sits and thinks about her daily and even begins to fantasize about her and he begins to think about having a future with her. He changes by the end of the story because he starts to feel rejected and discouraged due to the fact he wasn’t able to attend the Bazaar as planned and was unable to purchase a gift for her due to the fact he arrived late and doesn’t have enough money. He becomes disappointed which makes him realize that he was going over board with his feelings for Mangan’s sister.

The first character I picked was the main character, whose name I believe is Sylvia; her reaction to the experience of visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store was first embarrassment and ashamed, but by the end, it had transformed into a type of motivation for her. I say this because when she approached the toy store, she felt ashamed and pitiful as she proceeded to open the door. I believe she felt this way because of her upbringing; her views of some things were already tampered with by what her family could afford. But, in the end, she states, “I ain’t going to let anyone beat me at nothing,” which, in my opinion, suggests that she will do whatever it takes to achieve in life. Sugar, the second character I picked, had a similar reaction to her cousin Sylvia’s to the experience of visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store, but she was more receptive to the lesson that was being given. I say this because she had the same feelings as Sylvia when they first entered the toy store, which were embarrassment, shame, and pity, but when they returned home and Ms.Moore asked what she thought of the toy store, she was honest and admitted that none of their families could afford to eat as much as the price of the toy sailboat. She viewed this as a sign that having an equal likelihood of happiness means having an equal chance of making money and living as well as the wealthy.  

I would characterize the boy in the story as genuine since he didn’t feel good lying to the church or his aunt about meeting Jesus. Although, at that early age, he is unable to relate the reality of physically seeing Jesus to a mental element, therefore he is frustrated that he does not get to see Jesus. I would characterize him as youngminded and eager since he was really ready and willing to accept the holy spirit from Jesus at several points in the short narrative. Because of his aunt’s lack of explanation, his thinking and feelings about Jesus had shifted by the end of the narrative. By the end of the story he changed because he lost trust in Jesus since he couldn’t see him.. Langston had completely lost faith in Christ.  He also felt like a liar because he lied to the church and his aunt  

I believe you assigned the short story “The Handsomest Drowned Man” because it not only teaches a lesson but it also puts magical realism into perspective; The author speaks about a small village in which a giant is washed up on shore and his presence causes the people of the town to imagine different theories and feelings about him.  Although the drowned man is not unbelievable, the reaction he elicits from the villagers is unexpected and propels the story into the realm of magical realism.  There are many different opinions/takeaways from this story, but I feel as if the main thing is magical realism because the author causes the reader to imagine and even fantasize about how the main character who they label as “Estaban” is. ‘The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,’ in my opinion, can be interpreted as a fable that focuses on the power of the imagination.