Raiza Mallol

“Darius & the Clouds” on page 34 was the vignette that surprised me the most. Darius seems like a bully but with a soft spot. He chases little girls around with a stick and thinks he’s tough, but one day he looks up and notices how beautiful the sky and clouds are. He points at one and says, “You all see that cloud, that fat one there?…See that. That’s God”. Even. though he seems like a kid with a tough exterior, this quote demonstrates he believes in God and that things that are beautiful are his or made from him. “The Family of Little Feet” on page 39 intrigued me the most. The girl’s all had a new found confidence with their “new look” when they had their heels on. But then, things took a turn. On page 41, the girl’s start to get nervous when a homeless man tries to kiss one of them and she doesn’t seem to see the danger in it. The girls all try to get away and instantly want to go back to their “old looks” because they don’t want to attract this type of attention anymore. “And Some More” puzzled me the most because Rachel, a little girl, starts to call Esperanza, the narrator, names for no reason. She calls her fat and ugly, and then talks about her mom. This seemed like she was projecting because she was making fun of Esperanza for no reason and she started it.

In “Little Snow White” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, something that consistently stands out is envy and narcissism. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” demonstrates a sort of envy because Connie, who is also completely narcissistic, often looks at others to compare their beauty to hers. This can be seen as envious because if she does find someone who is prettier or has a “better-looking” feature than her, she will do what she can- such as alter her looks- to become more beautiful than that other person.  In “Little Snow White” the theme of envy is obvious through her Step-Mother. She is so envious of her own step daughter that she is capable of killing Snow White just to become the “fairest of them all” (which she tries to do multiple times). Narcissism in “Little Snow White” is demonstrated from both the step-mother and Snow White herself. As Bettelheim mentioned, “Snow White’s narcissism nearly undoes her as she gives in twice to the disguised queen’s enticements to make her look more beautiful, while the queen is destroyed by her own narcissism” (page 203). The first two attempts that her step-mother, “the queen” made to kill Snow White were feeding her narcissism because she was trying to enhance her beauty with things that were being sold to her. Snow White was already so beautiful, but she gave into material things-a corset and a comb- that would add on to her beauty (as a corset is known for enhancing a woman’s body, and a comb that would make her hair add to her beauty). Meanwhile, her step-other’s narcissism clearly shows through her trying to bring Snow White to her demise, just to make her the most beautiful on the land, and the […]

My interpretation of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates was a story of dark, evil and power taking over innocence. In the article by Rena Korb, she states different interpretations of the story and I see her point in all of them. Early in the story, Oates made it clear that Connie was prettier than most and that she herself was aware of it as well. Connie was very much into appearances-which was what “allowed” the whole encounter between her and Arnold Friend in the first place (she liked his appearance). In the story their first encounter was also intriguing to her. “It was a boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold. He stared at her and then his lips widened into a grin. Connie slit her eyes at him and turned away, but she couldn’t help glancing back and there he was, still watching her. He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby,’….” This was Connie’s first time seeing Arnold Friend. While he was consistent on trying to get her to come outside of her house, Connie held her ground and did not actually step out-she knew well enough not to since she didn’t know him. Once Connie starts getting afraid, she starts feeling like if her heart, that is pounding so heavily, is no longer hers as well as her own body that she felt shaking. This is the dark and evil presence getting in her head and taking control. At the end of the story, she ends up getting out of the house and going with/towards him because he manipulates her by saying, “‘…Be nice to me, be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but […]

 “Most readers make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem.” While reading “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway, I made the first assumption- “they should understand what they encounter on the first reading, and if they don’t, that something is wrong with them or with the poem.” This is the assumption I always make while reading poems. “White Lies” was a poem that I reread to make sure I understood it. It is about someone who is of mixed-race and lives in a neighborhood of more colored people, but can pass as a “white girl”. The narrator states that they can say they live “uptown”, which they seem to think is a better area than where they really live. At first, I thought the reading was about a kid lying to fit in, but then I realized it is someone struggling with identity and lying to figure out which race is “more them”. While reading “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks, I made the second assumption-“the poem is a kind of code, that each detail corresponds to one, and only one, thing, and unless they can crack this code, they’ve missed the point.” I didn’t understand what the “code” was so I moved onto the next poem. I came back to it and realized it wasn’t so difficult to understand. I believe the poem is about a group of kids who drop out and think they are cool because they do their own thing and defy authority. I think the narrator sees their group as “thugs” because of their comment in the last line “We die soon”. It is a known topic that if you are apart of the “thug-life” you risk losing your life to “the streets”.

“Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique” In my opinion, this means in order to understand a poem you have to use the correct tone. For example, when it comes to William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the Sun” I would not read it in a happy and positive tone. I read it with more of an annoyed or distasteful tone because he is analyzing his mistress and almost comparing to other women who are attractive or “appealing” to him; meanwhile his mistress is not. “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight, Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.” I, for one, am not big on reading poetry because I usually have to reread it multiple times in order to fully understand what I am reading. For example, William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” I had to go back for a second time, half way through after getting an idea of what I was reading. The language also plays a part in the “technique” of reading a poem. The way writers used words such as “hath” instead of has, “thou” instead of you, and abbreviations such as “grow’st”, “ow’st”, and “wand’rest”. These are all tongue twisters in my opinion and can be all be factors in your understanding of the reading.

The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” share similarities in their expressions of deep affection and love, but also exhibit differences in their use of poetic elements. In terms of themes, both the poem and the card express deep affection and love towards someone. The Browning sonnet describes a profound love that includes all aspects of life, from the physical to the emotional, while the card speaks of trusting someone deeply and valuing their presence. In terms of poetic elements, both the poem and the card use words and imagery to convey emotions. The Browning sonnet uses vivid imagery such as “depth and breadth and height” and “ends of being and ideal grace” to express the vast and intense love of the teller. The card, on the other hand, uses simpler language, but still demonstrates the view of love through sayings such as “help me through” and “favorite memories.” Overall, the Browning sonnet leans towards a more organized expression of love, while the card has a more casual one.

My Research essay will be on Langston Hughes’ “Salvation”. The story focuses on faith and the power people’s words/actions have on others. My thesis will be “Through an analysis of his personal experience, Langston Hughes explores the themes of faith, disillusionment, and the power of false narratives in Christianity.” I will be using literary critiques and biographies to support my thesis. Literary critiques will give me another opinion on the author’s beliefs/experiences in faith. Biographies about the author will help me better understand the author and his work. JSTOR and BMCC databases to find secondary sources. I have searched both and, so far, JSTOR has been more beneficial to me/for my work. I have found a few articles that will help in better understanding the author and his experiences.

This week the readings were “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, “Love Poem 17: The Wife” by Emily DIckinson, and “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, I was surprised by “The Necklace”. It surprised me how at the end of the story Madame Loisel sees Madame Forestier and approaches her to tell her how about the replacement necklace. It was remarkable and showed how proud of herself Madame Loisel was because she told her the truth about the hard work she went through to pay off her debt. I was surprised to hear from Madame Forestier that it was a fake necklace. In my opinion, this would be something that she could have very easily heard about considering the amount of people Madame Loisel and her husband had to borrow money from in order to pay it off. I feel like it is definitely something that could have been mentioned before. I was intrigued by “Love Poem: 17” because in very few words, Dickinson demonstrated how the wife “dropped” her life to take on the role of a wife and became what her husband required of her as his significant other. This caught my attention because many times in life we unfortunately hear how a woman drops everything around her to become what a man wants or needs of her. Therefore, it was something that was, in a way, relatable. I was puzzled by “Story of an Hour”. From my understanding, Mrs. Mallard was someone who was not in a healthy relationship with her husband, which is why she was yelling “Free! Free!” when she was by herself after hearing of his death. She maybe felt relieved because she was no longer going to have to deal with him. It was shocking to me to find out he was […]

“Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor is a tragedy. I agree with O’Connor when she writes that readers “should know what is going to happen in this story so that the element of suspense in it will be transferred from its surface to its interior.” While reading the story, I did predict that The Misfit would want them all killed as soon as he told Bobby Lee, for the second time, to watch the kids because they “make him nervous” (line 82). In its interior, I feel that the beginning of the story is about a woman who wants her grandchildren to learn to appreciate the things around them: the scenery, the people, and the stories she had to tell. Even though she was ignorant and didn’t realize how her behavior and the things she was saying was offensive, I think she had a good intention-with the kids at least. Towards the end, I feel the story is about a man who is so angry with his upbringing that he takes it out on random people who have no significance for him as a way to heal his inner child. In the story, The Misfit saw the accident happen and then waited to approach the group, as if he was waiting for it or like he expected it to happen. After he approached them he told his story to the Old Lady, which I saw as a way for him to try and justify his actions, as he was having the others killed. He then maybe feels remorse because he tells Bobby Lee that there is no fun in killing people, yet it’s something he regularly does.

“Oedipus the King” is a reflection of the shared human experience of suffering throughout all of human history. Oedipus is responsible for his own misery, yet he is unable to free himself from the consequences of his actions. This is a reflection of misery and how one’s suffering can be brought on by our own actions, whether through ignorance or carelessness. The tragedy that came upon Oedipus serves as a demonstration of suffering and illustrates how, depending on the circumstances, this experience can be both inescapable and unavoidable. Another human experience that is revealed throughout the play is pride. Because of his pride, Oedipus was not able to come to his senses and try to accept his “fate”, as the Chorus was trying to get him to do. Him not being able to accept his fate leads to his own demise. This is a reflection of the human experience of pride and how it can lead us to make decisions that would end up bringing about our own pain.

When I was younger and teachers would give Greek Mythology to read, I really enjoyed it. I always enjoyed reading things people went by, or believed in, in the past-like Greek Mythology. I was pleased to read “Oedipus the King”. I will admit it was a slow start but as I continued reading, it picked up and I found myself intrigued in the play. Lines 993-1008 state: “May destiny ever find me pious in word and deed prescribed by the laws that live on high: laws begotten in the clear air of heaven, whose only father is Olympus; no mortal nature brought them to birth, no forgetfulness shall lull them to sleep; for God is great in them and grows not old…But I pray that the God may never abolish the eager ambition that profits the state. For I shall never cease to hold the God as our protector.” I have chosen this passage because in my opinion it demonstrates how powerful is their feeling and belief in their god. They recognize him as their protector and will have the utmost respect for him regardless of anything to come. They put him first and see to him as their creator, and believe that he lives in them timelessly. This passage stood out to me because it portrayed how strong their belief was and how regardless of what was happening, or what was to happen, they still had faith and hope- which was inspiring.

I choose Sylvia and Sugar. In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, we get to see when someone “less fortunate” sort of experiences a “more fortunate” person’s toy store or shopping day. At first, all the kids would bunch up at the window of the store to see the price tags when they saw something they were interested in. Then when it came time to go into the store, Sylvia and Sugar both felt like maybe they didn’t belong in that store. On page 5 of the text it states, “Only she don’t lead the way. So me and Sugar turn the corner to where the entrance is, but when we get there I kinda hang back. Not that I’m scared, what’s there to be afraid of, just a toy store. But I feel funny, shame. But what I got to be shamed about? Got as much right to go in as anybody. But somehow I can’t seem to get hold of the door, so I step away from Sugar to lead. But she hangs back too.” Based on this story, I could tell that Sylvia is usually not ashamed of her money or where she comes from. But here, I see how she felt intimidated to go into the store where she could not afford anything. It must have been so tempting, so aggravating, having to walk around the store seeing everything and not being able to have it. And seeing everyone, the type of people who can afford these things, buying whatever they wanted. This brings me to Sugar. Sugar and Sylvia are very similar. What stood out to me though, was Sugar’s response to what she thought about the toy store. “Sugar surprises me by sayin, ‘You know, Miss Moore, I don’t think all of us here […]

The boy in “Salvation” by Langston Hughes is strong-willed, conscious, and was very aware of his actions. In the story, Hughes was strong-willed because he stood his ground when everyone in the Church, including his aunt, wanted him to stand up and go to the front with all the other children. In chapter 3, Hughes states “Westley and I were surrounded by sisters and deacons praying. It was very hot in the church, and getting late now. Finally Westley said to me in a whisper: ‘God damn! I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved.’ So he got up and was saved. Then I was left all alone on the mourners’ bench.” This demonstrates Langston Hughes was strong-willed because he stayed sitting while his friend, Westley, went up in front of the church because he said he was “tired of sitting” and went ahead and joined the other kids. Hughes felt like it was not yet his time so he did not decide to get up with the others. Hughes was very conscious. He knew what he was doing and he knew his goal. He was waiting to see Jesus physically. In my opinion, he did not fully understand the “concept” in the belief of Jesus. He thought he was going to physically get saved and did not do so, because he never actually saw Jesus. In the end of the story, Langston Hughes was very aware because after he was home, he regretted lying to his aunt, and to everyone in the church, and he felt so ashamed that he even cried to himself while he was in bed. He stated, “I cried, in bed alone, and couldn’t stop…[my aunt] woke up and told my uncle I was crying because the Holy Ghost had come into […]

After reading “The Handsomest Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I feel that this story was assigned to us as the first story of the course to demonstrate how strong imagination is. (Maybe some stories we read will be focused on imagination). In this story I took notice of how strong the idea of “Esteban” was. Many people gravitated towards him, many wanted to be him, and many wanted to be with him. Without knowing him, everyone glorified him and placed him on a pedestal, only based on stories that they heard, through the power of imagination. Very often in death, people bring out the best of the person, and this is how they commemorate them. In “The Handsomest Drowned Man”, Marquez made it important to showcase “Esteban” as a god-like figure, in my opinion. A god is someone who is worshipped, or looked up to, by others. Everyone in the story was making Esteban seem as a role model, or the person to be, or be with. This was all done through imagination which, to me, made the story seem like a “realistic myth” that was told back in the day.