One vignette from “The House on Mango Street” that surprised me was “First Job.” It was unexpected because Esperanza’s experience working at a photo development shop didn’t turn out as she had hoped. I was surprised to see that her job was ordinary and unfulfilling, challenging the idea that a first job always leads to personal growth. “The Family of Little Feet” intrigued me because it reminded me of my own experiences wearing dress shoes like cap-toe Oxford shoes. Like the girls in the story, putting on those shoes made me feel grown-up for a little while and empowerment. But just like them, I also faced discomfort and people judging me. It made me realize that wearing those shoes wasn’t as easy as I thought. This part of the story showed me how shoes can make you feel different, but also how they can bring challenges and make you think about who you are. “The Three Sisters” vignette in “The House on Mango Street” puzzled me because it introduced mysterious elements not found in other chapters. When Esperanza meets the three old aunts, their wish and confusing words about her name and a warning left me confused. I couldn’t understand the deeper meaning behind their predictions and the role of destiny compared to our own lives. It made me wonder about the supernatural and what it meant for the story.
Tony Ng Wu
Both “Little Snow White” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” highlight the importance of making smart decisions and the potential consequences of making risky choices. In “Little Snow White,” Snow White’s decision to eat the poisoned apple from a stranger, even though clearly it was a risky decision, leads to her downfall. until she is rescued by the prince’s kiss. Similarly, in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Connie’s decision to flirt with a stranger and ignore her better judgment ultimately puts her in a dangerous situation and potentially worse consequences. Both stories serve as warning us about the dangers of trusting strangers and making rash decisions. By showing the negative consequences that can result from poor decision making, these stories encourage us to think critically about our own actions and the potential risks involved. It serves as a reminder for us to make smarter decisions and avoid making impulsive ones.
After reading Rena Korb’s critical overview of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, I believe that the story can be interpreted in various ways, including as an inverted fairy tale, a tale of initiation into a depraved American culture, and a feminist allegory. However, I also noticed some other themes that were not explicitly mentioned by Korb. One of the themes that stood out to me was the idea of teenage rebellion and the consequences that can come with it. Connie is a typical teenager who wants to break free from her family and their values. She sees herself as mature and independent, but her encounter with Arnold Friend teaches her a harsh lesson about the dangers of the real world. This theme is relevant to today’s society where young people often feel the pressure to act like adults before they are ready. Another theme that I noticed is the power dynamics between men and women. Arnold Friend’s manipulation and control over Connie reflect a larger societal issue of men exerting dominance over women. The story highlights the vulnerability of women in such situations and their struggle to assert their own agency. Overall, the story is multi-layered and open to interpretation. The themes of teenage rebellion and power dynamics between men and women, along with the other interpretations suggested by Korb, make it a thought-provoking and complex story.
When I first read W.B. Yeats’ poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” I assumed it was about someone who wants to escape to a remote island and live a peaceful life. However, after reading Edward Hirsch’s article “How to Read a Poem,” I realized that there’s more to the poem. One of the false assumptions I made was that the poem was only about physical escape from the city. Upon closer inspection of the lines “And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings,” I realized that the speaker is seeking not just physical peace, but also emotional and spiritual peace. Another false assumption I made was that the repetition of the line “I will arise and go now” was just a way to emphasize the speaker’s desire to leave the city. However, Hirsch points out that repetition in poetry can often have a deeper meaning, such as emphasizing the speaker’s determination to make a change in their life.
The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” are both expressions of love, but they have some key differences. The Browning sonnet is a classic example of Romantic poetry, with its formal structure, iambic pentameter, and rhyming scheme. The language is elevated, using images of nature and divine love to express the depth and breadth of the speaker’s feelings. In contrast, the greeting card lyrics are more casual and conversational, using simple language and repetition to create a rhythmic effect. The main similarity between the two poems is their focus on love and the intensity of emotions that come with it. However, while the Browning sonnet describes love as all-encompassing and eternal, the greeting card lyrics focus on the partner’s support and companionship as the source of their love. Overall, both poems use language and form to convey deep emotion, but in different ways that reflect their respective contexts and purposes.
The author and literary work that I am focusing on for my research essay is Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson.” My thesis statement is: In “The Lesson,” Bambara uses the setting of a toy store in Manhattan to illustrate the economic and social inequality between the privileged and marginalized characters, highlighting the barriers to social mobility that exist for lower-class Black individuals in America and emphasizing the power of consumerism in perpetuating inequality and the myth of the American Dream. To support my thesis, I plan to use secondary sources that analyze the themes of economic and social inequality, racism, and consumerism in Bambara’s work. I am also interested in exploring the historical context of the story, particularly the impact of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement on the experiences of lower-class Black individuals in America during the 1960s. I have explored the BMCC databases JSTOR and Project MUSE to date and have found several articles that analyze the themes of economic and social inequality in Bambara’s work. One article in particular, “Toni Cade Bambara’s Use of African American Vernacular English in “The Lesson”” by Valerie Babb, analyzes Bambara’s use of language in the story to convey the experiences of lower-class Black individuals. This article will be particularly useful in supporting my analysis of the language Bambara uses in “The Lesson” to highlight the stark contrast between the privileged and the marginalized characters.
In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, I found several aspects to be surprising, intriguing, and puzzling. What surprised me the most was the sudden twist ending. It was revealed that Louise’s husband was not actually dead, and this completely changed the emotional direction of the story. I was initially led to believe that Louise was happy to be free from her marriage, but then the story takes a dramatic turn, leaving me feeling shocked and surprised. What intrigued me was the complexity of the characters and the societal norms that governed their lives. Louise’s reaction to her husband’s supposed death was not straightforward, and her range of emotions added depth to her character. The story also challenged the reader’s expectations of a 19th-century marriage, which was fascinating to consider. What puzzled me was the ambiguous ending, which left me with unanswered questions. It was unclear whether Louise’s death was caused by shock, joy, or a combination of both. This ambiguity added to the emotional depth of the story, leaving me feeling puzzled and reflective. Overall, “The Story of an Hour” was a thought-provoking story that left a lasting impression on me.
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor is a story that operates on two levels. On the surface, it is a tale of a family’s encounter with a violent criminal, and the suspense that comes with the possibility of violence and death. However, O’Connor also uses this story as a vehicle to explore deeper themes related to sin, grace, and redemption. At its core, the story is about the moral and spiritual journey of the grandmother. Initially portrayed as a selfish and judgmental character, the grandmother experiences a transformation as she comes face to face with the Misfit. Through this encounter, O’Connor raises questions about the nature of evil, the possibility of redemption, and the role of faith in shaping our lives. The story suggests that even the most flawed and sinful individuals can potentially experience a moment of grace and redemption, and that this experience may come in unexpected ways. By knowing what is going to happen on the surface, we are able to fully appreciate the interior themes of the story and the questions it raises about human nature and the human condition.
The chosen passage from the antistrophe of the Chorus in Oedipus the King is rich with beautiful language that invokes powerful mythological figures. The Chorus calls upon Athene, Artemis, and Phoebus, three of the most revered gods in ancient Greek mythology, to come to their aid in a time of great crisis. The language used to describe these deities is particularly noteworthy. Athene is called the “deathless daughter of Zeus,” highlighting her divine status and immortal nature. Artemis is described as the “Earth Upholder,” emphasizing her connection to the natural world and the vital role she plays in sustaining life on Earth. Phoebus is called the “Far Shooter,” a reference to his role as a god of archery, and his ability to shoot arrows across great distances. The Chorus then implores these three gods to come to their aid, asking them to drive away the flames of destruction that threaten their land. The use of the word “ruin” emphasizes the gravity of the situation, and the urgency of the Chorus’s plea. Overall, this passage is a prime example of the Chorus’s ability to use beautiful language to invoke powerful mythological figures and convey the depth of emotion and urgency felt by the citizens of Thebes in this time of crisis. Quote: “First I call on you, Athene, deathless daughter of Zeus, and Artemis, Earth Upholder, who sits in the midst of the marketplace in the throne which men call Fame, and Phoebus, the Far Shooter, three averters of Fate, come to us now, if ever before, when ruin rushed upon the state, you drove destruction’s flame away out of our land.” (Lines 189-195)
In the short story ‘‘The Lesson’’ by Toni Cade Bambara is about a group of children living in a poor area of New York City who are taken on a trip to a wealthy neighborhood. The two main figures I chose are Miss Moore, a highly educated local teacher, and Sylvia, a pupil on summer holiday. The main character immediately describes her crowded, scarcely populated neighborhood. As the narrative goes on, Miss Moore concludes that it would be best for the kids to purchase gifts in a more affluent area. Most adults in the city of F.A.O. Schwartz pay for their own accommodation, but most children reside in government-subsidized housing. Like a woman wearing a mink coat in the summer, Sylvia immediately observes the stark socioeconomic differences between affluent White people and disadvantaged Black people. Sylvia receives four dollars from Miss Moore at the end of the tour, which she saves for herself. Although it’s conceivable that some will assume Sylvia is stealing the cash from Miss Moore, I think is more likely that she has just lately learned the value of money. This is clear because from the fact that she had no idea how much money she had before heading to the toy store, particularly when she was in the cab. Sylvia had stolen Miss Moore’s four dollars, but she had also learned a valuable lesson. Miss Moore decides to teach the kids about their living situations and how they should work to change how other people view them. Sylvia, a student, learned a lot from stealing to learning a moral even how vast the differences are, they can still prove their worth in the future. This is something that happens throughout the entire novel. The business, in Miss Moore’s opinion, will impart valuable lessons to the children […]
The character of the boy in Langston Hughes’ “Salvation” is a complex one. At first, the boy is shown to be naive, easily influenced, and idealistic. Even though he is only a child, he has a strong religious belief and is very dedicated to what his grandmother taught him. He also wants to know more about the idea of salvation and is eager to do so. But he is also a little bit rebellious because he doesn’t want to do what the church says or what his peers expect of him. By the end of the story, the boy’s life has changed in a big way. His idealism has been broken, and a more mature view of the world has taken its place. He has lost hope because he has learned that salvation doesn’t come from a single event or religious ritual. Instead, it comes from a long-term effort. He is also more open to the idea that the beliefs of his peers might be different from his own, and he is willing to embrace the fact that people have different ideas.
Gabriel García Márquez’s “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” is a short story that tells the tale of a drowned man floating ashore. The arrival of a dead body to the shores of the village changes everything. The man, whom the villagers name Esteban, is remarkably tall and amazingly handsome that everybody in the village start to essentially fall in love with him, giving him religious respect, and accepting him into their families. In the end, they dump his body into the sea but leave it there hoping that Esteban will float back one day. They swear to change the village into the sort of place that is worthy of Esteban. The villagers seem sympathetic and compassionate on how they treat Esteban which is noticeable by the way they treat him. It is like the villager’s desire to bury him with dignity, something that he might not have had when he was still breathing because of his size and the way he looks is so much different than others. The man ‘s death made them realize that no one is without pain and without sorrow. The villagers changed because they wanted to memorialize him by painting their houses a grey color to honor him. This story makes me think that we do not know what one is going through and should not judge one another.
