Falaq

The ability to fully comprehend the stories/poems we read was, in my opinion, the most successful part of this English 201 course. I believe that reading it in class via Zoom made it more engaging because I was able to hear it through multiple voices. I believe I could have done better on the essay. My writing has always been quite strong since high school, and I even had an achievement certificate in writing; however, in this English course, I noticed several flaws in my writing that could have been improved, so I was unhappy. Some abilities I learned in this class that could be useful in the real world are research and presentation skills. I believe having strong and confident speech/vocabulary can be really useful in real world experiences.

The vignette “My Name” from the House on Mango Street struck out to me. This felt relatable since, I struggled with my name. When I first came to the United States, I was in second grade. I didn’t know how to speak correct English and was really shy at the time, since I was also very young. I recall telling the teacher my name was Falaq, and she never pronounced it correctly; after four tries, I gave up and stuck with the mispronounced name she said, which was Faliq. From second to sixth grade, I was known as Faliq. Even today people still pronounce my name wrong, it is very rare for me to hear someone pronounce my name correctly.

Raymond Carver’s and Joyce Carol Oates writing takes on different styles several ways. Carver takes a pared-down style in “Cathedral,” focusing on minimalism and plain communication. He uses basic language to express a feeling of reality, focusing on everyday occurrences and allowing readers to draw deeper meanings from the interactions between people. For example, Carver’s descriptions are limited, but the deeper meaning is full with passion, such as when the blind guy and the narrator bond while painting a church. In comparison, Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” uses a more thorough and richly descriptive approach. Her writing is full of rich imagery, which adds tension and creates an exciting setting. The first scene, in which she explains Connie’s duality is an excellent example of her careful style, “Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home.” Oates use of rich descriptions draws readers into the characters inner and outside worlds, resulting in a deeper narrative setting. As a result, while Carver’s method is more specific , Oates approach is broader and more diverse.

I believe “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is not the same kind of horror as a scary movie because in the movies you are being shown the scary parts or scene but as your reading, you can imagine it in any way you want, so I feel like imagery plays a big role. Also, the language and symbolism can also be taken in variety of ways depending on the readers own thinking. The author of the story uses very deep language and imagery which invites readers to create a situation in their head while reading. Unlike movies, readers can choose the pace, allowing deeper involvement and more complex emotional experiences. This combination of language and imagery increases the fear by creating a more personal, specific, thought provoking, and terrifying experience unlike in the movies you aren’t able to control what you’re seeing and go along with the pace of the movie.  

I’m thinking of contrasting certain fairytales with Beauty and the Beast for my research project. In contrast to other fairytales, Beauty and the Beast, in my opinion, had a unique ending in which the princess had to save the prince. In certain instances, the prince also manages to save Belle from her situation. I think the story also touches on a topic I can talk about, which is sincere love without regard to appearances. The whole point of the curse, which is that because the beast is horrific and a beast, he cannot find love the way he is, is that the only way the beast could become normal again was by discovering genuine love. This is an intriguing topic to discuss. The tale overturns the idea that he is a beast and will never find real love. Therefore, I think this tale was a little different from the others, such as Snow White or Cinderella, where the princes always fall in love at first sight. The beast in Beauty and the Beast is seen to be going through a character development as he does his best to win her affection and prove himself I have some trouble finding articles on the BMCC Library, I’m still trying to look for some.

The Grimm Brothers’ “Snow White” gave me a valuable viewpoint on the fairytale. When I was younger, I read Snow White and saw the movie, so I saw it from a different angle. It used to seem like a sweet fairytale to me. Growing up, though, and rereading works by both familiar and new authors. It seems to provide a message, that much has been observed. For instance, the stepmother hurts Snow White because she is envious. It also demonstrated the gullibility of some people, as Snow White was one example. Despite the fact that she fell into the stepmother’s trap three times, she gained insight from it. It also demonstrates the father’s absence from it. The father is never mentioned in the fairytale or seen to be shielding her in any way. The prince was the only reason she felt safe and was able to flee. Overall, this helped me grasp deeper and various points of view.

I would have overlooked the importance of the parental role if I hadn’t read the article before reading the story. I think it would have been important for the parents to have a say in it, even though the grandma gets all the spotlight. They didn’t appear to be discussed much, and they gave off the impression of being rather absent parents. Even when they were dealing with the outcast, the father remained silent and did not say or do anything. With her kids, the mother also gave off the impression of being absent and uninvolved. The grandmother’s pride and selfishness was not discussed in the story. Her priorities, such as finding the home from her past, took priority over her family’s well being. It seems as though the parents, although having children, have no obligations. It appears as though they are not parenting their children. Additionally, it seems as though Bailey, the husband, has no obligations as a man. It’s as if he failed his wife and kids by not intervening to save them when the Misfit kidnaps the family. They also don’t enforce rules for their kids. They don’t punish or interfere with them, allowing them to act and do as they choose.

My understanding of Oedipus the King is about a six out of ten. In my opinion, because we are so used to modern English, the vocabulary or wording was a little hard to grasp. That was the main reason for why the play’s old English made it difficult to understand. That being said, I did enjoy reading the play, and it was more enjoyable when my classmates got to play characters. I found the play to be interesting.If I had to choose, I would like Creon to play the part. Through his interactions with Oedipus, we were able to look at morality and the relationship between power and authority. Creon’s transformation from a loyal subject to a troubled king was interesting.

I’d give my ability for understanding poetry a seven out of ten.Poetry has a ton of fascinating, often difficult to understand phrases. William Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day” was one of the poems that I truly liked. This poem, which talks about love and beauty that never fades, is one of my favorites since it uses such lovely language. Because the poem discusses topics that are universal, like love and nature, it is also simpler to understand. To help the reader in memory of the main idea, it repeats several sentences and uses simple language. It conveys a clear message, the person being addressed is more beautiful than a summer’s day, and their beauty will never fade.

I chose the quote, “Literature is the art of discovering something extraordinary about ordinary people, and saying with ordinary words something extraordinary”. The story I chose was “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant. I believe this story connects with the quote I chose because the story shows how even common people can have interesting complicated lives, just like Madame Loisel. She looked like a simple woman at first, but as story went on, we see her desires and consequences they cause. In addition, the story gives a lesson about the differences between appearances, and reality, such as Madame Loisel’s attempt to seem wealthy even if she isn’t. In conclusion the story is simple worded, it is a interesting story showing us deep ideas and emotions that is shown through everyday language.

In the student essay about “Araby” by James Joyce, the student should specify the human condition that is being discussed. Also, the sentence is vague and doesn’t go into details, backing what the student is trying to comply. The student also doesn’t explain how the author encourages readers to examine the details that is being mentioned. If I was to rewrite in a way that offers specific details, I would include how the author encourages readers. I would also include the human conditions to give the readers an insight of the story more. I would explain how the narrator’s character is intricate, that would give more background information about the narrator to better help explain to someone who hasn’t read the story. Overall, the student’s sentence needed a few specific details to get the perfect sentence.

Toni Cade’s “The Lesson” covers many societal issues, emphasizes the need of education, and has many hidden meanings. But what first drew my attention was the writing style. The story is engaging to read because of its important elements and details. The story is told by the main character, Sylvia, in her own words, and it has an intriguing conversational flow. The story also has a great way of symbolism. For example, the way money is mentioned frequently, for instance, it hints to something far more important. “Toys and Tales” is the title I would give this tale. I chose this title because I think the most important lesson was learned in the toy store, when they observed how their lives differed from those of people who could afford them.

James Joyce’s story “Araby” tells a story of a boy who goes to a Bazaar named Araby hoping to buy a girl he likes a gift. Though he paints a picture of the Bazaar as a magnificent place, his actual experience there is unimpressive. The story illustrates how growing up can be frustrating and demoralizing, and how occasionally the things we truly want don’t live up to our expectations. It’s about knowing that our dreams and realities differ at times and yet yearning for something greater. I personally can relate to this because it’s similar to recalling an occasion when you had a strong need for something and, when it arrived, it didn’t meet your expectations. It’s about realizing that our expectations need to be adjusted because life doesn’t always turn out the way we had hoped.

I think you chose the short and interesting story “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez for your class because there were several intriguing literary devices throughout the novel, such as the use of magical realism, which combines fantasy and reality. Also, this story had a lot of topics that can create conversations on human nature, community, acceptance, and storytelling. Additionally the story was very unique and interesting. All things considered, the story was picked because it is engaging, rich in culture, and an appropriate spot to begin exploring into literature.