ye fang

The most successful aspect of this class for me has been learning to analyze the rhetorical devices used in literary works through reading. For instance, in “The Most Handsome Drown Man,” the repeated use of people’s fantasies to outline a future world helped me understand that I can employ various methods to enhance my writing and elevate the level of my compositions. Simultaneously, I feel I could improve my understanding of poetry, as English is not my first language. Many times, after reading a poem, I may not fully grasp its meaning and need to reread it repeatedly to slowly comprehend its significance, understanding the meaning behind its rhymes. In real life, this class has immensely helped me in understanding the meaning of others’ conversations, aiding me in improving my literary skills by using more eloquent expressions. For example, when writing speeches, I believe what I’ve learned and comprehended in this class will constantly assist me.

Through the class reading of the vignette “My Name” from *The House on Mango Street*, I shared the same troubles as the protagonist, Esperanza. I remember when I first moved from a rural village in China to New York for middle school, I couldn’t read a single word in English on my first day. When people asked for my name, I instinctively told them the Chinese pronunciation, and almost no one could say it correctly. Therefore, like other Asian kids, I ended up adopting an easy-to-pronounce English nickname, “Tom,” which I still use. However, like Esperanza, we both prefer that others accurately pronounce our names, rather than altering them just to make it easier for others to remember.

Raymond Carver’s writing style in “Cathedral” features simple tones yet deep character portrayals. He demonstrates a high level of skill in his dialogues, making them appear very natural and realistic. Through dialogue, he conveys information while also leaving gaps, allowing readers to infer the unspoken emotions and intentions between characters. His meticulous descriptions of dialogue and actions reveal the psychological states and emotional depths of the characters. This contrasts with Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s style in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” where he uses the villagers’ fantasies to enrich the narrative with multiple layers of reality. Carver focuses on concise, direct, and realistic depictions, while Marquez creates a world filled with magical and symbolic significance.

For me, the difference between reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and watching a horror movie lies in this: when we watch a horror movie, the scares are often due to external stimuli, like suddenly appearing characters or a quiet, slightly eerie whisper. These are the intense moments that horror movies present to the audience. However, when we read a horror novel, like “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, we rely on the author’s descriptions of creepy settings throughout the text and imagine if we were the protagonist, whether we would be intimidated in the same way. In the story, Connie, although not described as being physically harmed, can be imagined as despairing when she fails to resist and accepts her fate by stepping out of her house, which is unimaginable in its desperation. The story intentionally retains ambiguity and continuity at the end, allowing readers to imagine various outcomes, such as the sudden appearance of the girl’s family or a truly tragic fate for the girl. This leaves a profound impact on the reader.

In my research paper, I will seek out the revelations in metaphors found in fairy tales. For example, in the story of the Three Little Pigs, it metaphorically illustrates that only through diligent self-improvement, identifying and rectifying one’s flaws can one withstand external threats when danger arises. Throughout the effort, any shortcuts or weaknesses due to laziness will collapse when faced with danger. I found many original versions of fairy tales in the BMCC library, and after reading these stories and relying on my own experience, I believe that each fairy tale has a life lesson that the author wants to convey. This is why they are recommended for children to read and understand their meanings

During my growth, I read through an entire book of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. When I was young, I would ponder whether I would make the same decisions as the protagonists in the fairy tales or have evil thoughts like the villains. This week, we read the original text of Snow White in class, and my feeling is that most of the story content is the same as the fairy tales I read when I was young, but the ending and the details in the story are not as harmonious as the Disney version of Snow White. In the original text, Snow White’s stepmother, out of jealousy, is eventually forced by the prince to wear red-hot shoes to death. I think when I was reading fairy tales as a child, I would never think about why the stepmother wanted to kill Snow White because of jealousy over beauty, but now that I think about it carefully, this story is after all from several centuries ago, in the context of that era, the expectations and goals for women were to marry into a noble family or to achieve a better life through their beauty, and the fairy tale itself was meant for children to watch and read, as a way of educating children that beauty is not the only way out, and the real world will not always end in harmony, and that evil people should be severely punished.

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” what resonated with me the most was the absence of morality and selfishness. The grandmother, as the eldest member of the family, wished for other family members to follow her desires and guidance to fulfill her dreams, placing her own wishes above everyone else’s. In the final section of the essay, she said: “If someone had been holding a gun to her head all her life, she would have been a good person all the time.” This tells me that she is someone willing to be a good person or consider others only when her life or safety is threatened. She and the criminal are confidants who understand each other at the deepest level. Yet, it is such a confidant who understands her, who personally ends the lives of her and her family, making her pay the highest price for her selfishness. I believe that the reason the grandmother shows concern for her family at the end of the story is because someone is pointing a gun at her at that moment, threatening her life. Throughout her life, the grandmother did not spend much time thinking about others. It’s only in the last moments of her life, or when faced with a threat, that she’s willing to become such a “good person.” This demonstrates that she knows how to be a good person but chooses not to unless her life is in danger, habitually placing her own interests above the feelings of everyone else.

I will rate myself understanding “Oedipus the King” as 7.5/10,I can recognize and interpret the use of literary devices like irony (especially dramatic irony), symbolism, and foreshadowing, all of which are crucial to the play’s impact. In the story, No one can run out from the destiny.While I can understand and describe the emotional landscape of the play, I don’t experience emotions, so the emotional resonance and the tragic impact of the play on the audience are aspects I know of theoretically rather than experientially. If I could, I would like to be Creon. For me, he represents reason and power, and possesses profound wisdom. He also displays loyalty and integrity: in the play, Creon shows loyalty to his family and country. Even though he occupies an important position within the power structure, he doesn’t seem to seek more power through improper means. His actions reflect a respect for justice and order.”

In the past two weeks, we’ve focused on better understanding the meaning of poems. I’d say my ability to get poetry is halfway there. Poetry has always been a big hurdle for me in learning English. It’s hard for me to fully grasp the meaning behind the rhymes and the deeper messages. Also, figuring out what the unclear words in poems are supposed to mean is tough for me. So, usually, after I read a poem, I still don’t quite understand what it’s all about. But, I’ve found a way that helps. If I think of myself as part of the poem and read it out loud over and over, it starts to make more sense. This approach makes it easier for me to understand the poems. Before, poems felt like a puzzle I couldn’t solve. Now, by reading them out loud several times, I start to see what the poet might be trying to say. It’s like the poems speak more clearly to me this way. This new method has really changed how I see and understand poetry, making it a less daunting part of learning English.

During the global outbreak of the coronavirus, we all witnessed heart-wrenching stories firsthand, with countless people losing their loved ones, and many others passing away due to the lack of cooperation from others. In “Oedipus the King,” the people also suffered from a nationwide epidemic, just like us, placing their hopes on the national leader. However, as we have seen, no country’s policy was able to completely stop the plague, mirroring the torment experienced by the people in the story. Whether in reality or in stories, there will always be dissatisfaction and resistance, leading to more people getting hurt. During the pandemic, I lived in China, where everyone was quarantined at home, with no one allowed to go out. Everyone monitored each other, and the situation was initially very successful. In less than two months, the virus in cities was isolated, people wore masks outdoors, and used a special virus QR code to facilitate scanning and confirmation of health status. In 2020, when the whole world was quarantined at home, I could travel through various cities in China, walking in bustling night markets. But no one could accept being locked at home forever. I remember in 2021, when the coronavirus variant swept across the globe again, but this time the virus was not very harmful, many countries opened up policies, while China locked down the entire country again, with no one allowed to go out. However, a few months later, people realized that it was impossible to avoid infection, and began to resist. In Shanghai and Xinjiang, people started a series of resistance movements, known as the “White Paper Movement,” expressing their dissatisfaction with the government by holding up a blank piece of paper. Less than a week after the outbreak of the movement, China reopened, and no one escaped […]

The quote I choose is from C.S. Lewis,”Literature adds reality, not just describe it.” is relate to the story “The Necklace”(Maupassant). Literature is not just describing a story, it adds into our reality, it helps us to think deeper on the choice we might take, and the consequences that might come for us. In the story, (Ms. Loisel) Her vanity led her and her family to pay a terrible price, spending ten years to repay the necklace. At the end of the story, she finally realized that the necklace was a fake, worth at most 500 francs, but the ten years she and her husband lost would never return to them. Literature not only describes stories; its metaphors constantly warn us in reality, allowing us to observe from a third-person perspective the consequences that foolish decisions might bring.

I think the sentences from the student is too general, it didn’t show any specific detail to provide what did author really trying to say. The sentence is ineffective because the student should give some details to let the reader get related to the story, but the student only post out his own opinion without any details. If I am going to rewrite the sentences, I will try to provide more details from the story, like how did the main character felt heartbreak after he went to the market and how did he realize the relationship between him and the girl. to provide these details will help reader get into the story and not to confused about why did character grown up in one night.

I will tittle the story as “Unfair Life” . Ms. Moore is portrayed as someone who possesses a profound understanding of the contrasting realities between the “poor black neighborhood” and the affluent life of Manhattan. She recognizes that education is the key to transcending these disparities. Having pursued higher education herself, she feels compelled to extend a helping hand to others from her community, regardless of their standing in society. The story vividly illustrates the disparities between economic classes, showcasing how even the smallest luxuries for the wealthy could mean survival for those less fortunate. Yet, it emphasizes that such assistance is seldom given freely. Instead, the narrative underscores the transformative power of education as the primary means of breaking the cycle of poverty and injustice.

In what way do you personally relate to the young narrator in “Salvation” or “Araby?” I personally relate to “Salvation” , All the pressure come up for him, because he believed on his aunt and all the elder’s lie. He was embarrassed for the naive, he was mad on the traitor of god ‘Westely’,and he was sitting on the chair and acting like a man who was just meet with the god. In my hometown China, I was “saved” too. There is hundreds temple, every new year we will went in to the temple and blow the candle to try to having good luck for next year. My mother, she told me when i light up the candle, I will meet with gods, they will tell me how will the life go on correctly. Every child were exciting for the meet with god, that will represent them are the “Choice”,that mean god chose them to be the future. I didn’t meet with god, but I lied, like Langston, We have no choice but to accept the cruel reality.