In my opinion , when reading stories or passages dated pre civil war It is important to keep the original language even if it is offensive because it keeps the authenticity. In history the people who lived through racism and prejudice did not have a choice to turn a blind eye to it , as readers and as students it is important to gain a full perspective on the experiences individuals faced during that time . for this reason I do not think racial slurs or derogatory language should be omitted . it is part of our privilege to pick and choose weather we want to read that language , unfortunately for those who came before us they had no choice at all . It may be uncomfortable for us to have to read but I can only imagine it was even worst to live through . to educate ourselves is to put ourselves in each others shoes .
aryanna figueroa
I have always had a love for poetry and a special love for the story of Oedipus it was one of the first plays i read in high school . After the 2 weeks of poetry with professor Conway I have learned to interpret poetry on a much deeper level . In poetry you have to go through each line to find the hidden meanings of the authors words . I have learned to never read poetry at face value and dig deeper . This time around as we read Oedipus in class I think I will be able to fully grasp the gravity of the situation Oedipus finds himself in and not just read this story like lines on a paper but create a movie in my head with all the characters involved. The poem the mother by gwendolyn brooks is the poem that resonates with me in regards to Oedipus . I say this because from what we have read so far the city that Oedipus rules is currently dealing with a plague that is affecting mothers . The mothers in the city are mourning their children and death consumes them , as with the mother in the poem . Although one mothers child was taken by a plague and the other by the mothers choices no one pain amounts to another ,
During Essay 1 , I learned many valuable lessons I am not afraid to be honest and say sometimes as college students life can get the best of us which can dictate how efficiently we perform in class . During the writing of essay 1 I did not follow any directions which led me to get a failing grade luckily our professor has allowed us to revise . Following directions all the way through and make sure you are reading to understand not just to read. I learned to take my time and never go without taking notes of the stories we read in class . When we read articles given by the teacher its important to fully understand the message of what the author is trying to convey even if we are reading a student written essay we must fully grasp what the author is saying to us . I also realized how easy it is to fail by not sticking to the prompt given to us . Its important not to steer off the directions . I also have problems with writing the works cited pages so I would like to focus more on my essay organization skills . Another issue I have is when I write the words can become a little conversational and I need to work on articulating my thoughts onto paper .
The obvious lesson in the story “The lesson” by Toni Bambara is social inequalities but if you dig a little deeper you will see the character Sylvia undergo a mental transformation . In the start Sylvia is naive and unaware of anything outside of her immediate circumstances or surroundings . Not only does she lack self awareness but she is dismissive of her mentor Mrs Moore . During the trip she takes to FAO Shwartz accompanied by her peers and mentor she begins to realize the difference between her daily life and luxuries from those who can actually afford the items at this store . This shift in Sylvia’s perspective not only upsets her but you can see how this one event will shape her identity in the future . Another lesson I received by reading this story is with Mrs Moore , who refuses to become discouraged by the students lack of interest and instead pushes on through the story despite the resistance shown , ultimately getting her students to grasp the reality of their identities and circumstances. The lesson I took from Mrs Moore is resilience in the face of indifference .
In Activities 1 through 10, we will read The Handsomest Drowned Man by Gabriel García Márquez . Also by using BMCC’s literary library database to explore the life and works of the author and hopefully gain a deeper understanding of his life and work, by doing so we will explore his background and literary contributions and collect important facts that can help us deeper understand his life and motives of writing . Following this, we will analyze a secondary source by scholar Dean Rader, who provides an interpretation of the story. Additionally, we will study the distinction between primary and secondary sources and complete a short quiz to test our understanding. This prewriting assignment will lay the foundation for our thesis-based essay. However, for now, our focus is solely on reading and preparation.
Hey everybody I just wanted to introduce myself. my name is Aryanna, but all my friends call me mala and my family calls me Ary you guys can have your pick. I was born and raised in Brooklyn New York, but I currently live in Staten Island. I am currently a criminal justice major and i intend on making a difference in this world. I would consider myself like the scales of justice, merciful, nurturing and as wrathful as Hammurabi ‘s code. My desire to go to school is fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves, and for woman or children who have been abused in any way. On a lighter note, I do enjoy reading romantic tragedies and psychological thrillers and most importantly spending time with my 4 year old. yes, I’m a mom too My zodiac sign is a Scorpio and as you may know we are inquisitive by nature always curious and searching for depth in everything and everyone, so I look forward to discovering all this class has to offer and also meeting all of you !
