Shazanie Rose

Literary texts shouldn’t be edited to remove offensive language because it takes away from their authenticity and historical context. Writers like Flannery O’Connor used language to reflect the harsh realities of their time, and censoring it changes how we understand the story and its characters. I have mixed feelings about this. Some of the language definitely makes me uncomfortable, but I also think it’s important. It forces us to face the past as it was, not in a way that’s easier to digest. If we erase offensive language, we risk erasing history and the deep-rooted issues, like racism, that were prominent at the time and still exist today. These texts aren’t just about the past; they’re still relevant now. Reading them as they were written helps us see how much progress we’ve made and, more importantly, how much further we need to go in addressing racial tensions and inequality in society.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve found poetry difficult to understand, but I think I’ve gotten better at looking for deeper meanings. Poems often use figurative language, which can be confusing, but I’ve learned to slow down and think about what the poet is really trying to say. This will help with Oedipus the King because Greek tragedies also use symbolism and hidden meanings that aren’t always obvious at first. One poem that connects to the play is “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. In the poem, the speaker pauses in the quiet, snowy woods but remembers he has “promises to keep” and must continue on his journey. This reminds me of Oedipus because, even when he tries to escape his fate, he keeps moving forward, only to realize he was following the prophecy all along. The idea of being on a path that can’t be avoided connects both the poem and the play. Reading this poem helps me understand Oedipus the King because both show how, even when we stop and question things, we still have to keep going toward what’s meant to happen.

I made several mistakes and was super confused while writing the essay. I feel like I didn’t follow instructions correctly and have a weak thesis however I do feel like my essays in this class will improve more because I feel more prepared with every class I attend. This assignment helped me recognize I need to read to understand and to take my time because I tend to rush and feel flustered. 

For the pre-writing Assignment we have to read The Handsomest Drowned Man In the World by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the article Overview of  “The Most Handsome Drowned Man’ by Dean Rader. The third thing we have to do is look over activities 5-8 so we understand what we should put in our essays and how it should be formatted. The purpose of this prewriting is to help us organize and have a layout of how to do essays successfully and help organize our thoughts.