Independent Reading

What made me choose this particular story is how it grabbed me in interest . When pressing it sounded mysterious and was interested. When I started reading it was as if it connected to me in some way. What factors that helped me choose was the title . Like I always wanted to know how the happy ending happens and if there is a happy ending.

What I think that Margaret was trying tell is that no matter what happens at the end of the day you will die and that’s how will it end. Like in the short story in all parts of the reading they die in the end but in their own ways. Each of them ended in different way like one killer his partner and himself , in another Mary died overdosing. But in the end was Margo left but her Fred didn’t make it no died as well. This tells us that at the end it’s either one dies or they both die .

What I think about this argument is that it is important to know why it happened. Is it because you did something wrong or how did it start that it turned into an argument. It is important to know how it happened then to know what happened because at least you know how it started and how it can get fixed. Even if you know what happened but you won’t know how it started .

I chose to analyze “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood. I was immediately drawn in by the title because I am a sucker for a happy ending. I love rom coms and sappy books and anything that might fall into a “happy ending” category. Then I read the story. I absolutely loved every part of it because it felt like real life. That saying “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” so, so true.

Margaret Atwood makes the argument that how and why things happen are more important that what actually happens. This frame of thinking reminds me of another saying I grew up with “it is about the journey, not the destination”. People sometimes focus so much on the next goal, the next week, the next year and don’t take the time to really enjoy all the little moments that bring you to that goal or make up that week or year. We get so wrapped up in life that we end up forgetting to live.

I chose Frankenstein because I have always been interested in this character. I have always wondered why is he so popular. Every time I would turn on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon when I was growing up there were always halloween specials for shows and the characters would dress up as Frankenstein. I would always say to myself, “why do I always see him?” “what’s so great about him?”. So I see this as a perfect opportunity to learn about the character by picking this assignment. I feel that horror movies have been so popular over the years because we get to know what it feels like to be truly afraid. Especially at the end of the movie when it says “Based on a true story”. Horror is pleasurable to people because we also get to play around with our negative emotions. It gives us people a little thrill. We also probably try to imagine ourselves in the movie and in the characters situation and try to think what we would do if we were in their shoes.

For some reason, Critical Race Theory is so controversial to many people to the point that some states banned it from being taught in schools. Even so, I personally find it important to learn and understand how the victims of systemic racism are affected by the cultural perceptions of race, and how they are able to represent themselves to counter prejudice. Learning about CRT provided me with an understanding of the way that a person’s race, like my own, can shape their experience with the law and with society. I think it is useful to be educated on topics that are ingrained into our society because they affect me and others. 

Colson Whitehead’s “The Match” piqued my interest. Whitehead addresses race relations in educational institutions by sharing the story of Griff, a black student in a racist school only noticed as a commodity, or form of entertainment to be used at the school’s boxing matches. Whitehead is able to clearly demonstrate the power dynamic between the white people and the black students. The students and teachers themselves are segregated, “The racial division of the school recreated itself in the gym, with the white boys taking the south half, and the black boys claiming the north”(Whitehead 4). There was no prevarication of the clear race relations in the school. While all this was happening, the school still tried to maintain a prestigious image when giving tours, the countless fights and the inhumane means of discipline were ignored,  “They might have had a question or two but that was not part of the tour” (Whitehead 1). This furthers Whitehead’s points on race relations within an institution such as education, and lack of care when it comes to certain types of students. 

Whitehead created the capacity for cruelty by setting the story in a reform school for juvenile boys whose main hobbies are boxing each other.  These boxing matches are for white man’s entertainment, but at the same time, students like Griff use boxing as an outlet. The lack of regard for the black students in the story is also emphasized by the fact that the coach asked Griff to throw the tournament, and stop doing what he likes to do showing how the capacity for cruelty is bolstered by racist ideologies, and how the students used.

Reasons for Picking Story 

I picked the story because the title of the account is inviting and makes one want to read it. The story’s beginning ushers the reader into a life that every average person aspires to attain. All of us want to meet the right person, fall in love the right way, and live a long and happy life with the person of our dreams. Therefore, far from being cliché, the story introduces the reader to the ideal life that everyone aspires to have. However, in the course of reading, the reader quickly realizes that it is not all a bed of roses. There are obstacles along the way. Since everyone is akin to obstacles in life, the reader feels a sense of connection to the events in the story. It is painful to see what people do and their motivations behind it. Margaret Atwood envisions all the scenarios and the possible endings that could accrue from the same beginning. Another reason why the story resonates with me is that it is a true reflection of society. After all, at times, the people we love never love us back. Other times, we only begin to see people’s worth in our lives after they are gone.

Understanding how and why things happen 

Understanding how things happen and not only why they occur is an essential component. For instance, in the story in B, Mary falls in love with John, but John does not reciprocate. John only uses Mary for selfish pleasure. Although John does not treat Mary well, it is essential to understand the motivations behind his actions. The best guess would be that he was not raised appropriately for him to turn out the way he did. In addition, Mary is readily available for John to use. She presents herself, makes space for John every weekend, cooks him good food, presents her body to him, and cleans after they are done eating and getting intimate. However, John does not see any of these deliberate actions, and neither does Mary. She fails to see that John is only taking advantage of her kindness and neediness. Therefore, in trying to understand John’s conniving nature and affinity for using Mary, it is essential to factor in Mary’s naivety and willingness to be used. It could be that she lacked parental love and therefore does not know what love feels like. Thus, far from knowing the things that happen, it is far more significant to understand the motivation behind why things happen. 

First, write a paragraph explaining why you chose this particular story out of the three. What drew you to it? How did you make your decision? What did you base your choice on?

• I decided to choose Colson Whitehead’s story because I think that Critical Race Theory is a very interesting topic, seeing as how it’s being portrayed and viewed in America. Many people believe that it’s a bad thing while having little to no knowledge of what it actually is and what purpose it serves. I’d also personally like to do more research into CRT myself so I can understand it and apply it to the world around me, and see it in different places and ways. I also enjoyed reading about Critical Race Theory in the previous readings and so I’d like to continue to develop new ideas and a brighter, stronger understanding of it. I’d also like to be able to educate those around me about topics and issues that affect my community, which are important to me. Critical Race Theory plays a major role in the lives of many African Americans such as myself, and through understanding it, only then can we develop stronger and newer ways to tackle the recurring racial issues in this country.

What is Colson Whitehead saying about racial relations within an institution such as education? 

• I believe that what Colson Whitehead is saying about racial relations within an institution such as education, is a clear and constant power struggle between the white and black students. “December Matches – the prelims within your dorms, and then the bout between the best black fighter and whatever chump the white guys put up” (Whitehead 2). This theme is shown continuously throughout the story, it even begins with all the Black kids supporting a bully because he is the one that will represent them in a match against the whites. This created the capacity for cruelty, fueled by racist ideology.

How does he express the capacity for cruelty, as bolstered by racist ideology? 

• Whitehead expresses the capacity for cruelty, which is fueled by racist ideology by setting the story in a boxing environment, where cruelty and violence is in a way accepted, and since there is a clear racial divide, the racism makes it worse. “The racial division of the school recreated itself in the gym, with the white boys taking the south half, and the black boys claiming the north. They jostled at the borders” (Whitehead 4). This shows not only the racist ideology, but the tension which leads purely as they bump and elbow each other. The racial tension is always present within the school, and the racial division is not only present in the school, but within the attitudes and actions of both students and teachers. From the way that the students talk, to the way that they group themselves, it is clear that the capacity for curly is only heightened by the fact that they choose to dislike each other because of race.

My reasoning for choosing this story is simple, I like happy endings. Before reading this story, the title drew me in. It made me wonder just what it meant by “Happy Endings”, happy ending for who? and what could this happy ending possibly be? Just from the title I already had a preconceived expectation that this story would be delightful and thought provoking all at once. I had also heard of Margaret Atwood before although I am not too familiar with her, knowing of her did make me more interested in seeing what the story was about.

In the story “Happy Endings” the argument that how and why things happen is more interesting and important than what happens is made. In this statement the author may be reimagining the old saying that it’s not the destination, it’s the journey that’s important. When thinking about this statement in terms of the nature of truth and facts it could mean that knowing what lead up to the “fact” is more important than the fact. In knowing what happened to cause something to take place puts the action into a more comprehensible state. It is more important knowing why or how something happened than it is knowing what happened. Being able to understand why something happened sometimes gives you the ability to stop it from happening again or to make it happen again.