The Importance of Plays

Plays have been around for many long years. A play is a very focused way of telling a story, in a way that can be seen with live people, rather than in text, or film. They are almost like reenactments of stories, from long ago, in which the audience can see the story better. I enjoy going to plays because even though you may have heard or read the story before, it takes on a new life when you see people acting it out in front of you. Shakespeare’s plays have been some of the most done plays in recent time. They take an immensely moving story and put it on the stage. I remember when I saw “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Orpheum some years back. Although I knew the story, seeing the play brought it to life in a way I had never experienced before. Performed dramatic plays are a vital part of story telling, and one of the most beneficial means of communicating a meaningful story.

Why is Shakespeare Great?

Hamlet is a classic story that depicts the way Shakespeare wrote to a tee. Shakespeare has been and continues to be one of the most definitive writers of his time. His masterful stories have captivated many readers over the years. His tragedies, sonnets, and other works are some of history’s most acclaimed writings. He is one of the most well known writers to the common person. But what makes Shakespeare so great? Historians have uncovered so very little about this man who has given us to much great literature. Some have even claimed that he never existed. His stories captivate us because they involved key common themes that are relatable to all mankind. These tropes have been used time and time again in literate as a kind of template. The reason Shakespeare is so renowned is because we acquire many of our literary tropes from his work. This is what makes Shakespeare one of the greatest writers of his time and throughout literary history.

Music & Writing

Music is a major part of my life. So is written word. From the time I could read, I’ve always enjoyed immersing myself in books and stories. This love of reading is what I attribute a great deal of my vocabulary and English skills to. Reading has also affected how I play and listen to music. I greatly enjoy writing songs, and song writing has some of the same elements as writing in general. As with an story, one is trying to communicate some idea, or feeling. Even when the mode is a melody, the same is still true. In every song, regardless of lyrics, the music itself communicates it’s own ideas and feelings. This is one of the most powerful aspects of music. There are many songs that can create an environment, without any words at all. I think music and writing go hand in hand, and I am grateful for both.

Point of View - Worn Path.

Worn Path Reflection

I thought the “Worn Path” was a pretty good short story. I think it was very well detailed in the story. It allowed me very well to create in my mind the vision of Phoenix on her trek. The point of view from the text was third person omniscient and it allowed the reader to create his own image based on the description. The movie was third person in it’s point of view, but to me it somewhat limited how I viewed the story. I feel like I could embrace the story better if I didn’t have to movie, but just the text. When I read the text, I could easily in vision her and what she was doing, and the possibilities were boundless. But the movie left me limited by what was on the screen. In other words, in the movie, the screen was the point of view, the lens through which we saw Phoenix. We knew nothing beyond it. The text however, allowed us to think beyond the words and to give framework and structure to what was given. I think this is the defining difference between text and visual story telling.

Holidays

I’m looking forward to the holidays a whole lot. I can’t wait to get a break from school for a little while, and be able to hang out with friends and family I haven’t seen in a while. I think it is crucial for college student and students of any kind, to have a break from their studies. It has been proposed that some students go year round here in the states. I think imposing year round schooling would be catastrophic to the family organization of the nation. There would be less time with family, less time to learn from parents, and more time to be conformed state run organizations. I got off on a tangent, but oh well. The point of all of this is. School is wearing me down, I can’t wait to have a break for Christmas. During said break I won’t be staying up till 1 AM trying to think of a blog to write for lit heritage. Those will be good times indeed.

Tradtion

We all have certain traditions. Whether it’s a family tradition, or just something you like to do by yourself, we are all united by the fact that we have habitual things we do, that we find significance in. This Christmas my family will go to my grandmother’s house and have boiled shrimp on Christmas eve. This has been one of out family traditions for as long as I can remember. Different people have very different traditions. It’s always interesting to stay with a friend for the holidays, to see how their family celebrates different things. It could be something meaningless or something to which a break from would be impossible. The word tradition, always makes me thing of the play, Fiddler on the Roof.

Worn Path Questions

A Worn Path Questions

1. What point of view is used in this story?

It is from a third person point of view, as if someone were walking along with her.

2. What is the significance of the old woman being named Phoenix?

Her name is very ethereal, almost unbelievable in the situation. It doesn’t strike me as a common African name.

3. What does this technique contribute to the story's effect?

It gives it a very “far off” almost not real feeling to it.

4. How would you characterize the way Phoenix is viewed and treated by the white people she meets? Does their behavior toward her give you any indication of where the story is set and when it takes place?

She is looked upon as an old black granny, some kind of second rate citizen who can’t be doing anything noble. This leads me to believe that this story is set in the post civil war, late 1800’s 1900’s in the south.

5. What does she admire about him, and what does this attitude tell us about her?

She admires his kindness, this tells us she is also kind.

6. Is the comparison at the end of this sentence just a striking visual image, or does it have a larger relevance?

It bears greater meaning on the nature of the story, and how this woman is attempting to do something noble for her son, but is shadowed by the times and her African decent.

Sonny Questions

Sonny’s Blues Questions

1. From whose point of view "Sonny's Blues" told? How do the narrator's values and experiences affect his view of the story?

The point of view is from Sonny’s brother. His dislike for Sonny shapes how he views the story.

2. What is the older brother's profession? Does it suggest anything about his personality?

His brother teaches Algebra. This means he probably has a very strict attitude toward Sonny and life in general, as math is an exact science.

3. How would the story change if it were told by Sonny?

Sonny would most likely be portrayed in a more positive light, and be more easy to identify with.

4. What event prompts the narrator to write his brother?

He gets into some trouble and that makes him write Sonny.

5. What does the narrator's mother ask him to do for Sonny? Does the older brother keep his promise?

She tells him of his father’s brother and asked him to look after Sonny. He tries to.

6. The major characters in this story are called Mama, Daddy, and Sonny. How does these names affect our sense of the story?

They are very general names, given based on their relationship to one another. She makes the story more general and easy to relate to.

7. How has Sonny made this music his own?

It exemplifies who he is. Once he started playing it himself, he truly found out who he is, and made the music his own.

Personality and Writing

I took the Jung Typology Test in Psychology class recently and was attributed the personality trait of INFP. This stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Feelings, Perceiving. This was described in my sources to be a person who is an Idealistic healer type. This person is laid back, and focused on making the world a better place for others. In addition it described INFP’s to be intuitive and emotionally based in their behavior. There were some aspects of myself I think the test got right, while there are some I disagree with. The test did a good job of pointing out that I’m laid back. This is very true. Also, it detailed that I have a strong sense of morality, or a value system, which is also true. And overall the results seemed to characterize much of who I am, in that I’m idealistic, I lend toward English and writing, rather than math and science, and that I want to help people. However, on the other hand, it did state that all INFP’s are perfectionists, which is something I am very far from. Also the profile showed that INFP’s didn’t use logic to analyze situations, which is something I do heavily.

Overall, I think the test did train in on some important characteristics of my personality. I believe that it is beneficial in helping people map out their strengths and weaknesses. It shouldn’t be relied on to dictate one’s future, but it can be used as a general indicator of someone’s tendencies. The careers the test chose for me were quite interesting. They ranged from Religious Education and counseling to Music and Writing. I think music would be an appropriate choice for me, since it is one of my great passions in life. The career indicator was pretty interesting and seemed to do a good job based on the information given. One major criticism of this testing system would be that it is not exhaustive. It is just an indicator, rather than absolute proof. People should remember when taking this test that it only points out little aspects of who we are as individuals; it is we ourselves who make up who we are.

It would be very interesting to see my friends take this test. It would most likely explain a lot of interactions between us all. I think my good friends who score in various places, some closer to mine, while others, I assure you, would be far off. I think this shows the diverse nature of my friends. Like all of us, I want to hang out and be friends with those who share some commonalities with me, but each one of us is different in how we relate and live. This, as you know, creates the most interesting social situations that we all take part in on a daily basis. I think my personality affects the way I write as well. Because we all have different personalities, we were all created unique. The Jung Typology is yet another way to delve into the wonder of human interaction.

Rain and its uses in literature

I’m sick of the rain in Memphis. Every day I have class for the last three weeks, it has rained. It is getting quite old. It’s interesting to see how rain is used in literature, poetry, and song to portray a certain mood or thought to the reader. For instance, a gloomy dismal setting is sometimes characterized by rain in a good piece of literature. In many songs rain is used to appeal to the reader, or to a common theme. As a musician, when I write songs, many times rain finds its way into the lyrics. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s because it exemplifies conflict in my life. Whatever the reason, it’s always interesting to see how something so simple as rain, is used in countless ways to portray many different feelings, thoughts, and settings. I find It extremely interesting.

Parker's Back Revisited

After discussing Parker's Back in class, many different things come to mind when considering the story. The religious connotation of the story really did take full focus after Thursday's class. The journey of Parker going from Physical to Spiritual was something i hadn't until then through about. Sarah Ruth's character was also made more real to me. The story became more about how both of these people were searching for redemption from two different perspectives. Sarah Ruth, from the strict, rule based, non-personal side, and Parker from his physical emotional, pain filled perspective. Both had hurdles to climb over to understand God and who He was to them in the story. I think Parker's Back finally gives some closure to O Conner's work and life. Parker finally finds redemption. It's a progression in O Conner's work; first the realization that we are all 'misfits' or flawed, regardless of class, then the pursuit of redemption. Both Parker and Sarah Ruth were looking for redemption, but from two very different places.

Study Questions

A Rose for Emily

1. What is meaningful in the final detail that the strand of hair on the second pillow is iron-gray?

Perhaps that she had been close by to the corpse, or slept with it.
2. Who is the unnamed narrator? For whom does he profess to be speaking?
Someone who is a citizen of the town.
3. Why does “a Rose for Emily” seem better told from his point of view then if it were told from the point of view of the main character?
This point of view gives it a mysterious feel, like looking in through a window into a richly furnished house.
4. What foreshadowing of the discovery of the body of Homer Barron are we given earlier in the story? Share your experience in reading “A Rose for Emily”: did the foreshadowing give away the ending for you? Did they heighten your interest?
The poison foreshadowed his death and made reading the story more interesting.
5. What contrasts does the narrator draw between changing reality and Emily’s refusal or inability to recognize change?
She killed Homer so he couldn't leave, and nothing would change.
6. How do the character and background of Emily Grierson differ from those of Homer Barron? What general observations about the society that Faulkner depicts can be made from his portraits of those two characters and from his account of life in this one Mississippi town?
The difference is in class. One is from a higher social class, and the other is not. The life of the higher classes is more stressful, but the lower class is more laid back.
7. Does the story seem to you totally grim, or do you find any humor in it?
There is some humor in how the family members relate to one another.
8. What do you infer to be the author’s attitude toward Emily Grierson? Is she simply a murderous madwoman? Why do you suppose Faulkner calls his story “A Rose…”?
She is someone stuck in time, clinging to the golden age of her life, unwilling to move on, and this is why i think Faulkner named it "a rose" because a rose changes.

Teenage Wasteland

1. From whose point of view is the story told? How would you characterize the method employed-omniscient, or objective?
It's told from the third person, and it's omniscient.
2. What is the significance of the opening paragraph of the story?
His growth as a person and the changes he went through.
3. Daisy is extremely self-conscious about how others view her. Find instances of this trait in the text. How does it affect her approach to raising her children?
She caters to what others tell her regarding raising her children.
4. Daisy’s attitude toward Cal undergoes frequent and at times rapid changes. Find examples in the text. What does she seem to think of him by the end of the story?
She is very bipolar toward him during the story. By the end she blames him for what happened to Donnie.
5. How does the portrayal of Donny’s sister, Amanda, help to clarify the larger concerns of the story?
It puts Donny's problems in the limelight and makes them larger in comparison.
6. Would you describe Tyler’s presentation of Daisy as satirical or sympathetic? Can it be both at once? Explain.
She inspires both criticism and sympathy with her action. One wishes to condemn her for what she does, but at the same time feel compassion for her.