Tuesday, December 15, 2009
In “The White City”, Claude McKay describes his feelings for the city in which he resides. It is important to remember that this sonnet was written during the Harlem Renaissance, when there was an outpouring of African American literature as well as demand for fair and equal social stature in the country. As a black Jamaican, Claude undoubtedly witnessed end experienced firsthand the yoke of oppression placed on blacks in the United States. In the first quatrain of the sonnet, McKay talks about his hatred against the city and those who enforce it within its boundaries. However, he also states that he is powerless to express his feelings and take action against the injustice he witnesses, saying that he must keep his hate, “Deep in the secret chambers of my heart.” In the second quatrain, he continues to expand the feelings of his hate, saying that he, “would be a skeleton” without it, and that it provides him with energy that he needs to survive in the white man’s world. Both the first and second quatrains help to establish the poet’s emotions and gauge the depths of his rage against the white city and its rulers. However, the third quatrain stands in sharp contrast with the previous two, as McKay goes on to describe the aesthetic qualities of the city. His use of imagery such as the “towers vapor-kissed”, create in the reader a false sense of contentment, as they are put momentarily at ease due to the change of tone in the poem. Yet in the couplet at the end, McKay brings his point full circle, saying in the last line, “Are sweet like wanton loves because I hate.” Though he sees the beauty of the city, he hates it because he can also see the oppression and racism smoldering beneath the seemingly serene surface. Due to this fact the city is not beautiful to him at all, and instead just serves as a symbol of oppression.
Friday, December 11, 2009
What's the Real Drama Response
Though high school kids cannot hope to fully answer these questions, it is important that we consider them in order to prepare for life beyond school. A fulfilling life can be defined in so many ways depending on the person whom you are questioning. I myself, like many other young people, have set up the way of a fulfilling life through fairly stereotypical means. I have studied hard in school, participated on numerous athletic teams, applied to several well known and esteemed colleges, and volunteered at local programs around my community. All of these are aspects of our life that society demands of us, and accordingly should lead to a fulfilling life. Yet that is not the case. Many extraordinary people have successfully completed the above steps, and have lamented that their life has been meaningless, without purpose or fulfillment. Instead of following the normal standard that society has given us, we must make our own decisions on how to live a fulfilling life.
Despite the best of our intentions, we have to accept that problems and failures will occur in our lives as surely as the sun sets and rises each day. When such setbacks appear on our horizon, we have several choices on how to handle them. One option is to let them compound and overwhelm us, and so many of us can at times fall into this state of mind. I know the feeling that one gets when it seems as though everything is going wrong, and the whole world is against you. There have been times where I wanted to just curl up in a ball and shut myself away from the rest of the world and society. All people will fall into this trap occasionally, but it is the person who does not have the mental focus and strength to pull themselves out of it that will be lost for the rest of their lives. The other option to this dilemma is to push through the hard times, and view them as opportunities to strengthen yourself and learn from the failures of the past and to apply that experience to our future problems. In the Bible, James tells us to rejoice when we go through great trials and hardships. He does not mean that we should be happy when bad events happen, but that we need to view them as tests that will strengthen our faith and bring us closer to God.
The Real Dream that we ought to pursuing cannot simply be the American Dream or your parennt's dream. Instead, we must follow our own dream, whatever it may be. God will provide us the tools and the means to fulfill our dream, but it is up to us whether or not we will have the courage to take what He has given us and use it to fulfill our calling.
Despite the best of our intentions, we have to accept that problems and failures will occur in our lives as surely as the sun sets and rises each day. When such setbacks appear on our horizon, we have several choices on how to handle them. One option is to let them compound and overwhelm us, and so many of us can at times fall into this state of mind. I know the feeling that one gets when it seems as though everything is going wrong, and the whole world is against you. There have been times where I wanted to just curl up in a ball and shut myself away from the rest of the world and society. All people will fall into this trap occasionally, but it is the person who does not have the mental focus and strength to pull themselves out of it that will be lost for the rest of their lives. The other option to this dilemma is to push through the hard times, and view them as opportunities to strengthen yourself and learn from the failures of the past and to apply that experience to our future problems. In the Bible, James tells us to rejoice when we go through great trials and hardships. He does not mean that we should be happy when bad events happen, but that we need to view them as tests that will strengthen our faith and bring us closer to God.
The Real Dream that we ought to pursuing cannot simply be the American Dream or your parennt's dream. Instead, we must follow our own dream, whatever it may be. God will provide us the tools and the means to fulfill our dream, but it is up to us whether or not we will have the courage to take what He has given us and use it to fulfill our calling.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
weekend homework question 2
Biographical, Historical, and New Historical Criticism Perspective
Upon reading the biographical information on Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the reader discovers that like the main character in the story, Charlotte suffered from depression and was prescribed a rest cure by the doctor. She states that during her period of rest, she “came so near the border line of utter mental ruin that I could see over” (329). Just as she descended toward the pit of madness, Gilman pushes her character near the shores of insanity, yet she scripts her protagonist to go completely insane, whereas Gilman herself was able to overcome her mental setbacks. From her bed rest experience she wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and sent a copy to the physician who proscribed her “cure”.
A historical background of the time period further reveals some of the topics discussed in the story. When “The Yellow Wallpaper” was published in 1892, the role of women in society was drastically different than today. During this time period, middle and upper class women suffered from severe bouts of depression, and were usually prescribed to lengthy terms of bed rest. The result was that the women became passive and completely subservient to their husbands and other male figures in their lives. This corresponds with the heroine in Gilman’s story who states, “I lie down ever so much now. John says it is good for me, and to sleep all I can” (line 152). Though the heroine believes that some mental or physical exercise will help her condition, she does not have the strength of character to disobey her husband to that extreme. In the end, it was the lack of mental fortitude seen so often during that time period that led the heroine to her final plunge into madness.
Upon reading the biographical information on Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the reader discovers that like the main character in the story, Charlotte suffered from depression and was prescribed a rest cure by the doctor. She states that during her period of rest, she “came so near the border line of utter mental ruin that I could see over” (329). Just as she descended toward the pit of madness, Gilman pushes her character near the shores of insanity, yet she scripts her protagonist to go completely insane, whereas Gilman herself was able to overcome her mental setbacks. From her bed rest experience she wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and sent a copy to the physician who proscribed her “cure”.
A historical background of the time period further reveals some of the topics discussed in the story. When “The Yellow Wallpaper” was published in 1892, the role of women in society was drastically different than today. During this time period, middle and upper class women suffered from severe bouts of depression, and were usually prescribed to lengthy terms of bed rest. The result was that the women became passive and completely subservient to their husbands and other male figures in their lives. This corresponds with the heroine in Gilman’s story who states, “I lie down ever so much now. John says it is good for me, and to sleep all I can” (line 152). Though the heroine believes that some mental or physical exercise will help her condition, she does not have the strength of character to disobey her husband to that extreme. In the end, it was the lack of mental fortitude seen so often during that time period that led the heroine to her final plunge into madness.
personal statement
Matt Gehrke
I had never seen him cry, yet when I looked in his direction, I still expected to see tears running down his face. I did see them, but it was his other facial expression that left me staring at him with my mouth agape. My Grandpa was smiling.
We were at my Grandma’s funeral, and he was surrounded by his children, who were all trying to comfort him despite being far from in control of their own emotions. My dad put his arm around his shoulder and asked him what he wanted to do. He turned to him and replied, “I want to celebrate, because I know my wife is now free of suffering”.
That is the nature of my Grandpa. Alfred Gehrke is my idol, and every day I strive to be a man of his stature. I try to show determination and diligence in both academics and athletics, and once given a task I pursue it until it is accomplished. I have always strived to perform to the best of my ability, but my Grandpa’s ordeal has caused me to revaluate what I determine as success and failure. If I score a poor grade on a test, it seems as though the world is going to come crashing down on my head, but in perspective it is a trivial footnote compared to some of the disappointments and failures that I will experience as I graduate from school and become acclimated in the real world.
Alfred Gehrke is my daily inspiration on dealing with adversity. Just before the death of my Grandma, his kids had forced them to move into a retirement center to help with her medical issues. At the same time they also said that he could no longer drive on his own. Instead of complaining he took it all in stride, and submitted to their wishes. After the death of my Grandma, many of us expected him to just stay in his room all through the day. Instead, at ninety one years young, he runs through the halls of the center in an attempt to stay in shape. The staff has even asked him to slow down because they are afraid he will over exert himself and they tell him that it disturbs the other residents. Whenever I deal with adversity in my own life, I always picture my Grandpa, and the amazing hardships he has had to endure these past few years. He gives me strength, and his example allows me to press onward through the difficult times in my life.
I had never seen him cry, yet when I looked in his direction, I still expected to see tears running down his face. I did see them, but it was his other facial expression that left me staring at him with my mouth agape. My Grandpa was smiling.
We were at my Grandma’s funeral, and he was surrounded by his children, who were all trying to comfort him despite being far from in control of their own emotions. My dad put his arm around his shoulder and asked him what he wanted to do. He turned to him and replied, “I want to celebrate, because I know my wife is now free of suffering”.
That is the nature of my Grandpa. Alfred Gehrke is my idol, and every day I strive to be a man of his stature. I try to show determination and diligence in both academics and athletics, and once given a task I pursue it until it is accomplished. I have always strived to perform to the best of my ability, but my Grandpa’s ordeal has caused me to revaluate what I determine as success and failure. If I score a poor grade on a test, it seems as though the world is going to come crashing down on my head, but in perspective it is a trivial footnote compared to some of the disappointments and failures that I will experience as I graduate from school and become acclimated in the real world.
Alfred Gehrke is my daily inspiration on dealing with adversity. Just before the death of my Grandma, his kids had forced them to move into a retirement center to help with her medical issues. At the same time they also said that he could no longer drive on his own. Instead of complaining he took it all in stride, and submitted to their wishes. After the death of my Grandma, many of us expected him to just stay in his room all through the day. Instead, at ninety one years young, he runs through the halls of the center in an attempt to stay in shape. The staff has even asked him to slow down because they are afraid he will over exert himself and they tell him that it disturbs the other residents. Whenever I deal with adversity in my own life, I always picture my Grandpa, and the amazing hardships he has had to endure these past few years. He gives me strength, and his example allows me to press onward through the difficult times in my life.
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