Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #35 Loewen Ch 5
Quote:
"During his long life, of hundreds of different slaves he owned, he freed only three, and five more at his death-all blood relatives of his"(Loewen 148).
Summary:
Loewen is discussing the hypocrisy behind what Thomas Jefferson wrote into the constitution and what he practiced in his life.
Response:
Loewen brings us another great example of just how flawed the American school systems and textbooks are. Every chapter that I read out of Loewen is enlightnening to me. I always learn something new from the facts that he presents. It really comes to a shock to me just how much this country praises it's "hero's". Granted Thomas Jefferson was the writer for one of the most significant documents in world history but as educated readers we must see what the complete truth is. The truth is that Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner that treated his slaves very poorly. He did not even have the consideration of freeing his slaves except the ones that were realted to him by the affairs he had. This paints quite a differant picture than the one most Americans see when they think of Thomas Jefferson.
I have seen a reaccuring trend in American history; Americans idolize past Americans under false pretences. Beside the obvious ones like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, AOL recently had a great news article on Davey Crockett. Everyone thinks of Davey Crockett as the brave, racoon skin cap wearing, American who helped fend off Indian attacks. Research shows that he was quite a coward known for running away from battles. I'm just glad that I have been reading Loewen because his book has done a very good job and making me know the truth behind American history.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Gone with the Wind
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #34 Loewen Chapter 5
Quote:
"The former field hands found themselves suddenly elevated to the seats of the mighty. There they conducted themselves as creatures of small intelligence might naturally be expected to do.Like monkeys or small children turned loose among treasured objects...(Loewen 144).
Summary:
The above quote is taken form the bestselling book,"Gone with the Wind", written by Margaret Mitchell.
Response:
I cannot believe just how ignorant the above passage is. Gone with the wind was a book and later a movie that dealt with race relations. Unlike, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", the book dealt with slavery as an acceptable part of the social structure. I find it astonishing that people would read this and later watch the movies and consider it one of the greatest movies of all time. This really goes to show just how very clueless the American public was on the issue of slavery. It's no wonder that slavery remains such a prominent them among early American literature. I am just really glad that I was raised in a neighborhood and by a family that did not condone racism or prejudices. It almost makes me laugh to think that people read garbage like the passage above. It really disturbs me how the author blatantly compares black people as stupid monkeys. The above passage really does a excellent job of showing modern day students and readers like myself just how much black people have been able to progress since the times of slavery. It also shows just what kind of ridiculous and wrong the stereotypes were made about blacks. To this day I do not even feel comfortable using the word "black" to describe an African American. Although I will confess this does not keep me from using it. As far as I now it is acceptable but in the back of my head I am always hoping no one will take any offense to the use of the word "black".
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #34 Loewen Chapter 5
Quote:
"The former field hands found themselves suddenly elevated to the seats of the mighty. There they conducted themselves as creatures of small intelligence might naturally be expected to do.Like monkeys or small children turned loose among treasured objects...(Loewen 144).
Summary:
The above quote is taken form the bestselling book,"Gone with the Wind", written by Margaret Mitchell.
Response:
I cannot believe just how ignorant the above passage is. Gone with the wind was a book and later a movie that dealt with race relations. Unlike, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", the book dealt with slavery as an acceptable part of the social structure. I find it astonishing that people would read this and later watch the movies and consider it one of the greatest movies of all time. This really goes to show just how very clueless the American public was on the issue of slavery. It's no wonder that slavery remains such a prominent them among early American literature. I am just really glad that I was raised in a neighborhood and by a family that did not condone racism or prejudices. It almost makes me laugh to think that people read garbage like the passage above. It really disturbs me how the author blatantly compares black people as stupid monkeys. The above passage really does a excellent job of showing modern day students and readers like myself just how much black people have been able to progress since the times of slavery. It also shows just what kind of ridiculous and wrong the stereotypes were made about blacks. To this day I do not even feel comfortable using the word "black" to describe an African American. Although I will confess this does not keep me from using it. As far as I now it is acceptable but in the back of my head I am always hoping no one will take any offense to the use of the word "black".
Things in common
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #33
Quote:
"...the White Whale as much their insufferable foe as his; how all this came to be-what the White Whale was to them, or how to their unconscious understandings..."(Melville 2349).
Summary:
Melville is describing the unconcious drive that the white whale invokes upon the men that chase it.
Response:
One thing in common, that I did not mention in my final essay, is that Melville and Davis both use animals as symbols. The dirty canary symbolizes opression while the white whale sumbolizes the great evil. The use of animals as symbol for human struggles or feelings is a very strong one. Humans have a very close connection to animals. Some people have such a close connection that they feel devistated when an animal passes away. This emotional connection that people share with aniamls helps make it easier to relate humans to animals. Such as in the Native American culture where when a human dies they are beleived to come back as a wolf. Also in remote amazon tribes, when a tribe member dies the are beleived to come back as a wild boar. The boar is then hunted so that they have food. What I am trying to get at is that animals as symbols serve a very important purpose. They act as a mirros capable of reflecting the inner most emotions of what a person is felling or is thinking.In the case of Moby Dick the White whale could even represent the innermoest struggle that Ahab has. He needs a way of venting his anger and frustration so he does it by making it his mission to chase down the infamous white whale.
The use of animals as symbols could even act as a mirror that reflects what Melville and Davis were feeling while they were writing thier respective stories.
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #33
Quote:
"...the White Whale as much their insufferable foe as his; how all this came to be-what the White Whale was to them, or how to their unconscious understandings..."(Melville 2349).
Summary:
Melville is describing the unconcious drive that the white whale invokes upon the men that chase it.
Response:
One thing in common, that I did not mention in my final essay, is that Melville and Davis both use animals as symbols. The dirty canary symbolizes opression while the white whale sumbolizes the great evil. The use of animals as symbol for human struggles or feelings is a very strong one. Humans have a very close connection to animals. Some people have such a close connection that they feel devistated when an animal passes away. This emotional connection that people share with aniamls helps make it easier to relate humans to animals. Such as in the Native American culture where when a human dies they are beleived to come back as a wolf. Also in remote amazon tribes, when a tribe member dies the are beleived to come back as a wild boar. The boar is then hunted so that they have food. What I am trying to get at is that animals as symbols serve a very important purpose. They act as a mirros capable of reflecting the inner most emotions of what a person is felling or is thinking.In the case of Moby Dick the White whale could even represent the innermoest struggle that Ahab has. He needs a way of venting his anger and frustration so he does it by making it his mission to chase down the infamous white whale.
The use of animals as symbols could even act as a mirror that reflects what Melville and Davis were feeling while they were writing thier respective stories.
The dirty Canary
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
JOurnal #32
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desperatly in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis is describing the conditions under which the the people of the industrial city live in.
Response:
I want to comment on what I think is the large importance of the dirty canary in, "Life in the Iron Mills". I do not want to make it sound like I am trying to stretch out a lot from a little but I think that the dirty canary spaeks volumes for the people who work in the iron mills. The dirty canary is a symbol for the opression that these people live under. My mom used to have a pair of canary and no matter what the weather they always sang. They would sing the most beautiful songs all day long. Untill the night came at which they would fall asleep. Even though they were kept in a little cage all day long they kept singing. Thus the canary symbolizes the inner hope that the workers have. They work all day long under horrible condintions hoping that they will come out on top. To me the dirt on the canary's feather's evokes a felling of sadness. To see such a beautiful and innocent thing be marred by the soot from the city is a travesty. Likewise the jobs that the immigrant workers are given in teh still mills is also a stragety. This almost parallels the working conditions that the asian workers face in the sweatshops or the miners that mine blood diamonds. If you think closely about the dirty canary you can how it has a much more global symbolization of opression.
English 48A
December 14, 2007
JOurnal #32
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desperatly in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis is describing the conditions under which the the people of the industrial city live in.
Response:
I want to comment on what I think is the large importance of the dirty canary in, "Life in the Iron Mills". I do not want to make it sound like I am trying to stretch out a lot from a little but I think that the dirty canary spaeks volumes for the people who work in the iron mills. The dirty canary is a symbol for the opression that these people live under. My mom used to have a pair of canary and no matter what the weather they always sang. They would sing the most beautiful songs all day long. Untill the night came at which they would fall asleep. Even though they were kept in a little cage all day long they kept singing. Thus the canary symbolizes the inner hope that the workers have. They work all day long under horrible condintions hoping that they will come out on top. To me the dirt on the canary's feather's evokes a felling of sadness. To see such a beautiful and innocent thing be marred by the soot from the city is a travesty. Likewise the jobs that the immigrant workers are given in teh still mills is also a stragety. This almost parallels the working conditions that the asian workers face in the sweatshops or the miners that mine blood diamonds. If you think closely about the dirty canary you can how it has a much more global symbolization of opression.
More on Lincoln
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #31
"He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence come"(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is telling his audience that the blame is not just on the southerners but on the northerners as well.
Response:
This is a very important and noteworthy statement that Lincoln Makes. He does not put the blame on just the southern states, as most people would, rather he puts the blame equally on both sides. This says a lot about Lincoln's character and politics. It was quite clear that the number of Southern states with slaves clearly outnumbered the northern states with slaves. Yet Lincoln feels that all people should be paying the price for slavery. I guess I could probably answer the previous question that I had about Lincoln and how he came to be an American hero. Maybe its because American historians saw just how great Lincoln's moral character was once he chose from right and wrong. I have great respect for Lincoln because he was able to help sway the positions of millions of Americans on the issue of slavery.
This position that Lincoln takes is a very tough one because it was so easy to put the blame on one side during the civil war. The civil war was a huge travesty that cost thousands of lives. All over to issue of slavery. Slavery is one issue that will never rest because of its importance in the United States. Lincoln was able to filter through all the wrong and pull the country through the bloodiest war it has been in.
English 48A
December 14, 2007
Journal #31
"He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence come"(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is telling his audience that the blame is not just on the southerners but on the northerners as well.
Response:
This is a very important and noteworthy statement that Lincoln Makes. He does not put the blame on just the southern states, as most people would, rather he puts the blame equally on both sides. This says a lot about Lincoln's character and politics. It was quite clear that the number of Southern states with slaves clearly outnumbered the northern states with slaves. Yet Lincoln feels that all people should be paying the price for slavery. I guess I could probably answer the previous question that I had about Lincoln and how he came to be an American hero. Maybe its because American historians saw just how great Lincoln's moral character was once he chose from right and wrong. I have great respect for Lincoln because he was able to help sway the positions of millions of Americans on the issue of slavery.
This position that Lincoln takes is a very tough one because it was so easy to put the blame on one side during the civil war. The civil war was a huge travesty that cost thousands of lives. All over to issue of slavery. Slavery is one issue that will never rest because of its importance in the United States. Lincoln was able to filter through all the wrong and pull the country through the bloodiest war it has been in.
Final Test Question #3
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
December 14,2007
Journal #30
Quote:
"...Two hundred and fifty of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword.(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is stating his reason explanation for why the early United States is going through a civil war.
As I was taking the final exam in Scott's English class I came up to this question and could no think of a literary strategy that Lincoln uses for swaying the opinion's of white people on black slaves. As I was looking at Lincoln's speech again I found that Lincoln uses peoples guilty conscience as a strategy to persuade the white persons opinion on the black slave. Contrary to popular belief Lincoln was not an avid spokesperson against slavery. He sort of fell into that role during his second term as president. It was very interesting to read about Lincoln's true background. The background information given in the Norton's anthology was an excellent point ot start reading about how Lincoln's position came about to speak against slavery.
The quote I chose above is a very enlightening one because it ties in Christianity and slavery. Flat out Lincoln says that the civil war is a punishment to the people of the United States for allowing slavery to occur. This is a very powerful and moving position to take on the slavery debate. No one could have worded it better than Lincoln. The one thing that I find confusing, is how Lincoln achieved such a hero status. From what the Norton Anthology says Lincoln Started his political career on a very indecisive position. Later as the war became bloodier he started to believe in the position that he is famous for now.
English 48A
December 14,2007
Journal #30
Quote:
"...Two hundred and fifty of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword.(Lincoln 1636).
Summary:
Lincoln is stating his reason explanation for why the early United States is going through a civil war.
As I was taking the final exam in Scott's English class I came up to this question and could no think of a literary strategy that Lincoln uses for swaying the opinion's of white people on black slaves. As I was looking at Lincoln's speech again I found that Lincoln uses peoples guilty conscience as a strategy to persuade the white persons opinion on the black slave. Contrary to popular belief Lincoln was not an avid spokesperson against slavery. He sort of fell into that role during his second term as president. It was very interesting to read about Lincoln's true background. The background information given in the Norton's anthology was an excellent point ot start reading about how Lincoln's position came about to speak against slavery.
The quote I chose above is a very enlightening one because it ties in Christianity and slavery. Flat out Lincoln says that the civil war is a punishment to the people of the United States for allowing slavery to occur. This is a very powerful and moving position to take on the slavery debate. No one could have worded it better than Lincoln. The one thing that I find confusing, is how Lincoln achieved such a hero status. From what the Norton Anthology says Lincoln Started his political career on a very indecisive position. Later as the war became bloodier he started to believe in the position that he is famous for now.
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Devil's place
Gustavo Quintero
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #29 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"Fire in every horrible form: pits of flame waving in the wind; liquid metal-flames writhing in tortuous streams through the sand;wide caldron's filled with boiling fire, over which bent ghastly wretches stirring the strange brewing...(Davis 2603).
Summary:
Davis is describing the area in which all the steel milling takes place in.
Response:
All I can say is just how miserable I would be if I had to work in these types of conditions. Fortunately we have unions and workplace regulations that would prevent this type of work to happen. Aside from my initial comment I want to say just how exceptional a job Davis does at personifying the inanimate objects. She brings the fire and molten metal to life. She makes it seem as if the dammed souls from hell are screaming from the agony in hell through the fire and metal. She really does a great job freaking the reader out. On top of all this is the vivid imagery that compels the reader to move forward and keep on reading. I have always felt that if someone can take an object or thing in this case fire, and give it such lifelike qualities than that person is a magnificent writer. When I read this passage I could visualize the flames crawling and wreathing there way out of the caldron's with the thousand cries and pains of the dammed. This really is some strong imagery. It is almost as if they are on a terrestrial hell. They are constantly breathing in the noxious fumes and are handling extremely hot metals. All this just so that these poor people can have something to eat on their kitchen table and food in their stomachs. It really makes you stand back and make you notice just how easy and care free your own life is.
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #29 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"Fire in every horrible form: pits of flame waving in the wind; liquid metal-flames writhing in tortuous streams through the sand;wide caldron's filled with boiling fire, over which bent ghastly wretches stirring the strange brewing...(Davis 2603).
Summary:
Davis is describing the area in which all the steel milling takes place in.
Response:
All I can say is just how miserable I would be if I had to work in these types of conditions. Fortunately we have unions and workplace regulations that would prevent this type of work to happen. Aside from my initial comment I want to say just how exceptional a job Davis does at personifying the inanimate objects. She brings the fire and molten metal to life. She makes it seem as if the dammed souls from hell are screaming from the agony in hell through the fire and metal. She really does a great job freaking the reader out. On top of all this is the vivid imagery that compels the reader to move forward and keep on reading. I have always felt that if someone can take an object or thing in this case fire, and give it such lifelike qualities than that person is a magnificent writer. When I read this passage I could visualize the flames crawling and wreathing there way out of the caldron's with the thousand cries and pains of the dammed. This really is some strong imagery. It is almost as if they are on a terrestrial hell. They are constantly breathing in the noxious fumes and are handling extremely hot metals. All this just so that these poor people can have something to eat on their kitchen table and food in their stomachs. It really makes you stand back and make you notice just how easy and care free your own life is.
Gloomy sky
Gustavo Quintero
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #28 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desolately in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis sets the atmosphere for her short story in the beggining of the story. Davis is descriing the polluted conditions that the steel workers and the city's residents live in.
Response:
From the reading this city does not sound like an ideal place to live in. In fact it sounds like a dump. The air is dark and full of thick black smoke. Absoulutly everything is covered in a black soot. Even the poor and innocent canary is dirty. The canary is crying out for help but there is noone to hear his cries. The dirty canary almost seems like a metaphor for the people in this city. They are all literally dirty and trapped by there surroundings. They are living dead end lives. This is quite a depressing way to place the setting of a story in. I think Davis does it on purpose beacause it plays with the psychi of the reader. The reader is brought into this dismal enviroment that Davis creates so that they will have more sympathy towards the people that live here. By the way that Davis described the city it immediaelty reminded me of the pollution problem that Los Angeles had a few years ago. I can remember visiting Los Angeles several times as a small boy only to be stricken by just how dark and polluted the sky was. I can remeber coming up to L.A. from highway 5 and knowing it was L.A. because of the dark gray sky that enveloped the city. I know that L.A. is not the same extreme as the city in Davis' story but it reminds me of L.A.
December 7, 2007
English 48A
Journal #28 Rebecca Harding Davis
Quote:
"A dirty canary chirps desolately in a cage beside me. Its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream-almost worn out, I think"(Davis 2599).
Summary:
Davis sets the atmosphere for her short story in the beggining of the story. Davis is descriing the polluted conditions that the steel workers and the city's residents live in.
Response:
From the reading this city does not sound like an ideal place to live in. In fact it sounds like a dump. The air is dark and full of thick black smoke. Absoulutly everything is covered in a black soot. Even the poor and innocent canary is dirty. The canary is crying out for help but there is noone to hear his cries. The dirty canary almost seems like a metaphor for the people in this city. They are all literally dirty and trapped by there surroundings. They are living dead end lives. This is quite a depressing way to place the setting of a story in. I think Davis does it on purpose beacause it plays with the psychi of the reader. The reader is brought into this dismal enviroment that Davis creates so that they will have more sympathy towards the people that live here. By the way that Davis described the city it immediaelty reminded me of the pollution problem that Los Angeles had a few years ago. I can remember visiting Los Angeles several times as a small boy only to be stricken by just how dark and polluted the sky was. I can remeber coming up to L.A. from highway 5 and knowing it was L.A. because of the dark gray sky that enveloped the city. I know that L.A. is not the same extreme as the city in Davis' story but it reminds me of L.A.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Albino Whale
Gustavo Quintero
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #27 Herman Melville
Quote:
"...the wretched infidel gazes himself blind at the monumental white shroud that wraps all the prospect around him. And of all these things the Albino whale was a symbol. Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?"(Melville 2355).
Summary:
Ishmael is beginning to wonder just why they are hunting the great albino whale known as Moby Dick.
Response:
There seems to be lots of metaphors or hidden messages throughout Moby Dick. As it was discussed in class the albino whale represents a great evil. I thought this was an interesting point. In our culture the color white usually represents something that is holy or pure. Far from being evil. After a quick wikipedia search I found almost no references of white being an evil thing. Mostly white symbolizes, peaceful, pure things. The only negative associations that white has is with ghosts. Although some may argue that ghosts are not necessarily evil entities. I bring this up because I feel as if the notion that the white whale in Moby Dick is an interesting route that most people would not take.The one thing I can not seem to figure out is why the color white represents a great evil in Moby Dick. Maybe it is because of the size and magnitude of destruction that Moby Dick is capable of. This distruction is showcased when he completley destroys the ship killing everyone except Ishmael. The color white to me represents something positive or pure. Maybe Moby Dick is pure and innocent. He is pure and innocent because he is an animal. An animal being chased by a boatfull of liqour drinking,cussing sailors. Captain Ahab has got his own agenda with Moby Dick but maybe the rest of the crew should look inside themselves and wonder just what they are really chasing. A great evil or a great good.
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #27 Herman Melville
Quote:
"...the wretched infidel gazes himself blind at the monumental white shroud that wraps all the prospect around him. And of all these things the Albino whale was a symbol. Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?"(Melville 2355).
Summary:
Ishmael is beginning to wonder just why they are hunting the great albino whale known as Moby Dick.
Response:
There seems to be lots of metaphors or hidden messages throughout Moby Dick. As it was discussed in class the albino whale represents a great evil. I thought this was an interesting point. In our culture the color white usually represents something that is holy or pure. Far from being evil. After a quick wikipedia search I found almost no references of white being an evil thing. Mostly white symbolizes, peaceful, pure things. The only negative associations that white has is with ghosts. Although some may argue that ghosts are not necessarily evil entities. I bring this up because I feel as if the notion that the white whale in Moby Dick is an interesting route that most people would not take.The one thing I can not seem to figure out is why the color white represents a great evil in Moby Dick. Maybe it is because of the size and magnitude of destruction that Moby Dick is capable of. This distruction is showcased when he completley destroys the ship killing everyone except Ishmael. The color white to me represents something positive or pure. Maybe Moby Dick is pure and innocent. He is pure and innocent because he is an animal. An animal being chased by a boatfull of liqour drinking,cussing sailors. Captain Ahab has got his own agenda with Moby Dick but maybe the rest of the crew should look inside themselves and wonder just what they are really chasing. A great evil or a great good.
Gustavo Quintero
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #26 Herman Melville
Quote:
"For all his tattooings he was on the whole a clean, comely looking cannibal. Whats all this fuss I have been making about...(Melville 2334).
Summary:
After Queequeg sees that there is someone is in his bed he begins to flail his axe violently, all the while Ishmael is pleading to Queequeg not to kill him. The old man at the bar is called into the room where he calms Queequeg down who later agrees to let Ishmael share his bed.
Response:
This is the very first scene in which the reader encounters the character of Queequeg. Queequeg is a cannibal who does not believe in the Christian God but rather his own idol. The very first impression of Queequeg is that he is a ravenous, wild, dark and dangerous cannibal. Although the violent axe flailing does not help his case we later read how Queequeg is a completely different person. Queequeg is shown to be a kind man, not the wild cannibal that we first meet. Queequeg reminds me of a group of people that live in the South American rain forest. On the travel channel there is a show titled,"Going Tribal". This show follows a tribe of about 100 people during there daily lives. The show is extremely well produced and filmed. When I first began to watch the show I had the impression that the village members were savages with little intellect. After watching the whole first season you begin to see just how complex there lives are. Ranging from cooking, funerals, property disputes, marriages and even how they spend there spare time. The reason I bring this T.V. show up is that just like I got a false impression of these tribal people, Ishmael also has a false initial impression of Queequeg. Just from reading the selected chapters from "Moby Dick" I can see just how complex Queequeg is.
December 6, 2007
English 48A
Journal #26 Herman Melville
Quote:
"For all his tattooings he was on the whole a clean, comely looking cannibal. Whats all this fuss I have been making about...(Melville 2334).
Summary:
After Queequeg sees that there is someone is in his bed he begins to flail his axe violently, all the while Ishmael is pleading to Queequeg not to kill him. The old man at the bar is called into the room where he calms Queequeg down who later agrees to let Ishmael share his bed.
Response:
This is the very first scene in which the reader encounters the character of Queequeg. Queequeg is a cannibal who does not believe in the Christian God but rather his own idol. The very first impression of Queequeg is that he is a ravenous, wild, dark and dangerous cannibal. Although the violent axe flailing does not help his case we later read how Queequeg is a completely different person. Queequeg is shown to be a kind man, not the wild cannibal that we first meet. Queequeg reminds me of a group of people that live in the South American rain forest. On the travel channel there is a show titled,"Going Tribal". This show follows a tribe of about 100 people during there daily lives. The show is extremely well produced and filmed. When I first began to watch the show I had the impression that the village members were savages with little intellect. After watching the whole first season you begin to see just how complex there lives are. Ranging from cooking, funerals, property disputes, marriages and even how they spend there spare time. The reason I bring this T.V. show up is that just like I got a false impression of these tribal people, Ishmael also has a false initial impression of Queequeg. Just from reading the selected chapters from "Moby Dick" I can see just how complex Queequeg is.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
My Initial thoughts about Moby Dick
Gustavo Quintero
December 5, 2007
English 48A
Journal #25 Herman Melville
Quote:
There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very neatly the same feeling towards the ocean with me"(Melville 2321).
Summary:
In the introduction paragraph of Moby Dick, Ishmael the narrator, describes to the reader his fondness for the ocean. Ishmael is a sailor who goes out to sea whenever he is feeling suicidal. Instead of a God or the bible the ocean saves Ishmael.
Response:
I want to start off by saying that Scott did such a good job "advertising" Moby Dick that I feel compelled to start reading it. As big a chore as it may be. The book seems so entertaining and full of adventure that I found myself picturing Moby Dick tearing the ship apart the ship, while I was Daydreaming at work.
The way that Ismael starts off this great epic book is a very strange but fascinating one. There are not many stories that start off with the main narrator telling the reader about his depressive and suicidal mood swings. This really helps add a dark and gloomy tone to Moby Dick from the get go. The imagery only gets gllomier as we are taken into the hotel where Ishmael describes the intertior along with the huge strange painting that he is enthralled with. As Scott said the painting acts as a warning or heads up to the reader that the next several hundred pages will be dark and at times vague. To me this all helps to set the gloomy mood that I believe Melville wanted to recreate through his writing. When we discussed Moby Dick in class I could picture myself entering a old dark and smoky hotel. I can clearly see the picture that Ishmael is descrbing. By the way the Spouter Inn is describes it seems like only a place a weathered, veteran sailor would want to step into. Moby Dick is a classic piece of American literature and from just reading a few pages out of the enormous book I can see why it is so celebrated and read. Moby Dick has a swagger about it that is tough to create.
December 5, 2007
English 48A
Journal #25 Herman Melville
Quote:
There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very neatly the same feeling towards the ocean with me"(Melville 2321).
Summary:
In the introduction paragraph of Moby Dick, Ishmael the narrator, describes to the reader his fondness for the ocean. Ishmael is a sailor who goes out to sea whenever he is feeling suicidal. Instead of a God or the bible the ocean saves Ishmael.
Response:
I want to start off by saying that Scott did such a good job "advertising" Moby Dick that I feel compelled to start reading it. As big a chore as it may be. The book seems so entertaining and full of adventure that I found myself picturing Moby Dick tearing the ship apart the ship, while I was Daydreaming at work.
The way that Ismael starts off this great epic book is a very strange but fascinating one. There are not many stories that start off with the main narrator telling the reader about his depressive and suicidal mood swings. This really helps add a dark and gloomy tone to Moby Dick from the get go. The imagery only gets gllomier as we are taken into the hotel where Ishmael describes the intertior along with the huge strange painting that he is enthralled with. As Scott said the painting acts as a warning or heads up to the reader that the next several hundred pages will be dark and at times vague. To me this all helps to set the gloomy mood that I believe Melville wanted to recreate through his writing. When we discussed Moby Dick in class I could picture myself entering a old dark and smoky hotel. I can clearly see the picture that Ishmael is descrbing. By the way the Spouter Inn is describes it seems like only a place a weathered, veteran sailor would want to step into. Moby Dick is a classic piece of American literature and from just reading a few pages out of the enormous book I can see why it is so celebrated and read. Moby Dick has a swagger about it that is tough to create.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Hunted like a deer
Gustavo Quintero
November 29, 2007
English 48A
Journal #24 Harriet Beecher Stowe
Quote:
"The trader caught a full glimpse of her, just as she was disappearing down the bank; and throwing himself from his horse, and calling loudly on Sam and Andy, he was after her like a hound after a deer" (Stowe 1719).
Summary:
After Sam, Andy and Haley have turned around after hitting a dead end, Haley spots Eliza in a nearby home.
Response:
The cruelty and harshness of Haley is very obvious. After he spots Eliza he jumps off his horse and as the above quote says; begins to hunt Eliza like an animal. Haley chases after her like a hunter after a deer. He has her pinned down and he is about to make the capture. Uncle Tom's Cabin may have been a work of fiction but unfortunately going after escaped slaves was not. After reading all this I can not imagine the fear and stress a runaway slave faced knowing they were being chased by like an animal. The quote just reiterates the brutality and harshness of the lives of the black slave. The astonishing part of all this is how the Bird's take in Eliza and later help her escape from Haley.
Haley from the very beginning of the chapter is a very crude and unlikable character. The one action that got me angry was how he demanded to the little boy that he dance for him. The worst part is that this was normal interactions between whites and black slaves.
I can not even begin to imagine what Eliza or was going through while trying to run away from Haley. Worst of all she also has her weaker and slower child as a burden. Fortunatley for her she is given some time from Sam and Andy's stalling and by the hospitality of the Birds. The bond that a mother has between her child and herself will make her do phenominal almost unhuman things
November 29, 2007
English 48A
Journal #24 Harriet Beecher Stowe
Quote:
"The trader caught a full glimpse of her, just as she was disappearing down the bank; and throwing himself from his horse, and calling loudly on Sam and Andy, he was after her like a hound after a deer" (Stowe 1719).
Summary:
After Sam, Andy and Haley have turned around after hitting a dead end, Haley spots Eliza in a nearby home.
Response:
The cruelty and harshness of Haley is very obvious. After he spots Eliza he jumps off his horse and as the above quote says; begins to hunt Eliza like an animal. Haley chases after her like a hunter after a deer. He has her pinned down and he is about to make the capture. Uncle Tom's Cabin may have been a work of fiction but unfortunately going after escaped slaves was not. After reading all this I can not imagine the fear and stress a runaway slave faced knowing they were being chased by like an animal. The quote just reiterates the brutality and harshness of the lives of the black slave. The astonishing part of all this is how the Bird's take in Eliza and later help her escape from Haley.
Haley from the very beginning of the chapter is a very crude and unlikable character. The one action that got me angry was how he demanded to the little boy that he dance for him. The worst part is that this was normal interactions between whites and black slaves.
I can not even begin to imagine what Eliza or was going through while trying to run away from Haley. Worst of all she also has her weaker and slower child as a burden. Fortunatley for her she is given some time from Sam and Andy's stalling and by the hospitality of the Birds. The bond that a mother has between her child and herself will make her do phenominal almost unhuman things
Sam and Andy trick Haley
Gustavo Quintero
November 29, 2007
English 48A
Journal #23 Harriet Beecher Stowe
Quote:
"Sam knew exactly what he meant, but he kept on a look of earnest and desperate simplicity. 'Our dogs all smells round considerably sharp. I spect they's the kind , though they han't never had no practice" (Beecher Stowe 1717).
Summary:
Sam and Andy are trying to delay Haley by making it seem like their fumbling through his demands, although unapparent to Haley Sam and Andy are actually tricking him.
Response:
It amazes me just how clever these characters are. Haley thinks that he is a man of great intelligence and wit yet he is getting tricked right before his eyes and without the slightest idea of what Sam and Andy are doing. The dialogue that Stowe uses brings the character's to life. As Scott said in class, this was the first book to use direct dialogue as it would be spoken by black slaves in the mid 1800's. When I first read the assigned reading I had a little bit of trouble completely understanding the dialogue that was going on. After going over the selection with Scott I was on the same page as him. This really is quite a witty and humorous description of the interactions between Sam, Andy and Haley. I simply love how Sam and Andy play dumb the whole time and stall Haley. All this to help out Eliza. This also invokes a sense of community and unity. These two slaves are willing to risk retaliation by Haley so that Eliza can escape with her child. Anyhow I want to talk about the humor in the above mentioned scene.
After going over the reading in class I was picturing how this scene would play out in a theater or on the big screen. I can just imagine two older black slaves calling over the fresh horses and beat up and old hounds. While Haley is making demands at them to hurry up. "Yes boss, right away boss", they reply. This scene could really be a funny slapstick kind of routine. The funniest part is when Sam sees Eliza peer through the window and he pretends that the wind has knocked his hat off of his hat. Sam is then jumping and yelling as he picks up his hat. Its amazing how a couple pages of words and dialogue can give someone such a vivid image of what is going on. I also love the reverse psychology that Sam and Andy use on Haley. By telling Haley not to go down the dirt road. All this just shows how intelligent the black slaves could be, although this is simply a work of fiction I like to think that the black slaves were clever enough to trick their masters if such an event like this did occur.
November 29, 2007
English 48A
Journal #23 Harriet Beecher Stowe
Quote:
"Sam knew exactly what he meant, but he kept on a look of earnest and desperate simplicity. 'Our dogs all smells round considerably sharp. I spect they's the kind , though they han't never had no practice" (Beecher Stowe 1717).
Summary:
Sam and Andy are trying to delay Haley by making it seem like their fumbling through his demands, although unapparent to Haley Sam and Andy are actually tricking him.
Response:
It amazes me just how clever these characters are. Haley thinks that he is a man of great intelligence and wit yet he is getting tricked right before his eyes and without the slightest idea of what Sam and Andy are doing. The dialogue that Stowe uses brings the character's to life. As Scott said in class, this was the first book to use direct dialogue as it would be spoken by black slaves in the mid 1800's. When I first read the assigned reading I had a little bit of trouble completely understanding the dialogue that was going on. After going over the selection with Scott I was on the same page as him. This really is quite a witty and humorous description of the interactions between Sam, Andy and Haley. I simply love how Sam and Andy play dumb the whole time and stall Haley. All this to help out Eliza. This also invokes a sense of community and unity. These two slaves are willing to risk retaliation by Haley so that Eliza can escape with her child. Anyhow I want to talk about the humor in the above mentioned scene.
After going over the reading in class I was picturing how this scene would play out in a theater or on the big screen. I can just imagine two older black slaves calling over the fresh horses and beat up and old hounds. While Haley is making demands at them to hurry up. "Yes boss, right away boss", they reply. This scene could really be a funny slapstick kind of routine. The funniest part is when Sam sees Eliza peer through the window and he pretends that the wind has knocked his hat off of his hat. Sam is then jumping and yelling as he picks up his hat. Its amazing how a couple pages of words and dialogue can give someone such a vivid image of what is going on. I also love the reverse psychology that Sam and Andy use on Haley. By telling Haley not to go down the dirt road. All this just shows how intelligent the black slaves could be, although this is simply a work of fiction I like to think that the black slaves were clever enough to trick their masters if such an event like this did occur.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The burden of sin
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
November 15, 2007
Journal #22 Nathaniel Hawthorne
Quote:
"Its gloom, indeed, enabled him to sympathize with all dark affections. Dying sinners cried aloud for Mr. Hooper, and would not yield their breath till he appeared" (Hawthorne 1318).
Summary:
People are crying out for Mr Hooper, dying people. Mr. Hooper is a man with extraordinary power who does not belong on the in the flesh and blood world. People who are about to cross into the afterlife see the power that Mr. Hooper holds.
Response:
I wanted to write about another topic in this short story but I felt compelled to write more about Mr Hooper's power and his veil. The above quote is a very powerful one because it shows the extent of Mr. Hooper's influence. I may have been wrong when I said that Mr. Hooper was a quiet man who kept to himself. He may have been quiet but from the context of this quote Mr Hooper's seems to have been making his rounds with the people in his community who are about to die. This says something very important about Mr. Hooper, he may not belong with us on this world. Just as Jesus Christ's true life did not belong until after he passed away the same goes for Mr. Hooper.
When Mr. Hooper gets into a fight with his wife about the veil he says how the veil is on a temporary "crape" in the eternal world he will no longer have it. This is important because it points toward further proof that Mr. Hooper has a purpose after he is long passed away. The veil may act as a symbol of the sins that he carries for people. With this heavy weight on his shoulder he eventually passes away only to start his true purpose.
I keep coming back to this comparison between Jesus Christ and Mr. Hooper. I by no means am trying the undermine Jesus but I feel there is a similarity between the two that should be pointed out. Mr. Hooper wears the black veil as a way of capturing society's sins. This is what made him so powerful, the ability to carry all the darkness, sorrow and hatred of society's sins yet still be able to get up every day and teach people the word of God.
English 48A
November 15, 2007
Journal #22 Nathaniel Hawthorne
Quote:
"Its gloom, indeed, enabled him to sympathize with all dark affections. Dying sinners cried aloud for Mr. Hooper, and would not yield their breath till he appeared" (Hawthorne 1318).
Summary:
People are crying out for Mr Hooper, dying people. Mr. Hooper is a man with extraordinary power who does not belong on the in the flesh and blood world. People who are about to cross into the afterlife see the power that Mr. Hooper holds.
Response:
I wanted to write about another topic in this short story but I felt compelled to write more about Mr Hooper's power and his veil. The above quote is a very powerful one because it shows the extent of Mr. Hooper's influence. I may have been wrong when I said that Mr. Hooper was a quiet man who kept to himself. He may have been quiet but from the context of this quote Mr Hooper's seems to have been making his rounds with the people in his community who are about to die. This says something very important about Mr. Hooper, he may not belong with us on this world. Just as Jesus Christ's true life did not belong until after he passed away the same goes for Mr. Hooper.
When Mr. Hooper gets into a fight with his wife about the veil he says how the veil is on a temporary "crape" in the eternal world he will no longer have it. This is important because it points toward further proof that Mr. Hooper has a purpose after he is long passed away. The veil may act as a symbol of the sins that he carries for people. With this heavy weight on his shoulder he eventually passes away only to start his true purpose.
I keep coming back to this comparison between Jesus Christ and Mr. Hooper. I by no means am trying the undermine Jesus but I feel there is a similarity between the two that should be pointed out. Mr. Hooper wears the black veil as a way of capturing society's sins. This is what made him so powerful, the ability to carry all the darkness, sorrow and hatred of society's sins yet still be able to get up every day and teach people the word of God.
Black Veil
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
November 15, 2007
Journal #21 Nathaniel Hawthorne
Quote:
"Mr Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher, but not an energetic one:he strove to win his people heavenward by mild persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither, by the thunders of the world"( Hawthorne 1313).
Summary:
Hawthorne is describing Mr. Hooper's personality. He is a very quiet mild mannered man who spreads the word of God by mild persuasions. He is not the fore and brimstone type of preacher. Rather he is very calm, collect and unimposing.
Response:
I want to start this journal off by saying how intriguing this short story was. As mentioned in our class discussion, the beauty of this story is that it can be read and interpreted so many different ways. For me it is the subtleties throughout the text that I find the most fascinating. Just how does the black veil come to symbolize so much? First it is important to peer into the personality of Mr Hooper, as the above quote says Mr Hooper would try to win people over by mild influences. This is where the subtlety comes into place. The black veil acts as the mild influence that Mr. Hooper wants to put onto people. At first glance when the people in the story see Mr. Hooper with the black veil on they do not pay much mind to it. Later as the story progresses on the people of the community become weary and scared of the veil. Mr. Hooper uses this mild expression as a way to communicate a larger message. The larger message could be many things, but to me it seems like Mr. Hooper wears the black veil as a way of showing people that everybody's sins are falling on his shoulders. This seems likely because he was a very quiet man who kept to himself. Just as Jesus Christ died for our sins Mr. Hooper wears the sins of everybody. After discussing this story in class this is the conclusion I have come up with. People are always afraid of what they do not know. If people knew what the true purpose of the veil was than maybe they would not be so afraid of Mr. Hooper and the black veil.
English 48A
November 15, 2007
Journal #21 Nathaniel Hawthorne
Quote:
"Mr Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher, but not an energetic one:he strove to win his people heavenward by mild persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither, by the thunders of the world"( Hawthorne 1313).
Summary:
Hawthorne is describing Mr. Hooper's personality. He is a very quiet mild mannered man who spreads the word of God by mild persuasions. He is not the fore and brimstone type of preacher. Rather he is very calm, collect and unimposing.
Response:
I want to start this journal off by saying how intriguing this short story was. As mentioned in our class discussion, the beauty of this story is that it can be read and interpreted so many different ways. For me it is the subtleties throughout the text that I find the most fascinating. Just how does the black veil come to symbolize so much? First it is important to peer into the personality of Mr Hooper, as the above quote says Mr Hooper would try to win people over by mild influences. This is where the subtlety comes into place. The black veil acts as the mild influence that Mr. Hooper wants to put onto people. At first glance when the people in the story see Mr. Hooper with the black veil on they do not pay much mind to it. Later as the story progresses on the people of the community become weary and scared of the veil. Mr. Hooper uses this mild expression as a way to communicate a larger message. The larger message could be many things, but to me it seems like Mr. Hooper wears the black veil as a way of showing people that everybody's sins are falling on his shoulders. This seems likely because he was a very quiet man who kept to himself. Just as Jesus Christ died for our sins Mr. Hooper wears the sins of everybody. After discussing this story in class this is the conclusion I have come up with. People are always afraid of what they do not know. If people knew what the true purpose of the veil was than maybe they would not be so afraid of Mr. Hooper and the black veil.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Walden
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 9, 2007
Journal #20 Thoreau
Quote:
Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand;instead of a million count a half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumbnail"(Thoreau 1920).
Summary:
Thoreau is telling his audience of readers to simplify their lives. Keep everything you do to the bare minimum, such as eating only once a day instead of three. This simplicity will ultimately lead to a better life and better overall satisfaction life.
Response:
No truer words could have been said. Too many people in today's time have their lives full of clutter. I for example feel like I have too much junk in my room. I would love to clean it all out but I would not know where to start or where to put it all. The wonderful aspect of Thoreau's writings is that you can incorporate them into all parts of your life. Be it your daily routine, your living situation or even how you sustain yourself. Thoreau was not only preaching this but he also acted on what he said. He found himself a plot of land where he built himself a cabin to live in. This is where he was able to write Walden. Sometimes I wish I had the opportunity to find myself a plot of land live by myself in nature. This could prove to be somewhat difficult especially considering that I am from the suburbs and I am not extremely knowledgeable when it comes to living off of the land. I simply love how Thoreau says, "keep your accounts on your thumbnail", It speaks to everybody. To many people have too much on their platter. They try to juggle to many events and daily actions all at once. As a society of free thinkers Thoreau is telling us to free ourselves from this personal oppression. I say oppression because at times a life full of distractions and events can keep a person down. Thoreau writes about how much more freedom we could have if we broke ties with the complicated matters in our lives and kept them at bay or to the bare minimum.
English 48A
October 9, 2007
Journal #20 Thoreau
Quote:
Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand;instead of a million count a half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumbnail"(Thoreau 1920).
Summary:
Thoreau is telling his audience of readers to simplify their lives. Keep everything you do to the bare minimum, such as eating only once a day instead of three. This simplicity will ultimately lead to a better life and better overall satisfaction life.
Response:
No truer words could have been said. Too many people in today's time have their lives full of clutter. I for example feel like I have too much junk in my room. I would love to clean it all out but I would not know where to start or where to put it all. The wonderful aspect of Thoreau's writings is that you can incorporate them into all parts of your life. Be it your daily routine, your living situation or even how you sustain yourself. Thoreau was not only preaching this but he also acted on what he said. He found himself a plot of land where he built himself a cabin to live in. This is where he was able to write Walden. Sometimes I wish I had the opportunity to find myself a plot of land live by myself in nature. This could prove to be somewhat difficult especially considering that I am from the suburbs and I am not extremely knowledgeable when it comes to living off of the land. I simply love how Thoreau says, "keep your accounts on your thumbnail", It speaks to everybody. To many people have too much on their platter. They try to juggle to many events and daily actions all at once. As a society of free thinkers Thoreau is telling us to free ourselves from this personal oppression. I say oppression because at times a life full of distractions and events can keep a person down. Thoreau writes about how much more freedom we could have if we broke ties with the complicated matters in our lives and kept them at bay or to the bare minimum.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
First reading of Thoreau
Gustavo Quintero
November 8, 2007
English 48A
Journal #19 Henry David Thoreau
Quote:
"I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it" (Thoreau 1858).
Summary:
Thoreau is making a radical statement by telling everybody that the key to having a free and just government is by protesting against the actions of the government.
Response:
As most college students around my age I have heard of Thoreau but I had never taken the time to reading any of his works. After we dissected and discussed Thoreau in class I clearly realized the importance and very radical way that Thoreau's writings are. For a person to think as radically as Thoreau did in the 1800's is very rare and astonishing. When we read Thoreau line by line I was amazed to see the plethora of quotes that could be taken from, Resistance to Civil Government. The way this man thought about the government and protesting it really amazes me. His work is extremely radical. Calling for the protest and breaking of unjust laws in order to obtain the government necessary to a balanced life. This type of writing and thought is what influenced many great freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
An interesting thought was brought up on class when someone said(sorry I can't remember who it was) just how would Thoreau's ideals about government work if they were actually practiced. As Scott mentioned a frequent critique of Thoreau is that he was an exceptional idealist but that his ideas would not work in the physical world. As I mentioned before there were two great men who were able to take the ideals of Thoreau and use them in the fight for there respective freedom fights. Gandhi and King Jr. were able to rally non violent protests that helped them begin and achieve the goals they each strived for. The wonderful aspect of Thoreau's essay is how all types of groups and people can use his words as an argument for their parties voice.
November 8, 2007
English 48A
Journal #19 Henry David Thoreau
Quote:
"I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it" (Thoreau 1858).
Summary:
Thoreau is making a radical statement by telling everybody that the key to having a free and just government is by protesting against the actions of the government.
Response:
As most college students around my age I have heard of Thoreau but I had never taken the time to reading any of his works. After we dissected and discussed Thoreau in class I clearly realized the importance and very radical way that Thoreau's writings are. For a person to think as radically as Thoreau did in the 1800's is very rare and astonishing. When we read Thoreau line by line I was amazed to see the plethora of quotes that could be taken from, Resistance to Civil Government. The way this man thought about the government and protesting it really amazes me. His work is extremely radical. Calling for the protest and breaking of unjust laws in order to obtain the government necessary to a balanced life. This type of writing and thought is what influenced many great freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
An interesting thought was brought up on class when someone said(sorry I can't remember who it was) just how would Thoreau's ideals about government work if they were actually practiced. As Scott mentioned a frequent critique of Thoreau is that he was an exceptional idealist but that his ideas would not work in the physical world. As I mentioned before there were two great men who were able to take the ideals of Thoreau and use them in the fight for there respective freedom fights. Gandhi and King Jr. were able to rally non violent protests that helped them begin and achieve the goals they each strived for. The wonderful aspect of Thoreau's essay is how all types of groups and people can use his words as an argument for their parties voice.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Olaudah Equiano
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 25, 2007
Journal #18 Equiano
Quote:
"I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior to us; and therefore I had stronger desire to resemble them, to imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners"(Equiano 689).
Summary:
The above quote shows Equiano's feelings towards the English that he has come to know. He says how he wishes to be like them and to have the same customs as the English.
Response:
This is a very intersting quote for many reasons. During Equiano's lifetime he passed through many different owners. This prevented Equiano from developing his own identity. For a slave, at the time of the quote, Equiano wishes to take on the customs that the English have. Yet at the same time he also says how proud he is to be African. I hate to pick apart a man who cannot defend himslef buy he seems to be a bit of a hypocrite. I do not understand how he can speak out against slavery yet he wishes to adopt the customs of the very people that enslave him and his people. I guess one reason that Equiano feels this way is because he was very lucky with his owners. He was always sold to educated and rich men who treated him extremely well for a slave in his time. While Equiano saw the injustices that slavery creates he also saw the benefits in assimilating into the English community. Later Equiano even gets baptized something im sure most slaves were not able to do at those times. I also find it counterproducitve when he says that sees the English men as "superior to us". Equiano may have thought this before he really gave any thought into becoming the voice of the African American slaves.
Although I may sound like I am compltely ripping Equiano I actually enjoyed reading his writings. I found his life story to be truly fascinating. His life was full of travel and adventure. While I say this Equiano was in a very unique situation.He was always surrounded by people that let him develop intellectually and as a businessman. Something I am sure not many slaves got to experince. With this said I do not want to end this journal on a neghative note rather I want to say I really enjoyed reading about Equiano's life.
English 48A
October 25, 2007
Journal #18 Equiano
Quote:
"I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior to us; and therefore I had stronger desire to resemble them, to imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners"(Equiano 689).
Summary:
The above quote shows Equiano's feelings towards the English that he has come to know. He says how he wishes to be like them and to have the same customs as the English.
Response:
This is a very intersting quote for many reasons. During Equiano's lifetime he passed through many different owners. This prevented Equiano from developing his own identity. For a slave, at the time of the quote, Equiano wishes to take on the customs that the English have. Yet at the same time he also says how proud he is to be African. I hate to pick apart a man who cannot defend himslef buy he seems to be a bit of a hypocrite. I do not understand how he can speak out against slavery yet he wishes to adopt the customs of the very people that enslave him and his people. I guess one reason that Equiano feels this way is because he was very lucky with his owners. He was always sold to educated and rich men who treated him extremely well for a slave in his time. While Equiano saw the injustices that slavery creates he also saw the benefits in assimilating into the English community. Later Equiano even gets baptized something im sure most slaves were not able to do at those times. I also find it counterproducitve when he says that sees the English men as "superior to us". Equiano may have thought this before he really gave any thought into becoming the voice of the African American slaves.
Although I may sound like I am compltely ripping Equiano I actually enjoyed reading his writings. I found his life story to be truly fascinating. His life was full of travel and adventure. While I say this Equiano was in a very unique situation.He was always surrounded by people that let him develop intellectually and as a businessman. Something I am sure not many slaves got to experince. With this said I do not want to end this journal on a neghative note rather I want to say I really enjoyed reading about Equiano's life.
Olaudah Equiano
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 25,2007
Journal #17 Equiano
Quote:
"I was trained up form ny earliest years in the art of war:my daily exercise was shooting and throwing javelins;and my mother adorned me with emblems"(Equiano 677).
Summary:
Equiano is describing to the reader about his early life. He describes the village that he came from along with the customs that his parents taught him.
Response:
The reason I chose this quote is because it adds an interesting dimension to Equiano's character. He says that he was born in Nigeria to a tribe called Essaka. Equiano constantly goes back to his roots in describing his customs and his people. He seems to be very proud of his heritage. Yet from scholarly research we have learned that he actually may have been born in the Carolinas. This begs the question, why does Equiano claim to be born in Africa when there is evidence that says he was not. The reason he uses this claim is to help him identify with the people that he is speaking for. He is a very outspoken against slavery. Equiano feels that if he uses his roots as a base than his words will have more strength behind them. If this assumption is true than just how valid are Equianos writings of his travels. I am not saying that he is a liar but I do believe that some consideration must be made to the claim that he may not be from Africa.
Equiano's travels are a very fascinating journey. He was sold into slavery as a very young child only to pass through the hands of many slave owners. This constant movement may have helped to fuel Equiano's inquisitive nature. Later in life after earning his freedom he began to travel all over the world. This may have been a rare thing for a African American to do during his time. Although I do have to give Equiano a lot of credit for what he did. He was an early protester to slavery. It takes a very strong person to be able to speak against slavery especially having been a prior slave. You can also say that Equiano was very fortunate because he the slave of owners who treated him well and later gave him huge responsibilities.
English 48A
October 25,2007
Journal #17 Equiano
Quote:
"I was trained up form ny earliest years in the art of war:my daily exercise was shooting and throwing javelins;and my mother adorned me with emblems"(Equiano 677).
Summary:
Equiano is describing to the reader about his early life. He describes the village that he came from along with the customs that his parents taught him.
Response:
The reason I chose this quote is because it adds an interesting dimension to Equiano's character. He says that he was born in Nigeria to a tribe called Essaka. Equiano constantly goes back to his roots in describing his customs and his people. He seems to be very proud of his heritage. Yet from scholarly research we have learned that he actually may have been born in the Carolinas. This begs the question, why does Equiano claim to be born in Africa when there is evidence that says he was not. The reason he uses this claim is to help him identify with the people that he is speaking for. He is a very outspoken against slavery. Equiano feels that if he uses his roots as a base than his words will have more strength behind them. If this assumption is true than just how valid are Equianos writings of his travels. I am not saying that he is a liar but I do believe that some consideration must be made to the claim that he may not be from Africa.
Equiano's travels are a very fascinating journey. He was sold into slavery as a very young child only to pass through the hands of many slave owners. This constant movement may have helped to fuel Equiano's inquisitive nature. Later in life after earning his freedom he began to travel all over the world. This may have been a rare thing for a African American to do during his time. Although I do have to give Equiano a lot of credit for what he did. He was an early protester to slavery. It takes a very strong person to be able to speak against slavery especially having been a prior slave. You can also say that Equiano was very fortunate because he the slave of owners who treated him well and later gave him huge responsibilities.
Friday, October 19, 2007
The Ethereal Plain
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 19, 2007
Journal #16 Phillis Wheatley
Quote:
"Cease, gentle muse! the solemn gloom of night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight." (Wheatley 761)
Summary:
It seems that Wheatley is once again referring to Scipio Moorhead as a vessel used by God to communicate his word. Only this time it is not written word but rather painted images.
Response:
This poem is a very complex poem full of ideas and images. I do not know if i am on the right track with my interpretation but I will try to explain what I think this poem is about. One quick item I thought was interesting, Scipio Moorheads only surviving work is a portrait of Phillis Wheatley which she later used as a cover for her poetry book. This makes it seem like there was a special connection between Moorhead and Wheatley.
There is a feeling in the poem that someone is dying or is about to die. Wheatley conjures up the image of heaven quite a bit in this poem. Although she may have served as a inspiration for Moorhead she feels like his work may be from the hand of God. She also says how his work is so holy and beautiful that it will immortalize him as one of the greatest black artists. I do find this a bit ironic because not much information is known about Moorhead and aside form the fact that only on piece of his work survives.
The quote above is an sad realization from Whaetley that once Moorhead passes away and reaches Heavan that she will be deprived of his artwork. All the darkness that is embedded in the words of this poem give the poem a melancholy tone. Wheatley is dreading the day that either she passes away or he passes away. She wants to be able to view his artwork forever.
English 48A
October 19, 2007
Journal #16 Phillis Wheatley
Quote:
"Cease, gentle muse! the solemn gloom of night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight." (Wheatley 761)
Summary:
It seems that Wheatley is once again referring to Scipio Moorhead as a vessel used by God to communicate his word. Only this time it is not written word but rather painted images.
Response:
This poem is a very complex poem full of ideas and images. I do not know if i am on the right track with my interpretation but I will try to explain what I think this poem is about. One quick item I thought was interesting, Scipio Moorheads only surviving work is a portrait of Phillis Wheatley which she later used as a cover for her poetry book. This makes it seem like there was a special connection between Moorhead and Wheatley.
There is a feeling in the poem that someone is dying or is about to die. Wheatley conjures up the image of heaven quite a bit in this poem. Although she may have served as a inspiration for Moorhead she feels like his work may be from the hand of God. She also says how his work is so holy and beautiful that it will immortalize him as one of the greatest black artists. I do find this a bit ironic because not much information is known about Moorhead and aside form the fact that only on piece of his work survives.
The quote above is an sad realization from Whaetley that once Moorhead passes away and reaches Heavan that she will be deprived of his artwork. All the darkness that is embedded in the words of this poem give the poem a melancholy tone. Wheatley is dreading the day that either she passes away or he passes away. She wants to be able to view his artwork forever.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 18, 2007
Journal #15 Phillis Wheatley
Quote:
"While an intrinsic ardor prompts to write,
The muses promise to assist my pen;"(Wheatley 755)
Summary:
The above quote is a traditional way of starting of a poem in Wheatleys time. She is telling the audience at Harvard that God speaks through her. She has not thought of the words that are on the paper she has merely being used as a vessel by which God speaks through.
Response:
As with her previous poems Wheatley manages to say a very bold statement in her poem. At the time of this poem Harvard was a very religious based college. It had founded its doors on the principles of Christianity. For a young black female writer, speaking at Harvard is a highpoint in her life worthy of praise. Not only is Wheatley able to succeed in a white environment but she is able to speak out against the sin of slavery. She makes her statement even more important by saying that God is using her as a voice to spread the word of God. This has an enormous impact on the strength and meaning of her words. It elevates her words to a pedestal where they reach an importance that no other black writer could dream of.
Wheatley is on a crusade to stop slavery. Her mastery of the English language helps her spread the word as eloquently as any writer before. She speaks to the young minds
of the Harvard students and informs them of the perils of slavery. Slavery is a sin that will eat away at their morality and soul. Thomas Jefferson later confessed in private letters about the anguish that he was consumed with as a result of being a supporter of slavery. Wheatley is trying to warn these impressionable young minds so that they to are no consumed by this evil sin. Wheatley uses the Christian faith as a tool to make the slavery supporters feel guilty about their position on slavery. She points out the hypocrisy of Christian slave owners. Wheatley was once to a slave but was fortunate enough to be brought into a caring household. This caring and nurturer's environment help feed Wheatley's intellect and helps her find her voice. The voice she finally does find serves as a tool for God's message to be heard.
English 48A
October 18, 2007
Journal #15 Phillis Wheatley
Quote:
"While an intrinsic ardor prompts to write,
The muses promise to assist my pen;"(Wheatley 755)
Summary:
The above quote is a traditional way of starting of a poem in Wheatleys time. She is telling the audience at Harvard that God speaks through her. She has not thought of the words that are on the paper she has merely being used as a vessel by which God speaks through.
Response:
As with her previous poems Wheatley manages to say a very bold statement in her poem. At the time of this poem Harvard was a very religious based college. It had founded its doors on the principles of Christianity. For a young black female writer, speaking at Harvard is a highpoint in her life worthy of praise. Not only is Wheatley able to succeed in a white environment but she is able to speak out against the sin of slavery. She makes her statement even more important by saying that God is using her as a voice to spread the word of God. This has an enormous impact on the strength and meaning of her words. It elevates her words to a pedestal where they reach an importance that no other black writer could dream of.
Wheatley is on a crusade to stop slavery. Her mastery of the English language helps her spread the word as eloquently as any writer before. She speaks to the young minds
of the Harvard students and informs them of the perils of slavery. Slavery is a sin that will eat away at their morality and soul. Thomas Jefferson later confessed in private letters about the anguish that he was consumed with as a result of being a supporter of slavery. Wheatley is trying to warn these impressionable young minds so that they to are no consumed by this evil sin. Wheatley uses the Christian faith as a tool to make the slavery supporters feel guilty about their position on slavery. She points out the hypocrisy of Christian slave owners. Wheatley was once to a slave but was fortunate enough to be brought into a caring household. This caring and nurturer's environment help feed Wheatley's intellect and helps her find her voice. The voice she finally does find serves as a tool for God's message to be heard.
Phillis Wheatey
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 18, 2007
Journal #14 Phillis Wheatley
Quote:
"Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,
May be refined, and join the angelic train."
Summary:
Phillis Wheatley is stating very bluntly just how hypocritical white's who own slaves are. The black are the complete equals to the whites because of the faith and religion that hey both believe in.
Response:
The power of this quote is very extraordinary. The most amazing thing about this quote is that it was written by Wheatley as a teenager. She dared to confront the very issue that was considered taboo in her times. She did not sugar coat anything she wrote, she made sure that all people that read her works knew what she felt about slavery.As Scott pointed out in our class discussion, Wheatley has a very similar demeanor as Anne Bradstreet did in her poem "The author to her book". They both appear to be very humble until the end of the poem when they hit the reader with their one two punch.
The power that she exhibits with this quote is immense. For a very young African American writer to be writing about slavery as she did is amazing. It seems at first glance that by reading,"On Being Brought form Africa to America", the poem has a very humble and merciful tone. She says how merciful it was that she was taken form her "pagan" native land and brought to Mighty America. She goes on to say how it was the hand of God that brought her over. Yet this is not the ultimate message of the poem. The ultimate message of the poem is that as Christan's all blacks and whites are equal.This seems to be almost ironic. Ironic in that the whites kept the blacks as slaves yet they let them practice and pray Christianity. This also makes all whites who practice Christianity hypocrites.
The poem message of slavery being wrong is made even more powerful because of the fact that Wheatley is able to tackle this subject in just eight lines. This gives the reader a more powerful impact of the message. Wheatley uses this sudden turn at the end of the poem as a powerful statement. She calls out all slave owning people as hypocrites to their faces.
English 48A
October 18, 2007
Journal #14 Phillis Wheatley
Quote:
"Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,
May be refined, and join the angelic train."
Summary:
Phillis Wheatley is stating very bluntly just how hypocritical white's who own slaves are. The black are the complete equals to the whites because of the faith and religion that hey both believe in.
Response:
The power of this quote is very extraordinary. The most amazing thing about this quote is that it was written by Wheatley as a teenager. She dared to confront the very issue that was considered taboo in her times. She did not sugar coat anything she wrote, she made sure that all people that read her works knew what she felt about slavery.As Scott pointed out in our class discussion, Wheatley has a very similar demeanor as Anne Bradstreet did in her poem "The author to her book". They both appear to be very humble until the end of the poem when they hit the reader with their one two punch.
The power that she exhibits with this quote is immense. For a very young African American writer to be writing about slavery as she did is amazing. It seems at first glance that by reading,"On Being Brought form Africa to America", the poem has a very humble and merciful tone. She says how merciful it was that she was taken form her "pagan" native land and brought to Mighty America. She goes on to say how it was the hand of God that brought her over. Yet this is not the ultimate message of the poem. The ultimate message of the poem is that as Christan's all blacks and whites are equal.This seems to be almost ironic. Ironic in that the whites kept the blacks as slaves yet they let them practice and pray Christianity. This also makes all whites who practice Christianity hypocrites.
The poem message of slavery being wrong is made even more powerful because of the fact that Wheatley is able to tackle this subject in just eight lines. This gives the reader a more powerful impact of the message. Wheatley uses this sudden turn at the end of the poem as a powerful statement. She calls out all slave owning people as hypocrites to their faces.
Friday, October 12, 2007
A Ray of Hope in a sea of Darkness
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 12, 2007
Journal #13 Edwards Pg. 431
Quote:
"You have offended Him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince;and yet it is nothing but His hand that holds you form falling into the fire every moment... And there is no other reason to be given why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God's hand has held you up."
Summary:
Edwards is preaching to the people in the church that they have offended God with all their sinning. Although they are all heavy with sin God is still being forgiving and keeping them from going to hell. His mercy is all powerful.Edwards says that their is only one reason that they have woken up form their sleep and that is because it is God's will.
Response:
When I first read Edwards sermon I felt as if it painted a very dismal and meager future. A future in which a angry and full of wrath God was out to cleanse the earth of all sinners. This is a very dark image that is not conventionally paired up with God. As I grew up going to church I was always preached to about the caring, loving and and all forgiving God. This is not the God that we see in this sermon at first glance. As we take a closer and more precise view we can see that their are some words of hope hidden in all the dark and meager language.
The ray of hope that we is hidden in the sermon is that God is not obligated to keep sinners from entering hell prematurely but he does. Despite the fact that they are constantly indulging themselves in sinful activities God holds each individual up preventing him or her form falling into hell. This sounds more like the God that most Christians and Catholics associate with. I do not enjoy picturing the wrath of God. I much prefer picturing the love of God. Edwards even goes further to say that the only reason the people in his audience even woke up is because God decided so. This is a very powerful statement that Edwards decides to preach on. The idea that God keeps us all alive is a way that Edwards uses to help strengthen the faith of the practitioners in the church.
God is merciful yet it still wants you to stray away from sin. Edwards uses the angry image of God as a way of scaring people into becoming more involved with the church and their faith. All this constant fire and brimstone speech is eventually what led Edwards to have him kicked out of his own church. Maybe he had tired to hard or maybe people did not want to feel responsible for their sins. I can understand why the people of the church kicked Edwards out. Practitioners do mot want to imagine themselves in hell. They do not want to constantly hear of what waits them if they continue to sin. Instead they want to hear of all the glory that awaits them when they turn their lives away from sin.
English 48A
October 12, 2007
Journal #13 Edwards Pg. 431
Quote:
"You have offended Him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince;and yet it is nothing but His hand that holds you form falling into the fire every moment... And there is no other reason to be given why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God's hand has held you up."
Summary:
Edwards is preaching to the people in the church that they have offended God with all their sinning. Although they are all heavy with sin God is still being forgiving and keeping them from going to hell. His mercy is all powerful.Edwards says that their is only one reason that they have woken up form their sleep and that is because it is God's will.
Response:
When I first read Edwards sermon I felt as if it painted a very dismal and meager future. A future in which a angry and full of wrath God was out to cleanse the earth of all sinners. This is a very dark image that is not conventionally paired up with God. As I grew up going to church I was always preached to about the caring, loving and and all forgiving God. This is not the God that we see in this sermon at first glance. As we take a closer and more precise view we can see that their are some words of hope hidden in all the dark and meager language.
The ray of hope that we is hidden in the sermon is that God is not obligated to keep sinners from entering hell prematurely but he does. Despite the fact that they are constantly indulging themselves in sinful activities God holds each individual up preventing him or her form falling into hell. This sounds more like the God that most Christians and Catholics associate with. I do not enjoy picturing the wrath of God. I much prefer picturing the love of God. Edwards even goes further to say that the only reason the people in his audience even woke up is because God decided so. This is a very powerful statement that Edwards decides to preach on. The idea that God keeps us all alive is a way that Edwards uses to help strengthen the faith of the practitioners in the church.
God is merciful yet it still wants you to stray away from sin. Edwards uses the angry image of God as a way of scaring people into becoming more involved with the church and their faith. All this constant fire and brimstone speech is eventually what led Edwards to have him kicked out of his own church. Maybe he had tired to hard or maybe people did not want to feel responsible for their sins. I can understand why the people of the church kicked Edwards out. Practitioners do mot want to imagine themselves in hell. They do not want to constantly hear of what waits them if they continue to sin. Instead they want to hear of all the glory that awaits them when they turn their lives away from sin.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Fire and Brimstone
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 11,2007
Journal #12 Edwards Pg. 432
Quote:
"For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire...the words are exceeding terrible. If it had only been said, 'the wrath of God'".
Summary:
In Jonathan Edwards fiery sermon he warns all the practitioners attending that they had better repent or else. God is coming to cleanse all the sinners from the earth and he will be showing no mercy. This is not the caring and forgiving God that most people associate with but rather the angry one that shows no mercy.
Response:
Wow, is all I can say. I would by no stretch of the mind call myself the most religions person but I do believe in God and Jesus Christ. While reading Edwards sermon, I felt as if the apocalypse was about to come. The images and words that he uses are so vivid and lifelike that it makes his sermon seem that much more important and real. As Scott said in class, "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God", is one of the most extreme pieces of work by Edwards. His other Pieces all mild in comparison. Although the sermon was read in a monotonous tone, the words themselves are enough to make the heaviest sinner fear for his life.
This fire and brimstone sermon was given at a time in the 1700's during a time known as the "Great Awakening". Churches prior to this period had suffered from a decline in practitioners. When this period hit people began to embrace their faith again and return to church. Edwards uses this sermon to prevent people from ever straying away from the church again. He makes sure to use the angry God and not the forgiving God. The image of God coming in a chariot of fire parallels that of Satan. I am by no means saying that God is similar to Satan, but the Bible associates all the wrath and fire with Satan. It is almost a disturbing image but Edwards does later point out in his sermon that even though God is angry at all the sinners he is still willing to forgive them if they commit themselves to the faith.
English 48A
October 11,2007
Journal #12 Edwards Pg. 432
Quote:
"For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire...the words are exceeding terrible. If it had only been said, 'the wrath of God'".
Summary:
In Jonathan Edwards fiery sermon he warns all the practitioners attending that they had better repent or else. God is coming to cleanse all the sinners from the earth and he will be showing no mercy. This is not the caring and forgiving God that most people associate with but rather the angry one that shows no mercy.
Response:
Wow, is all I can say. I would by no stretch of the mind call myself the most religions person but I do believe in God and Jesus Christ. While reading Edwards sermon, I felt as if the apocalypse was about to come. The images and words that he uses are so vivid and lifelike that it makes his sermon seem that much more important and real. As Scott said in class, "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God", is one of the most extreme pieces of work by Edwards. His other Pieces all mild in comparison. Although the sermon was read in a monotonous tone, the words themselves are enough to make the heaviest sinner fear for his life.
This fire and brimstone sermon was given at a time in the 1700's during a time known as the "Great Awakening". Churches prior to this period had suffered from a decline in practitioners. When this period hit people began to embrace their faith again and return to church. Edwards uses this sermon to prevent people from ever straying away from the church again. He makes sure to use the angry God and not the forgiving God. The image of God coming in a chariot of fire parallels that of Satan. I am by no means saying that God is similar to Satan, but the Bible associates all the wrath and fire with Satan. It is almost a disturbing image but Edwards does later point out in his sermon that even though God is angry at all the sinners he is still willing to forgive them if they commit themselves to the faith.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Her internal struggle
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 10,2007
Journal #11 Bradstreet Pg. 215
Quote:
"But as I grew up to be about 14 or 15, I found my heart more carnal and sitting loose from God, vanity and the follies of youth take hold of me.
About 16, the Lord laid His hand sore upon me and smote me with the smallpox....I besought the Lord and confessed my pride and vanity, and He was entreated of me and again restored me."
Summary:
In Bradstreet's letter to her children she is telling her children of a time in her life where she felt she had strayed from religion. She says that she was overtaken by the pressures of being a youth and let her vanity grab a hold of her. As the case may be she was stricken by smallpox, where she felt it was from the hand of God. She reconfirmed her faith and was cured of the smallpox.
Response:
First of all I want to apologize for using such a long quote but I feel that this quote is a very important and useful window into Bradstreet's inner most struggles with her own faith. Anne Bradstreet was stricken with many ailments as a child. We can assume that she was not able to follow the normal life that a child would have. With the constant sickness that plagued her throughout her life she constantly lay in bed praying to God to cure her of her sickness. This is the internal struggle that Bradsteet shares with readers on her writings. If God is a loving God and loves all his children then why does she face and suffer from so much pain? Even as an adult, by reading her poems, she is forced to endure many deaths. The many deaths of her grandchildren drive her to question her own faith. This is a painful thing for a Puritan to go through because of the fact that they all believed that they were the chosen people by God. Yet if she is part of the chosen people then why must she endure so much heartache. The idea that keeps her from completely losing faith is that the many times that she is battling illness she prays and eventually the illness subsides and disappears. Such is the case in the letter that she writes to her children. She tells her children of a time in her teenage years when she was struck with vain and with the desires and curiosity of a pubescent woman. According to her God afflicts her with smallpox so that she can stand and look at where she is going with her life. She obviously feels God is telling her ominously that she must denounce her actions and strengthen her faith to him and her savior. After she confesses all her sins then her smallpox is cured. God has willed her with a cure. This is all a typical view of the early Puritans as we know from our readings on Bradford and Bradstreet.
In, "To My Dear Children", Bradtreet is trying to persuade her children to always have faith in their religion. Never stray as she did, for if they do then they surly will face the pains and sorrows that she did. She is using her maternal nature to try to prevent her children from going through what she did. She is also reconfirming her own faith as she lay on her death bed; "This was written in much sickness and weakness,and is very weakly and imperfectly done."
English 48A
October 10,2007
Journal #11 Bradstreet Pg. 215
Quote:
"But as I grew up to be about 14 or 15, I found my heart more carnal and sitting loose from God, vanity and the follies of youth take hold of me.
About 16, the Lord laid His hand sore upon me and smote me with the smallpox....I besought the Lord and confessed my pride and vanity, and He was entreated of me and again restored me."
Summary:
In Bradstreet's letter to her children she is telling her children of a time in her life where she felt she had strayed from religion. She says that she was overtaken by the pressures of being a youth and let her vanity grab a hold of her. As the case may be she was stricken by smallpox, where she felt it was from the hand of God. She reconfirmed her faith and was cured of the smallpox.
Response:
First of all I want to apologize for using such a long quote but I feel that this quote is a very important and useful window into Bradstreet's inner most struggles with her own faith. Anne Bradstreet was stricken with many ailments as a child. We can assume that she was not able to follow the normal life that a child would have. With the constant sickness that plagued her throughout her life she constantly lay in bed praying to God to cure her of her sickness. This is the internal struggle that Bradsteet shares with readers on her writings. If God is a loving God and loves all his children then why does she face and suffer from so much pain? Even as an adult, by reading her poems, she is forced to endure many deaths. The many deaths of her grandchildren drive her to question her own faith. This is a painful thing for a Puritan to go through because of the fact that they all believed that they were the chosen people by God. Yet if she is part of the chosen people then why must she endure so much heartache. The idea that keeps her from completely losing faith is that the many times that she is battling illness she prays and eventually the illness subsides and disappears. Such is the case in the letter that she writes to her children. She tells her children of a time in her teenage years when she was struck with vain and with the desires and curiosity of a pubescent woman. According to her God afflicts her with smallpox so that she can stand and look at where she is going with her life. She obviously feels God is telling her ominously that she must denounce her actions and strengthen her faith to him and her savior. After she confesses all her sins then her smallpox is cured. God has willed her with a cure. This is all a typical view of the early Puritans as we know from our readings on Bradford and Bradstreet.
In, "To My Dear Children", Bradtreet is trying to persuade her children to always have faith in their religion. Never stray as she did, for if they do then they surly will face the pains and sorrows that she did. She is using her maternal nature to try to prevent her children from going through what she did. She is also reconfirming her own faith as she lay on her death bed; "This was written in much sickness and weakness,and is very weakly and imperfectly done."
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
America's first poet
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 9, 2007
Journal #10 Bradstreet Pg 204-217
Quote:
"In this array 'mongst vulgars may'st thou roam.
In critic's hands beware thou dost not come,
And take thy way where yet thou art not known;
If for thy father asked, say thou hadst none;" (Bradstreet 205)
Summary:
In this block quote Bradstreet is telling the reader that she is the writer of this poetry. She is making it sure that anyone who reads her poetry knows that it was not written by a man. She is taking credit for her work at a time when no woman were published. This is a very bold and revolutionary statement for her time.
Response:
When I first read Bradstreet I found it somewhat difficult to read and understand her poetry. I was not very excited nor interested in her poetry as I read it. After we discussed her in class and examined her poetry I can now truly appreciate and enjoy her writings. What she did during her lifetime is a huge complement to her strength and character as a woman. By taking a close reading of her poetry we were able to fully comprehend and get an idea of just how complex and deep her poetry. At first glance when one reads,"The Author to Her book", one might think that she is a very humble person. I like to think that she is writing in a sarcastic tone, as Scott brilliantly pointed out. After you read the poem using Scott's point of view you really see just how clever and excellent Bradstreet is with her poetry. As we discussed in class the reason Bradstreet sounds humble in her poem is because she wanted everyone to read her poems. If she used a boasting tone surly the men that read poetry would not have read her. She would have cut off a large demographic that she was trying and did appeal to. Yet the clever Bradstreet is still able to sneak in a little bit of boasting. She says,"If for thy father asked, say thou hadst none;", she is putting it very bluntly that this poem was written by her not a man. Surely no one would have thought such beautiful and perfect poetry was written by a woman. Yet she makes it a point of hers to let everyone know who the true author is. For this I congratulate her. During her lifetime woman authors were not published or celebrated. For her to break this mold and top become the great poet that she became is a true celebration.
Her poetry has such smooth flow and beautiful rhyming. To be read this 300 plus years later and still be able to find meaning in her poems shows just how far ahead she was for her time. Her title of "America's first poet" is well deserved.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Help from a Native
Gustavo Quintero
Enlgish 48A
October 5, 2007
Journal #9 Bradford Pg 123-124
Quote:
"...but Squanto continued with them, and was their interpreter, and was a special instrument of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities..."
Summary:
The Colony that Bradford lived with was only able to survive due to a very helpful Native by the name of Squanto. If it was not for the knowledge and helpfulness of Squanto these Pilgrims surely would have perished. Squanto was a powerful chief who found it in his heart to help the Pilgrims with planting corn and the gathering of other commodities. Of course the Pilgrims see him as a gift sent from God.
Response:
Squanto was a great man who was able to overcome extremely great hurdles throughout his life. As a very young boy he was captures by Spanish slave traders and sent back to Spain. Here he learned English while he worked as a slave. After several years he was able to escape from slavery and make it back to his homeland of Massachusetts. This just adds to the legend of Squanto. Squanto was a great man because he was able to find it in his heart to help the struggling Pilgrims survive, even after what had happened to him. Squanto taught these early Pilgrims how to plant corn and other crops. He also taught them how to fish. All of these skills were essential to survival. If Squanto had never come along these Pilgrims surely would have perished.
It fascinates me how the attitude of the Native Americans is so positive considering what they have been through. Here Squanto helps out the Europeans who have basically invaded the Natives land and who kill millions of Natives in the process. It also reminds me of how De Vaca was helped along his journey by several Native Tribes. The story of Squanto and the Pilgrims is surly a story of inspiration. On one hand you have the Native Americans who have been living in peace and prosperity for thousands of years and on the other you have the Pilgrims who are diseased and in search of land. It begs the question; What if the Natives had not helped the Pilgrims, would the Pilgrims have been able to successfully settle like they did? Squanto went so far as to show the Pilgrims unknown places where they could find precious metals. As Bradford says in his journal, Squanto helped these people until the day he died. This heralding account really makes you appreciate just how vital the Native Americans were during the beginnings of what we now call The United States.
Squanto
Enlgish 48A
October 5, 2007
Journal #9 Bradford Pg 123-124
Quote:
"...but Squanto continued with them, and was their interpreter, and was a special instrument of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities..."
Summary:
The Colony that Bradford lived with was only able to survive due to a very helpful Native by the name of Squanto. If it was not for the knowledge and helpfulness of Squanto these Pilgrims surely would have perished. Squanto was a powerful chief who found it in his heart to help the Pilgrims with planting corn and the gathering of other commodities. Of course the Pilgrims see him as a gift sent from God.
Response:
Squanto was a great man who was able to overcome extremely great hurdles throughout his life. As a very young boy he was captures by Spanish slave traders and sent back to Spain. Here he learned English while he worked as a slave. After several years he was able to escape from slavery and make it back to his homeland of Massachusetts. This just adds to the legend of Squanto. Squanto was a great man because he was able to find it in his heart to help the struggling Pilgrims survive, even after what had happened to him. Squanto taught these early Pilgrims how to plant corn and other crops. He also taught them how to fish. All of these skills were essential to survival. If Squanto had never come along these Pilgrims surely would have perished.
It fascinates me how the attitude of the Native Americans is so positive considering what they have been through. Here Squanto helps out the Europeans who have basically invaded the Natives land and who kill millions of Natives in the process. It also reminds me of how De Vaca was helped along his journey by several Native Tribes. The story of Squanto and the Pilgrims is surly a story of inspiration. On one hand you have the Native Americans who have been living in peace and prosperity for thousands of years and on the other you have the Pilgrims who are diseased and in search of land. It begs the question; What if the Natives had not helped the Pilgrims, would the Pilgrims have been able to successfully settle like they did? Squanto went so far as to show the Pilgrims unknown places where they could find precious metals. As Bradford says in his journal, Squanto helped these people until the day he died. This heralding account really makes you appreciate just how vital the Native Americans were during the beginnings of what we now call The United States.
Squanto
Club Merrymount
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 5, 2007
Journal #8 William Bradford
Quote:
"And Morton became lord of misrule, and maintained (as it were) a school of atheism....in quaffing and drinking both wine and strong waters in great excess, and some reported,10 worth in the morning. They also set up a maypole, drinking and dancing about it..."( Bradford 127)
Summary:
In Massachusetts, their was a captain by the name of Wollaston. He came over to Massachusetts with slaves and provisions with the intent to start a plantation. With Captain Wollaston came a charismatic and devilish man by the name of Morton. Morton was not religious and was not at all interested in following the strict religious lives that the Pilgrims held themselves to.
Response:
If I were to land in the newly settled America I would definitely want to be hanging around with Morton. Morton, as Bradford writes in his journal, is a atheist and a man that has no problem with enjoying life and partying. He and the people on his settlement drank in excess and drank very potent alcohol. This sounds like one of Americas earliest strip clubs, complete with woman dancing on the poles.Not to sound sexist but in a way this is what Morton has created. Bradford writes in his journal of how the Indian woman would spend days with him "dancing and frisking together". To make this "club" more complete Morton changes the name of Mount Wollaston to Merrymount. Notice how merry is in the name. Could this not describe this place any better. As Scott also said in class, this is where I would want to be in the 1600's. Bradford even goes on to describe the parties as; "the beastly practices of the mad Bacchinalians." These are people who drank and who would rip apart wild animals. Even though they did not rip apart wild animals they did drink heavily.
The ironic thing about William Bradford is that he seems to be jealous of Morton. Maybe deep down inside Bradford wanted a taste of the party life. Bradford keeps calling out Morton on all the devilish things that he does but he offers no punishments for what he does. But on the other hand maybe Bradford was disgusted by Morton. Well either way Morton's settlement is eventually taken down by Mr. John Endicott. He is the man who cuts down the maypole and who sends Morton back to England.
Besides the partying and alcohol consumption that bothered Bradford was the fact that Morton traded with the Native Americans. Morton would trade guns with the Native Americans. He would also teach the Native Americans how to properly aim and fire these weapons. So, in Bradfords eyes, it was a blessing that Morton was eventually taken back to England. One may not agree with Morton's lifestyle but to say the least Morton did treat the Native Americans equally as people.
The man who stopped the party.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
All thanks given to God
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 4, 2007
Journal #7 Norton Anthology, William Bradford
Quote:
"Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men?...Neither could they, as it were, go up to the top of Pisgah, to view from this wilderness a more goodly country to feed their hopes."( Bradford 116)
Summary:
The Pilgrims upon reaching the newly "discovered" land have the wrong impression of the landscape that is far from the truth. When the pilgrims arrive at shore they see what to them seems to be an untamed wilderness unable to support any types of crops or people. The people they do encounter are seen as savages or beasts. These are very false description's of the Native Americans considering the condition they are in.
Response:
Once again we revisit the tired old stereotype that Native Americans have faced for hundreds of years. Upon arriving to land, William Bradford encounters along with others people he is not familiar with. The most ironic thing about calling these people "wild" is that they themselves were much more "wild" looking than the Native Americans. According to Loewens book the Native Americans were a taller, much healthier race of people than the general Europeans that came. The Native American men were in much better shape overall with a much more fit physique. On the other hand the Pilgrims were shorter people, who rarely bathed and who brought with them numerous amounts of diseases.They had bad teeth and were in a much less healthier state of being than the Native Americans. The Native Americans diet was also richer in vitamins and minerals and life sustenance. While the Europeans were accustomed to drinking beer. The point I am trying to paint here is that it is very ironic that the Native Americans were the people viewed as wild, when one could easily argue that it was the Europeans that were the wild ones.
All of our accounts of Native Americans come from their eyes and hands of the Europeans. The account taken from above reflects a typical European view. They all believe that they are on a holy quest from God in search of the promised land. William Bradford references Mount Pisgah in one of his journals. Pisgah was the mountain where Moses first saw the promised land. So in a way the Pilgrims who first began to arrive to this new land land saw themselves as a Moses type of being. When they arrive to land they have found what they believe is the holy, promised land that they have been in search of. By the will of God they find this promised land. Later after reading some investigative literature we find that some of these land discoveries had already been made by others and also were stumbled upon by accident. This reference to Mount Pisgah is an important one because it shows the amount of faith that these Puritans had in their religion. When things seem to be going your way you must credit it to somebody. By arriving at this Mountain that Bradford has dubbed Pisgah, the Pilgrims are empowered with more hope. This, as they see it, is what they have been in search of and with the help of God were able to find. Later they will attribute their findings of food and shelter to God also.
The point that is important to see is that the Pilgrims were a people with a lot of faith and belief in what they did. This may have been one of the factors that allowed them to endure so many hardships. Through William Bradfords Journals later generations can see the enormous impact that the Pilgrims had on America and its inhabitants
English 48A
October 4, 2007
Journal #7 Norton Anthology, William Bradford
Quote:
"Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men?...Neither could they, as it were, go up to the top of Pisgah, to view from this wilderness a more goodly country to feed their hopes."( Bradford 116)
Summary:
The Pilgrims upon reaching the newly "discovered" land have the wrong impression of the landscape that is far from the truth. When the pilgrims arrive at shore they see what to them seems to be an untamed wilderness unable to support any types of crops or people. The people they do encounter are seen as savages or beasts. These are very false description's of the Native Americans considering the condition they are in.
Response:
Once again we revisit the tired old stereotype that Native Americans have faced for hundreds of years. Upon arriving to land, William Bradford encounters along with others people he is not familiar with. The most ironic thing about calling these people "wild" is that they themselves were much more "wild" looking than the Native Americans. According to Loewens book the Native Americans were a taller, much healthier race of people than the general Europeans that came. The Native American men were in much better shape overall with a much more fit physique. On the other hand the Pilgrims were shorter people, who rarely bathed and who brought with them numerous amounts of diseases.They had bad teeth and were in a much less healthier state of being than the Native Americans. The Native Americans diet was also richer in vitamins and minerals and life sustenance. While the Europeans were accustomed to drinking beer. The point I am trying to paint here is that it is very ironic that the Native Americans were the people viewed as wild, when one could easily argue that it was the Europeans that were the wild ones.
All of our accounts of Native Americans come from their eyes and hands of the Europeans. The account taken from above reflects a typical European view. They all believe that they are on a holy quest from God in search of the promised land. William Bradford references Mount Pisgah in one of his journals. Pisgah was the mountain where Moses first saw the promised land. So in a way the Pilgrims who first began to arrive to this new land land saw themselves as a Moses type of being. When they arrive to land they have found what they believe is the holy, promised land that they have been in search of. By the will of God they find this promised land. Later after reading some investigative literature we find that some of these land discoveries had already been made by others and also were stumbled upon by accident. This reference to Mount Pisgah is an important one because it shows the amount of faith that these Puritans had in their religion. When things seem to be going your way you must credit it to somebody. By arriving at this Mountain that Bradford has dubbed Pisgah, the Pilgrims are empowered with more hope. This, as they see it, is what they have been in search of and with the help of God were able to find. Later they will attribute their findings of food and shelter to God also.
The point that is important to see is that the Pilgrims were a people with a lot of faith and belief in what they did. This may have been one of the factors that allowed them to endure so many hardships. Through William Bradfords Journals later generations can see the enormous impact that the Pilgrims had on America and its inhabitants
Open your eyes to the real Thanksgiving
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 4, 2007
Journal #6 Loewen Ch. 3
Quote:
"For that matter our culture and our textbooks underplay or omit Jamestown and the sixteenth-century Spanish settlements in favor of Plymouth Rock as the archetypal birthplace of the United States....in contrast to Squanto, a volunteer, the British in Virginia took Indian prisoners and forced them to teach colonists how to farm."(Loewen 90)
Summary:
Schools from kindergarten to high school teach students that the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock is credited as being the point in History where the Pilgrims settled into America. Yet as the quote above states, most students are not taught that there were Spanish settlements before the Pilgrim settlements. Thanksgiving is also seen as a celebration which was started by the Pilgrims which could be no further from the truth.
Response:
With Thanksgiving a little over a month away we as critical thinking college students need to examine and pick apart the myth the is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was first made into a federal holiday while Abraham Lincoln was in office. Thanksgiving began in 1863 during the Civil war as a way to increase patriotism amongst feuding Americans. From the get go this holiday that is celebrated by millions of Americans on the thirds Thursday of each November seems almost phony. As Loewen Says: "No one used the term Pilgrim until the 1870's."(Loewen 95) The pilgrims are not even initially included in the Thanksgiving celebration, yet if you were to walk into any elementary school in the U.S. during November almost surely you would see pictures and posters of Pilgrims sitting alongside Indians.
The story, in a nutshell, of Thanksgiving is as follows: The Pilgrims escaped religious persecution from the English church. The Pilgrims then went aboard a ship where they endured terrible weather on their way to America. When they reached America they landed at Plymouth Rock. Here they managed to set up a village and survive the bitterly cold winter that hit this region of America. After surviving the harsh winter, while giving thanks to God, they became friends with nearby Indians and they had a huge feast in commemoration of their first winter.
This is the story by which I was raised by in school. After reading Loewen's book has done an exceptional job of putting the facts out in the open for people to read. His book serves as a medium in order to expand the knowledge that one has about certain American cultures and celebrations.
From what we know from historical facts anthropologists have concluded that Native Americans were the first people to celebrate, what we now know as Thanksgiving. The Native Americans had been practicing Autumn harvest celebrations for thousands of years. It was not the Pilgrims who began the tradition but the Native Americans. The food that is eaten during this feast is also food that is all indigenous to America. This food includes wild turkey, squash, beans and corn. Lastly it was the Native Americans who helped the pilgrims survive the winter, and later how to plant corn and other crops.
With all that I have read regarding the Native Americans role in Thanksgiving it really makes me think about what is really important during this holiday. Its not necessarily the food and the and the remembering of our "forefathers" but rather getting together with my family and having a wonderful and delicious meal.
English 48A
October 4, 2007
Journal #6 Loewen Ch. 3
Quote:
"For that matter our culture and our textbooks underplay or omit Jamestown and the sixteenth-century Spanish settlements in favor of Plymouth Rock as the archetypal birthplace of the United States....in contrast to Squanto, a volunteer, the British in Virginia took Indian prisoners and forced them to teach colonists how to farm."(Loewen 90)
Summary:
Schools from kindergarten to high school teach students that the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock is credited as being the point in History where the Pilgrims settled into America. Yet as the quote above states, most students are not taught that there were Spanish settlements before the Pilgrim settlements. Thanksgiving is also seen as a celebration which was started by the Pilgrims which could be no further from the truth.
Response:
With Thanksgiving a little over a month away we as critical thinking college students need to examine and pick apart the myth the is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was first made into a federal holiday while Abraham Lincoln was in office. Thanksgiving began in 1863 during the Civil war as a way to increase patriotism amongst feuding Americans. From the get go this holiday that is celebrated by millions of Americans on the thirds Thursday of each November seems almost phony. As Loewen Says: "No one used the term Pilgrim until the 1870's."(Loewen 95) The pilgrims are not even initially included in the Thanksgiving celebration, yet if you were to walk into any elementary school in the U.S. during November almost surely you would see pictures and posters of Pilgrims sitting alongside Indians.
The story, in a nutshell, of Thanksgiving is as follows: The Pilgrims escaped religious persecution from the English church. The Pilgrims then went aboard a ship where they endured terrible weather on their way to America. When they reached America they landed at Plymouth Rock. Here they managed to set up a village and survive the bitterly cold winter that hit this region of America. After surviving the harsh winter, while giving thanks to God, they became friends with nearby Indians and they had a huge feast in commemoration of their first winter.
This is the story by which I was raised by in school. After reading Loewen's book has done an exceptional job of putting the facts out in the open for people to read. His book serves as a medium in order to expand the knowledge that one has about certain American cultures and celebrations.
From what we know from historical facts anthropologists have concluded that Native Americans were the first people to celebrate, what we now know as Thanksgiving. The Native Americans had been practicing Autumn harvest celebrations for thousands of years. It was not the Pilgrims who began the tradition but the Native Americans. The food that is eaten during this feast is also food that is all indigenous to America. This food includes wild turkey, squash, beans and corn. Lastly it was the Native Americans who helped the pilgrims survive the winter, and later how to plant corn and other crops.
With all that I have read regarding the Native Americans role in Thanksgiving it really makes me think about what is really important during this holiday. Its not necessarily the food and the and the remembering of our "forefathers" but rather getting together with my family and having a wonderful and delicious meal.
Friday, September 28, 2007
De Vacas fate
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
September 28, 2007
Journal #5 Norton Anthology
Quote:
"After we had dismissed the Indians in peace and thanked them for their toil in or behalf, the Christians subtly sent us on our way in the charge of an alcalde named Cebreros,attended by two horseman."
Summary:
This seems to be the culmination and the end of De Vacas stay with the Native American tribes. Here De Vaca is bidding farewell to the Native American tribes and asking them to rebuild their towns. To which the tribes, only if the Christians let us.
Response:
It seems unsuitable for such a great and helpful man to be taken away in shackles as is the case in the above quote. The Christians I assume are taking De Vaca away in shackles because of his fondness for the Native American tribes. The Christians live by an ideology that all men are created equal and all men should be treated as they would want to be treated. Yet we see that throughout the writings of Columbus and De Vaca we clearly see that this was not the case. It must be somewhat frustrating and upsetting to people of the Native American culture that not much of their history or their enslavement is taught about throughout the ages. Up until just before I had taken this course I can Honestly say (although I am embarrassed now) that I did not know of the hardships of the early cultures in America's history. By reading the Norton anthology and Loewen's book my eyes have been opened wider than they have ever been before. It is refreshing to know that after all these years one can still learn something new about a subject that one thought they were at the least familiar with. Along With De Vaca I feel a lot more sympathy for the Native American culture. Its disheartening that in his time De Vaca was arrested for trying to teach people the power of racial equality.
To finish off my thoughts about De Vaca, I completely agree with Scott when he brought up his idea about making a movie about De Vaca's life. Imagine just how moving and powerful a well written screenplay could be adapted from the journals of this man.
English 48A
September 28, 2007
Journal #5 Norton Anthology
Quote:
"After we had dismissed the Indians in peace and thanked them for their toil in or behalf, the Christians subtly sent us on our way in the charge of an alcalde named Cebreros,attended by two horseman."
Summary:
This seems to be the culmination and the end of De Vacas stay with the Native American tribes. Here De Vaca is bidding farewell to the Native American tribes and asking them to rebuild their towns. To which the tribes, only if the Christians let us.
Response:
It seems unsuitable for such a great and helpful man to be taken away in shackles as is the case in the above quote. The Christians I assume are taking De Vaca away in shackles because of his fondness for the Native American tribes. The Christians live by an ideology that all men are created equal and all men should be treated as they would want to be treated. Yet we see that throughout the writings of Columbus and De Vaca we clearly see that this was not the case. It must be somewhat frustrating and upsetting to people of the Native American culture that not much of their history or their enslavement is taught about throughout the ages. Up until just before I had taken this course I can Honestly say (although I am embarrassed now) that I did not know of the hardships of the early cultures in America's history. By reading the Norton anthology and Loewen's book my eyes have been opened wider than they have ever been before. It is refreshing to know that after all these years one can still learn something new about a subject that one thought they were at the least familiar with. Along With De Vaca I feel a lot more sympathy for the Native American culture. Its disheartening that in his time De Vaca was arrested for trying to teach people the power of racial equality.
To finish off my thoughts about De Vaca, I completely agree with Scott when he brought up his idea about making a movie about De Vaca's life. Imagine just how moving and powerful a well written screenplay could be adapted from the journals of this man.
The poetic De Vaca
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
September 28, 2007
Journal #4 Norton anthology
Quote:
"We had come from the sunrise, they from the sunset;we healed the sick, they killed the sound; we came naked and barefoot, they clothed, horsed, and lanced; we coveted nothing but gave whatever we were given, while they robbed whomever they found and bestowed nothing on anyone."
Summary:
De Vaca is summarizing what the two sides of cultures did to each other. He is closing out his journals writing about the hardships that the European explorers brought to the existing tribes of America. He is also stating how the tribes reacted to the actions of the European explorers.
Response:
This is a very powerful and beautifully written quote. Although I cannot take the credit for picking it out of the assigned reading. I do not know her name but a fellow classmate was the one that brought this quote up in our classes Wednesday discussion. I just think this quote really sums up just how De Vaca felt about the Native Americans that captured and later took him throughout his stay in their tribes. The story of De Vaca reminds me greatly of the conservationist Dian Fossey because like De Vaca she lived with a group(in her case gorillas) to study them and later make people aware of their possible extinction. As I said in a previous blog I find it incredible that De Vaca was able to see just how valuable and human the Native Americans were. For him to campaign for the Native Americans truly show s just how great a man he was.
Now to add to Wednesdays discussion of the above quote, I read the above quote and am struck by just how flawlessly and beautifully De Vacas' s words flow off the page. The compare and contrast technique that he uses for the Europeans and the Native Americans really helps drive home his point. "We coveted nothing but gave whatever we were given", this sense of commitment to do right is what proves that the Native Americans were not a people to be enslaved but rather a people to be celebrated and respected. This goes for all the races of people that were enslaved during the times of heavy European exploration. This quote also shows the complete assimilation of De Vaca into the Native American culture. His use of the word "we" shows how he actually views himself; as a member of a Native American tribe.
English 48A
September 28, 2007
Journal #4 Norton anthology
Quote:
"We had come from the sunrise, they from the sunset;we healed the sick, they killed the sound; we came naked and barefoot, they clothed, horsed, and lanced; we coveted nothing but gave whatever we were given, while they robbed whomever they found and bestowed nothing on anyone."
Summary:
De Vaca is summarizing what the two sides of cultures did to each other. He is closing out his journals writing about the hardships that the European explorers brought to the existing tribes of America. He is also stating how the tribes reacted to the actions of the European explorers.
Response:
This is a very powerful and beautifully written quote. Although I cannot take the credit for picking it out of the assigned reading. I do not know her name but a fellow classmate was the one that brought this quote up in our classes Wednesday discussion. I just think this quote really sums up just how De Vaca felt about the Native Americans that captured and later took him throughout his stay in their tribes. The story of De Vaca reminds me greatly of the conservationist Dian Fossey because like De Vaca she lived with a group(in her case gorillas) to study them and later make people aware of their possible extinction. As I said in a previous blog I find it incredible that De Vaca was able to see just how valuable and human the Native Americans were. For him to campaign for the Native Americans truly show s just how great a man he was.
Now to add to Wednesdays discussion of the above quote, I read the above quote and am struck by just how flawlessly and beautifully De Vacas' s words flow off the page. The compare and contrast technique that he uses for the Europeans and the Native Americans really helps drive home his point. "We coveted nothing but gave whatever we were given", this sense of commitment to do right is what proves that the Native Americans were not a people to be enslaved but rather a people to be celebrated and respected. This goes for all the races of people that were enslaved during the times of heavy European exploration. This quote also shows the complete assimilation of De Vaca into the Native American culture. His use of the word "we" shows how he actually views himself; as a member of a Native American tribe.
The civil rights leader Cabeza de Vaca
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
September 28, 2007
Journal #3
Quote:
"...I overtook four of them on their horses. They were dumbfounded at the sight of me, strangely undressed and in the company with Indians. They just stood staring for a long time, not thinking to hail me or come closer to ask questions."
Summary:
At this point in de Vaca's journey he is in search of the Christian explorers that are believed to have found their way to the land that he is on. Along with him de Vaca brings along Castillo and Dorantes. They find the men on horse and tell them to bring the party to their captain. Their captain is Diego de Alcaraz.
Response:
De Vaca begins his life changing experience as a passenger on Narvaez's expedition to Florida as a provost marshall and treasurer. After many wrong turns and unfavorable weather, the expedition lands on the coast of Florida. Here they are met by hostile Native Americans who give them signs that they are not wanted anywhere near them. Disillusioned with how poorly his expedition is going Narvaez makes barges and eventually becomes stranded on what is now Galveston, Texas. Here is where De Vaca's journey really begins. He passes his first years as a prisoner of various Native American tribes.He is not alone, along with him is his two Spaniard survivor Dorantes and Castillo and also Estevanico a black slave.
De Vaca Spends an immense amount of time living alongside the Native Americans in their tribes and watching and recording their customs. De Vaca becomes so like the Native America\an tribes that he begins to wear their clothing, consists of them being nude with a little deerskin in vital areas.
The reason I feel it is important to bring up this quote is to point and and examine just how humane and unlike all other European explorers De Vaca was. The contrast between him and Columbus just absolutely baffles me. How hard is it for one man to completely go against the norm (at that time) and do what he did. In essence De Vaca becomes one of the very first civil rights leaders. After seeing his fellow European enslave hundreds of Native Americans he decides to go back to Spain in order to help bring awareness to what is going on in America. The importance of this quote shows the high level of commitment that De Vaca had to helping end the Enslavement of the Native Americans. De Vaca would spend the rest of his life fighting for the very people that helped him and his men survive all those years. For De Vaca to believe what he did is truly honorable. A Federal holiday should not befall on Columbus but rather on De Vaca.
Before
After
English 48A
September 28, 2007
Journal #3
Quote:
"...I overtook four of them on their horses. They were dumbfounded at the sight of me, strangely undressed and in the company with Indians. They just stood staring for a long time, not thinking to hail me or come closer to ask questions."
Summary:
At this point in de Vaca's journey he is in search of the Christian explorers that are believed to have found their way to the land that he is on. Along with him de Vaca brings along Castillo and Dorantes. They find the men on horse and tell them to bring the party to their captain. Their captain is Diego de Alcaraz.
Response:
De Vaca begins his life changing experience as a passenger on Narvaez's expedition to Florida as a provost marshall and treasurer. After many wrong turns and unfavorable weather, the expedition lands on the coast of Florida. Here they are met by hostile Native Americans who give them signs that they are not wanted anywhere near them. Disillusioned with how poorly his expedition is going Narvaez makes barges and eventually becomes stranded on what is now Galveston, Texas. Here is where De Vaca's journey really begins. He passes his first years as a prisoner of various Native American tribes.He is not alone, along with him is his two Spaniard survivor Dorantes and Castillo and also Estevanico a black slave.
De Vaca Spends an immense amount of time living alongside the Native Americans in their tribes and watching and recording their customs. De Vaca becomes so like the Native America\an tribes that he begins to wear their clothing, consists of them being nude with a little deerskin in vital areas.
The reason I feel it is important to bring up this quote is to point and and examine just how humane and unlike all other European explorers De Vaca was. The contrast between him and Columbus just absolutely baffles me. How hard is it for one man to completely go against the norm (at that time) and do what he did. In essence De Vaca becomes one of the very first civil rights leaders. After seeing his fellow European enslave hundreds of Native Americans he decides to go back to Spain in order to help bring awareness to what is going on in America. The importance of this quote shows the high level of commitment that De Vaca had to helping end the Enslavement of the Native Americans. De Vaca would spend the rest of his life fighting for the very people that helped him and his men survive all those years. For De Vaca to believe what he did is truly honorable. A Federal holiday should not befall on Columbus but rather on De Vaca.
Before
After
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Christoopher Columbus, the man you thought you knew pt 2.
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
September 27, 2007
Journal #2 Loewen Ch.2
Quote:
"...the Indians were well built and of quick intelligence they have very good customs...Later when Columbus was justifying his wars and his enslavement of the Indians, they became cruel and stupid a people warlike and numerous,whose customs and religion are very different from ours."
Summary:
The above quote shows just how quickly Columbus changed his attitude towards the Native Americans. One moment his is writing in his journal about how intelligent the Native Americans are and the next moment he is saying how stupid and "savage" they are. Columbus uses this attitude as a justification for the enslavement of the Native Americans that he "discovers".
Response:
The idea of Native Americans being "stupid" and warlike is not a new stereotype. Of course Columbus did not have televisions and comic books that glorified the Native American as a vicious warrior. He did have his journals though. Columbus uses his journals as a way to make himself feel like he is doing he right thing by enslaving the Native Americans. As stated in Loewen's book Columbus uses a simple psychological concept known as cognitive dissonance. This is the idea that we will, in our own mind, give a person or group of people a negative and completely false image so that we feel better about treating that person(s) as we please. It is a tragedy when you think about and read just all the inhumane treatment various cultures have been through over hundreds and thousands of years. The Native Americans were the earliest slaves that have lived in this country.
With this said I have to bring up author an that I read last year for an English course here at Foothill
. Sherman Alexie wrote a book titled, The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven. Throughout the whole book the image or stereotype of the "savage Indian" is brought up. Alexie seems to struggle with this concept because of the heavy use of this image in the book. It appears as a very predominant and negative image. One essay question we were asked to write about was whether or not the use of this image helped or hurt the Native Americans. I always thought that Alexie, although a brilliant story teller,wrote to many negative stories about his experiences on the reservation he lived on. Thus to me his stories hurt the image of the Native American. What I am trying to get at is that Columbus may have been the primer that set off the mistreatment of Native Americans.
This "warlike" people are truly a peaceful culture. The European explorers that came across these "warlike" Indians were treated for illness and given food and shelter. They also repaired the boats of explorers that had shipwrecked, such as Francis Drake. Lewis and Clark were only able to make their trek across the United States because of the help of numerous tribes. I love how Loewen points out how American textbooks fail to point out just how helpful the Native Americans were.
English 48A
September 27, 2007
Journal #2 Loewen Ch.2
Quote:
"...the Indians were well built and of quick intelligence they have very good customs...Later when Columbus was justifying his wars and his enslavement of the Indians, they became cruel and stupid a people warlike and numerous,whose customs and religion are very different from ours."
Summary:
The above quote shows just how quickly Columbus changed his attitude towards the Native Americans. One moment his is writing in his journal about how intelligent the Native Americans are and the next moment he is saying how stupid and "savage" they are. Columbus uses this attitude as a justification for the enslavement of the Native Americans that he "discovers".
Response:
The idea of Native Americans being "stupid" and warlike is not a new stereotype. Of course Columbus did not have televisions and comic books that glorified the Native American as a vicious warrior. He did have his journals though. Columbus uses his journals as a way to make himself feel like he is doing he right thing by enslaving the Native Americans. As stated in Loewen's book Columbus uses a simple psychological concept known as cognitive dissonance. This is the idea that we will, in our own mind, give a person or group of people a negative and completely false image so that we feel better about treating that person(s) as we please. It is a tragedy when you think about and read just all the inhumane treatment various cultures have been through over hundreds and thousands of years. The Native Americans were the earliest slaves that have lived in this country.
With this said I have to bring up author an that I read last year for an English course here at Foothill
. Sherman Alexie wrote a book titled, The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven. Throughout the whole book the image or stereotype of the "savage Indian" is brought up. Alexie seems to struggle with this concept because of the heavy use of this image in the book. It appears as a very predominant and negative image. One essay question we were asked to write about was whether or not the use of this image helped or hurt the Native Americans. I always thought that Alexie, although a brilliant story teller,wrote to many negative stories about his experiences on the reservation he lived on. Thus to me his stories hurt the image of the Native American. What I am trying to get at is that Columbus may have been the primer that set off the mistreatment of Native Americans.This "warlike" people are truly a peaceful culture. The European explorers that came across these "warlike" Indians were treated for illness and given food and shelter. They also repaired the boats of explorers that had shipwrecked, such as Francis Drake. Lewis and Clark were only able to make their trek across the United States because of the help of numerous tribes. I love how Loewen points out how American textbooks fail to point out just how helpful the Native Americans were.
Christpher Columbus, the man you thought you knew.
Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
September 27, 2007
Journal #1, Loewen Ch. 2
Quote:
"Christopher Columbus introduced two new phenomena that revolutionized race relations and transformed the modern world: the taking of land, wealth, and labor from indigenous peoples, leading to their extermination, and the transatlantic slave trade, which created a racial underclass.
Summary:
Loewen is stating an argument in this quote that says Columbus is not the hero and great man that most students grew up studying. Columbus' actions led to the systematic breakdown of Native American culture and lives, along with the creation of early slavery.
Response:
The first thing I want to say is just how thankful I am that I enrolled in Scott's class. From the first two days of class I can already tell that I will learn and read about a great deal of relevant, insightful, entertaining and eye opening topics and material. Believe it or not I was sadly, now a days, one of the few students still in the academic environment that did not know who the real Christopher Columbus was. When we did the cocktail party our very first class meeting I quickly realized that I was still in the shadows regarding who the real Christopher Columbus. After a short class discussion about Columbus I began to slowly see just how false the image of Columbus is. One comment that caught me off guard during the cocktail hour was made by Chelsea (I think) "Christopher Columbus was a tyrant." I did not know what to say. The Columbus I knew sailed from Spain in the mid 1400's in search of Silk, spices and gold. He then "Discovered" America in 1492. Here, thinking he had found India, he named the inhabitants he saw "Indians". Boy was I clueless. Like I said before I have been completely in the shadows for some 10 plus years. The real Columbus was a man who did not discover America, he stumbled upon it. Nor was he in search of silk and spices. He was as greedy as they come, he was in search solely of gold. He was also horrible to the Native Americans by enslaving them and by forcing them to work in minds in order to give him all the gold he demanded.
One of the most striking things Loewen mentions in his book is the "Tribute System" that Columbus had set up. Columbus upset with not being able to find gold on Haiti set up a cruel system so that he would receive gold. The Native Americans were told they had to pay tribute to the Catholic Sovereigns, and by paying tribute Columbus meant by paying him either a hawk's bell of gold dust or 25 pounds of cotton. So for three months the Native Americans would spend all their time gathering up the "dues". After three months Columbus would collect the "dues" from each Native American, thereby giving that person a coin. These tokens were to be worn around their necks. Those with expired coins would have their hands cut off.
Who really knows about these atrocities? I bet if a survey was taken amongst high school students and adults with the above scenarios and the following question, Is the above paragraph a true example of Columbus's Practices, the overwhelming majority would answer no. Its just amazes me just how evil this man really was. The worst part is that this man has a Federal holiday in his honor, that is observed by the United States. Everyone should take time to read this book in order to open up their eyes to the atrocities that this man created.
One last thought I want to end with; As Scott pointed out how strange is it that we have a federal holiday for a man whose own country does not have a holiday for?
P.S. This is my first time using a blog so I apologize for the lack of images. Once I get more comfortable with posting on a blog I will make sure to add some visual and maybe audio aspects to go along with my thoughts and responses.
English 48A
September 27, 2007
Journal #1, Loewen Ch. 2
Quote:
"Christopher Columbus introduced two new phenomena that revolutionized race relations and transformed the modern world: the taking of land, wealth, and labor from indigenous peoples, leading to their extermination, and the transatlantic slave trade, which created a racial underclass.
Summary:
Loewen is stating an argument in this quote that says Columbus is not the hero and great man that most students grew up studying. Columbus' actions led to the systematic breakdown of Native American culture and lives, along with the creation of early slavery.
Response:
The first thing I want to say is just how thankful I am that I enrolled in Scott's class. From the first two days of class I can already tell that I will learn and read about a great deal of relevant, insightful, entertaining and eye opening topics and material. Believe it or not I was sadly, now a days, one of the few students still in the academic environment that did not know who the real Christopher Columbus was. When we did the cocktail party our very first class meeting I quickly realized that I was still in the shadows regarding who the real Christopher Columbus. After a short class discussion about Columbus I began to slowly see just how false the image of Columbus is. One comment that caught me off guard during the cocktail hour was made by Chelsea (I think) "Christopher Columbus was a tyrant." I did not know what to say. The Columbus I knew sailed from Spain in the mid 1400's in search of Silk, spices and gold. He then "Discovered" America in 1492. Here, thinking he had found India, he named the inhabitants he saw "Indians". Boy was I clueless. Like I said before I have been completely in the shadows for some 10 plus years. The real Columbus was a man who did not discover America, he stumbled upon it. Nor was he in search of silk and spices. He was as greedy as they come, he was in search solely of gold. He was also horrible to the Native Americans by enslaving them and by forcing them to work in minds in order to give him all the gold he demanded.
One of the most striking things Loewen mentions in his book is the "Tribute System" that Columbus had set up. Columbus upset with not being able to find gold on Haiti set up a cruel system so that he would receive gold. The Native Americans were told they had to pay tribute to the Catholic Sovereigns, and by paying tribute Columbus meant by paying him either a hawk's bell of gold dust or 25 pounds of cotton. So for three months the Native Americans would spend all their time gathering up the "dues". After three months Columbus would collect the "dues" from each Native American, thereby giving that person a coin. These tokens were to be worn around their necks. Those with expired coins would have their hands cut off.
Who really knows about these atrocities? I bet if a survey was taken amongst high school students and adults with the above scenarios and the following question, Is the above paragraph a true example of Columbus's Practices, the overwhelming majority would answer no. Its just amazes me just how evil this man really was. The worst part is that this man has a Federal holiday in his honor, that is observed by the United States. Everyone should take time to read this book in order to open up their eyes to the atrocities that this man created.
One last thought I want to end with; As Scott pointed out how strange is it that we have a federal holiday for a man whose own country does not have a holiday for?
P.S. This is my first time using a blog so I apologize for the lack of images. Once I get more comfortable with posting on a blog I will make sure to add some visual and maybe audio aspects to go along with my thoughts and responses.
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