Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 17, 2008
Journal #45 Jack London
Quote:
"He would kill the dog and bury his hands in the warm body until the numbness went out of them. Then he could build another fire. He spoke to the dog, calling to him, but in his voice was a strange note of fear that frightened the animal"(London 1065).
Summary:
The man wants to kill the dog so that he can put his hands in its belly to thaw out his badly frostbitten hands. He needs to thaw out his hands so that he can build another fire.
Response:
I am glad that the dog does not die at the hands of the man. The dog knew all to well that it was too cold to travel. Earlier in the story it is the dog that shy's away form the cold and it also wants to stay close to the fire. It is the man who decides to push on in the incredible cold. After all the bad decisions that the man has made he tries to kill the dog for his mistakes. The man has fallen into water and must thaw out his feet. He builds a fire only to have it put out by a snowfall caused from a spruce tree. It's funny how the man tries to kill the dog for his mistakes. In the first place he should have never made that trip down the trail especially alone. From the beginning the dog knows this. This is survival of the fittest and the dog wins this round. Maybe the man should have paid more attention to the dog, the dog would have told him never to travel in this terrible cold. It almost serves the man right that he ends up perishing in the cold because of his ignorance to the cold. The dog is obviously more well fitted for travel in this weather while the man is not. Ultimately the man's fragile nature and ignorance kill him.
This quote reminds me of an episode of "Man vs. Wild". The host Bear Grylis is stranded in a desert and shows what to do in the event that you are hit with an extreme drop in temperature or a sandstorm. Bear finds a dead camel and cuts it wide open from the belly. He then crawls right in and sleeps in the camel's belly through the night. You almost have to wonder why we as humans think that we are masters of our environment. We always think that we are smarter and stronger than our environment. In the case of the man and the dog, the man proves to be the weakest link in the evolutionary chain.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Man vs. Wild
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 17, 2008
Journal #44 Jack London
Quote:
"Possibly all the generations of his ancestry had been ignorant of cold, of real cold, of cold one hundred and seven degrees below freezing-point. But the dog knew; all its ancestry knew, and it had inherited the knowledge"(London 1061).
Summary:
The man is ignorant as to how cold it truly is while the dog has the natural instinct that tells it that this weather is to harsh to be traveling in.
Response:
I love reading this story because it shows just how fragile and dumb humans really are. The man decides to travel on the trail in horribly old weather, against the warning of the old man from Sulphur creek. The man decides to forgo on this journey even though this is his first winter in Yukon country. The man's stubbornness and ego prove to be that very traits that cause his death later in the story. His ego tells him that the old man is a woman and that he does not know what he id talking about. His stubbornness also tells him to continue on through the cold even though it is well over 50 below. This just does not make any sense at all. To make this all worse the man is travelling alone, aside from a dog. This story acts as the epitome of a naturalist work. It pits man against nature and it explores the consequences that the man must face because he thought he was stronger than mother nature. The frailty of humans is really put in display here because it shows just how at the mercy of the environment the man is. The man thought he was smarter and stronger than the environment. Mother Nature on the other hand proves to be the victor in the constant struggle of man versus wild.
The reason I love this story is because of the grim reality that the man faces in the end. I enjoy it simply because it does not have your "Hollywood ending", where miraculously the man is saved by some great twist of fate. Rather it shows us the reality and just how weak humans are to the awesome power of the environment.
English 48B
March 17, 2008
Journal #44 Jack London
Quote:
"Possibly all the generations of his ancestry had been ignorant of cold, of real cold, of cold one hundred and seven degrees below freezing-point. But the dog knew; all its ancestry knew, and it had inherited the knowledge"(London 1061).
Summary:
The man is ignorant as to how cold it truly is while the dog has the natural instinct that tells it that this weather is to harsh to be traveling in.
Response:
I love reading this story because it shows just how fragile and dumb humans really are. The man decides to travel on the trail in horribly old weather, against the warning of the old man from Sulphur creek. The man decides to forgo on this journey even though this is his first winter in Yukon country. The man's stubbornness and ego prove to be that very traits that cause his death later in the story. His ego tells him that the old man is a woman and that he does not know what he id talking about. His stubbornness also tells him to continue on through the cold even though it is well over 50 below. This just does not make any sense at all. To make this all worse the man is travelling alone, aside from a dog. This story acts as the epitome of a naturalist work. It pits man against nature and it explores the consequences that the man must face because he thought he was stronger than mother nature. The frailty of humans is really put in display here because it shows just how at the mercy of the environment the man is. The man thought he was smarter and stronger than the environment. Mother Nature on the other hand proves to be the victor in the constant struggle of man versus wild.
The reason I love this story is because of the grim reality that the man faces in the end. I enjoy it simply because it does not have your "Hollywood ending", where miraculously the man is saved by some great twist of fate. Rather it shows us the reality and just how weak humans are to the awesome power of the environment.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Broken heart
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 12, 2008
Journal #43 Zitkala Sa
Quote:
"The little taste of victory did not satisfy a hunger in my heart. In my mind I saw my mother far away on the Western plains, and she was holding a charge against me"(Sa 1121).
Summary:
After graduating from the boarding school, Sa is in her college dormitory room thinking about what her mom felt about her going off to the West.
Response:
To me It seems like Sa will never be able to forgive herself for going to the West with the missionaries. It is a constant struggle that she has to fight with all her life. In my previous posts I pointed out quotes that show how Sa's mom tried to warn her about going to the west but being the young and curious youth the missionaries were able to seduce her into coming to the west. I can only imagine the heartache that her mother felt knowing that her only youngest daughter was about to face hardships and indignities that would change both of their lives forever. All the attempts to keep her daughter from going West were unsuccessful. This causes much heartache in her mother which is apparent when she goes to the hills and cries. She cries for her youngest daughter. She cries hoping that her daughter will come back to live with her, far away from the missionaries. This reminiscing that Sa does occurs many times throughout her school career. The first time it happens when she first arrives at the boarding school, once here she begins to cry for her mom. Only instead of being consoled by the teachers here she is humiliated and has her hair cut. This theme of her and her mother comes up very often in the passages that we read. Sa is aware of the mistake that she made by going west and regrets this decision. In the above quote when Sa refers to the hunger in her heart she is referring to the yearning that she has for her mother's love again. She wants to be with her mother and I also think she wants her mother to accept the choice that she made when she was young. This is what keeps both her and her mother unhappy. If only they could come to a compromise so that they can heal their broken hearts.
English 48B
March 12, 2008
Journal #43 Zitkala Sa
Quote:
"The little taste of victory did not satisfy a hunger in my heart. In my mind I saw my mother far away on the Western plains, and she was holding a charge against me"(Sa 1121).
Summary:
After graduating from the boarding school, Sa is in her college dormitory room thinking about what her mom felt about her going off to the West.
Response:
To me It seems like Sa will never be able to forgive herself for going to the West with the missionaries. It is a constant struggle that she has to fight with all her life. In my previous posts I pointed out quotes that show how Sa's mom tried to warn her about going to the west but being the young and curious youth the missionaries were able to seduce her into coming to the west. I can only imagine the heartache that her mother felt knowing that her only youngest daughter was about to face hardships and indignities that would change both of their lives forever. All the attempts to keep her daughter from going West were unsuccessful. This causes much heartache in her mother which is apparent when she goes to the hills and cries. She cries for her youngest daughter. She cries hoping that her daughter will come back to live with her, far away from the missionaries. This reminiscing that Sa does occurs many times throughout her school career. The first time it happens when she first arrives at the boarding school, once here she begins to cry for her mom. Only instead of being consoled by the teachers here she is humiliated and has her hair cut. This theme of her and her mother comes up very often in the passages that we read. Sa is aware of the mistake that she made by going west and regrets this decision. In the above quote when Sa refers to the hunger in her heart she is referring to the yearning that she has for her mother's love again. She wants to be with her mother and I also think she wants her mother to accept the choice that she made when she was young. This is what keeps both her and her mother unhappy. If only they could come to a compromise so that they can heal their broken hearts.
No soul
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 12, 2008
Journal #42 Zitkala Sa
Quote:
"I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit'(Sa 1116).
Summary:
After the missionaries find Sa hiding underneath a bed, she is sat into a chair to have her hair cut into a short and uniform manner.
Response:
Zitkala Sa says that in the Native-American culture the only two times you would cut you hair was when you were in mourning or when a coward enemy warrior was captured. She also says that a Native-American with short hair is a coward. At the boarding schools all the children have their hair cut so that whatever little pride they had is completely stripped away from them. On her arrival to the school she is first forced to take off her moccasins and later then forced to wear a tight fitting dress. The very last thing that still shows that she is Native-American is her hair. Her hair acts as her identity and a bridge to her culture and roots. That's what makes it such a traumatic experience when her hair is cut. Not only is she shut quiet, by not being allowed to speak her tongue, but she is now spiritually shut quiet. Her soul is dead. This was the missionaries way of breaking the Native-American down into absolutely nothing. I found this quote to have an extreme importance and power the first time I read it. After I read the part about her soul it really put into perspective just how sad and terrible the boarding schools were to the minds of these young children. Take for example the older man that was being interviewed in the you tube video about his experience at the charlise school. You could see and feel the hurt and humiliation that he had faced from having having his hair cut. Obviously the hair of the Native-American is a treasured part of who they are and for the missionaries to cut their hair with no remorse is a travesty. This is a very powerful image that really shows just how terrible an experience that boarding schools were to these young children. The very last symbol that kept Sa from becoming just like the white people is her hair and this is the very symbol that is taken away from her. Now she is a Native-American with no soul.
English 48B
March 12, 2008
Journal #42 Zitkala Sa
Quote:
"I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit'(Sa 1116).
Summary:
After the missionaries find Sa hiding underneath a bed, she is sat into a chair to have her hair cut into a short and uniform manner.
Response:
Zitkala Sa says that in the Native-American culture the only two times you would cut you hair was when you were in mourning or when a coward enemy warrior was captured. She also says that a Native-American with short hair is a coward. At the boarding schools all the children have their hair cut so that whatever little pride they had is completely stripped away from them. On her arrival to the school she is first forced to take off her moccasins and later then forced to wear a tight fitting dress. The very last thing that still shows that she is Native-American is her hair. Her hair acts as her identity and a bridge to her culture and roots. That's what makes it such a traumatic experience when her hair is cut. Not only is she shut quiet, by not being allowed to speak her tongue, but she is now spiritually shut quiet. Her soul is dead. This was the missionaries way of breaking the Native-American down into absolutely nothing. I found this quote to have an extreme importance and power the first time I read it. After I read the part about her soul it really put into perspective just how sad and terrible the boarding schools were to the minds of these young children. Take for example the older man that was being interviewed in the you tube video about his experience at the charlise school. You could see and feel the hurt and humiliation that he had faced from having having his hair cut. Obviously the hair of the Native-American is a treasured part of who they are and for the missionaries to cut their hair with no remorse is a travesty. This is a very powerful image that really shows just how terrible an experience that boarding schools were to these young children. The very last symbol that kept Sa from becoming just like the white people is her hair and this is the very symbol that is taken away from her. Now she is a Native-American with no soul.
I tried to warn you
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 12, 2008
Journal #41 Zitkala Sa
Quote:
"Their woods are sweet, but, my child, their deeds are bitter. You will cry for me, but they will not even soothe you"(Sa 1112).
Summary:
The little girls mother is warning her about how she will weep for her once she is taken by the missionaries. This quote shows a foreshadowing that will occur in her life.
Response:
Sa's mother is very wise beyond her years. She tries to warn her daughter of the troubles that she will face once she arrives at the school. Being the young girl that she is, Sa, does not listen to what her mother is trying to tell her. At this point in her life, Sa, is the age at which the white missionaries ask the mothers of the native children for their permission so that they can be taken to the Indian boarding school. The sad thing is that the mothers are not given any real options. Although the missionaries do ask for the permission from the mother, it just does not seem sincere. It seems that the missionaries would take the children off to the boarding schools regardless of what the mother's say. What makes this decision harder for the mom is that her daughter is excited and curious about going to the land of the, "Big Red Apple". The mother knowing the atrocities that will happen to her tries to warn her daughter. She warns her that she will have no one to comfort her when she is presented with a unfamiliar and scary situation. This quote is an excellent foreshadow of what happens to Sa once she arrives at the boarding school. She is forced to dress and talk in ways that are completely foreign to her. The missionaries at the boarding school force her to take off her moccasins and wear stiff shoes, they also force her to speak English and not her native tongue. They also force her to wear tight fitting dresses that she is not accustomed to wearing. What happens to Sa when all this occurs, she cries and weeps for her mother to come and soothe her. Exactly what her mother had warned her would happen she is experiencing. It is really disturbing to see the atrocities that these children had to face all because they were enticed by the promises of all the "Big Red Apples" that they could pick.
English 48B
March 12, 2008
Journal #41 Zitkala Sa
Quote:
"Their woods are sweet, but, my child, their deeds are bitter. You will cry for me, but they will not even soothe you"(Sa 1112).
Summary:
The little girls mother is warning her about how she will weep for her once she is taken by the missionaries. This quote shows a foreshadowing that will occur in her life.
Response:
Sa's mother is very wise beyond her years. She tries to warn her daughter of the troubles that she will face once she arrives at the school. Being the young girl that she is, Sa, does not listen to what her mother is trying to tell her. At this point in her life, Sa, is the age at which the white missionaries ask the mothers of the native children for their permission so that they can be taken to the Indian boarding school. The sad thing is that the mothers are not given any real options. Although the missionaries do ask for the permission from the mother, it just does not seem sincere. It seems that the missionaries would take the children off to the boarding schools regardless of what the mother's say. What makes this decision harder for the mom is that her daughter is excited and curious about going to the land of the, "Big Red Apple". The mother knowing the atrocities that will happen to her tries to warn her daughter. She warns her that she will have no one to comfort her when she is presented with a unfamiliar and scary situation. This quote is an excellent foreshadow of what happens to Sa once she arrives at the boarding school. She is forced to dress and talk in ways that are completely foreign to her. The missionaries at the boarding school force her to take off her moccasins and wear stiff shoes, they also force her to speak English and not her native tongue. They also force her to wear tight fitting dresses that she is not accustomed to wearing. What happens to Sa when all this occurs, she cries and weeps for her mother to come and soothe her. Exactly what her mother had warned her would happen she is experiencing. It is really disturbing to see the atrocities that these children had to face all because they were enticed by the promises of all the "Big Red Apples" that they could pick.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The sleazy lawyer
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 11. 2008
Journal #40 Sui Sin Far
Quote:
"Oh, well then we won't talk about it, old fellow. It won't harm the boy to stay , where he is, and your wife might get over it all right"(Far 884).
Summary:
This is the lawyer's reaction after Hom Hing has told him that he has no more money. The lawyer is asking for 500 more dollars to complete the process of getting Hing's son back from the U.S. government.
Response:
The lawyer is a greedy and terrible villain in this short story. I can not believe that a man would ask for 500 hundred dollars after already ripping off Hing just so that Hing can get his son back. This is such a disgusting injustice that you have to wonder just how can the lawyer do business with people this way. The above quote does not paint the lawyer in a very flattering light. Take a moment to think about how much 500 dollars is worth during the early 1900's. Adjusted for inflation a conservative guess might be around 10,000 dollars (although I'm sure it's much higher). For the lawyer to call Hing an old man and to basically tell him to shut up really makes him an evil man. I could not live with myself If I treated clients this way. The way the lawyer acts towards Hom Hing and his wife is the way I was expecting the U.S.C. officers to treat Hom Hing and his family. The worst part about this ordeal is that Hom Hing and his wife had to give up numerous pieces of sentimental jewelry that was surly worth much more than 500 Dollars. The ironic part is that the Lawyer does show a little remorse, "He was not a sentimental man; but something within him arose against accepting such payment for his services". This little remorse almost holds not credit to the lawyer's character because he does not finish this job pro bono or for less, he instead takes all the jewelry. I could not imagine taking hordes of jewelry in exchange for the return of your young son. There is just so much wrong about what the lawyer has done. It; very unfortunate that the family has to go through this ordeal of getting their son back while getting ripped off by the lawyer with no heart.
English 48B
March 11. 2008
Journal #40 Sui Sin Far
Quote:
"Oh, well then we won't talk about it, old fellow. It won't harm the boy to stay , where he is, and your wife might get over it all right"(Far 884).
Summary:
This is the lawyer's reaction after Hom Hing has told him that he has no more money. The lawyer is asking for 500 more dollars to complete the process of getting Hing's son back from the U.S. government.
Response:
The lawyer is a greedy and terrible villain in this short story. I can not believe that a man would ask for 500 hundred dollars after already ripping off Hing just so that Hing can get his son back. This is such a disgusting injustice that you have to wonder just how can the lawyer do business with people this way. The above quote does not paint the lawyer in a very flattering light. Take a moment to think about how much 500 dollars is worth during the early 1900's. Adjusted for inflation a conservative guess might be around 10,000 dollars (although I'm sure it's much higher). For the lawyer to call Hing an old man and to basically tell him to shut up really makes him an evil man. I could not live with myself If I treated clients this way. The way the lawyer acts towards Hom Hing and his wife is the way I was expecting the U.S.C. officers to treat Hom Hing and his family. The worst part about this ordeal is that Hom Hing and his wife had to give up numerous pieces of sentimental jewelry that was surly worth much more than 500 Dollars. The ironic part is that the Lawyer does show a little remorse, "He was not a sentimental man; but something within him arose against accepting such payment for his services". This little remorse almost holds not credit to the lawyer's character because he does not finish this job pro bono or for less, he instead takes all the jewelry. I could not imagine taking hordes of jewelry in exchange for the return of your young son. There is just so much wrong about what the lawyer has done. It; very unfortunate that the family has to go through this ordeal of getting their son back while getting ripped off by the lawyer with no heart.
Custom's officers with a heart
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 11, 2008
Journal #39 Sui Sin Far
Quote:
"The second customs officer regarded her pittingly.
'I don't like this part of the business,' he muttered"(Far 881).
Summary:
The two customs officer's turn to one another and show pity that they are about to keep the little boy from entering into the United States.
Response:
I wanted to comment on this quote because it shows a striking description of the Custom's officers that played completely against the way I thought they were going to react. My first thought was that the Officers would be rude and discriminating. This type of job sort of holds itself to these type of people. Plus these men surly dealt with thousands of people per day. So for them to show any remorse in what they were about to do really does surprise me. The pity and remorse that these men show makes them look more like genuine caring men. Imagine having to guide thousands of immigrants through these detention centers and show pity for every single one. You would think that eventually they would become numb to this sensation or feeling and would eventually not even begin ti care. That is why I found the description of these men so surprising. I really was expecting the men to be racial bigots who simply could not care less about the injustice they were doing to the little boy's family.
This theme of racial immigration brings up a thought that I have had for a long time. How do border police of Mexican heritage and families feel about arresting, turning back and deporting men, woman and children from their same culture. When I spent three years in the active army and was in the process of getting out of the army I was told by many of my superiors that I should become a border agent. I already know Spanish so that would be a plus. The one thing that I could not bring myself to do is to arrest people that one of my same heritage or race knowing that they are trying to come into California for a better life. The thought of doing this would tear me apart. I just could not do it. Especially considering that my parents entered illegally years ago. I would feel that I am doing something wrong even though it is my job.
English 48B
March 11, 2008
Journal #39 Sui Sin Far
Quote:
"The second customs officer regarded her pittingly.
'I don't like this part of the business,' he muttered"(Far 881).
Summary:
The two customs officer's turn to one another and show pity that they are about to keep the little boy from entering into the United States.
Response:
I wanted to comment on this quote because it shows a striking description of the Custom's officers that played completely against the way I thought they were going to react. My first thought was that the Officers would be rude and discriminating. This type of job sort of holds itself to these type of people. Plus these men surly dealt with thousands of people per day. So for them to show any remorse in what they were about to do really does surprise me. The pity and remorse that these men show makes them look more like genuine caring men. Imagine having to guide thousands of immigrants through these detention centers and show pity for every single one. You would think that eventually they would become numb to this sensation or feeling and would eventually not even begin ti care. That is why I found the description of these men so surprising. I really was expecting the men to be racial bigots who simply could not care less about the injustice they were doing to the little boy's family.
This theme of racial immigration brings up a thought that I have had for a long time. How do border police of Mexican heritage and families feel about arresting, turning back and deporting men, woman and children from their same culture. When I spent three years in the active army and was in the process of getting out of the army I was told by many of my superiors that I should become a border agent. I already know Spanish so that would be a plus. The one thing that I could not bring myself to do is to arrest people that one of my same heritage or race knowing that they are trying to come into California for a better life. The thought of doing this would tear me apart. I just could not do it. Especially considering that my parents entered illegally years ago. I would feel that I am doing something wrong even though it is my job.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Who's playing who?
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 6, 2008
Journal #38 Henry James
Quote:
"It has never occurred to Mr. Winterbourne to offer me any tea,' she said. with her little tormenting manner.
'I have offered you advice,' Winterbourne rejoined.
'I prefer weak tea!' cried Daisy, and she went off with brilliant Giovanelli"(James 420).
Summary:
Winterbourne offers Daisy some advice, only she does not listen and runs off with her "friend" Giovanelli.
Response:
The ultimate question that rises in, "Daisy Miller:A Study", is who is the real Daisy Miller? Is she sweet and innocent or is she secretly manipulating Winterbourne from the beginning? My argument is that she is playing with Winterbourne. The reason I came up to this conclusion is based off of how many times Winterbourne changes his mind about Daisy. The first time they meet he thinks she is a croquette yet throughout the story he goes back and forth between her being innocent and a croquette. It's like the note that I jotted down in my notebook, the player is being played. Daisy is playing with winterbourne's head the whole time they know each other. At one point in the story Daisy acts like she does not know where her family is going. She comments that they are going to some mountain. She comes off as this dumb girl who doesn't even know where she is. This is when Winterbourne becomes enticed. He asks her if it is Italy and eventually he sets up a date between the two. She then agrees to go with Winterbourne but when they reach the Castle Winterbourne is surprised to find Daisy's mother waiting for her. I know that Winterbourne only had one thought in his head and that was to make some sexual advancements on Daisy at the castle. Daisy being as tricky as she is asks her mother to be at the castle when they get their. Not only does she do this but she eventually becomes very "intimate" with an Italian man, Giovanelli. Winterbourne thinks that Daisy would be an easy catch but she proves to be a much tougher task to beat, one that Winterbourne will eventually fail. Daisy further plays Winterbourne by bringing around Giovanelli and claiming that they are just friends. This infuriates Winterbourne who now labels her a croquette. You almost have to give her some credit for being so clever because if the way that she confuses and play's with the head of Winterbourne. He doesn't know what to think about her and just constantly changes his mind about her. At the end of the story she nails him with one last blow by having her mother tell Winterbourne that was not engaged to Giovanelli even though he thought they were.
You have to question why exactly she treated Winterbourne this way. Did she do it out of pleasure or did she do it unknowingly? I would argue that Daisy is very promiscuous and that she played with Winterbourne's head unknowingly. You have to ask yourself what Daisy was doing with a man she had not known very long , at night, at the coliseum. Was she really there to view to stars or to have sex with Giovanelli? I think that they did have sex and that Daisy was not as innocent as she came off. Whats really funny about this is that Winterbourne after getting played travels off to a foreign country only to find himself a woman that he can have an affair with. After going through what Winterbourne went through he still does not see the wrong in what he does.
English 48B
March 6, 2008
Journal #38 Henry James
Quote:
"It has never occurred to Mr. Winterbourne to offer me any tea,' she said. with her little tormenting manner.
'I have offered you advice,' Winterbourne rejoined.
'I prefer weak tea!' cried Daisy, and she went off with brilliant Giovanelli"(James 420).
Summary:
Winterbourne offers Daisy some advice, only she does not listen and runs off with her "friend" Giovanelli.
Response:
The ultimate question that rises in, "Daisy Miller:A Study", is who is the real Daisy Miller? Is she sweet and innocent or is she secretly manipulating Winterbourne from the beginning? My argument is that she is playing with Winterbourne. The reason I came up to this conclusion is based off of how many times Winterbourne changes his mind about Daisy. The first time they meet he thinks she is a croquette yet throughout the story he goes back and forth between her being innocent and a croquette. It's like the note that I jotted down in my notebook, the player is being played. Daisy is playing with winterbourne's head the whole time they know each other. At one point in the story Daisy acts like she does not know where her family is going. She comments that they are going to some mountain. She comes off as this dumb girl who doesn't even know where she is. This is when Winterbourne becomes enticed. He asks her if it is Italy and eventually he sets up a date between the two. She then agrees to go with Winterbourne but when they reach the Castle Winterbourne is surprised to find Daisy's mother waiting for her. I know that Winterbourne only had one thought in his head and that was to make some sexual advancements on Daisy at the castle. Daisy being as tricky as she is asks her mother to be at the castle when they get their. Not only does she do this but she eventually becomes very "intimate" with an Italian man, Giovanelli. Winterbourne thinks that Daisy would be an easy catch but she proves to be a much tougher task to beat, one that Winterbourne will eventually fail. Daisy further plays Winterbourne by bringing around Giovanelli and claiming that they are just friends. This infuriates Winterbourne who now labels her a croquette. You almost have to give her some credit for being so clever because if the way that she confuses and play's with the head of Winterbourne. He doesn't know what to think about her and just constantly changes his mind about her. At the end of the story she nails him with one last blow by having her mother tell Winterbourne that was not engaged to Giovanelli even though he thought they were.
You have to question why exactly she treated Winterbourne this way. Did she do it out of pleasure or did she do it unknowingly? I would argue that Daisy is very promiscuous and that she played with Winterbourne's head unknowingly. You have to ask yourself what Daisy was doing with a man she had not known very long , at night, at the coliseum. Was she really there to view to stars or to have sex with Giovanelli? I think that they did have sex and that Daisy was not as innocent as she came off. Whats really funny about this is that Winterbourne after getting played travels off to a foreign country only to find himself a woman that he can have an affair with. After going through what Winterbourne went through he still does not see the wrong in what he does.
The double standard
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 6, 2008
Journal #37 Henry James
Quote:
"Winterbourne mentally accused it-very forgivingly-of a want of finish. He thought it very possible the Master Randolph's sister was a coquette"(James 394-395).
Summary:
After meeting Ms. Daisy Miller for the first time, Mr. Winterbourne, gives the reader his first impression of the young American woman.
Response.
I think it's very funny the double standard that immediately pops up;A woman that is deemed promiscuous is a slut(to put it bluntly) and a man is a player. In the 1800's as long as today I think that this analogy holds up very well. In the 1800's it was socially accepted, although not really talked about, for men to have extramarital affairs with one or multiple woman. To go even further you did not even have to be a married man you could be single and have multiple affairs. While if woman did such thing then a derogatory label was instantly put on them. You did not even have to go as far as having multiple affairs if what people thought you were wearing was risque then you were labeled promiscuous. As I said before this double standard still holds true today. The reason I brought this up is because I want to tie in this double standard to Mr. Winterbourne's first impression of Ms. Daisy Miller. After they have initially met he begins to check out Daisy. He notices her straightening out her ruffles, her "charming complexion", "immodest glance", "pretty eyes" and her perfectly direct and unshrinking glance. From just a few exchange of words and glances Mr. Winterbourne comes to the conclusion that daisy is a croquette. This is quite a bold statement especially considering that he is known to be promiscuous himself. Daisy has in no way thrown herself at him yet this is what he thinks. She even tries to ignore him when he made his first advancements. This kind of brings up the question who really is the slut? If you take this into modern time their is such a phrase as a man whore or man slut. Basically it means a man who gets around with a lot of woman but without the negative connotations. I find it funny how this double standard exists and how men can get away with being promiscuous. My guess would be that woman are still viewed as the virgin beauty that is not to engage in sex until she is married with a man.
English 48B
March 6, 2008
Journal #37 Henry James
Quote:
"Winterbourne mentally accused it-very forgivingly-of a want of finish. He thought it very possible the Master Randolph's sister was a coquette"(James 394-395).
Summary:
After meeting Ms. Daisy Miller for the first time, Mr. Winterbourne, gives the reader his first impression of the young American woman.
Response.
I think it's very funny the double standard that immediately pops up;A woman that is deemed promiscuous is a slut(to put it bluntly) and a man is a player. In the 1800's as long as today I think that this analogy holds up very well. In the 1800's it was socially accepted, although not really talked about, for men to have extramarital affairs with one or multiple woman. To go even further you did not even have to be a married man you could be single and have multiple affairs. While if woman did such thing then a derogatory label was instantly put on them. You did not even have to go as far as having multiple affairs if what people thought you were wearing was risque then you were labeled promiscuous. As I said before this double standard still holds true today. The reason I brought this up is because I want to tie in this double standard to Mr. Winterbourne's first impression of Ms. Daisy Miller. After they have initially met he begins to check out Daisy. He notices her straightening out her ruffles, her "charming complexion", "immodest glance", "pretty eyes" and her perfectly direct and unshrinking glance. From just a few exchange of words and glances Mr. Winterbourne comes to the conclusion that daisy is a croquette. This is quite a bold statement especially considering that he is known to be promiscuous himself. Daisy has in no way thrown herself at him yet this is what he thinks. She even tries to ignore him when he made his first advancements. This kind of brings up the question who really is the slut? If you take this into modern time their is such a phrase as a man whore or man slut. Basically it means a man who gets around with a lot of woman but without the negative connotations. I find it funny how this double standard exists and how men can get away with being promiscuous. My guess would be that woman are still viewed as the virgin beauty that is not to engage in sex until she is married with a man.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Mr. Winterbourne is fake!
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 5, 2008
Journal #36 Henry James
Quote:
"..when his friends spoke of him , they usually said he was at Geneva "studying"(James 392).
Summary:
The narrator is introducing the reader to Mr. Winterbourne.
Response:
The first comment I want to say is just how fake Winterbourne is. He comes off as a very pretentious, self-centered and stuck up man. Of course I do not blame him considering that he has grown up around money and the aristocratic society all his life. I loved the discussion that we had in class today because Scott did such a great job of getting the class to pick up on the subtle hints throughout the book. When I first read the book I knew that Winterbourne came from a wealthy family but I did not pick up on the attitude that James gives Winterbourne. I called Winterbourne fake earlier because he wants everyone to think of him as better than he really is. For example he tells all his friends that he is off "studying" in Geneva when he is actually courting a older woman. The question that I have is why Doesn't he just tell his friends that he is seeing an older woman? Is this not an acceptable social practice that men in the gilded age practice? I first I want to say that he is actually covering up his own lie, the lie being that he is not really seeing an older woman. Isn't it convenient for him to be seeing another woman in a different country and nobody has met or seen her? I just do not see him as a genuine person. I'm jumping ahead but I see the story as him getting played by Daisy. Just as he plays on woman, he likewise gets played. Another way that Winterbourne is fake is how he acts as if he is in Sweden under important business. The reality is that he is only visiting his Aunt so that she will continue to fund his travels. He does not work nor study so he has no real business in Sweden except for checking out the woman in the garden at the hotel. "...looking about him, rather idly, at some of the graceful objects I have mentioned"(James 391). Winterbourne is only at the hotel because he is checking out the woman in the garden. Really important business don't you think? His purpose at the hotel serves only as a self serving one. The best part about all this is that the player gets played.
English 48B
March 5, 2008
Journal #36 Henry James
Quote:
"..when his friends spoke of him , they usually said he was at Geneva "studying"(James 392).
Summary:
The narrator is introducing the reader to Mr. Winterbourne.
Response:
The first comment I want to say is just how fake Winterbourne is. He comes off as a very pretentious, self-centered and stuck up man. Of course I do not blame him considering that he has grown up around money and the aristocratic society all his life. I loved the discussion that we had in class today because Scott did such a great job of getting the class to pick up on the subtle hints throughout the book. When I first read the book I knew that Winterbourne came from a wealthy family but I did not pick up on the attitude that James gives Winterbourne. I called Winterbourne fake earlier because he wants everyone to think of him as better than he really is. For example he tells all his friends that he is off "studying" in Geneva when he is actually courting a older woman. The question that I have is why Doesn't he just tell his friends that he is seeing an older woman? Is this not an acceptable social practice that men in the gilded age practice? I first I want to say that he is actually covering up his own lie, the lie being that he is not really seeing an older woman. Isn't it convenient for him to be seeing another woman in a different country and nobody has met or seen her? I just do not see him as a genuine person. I'm jumping ahead but I see the story as him getting played by Daisy. Just as he plays on woman, he likewise gets played. Another way that Winterbourne is fake is how he acts as if he is in Sweden under important business. The reality is that he is only visiting his Aunt so that she will continue to fund his travels. He does not work nor study so he has no real business in Sweden except for checking out the woman in the garden at the hotel. "...looking about him, rather idly, at some of the graceful objects I have mentioned"(James 391). Winterbourne is only at the hotel because he is checking out the woman in the garden. Really important business don't you think? His purpose at the hotel serves only as a self serving one. The best part about all this is that the player gets played.
Monday, March 3, 2008
No one will listen
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 3, 2008
Journal #35 Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Quote:
"Better in body perhaps-'I began and stopped short, for he sat up straight and looked at me with such a stern, reproachful look that I could not say another word"(Gilman 814).
Summary:
The woman is trying to reach out to her husband to make him aware that her mental condition is dangerously getting worse.
Response:
As her condition grows worse the woman from the story tries to reach out to her husband. Her husband being the well schooled and well respected doctor, does not want to talk to her her about her depression. She is trying to reach out to her husband to let him know that she is getting worse but he does not believe anything that she says. This is when he needs to stop being a husband and become a doctor. He needs to sit down and listen to her and consider what she is saying as a valid medical worry. As her mental state grows worse she stares at the wallpaper for more hours and begins to see a woman behind the design, moving that wallpaper about. Her condition is getting to the point that she is seriously in danger of her life. The most disturbing part about all of this is that she is now far worse than when she first started her "treatment". The treatment that was supposed to bring back her sanity is driving her evermore closer to the point of no return. She is teetering on the cusp of a mental breakdown and no one wants to listen to her. After reading the introduction by the Norton Anthology, the story and the woman in the story closely resemble the author,Charlotte Perkins Gilman. She also suffered from depression. When I was reading the short story the narrator actually sounded like Charlotte Perkins Gilman. She is the woman that I was imagining when I read the short story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman does commit suicide which is the road that the narrator in the story is on route to. As i have said before it is really unfortunate that no one wants to listen to the woman in the story.
English 48B
March 3, 2008
Journal #35 Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Quote:
"Better in body perhaps-'I began and stopped short, for he sat up straight and looked at me with such a stern, reproachful look that I could not say another word"(Gilman 814).
Summary:
The woman is trying to reach out to her husband to make him aware that her mental condition is dangerously getting worse.
Response:
As her condition grows worse the woman from the story tries to reach out to her husband. Her husband being the well schooled and well respected doctor, does not want to talk to her her about her depression. She is trying to reach out to her husband to let him know that she is getting worse but he does not believe anything that she says. This is when he needs to stop being a husband and become a doctor. He needs to sit down and listen to her and consider what she is saying as a valid medical worry. As her mental state grows worse she stares at the wallpaper for more hours and begins to see a woman behind the design, moving that wallpaper about. Her condition is getting to the point that she is seriously in danger of her life. The most disturbing part about all of this is that she is now far worse than when she first started her "treatment". The treatment that was supposed to bring back her sanity is driving her evermore closer to the point of no return. She is teetering on the cusp of a mental breakdown and no one wants to listen to her. After reading the introduction by the Norton Anthology, the story and the woman in the story closely resemble the author,Charlotte Perkins Gilman. She also suffered from depression. When I was reading the short story the narrator actually sounded like Charlotte Perkins Gilman. She is the woman that I was imagining when I read the short story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman does commit suicide which is the road that the narrator in the story is on route to. As i have said before it is really unfortunate that no one wants to listen to the woman in the story.
The figure in the wallpaper
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
March 3, 2008
Journal #34 Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Quote:
"But in places where it isn't faded and where the sun is just so- I can see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about being that silly and conspicuous front design"( Gilman 812).
Summary:
After several weeks in the upstairs room the narrator of the story is beginning to see a woman in the wallpaper. It seems that her treatment is having the opposite effects on her.
Response:
The woman in the story is prescribed a treatment known as "rest cure". This is a treatment that was prescribed to her by one of the leading physicians in this field, Silas Weir Mitchell. She is prescribed this treatment because she has been suffering from depression and one of the only known treatments is the "rest cure". The idea behind this treatment is to lay completely in bed for weeks at a time with no more than two hours of intellectual contact a day. The treatment also requires that the patient does not read or write. This sounds like such a primitive and backwards to treat depression. I think that the reason someone becomes depressed is because they are lonely and have no friends. So now the treatment that she is undergoing requires her to have less human contact than she had before. This does not sound like it could in any way be conducive to her health. As the story progresses we see her illness grow and her mental health deteriorate quickly. I can only begin to imagine to tremendous negative effects that this treatment would have on a clinically depresses person. You would think that her treatment would consist of more human contact and more mental exercises such as reading and writing. In the above quote we see the start of her mental deterioration. She begins to see a figure in amongst the design on the yellow wallpaper. I have to say that I feel tremendously bad for her because she is isolated at a time that she needs to be around people. Aside from seeing the figure in the wallpaper she spends hours staring at the lines and designs that are on the wallpaper. As I was reading this short story I was picturing a young woman rocking back and forth staring aimlessly at the walls around her. It almost sounds like she is in an asylum. As she spends more time in the room upstairs, unknowing to her husband, her condition goes from bad to worse.
English 48B
March 3, 2008
Journal #34 Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Quote:
"But in places where it isn't faded and where the sun is just so- I can see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about being that silly and conspicuous front design"( Gilman 812).
Summary:
After several weeks in the upstairs room the narrator of the story is beginning to see a woman in the wallpaper. It seems that her treatment is having the opposite effects on her.
Response:
The woman in the story is prescribed a treatment known as "rest cure". This is a treatment that was prescribed to her by one of the leading physicians in this field, Silas Weir Mitchell. She is prescribed this treatment because she has been suffering from depression and one of the only known treatments is the "rest cure". The idea behind this treatment is to lay completely in bed for weeks at a time with no more than two hours of intellectual contact a day. The treatment also requires that the patient does not read or write. This sounds like such a primitive and backwards to treat depression. I think that the reason someone becomes depressed is because they are lonely and have no friends. So now the treatment that she is undergoing requires her to have less human contact than she had before. This does not sound like it could in any way be conducive to her health. As the story progresses we see her illness grow and her mental health deteriorate quickly. I can only begin to imagine to tremendous negative effects that this treatment would have on a clinically depresses person. You would think that her treatment would consist of more human contact and more mental exercises such as reading and writing. In the above quote we see the start of her mental deterioration. She begins to see a figure in amongst the design on the yellow wallpaper. I have to say that I feel tremendously bad for her because she is isolated at a time that she needs to be around people. Aside from seeing the figure in the wallpaper she spends hours staring at the lines and designs that are on the wallpaper. As I was reading this short story I was picturing a young woman rocking back and forth staring aimlessly at the walls around her. It almost sounds like she is in an asylum. As she spends more time in the room upstairs, unknowing to her husband, her condition goes from bad to worse.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 27, 2008
Journal #33 Kate Chopin
Quote:
"How Mademoiselle Reisz would have laughed, perhaps sneered, if she knew!'And and call yourself an artist! What pretensions..."(Chopin 625).
Summary:
As Edna is about to die she has a multitude of thoughts going through her head. She thinks about her husband and children but most importantly she thinks about how Mademoiselle Reisz was right; she is the wounded bird.
Response:
Mademoiselle puts Edna in check by telling her that their is o use to her being pretentious. As I argued before I felt that Edna was trying to hard at reversing her gender role. Mademoiselle Reisz puts it perfectly by telling Edna earlier in the novel that she should not claim have qualities that she does not have. For example she begins to draw even though she is not a great artist. As I said before she is doing to many things at once. Few people see the hazard of what Edna is doing as does Mademoiselle Reisz. What I found strange about this novel is that it is not your typical romance novel. It does not have a happy ending where Edna and Robert form a loving relationship that lasts forever. Rather it ends with Robert telling Edna that they cannot be together and Edna committing suicide. This form of realism really helps give the novel a lot more depth and character. This novel acts as a textbook definition of what realism is, it exposes the harsh realities of the real world and it does not end with a cookie cutter happy ending. The ending is very dark and dismal. Although you could also argue that the ending serves as an ultimate expression of freedom. Edna's suicide frees her form all the problems and dilemmas that plague people in the real world. This novel serves as a tale of what can happen when a person falls in love with someone that is out of their reach. Ultimately Edna' affair is what kills her. I do want to point out how all of this may not fall completely on the shoulders of Edna. What if her husband had actually cared for her and not had went to the club every night. What if he would have actually shown his beautiful wife some affection. Would she still have strayed from her marriage or would she have lived happily ever after? Of course if she had lived happily ever after this would not have made for such a deep and great novel.
English 48B
February 27, 2008
Journal #33 Kate Chopin
Quote:
"How Mademoiselle Reisz would have laughed, perhaps sneered, if she knew!'And and call yourself an artist! What pretensions..."(Chopin 625).
Summary:
As Edna is about to die she has a multitude of thoughts going through her head. She thinks about her husband and children but most importantly she thinks about how Mademoiselle Reisz was right; she is the wounded bird.
Response:
Mademoiselle puts Edna in check by telling her that their is o use to her being pretentious. As I argued before I felt that Edna was trying to hard at reversing her gender role. Mademoiselle Reisz puts it perfectly by telling Edna earlier in the novel that she should not claim have qualities that she does not have. For example she begins to draw even though she is not a great artist. As I said before she is doing to many things at once. Few people see the hazard of what Edna is doing as does Mademoiselle Reisz. What I found strange about this novel is that it is not your typical romance novel. It does not have a happy ending where Edna and Robert form a loving relationship that lasts forever. Rather it ends with Robert telling Edna that they cannot be together and Edna committing suicide. This form of realism really helps give the novel a lot more depth and character. This novel acts as a textbook definition of what realism is, it exposes the harsh realities of the real world and it does not end with a cookie cutter happy ending. The ending is very dark and dismal. Although you could also argue that the ending serves as an ultimate expression of freedom. Edna's suicide frees her form all the problems and dilemmas that plague people in the real world. This novel serves as a tale of what can happen when a person falls in love with someone that is out of their reach. Ultimately Edna' affair is what kills her. I do want to point out how all of this may not fall completely on the shoulders of Edna. What if her husband had actually cared for her and not had went to the club every night. What if he would have actually shown his beautiful wife some affection. Would she still have strayed from her marriage or would she have lived happily ever after? Of course if she had lived happily ever after this would not have made for such a deep and great novel.
Overestimating her strength
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 27, 2008
Journal# 32 Kate Chopin
Quote:
"...overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out where no woman had swam before"(Chopin 556).
Summary:
Edna after taking many swimming lessons from everybody has finally overcome her fear of swimming and is swimming by herself. For the first time she is swimming without the aid of anybody.
Response:
I have to say that I have mixed feelings about Edna in, "The Awakening". I first I am glad that she is able to awaken to these new feelings and expressions as she has never been able to before but at the same time I feel she is trying to hard. What I mean by this is that she seems to be trying to get everybody's attention just a bit to hard. During the Victorian times that Edna lived in she is very much oppressed and expected to maintain her role in society. Her role is that of a mother. She is not expected to sway at all from this role. Throughout this novel we are confronted with gender roles, in particular female roles, that are set in stone. For example the woman are expected to stay faithful to their husbands and take care of their children and household. the men on the other hand are almost encouraged to have sex outside of the marriage. I personally do not fell this is right but I did grow up in a much different time than that of Chopin's novel. Edna begins to flirt with just about every young male character in the novel, while her husband continues to visit the "clubs". This newly found sexual freedom that Edna has found helps her open up in other parts of her life. She begins to take on painting, gambling and rebels against her husband. While all this is great for freeing Edna from her oppression it seems like she is trying to do way to much all at once. All of these awakenings follow up one after another. All leading to her eventual suicide. I am not saying that she should have accepted her role in society rather Edna should not have had her "hands in so many cookie jars". The one thing I do have to respect Edna for is her ability to see what her gender role was and to completely change it. She reminds me of Sylvia as the Geranium. At the beginning of the novel she is wilted and dying, by the end she has come full circle and has blossomed(although in this case the Geranium perishes).
English 48B
February 27, 2008
Journal# 32 Kate Chopin
Quote:
"...overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out where no woman had swam before"(Chopin 556).
Summary:
Edna after taking many swimming lessons from everybody has finally overcome her fear of swimming and is swimming by herself. For the first time she is swimming without the aid of anybody.
Response:
I have to say that I have mixed feelings about Edna in, "The Awakening". I first I am glad that she is able to awaken to these new feelings and expressions as she has never been able to before but at the same time I feel she is trying to hard. What I mean by this is that she seems to be trying to get everybody's attention just a bit to hard. During the Victorian times that Edna lived in she is very much oppressed and expected to maintain her role in society. Her role is that of a mother. She is not expected to sway at all from this role. Throughout this novel we are confronted with gender roles, in particular female roles, that are set in stone. For example the woman are expected to stay faithful to their husbands and take care of their children and household. the men on the other hand are almost encouraged to have sex outside of the marriage. I personally do not fell this is right but I did grow up in a much different time than that of Chopin's novel. Edna begins to flirt with just about every young male character in the novel, while her husband continues to visit the "clubs". This newly found sexual freedom that Edna has found helps her open up in other parts of her life. She begins to take on painting, gambling and rebels against her husband. While all this is great for freeing Edna from her oppression it seems like she is trying to do way to much all at once. All of these awakenings follow up one after another. All leading to her eventual suicide. I am not saying that she should have accepted her role in society rather Edna should not have had her "hands in so many cookie jars". The one thing I do have to respect Edna for is her ability to see what her gender role was and to completely change it. She reminds me of Sylvia as the Geranium. At the beginning of the novel she is wilted and dying, by the end she has come full circle and has blossomed(although in this case the Geranium perishes).
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Her first crush
Gustavo Quntero
English 48B
February 26, 2008
Journal #31 Sarah Orne Jewett
Quote:
"...Sylvia still watched the young man with loving admiration. She had never seen anybody so charming and delightful; the woman's heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by the dream of love"(Jewett 526).
Summary:
Sylvia is overcoming her fear of people and has developed a crush on the young hunter.
Response:
This is the turning point for the novel and for Sylvia. She is overcoming her fear of people and has a crush on the hunter. This is a huge step for Sylvia especially considering that just a day earlier she was deathly afraid of the young hunter. The part I find a little strange is how Sylvia can find a man that is so crass and demanding as charming. When he first met Sylvia he basically demanded that she find him room and board. He also came off very aggressive to Sylvia grandmother. I do not know why she finds this man charming. Maybe she finds him charming because he is a very masculine man. Sylvia has never had any interaction with anyone let alone a man. This is why she develops this crush on him. His masculinity overwhelms her and she has feelings for him. It's as if the city she grew up in, repressed her so much that she was never able to develop feelings for the opposite sex. In the quote it says, "the woman's heart, asleep in the child", is ever important because Sylvia is craving affection. I almost think that she fantasizes about being swept off her feet by a knight on a horse. The typical fantasy that girls about her age fantasize about involves the princess and the knight. Now that she is not oppressed by the factory town she is free to explore the feelings of love and affection. I do not think that she is in love because she is to young to know what love is. Crush is the perfect description for what Sylvia feels for the young hunter because she is just beginning to express herself affectionatly and sexually. She has not yet fully matured sexually, although at the end of this story I think that Sylvia finds herself closer to full maturity.
English 48B
February 26, 2008
Journal #31 Sarah Orne Jewett
Quote:
"...Sylvia still watched the young man with loving admiration. She had never seen anybody so charming and delightful; the woman's heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by the dream of love"(Jewett 526).
Summary:
Sylvia is overcoming her fear of people and has developed a crush on the young hunter.
Response:
This is the turning point for the novel and for Sylvia. She is overcoming her fear of people and has a crush on the hunter. This is a huge step for Sylvia especially considering that just a day earlier she was deathly afraid of the young hunter. The part I find a little strange is how Sylvia can find a man that is so crass and demanding as charming. When he first met Sylvia he basically demanded that she find him room and board. He also came off very aggressive to Sylvia grandmother. I do not know why she finds this man charming. Maybe she finds him charming because he is a very masculine man. Sylvia has never had any interaction with anyone let alone a man. This is why she develops this crush on him. His masculinity overwhelms her and she has feelings for him. It's as if the city she grew up in, repressed her so much that she was never able to develop feelings for the opposite sex. In the quote it says, "the woman's heart, asleep in the child", is ever important because Sylvia is craving affection. I almost think that she fantasizes about being swept off her feet by a knight on a horse. The typical fantasy that girls about her age fantasize about involves the princess and the knight. Now that she is not oppressed by the factory town she is free to explore the feelings of love and affection. I do not think that she is in love because she is to young to know what love is. Crush is the perfect description for what Sylvia feels for the young hunter because she is just beginning to express herself affectionatly and sexually. She has not yet fully matured sexually, although at the end of this story I think that Sylvia finds herself closer to full maturity.
Young Sylvia
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 26, 2008
Journal #30 Sarah Orne Jewett
Quote:
"She did not dare to look boldly at the tall young man, who carried a gun over his shoulder, but she came out of her bush and again followed the cow, while he walked alongside"(Jewett 523).
Summary:
After Sylvia and the hunter have met for the first time, hunter demands for place to stay and for food. Sylvia takes him to her grandmothers house.
Response:
Here we see the first encounter between the hunter and Sylvia. Sylvia, deathly afraid of the young man, jumps into the bush with her cow at the sound of his whistle. The young man introduces himself and demands that Sylvia take him to a place for lodging and food. I found this quote to be important because it introduces us to a very defining trait that Sylvia shows. Since she is so shy and afraid of people she is always described as following people around. Here she is following the cow as she brings the man to her house. She never seems to lead the way. Later on on the story Sylvia is following the man around like a little dog. I think that this action says a lot about who Sylvia really is. She lacks so much confidence and self esteem that she can not even bring herself to walk in front of anybody and lead the way. She is always following behind someones footsteps. Here she finds herself not even able to lead the cow, her only friend. This story is a tale of growing up and sexual maturing. The contrast between Sylvia in the beginning of the story and the end is a stark difference. By the end of the story she finds herself with a confidence that she has never had before. This confidence is the most important thing that could have happened to Sylvia because it breaks her from the shy little girl into a a more mature girl with a new found confidence. The oppression and isolation that Sylvia experienced while in the factory town is completely rid of by the time that she spends among the rural country, it's animals and the unimposing environment.
English 48B
February 26, 2008
Journal #30 Sarah Orne Jewett
Quote:
"She did not dare to look boldly at the tall young man, who carried a gun over his shoulder, but she came out of her bush and again followed the cow, while he walked alongside"(Jewett 523).
Summary:
After Sylvia and the hunter have met for the first time, hunter demands for place to stay and for food. Sylvia takes him to her grandmothers house.
Response:
Here we see the first encounter between the hunter and Sylvia. Sylvia, deathly afraid of the young man, jumps into the bush with her cow at the sound of his whistle. The young man introduces himself and demands that Sylvia take him to a place for lodging and food. I found this quote to be important because it introduces us to a very defining trait that Sylvia shows. Since she is so shy and afraid of people she is always described as following people around. Here she is following the cow as she brings the man to her house. She never seems to lead the way. Later on on the story Sylvia is following the man around like a little dog. I think that this action says a lot about who Sylvia really is. She lacks so much confidence and self esteem that she can not even bring herself to walk in front of anybody and lead the way. She is always following behind someones footsteps. Here she finds herself not even able to lead the cow, her only friend. This story is a tale of growing up and sexual maturing. The contrast between Sylvia in the beginning of the story and the end is a stark difference. By the end of the story she finds herself with a confidence that she has never had before. This confidence is the most important thing that could have happened to Sylvia because it breaks her from the shy little girl into a a more mature girl with a new found confidence. The oppression and isolation that Sylvia experienced while in the factory town is completely rid of by the time that she spends among the rural country, it's animals and the unimposing environment.
Don't be afraid
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 26, 2008
Journal #29 Sarah Orne Jewett
Quote:
"Afraid of folks,'they said! I guess she won't be troubled no great with 'em up to the old place"(Jewett 523).
Summary:
Mrs. Tilley is commenting on the personality trait that Sylvia exhibits. Sylvia is a lonely little girl that is very shy around people.
Response:
Mrs Tilley mentions a character trait that is essential to knowing Sylvia on a deep level. Sylvia is a young girl, pre-teens, that is very afraid of people. She has grown up most of her life in a factory town during that industrial revolution. She is a girl that has no friends and is secluded form the rest of society. All of this helps mold Sylvia into the animal loving, Nature enthusiast that she exhibits later in the short story. This character trait of hers is important to understanding Sylvia because it lays down the foundation for the crush that she later has on the Heron hunter. Sylvia is isolated from all types of people because of where she grows up in. In "life in the iron Mills", by Rebecca Harding Davis the scene of the city is set up as a very dismal one. The pollution casts a black and gloomy shadow over the city that prevents any sun from shining on the workers. In this type of town where all the people work 24/7 there is no time allotted for children to grow and experience friendships. I believe that this is the very same type of environment that Sylvia grows up in. This is what causes her to be deathly afraid of people. She has no interaction with anyone so she does not know how to open herself up to other people. Sylvia says,"...this was a beautiful place to live in, and she never wished to go home". When she is taken away form the factory city she is on the path to discovering who she really is. The environment that she grew up in serves as a catalyst for her love of the environment later in the story. As we read on, Sylvia transforms from the wilted and dying Geranium, to one that is in full blossom and lively.
English 48B
February 26, 2008
Journal #29 Sarah Orne Jewett
Quote:
"Afraid of folks,'they said! I guess she won't be troubled no great with 'em up to the old place"(Jewett 523).
Summary:
Mrs. Tilley is commenting on the personality trait that Sylvia exhibits. Sylvia is a lonely little girl that is very shy around people.
Response:
Mrs Tilley mentions a character trait that is essential to knowing Sylvia on a deep level. Sylvia is a young girl, pre-teens, that is very afraid of people. She has grown up most of her life in a factory town during that industrial revolution. She is a girl that has no friends and is secluded form the rest of society. All of this helps mold Sylvia into the animal loving, Nature enthusiast that she exhibits later in the short story. This character trait of hers is important to understanding Sylvia because it lays down the foundation for the crush that she later has on the Heron hunter. Sylvia is isolated from all types of people because of where she grows up in. In "life in the iron Mills", by Rebecca Harding Davis the scene of the city is set up as a very dismal one. The pollution casts a black and gloomy shadow over the city that prevents any sun from shining on the workers. In this type of town where all the people work 24/7 there is no time allotted for children to grow and experience friendships. I believe that this is the very same type of environment that Sylvia grows up in. This is what causes her to be deathly afraid of people. She has no interaction with anyone so she does not know how to open herself up to other people. Sylvia says,"...this was a beautiful place to live in, and she never wished to go home". When she is taken away form the factory city she is on the path to discovering who she really is. The environment that she grew up in serves as a catalyst for her love of the environment later in the story. As we read on, Sylvia transforms from the wilted and dying Geranium, to one that is in full blossom and lively.
Friday, February 22, 2008
What a relief
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 22, 2008
Journal #28 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"...drowning must really be a comfortable arrangement, a cessation of hostilities accompanied by a large degree of relief, and he was glad for it, for the main thing in his mind for some moments had been horror of the temporary agony. He did not wish to be hurt"(Crane 1015).
Summary:
Death by drowning is being described as a huge relief, after enduring the rowing and fighting against the waves to get land.
Response:
After our discussion, in class, on Wednesday Scott ended the lecture with the final Crane stage being about love, courage, trust and community. I do not completely agree with this interpretation but I can see how Scott arrived to it. Scott along with another student interpreted the story about the courage the crew showed by sticking together in the face of death. I however see the ending different. I get more the impression that the crew,"could then be interpreters", because they have just been enlightened to the awesome strength of their environment. In other words they became aware that they have no say in their world. They are at the mercy of nature and the environment. They become interpreters in the sense that they respect their environment and are very aware of its tremendous power. They now posses the ability to read mother nature and interpret what she is trying to say. They are no longer the egotistical humans they once were, they know that everything is not about them. They to will feel the wrath of their environment regardless of how good or bad they are.
The environment has a power that few realize. Take for example hurricane Katrina. No one would ever have thought that a hurricane would reach inland with that much force. The devastation from this hurricane is still being felt and seen three years later. It's our environment keeping us in check and sending us a warning. It's telling us that we need to treat our environment better. It also serves as a message that we are not in control of our fates. At any will we can be wiped off the planet. The environment controls our fate not us.
English 48B
February 22, 2008
Journal #28 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"...drowning must really be a comfortable arrangement, a cessation of hostilities accompanied by a large degree of relief, and he was glad for it, for the main thing in his mind for some moments had been horror of the temporary agony. He did not wish to be hurt"(Crane 1015).
Summary:
Death by drowning is being described as a huge relief, after enduring the rowing and fighting against the waves to get land.
Response:
After our discussion, in class, on Wednesday Scott ended the lecture with the final Crane stage being about love, courage, trust and community. I do not completely agree with this interpretation but I can see how Scott arrived to it. Scott along with another student interpreted the story about the courage the crew showed by sticking together in the face of death. I however see the ending different. I get more the impression that the crew,"could then be interpreters", because they have just been enlightened to the awesome strength of their environment. In other words they became aware that they have no say in their world. They are at the mercy of nature and the environment. They become interpreters in the sense that they respect their environment and are very aware of its tremendous power. They now posses the ability to read mother nature and interpret what she is trying to say. They are no longer the egotistical humans they once were, they know that everything is not about them. They to will feel the wrath of their environment regardless of how good or bad they are.
The environment has a power that few realize. Take for example hurricane Katrina. No one would ever have thought that a hurricane would reach inland with that much force. The devastation from this hurricane is still being felt and seen three years later. It's our environment keeping us in check and sending us a warning. It's telling us that we need to treat our environment better. It also serves as a message that we are not in control of our fates. At any will we can be wiped off the planet. The environment controls our fate not us.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Temple but no bricks
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 21, 2008
Journal #27 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"...he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples"(Crane 1011).
Summary:
This is another stage in Crane's stage's. This is the stage where one wants to curse the gods but there is nothing to curse.
Response:
Naturalism is how the environment shapes a humans actions and reactions and in the case of the doomed ship crew the environment serves exactly this purpose. After they have prayed for salvation they find themselves staring death in the face. They complain about how unjust it is for them to have rowed so long and be within eyesight of land only not be able to make it to land. These men think they are better then the sea. The sea is what holds the power over the lives of these men. While trying to row their way to land they are thrown all over the place by the strong currents of the sea. This is when the men get upset, they want to vent their anger on the sea for fighting against their progress. The only problem is what are they supposed to do if the very thing keeping them from the land has no physical form. They want to get mad at something that has no physical shape. I chose this quote because of the deep philosophical roots that these problem conjures up. How do you hurt something that has no feeling? This reminds me of any time I am having trouble fixing my car and things are not going as I please. I then become frustrated and hit whatever part of my car I am working on. What if an inatimite object could feel pain? Would I hit the part of my car knowing that it felt pain? The Crane stages prove to be very complex when they are broken down and looked at individually.
English 48B
February 21, 2008
Journal #27 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"...he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples"(Crane 1011).
Summary:
This is another stage in Crane's stage's. This is the stage where one wants to curse the gods but there is nothing to curse.
Response:
Naturalism is how the environment shapes a humans actions and reactions and in the case of the doomed ship crew the environment serves exactly this purpose. After they have prayed for salvation they find themselves staring death in the face. They complain about how unjust it is for them to have rowed so long and be within eyesight of land only not be able to make it to land. These men think they are better then the sea. The sea is what holds the power over the lives of these men. While trying to row their way to land they are thrown all over the place by the strong currents of the sea. This is when the men get upset, they want to vent their anger on the sea for fighting against their progress. The only problem is what are they supposed to do if the very thing keeping them from the land has no physical form. They want to get mad at something that has no physical shape. I chose this quote because of the deep philosophical roots that these problem conjures up. How do you hurt something that has no feeling? This reminds me of any time I am having trouble fixing my car and things are not going as I please. I then become frustrated and hit whatever part of my car I am working on. What if an inatimite object could feel pain? Would I hit the part of my car knowing that it felt pain? The Crane stages prove to be very complex when they are broken down and looked at individually.
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 21, 2008
Journal #26 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"Often they came very close and stared at the men with black bead-like eyes. At these times they were uncanny and sinister in their unblinking scrutiny, and the men hooted angrily at them, telling them to be gone"( Crane 1002).
Summary:
The seagulls are trying to tell the crew of the doomed ship that they should never have sailed in these conditions. Mother nature seems like she is getting the last laugh. These men decide to set sail into the impending weather and they expect to come back without a scratch. I love how Crane has the Seagulls glaring at the men. It's like the seagulls are saying, " Just what do you idiots think you are doing?" What do the men do? They yell at the seagulls to leave them alone. It is humans at their dumbest;There's a huge storm, oh well, we'll survive. This really makes you take a step back and wonder just how clever are we as a species.
Aside form the fact that these men have decided to continue sail in the terrible weather the seagulls have a omniscient quality to them. With their black sinister eyes they are telling the crew that they will perish for thinking they can overcome Mother Nature. It's as if the hand of the mighty sea god has slapped them in the face and saying, "Just what do you think you are doing"? "Go back to land where you belong". Of course the crew just gets mad at the birds because they think they are being mocked. Little does the crew know that the environment will teach them a lesson.
English 48B
February 21, 2008
Journal #26 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"Often they came very close and stared at the men with black bead-like eyes. At these times they were uncanny and sinister in their unblinking scrutiny, and the men hooted angrily at them, telling them to be gone"( Crane 1002).
Summary:
The seagulls are trying to tell the crew of the doomed ship that they should never have sailed in these conditions. Mother nature seems like she is getting the last laugh. These men decide to set sail into the impending weather and they expect to come back without a scratch. I love how Crane has the Seagulls glaring at the men. It's like the seagulls are saying, " Just what do you idiots think you are doing?" What do the men do? They yell at the seagulls to leave them alone. It is humans at their dumbest;There's a huge storm, oh well, we'll survive. This really makes you take a step back and wonder just how clever are we as a species.
Aside form the fact that these men have decided to continue sail in the terrible weather the seagulls have a omniscient quality to them. With their black sinister eyes they are telling the crew that they will perish for thinking they can overcome Mother Nature. It's as if the hand of the mighty sea god has slapped them in the face and saying, "Just what do you think you are doing"? "Go back to land where you belong". Of course the crew just gets mad at the birds because they think they are being mocked. Little does the crew know that the environment will teach them a lesson.
The Crane Stages
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 21, 2008
Journal #25 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem n small oat navigation"(Crane 1000).
Summary:
The narrator is describing the size and power of the storm and the waves that the Captain and the crew is confronted with.
Response:
As we discussed in class on Wednesday this story evolves into separate stages. The above quote is an example of the early stages of the "Crane Stages". As the captain and his crew face the giant storm they all quickly realize that they are in the midst of a life and death survival situation. Early in the "Crane stages" is the stage where an individual curses the gods. Why is this happening to me? This question is posed as one confronts the survival situation they are in. It is crass and egotistic for a human to think that nothing bad should happen to them. What we fail to realize as humans, on this planet, is that we are not in control; Mother nature is. We cannot control the weather,earthquakes, tsunamis, nor the winds. So just how realistic is if for us to think that nothing bad happens to the good person. Such is the case for the crew on the ship. They all initially feel as if this should not be happening to them. This should be happening to another crew. Their justify this by asking why this would happen to a crew that has traveled so far on the sea and are within eyesight of land. As Scott said, " How hideous to die within sight of land". Is this not the first reaction that we would all jump to. For example if you have your car broken into or you use your wallet and find out that someone is using your credit card your first reaction is, Why me? Humans must think that nothing will bad will ever happen to us and that we are in control of our environment. What we do not realize is that bad things will happen to good people and we are not on control of our environment. as the story progresses we will see the rest of the stages that humans go through in a life and death situation.
English 48B
February 21, 2008
Journal #25 Stephen Crane
Quote:
"These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem n small oat navigation"(Crane 1000).
Summary:
The narrator is describing the size and power of the storm and the waves that the Captain and the crew is confronted with.
Response:
As we discussed in class on Wednesday this story evolves into separate stages. The above quote is an example of the early stages of the "Crane Stages". As the captain and his crew face the giant storm they all quickly realize that they are in the midst of a life and death survival situation. Early in the "Crane stages" is the stage where an individual curses the gods. Why is this happening to me? This question is posed as one confronts the survival situation they are in. It is crass and egotistic for a human to think that nothing bad should happen to them. What we fail to realize as humans, on this planet, is that we are not in control; Mother nature is. We cannot control the weather,earthquakes, tsunamis, nor the winds. So just how realistic is if for us to think that nothing bad happens to the good person. Such is the case for the crew on the ship. They all initially feel as if this should not be happening to them. This should be happening to another crew. Their justify this by asking why this would happen to a crew that has traveled so far on the sea and are within eyesight of land. As Scott said, " How hideous to die within sight of land". Is this not the first reaction that we would all jump to. For example if you have your car broken into or you use your wallet and find out that someone is using your credit card your first reaction is, Why me? Humans must think that nothing will bad will ever happen to us and that we are in control of our environment. What we do not realize is that bad things will happen to good people and we are not on control of our environment. as the story progresses we will see the rest of the stages that humans go through in a life and death situation.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Booker T. and W.E.B.
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #24 Question #2(Midterm)
Quote:
"Speak soft, and try your little plan,
But as for me, i'll be a man"(Randall 1969).
Summary:
The above quote explains Du Bois' views on civil politics.
Response:
Who is the braver man? A good question to pose with and easy answer(in my opinion). Du Bois was the braver man. He was the braver man because he spoke out against racial equality. He did not accept his place in society. He challenged it. I love the last stanza in the poem that has Du Bois disagreeing with Booker T. This is exactly what he was about. Many kudos and praise to the man who had a voice and fought for equal rights. He did not want his race to feel inferior. He wanted equality. Little did he know that he was laying the brick work for generations of black leaders. I completely agree with Du Bois. He has the best approach towards making the races equal. If you are dormant and quiet, as Booker T. suggests, than everybody will step all over you. Why would you accept that you are an inferior race? This makes no sense to me. I really feel that Du Bois was on the right track of civil equality by speaking out against injustice. With all this said you have to take a look at why Du Bois felt this way. Unlike Booker T. he was not born into slavery rather he was educated and middle class. He had many more opportunities than Booker T. did. This is how he got his big voice. He was not afraid of controversy and backlash because it was not in his character. Two drastically different man with two drastically different points of view. It makes you wonder how different America would be if these two men were alive today preaching their points of view.
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #24 Question #2(Midterm)
Quote:
"Speak soft, and try your little plan,
But as for me, i'll be a man"(Randall 1969).
Summary:
The above quote explains Du Bois' views on civil politics.
Response:
Who is the braver man? A good question to pose with and easy answer(in my opinion). Du Bois was the braver man. He was the braver man because he spoke out against racial equality. He did not accept his place in society. He challenged it. I love the last stanza in the poem that has Du Bois disagreeing with Booker T. This is exactly what he was about. Many kudos and praise to the man who had a voice and fought for equal rights. He did not want his race to feel inferior. He wanted equality. Little did he know that he was laying the brick work for generations of black leaders. I completely agree with Du Bois. He has the best approach towards making the races equal. If you are dormant and quiet, as Booker T. suggests, than everybody will step all over you. Why would you accept that you are an inferior race? This makes no sense to me. I really feel that Du Bois was on the right track of civil equality by speaking out against injustice. With all this said you have to take a look at why Du Bois felt this way. Unlike Booker T. he was not born into slavery rather he was educated and middle class. He had many more opportunities than Booker T. did. This is how he got his big voice. He was not afraid of controversy and backlash because it was not in his character. Two drastically different man with two drastically different points of view. It makes you wonder how different America would be if these two men were alive today preaching their points of view.
Booker T. and W.E.B.
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #23 Question #2(Midterm)
Quote:
"Just keep your mouths shut, do not grouse,
But work, and save, and buy a house"(Randall 1969).
Summary:
The poet Dudley Randall is comparing and contrasting the two drastically different political styles of Booker T. and W.E.B.
Response:
First I want to comment on how well Randall breaks down the main differences between the two black rights activists. We all know that Booker T. was in favor of accepting the black persons role in society and educating oneself. Whereas Du Bois was in favor of speaking out against social injustices and actively engaging people about these injustices. If you did not know anything about these two men all you would have to do is read this poem and you would instantly know the two positions that these black men were on. Booker T. was a more quiet man who did not like conflict. He favored improving oneself by becoming educated in the industrial sector. Booker T. saw what the black slaves were good at and told them to embrace it. This he argued was for the better because it was self improvement. This idea stems from the fact that Booker T. was born into slavery. Being a slave Booker T. was not granted many opportunities but when they presented themselves he took complete and full advantage of them. In the above quote he says to mind your own business, work and buy a house. What a timid way to view the struggle of race relations. I have argued before that I do not agree with Booker T's politics but understand where he is coming from. Booker T was just much to accepting of his role in society. This really bothers me. What if Martin Luther King Jr had accepted that blacks were inferior? Would they have the same civil rights they do now? Possibly, but they surly would have taken much longer to achieve.
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #23 Question #2(Midterm)
Quote:
"Just keep your mouths shut, do not grouse,
But work, and save, and buy a house"(Randall 1969).
Summary:
The poet Dudley Randall is comparing and contrasting the two drastically different political styles of Booker T. and W.E.B.
Response:
First I want to comment on how well Randall breaks down the main differences between the two black rights activists. We all know that Booker T. was in favor of accepting the black persons role in society and educating oneself. Whereas Du Bois was in favor of speaking out against social injustices and actively engaging people about these injustices. If you did not know anything about these two men all you would have to do is read this poem and you would instantly know the two positions that these black men were on. Booker T. was a more quiet man who did not like conflict. He favored improving oneself by becoming educated in the industrial sector. Booker T. saw what the black slaves were good at and told them to embrace it. This he argued was for the better because it was self improvement. This idea stems from the fact that Booker T. was born into slavery. Being a slave Booker T. was not granted many opportunities but when they presented themselves he took complete and full advantage of them. In the above quote he says to mind your own business, work and buy a house. What a timid way to view the struggle of race relations. I have argued before that I do not agree with Booker T's politics but understand where he is coming from. Booker T was just much to accepting of his role in society. This really bothers me. What if Martin Luther King Jr had accepted that blacks were inferior? Would they have the same civil rights they do now? Possibly, but they surly would have taken much longer to achieve.
Irony in Ruiz de Burton
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #22 Ruiz de Burton
Quote:
"Only let us out in time to bring the milch cows home,before night comes on,'said old Miller,dryly.
'Exactly , we want to look after our cows, too'"(Ruiz de Burton 95).
Summary:
The newly granted land owners have come to the estate of Don Mariano to discuss the the land and cattle situation.
Response:
The new landowners have just acquired new land from Mexico and they have come to Don Mariano's estate to tell him to get out of the cattle business. The irony is how the landowners are complaining about the cattle yet they are so worried about bringing their cattle back to their pasture before it is to late. This helped shape the publics opinion by showing just how unlogical the demands of the new land owners were. It also played into the emotions of the public opinion by showing how demanding the new land owners were to the current land owners. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo much of Mexico's land was given to the government of America. Here is where the problem lay, you were expecting people who had been living on and working the land for hundreds of years to give up land that was their's overnight. I can just imagine just how much of a issue this must of caused. Of course public opinion did not care about the Spanish and Mexican landowners, public opinion expected the Spanish and Mexican's to hand over the land unconditionally. What Ruiz de Burton did to sway public opinion was to point out the ironies and hypocrisies of the white people. In the above quote the white people have come to complain to Don Mariano abou t how his cattle have destroyed their crop.At the same time they are so worried about their cattle. You can not have it both ways. Either you want to raise cattle or you want to raise grain( which is what they propose Don Mariano does). Their is also another big irony that I forgot to point put, Don Mariano proposes they grow fruit bearing trees and plants instead of grain but the white's are so stuck on growing grains. Don Mariano proves to be the smarter of the three because the county of San Diego later in the states life becomes known for an excellent place to grow oranges and grapes just as Don Mariano had suggested.
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #22 Ruiz de Burton
Quote:
"Only let us out in time to bring the milch cows home,before night comes on,'said old Miller,dryly.
'Exactly , we want to look after our cows, too'"(Ruiz de Burton 95).
Summary:
The newly granted land owners have come to the estate of Don Mariano to discuss the the land and cattle situation.
Response:
The new landowners have just acquired new land from Mexico and they have come to Don Mariano's estate to tell him to get out of the cattle business. The irony is how the landowners are complaining about the cattle yet they are so worried about bringing their cattle back to their pasture before it is to late. This helped shape the publics opinion by showing just how unlogical the demands of the new land owners were. It also played into the emotions of the public opinion by showing how demanding the new land owners were to the current land owners. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo much of Mexico's land was given to the government of America. Here is where the problem lay, you were expecting people who had been living on and working the land for hundreds of years to give up land that was their's overnight. I can just imagine just how much of a issue this must of caused. Of course public opinion did not care about the Spanish and Mexican landowners, public opinion expected the Spanish and Mexican's to hand over the land unconditionally. What Ruiz de Burton did to sway public opinion was to point out the ironies and hypocrisies of the white people. In the above quote the white people have come to complain to Don Mariano abou t how his cattle have destroyed their crop.At the same time they are so worried about their cattle. You can not have it both ways. Either you want to raise cattle or you want to raise grain( which is what they propose Don Mariano does). Their is also another big irony that I forgot to point put, Don Mariano proposes they grow fruit bearing trees and plants instead of grain but the white's are so stuck on growing grains. Don Mariano proves to be the smarter of the three because the county of San Diego later in the states life becomes known for an excellent place to grow oranges and grapes just as Don Mariano had suggested.
The irony in,"Life among the Piutes".
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #21 Winnemucca
Quote:
"You call my people bloodseeking. My people did not seek to kill them, nor did they steal their horses,-no,no,far from it.During the winter my people helped them"(Winnemucca 504).
Summary:
Winnemucca is defending her people by showing how the whites are the "savages", not the Native Americans.
Response:
The irony behind the above quote is that the real savages are the white people themselves, not the Native Americans. When the European's came and saw the way the Native American communities lives and ate they titled them all savages or beasts. The Europeans could not have been more grosely wrong. The Native Americans were the much more civilized of the were societies. They knew how to plant and harvest their land, they knew how to hunt efficiently and their general hgeine was of a much higher standard. The European's are the real savages because they never bathed, enslaved people and killed and ran the Native Americans off their land. This irony that Winnemucca brings up helps sway the public opinion because it shows just how brutal and barbaric the Europeans were compared to the Native Americans. I just find it hard to believe that the Native Americans would have to defend themselves against such ugly name calling.A lot of times, especially in the winter,if the Native American's had not taken care of the Whites than many of them would have perished. The whites would have perished because they did not know how to work the land or how to build shelters in the cold enviroment. This helps to shape the public's opinion by pointing out who the real "savage" was. Although I do think that it took the public a long time to accept this new view of the Native American.
English 48B
February 14, 2008
Journal #21 Winnemucca
Quote:
"You call my people bloodseeking. My people did not seek to kill them, nor did they steal their horses,-no,no,far from it.During the winter my people helped them"(Winnemucca 504).
Summary:
Winnemucca is defending her people by showing how the whites are the "savages", not the Native Americans.
Response:
The irony behind the above quote is that the real savages are the white people themselves, not the Native Americans. When the European's came and saw the way the Native American communities lives and ate they titled them all savages or beasts. The Europeans could not have been more grosely wrong. The Native Americans were the much more civilized of the were societies. They knew how to plant and harvest their land, they knew how to hunt efficiently and their general hgeine was of a much higher standard. The European's are the real savages because they never bathed, enslaved people and killed and ran the Native Americans off their land. This irony that Winnemucca brings up helps sway the public opinion because it shows just how brutal and barbaric the Europeans were compared to the Native Americans. I just find it hard to believe that the Native Americans would have to defend themselves against such ugly name calling.A lot of times, especially in the winter,if the Native American's had not taken care of the Whites than many of them would have perished. The whites would have perished because they did not know how to work the land or how to build shelters in the cold enviroment. This helps to shape the public's opinion by pointing out who the real "savage" was. Although I do think that it took the public a long time to accept this new view of the Native American.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 8, 2008
Journal #20 Booker T. Washington
Quote:
"...so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defence of yours"(Washington 681).
Summary:
This quote is from a speech that Washington gave at the Atlanta exposition, as a representative of the Negro race.
Response:
I have to give a lot of respect to a man that was so humble. I say this because of the above quote. Washington, as a representative of the black race, says that they they are willing to die for their masters. This I do not doubt. I really believe that almost all slaves would unconditionally do anything for their masters. You almost have to take a step back and see just how devoted and how strong the African Americans were. The cruelty they faced and the terrible laws they faced and they still remain so loyal. This speaks volumes for the character of the under appreciated and held down slave. It goes to show just how great out society would have been if the problem of slavery never existed. You have to reach out your hand and give these people a lot of sympathy for what their race has had to endure. These are very powerful words that Washington is speaking at the Atlanta exposition. I think that by saying how devoted the African Americans are, he is actually helping his race by showing their humbleness. Washington reminds me of Martin Luther King Jr. They both used compassion and humbleness to spread their words and ideals. This later worked by just taking a look at what King Jr. was able to accomplish in the civil rights struggle. From looking back at what Washington and Du Bois wrote I can say that I have earned a greater deal of respect and knowledge of these two men. At first I did not agree with Washington's philosophy but I can now say that I respect what he did and his humbleness.
English 48B
February 8, 2008
Journal #20 Booker T. Washington
Quote:
"...so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defence of yours"(Washington 681).
Summary:
This quote is from a speech that Washington gave at the Atlanta exposition, as a representative of the Negro race.
Response:
I have to give a lot of respect to a man that was so humble. I say this because of the above quote. Washington, as a representative of the black race, says that they they are willing to die for their masters. This I do not doubt. I really believe that almost all slaves would unconditionally do anything for their masters. You almost have to take a step back and see just how devoted and how strong the African Americans were. The cruelty they faced and the terrible laws they faced and they still remain so loyal. This speaks volumes for the character of the under appreciated and held down slave. It goes to show just how great out society would have been if the problem of slavery never existed. You have to reach out your hand and give these people a lot of sympathy for what their race has had to endure. These are very powerful words that Washington is speaking at the Atlanta exposition. I think that by saying how devoted the African Americans are, he is actually helping his race by showing their humbleness. Washington reminds me of Martin Luther King Jr. They both used compassion and humbleness to spread their words and ideals. This later worked by just taking a look at what King Jr. was able to accomplish in the civil rights struggle. From looking back at what Washington and Du Bois wrote I can say that I have earned a greater deal of respect and knowledge of these two men. At first I did not agree with Washington's philosophy but I can now say that I respect what he did and his humbleness.
The docile Washington
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 8, 2008
Journal #19
Quote:
As a rule, not only did the members of my race entertain no feelings of bitterness against the whites before and during the war, but there are many instances of Negroes tenderly caring for their former masters..."(Washington 670).
Summary:
Washington is describing how the slaves acted during and after the civil war.
Response:
After my previous two blog entries bashing Booker T. Washington I came to a big realization about Washington. I came to the conclusion that the reason he preached the submissive philosophy is because of how he grew up. Washington grew up into slavery while Du Bois grew up in a middle class family. Obviously Du Bois had a lot more opportunities than did Washington. I believe this is what helped shaped the two mne we read about this week. I think that the reason Washington was so submissive is because this is the natural attitude of the slave. A slave really has no options as to what living condition he is put into. The slave has almost no control over what he or she does or says. So what better way to improve your situation than by accepting who you are and trying to make yourself stronger. Washington was a firm believer in self-teaching and the agriculture business. Slaves were the people that tended and harvested the crops for the white people. There was no better way for the slave to improve himself/herself than focusing on what they did best. Now I do not completely agree with this but I can definitely see where Washington's point of view came from. On the other hand it was much easier for Du Bois to be the outspoken when you come from an economically better background. I think that when it came down to it and I was a slave during the civil war era I would have chosen Washington's philosophy because it was more low key and not as intrusive as what Du Bois preached.
English 48B
February 8, 2008
Journal #19
Quote:
As a rule, not only did the members of my race entertain no feelings of bitterness against the whites before and during the war, but there are many instances of Negroes tenderly caring for their former masters..."(Washington 670).
Summary:
Washington is describing how the slaves acted during and after the civil war.
Response:
After my previous two blog entries bashing Booker T. Washington I came to a big realization about Washington. I came to the conclusion that the reason he preached the submissive philosophy is because of how he grew up. Washington grew up into slavery while Du Bois grew up in a middle class family. Obviously Du Bois had a lot more opportunities than did Washington. I believe this is what helped shaped the two mne we read about this week. I think that the reason Washington was so submissive is because this is the natural attitude of the slave. A slave really has no options as to what living condition he is put into. The slave has almost no control over what he or she does or says. So what better way to improve your situation than by accepting who you are and trying to make yourself stronger. Washington was a firm believer in self-teaching and the agriculture business. Slaves were the people that tended and harvested the crops for the white people. There was no better way for the slave to improve himself/herself than focusing on what they did best. Now I do not completely agree with this but I can definitely see where Washington's point of view came from. On the other hand it was much easier for Du Bois to be the outspoken when you come from an economically better background. I think that when it came down to it and I was a slave during the civil war era I would have chosen Washington's philosophy because it was more low key and not as intrusive as what Du Bois preached.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Washington's backwards ideals
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 7, 2008
Journal #18 W.E.B Du Bois
Quote:
"Mr Washington distinctly asks that black people give up, at least for the present, three things,-
First, political power,
Second, insistence on civil rights,
Third, higher education of Negro youth,-"(Du Bois 906).
Summary:
Du Bois is summarizing the philosophy that Booker T. Washington advocated.
Response:
The submissive route is not the way to go when approaching civil rights. I am now further convinced that Washington was completely satisfied with being labeled an inferior person. This is definitely the wrong way to approach civil rights. In my previous blog entry I wanted to give Washington the benefit of the doubt by saying that he was not a coward, but Du Bois sums him up pretty well. He was absolutely afraid of the white communities backlash. To me I can see who the braver man was, Du Bois. Du Bois really wanted to see his race achieve racial equality. While Washington just seemed to tell all blacks to mind their business and not speak out against the wrongs. This just seems completely backwards of what a race trying to achieve freedom and equality would want to do. It would not surprise me if Du Bois had a much larger following than Washington. The above quote just shows me all steps backwards that would be made if Washington's followers, followed and applied his advice. He wanted people to give up critical things that would help the African American's quest for equality. How can a group of people give up their political voice, their future's education and their civil rights and expect to get anywhere with their struggle. I just see way to many flaws with Washington's politics. As I have said before I hate to sound like I am bashing Washington but to me his ideals just make absolutely no sense.
English 48B
February 7, 2008
Journal #18 W.E.B Du Bois
Quote:
"Mr Washington distinctly asks that black people give up, at least for the present, three things,-
First, political power,
Second, insistence on civil rights,
Third, higher education of Negro youth,-"(Du Bois 906).
Summary:
Du Bois is summarizing the philosophy that Booker T. Washington advocated.
Response:
The submissive route is not the way to go when approaching civil rights. I am now further convinced that Washington was completely satisfied with being labeled an inferior person. This is definitely the wrong way to approach civil rights. In my previous blog entry I wanted to give Washington the benefit of the doubt by saying that he was not a coward, but Du Bois sums him up pretty well. He was absolutely afraid of the white communities backlash. To me I can see who the braver man was, Du Bois. Du Bois really wanted to see his race achieve racial equality. While Washington just seemed to tell all blacks to mind their business and not speak out against the wrongs. This just seems completely backwards of what a race trying to achieve freedom and equality would want to do. It would not surprise me if Du Bois had a much larger following than Washington. The above quote just shows me all steps backwards that would be made if Washington's followers, followed and applied his advice. He wanted people to give up critical things that would help the African American's quest for equality. How can a group of people give up their political voice, their future's education and their civil rights and expect to get anywhere with their struggle. I just see way to many flaws with Washington's politics. As I have said before I hate to sound like I am bashing Washington but to me his ideals just make absolutely no sense.
Double Consciousness
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 7, 2008
Journal #17 W.E.B. Du Bois
Quote:
"...an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder"( Du Bois 896).
Summary:
Du Bois is explaining his idea of the African American's "double consciousness". This is the idea that the black person will always have an inner struggle between his African roots and his current situation in America.
Response:
Du Bois was a strong advocator for standing up and fighting for the rights of the African Americans. Unlike Booker T. Washington he did not want to accept his place as a inferior person in the white community. I completely agree with Du Bois and his philosophy. To me it seems that Washington, although with good intentions, did not want to see any type of confrontation therefore he preached the more submissive philosophy. This type of philosophy, to me, does not seem like the type that will cause and changes to happen. It feels like he was almost saying that he agreed with the labels that were put onto blacks by the white people. In order to advance a race and to improve their situation you need a voice that will challenge the stereotypes and prejudices that are placed on them. I am not trying to bash what Washington did, but what Du Bois said and preached took more courage and bravado.Du Bois's philosophy behind race relations reminds me of the Beastie boy's song,"You've got to fight for your right to party!". In the song they advocate for speaking out against what is fair and unjust(in their case partying) so that their message is heard. Du Bois's message tried to do this. He also helped strengthen the black race by reminding them of their culture and heritage. He made sure that all his followers knew where they came from; Africa.
English 48B
February 7, 2008
Journal #17 W.E.B. Du Bois
Quote:
"...an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder"( Du Bois 896).
Summary:
Du Bois is explaining his idea of the African American's "double consciousness". This is the idea that the black person will always have an inner struggle between his African roots and his current situation in America.
Response:
Du Bois was a strong advocator for standing up and fighting for the rights of the African Americans. Unlike Booker T. Washington he did not want to accept his place as a inferior person in the white community. I completely agree with Du Bois and his philosophy. To me it seems that Washington, although with good intentions, did not want to see any type of confrontation therefore he preached the more submissive philosophy. This type of philosophy, to me, does not seem like the type that will cause and changes to happen. It feels like he was almost saying that he agreed with the labels that were put onto blacks by the white people. In order to advance a race and to improve their situation you need a voice that will challenge the stereotypes and prejudices that are placed on them. I am not trying to bash what Washington did, but what Du Bois said and preached took more courage and bravado.Du Bois's philosophy behind race relations reminds me of the Beastie boy's song,"You've got to fight for your right to party!". In the song they advocate for speaking out against what is fair and unjust(in their case partying) so that their message is heard. Du Bois's message tried to do this. He also helped strengthen the black race by reminding them of their culture and heritage. He made sure that all his followers knew where they came from; Africa.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Whose land is it?
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 1, 2008
Journal #16 Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton
Quote:
"...shall be governed by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; the law of the nations; the laws, usages, and customs of the government form which the claim is derived..."(Ruiz de Burton 93).
Summary:
Ruiz de Burton is telling the reader where and how the Untied States was able to get it's newly acquired land.
Response:
The reason I chose the above quote is because it is the closest one I could find on what I wanted to write this journal entry about. If I run onto another tangent than I apologize. I have always felt a inner struggle between the American culture and the Mexican culture. The reason being is because both my mother and my father were born in Durango, Mexico. I was born in California. From very early on I have never really known which side to embrace more. At times I want to embrace my Mexican Heritage because of my parents roots, yet the closest I have ever been to my parents homeland in Tijuana or Mexicali, Mexico( which does not really count as being Mexico). On the other hand I was born in the United States and here I have been given opportunities and education that I would have never seen If I was born on my parents ranch. The reason I bring this up is because after reading a little of Ruiz de Burton's introduction, I get the sense that she also has a similar conflict. She is a Mexican -American,like myself, in the midst of a land transformation. It must have been an extremely difficult time for the Spanish and Mexicans to have to give huge lots of their land overnight. This has been an question that has plaugued me ever since I first learned about the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; How different would California and it's surrounding states be if Mexico was able to defeat the Americans and keeps the land that it ultimately gave up? This goes back to my inner struggle, especially when I consider many legislation going on.
Take for example the border situation, part of me says let them in because they want to work and make money buy another part says that if we let all Mexican immigrants in than the California will become overcrowded and its resources and money will fade quickly. I find it so hard to put my foot down for either side. It's an issue that I have learned to deal with by sort of ignoring it. I know that this is the wrong way to approach it but it's how I have dealt with issues concerning American and Mexican relations.
English 48B
February 1, 2008
Journal #16 Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton
Quote:
"...shall be governed by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; the law of the nations; the laws, usages, and customs of the government form which the claim is derived..."(Ruiz de Burton 93).
Summary:
Ruiz de Burton is telling the reader where and how the Untied States was able to get it's newly acquired land.
Response:
The reason I chose the above quote is because it is the closest one I could find on what I wanted to write this journal entry about. If I run onto another tangent than I apologize. I have always felt a inner struggle between the American culture and the Mexican culture. The reason being is because both my mother and my father were born in Durango, Mexico. I was born in California. From very early on I have never really known which side to embrace more. At times I want to embrace my Mexican Heritage because of my parents roots, yet the closest I have ever been to my parents homeland in Tijuana or Mexicali, Mexico( which does not really count as being Mexico). On the other hand I was born in the United States and here I have been given opportunities and education that I would have never seen If I was born on my parents ranch. The reason I bring this up is because after reading a little of Ruiz de Burton's introduction, I get the sense that she also has a similar conflict. She is a Mexican -American,like myself, in the midst of a land transformation. It must have been an extremely difficult time for the Spanish and Mexicans to have to give huge lots of their land overnight. This has been an question that has plaugued me ever since I first learned about the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; How different would California and it's surrounding states be if Mexico was able to defeat the Americans and keeps the land that it ultimately gave up? This goes back to my inner struggle, especially when I consider many legislation going on.
Take for example the border situation, part of me says let them in because they want to work and make money buy another part says that if we let all Mexican immigrants in than the California will become overcrowded and its resources and money will fade quickly. I find it so hard to put my foot down for either side. It's an issue that I have learned to deal with by sort of ignoring it. I know that this is the wrong way to approach it but it's how I have dealt with issues concerning American and Mexican relations.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Figs, peaches and vineyards will make you rich
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 31, 2008
Journal #15 Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton
Quote:
"I feel very sure that San Diego County will be selected for fruit and grape-growing. In two years grape vines begin to bear; the same with figs, peaches and other fruits"(Ruiz de Burton 97).
Summary:
Don Mariano is trying to persuade the European settlers to grow fruits instead of grains in their recently acquired land.
Response:
It's amazing just how right Don Mariano was about what type of crop to produce in San Diego County. It's funny how a story in a book written over one hundred years ago can be so right about our current agricultural system. I find it amusing that the white farmers are so intent on growing grain in a land that they do not know. Don Mariano is a rich and successful man with a plethora of knowledge about San Diego. Yet the white farmers are being stubborn and sticking to their grain. The best part of the whole story is how the white farmers accuse Don Mariano's cattle of destroying their crop when in actuality it is the climate of San Diego that is the culprit. What I wonder is how did Don Mariano know just how successful fruits would be in San Diego County. It probably has to do with how long he spent raising cattle on his land.
One thing I do not quite understand is just how helpful Don Mariano seems to be. He has had his land taken away yet he is making all kinds of offers to the farmers that have taken his land. He offers to sell him his own cattle interest free. He just sounds to good to be true. He is making way to many compromises considering the situation he is in. Although on one hand He does not have much of a choice, especially after the Treaty of Hidalgo granted the America so much land. It must have been extremely difficult for the Mexican and Spanish landowners to give up their land unwillingly.
English 48B
January 31, 2008
Journal #15 Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton
Quote:
"I feel very sure that San Diego County will be selected for fruit and grape-growing. In two years grape vines begin to bear; the same with figs, peaches and other fruits"(Ruiz de Burton 97).
Summary:
Don Mariano is trying to persuade the European settlers to grow fruits instead of grains in their recently acquired land.
Response:
It's amazing just how right Don Mariano was about what type of crop to produce in San Diego County. It's funny how a story in a book written over one hundred years ago can be so right about our current agricultural system. I find it amusing that the white farmers are so intent on growing grain in a land that they do not know. Don Mariano is a rich and successful man with a plethora of knowledge about San Diego. Yet the white farmers are being stubborn and sticking to their grain. The best part of the whole story is how the white farmers accuse Don Mariano's cattle of destroying their crop when in actuality it is the climate of San Diego that is the culprit. What I wonder is how did Don Mariano know just how successful fruits would be in San Diego County. It probably has to do with how long he spent raising cattle on his land.
One thing I do not quite understand is just how helpful Don Mariano seems to be. He has had his land taken away yet he is making all kinds of offers to the farmers that have taken his land. He offers to sell him his own cattle interest free. He just sounds to good to be true. He is making way to many compromises considering the situation he is in. Although on one hand He does not have much of a choice, especially after the Treaty of Hidalgo granted the America so much land. It must have been extremely difficult for the Mexican and Spanish landowners to give up their land unwillingly.
Trail of Tears
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 31, 2008
Journal #14 Sarah Winnemucca
Quote:
"I looked North and South and East and West, and saw nothing but dust, and I heard a great weeping. I saw woman crying , and I saw my men shot down by the white people"(Winnemucca 506).
Summary:
Sarah Winnemucca is describing the cruelty that the Native Americans faced when the whites came onto the Native Americans land.
Response:
This quote reminds me of the Trail of Tears. An unfortunate movement made by the Native Americans when they were forced to migrate onto new lands. Thousands of Native Americans perished. This quote shows just how cruel and unforgiving the whites were. They had absoulutly no compassion for the Native Americans. It can not begin to imagine what the Native Americans felt after existing on their land for thousands of years only to be kicked off and systematically killed by the whites. The one thing that I find so hard to believe is how Winnemucca's grandfather would tell the story of the long lost white brother. Even after they were treaded terribly her grandfather still gave the whites the benefit of the doubt. I'm very pleased that Scott has taught us so much about California's history that you do not get in conventional by the book classes.
Winnemucca's life, seen form just a few chapters in her autobiography, is an amazing one. The one thing I do not quite understand is why people would argue that she was mostly self promoting. To me it seems that she was speaking for her people and trying to rally for the Piute's lost land and rights. I know there is the argument of the Indian princess but that argument just does not hold enough ground for me. She may have dressed up in the stereotypical dress just so that the white people would accept her and listen to her words. To me she is doing whatever it takes for her cause.
English 48B
January 31, 2008
Journal #14 Sarah Winnemucca
Quote:
"I looked North and South and East and West, and saw nothing but dust, and I heard a great weeping. I saw woman crying , and I saw my men shot down by the white people"(Winnemucca 506).
Summary:
Sarah Winnemucca is describing the cruelty that the Native Americans faced when the whites came onto the Native Americans land.
Response:
This quote reminds me of the Trail of Tears. An unfortunate movement made by the Native Americans when they were forced to migrate onto new lands. Thousands of Native Americans perished. This quote shows just how cruel and unforgiving the whites were. They had absoulutly no compassion for the Native Americans. It can not begin to imagine what the Native Americans felt after existing on their land for thousands of years only to be kicked off and systematically killed by the whites. The one thing that I find so hard to believe is how Winnemucca's grandfather would tell the story of the long lost white brother. Even after they were treaded terribly her grandfather still gave the whites the benefit of the doubt. I'm very pleased that Scott has taught us so much about California's history that you do not get in conventional by the book classes.
Winnemucca's life, seen form just a few chapters in her autobiography, is an amazing one. The one thing I do not quite understand is why people would argue that she was mostly self promoting. To me it seems that she was speaking for her people and trying to rally for the Piute's lost land and rights. I know there is the argument of the Indian princess but that argument just does not hold enough ground for me. She may have dressed up in the stereotypical dress just so that the white people would accept her and listen to her words. To me she is doing whatever it takes for her cause.
A strong voice
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 31, 2008
Journal #13 Sarah Winnemucca
Quote:
"You call my people bloodseeking. My people did not seek to kill them, nor did they steak their horses, -no, no, far from it. During the winter my people helped them(Winnemucca 504).
Summary:
Sarah Winnemucca flips the savage stereotype that is given to the Indians by the whites and places the stereotype on to the whites.
Response:
For a Indian woman to say such true words takes a courage beyond measure. Not only was Winnemucca the first Native American published but in her first publication she calls out the white people as savages. I love how she completely flips the savage stereotype onto the true savages. If you listen to the word it even sounds harsh and demeaning. The word savage has a very strong and precise pronunciation that makes the impact of this word feel a lot stronger. It's funny how the European settlers received so much help form the Native Americans and taught basically how to survive, in these new lands, yet the whites have the nerve to call the Native Americans savages. The Native Americans were anything but savage. They lived in a lot more peacful communities, they shared all their land and they bathed and maintained their hygeine. It was the Europeans who had poor hygiene, smelled horribly and practiced in private ownership of everything. The irony of who is calling who a savage just overwhelms me. Every time I read about the European treatment of the Native Americans it simply startles me.
I wanted to end this blog entry by saying just how courageous Winnemucca was in calling out the whites as savages. The Piute people should be proud that they had such a strong voice in their community that spoke out for her people.The only unfortunate thing is that it has taken so long for scholars and readers to recognize the importance and impact that Winnemucca's writings had. The part that speaks to Winnemucca's positive influence is how Norton's Anthology and their scholars put Winnemucca into their anthology.
English 48B
January 31, 2008
Journal #13 Sarah Winnemucca
Quote:
"You call my people bloodseeking. My people did not seek to kill them, nor did they steak their horses, -no, no, far from it. During the winter my people helped them(Winnemucca 504).
Summary:
Sarah Winnemucca flips the savage stereotype that is given to the Indians by the whites and places the stereotype on to the whites.
Response:
For a Indian woman to say such true words takes a courage beyond measure. Not only was Winnemucca the first Native American published but in her first publication she calls out the white people as savages. I love how she completely flips the savage stereotype onto the true savages. If you listen to the word it even sounds harsh and demeaning. The word savage has a very strong and precise pronunciation that makes the impact of this word feel a lot stronger. It's funny how the European settlers received so much help form the Native Americans and taught basically how to survive, in these new lands, yet the whites have the nerve to call the Native Americans savages. The Native Americans were anything but savage. They lived in a lot more peacful communities, they shared all their land and they bathed and maintained their hygeine. It was the Europeans who had poor hygiene, smelled horribly and practiced in private ownership of everything. The irony of who is calling who a savage just overwhelms me. Every time I read about the European treatment of the Native Americans it simply startles me.
I wanted to end this blog entry by saying just how courageous Winnemucca was in calling out the whites as savages. The Piute people should be proud that they had such a strong voice in their community that spoke out for her people.The only unfortunate thing is that it has taken so long for scholars and readers to recognize the importance and impact that Winnemucca's writings had. The part that speaks to Winnemucca's positive influence is how Norton's Anthology and their scholars put Winnemucca into their anthology.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The difficult choice
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 25, 2008
Journal #12 Mark Twain
Quote:
"All right, then, I'll go to hell"-and tore it up.
Summary:
"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", reaches the books climax when Huck Finn chooses saving his friend Jim and hell over heaven.
Response:
There is not much I can write that will give this quote enough justice about it's impact and tremendous meaning to the book and its audience. The power that this quote holds is just enormous. What I find interesting about Huck Finn is how much of a believer he is in the Christian heaven and hell. Everyone, especially Tom Sawyer, calls out Huck Finn for being ignorant and not very smart. Yet what they do not see is just how incredibly bright Huck Finn is. Granted it took him almost the whole book to come to the realization that blacks are humans too but in this point or race relations seeing a black person as a human is the last thing that is going through the thought process of a white person. It's funny how Miss Watson was trying to "civilize" Huck when it actually turns out to be the person that everybody would have least expected.
The above quote is the moral highpoint in the life of a child that has no family and is cast into society as a no good vagrant. Yet even in these terrible circumstances Huck Finn is able to achieve a level of moral enlightenment that almost no one knows. Its just amazing how one line of a book can have so much emotion and feelings attached. Huck Finn is breaking all of societies rules by helping the Jim escape and still Huck finds it within himself to throw away societies and religions preconceptions about Jim and make the right choice. Huck Finn at this point in the book is leaps and bounds ahead of everybody in terms of his morale standing. Even though he honestly believes that he is going to hell for his decision , Huck Finn has no idea that he just bought himself a guaranteed spot into Heaven.
English 48B
January 25, 2008
Journal #12 Mark Twain
Quote:
"All right, then, I'll go to hell"-and tore it up.
Summary:
"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", reaches the books climax when Huck Finn chooses saving his friend Jim and hell over heaven.
Response:
There is not much I can write that will give this quote enough justice about it's impact and tremendous meaning to the book and its audience. The power that this quote holds is just enormous. What I find interesting about Huck Finn is how much of a believer he is in the Christian heaven and hell. Everyone, especially Tom Sawyer, calls out Huck Finn for being ignorant and not very smart. Yet what they do not see is just how incredibly bright Huck Finn is. Granted it took him almost the whole book to come to the realization that blacks are humans too but in this point or race relations seeing a black person as a human is the last thing that is going through the thought process of a white person. It's funny how Miss Watson was trying to "civilize" Huck when it actually turns out to be the person that everybody would have least expected.
The above quote is the moral highpoint in the life of a child that has no family and is cast into society as a no good vagrant. Yet even in these terrible circumstances Huck Finn is able to achieve a level of moral enlightenment that almost no one knows. Its just amazing how one line of a book can have so much emotion and feelings attached. Huck Finn is breaking all of societies rules by helping the Jim escape and still Huck finds it within himself to throw away societies and religions preconceptions about Jim and make the right choice. Huck Finn at this point in the book is leaps and bounds ahead of everybody in terms of his morale standing. Even though he honestly believes that he is going to hell for his decision , Huck Finn has no idea that he just bought himself a guaranteed spot into Heaven.
Tom Sawyers wild imagination
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 25, 2008
Journal #11 Mark Twain
Quote:
"He said there was loads of them there, anyway; and he said there was A-rabs there, too, and elephants and things. I said, why couldn't we seen them, then? He said if I warn't so ignorant, but had read a book called "Don Quixote," I would know without asking"(Twain 116).
Summary:
Tom sawyer is criticizing Huck Finn for not reading Don Quixote. As the reader we see where Tom Sawyer's adventurous thoughts come from.
Response:
The genius behind Mark Twain is his ability to write a book that is both for adults and for children. Many scholars argue over who Huck Finn was written for. I would like to think that Twain intended the book to be read by both adults and children. The book appeals to children because of the adventures that Huck Finn and Jim go on. While at the same time appealing to adults because they can read deeper into the words and see the maturation of Huck Finn. I can also see why this book was banned by so many school systems. It shows apologetically a runaway kid who smokes, steals and lives on the streets. I'm not sure a parent, especially of a young boy, would want there child reading this. Although if I had a little bot I wouldn't mind because I know that boys have there adventurous fantasies and reading this caliber of book would just help them to become a more creative and active child. As I said before the book also appeals to an older audience because of the deep themes that pop up in the great story. Just as Scott mentioned he read "Huckleberry Finn", as a kid and later an adult. I'm sure that both times he got to completely different interpretations of the story as well. I'm really impressed by the range and depth that Mark Twain has shown me as a reader. He can go from writing something serious and thought provoking to humorous in a split second. While maintaining the integrity of the story.
English 48B
January 25, 2008
Journal #11 Mark Twain
Quote:
"He said there was loads of them there, anyway; and he said there was A-rabs there, too, and elephants and things. I said, why couldn't we seen them, then? He said if I warn't so ignorant, but had read a book called "Don Quixote," I would know without asking"(Twain 116).
Summary:
Tom sawyer is criticizing Huck Finn for not reading Don Quixote. As the reader we see where Tom Sawyer's adventurous thoughts come from.
Response:
The genius behind Mark Twain is his ability to write a book that is both for adults and for children. Many scholars argue over who Huck Finn was written for. I would like to think that Twain intended the book to be read by both adults and children. The book appeals to children because of the adventures that Huck Finn and Jim go on. While at the same time appealing to adults because they can read deeper into the words and see the maturation of Huck Finn. I can also see why this book was banned by so many school systems. It shows apologetically a runaway kid who smokes, steals and lives on the streets. I'm not sure a parent, especially of a young boy, would want there child reading this. Although if I had a little bot I wouldn't mind because I know that boys have there adventurous fantasies and reading this caliber of book would just help them to become a more creative and active child. As I said before the book also appeals to an older audience because of the deep themes that pop up in the great story. Just as Scott mentioned he read "Huckleberry Finn", as a kid and later an adult. I'm sure that both times he got to completely different interpretations of the story as well. I'm really impressed by the range and depth that Mark Twain has shown me as a reader. He can go from writing something serious and thought provoking to humorous in a split second. While maintaining the integrity of the story.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Huck Finn Like Holden Claufield
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 24, 2008
Journal #10 Mark Twain
Quote:
"Then I sat down in a chair by the window and tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead"(Twain 110).
Summary:
Huck Finn had been taken in by the widow Miss Watson. Huck Finn finds the civilized life boring and not to his liking.
Response:
This quote dives deep into the internal struggle that plagues Huck Finn throughout the novel. He had a very troubled childhood which is what led to the lifestyle that he is accustomed to. His father was an alcoholic who constantly beat him and showed him no love. This is what Huck Finn really wants, is someone to care for him and love him for who he is. Huck Finn finds this in a Miss Watson's slave, Jim. All the time they spend drifting on the Mississippi river forces Huck and Jim to grow and develop a close and caring friendship. The above scene with Huck Finn staring out his window and wishing he were dead reminds me exactly of the narrator of my favorite book, "The Catcher in the Rye". From the first time I read this book I knew it was special and I have read it many times over. Holden is a young teenager that is very antisocial. His antisocial behavior stems from his view of everybody being "phony". A reoccurring thought that Holden has is wishing he were dead. Just as Huck wishes he were dead. I think the connection here is that these two characters are a lot more deep and sensitive then people give them credit for. They are both the kind of person that will not go out and seek help but rather they would keep their problems stuffed inside away from peoples ridicule. Its striking to me how both of these characters seem to be reaching out for the love and caring hand that they never knew while growing up. Yet there is no one there for them when they need it.
English 48B
January 24, 2008
Journal #10 Mark Twain
Quote:
"Then I sat down in a chair by the window and tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead"(Twain 110).
Summary:
Huck Finn had been taken in by the widow Miss Watson. Huck Finn finds the civilized life boring and not to his liking.
Response:
This quote dives deep into the internal struggle that plagues Huck Finn throughout the novel. He had a very troubled childhood which is what led to the lifestyle that he is accustomed to. His father was an alcoholic who constantly beat him and showed him no love. This is what Huck Finn really wants, is someone to care for him and love him for who he is. Huck Finn finds this in a Miss Watson's slave, Jim. All the time they spend drifting on the Mississippi river forces Huck and Jim to grow and develop a close and caring friendship. The above scene with Huck Finn staring out his window and wishing he were dead reminds me exactly of the narrator of my favorite book, "The Catcher in the Rye". From the first time I read this book I knew it was special and I have read it many times over. Holden is a young teenager that is very antisocial. His antisocial behavior stems from his view of everybody being "phony". A reoccurring thought that Holden has is wishing he were dead. Just as Huck wishes he were dead. I think the connection here is that these two characters are a lot more deep and sensitive then people give them credit for. They are both the kind of person that will not go out and seek help but rather they would keep their problems stuffed inside away from peoples ridicule. Its striking to me how both of these characters seem to be reaching out for the love and caring hand that they never knew while growing up. Yet there is no one there for them when they need it.
No More Woman!!
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 24, 2007
Journal #9 Mark Twain
Quote:
"Mighty soon we'll have the cave so cluttered up with woman, and fellows waiting to be ransomed, that there won't be no place for the robbers"(Twain 114).
Summary:
Tom Sawyer has discussed his intentions as his group of outlaw "men" is formed. Ben Rogers points out that holding all these people for ransom will take up space in their cave.
Response:
The funny Mark Twain strikes once again. Every time I read this quote it brings a smile to my face. I can imagine a group of preadolescence kids going over plots of robbing, killing and kidnapping. All in an attempt to live out their childhood fantasies of cops and robbers. The best part of this quote is that it reminds me of the little rascals. The little rascals had a secret hideout that they called,"The He-man woman haters club", where they would discuss various points in their agenda such as the local soap box derby race and assignments to certain positions within the group. I remember watching the movie and finding it how funny it was that these little kids were so disgusted by girls. If any of the other members such as Spanky or Buckwheat caught you even looking at a girl then a club meeting was immediately called into session. This kid like nostalgia is the theme that Twain is trying to create for his readers of "Huckleberry Finn".
Apart from the playful innocence of these kids there is also the scary realization of just how disturbing these kids imaginations were. Tom Sawyer talks about killing people and robbing them and marking there forehead with a cross so that the public knows who killed the person. Although I highly doubt they would do such a thing these thoughts are none the less a little disturbing. When I was a kid I can remember playing cops and robbers but It never even crossed my mind to even mention killing and robbing a person. After this said I do not think that the intention's of Twain was to showcase the violence that these kids could conjure up but rather show the playful innocence that is associated with these preadolescence kids.
English 48B
January 24, 2007
Journal #9 Mark Twain
Quote:
"Mighty soon we'll have the cave so cluttered up with woman, and fellows waiting to be ransomed, that there won't be no place for the robbers"(Twain 114).
Summary:
Tom Sawyer has discussed his intentions as his group of outlaw "men" is formed. Ben Rogers points out that holding all these people for ransom will take up space in their cave.
Response:
The funny Mark Twain strikes once again. Every time I read this quote it brings a smile to my face. I can imagine a group of preadolescence kids going over plots of robbing, killing and kidnapping. All in an attempt to live out their childhood fantasies of cops and robbers. The best part of this quote is that it reminds me of the little rascals. The little rascals had a secret hideout that they called,"The He-man woman haters club", where they would discuss various points in their agenda such as the local soap box derby race and assignments to certain positions within the group. I remember watching the movie and finding it how funny it was that these little kids were so disgusted by girls. If any of the other members such as Spanky or Buckwheat caught you even looking at a girl then a club meeting was immediately called into session. This kid like nostalgia is the theme that Twain is trying to create for his readers of "Huckleberry Finn".
Apart from the playful innocence of these kids there is also the scary realization of just how disturbing these kids imaginations were. Tom Sawyer talks about killing people and robbing them and marking there forehead with a cross so that the public knows who killed the person. Although I highly doubt they would do such a thing these thoughts are none the less a little disturbing. When I was a kid I can remember playing cops and robbers but It never even crossed my mind to even mention killing and robbing a person. After this said I do not think that the intention's of Twain was to showcase the violence that these kids could conjure up but rather show the playful innocence that is associated with these preadolescence kids.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Untamed Beauty
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 18, 2008
Journal #8 Mark Twain
Quote:
"...the steep mountains sides rose right up aloft into space- rose up like a vast wall a little out of the perpendicular, and thickly wooded with tall pines"(Twain 303).
Summary:
The above quote is from Twain's book,"Roughing it".In this chapter Twain is describing the camp area that he and another younger man lived at while staying in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. They arrive in Nevada, after failing at silver mining, attempting to start a timber farm.
Response:
The reason I chose this quote is because it describes the early North American wilderness and its beauty. It really spoke volumes to me because of the great way that Twain described this unsettled land. Hie goes on later to describe a lake scene , where the water is so clear that the fish and rocks can be seen down at 75 feet below. I have always been fascinated and loved the natural outdoors. After reading this chapter from, "Roughing it", I could smell the crisp fresh air intertwined with the scent of fresh pine trees. This is what modern day Americans , in the suburbs, know nothing about. Along with this English class I am taking an American history class. The first chapter of the textbook was about the gold rush and the Native Americans. I kept thinking about a painting that the textbook had in it. It was a river scene, that had deep and wide river beds that cut into a beautiful deep canyon. The most amazing part of the painting is the rich oranges and purples that made up the sunset. The painting also had tall bright green redwood and pine trees.
Mark Twain writes about a time in America that was wild and beautiful. I think a lot of people take for granted the area that we live in. They do not take the time to go out and appreciate just how beautiful our American woods is. Two years ago I went on a camping trip with about 10 Friends. My friend's family has a cabin right next to Murphys. The one thing I remember most clearly is just how quiet the area was and how clean the air was. I can not put in words how much I enjoyed being in that environment.
English 48B
January 18, 2008
Journal #8 Mark Twain
Quote:
"...the steep mountains sides rose right up aloft into space- rose up like a vast wall a little out of the perpendicular, and thickly wooded with tall pines"(Twain 303).
Summary:
The above quote is from Twain's book,"Roughing it".In this chapter Twain is describing the camp area that he and another younger man lived at while staying in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. They arrive in Nevada, after failing at silver mining, attempting to start a timber farm.
Response:
The reason I chose this quote is because it describes the early North American wilderness and its beauty. It really spoke volumes to me because of the great way that Twain described this unsettled land. Hie goes on later to describe a lake scene , where the water is so clear that the fish and rocks can be seen down at 75 feet below. I have always been fascinated and loved the natural outdoors. After reading this chapter from, "Roughing it", I could smell the crisp fresh air intertwined with the scent of fresh pine trees. This is what modern day Americans , in the suburbs, know nothing about. Along with this English class I am taking an American history class. The first chapter of the textbook was about the gold rush and the Native Americans. I kept thinking about a painting that the textbook had in it. It was a river scene, that had deep and wide river beds that cut into a beautiful deep canyon. The most amazing part of the painting is the rich oranges and purples that made up the sunset. The painting also had tall bright green redwood and pine trees.
Mark Twain writes about a time in America that was wild and beautiful. I think a lot of people take for granted the area that we live in. They do not take the time to go out and appreciate just how beautiful our American woods is. Two years ago I went on a camping trip with about 10 Friends. My friend's family has a cabin right next to Murphys. The one thing I remember most clearly is just how quiet the area was and how clean the air was. I can not put in words how much I enjoyed being in that environment.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 17, 2008
Journal #7 Mark Twain
Quote:
"It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said"(Twain 324).
Summary:
The town is having a religious rally to send off the troops with a high morale. Amidst the town people is a stranger who claims he is a messenger of God. The towns people cast him off as crazy and pay no mind to what he said.
Response:
I found that the last quote line in this work struck me as the most powerful and profound out of the whole short story. The most ironic thing about the towns people calling the man crazy is that he is summarizing what they are all praying about. In a nutshell the man is telling everybody that their prayers have been heard by God. The villagers pray that their soldiers kill all the enemy soldiers and that they come back home safe. Yet when the stranger says this he is outcast as crazy. This really says a lot about the attitudes and beliefs of these religious people. Who is to say which side is right. How can you expect a loving God to answer your prayers asking for the deaths of all the enemy soldiers. This really strikes me as odd that these religious people would wish death upon people they do not know. This reminds me of our current day situation with the war on "terrorism".The military is constantly saying how God is on their side yet so are the people we are fighting. Who is to say which one is right and which one is wrong. To me it seems like an easy way to gain the support of people by saying that God is on your side.
Religion is a very sensitive issue which is why Twain wrote this piece of work. He wrote it so that the reader would be aware of the criticisms that are made about religion. As easy as it is to use God to gain support it is just as easy to call someone crazy and make your cause seem like the right one.
English 48B
January 17, 2008
Journal #7 Mark Twain
Quote:
"It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said"(Twain 324).
Summary:
The town is having a religious rally to send off the troops with a high morale. Amidst the town people is a stranger who claims he is a messenger of God. The towns people cast him off as crazy and pay no mind to what he said.
Response:
I found that the last quote line in this work struck me as the most powerful and profound out of the whole short story. The most ironic thing about the towns people calling the man crazy is that he is summarizing what they are all praying about. In a nutshell the man is telling everybody that their prayers have been heard by God. The villagers pray that their soldiers kill all the enemy soldiers and that they come back home safe. Yet when the stranger says this he is outcast as crazy. This really says a lot about the attitudes and beliefs of these religious people. Who is to say which side is right. How can you expect a loving God to answer your prayers asking for the deaths of all the enemy soldiers. This really strikes me as odd that these religious people would wish death upon people they do not know. This reminds me of our current day situation with the war on "terrorism".The military is constantly saying how God is on their side yet so are the people we are fighting. Who is to say which one is right and which one is wrong. To me it seems like an easy way to gain the support of people by saying that God is on your side.
Religion is a very sensitive issue which is why Twain wrote this piece of work. He wrote it so that the reader would be aware of the criticisms that are made about religion. As easy as it is to use God to gain support it is just as easy to call someone crazy and make your cause seem like the right one.
This is not funny!
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 17. 2008
Journal #6 Mark Twain
Quote:
"...and he would go to work and bore me to death with some exasperating reminiscence of him as long and as tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it succeeded"(Twain 104).
Summary:
The narrator of the story is telling the reader that the following short story is boring and is not funny.
Response:
I forgot to mention this passage in my previous blog entry but It is an important one because it shows the sarcastic humor that Mark Twain uses in his works. Twain truly was a master of his art and the best at what he did. No other writer could captivate an audience like he did. He flat out says that he thinks the story is boring yet it proves to be otherwise. This is a very clever way of introducing the reader his type of humor. I think that in our present day there are few to no writes or comedians that could excel in this early American humor as did Twain. The only type of comedies that come close are the situational comedies like, "Everybody loves Raymond" and "Seinfeld". These two comedies do an excellent job of putting characters in awkward or compromising situations and having them deal with the situation. I didn't watch "Seinfeld", but the only episode I did was the one about the soup nazi. The soup nazi was a man who made the best type of food and when you ordered his soup you had to follow a very strict procedure. If you did not than he would yell, kick you out and ban you from ever buying soup from him again. I like to think the Twain would appreciate this type of humor and be proud to know that he was the father of this American humor.
Sarcasm is a very strong way to get your message across. Its also an easy an effective way to get a laugh from people. Mark Twain does a excellent job of using sarcasm in the above quote.
English 48B
January 17. 2008
Journal #6 Mark Twain
Quote:
"...and he would go to work and bore me to death with some exasperating reminiscence of him as long and as tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it succeeded"(Twain 104).
Summary:
The narrator of the story is telling the reader that the following short story is boring and is not funny.
Response:
I forgot to mention this passage in my previous blog entry but It is an important one because it shows the sarcastic humor that Mark Twain uses in his works. Twain truly was a master of his art and the best at what he did. No other writer could captivate an audience like he did. He flat out says that he thinks the story is boring yet it proves to be otherwise. This is a very clever way of introducing the reader his type of humor. I think that in our present day there are few to no writes or comedians that could excel in this early American humor as did Twain. The only type of comedies that come close are the situational comedies like, "Everybody loves Raymond" and "Seinfeld". These two comedies do an excellent job of putting characters in awkward or compromising situations and having them deal with the situation. I didn't watch "Seinfeld", but the only episode I did was the one about the soup nazi. The soup nazi was a man who made the best type of food and when you ordered his soup you had to follow a very strict procedure. If you did not than he would yell, kick you out and ban you from ever buying soup from him again. I like to think the Twain would appreciate this type of humor and be proud to know that he was the father of this American humor.
Sarcasm is a very strong way to get your message across. Its also an easy an effective way to get a laugh from people. Mark Twain does a excellent job of using sarcasm in the above quote.
The jumping frog and the conman
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 17, 2008
Journal #5 Twain
Quote:
"And he ketched Dan'l by the nap of the neck, and hefted him, and says, "Why blame my cats if he don't weigh five pound!"(Twain 107).
Summary:
Smiley has challenged a stranger in town that no frog in calaveras county can out jump his frog, Dan'l. While Smiley is off getting a frog to compete with Dan'l the stranger fills Dan'l with lead shot making him unable to jump and ultimately Smiley loses his money.
Response:
The humor that appears in this short story is very unique to the American humorist. All other short stories have a punchline that is built up throughout the story but in the case of Mark Twain the whole story is humorous. First there is Simon Wheeler who tells the story of the jumping frog, but also goes on all these wild tangents. This is part of what makes this short story funny is that the story goes nowhere. It is almost like a bunch of random thoughts put together. Here is the narrator trying to find a man only to be thrown on a wild goose chase. My favorite part is when Smiley gets cheated out of his money by the conman. Now he knows how it feels to be cheated out of many just like he has done. I can just imagine hoe mad Smiley was when he realized he had been cheated out of forty dollars based on his own eagerness to cheat the stranger. What I think is clever about the story is that the Stranger seems to be the True Smiley that the narrator is looking for. Only the ultimate conman could con Smiley and his frog.
I also want to comment on what Juliet said yesterday in class. The Simpson's analogy that she used was very good. When she brought up the episode that has Krusty dealing with a gambling problem it does a perfect job of showing me what Smiley is like. I love the line about Krusty asking Fat Tony who he has on the opera. The connection between Smiley and Krusty is just amazing.
English 48B
January 17, 2008
Journal #5 Twain
Quote:
"And he ketched Dan'l by the nap of the neck, and hefted him, and says, "Why blame my cats if he don't weigh five pound!"(Twain 107).
Summary:
Smiley has challenged a stranger in town that no frog in calaveras county can out jump his frog, Dan'l. While Smiley is off getting a frog to compete with Dan'l the stranger fills Dan'l with lead shot making him unable to jump and ultimately Smiley loses his money.
Response:
The humor that appears in this short story is very unique to the American humorist. All other short stories have a punchline that is built up throughout the story but in the case of Mark Twain the whole story is humorous. First there is Simon Wheeler who tells the story of the jumping frog, but also goes on all these wild tangents. This is part of what makes this short story funny is that the story goes nowhere. It is almost like a bunch of random thoughts put together. Here is the narrator trying to find a man only to be thrown on a wild goose chase. My favorite part is when Smiley gets cheated out of his money by the conman. Now he knows how it feels to be cheated out of many just like he has done. I can just imagine hoe mad Smiley was when he realized he had been cheated out of forty dollars based on his own eagerness to cheat the stranger. What I think is clever about the story is that the Stranger seems to be the True Smiley that the narrator is looking for. Only the ultimate conman could con Smiley and his frog.
I also want to comment on what Juliet said yesterday in class. The Simpson's analogy that she used was very good. When she brought up the episode that has Krusty dealing with a gambling problem it does a perfect job of showing me what Smiley is like. I love the line about Krusty asking Fat Tony who he has on the opera. The connection between Smiley and Krusty is just amazing.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Dickinson's personae
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 11, 2008
Journal #4 Dickinson
Quote:
"This is my letter to the World
That never wrote to Me-"(Dickinson 87).
Summary:
This is Dickinson's outcry to the world. She is lonely and only wants to be loves and known.
Response:
When I read this poem I read it as an outcry and a plea for help. Dickinson was a recluse that spent the majority of her life in her parents home. She is thought to have suffered from multiple mental illneses including depression. Dickinson was also a user of personae. She used other narrators within her poems to help give her innermost thoughts and feelings a louder more powerful voice. From her hermit like behavior her socail skills had to have been poor to none existent. Therefore she had to create a strong voice for herself that was capable of expressing the feelings that she was to shy to express. This poem is quite an extremely sad poem. She begins by the poem by writing a letter and receiving no response. How devastating can this be to a persons mental condition especailly considering that they are already secluded and depressed. In the first stanza she uses the first person but than suddenly she switches to the third person in the second stanza. Dickinson uses her but she also capitalizes her. This is the stronger voice that I was talking about earlier. SHe is reaching out to her readers and telling them that her poems are her innermost soul and feelings. She wants people to know who she is and not judge her in a negative way. She goes on to ask them to, "judge tenderly", of her. She is affraid of the harsh criticism that she may get and does not invite it. This plea to her readers seems to sum up just how lonely and depressed she may have been. As a reader of Dickinson's poetry we have to be amazed that we can see just how she was feeling and her view of herself from just eight lines of poetry.
English 48B
January 11, 2008
Journal #4 Dickinson
Quote:
"This is my letter to the World
That never wrote to Me-"(Dickinson 87).
Summary:
This is Dickinson's outcry to the world. She is lonely and only wants to be loves and known.
Response:
When I read this poem I read it as an outcry and a plea for help. Dickinson was a recluse that spent the majority of her life in her parents home. She is thought to have suffered from multiple mental illneses including depression. Dickinson was also a user of personae. She used other narrators within her poems to help give her innermost thoughts and feelings a louder more powerful voice. From her hermit like behavior her socail skills had to have been poor to none existent. Therefore she had to create a strong voice for herself that was capable of expressing the feelings that she was to shy to express. This poem is quite an extremely sad poem. She begins by the poem by writing a letter and receiving no response. How devastating can this be to a persons mental condition especailly considering that they are already secluded and depressed. In the first stanza she uses the first person but than suddenly she switches to the third person in the second stanza. Dickinson uses her but she also capitalizes her. This is the stronger voice that I was talking about earlier. SHe is reaching out to her readers and telling them that her poems are her innermost soul and feelings. She wants people to know who she is and not judge her in a negative way. She goes on to ask them to, "judge tenderly", of her. She is affraid of the harsh criticism that she may get and does not invite it. This plea to her readers seems to sum up just how lonely and depressed she may have been. As a reader of Dickinson's poetry we have to be amazed that we can see just how she was feeling and her view of herself from just eight lines of poetry.
Wlid Nights!
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 11, 2007
Journal #3 Dickinson
Quote:
"Rowing in Eden-
Ah- the Sea!
Might I moor-tonight-
In thee!"(Dickinson 82)
Summary:
Dickinson is describing the intimate night that she and another woman had.
Response:
Dickinson sure had a wild night judging by the poem that she writes. In class we went over several ways that the poem could be interpreted but one sticks out clearly in my mind. I just find to much proof to read the poem as any other way but about a wild night of passionate lesbian love. The way she starts off the poem for me is a big tip off, "Wild nights-Wild nights!", this suggests that they had deeply passionate sex for the whole night. Dickinson goes on to explain that these wild nights are a luxury. She is by no means a nymphomaniac but rather a person who is deeply in love with her partner. This says a lot about Dickinson as a person because she puts extra value and emphasis on love and love making by treating it as a luxury. As most of us know luxuries are often expensive, rare and precious. Therefore we must make the most out of the luxury so that we can get the most satisfaction from it. In Dickinson's case her luxury comes on the form of a woman. The last stanza acts as further proof that this poem is about a night of sex. The first line of the third stanza describes the love making as being from Eden. Eden is where Adam and Eve stayed after they were created but Eden can also be a place of pure happiness and bliss. What more blissful feeling than the bliss of passionate love. "Ah- the Sea!", is the rush and waves of orgasm's that Dickinson experiences. Furthermore Dickinson even says how she wants to be "in thee" surely a woman cannot be in a man, but what about a woman? After giving the other interpretations of this poem some thought I just can not help but to feel that this poem is not about the act of love-making. What strikes me as most incredible is just how classy and unimposing Dickinson puts her experience into words. There is nothing filthy or raunchy in this poem rather it is beautiful and full of life.
English 48B
January 11, 2007
Journal #3 Dickinson
Quote:
"Rowing in Eden-
Ah- the Sea!
Might I moor-tonight-
In thee!"(Dickinson 82)
Summary:
Dickinson is describing the intimate night that she and another woman had.
Response:
Dickinson sure had a wild night judging by the poem that she writes. In class we went over several ways that the poem could be interpreted but one sticks out clearly in my mind. I just find to much proof to read the poem as any other way but about a wild night of passionate lesbian love. The way she starts off the poem for me is a big tip off, "Wild nights-Wild nights!", this suggests that they had deeply passionate sex for the whole night. Dickinson goes on to explain that these wild nights are a luxury. She is by no means a nymphomaniac but rather a person who is deeply in love with her partner. This says a lot about Dickinson as a person because she puts extra value and emphasis on love and love making by treating it as a luxury. As most of us know luxuries are often expensive, rare and precious. Therefore we must make the most out of the luxury so that we can get the most satisfaction from it. In Dickinson's case her luxury comes on the form of a woman. The last stanza acts as further proof that this poem is about a night of sex. The first line of the third stanza describes the love making as being from Eden. Eden is where Adam and Eve stayed after they were created but Eden can also be a place of pure happiness and bliss. What more blissful feeling than the bliss of passionate love. "Ah- the Sea!", is the rush and waves of orgasm's that Dickinson experiences. Furthermore Dickinson even says how she wants to be "in thee" surely a woman cannot be in a man, but what about a woman? After giving the other interpretations of this poem some thought I just can not help but to feel that this poem is not about the act of love-making. What strikes me as most incredible is just how classy and unimposing Dickinson puts her experience into words. There is nothing filthy or raunchy in this poem rather it is beautiful and full of life.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Whitman and Men
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 9, 2008
Journal #2 Whitman
Quote:
"As the hugging and loving bed-fellow sleeps at my side through the night,
and withdraws at the peep of the day with stealthy tread,
Leaving me baskets cover'd with white towels swelling the house with their plenty"(Whitman 32).
Summary:
Whitman is describing an encounter that he has with a male.
Response:
You would almost have to say definitively that Whitman was homosexual judging by the above quote. He is describing the night that he spent with a man. They both enjoyed each other and were amorous towards one another. The strange part is how the male companion sneaks away in the morning. Almost as if he were afraid that another person would catch him and Whitman in bed together. You have to give Whitman a lot of credit for having the courage to write about his homosexual relationships in a time when they were much less accepted than in the present. The thing that grabs my attention the most is how the man that sleeps with Whitman sneaks out at daybreak. This almost suggests that Whitman may have had a girlfriend of wife. Yet this is exactly the confusing part there is so much critical evidence for Whitman being homosexual that him having a relationship with a female is very unlikely. I think the man sneaks away because in the 1800's it is taboo for the same sex to be seen together as romantic partners. I do want to point out that this is not a one night stand but rather a intimate and ongoing relationship. The other man leaves baskets covered with white towels, it seems that the man may be doing some cleaning in Whitman's home. This would suggest that they have an ongoing relationship. Again this must have been very tough to do in the 1800's where this type of relationship was looked down upon so negatively
English 48B
January 9, 2008
Journal #2 Whitman
Quote:
"As the hugging and loving bed-fellow sleeps at my side through the night,
and withdraws at the peep of the day with stealthy tread,
Leaving me baskets cover'd with white towels swelling the house with their plenty"(Whitman 32).
Summary:
Whitman is describing an encounter that he has with a male.
Response:
You would almost have to say definitively that Whitman was homosexual judging by the above quote. He is describing the night that he spent with a man. They both enjoyed each other and were amorous towards one another. The strange part is how the male companion sneaks away in the morning. Almost as if he were afraid that another person would catch him and Whitman in bed together. You have to give Whitman a lot of credit for having the courage to write about his homosexual relationships in a time when they were much less accepted than in the present. The thing that grabs my attention the most is how the man that sleeps with Whitman sneaks out at daybreak. This almost suggests that Whitman may have had a girlfriend of wife. Yet this is exactly the confusing part there is so much critical evidence for Whitman being homosexual that him having a relationship with a female is very unlikely. I think the man sneaks away because in the 1800's it is taboo for the same sex to be seen together as romantic partners. I do want to point out that this is not a one night stand but rather a intimate and ongoing relationship. The other man leaves baskets covered with white towels, it seems that the man may be doing some cleaning in Whitman's home. This would suggest that they have an ongoing relationship. Again this must have been very tough to do in the 1800's where this type of relationship was looked down upon so negatively
Whitman uncensored
Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 9, 2008
Journal #1 Walt Whitman
Quote:
"It is in my mouth forever, I am in love with it,
I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,
I am mad for it to be in contact with me"(Whitman 31).
Summary:
Whitman is describing the sexual urges that radiate from his body. Whitman wants to be with everybody, he wants nothing to hold him back when he chooses his next sexual partner.
Response:
Whitman really is better uncensored. I can not imagine how different Whitman's poetry would sound if it were edited for content. His poetry is full of sexual and sensual overtones and feelings. When I first read the selections that we were asked to read I was not able to pick up on just how erotic the poetry is but after learning some background information about Whitman I have developed a somewhat discerning eye. After reading his poetry a second and third time I am able to see just why Whitman's poetry caused such an uproar with the 1800's public. When student's like myself read the poetry of Whitman It doesn't cause as much of a shock factor as it did during Whitman's lifetime. With this said you do have to have a high level of maturity and respect for the works of poets like Whitman. I'm sure that in an entry level high school English class you could not teach Whitman as the erotically explicit poet that he is. College is great because as mature adults we are able to discuss and read deep into what Whitman was saying and feeling as a poet. The sexual energy that jumps off the pages is just enormous. When I read his poetry I forget that it was written in the mid 1800's. The words and the hidden meanings behind the stanzas makes me think that this poetry is written by a contemporary author. These are my initial thoughts about Whitman, in my next journal I will be taking a closer look at a particular section from, "Song of myself", so that I can give my own personal interpretation on the poem.
English 48B
January 9, 2008
Journal #1 Walt Whitman
Quote:
"It is in my mouth forever, I am in love with it,
I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,
I am mad for it to be in contact with me"(Whitman 31).
Summary:
Whitman is describing the sexual urges that radiate from his body. Whitman wants to be with everybody, he wants nothing to hold him back when he chooses his next sexual partner.
Response:
Whitman really is better uncensored. I can not imagine how different Whitman's poetry would sound if it were edited for content. His poetry is full of sexual and sensual overtones and feelings. When I first read the selections that we were asked to read I was not able to pick up on just how erotic the poetry is but after learning some background information about Whitman I have developed a somewhat discerning eye. After reading his poetry a second and third time I am able to see just why Whitman's poetry caused such an uproar with the 1800's public. When student's like myself read the poetry of Whitman It doesn't cause as much of a shock factor as it did during Whitman's lifetime. With this said you do have to have a high level of maturity and respect for the works of poets like Whitman. I'm sure that in an entry level high school English class you could not teach Whitman as the erotically explicit poet that he is. College is great because as mature adults we are able to discuss and read deep into what Whitman was saying and feeling as a poet. The sexual energy that jumps off the pages is just enormous. When I read his poetry I forget that it was written in the mid 1800's. The words and the hidden meanings behind the stanzas makes me think that this poetry is written by a contemporary author. These are my initial thoughts about Whitman, in my next journal I will be taking a closer look at a particular section from, "Song of myself", so that I can give my own personal interpretation on the poem.