Week 13 The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich

This story was very easy to understand simply because it was a story that could have actually happened. The red convertible represents a bond of brothers. They purchased this car and together it gave them so many memories. They were able to take a trip together before Henry had to set out to Vietnam. Upon return, Henry was not the same person, he no longer had the same connection with his brother like his brother still desired to have with him. I am sure this was very common in men returning from war. Sticking to themselves and figuring out what life was worth to them. Even though Henry at times was very rude to his brother, he stuck right beside him and offered to set out in another trip in their car. The second time around was not the same. It ended in tragedy by Henry setting out into the river and never returning. The waters were high, but I believe that this was his choice not to pop up from the waters. Now Lyman was left wondering what happened to his brother and why he could not save him in time. Now he will probably live with that guilt, similar to the guilt Henry probably had from Vietnam.

Week 12 Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston

This story was powerful in showing the hard life that Delia lived everyday with her deadbeat husband. The dialect really helped me get a better sense of the life she was living everyday. She was a woman who worked so hard everyday, to survive and support her husband who had no respect for her. He abused he with words and her fears of snakes, just so he could receive a laugh from it. She would bring her work home with her to get ahead and he would walk his dirty feet all over the clothes she had to wash. She was a very religious woman and that is one reason I feel she did not leave her husband. The other men in the town gave her respect, but when it came to her own husband he could care less. The snake appeared in the story again and scared Delia. She was able to escape but realized that the snake he husband put there to scare her scared him. He died from the snake and she was now able to begin her life for herself and explore her community around her that she did not know before. Her husband tried to scare his wife and it came back to end his life. This story showed the readers that you will be rewarded for the hard work you have done. I don't think that she wanted her husband dead, but now she was able to not live in fear and take the abuse her husband always gave her.

Week 11 A Clean,Well-lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway takes a very simple approach to this story. His characters have no names, and are classified by whether they are young or old and two of them as their jobs as waiters. The younger waiter is frustrated with the old man because he won't leave the cafe. He makes the comment that he should of killed himself last week, like he was planning to do. This man has no sympthathy and is just concerned about himself and not the fact that this old man might be sticking around the cafe so he won't feel alone. The other waiter begins to explore the old man a bit more it why he was wanting to die. He feels like he doesn't have much going on in life similar to the old man. He is not confident and he is young and alone. He begins figuring out wrhat is important in life and all he is realizing is nothing. I found it very interesting how he took the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary and added nada to all the important words. Maybe he is searching for religion to come into his life and right now those words do make sense. The western world does not make sense at times and this man was just trying to go back to nothing and figure things out from nothing. Reading the short bio about Hemingway it seemed interesting that this story dealt with suicide and drinking something that is remembered by Hemingway's life.

Week 10 Robert Frost Mending Wall

As I read this poem I was able to follow along with the story of two neighbors, but at the same time the poem let us know how the speaker truly felt about the situation. He does not understand why there has to be a divider between entering the life of his neighbor. He brings up the point that neither neighbor had livestock and therefore there is no real need for a separation. Even though he feels this way he still helps put up the wall every year. I feel like he desires the relationship and will do anything to expand a relationship with his neighbor, even if it is fixing the separation. The neighbor repeatedly say "good neighbors make good fences" and I would have to disagree. With that fence you are automatically saying that you do not want to expand beyond the fence for a relationship. Fences do serve a purpose when there is livestock, but other than that they should be down. I really enjoyed how Frost really showed the speakers emotion throughout this poem.

Week 9 The Open Boat by Stephen Crane

This story caught my attention right away with the descriptions of the waves and the rough seas that were all around them. I did feel that at times the story did get a bit repetitive, the descriptions made me want to keep reading. As you were reading you were hoping that they would be able to get to shore safely. It seemed everytime they got close something would change their plan. I thought it was funny that cook at the wrong moment asked "what kind of pie do you like best"? They were about to die, but he is still focused on his job of feeding the men. This story helped me relate to times in my life when I thought I had it all figured out, and then something comes along to change the course. I may not understand why it happened at the time but it usually makes sense down the road. I enjoy the nature throughout this piece of work. I feel like I can relate to certain writings when I can vision what the author is getting at through nature.

Week 9 Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin

This short story hit an issue that was ongoing long after this story was written. Racism still exists everywhere in our society today as well. In reading the story I found it interesting that Armond Aubingy did not care that Desiree's heritage was unknown. Armond was so caught up in love at the time to even care. I like the quote in describing how he felt when he saw her " The passion that awoke in him that day, when he saw her at the gate, swept along like an avalanche, or like a prarie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles". That quote just shows his passion towards her. The love continued to be strong until three months had gone by once they had there first child. He began to realize that his child was not white and through that he could not love his wife or love his child any longer. I don't understand why this all of a sudden clicked with him that his wife my have a different heritage than his own. He had gone from being the "proudest father in the parish" to not even wanting to be part of his families life. Chopin does a great job at providing her readers with the details of the setting. The way she describes the characters really helped my truly imagine what Desiree and the others around her were like. Once Desiree leaves her husband it is interesting how we find out about Armand and his family tree. I guess Armond is wanting to forget everything about his past with his wife and so he burns everything. Through that we learn that his family has been cursed by slavery as well and that he is could be exactly the same as Desiree. In doing this he is turning away his own heritage.

Week 8 Poems by Gerald Manley Hopkins

Pied Beauty

This poem is praising God and the beauty he has spead throughout the world. He uses a lot of description and color when talking about the "dappled things". My favorite description is line 4 "Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls". The description below says that they are freshly fallen red chasnuts, as bright as coals burning in a fire. This was interesting to read about because we think of chestnuts as brown and not as this new shade of color that pops open when the chestnut breaks. It is just nice to have a different look at how God has designed every last detail of things. As I read the rest of the poem I enjoyed how he mentioned things beautiful that we may not stop and think to be beautiful. The last line concludes with "Praise Him" for all the wonders he has created for us.



As Kingfishers Catch Fire



I had a hard time understanding the whole meaning of this poem. I was able to understand parts but as a whole it did not make sense to me. The first four lines are talking about visions of the kingfishers and the dragonfly. He also mentions noises through "stones ring" "string tells" "hung bells". I did not understand the line refering to "each mortal thing does one thing and the same: Deals out that being indoors each one dwells". I did pick up on "selves" as a verb which was mentioned in the introduction as anthimeria. The end of the poem refers back to God and how we should always be around him. God is everywhere and we should live that way everyday.



Carrion Comfort



This poem brings about depression the writer has and the period of doubt he is going through with God. He talks about how he is tempted and it is hard to avoid. He mentions that he had been "toil and coil" which I think represents some form of beating. This period goes on for a year and he has to struggle with God and hope that he will be able to come out of this depressing state. I had a hard time following the poem, it seemed to jump around a lot and it was confusing. The overall message of being upset with his relationship with God was evident though.



Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord, if I Contend



He is questioning God in this poem. He askes "Wert though my enemy, O thou my friend". The author has been through a lot of struggles and is wanting to have the love of God again. I think he is trying to get across that he can't do this himself and needs God's help to get out of this rough period of his life. "Mine, O though lord of life, send my roots rain". He wants to be fed again and be friends with God but is asking for help in the process.



to young child



This poem is geared toward a young girl but the message of the poem is still strong and real. He talks about the approaching fall and what that means to us. Leaves are falling and dying during this time of the year. We tend to associate the death of leaves with our own death someday and our understanding of that. "No matter, child the name: Sorrow's springs are the same". To me I think that he is saying that at some point in our life we will be faced with this and we need to gather a sense of what this means to us. We must always mourn the dead because we never know then it will be our turn to fall off the tree.