Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Their eyes were watching god quotes

My quilt and the quotes represents Janie's constant struggle to find true love and the love for herself as a woman growing up in society.

hair

“Her hair was NOT going to show in the store. It didn’t seem sensible at all. That was because Joe never told Janie how jealous he was. He never told her ….She was in the store for him to look at, not those others” (Hurston, 1998, p.55).

Head rags

“Before she slept that night she burnt up everyone of her head rags and went about the house next morning with her hair in one thick braid swinging well below her waist”(Hurston, 1998, p. 89).

The horizon

“ Here Nanny had taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon-for no matter how far a person can go the horizon is still way beyond you-and pinched it in to such a little bit way beyond you-and about her grandaughter’s neck tight enough to choke her. She hated the old woman who had twisted her so in the name of love” (Hurston, 1998, p.89).

Pear tree

“The vision of Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree, but Janie didn’t know how to tell Nanny that” (Hurston, 1998, p.14).

The Hurricane

"They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God"

Friday, February 13, 2009

How It Feels To Be Colored Me

1. Many often in the South, Blacks believed or have had relatives that claimed or were Native Americans just like some Blacks are considered mulattoes due to having a White relative. Sometimes believe that the mixture of their race wouldn't completely make them "colored" or Black.

2. She uses color to describe moods and feelings instead of using to describe race. She suggests color should use to describe how you feel about different things instead being use to discriminate against someone.

3. She might considered Booker T. Washington into the "the sobbing school of Negrohood". He would strongly disagree because he would feel that his ideas only had the opposite effect of what the "sobbing school of Negrohood" would have stood for.

4. Hurston's thoughts or ideas of not conforming or completely giving herself to a certain race does seem understandable due to her child. When race in a particular area is not issue, it does makes a person not look at someone differently because of skin color, it allows you to focus on their inner human which it why I agree on her view of race.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Bernice Bobs her hair

“Bernice Bobs Her Hair” was a great story that represented much more than itself, mainly the time period of the story. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the role of men and women begins to change as well as the image of the women also changes she tries to remodel her self differently from the women of the past. The characters in the story helps create a picture of what F. Scott Fitzgerald believed about gender roles and societal values. He uses main characters like Bernice, Warren, and Marjorie to explore the mindset of society and how much of impact it makes within on man and women. The author’s tone shows a constant struggle between the new women and old women in dominate the image for the women, societal standard of women’s beauty and money, and where the man would rather place their women in the new or old image.

A valid point that the author tries to establish in the story is society places considers the beauty of women through their hair and their amount of or definition of femininity. In the story, Marjorie tricks Bernice into getting her hair cut into a “bob” which ruins Bernice’s chance with being with a man named Warren. It even affected Bernice’s self-esteem because she did not believe she was beautiful since her hair was more important than anything else. After her hair was cut, Warren’s attitude surprised her when he looked at her coldly and left with Marjorie. With this, Fitzgerald shows that the cutting or the bobbing of your hair is both shameful and mannish on the women’s behave. He mentions this when her aunt says, “in her paper on `The Foibles of the Younger Generation' that she read at the last meeting of the Thursday Club she devoted fifteen minutes to bobbed hair. It's her pet abomination”. This ideal shows society is confused on whether or not they are ready to accept the new woman who loosely does that she feels.
In the middle of the story, Fitzgerald points out in his story is the battle between the old women who is apart of the Cults of True Womanhood and the new women who breaks free of old ways. He also demonstrates the wants and effect of having the new women around the males. In the story, Marjorie represented the new woman while Bernice represented the old woman just like Marjorie’s mother. Bernice is a very intellectual and conservative while Marjorie is more of a party girl and eye candy for the guys. This idea represented society’s divide in the image of the women but how each tried to dominate in image. For example Marjorie tells her mother about her situation at a ball and in easily annoyed. Fitzgerald wrote, “Mrs. Harvey's voice implied that modern situations were too much for her. When she was a girl all young ladies who belonged to nice families had glorious times.” This demonstrates that as the women made a big transitional phase in history women still wanted to hold on and maybe even some males especially if they believe a woman talking about “feminine bathing an immoral subject”. Other conflicts between the two images of the women is the definition of femininity for men as well because they will either choose women like Bernice but would prefer Marjorie.
In this social circle that the characters associate with you come to realize the type of values they have which is not of the people that where here before them. Fitzgerald does not touch on the issue of religion, however if he did mention religion, money would be on their God. One reason this can be proving true is because at that time period major companies like the Railroads and Oil began to shape the American Dream for those who have not achieved the riches like others. This idea made those were already rich very shallow and showed the mind set of some of the women of that time. One character said, “as soon as Jim managed to hold a job for more than two months she would marry him”. This partially added the image of the new woman because she was more aggressive for what she wanted from a man.
We will never know who will become dominate as the permanent face for the woman however, what we do know is that it might always struggle to define the woman and her role with the male and societal obsession of money, whether it’s during our time or Fitzgerald’s.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

MLK Worksheet

II. Rhetorical Structure: Figure of Speech

1. Alliteration-the commencement of two or more stressed syllables of a word group either with the same consonant sound or sound group

Metaphor-a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance

Simile-a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared

2. When King says "Five score years ago", he allusioned or to make reference to Abraham Lincoln who started off his speech in the same manner. I think he tried to resignate Lincoln's spirit in his speech and have the same attitude that he (Lincoln) had as he gave the Gettysburg Address. It also seems as though his speech might have something in common with Lincoln's speech.

3. An example of an allusion to the Declaration of Independence- "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"

An example of allusion to the Bible- "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together"

4. example of alliteration- "Now is the time"

5. example of metaphor- "beacon light of hope"

6. example of simile- "justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream"

7. The statement that King makes in the second paragraph is a metaphor which makes reference to slavery and segregation. Slavery is a effective method of moving his audience because many can relate to the struggle since it last in the many people lives for centuries. It brings up buried emotions and help build a closer relationship with MLK. Everyone knows that deep down in their hearts slavery has been transformed and has took on a different look. They might not of been in physical slavery however they were in mental and social slavery.

8. Two examples of anaphora- "Now is the time" and "we must"

9. One effect of the repetition of "I have a dream" is that it shows MLK is demanding the world's attention and respect. He wants them to remember that he is too a person and that his dream should be able to fulfilled like anyone else who comes and lives in America. Another effect that it had on the speech was that it seem to paint a bigger picture in which you can imagine other Blacks shouting the same thing and proclaim their freedom.

10.


III.Understanding the Dream

1. In the "I Have a Dream" speech, MLK asks for the people as well as the government to reform their image that the publicly display. He also asks that the people as well as the government to follow the Declaration of Independence instead of acting like it treating Black people unfairly. He uses biblical verses as well as quotes from the Declaration in trying to appeal to them as Christians or Believers and those who are patriotic. He believes that day, the whites in America who oppressed them will wake and see the injustice they have cause and that both races, Black and White will reform America's image.

2. In the speech, MLK probably was thinking about how the law does not serve both Black and Whites equally and that Blacks were beaten and thrown in jail for their nonviolence protest.

3.The American Dream is from MLK's viewpoint is the dream of living as a person, by being treated fairly, equal opportunity for all and the end of racial hatred for other races.

4. I think at the end of the speech the purpose for naming different ideas is to see what he believes America can achieve if only they can but the past behind them and start putting his words into action.

5. If I was from that time period, I believe that I would have been moved to carrying out the work that needs to be done, however, i do feel that I wouldn't be supported by many because of it. I have always been the person to stand up for what I believe even if it does mean I staring into the faces who hates me. IF you let people run over you then they will continue to do so which have been proven by the conditions of the Blacks who lived in fear and were manipulated by the Whites in the town.

IV. Relating to the Dream

1. Racism to me is the hatred and belief that other races are inferior to another person's race.

2. Right-winged organizations like the Klan chose to act violently towards the civil rights organizations as way to put fear in them and more importantly, others who watch them as they campaigned against the haters.
It was good that they( the civil rights organization) because it showed that no matter what their opponents did they will still come out strong and that the other side only hit them out of fear. However the Black Panther Party did prove that the violent ways did keep whites from trying to abuse them and what they stood for.

3. I do not believe that skinheads are dangerous because of the things are ran during time period. Even though laws still remain unjust in some cases, they, the skinheads, seemed to live out of fear for what can happened to them because of their actions. However, I still am aware of my surroundings since the skinheads take on a different look and form in todays society and still hold some kind of control.

4. I believe MLK's dream has came a long way but has had negative effect towards it. It seems as though society has learned to maneuver around their promises since integration.

MLK's dream has came alive in more ways that could be imagine. There is no public display of segrgation and there is "equal opportunities" for anyone regardless of race. There has been more Blacks in leadership roles and even made the little became a huge success that has change the life of others. Everyone is expected to receive some type of respect instead of being look down by the others who past them.

However the dream that we believe was here can quickly vanished when we see what society still does to different races that live in America. There is still in some cases police brutality, killings of people who ride through certain neighborhoods etc. Sometimes opportunities can be missed out because of the color of your skin. We ask ourselves what can we possibly do to change this but it seems like it won't be a change until everyone changes. Until we alleviate the disease that has plagued our hearts when can never fully change society.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Langston Hughes- Salvation Assignment

Meaning

1. The main point in the story that Langston Hughes tries to demonstrate in the narrative seems to be the value of truth and how sometimes the truth is put a side to seek the approval or acceptance of others. I also believe that he makes a point that the places that we believe hold the most truth can sometimes appear more deceptive. The reason why this can be proving true is because of the way he acted towards the idea of trying to be "saved" through Jesus and how so much pressure is placed upon him in believing in a person that he internally has doubts about.

2. Hughes was having doubts about being "saved" because he felt that Jesus had come to him and his aunt's advice about knowing if you have reached Jesus. Due to the pressure put on him, Hughes decides to lie to the congregation and accept Jesus into his life to remove his sins. Surprisingly, this act upsets him and brings him to tears when he goes home becomes he had to lie to his aunt in order for her to be proud of him and accept him. IT almost seems as though he has this strong relationship or bond with his aunt which causes him to react in such and emotional way.

3. When I see the title, it seems as though it is just a cliche or maybe if a over exaggerated term used deceptively. Usually the title of a chapter in a book is not in quotations unless they have a negative out look on the term or phrase. The first two sentences are a link to this attitude the has about "salvation". It shows disbelief in salvation and probably the way things are explained or practiced in the church.

Purpose and Audience

1. I think that Hughes wrote Salvation in his biography two decades after it happened because he felt that it might be a much more appropriate time to express how he felt about church due to the time period. It also could have been a way of expressing bottled up feelings about church and Jesus since he had negative feelings about it. However,he did not criticize the adults that participated in his salvation because they had little to do with his faith they just had something to do in pressing the idea of Jesus and salvation in his mind. I think with this he was showing the gap between his generation and the generation of his aunt. I noticed that when it was mentioned that all the "sinners" sat in the mourners section did not buy into the being saved because probably Church is not pressured in their culture compared to his aunt. His aunt and the other adults could have been slaves or they could have been children of slaves which means that God and church was always in the fore front of their minds.

2. Hughes might assume that the reader is a christian and maybe even baptists or Methodists. He talks about how the adults used music to help the children feel the presence of Christ. In the Baptist and Methodist Church are usually filled with music and was practiced by a lot of Blacks in the late 19th and early 20th century.

3. The dialogue creates and builds up anxiety and pressure around Hughes to make him accept Jesus. When the congregations starts to enclose around the sinners and starts singing and crying and shouting it makes the sinners feel as though they should do what is asked of them because adults are more experience than they are.


Method and Structure

1.I believe Hughes wrote this essay as a narrative so that it can be more appealing to his readers. It gives more raw emotions than of a story that is told from another person's view. If this story in third person or first person narrative, it would make a good argumentative essay because my people suffer with the same issues with truth regarding the church. I think the essay would be called "Church and its Pillars of Falsehood".

2.



3.


4. This revival meeting process is important for the readers who might not understand how Black churches are run. IT explains the beliefs as well as the process to show you why the writer might be disturbed when asked to become saved.


Language

1. In this narrative, Hughes seemed to be ashamed about his past experience dealing with his salvation. He said that except one other time in his life this particular experience made him cry but it was not because he was saved. He felt ashamed that he couldn't stand up to his family and tell them how he felt about salvation and the church.

2. Hughes write this particular narrative in a diary- like form where everything is writing in free form. It makes you believe that he wrote it during that experience.

3. In order to see Jesus they belief that you had to reach a certain amount vulnerablity to accept him in your life to actually see why they would need him. In the story this holds great importance because you understand why Hughes felt ashamed at the end of the story.

Monday, January 12, 2009

My letter for the Project

To my future great grandchildren,

I have written this letter to tell you what life was like in the 1800s and how it relates to your society to. Even though we are not from the same time and era, our society connects through more ways than we would have both imagine. We might not have had the technology that you might have at this moment but our inventions of this time laid the foundation for yours. A few of the inventions that I believed will hopefully helped you generation is the technological breakthrough of motion picture, the telephone, and the phonograph. I hope this will also help your generation in becoming more innovative and creative.
The motion picture has been looked down upon because some people did not understand its benefits. Some look at it as a joke but it can help write our history. Thomas Edison has been recording plenty of movie clips, one of which he showed the new elevated trains. His idea was revolutionary especially since it encouraged people from other countries to experiment in motion picture. It helped create different shooting techniques and rules for shooting the movies. I know by the time you read this motion pictures would be much more development, probably you would see a movie in sound but this is our way of showing you our past. I hoped you and the others value the invention but not treasure.
The telephone, which was recently invented, is a great invention but it seems to have more pros and cons than any other inventions. It helps you communicated more effectively with other people around in your city. It also helps people find out certain information. The only probably I have is that one day in a technology reaches a new height, the telephone might be a materialistic object. Sometimes it seems as though is worshipped instead valued because of how it eliminates troubles out of people’s lives.
Lastly, the phonograph is my favorite of all the inventions of my time. It has saved me time from going to the concert halls and has allowed me to play my favorite songs. It helps me relax, to be creative and become pastime for me in collecting music. However, this did pull some people a way from the concert halls but did become much more lively with all the parties and social gatherings that had the phonograph.
My advice to you is to make and invention that would stand nobody how much of an underdog it could be to other product. Make things that will help your children and your children’s children. Reinvent your society and create new wonders for the cultural world give them the life I never had.