Hi Everyone--on this blog I have already posted guidelines for Essay #2. What you need to do here is tell your classmates and your professor what writer or writers you have chosen and answer the following questions:
1. why did you choose this writer or writers?
2. what do the texts or writers have in common?
3. how do the texts differ in the treatment of theme?
4. what kind of research would be helpful?
We will brainstorm in class to help you refine your thesis based on the blogs you write.
I have chosen to write about Maya Angelou's poems. Both poems reflect resilience and pride that in my opinion can go beyond the color line and represent a common theme for women in general. I intend on reading more of her poems and will refer to her books and website http://mayaangelou.com/ for more information.
ReplyDeleteHi Cecil--Good start--love resilience and pride--as we discussed in class, next step is to describe the differences in point of view, theme, in the two poems and yes there is lots of info on her website--also look at youtube interviews.
DeleteI've decided to write about Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" and Zora Neal Hurston's "How it Feels to be Colored Me". Both respond to the obstinate desire to exclude (excluding women in relation to men; excluding "colored" people in relation to white people); and both texts are founded on ontology (in which I have recently become very interested). Neither story can resist a philosophical reading, which is precisely what I intend to apply - asking what the characters were, finding out what they become, and the naming process involved where one term is either diminished or changed. Both texts share the theme of ontological freedom, the difference, however, is that Hurston's story takes a term ("colored") which begins within a pejorative context, and switches it ("colored
ReplyDeleteno longer means dark-skinned, but consisting of literal colors, and figurative "colors of expression"), whereas Chopin's story takes a term ("Mrs.", or "wife") and shows its contradictory determinations - it does not add an identity, but takes one away; both texts are more fundamentally founded on active non-self-presence, or Derridean differance. History will be involved - the treatment of women in 19th-century America, and racism in 19th-century America.
Hi Joey--I'm especially intrigued by the idea of "active non-self presence"--which (like tabatha's soul placement) needs expanded definition, description...as you get interested in ontology you will have to start on Lacan whose ideas about subjectivity (especially the lack of coherence therein defined in his essay on the mirror stage) are essential to the way your thinking is evolving!! (We already talked about the color switches in Hurston in class--that's great!)
DeleteI have chose to write to write about the author. Gloria Anzadula and Julia Alverez. Both women write about the struggle to find identity, coming from different countries and speaking different languages makes if difficult to adapt to new surroundings. Learning to speak a different language can be hard to learn because you are not familiar with the concept. Both women write about past experiences. I'M interested in these two works because i can relate to the women and how they feel, it's hard trying to fit in with what society thinks is right. I often find myself struggling with issues in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteHi Junisa--feeling connected to these two writers is a good place to start. I think you need to define the way they are both struggling with language but in different ways--Alvarez tells us that Spanish expresses her feelings better, is softer, warmer etc; Alvarez wants to create a new consciousness, one that accepts synthesis of cultures--they are wonderful to compare--you need to read Anzaldua closely--we will work on this more in class!
Deleteso far i have chosen to write about Maya Angelou's poems i really can imagine a picture in my head as i read or hear her poem. i have a bit confusion on who i should compare her to and how to go about writing the essay
ReplyDeleteHi Romerson--you can just work on Angelou using both poems (or others that are easy to find)--I've given you the comparison structure in my three questions on this blog--take the two poems--say how they are similar and how they are different!!!
Delete1. Why did you choose this writer or writers?
ReplyDeleteI chose to write about Maya Angelou because these two poems are poems that I have read and admired for years now. I love the way Maya is such a confident woman and her poetry gives me such positive vibes.
2. What do the texts or writers have in common?
Both texts have to do with standing tall and loving who you are no matter what the circumstances may be or where you come from.
3. How do the texts differ in the treatment of theme?
The texts can differ because one is a lot more feminine than the other is, "Phenomenal Woman" has more to do with the inner beauty and grace of a woman, while "Still I Rise" has more to do with overcoming obstacles and standing tall.
4. What kind of research would be helpful?
I think researching more about Maya Angelou, who she was, is and where she comes from can help me get a better understanding of what influences her writing.
Hi Franchesca--I like your distinction between inner beauty, grace and overcoming obstacles--in a way you could say they are both about standing tall--one in relation to womanhood, the other in relation to race?
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ReplyDeleteI have chosen to write about Alice Walker and Edwidge Danticat. I chose to write about these two writers because their way of writing strongly brings together the love and unification of mother and daughter . They both illustrate affection and history and I think the two stories go together the best. They differ that in Everyday Use history is being passed and in Nineteen Thirty-Seven love beyond death. I think the best research for these two stories would be interviews from the authors on the two stories. They both use high amounts of symbolism and I think understanding the symbols would be the best for this research.
Hi Oceanlab--you've identified a strong connection (mother-daughter) in these two stories and yes you might be able to use symbolism to deepen the way the connections are developed (quilt? madonna?)--history being passed along and love beyond death--all good--in a way history is being passed along in both--the massacre history in 1937; family history in everyday use...
DeleteI chose to write about Maya Angelou and her poems, "Still I Rise" and "Phenomenal Woman." I love the sense of pride Maya Angelou displays in her writing, and the poems share that theme. The perspectives in the poems are different. One seems racial, the other is personal. Reading/watching Maya's interviews would be beneficial for the essay.
ReplyDeleteHi Brianna--good start--you will need to define, using text, the difference between racial and personal and yes there are lots of good readings and interviews!
DeleteI have chosen to write about May Angelou's poems she expresses being an independent strong proud woman. I really enjoy the emotions that are felt as I read the poems. In still I rise doesnt matter what obstacles she always knows she will overcome. I still would have to do some research on her background.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie--good choice--go back to my questions--you have stated here that both poems express strength and independence and pride--how are they different?
DeleteIn our recent readings I have noticed a reoccurring theme surrounding the idea of soul placement in relation to the oppression of women. Though theses words aren't expressly used in all of the texts, it helps to compare the ones that clearly mention this ideology to the ones that do not in order to support the theory that the “placement” of the soul correlates to the state of oppression and therefore is more of an internal conflict rather than merely an external infliction. The writers that I will be using to explore this claim are Alison Bechdel, author of Are You My Mother?, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, author of The Yellow Wallpaper , and Sarah Ruhl, writer of In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play. Not only are these pieces extremely different in terms of genre and style, but they differ in terms of when they were written and the state of women’s rights at such time. Though these texts span two centuries and a great deal of societal change, they all explore oppressed states of women and they ultimately use a creative outlet to expel the mental attitudes and emotions that keep them in bondage. To support my literary evidence I will use “The Other Shoe Drops” a book review on Are You My Mother, and a criticism of The Yellow Wallpaper by Jeffrey Berman, which gives insight into the background of the author as well as a critique of the short story.
ReplyDeleteI'm very interested in the direction you're taking with your essay. What do you mean by "'placement' of the soul"?
DeleteHi Tabatha--so this idea: "the theory that the “placement” of the soul correlates to the state of oppression and therefore is more of an internal conflict rather than merely an external infliction"--can you explain more what you mean and if this idea is your own creation or are you basing it on something you have read--? The second idea you have here--finding a creative outlet to expel mental attitudes is super clear and can definitely be applied to your texts--how is that related to the "soul placement" theory?
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to write about Charlotte Perkins Gilman "The Yellow Wallpaper" and the "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopind. Somehow when I we started discussing the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper", I have a thought in my head that it's somehow so much related to the story "Story of an Hour". Especially when we started discussing the symbolism of the story and analyzing the woman. These stories have so much to do with woman and power, woman and the rights and have some fear about their husbands. I feel as these both women are so similar in terms of their behavior and their freedom. I'm still looking forward what will be the contrast of these two stories, l think I will concentrate on the different relations to their husbands and relation of the husbands to woman.
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to write about Julia Alvarez (all-American girl) and Rosario Ferre (the youngest doll. Both the poem and story shows identity. How the aunt puts her hard work in making the dolls resemble each of her nieces and the girl in all-American, is trying to fit in by changing her identity from a Spanish girl to a American girl style. I intend on reading more and do more back story research on them.
ReplyDeleteI picked Susan Glaspell's "Trifles" and Rosario Ferre's "The Youngest doll for the two stories and author's I plan on comparing, contrasting, etc. On the surface, the two stories are very different. One deals with a murder in a house, with lots of dialogue and the other is more of a narrative which is more surreal. The two author's are also very different beginning with culture and ethnicity. Glaspell was born in Davenport, Iowa and Ferre was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Their time periods are also different as one was born in the 19th century and one was born in the 20th. Although there are many differences, I find there is also a similarity in themes. I find an underlying theme of oppression in these works, as well as finding a way to break out of it. I also noticed that in both stories there is a coping mechanism which both use to gain power as well as express themselves. In Trifles, Minnie Wright had her kitchen, bird, and quilting to and in The Youngest Doll the main character had her dolls. Still, there are more connections I could make between these two works and some research on the author's background, and possibly the message they wanted to convey could be helpful in building a strong essay.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on doing this paper on Maya Angelou's and comparing both of her poems and how they can explain how she is as a person and how the poem reflects her life. Both of her poems tell what kind of women she is and what kind of self respect she has for herself despite her life. Some sources that I can use for research is more poems and her website.
ReplyDeleteI've chosen to write about Maya Angelou and i have chosen to compare both of her poems to be able to give some feed back on to her success of becoming a strong brilliant women that she is today. Maya Angelou is an inspirational writer who has cross so many bridges in her life she is truly my favorite poet. some of the sources i will be using of course come from her websites and poem as well as some interviews .
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ReplyDeleteFor essay number two I wote about Maya Angelou and Zora Hurston for they are two very empowering women to me. They are comfortable in their own skin and lets their readers know it. Both authors grew up in a time period where the color of their skin defined who they were as a person. Angelou writes in the form of a poem informing readers that she is as confident as she will ever be in her skin. Hurston tells readers about her life in a short story and compares herself to the other blacks who lack a sense of self confidence. I found information from online and LaGuardia's library very useful
ReplyDelete....For essay #2 I am comparing "Bilingual Sestina" and "All-American Girl" by Julia Alvarez. I am going to focus on how American culture or English itself affects them greatly and how, at the same time, how in "All-American Girl" regardless of how much it hurts her, she still wants to detach from her identity by learning English.
ReplyDeleteI choose Maya Angelou because I think she is a great writer and I think that how Angelou standup for herself and womens means alot to society now
ReplyDeleteThe two poems that she wrote, tell what kind of women she is and what kind of self respect she has for herself despite her life.I think the library and school library can useful for this essay