Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Essay ideas?
So, as far as the midterm essay goes, i think i will be writing it on irony and its role in a couple of the stories we've read for class. this will take a lot of work, but i'm hoping to have it done by next monday.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Weighing the arguments
Booker T. Washington's argument is more conservative, while W.E.B. DuBois's argument is more militant. I agree with both arguments, but if i had to chose, i would go with DuBois's argument, as his is more get-it-done-now-ish. I feel that this is more effective, though the better way is to mix both ideas. If there was a person who found a middle ground, it would have been amazing.
While Washington was a man that was born into slavery, he has great ideals and ideas as to how to help the African American cause. He feels that the way to go about things is to ease people into the idea of there being freedom and equal rights to colored people. His background makes him know that the easiest way to do things is to let people become accustomed to the idea before acting upon it. He knows the life of a slave and how other slaves might feel about being freed- they all want it, but they want to assimilate slowly into society. Anyways, those are his views.
However, on the other hand, W.E.B. DuBois has the attitude of get it done now and get it over with. Him being born free in New England has impacted his views. He's from the northern free states, which means that he's experienced having things go well for him, and has not had the experience of being a former slave. He feels that slaves want and need to be freed and have equal rights as soon as possible and he wants it done right away. He has the “I–want–it–and–I–want–it–now” attitude. This is beneficial, and helps get the ball rolling, but his views oppose those of Booker T. Washington’s.
While their goals are the same, they go about it in different ways. The two men’s pasts have indeed influenced their arguments and how they want things done.
While Washington was a man that was born into slavery, he has great ideals and ideas as to how to help the African American cause. He feels that the way to go about things is to ease people into the idea of there being freedom and equal rights to colored people. His background makes him know that the easiest way to do things is to let people become accustomed to the idea before acting upon it. He knows the life of a slave and how other slaves might feel about being freed- they all want it, but they want to assimilate slowly into society. Anyways, those are his views.
However, on the other hand, W.E.B. DuBois has the attitude of get it done now and get it over with. Him being born free in New England has impacted his views. He's from the northern free states, which means that he's experienced having things go well for him, and has not had the experience of being a former slave. He feels that slaves want and need to be freed and have equal rights as soon as possible and he wants it done right away. He has the “I–want–it–and–I–want–it–now” attitude. This is beneficial, and helps get the ball rolling, but his views oppose those of Booker T. Washington’s.
While their goals are the same, they go about it in different ways. The two men’s pasts have indeed influenced their arguments and how they want things done.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Response to Jenny's blog #3
Jenny brings up a great point about the whole story being ironic (Situational irony). The irony is definitely there. It makes me wonder about what would have happened to grandison's family if they had never run away, or if they had been caught?
I think that Grandison's family would have been severely punished infront of the other slaves had they been caught.
I also feel that Tom, Grandison's brother, is the whole reason why they were able to run away, even though grandison was the one who had been left behind and came back to get the rest of his family. It's possible that Tom talked to Grandison before he left with Dick. There are so many possibilities as to where this story could have gone and ended, or just how things went. I hope that that makes sense.
It's always fun to think about what happened behind the scenes of a story. There are so many possibilities, that leave the reader in the dark when they think about it, but it also leaves it to the reader's imagination.
I think that Grandison's family would have been severely punished infront of the other slaves had they been caught.
I also feel that Tom, Grandison's brother, is the whole reason why they were able to run away, even though grandison was the one who had been left behind and came back to get the rest of his family. It's possible that Tom talked to Grandison before he left with Dick. There are so many possibilities as to where this story could have gone and ended, or just how things went. I hope that that makes sense.
It's always fun to think about what happened behind the scenes of a story. There are so many possibilities, that leave the reader in the dark when they think about it, but it also leaves it to the reader's imagination.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Use of Irony
"You could have knocked me down with a feather."(240)
This is verbal irony because the actual meaning of the speech contradicts the way it was said. You can't knock someone down with a feather because it's physically impossible. A feather's mass is less that that of a human, so therefore it is not able to knock down a human. It is also soft, so there's another reason why it is impossible.
"One monday morning Grandison was missing... And a hurried search and inquiry resulted in no information as to their whereabouts." (241)
This passage is situational irony because earlier in the story, we find out that grandison comes back with a broken leg, and then leaves not too long after, taking his family with him. They escape to canada and are freed by running away.
This is verbal irony because the actual meaning of the speech contradicts the way it was said. You can't knock someone down with a feather because it's physically impossible. A feather's mass is less that that of a human, so therefore it is not able to knock down a human. It is also soft, so there's another reason why it is impossible.
"One monday morning Grandison was missing... And a hurried search and inquiry resulted in no information as to their whereabouts." (241)
This passage is situational irony because earlier in the story, we find out that grandison comes back with a broken leg, and then leaves not too long after, taking his family with him. They escape to canada and are freed by running away.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
response to Jenny's blog: Bierce and Twain
Bierce and Twain
Jenny, I agree that Mark Twain’s story was a bit humorous. I found that the men not knowing what to do, running away constantly, and the bickering were all very amusing to me. I was happy to find such humor in such a dark time period for the USA. It pleases me that the authors of the time period were indeed able to find light of the situation and at the same time portray what was happening.
I also agree with you about the line in “Chickamauga.” It is indeed a great line, though it is horrible. It’s got a sort of grotesque feel about it, and definitely shows the portrayal of the Civil War to an innocent child. The child playing with his fake sword was a good contrast between having a good idea of what war was and the harsh reality of what it really is.
Jenny, I agree that Mark Twain’s story was a bit humorous. I found that the men not knowing what to do, running away constantly, and the bickering were all very amusing to me. I was happy to find such humor in such a dark time period for the USA. It pleases me that the authors of the time period were indeed able to find light of the situation and at the same time portray what was happening.
I also agree with you about the line in “Chickamauga.” It is indeed a great line, though it is horrible. It’s got a sort of grotesque feel about it, and definitely shows the portrayal of the Civil War to an innocent child. The child playing with his fake sword was a good contrast between having a good idea of what war was and the harsh reality of what it really is.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Response to "The Storm"
The ending of “The Storm” is very surprising, as the story talks about infidelity, marriage, and love. If we were to take the “storm” as a metaphor, then one could state that the storm was the feelings Alcee Laballiere was having while he was at Calixta’s home. The Infidelity there is that of which Calixta is married, and so is Alcee, though they both commit acts of infidelity.
The definition of infidelity: in·fi·del·i·ty/ˌinfiˈdelitē/
| Noun: |
| |
| Synonyms: | disloyalty - unbelief - unfaithfulness - disbelief | |
For our purposes, the first definition is what we will go off for our purposes.
I had to google what it meant to understand the blog prompt.
The reader should think about this ending as an end to the infidelity between Calixta and Alcee, and the happiness between Clarisse, Alcee, Calixta, and Bobinot. Bibi is also involved, but the main characters are Calixta and Alcee. The love that they might have once had is evident through the infidelity in the story, as is it through the small flashback of “Assumption,” whatever that was, whether it be a play or a gathering, I still do not know. I looked in the book at the previous story(a glance at a few pages), of which “The Storm” is supposed to be a sequel to, and have not found any evidence of the “Assumption.” I would very much like to know what the thing is to make the story clearer to the reader and myself.
The ending has a lot to say about infidelity, love, and marriage. If something goes by unknown about by those who it would harm, there is no foul. Which is not true(in my opinion), but that is the message I get from the end of the story.
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