Tiffany James- English 145

" Separate Ways" This is a short, amusing tale between two main characters Okya and Kichizo with an heart wrenching ending. Both Okya and Kichizo are two of unlikely characters that develop a big sister/lil brother relationship. They are both poor and can barely take care themselves “If only I could sew you a nice Kimono, it would be a happy day. I’d gladly do it. But look at me. I don’t’ have enough money to dress myself properly. I’m sewing to support myself” (908). However Okay is optimistic that her luck will one day change regarding her financial status, whereas Okya believes that it was his fate to be poor. Predicting that he will never succeed. Kichizo is an abandoned child, longing to know his identity; he has no family or friends. He has found companionship with Okya, who has been extremely kind to him (910). The narrator recounts his story of how he came to work at the umbrella shop. He was taken in by the owner who has been dead for two years. He is now in the ...

The underground man’s character and profession are introduced to us in the beginning of the story. He describes himself as a spiteful, unpleasant, and sickly man who worked in the civil service (636-637). Then after some consideration he’s concluded that since he was an honest man and did not accept any bribes that being this way was a reward to himself, which one can assume that he is insinuating that taking bribes were a common theme for a man in that position. He speaks of the enjoyment in a toothache which I believe is a metaphor for being unable to do anything about the society he is living in. “In the first place, these moans express all the aimlessness of the pain which consciousness finds o humiliating, the whole system of natural laws about which you really don’t give a damn, but because of which you’re suffering nonetheless, while nature isn’t” (642). You can moan about your tooth ache or world around you but it’s too no avail because to do something about it you still ha...

So far, I am maintaining an A. However, I do not have the total possible points of 236 for the end of week 8/beginning of week 9, even though I completed every assignment on time.  I feel pretty good about my progress so far, but I find myself not having any time to take advantage of the extra credit options. If I had to choose, the assignment I enjoy the most is reading and giving feedback to my classmates. The writing projects have been enlightening and enjoyable. I would like to have time to go back and implement some of the feedback on my last project that I received from my classmates. I did implement some of the changes, but some came after we moved on. Looking forward, I would like to be able to complete some extra credit and hopefully be able to do better with my reading time.

For my project action plan, I’m going to do a draft of my project since I am discussing a theme that has been constant in my life and throughout the story of Bartleby, the Scrivener: “Being too Nice Can Hurt You." I need to pull out lines from the text to support my thesis. I will also be rereading the story so that I can make sure I am using strong facts to support my argument and make sure I am making the connection between my life and the narrator of the text.                                                                               DRAFT “Being too Nice Can Hurt You” Growing up my parents would constantly warn me about being too nice. I presume it was because they saw my niceness as a flaw. My response would end with the same question, “how can being too nice hurt you?” With all the c...

“My tongue begs for the power of speech that is Your gift to us; for silence gets its style of representation from Your gift to us. The melancholic weeping of those who live with disappointment is Your gift to us." This piece stood out to me because upon reading the author’s history, I discovered that none of his seven children lived beyond fifteen months, not to mention that his wife’s nephew who he adopted as his son died, along with his wife (587). In addition, Ghalib fell in love again with a low-caste Hindu courtesan, who also died at a young age, whose loss he mourned publicly (588). These types of tragedies are unbearable without some type of hope in a higher explanation. Therefore, I believe the dialect in the poem appears to a greater degree a supplication than a sonnet. In numerous religions there is a certain reverence one has when addressing God. The author is by all accounts requesting permission to speak freely to God concerning the gut wrenching pain he is experien...

" My Tongue Begs For the Power of Speech" “My tongue begs for the power of speech that is Your gift to us; for silence gets its style of representation from Your gift to us. The melancholic weeping of those who live with disappoi ntment is Your gift to us." It appears like the author is speaking with God.   The dialect in the poem appears to a greater degree a supplication than a sonnet. In numerous religions there is a certain reverence one has when addressing God. The author is by all accounts requesting permission to speak freely to God about what he is feeling. It suggests that he may be furious yet does not have any desire to disrespect God. The author explains to God how his silence has discovered a method of communication his emotions to God. However, it does not suffice, he needs his words to be heard.   There are times when our tears speak what our voice don’t have the courage to say, this is a gift from God too.   Yet, to purge his soul the author needs t...

From The Tale of Kieu Even though the tale begins with Kieu, Van, and Vuong Quan the children of a well-known burgher in the clan of Vuong, a man of modest wealth and middle rank.   Kieu is the main character of the tale. She is a beautiful young woman Kieu possessed a keener, deeper charm, surpassing her sister Van in talents and in looks.  Kieu is wise and compassionate, you can see that in her response to Dam Tien fates. A well of pity lay within Kieu’s heart: as soon as she had heard her tears burst forth.   “How sorrowful is women’s lot!” she cried (552). Not only that she dreams about her as well to the point she believes that her fate is the same and, in a way, curses herself.   She meets Kim Throng, a scion of the noblest stock. Apparently, they were neighbors all alone. Their hearts became entangled. They She has left her golden hairpin which he finds (golden hairpin meant young 15 and ready for marriage would pin their hair up)  They meet in s...

Compare elements of two different texts. For example, explore the similarities and differences between two characters in the text, or examine how one theme is handled in similar and dissimilar ways in two different texts.  ·        I read one of my classmates’ project work and how she compared/contrasted two women from two different text. In reading, I could see how both women stood and died for what they believed, although how they came to their fate in the end was vastly different. This made want to look at two different characters that may have the same struggles or victories, however, seeing if their approach was different or similar.   In reading Bartleby, The Scrivener, I could see similarities between Bartleby and the Narrator of the story. What does this work reflect about its historical, social, political and/or economic context? You may focus on race, class, power, cultural values and beliefs, historical events, the author’s bi...

I must say that I was intimidated and overwhelmed with all the reading and my writing in the beginning, but now that I have a strategy and worked on my time management, I feel more confident. However, some of the readings are long, and I find it harder for me to read in the time I have allotted for my weekly reading. Thus far, the only unenjoyable reading for me was the “Journey of the West.”   I was tortured for hours while trying to make it through the end of the story, which to me was way too many hours. Not only that I had to reread certain parts to gain understanding for my analysis. When you have other responsibilities reading thirty (literary) pages can be a bit much. I am okay, with my project. I would like new feedback from my classmates who gave me suggestions, now that I have taken their suggestions into considerations and made the corrections.  As far as my writing is concerned, the reading notes have helped my writing my analyses less stressful.   It a...

" Stanzas Written in Dejection-December 1818, near Naples " In reading and learning about the sequence of personal tragedies surrounding this year I was drawn and felt the author’s disparity in line 20-25. " Alas, I have nor hope nor health/Nor peace within nor calm around” The author insinuates that it’s not only his hope that is failing him but his health. He has no peace. This could be on the account of not only dealing with the grief of losing two of his kids in a custody battle and two to sudden death, but guilt for how he abandoned his ex-wife, which caused her to commit suicide. In addition, there was no calm around him because he was ostracized and isolated for his unconventional beliefs. I’m sure there was much upheaval surrounding the death of his ex-wife.  "Nor that content surpassing wealth/the sage in meditation found/and walked with inward glory crowned; nor fame nor power nor love nor leisure” Here we see his dissatisfaction with his life. ...

“Ode to the West Wind” Wind/Words/Power/Influence The West Winds are known to be the mildest and most favorable of the directional winds, yet the author describes them as the West Winds as “O wild West Winds” Knowing the influence of the wind rather mild or wild is why the author beseech help from the wind even though it does not tell him exactly what he wants yet. He describes the dead autumn leaves “Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red, pestilence-stricken multitudes: O though, who chariots to dark wintry bed.   Maybe the author is trying to describe how his work is viewed seeing that not too many people cared for his work. “The winded seeds, where they lie cold and low, each like a corpse within it’s grave, until thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow.”   The author is describing that despite the leaves dying, there are still seeds left behind that in due season spring will cause it to eventually grow. The author will hope that one day the impact of his...

Fredrick Douglass born Fredric Augustus Washington Bailey born a slave in the stare of Maryland around 1818.   A young boy with no knowledge of his identity.   Torn from his mother and never knowing the identity of his true father, who was presumed to be his white master. Taught to read by his master’s brother wife, Sophia Auld.   It not this privilege that transformed his life, but the respond of his owner’s anger “discontented and unmanageable” and so “would forever unfit him to be a slave.” He understood that education would be the pathway to his freedom. It is a sad fact that before or a child’s first birthday they were ripped for their mother’s arms and shipped out as a commodity to be sold off.   It’s amazing that the Frederick defined a child as an it back then and not a person. “Frequently, before a child has reached it’s twelfth month, it’s mother is taken from it, and hire out on some farm a considerable distance off, and the child is placed under the c...

Simply Human  How could there be any justification of the ownership of a human being? I never understood how anyone could justify the inhumane treatment of another human being.   Growing up I would hear and read about such justification: It was God’s divine plan, Africans were naturally inferior to whites because they did not, rather than could not, possess European ingenuity. Somehow, a group of Europeans had convinced themselves and their race that Africans were unhuman, perceived as poor benighted creatures in need of saving.  Yet they were beaten, hung, raped, and enslaved. The autobiography of Olaudah Equiano demolishes, as if it was ever fact, their erroneous claims in a brilliant fashion.  Africans were ignorant to the European language, religion, manners, and customs but they were far from being an uncivilized race of people. They were not educated in the western culture, nor did they need to be for their way of life. In the same matter, Europeans had ...

Bartleby, the Scrivener Like the author seem to describe his office like his mundane life. Like Bartleby he would not relent to writing anything outside of his own convictions. The narrator within the story seems to be a man of very little of authority. He is passive in his writing and character. He introduces Bartleby, the main character of his story, yet he goes directly into introducing John Jacob Astor (indicting his status through this prestigious business man). He goes on to introduce not Bartleby, but three unlikely characters: Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut. He indirectly speaks to each of their flaws. Turkey is an older man, who is making several errors and the lawyer (narrator) is to be incapable of firing him because of his passive demeanor. He knows that Turkey’s performance is poor after noon. Nippers – younger man, driven by ambition and indigestion (drinking). He is a drunk and a perfectionist. Ginger Nut- is only twelve years but out of a favor to the young b...

Olaudah Equiano – First African (ex-slave) to write his autobiography. Told in his own words not through the interpretation of a ghost writer.  · Equiano was destined to receive the honor of being a chief, a man of importance in his country. “My father was one of those elders or chiefs I have spoke of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our language a mark of grander” (page 78). · His people owned slaves, but it was different from European slavery. They were hose who were convicted of a crime or were a prisoner of war (87). Equiano makes a clear distinction of how slaves were treated on his land. “Those prisoners which were not sold or redeemed we kept as slaves in the West Indies! With us they do no more work than other members of the community, even their masters; their food, clothing and lodging were nearly the same as theirs, ( except that they were not permitted to eat with those who were ...

"Coming to the End of Oneself" Although Faust is about a man who is dissatisfied with his mundane human experience, it also speaks about man’s ability to choose a moral path regardless of the errors one may make during their life. The opening setting resembles the biblical story of Job, where the angels present themselves before the Lord, when Mephistopheles, who represents the devil, is bored and disappointed with humans; he begins to mock their existence. Much the same as with the narrative of Job, God knowing the strength and capability of his creations, utilizes Faust as a representative for humanity to demonstrate to Mephistopheles that regardless of Faust’s weaknesses/shortcomings and dissatisfaction with the life he has been given, will choose the righteous path in the end, “If today his service shows confused, disordered, with my help he’ll see his way clearly forward. When the sapling greens, the gardener can feel certain flower and fruit shall follow in due seaso...