"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

When I read this story, I guessed from the beginning that Connie was going to get herself into trouble. I think there are a lot of clues that point to the ending of the story. However, I was confused as to why she felt so overpowered by Arnold Friend that she could not call the police. It seems to me that due to the awkward way his boots fit and the fact that he did not rush at her when she went for the phone, Connie should have continued dialing. "911" is not a very long phone number, and even if she was assaulted by Arnold soon after dialing, she could have screamed into the phone for help. On the other hand, I wondered what the roaring was that came from the phone. Did Arnold and Ellie manage to disconnect or damage it?
In any case, I appreciated this story a lot. It reminded me of my own naivete as a younger girl. When it came to boys, we all wanted to look our best and attract attention, and many times I seem to recall disregarding the age of the boys whom I wanted to notice me. Did I ever approach an older boy or allow them to approach me? No. I was just a silly girl. But I do remember feeling as Connie does at the drive-in when she catches Arnold's eye: flattered. It is scary to think that the situation with Arnold could happen to anyone, and that it does more often than it should. Facebook, Myspace, and online blogs seem to have opened an entirely new way for those whom we do not want in our lives to gain access. I guess this story hit home even more for me because I have always been afraid, even today, of staying home alone, although the solid wooden door of my house provides much more protection than Connie's screen door.
I hope that we discuss in class some possible reasons behind Connie's decision to surrender to Arnold. I understand that he threatened her family, but she seemed to give in to him quite easily in the end, and this confused me.
Lastly, I do have to say that I wondered if the entire ending of Joyce Carol Oates' story was a dream, since Connie closed her eyes in the lawn chair, and since it was warm, she could have easily fallen asleep. If her encounter with Arnold was a dream, I would say that she would surely be more careful from that day on pertaining to how she dressed and which types of men she tried to attract.

Tunnel of Oppression

I visited the Tunnel of Oppression on Tuesday night, and I can say that I learned many things from it. I was actually expecting more professional-looking displays instead of posters covered in bad grammar and spelling, but the overall impression was still extremely effective.
The section concerning mental illness was eerie to me because of the taped voices. I thought that it was one of the most impacting rooms because it helped me experience what a mentally ill person might go through on a constant basis. I was frustrated and spooked by the time we went to the next room, so I cannot imagine what a schizophrenic person must go through day to day.
Next, I have to say that although the room with the graphic pictures was effective in drawing the most sympathy from everyone in my group, I cannot now remember what cause this room advocated. I remember only that the pictures were horrifying and sad and that I could only look at them for so long.
The issue of the last room perplexed me. I did not sign the petition for DREAM because I do not support illegal immigration or the Supreme Court case of Plyler vs. Doe, which states that the US cannot deny free public education to children who are in the US illegally. However, one of my best friends is Canadian and each of his family members are now American citizens. Because the government made a glitch in his paperwork, my friend is unable to obtain citizenship. He has lived in America almost all of his life, but he has yet to be able to obtain a driver's license or job. He is returning to Canada to finish college in the fall because he cannot receive financial aid here. Obviously I should have raced to sign the DREAM petition on behalf of people like my friend, yet I was unsure of the "fine print" that I might accidentally overlook. I voiced my concern at the debriefing at the end of the tunnel, and they encouraged me to do more research.
Lastly, I have to conclude by saying that the room that impacted me the most was the section on sex trafficking. The use of "decorations" in the room was powerful and horrifying. This room contained more of the professionalism or "wow effect" that I guess I expected to find throughout the entire tunnel. As a side note, one girl I was with did not seem to recognize what the latex objects were that hung from the ceiling, so the room did not effect her as much. I do not really think that anything should have been done differently to make it more obvious what they represented, but it did make me laugh after the fact.

"This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona"

To start off, I have to say that I am confused by this story's title. Maybe I missed something in the story or a comment that was made in class to explain it, but the title just seems odd to me. I understand the significance of Phoenix, I just would have expected a title referring to the father or to broken relationships instead. However, I did not write the story!
As I read this story, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it, overall. It did not wow me like some of our previous stories have, but I was also able to stay awake as I read. I thought that the estrangement between Victor and his father was sad, but I was heartened to see that at least Victor and Thomas were able to rekindle a bit of their relationship because of it.
I grew to truly appreciate Thomas' strange and quirky character, just as much as I understood Victor's frustrations with his old friend. I think we have all probably been in a situation before where we felt like we should reach out and befriend someone because no one else would, but the fact of the matter remained that we too were annoyed by that person. We all have to make choices about who we befriend, and I see Victor's struggle in this story as one common at least for me, and I would suspect for others as well.
I would also like to say that I am posting this blog after viewing the first half of the film "Smoke Signals." Oh boy. First of all, in the film, Victor is rude and hateful for no reason. Thomas is portrayed as the most annoying person I have ever seen, and his accent is ridiculous. Also, I felt that the original story contained an appropriate amount of anti-white-man or anti-America sentiments to be effective and give the reader pause, but the movie seems over the top with hatred and bitterness for "cowboys." I do not know who thought up the storyline for this movie, but so far, it has skewed my initial perceptions of Sherman Alexie's story, and not for the better.

"Red Convertible"

I waited a few days to blog about this story because I had mixed feelings, and I hoped they would change. However, they have not.
I was touched by this story about post traumatic stress syndrome from the Vietnam War probably just as much as everyone else. However, I guess my reactions were quite different. Not only was I saddened by the ending and heartbroken for Lyman, who watches his own brother die, but I was angry as well. In this class, it feels like half of the stories that we read only serve to leave a bitter taste in my mouth about our country. Not only have we read about slavery, but we have touched on multiple stories about Native Americans where little sly comments against "white people" have been slipped into the writing. To clarify, I am the last person to say that white people are above all others or that America has no problems, but it feels like every time I leave our class recently, I am disappointed in our society as a whole, whereas before class I felt confident that we were at least making something of a difference for other countries and providing a good place for our children to be educated.
Concerning this story, I am aware of the effects of post traumatic stress disorder or syndrome. I have done more research on it than probably most of the people in our class. My best friend is a cadet at Westpoint and my boyfriend is a Private First Class Marine. I have grown up around military men since my uncle was a Marine and my grandfather fought in WWII, and I have attended his WWII reunions every summer and have loved getting to know these wonderful veterans. Sadly, I feel like I am probably one of the only supporters in our class of the things that our military is sent out to do. I will never say that war is glamorous or that I think people should be killed. I HATE the concept of war. I hate that our men are dying and that many were drafted into Vietnam when they did not want to go. However, sometimes I am more fed up with the fact that in college, we read the most depressing stories of their experiences fighting for our country, such as this one. Where are the stories of patriotism and victory? Why do we not read about how grateful Vietnamese children were when they saw American troops coming to save them from the Viet Cong?
I guess I will end by saying that I am NOT a proponent of war. I am as much for world peace as the next person. But in the meantime, our country needs protection, and sometimes other countries need our help. Our men have signed up to defend us, and I hate to think that all I have learned in my classes in college thus far is that there are no positive outcomes of war, that all soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen regret their experiences, and that we do not provide them with support when they return home, which is no longer true. I guess I just wish there could be a positive spin on all of these negative situations from our stories, but I'm only one person in the class expressing my opinion.

"Yellow Woman"

This story intrigued me. In the beginning, I allowed myself to be romanced by the mystery of Silva and his almost supernatural hold on the Yellow Woman. However, by the end, I wanted the main character to escape from her captor.
First of all, I have to point out that I think what the man or "spirit" does is wrong. All of it. He not only seduces a woman that he must know is married if he is truly some sort of higher being, but he holds her against her will and rapes her in his home. It does not matter to me if a man thinks he has used his charm to overcome a woman's denials. Saying, "You will do what I want," and using body strength to overpower someone is wrong.
Secondly, to address the issue of whether or not Silva is the spirit he claims to be, I think it should be pointed out that not only does he need things like money and food to survive, but he uses a gun to defend himself. If he were a spirit, could he not find a better and more peaceful means to escape from the white man? I believe that Silva is simply a hermit (to reference our last story) who uses the romantic and mysterious myth of the ka’tsina spirit to lure women into his arms. He then uses his charm to keep them locked under his control, and they begin to fantasize about never returning to their normally stressful lives. Not only do they feel special to be chosen by one who may be a spirit, but in Silva’s world, there seems to exist only the calm of the river, the beauty of the pine trees, the tranquility of sleep, and the passion within his eyes.
This story is sugarcoated by the idea that this man may truly be a spirit, but to me this notion cannot cloud Silva's manipulation of the Yellow Woman. As I read, I was reminded of the classic stories of Greek gods who stole women from their homes and had their ways with them. There will always be a mystical and romantic quality to these tales, yet the fact still remains that wrongs are being committed. If Silva is meant by Leslie Marmon Silko to truly be a spirit, then I suppose I cannot judge him any more than I can judge the fictitious Greek gods. However, if he is simply the Navajo man that I suspect him to be, then he is nothing but a seductor, rapist, cattle rustler, and murderer. I find it interesting that the Yellow Woman still desires to return to him after everything he does to and in front of her. I cannot help but wonder if he would be able to achieve the same perplexing control over this woman were it not for his insistence that he is the ka’tsina spirit. What kind of man could make a woman desert her husband and baby after only two nights together?

"The Hermit's Story"

This story put me to sleep. However, it was not in a bad way. Usually, I enjoy action-adventure, horror, mystery, or romantic stories, but every once in a while I like to sit down with a story like this one and just let it lull me into a calmness akin to sleep. With his use of vivid description of the landscape of Canada, Rick Bass's story reminds me of J.R.R. Tolkien's descriptive passages in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (Oh no, I just exposed my nerdiness).
I enjoyed Bass's connection between Ann and her dogs, and I liked that by the end of the story, Ann feels as if she has experienced the world through her dogs' eyes. I'm not sure that I've ever heard anyone else claim to have had an experience such as hers, so it made her claims even more unique to me. As I was reading, the vividness of the landscape and the underground lake became so clear and captivating that I wished I could step out of my dorm room and into Ann's frozen world. Bass succeeds in capturing my complete attention and drawing me completely into his mysterious blue setting.
The only problem I have with this story occurs when Ann describes the scene of Gray Owl's plunge through the ice. She watches him fall, regrets that if he drowns she will have to retrieve his pack, and worries more that his dogs will follow him to death rather than Gray Owl's own demise. At this moment, I was actually drawn out of the story as I grew angry at Ann's coldness, and it took me a page or two to begin to relate to her again.

"The Things They Carried"

As I skimmed through the first few lines of everyone's posts for this story, I was a little surprised. I wasn't expecting the positive responses that this story received. I enjoyed Tim O'Brien's writing style and his ability to express his feelings about the Vietnam War, but I became increasingly depressed as the story progressed.
Perhaps it is because O'Brien himself fought in Vietnam that I was so affected by this story. I am assuming that much of the tone of his piece reflects his own feelings toward his time as a soldier, although online it says that he maintains that this piece is truly a work of fiction. However, for me, the message of the certainty of death that is present in this story can only stem from O'Brien's own experiences in war. Emotions like the ones found in "The Things They Carried" cannot, in my opinion, be fabricated. I believe that O'Brien truly felt the hardships and depression that his characters do in his story, or that he at least witnessed them within his comrades first hand. Of course, I could be reading too much into the story, but I guess that's why this piece affected me so dramatically.
On a lighter note, I truly enjoyed the way in which the author lists the items that the men carry as a sort of narrative to which the sub-stories of the piece are linked. I found it comforting to know that, even as soldiers, each man in our military is an individual with sweethearts, families, items of comfort, and even vices of his own. I felt so much closer to these characters just from the descriptions used to describe their most prized possessions.
Lastly, I have to say that this short story did a great job of confirming my personal belief that although war is a necessary evil, it is a horrific experience for all involved and should be avoided at all costs. (The first part of that statement is simply my own belief and is nowhere stated in the story). I felt that O'Brien wanted to bring the horrors of his time in Vietnam home to the American people through literature, and I would say that he does an affective job. I will continue to support our troops simply for the reason that they are the only things protecting my freedom as an American, but stories like this will continue to remind me just how much our fighting men and women ultimately forsake on my behalf.

"A Good Man is Hard to Find"

Well, I really don't know how I should approach this posting. First of all, like the others in our class who have posted, I did not enjoy this story. I'm all for reading creepy and even morbid stories, as long as they touch or affect me in some way. This story only made me feel sick. I'm not sure what the author is trying to prove or convey, so I'll just post my reactions and see what happens in class today. Maybe it will all be explained...?
First of all, the grandmother annoyed me. When she first entered the story, I liked her a lot. She represented everything good and polite about how society "used" to be in her younger days. I hated the children and their blatant disrespect for adults and each other, so I liked it that the grandmother scolded them. Bailey seemed to have no personality, which is aggravating, and his wife was dull as well. Even the baby is said to have only smiled once. This entire family annoyed me, so I guess I tried telling myself that the grandmother was the redeeming character of the bunch.
I soon became angry at her as well, however, when the trip to Florida becomes all about her and her dream of seeing that plantation once more. The fact that she misremembers its location seems typical. And instead of scolding the children for throwing temper tantrums in the car, she encourages Bailey to succumb to their will and take them to the plantation.
Now we come to the car accident. It is the grandma's cat that causes it, meaning that if she hadn't brought the cat as a stow-away, they would have continued on their "merry" way to Florida. After the accident, why does no one blame the grandmother? It just seems to be the logical thing for this family to have done.
When the grandma is so stupid as to reveal to The Misfit that she knows him, I almost yelled at her via the book. In a way, she indirectly causes her family to be murdered, but she never acknowledges that she knows they are dying in the woods or that she cares for anyone but herself.
Some things I noticed: Does the mother really think she is going to join her husband alive in the woods? How can anyone coldly kill a couple and their children, a grandmother, and a baby? What does The Misfit mean in his final words after killing the grandma?
I guess I'm very confused and disturbed by this story, but I don't anticipate that the "reveal" in class will perk me up any. The family members are annoying and rude, their treatment of each other is shameful, the way they are killed is horrifying, and The Misfit still confuses me as a character in general. Not my favorite story.

"The Lottery"

What a story! I can't say that I felt a warm fuzzy feeling after reading "The Lottery," but I certainly felt something.
First of all, by the end of page 1, I predicted the ending. To clarify, I predicted that this "lottery" was a form of controlling the village's population, so I assumed that certain unlucky people were about to either be exiled from the village or killed. How did I predict this ending? I'm really not sure. I've never read this story before, but I guess I've read things like it or discussed the idea behind it before. I've also found that short story writers seem to have a habit of beginning a story quaintly but ending it with a shocking conclusion. Usually, the reader is meant to be deeply affected by the message this ending holds, and I would have to say that no one can really walk away from "The Lottery" without at least mixed emotions.
I am sure that further research would spell out the message of "The Lottery" as author Shirley Jackson intended it, but I'd like to remain bewildered at least until class, when I'm sure we will be given the answer. I guess I have a few theories: 1) Could this story be about cultures like the Chinese who control their populations, and how this is a barbaric and unholy practice? 2) Could Jackson be intending to send the message that although many traditions should be upheld, as a society, we must mature in our understanding of the world and cultures around us? Therefore, if a tradition begins to seem immoral or outdated, shouldn't we scrap it and create new traditions more fitting with the times? 3) Could this story simply symbolize the coldness and ability to kill that every human heart is capable of holding within it?
I'm not sure what exactly Shirley Jackson is trying to get across in her chilling piece, but I do know that the foreshadowing of the children playing with rocks before the lottery nauseated me when I realized that these were the very rocks they would soon use to stone their friend and mother to death with. I also find it ironic that Mrs. Hutchinson appears so calm about the lottery and only protests when her own life is in jeopardy. And of course, the fact that the entire town, along with her own husband and children, treat her stoning as a normal and acceptable ritual is the icing on the cake that made this story, for me, just as terrifying as "The Cask of Amontillado." I have to say that there is definitely a lot to be learned from "The Lottery," but I'm not sure I would ever voluntarily read it again.

The Cask of Amontillado

Yes, I am aware that it is 4 in the morning. I hope you can all relate when I say that although I rarely drink caffeine, I gave in last night. My conclusion: I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow, but, caffeine, oh how I've missed you!!!
To begin my reflection on "The Cask of Amontillado," I'd like to first point out that my reaction to this story might frighten some of you, I suppose, considering your own reactions in your blogs. I remember doing a lengthy unit over Edgar Allan Poe in tenth grade, and even then, I was simultaneously fascinated and spellbound by his work. I only remember a handful of his stories, but I can recall that I found them all captivating. With regards to this story, I did remember it quite well before rereading it yesterday, and my reaction 3 years after having read it the first time is that I remain a fan.
Obviously, I am not condoning Montresor's disgusting and premeditated murder of his "friend," but I do find the psychology behind his acts fascinating, simply because I cannot even begin to understand it! I also admire Poe's use of the character Luchresi. With just the mention of his name, Poe proves that Fortunato cannot, like so many other men and women, allow himself to be bested or outdone, especially concerning an art or occupation of which he considers himself an expert.
When Fortunato toasts the dead surrounding him, he does not realize that he is toasting himself as he will become in the immediate future. Next, with Montresor's chilling toast to his friend's long life, Poe fully wrenches me into his story.
I find the use of Montresor's family crest and motto to be obvious indicators to Fortunato that he should run from the caves as if his life depends on it. (Pun intended?) When Montresor shows his victim the trowel beneath his cloak, this seems to seal Fortunato's fate in my mind; Montresor is crazed and determined to follow through with his plan, and he is so confident that it will be successful that he has no problem laying out almost all of his cards for Fortunato to see.
Finally, I'd like to point out that the auditory imagery of the bells gives me chills each time it is used, and I love the irony of Fortunato's attire. I also love the irony embedded in the names of the two main characters.
Hence, my fascination with Poe's writings. No matter the degree of morbidity with which he coats his literature, I remain, like so many others, unable to tear my eyes from the pages of a tale by Poe, and with each conclusion, I find myself utterly confused but simultaneously enthralled enough to reread.
Sorry this response was so lengthy, but I guess that's what this blog is supposed to be used for!
On a lighter note, I'd like to conclude by saying that I spent a good chunk of my day yesterday researching different possibilities as to why Professor Williams assigned this text for Thursday, February 25. I came up with absolutely nada. I'm either looking at it completely the wrong way or not enough "out of the box," so I just have to say that if anyone gets that extra credit question, you deserve it!

The Yellow Wall-Paper

This is my first blog entry! How exciting. This whole thing confuses me, I'm embarrassed to say, and I even accidentally subscribed to my own blog! Hopefully this experience makes me more technology-suave...
In regards to the story that we were assigned today, I have to say that I enjoyed it. I love reading Stephen King novels that lean more toward the "creepy" side of literature, and one of my favorite books is Bram Stoker's "Dracula." Needless to say, this story sparked my interest a lot more than the previous ones have.
When I sat down to read "The Yellow Wall-Paper" last night, my friend exclaimed that she remembered reading it in high school. Immediately, I was intrigued and excited to read this story, since my friend is an engineering major and dislikes reading. Therefore, if she remembered this story so vividly, there must be something special about it. Throughout the story, I felt increasingly sad for the woman's husband and his sister. They seem unable or unwilling to admit that their loved one is losing her mind, and although I became as interested as the woman was about what was lurking behind the wallpaper, I wanted her to be rescued from the room just as badly.
As the story continued, I began wondering how it was going to end. I thought it very fitting that the woman ends her exploration of the wallpaper by completely surrendering to her madness and "becoming" the woman in the wallpaper. I began to wonder if she had always thought of herself as that woman and only admitted it in the final pages of her journal, or if she had truly snapped during that last day.
I also believe that if the wallpaper had been removed at the beginning of the story, the woman would have found something else in her surroundings to obsess over, but I guess we'll never know. Maybe the wallpaper did have something evil within it that drove her crazy and finally took control of her mind. That's why I like these sorts of stories so much; they are always up to interpretation, whether it be from a logical or supernatural angle.
The only question I had regarding this story surrounds the name of the woman working in the house. First, she is called Mary, then she is referred to as John's sister, Jennie, and then the main character refers to someone named Jane at the end when she goes crazy. I'm assuming that Jane is the name of the main character, but the other names confused me. Anyone see something I missed?
Thanks for reading all my rambling! Blog post #1 complete!!!