Unsure, But Here We Go!

Research papers terrify me. An essay? Sure, no problem. A large project? Great. In class presentation? Easy, when can I start. But, research papers. That's my achilles heel. I think it stems from my very first one, which I did absolutely atrociously on. I have faith in myself as a writer, a reader, and as a student. The very thought of creating a beautifully crafted "research paper" scares me to bits though. Not this time though! However I am still timid and afraid of this looming beast, I am prepared to give it another try. May the odds be in mine and your favor! Good luck guys. :)

Ya'll Better Hold Me Back!

But we won't, only you will. Characters in "A Raison in the Sun" and in real life, use the excuse that other people hold them back from accomplishing their dreams. This is an extreme allusion and is counter productive. Not only does this place blame on another person and make the accuser feel more powerful, it also allows the person to blow off working harder and merely complain. Walter says his wife, a hardworking respectful women, is holding him back. Preventing him, "a colored man", from becoming anything in this world (Hansberry 34). This is complete and utter blasphemy. Ruth does her part and then some to support her family. Furthermore, she is not even in a position to say if Walter can have his dream or not. Walter is relying on other people and other people's resources to make his dream come true. This is simply not fair, and thus Walter's dream can never become a reality under these circumstances. I think Walter realizes this deep down, but it is to heartbroken to deal with the pain constructively; Walter in turn takes his frustration with reality out on his wife and family, claiming that "colored women in this world, don't understand about building their men up" (Hansberry 34). Well Walter, that sure is a shame, isn't it.

She Wants More

*I know that looks bad, but I have a point I promise!

So if you listened to the song above you will understand the connection it has to The Great Gatsby. The song summed up is an animals point of view of a women taking it's body parts to create her stylish clothing. Despite how much the animal gives her, she just takes more. All the while this allusive women refuses to smile. The animal in this song can be compared with our great man Gatsby. Regardless of how much he gives the women (Daisy) she will never be satisfied. The women can also not just be restrained to being Daisy, but to the upper class population of the 1920's. Men and women alike were never content with what they had, and only purchased things to flaunt them in front of their peers, in the pursuit of feeling adequate and of a higher class. There is no winner in the end, the animal dies and the women moves on to the next shiny new thing. Materialism corrupts, not only in The Great Gatsby, but in "A Diamond as Big as the Ritz" as well. Upon first arriving at the castle built upon a solid diamond the main character, as well as the reader, are in awe of the pure luxuriousness of it all. Gradually, however, this facade evaporates. John begins to see the moral lapses in the Washington family and feels uncomfortable. Just as people who harm animals to clothe themselves superficially can make certain individuals feel bad. There is a difference between doing things out of need and want.

Plus it's just a fantastic song :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday of family, food and hopefully most importantly thankfulness. Anyone who is fortunate enough to be sitting at a table with other people enjoying a meal, should be counting their blessings. After having a wonderful thanksgiving with people I care about, makes me wonder how the characters from The Great Gatsby would treat thanksgiving. My best guess is simple. They would do the exact opposite of the very word Thanksgiving. To start, these people would not be thankful. They would criticize and critique themselves and each other. Nothing is enough, eight turkeys dressed to perfection? Nope, the meat is dry. A table set for 300, each place setting adorned with monogrammed napkins? Childs play, for I heard Lucy had 800 people over with champagne glasses filled with elephant tears. And so on and so forth. Secondly, people from the book would not give without expecting something in return. Whether it was fame, fortune, or general bragging rights. Needless to say there truly would not be any Happy Thanksgivings in the land of The Great Gatsby.

Beware Of Backlash

After reading "The History Teacher", I have been thinking a lot about crossing that extremely fine line. The line between, protecting someone and lying to them. Most would agree that this so called teacher was ignoring all the important and painful truths and essentially lying to his students. By doing this, this man is completely undermining his job as a history teacher. Because why do we learn history? To remember tragedies and learn from our mistakes to make sure these things never happen again. The students in the poem were already showing signs of aggression and cruelty. Without proper instruction they simply cannot learn. Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy can be debated over, but history can absolutely not be glossed over and changed.

Ok, Now Say It With A Semicolon

Punctuation has an ever-important value in the ever-changing world of today because it promotes clarity and style in an organized and easily comprehendible fashion.  Hitching states that “rules for grammar and punctuation are vital for clear, effective and consistent communication” (Source A). Punctuation enables different generations to communicate easily by using the standard set of rules and regulations; without them mass confusion and headaches would ensue. Standard punctuation acts as the structure of a piece and creates a mutual agreement of what the meaning is. For example, in science the metric system exists so people can communicate their ideas to each other in a standard, accepted format. Punctuation acts as this for the literary world.  People who see no value in standard punctuation state that punctuation is “feigning liberation with one hand and tightening the leash with another” (Source B), by limiting creativity and expressive thought. This is untrue, punctuation is a tool used to highlight the meanings and ideas the marks are placed around; the actual words are what the creativity should stem from, the punctuation merely helps provide organization for the author’s insightful thoughts.  Punctuation prevents rambling and adds clarity, this is why “semicolons, along with a sack full of commas are… vital tools in keeping… the “stream of thought” from appearing to the reader as a wild torrent” (Source E). Punctuation is a tool that is used in shaping literature and is something that needs to remain constant in an ever-changing world.

From The Inside Out

There's that pain again.

You know the one.

An ever present pain.

Gnawing
Gnawing
Gnawing away at you.

You're always paranoid
Frightened
Scared
Panicked

Of what?

Someone finding out...

Your Secret

This feeling has been present in every human being at sometime. A feeling of intense guilt that just builds inside your chest characterized by a dull ache or squeezing feeling. Guilt. A horrible problem with an overly simple solution. Let it out. Tell the truth. If it is so easy why does this awful pain still affect people today? Consequences is the reason. The actual act of telling is not hard, but rather what comes after that. The moment after. The day after. The year after. People harbor this emotion because they live in fear of the changed glances they will endure after the truth has been told. This is an unfortunate catch 22. If you tell your secret you are subject to the stares, the ridicule, the shame. But, if you stay silent...

You destroy yourself from the inside

And will never get out.