Response to the poetry unit

Before this class i was never in to poetry at all. Actually it was something i didn't look forward to in this class. For me i find it sometimes boring and hard to understand. I didn't like that fact that you could read a poem 10 times and get a different perspective each time. I like things that are concrete and have a clear theme and objective. Like an action movie, there is a main character who has some type of task he has to complete and you go along as he completes that task and then he's a big hero blah blah blah. In poetry everything is so vague and you never truly know what the author is trying to say unless you ask him. ( which i think the author would tell you anyway). The poems we read in class were in fact the opposite of what i thought they were going to be. they were very passionate and drew you in while listening. I always thought poetry as a list of metaphors in some crazy format left for the reader to interpret in there own way. But Brady showed us how easy it is to understand the themes using literary devices. She also picked poems that were far from boring and interesting to read

Response to lecture on Idealism

Idealism was something that when brought up in class i felt i had a decent understanding of and it was a pretty self explanatory topic that wasn't hard to grasp. Everyone want's to be in an "ideal" spot of there life and there's always something better to be achieved. Being too idealistic could be a negative trait as we saw in "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The main character couldn't bare to see his wife less than perfect so he nonstop attempted to remove her birthmark which was her only flaw. By being so Idealistic he eventually killed his wife. I learned that there is much more to the theme of idealism then i had originally thought and it was very interesting for me and the rest of my class to deeper understand this concept completely.

Response to class lecture on Transcendentalism

Before this class i never heard of transcendentalism. Transcendentalism was a movement in the 19th century where philosophers would connect events and opinions to nature and the human spirit.  We read a bunch of pieces from authors from this period and they were really unique. After reading a few you could really see the pattern they show in their pieces. I think if i was given a story to read and asked if the author was a transcendentalist i would be able to easily choose. Brady taught us this very well. To be able to present a topic that was never heard of by most students and have us understand it so in depth was truley remarkably. They way she explained it and how it works was perfect and i don't think one student left that class with any confusion on what transcendentalism was.  Bravo Brady bravo.

What will your verse be?

Music and poetry are to art forms that are very similar. In some obvious ways they are different but their overall themes and they way they convey ideas are the same. The poems “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone” by W.H. Auden and “To my dear and loving husband” by Anne Bradstreet can both be compared to the song “Without You” by David Guetta ft. Usher. Although every piece of poetry or music can be interpreted differently, the overall theme and message these three pieces present are similar.
            The poem “To my dear and loving husband” is an overall positive piece that conveys the love a wife and husband have. In the song “Without you” Guetta expresses his live that he once had for someone. They both show two people how have or had a strong connection with one another. But although in Guetta’s song he no longer has the same connection with the person it still shows how strong love can be and how two people can be so strongly connected that when they are apart they are engulfed in sadness. In the poem the author wrote “While we live, in love lets so preserver, that when we live no more we may live ever” (Auden 470). This shows how strong a loving relationship can be.

Also the poem “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone” shows a similar concept. This piece however has a saddening mood to it unlike the other two. This poem is very deep and is full of emotion. Again it shows how strong a relationship can be. The character in this poem lost his loved one who he obviously had a loving relationship with. He gives off an emotion of agony and by reading you can almost feel the pain that he is feeling as you read. It is a very good piece. This poem is also similar  to the song “Without You” by David Guetta” They both lose a loved one and express their sadness.

All three are very deep pieces that take a lot of comprehension to really understand what the artists’ are trying to convey. They all show the strength of love, and how devastating it is or would be to lose a loved one. One discusses the result of losing your loved one, while the other emphasizes how strong love can be. Guettas song ties both of them together giving both perspectives in his own unique way. Love is dangerously powerful and isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Look Back On English 102

English has never been my favorite subject. I never enjoyed reading much of anything and writing was never something I would do in my spare time. In the past all the English teachers I’ve had have never tried to make English interesting. Professor Brady gave our class the exact opposite of what I’ve grown accustom to in English class. Brady is extremely passionate about what she does and being in her class you can’t help but get involved. Most professors are extremely boring and go by class after class giving the same boring lectures with no enthusiasm and really makes going to class a drag.  But this semester I looked forward to going to Eng 102. There was never a day I left class without learning something and left with something to think about for the rest of the week. I still to this day every once and a while see or hear something that reminds me of a lecture from Brady’s class. I truly enjoyed her class and Brady is probably the best teacher I’ve had to date.

Post-Modernism reflected in Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies"

“The interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri is a prime example of a post-modern work of literature. In Post modernism flaws are surfaced and people have a pursuit of self-interpretation of what reality is. For example when Mrs. Das reveals the truth to Mr. Kapasi that her son is the father of a man she had an affair with. This secret is a flaw of Mrs. Das and for her to come out and say it really embraces the post-modern feel of the story. At another point in the story Mrs. Das says “Stop calling me Mrs. Das. I’m twenty-eight, you probably have children my age.” (Lahiri 64). Again this shows how the post-modern way of thinking. People view society in a very individualistic way, therefore they have judgments based on the things they see and hear. Mrs. Das feels that Mr. Kapasi’s age and appearance would be unfit for her liking and his image reflects more of a father like character. Whereas, Mr. Kapasi had an entirely different image of the relationship they shared, and was demoralized by the truth.

Time has shown the vast changes in human behavior. Also no two human relationships are the same. The relationship you have with your parents is entirely unique and no two people on earth will have the same relationship. Of course there will be similarities, every parent child relationship have general standards and structure. This is all what makes defining human nature in depth impossible. Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi both have entirely different views of each other and of themselves. This also has to do with how the characters are described. Mr. Kapasi is told to be a hopeless romantic who would jump to any hint of a relationship. But Mrs. Das is almost the complete opposite. She views relationships as an in depth subject that she is not drawn to achieve with every person she meets. She believes in a “Mr. Right.”

The postmodern era gives a very unique feel to everyone involve. It has completely changed the ideas and principles people have. It gives more importance to the individual rather than a group. This was not the case at all for most periods in the past. “The interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri shows post modernism and it’s effect on human behavior 

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

If nobody never started the women’s right movement or America never wrote the declaration of independence. Women would have never received equal rights, and we would still be under control of Brittan. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” He was saying that if African Americans didn’t demand their rights and fight for equality they will never get it, which is undoubtedly true. 
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a great example to prove this quote true. In the story women are completely controlled by men. She is labeled as mentally unstable and forced to be bed ridden until her “illness” has ran its course. In this time women had limited rights and everything they did had to overseen by their husbands. In one point of the play she says “I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?” (Gilman 317). She knows that what is being done to her is wrong and she has a real solution to the problems she is faced with. If nobody in history ever stood up for what they believed in like the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” did, there would never be any change. Woman would probably still be faced with the same things that this woman was.
Today, the lack of freedom that is shown in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is much more of a rarity. Although it still exists especially in other third world countries. Some countries still don’t believe in equal rights. For example in some middle eastern countries men and women don’t even get to choose their spouse. It is chosen by their parents and other circumstances at birth who they will be forced to live with for the rest of their lives. If those citizens never speak up and express they want and need for freedom, they might never get the chance to choose their own husband/wife. But if suddenly a group of people started to demand something be change, it is much more likely for it to be done.

"It's All Just an Illusion"

The characters in “A Streetcar Named Desire” are masters of deception. Not only do they deceive each other countless times throughout the play, they also deceive themselves. At one point Stella says “I couldn't go on believing her story and live with Stanley" (Stella, 1232). This means that Stella would rather force herself to believe a lie then to face the truth. In reality Stanley is a control freak, a rapist, and would do anything to have things his way. But in Stella’s dream land none of this is so. She wants Stanley to be the perfect husband and them to live happily ever after, no matter what he does. She truly did live the life she imagined.
Throughout history this same mentality of creating dreams as a way to escape reality have be present. The holocaust was a huge tragedy that affected millions of families. Today people deny that the holocaust took place at all. This is a way to live the “life you imagine” where people don’t want to believe that others could do the horrifying things that took place during that time. Stella is the same way. She denies the fact that her sister is right about her husband but lies to herself to keep peace in her dream world.

Human Flaw & Idealism in "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

(N.O.W) Letter to Censorship Committee)

Shaun Bauer

National Organization for Women (N.O.W.)

1100 H Street NW, Suite 300

Washington, D.C. 20005

March 19, 1950

Barack Obama

Censorship Committee

1395 Lexington Ave

New York, NY 10128

Dear Mr. Obama,

It has come to my attention that you and your committee have refused to publish the short story “The Storm” By Kate Chopin. I believe your decision was made solely because of your sexist views. As a member of the National Organization for Women (N.O.W) I have decided to write this letter to explain why I feel your decision is unjust and wrong.

Your reason for denying this piece of work publishing is that you feel the work is “unworthy filth that should not be published for the world to read. “You also stated that this work “transgresses the virtuous, moral and social structure of American literature and that it clearly depicts women in a negative light”. All the above is an absurd description of this story. The N.O.W does not support acts of adultery, but that is far from the point of this story. If any member of your committee actually read and intellectually analyzed the piece without the sexist non egalitarian views that you all have. You would realize how far your comments are from the truth.

In the story the main character Calixta seeks spiritual and sexual freedom due to being oppressed and repressed by the male dominated society. This piece should be published to show men and women what problems are bound to arise in an unhealthy marriage. Calixita felt she was being mistreated and she was unhappy thus leading to her cheating. This story also shows how Calixta’s actions helped her view on her marriage. She realized that she truly loves her husband and family and was able to live a better life. If Calixta’s husband would have fulfilled her sexual and spiritual needs se never would have cheated. If husbands of today stopped oppressing their wives they would live happier and have more success in their marriages. Today women are expected to cook, clean, and attend to their husbands every want and need. If women were allowed to show any bit of freedom, physically and mentally, things like adultery wouldn’t take place.

There are much worse examples in the literature of today that demoralize women and men that have been published without hesitation. Every piece of erotic literature that has been published that has any hint of adultery or sexually interaction is just as bad or worse than “The Storm.” If this story would have had Calixta’s husband at home cheating on her and Calixta at the grocery store, the story would have been published and this letter wouldn’t be in your hands. There is so much to gain from someone reading Chopin’s story and I hope you can see it as much as we do. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I hope to hear back from you soon.

Sincerely,

Shaun Bauer

Coming Up Short

Shaun Bauer

Professor Brady

English 102

9 April 2012

Coming Up Short

            Failure is a theme shared by short stories “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri and “A&P” by John Updike. Failure is present everywhere in society and is a part of human nature. No matter how hard we as humans strive for perfection failure, in one way or another is bound to cross every individual’s path at some point. The world renowned movie “Rocky” also gives similar insight to the theme of failure. The main character Rocky trains nonstop night and day to become the best boxer. As you follow his epic path of hard work and dedication you learn that his efforts result in failure with his championship match against Apollo Creed. Sammy from Updike’s “A&P” quits his job as a supermarket cashier after he fails to see eye to eye with his boss with the way he treated the young girls who were in the store. In “Interpreter of Maladies” one of the main characters Mr. Kapasi has a dream of becoming an interpreter for diplomats. But he fails to accomplish his dream and ends up working for a doctor instead. Each story shares their similarities and differences, but all focus on a similar theme of failure. The characters all work towards gaining what they want but they all come up short and result with failure thus affecting them in a negative way.

            Mr. Kapasi from the “interpreter of Maladies: had a lifelong dream of becoming a diplomatic interpreter. In the story the narrator says “He wanted to be an interpreter for diplomats, the one and only person who could understand both countries and resolve serious conflicts.” (Lahiri 52). This was his dream and what he wanted to accomplish in his life. But sadly he never got the opportunity of said position. Instead he became a doctor’s interpreter. A less important position, which he felt left him unimportant and meaningless. His wife also added on to the harsh realization of his life’s short comings. The result of failing his dream left Mr. Kapasi with a negative outlook on life. He is stressed about his current standing and the fact his wife adds on to it makes it even worse.

            Updike’s “A&P” shows a very similar example of failure. Sammy is a cashier at a supermarket. This is a very low end job with minimal responsibility and importance. At the end of the story Sammy’s boss confronts these girls who are, in his mind, inappropriately dressed and didn’t meet the stores regulations. Sammy then decides that he didn’t agree with the way his boss treated the girl’s and decides to quit and stand up for them. Updike makes it a point to show Sammy’s attempt to make sure the girls hear him, he says “The girls are in a hurry to et out, so I say “I quit” to Lengel quick enough for them to hear”. (Updike 413). But the girls were not aware of Sammy’s intentions and Sammy quit his job for no reason. He failed to make his point and “stand up” for the girls. All he really did was lose his job for absolutely no reason. This story ends with Sammy standing in the parking lot and the girls are nowhere to be found. But Sammy’s failure will most likely lead to having negative effects for him in the future. His parents aren’t going to accept the fact he quit for reason, and now he is out of a job.

            The blockbuster “Rocky” directed by Sylvester Stallone is an epic tale of an aspiring boxer who came up to fame from nothing. The first half or so of the movie you are brought along with Rocky as he trains to become a championship boxer. All of his efforts lead up to a big championship fight against the infamous Apollo Creed. Sadly his efforts weren’t enough, and rocky loses the fight after a long fought battle. The defeat was shocking and the emotion of the film quickly changed. Rocky was directly affected by this failure similar to Sammy and Mr. Kapasi.

            “Rocky”, “A&P”, and “Interpreter of Maladies” show the causes and effects of failure. In all three situations each character had a goal and a struggle to achieve that goal. Bun in the end they all came up short. The after effects of these failures were similar in all three pieces. Although “A&P” leaves you without knowledge of what happens next you can assume he won’t gain anything positive from it. The other difference is the Rocky learned from his failure and in future films he succeeded his missions to become one of the best boxers in the world. Failure is something that we as humans have to grow accustomed to. The way you deal with it and learn from it to better your self for the future is a vast benefit that comes from failure. In any case no matter how big or small what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.