Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Abstract
      Mr.Hale and Harry were on their way into town with a load of potatoes when they stopped by the Wright's house. Mr.Hale was stopping by to see if John Wright would want to get a party telephone with him. As he got to the house it looked as though no one was home until he saw that Mrs.Wright was sitting in the rocker pleating her apron. Mr.Hale asked where Mr.Wright was and Mrs.Wright said he was dead. Mr.Hale couldn't believe this and called Harry to come and see what had happened. They saw that Mr.Wright had been wrung by his neck.
       The county attorney and sheriff were now at the house to investigate. Mrs.Wright was taken into town into jail. Mrs.Hale and Mrs.Peters were also along to help investigate. They searched the house for clues, but couldn't find anything. Mrs. Peters and Mrs.Hale were noticing small things that were not normal and they figured out that Mrs.Wright killed her husband, but they weren't going to tell the guys that discovery.


Response
       Mrs. Wright was a lady that was very simple and didn't take pride in herself at all, at least that's what Mrs. Peters and Mrs.Hale saw, but before she got married that image was different. As they were waiting around the house for the guys to gather clues. They started finding clues of their own. They saw that the bread was left out on the counter and their was one loaf still to be baked. Another thing they found suspicious was the the house wasn't clean or put together. It was dirty and not kept up. They thought this must be because Mrs.Wright didn't have the energy or need to clean, she had given up.
       While Mrs.Hale was looking down she found that there was quilting basket on the floor. They started looking at it and saw that there were quilt squares and most were already sewn except for one that didn't looked very well sewn at all. It looked as though Mr.Wright was nervous about something. What would make Mrs.Wright nervous, was it her life, or her husband? John Wright was known to be a nice guy, but he was a "hard man". This probably was how he was with his wife too.
        Another thing Mrs.Peters and Mrs.Hale found was bird cage with broken door. It looked as though someone was angry with the bird and wanted it gone. The women suspected that Mr.Wright was sick of the bird singing and killed it. This idea was confirmed when they found the bird with it neck wrung, and placed inside a silk satchel in Mrs.Wright's quilting basket.
          All these clues lead to one thing, oppression. Mrs.Wright was being oppressed by her husband. She was unhappy and lonely, but there was nothing that she could do about it. She did what she was told and didn't argue with her husband. The only people that saw this were the women in the story. The men were totally oblivious to this idea because they thought that the women couldn't do anything or any investigative work because they were women.
         Throughout the story there are many different remarks and actions that show that the men looked down upon the women. They talk about when they first enter the house, how filthy it is. The women answer back that it's hard to upkeep a whole farm by themselves. As the story continues Mr. Hale states the women are always worrying about trifles, or small unnecessary things. The women take offense to this comment because if women didn't pay attention to trifles, there are things that wouldn't ever be done around the house.
       As it is shown through this story many women are oppressed by men. Although the women feel this they don't do anything about it and try to deal with it on their own. The men are oblivious to the thought that women can think on their own and figure things out quicker than they can sometimes.

Hamlet- Act 5

Act 5-
Scene 1-
       The first clown and second clown are digging a grave for Ophelia. They said that she must have been defending herself from the water, but couldn't get away and that's how she drowned. It is a sin of the church that you must not commit suicide. If you do this you will not have proper funeral and you won't be buried in the church cemeatary.
        Hamlet and Horatio are on their way back to the castle when they see the first clown digging the grave. Hamlet asks who he's digging it for, but he won't answer Hamlet. The first clown just keeps talking around Hamlet's questions. Hamlet and Horatio hide because they hear people coming with a casket. He is surprised to see that it is Ophelia who has died. Before they are about to bury her Laertes jumps in the grave and says that he'll be buried alive with her. This angers Hamlet and he comes out from his hiding spot and insults Laertes, saying that he'll never love Ophelia as much as Hamlet does. The Queen tries to get Hamlet to calm down and says that he might not be as crazy as he seems.


Scene 2-
         When Hamlet was traveling to England he found that in the letters that Claudius was telling England to kill Hamlet. Hamlet couldn't believe this and rewrote the letters telling the King that he should kill the carriers of the letters immediately, all this was being told to Horatio. Once Hamlet was back to Denmark Osric comes to Hamlet asking him to fight. Hamlet was invited to fight Laertes, and Claudius has a bet saying that Laertes will win. 
            While Laertes and Hamlet are fighting Claudius poisons Hamlet's drinking cup. As the fight goes on the Queen give Hamlet her handkerchief, and takes a drink of Hamlet's cup. Claudius realizes that he's poisoned his wife, and he can't believe it. Laertes is then injured and so is Hamlet. They accidently exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with his own weapon. Then Laertes tells Hamlet that it was Claudius's fault, so Hamlet forces him to drink the poison and he dies.
             Through all this mayham Laertes dies from the poison on the sword. Hamlet says his goodbyes to Horatio and all the others watching and dies too. As Hamlet's dying he hears the horns from Fortinbras's army. They were on their way back from the win in Poland. Fortinbras was surprised to hear of all the deaths. In the end Horatio and Fortinbras sit down and talk about the happenings and the story behind it all.


Response-
           This reading goes by very quickly. I think this is because there are so many events that are happening. The acts of  Hamlet seem very calm for all of the camotion that is going on. This is because Hamlet knows he is going to die. He wants to die for his father. Hamlet has done all he can do to avenge his father's death. I think that the fact that Hamlet had to avenge his father's death drove him crazy because he didn't know how to do it. Hamlet didn't want to hurt anyone because that went against all he believe, but he thought if he didn't avenge his fathers death what is the point of living.
             After Hamlet finally found out that Claudius would die there was no other reason to live. Hamlet had done what he was asked to do and his life was lived for. I think this is a huge turning point in the story when Claudius dies because there is no fight to fight anymore. Hamlet has done all he can do. 
              Hamlet's tone in the start of the second scene is really angry and almost like he can't take anything anymore. As the fight goes on it builds up until finally when Hamlet forces Claudius to drink out of the goblet. This is the point where his craziness peaks and there is not more he can do. He doesn't show any emotion over his mother's death except that he wants to kill Claudius for killing her, but Hamlet was already going to do that anyways.

Hamlet- Act 4

Act 4-

Scene 1-

      Gertrude tells Claudius that when Hamlet was in her room talking to her he accidently killed Polonius. Claudius is shocked by this happening. Claudius orders that Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go and get Hamlet and Polonius's corpse and bring it to the church to have a funeral.

Scene 2-

     Hamlet hid the body of Polonius. Then Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to ask Hamlet where he has hidden the body, but Hamlet won't tell them. Hamlet won't tell him because he doesn't trust Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He knows they're only there because Claudius told them to talk to Hamlet since they were friends of Hamlet. 

Scene 3-

         Rosencrantz goes to the king and explains that Hamlet wouldn't tell him where he put Polonius's body. Claudius orders that he see Hamlet immediately. Hamlet explains that he is being eaten up by worms and these worms fish eat, which Claudius eats, so therefore he is eating the king. Hamlet gives him a hint saying that it's in the hallway somewhere so servants go looking for it. Hamlet is then assisted to get on the ship to go to England. Claudius sends letters to England pleading that they kill Hamlet once he gets there.

  

Scene 4-

        As Hamlet is on his way to England he comes across an army. It happens to be the army from Norway, who is directed by Fortinbras. Hamlet talks to the Captain and asks why they are attacking a small piece of land in Poland. The Captain says he's not quite sure and doesn't think its worth it, honestly. Hamlet thinks about what the Captain said and realizes that if you don't think violent then they aren't worth thinking or using.

Scene 5-

       Ophelia comes to the queen speaking nonsense. Gertrude is sure that she has gone crazy because of the death of her father. Claudius feels bad for a Ophelia, and he can't believe all the bad things that are happening at one time to him and his kingdom. Laertes has came back from France and is going to avenge his father's death. He is going to kill Claudius because Laertes believes that Claudius did it. Claudius promises that he didn't do it. If  he is guilty Claudius will give up his throne, crown, kingdom, and life.

Scene 6-

        A sailor has brought a letter to give to Horatio. It is from Hamlet, he has been taken by pirates. Guildenstern and Rosencrantz got away and are on their way to England. Hamlet asks Horatio to save him and to let the sailor go to the King. The sailor has many letters to the Claudius to read too.

Scene 7-

       Laertes visits Claudius and says that he wants to kill who murdered who killed his father. Laertes learns that it was Hamlet who killed his father. As they are talking Claudius receives a letter from Hamlet saying that he is returning home in a few days. Laertes asks if he can kill Hamlet, Claudius says that's fine. They plan that they will have duel and people will bet for who will win. If Laertes doesn't kill him with his sword covered in poisonous oil then they will hand him a drink that's poisoned for Hamlet to drink. So either way Hamlet will die and it will be no one's fault.  

Response-
         While Hamlet speaks in this Act you see how he's actually crazy. As Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ask Hamlet where he left Polonius's corpse, Hamlet doesn't answer. He just talks about the worms that will eat his body, which the king will eat eventually. This makes no sense at all to me and I think Hamlet's Id is taking over even more.
         All Hamlet can think about is killing Claudius and not letting Claudius get what he wants. Any question that people ask Hamlet he talks around it. He will never give them a definite answer. These is just on example of Hamlet's craziness in the start.
          As the story goes on Hamlet is off to England and is excited about it. I wonder why Hamlet would be happy about leaving his mother alone with Claudius? There must be something that Hamlet knows and Claudius doesn't because why would Hamlet willingly leave Denmark? I think that there is something that is Hamlet isn't telling anyone. He wants to leave England, but then I think he will come back and kill Claudius out of nowhere. This is shocking and probably won't see it coming but I think that's what will happen in the future. We know for sure that Hamlet is coming home from his letters.
           Is Hamlet really coming home or is he just trying to make Claudius paranoid? He could just be using psychology against Claudius. Maybe Hamlet wants Claudius  to think that he's coming home soon, but Hamlet won't appear home for a month or so. If this is the case the Claudius wouldn't be prepared for the attack, in which Hamlet would catch him off guard. Hamlet might be going crazy but some of the things he does makes him appear that he might still be halfway normal.

Hamlet- Act 3

Act 3-
Scene 1-
         Claudius and Polonius arrange for Ophelia to meet Hamlet on accident. As they meet, Claudius and Polonius are spying on them to hear what Hamlet has to say. They are trying to figure out why Hamlet is in the mood he is. Hamlet speaks to Ophelia and says that he doesn't want to be with her or marry her because she is a whore and has cheated on him. Hamlet explains that he feels bad for anyone that will try to marry her in the future. Claudius and Polonius are surprised by this because Hamlet shows no signs of craziness.
Scene 2-
          Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius all come to the play along with Hamlet and others. Before the prologue of the play is started two actors come out on stage. They act as if someone got poison in their ear and dies. Then the prologue starts and they don't say much at all about what just happened. The play starts and it's a about a king and queen, and the queen talks about the face that she'd never remarry if the king died. They talk about this for awhile. Hamlet wanted this play to be acted out in front of Claudius to see how he reacted to what happens because the play is a lot like what Claudius has done. Claudius reacts and orders that the play be stopped. He is angry that Hamlet would have a play like this shown.
Scene 3-
          Claudius and Gertrude agree to send Hamlet away to England. He is suppose to be going for business, but Hamlet can't stay in Denmark because Hamlet is too crazy to have in the country. Hamlet is ordered to go talk to his mother, and Polonius says he will hide and spy on the conversation. All agree that that would be fine to do. Claudius starts to think about what he has done and he feels guilt. He doesn't know if he can ever be forgiven, but keep the rewards. Hamlet sees that Claudius is praying, asking for forgiveness, and he draws his sword to kill Claudius, but then decides not to.

Scene 4-
           Hamlet is going to talk to his mother. She asks him why he had to insult his father, Claudius? Hamlet says that he didn't insult him at all. Hamlet says that the Queen needs to look at herself and who she used to be, this scares the queen and she cries help. Polonius answers from behind the tapestry, where he was hiding. This startles Hamlet and he sticks his knife through the tapestry and kills Polonius. Hamlet then continues talking to his mother and asks her why she would do such a cruel thing to him. Why would she marry her husband's brother? Hamlet tells her to look at a picture and he explains that his father was good looking and friendly and Claudius just looked cruel and deceiving. While Hamlet is talking to his mother the ghost of his father appears. It tells him to be nice to his mother because she has been shocked by what Hamlet has said. Hamlet begs his mother to not sleep with Claudius tonight because that's all he wants.

Response-
        Hamlet is really starting to outsmart Claudius. Claudius believes that Hamlet is crazy and he can't function normal at all. Polonius had caught on to the fact that Hamlet had a method to his madness. All these emotions and thoughts are affecting the psychological aspect of this story.
        Hamlet's ego is in full force here because he is thinking realisticly on how he will get Claudius to admit what he's done. Hamlet starts to think about what would make Claudius feel guilt, he doesn't come up with an idea until he hears that a troupe is coming toward their castle. Hamlet talks to this troupe and asks if the they will perform, "The Murder of Gonzago". This story is a lot like the life that Claudius is living. As this play is being acted out Claudius becomes inpatient and doesn't like the play at all. He orders that it be stopped and leaves immediately. This makes Claudius go in to his Ego. He becomes aware of what he's done. He can't stand the guilt and is trying to hide it the best he can. By Hamlet using his ego this make Claudius's ego come out too.
         Polonius was trying to be friendly to the king and queen because he wants to impress them. He wants to  have the king and queen on his side so that he will be able to eventually kill Hamlet. I think this is Polonius's Id taking over because he wants so bad to have the throne eventually or just have power he'll do anything to get it. The only way to gain this power or dream he has is to do small things that don't mean much at all. By Polonius doing good things for the queen he is eventually killed, which is ironic. He wanted to kill Hamlet, but in return is killed by Hamlet himself.
          

  

Hamlet- Act 2

Act 2


Scene 1-
       Polonius told Reynaldo the servant to go to Paris and see what Laertes has been up to. Polonius asks Reynaldo to go around talking to people about Laertes in a negative way so that he can get the truth out of them. He is going to lie so that he gets what he wants. Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet visited her and scared her a bit. He came into her room looking terrible took  her hand and then backed away and left. Hamlet also wrote a love letter to her telling her how much he loved her.


Scene 2-
         Claudius orders two of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to figure out why Hamlet it acting the way he is. Polonius comes to Claudius and says that he sees that Hamlet has changed. Polonius says that he knows why Hamlet is the way he is. He is crazy because of the love for Ophelia. Polonius says that he'll talk to Hamlet and figure everything out. Claudius agrees to this and say Polonius can do this. Hamlet meets Polonius and he knows that his parents have sent him. Hamlet knows that Polonius is trying to do and he'll out smart them. Hamlet orders that the players perform for him and his parents one night soon. He knows that this play is known for making people confess what they've done especially murders.


Response-
         Throughout this scene there is a troupe that is coming to the castle to perform for Hamlet's and his family. When the players first enter Hamlet starts quoting a part from a play, and the player finishes it. This dialogue is about a guy attacking another man. As he tries to kill him he succeeds and they killer gets the man's kingdom. This directly relates to Claudius killing King Hamlet. Hamlet purposely wanted to show this experience to Polonius because he wants him to feel guilty. I think Hamlet thinks Polonius knows about Claudius killing Hamlet's father.          
           As Hamlet is reciting lines from the play he has a certain tone. He very anxious and expressive. He wants to leave a lasting impression on Polonius and make him feel sorry for Hamlet. I think Hamlet wants Polonius to fear him. In the lines he recites he is almost implying that the man who doesn't like the other guy will kill him. Hamlet wants to show that he will kill who ever stands in his way.
          The way that Shakespear writes this Act really shows how much he feels for Hamlet. He has Claudius and Polonius going together to go against Hamlet. Hamlet knows that this is happening and out smarts them both. Throughout this act he is insulting them both without them knowing so. Polonius thinks that Hamlet isn't smart and is completely clueless. Hamlet has a plan to out smart Claudius and Polonius. He orders that a play be performed. This play was called, "The Murder of Ganzago".
          This play is the perfect play to be performed in front of Claudius. This play was known for making people confess what they've done wrong. Hamlet wanted to watch Claudius watch this play and see how he would react. He wanted to see the facial expressions that Claudius  expressed and try to catch him for his fathers death. Hamlet knows that if he can make Claudius vulnerable then he can get him to confess the murder  that he committed. 
        

Hamlet- Act1

Act 1
Scene 1-
       Bernardo and Marcellus have seen a ghost while on guard at night. They told Horatio about their experience, but he doesn't believe them. One night they are all on guard and the ghost appears. Horatio tries to speak to the ghost but it just vanishes. The ghost is dressed in combat gear and looks just like the King that was killed. The ghost reappears and Bernardo, Marcellus, and Horatio try to force it to speak by advancing towards it with a spear, which scares the ghost off. They regret doing this and wish to know why the ghost keeps reappearing.
Scene 2-
       Claudius writes to the Fortinbras's uncle telling him that he should stop whatever his nephew is plotting to do to Denmark. He knows that Fortinbras is angry about King Hamlet taking his father's land many years ago, that is why Fortinbras wants to attack Denmark to get his land back. Claudius confronts Hamlet and tells him that he needs to stop mourning over the loss of his father. He must accept that Claudius is his new father. Hamlet hates that thought of this. Bernardo and Marcellus come to tell Hamlet that they have seen the ghost of his father. Hamlet demands that he see this ghost therefore Hamlet will stand guard with Bernardo and Marcellus that coming night.
Scene 3-
        Laertes is on his way back to France, which is where he came from. He tells his sister, Ophelia that she must beware of Hamlet. Hamlet may want to be with Ophelia, but once they are the state of Denmark will control their relationship because he will have to act for the nation. He is just being nice to get her, Laertes says. Polonius says the same things and says that Ophelia must not see Hamlet anymore. Opehlia agrees because she doesn't know what else to believe.
Scene 4-
         Hamlet, Bernardo, and Marcellus are all on guard and it's a little after midnight. They see that the ghost appears. Hamlet pleads that the ghost explain why it's here and what it wants. Then ghost motions to talk to Hamlet alone, so he follows. Bernardo and Marcellus don't trust the ghost so they follow too.
Scene 5-
           Hamlet meets up with the ghost. This ghost is the ghost of his father. The ghost tells Hamlet how he was killed. Everyone in Denmark said that he was poisoned by a snake that bit him while he was sleeping in the forest. All this was lie because the truth is, Claudius poured henbane poison into King Hamlet's ear and  killed him. Hamlet is outraged by this news and can't wait to avenge his father's death, and kill his uncle who killed his father. Claudius lured Gertrude to turn against her husband and be with Claudius, which makes them incensed, this also makes Hamlet angry.
      
Response
          Most of this story is based on the thoughts of Hamlet and Claudius. They are both determined to get their ways even if they irrational. At the beginning of the story Hamlet definitely shows his ego, because he is in mourning. There is no way he can control the reality of what he is going through, the death of his father. As they story continues he is questioned about his ego because Claudius doesn't like that he is wearing black and always moping around the castle. 
             Claudius is definitely influenced by his dreams or Id. He wanted to be king and he wanted it so bad that he killed his brother. Why would someone kill their own brother? That thought is something that wouldn't enter many people's minds. He was obviously out of his conscious mind, in order to kill his brother. Claudius had always dreamed of being king, and hated King Hamlet that he'd doing anything to have the throne, which is what he did.
            Claudius then had to switch his thinking in order to think realistically about how he'll get the throne. He knows that he must charm the queen, Gertrude, with lust. So he flirts with her and gets her to love Claudius. By swaying Gertrude to think like this she no longer has an attachment to King Hamlet, which makes it easier to kill him. Another thing that Claudius uses his Ego for is when he thinks up a way to kill King Hamlet. His thought is to poison him, which is smart because then there is no proof. People will just suspect he was bitten by a snake or that he was poisoned, but they don't know who it was that did it.
             At the end of the story when Hamlet has spoke to the ghost his Id starts to kick in. He starts to think irrational because all he wants to do is to avenge his fathers death. Hamlet is so  angry he will do anything, even if it requires him to act crazy. He is determined to kill his uncle, Claudius. The only reason Hamlet becomes irrational is because of his anger.

Oedipus Rex- Scenes 3&4/ Exodos

Abstract
      Oedipus finds out that he is incensed and that in fact his wife is his mother too. He didn't understand how this could be possible until it was explained to him by one of the messengers who knew the shepherd that found Oedipus when he was younger. Oedipus was abandoned by his parents when they heard the oracle from Apollo about their son killing his father. They left Oedipus to die, but he was found by a man who then gave Oedipus to the shepherd who gave him to his so called parents. Once Oedipus was older he heard of this oracle and wanted to escape. While he was escaping he killed Laios, who was Oedipus's actual father. Oedipus cannot believe this at all. He immediately goes to his wife which he finds has hung herself. Oedipus tears his eyes out with the brooch’s on his wife's dress. He wants to be blind because then he won't see those that he created a troubled life for. He begs that Kreon the new ruler takes him out in the middle of nowhere and dumps him off there to die.

Response
       As I read this story I felt that the ending was kind of predictable. I feel that Sophocles set these thoughts up earlier in the play, with Kreon telling Oedipus that he murdered Laios. At first Oedipus doesn't want to believe it's true and he can't think of any evidence that would make this true until he talks to the messenger. he then puts the pieces together and realizes that Laios was in fact his father.
       Scenes three and four really deal with the theory that Sigmund Freud developed called "Psychosexual development". In this theory Sigmund tells us how younger boys want to kill their fathers so that they can have their mother's to themselves. This theory is present in the oracle that Apollo tells Laios and his wife when Oedipus was younger. The whole problem with Oedipus is that he was trying to prevent himself from killing his father, when in actuality thats exactly what he did. 
       Once Oedipus is older and finds out what he has done, he goes into a state of denial. He doesn't want to admit he killed his father and even more he doesn't want to say that his children are from his mother. This thought just brings shame on Oedipus. Once he accepts what he has done, he makes sure that he receives the consequences that were put in place for the murderer of Laios. On top of those consequences Oedipus cuts his eyes out. He feels as though what he has done he can never live with and doesn't want to see those he hurt. He apologizes to his children and wants to make sure that they marry in the future and are not effected by his poor decisions.

Oedipus Rex- Prologue and Scenes 1&2

Abstract
     Oedipus is is the King of Thebes, and ruler overall. He orders Kreon to visit two different shrines and see what the gods want him to do about his town. Oedipus needs answers from the gods because his city is dying from a plague. Kreon is days late from him travels and this worries Oedipus. Once Kreon gets home he tells Oedipus that they must kill everyone because they need to avenge the death of Laios and figure out who killed him. Oedipus doesn't agree with this thought completely.
       Oedipus demands that any people that know about Laios's death must speak up. If they do they'll receive an award. Oedipus is determined to find the murder. He expresses that the penalty for killing Laios is that the murder is not allowed in any homes in the city of Thebes. The murder will also not be allowed in the church and never be spoke to by Oedipus Rex.
       Oedipus orders all his workers to be under oath and tell what they know about Laios's death. Kreon doesn't show up to this which makes Oedipus suspicious because he was the one who spoke of the murder in the first place.
      Oedipus then talks to Teiresias and begs him to tell Oedipus who the murderer is, but Teiresias refuses to talk. Oedipus figures out that Kreon made all this up so that he could get the throne, which angered Oedipus even more. Kreon says he didn't kill Laios, but Oedipus doesn't believe Kreon. He talks to his wife, Iokaste, about it and she says that Kreon never lies. This just make Oedipus even more angry because his wife isn't on his side of this fight. Kreon claims that Oedipus killed Laios which is actually his father. The reason why Oedipus did this is so he would be with his mother. Oedipus can't believe that Kreon would say something like that and wants him killed.



Response
    This whole story is based on the thoughts that Oedipus is thinking. Everything that he does is based on his emotions even if has nothing to back up his belief. I feel that Oedipus's anger is what gets the best of him. Just because Oedipus is ruler means he can do whatever he wants no questions asked. Most people in the city of Thebes don't challenge his decisions, except for Kreon. Kreon feels as though he really knows whats right and the indeed Oedipus is the murder of Laios. Kreon says this because he knows that this will anger Oedipus and get him off topic of thinking that Kreon killed Laios. All the tactics used by Kreon are psychological. He wants Oedipus to have to think deeply and maybe even have self doubt so then Kreon won't be killed. This is just one instant when the psychology comes into play in this story.
      As I began to read even more I found that the theory that Sigmond Freud developed is represented. Kreon claims that Laios was indeed Oedipus's father. So he believes that Oedipus killed his father, Laios, so that he could be with his mother. It just so happens that his mother is that one that his is also married to and had a son with. So as you can see Freud's theory is present in this story.

Poetry Entry #2

My Last Duchess

        This poem is based on Alfonso II who was a duke of Ferrara in Italy and loved his duchess very much. He had her painted on a wall. This painting is admired by the duke. He expresses how alive she looks in the painting and how he wants to show it off to those who enter his home. 

         The duke then begins to talk about his duchess and her characteristics. She had a heart that was easy  to make happy. Her skin was very pale and flush. Then the duke starts to tell a story about the duchess being in the orchard and she was lost. A guy with a horse helped her out of the orchard and she blushed as she said thank you. This happened often that she would flirt with other guys. 

          The Duke talks about how the Duchess should be happy with him because she is with someone who has a nine-hundred year old name. He starts to order her around and tell her what she should do. The duchess doesn't like this at all. She becomes unhappy and eventually leaves him.

My Papa's Waltz

        This poem is about a boy that is waltzing with his father, who has been drinking whiskey. As he's dancing with his dad he's trying to ignore the smell of the whiskey that is taking over the air. They danced and danced until the pans in the kitchen ell off the shelves. Then the boy's mother came in with a frown on her face, not too happy at what she saw. The father's hands were worn and battered. As the boy stood with his father he was a lot shorter and his ear rubbed on his dad's belt buckle. As they continued to dance the father took the boy to his bed.

Poetry Enrty #1

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time By Robert Herrick

            I feel like this title says a lot. The first part of the title is “To the Virgins…” This is written to people who don’t take chances or experience much in their lives therefore making them virgins. The next part of the title says, “to Make Much of Time” which is saying live your life and don’t be so cautious all the time.

            The first stanza talks about how you should cherish what you have now because the next moment you know it could be gone. Then it goes on to say in the second stanza that every day you get closer and closer to heaven. This gives you even more of a reason to live your life and try new things all the time. As the poem progresses it talks about how your youth is the best time of your life, even though you’ll go through things that aren’t easy. It only makes you a better person. In the last stanza it expresses that you must use your time you have in life and not regret anything. As you go through your life you’ll lose your youth and you don’t want to have to stay stuck in one place because you were never adventurous.

I wandered lonely as a cloud By William Wadsworth

            The poet is thinking about himself writing poetry and how he must think and wonder to figure out what he wants to write about. He finds himself staring at these daffodils and how they are so blissful. They dance in the breeze and all through the day and night. He talks about how there must be ten thousand of them that just dance and move. All these daffodils make him inspired to write his poetry unlike him sitting at home on his couch, but if he thinks of the daffodils he is inspired to write once again.

Annabel Lee By Edgar Allen Poe

            The narrator is in love with Annabel Lee, which is a maiden that lives in a kingdom by the sea. Annabel and the narrator have been in love forever; since they were little. Annabel Lee was the most loving person and loved with so much love.

            The angels of the high heavens wished for the love between these two to be taken away. By taking this love away this killed Annabel Lee because that’s what she lived for. Annabel Lee’s death saddens the narrator and he will never leave her side. He will always love her whether she’s physically with him or not.

            Everything that the narrator sees reminds him of Annabel Lee, like the stars and the moon makes him think of her and her beauty. When night comes he lies down next to her tomb and falls asleep with her by the sea, which is where they spent most of their time together.

            

The Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich

Abstract
         Henry and Lyman are brothers that live on an Indian Reservation. Lyman is the brother that has all the luck. He does various jobs and ends up owning a the diner that he first started working at as a bus boy. One day a tornado hits the diner. Lyman isn't too worried though because he gets insurance money for it. One day Lyman and his brother take off to buy a red convertible they saw. They take this car on a trip all the way up to Alaska, because they picked up a girl who needed a ride there. Once they get home Henry is called to the Vietnam War. Henry finally returns home after three years and appears to be different. He doesn't speak or stop moving around. Lyman wants Henry to look at the convertible, so Lyman goes out and breaks parts and bangs it up so Henry will have to fix it up in order to drive it. Henry finally gets all fixed up and they go for a drive. Henry insists that Lyman take the car for himself, Lyman says no, and they begin to fight. Lyman agrees to take it finally. Henry and Lyman stop along this river and start drinking. Henry says he's going to go for a swim, but the current carries him away. Lyman can't believe this and he pushes the car into the river after Henry.


Response

         “The Red Convertible” is a story that truly depicts the horror that a family goes through when having a member of the family go to war. Henry and Lyman are brothers and have a close relationship with each other. They get their money together and decide to buy a red convertible to share. This red convertible is that representation of their relationship. Henry and Lyman’s relationship starts out in good condition, just like the newly bought car. Then they take it on a road trip to Alaska. The car needs some fixing up, but still remains nice.

            Henry is called to war and has to leave behind his brother and car. This shows that he leaving or kind of abandoning his relationship with his brother. While Henry is away Lyman tries to write to him, but the enemy intercepts the letters and Lyman is pretty sure they never get to Henry. In this part of the story to can see the relationship is falling apart, so is the car. Lyman begins disassembling the car and taking out parts and re-doing them. This again proves that the red convertible represents Henry and Lyman’s relationship.

            After three years Henry finally returns home. He isn’t the same at all. He won’t talk and he is very jumpy, and can’t sit still. He continues to not talk or be social for many weeks. The only thing that intrigues him is the color television that Lyman bought for his mother. He likes this because it’s so real and doesn’t look like the past.

            One day Lyman goes out to the convertible and destroys it and breaks parts to see if Henry will notice. After a few months pass Henry finally notices and yells at Lyman for not keeping it nice. So Henry begins to fix it and re-do it. This represents that start to Lyman and Henry mending their relationship. After lots of hard work Henry finally gets the car running, and their relationship becomes mended and well.

            One day they take the newly fixed car out on a drive. Henry all of a sudden becomes white and furious. Lyman knows exactly what’s happening. Henry figured out that Lyman purposely broke parts and hurt the car so Henry would fix it. Henry explains that Lyman must have the car, but Lyman refuses. They stop the car and begin fighting. Finally they stop and laugh about it and Lyman says he’ll take the car.

            Henry says he’s going to swim quickly in the river along the side of the road where they stopped. Lyman hears Henry splash into the river but then it becomes silent. Lyman rushes to see what’s wrong. He finds that the current in the river has taken Henry and he can’t fight it. This saddens Lyman. Lyman goes and gets the car and puts in neutral and let’s in dump into the river. This is the end of the car and the end of Lyman and Henry’s relationship.

The Things They Carried By Tim O'Brien

Abstract
         Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is that narrator in this story. He is telling the lives of soldiers during the Vietnam War. He explains what everyone carries and why. Henry Dobbins was a big man and he carried extra rations of food. Dave Jensen carried personal hygiene items. Ted Lavender carried tranquilizers like dope. Norman Bowker carried a diary and Kiowa carried a Bible. There were many others things that these men all had to carry that didn't differ between each other, but the things listed above were some things that differed depending on the person. Jimmy Cross always carried pictures of Martha and her letters. He would read them ever night. Whenever Jimmy was at war he would find himself day dreaming about Martha. This cost him a man on day. He wasn't paying attention and Ted Lavender was coming back from the bathroom and was shot down. This was a wake up call for Jimmy and he realized he couldn't dream about Martha any longer.


Response
           The character’s names in the story “The Things They Carried” are representative of their attitudes and what they carried with them in war. Another thing to look at is the significance of the title throughout the story. When looking at facts about Tim O’Brien I found that he served in the Vietnam War. I can evaluate this story on these things pointed out above and how they all have symbols in the story.

            The character that stuck out to me the most was Ted Lavender. Lavender is known to be a scent that is calming and relaxing. This idea is also represented by the things that Ted Lavender carries with him while are war. He carries dope and other tranquilizers. This is just like relaxing and calming him down so he feels no emotion or pain. So as you can see Ted Lavender’s name represents what he is carrying.

            Another name I found that represents what they’re carrying is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. As Jimmy explains in the story is that he loves Martha, who is a junior at Mount Sebastian. While he is at war he finds himself day dreaming about Martha, and not focusing on his job. This is why I think Tim O’Brien named him Jimmy Cross because he’s crossed between war and someone he loves. He is trying to do two things at once, but it’s not working because one of his soldiers dies.

The title “The Things They Carried” makes you think it’s just going to be a story about people who carried some kind of object. In this story the people are soldiers at war and they are carrying guns, ammunition, food, and things to stay alive. But not only did they pack these things they had personal belongings that represented them as a person. One guy carried a bible because he was deep into his religion. One guy carried extra food because he was large in size. It wasn’t just objects and material things they carried, but also memories and mental blocks. They carried memories of people who had died that they had seen, but got to the point that they could block it out. They also carried the thought to duck and run anytime they heard a gunshot. These men were trained to do this and they carried that training with them to fight and stay safe.

All the experiences found in this book we so surreal. It made you think that you were actually in the war while reading the story. Tim O’Brien was able to make this story so real because he fought in the Vietnam War, which this book was written about. I think that the characters and the events that took place within this story are modeled after what Tim saw. I’m guessing that all the characters were his friends and were in his troop.

Everyday Use By Alice Walker

Abstract
          There is a girl named Maggie and she has a sister named Dee. They aren't treated the same at all by their Mama. Dee is the skinny beautiful girl that everyone likes and she gets everything handed to her by her mom. On the other hand Maggie gets nothing, and appear different than others because she was burned in a fire. Dee is sent to college by her mother, and years go by and Dee comes back to visit. She has changed her name and dresses in African style clothing, also with her is her new husband. Dee starts taking old objects from the past. She takes a dash and some quilts. The mom see that Dee won't take cure and pass on the family heritage with the quilts so Mama takes them from Dee. Dee can't believe this is happening. Mama then gives the quilts to Maggie because she knows that Maggie will pass the heritage on to future generations by her sewings.


Response

            “Everyday Use” was a story that I thought was a good explanation of how women live their lives. If you think about the title and what it means, it defines women. Women are thought to be the ones who do the house work; they cook, clean, sew, etc. This is exactly what Mama had done all her life in this story. She passes these same trades onto Maggie. Maggie is the less-fortunate girl in the family. Her sister Dee is pretty and smart. The only reason Maggie is less-fortunate is because when she was younger the house started on fire and Maggie couldn’t get out of the house without getting her skin burned. At the start of the story Mama never pay attention to Maggie and this view transforms throughout the rest of the story.

            Mama never had an education and she wanted one of her daughters to have one, so she sends Dee to college. This was what Dee wanted because she always complained about living on a farm and doing outside work. Dee comes back years later and has changed her appearance. Mama doesn’t like the change and Maggie never really liked Dee in the first place.

            When Dee is looking around the house she sees objects that represent where she’s from. She asks Mama if she can have a hand carved butter churn and a dasher. Then she goes up into Mama’s room and takes the old quilts and garments from a chest. She explains how she is going to display all this stuff at her house. Mama doesn’t like this is idea at all and snatches the quilts from Dee’s grasp and gives them to Maggie. This angers Dee, and she says that Maggie won’t appreciate the quilts because she’ll use them for “everyday use”. Mama explains that Maggie knows how to fix them or re-sew a whole new quilt if needed.

            The term, “everyday use” is not a bad thing like Dee makes it sound. If you use something for everyday use that means it’s important to you. It means that you value whatever it is and want to make sure you’re reminded of it every day of your life. So when Dee refers to everyday use being bad she’s actually thinking illogical.

            The reason mother takes the quilt from Dee and gives them to Maggie is because she knows that the heritage of the family will live on. She knows that Maggie will be able to sew quilts to pass on to her family and so on. If she had given the quilts to Dee she would never pass them on and eventually they would be thrown away or sold to someone who had no appreciation for them.

            Not only does Mama transform throughout this story, but so does Dee. First of all she changed her name because her old name represented oppression. Dee also changes her lifestyle and her looks. By doing this Dee is losing her heritage and how her life is defined. Heritage is a key part of this story and that’s why Mama wouldn’t let Dee take the quilts. She knew that Dee wouldn’t appreciate them as much as Maggie and she wouldn’t take care of them as well.

The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara

Abstract
            Sylvia is a young girl living in the "slums". Throughout the neighborhood there are many other kids; most of them are cousins to Sylvia. None of these kids receive any education because their parents never have time to worry about them. Miss Moore is a large black lady who mentors these kids. She takes them on educational field trips. Sylvia always dreads going with Miss Moore because she's boring. All the kids get ready and take a trip into the city to fifth avenue. Once they get to fifth avenue they are all in shock to see all the nice clothing and toys in the windows. Miss Moore said that they could go into the toy store and look around but Sugar and Sylvia hesitate because they feel out of place. At the end of their visit to the toy store Miss Moore asks what they leaned and Sugar says that she learned that one toy boat is the same amount of money that could support their family's cost of food for a year. 


Response

            While reading, “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara I felt it was all based on money and the social class of people. The criticism I immediately felt related to this story was Marxism. At the start of the story you know from the word choice that the narrator must not be well educated. The first few words are, “Back in the days when…” this shows that proper grammar is not being used. Whenever I read and hear someone with poor grammar or vocabulary I think that means they’re not well educated, which in this story is true. Sylvia the narrator lives in the “slums” they way Miss Moore states it. This makes Sylvia part of the lower class of socioeconomic standing.

            It is apparent that education is not important to these kids or their parents. When the children are talking to Miss Moore they talk about how they don’t know where their parents are. In one case one of kids says he doesn’t even have a home. This shows you just how poor the value of education is to these families because their parents don’t even manage to take them to school. In the story Sylvia states that she doesn’t even live with her mother. She lives with her aunt. Her mother lives up the street in an apartment with another lady. Sylvia states that she doesn’t know what they do but she suspects they sit around and drink.

            The children go on a field trip into the city with Miss Moore one day. She hands Sylvia five dollars to pay for the cab. This make Sylvia excited and she can’t imagine what she could all buy with this money. At one point in the story she wants to stop the cab and get out and run away with the money. This just shows how in need Sylvia is for money and how sacred it is to her.

            They arrive on Fifth Avenue and see that there are many people roaming the streets. The stores are all expensive and Miss Moore tells the children that the will walk around and look in the windows at all the different things to buy. At one point a kid spots a toy boat and the price says a thousand some dollars. The children can’t believe that someone would pay that much for a toy. Miss Moore tells the children that they can go into the toy store and look around. All the kids rush through the door eager to get in, but once Sylvia and Sugar reach the doors they stop. The feel like their being looked at as they enter. They are different than the others in the store. They also notice that the store is quiet. They expected it to be loud with songs and children playing with toys. This is such an experience for Sylvia and the other children because their families don’t have money for toys. They can barely supply their families with food. That is why they are so astonished with the toys and how expensive they are.

            When all the children are done looking they all come outside. Miss Moore asks them what they thought of the store and what they learned. Surprisingly Sugar speaks up saying that the cost of the sailboat could pay for what all the children eat in one year. Sugar expresses how she can’t understand why anyone would ever pay that much for a toy. This is the turning point in the story because this is the whole reason Miss Moore took them in the field trip. So they could see how others live and how people use their money on different things.

            As the story ends Sylvia starts thinking about how people become rich and why can’t she? It ends up all coming down to education. You must have a good education in order to get a good job and make money. Sylvia sees how people with money live better lives and are happier. I think this is turning point for Sylvia and will inspire her to learn more so she can get to where people are that she saw on her field trip that day in the city. She even states it at the end of the story that, “But ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin.” This shows that Sylvia is determined to be better than her mother and the people that live in the slums.

Happy Endings By Margaret Atwood

Abstract
      John and Mary have met and there are different options you can read to end they story. One ending is that they both have good jobs and a beautiful house. They have two children and they travel with them. Eventually John and Mary grow old and die. The second ending is that Mary loved John, but John didn't love her. He used her for food and sex. Eventually Mary knows he's seeing another women and she kills herself. John gets married to the other woman Madge. The third ending is that Mary feels bad for John and so she stays with him although he has a wife. Mary is seeing a guy named James. One day John comes into Mary's apartment and finds James and Mary in her bed. This makes John mad so he goes out and buys a gun and kills them both and himself. His wife Madge mourns, but ends up marrying Fred. The fourth ending or D is about Madge and Fred. They survive and tidal wave and continue their life through the first ending stated above. The fifth ending is Fred and Madge and Fred dies of heart trouble so Madge devotes her life to charity work. The last ending or F is that Mary is a spy spying on other spies and John is a revolutionary in Canada and they continue on with ending A or one. In the end it comes down to however the story goes John and Mary will still die and that's truly the end.




Response
      When I started to read this story I was expecting to have a few endings to a story and they'd all be happy and fun to read. This was my initial thought because the story is titled, "Happy Endings". I was hoping to read about fairy tales with a princess and a prince. That is definitely not what I ended up reading. This whole story is based on the words happy and ending. When you think of happy you think of a good family with riches to share and the couple who are in love. The word ending just means the end of someone's life, which is death.
       As the options arise you find out that the two people you started with John and Mary, and you read different scenarios on how they live their live and how they're going to die. The main point here is that they are both going to die at some point, which the title explains when it says "endings". This is what Margaret Atwood is trying to convey throughout this whole reading John and Mary die; she even states it at the end of the story after option F. 
        Everyone is going to have an end to their life and that's death. It's the way you go about your death that defines it as being a sad or happy ending. While the whole time I'm thinking of unrealistic stories in which the ending of their life is based on the events prior to death. I never stopped to think that the ending to your life really isn't happy at all because you are leaving the world you have gotten to know so well to go to an unknown place that you're not familiar with at all. I think this whole story in a way was a play on words. It takes that thoughts you were thinking and totally destroys them. The title is completely morphed and becomes meaningless the more options that you read through the more it becomes apparent that endings will never be happy no matted what journey you take.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love By Raymond Carver

Abstract
         Mel and his wife Terri have their two friends Nick and Laura over. As they sit around the table drinking before they go out to eat they start talking. The main topic they talk about is love and how it's defined. At first Terri tells about her and Ed's love for each other and how he'd abuse her while saying he loved her. Mel said that wasn't love. Then Mel told a story about and older couple he saw in the ER. They were both in body casts and lived although no one expected them too. He explains how the man became depressed because he couldn't see his wife. This is pretty much the conclusion of the story and no definition of love is ever found.


Response

“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” confused me on what meaning Raymond Carver was trying to express. I understood that all the characters were trying to define what they thought love was. They all justified what they thought it was by their own experiences. No one person would agree with another because they never had the same experiences.

As I evaluate this story based on formalism I find one thing very apparent. At the beginning both couples are respectful of each other and love each other. Mel loves Terri and keeps telling her that. Then Terri begins telling the story about her ex Ed and how he loved her so much. He one time dragged her by her feet around the house and told her he loved her as he was doing this. Terri knew that this was true love and that Ed truly meant it. When Terri and Ed broke up Ed was still following her and finally he killed himself. This was representing the love that he had for Terri or at least that’s what she thought. He died for her and that’s true love, from Terri’s viewpoint. Mel found that to be unacceptable. There is no way anyone can hurt the one they truly love. Terri and Mel always disagreed with this scenario and they discussed it no longer.

As the story continues you can see how the love that Mel and Terri have fades. Mel starts to drink more and more gin. As a heart doctor he has to work every day and never has the nights off because he is on call. This one night he is free and so that’s why he’s having dinner with his wife and friends. That’s also why he is drinking so heavily because he needed to relieve stress. This drinking starts to make Mel’s talking and thoughts blurred throughout the story. This relates to the story because its gets more scattered and confusing towards the end. In the end I don’t even understand the definition of love if there even is one.

Throughout this whole story there is no apparent definition found. They just give examples but never explain how this relates to love and how it’s defined. I think love it hard for them all define because as Mel says they are young and there is so much more to their lives to learn. They won’t know what love is until they’re older and they’ve lived their life to the fullest. This is how the story is constructed too. There is no definite answer in the end because we must find it out on our own; no one can define it for us. We must define love by the actions we take and the relationships we have.

Where are you going, Where have you been? By Joyce Carol Oates

Abstract
         Connie is a fifteen year old girl who is into her appearance and being popular. Her mother always criticizes her and tells her that she is worthless in a sense. When Connie and friends would go out they'd go to the "mall". Although actually they went across the street to a diner where all the older kids hung out at. Connie loves the attention that she receives from the guys when she walk through the diner. One night she is asked by Eddie to go to his car with him, and Connie follows. The rest of the summer Connie does the same thing and meets many other guys. One day she is home alone and hears a car pull up in the driveway. She goes to the door to see who it is and finds out it's a guy that noticed her earlier when she was at the diner with Eddie. This guy claims he's only little bit younger than Connie and says that she should go for a ride with him in his gold car. She declines and he keeps persuading her to come with him. At last he gets mad and comes up to her door and says he won't come in as long as shes comes out and leaves with him. She finally gives in and goes outside to meet this man.  


Response

The roles women play society has changed over the years, but one thing that will never change is the effect they have on men. All women have the desire to impress men, and will do anything to achieve it. In the short story, “Where are you going, Where have you been?” Connie, the main character is caught up in her appearance and how to convey herself to the male species. She dresses up and does her hair just to go to the mall with her friends.

During the summer her and her friend’s get bored at the mall so they walk over to the diner across the road. This is the hot spot for teens in her town. It is known that all the older teens go here to hang around out. As she walks through the diner she is looking to impress the guys around her. All women do this at some point in their life, and they know that the guys will stare. By Connie taking part in this act contributes to what happens later in the story.

            One night when Connie is flattered by Eddie and is walking to his car she sees a guy that shows interest in her and he says, “Gonna get you, baby”. Connie doesn’t think anything about this encounter at all, until the day an unknown car pulls up to her house, one Sunday afternoon. Connie is immediately confused and excited about a guy coming to see her. She stands in the doorway as he talks to her and tries to lure her into his car to go for a ride. Connie keeps refusing, and doesn’t understand how this guy knows where she lives. He continues to tell her that she’s his lover.

As I look at this story I realize that this closely relates to the scenario that many teen girls encountered when being attacked by The Pied Piper of Tucson. This man was a serial killer in the 1960s that would lure girls to him by his good looks and wealthy background. The character of the mysterious man in this story directly relates to The Pied Piper of Tucson. They both stumbled up their stuffed shoes to make them appear taller. They both had the cole black hair with the make-up painted face. I feel like Joyce Carol Oates was directly affected by this killer, and so she decided to write at story about him and how a girl felt when being preyed upon by him.

            Not only can you conclude that women are taking roles in impressing men, but also the history behind this story greatly affects how Joyce Carol Oates writes. The way Connie dresses and portrays herself makes more susceptible to the Arnold Friend. She made herself be noticed and that’s what hurt her. So maybe, as a teen girl I can see how impressing someone isn’t helping yourself, although you may think that it is. Just be safe and in the end Connie should have listened to her mom.

            The history behind this story is shocking, and I can’t believe it is based on a serial killer. Everything that is explained about Arnold Friend is similar to The Pied Piper of Tucson. Also the fact that this story was written to Bob Dylan shows that it’s probably a response to one of the songs that he recorded.

A & P By John Updike

Abstract
       Sammy is checker at the A & P grocery store. One day his attention is drawn to three girls who walk in with just heir bathing suits on and no shoes. As they walk though the store he analyzes each girl and their figure. As they approach to check out they choose his cash register. Sammy is checking them out as his manager walks in and scolds the girls for just wearing bathing suits and tells them the store policy. This embarrasses Sammy and he quits as the girls walk out of the store.




Response
           The thoughts of guys and how they perceive women is shown in this story, “A & P” written by John Updike. The narrator of this story is Sammy, who is checker at the grocery store. He sees three girls walk into the store in just their bathing suits. By instinct men or boys are going to stare in amazement at a women’s body. Throughout this story that’s all the Sammy focuses on is their body’s.

            His superego or imagination starts to kick in when he talks about Queenie, which he labels one girl because she’s the leader of the pack. He imagines that her walk, which is stepping from heels to her toes, resembles how she walks in her everyday heels. Her slender body dressed pale pink swimsuit making her appear as a clean and untouched palette. This intrigues Sammy because of his mind wanders about the girl and the life she lives. He never once questions why she is just in her swimming suit because she looks good in it. This is different for the other girls that are with her, and all of this is because of the image that they give off to males.

            Now as Sammy comes back to his conscious mind or ego. He wonders why they’d be wearing swimming suits when the beach is 5 miles away, not to mention that the grocery store is in the middle of town. Why would girls take the trouble of going here? Is it because they wanted to make an impression on the men of the store? Did they do it for their own satisfaction to make themselves feel better?

            None of these reasons would seem logical when looking at it from the larger girl’s perspective. Why would she want to show her body off?  From the perspective that Sammy saw her from she had folds of skin over her suit and you could see the tan lines from the previous suits she had worn. This had to be uncomfortable for her to do. Did she maybe do it out of a dare that the other girls convinced her to do? I don’t understand the whole reason for them coming into the grocery store dressed like this?

            I feel like the author was trying to prove a point to young people in society. He was trying to show us that not all guys are bad and that just because they stare at a girls doesn’t mean they’re a pig. It relies solely on how girls dress. The men or boys wouldn’t stare at them if they dressed moderately and didn’t show their body off so much. Therefore this makes young adults at fault for their own decisions. If they want to recognize then they should wear more obvious clothing, if they don’t want to be looked at dress modestly.

            

A Good Man is Hard to Find BY Flannery O'Connor

Abstract
        A family of five plus their grandmother is taking a road trip to Florida. As they get ready to leave the grandma suggests that they go through Tennessee because that's where she grew up. Her son, Bailey disagrees and says they are going through Georgia instead. As the drive they stop at a bar-be-que place called Red Sammy's.While they are there  grandma talks to the owner ans tells he's a good man for not making to men pay for their fuel service. They are again on their way to Florida when grandma lies to the children about a secret board in a plantation house she knew not too far off the road they're on. Bailey turns are and heads to the plantation house, but along the way they get into an accident. Everyone is in confused state as a car approaches them with three men in it with guns in hand. Grandma realizes that one the men is the misfit found in that paper earlier. The two other guys take the family back into the woods a few people at a time and kill them. Finally Grandma is the only one left and she takes the misfit by surprise and he shoots her three times in the chest.


Response

           The thoughts of Grandma are what take over this whole story. She always expresses her opinion and thinks it’s her way or the highway. She is very self-centered and wants people to go along with what she thinks is right. Her instinct or Id is to tell everyone that they are good people. She only does this to make herself seem like a better person. She changes her morals depending on the person she is talking to and what they’ve done.

Her superego comes into play later in the story when they get into the car accident. This is evident because when she finds out that one of the guys is a misfit she doesn’t do anything, and remains calm. This behavior doesn’t make sense because they whole story she is worried about meeting up with misfit. She believes that he is a good man because he came from a good family, even though in the paper he was proven to be a bad guy. What makes her change her mind? Is it that just because he was raised by a good family that justifies him being okay?

Grandma’s morals change in a way because she thought that bad people doing bad things were terrible to be around, but then the misfit comes along and she’s fine with him. I think this is because the misfit says he did nothing wrong and he still got put in prison, just like Jesus. When the misfit refers to Jesus that immediately catches Grandma’s attention because she is a Christian and she tells the misfit he must pray. This is how the misfit connects with Grandma and makes him a good man in her mind. This is defined by her ever-changing morals that she lives by throughout her life.

Grandma’s ego isn’t really apparent until she finally recognizes that all of her family has been killed off. She cries for Bailey and she can’t believe her son has been killed. She still trusts the misfit though because he said he wouldn’t kill a lady. As she falls into the ditch and is followed by the misfit with his gun she says that he is her child. This is because she realizes that she is just like the misfit. She has done things all her life and been punished for no reason. This has angered her all her life without her realizing why.

These thoughts that are throughout the story are strong and matter-of-factly because they are spoken from the stubborn Grandma. Flannery O’Connor is definitely trying to show that people beliefs can be strong, but that doesn’t mean they’re right or that they won’t change over time. 

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Abstract
         The Lottery is a story that focuses in a small town and how they gather for the traditional lottery drawing. As you read this story in bewilderment you begin to understand how important this lottery is and how no one is allowed to be home when this take place unless you have a good excuse. Each person who is head of their  family draws a paper and then everyone opens their's up at the same time, in which they see who has the black dot on their paper, The Hutchinson's had it. Then at once the family goes to the front to see who in the family will draw the next black do, it was Tessie, the wife. After that the story ends with Tessie being hit with stones till her death.


Response

          “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson was story that completely plays with your mind the whole time you’re reading. I read this story thinking it must be about people buying tickets to win money because that’s how I’d define lottery. It seems as though Shirley wasn’t thinking the same thing as I was. As the story continues Shirley explains how all the people in the town must gather for this event. Although she still doesn’t tell us what’s going on and what this lottery is for. The reason for her doing this is so she can keep her readers in suspense just like the people in the story who are in the lottery. They are waiting to see who will be put to their death, which at the time you wouldn’t know if you were a first time reader of this story.

            The lottery consists of each head person of a family to come up to the front and draw a strip of paper out of a black wooden box. At the time of my reading I didn’t think anything about the symbolism of the box until I finished the story. The color and composition of that box screams the thought of death. The black immediately infers death, while the wooden composition suggests what a coffin would be made of, not to mention that it’s a box just like the shape of a coffin. Throughout this story I think Shirley is trying to give the readers hints on what is about to happen. She wants your mind to think and be so intrigued that you can’t stop reading, which is what the people in this story are doing with the lottery.

I see that the people are brainwashed to think this is a great thing and that no community can live without the lottery. I don’t understand how people are content with one random killing ever year, and it’s not just some person, it’s a person of their community. The community seems like cult in which once you’re sucked in you can’t get out, and you wouldn’t dare speak out against it. Tessie Hutchinson tried speaking out that it wasn’t fair, and she’s the one who ends up getting killed.

This book makes you see how brainwashing can hurt people. You are in control of your own mind, but as soon as you let someone else take hold of it you put your life in danger. This is what the people of this small community are doing. They are letting their past take control of their future, which maybe they don’t have control of. It may be their instinct to think that the lottery is something that must be done because they’ve never seen anything different. It’s as though no one in the community has a superego because they don’t think for themselves or express their own thoughts. They only are worried about the lottery and they show no emotion at all. When Tessie draws the black dot she doesn’t do anything at all, but just stands there waiting for her death.  Why doesn’t she show any emotion? Is it because she was taught to not show emotion or that she has no emotion because this is the typical scene of this community?

             Also you think that her family would show emotion, but they don’t at all. You think that her husband might say he drew the black dot and risk his life for his wife, but he doesn’t. It also says in the book that they have three children. Wouldn’t the children be sad and maybe run towards their mother to say their last good-bye?  No emotions are ever shown throughout this whole story. I think that’s a little odd out of 300 some people, no one shows any emotion. This makes me think that everyone had to brainwashed and thought that randomly killing someone was okay.