Difficultys when reading YGB

          In the short story young goodman brown by Nathaniel Hawthorn, there were a few things that through me off. the first thing is, I cant understand the close mindedness of these people, the puritans. It seems to me that in the effort of becoming pure, people need to give up a lot of things that are unnecessary, and as a result they begin to resent the purifying processes of daily life. That resentment festers and grows into a deep hatred for the religion and consequently you have people retaliating in there own ways. However, they can not be public with there retaliation because the religion is so closely tied to their government, that someone hearing you talk about the rules in a negative way may lead to your exile or even your death, because the puritans where that strict. So it seems to me that being the best puritan you can be and getting that recognition from the people in your society is the mentality that eventually leads the puritans to driving themselves into insanity.  It is a very heavy worry to be self conscience. often times people find the answers in their religions, but when the religion is what is causes the worries than that is when you have to question the purpose of religion. what they failed to realize is the temporariness in everything around us. they felt so strongly about following rules and staying pure, that they hindered the mental and social growths of their societies. i guess i am confused on the logic that they found....

I find it curious why the puritans would make these rules so strict knowing how hard it was to follow them. goodman brown is a recognized and well respected person in his society so that should speak to his character a bit. we know that puritans like him! and Puritans pretty much dont like anything that isnt good in gods eyes. But even HE is tempted to go to the forest. Why would such a high calliber man be tempted? well my answer is it is becasue he wants the power that hes been missing out on his whole life! he wants to dabble in the devils water, and who can blame him, its only human to want to do forbidden things.

 the fact that he wants to go to the forest is not the problem here. the problem is that he has never gone to the forest ever befor! if he had gone, the temptation would have been far less and he wouldnt have had to feed his hunger.

week 8; the revision of week 7

Week 8

I chose Gender criticism and “the story of an hour”

            In the short story, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, is an oppressed woman; looking through the lens of the gender criticism. The fact that she is mentioned in the very first sentence of the short story speaks to when the story takes place as well as to her personality. “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently possible the news of her husbands death”. The story is already speaking to how weak she, a woman, is. As a reader I am left anxious to read on why it is that she needs the news to be put to her gently, could it because she’s weak? Or she doesn’t take news well? Or she is fragile? There are a lot of possibilities that it could be. An opening line like that speaks about the character of the protagonist and leaves the reader with an impression. In this instance it is that women are weak.

             However there are instances of literal irony in the way the author describes her such as “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength”. That seems to be on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from the Mrs. Mallard of the quote prior than the most recent. The Literal irony is in that she is said to be strong on the outside and seen as weak on the inside. If she were so strong on the conclusion of the story would be a lot different. If she was so weak how did she have the strength to not collapse into pieces in front of the people when she was told? Ironic.

            The conflict that Mrs. Mallard find herself in is this; she can not comprehend the devastating news of her husbands death, the gravity of it drives her to the point were she is looking for anything to help her. She is looking for anything to take the pain away. That is why she does not object the spirit that approaches her through the window. The author mentions, “Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously” because of the spirit that she felt in the air.

            The crisis of the story is that she has a poor ultimatum. Her options are; fall apart and die, or get it together and hope to find love again. Being the weak woman that she is, she can not hold herself together to get through this, but if she could than she would have a real shot at finding another life partner. Because it is possible, after all she is a young lady with fair skin, it’s not like she’s a 55 year old widow who now must give up.

            The objectification of women seems to be shown in the story as well. The author gives her no lines in the story so Mrs. Mallard never speaks for herself, rather the only thing we know of Mrs. Mallard is what the author has told us about her. That is interesting when you think about the fact that the author of this novel is a woman. Perhaps that means that at the point of history when this story was written, even woman recognized other women as objects.   

Week 7 posting

Week 7

            In the short story, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, is an oppressed woman, looking through the lens of the gender criticism. The fact that she is mentioned in the very first sentence of the short story speaks to when the story takes place. “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently possible the news of her husbands death”. The story is already speaking to how weak she, a woman, is. As a reader I am left anxious to read on why it is that she needs the news to be put to her gently, could it because she’s weak? Or she doesn’t take news well? or she is fragile? There are a lot of possibilities that it could be. An opening line like that speaks about the character of the protagonist and leaves the reader with an impression. In this instance it is that women are weak. However there are instances of literal irony in the way the author describes her such as

“She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength”. That seems to be on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from the Mrs. Mallard of the quote prior than the most recent. The Literal irony is in that she is said to be strong on the outside and seen as weak on the inside. If she were so strong on the conclusion of the story would be a lot different. If she was so weak how did she have the strength to not collapse into pieces in front of the people when she was told? Ironic.

            The objectification of women seems to be shown in the story as well. The author gives her no lines in the story so Mrs. Mallard never speaks for herself, rather the only thing we know of Mrs. Mallard is what the author has told us about her. That is interesting when you think about the fact that the author of this novel is a woman. Perhaps that means that at the point of history when this story was written, even woman recognized other women as objects. The author mentions, “Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously” because of the spirit that she felt in the air. As a reader my first idea was that what she was waiting for what was coming to her and she was getting excited as she waited. That shows the weakness in women in that she is emotional. In the story we have seen her go from normal, to weak, to devastated, to strong, to excited, and to curious. That is a very womanly thing to do, I do not know of any men that have mood swings. At the end of the short story I took away the message that woman have many sides to them and that is the way that it is. The author left an impression on me that clearly says, woman have flaws.

Girl imitation

never leave something for tommorro if it can be done today; always close the chicken coop once it gets dark; this is how a fire burns; this how to contain a fire; this how to change your oil, make sure a car has enbough oil and water and it will run forever; never take something that isnt yours; always try your hardest and you will never be disappointed in the outcome; love unconditionally your family and closest friends; never quit what you have started, real men never quit; always hand someone your keys if you have decided to drink, but you shouldnt be drinking. God is good all the time. life only comes around once, be careful with your choices.

Rouch draft # 2

Pedro Ulloa

Mrs. Knapp

English 1 b

March 7, 2011

“Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M., get the money, dollar dollar bill yall!” (Wu Tang Clan). This statement has been true for centuries. Money is the key to freedom in an economy, and for that reason it has been sought after by the world over. Money is hard to come by however, its is the result of work; which for most of the population means long hours of energy draining activities. Thus, working is the key to bettering your life and bettering your future. That is what makes America so wonderful! It is the promise that there will be work here for those who choose to make the trip and it will yield a bright future. One could say the modern American dream has become; work hard to get a good job, make a decent living, and live in a decent place with a fridge stocked with groceries. However this is hard to attain, and that is the struggle that we all find ourselves in. In the book The Flowers by Dagoberto Gilb, the three main characters have very different perspectives on the value and relationship of work and money.

Sonny likes to steal to get what he feels he deserves or to reward himself. He does this in part because he's bored, and certainly because he knows he can get away with it. In the book when he steals the dirty magazines from the couple in apartment #2, he does not feel remorse, even when he is caught by his mother. “I hated having to talk about the nudie magazines I was still embarrassed and ashamed. And to my mom. Maybe this was worse even than the money” (Gilb 220). He feels embarrassed that he has to talk about his touchy subject with his mom but he is not remorseful towards Gina at all. Also Sonny steals the money from Cloyd’s desk! That is a lot of money for a fifteen your old to have! It is one thing that he had to think about it a few times but eventually he did take it. His motive was that his step dad was a jerk, and he could care less if he stole from him, plus the money would mean that he could eat out of the house, and maybe buy something for one of the many girls that he likes, one can understand why he did what he did. Also teens have tendencies to steal just to get away with it, “Preteens and teens know they're not supposed to steal, but might steal for the thrill of it or because their friends do. Some might believe they can get away with it. As they're given more control over their lives, some teens steal as a way of rebelling” (Kidshealth). I think that this is very true for Sonny. Because he feels more adult he feels like he has the right to own some money and sense Cloyd won’t pay him, he takes what he feels he deserves.

Silvia is a character whose idea of money plays a huge role in the book. She is a mother of 2, Latina women, who still likes to live like she is young. Being a parent comes with a lot of responsibilities, one of them being finding shelter for you and your children. I think this need to provide shelter is what fuels her to stay with Cloys Longpre. One can understand that as a mom with a growing boy, staying home is the best job a mother can have. By having a relationship with Cloyd she can provide a house (even though he hates it), food, and since she is not working she can spend more time with her child, if she so chooses. It is clear that Silvia is not in love with him when she says, “ I want to leave. I mean leave. Leave, Me entiendes?” (Gilb 220). If it weren’t for the lifestyle and the benefits, I do not think that Sylvia would be staying with Cloyd.

Cloyd views money like a hawk. A very cheap man he is the owner of the complex and he is all about his money. He put Sonny to work right after they moved and got settled in. He gave Sonny a list of chores and said he was going to pay for it and never did, and that was not because he didn’t have the money to give to him its because he is just to cheap to give him the money even though he recognizes his hard work. He speaks about doing anything to save money as well, like hiring illegal immigrants to do work for him. He also values money straight forward. In the novel he recognizes how special Mr. Pinkston is by noting, “He payed me in cash… even when he moved in all of it in cash” (Gilb 54).

Money is the motive for a lot of people that are living in a slot of situations. Not many things talk louder than money, nothing makes a statement like a cold stack of bills. It helps one get there life together, it can buy one more time, it can mean an end to starvation, it could mean a new turn for the better, money in itself brings hope! When you have money you feel like you matter and you feel like you can do things. Since money is such a key thing many people are influenced by it differently, and its power to change lives should not be underestimated.

Transition words

Addition: again, also, and, and then, besides, equally important, finally, first, furthermore, further,

concesion: granted, naturally, ofcourse

Contrast: although, and yet, at the same time, but at the same time, despite that, even so, thpugh, for all that, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the other hand, to illustrate, thus, truly.

Example or illustration: after all, as an illustration, even, for example, for instance,

Rough draft the Flowers

Pedro Ulloa

Mrs. Knapp

English 1 b

March 7, 2011

Everybody has cream. 

            “Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M., get the money, dollar dollar bill yall!” (Wu Tang Clan). This statement has been true for centuries. Working is the key to bettering your life and bettering your future. That is what makes America so wonderful! It is the promise that there will be work here for those who choose to make the trip and it will yield a bright future. Work hard to get a good job, make a decent living, and live in a decent place with a fridge stocked with groceries, this is a common form of the American dream. However this is hard to attain, and that is the struggle that we all find ourselves in. In the book The Flowers by Dagoberto Gilb, the main characters have a different perspective on the value of work and money.

            Sonny likes to steal to get what he feels he deserves or to reward himself. In the book when he steals the dirty magazines from the couple in apartment #2, he does not feel remorse, even when he is caught by his mother. “I hated having to talk about the nudie magazines I was still embarrassed and ashamed. And to my mom. Maybe this was worse even than the money” (Gilb 220). He feels embarrassed that he has to talk about his touchy subject with his mom but he is not remorseful towards Gina at all. Also Sonny steals the money from Cloyd’s desk! That is a lot of money for a fifteen your old to have! It is one thing that he had to think about it a few times but eventually he did take it. His motive was that his step dad was a jerk, and he could care less if he stole from him, plus the money would mean that he could eat out of the house, and maybe buy something for one of the many girls that he likes, one can understand why he did what he did. Also teens have tendencies to steal just to get away with it, “Preteens and teens know they're not supposed to steal, but might steal for the thrill of it or because their friends do. Some might believe they can get away with it. As they're given more control over their lives, some teens steal as a way of rebelling” (Kidshealth). I think that this is very true for Sonny. Because he feels more adult he feels like he has the right to own some money and sense Cloyd won’t pay him, he takes what he feels he deserves.

            Silvia is a character whose idea of money plays a huge role in the book. She is a mother of 2, Latina women, who still likes to live like she is young; going out all the time, drinking on weekdays, shopping all day, etc. When one is young one has the benefit of being able to enjoy life, but as a parent, ones life becomes all about their children. Being a parent comes with a lot of responsibilities, one of them being finding shelter for you and your children. This need is so real, with out a home it is very hard to raise a family. But providing shelter is no easy deed; that means a full time job, which means less time that one is able to spend with ones children. This need to provide shelter is what fuels her to stay with Cloyd Longpre. One can understand that as a mom with a growing boy, staying home is the best job a mother can have because of the importance it plays. A good parent always wants to be as involved as possible in their childs life.  By having a relationship with Cloyd she can provide a house (even though Sonny hates it), food, and since she is not working she can spend more time with her child, if she so chooses. It is clear that Silvia is not in love with him when she says, “ I want to leave. I mean leave. Leave, Me entiendes?” (Gilb 220). If it weren’t for the lifestyle and the benefits, I do not think that Sylvia would be staying with Cloyd.  

            Cloyd views money like a hawk. A very cheap man he is the owner of the complex and he is all about his money. He put Sonny to work right after they moved and got settled in. He gave Sonny a list of chores and said he was going to pay for it and never did, and that was not because he didn’t have the money to give to him its because he is just to cheap to give him the money even though he recognizes his hard work. He speaks about doing anything to save money as well, like hiring illegal immigrants to do work for him. He also values money straight forward. In the novel he recognizes how special Mr. Pinkston is by noting, “He payed me in cash… even when he moved in, all of it in cash” (glib 54). Cash is money in its best form, because it is automatically effective and in your hands at your will; versus a check or a credit card that are electronic or ineffective until you visit the bank, that is way Cloyd thought it was so impressive.

            Money is the motive for a lot of people that are living in a lot of situations. Not many things talk louder than money, it can persuade people to do things that other wise one would not consider. Nothing makes a statement like a cold stack of bills. It helps one get there life together, it can buy one more time, it can mean an end to starvation, it could mean a new turn for the better, money in itself brings hope! When you have money you feel like you matter and you feel like you can do things. Since money is such a key thing many people are influenced by it differently, and its power to change lives should not be underestimated.