Personally, I think the Kony 2012 project has many flaws and has been made to seem extremely helpful and relevant, when in reality it may not be these things. Joseph Kony has not been active in Uganda for 5 years and the Kony organization makes it seem like the issue is very pertinent to right now. Also, the Kony organization seems to slightly be a scam. They charge $40 for the action kit and bracelet when less than $13 of that money goes to the campaign to stop Kony in Uganda. So only about 32% of the group’s income goes... Continue reading

As I read the chapter tonight, I noticed a pretty big change in Milkman’s attitude. When he was out hunting with the men he met in Solomon’s store, he began to see things differently. Morrison writes, “Maybe this was a mean bunch of black folk, but he should have guessed it, sensed it, and part of the reason he hadn’t was the easy, good treatment he had received elsewhere” (276). Milkman realizes that he’s taken his privileged status for granted and he’s become so accustomed to it that he hasn’t been very aware of his surroundings or understanding of others... Continue reading

After reading chapter one and two of Song of Solomon, I noticed the recurrence of the motif of singing. The first occasion of this motif occurred when Pilate sang “O Sugarman Done Fly Away” when Robert Smith was on top of the hospital building about to jump off. The next incidence of singing was when Macon was walking home and passed by Pilate’s house but decided to stop and listen to Pilate, Reba, and Hagar singing an unnamed song. The final appearance of the motif was when the same three women sang “O Sugarman Done Fly Away” while Milkman and... Continue reading

The part that stood out to me was when Mr. Daisey said that people’s joints disintegrating because of doing the same motion over and over again could be avoided if anyone cared. If anyone at Foxconn or Apple cared enough to rotate the positions of the workers, this could be prevented. But no one seems to care enough. According to them, production completely prevails over human safety. So how do we change this? The only things that come to mind are either boycotting or just simply raising awareness. I have to admit I was as guilty as Marlow’s aunt of... Continue reading

One of the discussion questions for The Secret Sharer describes it as a story of “initiation.” This is a story where “a boy or young man, unaware of the perils and complexities of human existence, is exposed to a series of painful events that initiate him into the reality of adult life.” I definitely think The Secret Sharer could be categorized as this type of story because of the decisions that the captain had to make. He had never been captain before and was unfamiliar to his ship and the crew members. He was also unsure of himself because he... Continue reading

The movie I chose as a tragedy is the 2002 movie, A Walk to Remember. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s about a popular high school boy, Landon Carter, who gets in trouble and is forced to join the school play and tutor disadvantaged kids. He meets a shy, not so popular girl, Jamie Sullivan, at these activities and they soon fall in love. However, Jamie has leukemia and has stopped responding to treatments so she is going to die soon. Landon is aware of this and makes it his goal to fulfill her wishes, including getting... Continue reading

One of the little questions for Act II asked "Does Lear change by the end of Act II? Does he become more self-aware?" I don't think Lear has changed by the end of this act. He stills seems to be very narrow-minded, self-centered, and impulsive. When Goneril and Regan told Lear that he couldn't have fifty knights in their houses, he ran off angry because they didn't give him what he wanted. He failed to see their side of the argument and was only concerned with what he wanted. While Goneril and Regan's intentions are questionable, I do think Lear... Continue reading

"Desert Places" by Robert Frost Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast In a field I looked into going past, And the ground almost covered smooth in snow, But a few weeds and stubble showing last. The woods around it have it--it is theirs. All animals are smothered in their lairs. I am too absent-spirited to count; The loneliness includes me unawares. And lonely as it is, that loneliness Will be more lonely ere it will be less-- A blanker whiteness of benighted snow With no expression, nothing to express. They cannot scare me with their empty spaces Between... Continue reading

I think that one of the most significant motifs in The Awakening is the sea. Edna’s first encounter with it was when she swam far out, even though she had never done that before. Chopin writes, “But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over-confidence…She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before” (27). This first time in the sea indicates Edna’s awakening of her power as a... Continue reading

After our discussion in class today about Christmas and his place within society, I really began to notice all of his stages of identity development within Light In August. First, Christmas in unaware of which society he belongs to, black or white, and he travels throughout many towns not knowing where exactly he belongs. However, Christmas often leans towards the black community more because he feels that white societies don’t understand him. The real thing that Christmas wants is the “neutral grayness, becoming one with loneliness and quiet that has never known fury or despair” (331). He wants to be... Continue reading

Christmas’s view of women has been something that really confused me lately. He hated Mrs. McEachern because she didn’t understand the relationship Christmas had with Mr. McEachern. He thought she always put emotion into what he thought was normal and she seemed to want to make him cry. I think he might have found her too feminine but if she was the one who was trying to help him, why did he reject her? As for Bobbie, Christmas displayed the male dominance he learned from McEachern over her by beating her. He also expected a lot from her because he... Continue reading

The ending of Trust is very vague about what is going to happen in the future with Maria and Matthew. Originally, they were both set on getting married but then Maria tells Matthew that she had an abortion and no longer wants to get married. Matthew seemed very upset by this but by the end of the movie (when Maria came into the factory while Matthew had his hand grenade), they were back to talking about being together and running away. Then, Matthew gets taken away by the police for using the hand grenade and Maria stands watching as the... Continue reading

After our discussion in class today, I realized the significance of Meursault’s transformation throughout the book. My previous blog post was also on Meursault’s alteration but I failed to recognize what I think is the most essential part of his transformation- killing the Arab. Meursault states, “It was then that I realized that you could either shoot or not shoot” (Camus 56). I believe this was a major turning point in Meursault’s life because he understood both sides to life at that moment. You could either submit to society and live your life as the world tells you- essentially by... Continue reading

Something that stood out to me at the end of the book was the change that Meursault exhibited after being in jail and after receiving his verdict of the death sentence. In jail, Meursault was forced to adapt to a new lifestyle in confinement. Experiencing such drastic changes and overcoming things he found difficult, such as passing time, changed him as a person. He was more prone to exhibiting his emotions, such as when he said, “For the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me”... Continue reading

The part that I find most interesting in The Stranger is Meursault's indifference. He seems to be lacking emotion and opinion and is hardly ever judgemental. When Meursault found out about his mother's death, he didn't really seem to react at all. Maybe he was in shock of the actual death, but the way he went about dealing with it seemed like he didn't care. Another part where Meursault doesn't give his opinion is with the situation with Raymond and his mistress. Raymond claimed that his mistress was cheating on him, even though he had no actual proof. Without even... Continue reading