Weblog 10: The Things They Carried

What is Martha’s significance to Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and how does she affect his performance in the war?

            At the beginning of the short story The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was obsessed with a girl named Martha. He was madly in love with her, and he desperately wanted her to love him back but he knew that that was not the case. He was so obsessed with her that he had a hard time focusing on the war because he was so caught up in his thoughts about her.  “On occasion he would yell at his men to spread out the column, to keep their eyes open, but then he would slip away into daydreams, just pretending, walking barefoot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing.” (372) He was constantly thinking about her subconsciously. “And then suddenly, without willing it, he was thinking about Martha.” (373)

            Later on, his daydreams cost him the life of one of his men. He carried “the responsibility for the lives of his men,” (369) but because he was thinking about Martha, Ted Lavender died. Although Ted Lavenders death wasn’t completely Lieutenant Cross’s fault, he was their leader and he had to carry the responsibility of their lives. He was partially responsible for Ted Lavenders’ death. After Ted Lavenders’ death, Lieutenant Cross is so filled with guilt that he burns all of Martha’s letters and photos. “He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence, Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war.” (377) This shows how Lieutenant Cross felt about himself after Lavenders death. This was his turning point. He decided to love his men more than Martha after Lavenders death. He also realized that “she did not love him and never would.” (378) He also considers his past love for Martha as fantasies. After Ted Lavenders’ death, Lieutenant Cross begins to hate Martha. He realizes that “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead.” (384)

            I think that O’Brien purposely included Martha in this short story to compare and contrast the balance of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ priorities, and to show how his personality changes throughout the story.

Weblog 9: Gryphon

Charles Baxter, the author of the short story, Gryphon, utilizes conventional and unconventional ideas in order to emphasize the uniqueness Miss. Ferenczi’s personality.

The children were very conventional. For example, they felt that they had to always follow a set schedule. First, they had to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. When Miss. Ferenczi told the children “No, no allegiance pledging on the premises today,” the children seemed surprised and disappointed. This shows how the children felt that there was only one set way to do things. Also, during lunch time, the children found it odd that Miss. Ferenczi ate in the classroom with them. The conventional way was for the substitute teacher to eat in the teacher’s lounge with other teachers. “Miss Ferenczi, you don’t have to eat with us. You can eat with the other teachers. There’s a teacher’s lounge.”

            On the other hand, Miss Ferenczi was very unconventional. She had many peculiar and bizarre ideas. For example, she told the children that sometimes, “six times eleven can be considered to be sixty-eight” because “it’s more interesting that way.” This shows how Miss Ferenczi had a wide imagination. Also, Miss Ferenczi told the children that she had seen a gryphon. This was obviously not true because gryphons are mystical creatures, but this also shows Miss Ferenczi’s unconventional ideas. Later on, she begins to talk on and on about things that seem almost impossible. For example, she says that “Beethoven had not been deaf; it was a trick to make himself famous, and it worked.” She also said “God kissed me.” These things were very unordinary and strange things to say. Most substitute teachers would not have said these kinds of things.

            In conclusion Charles Baxter made use of the conventional and unconventional to make a comparison between Miss Ferenczi and the children. The children were extremely conventional while Miss Ferenczi was extremely unconventional.

Weblog 8: Character's Unmet Needs

Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of the short story Interpreter of Maladies makes use of events not central to the story line to underscore the unmet needs of the characters. This kind of writing style is seen throughout the story. The main story line in this short story is the story of Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi, however, Lahiri often diverges from the main story line and writes about Ronny and Bobby, Mrs. Das and Tina, and Mr. Das and Mrs. Das.

            Ronny and Bobby are Mr. and Mrs. Das’ children. Several times throughout this story, Lahiri talks about these two brothers and the conflicts between them. For example, Mr. Das says “Bobby, make sure that your brother doesn’t do anything stupid.” And Bobby replies, “I don’t feel like it.” This shows how the relationship between the two boys. It seems like they do not have a good relationship. They do not respect each other, and do not get along very well. I think that the relationship between these two boys reflects the relationship of the whole family. Because the Das family does not get along very well, it could lead Mrs. Das to not love her family. In a way, the relationship between Bobby and Ronny foreshadow Mrs. Das’ conflicts. Near the end of the story, we learn that Bobby is not actually Mr. and Mrs. Das’ son. Mr. and Mrs. Das seem to give a lot of responsibility to Bobby, but it seems as if they do not love him very much.

            Tina is also Mr. and Mrs. Das’ daughter. Mrs. Das is not a very good mother to her. It doesn’t seem like she cares for her at all. At the very beginning of the story, Mr. and Mrs. Das argue about who will take Tina to the toilet. Mrs. Das eventually ends up taking her, and while she is taking her, “she did not hold the little girl’s hand.” Also, while the Das family was in the car, Mrs. Das was painting her fingernails. Tina says “Mine too. Mommy, do mine too.” Mrs. Das replies, “Leave me alone.” Mrs. Das does not seem to care for her daughter. This mother-daughter relationship underscores the main story line by showing how Mrs. Das does not love and care for her family very much. This lack of love could make her feel lonely and sad. Also, Tina does not receive enough love from her mother. All she wants is for her mother to love her. I think that she expresses her frustration through playing with her doll. She treats the doll like her mother treats her. 

            Mr. Das and Mrs. Das also have a shaky relationship. Mr. Das seems very inconsiderate of Mrs. Das. For example, Mrs. Das asked Mr. Das to roll down the car window, but Mr. Das says “Quit complaining, it isn’t so hot.” However, a few minutes later, Mr. Das rolls down his own car window. This shows that their marriage is falling apart. It also shows the difference between the two people: Mrs. Das is very materialistic and Mr. Das is not that materialistic. The bad marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Das makes it possible for Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das to start their own relationship. Mr. Kapasi’s marriage is falling apart. His wife does not love him. As a result, he wants Mrs. Das to love him, and he begins to develop feelings for her.

All of the characters in this short story are in need of love. They find different and subtle ways to cope with the their lack of love. 

            

Weblog 7: Short Stories

There are many driving force for short story writers. One driving force for short stories is to teach a lesson to, and share their experiences with the readers. For example, the short story, The Necklace teaches the readers not to be vain and greedy, and to be happy with what one has. The author, Guy de Maupassant, may have wanted to teach the readers that being selfish and unhappy is bad, and that one should always be selfless. Another driving force for short story writers is to express their inner emotions. Writers are able to truly express what they are feeling through their work. A writer may write a short story to express what they are feeling, and to spread their ideas and feelings about a certain topic. Writing short stories is the way that authors communicate with the rest of the world.

According to Tobias Wolff, the reason why people read short stories is because the short stories are very realistic, and common people can make a connection with the characters in the short stories. Modern short stories are mostly based on normal people, unlike the old stories that are about heroic people. Also, because short stories relate to the readers, they have a tendency to become a memory of an experience for the readers. People can experience certain things that they would not have otherwise through the short stories that they read. Short stories can also help readers through tough times. For example, if someone is going through financial difficulties and they read a short story about a character going through financial difficulties, then that person can gain knowledge about what to do and what not to do. The reader can relate to the characters in the story, and as a result, they can learn and experience things indirectly.

                

Weblog 6: Failures

When I was ten years old, I was in fifth grade. At that time, I had terrible study habits, but I didn’t care because I was so young. I never studied for quizzes or tests, and even though I always completed my homework, it was done very sloppily. Our first social studies quiz that year was about the 50 states in America. We had to memorize the names and locations of all of the states. For the first time in my life, I wanted to do well on a quiz. I convinced myself that I could get 100% on the quiz. As the quiz date got closer and closer, I started feeling nervous, but I didn’t study because I wasn’t used to studying and I didn’t know how to study. On the date of the quiz, I walked in to the classroom confidently because I thought I knew that I could do well. Even as I was taking the quiz, I felt like I knew what I was doing. However, when we got our quizzes back the next day, I was so shocked. I got a 58%. I had failed miserably.

            There were some indications that I would fail on this quiz. For example, I didn’t study at all for it. Instead of studying, I was just confident. Obviously, without studying, it is impossible to get a good grade on a test. However, because I was young, I was oblivious of that fact.

            W.D. Wetherell, the author of the short story The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant, foreshadows that the protagonist will not be successful at impressing Sheila Mant throughout his story. For example, the protagonist and Sheila Mant do not share any common interests at all. The protagonist pretends to understand what Sheila Mant is saying many times. “’Yeah, I can understand that,’ I said, though I couldn’t” (Wetherell 36) Fishing is a natural part of the protagonist. This can be seen when he “automatically, without thinking about it” (Wetherell 37) mounted his fishing reel and rod. It is obvious that the protagonist loves fishing, however Sheila Mant thinks that “fishing’s dumb” (Wetherell 38) which shows that she has no interest for fishing. The interests and personalities of the protagonist and Sheila Mant clash, and foreshadow the protagonists’ failure at impressing Sheila Mant. 

Weblog 5: No News From Auschwitz

Abraham Michael Rosenthal is a journalist, and the story No News From Auschwitz written by Abraham Michael Rosenthal was published in a newspaper. I think that this story was an editorial, and it was published near the back of the newspaper because it contains some subjective statements. Abraham Michael Rosenthal has a strong opinion, and he expresses it in his editorial. For example, he describes Brzezinka as “a place of unutterable terror” and he also says that everything “seemed frighteningly wrong, as in a nightmare.” He also describes Brzezinka as “a factory of torture and death.” He seems very against the Holocaust. Anyone who reads this article would be convinced to think of the Holocaust as a negative event, and they would be against it. However, newspaper articles usually do not convince their readers to think a certain way, and are not opinionated. Even though Abraham Michael Rosenthal’s memoir contains his opinions about this topic, his story addresses a very important topic that is not considered as unimportant. He discusses the Holocaust, and describes how Brzezinka used to be a place of torture and terror, but it is now a place where the “sun was bright at warm,” and that it is one of the most grisly tourist centers on earth. At the beginning, Abraham Michael Rosenthal’s tone seems positive and warm, but as the story progresses, his tone becomes serious and negative. At the very end of the story, however, he ends with the statement “It was a sunny day and the trees were green and at the gates the children played.” The positive beginning and end sandwiches the negative middle.

            I think that Abraham Michael Rosenthal’s story No News From Auschwitz was a editorial that was published between the middle and the end of the newspaper. His editorial contains his opinions about the Holocaust, but the Holocaust was extremely important. 

Hair and Theme for English B Tone (Weblog 4)

The stories Hair, by Malcom X, and Theme for English B, by Langston Hughes, both address similar themes about racial inequality. Both stories agree that “white” people are above “black” people. However, the tones of the two memoirs are quite different. The tone of Hair is very hostile. Malcom X was angry with his old self for trying to conform to society. He was very disappointed. For example, he refers to his old actions as “self degredation” “violate and mutilate their God-created bodies” and he calls himself ridiculous and stupid for admiring his hair. However, the tone of Theme for English B was calmer and more playful. He does not seem hostile towards the racial inequalities although he does state that his professor is “older – and white – and somewhat more free.” This quote indicates the fact that Langston Hughes feels that white people are more free. As stated before, however, Langston Hughes does not have any hostile feelings towards his professor. In fact, his writing sounds playful. For example, he says “Harlem, I hear you: hear you hear me – we two – you, me, talk on this page. (I hear New York, too.) Me – who?” Langston Hughes uses words to make his poem sound more playful. He also uses repetition in this section by saying the word “hear” four times.

            Both authors write about similar issues, however their tones and motives make the two pieces different. Hair, by Malcom X, is more hostile. This memoir teaches people that conforming to society is not good and that those kinds of mistakes should not be made. On the other hand, Theme for English B by Langston Hughes states the fact that white people are above black people; however, the purpose of this poem was to show that Langston Hughes was the same as everybody else. The only difference was the color of his skin.

Langston Hughes and Malcom X Comparison (Weblog 3)

Langston Hughes and Malcom X are two very famous authors. Langston Hughes wrote the poem Theme for English B and Malcom X wrote the memoir Hair. They are very similar in that they mostly write about racial issues because they are both African American. For example, at one point in their lives, they were uncomfortable with the color of their skin. They thought that being black meant that they were “less free.” Langston Hughes demonstrates this by saying “although you’re older –and white–.”  Malcom X indicates this throughout his whole story. He says “Never use a metal spoon; the lye will turn it black” which shows that he thinks that black is bad. They were both also uncomfortable with adapting and changing who they are. Lastly, they both went through many things to become “white” or be like the majority. For example, Langston Hughes needed to travel a lot to get from home to school. “The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, thrgouh a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down and write this page.” Malcom X says that he dyed his hair red to appear “white.” In his memoir, he describes the process as “self-degradation”, and “violation and mutilation of their God-created bodies to try to look pretty by white standards.”

Although these two writers have many similarities, they have some differences. For example, even though both writers were somewhat uncomfortable with their race, only Malcom X altered his appearance by dying his hair red. Langston Hughes only describes how he was different from his English Professor, but he did not do anything to change himself. Another difference was that Langston Hughes was “the only colored student in [his] class.” However, Malcom X seems to have lived in a community with people of similar racial background.

            Both Langston Hughes and Malcom X had similar problems, however, the way they dealt with their problems and their surroundings were quite different.

Amy Tan: Fish Cheeks (Weblog 2)

When I first read “Fish Cheeks”, by Amy Tan, I thought that fish cheeks just referred to the Christmas Eve dinner. However, I realized that Amy Tan would probably have a deeper meaning for the title of her memoir. The more I thought about this title, the more I came to realize the deeper meaning of it.

I think that “Fish Cheeks” represent the shame that Amy Tan felt. She was ashamed of her oriental background. The fish cheek is a traditional Chinese food that represents Amy Tan. Even though it was her favorite food, she was ashamed because it was different than what the majority of the people ate. In other words, she was uncomfortable with, and strongly disliked being Chinese. She emphasizes this at the beginning of her memoir when she italicizes the word Chinese three times.  Also, I think that fish cheeks represent embarrassment because when people are embarrassed, their cheeks blush and turn red. When Amy’s father offered her the fish cheeks, she was not only ashamed but also embarrassed. She gave up her favorite food, and in a way, her nationality because she wanted to be “American” to impress Robert. This shows what she would give up in order to impress somebody of another gender and another race.

            The moment when her father offers her the fish cheek was very significant because it was a moment when she was so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear. I think that the whole meal was torture for Amy Tan, but the moment her father offered her the fish cheek was her last straw. I think that “Fish Cheeks” is plural because Amy Tan is trying to send a message to many people who went through similar circumstances. She is trying to show that there are many people like her who are ashamed of their ethnicity and want to give it up.

"By Any Other Name": Dual Personality (Weblog 1)

1. I think the author's intention of writing the memoir "By Any Other Name" was to demonstrate the fact that a name is very important, and to support the idea of dual personas. This was made obvious in the last sentence of her memoir, “But I put it happily away, because it had all happened to a girl called Cynthia, and I never was really particularly interested in her.” In other words, the author meant that the protagonist, Santha, had a dual personality because she was given another name. Because she was discriminated while she was “called Cynthia,” Santha was able to let go of that incident very easily.

2. A person can have dual identities, however, the basic personalities and character traits of a person remain the same. For example, when children play, they often pretend that they are somebody else. Even though they are being someone else at that moment in time, they are still themselves. Another example of this could be the use of nicknames. Nicknames are often used as an abbreviation of a name. If someone’s full name is Christopher, his nickname could be Chris. At school, his friends would call him Chris and he would behave in a certain way. However, at home, his mother might call him Christopher. He would probably behave in a much different way at home than how he behaves at school as “Chris.” In this case, this boy would have dual identities: Chris and Christopher. The last example of dual identities is when people of a certain country immigrate to a different country. If, for example, their home country was Mexico, then the person would speak Spanish and live a typical Mexican lifestyle while they are at home or in their home country.  However, if their new country was America, they would try to become as “Americanized” as possible by learning English, wearing American clothes, eating American food, and etc.