Post 14

The most important thing that I learned this semester about literature we read was how to write about that literature. It is easy to read something but to actually interpret it and be able to understand it is a whole other level. I feel like I was challenged in a way that I never was before. Writing about nonfiction and fiction is such a different task and I feel like I definitely got better at writing about fiction in English 1102. The different documents we had to write and the topics of them were challenging. Having to address the different aspects of literature was new for me and I feel like I better understand how to now. Overall I definitely grew as a reader, and a writer in English 1102.

Post 13 | Modern Ideals vs. A Doll House

Nora from A Doll House is unlike modern women in so many ways. 140 years ago there were standards for women. They weren’t allowed to do certain everyday things like women nowadays can. They were expected to do housework and to always be a housewife. Things are very different in the current state of society. People would consider anyone stuck in the ideals from A Doll House to be old fashioned and ignorant. If you asked anyone 140 years ago if a woman should work a full time job they would say no. They would tell you that women belong in the kitchen. Ask anyone nowadays and the answer would be completely different. Some peoples ideals may not have changed but majority have. There are far more working women now then there was 140 years ago. Overall, Nora was not like modern women. She struggled to be her own person aside from what her husband wanted her to be. That is really what set her apart from modern women. Women today are more likely to be their own person and not tied to a man.

Post 12 | Setting

My favorite TV show, The 100, takes place on an apocalyptic earth. It shows what happens after the earth is destroyed by radiation from nuclear destruction. However, majority takes place on Earth there is some parts in space.

The setting is so important in the show because without it the whole storyline would not make sense. There are clans that are fighting for control of lands and the overgrown earth and its resources make it valuable to fight for. Without the setting The 100 wouldn’t be the show everyone loves it for.

Post 11 | Comparison

I chose to compare and contrast the song “House of Cards” by Tyler Shaw and “Acquainted with the Night” by Robert Frost. The theme of Frost’s poem is about the internal struggle and “the ‘night’ located in the speaker’s mind or soul” (Meyer 711). I wanted to compare it to the second and third line in Shaw’s song, “My mind was filled with doubt / I long to feel alive.” Throughout the song it is made known that there is an internal struggle for the narrator but for different reason than the poem’s narrator. The song’s narrator was struggling with a relationship while the poem does not mention a specific “evil”. Frost uses the imagery of “night” to portray the darkness that the narrator is experiencing. So although the works are similar in theory, they are still very different.

Post 10 | Metaphor

The poem I chose was Text Message by Tajana Kovics.

Because I think you’re nearly perfect,

I want to love you best:

And since absence makes the heart grow fonder,

We should see each other less.

I way that I interpreted the poem was that the narrator wants to love the person. It was probably a abuse or bad relationship, which is why absence would be better for the narrator. I have been in a bad relationship where I really loved the person and just like the narrator thought they were “nearly perfect” (line 1). However, I knew deep down that they weren’t good for me. As the poem suggests...not being with the person makes the “heart grow fonder” (line 3), because you aren’t seeing them as much. Now for my poem:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

You hurt my heart,

So screw you.

Not exactly the most creative but I thought it was short and sweet.

Post 9 | Busy Sounds

It is difficult to choose just one meer image that captures my entire life. However, when left thinking about all of the different images and sounds in my life I can pinpoint just a few that I feel really describe me. I work a lot. I am a sales consultant constantly surrounded by loud and constant sounds. I can compare this to the poem “London’s Summer Morning” by Mary Robinson. In the first line of the poem “Who has not waked to list the busy sounds 

Of summer’s morning” (Robinson). Robinson is associating the “busy sounds” in London heard on a summer morning. Although with me I associate “busy sounds” with my work and the constant chit chat and banter of my co-workers and customers. These are not directly correlated but when reading the poem I thought about my work. How it feels almost the same, but yet it’s so different. Robinson talks about waking up to busy sounds in the morning, when I walk in to busy sounds at work. Not directly comparable but enough to make me associate the two with each other.

Post 6 | My Theme

This has been the hardest blog post that I have had to write. Trying to think of one theme for my life so far is crazy because I feel as though my life has been an uphill battle. It’s okay that it’s been a battle though because everything that I have learned is helping me on my way today.
If I had to choose one thing out of my life to be the theme...it would be that everything happens for a reason. There are things that happen in everyone's life that are meant to happen. We are sent down treacherous paths to learn and gain valuable knowledge from everything that happens to us. Sure, there are wonderful things that happen and there can be crappy things that happen. However, something I have learned is to accept them all as they come and take everything with a grain of salt.
I do not believe that gender helped shape my theme in anyway. I know that gender has probably influenced the way I approach and react to certain scenarios, but in terms of my theme, no. It does not matter what gender you are, everyone can believe that things happen for a reason.

Post 5 | Blue Globe

According to Google, Symbolism is “the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities”. Symbolism is used in everyday life wherever we are. For example, I have a Golden Retriever named Sammy. I have a magnet on the back of my car of a Golden Retriever. If anyone that didn’t know me saw that they would infer that I either have or had a Golden Retriever. Symbolism is used everywhere to give fair assumption to things everywhere.
Something that I wear often is my work name badge. It does not say where I work or what I do but one can make an assumption of both of those things based on many external factors. There are commercials, movies, magazines, print, and so much more that give us the ability to make a logical inference on certain things in life. So when someone looks at my name badge and sees the blue striped globe. They can think back in their life to where they’ve seen that before and make a guess on where I work. I used to think of the blue globe of AT&T as “that stupid sign of AT&T”. Now that I work there I see it as a sign of annoyance, but overall good things.

Post 4 | Oh Narrator...what have you done.

I really enjoyed reading Weldon’s story. The story takes place in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. This is the town where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, which is most commonly associated with the start of World War I. Sarajevo is known as a beautiful place that is “mountain-rimmed, “arched by many bridges,” (186). When the narrator and Peter visited however, it was rainy and dreary.

Sarajevo really gave the narrator and Peter a sense into what was actually happening with their relationship. It’s as if they brought rain and sadness to the usually happy city of Sarajevo. In the end, "Princip saw the archduke's car parked outside, and went for it. Second chances are rare in life, they must be responded to". The story ends with the narrator saying, "If he'd just hung on a bit, there in Sarajevo, that June day, he might have come to his sense. People do, sometimes quite quickly." Relating Princip to herself, as she came to her senses and ended her affair with her teacher.

Post 3 | Waking Up In...DC?

     “Ana wake up!” Sarah screamed with excitement, a shriek thrill in her voice. My eyes fluttered open, struggling to focus on my surroundings.
     “Where are we Sar...this doesn’t look like New Hampshire,” I said, slightly annoyed.
     "Well I may or may not have made a wrong turn and now we are…”
     “IS THAT THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT?” I screamed.
     “...in Washington DC,” she continued.
     When I fell asleep we were in North Carolina and somehow ended up in Washington, D.C. I knew there was a reason that I shouldn’t have let Sarah drive. She always ends up getting us in a mess.
     “Sarah we have a strict schedule how did we end up here?” I asked.
     “Well the GPS wasn’t exactly clear and I thought we could use a little sightseeing tour through the city!” she exclaimed.
     I rolled my eyes. Sarah and I have to be in New Hampshire by 6pm for our best friends wedding, it was 5am and we still had many hours to go.
     “This city is beautiful,” I said as we drove through the streets. As much as I was annoyed with my best friend I couldn’t help but be extremely thankful for her.

Post 2 | Sad, Sorrowful Woman vs Me

Out of all of the stories we have read so far the one I can relate to the most is “A Sorrowful Woman” by Gail Godwin. The plot of the story explains the sad life of a troubled woman who goes through life feeling unhappy. She takes her feelings out on her husband and son. Throughout the story Godwin explains the burdens that wife places on her husband. It can be shown in a conversation between the two; “I don’t know what we’ll do. It’s all my fault, I know. I’m such a burden, I know that” “Let me think. I’ll think of something.” (Godwin 41) Towards the end of the story the wife was neglecting all of her responsibilities as a wife and caretaker to her son. She made her last hurrah by cooking a nice meal and cleaning before she peacefully passed away.

I think the story of the woman was sad. Fortunately it does not directly relate to my life but I do relate on a certain level. It is very easy for me to lose my sense of drive. Different people have different ways of motivating themselves to do things and when you lose motivation it is extremely difficult to get yourself to do anything. Some even have medical factors that can contribute to their lack of drive. All in all I have not and will not give up like the woman did. I find stuff everyday to keep me going, to keep me motivated in life.

Post 1 | Beauty and the Beast

I barely watch any movies but one that I have recently enjoyed was Beauty and the Beast. A classic Disney movie recreated with the same story everyone has grown to love. An enchantress curses the castle of the Prince for refusing her shelter, turning him into a beast. Years later, taking place in rural France a young woman by the name of Belle dreams of adventure. Her father, Maurice, was on his way to a convention when he seeks refuge in the Beast’s castle. When his horse returns without him, Belle sets off to find him. She is then captured by the Beast and becomes his prisoner. After some bonding and whatnot Belle learns to love the beast for who he is. Long story short, the curse on the castle was reversed and the Prince was turned back to himself.

I feel like the literal and figurative meaning of this movie is quite similar to each other. The Prince was vain and refused to help someone in need. The enchantress felt no one would love a beast, in return forcing the Prince to accept himself and get someone to love him for who he is inside. True love is blind. Belle and the Beast truly loved each other and that is why the spell was lifted. Belle loved the Beast even though he was a beast. The literal meaning of this work is true love is blind. I contemplated the figurative meaning for quite sometime and I feel like once you recognize that the monster on the outside isn’t always feared, it could be the one inside you. When you let go and face your fears, you could find true love in the end.

Brianna Harker | Introduction

Hello fellow classmates of English 1102 Section 69! My name is Brianna Harker and I am a freshman here at MGA. I recently graduated from Westside High School in June of last year. I took the fall semester off to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and I am so glad I did. In October I interviewed for a Sales Consultant position at AT&T and somehow got blessed with the job offer! Ever since I have been working at the AT&T store on Riverside Dr, so If any of you need any kind of cell phone service, TV, or Internet, I'm your gal!! I have chosen Information Technology to be my major so I can hopefully move up with the company I already have the pleasure of working for!

I have taken English 1101 with Mr. Hamon and learned a lot so I am back at it again with 1102. However, with 1102 my learning is going to be taking a different approach. Instead of just learning how to write I am going to really focus on writing about what I am reading. Growing up I always had issues interpreting what I was reading and making sense of it. I hope that by the end of this class I can become a better analytical reader, which will directly help me write about what I'm reading! I'm excited to see what this semester will bring for all of us.

See you on the net!

Brianna H.