Reading Notes W6: Isben, Part B

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906): Born in Norway, Ibsen was known for restoring  interest back in the theatre and with hit he developed a style of adding controversial themes. His style was itroducing realism to the theatre and the people were excited to see his work, they loved it. He made a play in paticular that is best described as on of his closest plays to be compared to a Greek tragedy called, "Hedda Gabler". The play is about a generals daughter who ends up marryig a man who is a scholar. But the realtionship is on edge because Hedda is used to an upper class way of living while Tesman is not.

"Hedda Gabler"

(782-787)

- Miss Tesman is a good lady who is 65 years old.

- Berta is the housmaid.

- Miss and Berta are happy for Tesman but are nervous about him being married to Hedda.

- Tesman is very happy to have married Hedda and they are going on a 5-6 month trip.

- Miss is willing to help Tesman in any way.

- She is paying for all the furniture in his house with her life savings.

- Hedda is 29 who dresses very elegant.

- Miss gives Tesman his old slippers in which he is very happy to receive and while trying to show Hedda she walks away showing no interest.


(788-793)

- Hedda mistakes Miss's hat for the maids and says that it's old and ruggedy, event saying she thinks Berta should be fired. Showing Hedda is a bit arrogant and rude.

- Hedda is the one who wears the pants in their relationship.

- Mrs. Elvsted was an old crush of Tesman and she left them flowers. SHe is a few years younger than Hedda.

- Elvsted is upset that Lovborg who was her step kids old tutor is back in town and that it's dangerous for him to be back in town.

- Elvsted is acting strange about Lovborg.

- Lovborg returned to town after writing a book which is selling very well.

- Elvsted's husband respects Lovbrog which is why she came to Tesman to ask if he will keep an eye on him and be nice to him.

- Tesman and Lovbrog were once friends.

- Hedda sends Tesman off to write a letter to Lovbrog for Elvsted. Hedda does this to get him out of the room so she can speak with Elvsted alone.

- Elvsted reveals to Hedda she feared her but Hedda brushes it off pretending they were best friends.

- Hedda is manipulating Elvsted and she is falling for it.

(Pg. 794-799)

- Elvsted answers Hedda's question showing she doesn't love her husband. Her husband is the sheriff and twenty years older.

- Elvsted has ran away from her husband and home to town where she is speaking with Hedda. Her husband didn't send her to Tesman.

- Elvsted love Lovbrog and is in town for him.

- Brack is the judge who is 45 years old.

- Lovbrog can't make a new book because he has already spent a large amount of the money.

- Tesman's appointment he has been waiting on is in competition with Lovborg stunning Tesman.


(Pg. 800-806)

- Hedda learning that because of the appointment deal she can not have her servants nor horse until it's situated she grabs her fathers pistols and tak a shot in the direction of the judge Brack to intimidate him to come back to the house.

- Hedda is telling the Brack she has been bored and does not love Tesman to the fullist.

- Tesman informs his aunt Reida is sick so Miss won't be coming over, he then leaves the room and Hedda tells Brack she pretended the hat on the table was the maids but knew it was the Miss's.

- Helda never wanted the house and says she is going to be bored loving their. She wants Tesman to get into politics.


Isben, Henrik. (781-800) "Hedda Gabler, Act1", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.

Reading Notes W6: Tolstoy, Part A

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910): Leo was known as a high ranked aristocrat, gambler, womanizer, vegetarian, anarchist, pacifist, and advocate for the Russian peasantry. He produced some of the best fiction of the century but many thought it was immoral. He was born in 1828, belonging to two parent's of the highest ranking class in Russian society but never took advantage of it to become a diplomat.

- Lost his parent's at a early age.

- isolated youth.

- Had many affairs with women of the peasant class.

- He joined the military and after began to write about it because of the devastation he witnessed.

- Influenced by Charles Dickens.

- Became a famous writer at the age of 34 and married an 18 year old aristocrat.

- His brother Dmitry's death had an affect on Leo and led to him writing a book called, "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" which was heavily inspired because of Dmitry.


"The Death of Ivan Ilyich" By: Leo Tolstoy

(Pg. 740)

- Ivan Egorovich Shebek's private room, Peter tells the room (Fedor) that Ivan is dead.

- Ivan was a member of the Court of Justice.

- Ivan was well liked by all the people he worked with.

- His death made them all wonder who would be promoted among the colleagues.

- Peter's brother in law is very sick and would use the promotion to transfer him to a better hospital.

- "Each one thought or felt, " Well he's dead but I'm alive!" But the more intimate of Ivan Ilyich's acquaintances, his so-called friends, could not help thinking also that they would now have to fulfill the very tiresome demands of propriety by attending the funeral service and paying a visit of condolence to the widow." (pg.741)

- Ivan and peter were his closest friends.


(Pg.744-749)

- Ivan's death was painful the last few days before his death he was suffering.

- Died at 45

- Ivan never abused his power, was a fair man.

- Ivan's wife became very jealous when he was not with her and expected him to spend all of his time with her.

- She abused him when he did not fulfill her needs.


(Pg. 750-755 )

- The more children him and his wife had the worst his wife would act towards him making him question marriage.

- He was transferred to a new job meaning they moved to a new house and even then his wife got worst, also blaming him for everything that went wrong.

- Year of 180 was the hardest for him and the salary wasn't enough to raise a family.

- He became depressed after having to move his family to his wife's brother's house because he felt abandoned by everybody. His father even declined to help Ivan.

- A change in positions at his old job sent Ivan promoted to stages higher than his colleagues. Things bean to look up for Ivan and he was feeling 15 years younger.


(Pg. 756- 762)

- His wife began to feel sorry for herself after convincing herself that Ivan was a man with a temper. This was not true though but his wife liked to think it.

- He was told he was sick but not if it was dangerous or not. He tried to tell his wife but she would not listen long so he ended up convincing himself not to worry about it.

- He became depressed from the sickness and his family was upset that he was always depressed blaming everything on him.

- His friends noticed he was not himself and would ask if he would like to go to bed when playing cards.

- "Exaggerating! Don't you see it? Why, he's a dead man! Look at his his eyes- there's no light in them. But what is it that is wrong with him?"(Pg. 760)"

- He took his medicine feeling better but then thinking it would never end and thought the problem was his kidney or appendix.


(Pg. 763-774)

- Ivan sees that he is on his way towards death.

- He began making mistakes at his work and his colleagues noticed that something is wrong with him for it was unlike himself.

- His butler was the only one who recognized he was sick and pitied him.

- Ivan believed the doctor was always telling a lie and would call the doctor out on it but the doctor would shrug it off.

- Anything his wife began to help with it was for herself rather than to help her husband get better.

- Ivan's loneliness was catching up with him leaving him often weeping when no one was around.


(Pg.775-777)

- Ivan was miserable and wanted to die in peace shunning any coming to him.

- The final days he would scream in horror because of the pain and finally felt a pain in his side making it harder to breathe.

- Right before he died he looked at his son kissing his hand seeing both his son and wife crying made him feel sorry for him, but he came to the conclusion it would be easier for everyone if he was dead shortly after the thought he died.


Tolstoy, Leo. (735-777) "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.

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Close Reading Week 5, "From Song of Myself"

   For week five I chose to do a close-reading on the poem, "From Song of Myself" By: Walt Whitman because I liked how Walt described the detail of what it was like for him to see his own country to be at war with each other. Walt Whitman was an American who was a famous poet during the time of the Civil War. He was born into a very patriotic family with a father who even named two of his sons George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. His families patriotism definitely rubbed off on to him because he ended up looking up to President Lincoln with a great aspiration, where he decided to join the Union as a volunteer medic because he supported the cause of a stronger country. Much of his poetry had to do with the Civil War along with life and death because it was something he seen all around him during those dark times in America. The poem itself has to do with what Whitman was feeling around this time and what he was witnessing happening to the men of his country combating one another. A specific stanza that I think summed up the reality of the Civil War and Walt's attitude on the war was when it says, " I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise, Regardless of others, ever regardful of others, Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man... One of the Nation of many nations, the smallest the same and the largest the same,..." (Pg.449). This quote alone shows that Walt was aware of his actions but not sure as to if his actions were the proper way of fighting the countries conflict. The last sentence of the quote is what gives the real insight to how it would feel if we were in his shoes and to see your neighbor, father, brother, and in general a fellow American at war with each other. I think this poem has a few different themes but I believe that the poem  would be best represented by war, because the Civil War is his inspiration of this poem. What stood out the most to me in this poem is the second part of the stanza to the quote that I did not include. In the second part of the stanza he goes on to mention different states and the type of people entering the war. He described different statesman joining the war and having to choose a side such as a Texan leaving the south to join the Union rather than joining the confederates as other southerners were doing. The poem stood out to me because in the world today it would be hard to think of fighting a war against fellow Americans. Reading this poem was interesting because it made me think of what's going on today with our country and the disarray between the people from both sides of our countries political spectrum attacking one another because of their political parties views, more than ever. I found this poem really interesting because in a way I feel I could relate with Walt for it seemed he would rather see a country united as one rather than separated between the two conflicting sides of Confederates and Union soldiers. Overall I really enjoyed this poem and I think it showed how conflicted Walt felt in a time of war between his own countries peoples.

Whitman, Walt. "From Song of Myself." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 446-453

Reading Notes W5: Whitman/Shelley, Part B

- Walt Whitman (1819-1892): Born on Long Island, Whitman moved and grew up in Brooklyn. Whitman looked up to Lincoln and joined the union as a volunteer nurse. His poetry was different from other's, for his poetry did not follow ryhtem and his sentences were all different in length. His poetry became very popular because it left behind European influence and instead introduced an Americanized democracy style of poetry.

" From Song of Myself " (Pgs. 446-465)
(Pgs. 448-451)

- 1: Narrator is possibly speaking about himself and future kin, saying how they have freedom of speech. "I permit to speak at every hazard..."

- 4: The Civil War is taking affect on everyone whether it's in on the battlefield or at home.

-7: Both life and death are precious things and while alive those should enjoy their life and the people around them.

-16: The Civil War involve all in America South, North, and the narrator involves states of the sldiers and their lifestyles along with age giving a broad look that This war is affecting all in the nation.

- 21: The poet directs attention to the reader asking if they are the president and do they have the power to make descisions. This small description of the verse can show the influence and dedication the poet has to both the president and union, but the poet mentions that over all of this he praises love.

- 24: Walt describes that everything that is happening in America is playing apart in his life. He wants Americans united under democracy and a stronger union rather than than broken.

(Pgs.452- 453)

- 46: This is a pro union verse describing he has no philosophy or religion but instead has the vision of a stronger America under the Union.

- 52: He will not silence his opinion on how or what should be done in America even though some do not agree and have enough of him.


" Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking "

(Pgs.453-455)

- The narrator describes as a boy there was a nest with two birds and he describes both birds being in the nest together but one dy the female bird did not return.

(Pgs. 456-458)

- The bird sings wanting his mate back for he misses her. The bird begs and asks the moon for any hints in his mat could be and asks questions on how he could find her.

- The boy thinks the bird sings to him but instead the bird is singing to it's mate. The boy not knowing this until later in life chooses to think the siinging is for him.

- The man then refers back to memories of this bird which he refers to as a demon singin to him when he was younger giving him company while he was figurily in soltitude.


" When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd "

(Pgs. 458-465)

- 4: A hermit sings a song alone away from civilization.

- 7: Whitman writes about death and coffins to describe what's going on within America's war of states.

- 9: Walt mentions the connection with the hermit and how he hears the hermit's call.

- 11: Civil War was bringing death and instead the war should end, he wants the people at war to return home to their states for a united country.

- 15: He remembers and witnesses armies and different flags being flown on a battlefield.

" O Captain! My Captain! "

- The poem is about a sailor calling for his captain that has fallen in battle, and the sailor sees this mourning because the captain was like a father to him.


Shelley (395-401)

- Percey Bysshe Shelley: Shelley was an advocate of anarchism, free love, vegetarian, Irish nationalism, and atheism. These ideals made people think he was corrupting and trying to promote satanism to the nation. Shelley was born into a aristocratic wealthy English family. He is a poet that always used his opinion in his works which would question himself and others ideliology.

" Ode to the West Wind "

(Pgs. 399-401)

- I: Shelley describes the enviorment and changes in season describing the dead leaves falling from the trees.

- II/III: Still describing the enviorment he then goes on to a voice that appears saying, "O hear!"

- IV: Shelley describes a man who is not free and in need of an ally or friend, instead finding it in religion.

- V: The character basically asking to be sacrificed to complete not only himself but the world altogether.



Whitman, Walt. (Pgs. 446-465)  "From The Song of Myself", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.


Whitman, Walt. (Pgs. 446-465) "Out Of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.


Whitman, Walt. (Pgs. 446-465) "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.


Whitman, Walt. (Pgs. 446-465)  "O Captain! My Captain!", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. (395-401) "Stanzas Written in Dejenction-- December 1818, near Naples", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. (395-401) "Englan in 1819", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. (395-401) "Ode to the West Wind", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.

Reading Notes W5: Dickinson, Part A

(Pg.480-490)
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886):

- Emily was born into a religious family but considered her a rebel against religion making her feel like an outcast.

- In the 1850's she began putting out verses of poetry. Her poetry had to do with the big events that were happening in the time period such as the Civil War, slavery, and women's rights.

- She was a poet that stood out during those times for there was no one else like her.

- Her poems involved death, love, family, and faith. She also made friends with a well known poet named Higginson who warned her not to have her poems published because people would not appreciate it.

- "Poems" (480-490)

- 216: A castle described on a breezy night.

- 258: A light becomes visible which is described as people wanting to distance themselves from it, relating it to death.

- 303: An emperor kneeling before someone or something relaying that, " The Soul selects her own Society-".

- 328: A bird swoops down to eat a worm where then the girl tosses the afraid looking bird a piece of bread crumb.

- 341: Taking place in a cemetary because of the description of tombs and the dead along with ceremony.

- 435: This verse possibly describing the civil war and the tensions that brewed with two sides and the mentioning of "All" prevailing, which can refer to Lincoln wanting a stronger Union leading to stopping the Confederacy breaking away from America by war to strengthen the country.


- 449: Their life choices of picking beauty over truth and truth over beauty met with them dying overtime and then the names on their graves getting covered by moss.

- 465: The person dies and with their death brings silence, silence even with a fly buzzing over head with no sound.

- 632: The brain holds all knowledge and is a valuable tool but religion fiddles with the brain keeping it from fully grasping such knowledge.

- 712: A carriage ride leading from one world to another almost like a bridge to a never ending destination.

- 754: Describe the killing of doe in a forest, but even though they kill and bring these creatures to death, the hunter them-self will not be released to death.

- 1129: The truth is out their waiting to be found but people are blindly fed knowledge that is not true, instead fabricated.


Dickinson, Emily. "Poems". The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E.

Week 4 Project Planning: Theme of Love/Stories history

   For my project I plan to answer the question, What does this story teach us about history? using the two stories called, "Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger" and "The Song of Ch'un-Hyang". The main theme of the stories are love and I am going to describe how different life was for the characters in the time period they lived in(Edited): Also be speaking about how social class had an affect on the characters and how it was an obstacle. By doing this I can also go into answering the main question by explaining the history of the authors background which will give insight to how life was in their eyes. Within in the project I will be including character development and how these characters perceive one another in their everyday lives. This I think would help show how the author mind works which shows the reader what people thought of the people around them and what was really on their minds. The main characters in both stories share certain traits even though the characters are both made by different authors and while I was reading the stories and watching the character's develop it showed a lot about the culture. The story, " Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger" revolves around what money and the story, " the Song of Ch'un-Hyang" revolves around power and loyalty. These factors I believe played large rolls with some more than others in both stories and with these factors it will be used to show the authors way of perceiving the time period. Overall, the factors I have listed so far will all be beneficial I think to answering and arguing what these stories can teach about history.

Feng, Melong. "Du Tenth Sinks The Jewel Box in Anger", The Norton Anthology World Literature Vol. D (Pg.497-516)

" The Song of Ch'un-Hyang", The Norton Anthology World Literature Vol. D (Pg.74-89)

Week 4 Literary Analysis, "Girbala"

  For the week 4 literary analysis I chose the story, " Giribala" By: Mahasweta Devi. The story takes place around 1970 in West Bengal and revolves around Giribala who is only thirteen years when the story starts. Giri was married off to a man named Aulchand because in their culture arranged marriage is the norm and her father had her married to Auc because he thought Auc was well off. It turned out though that Aulc is not well off, instead he has no home, money, and no work. Even though Giri noticed this right after they left her parent's house she decided to stick it out and seven years later she had her first daughter. In due time she would then go on to having four kids in a hut that was poorly made by both Giri and Aulc. As a character Giri shows throughout the story that she is strong and want's the best for her children. Giri as a character is strong because at only thirteen she was not only married but also having to build a hut in which Giri's father already thought she would receive from her new husband. Being married to Auc was only the beginning of the obstacles she would be put through because later in the story Auc ends up selling his daughter for 400 rupees so he can finish building their house. Although his intention might of been to make Giri happy it ultimately broke Giri because he had sold her first born without her knowledge. After she found out he did this they both communicated less but they still stayed together showing Giri honors the marriage she was put into no matter how bad things got. After reading "Giribala", I think the them would best be represented by commitment. From being married at thirteen, losing her daughter, and dealing with a harsh beating from Aulc after she got herself sterilized, she stayed locked into the marriage which I think made it evident Giri is committed to the marriage and making things work out. The author Devi I think was trying to demonstrate cultural impact through a time and setting where life was harsh. Devi's previous works along with "Giribala"  have to do with the struggles of India's people which is highly influenced from her Indian background. Overall the elements of the story being both religious and cultural give insight to how life was during the time period and possibly Devi's experiences with poverty which Devi's story "Giribala", heavily portrays.

Reading Notes W4: Devi, Part B

"Giribala" By: Mahasweta Devi, Volume F (Pg. 1147-1165)

Devi (1147-1165)

(Pg.1147-1149)
- Mahasweta Devi: Born in 1926, Devi was very important when it came to writing fiction after India's deconolization in 1947. Her writings were considered "subaltern studies" because her work had to do with Lodhas, Shabars, Santhals, and Mundas in India.

- Devi's father was a Bengali poet and novelist, and her mother was writer nd social worker.

- "Girbala" (1982), the story shows the rural life in north-central region of West Bengal around 1975.

- The story also demonstrates the impact of cultural practices, social organization, and economic problems of a young girl who is illiterate.

- Girbala is thirteen and her father is putting her through arrranged marriage to a man named Aulchand. Her father does not do enough research on the man and Girbala finds out that Aulchand has money problems, bad living conditions, and a marijuana problem.

- She sticks it out and later on (more than 7 years) she has three daughters and a son, but loses the eldest daughter under "extremely distressing circumstances".

- The story follows Girbala who is uneducated and outlines her and Aulchand's life struggles.

- events based around 1970 in Bengali.


"Giribala" (Pg. 1149 - 1151)

- "Girbala was born in a village called Talsana, in the Kandi subdivision of Murshidabad district."(1149)

- Girbala was an average looking girl.

- Aulchand payed eighty rupees to marry Giri and Giri's father gave her four tolas of silver, pots, sleeping mats, and a cartload of mature bamboo.

- With the bamboo he built Giri and himself a house since his last one burned down.

- Bangshi Dhamali works at the sub-post office in Nishinda.

- Bangshi would help the doctor adn from it he supplemented 145 rupees and was growing in popularity because of the fancy words he learned from the doctor working on patients.

- Bangshi was unhappy when he learned from Giri's father that he married her to Aulchand, he would of rather Giri's father consulted her and not have married her to him.

- Bangshi refered to her father as uncle.

- Learning that Aulchand cheated them, Channan's mother cried because Auc was using that money to borrowed for the marriage.

- Auc is described as being an alright guy but owns nothing.

- Giri's mother finds out and is angered wanting her daughter remarried.

- Auc and Giri return after a year. Auc brings gifts as a distraction but the mother was still mad and he assured her that Giri will be living in a brick house.

- The mother suspects he was lieing and couldnt fathom that he lied in a calm and cofident fashion.

- Giri listening to her mother realizes that her future of suffering is beginning.

- They then depart her parents and begin building there house.(1151)

(Pg.1152 - 1155)

- A maid from babu's household comes by and shows Giri around. While walking around the maid complains about Auc and questions why anyone would leave their daughter to a marijuana addict who has nothing.

- Auc and Giri both shared the dream of one day having a home of their own.

- Giri birthed her first daughter in the hut they made.

- She then had two daughters after the first named Belarani, Poribala, and a son named Rajib. They were all born at the watchman's hovel.

- She gives birth to a fourth daughter named Maruni, then she decides to get sterilized. Auc finds out and beats her. This then was follewed by a brief converstion about a new home.

- Their daughter Bela was coming of age to be married off in which Auc made a comment saying, " Having a daughter only means having to raise a slave for others. Mohan had read my palm and predicted a son in the fifth pregnancy. But, no, you had to make yourself sterile, so you could turn into a whore."(1153) This prompted to Giri grabbing a knife and threatning to cut the heads of their children including herself.

- Giri and Auc both worked building roads.

- Giri is seperated from Bela and never sees her again breaking Giri's heart.

- Giri didn't ask for anything from her parents when she visited even though her father wanted to give her bamboo so she could build a nicer house.

- Bangshi notices Giri doen't look healthy since going to live with Auc.

(Pg. 1156 - 1163)

- Bangshi offers to help get them a pice of land and find her daughter a husband.

- Giri learns Auc sold Bela for 400 rupees.

- They then go on a search for Bela.

- Auc sold her to build a house. This broke Giri.

- Bangshi critiscizes Giri for wanting to get her kids educated because they would only being working lower class either way.

- Auc discovers that Mohan the man who bought Bela was now running whorehouses in the innerctiy.

- Auc asks Mohan fow work and is refused work. Mohan is ni longer helping people and he is afraid of Auc's wife.

- Mohan helps him hook up with a contact for work so Auc can prove himself to Giri.

- Their other daughter Pori gets married and is the last time Giri sees her.

Devi, Mahasweta. (Pg. 1147-1165) "Giribala"

Reading Notes W3: Rushdie, Part A

" The Perforated Sheet" By: Salaman Rushdie, Volume F (Pg. 1129-1143)

- Salman Rushdie: Rushdie had extended family from both India and Pakistan. In 1989, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini who was leader of Shi'a Muslims ordered that Muslim's murder Rashie because of one of his writings called, "The Satanic Verses". This created controversy around the globe on free speech and ideals like, " Islam versus the West".

- He was born to a wealthy Muslim family in Bombay 1947.

- Attended boarding school in England and received a undergraduate along with a master's degree from the University of Cambridge. At the University he studied Islamic history.

- He described himself as a "historian of ideas".

- Rushdie creates narratives by implementing conflicting ideas and a playful style of characters and events.

- "The Perforated Sheet," is an excerpt from another story and it introduces the character Saleem Sinai who is both the narrator and protagonist. 

- Saleem is setup to have a comparison as the Rushdie.

- The novel is described as everything happening on the Indian subcontinent after 1947 has only one objective and that is to destroy the gifted children. Gifted children being the ones who were born during the end of British rule in Pakistan and India.

(Pg. 1131- 1135)

- "The Performed Sheet"

- Saleem is born August 15th, 1947 night of India's independence.

- Saleem was seen as special for being born the day of the nations independence and it was like that for three decades. He had no say in the matter.

- He is seen by many as a blessing and many as a curse.

- 1915 his grandfather hits his nose on floor while praying and it begins to bleed emerging 3 drops described as "rubies".

- Narrator mentions noses a lot almost as if they have Divine meaning.

- Doctor Aziz had the nose of a elephant trunk. It is compare to the elephant go Ganesh.

- " That's a nose to start a family on, my princeling... Mughal Emperors would have given their right hands for noses like that one." (1135)

(Pg. 1136-1138)

- Tai lived somewhere in the insanitary bowls. Tai did not know his age and nor did his wife. He is describe of having a wrinkly face compared to ripples and water.

- Tai was a ferryman but was rumored to being very wealthy.

- Tai and the narrators grandfather-to-be Aadam are connected because of both of their physical features were different from most everyone else.

- Tai has two gold teeth and Aadam having woman's lips also set them apart from others.

- As a pass time Aadam would float with Tai everyday on the ferry. English sahjibs would always ask the age of Tai and this upset Aadam. After a while even when there were no English sahibs he be haunted by them asking the question.

- Tai tells Aadam to always follow his nose and let it guide him when it comes to the outside world.

(Pg.1139-1141)

-Aadam the doctor, goes to visit his old friend Tai and makes small talk because Tai is upset. at this pont in the story they both aren't friends which is why the doctor tries to nervously make small talk but this angers Tai much more.

- Tai is upset that the doctor acts more like a machine than as a human as he once did. He constantly brings up that the doctor knows nothing about anything anymore and is not the friend he remembers.

- The doctor is now treating his patients and is on his way to making greater discoveries but the memories of the things tai said to him years ago still haunt him.

- The doctor as a character seems constantly conflicted with emotions and doesn't know what to do about them.

(Pg.1142-1143)

- The doctor (narrator's grandfather) contracts what the narrator calls a spell. Many of his previous patients begin dying and or falling very ill. His good reputation started to then dwindle, damaging his name within his town.

- The perforated sheet in which the doctor thought was making his life better and aiding him in the medical field was instead nothing but his imagination. He saw them as sacred and magical which they were obviously not.

Rushdie, Salaman. (Pg. 1129-1143) "The Perforated sheet"

Topic Research

   For my project the topic I'm going to focus on is love because throughout the readings so far there have been a few stories that have to do with the topic. I think it will be interesting to write about because I have noticed a correlation between a couple of the stories that include the love aspect, including  some of the stories ending in a similar dark fashion. My project will explore how the author portrays love along with how the characters treat each other in whatever time period the stories take place. Overall I think this is a strong topic to go about because each author takes a different approach and as I mentioned some have a dark endings which I thought were interesting because their were important details that seemed like important life messages the authors were trying to deliver. Two stories that revolve around the topic love are, "Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger" and " The Song of Ch'un-Hyang". I think these two stories both share certain messages about love and can work well in aspects of explaining how the authors personal life and time period rubbed off on the stories customs.

W3 Feedback Strategies

Week 3 Module: W3 Feedback Strategies

One of the articles I read on feedback strategies was the article, "Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset." After I read this article I learned that the best way to give feedback is to be specific along with taking yourself out of the feedback. Being as specific as possible will help the person receiving feedback have a better understanding of how to improve. After reading the article's I feel confident about giving feedback, I myself don't have any strategies worth mentioning because I feel like the articles did well in providing them. One way I think I can improve giving feedback is to be more specific so it is more beneficial for the person receiving feedback.

Week 3 Close Reading Analysis

  This week I chose to do a close reading on the oral narrative called, "The Song of Ch'un-Hyang".The oral narrative was a interesting read because of the complexity of ways that the main character's emotions are explained. The plot of the narrative is that a woman named Ch'un is lonely and missing her husband who is another town. The husband is the son of the mayor who left town because his father retired and moved. A new governor comes along punishing Ch'un for not forgetting her husband that abandoned her. In the end, she is put away in a cell expressing her love and how she would rather die for the love of her life than pleasing the governor.  After reading the narrative I found the two parts that stood out the most were the beginning and end because of the complexity of ways that the main character's emotions are explained. The first part that stood out was when  Ch'un begins to question why love is cruel and she uses interesting wording to describe her sorrow such as, " What enemy from a former life arranged that we should be born like this, to love one another... Why should the world come between us" (Pg.76). The wording I thinks works really well to show that she is sad and lonely for that she is going to dramatic lengths to explain how she sees the situation she is in. The quote is just a small piece of the beginning but It stands out because of the complexity that went into showing different ways to show that she is not complete without her husband. The second part that stood out to me was the ending. The ending wasn't great but it instead showed that she would gladly get beaten by a executioner and thrown in a cell repeatedly because of her love for her husband. The very last couple of sentences coordinate with what the beginning of the book was showing when she says, " Bright moon, do you see us? Lend me your light, for I too want to see the place where he is. Is he lying, is he sitting? Tell me what you see and relieve my sorrows (Pg.89). This quote being the final words of the book effectively present that Ch'un struggles with being lonely but instead of doing what the governor wanted her to do which was please him and forget the husband, she sits in a cell still thinking of her husband and where he may be. Overall the narrative, "The Song of Ch'un-Hyang" was enjoyable to read, using a very in depth and complex way to word the same feeling of loneliness Ch'un felt in numerous different ways and symbolism's.

"The Song of Ch'un-Hyang." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, 200, pp. 74-89.

Reading Notes W3: The Song of Ch'un-Hyang, Part B

"The Song of Ch'un-Hyang" (Pg.74-89)
(No author is stated. it is described as being a story made up of folk tales.)
(Pg.74-75)

- The narrative is a Korean drama which includes elements dealing with corruption of Korean elites, love, heroism, and fidelity.

- "P'ansori is a traditional performance art with a set repertoire."

- The introduction of Confucianism during the Choson Dynasty in the eighteenth century brought all social classes to wanting education to improve their social status.

- The story takes place in Cholla Province following a daughter of an entertainer and aristocrat, along with Master Yi who is the son of a local magistrate.

- Master Yi and Chu'un are lovers.

- Chu'un is captured and tortured, Yi goes back to Cholla to save her where they live a long well life together there after.

(Pg. 76-77)

- Chu'un is upset and misses master Yi.

- She thinks to herself why she fell in love with him. She thinks this because it is emotionally hurting her that he is not there with her.

- She doesn't want to die alone in the dull looking room she is in.

- As a pass time Chu'un would pray and grieve because of his absence.

- Master Li also had the same thoughts of wanting to see her again while he was in Seoul.

-The new governor of Namwon named Pyon Hak-to was a author, known for music, behaved irresponsibly. He was known for being stubborn.

- As Pyon sets off to Namwon, he had servants dressed in bright colors with him along with banners.

(Pg. 78-79)

- When he finally arrived servants and all the men of the garrison approached to meet the new governor. He was treated well, servant were even walking in front of him with brooms sweeping the path ahead as he strolled through.

- " The governor ordered them: 'Call the master of the slaves, and tell him to muster the kisaeng.'" quote was said after the welcome dinner that was prepared for him by the locals.

- Slaves: Full Moon, Peach Blossom, Painted Phoenix, Lotus Heart, Bright Jade, Oriole, and Fading Spring.

- Fading Spring who considered herself to be very pretty because she heard that she was seen as so.

- Fading Spring was described as walking odd, having a tall and lanky build.

- Pyon did not hear Chu'un called and was informed that her mother was a Kisaeng but Chu'un herself was not.

(Pg.80-81)

- Chu'un is described as very beautiful but nobody had seen her for years.

-Governor was upset to hear that the son of his predecessor left her and was to come back for her. He mentions him as not being a good man for leaving her. Also noting that he couldn't be a man who was still under his father's care.

- he ordered the guards to fetch her and if they had not they would be demoted.

- The servants and guards startle her and she is reminded the new Governor arrived.

- The governor was very pleased after seeing Chu'un.

(Pg.82-83)

- The governor jokes about her being faithful to man who left her. She makes him aware that she still loves him and will only serve him, he was furious.

- He has her dragged out and ordered the executioner to break her shins and prepare execution.

-  The executioner does what the governor commands and is instead instructed to beat her first. The executioner is doing his job but feels mercy and whispers to her to only withstand a few lashes.

(Pg.84-85)

-  The townsfolk were not pleased with what the governor was doing and began calling him cruel.

- She is struck twenty times.

(Pg.85-87)

- Chu'un begged for her life and the townspeople were crying for her.

- Through the lashing she would tell the governor she belongs to her husband. Repeating that she would not betray the one she loved for him.

- The commotion got the attention of her mother who was in shock to see what was done to her daughter.

- The mother followed Chu'un as she was escorted to her cell.

(Pg.88-89)

-The story ends with her questioning what she had done wrong to receive such cruel punishment. She explains that she would happily die and wait for her husband, who was not mentioned of ever returning in the text. But even after all she had been through she still held love and loyalty for her husband.

Reading Notes W3: Baldwin, Part A

Author: James Baldwin
"Notes of a Native Son"

Pg. 735

- James Baldwin an author who was a American leadingprose stylist of the twentieth century.

- Icon of the civil rights movement he did not feel like he fit in with the black culture or the white liberal society.

- He first encountered racial discrimination at his first job in New Jerseywhich he was not fond of.

- Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village in lower Manhatten, this is where his writing and aspiration to become an author took off.

- In this new village is where he discovered he was gay

-  His first book was a autobioghraphical book written in 1953 called, " Go Tell on the Mountain". The story was about a very religou man who ended up leaving his church.

- Later he writes a book in 1963 called, "The First Next Time" which had to do with race and American history. This book was what made him well-known aroud the world.

Pg. 736

- Baldwin was regarded as a "darling of white liberals who was more concerned with cosmopolitan life in Paris than with the plight of ordinary African Americans" by the Successors of groups such as the Black Panthers.

- One of Baldwins works called, "Notes of a Native Son" was about both the death of his father and the birth of his fathers youngest son. The essay having alot to do with his history with racism and his fitting in to his family along with American society.

- His father died the same day as the fathers youngest son was born.

- The day of the funeral race riots broke out in Harlem, he then describes them driving down a road of broken plate glass.

Pg.740

- Baldwin's teacher becomes very helping to his family. His mother liked her very much but his father did not trust her. At this time his father has no job.

- His father would tell him that any friends of his that were white would try to keep him down because he of his skin color, also telling him that they are not truely his friends.

- The year after his father's death he gets a job at a defense plant in New Jersey which is where he started to notice racial discrimination, he references that he knew of Jim Crow and he had neot yet experienced anything like it.

Pg.741

- In New Jersey he was always being kicked out of restraunts, bars, diners, etc.

Pg. 742-743

- He begins to hate white people and gets angry around them.

- He explains that he didn't like how a server looked at him with "frightened eyes" because of his skin color.

- " We don't serve negroes here." This makes him angry as he describes, " She did not say it with the blunt, derisive hostility to which I had grown so accustomed, but, rather, with a note of apology in her voice, and fear. this made me colder and murderous than ever."

- His white friend was outside long enough to see what happened and told him to run, covering him from any cops and Baldwin felt almost like he let his friend down for what he had done.

Pg.748

- He did not have the greatest relationship with his father but deep down he really loved him. He found it hard to look at his father's face laying down in a casket. His father was never fond of his son wanting to be a writer, he wanted him to be a preacher.

Pg. 750

- He beleives that hatred for one another whether it's race realted or just in genral, is self-desturctive.

- He didn't like knowing that blacks and whites were fighting one another throughout his lifetime.

Baldwin, James. "Notes of a Native Son." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume F. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 735-750

Feedback Thoughts

 After reading the feedback post it seems straightforward. I agree that receiving feedback that's both good and or constructive will help benefit in this class. My experience with feedback is that in English classes I always find it helps when people read over work and let me know what they think and where I can improve to make my work stronger.

Topic Brainstorm Week 2

Topic #1: (Wealth/money)

  - To live people need money. Money pays for food, gas, electricity, and keeps a house over head. Money seems like a perfect topic especially through some of the readings that have been assigned I've noticed detail put in to stories that speak on the concept of money. Money is what people need to live and for many is seen to bring happiness but it also is something that can ruin people. I'm interested in this topic because the concept of money is always different with people and how they view it. Not only is it different in terms of how money is viewed but in also how characters in the stories choose to spend their money.

Topic #2: (Love)

- Love is something everyone has or at one point experiences. Love is also a topic that is close to always a big factor in stories, which like money can bring happiness or can bring heartbreak. I think this will be a good topic to use for the project because within the textbooks the stories within I'm sure will deal a lot with this topic love. I also think it  will be interesting to see how each story is similar or different in the way it uses the topic of love and how the author uses it to drive the story.

Topic #3: (Environment)

- This topic I'm not sure if i will stick with it but this topic would be based on the character and how they see the environment around them. The topic can be used to get a better understanding of how the author creates their character to explain their surroundings. The strength of this topic can describe how much detail is put in to a story and how well it paints the picture of place and setting. This also allowing to get an idea of what words authors choose to represent the time period, location, etc., overall showing the differences in authors explanation of their story.

Topic #4: (Character/Perception)

- The last topic i have in mind at the moment would be perception. With this topic it plays on how the author sets up each character. Throughout the stories so far each author has a different way of creating a character outlook on others. With each character some are mentioned more than others and the character is what drives the story. In all, this topic will focus on the detail of how the main character thinks or hears about another character in the story and where the direction of the character's perception leads.

Reading Notes W2: The Clever Rain Tree, Part B

"The Clever Rain Tree" By: Kenzaburo

-Important Japanese writer of the twentieth century. (pg.1115)

- Born 1935

- "His fiction, often described as "grotesque realism," combines political and psychological themes to explore moral dilemmas in the Cold War, and now post-Cold War, eras."

- Oe Kenzaburo grew up in a disappointing Japan. (pg.1116)

-  Woman nicknamed Agatha says, " You'd rather see the tree than these people, wouldn't you?" The narrator likes trees and the tree she is speaking of is called the rain tree.

- He meets a small build American who was rumored to work with the CIA. The man helped deserters from the Vietnam War in a provincial city on the Japan sea coast. (1118)

-The same man is now in a private institution in Hawaii after becoming distraught over the rumors of being a spy.

- The German-American woman nicknamed Agatha is a sponsor who goes to universities and gives seminars throughout America.(1119)

- The narrator notices a painting called, "A girl on Horseback". He notices that Agatha too is looking at this painting and is very focused in on it in which she explains that is her when she was still in Germany before unhappy things to occur. (Pg. 1121)

- While at the seminar it turned out the institution patients staged a rebellion. Staff were tied up but the participants were not harmed. (Pg. 1127-1128)

- On the bus ride leaving the seminar the narrator touches on the fact that he never once looked back to see the tree Agatha spoke of. (Pg. 1128)

Week 2 Literary Analysis

   The story I chose to do a Literary Analysis on is, "Du Tenth sinks the Jewel Box In Danger". In the story there is a character named Master Li who comes from a officials family. Coming from a official family meant that he can take advantage of his family's title and become an academy scholar.  The Plot being that a prostitute named Du Tenth wants Master Li to marry her, but to do so he would need to pay a large amount of money to have her removed as a prostitute. Once this amount is paid, in  which Tenth even gives up all of the money she has to help him out Li In the end chooses money over her. The author characterizes Master Li through the book as a young man who is in love and will do all he can to gather enough money to relieve tenth of being a prostitute even if that means begging strangers and friends. He also is shown as sensitive and easily manipulated as he on numerous occasions would cry and be talked into believing something that somebody else told him. One of the occasions of Li easily being manipulated is when a man named Sun Fu talks to Li about Tenth. Sun manipulates Li by telling him that his family would not approve a prostitute being their sons wife. That instead he would pay Li a large amount of money which would promise safe keeping of Tenth while the money given to Li can be used to get home and live large. Li agrees to this even after what she had done for him showing that he is a weak individual and not able to truly do what he wants because of his fears and greediness for money. Tenth as a character is different and her characterization becomes more clear as the story progresses to the end because the story is focused on Li. Tenth as a character is very much in love with Li. Throughout the book it is questionable about whether she is truly wanting to marry Li for love or if it's just to get away from prostitution and live a new life. This picture of her possibly swindling Li, is told to Li by a fellow named Liu Yuchan. Liu Yuchan first hearing about Li's situation about needing money to marry a prostitute immediately makes him question the truth of whether it's love or different motives. The author using this conversation to make the reader question if this could be true love or not because he uses Liu to explain it, comparing both backgrounds of the questionable lovers. One comes from a powerful family and the other is a famous prostitute. But as the story proceeds Yuchan finds out that Tenth is a good woman after all and does love Li when Yuchan receives over a one hundred Teals for Yuchan to give to Li. There after Yuchan gives Li two hundred Teals including the one hundred teals. The moment she gives Yuchan the hundred Teals is when the author shows that she is in love with Li because she is using her own money to get to Li so they can have a future together. After reading this story I believe the theme would be fear of judgment. I would say this is the theme being shown by the author because repeatedly through the story Li is told by others that she would not be accepted by his family and that she is just a prostitute which slowly diminishes the love he has for her. Other than the theme fear of judgment, the story has a lot to do with money because Li throughout the story is trying to gather money to relieve Tenth of prostitution. So in the end when he chooses money over staying with the woman he said he loves, it shows that she was not as important as the money and what his father would have though of a prostitute as his sons wife.The author Feng Menglong being someone who was alive during Ming Dynasty definitely reflects on his writing. Today, prostitutes are not considered famous like Tenth. Nor would somebody need to legally pay that type of money to release a prostitute so a person like Li could marry them. But it would make sense of a author to write about this a man paying money so a prostitute can legally leave and marry him is very reflective of his culture during that time because prostitution and as they describe it in the books pleasure districts were apart of the norm. In the authors culture he was raised in what was considered a new urban culture that introduced topics such as sex, money, crimes, court cases and love which overall shows the general influence on the author to create this story.

Reading Notes W2: Feng Melong, Part A

- Feng Melong - Born in 1574 to a well educated family in Suzhou grew up to be a versatile writer of early modern China. (pg.497)

- While the Ming Dynasty was crumbling, Feng wrote patriotic tracts for their national cause to oppose the invader, Qing Dynasty. (Pg. 497)

- The young master says to Tenth, "It's not that I don't want this to work out. But getting a girl's name off the courtesans' register is extremely expensive. Nothing less than a thousand taels will do the trick. My purse is empty, down to the last speck. What can I do about it?" (Pg.503)

-  Nobody will lend Master Li money because they think it might be a scam and he will just run off with it.

 - Master Li is known for being a wealthy man and scholar.

 - Liu Yuchan thinks Master Li shouldn't marry Du Tenth. (Pg.503)

 - Du Tenth maybe playing  Master Li?

 - "If you want my advice, I'd say your best plan is to make a clean break right away."- Liu (Pg. 504)

 - Tenth summons Master Li and after he tells her he is struggling to gather the coin she lets him stay the night.

 - The next morning she reminds him to not be too late with the money for their only a few more days left.

- 150 taels found within quilt wrapped up by Tenth. This showing Liu she is a good woman. (pg. 505)

- Sun Fu, " My dear friend, your return home with this beauty is certainly a happy event. What I wonder is will your family be able to accept her." (pg. 511)

-Page 512 shows Sun Fu slowly making Master Li become worried about telling his father of Tenth because of her background.

- Li is scared of his father so that speech really got him nervous about the situation.

- Li betrayed tenth by almost giving her away over money and she drowned herself taking the box of jewels with her. (Pg. 516)