Growth Mindset W17: 11. Beyond School

Growth Mindset: 11. Explore Growth Mindset Beyond School

Outside of school work I like to read articles/books or watch movies/documentaries on history. I'm often looking into things such as civilizations, space, extinct species, world leaders, and even past wars that have occurred in human history. I do this mostly because I enjoy getting an understanding of the past for it's always better to look back to get a understanding for a better future. Most of the time I look at these type of things just out of the blue because I take a sudden interest in it. Or I may have heard something about it in a class or talking with someone and it peaks my interest. I think this could benefit me in school because it could lead to more research on the subject so that I could do better in a class. It's something that would mostly benefit history and anthropology classes in my opinion because other than those type of classes I couldn't see myself using this approach in things such as math. Overall, growth mindset would best apply to my free time because it's when I'm usually watching or reading something that eyes my interest to do research on it.

Reading Notes W17: Swift, Part X

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745): Born in Dublin to English parents, His writing was known as satrical and was very populard during his time.

(315-320)

"A Modest Proposal"

- Women with children in rags begging on the streets in Dublin.

- Children often turn into thieves or mercenaries.

- He thinks it's terrible that children and others are on the streets having to beg.

- He wants this to be prevented so they grow up with regular lives.

- He wants woman to stop abortions.

- He has a plan to not really aid the children but instead feed them to the rich and other families so that the parents won't have the children as a burden.


Swift, Jonathan. "A Modest Proposal." 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, pp. 315-320

Literary Analysis "Philosophical Satire"

For the final of week of class I'm doing a literary analysis on the poem, "Philosophical Satire" By: Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz. From the collage of poems that I read for the reading assignment I noticed that De La Cruz's poems had a resemblance. The poems all had a deep and passionate feeling that it seemed she wanted to get out about love, understanding, or even anger. The poem, "Philosophical Satire" I think uses all three of these elements. The poem in all is the author voicing why she is upset with men and scolding men because she feels men do not take responsibility, which she thinks men throw the blame on women. Her strong emotion on the topic of men can be seen right at the get go when she says, "You foolish and unreasoning men who cast all blame on women, not seeing you yourselves are cause of the same faults you accuse: if, with eagerness unequaled you plead against women's disdain, why require them to do well when you inspire them to fall?" (263). Here the quote is showing her immediately getting straight to the point about why she is angered at men because he thinks they throw the blame at women. I thought this was a funny way of starting a poem and I'm not sure the author meant for it to be funny but in my opinion it was a great way to get a reader's attention. Another quote which shows her concentration on the subject of being angry at men is when she continues on to say, "Why then are you so alarmed by the fault that is your own? Wish women to be what you make them, or make them what you wish they were. Leave off soliciting her fall and then indeed, more justified, that eagerness you might accuse of the woman who besieges you" (264). It seems as if she is saying that men don't like how certain women turn out and she is trying to make it clear that's the man who is making her that way. It's an interesting quote because she doesn't understand why men are still quick to blame or question those women who basically act a certain way because of men's behaviour. I think that is what she means by the quote but that's what I get from reading it. This was an interesting poem to me mostly because I'm curious as to what motivated her to write this poem. Again, I also thought the way she started the poem off in a sense of anger made me more interested in why she started off so aggressive. Overall, I enjoyed the poem and even though I think it has a few different elements I would say the main element is anger because she feels very strongly about the subject and wants her opinion to be heard through her poem.

De La Cruz, Sor Juana Ines. "De La Cruz Poems." 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, pp. 262-264

Reading W17: Behn/De La Cruz Poems, Part B

Aphra Behn (1640-1689): Behn is known as giving women a voice to be able to speak their minds. Her work has much to do with slavery along with Africa and the New World.

(225-246)

"Oroonoko"

(225-246)

- Caesar took Clemene as his wife.

- Explains Romans and their slaves.

- Caesar kills a tiger by piercing it in the heart with his sword.

- The narrator describes another time Caesar killed a tiger in the woods.

- Caesar tells the people that they had suffered like animals who enjoyed being beaten.

- He separated the men from the women and children.

- Caesar makes a speech to the men before they leave.

- Now arriving at the plantation they see an upset Caesar.

Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz (1648-1695): De La Cruz was a nun from New Spain and a very famous writer of her time. She is best known for standing up for women's intellectual rights.

(262-264)

"Poem 145"

- I think this poem is describing how there is a lot to be seen from the object which she is describing because it represents all the conflict that had been going on over the years.

"Poem 164"

- Possible conversation between loved ones who had a disagreement on a matter and one just wants to see their spouse notice the love they still have for them no matter what.

"Philosophical satire"

- De La Cruz shows a bit of anger in this poem explaining that she is mad that men don't give enough apretaition or respect to woman as she explains they do for men.


Behn, Aphra. "Oroonoko; The Royal Slave." 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, pp. 225-246

De La Cruz, Sor Juana Ines. "De La Cruz Poems." 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, pp. 262-264

Reading W17: Behn, Part A

Aphra Behn (1640-1689): Behn is known as giving women a voice to be able to speak their minds. Her work has much to do with slavery along with Africa and the New World.

(200-224)

"Oroonoko; or The Royal Slave"

(200-210)

- The narrator says they're an eye witness to the royal slave (former prince).

- Narrator explains the reason the slaves are being brought to the New World. The Narrator also mention the Indians and that instead of the Indians being enslaved they use blacks from Africa.

- Describes the Indians traditions and clothing.

- Narrator is fascinated with their culture and makes it sound as if the narrator feels the Indians and slaves share something.

- Working on sugar plantations.

- People who wanted slaves needed to get a hold of a captain of a ship or a Master.

(210-224)

- The king took the woman Oroonoko loved making him feel the consequences of love.

- The prince no longer wanted her and let the king have her.

- The woman ended up meeting her death in front of the King which he immediately ordered the Prince to come to him. If the Prince declined he would be put to death.

- The death was faked.

- A few battles and conflictions begin taking place.

Behn, Aphra. "Oroonoko; The Royal Slave." 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, pp. 198-224

Literary Analysis Week 16 "Couplets"

For week sixteen I'm doing a close reading on a poem called, "Couplets" By: Ghalib. The poem is one of many poems by Ghalib in the assigned reading but this one stood out more to me because this poem was a bit easier to see what Ghalib was saying. The poem is Ghalib writing to himself asking god questions about love. While he's asking questions he also begins answering the questions himself because his god isn't answering the questions he lays forth. Ghalib starts the poem by describing his thoughts about love which seemed like an interesting way of wording it when he says, "Ghalib, it's no use forcing your way with love: it's a form of fire that doesn't catch when lit and doesn't die when doused" (594). I like the way he worded this quote which basically is saying that love for someone whether their already with them or not always fades away but the love for them never diminishes. This quote could probably relate to a lot of people who keep loving someone they were once with. He again begins to ask his god about love and again he chooses a different way of describing the emotion, "I've been set free from the prison of love a hundred times-but what can I do if the heart itself proves to be an enemy of freedom?" (596). Here again is a quote where he seems conflicted over an emotion, love. I think this is another quote similar to the first but this time he is looking for an answer for a complex question. I thought it was a nice approach that he added himself asking a higher up about an emotion that is clearly having him putting a lot of thought into it. I enjoyed this poem more than the others he wrote because it was fascinating how he worded this poem. I liked how Ghalib used these quotes to express his opinion, curiosity, and concerns of the emotion love. Overall, I think this poem's element was curiosity because the poem itself is him speaking to his god about what's on his mind about love.

Ghalib. "Couplets." 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. 587-601

Reading W16: Ghalib, Part B

Ghalib (1797-1869): Ghalib was a poet who's fame has grown extensively since his death. He is also one of the most quoted poets around.

(587-601)

"Now go and live in a place"

(591-601)

- Living somewhere isolated where no one would hear from or about you.

"Be merciful and send for me)

-Someone wanting there loved one to get a hold of them again after being apart.

"Where's the foothold"

- Questioning whether earth is the first step to get to heaven or if there is a middle ground after life on earth.

"I've made my home next door to you"

- One's stubbornness from expressing their feelings/words to another who they had moved next to without permission sounding as if they already know each other.

"Couplets"

- Ghalib is writing to himself telling himself to not get caught up on things that are not meant to be. He then begins asking his god why he's listening to him when he's listening to another at the same time. Blames his god for his madness.

"It was essential"

- He writes about him and his adopted son visiting his dead wife whom they were visiting her tombstone.

"My tongue begs for the power of speech"

- Once again I think this poem is describing his wife and how he describes her leaving(passing away) as being hard for him to cope with him

"Petition: My Salary"

- Ghalib directs this to the last Mughal emperor telling him that he is basically a slave and has been getting nothing but debt from the emperor.

Ghalib. "Now Go and Live in a Place." 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. 587-601

Reading W16: Du, Part A

(546-586)

Nguyen Du (1766-1820): Du was a Vietnamese author who was well known by many and his story, "The Tale of Kieu" is said to have no competition in all of Vietnamese literature.

"From The Tale of Kieu"

(550-566)

- Jiajing reign held peace.

- Vuong Quan was in the Vuong clan. The eldest daughter was Thuy Kieu and the youngest was Thuy Van.

- Kieu was very emotional while Van is not.

- Kim Trong was born into wealth and talent.

- Kieu was approached and told her name was signed inside the Book of the Damned.

- Dam Tien told her her name was in the book.

- Dam Tien was deade and Kieu saw her in her dream.

- A man approaches her and tells her that he is in love with her. The man claims to be her neighbor.

- To seal their commitment he gave her a fan and she gave him a pin.

(566-586)

- She was sent away to leave by her father for good reason and on good terms.

- Kieu leaving home she ended up attempting to kill herself.

- She wakes up and is aided by doctors taking care of her.

The man had overall tricked her to leave with him and she ended up working at a v=brothel hence why she wanted to end her life.

- Once again another marriage is set to be made but she attempts to kill herself. Again fails to do so.

- The nun is named Giac Duyen.

- She was in tears when she saw her family it had been fifteen years and they were all glad she was alive.

Du, Nguyen. "From the Tale of Kieu." 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. 546-586

Literary Analysis Week 15: "Recitatif"

For week fifteen I have decided to do a literary analysis on the story, "Recitatif" By: Toni Morrison. This was one of Morrison's only short stories and this story in particular is supposed to be centered around race. The story begins with a girl named Twyla who befriends a girl at her shelter named Roberta. Both girls are in the shelter because both of their mothers are neglecting taking care of their daughters. As the story progresses it shows both of the girls who are now progressively getting older each time they run into one another reflecting on both life and their past at the shelter. I thought this story was interesting because it doesn't tell the reader what race the girls are but it instead keeps it open to interpretation while the story look at how the characters both throughout the story act in a certain way to each other because the difference of their skin. The story first demonstrates the difference between the girls when Twyla voices her mothers possible concern to know she is staying in a room with Roberta, "My mother won't like you putting me in here... Roberta must have thought I meant my mother would be mad about my being put in the shelter. Not about about rooming with her, because as soon as Bozo left she came over to me and said, "Is your mother sick too? (1174). Both Twyla and Roberta are introduced to one another by the head of the shelter and they're to both be staying in the same room at the shelter but this instantly poses concern to Twyla. Twyla has concern of this because she believes that her mother would be upset she is staying in the same room with someone a different race then her own. Again, the author chooses not to tell the reader which race the girls are so this quote here I think shows how the author decides to hint the difference between the two. Early in the story we again get another glimpse at the difference between them when both of their mothers are introduced to one another by Twyla and Roberta, "Mary, simple-minded as ever, grinned and tried to yank her hand out of the pocket with the raggedy lining-to shake hands, I guess. Roberta's mother looked down at me and then looked down at Mary too. She didn't say anything, just grabbed Roberta with her Bible-free hand and stepped out of line, walking quickly to the rear of it" (1177). Here Twyla's mother Mary gets ready to extend her hand to greet Roberta's mother but Roberta's mother instead takes her daughter away from the two of them. I think the author used this to again show the reader the difference in skin color between both characters by not just saying the colors of their skin, but instead by demonstrating it through this scene here. I liked how the author went about writing this story in a way that does not tell you the color of either girl but hints enough to show that they both are different in skin color. Morrison I believe was trying to get the reader to read through the story without making connections with the characters but instead see that both characters act in a particular way with one another based off their skin differences. Overall, I think the element of this story in it's entirety was friendship because the characters each time they would meet after the shelter would exchange words making their relationship bumpy but by the end of the story they see past their differences and feel compassion for one another.

Morrison, Toni. "Recitatif." 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. 1172-1187

Reading Notes W15: Senghor/Lispector, Part B

Leopold Sedar Senghor (1906-2001): Senghor was a poet who who centered his writing on Europe and Afric along with touching on both races conflicts.

(676-686)

"Letter to a Poet"

(678- 679)

- Poem to his brother describing that all the people he knew wait for him and would parade for him when he returns.

- Senghor will be waiting for his brother.

"Night in Sine"

(679-680)

- Wants his people to remember the dancing of the tribes from Africa.

(680-681)

"Black Woman"

- Speaks of the Woman from Africa and their beauty.

(681-682)

"Prayer in the Masks"

- Wants people whose ancestors from Africa to remember the dancing and how it was there.

(682-683)

"Letter to a Prisoner"

- Possibly talking about how he feels that he feels in confinement.

(683-685)

"To New York"

- Describes New York and how amazing it is at first. He then explains it isn't as great as it is at first sight.


Clarice Lispector (1920-1977): Known for making stories that have philosophical deep meanings using novels and short stories.

(808-814)

"The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman"

- The woman is going through mood swings.

- She is married but does not love him.

- She was overall unhappy with her life which is why she was always super angry or just confused at her own behavior.




Senghor, Leopold Sedar. "Letter to a Poet." 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. 676-686

Lispector, Clarice. "The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman." 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. 808-814

Reading Notes W15: Morrison/Soyinka, Part A

Toni Morrison (1931): Morrison is known well for blending both the past and present of the African American experience.

(1172-1187)

"Recitatif"

(1174-1178)

- The narrator was taken to St.Bonnie's since their mother danced all night.

- Lived in a shelter.

- Felt uncomfortable living amongst another race.

- Mary the mother said they didn't wash their hair and that they smelt funny.

- Many different races of kids in the shelter.

- Twyla (the narrator) told Bozo that her mother would be upset she was put in a room with Roberta.

- Maggie gets called a dummy by the main characters because they were trying to figure out if she could hear too because she was mute.

- Marry comes to visit Twyla after 26 days.

- Mary isn't very bright.

- Roberta's mother refused to shake Marys hand and took her daughter away from them.

(1178-1186)

- Twyla now worked at Howard Johnson's.

- Twyla ran into Roberta at her place of work. Roberta is shocked to see her but it seems like her and the friends she is there with don't really want to talk to her.

- Fast forwarding they are now both married and run into each other again. Both talk about the good memories they had. Twyla then brings up why Roberta acted like she didn't want to talk to Twyla at the diner and she responded with describing how it was back then between blacks and Whites hanging around one another.

- They meet again later and both get in argument leaving them both not speaking to another for a few years.

- They meet again and this time Roberta tells Twyla that they didn't do anything to Maggie but back then she really wanted too. It ends with Roberta asking what happened to Maggie.


Wole Soyina (1934): This writer is well known for touching on subjects about Africa and the West who he uses his stories to show the change the West brought to Africa.

(1049-1098)

"Death and the King's Horseman"

(1051-1062)

- Elesin claims that all women wanted him.

- Praise singer mentions many things one being wars that come to them and threaten their race. Elesin claims he makes his own fate.

- Iyaloja get shunned by Elesin for greeting him which leaves the other women in confusion.

- Elesin demands that he controls his destiny and what the world brings his way. The woman all obey his commands and listen closely to hat he says.

- Elesin possibly one of the higher ups in ranking than the others of his village.

- Elesin questions why he has not been visited by the king and horsemen.

- Praise singer praises Elesin for being the greatest.

- Iyaloja has a strange vision which influences Elesin to journey.

(1063- 1070)

- Amusa is angry seeing a man wearing a dead cults dress.

- Amusa is scared of Pilkings costume.

- Pilkings gets angry that Amus keeps bringing it up.

- Pilking and his wife Jane are Christians and not from the place in e=which they are from.

- The costume his is wearing offends amusa because it has a religious dark magic presence to it.

- Different customs.

- Elesin is the kings chief horseman

(1086-1098)

-Elesin gets taken away to jail by Pilkings.

- Elsein wants to go perform his duty.


Morrison, Toni. "Recitatif." 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. 1172-1187

Soyina, Wole. "Death and the King's Horseman." 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. 1049-1098