...American Idol of Literature The final judging in the American Idol of Literature competition took place in my mind between the three best written pieces of work in “Making Literature Matter”. The three pieces were “A Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, and even though it is not a story or play, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. Although the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was the best written thing in the text book, I don’t believe it could legitimately win in an “American Idol” type of competition because it wasn’t actually a story. He wrote that letter better than anything I have seen written to this day minus all of the Harry Potter books as I am very partial to them. He was in the heart of where the country needed to reform the most and no one was willing to help him make it happen. He had sincere guts and the faith required to help make the human rights movement work. All he was doing was answering the question “what are you doing here?” and he did it very successfully and effectively over thirteen pages. My favorite quote of his letter to the congressmen was; As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. (Jr.) It was right after he...
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...Kelly Haddix Eng Comp 2 Jason Elznic 04/25/2012 My essay will show how Marxism is portrayed within the two short stories, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and A Raisin in the Sun. The purpose of this essay is to explain the Marxism role within these two short stories. I will use an academic approach to accomplish this objective. The role of Marxism is portrayed within these two stories, and I will show how Marxism is portrayed and defined by comparing these two short stories. The similarities between the two stories are that both Walter and McMurphy are fighting against a society that is bent on repressing them. Walter with the white community, and McMurphy with the hospital staff at the mental institution, namely Nurse Ratched. Nurse Ratched represents the controlling party in the mental institution where as the white realtor Mr. Lindner represents the controlling party of the white housing community. According to Dictionary.com the definition of Marxism states that “society is basically the struggle between the social classes.” Randle McMurphy McMurphy showed signs of Marxism’s conflict theory, focusing on the struggles between the classes (nurses and patients).McMurphy violated the norms of society when he was charged with statutory rape and sanctions were imposed, sending him to prison. McMurphy creates a society amongst the patients at the mental institution, which largely affects the structure of the institution. His relationship with the other patients...
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...Long Josh Tucker ENGL 1020 25 November 2014 No Harmful Intentions Doing the right thing in life can be harmful, even if it is the right thing to do, many people can be affected by these decisions. By doing the right thing it is always harmful to someone. Harm can be collected in multiple ways not only physically, but neglect and psychological harm can also be intended to be the right thing to do. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” both use their stories to represent how doing the right thing can be harmful by neglect, psychological and physical harm. The two stories are both written about the way people inside a community live and their rituals and routines ruin and affect peoples’ lives by doing what they believe is the right thing to do, but in other peoples eyes it is not the right thing to do. Both stories use many literary devices in their stories to show their true meanings. The literary devices known as character and setting explain important meaning on how the stories are structured and organized to make the organization feel as if they believe it is the right thing to do but is harmful to others. In Shirley Jacksons “The Lottery” shows a great amount of physical and psychological harm. A setting like many towns, there are banks, schools, Town Square, and homes of the villagers. Every year the small town gathers in the square for the lottery day. Groups of children run around gathering pockets and small mounds of stones...
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...play A Raisin In The Sun primarily using the character Walter Lee. Another work of literature that touches upon this issue of pride is the short story “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence, where the protagonist Paul demonstrates pride leading to madness taking over. These works are comparable with the theme of Pride being that both character’s, Walter and Paul, on took daring actions for their mother with the best of intentions. However although alike, these works differ because Walter’s mother wants to better her family’s living situation and fulfill a dream as opposed to Paul’s mother who is simply greedy as well as hungry for money and materialistic things. Throughout Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun the members of the Younger family each explain their own desire for success and a better life. While each member of the family hopes for something different, in the end they all wished to better their family situation. Walter’s discussion with Ruth in the beginning of the play illustrates his definition of success and the “American Dream” when he is ranting “Charlie Atkins was just a “good-for-nothing loudmouth” too, wasn’t he! When he wanted me to go in the dry-cleaning business with him. And now- he’s grossing a hundred thousand a year. A hundred thousand a year! You still call him a loudmouth!” (Hansberry 615). This scene shows how Walter is envious of wealth and considers bringing in a large income being a success. Much like the Younger family from A Raisin In The...
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...The Complexity of Privilege and Domination Privilege always occurs at the expense of others. Allan Johnson states, “The trouble we’re in privileges some groups at the expense of others. It creates a yawning divide in levels of income, wealth, dignity, safety, health, and quality of life” (Johnson 7). Allan Johnson states this in Chapter 1 of his book Privilege, Power and Difference and it is one of the most powerful statements in the whole book. Privilege creates a great divide between people. This can have a negative lasting effect, if not under control. Society has divided people into two groups: superior and inferior. The superior groups are the ones that are privileged in society and the inferior ones are ones that are underprivileged; however, there is a certain complexity that comes with privilege. There are so many different combinations of race, gender, class, sexual orientation or disability status that can occur so finding a person who fits all of the above is difficult. Ideally, it would be a white, wealthy, heterosexual male who is not disabled. Majority of people in the world do not fit that description. It is much more likely that an individual would be privileged in one or two of those categories. The complexity of privilege lies in the fact that individuals who are seen as superior and therefore privileged are entitled to have more opportunities than those who are underprivileged and inferior; however, this is not guaranteed. Allan Johnson’s...
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...Subordination of minorities in American generated a strenuous struggle by both African-Americans and numerous white Americans advocates who endorse the termination of racism and encourage egalitarianism. The awe-inspiring production A Raisin in the Sun became renowned as a historical reenactment of a handful of people most personal, influential, monumental, life altering moments in life that occur within their home. The play epitomizes real life’s situations about overcoming obstacles, defining one’s distinctive way of life, and handling idiosyncratic conditions at home in a reconstruction of the fictitious Younger family who animate life in 1950s America, moreover Chicago. The play was created by an African-American writer Lorraine Hansberry in 1959 who advocated for human rights which consists of racial minorities and women. In the day to day reality of the Younger’s situation, Mama, Beneatha, Ruth and Walter are able to come together in harmony realizing that together they are stronger than they are separately. The moral in A Raisin in the Sun, publicized through the Younger family, epitomizes the magnanimous gesture of gratitude and devotion to always love your family, the people you are already given in life to be a companion. The characters in the story have very different personalities which lead to a family dynamic that evolves into a common acceptance by the end....
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...citizenship status that African Americans experienced, and the ills of segregation were key themes in his writings. His writings not only voiced protest, but the theme of rejection was present in his writings. He wrote about his personal rejection from everywhere when searching for work. In addition, like other New Negro Movement writers, Hughes spoke out against and provided vivid descriptions of how African American were viewed and treated as inhuman and inferior. Hughes also included ways that he thought the discrimination and oppression should change. Hughes was considered a literary giant whose works included poetry, novels, essays, and short stories among others....
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...“Never judge a book by its cover.” This was written by Edwin Rolfe in 1946. This quote is still used to this day and is one of the most insightful sayings to exist. By saying this, you are saying that you can see what's on the outside. But you won't get the full experience until you see what's on the inside. This quote has a deeper meaning than what it conveys. All of these stories have a deeper meaning in them and they express them in many different ways. You can fully understand the meanings by comparing the figurative language, poetic devices, and the subject in the stories. First, in the story “Watermelon,” by Charles Simic, there is plenty of figurative language. The story starts by implying that the “Green Buddhas,” are the watermelons....
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...Michael Humphrey 2/16/16 Essay 1 Evolution of identity Throughout this section we have talked about culture and identity and how it ties into all of the short readings we have been assigned to read. In this paper I will discuss how ethnicity plays a vital role in culture and identity, and how it shapes the characters throughout each story or poem. All three of my examples will be coming from “A Raisin in the Sun”, by Lorraine Hansberry, “Everyday Use”, by Alice Walker, and “Hard Rock Returns to Prison from the Hospital for the Criminal Insane”, by Etheridge Knight. “A Raisin in the Sun” is about an African-American family who lives in poverty on the south side of Chicago, in 1959. Back in the day we know that African Americans didn’t have it easy, but how exactly did the fact of being black shape the way they lived and the way they processed things mentally? Walter worked as a chauffeur most of his life, but had dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. He had a vision of opening up a liquor store since he figured no one would ever stop drinking liquor. The problem he had was that he was a thirty-five year old man that had a son that was sleeping in the living room, and all he had to give him was stories about how rich white people lived. Instantly we see traces of how Walters’ current life situation falter his mindset into thinking he needed to be more successful so that his family could look up to him like a role model. At one point in the play Walter and Benny have...
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...Comment » The awesome poster for Kabuliwala film 1957. Kabuliwala (originally Cabuliwala) is a short story by Rabindranath Tagore (b. 1861 – 1941), India’s most celebrated literary figure and a Noble Laureate. Kabuliwala which literally means “The Kabuli Man” (better known in English as “The Fruitseller from Kabul”), is a story about the ancient and romantic friendship between India and Kabul city, which in my opinion, is the most Indianized city of Afghanistan after Jalalabad. Kabuliwala, as “one of the most iconic characters from Indian literature and cinema” has been the reference to many Indian art and cultural products over the decades. The story was adapted into at least three Indian films; one in 1957 by Tapan Sinha in Bengali, the other in 1961 by Hemen Gupta in Hindi, the last one in 1993 by Siddique in Malayalam, all with the same name. Of the three films, I have seen the 1957 one which is a charming classical Indian movie with good performances and very good old Kabuli and Indian songs. This film was selected in the competition section of the 7th Berlinale in 1957 and even won an award— it was the time, Indian cinema was not invaded yet by “Bollywood” gangsters. You can watch the English-subtitled version of the movie in full on Youtube, where I watched it. But if you don’t have the time to read two hours of subtitles, do yourself a favor and read the original story by Tagore in the following, which will take 15 minutes or less. ……………………………………………. Kabuliwala ...
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...What is literature? * Creative writing of recognised artistic value. * Written works of fiction and non-fiction in which compositional excellence and advancement in the art of writing are higher priorities than are considerations of profit or commercial appeal. * Literature is literally "an acquaintance with letters" as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning "an individual written character (letter)"). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts. The word literature as a common noun can refer to any form of writing, such as essays or poetry; Literature as a proper noun refers to a whole body of literary work, world-wide or relating to a specific culture... * lit·er·a·ture n. 1. The body of written works of a language, period, or culture. 2. Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value:"Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity" 3. The art or occupation of a literary writer. 4. The body of written work produced by scholars or researchers in a given field: medical literature. 5. Printed material: All the available collected literature on the subject. 6. Music: All the compositions of a certain kind or for a specific instrument or ensemble: the symphonic literature. Good literature has something important to say about life. If we take the time to read and understand the literature...
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...O Book of Poetry Nursery Rhymes “Rock-a-Bye Baby” b Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop[pic] When the wind blows, the cradle will rock When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall And down will come baby, cradle and all [pic] Three Blind Mice Three blind mice, three blind mice, See how they run, see how they run, They all ran after the farmer's wife, Who cut off their tails with a carving knife, Did you ever see such a thing in your life, As three blind mice? [pic] “I’m A Little Teapot” [pic] I'm a little teapot Short and stout Here is my handle Here is my spout When I get all steamed up Hear me shout "Tip me over and pour me out!" Lyrics Go To Sleep My Baby Lyrics Go to sleep my baby [pic] Close your pretty eyes Angels up above you Look down on you from the sky. The great big moon is shining Stars begin to glow It's time for all the picaninis To go to sleep | | |b[pic] | | | |I've got the blue-bus, blue-bus, ...
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...became a writer of great worth, writing poems and short stories. “Soto is one of the most important voices in Chicano literature”(Sullivan). Soto, an established writer, uses his experience from life and his surroundings when he was a child to write stories about life in a Mexican-American community. Soto grew up in a small family,...
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...lesson was the sun screen song. This was my favorite one. The lyrics in the song was the real lesson. It said stuff like never read beauty magazines because they will make you feel ugly, be nice to the ones who will be there to till the end, and to wear sun screen so you won’t get sun cancer. The third lesson was big rocks. Coach had a jar and some rocks, sand, and pebbles. Coach started putting in the rocks and they stacked up to the rim, then he put the pebbles on top, and finally he put the sand in and the sand filled the cracks. He said this is what your life should be like. The rocks represents all the big stuff in your life like God, family, and friends. The sand represents the stuff you can’t live without like food and water. Last, the pebbles represents the stuff that doesn’t have to be there like, TV, games, and phones. The fourth life lesson and probably the one that we help us the most was dominoes. He told us to get with a partner and get some dominoes. One partner had to stack the dominoes and try to explain the pattern to the other person. The other person can’t look at the pattern, they can only listen to the instructions. This was to work on our listening skills. The last life lesson was the sewer water. Coach came in the room with a newspaper article that said there was a bacteria that can eat sewerage. So Coach got some sewerage and put the bacteria in the water. The bacteria started to move and filtered the water and then Coach drunk it. Long story short, the sewerage...
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...ENC1102 Spring 2014 — Class Schedule |Tuesday, January 14th | |Introduction to the course, syllabus, schedule, materials, and peers. | | | | | |Thursday, January 16th | |In class we’ll read the poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Roethke (274), practice textual analysis, and work on an | | | |outline. | | | |Homework: Pg. 276, questions 14-16, and “making an argument” 4; | | | |Read the poem, “Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden (13) and answer | | | |questions 1-6. | | | | | |Tuesday, January 21st | |In class we’ll re-read the poem, “Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden, look at an earlier...
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