The Joy of Cooking

    Yikes. I just know that I would not want to be the speakers' brother or sister in The Joy of Cooking by Elaine Magarrell.  Obviously the speaker thinks that his/her brother does not have a heart.  It is more evident when it is said that "my brother's heart barely feeds two" (16).  The speaker obviously thinks his/her brother has a small heart and does not care for anyone.  The speaker appears to be bitter and angry.  I mean, why else would he/she want to have someone's tongue or heart?  This poem was kind of disturbing, but I guess that is what it was suppose to do. The speaker gets joy out of this, and honestly that is so gross.  I do find any joy in that poem at all.  I really hope that this poem was not really written for someone's brother or sister.

The Drunkard

     The Drunkard by Frank O'Connor was a humorous story, however, there were undertones of pathos in it.  I started to feel bad for the boy because his father did not set a good example.  The boy said that he "knew I might have to bring him home, blind drunk. . ." (346).  I do not think that any child should know that about their father.  No child should have to know what is going to happen that night because his/her parent is going to be drunk.  I feel for the child because he does not have a good father.  Even though there is apparent humor in the fact that a little boy got drunk, there is definitely a feeling of sadness as well.  While I was reading this story, I told myself that I did not want the boy to show behaviors like his father at such a young age.  However, that is exactly what was happening. O'Connor did a great job of showing the humor but also adding a little pathos in there as well.  I believe that it made the story a little more realistic in a way.

Once Upon a Time

     The repeated phrase, "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED"in Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer foreshadowed the accident with the little boy.  The repetitiveness of it should make the reader question why it is showing up so much.  In the end, I realized that it was just foreshadowing the coming events of the story.  The Neighborhood Watch gave them a "a plaque for their gates lettered YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" (233).  I believe that this plaque was on the wrong side of the fence.  It should have been facing inside to warn the little boy. I also felt like the phrase was talking to me in a way, telling me that I have been warned for the sad ending.  I mean, it was a child's story.  However, this one did not end in a happily ever after.  I feel like Gordimer was preparing readers for the tragic ending by using this phrase.

Once Upon A Time

     Oh the irony in Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer.  It is ironic that the wire that was suppose to protect the boy ends up hurting him in the end.  Instead of making it over the wall, "the bleeding mass of the little boy was hacked out of the security coil"(236).  The parents motives of trying to keep their family safe ended up backfiring on them.  This adds to the theme that too much protection can be dangerous.  The parents were too busy thinking of all the different ways to protect their child when they should have thought about what he would think of what they were doing.  Also, they never watched him anyway.  If they really wanted to protect their son then they should not have left him alone without any supervision.  Their protection was in a way not protecting the child.  It added to the danger that the boy could get into, and in the end, he got into it.

A Worn Path

   As soon as I began reading A Worn Path by Eudora Welty I noticed the abundant amount of similes that were used. Towards the beginning, Phoenix Jackson was tapping a cane on the earth and it "seemed meditative like the chirping of a solitary little bird" (223).  The use of this simile allows me to imagine what the tapping of her cane actually sounded like.  Welty uses similes and metaphors throughout the story which adds to the great imagery.  I was able to connect more with what was going on when I could imagine something happening given another example.  The use of these similes makes the story more interesting because it allows the reader to picture what is going on in a more clear way.  When Phoenix continues on her journey the road ahead of her looks "as dark as a cave" (226).  Even though this simile is short, it gets straight to the point.  I can picture in my head a road that is so dark, I cannot even see my hand in front of my face.  I think the abundance of similes and metaphors is smart because it helps the reader really feel like he/she is in the story.

A Raisin in the Sun

     The theme of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is essentially about dreams and the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving them.  I feel as if the Youngers failure at accomplishing their dreams is what causes the depression in the household.  However, by the end of the story they realize that the dream of a new house is all they ever needed.  It ends up bringing them closer together and makes them happy again.  This realization was "kind of like a rainbow after the rain. . ." (534). It allowed the Youngers to learn what is really important in life.  The dream of a house is what proved to them that they could be happy without achieving all of their other dreams.  This is what brought them out of the sadness and depression. Their struggle to attain their dreams throughout the story ended up helping them come to the realization that a happy family and a new beginning was all that they needed. It changed them and even if they did not know it, their dreams actually did come true.

A Raisin in the Sun

     In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, there is definitely a generation gap.  Something that caught my attention was when Walter and Mama were talking how all Walter can think about is money.  Then Mama says that "once upon a time freedom used to be life-now it's money" (475).  I think that this shows how times have changed.  When Mama was younger all that black people yearned for was a sense of freedom, to finally have the rights that they deserved.  Now, her son is growing up wanting money, a life like the white people.  Mama does not get how things changed so fast.  She is hurt because no one is proud of what her generation achieved for everyone.  It is hard for her to deal with the fact that money is the biggest issue that her children and grandchildren are worrying about.  She does not understand how money is life and that it will be that way for a long time.  This gap between Mama and Walter cause some disagreement and confusion among the two and their wants.

A Raisin in the Sun

     Walter's father believed that it did not seem right for God to give black people dreams, but he knew that was what their children were for.  Their children were there to make their dreams all worth it.  In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Mama says that Big Walter "just couldn't never catch up with his dreams, that's all" (453).  Right when I read that line, I instantly connected it with the poem "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes.  It brought back to mind the line in the poem that asks if the dream deferred "is like a sore-And then run?" (433).  Big Walter's dream just ran away from and was not in his reach anymore.  He could never get it back.  However, his children made everything better for him.  He wanted his children to dream and achieve everything that he could not, and Walter was just like him.  Walter wants Travis to fulfill his dreams, but also wants to achieve his goals in life as well.  This is something that I want for my children in the future.  I want them to go after their dreams and be happy just like Big Walter and Walter.

A Raisin in the Sun

     As I continued reading A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry I felt like Walter and Ruth contrasted from one another.  Walter is a man of dreams, a man that believes that he can achieve anything if he puts in the effort and hard work.  Ruth on the other hand tries to be more realistic about situations.  She does not want Walter to risk anything because it might not work out.  She does not want Walter to keep giving his son money left and right because in reality they do not have it.  She does not want him to invest money into the liquor store that he wants.  Walter feels as if "nobody in this house is ever going to understand me" (447).  Ruth is a foil character to Walter and allows me to learn more about what Walter believes in because she has different thoughts and ideas.  Ruth tries to bring Walter back to reality telling him that his mama will not give him the money or that she can do whatever she wants with it.  I feel as if these two characters clash with their different beliefs about money and happiness.  It actually helps me to learn more about each of the characters and the story as a whole.

A Raisin in the Sun

     When I began reading A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry I could not help but notice the importance of money in the lives of these characters.  The Youngers believe that money will give them a better life, a chance to achieve their dreams.  Walter tells Ruth that all he has to tell his son "is stories about how rich white people live. . ." (443).  This displays the effect that being a poor, black family has on their lives.  They do not get the chances that white people get, and they know that.  Money symbolizes a new beginning for the Younger family and with the ten thousand dollar check coming in, they are going to do anything it takes to start over again.  They want to live like all of the white families do.  They want their children to grow up happy and not have a child that "sleeps in the living room" (443).  Money is the only way that they will be able to achieve this dream and make their family happy.  Without it, they are going to fall apart.  The Youngers are ready to use this money for a new beginning, one that will shed a little more light on their lives.