Desiree's Div. Voices in Southern Lit

Ending of Bastard out of Carolina

2006-05-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

I was shocked on how this book ended. I couldn't believe a mother would choose a man over her child in anyway! What I am wondering is what happened to Reese? Now that Bone is out of the picture is Daddy Glen going to take his frustrations and anger out on Reese? I could not imagine being in Bone's shoes anyday. She grew up way to fast, and lost her mother, who choose her step father over her own daughter. As a mother if anyone ever touched or harmed my child they would never ever come near me or my family ever again! This book was very hard to read during the rape scences, they were really vulgar. But I understand that this is life and does happen sometimes, even though it's sick and twisted a grown man could do such a thing to a child. Im glad we saved this book til the end of the semester, because it was one I couldn't wait to finish!

Bastard out of Carolina

2006-04-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

So far, while reading Dorthy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina, I am enjoying the book. It is a little shoking and vulgar at times, but it is things that do happen and have happened in peoples lives. Though I didn't know that having a child out of wed lock back then was such a bad thing, and looked poorly upon. Having children today is not as poorly looked upon as it was when the story was taking place. I personally think , that it's not allright to call a person a "Bastard" because they have no idea who their father is. They are a person just as everyone else, and there name shouldn't be marked or ruined because of the fact. The child can't help that their father isn't in his or her life. I look forawrd to continue with the book, it's kinda hard to put down, and I am also interested in finding the movie to watch as well.

REVELATION

2006-04-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

I liked reading "Revelation", but I didn't like how Mrs.Turpin stereotyped people. It's not peoples fault if they come from a poor family, and don't have much to offer, and the things they own aren't pretty and nice to look at. Sometimes family life makes up for it. Money can buy material things, but not happiness. So who is Mrs.Turpin to judge anyone, but herself. I am glad in the end of the story she realized how she had been, and thought was going to punish her, because this hopefully changed her from stereotyping people and judging them buy there looks, or their life status.

Presentations

2006-04-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed hearing everyones presentations. They were all intresting and i learned many new things from each. I really enjoyed learning about the music, rock and roll and jazz. My mom is a BIG Elvis nut, so i know quite alot about him, but not so much on the others. I really liked learning about the Jazz music. I didn't know there were so many different types. I was also unfamilar with many of the musicians. I have heard of Billie Holidae but didnt know that much about her. The only jazz musicians I knew of were like BB king. I thnk everyone did a great job! : )

A Street Car Named Desire

2006-03-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

I am so far enjoying the movie. I love how the charcters are brought to life, instead of just words on a page. The actors do a wonderful job portraying the characters. The role of Stanley is really seen now, instead of reading about him. He is a very powerful, masculine character, who has power and obedience over his wife Stella. Blance is played very well too. So far the only part I hadn't really liked was when she was describing to Mitch her past marriage and the boy and of him dying. It was weak, and you really don't understand why she said those horrible things to the boy and why he died. I guess things back in the day the film was made, it wasn't appropriate to talk about homosexuality on film, but what wonders me is why is ok to do so in a story or book?

Their Eyes Were Watching God

2006-03-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed reading Zora Neale Hurston's book "Thier Eyes Were Watching God", but i was very upset with the ending. Like it was mentioned in Mondays class I feel it was rushed. From the point of the hurricane til the end seemed to fly by to me. I also didn't like how Tea Cakes friends first treated Janie after Tea Cake was shot. They made it seem like she would actually kill him on purpose to be with another man. Didn't they see the way they were with each other? and how much in love they were? She had and would do anything for Tea Cake and it was shown, by the way she was with him. Janie didn't want anything to do with Mrs. Turners brother before, why would she change her mind now, and leave the one she loved dying alone. The way they turned their backs on her and accused her so fast I thought was wrong, and how she forgave them so quick, they were lucky for that. Though this was a feminist book, and a love story which i am not to fond of, i enjoyed this book greatly.

Richard Wright

2006-03-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

I had read Richard Wrights Black Boy in high school, which is where are readings I believe were from. I read this book cover to cover when I read it beacuse it was so fascinating, and one of those books you just can't put down. I think I found it fascinating in school, becuase I had never read a book like this, on such how a black man was treated throughout his life, and his dealing with white people. At the time and even now I felt sick of how he and other black people during his time were treated. If anyone gets a chance and are looking for a great book to read, i reccomend Black Boy.

Katherine Anne Porter

2006-03-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

I liked reading Katherine Anne Portes stories, alot better then Faulkner. I don't know about anybody else. I enjoyed how as we read on the characters we met in the first stories got older and the younger characters became more important. I liked that effect. She was easier to follow, and understand what was going on in the stories and her stories didn't jump around as much as Faulkner. I am interested in reading some more of her work.

Go Down Moses

2006-02-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

I am glad that we are finally fiished with this book, I enjoyed some of the stories Faulkner wrote through out this book, but was confussed by many. Like the Bear, I liked reading the Bear up until chapter 4. I got really confussed from there on. But I did understand what was going on in Delta Autumn, and Go Down Moses. Those were easier to understand and get what was happening in the story. Most of this book had to do with Uncle Ike's life I noticed more then any other charcter mentioned through out the book.

The Old People

2006-02-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed reading the Old People, by William Faulkner, because it had to do with hunting, and reminded me of my grandpa and my uncle, during hunting season when I was younger. How there life would revolve around nothing but getting up early and going out hunting for the whole season. It was just very similar. I also liked how Sam was with the deer and refered to it as grandfather, and how he knew where it had gone and when and where they could find it again. So far I have started the Bear and haven't gotten to far into it but it kind of follows the Old People I think, it has Sam and some of the same characters in it that are the same.

Desiree's baby and The autobiography of an ex-colored man

2006-02-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

I am doing this weeks post on Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin and The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, by James Weldon Johnson. I enjoyed reading both these short stories. I really enjoyed James Weldon Johnsons story. It was interesting reading how a young boy grew up not knowing about race, and not figuring out the differeneces between races until he reached school. I was shocked that he never questioned the difference between his mother and the other ladies that would come in and out of his home. Or why he never asked his mother about the man who would come over when he was in Georgia. For Desiree's baby I was appauled of how he suddenly fell out of love with Desiree when he noticed the difference in the color of his baby sons skin. Also on how all the blame was placed on Desiree for having "slavery" blood in her, when it was really his family that had "slacer" blood. It saddened me on how cruel he was towards her and the baby before she left, and after how he burned everything that was left by both of them.

Swallow Barn

2006-01-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

I am relating this post on Frank Meriwether in John Pendleton Kennedy's "Swallow Barn". I liked reading this passage, because it was realistic to me. On the way the setting of Frank's home was, to the way he was presented to us by the narrator. From visiting plantations in Virginia with family members, the description fit the way many of them looked to a T. I also was plesased to read the physical characterist'cs of Frank, and the way he behaved. What caught my eye was the way he treated his servants. He was a kinda master, considerate towards his dependants, and where very happy under his demand, the narrator tells us. The narrator makes him out to be a true Virgian gentleman, true to his state.

Just Checking

2006-01-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

Just seeing if this works!