Hours Spent Swimming

The sun beat down on my pale white skin. I could feel the early rays of summer melt into my skin slowly making me burn. I slipped into the cooling, and refreshing water of my back yard pool. Jumping off my diving board, spinning like a tornado the world seemed to rotate at unbelievable speeds. Then I splashed into the void I went. Deeper and deeper I would sink as little white bubbles slowly floated up toward the surface. I would hold my breath for as long as I could. The world then seemed to stop, and all around me seemed still. Only I was in this pool, but I did not feel lonely. The water seemed to wash over my senses, clearing my mind. Time was an irrelevant thing, and minutes seemed to pass like seconds. I was not thinking of anything in particular, if thinking at all. Then my mom's voice quietly at first, but quickly gaining volume shattered me from my trans. I then could smell the sweet aroma of chicken coming from the kitchen inside, and realized I have not eaten lunch. My stomach growled, worldly matters almost instantly hit me again. My day was over already.

It's Just Insomnia

At the end of "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" the old waiter, unlike the young waiter, does not want to lock the cafe because he is lonely and would rather stay at the cafe instead of going home. The old waiter then goes to the bar, but leaves quickly explaining to the bar tender that it is not a clean place. He thought that a bar would not work compared to the cafe because the cafe is a clean, well lighted place. The old waiter does have an epiphany at the end of the story. He dismisses religion, only taking comfort in well lighted and clean places. He sees his lonely future in the old man. The old waiter takes the side of the old man because he understands what it means to be in despair and hopes that someone will leave the cafe open longer for him when he becomes that old man.

Desires!!

In the three short stories, "Paul's  Case", "The Chrysanthemums", and "Barn Burning", they all have a theme of desire. All the main characters want something out of their lives. In "Paul's Case" Paul feels like an outcast. He wishes he has the money to be with the upper class. He desires to fit in with the rest of society, but is doomed from the beginning. In "The Chrysanthemums" Elsa wants more out of her life, and feels that she can do more than what she is doing now. She is more capable than some of the men at their work, but she is kept doing women's work. She desires to go out on the road like the stranger she met, but she is stuck doing gardening and house work. In "Barn Burning" the dad is poor, and has a deep desire for money. He walks in to the house of Major De Spain and purposefully rubs manure all over his fancy rug. He did this because he is jealous of the Spain's money so he tries to ruin it. His desire for money eventually leads to his death. In all three of these short stories their is a desire to be something other than they are. I chose the quotes and pictures that I did because I thought that they all represented a desire which they all had.


https://steller.co/stories/362419488177522038


Resources:

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http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/IMAGES/Texas/chcukwagon2.jpg

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Running From Society!!

In the short story "Paul's Case" Paul feels trapped by society saying what he can and can not do. Paul is trying to run away from the life that his father and other peers want him to live. After he fails at romance with another guy he decides to run away from society and his family to New York. He is successful at first in running away. His escape is extremely well planned and all seems good for a while, until he realizes the only true escape is to kill himself. He has one last fun day by himself before he jumps in front of a train.


In the short story "The Chrysanthemums" Elisa feels trapped by what society thinks women should act like. Even though she may be smarter than her husband he is still the one making all the important decisions. When the guy comes asking to fix pots for her he clearly states that the life he has is for no girl. She feels a little offended by this because she shows she may be better at fixing pans than he is. Elisa wants to runaway from the life that she knows to  live a life of adventure on the road. She does not do this though. She feels trapped no matter what she does because she is a girl.

Internal Rebellions

The main character in the story "The Yellow Wall-Paper" conducts a minor rebellion. She is told by many people not to write because of her illness, but she does anyways. "There comes John, and I must put this away- he hates to have me write a word." (188). John hates her writing, but despite his suggestions she does anyways. By not letting John know she is writing she undergoes a small internal rebellion because only she knows what she is doing. By doing this small rebellion it gives her power and strength to eat despite the fact that it also gives a great tole on her mentally.

Calmness During the Storm

""Calixta," he said, "don't be frightened. Nothing can happen. The house is too low to be struck, with so many trees standing about. There! aren't you going to be quiet? say, aren't you?" He pushed her hair back from her face that was warm and steaming. Her lips were as red and moist as pomegranate seed. Her white neck and a glimpse of her full, firm bosom disturbed him powerfully. 'as she glanced up at him the fear in her liquid blue eyes had given place to a drowsy gleam that unconsciously betrayed sensuous desire. He looked down into her eyes and there was nothing for him to do but gather her lips in a kiss. It reminded him of Assumption." (144).


Alcee was overwhelmed with Calixta for the moment, and could not resist the temptation to kiss her. Everything happened perfectly for These two. The storm came at the perfect time, and was a bad enough storm to make him go inside. The remembrance of Assumption made them feel what was once felt. But like the storm the feelings where gone, and they both went back to their loving families.

The Monarchs Looking Fly

Changing with the Monarchs

At the begging of the story the narrater views the Monarchs as royalty and upper class men. Throughout the story we start to see through the narrater start to change is view to think of the Monarchs as middle to lower class men. He almost starts to feel sorry for them because he sees how desperate they are. The Monarchs are so bad at modeling that he has to make them basically his made. They are so useless that the narrator has to pay them to leave. At the end of the story the narrator says "If it be true I am content to have paid the price--for the memory." to explain that he got to see the "real thing". The Monarchs where thought of as upperclass men, but they ended up actually just cleaning dishes.

Hating on Poe

Poe you look too much at the interior of a person. Like in your story, The Black Cat, you focused on how the main character felt after he did such awful things. Does this represent some of what you are feeling? Is this character a resemblance of you? There are rumors going around that you killed your wife. Like in the story do you not feel any pity or resentment to the bad things you may have done in the past? In your stories there is no good ever being done. I personally think you should throw in a hero so that mankind doesn't seem doomed to the pits of the under world. Adding a little contrast to the darkness might add more emphasis to the darkness.

My Boy Ben!

• Extremely truthful
• Able to look at the bigger picture
• Stands for freedom and equal opportunity
• Understands nothing is perfect but tries to get as close as he can to it
• Stands for democracy 
• Doubt his own judgment
• Understands that peoples judgements are clouded by wants and wealth

What is American literature?

What first comes to my mind if I am asked about American literature is Edgar Allan Poe. His thoughts are so deep and dark. He uses lots of figurative language. To fully understand his works of literature you have to look at it like a puzzle. There are so many symbolisms and metaphors that make my head spin. I also think of the Harlem renaissance, and all its great artists. The African American culture producing outstanding pieces of poetry. I like the romanticized stories, but feel the realism in more modern stories. The hero isn't always this perfect person. In more modern stories the hero is just an average person that steps up in above average situations. American literature has lots of people, places, and time periods have all influenced it.