Did Walter Really Do the Right Thing?

     Throughout "A Raisin In the Sun" we see the character of Walter Younger become a "man".  This is an evident struggle and in almost every act the idea and the expectations of being a man are discussed.  His Mama's opinion is always based on how well Walter's action resembles his father's.  When Walter finally gets his mama's approval, he has spoken the words of his father. But, the real question that arises from this dramatic play is, "Did Walter really do the right thing"?

     We all know everyone makes mistake and Walter's was a BIG one.  If I lost all of my mother's money I would do anything to get it back.  I actually sided with Walter when he chose to throw out his already broken pride, and resale the house his Mama bought.  I made a pros and cons list to help me see the better option:
Pros-                                                       -Cons
~much nicer living conditions                     ~no more money for Beneatha's schooling
~a house for Travis to use when older       ~impact of hatred of the neighbors
~more space                                            ~unsafe environment
~advancement in society                          ~no way to continuously pay the mortgage on current salary
/fulfillment of father's dreams
                    
Though the American Dream sounds enticing, I believe that Mama was looking for an immediate change, not the best interest of her family.  Yes, Walter Sr. wanted them to live in a comfortable house, but he also wanted to see his daughter graduate from college and his son to make a comfortable living.  Mr. Lindner was willing to pay the price of the house and more to remove the Youngers from his neighborhood.  They could have taken that money, paid for Bennie's collage, and saved up enough to afford an even nicer home.

     If you really think about it, wasn't it Mama's pride forcing them to move?  Mama knew the dangers of blacks living in a white society and she chose to bring her family into harms way.  If Walter would've stuck to his guns and shaken Mr. Lindner's hand, their financial well being and their safety would be much better off.

The American Dream: In All Races

     In most classes students are only taught two things in African American history, one being slavery and the other being the civil rights movement of the sixties and seventies.  Until recently, I had never given the twenties a thought when it came to African history. I guess, in my mind, there was just a void space between slavery and the great movement; a space where Blacks just existed and had no impact. Now, I know the Harlem Renaissance was a major period in history, not only for the blacks, but for people of all races.  These writers and poets were the ones who inspired legends such as Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.  They paved the way for Africans in America and fought the stereotype of being poor and uneducated. 
     In a sense, some writers did obtain the American dream that they so desperately wished for. Zora Neale Hurston, the author of How it Feels to Be Colored Me, grew up being told to "follow her dreams no matter how impossible they seemed"(McDougal 858).  She worked tough jobs to pay for high school and finally completed it after twelve long years.  Hurston set off to New York "with $1.50, no job, no friends, and a lot of hope"(McDougal 858). She put herself through college and became one of the first blacks to graduate from Barnard. By the 1930's Hurston had published many great pieces, including Mules and Men and Their Eyes Were Watching God.  Though she had success, it was short lived.  By the 1940's she had lost popularity and reverted back to doing meager jobs until her death in 1960; Zora Hurston was buried in an unmarked grave.  Her story embodies the American dream. She came from nothing, found great success, and then was stripped of her nobility.  Hurston never stopped believing in her dream much like Jay Gatsby.  Hurston lived the American dream, where the hard working rose quickly to the top and were brought tumbling down just as fast. The blacks envied the whites, pushing for the ideal American life, but when looking at Jay Gatsby’s life compared to Zora Hurston’s life we notice a pattern. They both had wonderful beginnings and they both had tragic ends.  That was the American Dream.

Blue Jeans

    This weekend I was just relaxing with my sister listening to music and while we were doing this I began to complain because I had absolutely no idea what to write my post about! Then, a sweet orchestra sound began to build through the speakers and my most recent obsession, Lana Del Ray, started singing her song Blue Jeans.  We had listened to about half of the song when I yelled, startling my sister, "Wait! This song is exactly like the "Great Gatsby"!”, I now had my inspiration.

    The song Blue Jeans has so many similar themes in comparison to the "Great Gatsby".  The only difference is that Lana Del Ray is a girl and you have to imagine Gatsby singing this about Daisy. The song begins with "walked into the room, you know you made my eyes burn". This describes the first meeting between Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby instantly falls in love with her liveliness as well as her money.  The next line goes "it was like James Dean, for sure", which I interpreted as Daisy being this celebrity among the men in Louisville. Gatsby saw her as a jewel he must possess just as many women saw James Dean.  Lana also sings "You were sorta punk rock, I grew up on hip hop, But you fit me better than my favorite sweater". I interpreted this line as Gatsby and Daisy coming from two separate social classes, poor and wealthy, but Gatsby realizing that Daisy fit him "better than his favorite sweater".  

   

     The most true lines to the novel is the chorus where Lana sings, "I will love you till the end of time, I would wait a million years, promise you'll remember that you're mine".  Gatsby was always in love with Daisy, even while away at war; the chorus relates to Gatsby's waiting for Daisy and his strange belief that Daisy will remember their love and leave Tom.  Gatsby also wants Daisy to remember all the fun they had, especially the past. The lines “I just want it like before, we were dancing all night, then they took you away – stole you out of my life, you just need to remember”, plays off of Daisy and Gatsby’s separation during the war; Daisy was “stolen” away by the other men she began to date while Gatsby served. The next line in Blue Jeans goes "Love you more than those b*t*hes before, Say you'll remember". Though a bit strongly worded, you feel as though Gatsby is telling Daisy to forget anyone that she has ever loved because his love is greater than them all.

    As the song plays out the lyrics mention "Big dreams, gangster" which implies Gatsby's illegal means of getting money. The lyrics also talk about "but he (but in this case Daisy) headed out on Monday, said he'd come home Sunday, I stayed up wait'in, anticipat'in and pac'in"; this relates to the episode where Daisy and Tom quickly leave town, but Gatsby remains in New York just in case Daisy comes back.  Another example of the great similarity is when Lana sings "But when you walked out that door, a piece of me died", this is just how Gatsby was throughout the novel. When Daisy didn't deny her love for Tom and ran away, Gatsby was left in the memories of their past; a piece of Gatsby died.

     Blues Jeans embodies the story of the “Great Gatsby”. The last line of the song is “I will love till the end of time” and Gatsby’s last thought was that he would love Daisy till the end of time.  Lana Del Ray’s song modernizes this epic love tragedy and proves that this type of sad, love affair still happens in the 21^st century.

Thankful

       I know that writing about what I'm thankful for is very cliche noting the time of year, but Thanksgiving has shown me that I take too much for granted. This Thursday I went downtown to the parade with my family. I had a great time, but I kept seeing poor, homeless people sitting on the sidewalk. Most people kept walking, not evening acknowledging their existence and I, like the others, didn't stop. I felt so guilty because after the parade I could go home and eat a huge feast, while the poor had to wait in a long line, hoping to receive a meager amount of turkey and mash potatoes. Sometimes we (people in middle and upper classes) see the poor as disgusting slobs or as addicts; we don't think about their back stories or how previous situations have landed them in poverty from birth. Most people living in run-down areas are born into it; it is much easier for the rich to become poor than for the poor to become rich.
     These circumstances remind me of the awful life that the Africans were put into, both by force and by birth.  The Africans had no way out of slavery and people treated them with extreme hatred.  As understood from the story "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", Harriet Jacobs tells of the hardships faced daily by the enslaved Africans.  She had to runaway and hide in an attic for many years just to ensure her children's future.

      People who do have money are to consumed in their own lives to see that this kind of tragedy still exists today. Africans are still stuck in ghettos and slums, single mothers and fathers work multiple jobs just to but food on the table, and many people are thrown out onto the streets due to ponzi schemes and Bernie Madoff's insane swindling of investors money.

      Someone once said "If you haven't all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don't have that you wouldn't want".  Before judging the poor, think of how hard their life is and be thankful for what you have.

                                                           HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Death: Final or Continuous?

     One thing that we have talked about numerous times is Death.  It has plagued writers mind's for centuries as they strive helplessly to understand the non-understandable. Death will forever be the world’s biggest mystery and we will always try to figure it out.  

      Most poets and writers of all kinds choose a side.  Some choose to see life as a circle; we are born from the earth, we live upon the earth, and when our life is at end, we go back into the ground.  We are one with nature again.  Others see Death as a journey to everlasting life.  They see Death as an inevitable force and though they don't want to die, they know that Death will prevail.   

     Two poets that display these contrasting views are Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.  Walt Whitman sees death with more of a "hippy" view.  He believes that we come from the soil and go back into it.  In "Song of Myself", Whitman says "I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love, If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles" (lines 54-55).  Whitman knew that he was to return to the soil where he then, would be part of the earth and cycle of life.

     Dickinson looked at Death with a more somber and realistic tone.  She lived for most of her life next to a cemetery where she contemplated Death on a regular basis.  She personifies Death in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" as well as portrays the idea that your body stops at the grave, but your soul continues on the journey to everlasting life.  In the first stanza Dickinson writes "Because I could not stop for Death, /He kindly stopped for me;” this shows the personification of Death, but also relates the word "kindly" to Death.  Though Dickinson chooses positive diction to describe Death, she knows that when death comes she has no choice but to go with him.  He may be kind, but that may be only out of pity or mockery because, unlike Whitman, Death is final in Dickinson's eyes.

Lesson's Learned

      The Scarlet Letter has taught me a lot about life, but most importantly it has taught me how to deal with guilt and sin.  Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays two extreme situations; you can be a "Hester" and bare your sin to the world or be a "Dimesdale" and bury your sin until it devours everything, leaving just a shell behind. 

        Some may see Dimesdale's journey as overly dramatized because they themselves can't understand why someone would die as a result. But think about it, (hopefully) very few of us have committed adultery, nonetheless as a minister. If you were in Dimesdale’s shoes would you have acted any differently? Of course as humans we immediately see ourselves in Hester, the “saint”.  We want to be strong and let everyone know our darkest sins without as much as a wink.  The funny thing is, is that we are all “Dimesdales” at heart.  We all keep secrets even though it may relieve us if we tell.  We all cover sins so that we are accepted in our religion, friendships, and society. If only we all just understood that our world would be so much more accepting if there were no secrets. In the end, Dimesdale realizes that if he had not been a coward and stood on the scaffold seven years before, his life would have been more meaningful. We all need to apply this realization to our own lives because it is better to have died once then to “die a living death daily”.

Dimmesdale's Dilemma

          We all know the feeling of guilt. It festers in our conscience until it begins to wear away the soul and human encasing it. All throughout the Scarlet Letter we see the deterioration of Dimmesdale, a highly respected minister in the Puritan village. He begins as a confident man who helps others with their sins, but by chapter sixteen he is described as " having a listlessness in his gait as if he saw no reason for taking one step further, nor felt any desire to do so, but would have been glad, could he be glad of anything, to fling himself down at the root of the nearest tree, and lie there passive, forevermore"(Hawthorne 185).  He lets the guilt of his adultery eat him inside, leading to a sorrowful dilemma; if he confesses he faces great shame and possibly death, but if he remains silent he will most likely turn insane.  The fact that Dimmesdale is a respected man of God puts him in an even more treacherous situation.  If people realize that even the most religious man in their town has committed a sin, then the laws of God will be questioned. People will begin to think that committing adultery is okay in the eyes of God because Dimmesdale has done it.

            Dimmesdale has almost accepted the fact that not telling the world his sin is punishment enough.  The ugliness of his sin is portrayed through his physical appearance hinting at the secret buried in the chambers of his mind.  By not publicly telling his sin he may also be protecting the townspeople.  He is their most trusted Minister and without his kindness and wisdom many will be upset.  This raises the question, is Dimmesdale being selfless by not relying his sin to the town or is he a coward for not joining Hester and Pearl upon the scaffold? 

The Transcendental Challenge

    The transcendentalists were known to practice living a simple life, one filled with nature and unmaterialistic things.  The greats that followed this philosophic idea included Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They were both raised on the materialistic and prosperous ways of the Puritans, but they soon realized that to really achieve spiritual well-being you must have a close relationship with nature.

      I realized that this idea was popularized in the mid-1800s, almost a hundred and sixty years ago.  What if Thoreau and Emerson were alive today? Could they be able to escape to nature and follow their transcendental ways without a GPS to get them there, or an iPhone to instagram an edited picture of the beautiful scenery? Oh! And they can’t forget their North Face jackets to keep them warm!  My point is that in the 1800s escaping to nature free of materialism was so much easier because they had little.  If Thoreau and Emerson grew up in present day, a time of huge technological advances, then this idea of transcendentalism would be slightly different.  Sure, the ideas of optimism, freedom, and self-reliance would remain intact but cancelling out materialistic objects would probably have to go.  Think about it, how many things do we have but don’t really need, such as iPods, kindles, and designer clothes.  Now, think about how hard it would be to cut all of those things out of your life; I believe that Thoreau and Emerson would have just as hard of a time as you.  I challenge Thoreau and Emerson to try and live a transcendental life-style in our corrupt era where fashion is the Bible (Vogue) and football, instead of church, is on Sundays.

You Can Do It!

      Everyone has their moments; you try so hard to achieve your goal, but soon all you want to do is give up. Thomas Paine understood this struggle when he experienced the Continental Army about to accept their defeat and succumb again to British rule. Paine's essay was the army's savior.  It was the dead of winter (Christmas Eve) and they had retreated to the banks of the Delaware River. General George Washington knew that they had to cross the river or ultimately lose the war. Paine had written an essay the day before titled "The Crisis", persuading and lifting the spirits of the soldiers. Every soldier was to read it aloud and take the message to heart. He reminded them of what they were fighting for, "-- our homes turned into barracks and bawdy-houses for Hessians and a future race to provide for whose fathers we shall doubt of.  Look at this picture and weep on it!--"(Paine 251).  The British were tyrannical rulers who didn't have the colonies best interest in mind.

     I can relate to the soldiers and their hardships. Just today in my soccer game we were two goals down and everyone was about to give up.  I decided to be like Thomas Paine and motivate my "soldiers".  I made a quick run down the field and flicked a shot in past the goalie's head. My teammates went wild, regaining some belief that we still had a chance to defeat our opponent. 

    It is natural to feel defeated, but Thomas Paine teaches us all to disregard the voice in our heads and keep pushing through.  We have to remember what we are fighting for because once we realize our purpose, our strength to conquer has no limits.

What in the Name?!

                This past week we learned all about the Puritan way of life through the play The Crucible.  The Puritans were very strict people who worked hard.  They believed that if they never sinned and worked vigorously they would earn a seat in heaven.  The one thing that mattered most to them besides God was their names.  If their name was soiled, their whole livelihood was soiled.  Their reputations mattered so much to them because what others thought reflected back onto their religious life.  The people of Salem continuously looked for wrongs in others to put themselves ahead in the community. If one was considered a devil then they would be one less person to compete with for a place in heaven.

            One example of importance was when John Proctor confessed to being close with the devil.  He was all set to take the blame, until they made him sign his name to a paper that would be displayed on the church door. His reasons were "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lied and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of those that hang!"(Miller 207). One may figure he chose to die instead of live a liar, but he lived a lie before when he cheated on Elizabeth. He could confess and help support his family, but no, he would rather die than live with a tainted name and reputation.  The crazy thing is, his wife, Elizabeth, is okay with John dying to save is name. I suppose the real question is: did john truly die a martyr? Or did he hang selfishly, not wanting to soil his name?

My Hatred of Abigail Williams Grows...

      

      I have learned a very important lesson while reading "The Crucible", I would never want to be a puritan or live in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.  This was a time where no one was safe; over night, innocent turned into guilty and dancing turned into witchcraft.  Everyone was suspicious of everyone.  In "The Crucible" the characters continuously turn on each other, each trying to protect their standing in a Puritan society.

     It is the absolute worst feeling in the world to not be taken seriously.  Mary Warren and John Proctor are both discredited by Abigail Williams, an insane girl trying to create hysteria in Salem.  I almost screamed and begged along with Mary Warren when Abigail was mocking her and pretending as though Mary's spirit was haunting her.  The Puritan courts were very unfair and most were ruled by experiences and stories, not fact. It is very unfortunate that in today's court system many innocent people are still put in jail.  In the movie "Shawshank Redemption", the main character is wrongly convicted of killing his wife and her lover even though he pleads innocent.  The main difference between then and now is that the punishment in the Puritan courts usually resulted in death.  Since Mary Warren fears for her life, she gives in to Abigail’s heckling and goes along with her evil plan, thus resulting in Proctor's downfall.  I believe that no matter what century you are in your own life comes first.  Abigail has a great understanding of this. She knows that as long as she remains in good favor with the court, all of the townspeople will join her side to stay alive.

I'm Still Here.

     This past week was filled with excitement.  The halls were decorated and everyone was pulsing with school spirit, anticipating the arrival of Homecoming. That all changed when a man named Mykee Fowlin came to speak to our school. Fowlin asked the student body a mind-blowing question, "What kind of legacy will you leave behind?". This caused us all to slow down and reflect on our lives, hoping that they impacted someone positively. 
     High school is filled with all different people, and most of us are all too quick to judge others. We this by what we see and what others say, if only we "used our brain" like Fowlin's eight year-old daughter, the world would be much more accepting.  

Mykee Fowlin

     Stereotypes have been a main topic these past couple weeks, and Fowlin teaches us that though people act a certain way it is a "mask".  He explains that we as humans show what we want others to see and hide what we are ashamed of.  He gave an example of an all-star football player that dates girls and exudes confidence, but is really gay.  This is just like the Native Americans on their reservation.   They all conform to the ideal, straight-faced, warrior because that is what everyone expects them to be.  In reality, you can be whoever you want; Gay or straight, YOU are the one who decides to take off your mask and flourish in your individualism.  Fowlin also touched on the topic of suicide and not feeling accepted.  This reminded me of Equiano and his story of the journey through the middle passage.  Equiano experienced the most horrible side of humans.  He and his fellow Africans were chained and crammed into tight spaces where there was barely enough room to breathe.  The white men believed they were better than the Africans and treated them like dirt.  Many of the slaves on the ship chose death over being treated like invisible scum.  In the present, many people decide to take their own lives because they feel like no one cares if they leave.  All it takes is one smile and you may just save a person's life.

Native Americans in the 21st Century: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

     Prejudice has been a word long known by Native Americans. They have been persecuted for centuries; violently kicked off their land and killed by new settlers of the West.  They were placed on reservations, fighting to keep their traditions alive during the changing times. Now, in the 21st century, the struggle to be accepted is still prevalent. The fierce appearance of Native American’s causes them to be seen as mysterious and untrustworthy, especially to the white majority. In Sherman Alexie's piece The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, experiences of Native Americans in the 21st century are told through a Native's perspective. 

     In one excerpt from the short story "Indian Education" Alexie is victimized by his teacher saying "she sent a letter home that told my parents to either cut my braids or keep me home from class" (Alexie 173). The braids were an Indian tradition and it is truly sad to think that even a teacher would join in society's irrational belief that "Indians" were lower class people. 

     As unfair as it sounds, most Natives accepted the fact that their lives were to be confined to their reservation. Alexie describes reservation life as depressing; "when we looked in the mirror, see the history of our tribe in our eyes, taste failure in the tap water, and shake with old tears...Believe me, everything looks like a noose if you stare at it long enough" (Alexie 178). The Natives were stuck in a rut, most consumed by alcoholism, a common trait seen on reservations. 

     Alexie also shows a different side of Native Americans. At his high school graduation Alexie recalls, “I try to remain stoic for the photographers as I look toward the future. The [others] smile for the photographer as they look back towards tradition" (Alexie 180). Alexie breaks away from the expectation of reservation life and becomes a published author, while his friends stay stagnant and choose reservation life. This piece reminded me of the Twilight Saga (I know, it has been used a lot) and Jacob's life on the reservation.  His tribe still believes in myths (vampires/werewolves) and most remain on the reservation, not advancing into the real world.  Alexie stresses that, though Native Americans are subject to extreme prejudice, they can escape their stereotypes and doomed expectations and finally achieve greatness. They must stop being suppressed by the "haters" and live their life on their own accords.  

FIRST POST EVER

I don't really know how this works yet, but I am really excited about having a blog!