The Semester so Far!

The semester so far for Literature 210 has been going good. I enjoy the grammar guides because they have helped me not only in this class but others too. When I’m unsure about whether or not to use a comma, I always pull out my guide and check. Meeting with Lindsey one on one has also helped a lot when writing papers. The only aspect that has not been my favorite is the peer review. I thought it was great getting others opinions, but other than someone saying that’s a good idea, I did not feel it helped me overall. I feel it might have worked better for my group if we would have been able to switch papers and converse a little longer. 

"Beauty and the Beast"

Setting: The setting of Beauty and the Beast" takes place in the forest (or countryside outside of town) and the Beast's castle. The time period of the story seems to be mid to late 1700s based on the material goods of the time and social customs of the characters.

POV: The story is told by an omniscient narrator. Instead of one of the characters talking directly to the reader, the narrator of this story is all knowing and is able to express the emotions of all characters. Instead of one character speaking the entire time, we are able to see characters having conversations between each other.

The setting and POV affect the story, because if the setting was in a city or town, the idea of the beast would be unrealistic, due to people being frightened. By leaving in a seculed castle in the forest, the Beast is able to isolate himself from the hurt of others. In addition, by having the story in a town, the father would have not gotten lost. The forest I believe represnts the idea of freedom and self-discovery. The POV affects the story because it allows readers to see the dynamics of the characters and how that affects their interactions with others.

What is college worth?

After reading the article, "45% of Students Don't Learn Much in College", I would have to say i agree to some extent. I think the first two years while many are completing their generals, they are taking similiar courses they took in their last 2 years of high school. Another reason I believe this is true is because during the first 2 years of college I am required to take certain classes that have no interest to me; this affects people because when you are interested in something you want to continue learning. On the other hand, college has taught me to be more independent and to think outside the box. Overall, I believe if Universities were to create smaller class sizes and force students to think outside the box, students would retain more and put more effort into their work.

Compare and Contrast

Characters in both "The Birthmark" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener" were described as being static and round characters. In "Bartleby" all the characters of the story are described asing being static because none of them change their ways. In addition, the two characters of "The Birthmark", husband and wife, are also static because they have the same goal of eliminating the birthmark. In addition, each story also contains a foil character, in "Bartleby, the Scrivener", Bartleby is the foil because he never wants to do anything, while in "The Birthmark" the husband is the foil because he wants his wife's birthmark gone. I think the plot of both stories helped to create the overall idea, but i felt "Bartleby, the Scrivener" could have started in media re, because the other characters background was not neccessary to the overall idea of the story. While, in "The Birthmark" I felt the chronilogical order of the story helped to give it more depth and the story could not be told using anyother plot method without losing important details. By comparing the two stories, we as readers learn that not matter how different they are, each story has something in common, whether it be the kinds of characters or the plot. They are able to relate through literary techniques and ideas.

Class Discussion

The issue of racism in South Dakota was really shocking to me. Where im from, racial comments and acts still occur, but I never thought it would be so present here. I have always been taught that Native Americans are people like everyone else, they are a group that has had everything taken away from them at the hand of American white settlers and because of this they have endude struggles. These struggles or anyones struggles shouldnt be held against a person or group, America needs to learn how to accept and not judge. We are a society that strives to be the best and who outlaws those who are not the "best". Americans need to realize that all people are equal and the "best". Just because a person has a different skin tone, language, or diability (wether mental or physical) doesnt mean they are inadequate. It distrubes me that this month on campus nothing has been done to honor Black History Month. I think the University needs to honor this month and make students more aware of the history and its significance.

Reaction to "Fake Twitter Accounts"

I think the article, "Fake Twitter Accounts Get Real Laughs", brings about many important topics concerning today’s media. It identifies the idea, that parody accounts not only influence audiences but also the person or persons that are being imitated. It helps celebrities and political individuals realize what they are actually saying and how the public perceives it. In addition, I also believe parody accounts help to get younger generations involved with current events. By making the news funny and entertaining, younger generations unwilling begin to view the news.

First Paper

My first paper for Literature was a struggle. I had a hard time establishing the topic I wanted to write my paper on. After meeting with Lindsey, I realized I needed to sit down and really think of all the aspects that I could argue. After I discovered what I wanted to argue and having a meeting, the paper became easier to write. Overall, the paper was a challenge at first, but became easier as time passed.  

Metamorphosis

"The Metamorphosis" is very unique story, filled with many suprises. One aspect of the story that really stuck out to me was the role of the cleaning woman. I feel her being hired is a symbol of the family giving up on Gregor and realizing life will never return to normal. The reason I think this is because she is hired towards the end of the story, when the rest of the family wants nothing to do with Gregor. She is also the person who finds him dead and rids of his remains. While I think the cleaning lady is introduced in the story to show the families growing disintrest in Gregor, I also feel she stands for death in general.

Sources

Amey. Michael D. "Living Under the Bell Jar: Surveillance and Resistance in Yevgeny Zamyatin's We." Critical Survey 17.1 (2005): 22-38. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 30 January 2011.

Walker, Jeanne Murray. "Totalitarian and Liminal Societies in Zamyatins We." Mosaic 20.1 (1987): 113-27. Web. 31 January 2011.

Zamyatin, Yevgeny. We. Trans. Natsha Randall. New York: Modern Library, 2006. Print.