Proposal

http://teenage-feminist.blogspot.com/2010/06/should-women-be-treated-differently.html
Margaret Atwood’s "Handmaid’s Tale" was very interesting and at first I could not figure out what the time and place was. Then as I was reading the thing that confused me most was that all these women had different positions and were only allowed to do so many things. They were incredibly controlled but at the same time very coveted. What I would love to learn more about is the women’s rights movement. How far women have come today and the many important positions they hold. I would also like to see how the consideration of the glass ceiling that still exists in the work place. The reason I am choosing this particular topic is because I come from a traditional family where the man is the bread winner and the woman of the house stayed at home and cared for the children. I also got to see how we evolved into modern society when my mom took a job after I started kindergarten. It seemed like so many things changed and I would like to see how the women’s rights movement has affected us today and how it relates to Atwood’s text. It would be nice to be able to see all the things accomplished by different people and what they have sacrificed. The handmaids held a secret power of carrying a new life, this made them more powerful and put them most at risk at the same time just like the women who took a stand for what they believed in. Because of these women we can do so much more and should not take for granted they choices we make to work or do whatever it is that we want.

Here's a fun site to learn more about the women's rights movement: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html

Mid-Session Check In

Dear Laura Cline:

Here we are at the middle of the semester and so far class seems to be going okay. I have been finding myself writing almost all of my assignments at the last minute. Lucky for me, I seem to do some of my better work under pressure. However, I would like to change that. During the first week of class I was actually really stressed out because I am not a strong writer. As class goes by it seems to get a little better but when the writing assignments come up I start freaking out all over agin. Lucky for me this is the last English class that I have to take for my course of study.

The biggest challenge for me so far in the semester had by far been the writing assignments. I am not a great writer to begin with so each assignment come with its sets of challenges. To be specific, the first long essay was by far the hardest thing for me to start. I have still not yet finished it but hope to be turning it in soon. My biggest success is just simply attending this class. I am doing it to better my education and to get on the right track for a better career for me and my family.

The readings in this class have been closer to home for me since I have family in the military. However, the readings have helped me pay better attention to detail. I enjoy reading so this part of the class has been a joy to me. Each of the readings have made me grateful for what I have, including the readings from the "Poetry of Witness" tab. I believe that these reading have made me fell an emotional connection making them easier to read. Analyzing literature is much different from other writings that I have had to do because I am looking deeper into the context of what I am reading. I am not reading just to read. I am reading to find a hidden meaning and figure out what is truly going on.

My goals for the rest of the semester are to keep up with my assignments and get some extra credit turned in. I would like to apply myself better to this course so that I can have a better outcome. I hope to improve my overall grade and finish my work in a more timely manner. I don’t want to be finishing assignments at the last minute. I want the peace of mind of knowing my assignments are complete and turned in at least the morning they are due. The biggest accomplishment however would be passing this class so that I do not have to take it again!

Sincerely,
Alicia M. Brainard

Sean Huze’s play "The Sand Storm" was very truthful and unedited. There are so many things that are going on with the was in Iraq that we have absolutely no idea about. The only thing that we know for certain is that our soldiers are over there fighting a war that keeps them away from their family and friends. In the play Huze tells us about all the destruction that is going on and how there is still some compassion from the people who live there. At one point he was telling us about how there were these three days that were so amazing because they were able to have some human interaction with others and remember how that feels. They were able to share with the people in Iraq and regain that sense of self. In the same sense though they were still soldiers away from home and held some hostilities against the war. There was a large amount of time that the characters felt like machines just doing what they were trained to do and not deviating from the plan. When they zoned out it was as if the were walking around lifeless, no heart and no morals. The play definitely brought some realization with it. This war has been going on since 2001 and soldiers have been doing numerous tours to Iraq for our freedom. There may be other underlying issues with politics but the soldiers are still human being doing what they are told for not only their job but for a sense of accomplishment. The war stories that we will never hear are personal ones that soldiers are keeping to themselves and they have every right to do so. The play "The Sand Storm" shows how soldiers really talk to one another and how they go about their days as close to normal as they can while living so far away from what they are used to in hundred degree plus heat with food that doesn’t taste the greatest but helps them survive. Although the play itself is not as descriptive it still shows what the soldiers go through on a daily basis and how they attempt to cope with the different trials life over in Iraq brings them.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/

Storie of Truth

In Tim O’Brien’s "The things They Carried" he talked about how a true war story should be told. There were many different aspects to each story and how you could tell if it were true or not. The desire to believe was so great that you really didn’t know if the story was true or not. In fact the story may even change the next time around by adding a twist or some truth to get a different truth across. Even if the stories being told were untrue parts of them where fact. As emotions run high and the adrenaline gets the best of you sometimes even the soldiers themselves are not sure of the truth that was once in front of them . They may have to take a hard look back and take a minute to realize what had really happened. He also talked about how each story had a moral. The moral of the story may not be completely clear at the time but later down the road once you have had some time to take it all in and remember what had happened the moral may come to you. It may be in the dead of night or when you are watching some but there is a moral. There are so many things that go on during a war. For each of the soldiers it seemed that the stories they told were not directly related to the war but of comradery and friendship. Remembering the things you want and even the things that haunt you still. War is war and the way you perceive it will make your stories that much different from your brother in arms next to you. Holding things from each story could also make a better story for the person hearing it so that you don’t have to let them know of what truly happened or the things that happened that you don’t think the person needs to hear. Telling them only what you see fit.

Here is some information about the Vietnam War.

http://www.vietnam-war.0catch.com/

http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/usa/pages-3/Military-enthusiasts-add-rape-murder-to-Vietnam-War-reenactment-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html

Responding to a Poem

There were two poems that hit me the hardest. The first one is "Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting" by Kevin Powers. This letter to me is almost heartbreaking because this poem shows how much of the war consumes a soldiers life. The soldiers almost forget that they have a life back home. The same things are going on day in and day out that they forget that there may be other events in life going on back home with their families, children, or friends. In this poem he tells what I believe to be his significant other "that war is just us making little pieces of metal passing through each other." (Powers lines 10-12) He is so lost I thought that all he has to say to her is what a comrade in arms has told him. The second poem that I chose is "Compendium of Lost Objects" by Nicole Cooley. In this poem everyone lost almost everything that was near and dear to them. They no longer have the objects to hold that had the best memories behind them. They no longer have the physical things but only the memories. All their personal belongings were thrown in disarray and can’t even think of where to start to put them all back together. "Or the pink shuttered house on the streetcar line where you were married" (Cooley lines 9&10), all of this disappeared. The sacred piece of land where you gave you vows to the one person you love just ripped to pieces never to be seen again. Both of these poems are very sad and bring the devastation back. Soldiers don’t like to think they have forgotten how to live their lives back home and the families from the natural disaster don’t want to think of all the things that were taken from them. Both have to remember how to move forward in their lives and be thankful for what they do have.

http://www.zimbio.com/Saddam+Hussein/articles/Wu1_pGYl1dY/Beautiful+Collection+Iraq+war+Saddam+Hussein
Here is a site on differnt stories from people and stories of triumph.
http://www.nola.com/katrina/

Speaking

http://www.washingtonpoets.org/lifetime_award.php

It is amazing the thought of going from victim to the executioner. Being able to verbalize and write is so incredibly important for anyone person.  Speaking out is also a way to let go and forgive. That way you don’t have to hold in the emotion that you are carrying.  Writing is a freedom and allows us to speak truth and everyone is able to express themselves.  In Sam Hamill’s “Necessity to Speak” the ideas that he presents is that everyone speaks through writing. There is a group of people who have been battered and a group who are the batterers. Speaking out and trying to get out of the routine is a step in a different direction.  It is necessary to peak to bring out thoughts and visions and let out truths. When each person speaks they are speaking from experience thus bringing personal issues to the table. We as a whole would not be able to get to know each individual unless we have a way to speak to one another. May it be talking in person or through writing. So many things were going on in the world in the 1940’s and some of those same things are going on in today’s society. Being afraid to speak out is a weakness but brining it out in poetry and other works of writing can help make a person stronger or even just be heard. The many men and women that chose to go back to their life style of battered and batterer are just going back to the cycle they are used to but those who chose to break away from it are able to move forward with their life and start over and hopefully have a much more positive outlook on life. In turn their children will then be able to have a more positive outlook on life and learn from the experiences of their parents. The written word is a very powerful thing and much can be learned from it if you choose to listen to what it is telling you.

"Good Readers and Good Writers"

In my own words, I believe that Nabokov thinks that a good reader is someone who rereads. To fully understand something and grasp it you may find yourself reading a line over and over again or even the full piece of writing. Each and every time you read you get a little more out of the story or better understanding of where something is coming from. You would also be able to feel the emotions running through as you are finding your self deeper into the book or type of literature that you happen to be reading. I believe that a good reader is someone who sees through the silver lining and takes it for more than what is right in front of them. A good reader is someone who can relate and feel for the characters and find themselves lost in the story. I also believe that a good reader can walk away from a piece of writing and learn from it and what the lesson was from the story. I do agree with what Nabokov has to say about what a goo writer is. He has valid points and points that can help me become a better reader.
I think that I am an average reader. I could talk so many more things away if I could think outside the box and really dig into a story or piece of literature. I find that I rush myself through and don’t take enough time to really analyze what information I am taking in. I do hope that after reading “Good Readers and Good Writers” I can become a better reader.