The End. (Reflective)

After finally getting to the end of The Road I do not really feel that surprised. Don’t get me wrong the ending is very depressing and heart wrenching but it was almost expected. Throughout the entire book the father’s death was foreshadowed through the constant (and consistently getting worse), cough. The turning point in the book, when I realized that we were losing the father, was when he began to cough up blood. I’ve seen enough movies and dramas where the main character begins to violently cough up blood to come up with the conclusion that blood is BAD. So although the end of the book leaves the reader sad that the relationship between the father and son has been destroyed by death, we are relieved and hopeful when the boy finds the “family” at the end that is willing to take him in.

Now at the very end of the novel when the boy walks out into the road for the first time and is confronted by the older man, I thought his life was over as well. Throughout the whole book the father was trying to teach his son the new “right and wrong” and how to follow the new norm of survival of the fittest but when the boy was found, my heart sunk. As the reader, it is in our nature to assume the worst in the situation. One thought kept running through my mind, “No! Don’t do it. What if he is the bad guy??” But the boy decided to take a cautious chance and in his innocence, went with the man. Although we do not know exactly what happened from that point on, we assume by the last few sentences that he is safe and continuing to grow in the deformed world.

Overall, The Road was a well written novel with a scary but outstanding message. It makes the reader really reflect on their morals and ability to think on their feet. It was very easy to get wrapped up in the story and constantly ask the question, “Well…what WOULD I do?” Although the style of writing was drastically different and it appeared that dialogue did not exist, it kept the reader interested and focused so that they could understand which character was speaking. The small amount of characters allowed us to become emotionally attached and explore the struggles of each person. The author could have taken many different approaches to writing a book about post-apocalyptic times but the structure and the idea of a true father-son relationship made The Road a success. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone outside of class because for Christians it will challenge their perception of the world and for non-Christians it will (hopefully) push them to question life after death – physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Decisions, Decisions (Problematize)

The most challenging part about The Road up until this point in the book is the ethical issues between the father and the son. We see this beautiful relationship develop between the two that can be viewed from a biblical standpoint; the father’s love for his son is undeniable and something completely and totally beautiful. Despite the unbreakable bond the two have, ethical issues still arise throughout the book. Every time they stumble across a person who is reaching out for help, the father demands the son to keep moving despite the desire to stop and help. The best example in the book is when the father and son find an old man traveling down the same road on page 161. When they approach him the son does his pleading routine in hopes that the father will stop and help just this one time and to the readers’ surprise, the father finally gives in. It always seems to boil down to “run and survive” or “stay to help and potentially get caught.” Are they supposed to give up their chance to live for someone else’s sake? In a world that is already broken and destroyed, is it ethical to walk away from a situation where another person is crying out for help? This text is a huge challenge to the way we live our lives today; what extremes would we go to in a post-apocalyptic society? Not only do we have to consider servant leadership, we also have to consider situations beyond the typical daily challenges. The text explores the idea of cannibalism, suicide, and selfishness evolving in this so called “new beginning.” The Road goes beyond the idea of questionable circumstances and reaches a whole new level of ethical issues that we must evaluate in our faith especially while we are at Southeastern.

Situation: We are stuck in a post-apocalyptic world, the food is already scarce and we are starving. Do you take on the role of the “good guy” or the “bad guy?” In this moment, everyone would most likely answer “I would never eat a person!” or “I have a tight grip on my ethical stance, I know I would fall under the category of “good guy” just like the father and son.” But suddenly the world changes and you cannot find food to save your life, you are becoming so sick you can barely make it through the day, and you can no longer trust anyone. Which morals are easily thrown out the window? How many people would actually stay strong through it all? We say that suicide is wrong, but we are going to die anyway. We say that cannibalism is appalling, but is impossible to survive without food. I would bet that less than 50% of people in our class would decide to persevere when this unimaginable world is brought to life and everything we’ve ever known is completely flipped upside down.  Where do you stand?

Once upon a time there was a father and his son... (Annotation)

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is about the struggles of a father and son as they try to survive in a post-apocalyptic society. If we think about the typical relationship between father and son today it might go a little like this: the father wants to be a good influence on his son, he makes sure he grows up with steady morals, and love in his heart. The father usually plays ball with his son when he is young with high hopes that he will grow to be a star athlete, but ultimately he wants his son to be happy. While the son is young, he usually becomes attached to his father and strives to be like him. As he gets older, the son may become more distant and independent from his father. In a typical father-son relationship disagreements are expected to happen and strains begin to push the son towards his own freedom, this is not the case in The Road. Janet Maslin of the New York Times describes the relationship best, “The father’s loving efforts to shepherd his son are made that much more wrenching by the unavailability of food, shelter, safety, companionship or hope in most places where they scavenge to subsist.” This relationship between the father and son surpasses the norm in the twenty-first century.

Although the reader does not know the son’s age, because there is no sense of time, we can assume that he is still a young boy. He is small enough that the father, in his own weakness, is still able to carry the boy when times get tough. Yet it is evident that the boy is old enough to experience fear, ask questions about the past, and challenge his father on decision-making. One simple word sticks out to me in all of the conversations between the father and son, “okay.”

From the very beginning of the book whenever disagreement is evident between the father and son, one of them always relents, whether they want to or not, with one word: “okay.” Whether it is convincing or sincere is up to the reader to decide based on the context of the word in that chapter. Regardless, it is a word that always pops up in conversation and somehow seems to play a significant role in the dialogue.

Oxford English Dictionary defines okay as an adjective, “all correct, all right, satisfactory, good; well, in good health or order. Another definition (verb) is “to endorse, esp. by marking with the letter ‘OK’; to approve, agree to, sanction or pass.” If we look at the word at its surface we see that it is just a term of reassurance that everything is in good order, but in The Road it breaks the norm of the use of the term in the 21^st century because the reader knows that everything is not alright.

The beginning of the book is where we see the first example play out on page ten and eleven when the boy asks his father what he would do if the boy died. The very last word of the dialogue is when the boy responds with “okay.” It would be very easy for the reader to miss out on the importance of this term because it is the first time we see it appear in the text. Next, on page forty three when the father and son are discussing the bareness of the road the son responds with “okay.” There are a total of thirteen instances so far where the only response the boy gives to his father is “okay,” and is usually occurs at the end of the dialogue. In the text, “okay” is ironic because the reader recognizes that everything they are going through is far from okay and that the struggles they experience could potentially be the end of their life. We have to assume that the term “okay” in the story is not one of endearment and understanding but of acceptance regardless of whatever trials the father and son must go through. The boy begins to understand but fear still overcomes him in most circumstances. The “okay” is implying that the father and son will keep fighting for their lives as long as possible. But how much longer will the son be able to respond with this term without reality catching up to him and overwhelming him with a desire to give up? How can the father prevent this from happening?


Works Cited
Maslin, Janet. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/books/25masl.html. September 25,2006. Online. October 12, 2011.

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. 2006.

Oxford English Dictionary. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/236133?rskey=tnxK4r&result=2&isAdvanced=false#eid

The Story of the Quilt...(Creative)

The topic was brought up in class that the quilt is very symbolic in the story Everyday Use. The following two poems are comparing the life of the quilt in Maggie’s home versus Dee’s home with an elaboration on the story. The two questions that must be kept in mind are, “where does the quilt find happiness?” and “how is it symbolic in the story?”

Dee’s Home

The quilt sits there all alone

Staying still, unmoving in Wangero’s home

Why did you go and change your name?

What were you looking for? Fortune and fame?

Why is it you that deserves the quilt?

Simply because compared to Maggie you walk on stilts?

Always loving in your mothers eyes

But the way you dress reveals the lies

You never cared for anyone but yourself

Who will be there when you call for help?

You use that tone, the one that seduces

But this time your mama sees through the excuses

The quilt is Maggie’s but you will fight

And when you don’t get your way, you find yourself in a plight

You beg, you plead but to no avail

It goes to the one who will wear the veil

In Dee’s home the quilt lies untouched

It does not really amount to much

That is why you did not get your way

Luckily, Mama saved the day

Maggie’s Home

In Maggie’s house you feel secure

Never finding yourself anywhere obscure

Dee is jealous so it is said

But here the quilt lies on the marriage bed

It is always put to daily use

But despite the assumption, the quilt does not feel abuse

Years have gone by and the quilt is there

Wrapped up in its beauty it is hard not to stare

Maggie and Mama have stayed close since the fight

But poor little Wangero is nowhere in sight

Maggie still remains highly insecure

And since the fire there has been no cure

The quilt provides comfort there is no doubt

It gives a brand new life to the small, beautiful house

Maggie is grateful for Mama’s strength to fight

Even when Maggie did not think she could sleep through the night

Her intention was not to hurt Dee or get her way

All she wanted was her sister to stay

Dee is long gone but one thing remains

The family quilt draped across the bed unashamed

The Yellow Wallpaper Annotation

This blog will be an annotation of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The word “creeping” or “creep” is used multiple times throughout the story as the narrator makes references to the woman behind the wallpaper. The narrator makes a significant shift from the word “crawl” to “creep” which makes the images more impactful on the reader as we are able to connect with the horror of the oppression of women during this time.

Oxford English Dictionary defines the word “creep” as the action of creeping; slow or stealthy motion and “creeping” as the action of moving on the ground, as a reptile, or a human being on hands and knees. This term comes to life in the story in the very last line, “Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time!”

The word crawl in Oxford English Dictionary is defined as a verb and describes the word like this: to move slowly in a prone position, by dragging the body along close to the ground, as a child upon its hands and knees, any short-limbed quadruped or reptile, an insect, serpent, worm, slug. This word is used in the text on page 298, “Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind, and sometimes only one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes it all over.”

Although these two words are very similar the significance of using the work creep instead of crawl is very different. Crawl implies a movement that is very simple; when the term crawl is used I tend to immediately think of a newborn child just learning how to move on their own for the first time. It is a very innocent and childish term. Creep is a completely different word in my vocabulary, to creep on someone would imply a very dangerous and potentially harmful action. The use of the word creep towards the end of the story allows the readers to see how delirious the narrator had become following the uncontrollable and unfair treatment as a result of her post-partum depression.

The word can also represent the cultural side of the story by bringing out the absolute worst in a woman. The narrator got to the point where she could no longer handle being locked up in a room with hideous wallpaper and a chained bed. As a result, we discover that the woman behind the yellow wallpaper was in fact a representation of herself.

Lastly, after reading a review on Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper it is easy to conclude that she did reach the point of insanity. And the fact that Gilman chose to use the term “creep” in the very last sentence of the short story proves most people’s assumptions about the narrator’s mental state to be true.  In response to Gilman’s story, a blog is posted with this quote to sum up all of the nameless narrator’s emotions, “she is the physical manifestation of her imprisonment-- she has become the bedroom's effect. Creeping about stealthily, the narrator acts out her very interiority. She reveals, in turn, "all" that the bedroom hides, parading the bedroom's architectural charade as she circles its perimeter. Her insanity makes her a spectacle, but John is unable to see, unable to understand, and cannot, finally, accept the threat of exposure.” (Dr. Beth Snyder-Rheingold)

Works Cited
              Perkins-Gilman, Charlotte. The Yellow Wallpaper.1899.

Dr. Beth Snyder-Rheingold. http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/snyder.htm. November 2003. Online. Sep. 21 2011

Guess Who?? (Reflective/Creative post)

In class we briefly discussed the concept that every character in A Raisin in the Sun has a dream that needs to be fulfilled and “roadblock” that is holding them back from accomplishing that dream. In this creative/reflective post, I am going to elaborate on this thought, give opinions, and apply it to the idea of the American Dream in relation to Death of a Salesman. In this process I will refer to each character by a number and have you guess which character this relates to. At the end of the post I will reveal which character applies to each description.

Character number one is assertive in their words and actions, they are very political in their thinking and they do not care who knows it. They are determined, strong-willed, and different in their own way. They have a dream to be something great and reach their full potential in life. Even though finances could potentially hold them back, their self-determination keeps them going each day. Their roadblock is internal but portrayed as external because of their liberal views. Who is this character?

Character number two is oblivious to the reality of what is going on. All of the other characters try their best to hide their problems from this character. Some characters feel that discipline will shape them into becoming something great and others feel it is necessary to spoil him/her. Despite the differences in views of discipline, each character in the story truly wants what is best for him/her. This character has a dream of being exactly like someone they are close to; they want to follow in their footsteps. The roadblock of this character is more psychological because they are younger and does not know what their future holds. What character does this description sound like?

Character number three is gentle but firm with their words rather than their actions. They get caught up in a jam that they don’t quite know how to get out of. They want what is best for the entire family but could potentially put themselves in danger by doing this. This character is the level headed one of the household but is not the actual head of the house. Their dream is to live in a house that they can call home; one that does not fall apart at the seams. They have two separate roadblocks getting in the way of fulfilling their dream. One is the internal conflict of trying to make a big decision regarding the family and the other is external because of the family’s financial state that constantly holds them back from living properly. Which character am I referring to?

Character number four has to assume the responsibility of head of the household up until act two. They are well along in age and have control over the insurance money the family receives in the mail. This character is calm and has experience living life. The symbolism that always relates to character four is that of a plant. The dream of this character lies within; it is a dream to satisfy the needs of the family and to provide for their well-being. Their roadblock is internal considering he/she has lost someone dear to them who always knew what to do in time of crisis; this character admired and respected the ideas and values of the one who is deceased. Now, this character has to be the one to pass on the love and support the other characters. Who is it?

Characters number five and six are polar opposites of each other. Character number five is sophisticated, educated, and has a bright future ahead of him/her. Character number six is driven, frustrated, and care-free. In act two of A Raisin when character number five is introduced, character number six immediately bashes on him/her. There is tense banter that happens between the two of them for a brief moment. Character five is level-headed, while character six appears to have lost their mind. Character five has a dream to study simply for the outcome; they do not care about the politics of it all. Character six has a dream to be heard and supported. Five has a roadblock of being surrounded by people (one woman in particular) that bombards him/her with logistics. Six has a roadblock of being put down internally (unintentionally) by other family members; this affects their psychological state. What two characters come to mind while reading this description?

The last character (character number seven) is the most unique of them all. They have different views than the rest only because they are more in touch with their culture. It would be easy to assume that this character could easily fall into the footsteps of Marcus Garvey and his back to Africa movement. This character is secure in their culture and is able to travel to different areas to expand their knowledge on the magnificence of life. This character believes in the natural beauty and allowing everything to fall into order. Although this characters dream is not revealed to the audience, we can easily assume that their dream is to restore the natural order of the world and separate each people group by culture. Character number sevens roadblock is external because the world is forever changing and it is going to take more than one person to stop it. Who is this character?

The American Dream for the characters in A Raisin in the Sun is similar to those of the cast of Death of a Salesman. We can see beyond the racial factors and focus on the idea that money is everything in both circumstances. Just as Willy needed money to support his family, Walter needs money in order to feel desirable and maintain his role as head of the household. The main male characters in both of the stories want what is best for their families, especially their sons, and will do anything in order to get it. I have not finished reading through Act 3 of A Raisin so it will be interesting to see if Walter has a similar demise to that of Willy. Everyone wants to achieve the idea of the American Dream, to what extent will each person go to get it?

Answers:

Character 1 – Beneatha  Younger

Character 2 – Travis Younger

Character 3 –Ruth Younger

Character 4 -  Lena Younger (Mama)

Character 5 – George Murchinson

Character 6 – Walter Lee Younger

Character 7 – Joseph Asagai

Death of a Salesman and The American Dream (Problematize)

The American Dream is essentially defined as an idea which suggests that all people can succeed through hard work, and that all people have the potential to live happy, successful lives. It is an opportunity for all people to feel important regardless of social status, race, ethnicity, etc. It is rooted in the idea that "all men are created equal" as stated by the Declaration of Independence. This idea of the American Dream has evolved over time, but ultimately began before our parents were born. Although it hit popularity during the 19th and 20th century, the concept of the American Dream still somewhat exists today.

In Arthur Miller’s The Death of a Salesman, he depicts a perfect portrayal of a man’s continuous hope that he will ultimately achieve this idea. Willy Loman is a man of older age with two sons named Biff and Happy. Willy has spent his whole life putting Biff on a pedestal believing that one day Biff will be a great man, he will not only be liked but he will be "well-liked." Throughout the story Willy is trapped by memories of the past and cannot overcome them even up to his death. Despite Biff’s assurance that he will never be as great as his father hopes, Willy enforce the idea of the American Dream onto Biff’s average life.

Willy Loman is also a man who highly values money. It is important for him as man of the house to provide for his family even when he cannot. When Willy’s attention is not focused on Biff, he realizes the lack of success and fortune that he had in his own life. Willy tried so hard his whole life to be wealthy; he was never at home with his family, he always tried to live the life of a salesman. Not only did Willy die a poor man, he died an unhappy man. At the end of the book only four people attended his funeral: Biff, Happy, Linda, and Charley. Willy Loman could not impact those around him; he could not help others because he could not help himself.

This concept of the American Dream can easily be applied to religion because there is such a strong emphasis on money in the story. 1 Timothy 6:10 gives a warning against the use of money saying, ^“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” We see this passage lived out in Willy Loman’s life as he is continuously overcome with disappointment, frustration, and anger when he realizes that his life is meaningless.

How does this apply to us today? We may not directly focus on the idea of the American Dream but it still exists among us. It would be easy to assume that it is in fact more dangerous to us today than it was during Willy Loman’s time. The cost of living is so high that the emphasis is put back on money and the importance of it in our lives. Money is such a necessity in our lives today that it is almost idolized; we spend more time making money than we do focusing on our faith. Christians and non-Christians are both guilty of this desire to be successful. The difference is, in our God, anything is possible. We can fight the battle against the American Dream...and win.