RR#3

What are we to take from this story?  What is the central theme or message you got from the story?

What we can take from this story is the morality that Sartoris has. It is important to remain loyal to out family, our city and our country, but most importantly to be loyal to ourselves and our core values, In this story Sartoris have to make a desicion wheter to remain loyal to his family and lie, or to be truthful, honest not only with everyone else in court but mostly with himself. I think, this is just another story for us to remember the importance of having strong values and believes. So in order for us to remain calm and peaceful, we must act according to what we believe. During the story his father and his family remained him the importance of being loyal to the "blood" but apparenltley for sartoris is more important to remain loyal to his inner peace and stability.

Also that the world that sorround us is violent, unfair, problematic and creates conflicts we are always searching for making our lives better and that naive sense that is possible to change others. When Sartoris gets to deSpain house he got the feeling that we could change the ways his father was acting but at the end he realizes he could not do anything about his dad criminal behavior. Its only after he realizes he can not change anyone, that he can free himself from the family and leave with no intentions and no remorse

nicholas hu rr3

Nicholas Hu

Reading Response 3

Barn Burning by William Faulkner: Question 2

                I think the central conflict is Abner's arrogance. He had an attitude where he could do whatever he wanted, and when someone would try to punish him he would retaliate. This is shown when he burns down the first barn because his pig was taken. It was also shown when he stepped on the rug with his dirty boots, and when he burned the de Spain's barn. I don't know what kind of experiences Abner has went through to become such a person.

                I think most of the family is already messed up. Sure, Abner went to war, but he only did it for the money. The older brother seemed to have followed his father's footsteps as well. We learn of this when he offered to tie up Sarty. The mother was the only sane person, she seemed to actually care for her children. It's a shame that she ended up with a terrible person like Abner. The twin sisters didn't seem like an appreciative bunch, considering how they were acting when they were getting off the wagon. They also didn't properly wash the rug.

                Considering how the family were tenant farmers, I don't think they were very wealthy. Abner also didn't want to pay a dollar for the damages his pig had done. He took care of the problems by burning them, and by leaving a message. It didn't seem that he was a killer though, because he sent a warning to the owner of the barn. Sarty's clothes were also ragged and had patches, which showed that they didn't have too much money. I don't think the family was too popular either, even though Abner returned from war. Their reputation went downhill when Abner was accused of burning down the barn. As for family dynamics, I really have no idea. Maybe Abner suffered some sort of injury in war that made him that way, and it passed on.

                

RR #3 Q2 Sonny's Blues

 In the short story Sonny’s Blues James Baldwin the author talks about a recovering heroin addict piano player named Sonny and his older brother, who during the story tries to understand and connect with his little brother. Although they came from the same place they both lived completely different lives. The story takes place in Harlem during the Vietnam War in 1955. This was around the same time as when heroin and other drugs were being introduced making the streets where they lived into an aggressive environment. Sonny as a young boy in the story was described as being “… wild, but wasn’t crazy. And he’d always been a good boy, he hadn’t ever turned hard or evil or disrespectful, the way kids can, so quick, so quick, especially in Harlem” (Page 2). It wasn’t hard to tell that lived around poverty in a bad neighborhood where a child’s innocence would diminish so quickly causing them to fall in that dark place of life. “And when the light fills the room, the child is filled with darkness. He knows that every time this happens he’s moved just a little closer to that darkness outside. The darkness outside is what the old folks were talking about. It’s what they’ve come from. It’s what they endure. The child knows that they won’t talk anymore because if he knows too much about what’s happened to them, he’ll know too much too soon, about what’s going to happen to him.” This quotes significances shows the darkness in which Sonny would soon fall into. With both parents dead and a brother off to war Sonny is left to live with his brothers wife Isabel and her parents. It is around this time Sonny starts to use heroin. With no one to really listen and understand him he starts to hang out with a group of musicians, who he  thought of as and called family. He starts to draw within himself pulling away from his real family and life itself. He hated Harlem, wanted to get away and the heroin gave him the feeling that he needed. After an argument with Isabel's mother because he wasn't attending school, he runs away and joins the navy to see the world and getaway from Harlem. The story goes deeper into the darkness but I feel these life circumstances is what changes Sonny and starts to affect him dramatically. As for his older brother I feel the death of his daughter Grace changes him. But ironically for the better. It brings him and his Sonny closer together.

Ronnie Heyman
Eng 102

In James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues", the protagonist and narrator relives and reveals his life with his brother Sonny. We learn from the start, that the narrator's brother is a troubled individual, who is mixed up in drugs and in trouble with the law. As the story progresses, the readers are pulled through a mix of flashbacks and current events, revealing that the narrator has been distant from his family and only reconnects with them when a major life event occurs. The protagonist is distant from Sonny because he truly doesn't understand him. While the narrator  was off in the military Sonny discovered he didn't want to travel the normal path by going to college and getting a job. Instead he chooses the life of a jazz musician and spends his time in Greenwich. Later the brothers finally connect when the narrator is invited by Sonny to see him play at a small jazz club. When the narrator finally hears his brother play, he comes to truly understand his brother. Sonny's difficult life is being expressed through his music and expresses himself in a way the narrator is not used to. This moment is critical for the brothers because they finally understand each other. They are no longer distant  and disconnected.

Camilo Arango

RR #3

English 102

Barn Burning by William Faulkner:

  What is the central conflict in this story?  What does it reveal about family dynamics and the socioeconomic status of Abner and his family?

This is the story of Colonel Sarotis Snopes, A young boy who is force to make decisions of what is right and what is wrong. And his father, Abner Snopes, A dominant man, stiff, violent and emotionless as he is usually compare with metal, like in the sentence "...had more than ever that impervious quality of something cut ruthlessly from tin...". Abner Snopes has a rebellious personality; lack values and is fond to take revenge. He is like the ruler of his family and want them to take after him. He tries to impose his sense of morality into Colonel telling him, "You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain't going to have any blood to stick to you". He is basically telling him to lie if it's to keep his family together.

This story takes place sometime after the civil war, probably during the Reconstruction Era since there are many sings of racial discrimination and slavery. A time where white farmers were thrown into poverty and many struggled to keep afloat. Their socioeconomic status is faulty. Abner's way of doing things, continuously defying society won't do any good, not for him nor his family. At the beginning, because of his action his family is send away. Moreover, at the end, after his attempt to burn Spain's barn he ends up dead, leaving his family in a dire situation.

RR #3 - Sonny's Blues

            
Pak-tung Le
EN 102

Each person has a path that he or she is destined to follow. While the path that one individual chooses may not be ideal for another person, it is the road that he or she must travel. Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin, is a story that illustrates the different choices that each brother decides on. Each brother has different views and desires and has picked a path that was not the other’s choice. This story hit home with me since my two sons are going down two different paths and each of them is unable to understand the other’s decision. I believe that Baldwin understands that while Sonny’s brother is taking the path that is the societal “norm,” Sonny’s path is fraught with mistakes and is not one that a parent or society deems as safe or preferred. His path is one that he takes in order for him to reach his final destination. To be a musician, you need to “feel” the music. I believe that in order to “feel” the Blues, you have to have some pain. Perhaps his experiences of having a less than stellar childhood, get involved with drugs and being incarcerated helped to fuel his music.

            Upon reading Sonny’s Blues, Baldwin is not stating that either brother’s life is better than another. He understood that each decision in life brings forth pieces that ultimately make the individual complete. For example, the hardships that Sonny faced helped his music. The pain of his childhood, the drugs and prison flowed through in his music. His brother on the other hand had the same childhood, but chose the more conservative and expected path. He joined the military to escape, got his education and yet came back to Harlem. He has a middle-class  life with his own pain. The loss of his parents and his daughter had him questioning what he perceived as a normal life. In many respects, he did not deal with his situation. Instead, he managed to bury his feelings since he was not able to process it. Is that any better than trying to escape through drugs?

Reading Response #3

Stacey McDonald       

ENG 102

What kind of statement is the story making about the kind of life people should live? Both Sonny and his brother have different views on how to live life, do you think the author is supporting one way over another? Why or why not?

I think the statement the story is trying to make about the kind of life people should live is fairly simple; live the life that makes you the happiest.

While it is true that both Sonny and his brother have very different ways of looking at life, I think the author is trying to, through Sonny, make a point that if you’re not living in such a way that gives you a reason to exist, then why are you bothering to live at all? Sonny may have his fair share of problems, but he lives to please no one but himself. He wanted to join the navy after the death of both of his parents, and he did. He wanted to become a musician, and regardless of how his brother felt about it, he did. The music gave him a purpose that nothing else in his life had before. It certainly was not always glamorous, he had been at rock bottom, almost dying trying to escape from it, but he was happy. In lines 204-210, Sonny says “No, there’s no way not to suffer. But you try all kinds of ways to keep you from drowning in it, to keep on top of it, and to make it seem-well, like you. Like you did something, all right, and now you’re suffering for it, you know?...Well you know, why do people suffer? Maybe it’s better to do something to give it a reason, any reason.” I think that’s the real message of the story, every individual is floating around aimlessly just trying to give the world purpose.

If you’re going to have to suffer at some point or another no matter how you lead your life, then why don’t you suffer for a reason? Do something wrong. At least then you’ll be able to make sense of why this suffering is happening to you.

Look at Sonny’s brother. He leads a quiet life, married, with three kids, and he’s a school teacher at the very same kind of school that he and Sonny once attended. He doesn't go out of his way to do anything wrong, but he suffers. His youngest child, and only daughter, Gracie, died at just two years old from polio. He is trapped in the housing projects, the very same ones that he and Sonny talked about some day being able to escape from. He may not be a recovering(?) drug addict as his brother is, but he also can’t explain his suffering in the same way that Sonny can. When he finally hears Sonny play his music, “Sonny’s Blues,” I think he understands what music felt like to Sonny. It speeds through your veins, and can bring you back to places you've once been, places you've never seen, back in front of the ones you've loved and lost, and then, sadly, back to reality. Sonny and his brother may not have the same idea about how to live, but I believe they both want the same things. They both want to happy, and they both want an explanation for the misery they've had to suffer.

Barn Burning

            Barn Burning by William Faulkner a man who has control over his family and doesn't do it for a positive reason. This man commits crimes and expects his family to be able to cover his tracks and support him weather they like it or not. This man teaches the others in his family that this is how its supposed to be and that the boys should be able to control their families when they are older. Mr. Snokes is the man who is doing these crimes. He burns down the houses of ours without much care. Because of this his family is always moving simply because he can't be caught this way. Colonel Snopes is the son of Mr. Snokes, Snopes doesn't want to accept whats going on in his family completely. Snopes wants to basically run away from this situation because he knows its wrong. Mr. Snokes keeps telling Snopes he must protect his family members regardless of the situations.
           Towards the end of the story Snopes decides to make one of the biggest and largest and most meaningful deicision of his life. Snopes decided to leave his house and basically never come back. He makes this hard choose because he realizes that what's going on in his family is completely wrong and that he can't be a part of it. This choose was a very important and wise choose that I think he took. It was a smart choose to take but probably very difficult considering that all his life he was basically told that he must be with his family and protect them.

Reading Response# 3

Rubaiyat Hossain

Reading Response#3

English102

Barn Burning by William Faulkner:

  What is the central conflict in this story?  What does it reveal about family dynamics and the socioeconomic status of Abner and his family?

     ‘Barn burning’ story set somewhat after the civil war, begins in a courtyard where the character named ‘Sarty (Colonel Sartoris Snopes)’ is awaiting for the trial of his father, Abner Snopes. Abner Snopes is accused for burning down Mr. Harris’s barn. The judge calls up Sarty to testify against his father but his young age puts him away to go against his family and the judge asks Abner to leave the country the very day and never to show up again. Abner, his son Sarty, his wife and sarty’s aunt along with two of his sisters got into their family wagon with all their worthless goods, started to journey for unknown destination. Usually Sarty is curious about these journeys but his father’s current situation stopped him from asking where they were heading. At night while they were camping Abner woke up Sarty and asked to follow him. Abner slaps him with the flat of his hand on Sarty’s head. He mentions the importance of sticking with the family no matter what and never to go against it regarding the trial. The following day they reached the destination where Abner was supposed to get a job at Mr. de Spain’s farm/mansion. While they entered to speak with de Spain, Sarty steps on a pile of poop and steps on Mr. De Spain’s expensive rug.  MR. De Spain finds out and tells Abner to clean the rug for him. Not being satisfied with the cleaning de Spain charges Abner with extra corn to pay for the rug and takes the matter to the local court. The court decides that Abner must pay at least the half of what de Spain demanded. Furious Abner decides to burn down de Spain’s farm the following night. Knowing Abner’s intention tries to save the farm by running towards de Spain’s mansion. Before he could notify de Spain in time he hears three gun shots and sees Abner lying next the dirt road. Assuming his father death he flees the situation and decides to never look back again.

   Abner's characteristics as the narrator describes is very short tempered and ignorant. He probably has done this sort of incidents before but this time it didn't end up good for him. Since Abner and his family didn't have a good reputation in the society he insisted of putting the relationship between his family members up most and always to have each other's back. Abner, being the head of the family, always had to put himself ahead for the sake of his wife and children. 

Reading Response #3

Marlena Szumowski

En-102

Reading response #3)

                In the story “Sonny Blues” we read about two brothers James which is also the narrator and his brother Sonny who’s been constantly getting involved in things he couldn’t be such as drugs specifically heroin. I would say that with the two of them living mostly in a place with a lot of poverty, which it’s quite common for someone to get pulled into bad habits.

                I think that in this story its leaning more to we should be able to live the life it is that we personally want to live, without having other people telling us what is it that we have to do. Some people may choose the bad route in their life, and then later on determine that they’re better than that and aim for good. Then there are those people who start off good and sooner or later one thing leads to another and everything just seems to go downward.

                It’s very obvious to notice that the both James and Sonny have different views on how to live their life. To me, it seems as though James is leaning more on his way of living life because he mentioned how he didn’t speak to his brother or keep in touch with him over a long period of time. This can prove that he really isn’t aware of how Sonny views his life and just exactly why he chose to do in order t live the life he was living.

                Of course the setting has a huge impact on the circumstances of James and his brother Sonny. As I mentioned earlier, growing up in a place where there’s a large amount of poverty it’s easy to let yourself down and not have any guidance in the right direction. If you’re living in a neighborhood with a lot of gang member, drugs, violence you more likely to get into that without having proper guidance in the right direction. James had a family to tend for, and with his mom and dad being passed away like Sonny mentioned in the letter, Sonny had no encouragement or leadership from anyone and he ended up doing drugs, as well as ending up in prison. 

RR#3

According to the passage the statement that is being brought about is that, just because you come from the same background or the same household doesn't mean the things you do or the life you live will be the same there be differences some would turn out to be bigger some would be more simple and exact. For example in the passage Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin you have Sonny abs his older brother. They are the complete opposite of each other, while Sonny is an heroin addict and was recently arrested for using herioin and peddling you had his older brother who was a high school algebra teacher. I don't feel as though the author is supporting one lifestyle over the other, I feels like he's just trying to point out that just because you come come from the same household there still is two people who have to different personalities, different, expectation for their lives , different ideas or plans on how they want to live their lives. In the passage Sonny's older brother continously referred to the life that his brother decided to live as the darkness in "they were filled with rage.All they really knew were two darknesses, the the darkness of their lives, which had blinded them to that other darkness, and in which they know,vindictively, dreamed , at once more together than they were at any other time, and more alone.

Ronise Felix

Homework

 English 102

In the story “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin. They explain about two brothers, the narrator and Sonny who is the narrator’s brother. Sony was addicted by drug but in the future he change the way he used to act by singing in Jazz. His music make a big positive impact between the two brothers and they realize that they both need one another.

What kind of statement is the story making about the kind of life people should live?  Both Sonny and his brother have different views on how to live life, do you think the author is supporting one way over another?  Why or why not?

In life when someone choose to live in a certain way we should let that person do whatever he/she please  because that might be a better way to change a circumstance. We can be advice that person but we should not limited his feeling. We can take example of Sonny he feel that he cannot continue to school because he was passionate by jazz’s music and because for him that’s the best way to deal with the addiction. For that he did what he feel good for him by runaway. Furthermore, he run for a good reason. I realize that the king of life people should live depend on what that person suffer through his/her life and how he/she wants to overcome his problem to achieved a good thing that could help others. That’s why parents or sibling should have dialogue to each other. I do not say that parent should let they child do whatever they want but they should be able to listen to them and be a supporter.  What I like the most is when the narrator promise his mother that he will always watch over Sonny no matter what happen. Even though the narrator could never stop what will happen to his brother in the future but he still make the promise to be there for him and he keep his promise in some way. The narrator was a good brother because he wants what he think will be good for Sonny but Sonny has seen totally different of what the narrator want for him. It until he invited by sonny in the club he realize the pain of his brother and himself. What I learn the most is not only the brothers who touch by the music but other people who have been addicted. In life we can learn from everyone, but we are the one who have to choose what best for us.

Reading Response #3

From what I got from reading “Sonny's Blues” is that the author is trying to that people can live any kind of life and find their own form of happiness. As you can see from the story, Sonny and his brother led very different life despite coming from the same home and background. Sonny's brother was able to make it out of that old life by getting through school, going to the army for some time and eventually becoming a school teacher, getting married and having kids. Sonny on the other hand was stuck in the old life, becoming addicted to heroin, running away from home, and doing things he would eventually regret later on in life. However, the author showed that Sonny finally found a place where he belonged even though his brother didn't believe that how wouldn't be able to the make a life out it, and by the end of the story you can tell that he felt wrong about believing that. That showed that the author did not support one characters way of life over the other. He instead showed that no matter what you go through in life, you can find that place that makes life worth living.

From the certain clues in the story you can find out that the story took place around the 1940s-70s, as Blue's was a popular music genre during that time as well as mention of a war. Not to the case of polio they had in the story which normally happened during this time period. The place where they grew up in was Harlem and during those days, and maybe even now it was a hard place to live in. From the story you hear that Sonny first tried Heroin when he was still young which made his life harder since he became addicted to it soon after. They also mention that not may people made it out from where they were raised, so that can be an indication of how hard must have been for everyone who lived there.

RR#3 Crystal Williams

Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin

1. How does the setting and time period of the story affect the life circumstances of Sonny and his brother?

It is important to note the time period that all of these events are happening in both of the character's lives. The story is placed in 1950's post war Harlem. The streets along with life in general were hard and aggressive. This was also a time that the art scene started to liven up and many young black men came back from the war. 1950's in Harlem was also a time of social and political change (Malcolm X). Drugs ran rampant in the street and young children seemingly had their lives already carved out for them. These things led the narrator and Sonny to have lives littered with mental, social and economic issues. As the narrator is concerned, he tried to leave the darkness of the neighborhood just to end up living in a housing project with his family. The drugs running through the streets also led Sonny down a path of destruction. There was no place for these people to go like today that could have changed their lives. Sonny was looking for his own way out of the mean streets of Harlem and fell victim to the heroin lure, as many others have before him, On page eighteen, the brothers just finished watching a religious street group sing to which Sonny makes a chilling correlation between one singer's voice and the feel of heroin. "Her voice reminded me for a minute of what heroin feels like sometimes-when it's in your veins. It makes you feel sort of warm and cool at the same time. And distant...it makes you feel in control." This is symbolic of many an attitude in Harlem at this time. There was this sense of control that people of color wanted to have in their lives and was denied through racism, a covert war against their skin tone and not the content of their character. This is especially damaging to men since men need to feel in control of their surroundings. This leads individuals to find that control and power elsewhere. Heroin was Sonny's escape from the reality that is a lack of opportunity, death, aggression and family dis functionalism. The narrator worked hard as a school teacher and still was not able to completely shed his skin of Harlem, with its dirty gritty streets and latent darkness. His family lived in a housing project that started out decent until those same zombies he ran from chased him down to that building. This is also very prevalent in the black community today. For example, lets say there is a neighborhood that middle class blacks live in for a while. Prices of the properties start to decline (due to a lack of black ownership and other social economic factors) and the undesirables start to raid the village. They bring every pookie and ray ray with them, who in turn brings every thug and baby momma they know. These outside entities then run the neighborhood into the ground, They destroy businesses and bring calamity  where ever they go. This in turn forces the middle class out and the neighborhood becomes a ghetto, teetering on the side of a slum. Now bring yourself into the narrator's vision. Imagine yourself trying to leave a pit of crabs, fighting, clawing and tearing each other's eyes out to get to the top of the endless well of dreams and good intentions. When you reach that first ledge, you run into another crop of those blood thirsty crabs, waiting to push you further into the pit, into that lair which darkness dwells. There is a blur of class standing in the black neighborhood even in the 1950's Harlem. These are the things that effected both Sonny and the narrator. Imagine fighting a war for YOUR country that YOU built to come home to fight another war for peace, and personal prosperity. In order to understand the latent issues that Sonny and the narrator face, you must place yourself in that time frame. Imagine hearing Malcolm X stand from a pulpit powerfully compelling his audience to rise above this disparity. Imagine having Elijah Muhammad speak with a force that would move the streets to only have it fall of deaf ears. What would it have been like to watch Malcolm X and Martin Luther debate about the future of the black community?

Sonny's blues

Reading Response- “Sonny’s Blues”

     The story “Sonny’s Blues” touches on some very interesting topics, things we tend to ignore or take for granted in our daily lives. The narrator and his brother Sonny grew up surrounded by poverty, frustration and drugs. The brothers struggle to communicate and find common ground but the process is tedious and takes time. While the narrator was able to step above his environment and make something of himself Sonny fell prey to the streets and was soon locked up for selling and using heroine.

     The death of the narrators’ daughter made him reach out to his brother; I guess one can say the lost made him realize how important family is. The narrator is faced with the reality that he is indeed his brother’s keeper and maybe, just maybe if he had taken the time to listen or give some brotherly love things might have been different.

       More often than not we take our family for granted, thinking they will be fine without us, when in fact we are doing them more harm than good. Everyone needs someone to show them that they care and that they are there for them. Through music Sonny was able to find that inner peace that he sought after. He was able to express all his pain and anguish, this he shared with his brother who was finally able to understand him and his years of struggle.

      In today’s society there are so many young men like Sonny who grow up in less than desirable communities with little to no prospects ahead of them. They feel disheartened when they look around at what may be their future. If only someone would take them under their wing and show them that there is more to life. Many times, a listening ear, a caring soul and a loving heart can be the difference between a life of drugs or a positive future.

What are we to take from this story? What is the central theme or message you got from the story?Barn Burning by William Faulkner

        After I read this story, I thought that the father, Abner wanted his son Colonel Snopes to learn to protect and be there for his family at all times, whether bad or good. I think the general message of this story would be based on this very concept showing great loyalty towards your family. In paragraph fifteen,  Mr. Snokes told his son "You're getting to be a man. You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain't going to have any blood to stick to you". He tried to enforce this in his son and make him think and act this way. Just after the fire the family were packed and headed to some place away from home. "The wagon went on. He did not know where they were going....." They are constantly on the move. I think Mr. Snokes burns peoples houses and then have his family cover his acts which is not the ideal thing to do as a father. Instead of supporting his family, he forces them to act the way he like and very abusive towards them. His way of doing this is not the best. He would be very violent and harsh towards his son for doing wrong. Towards the ending of the story before Snopes ran away he was about to be beaten by his father. His brother's remarks were "Better tie him to the bedpost". I think he was so used to seeing his brother be beaten that he knew exactly what happens. Or maybe he knew exactly what to expect since it happens to him too. At the very beginning of this story when the barn was burnt he wanted his son to lie for him in court. I think in Mr. Abner's mind he feels don't matter if the person do a wrong or even commit a crime as long as its your blood you must always stand by them you are to lie if you have to even if its in the legal system. I think he was angry at Snokes after the court day and throughout the story we saw how he expressed these feelings.
       I loved the end of the story after Snokes ran away. I kept reading over and over when he finally sat in the cold and dark alone (which for most children even adults are afraid of) and nothing scared him. Even being hungry didn't matter to him. His determination and freedom ahead of him took control over his mind. He sat there trying to understand his father. For a moment it made me think he would have went back home but he didn't.  "He did not look back" (last line). Snokes walked away from everything. Everything that his father practically forced onto him. I was happy that he found loyalty towards himself and his life at the end of this horrible way of life.

CLARIFICATION ON RR #3

Hello all,

I'm sorry I didn't make this clear but you are to choose ONE question to respond to.  You are NOT to answer ALL 4 questions.

Thank you,

Raquel

--

Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin

1.  What kind of statement is the story making about the kind of life people should live?  Both Sonny and his brother have different views on how to live life, do you think the author is supporting one way over another?  Why or why not?

2.  How does the setting and time period of the story affect the life circumstances of Sonny and his brother?

Barn Burning by William Faulkner:

1.  What are we to take from this story?  What is the central theme or message you got from the story?

2.  What is the central conflict in this story?  What does it reveal about family dynamics and the socioeconomic status of Abner and his family?

Sonny's blue

The lack of responsibility and communication make sonny's older brother and sonny life to faces a very difficult journey to pass. They should live love each one but in the way of getting taller, they built their own path separately which ruin their relationship and make sunny commit mistake that end up in jail, and the bad thing is sonny's brother had to lose his daughter to realize his attitude toward his young brother is wrong, and the consequence that sonny's brother cause in their lives. Both have their own perspective of the life, sonny wants to overcome his life's obstacles, something that many people have in Harlem thought the music. Sonny dreams someday can express all of his deep-seated longing and frustration. Sonny is a free spirt and want to move away from his neighborhood to reach his goal. However Sonny's brother has a different view of the life, he more conservative maybe because as an older person, a stable family and a job and knowing the dark side of Harlem he wants the best for his brother but he does not know how to talk to sonny in a way to have a good future for him.

the author put a lot effort to show how of not having good communication make human suffer when our relative get involve in a trouble. Try to ignore and being seldom is not an option because the injury still alive and the only way to cure is faces. For me the author was neutral because sonny and his older brother view their world in a wrong and opposite direction that affect them for along period of time. The big message here is that we have to realize that respect others decision, forgive and having reconciliation drive us to live happiness.

Sonnys Blues

  I personally think that each person has different point of view in life. In this case the story is trying to point out that people should have more communication in order to have better relationship with others and that life is not about rush, you need your family to support you and you also have to make big decisions regarding what steps you need to take next. Sonny and his brother have different perspective about life but one of the main things Sonny was told to do was to finish his education.  I think that the author is supporting both ways of living because Sonny's brother was left with a big responsibility this was to take care of his brother and in the other hand Sonny decided how he was going to live his life and that some how in his own world he was going to be successful as a musician. After what happen to their father this was not the best choice that Sonny was making in the eyes of his older brother. 

  The setting and time period of the story affect the life and circumstances of sonny and his brother because like I said before they didn't have a good communication, they only saw each other from time to time and the people that surround Sonny in Harlem didn't help that much either. I also think that Sonny's brother miss a lot of situation that Sonny had when he was not around forgetting about the promise that he made to his mother this is why he finally support his brother at the very end of the story.

Reading Response #3

Hello all,

Below you'll find the reading response questions for this week.  Please remember to re-read your response before submitting and to utilize evidence from the story to support your opinion.

Thank you,
Raquel

--
Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin

1.  What kind of statement is the story making about the kind of life people should live?  Both Sonny and his brother have different views on how to live life, do you think the author is supporting one way over another?  Why or why not?

2.  How does the setting and time period of the story affect the life circumstances of Sonny and his brother?

Barn Burning by William Faulkner:

1.  What are we to take from this story?  What is the central theme or message you got from the story?

2.  What is the central conflict in this story?  What does it reveal about family dynamics and the socioeconomic status of Abner and his family?

The Piano Lesson Book & Reminders

Hello there,

Many of you have asked for a link to the Amazon website with the version of the play we’ll be reading.  Below you’ll find the link to that page and a link to our blog, if you need it handy.  However, if you’re not logged in to the email account that gives you access to the blog, you may not be able to post your reading response.  I’ve also included some reminders for our class tomorrow.

Have a good evening and stay warm out there!

Raquel

Link to Play:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Piano-Lesson-August-Wilson/dp/0452265347

Link to Blog Site for Reading Responses: http://en102corona1.blogspot.com/

Reminders:

1.       I don’t accept LATE reading responses.  They’re due on Friday nights at 6PM.  However, as I said last week, whenever you have a paper due in class, you usually don’t have a reading response to do.  You should check the syllabus to know when you’re expected to submit reading responses!

2.       For class tomorrow, you need to have a rough draft of your first paper.  The rough draft needs to be at least 2 pages double-spaced and you need to bring 3 copies of it with you to class.  If you don’t come prepared, participation points will be deducted AND you’re looking at getting a lower grade on your paper.  Also, you’re supposed to read the POETRY packet I passed out last week.

3.       Attendance:  Please note that you are not really allowed beyond 2 absences in the course.  Once you go above that, you’re in jeopardy of failing.

Reading Response Q#1

RRQ#1:

There are many messages on romantic and friendship that we can take out of the stories the authors describe. First, how hard it is for men and women to understand each other and, as hard as we've been trying trough the years no one can deny it could be a pain in the neck to deal with someone who just don't get it. Also, how this stories are a reflect of the societies they're based on. Relationship in general are hard to understand, since the ancient times characters like ovid and others had tried to figure them out. In this particular case, the authors are just describing or story telling, but there is a deep meaning behind of what it seems like just a casual story. 

It is hard to understand women and men. In the story of "Hills like elephants" The American and the girl had little or no communication with each other, considering the waiting time for the train was forty five minutes the story was impressively short and was lengthen more by random actions the characters played with the setting, The interaction between the characters has a cold tone, yet comfortable due to the fact that they have been together for enough time to build a strong bonds and feelings for each other. They are comfortable, and there is lots of honesty and trust. However, as much as they can say with their words their tone and the drinking says a lot more about how destroyed and misserable the relationship really was. The American is not appreciative as the girl is. Therefore, he could barley see what she sees. The girl has also the similar case when it comes to listening to the man, changes the subject without the man noticing and he just keep talking as if he is talking to a wall. Their relationship deteriorated because the connection the had at one time fall apart. 

Similar to this, story is the one of Magda and the Domenican man. His cynicism in life is just incredible, though he cheated on his woman he is not showing weak emotions or remorse. Yet as the characters are apparently back together and he gets under the illusion of having her back, he tries by many means to hold her on his side doing subtle bribes. Women as men are human beings, they can decide what they want to do with their lives, and that makes their relationship even harder to understand. Each gender is a whole different world, yet in the same universe.

Relationships between men and women are kind of like a pull push games, the authors might wanted to make the readers aware that there are some things that are normal but just for being normal doesn't mean they are righteous. 

Reading Response #2

Marlena Szumowski

En-102

Reading response #2)

            Reading the short stories “Hills Like White Elephants” Ernest Hemingway, “The Sun, The Moon, the Stars” Junot Diaz, and “How” Lorie Moore, I think that the message the authors are trying to send is not to be pushy in a relationship when things aren’t supposed to be. In other words, don’t try to force someone to love you back when clearly it doesn’t even exist.

            In the short story “Hills like White Elephants” it talks about an American man and a girl with the name of Jig. They are waiting at a train station that’s going to Madrid. While waiting at the train station we catch a conversation it is that the two are having. Jig mentions that she wants things to go back to normal between the two that she has to go through with this operation. The American in fact does mention the line “I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to” a couple of times. Jig feel obligated to have this procedure done she says “And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?” and that’s followed by a response from the American guy and then she says “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me.” This story shows that Jig is only doing this to get approval from the American guy and is willing to go to any extend, even if it does cause her any kind of hurt or harm, she just wants to make his happy and have him love her back.

            In “How” by Lorrie Moore, there is a woman who doesn’t seem so happy in the relationship that she is in? In the beginning she already starts off by not wanting to move in with the guy that she’s with, then it progresses to where they’re going to weddings, and has serious plans about having a family. This seems to push her even more off ease and she distances herself a little more. One part of this short story that really caught my eye and shows how much this man wanted approval from his girlfriend was on pages 138 where she talks about all the things that he would do that she does just to get his approval. This seems to annoy her more than ever. Upon trying to leave the relationship the guys comes down with a medical condition and she feels like she has to stay. During this time that her spouse is sick, all she can think of is him dying. To really want the person you’re with to die, you must be severely unhappy. She’s decided that she has to stay with him, but on the side had an affair with another man. While she was out the guy she was living with probably had an idea of what’s going on and she was giving him things to do to keep him busy. When she finally had told him that she’s leaving him, she expected him to just about the reason. If she was really that unhappy she should of just left in the first place and not have to keep putting it off.

            Lastly, “The Sun. The Moon, the Stars” by Jubot Diaz is also a good example of trying not to force love into a relationship. Yunior had cheated on his girlfriend Magda and really act as though it was a mistake and he still really loves her. After Magda had found out about the affair through a letter, she had then distanced herself from Yunior and he does say “Magda started turning into another Magda.” Trying to fix the bumpy patch that Yunior had created in this relationship he bought the two of them tickets to San Domingo. On the trip Yunior really tried to show Magda where he came from and just overall his culture and all the experiences he had. She doesn’t really seem to acknowledge anything and just nods her head. She breaks down crying one night and says that she doesn’t want to be here, that she rather be on a beach. Yunior then calls a hotel the next morning and makes reservations and they leave that day. While there she acts as if Yunior isn’t there and just wants him to leave her alone. At the resort, they were having a party which Yunior and Magda had to decide to attend. That’s when she told Yunior that she wants him to leave her alone tonight. He was angry and that’s when she told him “I didn’t want to come here, you made me.” This too was an example of how Yunior made a mistake that pushed Magda away from him and that he was willing to do anything to make things go back to being perfect. But it seemed that their love had no longer existed.

            

Pak-tung Le

EN 102

RR#2

From this week’s readings and last week’s readings there were many facets of male and female relationships that were touched upon. This week’s readings to me were negative and quite disheartening, especially since this is coming up on Valentine’s Day. Lorrie Moore’s How discusses the relationship between a man and a woman. When first reading it, I thought it was a checklist of how the dating process would unfold and progress in her mind and then how the relationship would end. Throughout the story, she is writing about the different phases within the relationship within a timeline. However upon thinking about it, the author writes this in a second person and perhaps she is relating another woman’s story and how she is explaining to her that it is better that she left and that with time, she will no longer feel anything. “A week, a month, a year. The sadness will die like an old dog. You will feel nothing but indifference. The logy whine of a cowboy harmonica, plaintive, weary, it will fade into the hills slow as slow Hank Williams. One of those endings” (Moore 141).

Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants represented to me about how relationships can be somewhat manipulative when one person is trying to win the love of another individual. Jig apparently does not care for herself and is seeking the approval and love of the man that she is with. They are on the way to Madrid for the girl to have a procedure. As one continues to read the story, it becomes apparent that she is going to get an abortion and she is not comfortable with the decision. Throughout the story, I felt that the man was reverse selling her into having the abortion, knowing that she wants to make him happy. He tells her that once this is done, everything will go back to before and they will be happy again. “That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” (Hemingway line 50).

Diaz’s The Sun, The Moon, The Stars was story that was about a man by the name of Yunior who was in a relationship with Magdalena and was unhappy with it. As the story progresses, you see how he realizes that he made a mistake and tries to make things right with her. Unfortunately, the woman that he cheats on her with sends her a letter discussing the indiscretion. The relationship is doomed at that point since she is not able to move past that act. The relationship between the two was lopsided from the beginning to me. Initially, I felt that she was the one that was giving a hundred percent to the relationship and after Yunior cheated, he realized what he had and tried to resurrect the relationship. However, relationships often have changes with circumstances and are often not repairable. Magda apparently understood this and moved on while Yunior thought he would be able to go back in time. Perhaps both of them thought that they could go back in time and rebuild the relationship and it took Magda was able to see it sooner than Yunior. It was not until Yunior was with the Vice President that he began to understand that you cannot relive the past and that relationships need to progress. Diaz indicates this when he writes, “And that’s when I know it’s over. As soon as you start thinking about the beginning, it’s the end” (24). Many relationships rely on memoirs of the past, instead of building new ones. My feelings are if you are not able to looking at the present and the future, you are reliving the past and it will be a huge strain on your relationship.