The Gashlycrumb Tinies

The Gashlycrumb by Edward Gorgey immediately make me think of a misfit child who was bullied from the first day he walked into his kindergarden classroom until his last day of college. His alphabet book shows many different emotions and is a very dark story. 

As I read, I couldn't help but think about his childhood and what drove him to write such a story. Was he trying to tell us that children need to be more careful because the world is dangerous? Were these names of former classmates that he had a built up hatred for? Does he hate children so much that he laughs when bad things come to them? Was Edward Gorgey an accident prone child? Maybe he could simply be telling us about his own personal childhood memories.  "F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leach," could be Edward explaining his first encounter with a blood sucking leach. At the time, the leach was attached to him, he might have felt like he was going to be sucked dry if he did not detach the leach from his body fast enough. 

Overall, Edward Gorgey's  message is unclear to me, as I'm sure it is to many of others. The gashlycrumb tinies is very disturbing story. I cant thinking of the writers mental state at the time he wrote this story. What was his purpose and what was the true message that he was trying to get across? Personally, Edward Gorgey is my least favorite writer compaired to the others we have become familiar with this semester.

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Entropy

Entropy, by Thomas Pynchon is a very busy story. There is a lot going on throughout the entire story making it difficult to understand. Meatball through a breaking the lease part and several people came. The author said, "the kitchen floor, amid a litter of empty champagne fifths" makes the story very relatable. Everyone has been to that party where they either drank too,uh or watched someone else make a fool of themselves. The story made you feel as if you were living during the time. It made you feel as if you were sitting on the floor playing the music ourself or walking into the bathroom where the girl is pasted out in the sink. 

Callisto seems like a very insightful, knowledgeable, and interesting individual. Although, I wasn't clear of his exact message, he seems like a very organized man, and he is much more orderly than meatball. 

Entropy, is a story that makes you feel as if you are living in then scene. Did you feel the same way? I really enjoyed this author.

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The stories that Brenda frazer and Joyce Johnson  are easy for women to relate too, but clearly state that not all women seek the same thing. The stories clearly tell a story of love and it's difficulty, but also explain strength and independence. Frazer moved to Mexico with her daughter, so her family could be together; but her husband never never wanted her there. She traveled far from home for unwanted love, and ended having to give her daughter up for survival. I can only imagine how hard this decision was, but she wanted what was best for her daughter, and staying with her was not that.
Frazier was a feminist. She learned how to disconnect her feelings from prostitution and became what we would call promiscuous today; where normally women would have an issue with this way of life, but she did not. She believed that women could love, but also repress emotions.
Joyce Johnson's was just the opposite. She wanted Jack to know everything she was thinking and feeling. She couldn't stand the distance between them, and wanted nothing more than to be by his side. The days until she moved to Mexico couldn't have passed fast enough. "I've spent a sad week, wanting so much to write you," she explained. Joyce was lonely and vulnerable, and she made that very clear. She had true love
Frazer and Johnson explain the fight between desired love and true love, and the journey it takes. Frazer sought love from her husband, but found it in herself; as for Johnson, her heart was for Jack.

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As I read the first few lines of the Howl, by Allen's Ginsberg, I had trouble understanding what he was saying. I'm still not sure if I know exactly what he is talking about in his poem, but I tried my best to make since of it. He said, "I saw the minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix," and I automatically assumed he was talking about American Americans and how they weren't socially accepted yet. As I read further, I realized that he wasn't talking about this at all, but instead, about the common, poverty stricken, white man. Ginsberg was a unique man. He was a "wallflower." He understood and accepted others for who they were and immediately knew their flaws and their talents, but also noticed that being a CEO of a major cooperation didn't make you smarter than the poor man.

The people that he described seemed to have a passion and were completely content with being who they were. This is the part of the poem that hit home for me, because this is still true today. You can learn so much from the people you least expect and it's hard to not think of why they aren't somewhere else in life; why they aren't the CEO a major cooperation; why they chose the path they did; why they didn't change their path; or maybe if they did change there path, why were they in the position they were. Personally, I have a weak soul and I see the good in every person, and it's seems as if Ginsberg did as well. He took the time to understand that the man living on the street wasn't just a drunk or a drug addict, but a "mindful man." A man that if given the opportunity could empower others; but unfortunately, society doesn't accept such, and his intellect was waisted.

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"Nothing would sleep in that cellar,"

“Root Cellar” by Theodore Roethke was one of his greenhouse poems. His father owned a large greenhouse and much of his childhood was spent inside it" (http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/can-somebody-tell-me-what-this-peom-about-root-373002).

"Nothing would sleep in that cellar," was a perfect start to this short, but descriptive poem. Theodore's poem, "Root Cellar" along with others from the text include a large amount of emotion and imagination, and allow you to feel as if you are living the story of the person he narrates. As the website mentioned, many of his poems are describing his experiences as a young boy at his grandfathers greenhouse, and "Root Cellar" truly made me feel as if I was walking into a musky old cellar, cowardly opening the door, as I shouted, "hello" into the darkness of shadows reflecting from the walls. Let's face it, children don't like basements! Personally, I still don't like basements.

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The fish

As I read, The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop, it encouraged me to think about childhood memories that I shared with my sister, and my father.
When the author explained the fish by saying, "and the pink swim-bladder," I began to think of when my father took my sister and I fishing. If we caught a fish, we would dissect it before cooking it. My father would quiz us to see if we knew the different parts of the fish for educational purposes.
The author also said, "I looked into his eyes which were far larger than mine." As a young child, it was hard killing anything or seeing the dead fish. I remember never being able to remove the fishes eyes and would often leave the job for my sister to do. She didn't like it either, but would do it to make me happy. This story is very touching too me, because it triggered such special memories. These are memories that I haven't thought about it a very long time, and truly memories I will cherish and hold onto forever.
"A green line, frayed at the wens where he broke it, two heavier lines, and a fine thread still crimped from the strain and snap when it broke and he got away." This caused me to think about our brave soldiers, and their constant fight for survival. Today, I turned on the news to a story about a young solider that is being held captive by Serbia, and this quote brought me hope that he too can be like the fish and break free.
Overall, Elizabeth Bishop's stories were very rewarding to read, because with though her poems had a particular focus, they aren't limited to only that focus. The Fish, triggered different thoughts and memories, and allowed my imagination to run freely. The power of a poem is truly amazing! After reading this poem, do you ssimy just see a fish, or something more?  Was there ever a time in your life where you had to fight  or should courage , such as the fish did in this story?

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The swimmer

When you start your day off by saying, "I drank too much last night" and then you crack open another bottle, it is usually a key indication that there is some kind of problem going on. Alcoholism is no joke, “It takes away free-will, rational thought and the ability to appreciate life in and of itself. Alcoholism is a slow form of suicide and it is painful for everyone around to watch as it progresses toward death” http://immortalalcoholic.blogspot.com/2012/09/live-til-you-die.html. This is exactly what I believe John Cheeze was trying to portray in his story, and he did a very good at it too. It destroyed Neddy’s ife, it caused him to lose his house, family, friends, and even his mind.  He swam pool to pool trying to live in the moment and forget about how miserable he had caused his life to become. He used his friends to get what he wanted and felt as if it was owed to him, because people once enjoyed his company. People felt sorry for him.  When old friends tried talking to him about it, he would ignore them, selectively chooses which memories he wanted to remember. “Whiskey would warm him, pick him up, carry him through the last of his journey, refresh his feeling that it was original and valorous to swim across the

County (8).” Neddy needed the alcohol, “he needed the stimulate (8),” to wake up. It was the only way he could gain enough strength to wake up every day to the life he created for himself through his addiction.

Personally, I have seen what alcoholism does to people, it changes who you are and at a certain point there is no getting the “person you once knew” back. They live in a selfish world where they think everything is owed to them or the pity themselves. Addicts lie, cheat, and steal. Neddy Merrill is an addict and these unfortunate things caused him to be a person that he might not have been before. It turned his perfect world upside-down. The swimmer is a fabulous story about how “water” can drown a person.  

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Death of a Salesman is a true example of the role money plays over the mind and how easy it is to lose sight of what is truly important. Willy Loman worked his life away and in the end had nothing to show for it. He thought monetary items and being socially accepted was most important, and would bring him happiness; but his funeral proved his theory to be untrue. Willy lived the American dream but was too blind to see it. He had a loving wife and two loving boys, a roof over his head and food on the table. This was never good enough for Willy though and sadly it isn’t enough for many people today. We have lost sight of what is important and have become materialistic beings. We are very much like Willy and make decisions monetarily instead of what truly makes us happy. No person deserves to spend their life wondering or thinking that they are lesser to another person because of the misconception that money brings us happiness. Have you every known anyone that worked as hard as Willy, but struggled to provide for their family?

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The Death of a Salesman is a good example of the powerful influence parents have on their children physiologically and emotionally. Willy’s father left him when he was very young and when he did he took a piece of Willy with him. Willy had little confidence in himself and pretended to be something that he wasn’t to fit in, and his accomplishments never were good enough. Two examples of this is his original reason for becoming a salesman and the way he parented his sons.

Willy had no true passion for sales, but always dreamed of having the same respect that people gave to Dave Singleman and his father. He thought being good looking and well-liked was what made a man rich, and life would be easy. In a way it seems as if Willy was always trying to prove to himself that he possessed the same talents as his father and brother Ben, and maybe one day be given the opportunity to boast about it to them. Willy also manipulated his oldest son Jiff into believing this unrealistic theory. Willy never pushed Jiff or Happy to do well in school, but influenced them to do whatever they had to do to be socially accepted. Jiff wanted to make his father proud so he followed in his father’s footsteps even though it is was not what made him happy. At age thirty-four he finally realized that he needed to stop living in through the eyes of his father and pursue a career that would bring him happiness. Willy’s youngest son Happy also wanted to make his father proud, but no matter what he did Willy never gave him the same respect as Jiff. Happy used women to fill the emotional hole his father caused him to have.

Overall, Willy drove himself mad reflecting on decisions he made in the past and never stopped searching the “right” answers. He never had a father to help guide him through life’s struggles and his own parenting skills suffered because of it. Willy never thought he was good enough and beat himself up every day about the decisions he chose to make, and allowed his emotions to get the best of him. What advice would you give to Willy looking from the outside in? Have you ever met anyone that believed being popular was the only way?

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Hello!!!

Hello, my name is Ami Taylor. I am currently attending STLCC for the semester and transferring back to Lindenwood University where I will finish my B.A. in elementary education.  I currently work for a criminal defense attorney downtown, but I quickly realized that law is not the path for me. I do not have the patience to work with “adult children," but I can work with the little ones all day. I am a very active person and love being with my family. I have a twin sister and she is my best friend. Unfortunately, I haven't been an active reader for awhile now and don't have a favorite author, but I plan on changing that this semester. I am really looking forward to learning more about literature this semester!

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