Final writing test : Dec. 8th 2008

Formative work 3

Writing Journal

A short story by Shirley Jackson

published in 1948

The story takes place in a small American farming town.It shows contemporary life with a dark barbaric ritual that the small town performs known as "the lottery". The ritual takes place as a game. They assemble on June 27th of each year, each family draws a piece of paper , one of them has a black spot on it which means that the person in the piece of paper with the black spot on it again shall be stoned, as per tradition. The villagers perform this because since they can allremember ,because it should guaranty a good harvest that is soon to come. Who would it be this time? No one new. That year it was Mrs. Hutchinson-a simple woman-whom never saw it coming. They never think it will be them. Even her children and husband participated in her stoning. How could they do that to her?

I couldn't help wondering if Mrs. Hutchinson's family care more about the "tradition" then there mother and wife, and how could they just murder her without remorse or a second thought? Did they justify their actions by telling themselves ; "We have always done as such, and everyone always participates!" Maybe they decided that tradition and common well being is more important than an individual life, or could it just be generational brain washing?

Some points of view explain that the whole story is a metaphor for the author's , Shirley Jackson, own life in which she considered herself as an outsider. I considered this point of view and realized that symbolism is scattered threw out the story. For instance ; the man in charge of the ritual is Mr. Summers, the season in which the ritual takes place, and he is described as a jovial man,strange for the leader of such a dark ritual. Also, there is the name of the postman ,who helps during the precedure; Mr. Graves, a dark name which seems to underline a pending death.

In conclusion, Shirley Jacksonshows us a fictional story with realistic judgment of todays society. I interpret it as a vulgurization of the way silly outdated traditions, rituals, and beliefs, still control our lives, although they are obviosly either wrong or inapplicable in modern times. Perhaps the author was just frustrated with society or her externalized life or just wanted to "stir up" peoples thoughts for once. I shall never really know what she wanted to state, I guess. All I can say is that I enjoyed Shirley Jackon's short, and disturbing story.

words:407

Mid-term writing test: "The story of an hour"- corrected

Part A. Short-answer questions. 40%
1.What is Louise Mallard’s opinion of marriage? Indicate the line or lines that suggest it?
She seems to think of marriage as a forced obligation that had been imposed on her and others also. The lines that suggest it :
-"There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself."(paragraph 12-line1)
-"There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature."(praragraph 12-line2)
2.Why does Louise Mallard suddenly stop crying? Indicate the place in the text?
Louise stops crying when she begins to reflect upon the death of her husband and the new given freedom that she receives, fearfully. Around the fourth and fifth paragraph she becomes physically exhausted, and glances at the window in a sort of halt of her very thought.
4.How does Louise’s sister and his friend, Richards, feel about the Mallard’s marriage? They don't have a specific opinion that is mention
ed in the text. By my interpretation of the story; I believe that they think that the Mallard's are very much in love; therefore, they took precaution in the way they announced the death of Bently to his wife, and not only because of her fragile heart,but in the time period in which the text is writing, persons marriage is their business and no one elses.
5.Why is there so much description of what is outside the window when Louise is alone in her room?
Because of Louise's physical and mental exhaustion:"[...]suspense of intelligent thought[...]". She seems to think of nothing and simply observes the world around here through the window. All the sites and sounds that she could she. Almost waiting for what was to come for her without being able to imagine life ahead during those few moments of quiet exhaustion.

Part B. Development question. 60%
I have recently read a short story, « The Story of An Hour », by Kate Chopin; and I have disclosed an opinion about certain aspects of the story. I believe that the message of the story, or the moral of the story, is that we should all take a moment to evaluate, and think, before we make a decision; in a relationship and/or situation, therefore the way we treat others and our selves can make a world of difference in our life. In the fallowing paragraph I shall discuss; the ironic and marriage/relationship aspects of the text.

There are many elements of irony in the text; there is a difference between the result and the expected one. For example in the third paragraph: “she did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance.” She did not react as others would have been know to by refusing to believe the event that has happened; instead, she begins to cry suddenly without saying a word when the news is first announced to her. Fallowing that, she ironically feels joy through the death of her husband; therefore she once again does not fallow the normal actions that would be accepted of her as a wife. Like in this sentence: “She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her.” Chopin uses irony to establish her message of self assertion and reflection, in a subtle and under lined manner.

The story theme is mostly; relationship and marriage, love and hate, and submission and assertion. Chopin expresses her opinion on those subjects in a strong minded; yet, subtle way throughout the story. She expresses a reluctance to marriage because during that period of time. It was more about anything else but love; therefore, unfulfilling. Also she seems to speak of love not being the only driver of women, although, during that time, women where considered as weak emotional beings. Paragraph 13: “What could love the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!” Chopin was clearly sending a message trough her writing.

Finally what Kate Chopin was trying to say was that the way we do things , reflect, observe and even love makes or breaks everything in our lives.

403 words

Cat on a hot tin roof: November 11,12,13

1. Where and when does the story take place? Mississipi,
2.Who are the characters? Maggie and Brick
3.What is their relationship? Married
4.What is the mood of the scene? Tense
5.What and whom are they talking about? Big daddy and the birthday party down stairs for Big daddy.

Questions on Study Guide

Context: Write short answers.
1-What kind of family did Tennessee Williams (TW) have? Dysfunctional: Sister was schizophrenic. Father was a drunkard and a gambler.
2-Where does his first name come from? A college roomate.
3-What is the Pulitzer Prize? Top american award worth $ 5000 to $ 10 000 , for plays , novels, music, etc.
4-How was the original play changed for both Broadway and the cinema?
5-How did TW die? Brodway changed act 3 for better resolution;and the movie director took out references to bricks homosexuality.
6-What was the new American drama that TW represented? ??

Cat Quiz: How’s your memory?
1. What is Gooper's occupation? He is a corporate lawyer
2. What is the name of Skipper and Brick's pro football team? The Dixie Stars
3. What happened to Big Daddy in Morocco? He was propositioned by a child prostitute
4. What body part do Mae's children apparently lack? Necks
5. What did Maggie buy Big Daddy for his birthday? A robe
6. Who is described as a cat at some point in the play? Maggie
7. Daddy believes that he suffers from which of the following? A spastic colon
8. What is the ostensible object of Brick's disgust? Mendacity
9. Where did Maggie and Brick go to school? Old Miss
10. How old is Big Daddy? Sixty-five
11. Who was a cotton carnival queen? Mae
12. What do the children sing to Big Daddy? Skinamarinka-dinka-dink
13. What is Big Daddy's trademark word? Crap
14. What is Big Mama's name? Ida
15. What were the names of the plantation's previous owners?

16. How many official versions of Cat are in circulation? Three
17. Who directed the premiere of Cat? Elia Kazan
18. When did Brick start drinking? When Skipper died
19. Who confronted Skipper on his love for Brick? Maggie
20. Who revealed this love to Brick? Skipper
21. How does Maggie get Brick to sleep with her? She locks up his liquor
22. Who tells Big Daddy that he is dying? Brick
23.Who does Big Mama jostle in her lap? Reverend Tooker
24. Who keeps calling from Memphis? Sally
25. Who sleeps next to Maggie and Brick's room? Mae and Gooper

formative work 2 : Due october 24- course 3&4

#3-Grammar skills for writing 1: Punctuation in sentences.

General interest:4\10
I wasn't interested in the lesson at first because I though that I would not learn anything , its just punctuation, easy right ?

Time: i lost count!
It took me a really long time! It was so full of multiple questions and texts to analyze, ouf!

Score:78%, not bad!
I was surprise, but at the same time not, at first I was doing very well the first few sections of questions where easy, at the end I just got really tired of all the questions and started getting lazy with my answers. Also the farther I got into this course the harder it got!

Comments:
I actually learned a lot more then I expected, there is more then just simple punctuation; capitalization lessons are present and more words take them then you think . Didn't really enjoy it but appreciated its contents.

#4-Grammar skills for writing 3:Subjects/verbs/pronouns.
General interest: 3\ 5
Gesse Louise! That was one heck of a boring course...and really hard to , well I guess grammar cant always be fun , I meen it is grammar after all!

Time: Darn it!
Almost as long as the last one ....But even more boring to be honest!

Score: 61% >_<
I am really not impressed with my self but I already knew that I needed to work on my grammar skills.

Comments:
Not very captivating in my opinion but I learned a few things. I guess practice makes perfect!

Writing journal 1 : "The Tell-Tale Heart"

During these first few weeks we've read tree, in my opinion, very interesting short stories; "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Lady or the Tiger?" and "The Nightingale and the Rose". But out of the tree stories, I enjoyed significantly more The Tell-Tale Heart written by Edgar Allen Poe.

The story is about a mad man who does not believe that he is mad. He is in an asylum and tells his story about how he got there; so that we may be the judge of he's madness. It all starts with the old man with whom he lived. He speaks fondly of the old man and says he never meant to do him any harm, however, he murdered him. It seems to be because of the eye, the old man's "milky white" eye, for which he developed an unhealthy obsession. He felt watch by "the eye". So, he began to watch the old man, in the doorway at midnight, during his sleep for a full week. And on the eight night, he entered the room, but this time the old man awoke, but could not see because of the darkness in the room and ask who was there. No answer. Terror filed the old man and his heart beet faster as if he new the other man was there. The mad man leaps on him, throws him to the floor, and suffocates him under the heavy bed. Relived he dismembers the body and places it under the floor planks in that very room. A knock on the door. He answers to two police officers who received a complaint about a scream. Well convincing the officers that there is no problem and that the old man is simply away on business, he invites them in for tea as they take a look around. The officers find everything normal, but the man begins to hear the old mans heart beat pounding in his head. Suddenly he admits to the whole crime and shows them were the body lies.

The writing style and the perspective that the author gives us is very interesting and I recommend the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" the most out of the tree short stories. In my opinion it is the most captivating out of all of them.