Another 2pg response.. sigh

The Yellow Wallpaper Literary Response

The yellow wallpaper is a literary work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman that shows how easily a woman with depression can spiral into madness. But what caused her decent into the mental unstable corners of her mind? Why does she feel the need to tell her story? Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses the description and symbolism of the wallpaper to show how marriage can become a cage to a woman if the marriage is more dominated by the male.

In the beginning of the story, Gilman is kind of casual in explaining her frustrations with her husband John. She talks about John quite a bit and what his attitude is like but she kind of brushes it off as though she is trying not to let it get to her. She says, "You see he does not believe I am sick! And what can one do?" (Gilman). This obviously bothers her, yet she knows realistically there is nothing she can do about the fact that he does not believe her. She knows that what he says goes and that is the end of it. In the first couple of pages, the reader gets a feel for John and Charlotte's marriage. She says that she is "forbidden to 'work' until I am well again" (Gilman). Later on she says that if she would simply be allowed to work she would be more likely to recover. But of course, John has said she can not do this, and so here one can really feel tension building. As the pages go on, there are more decisions that John has made to his preference with out listening to her opinion; he decides which room they will stay in. When she explains the room she lets on more to her frustration with John and his decisions, but in the end she blows over them like earlier. By the end of the first section, we as readers can tell that the marriage is unbalanced and this will most likely cause problems later on in the story.

The really unnerving part of the story is the description and characteristics Charlotte gives to the wallpaper. At first, she absolutely hates the wallpaper, however as the story goes on she hates it less and less. When she first tells about the sub-pattern, she is only slightly irritated by the wallpaper. She says, "But in the places where it isn't faded and where the sun is just so I can see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about behind that silly and sonspicuous front design" (Gilman). This line here sends chills up the reader's spine. She does not go into a lot of detail on the sub-pattern just yet, but that is what makes this line creepy. As readers, we do not understand what exactly she is seeing, but the fact that she is seeing some pattern behind the pattern marks where her quick decent into insanity begins. However, I found it interesting that the "crazier" she got, (crazy being how society would label a person in her state) the more she realized about herself. In this way, the wallpaper served as a symbol. In the first days of viewing the paper she hated it, but she saw nothing behind the pattern, at first. Then, as the days went on she could see deeper and deeper into the wallpaper. What I mean is, as the days went on she could see more of this woman behind the paper and understand better what she wanted. At first she could only barely see the woman, and at this point I believe she blinded to the situation she was in. Like the barely existing woman, she barely understood and realized how wrong and how messed up her marriage was. Then she began to see the woman in behind bars and trying to escape, and when she began to see the woman like this is when she started to realize how trapped she was. Finally she can not take it anymore, she feels the woman's pain because it is her pain and the destroys the paper in a frenzied attempt to let the woman free because that is what she wants, she wants to be freed from her cage. The woman behind the paper represents the narrator, and yes she did kind of lose it at the end, but I do not know if I would call her crazy, I think for the first time she was simply seeing clearly and everything built up and let loose. Really, the "crazier" the narrator got, the better she understood herself, and the clearer the woman in the wall paper became, because she is the woman in the wall. This large symbol goes back and shows how marriage can become a cage, like the woman in the wall was literally in a cage, so was the narrator in her marriage.

Annotated APA Bibliography

Coleman, A. (1997). Futures. Youth Studies Australia, 16. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article, accurately titled as "Futures", discusses the options that await young people as far as choosing a career is concerned. This article primarily focuses on college students and how they should go about choosing a career, as well as listing which careers are the safest and provide the best outcomes for the young workers. This particular article was very short and sweet and to the point. The writer chose to use simply logic to illustrate his point, and interestingly enough chose to begin his article in a way that established credibility for what he was saying. He began right away with the source his information came from. However, I felt like this article was missing a lot and it seemed as though his exact purpose was missing. This especially seemed strange because he was basically providing a list that he found from some other source, so what exactly is the point in writing this article? But despite his struggles, the author was able to come up with some interesting facts that proved to be slightly helpful. From this article I learned that pharmacy and other medical careers have the best employment outcomes, but that this statistic changes a bit ever year and some years other careers fill that spot. This article managed to present some other career choices that I had not even considered, but perhaps would be good back-ups, considering the fact that even though this article presented a fairly long list of careers, most of my former back-ups lacked to be mentioned and were not even able to make the list. I admire this writer for trying to look out for young people, but he needs to try a little harder. He lacked information, as his entire article was not more than 100 words. He also lacked persuasive skills and an accurate purpose. The only thing I got out of this article was a little bit of comfort in knowing that if I choose to pursue pharmacy then I can relax and know that employment of this job will always be needed in our society. I also now realize that if I want the security that pharmacy provides, I will have to look harder for better back-ups.


Emmons, B. F. & Provost, G. P. (1991). Pharmacist endowed to teach school of medicine and community at large. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Before reading this article I had a very vague idea on the actual job of a pharmacist. I believed it was very simply the role of administering medicine to those who need it. Of course there is a little more to it than that, however, my point is I did not know how complex and how many options there are for those who pursue this career. This article shows that there are many things a pharmacist must know about and understand that go deeper than simply medicine. A pharmacist must also know about other aspects of healing such as therapy and recovery periods and other such worries. This article showed me that not everyone who wants to be a pharmacist has to be the person standing behind the counter at Walgreens, but rather there are many different they are capable of doing. The article, though it was one of the shortest on this topic, had some good information and took the time to use dates and outline things to make the article easier to understand overall. It also used quotes from a specific pharmacist who felt the need to share their opinion. However, I felt like this article focused too much on one pharmacist and could have spent more time focusing on pharmacists as a group. I think it would have been more interesting, and relevant, to include ideas and examples of other pharmacists in the same position. Still, like some of the other articles this one not only showed me that there is more to the job of a pharmacist then I previously believed, but it allowed me to feel more secure in my decision knowing that there are many things a pharmacist can do. This article also showed me that should I ever get bored with pharmacology then there are other options for me that would not have to include completely changing my title. This article was not quite as helpful as some of the others, but it did manage bring across some valid points and so it was not completely useless.


Filerman, G. & Komaridis, K. (2006). A gap in the pharmacy. Modern Health Care, 36. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article was completely unique of any of the other articles I read. This one took the time to address the fact that there are undefined problems that lie with the role of a pharmacist. It talks about the fact that patient safety has not been a priority in recent years for the pharmacists and that there are problems with this because this really should be one of the first goals of a pharmacist but this has not been addressed as much as other priorities. This article states that this job constantly grows with its responsibilities and this role becomes more difficult with each passing day as medicine is always changing and improving. But the article also talks about how pharmacy is in a way a ghost-like career because it is not talked about much and there is not much information on it which in turn helps cause some of the problems that exist because no one has defined this role and so there is a gap that is present as far as knowing what I am in for. I really liked how this author chose to write though. This article had more passion behind the writing, it seemed like the writer was really frustrated with the lack of information. This I think connected better with me and this article definitely had the greatest impact on me simply because of how it was written. There was not much missing from his argument because his argument was that there is too much missing from this field. Unfortunately, though I liked the writing and it did impact me, this article had a negative effect on me. This article made me question whether or not I really want to consider a career that is not exactly defined and one that could contain many aspects that I know nothing about. This worries me a little because there are many things that I will not know until I get there and experience it first hand and by then I have spent all that time and money on a career that I may not want.


Humphrys, P. & O'Brien, G. E. (1986). The Consequences of Job Satisfaction. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 59. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article worried me a little bit. It talked about job satisfaction and what usually leads to satisfaction in one’s career. The writer said that there are studies that have shown a direct relation between job satisfaction and how much a person uses the skills they learned. The article stated that pharmacists have a very high skill level needed to complete their job and they also need a large variety of skills, however, pharmacists do not always use all the skills they learn and skills differ in training as compared to doing the actual job. Another interesting thing I found in this article is the fact that hospital pharmacists are usually more satisfied with their jobs as compared to regular pharmacists. This was interesting to me because it posed another option in the field of pharmacology. I could work as a hospital pharmacist, which has the potential to not only be more enjoyable, but to be more effective in helping people. This article used a lot of information that they received from other sources which provided accurate credibility towards what they were saying. This article was very helpful and was filled with information on the job of a pharmacist and their satisfaction level. I liked that they used studies and information from other places to back up their point, but I am not yet convinced on this career of a pharmacist. Some articles like these make me hesitate and other ones make me feel like this is the career for me. I guess I will just have to keep searching. But I will definitely keep the information from this article in mind while making the decision. Job satisfaction seems like a big deal and I am not sure I want to jump into a career that others do not find satisfying. Plus, I really would like to find a career that I can develop different skills in and actually use them, and if a pharmacist is not the place where I can use my skills then I need to look elsewhere.


Humphrys, P. & O'Brien, G. E. (1986). The relationship between skill utilization, professional orientation and job satisfaction for pharmacists. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 59. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article, by far, had the most information present; however, most of this information was not exactly helpful. This article mostly covered changes in pharmacy which does not help me much when I do not know what it was like to begin with. Still, the article was very detailed explaining how pharmacy used to be around the World Wars but not so much in what they did, it was more about how happy they were back then. This article does however give the best description of what a pharmacist does than any of the other articles. It talks about the fact that pharmacists (for the most part) do not prescribe the actual drugs, however, they need to have the knowledge to do so if they needed. It also said that the primary role for the pharmacist is to distribute the prescribed drug. But the article also says that pharmacists are often undermined by drug companies, which is not good or fair, but it happens. The article states that a pharmacist will not necessarily use all the skills they learn, which seems like a waste to me. What was the point of everything they went to school for if they do not use some of the information they learned? However, since medicine is always changing, it is simply natural that some skills would become obsolete as time goes on and things improve. Unlike some of the other articles, this one used many other sources and made sure to back up what they were saying, which made me feel like this writer had more credibility than the other writers of the articles I collected. I do not know if this article helped to sway my decision in any particular way. I am still on the fence about whether this is the career for me, and while this article did have an abundance of information in few pages, I do not know if the information was relevant in changing my mind. I will say that this article did seem to undermine the role of a pharmacist and made it seem less important than other articles did and this concerned me.


Nold, E. G. & Sander, D. (2004). Role of the director of pharmacy: The first six months. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 61. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article was perhaps the most helpful. This article was most helpful because it was written from the first-person point of view of an actual pharmacist. This article outlined many helpful key points in the beginning stages of the job. The article begins talking about the practice of pharmacy. The writer explains changes that have recently taken place and how important the role of a pharmacist is in society. One thing that really surprised me with this article is the fact that he shows there is room for promotion and expansion for a pharmacist. This was important, because this worried me about the job because pharmacist seems like a job where all people who are employed as such do the same thing, where as I am the type of person who would like to be in charge somewhere and would like to move up the "food-chain" so to speak. Now knowing this makes me feel more comfortable considering this job, because if there is no room to move up in a career what is the point? It would be awfully dull to do the same thing every day. It was very encouraging to find out that there can be variety in this field. This article was impressively clear in how to go about moving to a higher position as well as discussing some of the struggles of adjusting to a new role. This author also makes it clear that a pharmacist should know their skill level and what they can handle so they can choose how and where to work in a way that will work best for them and benefit others in the best way possible. The only thing I felt was missing from this article was that he did not really explain the job or the actual role of a regular pharmacist compared to a director of pharmacy. The main goal of his article was to talk about transitioning and how to get accustomed to a promotion in this field. Still, I found this article to be very helpful and definitely gave me an encouraging push to continue the on the road to pharmacy.


Ngo, C., & Sansgiry, S. S. (2004). Job satisfaction of pharmacists at a large medical center. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 61. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article was very helpful because it explained how satisfying the job of a pharmacist can be. This article, like some of the others, described how medication and pharmacy are constantly changing, and this shows that pharmacy never will never be a dull career. There is always something new to learn about and there will always be something new to do or work on. One thing that I specifically liked about this article is that it used statistics instead of just asking the reader to accept what is being said. According to the statistics, pharmacists are generally satisfied with their career choice. This was interesting to me and gave me yet another reason to accept pharmacy as an actual career choice. Even though everyone is different, the fact that most pharmacists enjoy there job is encouraging to someone considering this job. Who would not want to be happy in their career choice? This article, though it was very well written and very persuasive, (especially with the statistics) spent way too much time discussing what the meaning of satisfaction really is and how it is applicable to the article. To me, this beginning seemed like a waste of time and an uneccesary use of space. This beginning was rather wordy and would probably automatically lose many interested readers simply because the beginning is confusing and pointless. Either way, this article was helpful and I found the statistics to be very interesting. Pharmacy seems to be a rather satisfying job and that is definitely a plus.


Thompson, C.A. (1996). International pharmacists group gets 2020 vision. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article by far was the least helpful. When I was looking for articles I did not realize that this article would have so little valid information. This article talked about a group of 119 pharmacists from around the world that set up a plan that the FIP (International Pharmaceutical Federation) gets to be involved in medical decisions and they get to be a part of deciding if a new medicine is suitable on a “global level”. This article was basically just a description of a group of important pharmacists that made a movement, and while it was interesting to read about it really did not offer any help towards my career path. All this article did was make me worry that there are too many problems in the world of pharmacy and people try to give them as small a role as possible which led this group to work to get what they wanted, to get their recognition and their opinions asked for. I am not sure I want to enter a career that has so many problems. Had I read through this article thoroughly before choosing it, I would have realized that it would lack so much in helping me decide anything. It really only pertained to one group of people. There were so many unanswered questions left by this article and so really, all it managed to do was confuse me.

Traynor, K. (1990). Pharmacist helps autoworkers manage diabetes on the job. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65. Retrived November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article, though informative, did not offer much help to better understanding the career of a pharmacist. The article focuses more on people managing diabetes in a work place than a pharmacist. It lacked explaining what a pharmacist does or why they are qualified to help people in this situation. However, I did like that this article clearly showed how pharmacist can help people who need medical attention. This is important to me because this is one of the main reasons I am considering this career and therefore this article was beneficial in some way in that it explained just one of the many ways a pharmacist can help other people.


Young, D. (2003). Patient safety is primary job for Missouri pharmacist. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 60. Retrived November 11, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

This article greatly encouraged me and renewed my faith in the health care system. Recently there have been many patients, particularly older citizens, that have had problems because they see more than one doctor or more than one pharmacist and these people do not bother to check and make sure their patient is not on other medications. Therefore, these multiple doctors/pharmacists prescribe medications that may interfere harmfully with other medications that they are not aware the patient is consuming. However, this story is about a pharmacist who is trying to fix this flaw. She points out that some pharmacists are now more concerned with patient safety then anything else their job entails. I was very inspired by this one pharmacist who is attempting to take a stand and is succeeding in making waves. This story showed me how important patient safety is in the equation of medical exchanges and also showed me how I can help people through this field and since this is my ultimate goal, this article proved helpful. I never realized how vital a pharmacist can be in certain situations and how encouraging they can be to people. Learning about this lady made me feel more like this is the career for me and that I would fit it well. Though, I would have liked to see more overall information on this subject and I think some statistics would have helped this writer's argument. I think including statistics on how many patients suffer because of problems on the doctor's or the pharmacist's account would have added depth and greater meaning to the article and the writer's overall point. Like I said, this article restored my faith in the medical field. This article truly shows that people out there really care and are making a difference, and I could easily be one of those people in the future.

Disturbia Character

In the movie Disturbia, the character of Kale is presented in such a way that he seems realistic to the viewer. Kale seems like a normal teenager in today's society. He is dressed in the fashion of modern males and he is shown playing video games like a normal male. He talks like a teenager which adds even further to the reality of his part. If you did not know that Shia Labeouf was a big star, then you would completely believe that Shia was a normal teenager. The movie is very realistic and does a good job of portraying the characters in such a way that makes them seem real. If movies could not accomplish this task then no one would go see them because they would be fake and unrelatable.

Sojourner Truth vs. Sojourner Truth

I do not think the 50 Essays book should have rewritten Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman speech. While it is very powerful in both translations, there is something that is lost in making it more grammatically correct. In the original version it is easier for the reader to take in what she is saying because you know that she is being real. She is completely herself in the original version and that makes accepting her words easier. Though, I admit it was a little more difficult for me to understand the original version. However, that is simply because I am not accustomed to that style of speech. Either way, even with the slight understanding barrier, I still found this speech just as inspiring as the first time.

Civil Disobedience Response

In his piece "Civil Disobedience", Henry David Thoreau wastes no time telling the reader that the government is too involved in the country's affairs. He comes right out in the first sentence saying that he believes that "the government is best which governs least" (Thoreau). Thoreau uses logos in his piece in an attempt to convince the reader to take his side on the matter. At the time at which it was written, "Civil Disobedience" probably effected many readers who were trying to figure out their beliefs as far as government. However, in today's society, in my opinion, his argument does not hold up.

Thoreau has this belief that people should be able to govern themselves. Now I do not know what mixed up flowery fairy tale Thoreau lives in, but govenment like that would only lead to chaos. However, in his own time period, he was most likely one of the leaders of the radicals that wanted and believed in a small central government or one that barely existed at all. They had just escaped the rule of the king and now they felt as if they should be able to govern themselves and not have a strong government like Britain had. They were worried that the government would start to become like England's and the president began to look like a king with just a different title. Thoreau tries to make others see this point in his attempts at using logic. He says, "He who gives himself entirely to his fellow men appears to them useless and selfish; but he who gives himself partially to them is pronounced a benefactor and philanthropist." (Civil Disobedience). Here he uses logos to show how foolish it would be to give yourself completely over to government saying you would simply be useless. However, if you are only partly governed by the federal government then you can actually be deemed beneficial to said government and your opinions and beliefs actually make a difference.

Thoreau is not completely crazy. He does bring up some good points as far as logos is concerned. However, he did not sway my beliefs at all. In his own time period though, I am sure many readers became subject to his persuasive attempts.

The Slave's Dream Response

Slavery has always been a topic that has been hard to get my head around. It has never made sense to me how people thought it was morally right to own other human beings as property. Slavery is something so harsh that it is impossible for me to even begin to imagine. However, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow writes his poem, "The Slave's Dream", in such a way that I can feel and see and even understand that kind of pain. Accomplishing the task of making other people feel pain through writing is a very difficult task, however, Longfellow is able to achieve this with no problem.

"The Slave's Dream" is a poem about the last few moments in the life of a particular slave. This slave is lying down on the ground "beside the ungathered rice" (line 1, Longfellow). This idea of lying beside "ungathered rice" gives an image of a slave who has fallen and dropped what he has gathered, and so it becomes ungathered. Using this word "ungathered" is a very strong word choice. The rice, if it is ungathered, is free and uncontained, as the slave would like to be. As he lays there he thinks back to his native country and the days where he was a free man. He longs to be back there with his family. His life was obviously a good one, as he describes himself as being a king, and he refers to his wife as being a queen (lines 10 and 13). Does he literally mean he was a king? No, what he means is that he was treated and lived in such a way that it was equivalent to that of a king. We also learn that he has children that are referred to as his queen's children. There are many reason's he could refer to his children as his queen's. One way it could be taken is that perhaps his children are still with their mother, but since he is not with them anymore they belong to her now. Or perhaps he just simply views them as her children because she bore and raised them and he just has the pleasure of being their father. Whatever the reason, we know he has a family that he very much cares about, and at one time he was with that family. Here is where as a reader, you start to feel sorry for this man as you imagine having a blissful life with your family in a nation far away, and then feel the pain of being separated from that to become white man's property. Although this part is saddening to the reader, it is the end of the poem that really gets to the reader. At the end of the poem the flash back ends and comes back to the slave in his current state. He is being beaten by his slave master but he is so far gone and so close to death that even the harshness of the whip can no longer be felt by him. In the last few lines of the poem the imagery is so clear it is almost breath taking. Longfellow says, "That he started in his sleep and smiled At their tempestuous glee." (lines 41 and 42). This seems like a strange thing to say. Why would the slave be smiling? Well it says he started to sleep, meaning he started letting go of his consciousness and began letting death set in, but there is still the question of why Longfellow has this slave as smiling? This man is seconds from death, yet he is smiling, even through the immense pain that must have existed at some point. Perhaps the slave knows he is about to die, and it might not be as good as returning to his home country, but he will still be free in some way. Once he die his soul will be free and eventually, he will be able to be with his family again. Longfellow goes on to say, "He did not feel the driver's whip, Nor the burning heat of day; For Death had illumined the Land of Sleep, And his lifeless body lay." (lines 43-46). These lines are very powerful; the slave is letting go and lets death wash over him as he loses his feeling. He no longer feels the whip or even the heat of the day anymore, all he knows is he is almost free. Finally the last line comes and his soul is set free as his body can no longer keep his soul confined within the contour of his body. He is free at last from the hold slavery has had on his life.

Longfellow, though not a slave himself, had a firm grasp on the life of a slave. He was able through his writing to depict what slaves dreamed of and how harsh the life of a slave was. Through his details and his moving imagery he is able to connect with the reader and help them view life outside their understanding. This poem, "The Slave's Dream", is a beautifully written yet poignant description of a slave's death that would effect any reader of any race.

Aren't I a Woman? Lit Response

Sojourner Truth is the very example of an inspirational speaker. She gives examples and clearly lays out what she wants to say with out having to waste a lot of words. Her use of examples help show her purpose to the reader, while at the same time inspiring them with each powerful word.

At first it can be difficult to determine exactly what Sojourner Truth's purpose is because you are so wrapped up in what she is saying, and because there is more than one purpose here. Her first purpose is to speak against racism and sexism at the same time. She starts out with racism talking about how white women are said to be treated and she says, repeatedly, that she has never been treated in that way. She uses repetition and continues with this line, "Aren't I a woman?" (Truth). This is a great tool when speaking to an audience because it sticks with them more if you repeat it but change the words around it. Also, with repition in this fashion, each time that phrase is repeated the author begins to build up the tension of the piece which keeps readers and listeners interested. After comparing her womanly experiences to that of a white woman she goes on to talk against all sexism. She uses this example in her speech, "Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman. Man had nothing to do with him" (Truth, pg. 424). This line is incredibly powerful. Not only does she use repetition again, but she uses Jesus as an example to help prove her point, and considering she is partially talking to a minister, this is very effective. But also this line is extremely clever and quite comical if never thought of before.

While reading her words the reader is taken by Truth's awe-inspiring words and it may seem obvious that her point is that women deserve rights and that black women deserve the same rights as white women. So here it seems she is killing two birds with one stone, but there is also another purpose. This purpose is to prove the inconsistancy of how society views women. On the one side there is the idea that women should be treated delicately and helped into carriges, it even goes so far as to say women deserve "the best place everywhere" (Truth, pg. 423). These are some fairly heavy statements that the minister has made in which she repeats, but then later the same minister said, "women can't have as much rights as a man" (Truth, pg. 424). But wait a minute, did he not just say that women deserve the best and should be helped into carriges? If that is true, if women are worth all those things, then why should they not have as many rights as a man? Here she finds the flaw in society's thinking and she points it right out. Sure she does it in a more flamboyant way with comparisons of Christ Jesus and Eve, but that is what works for her. She easily grabs the attention of her listeners and even with such a short speech she has the crowd with her, cheering and clapping right along with her.

Aren't I a Woman is one of Sojourner Truth's most famous speeches. Even though it is not very long she captures the audience's attention and makes them listen. She is the kind of speaker that makes people want to jump out of their seat and go act now. She had the power to inspire change and see the world for what it was. After listening to or reading Sojourner Truth's Aren't I a Woman speech, not a man, or a woman, or even a dog, could have questioned the fact that Sojourner Truth is very much a woman.

Sojourner Truth ?'s

1. Specifically I think Sojourner Truth was responding to the minister "the little man in black" who said women can not have as many rights as a man can. But in general I think she is speaking to all women and trying to encourage them to take a stand for their rights as well.

2. Sojourner Truth gives many examples through her speech of what makes her a woman. She is trying to make the point that she does not get treated like a woman but then later she talks about how all women are not given enough rights and how contradictory society is. Her examples do a good job of making this point that society contradicts itself and the point that she is indeed a woman and women deserve as many rights as men.

4. I would imagine that had I been there in 1851 when Sojourner Truth gave her speech, being a white girl, I would have had some initial perceptions of her that would have made me not want to hear what she had to say. However, if I stayed long enough to give her a chance I would have been greatly inspired and moved by what she said. Just sitting here reading it makes me want to clap and cheer her on and get up and do something, so I can only imagine hearing such a speech in person.

Frederick Douglas ?'s

1. Frederick Douglas had a little bit of help from his mistress in learning to read. However, he mostly taught himself by making friends with as many white boys as he could and used them as teachers to guide him in his sneaky learning. However, once he learned to read he learned of his situation and the cruel and unjust aspects of it.

2. Douglas's mistress also goes through a learning process. Only her results are not good. She goes from being a sweet kind woman who tries to teach her slave how to read to a strict and harsh slave owner.

4. I can very much relate to Douglas. One thing about me is I love to learn and soak up as much knowledge as I can. However, more recently, there have been many things I've learned, that in hindsight I wish I had not learned because learning them only made me realize how bad the world really is. It can be really depressing sometimes because I used to fully believe in the statement that "Knowledge is power" but I am beginning to think that perhaps the opposite is more true, that "Ignorance is bliss".

Gettysburg Address Questions

1. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is incredibly brief, he does not waste time beating around the bush, but rather, he is very straight forward. However, at the time of his speech, people probably expected him to say more. He hardly talked about the battle itself or about much of the actual war and such. Instead he explained the importance of the battles going on and what we were fighting about. He felt the need to address this and place emphasis on it in hopes that his words might effect people.

2. The final sentence of the speech is a long run-on sentence. However, in this case, a run-on sentence is completely appropriate. In fact, in most speeches, run-on sentences can be a nice tool to help the tension build up until an eventual climax is hit. This technique has a huge impact on the reader in many ways. One thing it does is get the reader "pumped up". It also puts more emphasis on this sentence and makes it sound more important so it catches the reader's attention.

3. The Declaration of Independence and The Gettysburg Address, though very different, have some similarities. Both pieces were written, to some degree, to inspire people, and Lincoln even refers to the Declaration, however, that is where the similarities end. It ends there because their overall purposes differ from each other. The Declaration was written in order to share with the rest of the world why America was seeking Independence from England, while Lincoln's Address was written to make Americans stop and think and realize what they were fighting for. These two pieces were written in different ways which is reflected by their difference in purposes. The Gettysburg Address was written on a train ride on the back of a napkin. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing and it was his thoughts at that moment. Therefore it probably had more passionate words behind it in comparison to the Declaration which was clearly thought through in order to not be a simple act of passion. Since the king was going to read it it was imperative that it did not come across as a simple childish act of rebellion spurred by emotion.

4. The Gettysburg is not like any speech I have heard. When I think of speeches I think of long drawn out dramatic readings. Also, most of the speeches I am used to have a lot of information and background information about the information and a ridiculous amount of unnecessary detail. Therefore, I greatly admire Lincoln's speech because it was short and to the point, however, it still had all the effect and all the importance that a longer speech by other people would have. He was very concise and specific in his word choice. More power to him for making less mean more.

Poetry Corner

I chose to add a verse to Swing Low Sweet Chariot...

Don't leave me here I'm comin' too
Comin' for to carry me home
Just lead the way and I'll follow you
Comin' for to carry me home

I think it keeps the meaning of the song the same, but I its effect is changed a bit because it does not quite have the same flow as the original song.

Comparing the Writing of Two Slave Authors

It may seem surprising that there were African-Americans that became authors while slavery was alive and thriving in our country. There were many things that stood in the way for blacks wanting to write in such a time period, one obstacle being the fact that it was unlawful to teach them to read or write, both of which are necessary to become an author. It also was most likely a very difficult journey in pursuing the publishing of a book written by such a people. However, above all the barriers that tried to keep them from their success, Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass were able to become wonderful writers despite their unfavorable situations. Not only that, but they were able to use their experiences as plot for their stories. But what was the purpose of writing their stories? Did they really expect whites of that time period to listen to them? If not, who were they writing to (if you consider the fact that most other slaves could not read)? These may not be questions that we have firm answers to, but what we do know is that their stories were heard, which is always the goal of any author. But what similarities do these two slaves share in their writing style?

One similarity between the two pieces is the way ethos is established. Credibility is a hugely important ingredient in this recipe they were creating. With out a way to establish ethos, no one would have given their writings the time of day. However, both writers established ethos by having white men and women write the preface or introduction to their stories. Without these written openings of the stories, these slaves would have been restricted from publishing their works. Although, whether necessary or not, the idea of having someone else write the preface of their books was a brilliant step in opening up the acceptance of white readers. When Caucasian readers saw that the preface was written by someone else, a white person in fact, it probably made them stop and think. They surely realized that if this Caucasian person thought this story was worth the time then maybe I should give it half a chance as well.

Another similarity that both pieces posses is their purpose. The purpose is also related to who the audience is, though. The audience obviously is not slaves because most slaves, as it was made clear, are unable to read or write. So who exactly are Jacobs and Douglas talking to? In these stories, at this time period in history, Jacobs and Douglas were most likely writing to white people. If that is indeed their audience intention, then their purpose is quite simple, they just wanted to be heard. They wanted people to listen and to stop and think about their actions, and if possible, they wanted to inspire change. After all, in general that's all most writers want, they want to inspire change- make a difference. Their purpose also ties back in with the way the used ethos in their writings. They knew their audience, and how difficult it would be to get through to them, and they also knew what message they wanted to relay. Knowing all these things, it was clear to them that the only way to get people to listen would be to have white people vouch for them, and that is exactly what they did. It is not known for sure if these writings inspired the change they had hoped for, but even today in the 21st century people are still referring to their literary works, and whether that was their intention or not, they were quite successful in this venture.

Scarlet Letter Review ?s

1.) In The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne outlines the sins and their outcomes of three different characters. The first of these is Hester. Her sin is commiting adultery, which means she slept with a man who is not her husband, while being married to another man. As a consequence to this sin, Hester has to withstand public humiliation and then she is labeled by a scarlet letter A that she must wear for the remainder of her life. In addition to the letter and the humiliation, she is graced with a constant reminder of her sin through her daughter who was the result of her sinful acts. The sin itself and its consequences change Hester's character completely.

The second character whose sin is shown to us is that of Reverend Dimmesdale. His sin is the same of Hester's with the addition of keeping his a secret instead of coming clean about it. Dimmesdale's consequences are different from Hester's consequences. The only people that know what he did are Hester, God, and himself. The guilt caused by the whole situation sends Dimmesdale's character into turmoil and causes his character to change. Finally it all becomes to unbearable and he reveals his mistake and it eventually leads to his death.

Finally we take a look at Chillingworth, whose sin was totally different from either Hester or Dimmesdale. Chillingworth's sin was his revenge seeking attitude, which Dimmesdale labeled as worse than both his or Hester's sin. Chillingworth was so obsessed with getting revenge on Dimmesdale that it became his only purpose in life and when Dimmesdale died he no longer had a purpose and so he dies not long after Dimmesdale. Two of these three cases of sin led to death.

Desiree's baby link

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/DesiBaby.shtml

Scarlett Letter ?'s

1.) Different authors choose to start their books in different ways. Nathaniel Hawthorne chooses a length introduction to begin his story. There are many reasons he could have done this. One reason Hawthorne includes the Custom House inroduction is to show the reader his style of writing before he simply jumps into his story. How many times have you started reading a story and not understood what the author was talking about? By including this introduction Hawthorne attempts to eliminate some of the confusion for the reader.

Considering what this book is about, the ideas and conflicts in this book are things people most likely tried to avoid talking about at the time this book was published. Therefore, Hawthorne kind of uses the introduction to warn people that this book is a little different. Also, it seems like he tries to ease the reader into the book. He wants the book to be easily accepted by those who read it. Really this is the goal of any author. Adding an introduction to the beginning of this book was a good move on Hawthorne's part.


2.) Sometimes in hollywood movies that are based on a true story, they change how things happened for dramatic effect. Nathaniel Hawthorne does the same thing in his book. He says in the introduction that he changed some things in the story. Why do this? Again, it adds dramatic effect. Also, he may want to depict a theme that was better shown with his changes than would be shown if his story was strictly historical.

For another thing, if the story was simply about regular life in the colonies, would you read it? By embellishing his story a little bit he makes his story more interesting to read. He also makes his story controversial because of some of the things that happen. By adding all these new things he creates a fictional piece of work with some, but not all, historical background. In this way, he creates a story that was both enjoyable to read back then, and still interesting in current times.


3.) Hawthorne's embellishment has a lot of potential change on the story. One thing his changes probably did was create drama when the book came out. Already having an outrageous plot for the time period, changing and adding things to the story made it more scandalous. However, the changes were necessary to create a more exciting story. Hawthorne's story must have been one of the first pieces of fiction in the colonies. Therefore he got the satisfaction of changing literature forever.

By coming away from truth and adding changes, he gives himself more room for creativity. By doing this he does not have to stick with a story that has already been determined. Instead he is given the freedom to come up with whatever plot suits him. This must have been exciting for Hawthorne and overall the fact that he did not have a template to follow definitely benefited him.

Anne Bradstreet reading response

When reading a poem, it can sometimes be difficult to understand what an author is trying to say. Poems, unlike novels or essays, can be quite short at times, giving the reader less text in which to find the underlying meaning. However, in some cases, with poems like that of Anne Bradstreet, it is true that less is more. Bradstreet uses less words to create a more powerful and deeper message than some writers do with an entire novel. Her incredible use of diction and syntax leap off the page and leave the reader wanting more. Bradstreet is truly a gifted poet and because of the way she writes she is able to connect with her reader in amazing ways. Even now so many centuries later, readers are able to connect with her and understand where she is coming from.
Syntax can be a very powerful writing tool when used in the right hands. Bradstreet effectively uses this tool, and even uses it in a unique way. Most writers like to ease into their writing. Not necessarily meaning the start off slow, but they usually do not introduce their point until later in a piece. However, Bradstreet is unique in that she starts off right away with her point. There is no beating around the bush, there is no leading up to a great climax, it just simply starts with her feelings. Right away she says "If ever two were one, then surely we." (Bradstreet, line 1). She starts out with such a powerful line, and it is the first line of her poem! Right away the reader knows this is her true feelings. Some might argue it is not a powerful first line, but if you think about what she is saying, you can see the power this line truly has. She is talking about the unity between her and her husband, and not only that, but she is also saying that they have a deeper connection than any other couple. In other words, she is saying that her and her husband were made for eachother; they are a perfect match. How beautiful is that? Not only is it a truley intense beginning but it sets up the rest of the poem. Her choice of arranging that sentence to be the first sentence worked out really well for this poem. But there is more to this poem than just a strong first line.
Another literary tool that Bradstreet uses to her advantage is diction. Most writers when writing about love might never actually come out and say the word "love", however, Bradstreet does not appear to be like most writers. She comes right out and says the word "love", in fact, she uses it repeatedly throughout the piece. It is an interesting word choice because by coming out and just saying the word, it leaves room for metaphors that are more easily understood. Her use of metaphors in and of themselves could be argued as a use of diction. When love is used as a theme of a poem, it is often followed by cliche, and sometimes corny, metaphors. This is not the case with Bradstreet. She says "My love is such that rivers cannot quench" (Bradstreet, line 8). She shows how great her love is here and she does it eloquently. She does not simply say, 'even a river could not quench my thirst', for example, but she says it in a way that is not so plain. The way she wrote this metaphor shows more intensely how great her love is and how nothing could change the way she feels. The last place that diction really sticks out in her poem is the last sentence. She says "That when we live no more, we may live ever" (Bradstreet, line 12). This line is a perfect ending for her poem. In this line, she is basically saying that the love she and her husband share is so passionate that even when they die their love for eachother will go on. Expressively written, the reader can feel the true love behind the words she writes. Her words touch the reader and it opens up a new world to them.
To say that poetry was Anne Bradstreet's "thing" would be a horrible understatement. The way her words flow off the page makes reading her poems quite enjoyable. She has an amazing way of connecting with her readers that is difficult to explain. They say a great writer leaves their readers wanting more, and that is just what Bradstreet does. She was indeed a poet way ahead of her time.

Anne Bradstreet Biography

Anne Bradstreet is a writer who was born in 17th century England. She married at the young age of 16. Her husband was 25 and the son of a minister. She came to America in 1630, but was unprepared for the long trip. Her and her family had a difficult travel and their hard times continued when they arrived in America. Anne struggled with her health for most of her life. Even with her health struggles, she raised eight children and kept a positive out look on life. Anne and her family went through struggles including a fire that burnt their house, but Anne and her husband were able to keep their family together. She began writing and became friends with other women who spoke out in that time (Anne Hutchinson). She originally did not want to publish her works, however her brother-in-law decided to take that choice from her. He sold a book of her writings in England. While the book did well, most of her work was published after her death. She died at the age of 60 after years of struggling with health problems.

http://www.annebradstreet.com/anne_bradstreet_bio_001.htm

Cabeza de Vaca visual

In the beginning of the letter written by Cabeza de Vaca, I felt he was belittling himself to make the Catholic Majesty feel more important. He referred to his opinions as trivial and unimportant. By doing this he humbles himself before his majesty and in a way he kind of comes across as a brown-noser, or a suck up. In his majesty's case, it most likely made reading his letters easier because Cabeza de Vaca showed him that he knew his place.

I chose two cartoons because they both together show how Cabeza de Vaca comes across in the early paragraphs of his letter. In the first one, the man wants a big loan and before he even attempts to explain his case he is kissing up (quite literally) to the man who can approve or deny his loan. This is just like Cabeza de Vaca, he knew that to even be given the chance to state his case he would have to kiss up to his majesty. Finally, the second one I chose because the suspicious look on the boss's face caught my attention and makes me wonder about the reaction of the Catholic Majesty. Also, the huge grin on the man was funny and is how I picture Cabeza de Vaca.

Columbus Picture

I found this cartoon on the internet and it really sums up what I think about Columbus. When we were little our history classes always taught that Columbus discovered America and that is why we celebrate a whole day for him. However, then we get older and we are taught the truth. We find out that Columbus did not infact discover America and he really had no idea what he was doing. Columbus should not get credit for his "discovery" because he did not even know where he was. He thought he was in the west Indies, which is why Indians are known as Indians.

Just because he thought he was somewhere else does not make him a bad guy. However, there are other reasons his efforts do not deserve credit. He was not even the first person here. Vikings were here and had discovered land long before Columbus had even been born. Plus, people were here already when he landed, and you can not discover something when people already know about it. So I picked this illustration because it was funny and very simply and cleverly depicts the fact that Columbus deserves no credit for what he did because it had already been done. He really did copy off of those who went before him.

Columbus Reading Response

What usually happens when someone makes a mistake? They usually feel embarasses, learn from their mistakes, and move on, right? This was not the case, howeve, for Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus made the most celebrated mistake in history. His mistake made him famous, while our mistakes simply get us laughed at. Columbus has been written about and studied countless times, however, every person has a different take on him and his adventures. In this particular article, the author seems to believe Columbus’s achievement was not so impressive. But how does he show that? He shows what he thinks of Columbus through the use of diction and syntax.
One way authors show their feelings towards ther subject is by using syntax. The way an author presents information tells the reader what the author thinks about what they are writing. This author only uses bad things or things that set Columbus back in his journey to explain him. By this negativity it is clear to the reader how the author feels. The author thinks Columbus is a joke and his achievements, if they even are achievements, should not be acknowledged. For example, the author points out when Columbus was put under arrest and his troubles at that time. The author very specifically picks this information to share in order to show how Columbus could get himself into a mess a trouble like the best of us. But there are other techniques the author uses to show his point.
Another way the author shows his feelings towards Columbus is through his use of diction. There are certain words the author uses to belittle Columbus. Certain groupings of words around explanations of things he did help show that the author thinks of him as an unresponsible person. He says things like “in rebellion against his authority”, “at the expense of” , and “this discovery fell into such a disorder” (Christopher Columbus 1452-1506). The reader can clearly see that the author thinks Columbus an incapable leader and has no right leading a group of people. It is also clear that the reader not only thinks the “discovery” is not accurate, but also that it caused catastrophe and perhaps things would have been better had Columbus just stayed in Europe. This is how the author shows the reader how they feel.
The athor of this article clearly does not appreciate Columbus’s efforts. He thinks Columbus was not a fit leader and just caused bad things to happen. This person obviously is one of those people who does not celebrate Columbus day. However, this is only one author’s opinion. There are, of course, many others out there who think Columbus was a guy to be respected. His mistake will probably still be celebrated many years from now. I guess we can learn something from Columbus. We should take pride in our mistakes because they may turn out to still be talked about centuries later.

English Simile

A palm tree is like a couched kitten.