Victoria’s Comments (group member since Jan 19, 2015)

Victoria’s comments from the Morales 2341 Spring 2015 Class MW group.

There are some people who simply think they are better than everyone else when they have made a good living. Some, like Dee, have risen out of poverty to get there and others are just born with a silver spoon in their mouth. No matter what though, you will get those certain people who will just look down on everyone else. In this story "Everyday Use" By Alice Walker Dee has always presented herself high and mighty throughout her life. Her mother sees it when she starts creating a style for herself. Later when Dee comes back home after a while to visit her mom and sister Maggie. She shows up with a man by her side, a different name, and beautiful wardrobe. The way her mother describes her you would have never thought they she came from poverty. At time in this shorty story Dee does seem unlikable just for that fact that she walks around with her head up high thinking she is better than everyone else. Personally I like the fact that she acts like that, she is proud of her accomplishments and she is showing that. Though it isn't necessary to act like that around her family. In the end I believe Dee makes a valid point to her mother but is also contracting herself because she isn't in touch with her background either "It's really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you'd ever know it." At that point it is becoming better for African Americans and Dee is embracing that while her mother and sister are still at home doing the same things. And I believe she wants those quilts because deep down I think Dee knows she is losing touch with her heritage and taking those quilts wouldn't make her feel as guilty.

Both old woman in the short stories are extremely judgmental and think highly of themselves. They are strong woman but see objects and appearance to define someone. In their eyes the people who don't dress nice and act a certain way are beneath them. Mrs. Turpin believes that those people are not going to Heaven because of those reasons. It is not until the end of the story that both woman realize how close minded and unthoughtful they are. What I have realized about O'connor is how she displays religion a main part in these two stories, how strong willed these woman seem to be, and how the time during when there was still slavery. I believe she is showing us inside stories of how the old south use to be.

Maritza wrote: "The author, sends an important message, society shouldn’t treat someone based on their appearance."

I agree Amber, unfortunately society has always treated people based on their appearance and that is not right. Akaky went from nothing to everything just because of a new overcoat, a simple piece of fabric. In the end getting a new coat bascially backfired and caused him his life.

In the short story "The Overcoat" a man is not socially accepted until he gets a new coat made. He is a man who is poor and is so invested in his job that he loves so much. The coat that he wears daily is an ugly old coat that clearly can't be fixed and while wearing that coat he is invisible to everyone around him. It wasn't until that he saved up his money to get a new coat made that was so amazing that everyone threw a party for him. The fact that Akaky didn't become socially accepted until his new fancy coat says a lot how people are shallow and care so much how one person looks like. "No respect was shown him in the department. The janitor not only did not rise from his seat when he passed, but never even glanced at him, as if only a fly had flown through the reception-room." I believe what Gogol is trying to say is that the way a person presents themselves says a lot about where they stand in society. If your well dressed then people will assume that you are wealthy. If someone sees another person in rugged torn clothes they assume that they are poor and simply not worth waisting time on. Basically to get to the top of the food chain you have to dress nice and fancy. If not then you are nothing and frankly that is just sad that society really is like that. Akaky was happy before his fancy coat and it wasn't until he got all the attention that caused him to get mugged then left without a coat, got a cold and died.

Maritza wrote: "...addresses a man’s capacity to accept the changes within himself and society."

I agree with Maritza that Willy was having a difficult time accpeting change throughout his life. I belive that is why he kept reliving memories that he felt safe and happy with.

I do believe that Willy died a modern tragic hero. Because a modern tragic hero doesn't have to come from noble stature but can be just an ordinary person. For example Hercules is one who you can say is destined to be a hero, and spiderman is someone who became a hero by mistakenly getting bit. So yes Willy is many ways in a hero. He is just a normal man trying to make a living for him and his family throughout his life. Although throughout the play you find him unstable and unhappy; constantly nagging on his son Biff secretly afraid that he will end up just like him. As you can see in the play Willy isn't proud of his job therefor he keeps going back in past times thinking about the days he did feel like he succeeded. Willy wanted the American Dream so badly and because he couldn't make that life for himself, he decides to take his own life in exchange for his insurance money to go to his son Biff. Now that is what makes him a modern tragic hero trying to make a better life for his son. Heroes don't all have to be how they come out in the movies. In so many ways there are some things a person can do to make them a hero in the eyes of the people they love, and in my opinion that is exactly what Willy accomplished.

In Death of A Salesman, Willy the main character is a salesman who is at the moment traveling everywhere from New England to Florida. He states that he's making good money but isn't doing so well traveling all the time to the point that he is now becoming a danger on the road because he forgets that he is driving. Willy is hard on one if his sons Biff because he feels that he's not making a life for himself and that he basically needs to grow up," How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farm-hand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it’s good for him to tramp around, take a lot of dif- ferent jobs. But it’s more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week!" He criticizes the fact that after so many years Biff still hasn't made a stable job for himself, but it seems to me that Willy is being a hypocrite. Because Willy is so hard on biff about his career yet his own career isn't going so well and eventually he gets fired. Willy is so caput up in the "American Dream" fails at doing so. I believe this to be more of capitalist system because throughout the play its fixated on everyone wanting to start their own business and succeed in life though Willy believes that good social skills is what gets you further in life but that clearly isn't true, and his two sons are thinking of getting their own farm together later in the future. Over all Willy is just a troubled man who really just wants the best for his sons just has a hard time showing it.

In "The Chrysanthemums" I would say that Elisa feels just as trapped as Claxita felt in "The storm." Although their situations are totally different. In the storm Claxita actually has an affair with a man while her son and husband our kept away because of a storm. As for Elisa, she just has an attraction towards another man who isnt her husband but never actually acts on it excpet for flirting you can say. Claxita is stuck in a marriage with a man who she does not love and is mainly concerened with her son. For Elisa I wouldnt say that she isnt in love with her husband but more of him not giving her the sane reaction as to the other man did. Her life was mainly about gardening and was mainly at home most of the time. A man she doesnt know comes along and she feels an attraction towards him but holds her temptation. But after feeling the way she did with this other man inspired her to dress up nicer and her husband takes an intererst into that, "Why-Why Elisa you look so nice!." Both stories symbolize how the woman feel trapped just one acts on her feelings the other one doesnt neccessarily.

I can understand the controversial issues in this story of its “lack of moral closure.” During the time and even now for a woman to cheat on her husband is considered horrible compared to how it would be the other way around and a man were to cheat on his wife. But the lack of morality in this story I think is the fact that she can honestly go on in life like her cheating never happened and not feeling one bit sad that she cheated on her family. The fact that during a storm while worrying about her husband and son she has an affair with an old fling and while his family is out of town. Although you may say the reason why in the end its says that everyone is happy because like they say "What they don't know doesn't hurt them" so basically because no one knows therefore no one is hurt. In general cheating is frowned upon but thing is a woman cheating looks worse for her than a man cheating because thats just how society is and has always been and frankly it is just not right.

In "Wild Nights Wild Nights" I believe the peom is saying that shes longing to be someone she normally isnt. For instance in the begginning she says "WIld Nights - Wild Nights were I with thee Wild Nights should be our luxury." I believe she is saying how "luxurious" it would be if her and the person she desires became one and that no one and nothing can stop her from feeling the way she does or from desiring what she wants the most. Then as she find what she is looking for she wonders if she should "moor" herslef to the sea. Which is bascially a boat anchoring itself in one spot. Wondering if she should give herself up.

Maritza wrote: "I think Sammy quitting was principally a statement that he didn’t want to live a middle life anymore."

I didn't think f this at the time but now that you have mentioned it I can see how you think he is making that statement. Him quitting is a sign that he can do better things in life and its just his first step on the road to his accomplishments.

Amber wrote: "I consider Sammy quitting as a statement of some sort"

I agree with Martiza, Sammy is definitely making a statement. Standing up for the girls saying that it isn't right for the manager to talk down to the girls the way he did is Sammy making a stand for what he believes in.

In sammy's eyes it is a form of rebellion. The way the manager attacked the girls before they were out the door upset him, and besides the fact that he was attracted to them, he felt the need to stand up for them. To go along with his rebellion he quit and I thought that wasn't necessary. Standing up for the girls is enough but I guess he really had the need to make a statement that it wasn't right for the manager to judge them. But we also have to think of the time it was. It wasn't appropriate for girls to be half naked in a store so the man was also making a stand to his beliefs. In the kids minds the manager is the enemy and in the managers mind its the kids. It all really matters what you believe and how you see it in their eyes.

Amber wrote: "Esperanza was ashamed of her life but this gave her motivation to do something better with her future."

I don't necessarily think that Esperanza is ashamed of her life but I do agree that in the end she gets the motivation to get the house she wants for herself in the future. After having hope that they are finally going to get the dream house that their parents always talked about and being disappointed that it was much like their recent appartments. That did give her the big push to get something better for herself later.

Maritza Wrote: "The girl is in between two aspects of her life, from a girl to a young woman."

The speaker in this story is in transition from being a little girl and becoming a woman. Quincenera's are for 15 years old finding their woman hood so I agree with you. Although this is happy day for most young woman she seems a bit sad that she is going through this time in her life. Like as if she's not ready.

The speaker in Quincenera is discussing her day that in Latina Culture 15 year old woman celebrate there coming of age. She seems unhappy that this day has came for her, it almost seems like she doesn't want to grow up, Here she says "My dolls have been put away like dead children in a chest I will carry with me when I marry" seems like she just not ready for it. For most young Latina girls they are excited by this day and see it as a celebration as for this story it seems opposite. She doesn't describe anything happy going on just events that are leading up to it. Like her mother pulling back her hair so tight and pinning it back. And she dreads that for now on she is going to have to do stuff on her own like wash her own clothes. In most latina families the woman are to marry, have children and basically be a house wife so I guess they practice their independence at the age of 15. Although the speaker isn't happy she knows that growing up is inevitable "At night I hear myself growing and wake.." and there isn't anything for her to do it about.

Well to start off the difference between the two stories is that in Porphyria's Lover it was not planned as to The Cask Of Amontillado is clearly was. I want to say the the comparison is that both killed for revenge because in Porphyrias's Lover he finds himself murdering her because he's so hurt and so angry that she was cheating on him and Montessor killed for constantly being insulted by Fortunato. Montessor even says in the beginning of the story "I vowed revenge" therefore he made it his mission. That is another difference between the stories because Porphria's lover he didn't plan out his vicious murder.

Amber wrote: "I believe death is escorting the speaker to paradise and on the way her life is reminiscing back to her."

I agree that death isn't the deceiver in this poem. He shows up in a fancy carriage and is dressed up and basically gracefully escorting her to her death. She is telling us that she is okay with her dying the fact that she is already speaking from the grave. So she is giving us an insight that it doesn't have to be scary.

I can see why some people believe that death is the deceiver. But you have to realize is death is part of life and theres no cheating it. So my point is that death doesn't have to be presumed as "bad". I don't believe death to be the deceiver here but yes kindly escorting her to her ending. Because no matter what her life is coming to an end death is just gracefully taking her there. "Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly stopped for me- The Carriage held but just ourselves- And immortality." This quote is was makes me believe that he is kind showing her on her way to her death because he shows up basically fancy and nice. Along the way she is descriptive of what she sees and how sweet it is. Basically death is giving her a beautiful ride to her end and he didn't have to do that. If he were a deceiver I'm sure things would have gone a different way. In the end she says "I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity" so you can take that she is talking in past tense, that she feels like it was just yesterday that it happened and that death wasn't so bad after all.

I agree that Ivan's life was a lie. He in the beginning he follows in his fathers footsteps in his job career and is later helped by getting a position because of his own father. He chose that career because I feel like it was convenient and easy for him. Then he moves and meets a lady and decided to marry her but not because he loves her at all but because he seemed it fit to do so. He later begins a family with this woman and basically is hating his life with all her nagging and decided to dig his head into work and his friends along with his social life. I feel like his social life is whats more important to him. Basically his life was planned out not because he wanted or loved it so but because he was following his fathers footsteps and seemed things to be appropiate at the time. And then to top it off all the friends he thought he had were basically not really saddened by his death but thought what can come from his death. “At least it was him and not I,” is what one of the men say and I believe as sad it is that people still think that. After all life goes on and thats what we can learn from this story, also to do what we love with who we love.