Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Blog#7
This class for me was very interesting and challenging. I feel that the instruction with regard to analysis vs summary were particularly informative. I know that I will utilize these skills in future writings, and have found myself even exercising them on a daily basis when any text crosses my line of sight. I was also very surprised and exhilarated by the selections you chose for our required reading. O'Brien, and Huze's works are not for the faint of heart, and I really enjoyed reading assignments that had some "endowment" to them :) . Everything from the poems of the falling people, to the rib-cracking kicks of the marine were not the status quo hum drum readings one would expect from a college course. As to me meeting the conditions of the learning outcomes for the class mentioned in the syllabus, I can only hope I did as well as I feel I did. I felt that I did learn new tactics and avenues of thought and scrutiny. This course has influenced my writing in the sense that it has become more organized and methodical. I can stick to a thesis now, without spinning around mindlessly for paragraphs attempting to substantiate my claim, or at least feel like I've done my best at flogging the concept into the mind of the reader. I feel that the largest challenge to me in this class was essay number three. I found it difficult to muster up enough information that I could apply to my analysis of O'Brien's purpose. The Vietnam war is one convoluted issue even to this day, and while trying to bolster up my paper when the cloud of witnesses regarding the topic was so huge, i had difficulty formulating a cohesive opinion in such muddy waters.
Overall I have really enjoyed this class and am grateful for the principles it has instilled in me to help me analyze and write better. Thank you very much.
Teresa Altamirano
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Blog#5
"On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of this foxhole and burned Martha's letters. Then he burned the two photographs. There was a steady rain falling, which made it difficult , but he used heat tabs and Sterno to build a small fire, screening it with his body holding the photographs over the tight blue flame with the tips of his fingers.
He realized it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental, too, but mostly just stupid.
Lavender was dead. You couldn't burn the blame." (O'Brien. THe Things They Carried. pg.22)
I found this passage to be particularly striking due to its "matter of fact" nature. The Lieutenant has awoken to several life issues. Is he a fit leader? Was it actually his fault for the demise of his comrade? What in the heck is Martha up to? Where did I put my safety blanket (the white stone she gave him.) Is the enemy approaching? These are the thoughts that race the the mind of Lieutenant Cross. He is spiritually burdened with things far beyond his control, and has lost vigilance due to it. He is in jeopardy and needs the deliverance that only those who would share these burdens can provide, be they emotional or physical in nature. whether it be danger of death, or wrong decision, a burden to get rid of this damned apparition. She I think is a metaphore for many things that glimmer and tantalize the soul, perhaps for temporary rapture from a hellish world but its there... and it eases the burden of being a living being, striving for survival. The things he carries he realizes outweigh his own concerns with his own emotional burdens. They must rally, they must "hump" their way together, and in the process try to keep as much of their souls intact as possible.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mareen/151795866/
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