Favorite Piece

My favorite piece we read this whole semester was "Where are you going, where have you been?". I found this the most interesting because it had a message that was still true today. Girls are still caught up on image and being older. Its an issue that will always be relevant. I am glad I was able to read and analyze this with my discussion group. I learned so much from reading that piece.

Final Week

As We enter the final week of our literature course, (which lets me honest, as a nursing major I was not looking forward too), I have found a new interest in reading and looking more into what I read. I have learned how to analze and look at the bigger picture. I have also learned more literary terms than I knew before. It has been great, and I now have a better understanding of literature.

Reading Plays

This week we were asked to read plays. Although I have recently found an interest in reading for pleasure, I was unsure how this would go, reading what is meant for more than one person alone. I ventured into this thinking it would be horrible, but to my surprise it was just like reading a story. The plot and characters fall into place as they would in a short story or novel.

Lit Circle Week

This week we had lit circles. I chose three poems which were all about athletes. The firt was "An athlete dying young". I felt that this poem was a great way to look at the life of any person who dies young before their glory ends. Life can be rejoyced even though  a life is lost before they have lived their life.
The next peom was "Ex basketball player". This is the opposite of the previous poem. In this poem we can picture a person who has lived a great life and had their fame but have been forgoten. Comparing each of these poems, we can see the life that can be lived either after living a while or dying before they have had a chance to live. Each shares a message of hope.

Poetry

This week we started poetry. I have to say that its not my favorite thing to read. I was really starting to enjoy the short stories. Poetry to me is not a story, but thoughts that can make a point. I soon found this week that that was not the case. In "My Papas Waltz" we can see the brutal life this boy lived through a few short lines. He explains the pain and agony he had to endure each day his dad came home drunk. I now have a better understanding of how to interpret poetry.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

I am not a big reader, especially a book such as this. It took me many attempts to get past the first few pages. This reading to me was too dry for my taste, but on my night shift I began to make my way through the book. As I read it, i was shocked at the way these prisions had to live. They were forced to strip and be searced for the most miniscule objects. If they were found to have bread, they were punshed. I could not believe this was a way of life back then. As I continued reading, I began to realize that Shukhuv was a very intelligant man. He had ways around things at camp and was willing to help out others. We also learned of some religious belief in this book. Overall, this was a dry book to read, but, I learned a lot.

Where are you going?

This week I read a short story called "Where are you going, where have you been?" I chose this one because it had a sense of suspense. I don't enjoy reading all to much, but when I do read, I like suspense because it pushes me to keep going. This story was about a young girl who wants to be more grown up. When she is out, she dresses more grown up, drawing attention from older men.
As we continue this story, a man pops into play at the restaurant. He is older, just as she wanted to draw in. She acts casual and goes with him for a short time. The story begins from this. Connie stays home alone one Sunday to find a car pulling into her driveway. She goes to the door and a man tries to lure her out with him and his friend. Although she enjoys the attention, she soon understands that something is wrong. This man had seen her and wanted her. She becomes aware of his true meaning of being there are tries to fight back, but can't and she has to surrender to this dark, ominous man who had seen her acting in a mature way.
I enjoyed this book because of the meaning behind the text. We are seeing messages of sexuality, curiosity and trickery. Connie is acting too grown up for her age, which is drawing the wrong attention. Many teen girls to act this way. They want to break free from their childhood so early that is can cause men to get the wrong Idea.  I also enjoyed reading how Arnold tried to lure Connie in. He was a smooth talker, which most men like this would portray. The feelings that I was able to feel from this selection were amazing. I almost felt as though I was there with Connie, felling my heart beating and the feelings of being unsure. Often times, living in rural Minnesota on a farm, we have people stop in the yard. Although this is an older story, I feel as though I need to be more careful as to whom I open  my house doors to. In our society, you never know what types of people could be knocking on your door.