Readings 3/25

All of the writers in this section wrote about real life situations. Anderson's story dealt with a father being disappointed in his son. Tom Willard ,the father, has a short fuse he thinks he will be big stuff one day. Elizabeth Willard has the role of the defensive mother trying to protect her son. "I will act. There is something threatening my boy and I will ward it off" shows how Elizabeth wanted her son to be safe and she was like a mother bird ready to swoop in and protect. Anderson creates a typical situation that happens among father and son in families. It also portrays a son gaining responsibility. Each character in the story has their own struggle to deal with.
Porter also writes with real life in mind. Flowering Judas deals with politics, lust, and betrayal. Flowering Judas was enjoying to read it had interesting ideas embedded throughout the story. Laura during the story says "it is monstrous to confuse love with revolution, night with day, life with death" she is comparing complete opposites which creates strong imagery. Laura's life begins to become consumed with war. She has a dream where Eugenio tries to feed her flowers and when she eats them he calls her a murderer and cannibal. Laura is deeply effected by the war.
I enjoyed reading Hurston's writings. She was able to write about the problems blacks faced without shoving it in the reader's face. She had a positive attitude and did not feel as if her race needed to be uplifted by her writing. The way Hurston writes allows the reader to feel like they are in the moment with her. Hurston writes " Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me. Slavery is sixty years in the past." She is able to reject others' opinions and keep pride in herself even though people try to keep her down. At one point Hurston says " At certain times I have no race, I am me" She is able to keep her head above and try to create a race free world. Hurston takes a kind of sarcastic approach when she says " Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonished me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me" That is my favorite quote from Hurton's stories. In The Gilded Six-Bits Hurston uses a certain dialect to impose the story on the reader. It makes the story more realistic. Once again this story deals with everyday life.
Hemingway writes about the darker side of human nature. He takes negative situations in real life and puts them in writing. Hemingway's writing had an negative image of women in it. The story ends abruptly with Helen and the hyena outside the tent.
Fitzgerald's writings deal with real life. It is easy for the reader to get through the story and relate to characters. Winter Dreams includes love like most of the stories.
Faulkner like the other writers in this section creates a story that a certain group of people can relate to in some way.
Wright's story contain certain dialect like Hurston. It also deals with problems blacks faced in the past. It is a down home kind of story about issues. The story contains a lot of local color. Dave gets caught up in some bad business. Dave is able to run away to some where he feels he will have a better chance.
In all of the readings there is some kind of conflict but they are all realistic to a certain group of people. Certain stories included a certain local flavor with dialect and actions happening in the stories. I enjoyed all of the readings but, Hurstons were most enjoyable.