Death of a Salesman

After reading "Death of a Saleman" I've realized how money affects people's personalities and the decisions that they make. Money can make or break a person. When you become obsessed with money it starts to control your life and drive you to make decisions you normally wouldn't even consider. Willy Loman let money drive him into the ground.


Willy worked his whole life to achieve his idea of success. He wanted to be known by the people he worked for and one day be able to work in his robe and slippers. Loman was so upset that he hadn't reached his goal that he started attempting to take his own life. Loman just gave up on the dream and his family had to pay the price. His whole life he acted as though once he was older he would be well known and that his sons would be very successful. When Biff comes home and doesn't have the kind of life that Willy planned, it starts to bother Willy. Another thing that contributes to the Biffs choice of lifestyle was when he found out about Willy's affair. After this event Biff resented his father and began to steal his way out of every oppurtinity for a life as a salesman. You can see tell Willy knows that he is the reason that Biff isn't successful but he doesn't want to admit it to himself.


Part of Willy's problem was he always thought that his life would just work out. If you don't go out and be the best at what you do, then no one will consider you the best. If Willy just realized that no one owed him anything just for being alive then his story would have had a happy ending. Willy's ego got in the way of his success and led to his downfall. He put up this facade and managed to fool his friends and family. The truth comes out at Willy's funeral. Willy always said there would be tons of people when he was laid to rest, but there was no one.


Overall, many amercians have this vision of being rich and famous but not everyone can get there. Sometimes, along the way people lose themselves and their minds.

Blogger

During these seven weeks, I've felt like I've been in a college class. The idea of blogger has definitely made me eager to do homework. Since most of our assignments are being posted to the internet it's easy to get it done and look back at past assignments. I am definitely a fan of blogger. I like the fact that we can do participation by responding to each others work by posting a comment. This has helped me a lot considering I don't like to verbally comment on people's work. I used to watch my cousin do her college classes on University of Phoenix's Axia and thought, "how cool would it be to do school online?" With blogger I've been able to have that experience. Also with blogger its 99% excuse free. No one can say they didn't know what the assignment was because they didn't write it down, forgot, or didn't hear what it was. Most of the English classes I've had consisted of bookwork, definitions, and tons of reading. With this class, we've been allowed to have a voice and with that voice we put our opinions out there. We get to just talk about what we do in class. Until this year, 11-1 had no idea what we talked about in our class. With blogger they have front row seats to our discussions. I like blogger, it's like myspace for school.

The Great Gatsby

I really loved reading the Great Gatsby. As odd and twisted as some of it was, there was a touching love story that definitely stood out for me. Gatsby's determination to get Daisy back completely melted my heart.


Gatsby molded the person he became according to the person he thought Daisy wanted him to be. He tried every way possible to get Daisy back into his life. Finally it came down to one, Nick. Gatsby threw huge parties all the time just hoping to catch a glimpse of Daisy wandering around, but he never did. He skimmed the paper everyday hoping to wander across her name, but never did. Finally, Daisy's cousin Nick pops into the picture. At last, a glimmer of hope.
At Gatsby's request, Nick invites both Gatsby and Daisy over for tea. Not knowing that Gatsby is attending Daisy comes into the house and out of the rain. What she is presented with is completely unexpected.


This is my favorite part of the book. Probably because I'm a hopeless romantic. I live for a dramatic reunion. After this I was hooked, when I think about the emotions and thoughts going through their heads I cringe.

Chapter 3 Journal

In Chapter 3, Nick describes the life of his partying neighbor, Gatsby. The house is equipped with bars, buffets, maids, butlers, and more. Gatsby orders musicians that play throughout the night at his wild parties. Nick is invited to Gatsby’s party one night and actually decides to attend. I found this a little odd considering Nick doesn’t seem like the “partying” type. Nick wouldn’t be one of the people you’d expect to run into there. At the party, Nick spots his cousin Daisy’s good friend Jordan Baker and stays with her for the rest of the night. It seems as though Gatsby is an urban legend, everyone knows of him but hasn’t seen him. I’m Interested in why he’s so low key. What is he hiding? A couple hours into the party Nick finally meets the famous Gatsby. It just so happens that they were in the Third Division in the war together. As usual, Gatsby disappears and Nick finally decides to leave the party. Days later Nick starts to think about his feelings for Jordan. He might love her.

American Poetry Supermarket

To a Poor Old Woman
William Carlos Williams

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15813

William Carlos Williams was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1883. He began writing poetry while a student at Horace Mann High School, it was there that he decided to become a writer and doctor. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he met Ezra Pound. Pound became a huge influence in Williams' writing. Like Pound, he was a leader in the Imagist movement but over time disagreed more and more with that ideas that came across in Pound's writing. He thought that the poetry was too attached to the european culture. He came up with a way of writing that talked about everyday life and situations, "American Writing". His work took off at a slow but steady pace, but he started recieving attention in the 1950's. Some of his major works include Kora in Hell (1920), Spring and All (1923), Pictures from Brueghel and Other Poems (1962), the five-volume epic Paterson (1963, 1992), and Imaginations (1970). Williams' continued writing until his death in 1963.

In To a Poor Old Woman, I can see how Williams liked to elaborate on everyday situations. The woman in the poem is simply in the street eating plums. When you look further into it you notice the way he plays with the way it's written.

For example,

They taste good to her

They taste good

to her. They taste

good to her.

With each repetition, you are forced to speak it in a different way. Each way has a different effect on how you veiw this woman. It's almost like all of her happiness revolves around eating this plum. You feel as though you are outside watching this event take place.

This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_carlos_williams/poems/16997

In reading this poem, you can see how Williams takes a typical american situation and transforms it into a poem. This is Just to Say is a poetic apology for eating something out of the icebox that wasn't his. It's simple ideas such as this that comes across in many of Williams' poems, it's his trademark.

Cather Writing Piece

Recently, I read Cather’s “Consequences.” Her writing comes across as non-fiction; it’s almost as though you are reading about a real person life and daily activities. You began to get into the person’s routine as if you’re a friend or observer. When writing comes off that way, it’s doing its job. Writing allows you to show others how you view certain subjects and give your opinion. The topic of suicide is a very touchy subject to elaborate on. It affects so many people adults, children, and seniors. It’s very emotional and really makes you feel for that person. You can almost feel all the pain they are experiencing and it begins to hurt you personally.
Cather doesn’t elaborate much on suicide, The man in the story pretty much just kills himself. You don’t know why. It just happens. In a way this goes back to how realistic the story is. In most suicide cases, you don’t see it coming. The person seems stable and okay. You don’t see the pain that the person is experiencing and in a flash they’re gone.
In closing, Cather’s writing is excellent. It captures you in this story and just ends it. It keeps you wanting more.

Does writing have the power to enact social change?

After reading Jordan’s piece I feel a little depressed. The poem is like a huge run on sentence. She goes on and on about all the pain, suffering, and dying she witnessed. It makes you realize how gruesome the situation is regardless of how heroic they make it seem. If others read this poem and took some time to let it really sink in I think it could change many peoples opinions about the war.

Writing definitely has the power to enact social change. One thing you write down can completely change how people think of you, others, and themselves. For example, The Bible, This piece of writing has changed the world forever. This book has been the focal point of hundreds of religions, beliefs, and debates. This important piece of literature has affected the everyday lives of every human being.

Writing that is not as popular as the bible can also enact social change. If I post something about someone in a bulletin on Myspace™, all of my friends would know and talk about it the following day. Writing has the power to change people’s lives, I could affect someone’s reputation with one sentence. There is a huge difference between what you say and what you write. What you write is documented and you can’t undo it.

Overall, writing can affect one person, a small group, or the world. There’s never a case when no one is affected, it’s too powerful.