"Going to Meet the Man" by James Baldwin

I honestly did not enjoy reading this story "Going to Meet the Man" by James Baldwin. This story made my entire body shutter as tears raced down my face. The inhumane cruelty being inflicted upon the black people tore my heart into pieces. The punishment one man received for others singing was insane and carried out with pleasure by the deputy sheriff. The white man treated another human being as if he were an animal. What was the reason for going to meet the man was it due to something the man said or did to Jesse's mother? I never fully understood the reason behind the so called "picnic", I did not like this terminology either, besides if it was sexual it does take two to tango. By the time I reached this section of the story my blood was already boiling over and deep feelings of hatred had already entered mind. I realize it is wrong to hate the person or I feel we should not hate the person just hate the act they committed. It is so easy for anyone of us to judge and hate someone for what they have done, especially when it directly involves us or a family member. People are raised differently all over this world and so there is a need to take that into consideration. Nobody is perfect we are all unique, but a difference can be made when we swallow our hate or pride and take time out to learn and understand another human being.

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

At some point in all of our lives we all have to deal with some sort of drama. I do like to read drama and I thoroughly enjoy watching it in a theatre. I would love to go see A Streetcar Named Desire in a Chicago or Broadway theatre, but actually it would not matter what theatre just so long as I could see it on a stage. I enjoyed reading the story in our book, but I sure did feel sorry for Stella and wow what about her sister Blanche.

We could consider Blanche to be a compulsive liar or should we just say that she is mentally challenged. It becomes hard to believe someone once they start telling lies all the time and I believe this is what happened to Blanche. She was stuck in a rut and the only way to make things better for herself was to tell a lie, which we all know only dug her hole deeper every minute. She did not want to reveal her past to anyone, not even to Stella. Stella did not want to believe any of the stories Stanely had found out about her sister. Stella in a sense was gullible to everything Blanche told her, but Stella only wanted the best for Blanche. Especially after what happened to Blanche when she was younger. A major catastrophe unfolded before Blanche's eyes and out of anger she voiced her opinion to her lover. To this day she will probably never forgive herself for saying those words to him because of the horrible outcome it produced.

Another horrible outcome in my eyes was Stanely and the way he treated Blanche. This story kind of reminds me of the boy who cried wolf. After a person tells enough lies to people they will no longer believe what is said. This is basically what happened to Blanche and when she told Stella about Stanley. I did wish the ending would be different for Stella and Blanche.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Notice

Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted ;

persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished;

persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.

BY THE ORDER OF THE AUTHOR

PER G.G., CHIEF OF ORDINANCE (1277)

The above statement by Mark Twain was retrieved from The Norton Anthology American Literature book (1277). Huckleberry Finn had a very rough life and he was never really happy in school. It saddened me to find out how his father treated him, and yet it also helped me figure out the reasoning behind his thought process. Huck Finn was a very smart individual for his age and thank goodness he was able to outsmart his father. Most parents want their children to be smart and successful in this world. This story is just the opposite where the parent pride is hurt because of his son's knowledge. Thank goodness Huckleberry had common sense and a will to survive.

Huck thinks he is alone on this island until he meets up with Jim (suprise). Huck establishes bond with Jim that cannot be broken. They help one another while learning to appreciate what the other has to offer. Huck goes to extremes to keep Jim safe from harms way and Jim would do the same for Huck when he could. Two very different people learned how to work together, befriend one another, and survive against the odds. This story shows when we overcome societies barriers good results can be achieved. We all need to have a desire to understand others and reach out to them.

*Remember never judge a book by its cover, always look at the inside print!*

"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

An author who really impressed me was Gwendolyn Brooks! I read through three of her short poems and I can see why Alice Walker made her statement about Brooks. In The Norton Anthology Literature book Walker states, "If there was a born poet I think think it is Brooks" (2537). Ms. Brooks speaks her mind and the words flow from her heart in these poems the Kitchenette building, the mother, and "We Real Cool". I really liked doing the individual project on Gwendolyn Brooks. The neatest part was being able to hear her speak and listen to what type of opinion she had about making this poem "We Real Cool".

We all have our perceptions and feelings when we read poems and stories, not everyone will think alike when they are finished reading it. To hear Ms. Brooks state exactly how she meant it and what her thoughts were when she wrote the poem gave us a chance to compare our thoughts with hers. Not very often are we able to compare our thoughts with the authors. We usually only compare thoughts with each other and try to grasp the meaning of the piece this way. Overall, I must say I do enjoy Mrs. S. providing the Pronto sessions for us to communicate. It honestly helps me understand the story when the questions I have are answered about the things I do not understand!! It is also nice to chat with others to get their point of view and see how they perceive the story. Thanks again, Mrs. Siemens for all your help, support, and views on different authors!! =)

"Good Country People" by Flannery O' Conner

This story is a fairly short read, but I found it to be very twisted at the end. As I was reading this story I believed the good country boy was really going to turn this gals thoughts and attitude around. I figured he would place something positive in her life, but sadley I found out it was not true. I do not want to give the end of the book away. It would be like someone telling what happened at the end of a movie and if you are really anxious to go see it is spoiled when the end is revealed. I would recommend reading this story. Flannerry O' Conner had a very short life span, but her work has been recommended as one of the finest in the twentieth century in The Norton Anthology American Literature book ( Loeffelholz, 2569).

Stephen Crane, Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage was an excellent book to read. Just when you honestly thought the boy was ready to go to war and become a man reality set into his mind, which was fear. He was in fear for his life and when it was time for him to fight he turned and ran away. I am really not picking on him because it would be a scary thought to be in the front lines never knowing what body part you may lose or if you would even walk away with your life. What I would pick on him for is acting like he honestly went into battle with another brigade and yet he never went or attempted to help other troops. He walked with wounded soldiers just to save his face as if something had happened to him while fighting in the war. He was angry and upset with the disabled soldiers because they asked him what was wrong with him along the path to get help for themselves. If anything he should have been helping those soldiers or carrying them for the lies he told. To recieve recognition for something you did not do is not a good way to present yourself or live, but in the end I believe his brigade knew he was not telling the truth. The details in this story were graphic and I did enjoy reading this book. It is a fairly quick book to read and held my interest. I would recommend this book for people to read. Have a great day everyone!! =)

Let's begin with a little Literature and background about Tonya =)

Ahhh, the adventures, dramas, and unknown events that take place while reading books are very exciting. I can honestly say at one point in my life reading a book was the last thing I wanted to do, but I discovered books can drive your imagination wild unlike seeing everything happen in a production on the television screen. The only way to find out what happens next in the book is to read it. I am thoroughly enjoying some short/long stories and then again there are some I would not want to ever read again! These stories are food for thought and until you taste it, or basically read the book, you may not know if you like it or not. So I can say from personal experience do not knock it until you try it!!! I like it, now that I have tried it. It is kind of similar to the story about Sam I Am in "Green Eggs and Ham" written by Dr.Seuss. So come on everybody and just give it a try! Food is good for the body and exercises the brain!