Author Archives: PATRICIA ALVARADO

I would compare Chandara and Hedda and how similar they really are. Chandara takes the fall for her husband because we see time and again after her husband blames his brothers death on her she chooses to go through with the consequences because she cannot bear to stay in her marriage. In Hedda’s predicament she does not enjoy her marriage with George  Tesman and is in a one sided relationship due to the reasoning that George is enamored with her , yet she is more preoccupied with the current whereabouts of her past lover Eilert Lovborg. Both Chandara and Hedda hold this same reasoning that death is better than staying in there current marriages forever and going through the sadness that it is to come to terms with  your own mortality  yet in this sense for both characters mortality is better than having the go through their current relationships with their husbands. As well as enduring more years of an unloving marriage and the falseness in the  emotions that they’re spouses hold towards them that we see throughout the story starts to falter . In Chandara’s case, her husbands feeling towards her start to falter the minute he chooses her over his brother to take the fall for her his sister in law’ death just shows how frail their marriage really was. Then in Hedda’s situation , in my understanding her marriage was more for coveniance and just because she was getting towards the marriage age at that time. She never had a successful marriage from the beginning because there weren’t any real feelings of both parties wanting to be in the marriage similarly to Chandara. Both marriages were based off of false feelings and convenience.

Throughout this semester we’ve had a couple of readings we could apply to the current state the globe is in with the pandemic, but this I would say is the most applicable. In the story “ And of Clay are We Created” ,  the most similar aspect in my opinion would be the governments role towards the affected citizens. Even this week on the view, a morning talk show Chris Christie former New Jersey governor said we need to be okay with sacrificing people similarly to ww2 , this was also the same viewpoint of talk show host doctor oz. The media as well as the government project these death rates and how populations will decrease and that we just need to endure it in the end, But, what about there families who are they going to give up , what pain are they going to endure, what food scarcity will they experience , when will they get worried that they can’t pay rent after filing for unemployment. People that generate the wealth such as media personalities, the 1% and government official aren’t feeling the real impacts of this pandemic because they still have everything they had prior the the pandemic they just can’t travel or they sneak to see friends during the pandemic to harm the lives of others because there meetup is more important. 

Choose a moment in “Recitatif” in which you see the issue of race enter into Twyla and Roberta’s story.  Describe the moment, and explain what you think seems to be going on.  What issues seem to divide the two characters?  Can you identify their racial identities? How?

1. Throughout the story I had to do a lot of re-reading in certain paragraphs to try and see which girl was of what race. But referring back to our zoom call and speaking about this quote,”I looked up it seemed for miles. She was big. Bigger than any man and on her chest was the biggest cross I’d ever seen. I swear it was six inches long each way. And in the crook of her arm was the biggest Bible ever made.” I thought that Roberta’s mother was white seeing as how Twyla described her mother in contrast and how different they were , and that her mother was actually terminally ill mental or physically. Just the way Twyla described Roberta’s in a passive way in my perspective seemed jealous and envious.

Toni Morrison’s story explores the challenges of navigating racial/cultural/and socio-economic differences in our personal relationships.  Reflect upon an experience in your own life when you have had to navigate differences of this sort.   Describe the experience. What issues or complications arose?  How were they resolved?

2. Well growing up both my parents lived in Queens and grew up in New York after coming from Honduras and Ecuador. Once I was 5 , we moved to Miami. The place everyone wants to travel to. It’s honestly like South America with pockets other races and nationalities. It was really hard growing up there, mostly because were I grew up there were a lot of affluent white hispanic and European people. We lived in an affluent neighborhood the people would honestly only dream of , but as much of a good job my dad had and the great education and opportunities we had. My family was always seen as dark and inferior and less than. I never spoke Spanish growing up once we moved to Miami , essentially the one place that Spanish is like a first language, I was just so upset at how I felt less than that I just rejected my culture in any way possible. But the one interesting thing about living in Miami was even though I felt out of place not speaking enough Spanish, or being cuban , or being to dark , white people were usually a minority which was very interesting to experience. Especially because growing up most of my friends were Brazilian referring back to me rejecting my culture I didn’t really want to be friends with other girls my skin color because I thought it would be bad and I would get bothered more in school. But as I got older and went to college in Philadelphia I realized like I do love my skin and my culture and Miami wasn’t all the bad just the people I was around who made me feel inferior.

The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid was honestly my favorite text in this whole course as well as a true great work in literature. I have always had interest in Middle Eastern studies , even though not being Middle Eastern myself. The reason is because of all the rich history and culture the Middle East and North Africa have. But reading the ‘The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid’ it is clear that many of these countries had the foreign influence through colonization and was being stripped of it’s culture and way of life which I stated in our class. It is similar to how America, England and other treat the Middle East now when we go in to start wars we don’t even have apart in. As well as, inserting leaders that cause destruction for these countries and just implementing different heads of power as if these peoples lives are just chess pieces. These countries are losing their people daily look at Palestine, Syria, Libya and many other countries. Those countries are having these wars and their homes are being destroyed because of our governments. They are not just chess pieces that are people. When the narrator in ‘The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid ‘ said “When my son’s son passes out of school and the number of young men with souls foreign to our own increases, then perhaps the water -pump will be set ip and the agricultural scheme pit into being- maybe the the steamer will stop at our village under the doum tree of Wad Hamid”.  What the narrator means in my perspective is that if his town is to change , he wishes that is changes once the generation that has lived there at the current time has passed on so that they do not have to go through their home having a total reformation and change all in one shot. Once the foreigners over lap to number of people native to that town. When their lives are completely different to the way the town used to be before the English came, before the innovation before there way of life was turned upside down.

Please respond to three of the following questions.  Remember to compose your answers in complete sentences and to ground your ideas in specific details from the text where appropriate.  Your responses should be posted by Wednesday, May 6th.

1.  What did you learn from this story that you did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps?

I learned that there were catholics who were sent to the concentration camps. From my previous knowledge I though Jewish people were the only people sent to the concentration camps. But, now thinking about it makes sense that anyone against the government are prosecuted as bad people and being sent to the camps. It made sense because all dictators want the power over the people and even within there own circles they want that infinite power over people, populations and nations. 

2. A tall, grey-haired woman who has just arrived on the “transport” whispers, “My poor boy,” to our narrator.  What does she mean?

She means she feels bad for the treatment has to go through as well as unloading the transports. Seeing the scared people, people being shot, having stayed in the same camp for a year the people being transported just got to camp , the old woman and new transports were just transferred there. 

3. “Are we good people?” asks our narrator.  What is this exchange about? What do you think?

He wants his mind to be in good conscience, not have a weight on him. But throughout the time transporting he sees thing he didn’t think he would be exposed to and yes the camps were terrible but he didn’t see the harsh treatment that he saw of how the officers treated the jews. He starts to analyze if he really is a good person and how this “initiation” has changed him and how being in the camp has changed him.

1.Discuss the theme of food and eating. What role does it play in “The Metamorphosis”?

Throughout the player see Gregor try and stay with is normal daily life in the beginning with him already thinking about work and his regular daily routine, til he realizes it is compromised due to his transformation into a roach. Gregor says in this new state as a roach is hungrier than before and In the beginning , his sister left out his regular meal that he ate as a human.  She brings him bread and milk and we can compare the way he has a distaste for milk as a roach to the way his relationship changes with his family that they care about to give him food but do are barred from seeing him by his sister due to the fact of how much it may hurt them to see him as a roach. Throughout the play his sisters care for him turns from loving and caring to mandatory and resentful which is the same way the family feels towards Gregor since the father works again and they are burdened with not having Gregor to rely on. Then towards almost the end there is a level of indifference between Gregor and his sister not speaking kicking scraps into his room , showing him they see him as nothing but a roach.

1. Explain your understanding of Gregor’s death.  How/why does he ultimately die?

   His isolation and detachment from his family as well as his injury from his father , brought Gregory’s death closer. He was forgotten by his family and chose to starve because he felt his food was inedible. But the father and the injury he caused Gregor was why he died so suddenly.

Please respond to any two of the following questions.  Please be sure to use complete sentences in composing your response and include evidence from the text to illustrate your ideas.

1. Explain the significance of the story about reburying Weifu’s little brother?

The significance is that Weifu cares about his mother and her wellbeing. Which is why even though he sees that there is no body and that it had decomposed full into the coffin. Weifu and his mother both need closure from his brother’s death and getting the dirt and having the idea that his brothers remains would hopefully he within that dirt and wrapping it up and placing it in another coffin would give him and his mother the piece of mind that they needed when they would visit the new burial site. It is relating to filial piety which is having respect for elders which was very important in the confucian movement.

1. The story’s narrator is revisiting a place he once lived.  Explain the significance that this “revisiting” has in relation to the themes of the story.

        Revisitng his old home he realized how much it has changed. As well as how wherever he is , he stills feels out of place. His memories of his home and where he travels within the town are completely different than how he feel at the current moment when he visits for the first time in years. The theme would be modernism which then challenges the confusionism movement at the time.

Hedda Gabler / Marie Antoinette

Hedda Gabler is in a marriage of convenience she is in this relationship for her benefit of being labeled a married woman. Yet, she is not in love or has genuine feeling for George Tesman. I would compare this to the marriage of Marie Antoinette and King Louis the XVI. Both were marriages that weren’t for love. They were for social status, socio economic status and for family wealth, In Hedda’s situation it is known that her level in society is higher than Tesman’s , yet she marries him for the reason of convenience. He is captivated by her but it is notable in the story and the video that their relationship is only on the surface. They aren’t in love and they do not get along or have common interests. Similar to the relationship between Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI , there were married to unite their countries and at a very young age. Their relationship was only based on that reason, they didn’t love each other they were polar opposites and they we really only together  at that time to produce heirs for their countries to have leverage against their rivals. Hedda and Marie Antoinette are similar in the aspect that they both other love interested besides whom they were married to. They were also both determined and cunning in a way that their husbands weren’t , in Hedda’s instance the way she manipulates the other characters. In Marie Antoinette’s instance being determined in the way that she got the role accomplished of being the Queen of France and having heirs to the French throne. As well as cunning in the way that she has a completely different view of how she would live her life in French court and gamble and gossip as opposed to her husband who was a shy introverted monarch.

Honestly reading this story made me thing more about my own mortality and what people will remember about me. Ivan led a regular life he was a a run of the mill guy. Having this pause in my life happen I’ve thought more about what I want to do when life goes back to normal and how I need to really take some time to be grateful and appreciate eventing I have. Over this quarantine, I’ve also realized how much I need to take advantage of everyday because now I’m just going to college online. Family has always been important to me but with this pandemic happening , it has become something I rely on.

Even Family that I rarely talk to have reached out which really surprised me but I think people are realizing more and more how important people they haven’t reached out to in years are important to them. Small aspects of your life that seem trivial and not at the forefront of anyone mind are so important now. In my case journaling, I always thought it would take up my time and just waste my time but my mom found her journals from high school and I thought well I have the time I should start writing because I do enjoy it, especially writing about my dreams since I remember most of them so it’s always nice to look back at it. Ivan was more preoccupied with his job and money and was surprised when his family didn’t pay attention to him , yet honestly I sympathized with his family because I have been in the situation. Ivan felt isolated but he created that isolation on his own he created that rift between him and his family. Hopefully during this quarantine people take time to appreciate the people around them and figure out what’s really important to them versus just being workaholics or always stressed and taking time to enjoy life because you only have one.