As the semester progressed, i think that my writing ability improved. Even though it can definitely use some work it sounds a lot better than at the beginning of the semester. Being able to free write before speaking or before writing something was a good way to get your thoughts together before doing the assignment. The group blogs every week, even if it had its downfalls at some points, was a good way to communicate with the students of the class as well as the professor. The quizzes every week were a good way to make the students read since without the quizzes many will decide not to read the assigned stories. I still need to improve on oral presentation for the future. This includes participating more in class discussions as well as presenting in front of the class. This was my goal at the midpoint of the semester. I think i progressed a little bit but definitely not as much as i wanted to. Hopefully in the future i will be able to build on this skill.-Joseph Morreale
Now that it is the end of the semester I believe that in some areas I have improved and others I still need to work on. Such as oral skills; class discussions and presentations. However, I did improve my writing which was also part of my goals. With the various of stories, we read it not only help broaden my vocabulary but also helped with critical thinking skills. -Keauna
Throughout the semester I feel like I have definitely grew as a writer and at analyzing texts better. I’ve learned a new paragraph structure from, which makes it easier for me to write essays. I have also improved in formulating thesis statements , since I struggled with that earlier in the class. As for group work I think this class has increased my participation online with peers. Some things I still struggle with is participating in class discussions and class exercises. Overall if I had to do it again I would definitely participate more often in class as I did online. –Bintou
Pg 844
First Person
Now I know why Aura is living in this house: to perpetuate the illusion of youth and beauty in that poor, crazed old lady. Aura, kept here like a mirror, like one more icon on that votive wall with its clustered offerings, preserved hearts, imagined saints and demons.
I put the manuscript aside and go downstairs, suspecting there’s only one place Aura could be in the morning—the place that greedy old woman has assigned to her.
Yes, I find her in the kitchen, at the moment she’s beheading a kid; the vapour that rises from the open throat, the smell of spilt blood, the animal’s glazed eyes, all give me nausea. Aura is wearing a ragged, blood-stained dress and her hair is dishevelled; she looks at me without recognition and goes on with her butchering.
I leave the kitchen: this time I’ll really speak to the old lady, really throw her greed and tyranny in her face. When I push open the door she’s standing behind the veil of lights, performing a ritual with the empty air, one hand stretched out and clenched, as if holding something up, and the other clasped around an invisible object striking again and again at the same place.
Third Person
Now he knows why Aura is living in this house: to perpetuate the illusion of youth and beauty in that poor, crazed old lady. Aura, kept here like a mirror, like one more icon on that votive wall with its clustered offerings, preserved hearts, imagined saints and demons.
He put the manuscript aside and went downstairs, suspecting there’s only one place Aura could be in the morning—the place that greedy old woman has assigned to her.
Yes, he found her in the kitchen, at the moment she’s beheading a kid; the vapour that rises from the open throat, the smell of spilt blood, the animal’s glazed eyes, all give him nausea. Aura is wearing a ragged, blood-stained dress and her hair is dishevelled; she looks at him without recognition and goes on with her butchering.
He left the kitchen: this time he’ll really speak to the old lady, really throw her greed and tyranny in her face. When he pushed open the door she’s standing behind the veil of lights, performing a ritual with the empty air, one hand stretched out and clenched, as if holding something up, and the other clasped around an invisible object striking again and again at the same place.
- There were not many problems with translating, however, some words had to be altered to make the text fit into either the first person or the third person -Joseph Morreale
When reading this excerpt from “Aura” in the second person (original), then reading the translation in the first person it can affect the reader in many ways. Through the second person, the reader gets the sense that (s)he is being told what to do. Versus in the first person view, the reader is able to experience more of a direct connection with other characters and the story. For example, looking at this short quote from the original text, “Yes, you find her in the kitchen, at the moment she’s beheading a kid; the vapour that rises from the open throat, the smell of spilt blood, the animal’s glazed eyes, all give you nausea”. So, in the reader’s mind (s)he may see his or herself walking into the kitchen and finding Aura there. Now looking at this same quote, but in the first person’s view “Yes, I find her in the kitchen, at the moment she’s beheading a kid; the vapour that rises from the open throat, the smell of spilt blood, the animal’s glazed eyes, all give me nausea.” The reader has a different feeling now, (s)he can directly picture the blood up close and the look that Aura wears. The tone is also different for the first person; it adds a more dramatic effect. -Keauna
Reading the text from the third person’s point of view, I feel like it’s like any other text, I’m just being informed. Rather in the original translation, in second person, you feel the narrator’s feelings as if its yours and as if he is telling you the story directly or talking to you. . In second person I know what’s going on because it’s like the story is telling me my actions. Like where it says “You leave the kitchen: this time you’ll really speak to the old lady..” Unlike third person, “He left the kitchen: this time he’ll really speak to the old lady” in this sentence I have to imagine someone else leaving a kitchen, building a illustration in my head.The narrator’s tone is harder to figure out in third person, I don’t know exactly what the characters are feeling but if it is second person, using the words you, I’ll have a better understanding at the situation and it makes it feel more real. -Bintou
1.The “Metamorphosis” and “The Judgement” by Kafka both have common theme. What theme do you think they both share and why ?
2. From all of the texts we’ve read choose three characters, one from each and identify either one as a traditional hero, satanic hero or anti-hero. Provide evidence from the text and describe how all these heroes differ from each other.
-Bintou
In “Life of a Sensuous Woman” written by Ihara Saikaku he begins with the time period with a Domain Lord, whom was looking for a specific type of mistress. The narrator who is a young woman herself gets chosen for an interview and later then becomes the domain mistress. At his place she describe how everything was luxurious and very desirable. “ I’ve always been an unlucky woman, but with the lord I was fortunate.” She was delighted with her time with him and even found love in it, but it came to an end when he became weak and worn out. After being sent back to her parents house she realized he was unfortunate being that he couldn’t satisfy her. In her next journey with a monk she presents herself as a boy, a young warrior because that was the only way women could enter temples. During her time with the priest she was in an underground cell and only called up for sex whenever the priest wanted. “It was just a job, and there was no love in it.” She grew weak, depressed and lost interest in it all. The narrator schemes her way into going back to her parents house by claiming she’s pregnant and never returning again. “With this single body of mine I slept with more than ten thousand men. It made me feel low …” She now regrets everything she had done and was ashamed of herself. Controversially she grew weak and tired of her profession.
In the poem Sixteen , it starts off with , ” Empty yourself of everything. Let the mind become still. ” (Line 1) , this meaning clear your head of all your thoughts and relax your brain. The author wants us to be at peace and to feel free. Further into the poem it starts to talk about how we grow and break from the same thing that made us and where ever we go we return back to the origin. We have to know where we are from to stay sane other wise it may lead to disruption and confusion. “With an open mind, you will be openhearted. Being openhearted, you will act royally.” In this verse here its saying that one trait leads to another , if we are optimistic we become more open to things and we act with grace we then accept the tao ,and we live by the tao. In conclusion where ever we go the tao will follow because the tao is forever and even when we die it remains.”Being at one with the Tao is eternal. And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away.” (Line 16) Once we align with it the flow of life becomes easier.
