Observations and Opinions on Poetry

Poetry is commonly thought of as elegant but out of style.  It is found in a common classroom being taught in school or in books that elders read, geniuses study, and the emotional write.  The average person today doesn't explore poetry in books that she reads on her spare time because there is no time or need to work so hard and enjoy the true message behind the poetic patterns of words.  Popular media today such as many novels, the news, movies, and more do not require work to understand the message or meaning behind the jumbles of words.  Poems today are like the crossword puzzles in the newspaper; few people have any more time to decode the poem or enjoy the new wonderful sights and emotions by just a few words on a paper.

If people today had more time to enjoy a poem, they would realize it's unmistakeable beauty in its imagery or allow it to replay in their heads with the rhythm guiding the each line along.  Poems are like popular media today because each form of expression has a message to be shared.  The difference between poems and a majority of media today that includes prose is that authors of poetry purposefully choose each word with a specific meaning as if he were a painter using the end of his paintbrush and defining the detail.  A poem is special or valuable because it has the possibility to connect or familiarize itself with the reader through not only the message but also imagery, rhythm, format, similes, metaphors, and more details that the poet paints with the words on the tip of his paint brush.

Why does Candide believe in Pangloss's saying that is for the best?

In a commentary by Christen Morrell, I asked the question why Candide believes in what Pangloss says including his saying at everything in life is happening for best even though there horrible things that are happening in Candide's life.  I'm curious about her response but I have my own opinions on the same topic, as well.
I believe that Candide believes in Pangloss because of who he is and his character traits which are gullible and naive and ignorant... I do not think these traits were the result of something in his past but simply are the way they are because of the author's choice.  The traits are significant to the story because they add to a satirical effect making fun of men saying that if they do not think on their own this where he'd up in the world: completely lost confused.  One example of Candide being lost and confused is when he tries to walk away from the army and fails.  Candide believing in Pangloss's saying is just another way in which Candide shows his true colors (his character traits).

Why do people die and then, come back to life in satires?

In a realistic novel like realistic fiction, a biography, and even historical fiction, characters do not die and come back to life.  This decisions by the author is to make the story believably and relatable by the basic rules of life.  For me, if I can relate to the story agin any way including at the plot follows basic rules of nature (if someone dies, they do not live again), I am more attached to the characters and the plot.  With some stories, I will be so attached that I will cry when someone dies or something goes wrong or I will be happy all day when something in the story goes the way I want it to.  One major difference between one of these kinds of stories and a satire is that these stories are trying to explain or express a part of life (this familiarity makes theme he stories relatable and the readers emotionally involved); a satire tries to make fun of life and having people dying and then living again takes people out of emotional ties with the characters and plot.  Not being affected by characters and their actions pushes readers away from emotional ties with characters.  This relation between reader and character guides the reader to take a step back from the story and look at the entire picture which is what a satire's aim is except with a funny twist on the the message.

Eyes Opening

As one reads Cry, The Beloved Country, their eyes open towards different perspectives of society.  The author presents from the viewpoint of someone who is part of the lowest social class, Kumalo, and from someone who is a part of higher social class, Jarvis.  When he presents these two characters, they appear as two men who are very similar in character but different with what their world has to offer them.  In the latter of the novel, the two men realize they're similarities by saying that their deepest sorrow is the same and they interact which is a step towards equality.  By the end of the novel, not only has the story offered the reader someone else's story, but it encourages the reader to be open minded as well.
Further explanation: The author encourages people to be open not by demanding or stating that being open minded is great, but by allowing readers to relate, sympathize, and follow two people who have been open minded wig positive outcomes: Jarvis and Kumalo.

Full Circle

The novel  Cry, The Beloved Country begins and ends from Kumalo's perspective in the mountain with the beautiful scenery.  Not only does the novel begin and end with the mountain, Jarvis's story starts and ends in the mountains too.  Since the story starts and ends at the same place, it's easier to realize the the advancement in the writing and the readers.  The writing advances through what it focuses on.  In the beginning of the novel, there is a major focus on the land and its beauty.  Then, the story focuses on the chaos of the city.  By the end of the story, it balances the chaos of change like in the city and the peace like the beauty in the land.  As the story progresses, not only does the story advance but he readers do as well because the story guides the reader through another person's journey of balancing they're idea of peace and chaos.

Predictions on the third book

Note: I've read the first pages book three.

In class, an observation that was brought to attention was that book I and book II in the novel Cry the Beloved Country both start with the same paragraph in the mountain.  Book III does not start with this same paragraph, nor does it start in the mountain.  This book starts in the city, the opposite place of the mountains.  In class, the discussion lead to how the paragraph was symbolic towards the similarity between Kumalo and Jarvis.  Another direction I thought through when the observation came to attention was whether these paragraphs helped develop a theme so far in the novel which could help to predict the third book.  So far, the book I and book II have started in the mountains and ended in the city.  Alan Paton creates a clear theme that whomever or whatever comes from the mountains changes and becomes more corrupt when it or they become involved with the city.  This is true for the people in the novel like Gertrude, Absolom, and even Kumalo.  It is also shown in the topic of writing which focuses on the peace and beauty of the land when the characters are in the mountains, and the chaos and destruction when the characters are in the city.
Since the last book starts where the other two books end, in the chaotic city, an idea is that the mood of the novel and its components will be opposite of the first two stories as well.  This idea means that book III starts in the city and ends in the mountain, the people will continue to have better moral standards, and the writing style will be peaceful

Gertrude's character

Note: All of the views and opinions below are taken from the perspective of the society in  the novel; they may not reflect the author's own ideas.

When Gertrude was first introduced to the reader, she is did not respect herself which she showed when wailing at Kumalo's feet and she could not take of her child.  She had depended on Kumalo to help her and lead into making the right choices, but before he came, she had the resources to and opted not to act with a moral compass or with any consideration of her family or her own respectability.  One example of this was that she did not send Kumalo any letters.
As the novel progresses, Gertrude finds herself in Mrs. Lithebe's house and on her way to Kumalo's home where she has resources to be healthy, well-taken care of, and she has the resources and new knowledge on how to become a respectable woman.  in this part of her life, she still flirts, otherwise known as "laughing carelessly" but she considers and might have even chosen by the end of book II, to become a nun, a highly mature and respectable woman.  This consideration is very mature and shows her growth because she now is considering and/or chosen on her own to become the most respectable woman that she can become.  Her choice to leave her son with Kumalo's new daughter, is wise and respectable because she thought about it using logical reasons that considered the child and the other people involved.

Why is everyone so willing to help Kumalo?

Without his own position in the church, Kumalo is not a person who many would want to help.  He is a poor man in the lowest social class in Africa with only his life savings to spend.  To my understanding, even though many people are trying to help the people in the lowest class, here are still many who do not want to help them at all.  Not only is he low in society, but he also needs a lot of guidance to find some of his family members, which takes time, from someone who knows their way around Johannesburg.  Then, after finding some of his family members, he learns that one of them is a prostitute and another is a murderer.  Even in today's time, most people would not help someone whose goal is to protect a prostitute and a murderer.  Kumalo even asks someone who house the prostitute and her son and the murderer's wife.  
One reason that I believe to be why Kumalo is being helped is because the people who he is trying to help is family to him.  Another reason is his connection to the church.  Kumalo is a refer and which gives him connections to other people in the church.  The people in the church are trying to help those in need.  Kumalo is someone in need.  One of the people who is loyal to the church is Mrs. Lithebe.  She has enough money to support herself, but is willing to take a few shillings from Kumalo for him to rent the rooms.  The main reason behind Kumalo getting help is because his connection to the church.

The importance of intercalary chapters

The novel Cry the Beloved Country includes a chapter of side stories which are not part of the narrative called intercalary chapters. These stories are important because they help the reader have perspective from people in different social groups on the events that are taking place during the time of the story.  This perspective is background information.  Having it broadens the reader's knowledge of the choices made by the main characters in the narrative.  The choices of a character tells who the character is which leads into foreshadowing future decisions and what one can take away from the book.  One example of of how background information adds to the readers understanding of a character's choices relates to Gertrude's choice of income before Kumalo rescues her.  Gertrude was a prostitute which is horrible, but she did have a small source of income to pay for food for her son and herself.  Another woman did not choose to be a prostitute and her son died.  Please don't misunderstand; Gertrude's source of income was horrible but with knowledge from the intercalary chapters someone can understand why she did it.  The reasoning behind her choice adds to Gertrude's character in the narrative.

Filled With Joy

When I consider myself to be filled with joy, the occasion is not always a huge extravaganza and it doesn't always require a large amount of work.  Sometimes, I'm filled with joy over simple things like doing something I love to do.  One of those simple times that I was filled with joy was last night.  I walked down the stairs and around the corner to a room which everyone calls the art room.  Of course, the room, being the art room in he house, is filled to the top with random "art supplies that my brother and I could use for school projects" (my dad) despite my parents efforts; I love it anyways.  My favorite "art supplies" in the room is actual art supplies in the shelves where the paints and canvases are.  Last night, I borrowed a few paints and took a canvas, opened up my sketchbook to plan what to paint, and then started to smear colors onto what was going to be a piece of "art."  This kind of joy is like butter that is left on a warm piece of toast, spreading quietly, smoothly, and without anyone noticing until someone bites the side of the toast and tastes it.  Another way to say this, is that I was filled with joy without needing to specifically identify it.

My Reaction to Maya Angelou Saying That I Must Not BeDefeated

"You can encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated." -- Maya Angelou

My first reaction after I read the quote is to simply interpret it.  To me, the above quote means that people make mistakes in life but they should improve and continue to reach for their goals.  This brings me to making a connection or relating tone quote.  If I relate to the quote, there is a more likely chance of me remembering it.  One part of my past that relates to this quote happened when I used to figure skate.  A few years ago, I tried mastering a jump called an single axel.  A single axel is one and a half rotations in the air that happens when a skater jumps from a forward position.  The first time I tried to jump and land an axel, I almost had it.  For the next year after that attempt, I went through phases of jumping and landing it, and completely wiping out.  Once, I had to go to the emergency room to get stitches because I split my chin open.  In the end, I landed the jump and mastered it because I was not defeated.

Why do Winnie and Hulan still put up with each other?

To answer the question of why Winnie and Hulan put up with each other, a simple answer is that they are family.  There is more than one definition for family.  Family can mean that people are related by blood or all have the same ancestor.  Family can also mean people who related to each by loyalty and intimacy.  Hulan and Winnie are family by using the second definition above.  This kind of feeling of family grows over time and what the people in the family have been through together.  The two woman have spent a large portion of their lives together because of their husbands' work.  They have also been through many events together.  They have even been through war together.  Going back to the main question, Hulan and Winnie do not agree on everything but they are family.

Stories About Stars

"Her [Hulan's] always ended with some sort of hero popping up and marrying an ugly animal who then turned out to be a kind and beautiful prince.  I think mine had to do with lessons learned too late- not to eat too much, not to talk to loud, not to wander out at night late by yourself- in any case, always people who fell off the earth and into the sky because of their willful ways."
- The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan on page 230

The quote above is Winnie looking back on the stories that she and Hulan made up about the different patterns of stars that they saw in the sky.  The stories they make up encompass their hopes, dreams, and even parts of their realities at the time.
Hulan's story encompasses her reality because she married the man who originally would not help her sister, the girl who he had gotten pregnant.  An ugly animal compares Hulan's first impression of her husband to an animal in a fairy tale.  Then, she ends up marrying this man who redirects her poor life style to a wealthier one he pays for.  Later in the novel, the reader learns how much Hulan despises the thought of herself being poor.  Since her husband took Hulan away from her despised life of being poor and made her rich, she probably believed this to be an act of kindness so this man can be compared to a prince.
Winnie's stories were about lessons that she didn't learn on time.  This reflects her relationship with Wen Fu.  The other examples she lists are probably stories she read or heard when she was little.  One of the lines that stands out to me is the last one.  This line states her fears.  In other words, Winnie is scared that if she is willful or stubborn, she will end up in an unknown and mysterious place which scares her.  This might be a reason for why she did not stand up to Wen Fu until much later in her life.
Keeping this section in the novel was clever of Amy Tan because it reminds the audience of the lives that the two characters have lived so far.  How much of our own creativities reflect our hopes, dreams, and lives?

The Importance of Whinnie’s and Pearl’s Side Comments

The side conversations by Whinnie and her daughter, Pearl, lighten the mood of the novel which encourages the reader to continue reading.  These comments not only brighten the mood, but show the positive improvement between the mother daughter relationship that Whinnie’s horrible life eventually ends up.  For example, on page 194 in the novel, Whinnie gets stuck in her own dress.  This leaves the reader with a feeling of hopelessness because the narrator of the story is stuck in such a horrible scenario that she can’t even put on her own dress that she made.  Then, the side comment is added which immediately lifts the mood.  Since Pearl is actually paying attention and listening to her mother (which is shown when Pearl laughs at what is going on in the story), their relationship is improving.  Overall, the side comments are important because even though the past was so horrible, the readers know that Whinnie ends up improving her relationship with her daughter and living a better life in the end.

Is Helen Really Bad?

                “She waved her hand at me. One of her fingers looked broken.  ‘You see how bad the world has become,’ she said.  ‘Now I’m that way too.’

-Amy Tan, The Kitchen God’s Wife, page 217

The quote above is Wei-Wei, Pearl’s mother, narrating when Hulan, otherwise known as Helen, taking Wei-Wei home in the pedicab.  In this quote, Hulan said that she is bad.  She said this because she committed a “selfish” act of stealing the pedicab and beating away the man who had it.  This act was probably done in part out of selfishness and greed of wanting to escape the mass chaos, but she did come back for Wei-Wei.  Wei-Wei was pregnant at the time and an innocent in need of help.  Helping an innocent, especially someone who is pregnant, is a good deed.   Another part of this scenario which is not given to the reader in the quote above is that the man Hulan stole the pedicab from was the man who originally stole it from her and Wei-Wei.  Even though two wrongs do not make a right, at least she did not steal from an innocent.  Hulan did something bad by stealing something, but it was for a good cause.  This is a tricky way to base an opinion of whether someone is bad or good, but judging on the severity of what Hulan did that is considered bad and what she did that is considered good, she is still a good person.

The Importance of Names

The name of the character Bao bao means baby.  At the very beginning of The Kitchen God's Wife, the reader learns how this name reflects the childish personality of this character.  Even though this character has a bizarre name, his personality is addressed quickly which does not encourage questioning and attention towards him.  This character is not a major character in the novel, so this fits him well.
Two other characters in the novel are Mary and Pearl.  Their names are both American names which reflects that they are both a second generation living in America.  Unlike their cousin Bao Bao, they do not have nicknames (Amy Tan does not inform the readers of their nicknames before chapter six) which separates them from their Chinese heritage.  This shows how much more Mary and Pearl are involved with American culture then their Chinese heritage.
According to a quick Google search, the name Whinnie, spelled the same way as the Whinnie in The Kitchen God's Wife, does not exist.  This adds to the confusion of who Whinnie is and what she's been through.  Since a large portion of the novel revolves around Whinnie's past and how she became who she is, I believe that a name that does not carry a significant meaning to the general audience fits her well.  Having an unknown name allows the author to develop the character with out other influences like an artist would paint a blank piece of paper.  Having an unusual name not only draws attention, but also encourages questions.  Whinnie is a main focus in the novel so her name needs to draw its own attention.

Thoughts and predictions on the rest of the novel based on the title of the novel and the story The Kitchen God

The story of the Kitchen God tells the story of a man named Zhang who had everything he would ever need including an amazing wife named Guo, the woman who gives Zhang his wealth.  Zhang decides to give up his wife because he became greedy and selfish.  Zhang loses everything after that, and then is saved by his wife.  When Zhang realizes his mistake, he kills himself.  This is understood as courageous because he admitted his wrong.
If the story of the Kitchen God is a parallel story to the novel "The Kitchen God's Wife," then the two stories must share similar plots and/ or characters (character in the stories share similar personality traits).  Since the novel is about The Kitchen God's wife, I predict that Guo, the wife of Zhang, shares similar personality traits with one of the characters in the novel.  In the story, Guo works hard and then receives some bad luck: Zhang leaving her.  After her bad luck, she still takes care of the people who have hurt her.  So far in the novel, Amy Tan wrote that Whinnie, Pearl's mother, started her life in her loving mothers arms with everything she needed.  Then, her mother died, Whinnie's bad luck.  In the present time, Whinnie tries to take care of Pearl  her daughter, even though Pearl doesn't always appreciate her mother.  Guo and Whinnie seem to be similar in how they act.  Could Whinnie be the "Kitchen God's Wife?"

My Research Paper so far

So far on my research assignment, I have come up with a thesis and five arguments to defend it.  I have also made five notecards and found a few sources to help me make my them.  Two of the sources I have found are Vantage Point: Teaching Online Vs. Face-to-Face by Mike Dubose and Teaching College courses online vs. face-to-face by Glen Ferguson.  I haven't found anything surprising or interesting so far because I had difficulties at the start of this project when picking a thesis and it's supporting arguments.  Since I had difficulties at the start of this project, I tried to alter the question slightly and make a thesis that I believed in hopes to write a paper that could theoretically be used.  Since the thesis and arguments took a lot of time  think through, I have not done as much research as I had hoped I would've done by now.  The original question for this research paper is whether online learning or face-to-face learning is better.  I see reasons for both being better than the other for different people, so I altered the question a little bit to create a thesis that is students whose education benefits more from a face-to-face interaction require a face-to-face education and vice versa; students can not benefit from both.  The arguments for the thesis are that people have different styles of learning, maturity levels, schedules and life priorities, needs for human interaction (introvert vs extrovert), and I'm debating whether to include neuroscience or the chemical make up of the brain.  In other words, some people need the extra part of their day and the structure of the face-to-face classroom and others need the flexibility of an online classroom.  Overall, I'm not where I want to be on this research paper but I have a solid idea of where to go and what to look for.