Questions concerning Point of View

“A Rose for Emily”
1. What is meaningful in the final detail that the strand of hair on the second pillow is iron-gray?

-This I meaningful because Miss Emily’s hair was described as iron-gray. This makes it understood that one her hair’s was in the bed with Homer’s body, which means that she had recently been exposed to his corpse.
2. Who is the unnamed narrator? For whom does he profess to be speaking?
-I believe the unnamed narrator could be several people voicing their own opinion or point of view and experience of the situation with Miss Emily.
3. Why does “A Rose for Emily” seem better told from his point of view than if it were told (like John Updike’s “A&P) from the point of view of the main character?
-I think it makes the story more mysterious. As the reader, we never fully understand what Miss Emily is thinking. It leaves the reader with the decision to decide their point of view about her.
4. What foreshadowings of the discovery of the body of Homer Barron are we given earlier in the story? Share your experience in reading “A Rose for Emily”: did the foreshadowings give away the ending for you? Did they heighten your interests?
-The fact that she would not tell the druggist why she was purchasing the arsenic. Also, that her physical appearance had altered after Homer had “disappeared”. In a way the foreshadowings did give the story away, but it was still chilling to read the last paragraph of the story. I still enjoyed reading it and was caught off guard.
5. What contrasts does the narrator draw between changing reality and Emily’s refusal or inability to recognize change?
-I believe Emily refused to recognize the change that was taking place around her. It was obvious that she refused to recognize many important events around her. For example, her father dying and she did not want to face the reality that he was dead and gone. Also, that she believed that she didn’t have to pay her taxes because a man who had been dead for ten years gave her that right.
6. How do the character and background of Emily Grierson differ from those of Homer Barron? What general observations about the society that Faulkner depicts can be made from his portraits of these two characters and from his account of life in this one Mississippi town?
-It seemed like Emily was a pampered young girl from a high class family. The story claims that her father had donated so much money to the town. When Homer is described it states that he has come to the town to work on sidewalks; job that probably just allows him to have a small income.
7. Does the story seem to you totally grim, or do you find any humor in it?
-To be honest, I never thought that much of the story was funny. There were some sections that gave me a smile because I found it very dramatic and “out there”. I can completely see the dark humor side of this story.
8. What do you infer to be the author’s attitude toward Emily Grierson? Is she simply a murderous madwoman? Why do you suppose Faulker call his story “A Rose…”?
-I think the author feels for Emily. When reading, I did not receive a negative perspective of her. However, the author may pity her. Also, as I read I never thought of her as a murderer, just a crazy lady. Perhaps the title of the story is from the bridal room of which holds the corpse of Homer. It describes it as having a faded rose look or something.
“Teenage Wasteland”
1. From whose point of view is the story told? How would you characterize the method employed—omniscient, limited omniscient, or objective?

-It’s difficult to determine who the narrator of this story is. I feel like it’s more of a parental point of view versus a teenager’s. Perhaps it could be from the principals. I think it is limited omniscient because the audience does not see Donny’s thoughts thoroughly. This opinion also adds to the fact that I believe it could be an adults view because they are going to skim over how the teenager feels and really focus on their own age group.
2. What is the significance of the opening paragraph of the story?
-The first paragraph really visualizes the character of Donny. How he has physically changed from a child to a distressed teenager.

2. Daisy is extremely self conscious and concerned about how others view her. Find instances of this trait in the text. How does it affect her approach to raising her children?
-She is very worried about her body physically and her attire when she meets Donny’s principal. She also is so easily influenced by Cal. She lets her son go off with him and agrees to so much where Cal has control of Donny.
4. Daisy’s attitude toward Cal undergoes frequent and at times rapid changes. Find examples in the text. What does she seem to think of him by the end of the story?
-She is really fond of Cal when she begins to see slight improvements with Donny and his attitude. However, when the history teacher notifies her that Donny’s grades are not improving, she gets angry with Cal and talks to him. Unfortunately, she immediately believes the excuse that he makes and his “B.S.” that he feeds her. Then, she okay with anything he does with her son. I believe at the end though, she realizes the hurt that he does to her son and her influence on Donny.
5. How does the portrayal of Donny’s sister, Amanda, help to clarify the larger concerns of the story?
-Amanda just magnifies the focus that the parents give to Donny. They are so concerned with “fixing” him that they begin to ignore their own daughter.
6. Would you describe Tyler’s presentation of Daisy as satirical or sympathetic? Can it be both at once? Explain.
-I think it can be both, but I see more sympathy than satirical. The only irony is see is that Daisy seems like a bright name and she is a dimmed character. She attempts to portray the dream mom, but lets a hippy take over her son and forgets about her own daughter. I feel much sympathy for her because she is so insecure that she cannot get her family in order.

Twelve Angry Jurors

Twelve Angry Jurors
“Twelve Angry Men” is a production that opens your eyes to the respect and importance of everyone’s opinion. The audience is taken to the scene of a jury that is responsible for the life of a young man. They must decide whether or not they believe he is guilty of murdering his own father. In the beginning of the play, all but one juror votes guilty. Throughout the play, the one juror who voted not guilty does not necessarily believes the young man is not guilty, yet she reminds the jury that they decide the fate of man’s life.
The juror, who votes not guilty, proceeds to support his choice by enlightening other jurors. As an audience member, I too, was easily swayed by the jury’s arguments. During the play, many themes were expressed. Racial prejudice was highlighted throughout the play. It was understood that several members of the jury had prejudice views and they let that affect their vote. This theme revealed how judgmental we can be sometime. Eleven jurors automatically voted this young man guilty partly because he was from the slums of the city and was recognized as an “up to no good” type of kid. In one of the scenes, some of the jury members even admit to their judgmental ways. I can say that this play was a good lesson and reminder of how it is so important to not be so quick to stereotype someone. As the play concludes; the entire jury votes “not guilty” by listening and respecting an opinion of one juror.
I also believe that confidence can be seen as a theme for this play. One juror decides to vote not guilty against eleven others. Throughout the entire play, he stays secure with his decision and presents an explanation with much thought and meaning behind it. It is so important that in everything you do; you do it because you believe in it. Also, that you do not let the majority affect what you do. It could have been very easy for the opposing juror to let the eleven other tell him that he was wrong and crazy, but she decided to follow her beliefs and instincts. She truly believed in herself and her thoughts. In the end, it was her who affected the rest of thr jury and decided that young man was innocent.
I feel like I walked out of the performance practically inspired. I truly believe in all that I received from the production. We should take in to consideration the meaning of life and the general respect that everyone in life deserves. One can never truly understand the life of another person because we travel different paths of life.

Flannery O' Conner

Flannery O’Conner
O’Conner really expresses her background and past throughout her short stories. I think we can all say that this is a very southern tradition that is emphasizing your personal history and relating it to lessons. It is obvious that O’Conner attracts readers to her short stories that involve southern settings, values, and backgrounds. I see strong southern traits in the three short stories I have read.
While reading “A Good Man is Hard to Find” it is clear to see that is it is written by a southern author. I first notice the southern setting, and then begin to recognize the characteristics of the grandmother. The kind of grandmother that goes on and on about the good old days and strongly expresses how you should be knowledgeable of your heritage and ancestors. Even the stop at Red Sammy’s reminds you of the southern hospitality. It’s the personal level that strangers reach within their first greeting, like how the grandmother and Red Sammy instantly begin to converse. They did not know each other, but as the owner Sammy greeted his customers and immediately connected.
Her religious back ground as a catholic somewhat spreads throughout her stories. Not so much Catholicism to be specific, but we see a lot of religion in her stories. In “Parker’s Back”, the character of Sarah Ruth is very religious and very committed to her beliefs. This character portrays strict views of religion. Even when Parker attempts to please Sarah Ruth with his religious tattoo, O’Conner’s personal traits are evident in her writing. We also see religion in “Revelation” when Mrs. Turnip, in my opinion, cries out to God about why someone would call her a wart hog from hell.
I believe all writers take personal experience and belief and incorporate it in their writing. What else would give them the best inspiration than their own actual background? It’s what makes the connection between the reader and the author, the reality of the story. Yes, sometimes when we read we desire to steer away from our own reality. However, in the end when we read something deeper than the fictional fantasy, we search for a connection. We strive to find a commonality with someone else in this world that enables us to understand each other better.
Word Count: 379

Never Thought I’d Wear Greek Letters

Let’s be completely honest, we all have our own opinions and stereotypes of those sorority girls and frat boys. I know I did before I became a member of a sorority. At first, I automatically thought that sorority girls were nothing but a bunch of attractive slutty spoiled brats that partied all the time. I remember before graduating high school, many girls would talk about how they were excited to rush in college. I just sat back and thought, “OK, you enjoy being hazed and humiliated to have a hundred so called sisters”. Greek life never interested me until I attended the U of M’s Frosh Camp Greek Session. It was here, that my opinion of Greek people did a complete 180. I learned that at the U of M, ninety percent of campus leadership positions were held by Greek people. Greeks had the highest G.P.A.’s. They contributed many hours to community service. The list can go on and on. When I decided to go Greek, I knew what sorority appealed to me the most. It wasn’t a hard decision at all. I feel in love with this particular one, because I was inspired by these women. It’s like they were everywhere on campus! I meet them as Orientation Guides, at Frosh Camp as counselors and a part of the executive board, members of Up ‘til Dawn, the president of S.G.A. and so much more! So these women excelled in leadership but it was more than that. There sisterhood was contagious! They were genuine and really cared for each other. I was so honored to become one of their sisters. I wanted to join a sorority that held the same values and beliefs as me. What was really special is that these girls made me feel so special and wanted. Back to stereotyping, going through recruitment was such a wonderful experience because I realized that my sorority really cared for me. They wanted me as a sister, not because of my resume, but because of who I am. I believe that my sorority serves as a personal development for me. I have learned so much from it and I have only been a member for a year. I’ve learned how to manage time better, lead in an effective way, develop organization skills, how to represent myself in a respectable manor, and I could go on and on. Most importantly, my sisters have taught me about the life I want to live and the ideals I want to attain as a woman of Alpha Gamma Delta.
Word Count:425

Fall!

The fall semester is always my favorite. You come back to school and it’s just like new! Seeing familiar faces again, recognizing change, and being introduced to new ideas! As a sophomore, I’ve come to enjoy the fall semester. Some of my favorite university traditions take place at this time. Football homecoming is one of them! Some of my favorite memories have taken place during it. Alpha Gamma Delta pairing up with a different fraternity and getting to know them more by creating the float, rehearsing for step show, or cheering on a the kick off or game! I also enjoy the cool change of weather. Although I am huge fan of warm weather, I always love to pull out my long sleeves and hoodie and head to class in the chilly morning. Or even heading to a corn maze or pumpkin patch! No matter how old I get, (and I’m 19) I still get a thrill out of carving a pumpkin! Halloween will always be a favorite holiday of mine. I love the spooky nature of it! Renting old scary movies and watching them while sipping hot cocoa just sets the scene for a perfect October evening. The fall is even the season for one of my favorite activities, which is baking. Anything to do with apple or pumpkin, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the recipe. Even if it’s not me baking it, I’ll order Starbuck’s pumpkin loaf bread or Einstein Brother’s pumpkin bagel with cream cheese…yummm! It’s the little things like that that make up the special season of fall for me! It’s the bright warm colors, the coziness of warmer clothes, the thrill of Halloween, the crisp air all around you, and the kickoff to the holiday season!
Word Count:295

Growing Up is Tough

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a “movie star”. Pretending is a favorite child hood memory of mine. I can honestly say I was a very imaginative kid. My parents claim that they never needed to go out of our home for entertainment because they had my brother and I. Yes, my brother was also very fond of acting. It was he who inspired to become involved with theatre in high school. I would always go to his plays that he performed in and was just taken away by the world of theatre. When I entered high school, I was so excited to begin my acting career. But I learned that acting was more than being on stage and being in the lime light of everyone. It was creating character far from your own, experimenting with new ideas, and learning the meaning of professionalism, the importance of unity with your peers, communication, and so much more. I learned that in the world of theatre, it’s more than just acting. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who taught about the equal balance of “actors” and “techies”. Also, that there is no such thing as a star or an extra. Every part is important. Everything on stage has a character and a meaning. Every move you make as a character has motivation behind it. All of these ideas and more make up the complete meaning of theatre. It was here, at Bolton High School, that I developed a passion for theatre. Now, when graduation drew nearer, I had a decision to make, whether to continue with theatre and make it my official career or to become a hospitality and resort management major. I choose the business route. It’s not that I gave up on theatre. I just wanted to keep it an enjoyment, rather than a way to pay the bills. Am I ignoring my passion by doing this? Have I done any theatre since high school? No. Other than claiming the role of an audience member, I have yet to return to theatre. It’s hard because I do miss it, but these are the decisions we have to make in our lives. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I study now. I just felt like it was time to be practical and not day dream about “making it” the rest of my life. It’s hard knowing what the right decision is. I hope I have made it and never regret it. If I were to go into theatre, I would love to be a high school theatre teacher. Therefore, I could share my passion with students, like my teacher once did for me. Right now I’m on the road to becoming a special events coordinator or something along those lines. I like my major because I’ve always been interested in the tourism industry. I know through time and prayer, God will show me what His plan for me is.

Up til Dawn

This year, I am honored to serve as a Moral Captain for our university's campus wide philanthropy Up 'til Dawn. Up 'til Dawn has one main purpose and tha is to raise the most money possible for the kids of St. Jude! It is so exciting because Up 'til Dawn reaches out to students and encourages them to contribute fundraising. This year, my eyes have really opened to the true meaning of Up 'til Dawn. Not only do we raise support kids financially, but we truly care for them. At the organization's kick off, I wittnessed the beauty of God's love for children. A five year old little girl named Ellen, a St. Jude patient, sang her beautiful heart out for a group of college students. Out of all the songs in the universe, she chose to sing "What a Wonderful World". After hearing her sing that, how could it not be? Here is a precious five year old who is sick, but is still on top of the world and singing about it too! Whenever I think I might have it hard, I just remind myself of little Ellen who has never experienced a normal life for a kid. If she can sing "What a Wonderful World" sick with cancer, then I can get through a "bad" day. :)