The Joy of Cooking
By: Elaine Magarrell

I found this poem to be extremely disturbing.  Magarrell clearly has some resentment towards her brother and sister.  I also believe that she probably possesses some kind of mental disorder.  The descriptions she gives of hurting her siblings is not normal.  In the first stanza, she describes skinning her sister's tongue.  "I have prepared my sister's tongue, scrubbed and skinned it..."  This is not a normal way to begin a poem, especially not one about your own family!  She describes slicing her sister's tongue as well; she even considers different sauces that she can put on her sister's tongue after doing this.  This crazy idea makes me think that Magarrell's sister must have verbally insulted her.  In the second stanza, Magarrell continues to prove that she is crazy.  She says that she will slowly cook her brother's heart to eat.  She also explains that her brother had a small heart.  "Although beef heart serves six my brother's heart barely feeds two."  Magarrell definitely has some sort of unresolved bitterness towards her two siblings.  Overall, this poem leaves me with one question: what did her siblings even do to her?!

Those Winter Sundays

By: Robert Hayden

In this very brief poem, the narrator describes his father.  He worked outside in the harsh conditions of winter.  He had "cracked hands that ached from labor" because of this (781).  The narrator mentions that his father was never thanked for his work.  "No one ever thanked him" (781).  He worked so hard to get the rooms of their house warm.  In addition, he would polish the narrator's good shoes.  The narrator's father seems like a stiff, quiet man.  It seems like he was kind of reserved, in addition to his strong work ethic.  I think that maybe the father was bitter about the fact that his hard work basically went unnoticed.  The narrator realizes that he took his father's determination to create a better life for granted.

The Drunkard
By: Frank O'Connor

I found this short story to be very unique.  I have never even heard of a story about a young child being drunk.  In the story, Larry, the young boy, goes to the pub with his father.  His father is an alcoholic and can never stop drinking once he starts.  Larry gets very thirsty and drinks his father's beer while he is not paying attention.  His father has no idea how to regain control of the situation, and he definitely has no clue how to help his child sober up.  I think that a theme of this short story is that children are products of their environment.  They see and learn things from their parents, and they often imitate these things.  Larry's father was an alcoholic.  His son didn't really comprehend his father's issue, but he seemed to be aware that something was wrong with his dad's behavior.  The father is careless and should not have even brought his son into the bar.  Furthermore, he should have at least watched his child while there.  Larry saw his dad enjoy beer, and he was curious to see what it tasted like.  "...and the idea occurred to me that it would be interesting to know what the contents were like" (347).  His father basically allowed the situation to happen by taking him into a bar in the first place.

Once Upon a Time
By: Nadine Gordimer

This "fairy tale" was a perfect example of irony.  Gordimer gives a brief anecdote at the beginning to explain that the story readers are about to read was one that she told when asked to write a children's story.  When most people think of a children's story, they probably think of a cute story with a minor conflict.  The conflict is resolved in the end, and everyone lives "happily ever after."  Gordimer tells a story completely opposite of this.  Ironically, she tells a story about a wealthy family that is extremely insecure in their neighborhood.  Many of the surrounding houses had been broken into, and the family (especially the mother) was fearful of this happening to them.  They went to extreme measures to protect their house.  Some of these included burglar bars on all the windows, an alarm system, a tall wall around the house, and razor coils all around the walls of the house.  The family successfully kept out burglars, but they did not stay safe themselves.  One day, the young son decided to play outside.  "...He dragged a ladder to the wall, the shining coiled tunnel was just wide enough for his little body to creep in, and with the first fixing of its razor-teeth in his knees and hands and head he screamed and struggled deeper into its tangle" (236).  The family took such extreme measures to protect their family and house, but they did not consider the dangers it posed for their young son.  It is ironic that the things they did to ensure their safety actually hurt their only child.  Gordimer's version of a children's story is disturbing, and I do not think that this story would be appropriate to tell any young kids.

A Worn Path
By: Eudora Welty

While reading this short story, I was kind of unsure as to what the point of the story was.  Phoenix Jackson, the main character, is a very elderly African American woman.  Her journey led her through many struggles on a path through the forest.  This consisted of many challenges such as walking through a creek, climbing uphill, and walking through a cornfield with no visible path.  After finishing this story and considering its symbolism, I think that Phoenix's journey is symbolic of the memory of slavery for African Americans.  I came to this conclusion when Phoenix said "'seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far'" (224).  The chains hint at the fact that this journey symbolizes slavery.  I am not sure when this story was supposed to take place, so it may be symbolic to Phoenix personally.  Otherwise, it could simply symbolize the painful memory of slavery for African Americans as a whole.  Phoenix's journey was tiring, difficult, and fearful.  This is probably how slaves felt everyday.  I also think that the journey could symbolize the difficulty of escaping slavery.  When Phoenix encountered the white man, she seemed very nervous.  However, she did not even flinch at the sight of his gun.  I am positive that slaves on a journey to freedom would have experienced a great amount of fear when they encountered a white person.  Because of this, I think that this short story could also represent the struggles of escaping such a terrible life.

A Raisin in the Sun (Blog 5)
By: Lorraine Hansberry

The characters of this play can be divided into three specific categories: those who make things happen, those who watch what happens, and those who are left wondering what happened.  I believe that Walter Younger serves as a perfect example of a character that makes things happen.  As the protagonist of the play, all of Walter's actions and words affect his family.  When Walter loses all of the money to Willy, his sullen mood affects the whole family.  He leaves everyone in a state of hopelessness, as they all believe they will never truly find happiness in their lives.  Mama is an ideal example of one who watches what happens.  Mama serves as an important character by offering good advice to her family.  Aside from this, she does not really ever take major actions in situations.  She buys a house, but she does nothing to convince her son that it is the best family decision when he becomes angry over the issue.  She is almost afraid to stand up to her children and defend herself.  A character that is always left wondering what happened is Travis.  Although he is only 10, Travis' parents make no effort to keep him informed about family matters.  Whenever a serious conversation is brought up, they send their son outside.  "'You go outside and play now, baby'" (471).  Ruth says this to Travis when Mama receives the $10,000 check.  This statement goes to show that Ruth and Walter do not try to inform their son about what is going on in the family.  Travis always seems confused when he hears his parents and relatives talking, and this proves that he is consistently kept out of the loop.  Overall, Hansberry successfully divides up her characters into categories based on how involved each character is with the progression of actions.

A Raisin in the Sun (Blog 4)
By: Lorraine Hansberry

I think that Walter Younger is struggling with a major internal conflict in this play.  His family is struggling and does not have much money.  Walter dreams of a life full of money to get everything he has ever wanted out of life.  Unfortunately, he is so hung up on the idea of money, that he experiences many frustrations.  He takes these frustrations out on his family.  He is constantly annoyed and picks fights with people frequently.  "'Ain't you had it yet?  Don't you see no stars gleaming that you can't reach out and grab?  You happy? ...Man I'm a volcano'" (484).  Walter says this to Ruth in the midst of an argument.  This serves as a perfect example of how frustrated Walter is with his life and its lack of happiness.  I think that his internal conflict is centered around the idea of achieving a better life for his family.  I think that Walter feels pressure to provide his family with a better life since his father is no longer around.  Walter feels obligated to make his family happier, and this ultimately makes him unhappy.  He is not proud of his job as a chauffeur, and he dreams of opening a liquor store.  He realizes that he needs $10,000 to do this, but he cannot get this quantity of money all on his own.  I think that Walter also internally struggles with the fact that he cannot achieve this dream for himself without the help of others.  In the end, though, the Younger's head towards a better, more promising future.  This signals that Walter has overcome his internal conflict.

A Raisin in the Sun (Blog 3)
By: Lorraine Hansberry

One of the biggest themes presented in this play is that of racial discrimination.  Right from the beginning, readers are informed that the Younger family is African American.  However, very little information is provided about their discrimination until Act II, Scene 3.  In this scene, Mr. Lindner is introduced.  He is a member of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association.  Clybourne Park is an all-white neighborhood, and the people assumed that an African American family would disturb the peace.  He offers the family money to not move into their new house.  This part shocked me because I do not understand how people can be so racist.  Proud of his culture, Walter stands up to Mr. Lindner and refuses the offer.  "'And we have decided to move into our house because my father-my father-he earned it for us brick by brick.  We don't want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors.  And that's all we got to say about that.  We don't want your money'" (532).  The Younger's show their pride and strength and still move into their new house.  This play does an exceptional job of showing that people must stand up to those that discriminate them.  Nothing will get better if one backs down and allows discriminators to win.

A Raisin in the Sun (Blog 2)
By: Lorraine Hansberry

This play is filled with symbolism.  The symbol that I found to be most important is Mama's plant.  I think that the plant stood for Mama's dream for a house and better life for her family.  At the beginning of the story, the family is really struggling.  "'Lord, if this little old plant don't get more sun than it's been getting it ain't never going to see spring again'" (448).  I think that this meant that the plant was dying, just as Mama's dream was dying at this point in the play.  Their apartment received little light, which was killing the plant.  Similarly, the Younger's were in a dark place.  They were extremely poor and were not all getting along.  Mama mentions her plant at other points in the story.  At the end, they are moving to go to their new house.  Mama is the last person to exit the apartment.  She looks around and picks up the plant as she is leaving.  I think that this showed that Mama was taking one last look at her family's hardships.  The new house was said to have an area in the backyard where Mama could garden; her family even got her gardening tools as a gift before moving.  This showed that the plant would have an environment with enough sun.  Because of this, the plant would thrive and live longer.  This symbolized how the lives of the Younger's were going to improve.  They were heading towards a new beginning and new happiness.

A Raisin in the Sun (Blog 1)
By: Lorraine Hansberry

Throughout the entirety of this play, I noticed a significant change in Walter Lee Younger, the protagonist.  This change actually surprised me because it did not happen until suddenly at the end.  Every time that Hansberry hinted at a change in Walter's character, he did something to set me back to my initial opinion about him.  When I first began reading this play, I saw Walter as a disrespectful and rude man.  He was outright rude to Ruth, his wife.  At the beginning of Act II, Scene 1, Walter returns home one evening very drunk.  He and Ruth are fighting, which seems to be happening a lot lately in their marriage.  Ruth offers her husband hot milk or coffee to drink, and Walter explodes.  Events like this caused me to lose more and more respect for Walter.  However, I gained back respect for Walter in Act II, Scene 2.  Walter exhibits a sense of confidence and happiness when Mama gives him $6500 ($3000 for Beneatha's education and $3500 to invest in his liquor store).  After becoming extremely excited, Walter talks to his 10-year-old son Travis.  He motivates his son about his future.  "'Just tell me where you want to go to school and you'll go.  Just tell me, what it is you want to be-and you'll be it....Whatever you want to be-Yessir!  You just name it son...and I hand you the world'" (502).  I thought this scene was going to be Walter's turning point.  However, I was disappointed in Act II, Scene 3 when he kept all of the money to himself.  I thought this was especially selfish of him.  In the end, though, Walter proves himself to be a respectable man.  When Mr. Lindner is invited over again, Walter stands up to him.  He defends his family and says they will be moving into their house in Clybourne Park.  I was happy when Walter did this; it signified a new man in Walter Younger.  In addition, I think it symbolized the new and happier life the Younger's were going to now experience.