The story "Minutes of Glory" by James Ngugi was a descent story. The main character Wanjiru known as Beatrice, throughout the story, really was trying to find herself. She went from workplace to workplace looking and looking. When really Beatrice couldn't be happy until she was happy within herself.
Beatrice is an African American woman who is unhappy with the way she looks. I and so many women go through what Beatrice is going through in this story. We think it is material things or a man that could make us happy. We put ourselves down before anyone else could. Like at the beginning of the story, where she basically describes herself as ugly and that her body was dark and full fleshed. Also, she made it seem like she was gigantic by describing her walk as wobbly.
The things, us, as women see on television affects our minds also. Television make women think that you are not beautiful unless you look a certain way. If you think about it if we all looked the same way and acted the same way, what would make us different from each other.
For a certain time in my life I had low self-esteem. I would, on certain days, look into the mirror and say, "today is not my day, I don't look pretty at all". I also used to care about what people said about me or thought about me. Until one day, I came to realize that there is always going to be people out in the world that is going to talk about you no matter how pretty you are. What matters is what you think about yourself.
A lot of women do what Beatrice did in the story. Beatrice went out and bought herself a outfit to get attention. She wanted a self-confidence boost. She wanted to feel good for that moment. Women in this world today do the exact same thing. They put on short shorts or skirts or come out the house half-dressed all for attention. The thing all women including myself need to realize is, yes it feels good to get that attention but when it's over if your unhappy with yourself you will still be unhappy with yourself.
My overall opinion of "Minutes of Glory" by James Ngugi is I liked the story and would read another story similar to it. What I didn't like though was how he left you hanging at the end wondering what happened to Beatrice after she was arrested. Stories that leave you hanging needs a Part 2!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
GordimerResponse
Nadine Gordimer is a very interesting writer. What makes her interesting to me is the fact she writes using a narrator that no one knows who they are or if they are telling the truth.
The story, "Amnesty" was a good story to me. The story combined the emotions sad and happy all wrapped up into one story. The story made me feel sad for the main female character because all her husband did when he came home from prison was get her pregnant again and the left again. He left saying, "he don't know when he is coming back and and there will not be any financial support." she was happy when he came home. I understand the main female characters feelings because a lot of men in this world today do the exact same thing the man in the story did. Whether the man is in prison or he just got up and left leaving the woman to take care of their children without any financial support. I do agree having children is a blessing but single mothers' like me would also consider having the man together with the children would be a blessings also.
In Gordimer's story, "Six feet of the Country" she had in a man's voice. I found the man to be a racist butt hole, excuse my language. The story made me mad in a couple of parts of the story. When the man said, "there are so many black faces- surely one will do?" That part really sparked a madness in me.
In both of Gordimer's stories I mentioned, she references to the Apartheid. Whether it was shown in "Amnesty" where she had to get a permit just to go to Cape Town. Also, naming her child Inkululeko was a symbol because her name referred to freedom. In "Six Feet of the Country" the land was owned by white men.
Overall, both of Gordimer's stories were good to me. I would read another story like "Amnesty". I was able to relate to the female main character in the story. I think that is what made the story interesting to me. I would not read another like "Six Feet of the Country." I don't like to read stories that make me mad. Also, with me being an African American I rather not read stories that have racist parts in it.
The story, "Amnesty" was a good story to me. The story combined the emotions sad and happy all wrapped up into one story. The story made me feel sad for the main female character because all her husband did when he came home from prison was get her pregnant again and the left again. He left saying, "he don't know when he is coming back and and there will not be any financial support." she was happy when he came home. I understand the main female characters feelings because a lot of men in this world today do the exact same thing the man in the story did. Whether the man is in prison or he just got up and left leaving the woman to take care of their children without any financial support. I do agree having children is a blessing but single mothers' like me would also consider having the man together with the children would be a blessings also.
In Gordimer's story, "Six feet of the Country" she had in a man's voice. I found the man to be a racist butt hole, excuse my language. The story made me mad in a couple of parts of the story. When the man said, "there are so many black faces- surely one will do?" That part really sparked a madness in me.
In both of Gordimer's stories I mentioned, she references to the Apartheid. Whether it was shown in "Amnesty" where she had to get a permit just to go to Cape Town. Also, naming her child Inkululeko was a symbol because her name referred to freedom. In "Six Feet of the Country" the land was owned by white men.
Overall, both of Gordimer's stories were good to me. I would read another story like "Amnesty". I was able to relate to the female main character in the story. I think that is what made the story interesting to me. I would not read another like "Six Feet of the Country." I don't like to read stories that make me mad. Also, with me being an African American I rather not read stories that have racist parts in it.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tapplar-Chinua Achebe
I felt that the stories by Chinua Achebe, called " Girls at War" and " The Madman" were very interesting stories. The way he presents them are different than what I am used to reading. Being introduced to him has opened my mind to a different kind of writing.
The text "Girls at War" expresses the sayings you my hear people say all the time. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. I always wondered how people that are always doing other people wrong always seem to receive good things in return. I always try to do things right. I always try to do people right. I don't brother people to try to cause them drama in their life. For some reason though, people always bother me. They always are in my business trying to cause me drama. It seems like people that may be mean, irritating people have a lot of things they want. People that are trying to do right struggle more. Of course, I am from the outside looking in. I could be wrong but I also believe that there is always someone out there that is worst off then I am. In the "Girls at War" it seems very backwards that Nwankwo lived at the end and he wasn't a very good person. Gladys died and she was a good person trying to save someone else's life. The selfish survived!
The text " The Madman" by Chinua Achebe proves that people start to believe they are what people say they are just from hearing it all the time. For instance, if you were to tell a child he can't do certain things all the time they start to believe they can't do it and they won't. You call a child stupid or dumb all the time they start to believe they are stupid or dumb. My mother installed that belief in me when I was very young. She would always say," words have power". She never let me say can't, she said I can do everything and anything I put my mind to. The words stupid and dumb were like saying a curse word and you knew cursing was completely wrong. I now have four children and I say the same thing to them. They are not allowed to say they can't do anything. I also don't allow them to call each other stupid or dumb. Words have meaning! Achebe proved that with " The Madman", Nwibe was not a madman. He started to believe he was because that is what he was called.
I enjoyed reading both" Girls at War" and "The Madman". I found them to be very entertaining. I do think that "The Madman" started off kind of slow to me. I am used to reading stories that start off with action. But, like I said at the begining, Achebe has opened my mind to another type of reading I'm not used to. I actually enjoyed the stories!
The text "Girls at War" expresses the sayings you my hear people say all the time. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. I always wondered how people that are always doing other people wrong always seem to receive good things in return. I always try to do things right. I always try to do people right. I don't brother people to try to cause them drama in their life. For some reason though, people always bother me. They always are in my business trying to cause me drama. It seems like people that may be mean, irritating people have a lot of things they want. People that are trying to do right struggle more. Of course, I am from the outside looking in. I could be wrong but I also believe that there is always someone out there that is worst off then I am. In the "Girls at War" it seems very backwards that Nwankwo lived at the end and he wasn't a very good person. Gladys died and she was a good person trying to save someone else's life. The selfish survived!
The text " The Madman" by Chinua Achebe proves that people start to believe they are what people say they are just from hearing it all the time. For instance, if you were to tell a child he can't do certain things all the time they start to believe they can't do it and they won't. You call a child stupid or dumb all the time they start to believe they are stupid or dumb. My mother installed that belief in me when I was very young. She would always say," words have power". She never let me say can't, she said I can do everything and anything I put my mind to. The words stupid and dumb were like saying a curse word and you knew cursing was completely wrong. I now have four children and I say the same thing to them. They are not allowed to say they can't do anything. I also don't allow them to call each other stupid or dumb. Words have meaning! Achebe proved that with " The Madman", Nwibe was not a madman. He started to believe he was because that is what he was called.
I enjoyed reading both" Girls at War" and "The Madman". I found them to be very entertaining. I do think that "The Madman" started off kind of slow to me. I am used to reading stories that start off with action. But, like I said at the begining, Achebe has opened my mind to another type of reading I'm not used to. I actually enjoyed the stories!
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Stranglehold of English Lit.
" The Stranglehold of English Lit." By: Felix Mnthali
How can everyone only talk about Jane Austen's people and forget about what " REALLY" went on. The text relates to me by, I always ask myself, " why do people ( family and friends) only see the mistakes I have made in my life and don't see the accomplishments in my life. The part in the poem that states," While history went on mocking the victims of branding irons and sugar-plantations that made Jane Austen's people wealthy beyond compare!" People are talking about certain things that went on not thinking about or saying anything about other situations that happened. They "CHOOSE" not to see!
That part of the poem also supports the reason why I agree with the author Felix Mnthali. Humans in this world today only see or hear what they want to see or hear. The poem was a little challenging to me. For example, the part where he says," Your elegance of deceit, Jane Austen lulled the sons and daughters of the dispossessed into a calf-love with irony and satire around imaginary people." This part confused me! I was completely lost!
I probably would not read anything else like this unless it was made a little less confusing to me. I am not saying he is not a good writer. I just dont like reading texts that confuses me.
How can everyone only talk about Jane Austen's people and forget about what " REALLY" went on. The text relates to me by, I always ask myself, " why do people ( family and friends) only see the mistakes I have made in my life and don't see the accomplishments in my life. The part in the poem that states," While history went on mocking the victims of branding irons and sugar-plantations that made Jane Austen's people wealthy beyond compare!" People are talking about certain things that went on not thinking about or saying anything about other situations that happened. They "CHOOSE" not to see!
That part of the poem also supports the reason why I agree with the author Felix Mnthali. Humans in this world today only see or hear what they want to see or hear. The poem was a little challenging to me. For example, the part where he says," Your elegance of deceit, Jane Austen lulled the sons and daughters of the dispossessed into a calf-love with irony and satire around imaginary people." This part confused me! I was completely lost!
I probably would not read anything else like this unless it was made a little less confusing to me. I am not saying he is not a good writer. I just dont like reading texts that confuses me.
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