This week, there is no response due on "The Misfits." Instead, you are required to post the first paragraph of your final paper (including a thesis statement), although I'll give you until Wednesday to post. I will grade it as though it were a response essay.
You will have another vocab quiz on Wednesday as well, so study up!
Stereotypical Roles of Men and Women: A Role Reversal Between Husband and Wife in Bobbie Ann Mason’s Shiloh
ReplyDeleteAccording to the dictionary.com definition, literally speaking a stereotype is “a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group: The cowboy and Indian are American stereotypes”. More figuratively speaking stereotypes are preconceptions about someone or something without knowing for sure. They are basically assumptions that our society creates depending on our social norms. In Debbie Ann Mason’s “Shiloh”, the two main characters Leroy and Norma Jean are husband and wife. Leroy is recently out of work as a truck driver due to a leg injury and since his physical therapy requires him to do exercise, that motivated his wife Norma Jean to do the same. As Leroy’s wife, we readers are instinctually led to the belief that Norma Jean should be home with Leroy everyday taking care of him instead of concentrating on her body building. That is just our stereotype because that is certainly not the case. In Mason’s “Shiloh” there is a role reversal in the marriage of Leroy and Norma Jean.
William Arndt
ReplyDeleteEnglish 106
Chappell
April 23, 2012
Moving Forward
As individuals, we realize over time that people, family, or even time does not wait. Life moves on for it is a competitive world. With that being said, the only way to thrive as an individual is to keep moving forward. Many people find themselves stuck in times of past accomplishments or places. These are the people who find life begins to become a struggle because they are stuck in their ways while life goes by. Throughout the course of the semester the short stories that have been covered display the themes of time and the past. More specifically, in “The Liar,” by Tobias Wolff and “Shiloh,” by Bobbie Ann Mason (possibly “Fever” too) the authors illustrate the negative effects of what living in the past can do to a person’s life.
Jennifer Linke
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
25 April 2012
Societal Image of Adolescent Females: A Young Women’s Battle with Self-Image in Andre Dubus’s The Fat Girl
Society has constantly created an image or standard that people feel they must live by in order to “fit in” with others. There is a constant need to improve self-image or to change the way a person looks; whether it be by simply changing clothes, or undergoing surgery or other extremes to feel better about oneself. Societal image is most pressured upon adolescent females. In Andre Dubus’s, “The Fat Girl” Louise is constantly fighting an endless battle with changing her self-image in order to please her family and friends. She is pressured into losing weight, and has been reminded constantly that if she is overweight no man will ever love her. Carrie, her best friend, finally convinces her and helps her to lose the weight because she does not want Louise to end up alone. Louise throughout the story does not mention that she is extremely unhappy with her appearance, but the pressures from society and her family convince her that in order to be happy and successful she must be thin. Towards the end of the story it is clear that the societal image that she is trying to live up to do not make her happy, she ultimately is not happy when she is thin.
The Troubled Good Mothers
ReplyDeleteThe ideal image of the good mother as the nurturing, selfless, wise, patient, and loving angel is pervasive and persistent. No real woman can possibly fit into that description at all times, and yet society enthusiastically blames mothers for every deviation from the ideal. Critics of mothers, in fiction, in lunchroom chats, or in the media, may have noble intentions: it is important to let mothers know when they make mistakes. But pointing at an unattainable ideal only leaves mothers feeling defeated, anxious, and guilty. Andre Dubus, in “The Fat Girl,” and Tobias Wolff, in “The Liar,” present two mothers whose determination to be what society sees as good mothers causes considerable harm to their children.
Symbolism:
ReplyDeleteObjects standing for something beyond themselves
The term symbolism comes from the word symbol which was originated in ancient Greece when a piece of pottery was broken in half and given to two cities for an alliance. Symbolism was then used creatively in the nineteenth century in poems and literature. By definition symbolism is the use of symbols to represent an idea. It is a picture created in our minds to represent a deeper meaning. For example, the Eiffel Tower can represent Paris but the word “Paris” can symbolize love, fashion, and so much more. When we think of Paris we think of love and the magic of the city. Symbolism can have a large effect on literature and society because a simple word can summarize a whole new idea. Authors use it when they are trying and add deeper meaning or feeling to their story. Authors use symbols in their stories to portray that an object stands for something beyond itself.
Bryn Landino
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
7 May 2012
A Rebel Without a Cause:
Benefits of the Misfit Lifestyle in “The Misfits” and “The Fat Girl”
Everybody, at one point or another, has felt like an outsider or like they did not belong. You normally hear this feeling as bad thing. Is it in fact all bad? Movie characters such as Forrest Gump and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer prove that you can do great things and be happy when you are a misfit. In Arthur Miller’s short story, “The Misfits”, he describes the hardships of three men who are outsiders in the fact that they are men who do not work for money, which was generally unheard of at this point in time. Being a misfit is not necessarily a bad thing. You can be independent and free, you learn about yourself, and you find what is really important in life.
Zachary Westfall
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106w
April 25 2012
Role reversal in relationship is becoming popular with society realizing women can do the same things as men. As we move forward in time women role are becoming more important with most families now both parents have jobs and both play a major role in putting food on the table. A lot of factors play a role in the change of women's role some of the major ones being women's rights the economy and equal treatment. The old way of things is the men goes to work every day and earns the money while the wife stays home and takes care of the house. Stereo typically that was how it was suppose to be though recently it is becoming more popular the opposite is happening. In the short story "Shilo" by Bobbie Ann Mason there is role reversal between the husband Leroy and the wife Norma Jean. Leroy was truck driver up until his rig jack-knifed and he injured his leg, now Norma Jean has to fulfill the role of the bread winner.
Chynna Burroughs
ReplyDeleteBolster
Eng 106W
25 April 2012
There are certain constructs that our society holds us to. There are certain standards and roles by which we hold to. The society we reside in makes up theses norms that individuals are supposed to live by. In the story of “Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason, husband and wife Leroy and Norma Jean break from the traditional roles of society. They are forced to switch the standard roles assigned to husband and wife, which in turn breeds resentment between them and within themselves.
Nicole DeFosche
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
EN 106W
25 April 2012
Insecurities of Women: Female Self Consciousness and Social Judgment in The Fat Girl & The story of a Scar
In today’s society, many women and young women face the struggles of trying to meet the standards of a certain “image.” This image maybe tall, girls wishing they were 6 feet tall, skinny, girls wishing they had the stick figure body of a model, or even having soft skin, skin girls aren’t embarrassed about to be seen in public. These are just some of the insecurities of young girls. In two short stories, particularly, “The Fate Girl” and “The Story of a Scar, they show us how women and young women deal with certain insecurities they face in society day to day. We see how they react when other characters point out they’re insecurities and how they stick up for themselves
Alyssa Downey
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Intro to Fiction
25 April 2012
In American society, there is a push to have everyone agree on everything. Americans, especially teenagers, are pressured to follow social norms. These norms are what society agrees are the ideal ways of living and thinking. Although social norms can ensure security and a satisfactory lifestyle, if one can not fit into society’s mold, there will be personal consequences. People who do not conform face harsh consequences such as discrimination, large amounts of stress, and low self esteem. Social norms are dangerous as seen in many 20th century American short stories.
Brandon Johnson
ReplyDeleteDr. Chappell
Intro To Fiction
26 April 2012
To be a good mother there are a variety of things that a mother must do and that she represent to set a good example for her children. In The Story "The Liar" by Tobias Wolff i think there is a bit of irony that takes place. Usually kids pick up everything that they see other people do. So in many ways its not the child's fault for being a liar it is essentially the parent.
Naomi Alphonso
ReplyDeleteMr. Bolster
Writing Final
April 4th 2012
The Truth About Lies
Whether one calls I “lying” or simply “omitting the truth,” almost everybody does it.
David L. Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy at the University of New England explains that the tendency to tell tales is “a very natural human trait.”(Smith 12) Lying allows one to manipulate how others see them. In the story of The Liar, James is faced with the hardship of his father dying. It is evident throughout the story that there is a physical and emotional disconnect between James and his mother. This causes James to venture out into an imaginary world, founded on lies: A world where his mother does not exist and he can live without the restraints of her controlling demeanor.
Karina Rodriguez
ReplyDeleteMay 2012
English 106W
Professor Chappell
Your own biggest criticizer
In todays day in age people are judged by what they eat, how fat or skinny they are, and how beautiful or ugly they may be. Many men and women also tend to be their own biggest criticizer; they feel upset when they look at models on a magazine or in movies/TV shows. Men and Women forget how important it is to feel on the inside instead of judging one’s self from the outside. In the short story, “The Story of The Scar,” it shows us how women are insecure about their bodies and what they are willing to do to fix it up to make either their self or the people around them happy. That short story focuses mainly on the women in the story; here the focus will be on both men and women and how society and all themselves judge their self.
Character Flaws
ReplyDeleteAll characters are bound by flaws. Some flaws are little and others are what make the character who he or she is. Characters like George in Ann Beattie’s short story “Weekend” are full of regret, remorse, and betrayal. This could be why he neglects to show the woman he is with any attention and why he is always having young girls visit him and spend the weekend at his house. Other characters like James in the short story “The Liar” by Tobias Wolff are filled with lies, confusion, and also he is a little bit conceded. James is busy convincing people to believe his lies are the truth, but in reality he is convincing himself that his lie in the truth and he is slowly believing his own lies. Lastly characters like the Fisherman in Lawrence Sargent Hall’s short story “The Ledge” are jam-packed with pride and egotism. It’s possible the Fisherman had too much pride which led to his death. The Fisherman believes he is the best and no one can even contend with him out on the see. Characters have many flaws which lead them to their downfall and sometimes their death.
Ryan McDonald
ReplyDelete“The Liar” explores the various methods in which a developing teenager mentally compensates for a traumatic experience that gives the reader the choice of honoring or rejecting the grievance style of James.