The Joy of Cooking / Elaine Magarrell

Isn’t this a TV cooking show? The title suggests a happy poem.  It suggests a delicious meal.  This is not the case at all.  The tone seems dark but sarcastic.  The speaker is cooing parts of his siblings.  The sister’s tongue is described to have bones and gristle which tongues do not have.  This represents a course nature to her speech not so mush in its sound but in its content.  It seems like she would either cuss a lot or speak poorly of other people.  She may even be a habitual gossiper. The sister must also talk a lot because the poem says her tongue will grow back. “I will have my brother’s heart, which is firm and rather dry,” (Magarrell handout).  The brother is portrayed as a hard hearted person.  He is detached and uncaring.  He also does not express himself much.

Those Winter Sundays / Robert Hayden

The poem talks of the past.  The speaker did not appreciate his father as he should have.  His father cared deeply for him and he was not thanked.  The father even shined the son’s shoes and was not thanked for it.  The father also worked to light other people’s fire and was never thanked.  The father must have a hard life because they describe his hand as rough.  He also has to wake up early in the morning to warm his house. “What did I know, what did I know” (Hayden 782).  This shows how the son does not appreciate his father.  The line also shows that he now realizes that he should have appreciated his father more.  This poem seems to say that people should appreciate their parents more.

The Drunkard / Frank O’Connor

This story seems to be a comedic episode.  It has a lot of comedic comments thought out the story. “It struck me very cool, the way grownups assumed that you could play all by yourself on a strange road” (O’Connor 346).  I find this comment by the boy very funny.  I remember when I was littler and I would have to what for my parent to leave parties.  This is also similar to when they ask you to stop playing and get ready to leave but then talk for another 15 minutes after your ready.  I think it’s interesting how the boy expected to have to take care of the father but it ends up being the opposite. The boy does do his job well of keeping his father under control because he drinks his drink.  The next morning I find it interesting that his mother thanks him for what he did even they she was worried the night before.  It is confusing thought as to whether the father was already on a drinking spree or not. They talk about what happened when he does drink but it is hard to figure out if this is currently or previously.

Once Upon a Time / Nadine Gordimer

Does anyone else see this as kind of sadistic?  This story reminds me of the Brother’s Grime version of Cinderella I watched in German.  The step sisters in order to marry the prince mutilates their feet at the urging of there mother.  One cut of her toes and the other cut of her heel.  The opening story is interesting because it connects to the bed time story.  They both are related to burglars.  “YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED” (Gordimer 233). This fraise is interesting because it seems to be aimed at the burglars but is actually a lesson for the homeowners.  They try to prevent others from coming into the house but simultaneously they are making their lives less enjoyable and more constricted.  They also end up surrounding themselves with danger.  Even with all these protections people continually get their houses broken into.  I find it interesting how the writer has no protection against burglars and the family has all the safeguards they could have and end up hurting themselves.  The bed time story could be viewed as a comforting story for the writer because it shows reasons for not taking all the precautions.

A Worn Path / Eudora Welty

The characterization of Phoenix is very interesting.  She is an old black woman and seems to be senile.  She continually takes to herself as she walks along.  She also says sporadic things as she is talking to other people.  Another thing that she might be senile is once she reaches the doctors office she forgets why she came.  Phoenix is clothes are very cheep and she wares a rag over her head.  These descriptive characteristics she how poor she is.  The other characters in the story suggest her setting.  Racial discrimination is still around because the black children are playing out of town and the boy she meets long the way points a gun in her face.  The story also mentions that she remembers the end of the civil war.  “‘All right. The doctor said as long as you came to get it, you could have it,’ said the nurse. ‘But it’s an obstinate case’” (Welty 230).  She has been around he town for a long time because everyone seems to know her.  The doctor also has been giving her medicine for her grandson for three years.  She makes this journey about once a month all year long on a regular schedule.  Her name I also think is interesting because she is getting older but out of her work and effort her grandson is surviving like a ner phoenix rising from the ashes of an old one.

A Raisin in the Sun / Lorraine Hansberry / question 4

Many different things in life can make us change our opinions and actions.  In the play Ruth does this.  “(Beaten) Yes I would Too, Walter. (Pause) I gave her a five dollar down payment” (Hansberry 476).  This quote shows her decision which in the line before Walter thinks she could never make.  Walter thinks she could never make a decision to kill her baby. She seems to be shaking on this opinion because of the current strains on her family.  They are poor and fighting to stay above water.  She thinks that another baby might push them over their limits causing them to suffer greatly or maybe die. Mama expressed this by mentioning that a mother may sacrifice her unborn child if she thinks it will save those other members of her family that are already alive.  The stress on Ruth’s family causes her to take an action that others though she would never take.  The world and others can influence people to de many thing though unthinkable if there is enough pressure behind their influence. 

A Raisin in the Sun / Lorraine Hansberry / question 5

There is a large gap between the different parts of the family.  Mama and Big Walter were living during the civil rights movement.  Mama remembers this and thinks having a job and dignity are the most important things to have.  This is shoed by her statement to Walter.  “I’m looking at you. You a good-looking boy. You got a job, a nice wife, a fine boy and” (Hansberry 475).  Walter and Beneatha think of money as a necessary part of live. They also think of it as the main goal in life.   The two different generations value different thing more than others.  They each think of something different as the most important thing to strive for in life.  This differents in goals create a rift in the topic of most of their conversations which differ and seem to oppose each other.  The social norms of different generations create a rift in their communication to each other. 

A Raisin in the Sun / Lorraine Hansberry Qusetion 1

The whole play is about people looking for a better life.  All the characters have a different view on how to make a better life for themselves.  Walter hopes to go into business and make his fortune.  This business will make him rich and allow him to give things to his wife and family.  “You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction…a business transaction that’s going to change our lives” (Hansberry 502).  This shows what he hopes to accomplish with his dream.  His change relies on mama’s money to invest in the business. Beneatha hopes to change her life by becoming a doctor.  She witnessed what could be done through medicine when she was little and hopes to bring meaning to her life by doing something that she thinks is helpful to society.  She hopes to gain meaning in her life.  She wishes to become a helpful part of society and find self fulfillment her goal also relies on mama’s money.

A Raisin in the Sun / Lorraine Hansberry / question 12

“Yessss! All of it…it’s all gone…” (Hansberry 518).  This is a point of no return for the entire family.  They had this money coming and it seemed to be able to fulfill all their dreams.  It is then stolen by Walters supposed business partner.  This crushes all their dreams.  They are then right back were they were before they had gotten the money.  It seems to have an even more detrimental impact on Walter.  He was supposed to take care of the money and he spent it all even the money he was supposed to save for Beneatha’s college.  He then seems to be going to try and take advantage of another person like he was taken.  He thinks the only way to get ahead is to swindle others.  Those he makes it rich are just those who can swindle others the best.  He ends up not fallowing through with his plan but he then is stuck were he was before and is going to have to work a low level job just to keep him and his family above water.

A Raisin in the Sun / Lorraine Hansberry

I find the placement of the poem dream deferred at the beginning of the play is very powerful.  The whole play is almost an elaborated version of the poem.  The title also talks about raisins similar to the poem.  In the poem it makes a simile between differed dreams and dried up raisins.  The title of the play is a raisin in the sun which would dry up like the in the poem.  In the play each character has a personal dream which just seem to be out of reach.  They all hope to do better with their lives but do not seem to have enough money do actually fulfill their dreams.  They then get a 10,000 dollar insurance check which gives them a chance to reach their dreams but it does not seem to be enough for everyone.  “So you butchered up a dream of mine-you-who always talking ‘bout your children’s dreams…” (Hansberry 492).  Walter’s dream is differed and he seems to shrivel because of it.  This is a lot like what would happen to a raison in the sun.