Sibling Rivalry

As I read "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" the description of June made me think of sibling rivalry and its harmful effects. The following cartoon illustrates the unhealthy effects of favoring children.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/cgo/lowres/cgon511l.jpg

Towards the beginning of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Oates describes the dichotomy between Connie and her sister, June. During our discussion in class, I mentioned that Connie may behave the way she does because she wants to be the opposite of her sister, who is portrayed as the better child of the family. Some people disagreed with this view because Connie later states that her mother may like her better than June. However, it's important to note that this speculation was only superficial and was almost a side comment:

"This did not really mean she disliked Connie and actually Connie thought that her mother preferred her to June because she was prettier..."

The rest of this sentence goes back to saying that there is some tension between Connie and her mother. Personally, I think this statement was made due to Connie's insecurities that she isn't like her sister and never will be. As the cartoon shows, putting one child up on a pedestal (as the mother in the story does with June) negatively impacts the other child and is very unhealthy.  Since June is always the child that is being extolled in this story, perhaps Connie resents June and does not want to be anything like her.  So, she goes about everything with a negative attitude and displays bad behavior.   

Through this example of sibling rivalry, Oates achieved one of her purposes, which was to show the reader the various feminine roles in society. Connie's sister displays more traditional roles of women while Connie displays a more progressive persona. By contrasting these roles, Oates demonstrates the two extremes of feminine roles in society at the time. 

Hills Like White Elephants

http://bubblesinmyhead.blogspot.com/2006/03/duality-of-imagery-in-hemingways-hills.html

The following quote from Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" really stood out to me:

"'Yes,' said the girl. 'Everything tastes like licorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for, like absinthe.'"

During class today, we mentioned the licorice in our analysis of the story and how it may relate to abortion or pregnancy.  However, I thought it had more to do with Jig's desires to have a baby in the first place. By stating that the hills look like white elephants (which she mentions twice to gain the American's attention), she first tries to start a conversation about her pregnancy.  When Jig mentions the licorice, Hemingway draws a parallel between the bitter taste of the drink and the bitter feeling that she has towards her pregnancy. At first, she wanted to try the drink, so she asked the American to order it for her, only to realize that she dislikes it.  Similarly, she wanted to have a child at first, but after she actually has a "taste" of what pregnancy is like, dislikes the feeling.  Lora and I were discussing this during our group work today in class, and we thought that Jig's apprehension towards having a baby is because of the enormous responsibility. Having a relationship with one other person is extremely different than having a family.  The burden can weigh on the mother (like a white elephant).

I can't directly relate to this burden, but I know that my mother can. She married my dad (through an arranged marriage) when she was nineteen, and they immediately moved to America. My dad had lived here before but my mom hadn't, and she was literally thrown into an environment and lifestyle that she couldn't navigate.  Three months later, she was pregnant with my sister. She doesn't, by any standard, regret having my sister, but I bet there were times during that first year in America that she thought she couldn't handle the responsibility of raising a child. (Obviously, she was wrong because I think my sister and I are pretty good people overall.) 

This quote really summarizes the fact that it's hard to understand something unless one experiences it. Jig thought she wanted to be pregnant but it didn't turn out to be the "walk in the park" that she imagined.

Lessons are like chocolate....you can't have too much!

The homework for tonight was to read "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara.  The plot of the story focuses on poor children who take a field trip to F.A.O. Schwartz with Miss Moore, the only person on their block to have a college education.  

What I thought was really interesting about this story was that it not only tied into the unit we are studying (theme) but it also was a lesson within a lesson.  In the story, the children learn about the pecuniary (vocab word!!) differences that society can portray.  However, the attitude difference between Miss Moore and the children teaches the reader a lesson as well.  I was also shocked to see how cunning and disrespectful the children were.  Even though they aren't rich and they dislike the idea of earning an education, they should know not to disrespect people older than them.  Economic status does not determine humanity, and the children were holding a grudge against Miss Moore and not wanting to "give her the satisfaction" just because she was smarter than them.  I think it's clear that the narrator was extremely disrespectful, perhaps due to intimidation or because Miss Moore doesn't represent authority.

Ironically I also learned a lesson after reading "Lessons."  I am a peer tutor in a Sophomore English class, and I know that a lot of the kids in that class are either poor or just not motivated to learn.  When I try to engage them in small groups, they completely ignore me.  This story helped me understand why.  I understand that some of the kids may not see me as an authority figure because I am only two years older than them.  Other kids may think I am intimidating because I am a lot smarter than them.  After reading this story, I am more aware of the reasons behind the students' behavior.

Overall, this story was unique in that it showed the dynamic between to types of people in two ways.  It shows the differences between the rich and poor, and educated and non-educated.  I will definitely try to apply more of what I learned in my peer tutor class and in life in general!                               

The Destructors

In class today, we discussed "The Destructors" and filled out a worksheet based on a certain protagonist.  My group's protagonist was the gang of boys as a whole.  As we discussed the theme, we came up with something to the effect of: "Unnecessary destruction or other negative influences can cause people to become numb to exposure of future similar incidents."  The underlying destructive event that most likely inspired this story was the London Blitz.  As the video shows, this really left a lasting international impact because innocent lives were destroyed. (Click here to watch the mentioned video)  

As my table group discussed this, we started to question why boys would think of destroying a house. When you think about it, it's confusing. One can argue that the boys were just trying to have fun and play a prank on the old man, but how does one answer the question about the specific plans to destroy the interior, then the exterior? Why couldn't the boys have taken hammers or knives and just start beating at the house? We thought that it was because of the impact that the London Blitz showed. These boys are so numb to the fact that they are destroying property because they have seen and experienced first-hand the impact of destruction.  It really breaks my heart to think that the London Blitz was so damaging that it inspired someone to write about boys who destroyed a house for pleasure and beguiled an old man. I understand that when I phrase it like that, it seems exaggerated, but the truth can be tough. These children, who may not even understand the political issues that fueled the war, are destroying a man's property.  During our discussion, it dawned on me how much children (including myself and my peers) take stock in our circumstances.  The same is true for these boys.