Love this song
I'm Yours
Lyrics by Jason Mraz
Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
and now I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out
I'll be giving it my bestest
Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some
I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love
Listen to the music of the moment maybe sing with me
A lá peaceful melodies
It's your God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love love
So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours
I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue
I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
No need to complicate
Our time is short
It can not wait, I'm yours
Well no no, well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love
Listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me
A lá one big family
It's your God-forsaken right to be loved love love love
I won't hesitate no more
Oh no more no more no more
It's your God-forsaken right to be loved, I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours
No I won't hesitate no more, no more
This cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours, I'm yours
Ilikerandom
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Traditional View of Women in China
It was our assignment to pick a role and carry out the duties that came along with it for our Literature Circle Figure 8’s. I chose the role of Philosopher King, who identifies the themes/big ideas of the section.
The biggest overlying theme for this section of The Woman Warrior is that of the roles and traditions of Chinese women. The first page of this reading begins with Maxine explaining how Chinese girls would listen to the adults talk story all the time. A lot of the things they heard while listening, were the standards of Chinese women. Women were considered to be a failure if they didn’t grow up to be something special; being “wives or slaves” was not good enough in their culture. What I understood from this chapter, was that having a daughter in China, was not held as highly as having a son. They liked men, for they believed they created a stronger work force and more warriors who could fight. People of that culture traditionally saw women as weak and useless. Chinese women heroines were known as swordswomen. These swordswomen always got even with the enemies of her family.
Maxine speaks of how she grew up hearing stories about swordswomen from her culture, namely Fa Mu Lan. Maxine, with her great imagination, tells the story of Fa Mu Lan, from Fa Mu Lan’s perspective.
Fa Mu Lan was a Chinese girl, whom at the age of 7 followed a bird up into the mountains, where she met an old couple who wanted to train her to become a warrior. For an extensive 15 years, Fa Mu Lan lived in the mountains away from her home and family, fasting for days, and learning how to use the magical “sky sword.” When Fa Mu Lan turned 22, the old couple allowed her to return to her village, to take the place of her father in the war. Willingly she took on this duty, traveling on a white horse into war with words of revenge scarred into her back and an army of sons following behind her. She won many battles, and was re-united with her husband, a childhood friend. During that time, she became pregnant. After delivering the child, she sent her husband back to the village with her son. In her last act of revenge, she beheaded the baron whom took away all the sons of her village.
Fa Mu Lan is an interesting portrayal of a Chinese woman, for she deals both with traditional and warrior ways. Even after all her training in the mountain, she is still a woman, a wife, and a mother. At the same time, she can kill armies of people like no one else. When she led her army, she let them believe she was a man, for as she said, “Chinese executed woman who disguised themselves as soldiers or students, no matter how bravely they fought or how high they scored on the examinations.” Chinese traditions and rules were very strict, it seems.
After Maxine finishes her story of Fa Mu Lan, the focus switches to her life in America. She speaks of how no matter what she does, nothing pleases her family, and mentions the example of straight A’s. They only see her as a disappointment, never living up to their expectations. And her life isn’t made any easier by the comments that she hears from all the Chinese immigrant villagers, such as, “Feeding girls is feeding cowbirds,” “There’s no profit in raising girls. Better to raise geese than girls,” and “I would hit her if she was mine. But then there’s no use wasting all that discipline on a girl. When you raise girls, you’re raising children for strangers.” She describes how people would shake their heads when they saw her and her sister, and how whenever her Great-Uncle would take her brothers shopping, she would not be allowed to come because she was a girl. Maxine was not given as many privileges as her brothers. Even when she grew up and went to Berkeley, she received no warm welcome on her return home. Thus, she takes a stand against these unreasonable Chinese traditions, by acting as a contumacious Chinese girl who refuses to take part in roles such as washing dishes or cooking food.
Maxine wishes that a bird would come to her as one did to Fa Mu Lan, and lead her away from her life, so that she may become a swordswoman. She tries to do good things, but can’t even accomplish them. For example, her attempt to stand up to her racist manager had only gotten her fired. Therefore, dealing with her dying relatives under Communist control in China seems like an even more daunting and impossible task.
The story of Fa Mu Lan is a major contrast to Maxine’s reality. By the end of the chapter, Maxine knows that her words are her weapons, similar to Fa Mu Lan, whose back was scarred with words of “revenge”. Both of these figures have been burdened by words, also. The only way for Maxine to use her words as weapons, is through her own effort and will. This can be seen as a parallel to Fa Mu Lan and her magical sky sword, which she had to command through her own will power.
The only things that seem to be holding Maxine back are the Chinese traditions of how women should act and behave. These Chinese traditions are bound to her, even though she is living in America. Like she says, “Even now China wraps double binds around my feet.” (p.48) Once Maxine finds her will and inner strength, she can break through these binds and break through the Chinese traditions which constantly burden her.
The biggest overlying theme for this section of The Woman Warrior is that of the roles and traditions of Chinese women. The first page of this reading begins with Maxine explaining how Chinese girls would listen to the adults talk story all the time. A lot of the things they heard while listening, were the standards of Chinese women. Women were considered to be a failure if they didn’t grow up to be something special; being “wives or slaves” was not good enough in their culture. What I understood from this chapter, was that having a daughter in China, was not held as highly as having a son. They liked men, for they believed they created a stronger work force and more warriors who could fight. People of that culture traditionally saw women as weak and useless. Chinese women heroines were known as swordswomen. These swordswomen always got even with the enemies of her family.
Maxine speaks of how she grew up hearing stories about swordswomen from her culture, namely Fa Mu Lan. Maxine, with her great imagination, tells the story of Fa Mu Lan, from Fa Mu Lan’s perspective.
Fa Mu Lan was a Chinese girl, whom at the age of 7 followed a bird up into the mountains, where she met an old couple who wanted to train her to become a warrior. For an extensive 15 years, Fa Mu Lan lived in the mountains away from her home and family, fasting for days, and learning how to use the magical “sky sword.” When Fa Mu Lan turned 22, the old couple allowed her to return to her village, to take the place of her father in the war. Willingly she took on this duty, traveling on a white horse into war with words of revenge scarred into her back and an army of sons following behind her. She won many battles, and was re-united with her husband, a childhood friend. During that time, she became pregnant. After delivering the child, she sent her husband back to the village with her son. In her last act of revenge, she beheaded the baron whom took away all the sons of her village.
Fa Mu Lan is an interesting portrayal of a Chinese woman, for she deals both with traditional and warrior ways. Even after all her training in the mountain, she is still a woman, a wife, and a mother. At the same time, she can kill armies of people like no one else. When she led her army, she let them believe she was a man, for as she said, “Chinese executed woman who disguised themselves as soldiers or students, no matter how bravely they fought or how high they scored on the examinations.” Chinese traditions and rules were very strict, it seems.
After Maxine finishes her story of Fa Mu Lan, the focus switches to her life in America. She speaks of how no matter what she does, nothing pleases her family, and mentions the example of straight A’s. They only see her as a disappointment, never living up to their expectations. And her life isn’t made any easier by the comments that she hears from all the Chinese immigrant villagers, such as, “Feeding girls is feeding cowbirds,” “There’s no profit in raising girls. Better to raise geese than girls,” and “I would hit her if she was mine. But then there’s no use wasting all that discipline on a girl. When you raise girls, you’re raising children for strangers.” She describes how people would shake their heads when they saw her and her sister, and how whenever her Great-Uncle would take her brothers shopping, she would not be allowed to come because she was a girl. Maxine was not given as many privileges as her brothers. Even when she grew up and went to Berkeley, she received no warm welcome on her return home. Thus, she takes a stand against these unreasonable Chinese traditions, by acting as a contumacious Chinese girl who refuses to take part in roles such as washing dishes or cooking food.
Maxine wishes that a bird would come to her as one did to Fa Mu Lan, and lead her away from her life, so that she may become a swordswoman. She tries to do good things, but can’t even accomplish them. For example, her attempt to stand up to her racist manager had only gotten her fired. Therefore, dealing with her dying relatives under Communist control in China seems like an even more daunting and impossible task.
The story of Fa Mu Lan is a major contrast to Maxine’s reality. By the end of the chapter, Maxine knows that her words are her weapons, similar to Fa Mu Lan, whose back was scarred with words of “revenge”. Both of these figures have been burdened by words, also. The only way for Maxine to use her words as weapons, is through her own effort and will. This can be seen as a parallel to Fa Mu Lan and her magical sky sword, which she had to command through her own will power.
The only things that seem to be holding Maxine back are the Chinese traditions of how women should act and behave. These Chinese traditions are bound to her, even though she is living in America. Like she says, “Even now China wraps double binds around my feet.” (p.48) Once Maxine finds her will and inner strength, she can break through these binds and break through the Chinese traditions which constantly burden her.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
A Fictional Hero
Our homework is to write about someone whom we think is a hero. I chose to write about a fictional character, because I am tired of writing the same old "my mom/dad is my biggest hero because..." I wouldn't say that the character I am writing about is someone I look up to constantly, because he isn't real. But I do think that he has qualities that a good hero would have, and that is why I chose to write about Clark Kent, aka Superman.
Clark Kent, played by Tom Welling, is the main character on the television show, Smallville. Smallville is all about the history of Clark Kent, before he actually becomes the all-famous and legendary superman. In the series, Clark is just another resident of the small town Smallville, who happens to have superhuman abilities. Admirable values he has include: bravery, integrity, determination, and selflessness. He saves the world from evil daily, doesn't crumble in the face of danger, and sacrifices himself for the good of others, while still dealing with the normal events in the life of a highschool teenager.
The show is all about Clark's growth as he becomes a superhero. What I admire about him, is that he doesn't do all these good deeds for the glory, infact, he tries to keep his superpowers a secret. His intentions are honorable. He uses his powers for good, and doesn't waste them. In my opinion, I think that everyone should use the talents they have been given, because they are great gifts. And what good are your talents if you don't shared them with others? Also, Clark's actions prove that even though your life my seem overwhelming at times, you can get through it. You should never give up. Just think of what Clark has to deal with: saving lives and studying for exams. (Yes, again, I realize he is a fictional character, but anything is possible.) Clark Kent can be a model for how we can live our lives.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Parts of Maxine Revealed
When Maxine describes her aunt in the first chapter of The Woman Warrior, parts of herself are revealed through interpretation. The following are two quotes I took from the text, which reveal parts of Maxine's character.
1. "She looked at a man because she liked the way the hair was tucked behind his ears, or she liked the question mark line of a long torso, curving at the shoulder and straight at the hip. For warm eyes or a soft voice...that's all...she gave up family. She offered us up for a charm that vanished with tiredness. "Why, the wrong lighting could erase the dearest thing about him." (Pg.8)
-My interpretation of this quote is that Maxine feels her aunt was foolish and wrong in choosing this man over her family. Maxine sees a "good looking man" as temporary. It sounds as if Maxine does not like the kind of women who judge men based solely on appearance. She thinks that is an unreliable way to judge someone. Maxine is saying that she would have acted differently. She holds her family above men.
2. "But since a woman combing her hair hexes beginnings, my aunt rarely found an occasion to look her best. Women looked like great sea snails- the corded wood, babies, and laundry they carried were the whorls on their backs." (pg.10)
-I think it sounds like Maxine has an appreciation for what is beautiful. She is a teenage girl, and cares about things like clothing and appearance. She explains what she finds unattractive, "women looked like great sea snails..." Also, she says that her aunt "rarely found an occasion to look her best," but maybe this is how she feels about herself.
1. "She looked at a man because she liked the way the hair was tucked behind his ears, or she liked the question mark line of a long torso, curving at the shoulder and straight at the hip. For warm eyes or a soft voice...that's all...she gave up family. She offered us up for a charm that vanished with tiredness. "Why, the wrong lighting could erase the dearest thing about him." (Pg.8)
-My interpretation of this quote is that Maxine feels her aunt was foolish and wrong in choosing this man over her family. Maxine sees a "good looking man" as temporary. It sounds as if Maxine does not like the kind of women who judge men based solely on appearance. She thinks that is an unreliable way to judge someone. Maxine is saying that she would have acted differently. She holds her family above men.
2. "But since a woman combing her hair hexes beginnings, my aunt rarely found an occasion to look her best. Women looked like great sea snails- the corded wood, babies, and laundry they carried were the whorls on their backs." (pg.10)
-I think it sounds like Maxine has an appreciation for what is beautiful. She is a teenage girl, and cares about things like clothing and appearance. She explains what she finds unattractive, "women looked like great sea snails..." Also, she says that her aunt "rarely found an occasion to look her best," but maybe this is how she feels about herself.
Methods of Characterization
Here are the methods of characterization for Annie, in my story:
Appearance
-Wearing a pearl necklace
-14 years old
-Bags under her eyes from not much sleep, maybe stress
Inner thoughts and feelings
-I want to go shopping and have my friends buy me presents
-I don't know why my parents are fighting, I hope they don't get a divorce
Environment
-Unstable household with fighting parents
-house under-construction
What they say
-"I really want this."
-"Let's go"
-My parents have been fighting a lot lately.
What others say
-"I don't know her all that well anyways."
-"...it's not like we're that good of friends..."
-She got a ton of cash from her parents
-Half of me believed what she had wrote, but the other half wasn't sure if she was just making everything up.
Actions
-Icily brushing past us in the store
-ditching us in Longs
-Leaving us at her birthday party without explanation
-Emailing an apology
Appearance
-Wearing a pearl necklace
-14 years old
-Bags under her eyes from not much sleep, maybe stress
Inner thoughts and feelings
-I want to go shopping and have my friends buy me presents
-I don't know why my parents are fighting, I hope they don't get a divorce
Environment
-Unstable household with fighting parents
-house under-construction
What they say
-"I really want this."
-"Let's go"
-My parents have been fighting a lot lately.
What others say
-"I don't know her all that well anyways."
-"...it's not like we're that good of friends..."
-She got a ton of cash from her parents
-Half of me believed what she had wrote, but the other half wasn't sure if she was just making everything up.
Actions
-Icily brushing past us in the store
-ditching us in Longs
-Leaving us at her birthday party without explanation
-Emailing an apology
Story #2
"So when and where is her party going to be?” I asked my friends, Kelli and Leah, as we walked to PE. We had all been invited to the birthday party of our friend, Annie.
"Actually,” said Kelli. “We are going to meet at my house Saturday, and then my mom is going to drive us to the mall.”
"Why your house?” I asked, thinking that this was a little weird.
“She said her house is under construction, so like, we can’t really hang out there.”
“Oh, I see.” Kelli was one of the nicest girls I knew, and so lending her home to another girl was just another act of generosity on Kelli’s behalf.
“Yeah,” Kelli continued. “Then my mom will take and pick us up from the mall.”
“That reminds me,” said Leah. “What are you going to give her?”
I thought about this for a second, and then replied, “I think I’ll probably make her something, earrings or whatever. I don’t want to spend a lot because I’m basically broke, and I don’t know her all that well anyways.”
“Ahuh…” Leah said quietly. “Because you know, I think she’s planning for us to buy her things when we go shopping. I was texting her, and she said 'Yay, we can go shopping, and you guys can buy me presents!'”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I am going to. I mean, it’s not like we’re that good of friends or anything.”
“Hm,” I said. “Well, I guess we’ll just wait and see what happens.”
**********************************************************************************
It was Saturday morning, and I was riding in the car to Kelli’s house, for Annie’s birthday. My mom told me to call Annie to see where they were, but when I did, I got no answer. I had never been to Kelli’s house before, so when we got there, my mom waited in the car while I ran up to the front door to check the house. On the beautiful white, double-doors, there was yellow post-it that read:
Caitlin,
Left for Alamoana. Call us. 273-3345
I jumped back into the car, and my mom took me to Alamoana. *BZZZ* My phone vibrated in my hands. “Hey Leah,” I answered. Leah was calling from American Eagle, and from the way she was talking, I could tell that things were a little off. She said that Annie was in the dressing room, and Kelli and she were waiting outside.
“I think she expects us to buy her whatever she chooses.”
“Oh, ok.” Great, I thought. “I’m coming now.”
When I got to American Eagle, I found Annie with an armload of clothes facing off Leah and Kelli, like they were on opposite sides of a battle field, and the tension in the air seemed to smother any happy mood. Annie was wearing a strand of pearls (a birthday present), and there were bags under her eyes on her pale face. After some silence, Annie left to wait in line. While she was gone, Leah and Kelli filled me in. The other girls Annie had invited couldn’t come at the last minute. They apologized for leaving the house without me, but said that Annie had not wanted to wait. They also told me that Annie had gotten a ton of cash from her parents, and could easily afford whatever she wanted to buy.
Annie rejoined us with a shopping bag on her arm, and icily brushed past us, mumbling, “Let’s go.” Reluctantly we followed.
The next half hour didn’t get any better. Kelli tried to talk to Annie, but couldn’t get anything out of her, and Annie definitely wasn’t talking to Leah or me. Before we knew it, Annie was on her phone, told us her mom was picking her up, and rushed into Longs, losing us in the throngs of people. We couldn’t find her. For a while, we were shocked at what had just happened.
Kelli and I called our moms to let them know what had just happened, and they were shocked as well. Kelli’s mom picked us up a little while later. The three of us spent the rest of the day trying on clothes, baking cookies, and watching movies at Kelli’s house, trying to forget what had happened.
When I got home, I emailed Annie and asked her how she was. The next day, Kelli, Leah, and I received emails from Annie. In her email, she apologized for ditching us, and explained how her parents had been fighting a lot recently. Half of me believed her, but the other half wasn’t sure if she was just making up an excuse. Either way though, I learned that I don’t always know what is going on in someone else’s head or life. And even though it is easy to make judgments about others, these judgments aren’t always reliable or fair. The only way to understand someone else is to take a walk around in their shoes and look at things from their perspective. We are all different, and sometimes, things going on inside of us, cannot be seen from the outside.
"Actually,” said Kelli. “We are going to meet at my house Saturday, and then my mom is going to drive us to the mall.”
"Why your house?” I asked, thinking that this was a little weird.
“She said her house is under construction, so like, we can’t really hang out there.”
“Oh, I see.” Kelli was one of the nicest girls I knew, and so lending her home to another girl was just another act of generosity on Kelli’s behalf.
“Yeah,” Kelli continued. “Then my mom will take and pick us up from the mall.”
“That reminds me,” said Leah. “What are you going to give her?”
I thought about this for a second, and then replied, “I think I’ll probably make her something, earrings or whatever. I don’t want to spend a lot because I’m basically broke, and I don’t know her all that well anyways.”
“Ahuh…” Leah said quietly. “Because you know, I think she’s planning for us to buy her things when we go shopping. I was texting her, and she said 'Yay, we can go shopping, and you guys can buy me presents!'”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I am going to. I mean, it’s not like we’re that good of friends or anything.”
“Hm,” I said. “Well, I guess we’ll just wait and see what happens.”
**********************************************************************************
It was Saturday morning, and I was riding in the car to Kelli’s house, for Annie’s birthday. My mom told me to call Annie to see where they were, but when I did, I got no answer. I had never been to Kelli’s house before, so when we got there, my mom waited in the car while I ran up to the front door to check the house. On the beautiful white, double-doors, there was yellow post-it that read:
Caitlin,
Left for Alamoana. Call us. 273-3345
I jumped back into the car, and my mom took me to Alamoana. *BZZZ* My phone vibrated in my hands. “Hey Leah,” I answered. Leah was calling from American Eagle, and from the way she was talking, I could tell that things were a little off. She said that Annie was in the dressing room, and Kelli and she were waiting outside.
“I think she expects us to buy her whatever she chooses.”
“Oh, ok.” Great, I thought. “I’m coming now.”
When I got to American Eagle, I found Annie with an armload of clothes facing off Leah and Kelli, like they were on opposite sides of a battle field, and the tension in the air seemed to smother any happy mood. Annie was wearing a strand of pearls (a birthday present), and there were bags under her eyes on her pale face. After some silence, Annie left to wait in line. While she was gone, Leah and Kelli filled me in. The other girls Annie had invited couldn’t come at the last minute. They apologized for leaving the house without me, but said that Annie had not wanted to wait. They also told me that Annie had gotten a ton of cash from her parents, and could easily afford whatever she wanted to buy.
Annie rejoined us with a shopping bag on her arm, and icily brushed past us, mumbling, “Let’s go.” Reluctantly we followed.
The next half hour didn’t get any better. Kelli tried to talk to Annie, but couldn’t get anything out of her, and Annie definitely wasn’t talking to Leah or me. Before we knew it, Annie was on her phone, told us her mom was picking her up, and rushed into Longs, losing us in the throngs of people. We couldn’t find her. For a while, we were shocked at what had just happened.
Kelli and I called our moms to let them know what had just happened, and they were shocked as well. Kelli’s mom picked us up a little while later. The three of us spent the rest of the day trying on clothes, baking cookies, and watching movies at Kelli’s house, trying to forget what had happened.
When I got home, I emailed Annie and asked her how she was. The next day, Kelli, Leah, and I received emails from Annie. In her email, she apologized for ditching us, and explained how her parents had been fighting a lot recently. Half of me believed her, but the other half wasn’t sure if she was just making up an excuse. Either way though, I learned that I don’t always know what is going on in someone else’s head or life. And even though it is easy to make judgments about others, these judgments aren’t always reliable or fair. The only way to understand someone else is to take a walk around in their shoes and look at things from their perspective. We are all different, and sometimes, things going on inside of us, cannot be seen from the outside.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Family Story
"Listening to parents' advice is sort of like watching commercials. You know what's coming, you've heard it all before, it's a big bore, but you listen anyways. (Or should...) "-Unknown
One of my hobbies is golfing. My dad's side of the family has always enjoyed the game, and that is how I was introduced to it. One boring afternoon, I decided to practice my chipping in the backyard. In the game of golf, a chip is normally for short distances onto the green, and so I assumed that I had plenty of space to practice outside in the yard. As usual, when I went outside, my mom told me to use the plastic golf balls instead of the real ones, because they were lighter and less prone to any sort of "accidents." I acknowledged her advice with a quick mumble.
Outside, I searched through our blue bucket of balls, but only found three plastic, aka woofle balls. I knew I would need more, and therefore grabbed a couple real golf balls also.
I warmed up, positioned near one end of the yard, facing our red, and peeling wooden play structure, and what we call "the clubhouse," built by my dad. More accurately though, it is my sisters playroom, full of all her toys. It is complete with sliding glass doors, laminate flooring, and a cute little porch. I think he did a pretty good job, for having no previous building experience.
After hitting my first few balls, I went to collect them, but only found three, and none of them were the plastic kind, which must have disappeared into the bushes. Despite that, I set up my stance, and swung at the next ball, a little harder than I had intended to. *CRASH* Millions of tiny shards of glass fell from the clubhouse window. 'Oh boy,' I thought. I went to inspect the damage, and found a nice sized hole in the window. The worst part though, happened inside the house: all of my sister's toys were littered with glass. (I must say though, it was a pretty nice shot, it went straight and everything.)
I had to tell my parents, of course, because a mess that big could not be hidden. My mom and dad were very angry, and I spent the rest of the day cleaning off every individual barbie doll and tea cup. Lucky for me, that was as far as the punishment went.
That day, I suppose I learned that I should pay more attention to my parents' advice. And I guess I can say that I do, kind of. Now whenever I practice outside, I face the other direction: towards the stone wall, only 1 1/2 yds tall, that separates the beautifully windowed house of my neighbors, and my golf balls.
...On the other hand, maybe my mom's advice still hasn't hit home.
A Quote:
I guess that makes me 50% wise, 50% stupid. :)
Monday, February 12, 2007
No Name Woman: 2 Quotes
The following are two quotes that I chose from the first chapter of The Woman Warrior.
"Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on."
This quote shows how Maxine realizes that the story her mother told her had an ulterior motive. The only reason her mother shared the secret was to prevent the same thing that happened to the aunt, from happening to Maxine. One thing you can infer about Maxine's mother, is that she is not very straightforward. Unlike Maxine, she is not blunt in what she says or does. I suppose that the mother does not feel comfortable out right telling Maxine what, or what not to do. She uses the story as a way of communicating to her daughter, making her point in a less conventional and confrontational method.
"She will add nothing unless powered by Necessity, a riverbank that guides her life."
In this quote, Maxine narrates and describes her mother. What I learned from this quote, is that Maxine's mother does not like to do more than is needed of her. She does not like to give excess information, and only shares what she believes is important. This is frustrating for Maxine, who is hungry for more information about her aunt, but who knows that her mother will never tell her more. Her mother accomplished what she wanted to do, and that was to frighten Maxine so that she would not make a dumb decision and become like her aunt. With that mission completed, Maxine's mother was already finished with the conversation, and did not want to speak of it again. (A question I had, was, 'Why was "Necessity" capitalized in this quote???)
Bibliography: Kingston, Maxine H. The Woman Warrior. Vintage International ed. New York: Random House, Inc., 1989. 5-6.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Moodle: Pros and Cons
In small group discussions, we talked about the things we liked and didn't like about Moodle: the online database where we started before coming to bloggerspot.
Likes
Likes
- You can send messages to friends, communicate.
- Saves paper
- Safe environment
Dislikes
- No alerts for messages
- Slow wiki boards
- teacher tracking
What we wish it could do
- Go faster
- be more colorful and personalized
- connect people from all over the world, so that we could talk to a wider circle of people
- Play music
Creative ways to use it
- Messaging
- Sharing information on the boards
- community editting
Lost Sister Quote and Interpretation
In class the other day, we were given a “quiz”. We had to pick one quote from the poem, Lost Sister, and then explain what the poem says about how one defines oneself.
The quote I picked from Lost Sister was this:
“You find you need China:
Your one fragile identification,
A Jade link
Handcuffed to your wrist.”
I think that this quote is important because it implies that part of what defines you, is where you come from. For the Chinese, Jade is a highly prized stone. All first born daughters receive the same name, Jade. In the above quote, the jade link represents China, where Jade, the main character, had been born. The bracelet serves as a reminder of where she came from. The use of the word “handcuffed,” shows that it is irremovable, and that Jade hadn’t chosen it for herself; it was given to her and she had no say in the matter.
A person can never shake off where they come from, or forget home. Your home makes you part of who you are. You don’t get to choose where you come from, but regardless of whether or not you like the place, you are stuck with it. To detach that piece from yourself would be like breaking a piece off a completed puzzle. It would leave an empty space, and the puzzle uncompleted and unfinished. After Jade rebelled, and left her home in China for America, she suffered from feelings of loneliness. Jade realized that she needed China, her home.
This poem’s message is that where you come from, defines yourself. A person born in Antarctica would develop differently than someone living in Africa. They would have different traditions, morals, habits, and even physical appearances. The culture in which we grow up, affects us more than we realize, in more ways than one.
The quote I picked from Lost Sister was this:
“You find you need China:
Your one fragile identification,
A Jade link
Handcuffed to your wrist.”
I think that this quote is important because it implies that part of what defines you, is where you come from. For the Chinese, Jade is a highly prized stone. All first born daughters receive the same name, Jade. In the above quote, the jade link represents China, where Jade, the main character, had been born. The bracelet serves as a reminder of where she came from. The use of the word “handcuffed,” shows that it is irremovable, and that Jade hadn’t chosen it for herself; it was given to her and she had no say in the matter.
A person can never shake off where they come from, or forget home. Your home makes you part of who you are. You don’t get to choose where you come from, but regardless of whether or not you like the place, you are stuck with it. To detach that piece from yourself would be like breaking a piece off a completed puzzle. It would leave an empty space, and the puzzle uncompleted and unfinished. After Jade rebelled, and left her home in China for America, she suffered from feelings of loneliness. Jade realized that she needed China, her home.
This poem’s message is that where you come from, defines yourself. A person born in Antarctica would develop differently than someone living in Africa. They would have different traditions, morals, habits, and even physical appearances. The culture in which we grow up, affects us more than we realize, in more ways than one.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Intro To My Blog
Hey, my name's Caitlin. In my Freshmen English class, we each have to create our own blog, and here's mine. Looks boring now, I know, but hopefully it will soon turn into a webpage that reflects me and my thoughts. Thanks for the visit. :]
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