Oh boy, I seem to have gotten a little behind. Here goes nothing. I really enjoyed The Open Boat. The story of four men forced to abandon their ship and are in a small dinghy trying to survive the ocean and get to shore safely. Upon discussing it in class though, I found out much more about the story. Like for instance, I missed the shark at first. I mean, I read it and saw the word "fin", but totally passed right over it and never put it together. Not until the correspondent mentioned it to the captain, did I realize it was there. I had to go back and reread it again. I think maybe I forgot to tell my group mates (that part was in our section V) but once we started to analyze it closer, it became more clear. Another thing I didn't see at first was the death of the oiler. I remember it but I thought maybe he didn't die, maybe he survived. Wishful thinking, the optimist in me. I felt bad that it was the oiler that passed. I felt that he was the one who did most of the work. Not unfairly or anything, I just think it was in his nature.
The story though is one of brotherhood and comradery. The teamwork they have between them is wonderful. I would think that normally there would be fighting or bickering, animosity, maybe even hostility. But the men were true companions, switching back and forth the job of oaring and sleeping when needed. The captain was a true captain too. I felt that he was always watching over his men. Someone in class touched on the fact that he didn't go down with his ship but it never actually said that. I believe that he stayed with the ship the longest and was still able to get to safety in the dinghy.
When the author touched on death, it brought the whole story full circle. The anger that some of the men felt when dealing with it was very raw. "If I am going to be drowned- if I am going to be drowned- if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees?" You really feel his desperation. At least I did. It made me pull for their survival even more.
I was left screaming at the people on shore!! How much has to happen for you to do something about the men in the boat??!! The oiler could've survived if they had realized the severity of the situation in the first place. At the end, you feel good though. The men, all but one, make it to shore and are helped by many people, men and women, and you feel their relief, their gratitude. Many emotions for me, for the reader. That is something I like in the stories I read. I was taken in all sorts of different directions while reading and it was a pleasant journey. A thoughtful journey. A peaceful sort of journey.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
I thought today I would blog about the play we went to see on Sunday at Sinclair. "Intimate Apparel" is about a young black woman, Esther, living in New York City at the turn of the century.
Esther Mills, a 35-year-old spinster, is sewing as the play opens. It's 1905. A skilled seamstress who prepares exquisite corsets for brides on their wedding nights, Esther lives and works in a New York City boarding house. Independent and feisty to a degree, she nevertheless cringes when she considers the unmarried life that lies before her. Her tightly knit support system includes Mrs. Van Buren, a childless socialite trophy wife; Mayme, a bright and artistic prostitute; Mr. Marks a Jewish factory owner who is Esther's friend and business associate, and Mrs. Dickson, Esther's landlady. But these people can only do so much for our heroine.
Then one day a letter arrives, from a man named George Armstrong, a rangy Barbados native who is working on the construction of the Panama Canal. All grit and grime and grin, George describes the experience of watching "one man drop for every 20 feet of canal dug." And he speaks of coming to New York to meet Esther. The seamstress is intrigued but cannot respond because she is illiterate. So Mayme and Mrs. Van Buren become her surrogate correspondents, and a relationship blossoms across the hemisphere.
George at first seems like a romantic in his letters. From a distance, he marvels at the delicacy of Esther's work even before he has seen it. Before long, the two meet and Esther is stitching her own wedding corset. There's a priceless moment featuring the new couple as contrasting images. The virginal bride, a slave's daughter who came North to sew intimate apparel and learn discretion, stands pristine in her lustrous, white satin gown on the opposite side of the bed from her scruffy, disheveled new husband, who is decked out in a misshapen tan wool suit. And although Esther assures her new man that she'd walk on his good arm, their differences are an omen of what's to come.
Esther is blinded by her love for George and the fact that she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life alone. George begins to show his true colors. When he realizes that Esther has money, money that she has been saving for 18 years so she can open her own salon, he comes up with a story about buying 12 horses from a man so he can be in business for himself. He claims to want to better their lives and provide for his wife. Esther soon finds out that George is sleeping with Mayme. After making Esther feel guilty, she gives George the money, knowing that she will never see it again.
I believe that even though Esther realizes she is alone again, she feels that instead of feeling sorry for herself, she moves back into the boarding house and starts over. This time, I believe that she sees her future as being what she makes of it. She realizes only she can secure her future and begins to do just that.
I loved the play and thoroughly enjoyed the cast. Each one bringing so much to their roles. I loved the way the stage was set also. All scenes on one stage and the actors moving from room to room. This made for seamless transitions into each persons relationship with Esther. I truly felt the love each character had for Esther, and the love she felt for each of them. It's a shame the run is over because I would highly recommend for everyone to go and see this play. It really does tie in with the stories that we have been reading.
Esther Mills, a 35-year-old spinster, is sewing as the play opens. It's 1905. A skilled seamstress who prepares exquisite corsets for brides on their wedding nights, Esther lives and works in a New York City boarding house. Independent and feisty to a degree, she nevertheless cringes when she considers the unmarried life that lies before her. Her tightly knit support system includes Mrs. Van Buren, a childless socialite trophy wife; Mayme, a bright and artistic prostitute; Mr. Marks a Jewish factory owner who is Esther's friend and business associate, and Mrs. Dickson, Esther's landlady. But these people can only do so much for our heroine.
Then one day a letter arrives, from a man named George Armstrong, a rangy Barbados native who is working on the construction of the Panama Canal. All grit and grime and grin, George describes the experience of watching "one man drop for every 20 feet of canal dug." And he speaks of coming to New York to meet Esther. The seamstress is intrigued but cannot respond because she is illiterate. So Mayme and Mrs. Van Buren become her surrogate correspondents, and a relationship blossoms across the hemisphere.
George at first seems like a romantic in his letters. From a distance, he marvels at the delicacy of Esther's work even before he has seen it. Before long, the two meet and Esther is stitching her own wedding corset. There's a priceless moment featuring the new couple as contrasting images. The virginal bride, a slave's daughter who came North to sew intimate apparel and learn discretion, stands pristine in her lustrous, white satin gown on the opposite side of the bed from her scruffy, disheveled new husband, who is decked out in a misshapen tan wool suit. And although Esther assures her new man that she'd walk on his good arm, their differences are an omen of what's to come.
Esther is blinded by her love for George and the fact that she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life alone. George begins to show his true colors. When he realizes that Esther has money, money that she has been saving for 18 years so she can open her own salon, he comes up with a story about buying 12 horses from a man so he can be in business for himself. He claims to want to better their lives and provide for his wife. Esther soon finds out that George is sleeping with Mayme. After making Esther feel guilty, she gives George the money, knowing that she will never see it again.
I believe that even though Esther realizes she is alone again, she feels that instead of feeling sorry for herself, she moves back into the boarding house and starts over. This time, I believe that she sees her future as being what she makes of it. She realizes only she can secure her future and begins to do just that.
I loved the play and thoroughly enjoyed the cast. Each one bringing so much to their roles. I loved the way the stage was set also. All scenes on one stage and the actors moving from room to room. This made for seamless transitions into each persons relationship with Esther. I truly felt the love each character had for Esther, and the love she felt for each of them. It's a shame the run is over because I would highly recommend for everyone to go and see this play. It really does tie in with the stories that we have been reading.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
"The Storm" seems to be on my mind alot since our last class. We all have our own opinions on love and passion. Much of this is mostly based on our own experiences. But I think that at times we can also confuse passion with lust. I think the "passion" felt between Calixta and Alcee was mostly lust.
Both of these characters aren't exactly "happy" in their relationships. I feel they are more content than happy. Putting them in a room together, surrounded by wind and rain and a raging storm, something was bound to happen.
I think the reason why not too many of us were upset by the fact that there were no consequences is because we were aware that it is fiction but also because it didn't involve us personally. We had nothing to gain or lose by this affair. Plus, once the storm calmed and Alcee went on his way, we were kind of left with the feeling that it was about that one time. It was over and done with and they were moving on. At least that's how I felt.
Plus I got the impression that the relationship between Calixta and Bobinot is a little stronger than the relationship between Alcee and Clarisse. She has more to lose. In the end, "the storm has passed and everyone is happy" leading us to believe that they were happy to have had the affair but I think they were more happy about the fact that neither spouse knew about it nor would they find out.
Both of these characters aren't exactly "happy" in their relationships. I feel they are more content than happy. Putting them in a room together, surrounded by wind and rain and a raging storm, something was bound to happen.
I think the reason why not too many of us were upset by the fact that there were no consequences is because we were aware that it is fiction but also because it didn't involve us personally. We had nothing to gain or lose by this affair. Plus, once the storm calmed and Alcee went on his way, we were kind of left with the feeling that it was about that one time. It was over and done with and they were moving on. At least that's how I felt.
Plus I got the impression that the relationship between Calixta and Bobinot is a little stronger than the relationship between Alcee and Clarisse. She has more to lose. In the end, "the storm has passed and everyone is happy" leading us to believe that they were happy to have had the affair but I think they were more happy about the fact that neither spouse knew about it nor would they find out.
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