THE LAST FREAKING BLOG!

So this is the last blog of English 2201. I want to make it something amazing but I’ll just let you guys remember the times that we had in English, Printing things off in the minutes before class, not showing up on days that we had to turn stuff in, watching random things and making connections between them, blogs, etc. It has been a fun class I think and I’ve learned a lot. I think it had some work associated with it but I think it was for the best. Im glad this class went better than my freshman English class but that’s another story. So ill put a quote on this final blog:
“People who mind don’t matter, and people who matter don’t mind.” –Dr. Suess

Music time

This final installment of my blogs is one that means a lot to me. In this one I wanted to share how music has such an impact of a person’s state of mind. I love listening to music because it has the power to change how I feel about a situation. It is amazing that it just a few lines in a song can make your day better. It seems a lot like literature because you have the power to interpret music and make it your own. It is funny that many people cannot see how close music and literature are so closely related. It is such a vital part of life that people don’t understand how much it really affects us. As I said I would earlier here is a random quote.
“Never take life to seriously, you will never get out alive” –Van Wilder

Things learned.

Life is a funny thing. You learn so much as you go along, and its not always perfect. I learned that people change but its only externally. They are still the same person on the inside. Life is too short for people to hold grudges or stay mad. You just need to push past it. The only person that controls your life is, you. The best part is that life is what you make it and i learn that more everyday. Don't push away the ones you love because in the end they are why life is worth living. I want to end the last blogs on a quote.
"He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much"
-Bessie Anderson Stanley

UofM Chaos

The University of Memphis is an interesting place. I always try to go to places I’ve never been and at times I have never been. Many buildings are extremely different depending on the time of day you go into them. The Tiger Den changes dramatically throughout the day and there is no telling who you might see in there. The library is another place that you will spot random people throughout the day, night time will surprise you as well. This randomness is not just buildings, but it is the way one walks. I try to walk a different way each day to try something new. It is amazing what can happen if you add some randomness to your life….

Remember the Titans

The Titans are a surprising team this year. They have gone from losing every game to the exact opposite. They are the first team in history to win five consecutive games after starting the season with no wins and six losses. They have worked hard and deserve credit for getting themselves together after an embarrassing start to the season. They came back to beat the Cardinals in a final second showdown at the goal line. This is just weeks after they were demolished by the Patriots 59 to nothing. I think it shows the true character of a team when they are able to band together. They show the real essence of sportsmanship and learship.

The end of the semester....

The semester is finally coming to an end, but the end seems like just the beginning. Everything is starting to get extremely condensed into a few weeks. It makes it impossible to concentrate on just one thing when so many things are happening. Professors are handing out assignments and projects just days before finals. This adds to the stress of many classes with a “make or break final” exam. I am amazed at the workload that is given to students even though I have been in this same situation twice. The most important thing is to work hard right now, so you can play hard later.

Watching&Reading "A Worn Path"

When i first read the story "A Worn Path" i didn't care for it. It was slow and it seemed to be scattered in a sense. After watching the movie for it, it started to grow on me. Characters had faces and that made me dig deeper into the story than i previously had. Her determination showed through to me in the movie and i started to see it in the book. The hunter, white woman, nurse, etc all started to make sense to me. I could see someone's view on the story and how they interpreted everything. This did not change my view, on the contrary it reinforced my thoughts on the story. I was able to go back and read the story again with a foundation for the plot and characters. It helps alot to read, watch, then read again.

The clutch play....

The game last night between the Patriots and the Colts was an interesting one. The entire game the Colts were making countless mistakes and Peyton was not playing anywhere near his potential. His passes were not on target and i think i could throw a better spiral than him on that night. It looked bad for the Colts, but by some miracle they held on. In the last two minutes of the game the Colts pulled together and made their last touchdown to tie the game. With seconds left the extra point was good. They kicked off to the Patriots and the runner fumbled as the final seconds counted down. The Colts won 35-34. It just goes to show anything can happen....

The semester.

The semester is now coming to a close but that does not mean it is slowing down. It is actually the opposite in college. Teachers give projects, final exams, more homework at the end of the semester and usually at the EXACT same times. It seems pile up so fast and it is due in a super short period.I feel as if i will never be able to complete it and the semester will never be over. In the end however, i usually get it all done and im proud of myself. Its alot of work but in the end it is worth it for the passing grade.

Home is wher the heart is....

I was having a discussion with a good friend of mine the other day on the places we want to see before we die. She started it off with her wanting to see Australia and i said i wanted to see the northern lights. I have seen alot of the United States and i love finding new places. I told her that my favorite places are the ones that i am amazed by natures beauty. They are the places that i feel content. She told me that i need to go to them someday soon. She said "home is where the heart is" i dont think she could have said anything more perfect to me at that instant.

Weather!

Since everyone else was making a blog about the beautiful weather we are having i thought i should make my own. It is amazing that it is almost the middle of November and it is nice enough for a short sleeve shirt. I am so glad that i dont have to wear a jacket yet. The only thing that i am dreading is that i think this winter is going to be extremely cold. Ive learned that a very hot summer and warm fall equals a very cold winter. The plus to a cold winter though is the fact that we may have snow. Snow is one of the only reasons i like winter, im just not a fan of the cold. If the year could be like it was today year round, my life would be so much better.

Brownies......!

So i decided to try my hand at baking brownies today with a friend of mine. I have not baked anything in a long time so i was nervous about wasting money burning brownies. I got the box of mix and then realized when i got home that i needed vegetable oil and two eggs. I had to go back to Kroger and stand in the same long line for the eggs and oil. As i was in line i realized i would probably never use all this oil, but it was the smallest container that they had. When i finally got back home, i started baking the brownies. I put them into the oven at what i thought was a good time and prayed. I think they are the best brownies i have ever had.

Fall Mornings.

I have never been a huge fan of cold weather but one thing that I always loved were fall or winter mornings. There is just something about going out in the morning and breathing in the fresh air. I think that is why I have always been a morning person. This morning I went outside and remembered why I liked fall so much. It is an amazing feeling to go outside and feel great. It feels like the day is beautiful so your day will be too. I think that when i get up to a pretty morning days go better, but when i wake up to crappy mornings days go worse. Weather makes the largest impact on how you will act during the day or your attitude.

Friends.

I think one of the most important things in life are the people you surround yourself with. They become the most influential part of your life and the decisions that determine your fate. If you surround yourself with good people then usually good things will come from it. The same can be said for bad people in your life. My friends mean the world to me and I would not be the person I am without them. I have always considered my friends like family. It is one of the few things in life that you really cannot explain in words. They are your support system, your psychologist, and even a parent figure.

Blogging...

I think that blogging is an interesting thing. I had heard about it a long time ago but i could never really get into it. I did not understand how people could just make an online "journal" of themselves on the internet. I was never that open about my feelings, and i especially did not want my whole life story on the internet. I thought it was creepy to put info about myself for everyone to see. Now being forced to get on thanks to this class i actually start to see a point in it all. I kinda hate to admit it but i see why people do this alot. i have to say that it is neat to see other people's opinions about something all in one place.

Revelation

The story Revelation by O'Connor is one of irony and self discovery. I liked the story even though it was slow in the beginning. Mrs. Turpin is an elderly lady in a waiting room, while she is in there she meets new people whom she judges. I liked the way that the only real names in the story were Mrs. Turpin and her husband Claude. Everyone else in the story are just assigned the names that Mrs. Turpin brands them with. She judges and pushes some of the other people to the edge. One person throws a 'Human Development' book at her after Mrs. Turpin insults her. The story lets the reader create the characters in their mind by not putting a real name to them. The reader actually has to stereotype to get involved with the story. I thought it was interesting that O'Connor was able to put the audience in Mrs. Turpin's shoes without them knowing. At the end of the story she is hit with a realization that everyone will go to the same place she is going, and they may be ahead of her in line. The audience has to decide whether she will stay a changed woman or will she just revert back to her old ways.
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Losing battle

Losing things has become a part of my life. I hate the fact that I lose the things that I really need. I leave books and clothes that are need for things. Its not only that I misplace stuff, I misplace the things ive been telling myself to get. I will keep telling myself to get one thing, and then I get sidetracked. When I get sidetracked I pick up a random thing and leave the important thing. Its really frustrating cause most of the time I know exactly where it is, but I just cannot get to it! I need to make a list or something of the things I need. I really need to become more organized.

the possibilities......

The things that you can do at college are utterly limitless. I see all of the different majors at the University of Memphis and Im overwhelmed by all of it. I hate to just choose one major because there are so many things I would like to do. I see the nursing and premed programs that look hard but interesting. I like the English and math departments as well. It puts me at a dilemma at what I want to do with my life. I feel that engineering is the place for me to be but I do not really know. I like the engineering field but I want to learn other things as well. There is just so much to learn and so little time.

Intramurals!

It is intramural time at the University of Memphis. That means people that want to play college sports can even though they are not on the team. It’s fun to be able to play the sports that you love with some of your friends. It helps you deal with the stress of school and everything going on in life. It is probably my favorite time of the semester. Im super happy when soccer starts up and I get to play. I played a lot in high school and thought I would lose that chance coming to college. Im glad I get to keep that part of my life going even though I have moved on to other places. Its like being home for me, but at the same time I am away.

Summer Plans

Summer plans are already in the works. I am so ready for the summer to get here but at the same time I don’t want to wish it away. I want to relax at home but I really want to do stuff at the same time. It’s a weird feeling that I have been experiencing. I’m ready to do some things that I have wanted to do for a long time. I want to get certified in some areas and learn some new skills. I’m going to some classes with a friend so that will be a good time also. I wish I could do all of it right now but I just don’t have the time. I wish I lived closer to home sometimes so I could get things like this done. It’s just hard being so far and wanting to do things. Hopefully all will go to plan and I will get my certifications.

The Patriots....

I did not have high hopes for the Titans over the weekend but I thought they would have done somewhat better. It was one of the worst games I think I have ever seen. I do not watch very much football but for some reason I wanted to see this game. People were telling me how it was going to be a massacre and I had to see for myself. As soon as the game started it was like watching a car accident. It was so bad you could not turn away from it. The titans got the wind knocked out of them and they never recovered from it. It was just bad play after bad play. The patriots did not see triple digits but from the start it seemed like they could have. The ratings did not lie either, Collins came out with a -7 rating and the others didn’t do much better. In the end there was a shutout of 59 to 0. It seemed like it could be worse but I don’t know how.

Back to School

Fall break was a great time to relax with the family. I love being able to go home. I love being able to see my family and friends that I left in Nashville. I got to find out what has been happening while I was gone. I caught up on all of the drama and the problems that were happening. It wasn’t all drama though; I learned some good news as well. I learned that a friend of mine was released from the hospital and is doing very well. One of my other good friends got a new car and that was exciting. It was a very eventful break and I had a ton of fun. But the saying can’t be any truer, “time flies when you are having fun”. I wish break was longer.

Fall Break

The best part of the semester is coming up, fall break. I am so happy to have a break from school and other things. I cannot wait to go home and see friends and family over the break. Its always good to take off from school and forget about things for a while, even if its only a few days. I like going home to just relax. Life feels different when I am at home from school, I feel less stressed and calmer. Family is important to me and its hard not seeing them for extend periods of time during school. My friends back home are just as important and I am always glad to see them. Its hard to leave people to go to school but its good to know they will be there when you get back. Its that feeling that I get when I leave to go home that makes me know everything is going to be okay.

Homecoming is Done.

Homecoming is over now. It is nice to settle down and not be stressed about stuff that is due, in homecoming and in classes. I’m glad that I can go to bed finally and also catch up on all my school work that I missed. I hated the week and at the same time I loved it. The only reason I hated it was because I hate getting behind in my classes. It’s hard to catch up when I have been so tired and stressed. I put a lot of time and effort into homecoming and it feels like it paid off. I feel accomplished that we won and met a lot of great people. Now that the week is over I don’t know what to do with my spare time.

Green Zone New Orleans

The Poem that we listened to in class was very interesting to say the least. The poem was “Green Zone New Orleans” by Mark Yakich. It is different because it is a compilation of stories from different people. They are all reflecting upon religion and the troubles facing them in Louisiana. I thought the poem was based primarily on the aftermath of Katrina and New Orleans. I figured it was just the problems that people were having with life. Many of the words were of misery and despair. I thought that the part that said “F**K New Orleans” was one of the most moving parts of the poem. All the different voices made the poem speak to the audience in a different way, and therefore made the poem unique. I liked the idea of multiple voices in the poem, I just didn’t really like the poem.

Homecoming Week

Homecoming week at Memphis is always stressful. I hate the long nights and lack of sleep. At the same time i like meeting new people and the competition of it. It is the essence of the college experience. Homecoming is the time of year that people are tired and have short fuses, but you have to look past all of that. It is after homecoming that everyone is back to having fun and hanging out together. I know we are not great at football but that does not change the spirit of homecoming week. Everyone is ready to represent Memphis anyway that they can. It is amazing to see the support that students have for their university.

the Glass Menagerie

I thought the story on the Glass Menagerie was really an awkward story. It was not a story that I could really enjoy. I hated that it was very slow and it made the long story that much longer. I thought the characters helped the story because they were very interesting. They were what kept the story alive for me. I did not really like the mother of the family. She was good at the beginning but her role was soon really repetitive and annoying. The one part of the story that I liked the most was the ending because it was not what I thought it was going to be. I set the story up to be like a fairy tale but the ending flipped it on its head. It somewhat made up for the rest of the story.

A streetcar named desire....

Saturday night was the opening of "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Hatiloo theater. It was a very small theater and not what i expected. When i got there they said they did not have me on he roll so i had to show them them my email and that i actually paid for a ticket. The set was small but it was detailed. The audience had to imagine walls separating rooms and some other little things. Overall the acting was pretty good and they played their characters well. Stanley and Stella did a good job and portrayed the troubled family well. Blanch was a good actress and she really brought the audience into her roll as the rich and upscale sister of Stella. I thought the play was okay but i kinda expected more from it. Im not sure what i expected in terms of acting and a set but this was not it. At times the play was tough to watch or it got some what boring for me but other parts were very entertaining. I know it is a famous play for a reason but i just dont think it was my thing.

Cigarette Girl

I went to the showing of Cigarette Girl with only seeing the trailer for the movie. I expected some crazy movie about a post apocalyptic world in chaos over cigarettes, and a non stop shooting spree by some woman. The movie turned out to be MUCH more that what I imagined. The movie had real character development and thought. The plot had dept that i did not anticipate with certain twists that made me rethink my interpretation. I was able to see the connections that we made in class between Fiction and Non Fiction. I thought of how the names were very simple or they were not really a name like Cigarette Girl. It made the viewer create the characters how they saw fit. Watching the movie like a book was not as hard as it seemed. The lack of details in the movie made you picture things and situations differently from the other viewers. I do not know if this was done on purpose but it went well with the rest of the movie. Viewers had to draw their own conclusions on what is reality and what is fiction. This is a weird concept considering it is a completely fictional movie and you distinguish fact and fiction in the story line. There are alot of questions i would like to ask Mike McCarthy but at the same time i dont want an answer. I like the way that I interpreted the movie, but at the same time i want to know what his interpretation is. Its a paradox.

9/24 Questions

Group 1
“Where are you going, Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates has an interesting title. It seems pretty explanatory and it has a certain irony to it. It refers to Connie’s mother always asking her questions and comparing her to June, her sister. It’s a question because it’s an undertone for the entire story, the audience knows where Connie is but Connie does not. The question is in two parts because of the way Connie feels about her situation, she is trying to find her own path in life. Connie wants to be herself and not just a replica of her “perfect” sister June, but at the same time she struggles to be accepted by her mother.
Group 2
The mysterious boy in the story is Arnold Friend. He is a guy that met Connie at the hamburger joint and said “Gonna get you, baby” while she was with another guy named Eddie. His initials, A. Friend, are misleading. His appearance, car, and attitude are an exact opposite of the image of “a friend”. He was named right for the story because the story had a creepy tone throughout and Arnold fit perfectly. He has an unmistakable gold convertible with random decals on it. It goes along with his “cool” attitude and his fonz style.
Group 3
I think the secret code that Arnold revels to Connie is nothing more than the bible verse that was posted on the blog. Arnold does not explain what the numbers 33 19 17 mean, he just states they are a code. The bible verse that they come from has the title “Where are you going, Where have you been?” in a different wording. The wording in the book of Judas is “Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?” which is too close to be a coincidence. The numbers are in the story as a symbol for questioning yourself along with Connie.
Group 4
The tone of the story starts out as Connie’s mom is scalding her for the things she does. Connie hates the fact that she is compared to Junes and is spiteful. Connie starts to wander off and the tone becomes rebellious. Connie goes to a hamburger joint to meet guys and hang out while her parents thought she was at the mall. The tone then turns creepy as Arnold Friend comes to her house so they can go for a ride. It also has an ironic tone in the fact that Connie wants to be with her family when Arnold pulls up. Connie thought that she wanted to be by herself and do her own thing but in reality she wanted the acceptance of her family.

My Impressions

Stories, movies, and music all have their own ways of expressing a story to their audience. Stories give the audience text but the reader provides the character’s voice and image. Songs give the audience a story and a voice but the listener still provides an image. Movies provide the reader with everything about the character but this enables the watcher to dive deeper into the story. Oate’s story is a good story but it has creepy undertones throughout the plot. When you read “Where are you going, Where have you been?” you create the voices and images for Connie, Arnold, Elle, etc. The reader makes the story their own with their individual character expressed while they read. When you watch the short film, you get a voice for the characters and it changes your perception of the story. The short film changes the plot of the story but the basic idea of “Where are you going, Where have you been?” is still there. Bob Dylan’s “Its all over now, Baby blue” has the voices like the short story but the reader has to work more to create the story. All of them change my view on the story because I watched the movie “Smooth Talk” first. I already had an image for the characters and their voices before I read everything else. However, the other iterations had an effect on how I perceived the story. I was able to dive deeper into the story because of all the different views and information I got on the characters. The most interesting and disturbing pieces that I read were the non-fiction ones. It shows me that it is no longer a “make believe” story and it was inspired by true events. The story becomes real in a sense and it makes me that more involved in wanting to know everything that happened.

Ingredients,Process, Made Thing..........

The dissection of a piece of literature helps the reader better understand a story and what the author was trying to convey. As we dissected the three pieces in class, it helped me better understand the work and the writer. The process of ingredients, process, and the made thing can be attributed to all of our readings. “A&P”, “Rites of Passage”, and “The one Girl at the Boys’ Party” are stories that once they are broken down, they make the reader revaluate their previous thoughts. If you break down the stories to their smallest parts the reader can start to draw parallels between the readings. Even though each story is different in its plot and storyline, they share the same structure. The ingredients are the raw material for any piece of literature. The process is how the author uses the ingredients to create the made thing. The made thing is the overall message of the story or what the reader is able to take away from the story.
“A&P” is a very detailed story of three girls in a grocery told from the perspective of a cashier, Sammy. It seems like the average story of a boy trying to impress the hot girl, but as we break it down it becomes more. There are tons of ingredients in “A&P” such as “bathing suits”, “Oh Daddy”, food items, and summer colony, but the main ones are the characters Sammy, Queenie, and Mr. Lengel. These ingredients are mixed with the setting of a grocery store, public nudity, and the presence of the girls to produce a clear picture for the reader. The process of adding all of these things together including the attitudes of the main characters makes me understand and connect with the characters more. Breaking it down shows the relationship between the blue collar worker and the “dream girl”, but at the same time it shows their shared conflict versus Mr. Lengel. Updike’s great details in the story help the reader combine all the ingredients into a bigger picture. This bigger picture and “made thing” is the one of a hero that does the right thing, but is now lost in new found freedom.
The poem “Rites of Passage” can be interpreted in many different ways, which is the beauty of a poem. The breaking down of “Rites of Passage” into its three parts helped me understand the different ways it can viewed. Many of the ingredients are ironic like children, generals, turrets, small bankers, 7 year old, kill a two year old. Sharon Olds manages to intertwine the carelessness of small children with the very serious world of career men. She takes her ingredients and combines them with quick line breaks and italics to stress words. Her careful planning helps guide the reader to better understand the meaning of children becoming men. It is her process of combining these opposite things into a smooth flowing poem that the reader can only understand once they disassemble “Rites of Passage”. The “made thing” that Olds creates is an ironic view of boys and their parallels to full grown men.
The last poem that we discussed “The One Girl at the Boys’ Party” also has ingredients, process, and a made thing. It was the story of a lone girl at a swimming party with all boys that was told from the perspective of her parents. Olds includes ingredients like tower, hamburgers and fries, strip to their suits, hard body, sweet face, curves of the sexes, and math. Her process is one of irony just like “Rites of Passage”, comparing a little girl to upper level math. She describes the girl and what the girl is thinking in a way she could not understand at her age. Sharon olds other process shows the reader the girl maturing from the beginning of the poem to the end. The parent’s perspective of the poem tells the reader what the “made thing” could be. It could be that your children grow up fast and you should not miss a minute of it.
All three stories have different characters, setting and plots, but in the end they have the same composition. They all have ingredients that were usually the characters. The processes were in the descriptions and the way the stories were written. The made thing was always involving growing up and learning from your mistakes. Breaking these stories down helps the reader visualize the story thus making them understand its true meaning.

Assignment 2

John Updike Interview
After watching the John Updike interview, it reinforced my image of the character of Sammy. Updike’s explanation of Sammy is just a more detailed version of my interpretation. The only part that really changed my perception on the story is the background information that Updike explained. I liked to learn about how different situations in Updike’s life helped him create the story. He explained that Sammy was based off himself as a teenager and Sammy’s manager was based off his wife’s manager. The other part that made me think was the time in the United States that the story was set in. It was during a time of rebellion and nonconformity. Sammy was a blue collar teen working in a grocery store to make a living. This setting made me realize that there is more depth to the story than I originally thought, and there is more depth to the consequences that Sammy has to endure. After Sammy quits, Updike explains that he now has to deal with the rumors around a small town. He has given up his “good name” for three girls that vanish on him. Updike gave a great perception on the story and created a picture of the real Sammy for everyone to imagine.

"Rites of Passage" and "The Only Girl at the Boys' Party"
The two poems that we read visualize heroism differently than John Updike. Updike’s approach deals with an emotional and non structured confrontation. An example of Updike’s style is Sammy quitting a job on a quick impulse. Both poems by Sharon Olds are detailed and have a disciplined feeling. In "Rites of Passage" the seven year olds are portrayed like soldiers and the speaker’s son is portrayed like a General. He instructs his “troops” after much debate, that they could “easily kill a two year old”. In "The Only Girl at the Boys' Party" there is one brave girl that is invited to an all boys party. Olds creates the picture of the girl standing strong in the presence of boys by creating metaphors of school and math. In both poems Olds creates metaphors using disciplined areas of life, the military and school. It’s ironic however that she makes metaphors using these areas when the children are so small. The first graders could not really know about the military or war just like the girl at the party would not understand some of the math in the poem. I liked that way that both writers found a way to convey a feeling of heroism in the main character. Updike and Olds used completely different methods but in the end they reach the same ideal of heroism.

The Hero of A&P

What is a Hero?

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

When someone thinks of a hero they usually think of comic books or action figures. A person can picture Superman or Spiderman rushing in to save the day when they think of the word “hero”. These characters display all kinds of heroic traits like bravery, strength, fearlessness, compassion. These characters are the epitome of what a hero should be, but the problem is these heroes are fictional. The ironic thing is that these traits of fictional characters come from human emotions. These “Heroes” are based off heroes that are part of our everyday lives. There are millions of heroes created everyday from the teacher that helps a child read to a fireman that goes into a burning building.

The superhero aspect of heroism is just what the name implies, they are superhuman. They have superpowers and they are expected to be a hero. The public counts on them to save the day at a moment’s notice. These fictional characters are created by people to try and generalize what a hero should be. Many try to generalize them as some person with amazing powers and the ability to defy physics. These powers make them do amazing things like saving the world from certain destruction. The authors may try to stereotype heroes into a certain mold, but the real heroes break the mold every day.

In the real world a person does not need superpowers to be a hero. Heroes come from ordinary people that have the courage to do extraordinary things. These extraordinary things can be a variety of things, but they all serve their purpose. Everyday heroes are not trying to become heroes, they are just doing their jobs. An example of this is the heroism portrayed by firefighters and police officers during the 9/11 attacks. They were just doing their jobs under extraordinary circumstances. They did not ask to become heroes on that day, it just happened. They were not looking for recognition or gratitude but only to save the lives of people trapped inside the buildings. Everyday heroes are not born heroes, they become them.

The question that is asked is whether or not Sammy was a hero in the story. At the beginning of the story Sammy is just an ordinary employ working his ordinary job when three girls walk into the store. Sammy, like the other male employees watch the girls as they walk around the isles. Sammy suddenly quits his job because his manager embarrassed three girls for coming into the grocery in swim suits. I think Sammy was a hero because he did what he thought was right. He could not stand to work for someone that could break down a person for something so simple. Sammy looked for some type of gratitude at the end, but he is only human. He did not come into the store looking to be a hero that day and quit his job. Sammy was under extraordinary circumstances and became a hero.

1st assignment

The North Wind and Sun

1. The North Wind had a very aggressive personality and was forceful. The sun was much more calm.
2. The North Wind was too forceful and the man just held onto his cloak tighter.
3. The Sun was more gentle and persuaded him to take off the cloak. He was not as forceful like the North Wind.
4. The human takes the roll of a guinea pig for the Sun and North Wind to test their powers.
5. The Sun used persuasion and was more successful that the North Wind at making the man remove his cloak.

A & P

1. The sound that the cash register makes as he rings up prices brings the story to life for me. It makes you realize how long he has been there and the things he has notices about the store.
2. Updike paints a good picture of Sammy for the reader. He shows his attention to detail in the store, then his humanity for the girls. He is no less of a hero just because he wants to be recognized for his actions. The doctor is not as detailed as Sammy and does not have much dialog.
   
3. The exposition is when Sammy starts to explain the girls. It makes the reader realize why Sammy quit his job. He explained the embarrassment of the Queenie.
4. He just thinks they are some random tourists that he would like to come to his line. As the story moves on he develops a relationship with the girls. He starts to like them.
   
5. The dramatic conflict comes when Lengel comes out of his office and confronts the girls. The climax is when Sammy simply says "i quit".
6. On the surface Sammy quits for the girls, but it seems like Sammy was unhappy at A&P. He wanted to leave like the girls had left, without looking back.
7. I suspected Sammy to have sympathy for them when he started paying close attention to Queenies face. He noticed her blush, and her embarrassment.
8. Sammy made a quick decision and now has to endure the consequences. Its going to be hard because he doesnt have a job, and he quit the job that his parents got for him.
9. Updike makes the comment on how the manager is perceived as law even when the conditions of the situation have changed. People have to be understanding to situations or face consequences of being too harsh.