2 Page Lit Response On The Biography of Kate Chopin

Siarra Williams
October 30, 2008
AP English III Period 11
2 Pages Literary Response: Biography of Kate Chopin

One of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century was Kate Chopin. Her stories had flair with that touch of reality that she shared so often with her audience. She wrote short stories and essays based on personal experiences and acquaintances. She made that connection with the audience that made them want to read more and become more educated of what’s going on in the world. She gave them information while still keeping their attention.
While reading some of Kate’s stories, you may have asked yourself is this real? Is this imaginative? Of course like most authors, the plots are based off of real life situations or experiences. So what real life experience has led Mrs. Chopin to write such a story as “The Story of An Hour?” You might consider the values and morals that society placed on marriages during that time period. For all those without previous knowledge of the 1800s, all women were treated as their husband’s property. They were without rights and opinions. So in “The Story of An Hour,” when Chopin writes “She said it over and over under her breath: ‘free, free, free!” Chopin is referring to the newfound independence that a widow feels after she is free of the oppression that her husband placed on her. Throughout a woman’s marriage she is her husband’s property and therefore she does whatever he gives her to do.
“The Story of An Hour” also refers to her father’s death. Chopin’s father was killed while riding a train that crossed a bridge and it collapsed under them. When Chopin writes about the husband in “The Story of An Hour,” he dies in a tragic train accident. She uses what she knows to write about a national issue such as the injustice between the male and female population. She throws in a personal experience as an example of how a woman may lose her husband and become a widow.
Kate Chopin was a great writer and like most authors, she uses personal experiences to get her point across to the reader. She also takes examples from her life because that is what she knows about more, therefore it’ll be easier to write based off of the simple details that she already knows.

Analysis of Disturbia Character Ashley

In Disturbia the character that caught my eye was the young lady Ashley. Her actions and words were eye catching. The fact that her mom’s ringtone was “Dunh duhn duhn” also known as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was quiet perturbing. It just makes you wonder what is her relationship with her mother? Will it affect her relationship with other authoritative women who come into her life? These questions were just a few that popped into my head. I figured the only way to answer them were to take a deeper look into her her actions and words throughout the movie. I noticed that she also spent a lot of time alone at home, or at least that is what the movie showed us. She was either swimming in her backyard pool, on her roof reading, or in her room doing yoga. The upside to all of these lonesome activities is that they were calming, relaxing, and constructive. This shows me that she is a bright young lady who likes to educate herself. When she finally goes over to Kale’s house, Shia LeBouf’s character, a different side of her is exposed. You can see that around other people she lightens up and is very outgoing. Although to some she may have seemed demanding when requesting coffee and doughnuts, I believe it was her way of being flirtatious. I mean that is a typical side of girls when they are in the company of the opposite sex.

Sojourner Truth Comparision

In the 50 essays book “Aren’t I a Woman” is so different from the article that was printed out titled “Ain’t I a Woman.” The differences go beyond the spelling and language used. In “Ain’t I a Woman,” Sojourner’s character is revealed. She speaks with such dialect and oomph that grabs the audience’s attention. This is relayed back to the reader through the words itself. The tone can easily be detected by the dialect and the words she use. She speaks to the audience with such boldness that you would not have expected out of a colored woman. In “Aren’t I a Woman,” her character is massed by the correction of the spelling of the words. In correctly spelling the words by today’s standard, you do not see the brazen way of her words as much in what she was saying and considering the time period in which she said the words that she did. By layering her speech with today’s spelling standard, it takes away the heart of the message and the character. It also takes away the realization of the time period and how daring of her it was for her to speak in public, let alone say what she did and direct her points to some of the people as she did such as the deacon.

Sojourner Truth Discussion Questions

Siarra Williams
October 24, 2008
AP English III Period 11
Sojourner Truth: Aren’t I a Woman? Discussion Questions Page 424


Sojourner Truth is responding to the white man’s community and their unfair treatments of the minorities, i.e. the women and the color folks.

Sojourner Truth uses personal examples such as that of her working on the plantation and the treatments that she does not receive on a regular basis although she sees that this privilege is received by other women. These points help to establish ethos and help her message of the injustice that she and other women like her receive.

If I were in the audience when Sojourner Truth said her speech, I would have looked at her with a closed mind. It would have been an automatic thought the she was unintelligent due to the way I imagine her looking, like a slave with torn clothing. However after hearing her moving and inspiring speech, I would have been very wrong. The points that she made was that of an intelligent woman and the way she spoke already said to me that she didn’t care what I think. So I would have been wrong right off the bat.

Sojourner Truth 2 page Lit Response

Siarra Williams
October 24, 2008
AP English III Period 11
2-page Literary Response Sojourner Truth

“Aren’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth is truly a work of art. She expresses herself so vividly and she did it in a tone of a woman who has been scorn. In the short speech she expresses her opinion on woman’s rights and Negroes’ rights. Her tone of a respected woman with an attitude is revealed all through the speech. It’s intriguing to read this passage and imagine the way that she captivated the audience’s attention as an African American slave.
Truth uses syntax and punctuation to show how intense she felt about woman’s rights and Negroes’ rights. The reader is then drawn to the page by pathos. When she says “Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles or gives me any best place, and aren’t I a woman? Look at me!” (Truth page 423) The way the sentence is structured to first show what privileges she does not receive, and then ends with the question “aren’t I a woman?” is just so powerful. It almost suggests that she may have said that statement with an attitude. She then goes on to say “look at me!” She commands the audience’s attention at this point, she was no longer asking politely. This suggests that she wanted the audience to know her point of view, did not really matter to her if they understood or not as long as they knew how she felt about the rights of women and the rights of Negroes.
“I have plowed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me- and aren’t I a woman?” (Truth page 423) She establishes ethos when she credits the work she has done as a slave, even though she is a woman. It is seemed by me that she uses this line to establish the injustice given to women of color. African American women were sent to work just as the men of Caucasian descent and African American descent were. Female slaves, although they are women, did not receive any of the privileges of Caucasian women. As stated before she was less than likely to be helped into carriages or given the best place all because of her status in the world. It’s upsetting that her status was put before her gender, but, like the age old question: which came first the chicken or the egg, which was Sojourner born into first her gender or her status as the world perceives her.
Truth was a moving and powerful speaker. She was well-known for getting her points across to the audience. It is inspiring to me that a woman of color during her time period was so sassy and shameless with her feelings and speaking on them. Truth established her audacious tone through her use of pathos and ethos. She made sure the audience knew of her past experiences and feelings.

Siarra Williams
October 22, 2008
AP English III Period 11
Frederick Douglas Two-Page Literary Response

Frederick Douglas was an intelligent African American. He learned to read and write at a time when it was illegal. During the time when he was learning all of these skills, he realized that as a slave he was being treated unfairly. His newfound knowledge changed his opinion of the world around him. Throughout the passage Learning to Read and Write his attitude towards slavery is revealed.
Douglas’ mistress was a nice woman who began to teach him to read. “Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell.” (Douglas pg. 101) By Douglas’ mistress teaching him to read, he was a step above the rest. He knew more than most slaves and was geared up to continue his knowledge. There was no way that the mistress could just stop him from crossing over the threshold once the door was open and he was invited in. So he found a way to still learn after his mistress had a change of heart.
“As I writhed under it, I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy.” (Douglas pg. 103) After learning to read, Douglas was put into an awkward situation. He knew a lot more about slavery and learned how it was unethical yet he did not learn about how to abolish it. He was not too keen on reading anymore after realizing this. Douglas felt frustrated with learning so much about the situation going on but not having the answer to solve the situation. Reading was his rise and downfall. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or done something for which I should have been killed.” (Douglas pg. 103) After Douglas realized that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, he regretted his life. He felt no need to live since he was stuck doing something he hated; and even though he knew the answer to get out of slavery, he did not know the way to get out. He felt hopeless, like there was no way to escape slavery; it was going to be a part of him for life. These realities began to boil over in his mind and he had thoughts of being dead and killing himself. These thoughts appeared because he felt defenseless like there was no solution to his predicament.
Douglas was a bright man. He acquired more knowledge than most slaves during his time. The best part about Douglas’ knowledge was that he used it to help other slaves. He created the paper the North Star as a guide for slaves to escape north. Although at that time he was unsure of what to do with his newfound awareness and he wanted to die, he stuck it out and devised a plan that would help other slaves in the same predicament.

Frederick Douglas Discussion Questions.... AP PD. 11. DO NOT POST THIS TO BLOGGER.

Siarra Williams
October 22, 2008
AP English III Period 11
Discussion Questions Page 105

1) Frederick Douglas taught himself to read and write by sneaking around and deceiving the neighborhood poor white boys into teaching him the alphabet. He also used to copy-write the books of the young master of the house in which he was enslaved. By learning to read and write, he also learned of the injustice that was happening to him.

2) In my opinion the other person who undergoes a learning process would be Douglas’ mistress. She goes from being a tender- hearted woman who teaches him how to read to being very mean spirited and a disciplinarian for the slightest infraction.

4) Something that I have learned that has proven to have a positive side and a negative side to it would be being independent. As you get older you are glad to have freedom and to be on your own. The positive side to that would be making your own rules and doing what you want to do. The negative side would be taking responsibility for your own actions; no longer can you blame anyone else for your mistakes nor lean on someone else when life gets tough. You must learn to stand on your own two feet.

Slave Narrative Rhetorical Devices

Siarra Williams
October 20, 2008
AP English III Period 11
Comparing Rhetorical Devices

The lives of slaves were unknown before African American Slave Narratives were published. People of that time period refuse to see the negative sides to slavery until the stories of the slaves’ experiences were told. Soon the free men and women began to sympathize with the slaves and became supporters of anti slavery.
Before reading a narrative, you would usually read an introduction from the editor. Of course this editor was of Caucasian descent. The introduction’s sole purpose was to rely on ethos to get the message across to the reader. Without the editor’s appeal to character, most people would have looked over the narrative as if it were just a Negro complaining over their place in society. The introduction helps to appeal to the audience that it was directed to, the free white men that live in the North. Ethos attracted the audience necessary to make a change in society and create equality among all of mankind.
The editor’s introduction uses ethos to catch the audience’s attention. Well then who is the audience you might find yourself asking and why? The audience is free white men living in the North. This is the primary audience because of the standing that they have in society. They are ranked higher than African American slaves who live in the South. Not only that, but their opinions are heard and valued by those around them. They can easily influence others into what they want them to believe without being treated as though they are inferior.
After answering the question of whom the audience is. Next question that may come to mind is does ethos work better on men or women? Ethos appeal better to men than women because men rely more on reputation to be won over on something. A reputation matters more to them than anything else. This is proven to be true because most men base their decisions on impulses and on what they know will grab someone’s attention rather than emotion or logic. For example, if a man were to buy a car he would want to buy a Cadillac because of its reputation. They know that a Cadillac will grab someone’s attention rather than a Suzuki. They aren’t buying a car based on price value or miles per gallon which refers to logic nor are they putting their emotions first relating to pathos.
In the essay, ethos was used to grab the right audience’s attention. The audience that can help get your point across was the focus of the paper. Without ethos it is possible that the paper would not have caught the eye of persons with such high status in society.

Self Reliance Lit Response

Siarra Williams
October 16, 2008
AP English III Period 11
Self Reliance Literary Response

Most people are naturally dependent on others. They even follow what psychologist like to call “social norms.” Social norms are things that you do that are considered normal by society; for example never standing too close to a stranger. People do what others do; they follow because they are too afraid to stand out. And that is exactly the author’s message in Self Reliance.
“…No kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.” In this quote the author is explaining that in order for a man to get things done right and the way that he likes, he must work for those things himself. The man has to become independent and work alone in order to achieve his goal that only he can achieve. He must realize that he can only rely on himself and should not wait on others to achieve his goals or to get things done. The author wants to get across to the reader the idea of self reliance. He wants the reader to understand that sometimes you may just need to stand alone and work hard to achieve your own mission. You can not expect what you want to just come to you; everything in life that is deserved is worked for.
“Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.” The author uses this quote to also support his message of self reliance. He wants the reader to understand that most people are in it for themselves and so they will put their needs and interest before others. The author is comparing society to a joint-stock company as his way of saying that society as a whole thinks of what’s best for the majority and does not care about the minority or the economy. Society just benefits those with the bigger voice that can easily be heard. And by that statement I mean the upper-class non minority people get heard more often than a middle-class minority. Some may relate this idea to racism or the average cost of living for each person of these groups.
“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.” The author also uses this quote to support his message of self reliance. He wants the reader to understand that at the end of the day you must do what concerns you, and not what other people think. Society is very judgmental of those who are unique and individualistic, those who are creative and free-thinkers. So why at the end of the day be concerned with just yourself? It is because at the end of the day it is best to be self-satisfied than the pleasing of others and miserable on the inside. Society often chooses what is best for the majority of its population and so you should do the same and choose what is best for you. Letting others think for you is not helpful to the growth of you as a person.
The author’s message of self reliance is to help the reader understand that you should rely on yourself more than those around you. Relying on yourself can help you to reach your own goals in your own time. No longer are you waiting on others to complete their task so that you may complete yours. You should also put yourself before others so that you are self-satisfied. Although this may seem backwards and mean, it is easier to help others once you have helped yourself.

Analysis Of The Slave's Dream

Siarra Williams
October 15, 2008
AP English III Period 11
The Slave’s Dream

The Slave’s Dream is an incredible, deep poem about the dream of a slave. The writing components used to create a tone of injustice was presented in a creative way. They produced a deeper meaning to the simple sentences said throughout the poem. It makes the reader grasp for a deeper understanding.
The author is understood through his writing style by using diction, imagery, and personification to get across his tone to the reader. “Wide through the landscape of his dreams the lordly Niger flowed.” (Lines 7-8) This line is an example of the diction that he uses. The way the sentence is worded brings many questions to mind. Why is the Niger lordly? Why is the “N” in Niger capitalized? Just to ask a few. When the poet was writing he used lordly to contrast what the reader already knows about slavery. Common knowledge of slavery is that all slaves were treated badly and inhumane. Lordly, though usually intended to mean something worthy, is used in context to get across to the reader the way the slave viewed himself in his dream. He considered himself to be worthy and noble. He is admirable of himself in his dream and so he walks around his imaginative Africa as though he is of royalty; his way of escaping from reality and all of its pain. “He saw once more his dark-eyed queen among her children stand; they clasped his neck, they kissed his cheeks, they held him by the hand!” (Lines 13-16) The writer uses imagery in this statement. The way he describes the children’s affection for the father after they see him, is just so vibrant. You can tell by the affection that they show, it as though they do not see their father often and spend quality time with him. This statement also helps acknowledge the facts of slavery and how most blacks were separated from their families. The man dreams of this affection because it is something that he desires but does not posses. He is showing what basic affection he is lacking due to his rank on the social ladder. “The forests, with their myriad tongues, shouted of liberty.” (Lines 37-38) The writer uses personification to bring the forest to life. He wants the reader to see that they did rally for freedom, in a variety of ways, but they were still denied this luxury. These writing style components gave the poem more of a creative and inquisitive outlook. The way the writer wrote about every aspect of the dream, he gave deeper meaning to wanting something that you can’t have. The author’s tone is injustice throughout the poem. Injustice is shown when the dream is everything that the black man desires but lacks due to his powerless state. His rights were taken away from him due to the inequality and unfairness going on during that time period. The tone shows the authors’ annoyed attitude toward slavery. The author is annoyed with the unjust treatment of slavery. He feels the rights of slaves were unreasonably taken away.