Targeting the people

Che's Last Letter probably grasped the attention of America's youth because he relates to them. He writes, "My thoughts turn to the young people struggling for a chance at life in the bowels of plastic America cut off from the lifeline of human existence" Che' writes that just like the youth of America, he is in a similiar situation. He takes the place of "hero" though because instead of being "cynical," Che is fighting for his beliefs. He implys that he is superior because he is not afraid to die; it is better than going back to being "a respected professional in a system I detested." So, what's the message here? Don't act like you believe something, don't conform to societal standards, but prove yourself moral and worthy by joining the fight for a revolution. As Che implies, the fight will not be easy but well worth it. In order for success, Che calls for a "world revolution," and if he can do it, can't everyone?.... His message is effective because it targets emotion, and credibility, and allows the youth of America to question their own actions.

Reflection - "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol"

The intorductory material for this poem immediately hit home for me. My book has the story of Carrol's death already highlighted so my eyes went right there. I thought instantly of my own family because I am one of nine kids; and Carrol had ten kids. There is a line that reads, "Hattie Carroll was the mother of ten children." It mentions nothing else but that one line has so much meaning attached to it that nothing else needs to be said.

As far as the actual poem goes, I found myself questioning why Dylan repeated, "But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,/ take the rag away from your face./Now aint the time for your tears." However ,when I got to the end of the poem and read "For now's the time for your tears" I was able to draw a conclusion. Dylan was sending the message that there's no point in wasting your time crying over murder/crime because these things happen every day. The real issue is that there is no justice for these crimes. Instead of crying over what is happening, cry over what is NOT happening. Dylan is implying a call for action.

Why we Think the Things we do

Edward Sanders' poem, Yeats in the Gas, reminds me of something I can personally relate. Sanders mentions how in the midst of brutality, Ochs thought of Yeats. Sanders analyzes what Ochs meant by this, and reaches the conclusion that he must have been referring to the line "a terrible beauty is born." I like the way Sanders incorporates this line into his own writing because it makes sense and fits appropriately. On the other hand, Ochs might not have been thinking about a specific Yeat's poem or quote.

I know when I'm in times of stress, frustration, or fear, I find that the weirdest thoughts come to my mind. Especially during times of high stress, I find myself humming songs to myself. Random things come to my mind as a way to help me get through situations. It is also a way to take yourself out of situation, or relate your situation to something else as a way to feel not so alone. Maybe Ochs was thinking of specific quotes from Keats, or maybe he was like me and escaping a frightening situation by a stream of random thoughts.

Reflections on Alexie

For my Lit300 class I had to write a reflective essay that compared an aspect of an Indian captivity narative to a modern example. After reading Alexie's text, "Because my Father Always Said he was the Only Indian who saw Jimmi Hendrixs Play The Star Spangled Banner," I came across an interesting connection.

Many of the texts I read in Lit 300 were written from the perspective of Europeans (members of the dominant culture) interacting with Natie Americans (members of the subordinate culture). Alexie's text gave me opportunity to read the perspective of a Native American and his take on American culture.

One of the things that I wrote about in my essay is Alexie's use of the words "war paint." He writes, “my father is dressed in bell-bottoms and flowered shirt, his hair in braids, with red peace signs splashed across his face like war paint” (Alexie 317). It is interesting that Alexie refers to the peace signs as “war paint” because doing so probably makes sense to not only him because of his Native background, but also to members of dominant society because Indians have been represented as “warriors” throughout history. This idea is reinforced by Alexie because he writes that newspaper and magazine headlines described a picture of his father as “One Warrior Against War.” It is cliché that Alexie’s Native American father is labeled “warrior” but texts such as the captivity narratives have shaped these beliefs.

My LIT 300 professor thinks it is just ironic that Alexie uses the term "war paint," but I still stand my belief that he also does so as a way to represent his story in a way that people already understand.