I don't really know where to go with this book, or what to really say about it. In the beginning of it you already could get kind of an idea that as a child this little boy didn't get that much attention from his father because he was trying to enjoy every second that he got being lofted in the air to fly like an airplane. But then as the story went on further, it seemed like the author droped huge news on your lap that made me literally gasp because it was so unexpected but then not refer back to it. For instance when he is talking about his father he explains how many people think that he is a great guy, but would a great guy have sex with little boys. That made me keep reading, wondering if he was having sex with his own sons.
Also I got confused who the narrator of the story was. At times I thought it was a son of his, and then it would change to his daughter it seemed? But it would do so without any hint or of it.
When one of the kids says that he began to resent his father, it explained it perfectly as to fit his fathers personality. Sayaing "I grew to resent the way my father treated his furniture like children, and his children like furniture." His father was in love with art and placement in his home, but more treated everyone in the home as a figurene instead of an actual human being. He wanted to palce his children in places and have them stay and make his scene perfect it seemed.
The fathers death too came as a huge surprise but you can't really feel sad because of how he treated his family. They said how he would try and make scenes into things that they weren't, to appear to be great while his family was hating every bit of it. His mother as well never seemed to be enjoying herself. Never the less the children hadn't either.But you would think that a mother who stays with a man like this would love him in a way, but she doens't show any love for him or her family much. Though in the end she asks for a divorce, even when they shows her children when they were babies she looks miserable.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Second Half of Understanding Comics
This seemed like a very similar read to the first half of the book. You got tired of reading it, and it over explained everything that he was trying to get across. It was incredibly repetitive when he was talking about one comic artist getting farther than the next artist, and then the next artist, and then the next artist. It definitely made me want to just put the book down!
I did like when he broke down the different ways of writing comics, and how the words realte to the pictures and visuals differently. Also when he related to the 6 steps of writing, how no artist is initially looking at that but in the end they always end up exaclty in that order of idea, form, idiom, structure, craft, and surface. I also found it interesting how comic artist showed movement and how not even thinking about that when we read we automatically know what that character is doing without the writer telling you that, "he is running very fast". Uniting senses and art must be a difficult thing to incorporate but once the artist found that gap it came to be a great piece.
When he speaks about the balance to comics being as much of an additive as well as a subtractive; but with too much or too little of one or the other is crucial, reminded me of our portrait essays. That is because with too much or to little description of the person we have chosen to write about can either make or brake our essays.
I did like when he broke down the different ways of writing comics, and how the words realte to the pictures and visuals differently. Also when he related to the 6 steps of writing, how no artist is initially looking at that but in the end they always end up exaclty in that order of idea, form, idiom, structure, craft, and surface. I also found it interesting how comic artist showed movement and how not even thinking about that when we read we automatically know what that character is doing without the writer telling you that, "he is running very fast". Uniting senses and art must be a difficult thing to incorporate but once the artist found that gap it came to be a great piece.
When he speaks about the balance to comics being as much of an additive as well as a subtractive; but with too much or too little of one or the other is crucial, reminded me of our portrait essays. That is because with too much or to little description of the person we have chosen to write about can either make or brake our essays.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Understanding Comics- Chapters 1-4
In these four chapters it was over all a pretty easy read. I felt that the author broke down a lot of things, like how people look at objects and relate most of them to human faces. I thought that was very interesting because I do that a lot without even noticing it.
But I also agree a lot with what the class was saying today about how it can get slow and confusing sometimes. I definitely lost interest a lot during the four chapters, but then he would find a way to make it interesting again by an explination.
I also found this not difficult so much but more different because I'm not a big comic reader, and following the flow of writing wheather it had been up and down to more side to side was hard for me personally to follow. But Overall it described a lot of things in a different way that I really liked. For example, how he was explaining how when using simple words can work to your advantage so much more because it describes the picture a lot easier. Where as if you use large words, the pictures will have to be so much more desrciptive.
Also with this book I found that I was simply trying to get through it, more ignoring the pictures all together and just reading all on the text.
But I also agree a lot with what the class was saying today about how it can get slow and confusing sometimes. I definitely lost interest a lot during the four chapters, but then he would find a way to make it interesting again by an explination.
I also found this not difficult so much but more different because I'm not a big comic reader, and following the flow of writing wheather it had been up and down to more side to side was hard for me personally to follow. But Overall it described a lot of things in a different way that I really liked. For example, how he was explaining how when using simple words can work to your advantage so much more because it describes the picture a lot easier. Where as if you use large words, the pictures will have to be so much more desrciptive.
Also with this book I found that I was simply trying to get through it, more ignoring the pictures all together and just reading all on the text.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Fishing Story
The start of this story shares a lot of her great-grandmother and certain habits that she always did around her house. This section of the story was close to a narration because of the stories that she was sharing, how her great grandmother would rake her sandy front lawn and about the only plant that she allowed close to her home.
After that story she shared things about her own grandmother, which I strongly envied the realtionship that they shared, explaining some of their favorite things to do with one another. Saying how they like to watch the armadillos across the yard and the peircing blue summer sky or the full moon. All of this is strict discription of their shared enjoyments together which I truly liked. This showed in another way how to share a portrait of someones personality, like our essays have to be, by simply describing what the two of you enjoyed doing together.
The point of exposition in this essay was when she explains how she just wishes that she could tell her grandmother to "Just stop it!", but she knows that she can't. This point is exposition to me because she is viewing the whole situation, in realizing that yes this can get annoying and stressfull to hear the same things over and over agaiin but she doesn't have a choice. The family knows that the grandmother is sick with this disease and cannot help what the side affects are. This is a point of true struggle for the granddaughter because she needs to find ways to cop with this constant repetition in her life by herself.
The argument in this story or the point to be made was when she is describing how she can remember the color and pattern of her mothers dress 89 years ago but cannot remember what she did three minutes ago. The point is that her grandmother has a solid 5 to 10 minute memory and the narrator needs to deal with her repetition and constant unknowing of the world around her and take it in stride. Having to re-explain things hundreds of times or even listening to the same stories over and over again.
After that story she shared things about her own grandmother, which I strongly envied the realtionship that they shared, explaining some of their favorite things to do with one another. Saying how they like to watch the armadillos across the yard and the peircing blue summer sky or the full moon. All of this is strict discription of their shared enjoyments together which I truly liked. This showed in another way how to share a portrait of someones personality, like our essays have to be, by simply describing what the two of you enjoyed doing together.
The point of exposition in this essay was when she explains how she just wishes that she could tell her grandmother to "Just stop it!", but she knows that she can't. This point is exposition to me because she is viewing the whole situation, in realizing that yes this can get annoying and stressfull to hear the same things over and over agaiin but she doesn't have a choice. The family knows that the grandmother is sick with this disease and cannot help what the side affects are. This is a point of true struggle for the granddaughter because she needs to find ways to cop with this constant repetition in her life by herself.
The argument in this story or the point to be made was when she is describing how she can remember the color and pattern of her mothers dress 89 years ago but cannot remember what she did three minutes ago. The point is that her grandmother has a solid 5 to 10 minute memory and the narrator needs to deal with her repetition and constant unknowing of the world around her and take it in stride. Having to re-explain things hundreds of times or even listening to the same stories over and over again.
Monday, September 15, 2008
My Sister/ Bumping into Mr. Ravioli/ The American Man at Age Ten
Starting with My Sister, it seemed like a very pointless story to me. It simply showed an odd connection- maybe not odd but different connection between a girl and her older sister who she was unsure if she even wanted her around most of the time. But in the end sticks up for her, simply showing the sibling connection.
Mr. Ravioli on the other hand I really enjoyed. I thought it showed how funny children can be at that age and hoe much they truly do imitate their surroundings. Her parents I thought did a great job in trying to find out if it was normal for their child to have an imaginary friend, thinking if it was my own child I think i would be very nervous about imagiinary friends but seeing how his sister broke it down in an explination it seemed normal. I thought it was comical how she did make a friend that was even too busy to play with her, I think it showed a lonely child truly looking for something interesting and "grown up" to talk about with her parents.
Lastly, The American Man at Age Ten first off was a good read mostly because at more than one point within the essay it made me laugh out loud. And standing in line reading and laughing to yourself looks kind of weird but that was me! But anyway, I completely thought that the narrator was ten aw well? At points it was very obvious all up until she said that he asked what profession her husband had, and she said a lawyer and so on. But right in the beginning of the story she said that she wanted to marry Colin. So that was a bit confusing, maybe I just missed something. And just one line that I can remember off of the top of my head was the line about him wanting to go to college at Oklahoma City State College University, OCSCU, which I thought was so cute for some reason. And also loved his contradiction with woman. He loved them, he hated them, but the most beautiful was his mom, that was relaly cute. Which shows at that age that boys are still unsure if they want to like girls or not, if its cool, ut definitely liking your mom is okay. But even some of the things that he knew at ten years old was shocking to me; abortion, sex and money and marriage. Also when he highlights race for a second in the reading seemed odd and out of place.
Mr. Ravioli on the other hand I really enjoyed. I thought it showed how funny children can be at that age and hoe much they truly do imitate their surroundings. Her parents I thought did a great job in trying to find out if it was normal for their child to have an imaginary friend, thinking if it was my own child I think i would be very nervous about imagiinary friends but seeing how his sister broke it down in an explination it seemed normal. I thought it was comical how she did make a friend that was even too busy to play with her, I think it showed a lonely child truly looking for something interesting and "grown up" to talk about with her parents.
Lastly, The American Man at Age Ten first off was a good read mostly because at more than one point within the essay it made me laugh out loud. And standing in line reading and laughing to yourself looks kind of weird but that was me! But anyway, I completely thought that the narrator was ten aw well? At points it was very obvious all up until she said that he asked what profession her husband had, and she said a lawyer and so on. But right in the beginning of the story she said that she wanted to marry Colin. So that was a bit confusing, maybe I just missed something. And just one line that I can remember off of the top of my head was the line about him wanting to go to college at Oklahoma City State College University, OCSCU, which I thought was so cute for some reason. And also loved his contradiction with woman. He loved them, he hated them, but the most beautiful was his mom, that was relaly cute. Which shows at that age that boys are still unsure if they want to like girls or not, if its cool, ut definitely liking your mom is okay. But even some of the things that he knew at ten years old was shocking to me; abortion, sex and money and marriage. Also when he highlights race for a second in the reading seemed odd and out of place.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The Love of my Life/ Ashes
First, I didn't really love either of the essays honestly. Ashes was very opposite of how my family is so relating or trying to understand living in a family without hugs, I Love Yous and affection in general is pretty much close to impossible. On the other hand, The Love of my Life was a shocker in a way because I have never really heard of anyone turning to sex to cure their grief.
Ashes was a story where I truly felt bad for the mother not because she had cancer, but because it seemed as though she was living a life that she really didn't want to. She was no stereotypical mother, not really wishing for marriage for her children, and very outspoken about having no alcohol at her daughters wedding. But even when her children are trying to be supportive of her and her sickness she rejects it at all angles. Even with her own husband, who seems to be a royal ass to her, she doesn't seem to mind but imagine how hard that much be for her to live with someone who constantly critisizes your life style and the choices you make. For her it is about her smoking and drinking all the time that he blames for her having cancer. The way that she even gives up on life shows that she never really wanted to truly live it after a while, giving away all of her jewelry and such things to her children shows defeat. It is true that some people diagnosed with a disease like cancer have strong religious beliefs and that is how they make it through, but for this family, what are they supposed to rely on? And why aren't her children enough for her to want to keep living? I think it is because she never truly wanted the life, family, children, or husband that she has now.
The Love of my Life was a heart breaking story simply for Mark because he was truly in love with his wife. He had no clue that she was doing as much as she was behind his back and it probably killed him even more to see how her life unraveled even more after their separation. Also, how loving and caring, and attentive he was with her showed that he would truly do anything to just try and make her happy. Only thing that I did but didn't understand was why she even told him that she had cheated on him to begin with. She knew how truly devastated that he would be, so it would have just been that much better for her to stop having sex woth so many other men and stay loyal to her husband. Her life truly turned to shit after leaving Mark, with the drugs, the abortion and to top that all off the loosing the ring int he river. I'm sure she felt that she had nothing left to live form rightfully so, but it must have been a hell of a ride trying to get through life with the incredibly heavy burden of constant depression.
Ashes was a story where I truly felt bad for the mother not because she had cancer, but because it seemed as though she was living a life that she really didn't want to. She was no stereotypical mother, not really wishing for marriage for her children, and very outspoken about having no alcohol at her daughters wedding. But even when her children are trying to be supportive of her and her sickness she rejects it at all angles. Even with her own husband, who seems to be a royal ass to her, she doesn't seem to mind but imagine how hard that much be for her to live with someone who constantly critisizes your life style and the choices you make. For her it is about her smoking and drinking all the time that he blames for her having cancer. The way that she even gives up on life shows that she never really wanted to truly live it after a while, giving away all of her jewelry and such things to her children shows defeat. It is true that some people diagnosed with a disease like cancer have strong religious beliefs and that is how they make it through, but for this family, what are they supposed to rely on? And why aren't her children enough for her to want to keep living? I think it is because she never truly wanted the life, family, children, or husband that she has now.
The Love of my Life was a heart breaking story simply for Mark because he was truly in love with his wife. He had no clue that she was doing as much as she was behind his back and it probably killed him even more to see how her life unraveled even more after their separation. Also, how loving and caring, and attentive he was with her showed that he would truly do anything to just try and make her happy. Only thing that I did but didn't understand was why she even told him that she had cheated on him to begin with. She knew how truly devastated that he would be, so it would have just been that much better for her to stop having sex woth so many other men and stay loyal to her husband. Her life truly turned to shit after leaving Mark, with the drugs, the abortion and to top that all off the loosing the ring int he river. I'm sure she felt that she had nothing left to live form rightfully so, but it must have been a hell of a ride trying to get through life with the incredibly heavy burden of constant depression.
Monday, September 8, 2008
101 Way to Cook Hamburger/The Fourth State of Matter
101 Ways to Cook Hamburger was a relly good story I think because it showed how someone was truly trying to defeat something within themselves that they truly couldn't control. It was completely unexpected to read that the girl thought he was gay, and it ended up that he was. thinking of a situation when someone is kind of unsure of something such as that, but then they find out that they like their best friend, it is a debate if you should say something to them or not. It seems like that would be a tough situation to have to deal with- fighting with ever telling them or not. When he asked his mother what a fag was, I think she had some inclination that people may think her son way gay but never figured anyone would call him a fag. So when he asked I think it took her by surprise and she was more concerned with having her son go through that bullying. After seeing how hurt she truly was is what I think made him want to change himeself so much more. But certain comments on description of a male teacher just shows how no matter what he can't help his attraction or hgiher intrest that he has for males.
The Fourth State of Matter I felt was very random. Jo Ann lead a very sad life I thought and was a complete people pleaser. I didn't like it because I felt she was a character that was compeltely walked over by everyone including the squirrels in the upstairs of her own house! But I hated how her husband treated her and how she just excepted it, and still in a way expected him to call her. I wish they made her more of an independent character that was in control of her life. And I really didn't like how she lost the only person that she truly loved. Loosing Chris took so much more away from her life, loosing her dog and then marrying Chris would have been so much better. But something even worse and more sad to read would be her life now after Chris and how she goes on knowing that her husband doens't love her, and her best friend just died.
The Fourth State of Matter I felt was very random. Jo Ann lead a very sad life I thought and was a complete people pleaser. I didn't like it because I felt she was a character that was compeltely walked over by everyone including the squirrels in the upstairs of her own house! But I hated how her husband treated her and how she just excepted it, and still in a way expected him to call her. I wish they made her more of an independent character that was in control of her life. And I really didn't like how she lost the only person that she truly loved. Loosing Chris took so much more away from her life, loosing her dog and then marrying Chris would have been so much better. But something even worse and more sad to read would be her life now after Chris and how she goes on knowing that her husband doens't love her, and her best friend just died.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
About Me!
I am here at the Univiersity of Hartford because I was recruited to play basketball. I am a member of the team starting my freshman year and hope to have just as a successful season as the women had last year. I love to play all different sports, and other hobbys of mine are singing and reading. I really look forward to taking this class and viewing things in a different manner than I have been, and I'm also very excited about improving my own writing!
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