Handmaid's Tale Topic Proposal

The assignment given for our second long essay was to read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. While reading this patriarchal novel, I found it difficult to not become angered by the treatment and attitude towards the women in the story. More than that, I found myself wondering how a world, like the one presented in the story, could come to be? As being someone who is so passionate about female equality, I felt the most suiting topic to research and discuss for this paper would be that of feminism. I also chose this topic because it’s something I want to learn more about and gain a better understanding of. Through researching this subject I also hope to learn more about what women have overcome so I can appreciate more of where we are today.

Another thing I was curious about is how a female author would approach this theme. As controversial as this subject is, I believe Atwood maintained some sense of fairness. After researching this topic and learning more, I hope that it will help me to understand her purpose in writing this novel.

Image URL:
http://thebanksvault.pbworks.com/w/page/20908128/The-Handmaid's-Tale-Diaries

The Woman's Movement:
http://feminism.eserver.org/theory/feminist/Womens-Movement.html

Mid-Session Check In

27 March 2011
Yavapai College
1100 E. Sheldon St.
Prescott, AZ 86314

Dear Laura Cline:

This year I have finally decided to get serious and start working towards a degree after taking mostly “fun” classes since graduation. Before the beginning of the semester I discovered I had to retake English 102 and, since I had already been through the course, I thought it offered a good opportunity to experience my first online class. Admittedly I was a little apprehensive about the aspect of online schooling, but it has proven to be a positive and rewarding experience. So far in the semester I am proud of the work I’ve done, especially the first long essay we were assigned. I also thoroughly enjoyed the first book we read and reflected on in the first long essay, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. After reading this piece I felt a higher regard for the soldiers who fight for our country and also anger for those affected by the draft during the Vietnam War.
Now that the first semester has flown by, my goals for this second semester is to just stay positive and keep working hard so I don’t fall behind. Also, as being someone who is always considering ways to improve their self, it’s only suiting I would apply it to school work. As far as english goes, I found I could improve my work by organizing my thoughts better in my writing and creating a better flow. I have already learned so much taking this online course and it’s safe to say it’s the first of many.

Sincerely,

Tina Herbert

Sean Huze Response

It is a story that's been told before;
of the fury and sorrow of war.
Whether past, present or future it is the same old;
a hell which consumes all, even the strong and bold.
Do not ask those brave souls what they've seen, or what they've done;
for their scars are theirs alone.
So many innocent lives lost;
but at what cost?
Do not be fooled by freedom, is my greatest sentiment;
for it does not come free at all. Not one bit.

The Things They Carried

The section I chose to respond to from Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried is the chapter titled “On the Rainy River”. In this section, O’Brien confesses that he made a run to Canada to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. As he neared the border of Canada he stopped to rest at a lodge, where he met a man named Elroy Berdahl, whom O’Brien claims saved his life. The most memorable part of this chapter is when Elroy takes him boating out on the Rainy River and stops right along the border as a way to bring Tim face to face with his decision, or perhaps to give him a chance to jump. It’s here at this crossroad between giving up his life and escaping, or returning home only to become a killer or die in the war, that O’Brien asks the reader “what would you do” (56)? After considering this, I came to the conclusion that I probably would have responded the same way by becoming paralyzed or crying, but ultimately I don’t believe I would have made the same choice as him.
O’Brien also mentions that he made the cowardly choice by going to war because it was made out out of embarrassment not to go. I find this interesting because normally you would consider going to war to be a brave and noble service, while escaping to be cowardice. Reading these stories brought back feelings of anger for the soldiers that were drafted into a battle that most of them didn’t even believe in. Especially in such a time of great dispute and protest over a war, it was an admirable thing to fight for your country, whether you believed in it or not. So, let me ask you; what would you do?

Vietnam War timeline:
http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index.html

-Image sources-

Protestors: https://iams.pbworks.com/w/page/26411485/A2-1960s-De-Zwaan
Tim O'Brien: http://www.utexas.edu/news/2007/12/11/hrc_obrien/

Poetry of Witness

Out of the selection of poems we read, I responded the greatest to “Charlie Howard’s Descent” by Mark Doty. The poem tells a tragic story of a young man who is ridiculed and murdered, simply for being gay. The poem becomes even more grim with the knowledge that it is derived from true events. It’s hard for me to accept that someone could carry out this kind of violence because of their own ignorance and discrimination. To recall Sam Hamill, if we as a society were more educated about such issues as homosexuality, there wouldn’t be such a problem with this behavior. My favorite quote from the poem is from the last two lines of the piece, “In the way that only the dead/can afford to forgive” (Doty lines 53-54). Is Doty suggesting the only way you can truly forgive is through death? Or is he suggesting that it’s not worth while to forgive? From what I’ve tasted of wrong doing, I’d have to agree with the first part.
The second poem I reacted to was “Photograph from September 11” by Wislawa Szymborska. The biggest reason I responded to this poem was because I, like so many others, have a clear memory of that day in history. What Szymborska does is describe the terror that was captured in photographs in a respectful and commemorative way. “I can do only two things for them-/describe this flight/and not add a last line”
(Szymborska lines 17-19). She is showing the victims of the attack respect by not stating the inevitability of their death. Reading this poem brought back to attention the memory and emotions of that moment. We all remember what we were doing when we learned of the attack, but what we might not remember is the fear and panic the victims felt, which is something Szymborska accomplishes well in her poem.


The man behind the poem:
http://gaylife.about.com/od/hatecrimes/a/charleshoward.htm

Image source: http://www.triple-tri.com/ttblog/index.php?m=200909

The Necessity to Speak Response

Many of the topics that Sam Hamill discusses in his essay The Necessity to Speak are considered by most to be controversial, such as murder, rape and domestic violence. The main point Hamill tries to get across in his writing is, that by being silent and not discussing these issues properly, we are continuing to allow them to happen.
He believes, and I completely agree, that if we could simply confront these taboo subjects rather than ignore them, the world would be a better place. If men learned how to be “real men” through positive figures and not what the media presents to them, domestic violence and rape wouldn’t be such a common affair. Much the same for women, that if they were appropriately presented with such issues, teen pregnancy rates would be lower and they wouldn’t as easily fall into abuse.
This piece is similar to poetry of witness because it is from a stand point of personal experience or of an observer. One personal experience Hamill mentions is serving as a Marine in the Vietnam War, during which time he became a “conscientious objector.” During Vietnam, soldiers would refer to the Vietnamese as “gooks” as a way to de-humanize them and justify killing them. He also notes that when military recruiters visit schools there is no opposition or voice to support non-violence, which leads to more young people enlisting to become trained executioners.
Another concept Hamill addresses that can lead to violence if misunderstood is homosexuality. Many innocent people become victimized due to homophobia, much like in Mark Doty’s poem “Charlie Howard’s Descent,” in which a young man is killed simply due to his orientation. One of my favorite quotes from Hamill is “knowledge is the loss of innocence,” however, I would like to add that it is also the gain of understanding.


Tips for ending violence:
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-stop-domestic-violence-a76868

Image source: http://aromitorevista.blogspot.com/2010/02/sam-hamill-cinco-poemas.html

Good Readers and Good Writers

According to Vladimir Nabokov, a good reader is one who has imagination and an artist’s passion but still remains reserved. Nabokov also believes a good reader is a re-reader. This is because it’s difficult to gain an appreciation for the artistry of a book after reading it only once. Taking into consideration my experiences with reading, I would have to agree with Nabokov’s description of the ideal reader.
Much like Nabokov, I believe a good reader needs to have a great deal of imagination to get the full effect of what the author has created. Another quality I feel a good reader should possess is having an open mind. As most authors have hidden connotations or meanings behind their work, it is important to be open to the writing so you can uncover them. Based on mine and Nabokov’s opinion, I believe I’m a good reader. I have the imagination while still keeping a broad but firm mind.

http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/education_news/2007-2008/readinginroom_imagination.aspx