Her Heart is Breaking in Despair...

I could vividly see and feel the pain of the slave woman and her son in Harper’s poem The Slave Mother. My attention was caught right away in the first line of the poem by the shriek. I could hear it echo as it “rose so wildly on the air.” And along with being able to hear it, I could feel the pain behind the shriek and my heart broke for the mother and her son even though I did not know yet what was causing them pain. Harper used words in the second stanza that gave me a feeling of weakness and helplessness. The “sadly clasped” hands and the “bowed and feeble head” filled my body with their weakness. The intense grief I felt for them continued with the “storm of agony.” That phrase allowed me to hear and feel the thunder trembling through my chest. I could even see the bright flashes of the lightning. It is discovered in the fifth stanza that the mother and son are slaves and where I began to feel the forced distance and separation between the two even though they were huddled closely together. It is repeatedly said that “he is not hers” even though “her blood is coursing through his veins.” That line gave me the sensation that they had an intense bond and in the sixth stanza they would soon have that bond physically ripped apart. He was the only thing that could repair “her breaking heart” and I not only felt but I could actually see the breaking of that bond through the phrase, “for cruel hands may rudely tear apart.” In the seventh stanza I immediately saw flashes of scenery. Flashes of places where they would probably rather be than in the bondage of slavery. These flashes represent freedom and life and happiness. I saw a beautifully lit path and a “fountain gushing.” These places are positioned among “life’s desert wild.” Finally he is torn “from her circling arms” in the ninth stanza just as they had feared earlier on. The last stanza, I heard more shrieks pierce the quiet air and felt the mother’s heart completely shatter into pieces.

Journal #3: The Wife

Irving’s short story “The Wife” is a prime example of how American men viewed women, marriage and economics. The man, Leslie, in the story sees his wife, Mary, as a delicate and dependent creature. He felt the only way to keep her completely happy in their marriage was to take care of her every need and give her the finest things in life. He wanted her to experience the fortunes of this world and she would never be able to without him. He even speculated that her life would “be like a fairy tale.” Then once he lost his fortune he became more and more depressed. He looked upon his friend, George, to give him some guidance in his desperation.  Leslie made it clear that he could not tell his wife in the fear that he would let her down and bring her into poverty. He did not believe that she would be able to withstand it but George eventually got him to tell her and she seemed even happier than before. He never once alluded to her being a strong individual and he just saw her as the weaker sex who needed to be cared for. He also thought that a more modest way of living would not be enough for her to be happy in their marriage. Leslie’s views on marriage, women and economics said that he believed only money brings happiness, women are weak and delicate and need to be taken care of, and the man must dote on his wife in order to keep her happy in marriage. However at the end of the short story, it was very clear to me that his wife did not need a fanciful way of living to be extremely happy. All she needed was the love of her husband.  I also saw her as a strong, independent woman who finds happiness in any circumstances. 

Journal #2: My Thoughts and Connections

One of the sections for today’s reading that intrigued me and got me thinking was the part about the Stamp Act of 1765. The act required that a tax be put on broadsides, pamphlets, books, newspapers and legal documents. The tax was a huge threat to many newspapers and made it impossible for them to start on new projects. The opposition of the Stamp Act brought together the printers of the 26 newspapers from the colonies. The growing power of the press resulted in the repeal of the tax in 1766. Even back then with their limited transportation systems, the written word was able to circulate quickly throughout the colonies and changes were able to occur. Now there are hundreds of ways that information can circulate through the media and the press. There are still physical newspapers but now we can go online to the Star-Telegram.com and search for any article or piece of news. There are other resources out there like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger, etc. where we can find important information on current events. Someone can send you a text and in a matter of seconds you will have that information at your fingertips. Other than written media, there is visual media where you can get information about what is going on in the world. The television and YouTube are our two main sources of visual media. When the Twin Towers were crashed into that information was on the news and circulating through the internet immediately after. That event united America in this modern age just like the printers from the newspapers were united in the colonial era and it was all due to the rapid pace at which importation events and information can circulate through media.  

Journal #1: What is an American?

(Reposted from toriroseknox.tumblr.com [Aug. 25,2011])


My idea and definition of an American has not really changed much and if it has changed, it’s only slightly. I came into class with the idea that an American is someone who is born in the country. Someone who is proud of the United States and who identifies themselves as an American citizen. These people are patriotic and proudly declare that they are an American. Being an American gives them a feeling of strength. I also see our people as being stubborn and opinionated. The American people as a whole are diverse and come from many different backgrounds, but the one thing that brings them all together is this country and the loyalty they feel towards it. That idea and definition of an American hasn’t changed for me. However, after our class discussion I began to think about where the current immigrants stand in comparison to the term “American.” Some of those immigrants really may feel a strong connection to our country and call themselves an American. I never took the chance before to view it through their eyes. When they think of America they see symbols like the Statue of Liberty, the bald eagle and the American flag and it gives them a feeling of freedom, opportunity and equality. However to technically and legally be called an American you have to either be born here or take the steps to gain that citizenship and that viewpoint for me has remained constant.