Trifles by Susan Glaspell (Explorations of the Text)

Q : What clue(s) lead the the women to conclude that Minnie Wright killed her husband?
A : The main clue would be the dead canary bird. The cause of death to the bird is the exactly the same as Mr. Wright. In the beginning, the readers were given the evidence and cue on way Mr. Wright was being killed. He was straggled with a rope, and ironically he died on his bed with no struggling prefaced in the bedroom. That arises suspicions. They, the Sheriff and the Coroner suspect that Mr. Wright would have been killed by someone he knows. The men were straight into speculations that Mrs. Wright was the murderer. They tried to find evidences in the bedroom but to no avail. Surprisingly, it was the women who solved the case by themselves. However, they did not reveal it in protection of the person who carries the same gender as themselves - female. They believed that for Mrs. Wright to take such a gruesome and brutal action, there must be a solid reason to support it.

Q : How do the men differ from the women? from each other?
A : To answer this question correctly, we will be looking from two aspects which are the difference between men and women, and men and men. Men, of course are a complete different of species from women, therefore it is safe for us to say that men are different from women. Men are made of chromosomes XY whereas women are made of chromosomes XX. This result in difference from all aspects of men and women, both physically and mentally. Men in the text, is portrayed as arrogant and ignorant. They believed that they are in the upper hands of this case, and that they knew everything that has happened in this murder case of Mr. Wright. They did not pay even the slightest attention to the "trifles" which are the minor evidences that needed patient eyes to discover it. In the end, it was the women who solved this case, without them knowing of course. Men are well known to be strong competitors, they have the natural cavemen instincts and demeanor. They will fight among each other. In Trifles, the men were seen trying to be on the upper hand of each other. On one stage, Mr. Peters and Mr. Henderson were trying to prove to the people present in the kitchen, especially the women that either one of them is better acknowledged about how the murder was conducted.

Q : What do the men discover? Why do they conclude "Nothing here but kitchen things"? What do the women discover?
A : The men merely discover anything. They talked all the time, and was trying to flaunt their wisdom and experiences among each other. They even underestimated the women's ability and brilliancy by making a remark that there was nothing there except kitchen stuffs. For them (the men), the women were just decorations and were there for no use, but to collect some of the things requested by Mrs. Wright who was kept in the prison cell at that time. The men concluded in such a way, most probably is because they see no weapon that indicates the death of Mr. Wright. There was no consistency in the men, unlike the women. They go through every small little details in the kitchen. From their throughout inspections, they discovered an empty bird cage. And, how the dead canary bird was kept in a beautiful box by Mrs. Wright. The women making no hesitation in concluding that the straggled dead bird was the reason why Mrs. Wright murdered her husband. Moreover, the women knew Mrs. Wright since she was a young beautiful girl with good voice. The women cleverly and carefully put every puzzle into their own places by relating to Mrs. Wright's life before and after marriage.


*The answers given by the Blogger were based on her personal understanding of the text*

The biography and critic of Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen was a writer from Norway. As he was growing up, he showed no talent in drama and play. However, his mother loved to see plays, and played piano as well. From there, he developed an interest in making himself a stand in the arts industry. He was the oldest among all of his five siblings. When he was 8, poverty hit his family. His father was a merchant, but failed in his business miserably. Ibsen stopped going to school. and started to find odd jobs to support his family. However lowly educated he was, he still managed to work and write at the same time. He looked up to William Shakespeare as his mentor and inspiration. A Doll's House was his first piece of work. He embarked in the journey of becoming a writer through A Doll's House. A Doll's House received numerous recognition. It also causes a massive stir among the readers and in the society. Back in those days, women were being oppressed and belittled of. Women played an insignificant role in the society. Society did not and will not lay an eye for their sufferings or winnings. When, Ibsen's A Doll's House was published, it was criticised.

A Doll's House was about a woman's sacrifices towards her husband and children. In order to protect her family, she's willing to do anything that comes in her way. She even went to the extend of forging her dead father's signature to own the money, so that she can help her husband furtively. She knows how important image and dignity to her husband. Therefore, she tried to conceal everything from her husband's acknowledgement. It also goes to the extend of showing how insensitive her husband is. If only her husband will lower his arrogance and pride, he'd see all the sacrifices made by his wife.

A Doll's House highlights on the importance of women's role in the family constitutions. That causes an uproar in the society. They did not expect Ibsen to come up with such a piece of work. In this play, Ibsen was a feminist. He drew the lights to women.


Reference
http://www.biography.com/people/henrik-ibsen-37014?page=2

--> One can read the full version of A Doll's House on the link down below.
       http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2542/2542-h/2542-h.htm

The biography and critic of Susan Glaspell

Susan Glaspell was an American writer. She was made famous by the her strong and adamant view on Feminism. However, there's always a history behind a story told. Growing up in Iowa, she graduated in 1899. Upon her graduation, she find herself a job. Working as a journalist for Des Moines Daily News. She landed herself with a task. To write and report on a murder case. The case was about a man, John Hossack. He was axed while he was asleep on his bed. They suspected the wife to be the murderer. However, Glaspell went beyond what her job requires of her. She acted as a detective and started to investigate the case, in detail. However, the jury was not buying her words, and showed no interest in her report. That, I believe has agitated her. It prompted her to write. If we were to go through every piece of her work, you will notice how the feminist elements are so loud and clear. For example, Trifles. Trifles was published in the year of 1916. It was not a novel, but it is a drama. The play was based on the death of John Hossack. The female protagonist murdered her husband. However, there's a reason why she did that. From the play itself, we can see how insensitive the men are. They look beyond the tiny little details that most women would notice straightaway on the spot. Never did they realise that the small details that they were missing at, has contributed to the final judgement, on why the wife murdered her husband. From this play, we gathered clues about men. Men thinks that they are on the upper hands of the women, and that they are wise. But, Glaspell highlighted the facts that they are just plain arrogant and insensitive. 

Reference

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jglaspell.htm

-->  One may get a full version of Trifles from the link down below

        http://www.one-act-plays.com/dramas/trifles.html

# A short video of the play, Trifles

A Date with a Literary Scholar ~ Mr. Refaat Alareer

Today, we the literature students from University Putra Malaysia has a golden opportunity on meeting up with Mr. Refaat Alareer from Palestine. He is an English Literature teacher. He was very enthusiastic about his works. Throughout the two-hour session with him, he talks about his works passionately. The talk was in full swing. As the listeners, we were able to actually feel how he felt when he first wrote all the poems. Things were so chaotic back in his native country. It shocked us that he took almost a month to come visit Malaysia. And, he has to endure all the hardships to crossover the border of Gaza to Egypt before he could reach Malaysia. Before the talk, I was unaware and being kept in the dark on why wars happen between those two countries. All I know is many innocent people are killed daily and nonchalantly. The innocent people ranging from the babies to old folks were never spared for lives. Today, Palestine is all scattered apart and Gaza is their only land of hopes.

Mr. Refaat has a few good tips on how to write good poetry.

• Read a lot of good and high quality poetry
• Believe that you can write good stuff
• Have the will to do so
• Scribble your thoughts. Always.
• Imitate
• Be yourself

Mr. Refaat went on further in stressing that we must always carry a small notebook, or at least a phone with us. This is to avoid us from losing any good idea that might come in our way unexpectedly. Free write is very important, in this case.

Mr. Refaat also owns a blog where he will post all his poems, and to share it with the people around the globe. It mainly talks about the suffering of the innocent in Gaza, and how they live in fear.

•  http://thisisgaza.wordpress.com/

As we read through his poetry, we can trace down these three elements in it

• Dialogue
• Performance / Drama
• Palestine

His poetry are all beautiful, soulful, meaningful, and aspiring. When he read some of his works during the talk, we were carried away by him. We can actually feel the meaning of each and every word in the poem. Although, we are all living in a peaceful country as Malaysia but somehow, we felt as if we were there in Palestine.

During the Q & A session, there was a question that intrigued me. That question was posed by one of my classmates. She asked what is the significance of Olive in Palestine, in which Mr. Refaat replied it is believed to be the cure of every illness. The Olive Oil are used to rub on the body to ease the ache and pain.

Furthermore, Mr. Refaat also introduced us to a few famous poets from Palestine. Their poetry were all about the ongoing wars in Gaza. Poets such as Mahmoud Darwish and Tamim Bargouti are famous for their Arabic poems while poets like Rafeet Ziadah and Susan Abulhawa use English in writing. This is because English is the most accessible language and easy to be understood by people around the globe. It helps to transcend the message clearly and easily.

Below are some of the videos about the poets mentioned above.

                                                  Rafeet Ziadah reciting "We teach life, Sir"

                                                               Wala by Susan Abulhawa

Poem on Today's War ~ Farrah Sarafa

Palestine Fig
By Farrah Sarafa 

Inner worlds lined brown like the earth,

tinted gold like divine mirth,

the occupied race of people plead

for an outside light to dissolve their worry

into the Dead Sea.

Dense bubbles, sugar grains condense

like caramel apple heating

under my hot tongue. I imagine

soldiers' threats induce a similar

effect on their poor children who have long been

constrained to sacrifice

their fame, knowledge and skill. Sweet fig flesh

that grips wrinkled outer skin

like old native man's hands made hallow

from fear, disdain, longing to cry peace by tears

formed from the pain of clouds

waiting to be tasted and felt.

Pains produced from sweet-thirsty twigs,

resting on the earth, come together,

tighten, roll, and shrink into small balls called seeds-

reproduce from the hungers, contempt and needs

of Palestinian

souls. They swim in the memories

of their buried ancestors,

whose lives, disintegrated, nourish

fig tree soils, coalesce to become seeds

that constitute fig fruit.

Hearts gold- earth speckled, firm flavor,

a seeded promise that you

will savor the Arabian air

that you will inhale when you eat a fig

from my ancestors.

 Blood, Sand and Tears of a Young Boy
By Farrah Sarafa

I wipe my tears while they-
they have no tears left to cry.
Dehydrated, like dried pineapple,
the closest they come  to resembling the concentric yellow
and fiber-branching slices
is the tired eye;
swollen and puffed like a pregnant belly
their shadow-plated arches, underneath
reveal how much they question "why."

"For what are you longing,"
I ask, looking into the complicated retina of the young boy.
"What is floating in the water of your deep and narrow well my
dear?"
He only speaks fear.

I feel his mother's cries moving inside of me,
shaking off flower vases and pots of marble stone
from granite table-tops
I shiver; steady in will and
willing to stay, I am made from glass
while this little boy is made from clay.
He is brought to pot by American soldiers
from which the Israelis may drink their raisin-milk in warm,
  making excuses to stay
in my mother's Palestine.

Placing my hand on his cold, winter's chest
I transfer my comforts as warmth, but their flag's pointing west;
  they are looking for help from a nation that is "best,"
though it is we
that have made Iraq into a land of nuclear test.
Missile tanks and planks
for cannonballs make storm in a place where
smoke bombs, tear gases and raping little girls from lower
classes
bring to form
nerve knots and tissue clots
along the green-starred spine of Iraq.
These people need no more tears;
  they are merely
  hungry.

"What does she hide beneath her big red striped gown" he asks,
inquiring of her tasks.
"Rice with cumin-spiced meats and lemon-sesame treats
or niter, sulfur and charcoal dynamite for an endless fight
against the rest of the world," he wonders of her vast plunders.

Desert souls, their tears are made of blood mixed with sand
while I, American, laugh in pain
     at Charlie Chaplin going insane on the television screen.
CNN bulletin interrupts my bliss with news of terrors
about red and flaming wearers
of suicide and contempt.
My laughs push into cries
and form a current for the Arabian Sea
whose crystal salts perspire and become of me.
Her waves undulate like snake-thin layers of blood thickened with
sand and stone
like a serpent's plea to be let free
  and to roam
the Garden of Eden.
America.

Dulce et Decorum Est

                                   Dulce et Decorum Est 

                                                                                  By Wilfred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, 

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, 

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs 

And towards our distant rest began to trudge. 

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots 

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; 

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots  

Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling, 

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; 

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, 

And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . . 

Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, 

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. 

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, 

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. 

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace 

Behind the wagon that we flung him in, 

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, 

His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; 

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood 

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, 

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud  

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, 

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest  

To children ardent for some desperate glory, 

The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est 

Pro patria mori.

                               

The Greatest Poet - World War I

Wilfred Owen

Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was born on 18 March 1893. He was a soldier, second lieutenant in the Manchester Regimen. He served for England during World War I. He had seen lots of gruesome bloodshed during the war. Sadly, these experiences he had caused him to suffer from neurasthenia. He was traumatized. Therefore, he was sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital for treatments. During his recuperating in Craiglockhart, he met a poet namely Siegfried Sassoon. This  changed his life. He began write, in poetry form. He channeled his traumatized experiences into writing as a way to escape pain that he had to endure mentally and emotionally. Owen was also recognized as the greatest English poet of World War I. He managed to convey his feelings into all the poems he wrote. Words he used was precise and accurate to the point that sometimes the reader could feel what he felt. Some of his greatest works are Dulce et Decorum Est, Insensibility, Anthem for Doomed Youth, Futility and Strange Meeting. 

References

•  http://www.warpoetry.co.uk
• http://en.wikipedia.org 

The Meaning of Drama

What is Drama? 

"A prose or verse composition, especially one telling a serious story, that is intended for representation by actors impersonating the characters and performing the dialogue and action." - The Free Dictionary Online

"A composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically designed for theatrical performance; play" - Merriam-Webster, dictionary. 

Drama existed back in the days of Ancient Greek. The word drama itself was originated from the Greek, carrying the meaning of action. Unlike any other form of literature, drama need a fairly high thinking mind. The writer must be of someone who can write the scripts or dialogues that can convey the emotions in it. In the world of drama, the lines uttered by the performers on stage play a severe importance in order to bring out the lives of the characters. The rate of the success of drama is measured by the comments and compliments made by the audiences. For a drama to be successfully recognized by the people from all ages, the writer must put in excessive efforts in creating the perfect lines and dialogues. The weight of the dialogues must be up to the bar, in order to have the audiences to experience the roller coaster ride of feelings and emotions from the characters played on stage. Drama was popularized by William Shakespeare. His works were fantastically well performed on stage during the Elizabethan Era. From Shakespeare, we have The Globe. The Globe was used by Shakespeare for his plays to be performed to the public eyes. There are many types of drama ranging from tragedy, comedy, and romance. 

The Meaning of Poetry

What is Poetry? 

"the spontaneous overflow of powerful things" - William Wordsworth 

"If I read a book and it makes my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I know that is poetry" 

- Emily Dickinson

"Poetry is what makes me laugh or cry or yawn, what makes my toenails twinkle, what makes me want to do this or that or nothing." - Dylan Thomas 

Poetry existed back in the days of Old English and Middle English. Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales were prose - poems with stories in it. From my point of view, poets write poems to express their inaugural feelings.The best way to express one's feelings without being suppressed is through writing, but what form of writing? Do one write novel, novella, or short stories to express themselves? To some, yes. But it does not really reflect your true emotions. Poetry is unique and it blends easily as the usage of words are minimal and hit the bull's eye. Generally, the words used in poems are accurate, and the readers could feel it instantly without all the fuss and hustle bustle of going through the whole book as in novels and such. Poetry comes with stanzas and rhymes. That's the backbone of poems. In my opinion, poems are very structural. It has spines, bones, and even blood vessels, just like any human being. It is alive. It breathe. If stanzas and rhymes are considered as the backbones of the poem. The words used must be listed as the spines, and blood vessels in all poems that has ever created by poets from all around the world. In reference to Dickinson's quote above, she gave us an impression that poems have the characteristics of a human. It was as if poems can hold her tightly, wrap around her like a shawl, or even hug her to warm her up. That indeed, it is true that poems are alive. Furthermore, in reference to Thomas's quote, we know that poems can go as far as to be our loyal companion. It sticks to us. It will always be at our side during our ups and downs. Through poetry, we often get this overwhelming feelings and emotions that eventually we will be swept away gracefully, or taking up for a thrilling roller coaster ride. With it, comes in package that sometimes we find ourselves crying and laughing as we read the poem. It is an amazing feeling! 

Words Cited

• "Flanagan, Mark. Contemporary Literature Guide"  Grasping at the Indefinable. http://contemporarylit.about.com/od/poetry/a/poetry.htm

*Answers given by the Blogger are of her own opinions, solely*

Expression of Ideas on Turtle Soup by Marilyn Chin

# "Sometimes you're the life, sometimes the sacrifice." Write about this quote within the context of an immigrant family. What might a family gain or lose by moving to a new land?

The immigrants especially the Chinese are very independent. Everywhere they go, they set up their own ground to establish their existence in that particular new place.They believe that they are capable in having their own community, even when they go to a new place where there is no Chinese people. That is why every country, and city we traveled to, we will discover China Town. The Chinese has a firm belief in their culture, custom and heritage. They believe that the new surrounding will never change their shells. Everywhere they go, they go with pride in their chests, and always with their head held high. But, that does not mean they are arrogant. They are just simply proud of their history and origin.

As we go through Turtle Soup by Marilyn Chin, we know that the persona has slowly putting the Chinese culture behind him. He has been influenced by the how the Westerners live. He was simply being Westernized. When his mother boiled a twelve hour turtle soup from him, he was very angered by this. This shows how he could not accept the old traditional delicacy anymore. It does not make sense to him that by drinking the soup, he'll gain special immune to his body. He even go to the extend of bringing up the history of his Uncle Wu, who unfortunately was killed while trying to murder a famous Manchu. From this, we know that the old story that has been passed down generation to generation is totally out-of-date. The new generation does not bother about it anymore because for them it makes no sense on clinging to it.

Somehow, as you migrate you gained as well. To adapt to the people, surrounding, and environment; you tend to learn how to speak, walk, and eat like them. Slowly, one is changing himself and learn something new in return. For example, in Turtle Soup from the word Pasadena we know that this text was based in America. The migrants get to learn the American language that is English. English is a world renowned language in the world. Therefore, for the migrants to be able to speak and live like them is a bonus point in their lives. In fact, I think they have just stroke lotteries. One has to realize that not everyone back in the native land gets to go to America.

Therefore, I would say that migration does not necessary mean that it is bad. Looking at the bright side of it, we gained as we lose. The Chinese has a saying "In order to gain something, one must lose something in return." We can't possibly be having both at the same time.

*Answers given by the Blogger are of her own opinions, solely*

Exploration on Turtle Soup by Marilyn Chin

On the reference to Turtle Soup by Marilyn Chin 

1) Notice the author's choice of the word "cauldron" in line 4. What images or connections does this word evoke? Why might the author have chosen "cauldron" rather than "pot"
--> The word cauldron itself was stereotyped as a bad image for the witches. However, in this text the cauldron was signify as the unstable emotional current from the speaker's mother who has a firm and strong stand in the Chinese culture.

2) Chin refers to "the Wei","the Yellow", and "the Yangze". Why does she reference these rivers in China? Why not include the Nile, the Amazon, or the Mississippi?
--> That is because the turtle plays a very significant role in the Chinese community. The turtle was portrayed as "the symbol of long life". The Chinese community does have a concept that to those who consume turtle soup will remain healthy, and live to hundred years. It's a luxury delicacy in the land of China as well.

3) What is the tone of this poem?
--> The persona, due to his growing environment and surrounding feels ridiculed by the mother's action of boiling Turtle Soup. That caused a massive misunderstanding to both parties that ends up with an argument. From the argument they had, we can feel an excessive anger that has existed in the text.

* The answers given by the Blogger are the result from the discussion she had with her group.* 

Turtle Soup by Marilyn Chin

                                                        Turtle Soup

You go home one evening tired from work, 

and your mother boils you turtle soup. 

Twelve hours hunched over the hearth

(who knows what else is in that cauldron).

You say, "Ma, you've poached the symbol of long life;

that turtle lived four thousand years, swam

the Wet, up the Yellow, over the Yangtze. 

Witnessed the Bronze Age, the High Tang,

grazed on splendid sericulture."

(So, she boils the life out of him.)

"All our ancestors have been fools.

Remember Uncle Wu who rode ten thousand miles

to kill a famous Manchu and ended up

with his head on a pole? Eat, child,

its liver will make you strong."

"Sometimes you're the life, sometimes the sacrifice." 

Her sobbing is inconsolable.

So, you spread that gentle napkin 

over your lap in decorous Pasadena.

Baby, some high priestess has got it wrong.

The golden decal on the green underbelly

says "Made in Hong Kong."

Is there nothing left but the shell

and humanity's strange inscriptions,

the songs, the rites, the oracles?

                                                                      Marilyn Chin

Explorations on Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note

On reference to Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note by Amiri Baraka (1961)

1) What is the mood of the speaker in the opening lines? What images suggest his feelings?
 --> In the opening lines, the speaker sounded depressing. The lines were full of sorrow and ultimate
       sadness. It gives an illusion as if the speaker is helpless. 
       Evidence : "The ground opens up an envelopes me"

2) What is the significance of the daughter's gesture of peeking into "her own clasped hands"
--> In my opinion, it signifies that the speaker's daughter has hope. The daughter at a young age 
      (age not stated in the poem, assumed by the blogger) does not have any stress, and depression.
      In fact, she was in her own world, her own bubble; "talking to someone". Or perhaps, she was
      upset, but she chose to let it go by talking to herself or someone as the speaker put it into words.
      However, readers need to be aware of the line "Only she on her knees". This line indicates that
      she was kneeling down. In this case, she was probably praying and looking up for the Holy Guidance
      from God the Almighty. 

3) What does the title mean? How does it explain the closing line?
--> The title "Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note" carries the meaning of the introduction of a
       collection of suicide notes. However, it has zero connection to the closing line. The closing line shows 
       hopes and lights. That not everything is bad and dismal. If only we seek and never stop finding solutions
       to whatever problems and troubles that we are facing, eventually things will get better and we will be at
       ease.

4) Why does Baraka have three short lines, separated at stanzas? How do they convey the message of the 
     poem?
--> The three short lines, "Things have come to that", "Nobody sings anymore", "Her own clasped              hands". Personally, from my point of view I think the three short lines were written to emphasis the
       seriousness of what is going on in the speaker's mind. That everything has been fated to be in that way.
       No jovial spirits to be found. But, through God we find hope. 

5) Why does Baraka begin stanzas with "Lately", "And now", and "And then"? What do these transition 
     words accomplish?
--> "Lately" ~ How the speaker used to have negative, and hopeless thoughts running in his/her head.
      "And now" ~ Slowly, the speaker is trying to change his/her views and perspectives on life.
      "And then" ~ The speaker caught the view of  his/her daughter kneeling down and was talking to
                           someone, presumably to God. Nothing is impossible to achieve. Every task given by
                           God has been meted by God according to your abilities. Nothing is out of your league 
                           if you were to face certain issues or problems in your life. For God will always at your
                          side, patiently guiding you. 

6) How does the speaker feel about his daughter? What does she represent to him?
--> The daughter of the speaker represents him hopes. She was seen with lights. It helps shed the speaker's 
       negative vibes away.  

*Answers given by the Blogger is of her own opinions, solely*

       

Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note by Amiri Baraka

Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note

Lately, I've become accustomed to the way

The ground opens up and envelopes me

Each time I go out to walk the dog.

Or the broad edged silly music the wind

Makes when I run for a bus...

Things have come to that.

And now, each night I count the stars.

And each night I get the same number.

And when they will not come to be counted,

I count the holes they leave.

Nobody sings anymore.

And then last night I tiptoed up

To my daughter's room and heard her

Talking to someone, and when I opened

The door, there was no one there...

Only she on her knees, peeking into

Her own clasped hands

Amiri Baraka

Explorations on Incident

On reference to the poem Incident by Countee Cullen. 

1) What is the nature of the interaction between the two boys? 

 --> From the text, we can feel that there were positive vibes between the two boys.

       Evidence : "Heart-filled, head filled with glee"

       The Baltimorean, as the writer described the other boy left us with no clue as in

       whether the Baltimorean is a local white boy or of other races. Nevertheless, we 

       are sure that he (the boy) is of the race that differs from the "Nigger" boy. 

       Everything, the whole incident was a pleasant occasion where there were just this

       two boys seeing each other without addressing one another. Not until, the Baltimorean

       poked out his tongue and snarled to the other boy and called him "Nigger".

2) Why does the speaker remember nothing more than the incident, even though he stayed 

     in Baltimore from "May until December"?

--> In my opinion, the speaker does not and could not remember anything during the 8 months

      period is because the word chose and used by the Baltimorean has inflicted severe pain on 

      the speaker. It was so painful that it overshadowed his life for 8 months, leaving him feeling

      hollow and nothing. It was a brutal reprimand from the Baltimorean, who maybe does not

      aware of the pain and indignity the "Nigger" has to endure. 

3) What is the power of language? 

--> Personally, I think the power of language is how a certain words can shake things up, 

      especially words that exist to degrade, and to imply racism. Words like slut, whore, 

      nigger and negro can cause chaos and it certainly can cause mother disasters, literally. 

4) What are the effects of the use of the term nigger? 

--> First and far most of all, we need to acknowledge that slavery and racism are still rampant

      in America. The issue might have been suppressed, tolerated, and controlled well in certain state 

      in America. However, we need to know that this issue is pretty much still alive. So, when 

      someone out there who's brave enough to slurred the word nigger, he or she would have 

      been beaten up or killed, in which the rarity is close to infinity. Why, you may ask. Why?

      The reason would probably because the Blacks are still afraid of the "superior Whites",

      and they are trying to be as oblivious as possible in order to maintain peaceful and any headline

      in the newspaper front page. The term nigger can definitely cause uneasiness,and dissatisfaction.

      Furthermore, it would feel as if someone has stabbed a pointy dagger in your chest, and you in 

      return find it hard to catch a breath. The use of nigger will definitely inflict excruciating pain to the

      those who has been labelled, nonchalantly. 

*Answers given by the Blogger are of her own opinions, solely*

       

Comparison on "Incident by Countee Cullen" with own experience

This delicate poem created by Countee Cullen, an American poet who was a leading character in Harlem Renaissance has a deep connection to my own experience. It might not be as radical as what is portrayed in Incident but it affects me emotionally and mentally throughout my life. 

   I was born a mix-blooded child in my family. My mom is of a Thai citizen and my father on the other hand is a local Malaysian Chinese. Unlike my brother, I did not inherit any Chinese trait. I am of a dark skin-toned girl. Growing up, I was always been made fun of. Classmates of Chinese ethnicity looked down on me. No particular good friends during primary school years. They befriended me because I was able to help them in their homework especially homework in English. I still remember vividly on how they talked to me. Underlying every word they uttered and every sentence they spoke, sarcastic elements were never far away.

   Referring to two stanzas in the poem, "And so I smiled, but he poked out His tongue and called me, "Nigger".", this shows how the kid of different colors being discriminated by the ethnicity of majority, how the community underestimate them, and how they look at them without feeling an uncanny victory in their hearts for being able to oppress them mentally and emotionally. If we look through the history of America itself, we'd know how terrible the racism issue in America. The Blacks were often treated as slaves and they were not allowed to enjoy and share the same laws as their other counterparts. Being lynched by a mob of Whites but no sound of objections and arguments could be heard from them. Why? Because the law is not in their favor.

   I am not black but tanned.  However, that was how I was being labelled of - the black Siamese girl in the class. I was hurt and dared not complain, as I know this will greatly hurt my mom's feelings. The golden complexion that I was born with is my honor that I do not know how to appreciate back then. I constantly being overshadowed by the need of wanting to have fair skin-toned just like all my friends do.

   People will change as they grow because through the ups and downs of growing up and the phase of entering the adulthood, people gained experiences. They will encounter a lot of people of different colors, backgrounds and religions. They learn to tolerate and slowly accepting the fact that others who are different in appearances are as good as them. I changed. I love and cherish myself more from this painful experience I had endured. As for them ( my ex-classmates ), I do hope that one day they will realize that colors don't matter at all. We are human beings after all. Created by the same Creator and breathe in the same air, just like others.

 
* This was based on the Blogger's own experience * 

The Poem - Incident by Countee Cullen

                   

                        Incident

Once riding in old Baltimore,

Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,

I saw a Baltimorean

Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,

And he was no whit bigger,

And so I smiled, but he poked out

His tongue, and called me, 'Nigger.'

I saw the whole of Baltimore

From May until December;

Of all the things that happened there

That's all that I remember. 

Countee Cullen

Women in Poetry

    Women play an important role in the literary world, especially in poetry. Often, poems coming from the women have a strong relation to the dissatisfaction faced by the women themselves. Women tend to channel their thoughts in writing forms. As far as our knowledge brings us, we are all well aware that women writers back in the day before 21st Century were often kept in the kitchen. Women were not allowed to voice out their opinions on almost every issues, except sadly only on topics regarding to keeping the house and raising the kids. Back in those days, women only have kitchen talks among themselves. Their opinions were being suppressed, even their husbands won't pay much attention to it. Problems were kept to themselves. On certain cases, it became worse and caused traumatic experience for the women. Human beings are not born to held their feelings, emotions, and needs solely to themselves. That is why, texts from women often portray their problems. Thus, the birth and evolution of feminist criticism.  Writers like Emily Dickinson, Naomi Shihab Nye to name a few had made a huge impact in today's society. Their contribution is unexceptional in educating women to be independent and not afraid to stand tall among the harsh society, dominated by the males.

    Here's an example of poem by Naomi Shihab Nye, All Things Not Considered. This poem is about the innocents who lost their lives to the war. Wars happen because of the political interests among the bourgeoisie. The setting for this poem is in war torn countries, possibly between Isreal and Palestine. I made this assumption based on the particular words found in the poem such as Palestinian, the Jewish Boys, Jewish and Arab women. Houses were bombed and scattered to pieces, and the livings were killed. "A brother and sister were playing with toys when their room exploded." 

    "The Jewish boys killed in the cave were skipping school, having adventure." This sentence gives the picture of a naive, inexperience, jovial and free-spirited boy whose life was taken away swiftly from the unprecedented incident that happened on him. The words terrified and die give an idea of death, pain, and terror. "I spit in the face of this ugly world.", uttered by an Arab father who had buried and wept for his 4-month-old daughter. From this, we literally can feel the pain and agony experienced and underwent by a father. "Huddle under cliffs, eat crumbs and berries." This is exactly the excruciating situation faced by the homeless refugees. They constantly seek for a safe place to accommodate their families and survive only on petty food. "Some picked up guns because guns were given." The aimless and oarless uneducated people will definitely fall into this trap. They were not taught of the right and wrong. They blindly accept whatever that comes in their way. Wars continued, and lives being taken away mercilessly with no chance of speaking for themselves at all. However, "Jewish and Arab women standing silently together.". This strong and solid evident proves that wars are created by the selfish, greedy, and inconsiderate men not women. Wars happens to feed the greed of mankind, and to satisfy their unrealistic ego.

http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2005/12/04/all-things-not-considered-by-naomi-shihab-nye/