The Blessed House

I wasn’t that really enthusiastic about this story at all, it was sort of hard to really catch on with what was the whole point of it. This was sort of the worst story I read in this class, a lot of the stories that we have been reading has some kind of excitement to them or a sense of secrecy that would compel me to read more and more until I figured out the plot of the story or essay, but this story wasn’t that at all. The story kind of sparked some interest when Twinkle kept on finding different Christian statues and other Christian items around the house so I guess I became anxious about what else she might find but it did bore me after the Virgin Mary was found out in the yard. But what did begin to strike an interest bug in my mind was the way that Sanjeev met Twinkle. I never knew that “Hindu” people still did arranged marriages. I sort of laughed when Sanjeev noticed how that he might have made a mistake picking Twinkle, especially when he started to pick out her immaturity, and how he had other choices and he picked her, which was funny. I would think that Sanjeev put himself in the position why would anyone marry someone that the only known for only four months. Even though the story really didn’t capture my interest I did like the theme of the story on how Twinkle felt as though the “The House is blessed” because of the many Christian influences that are found around the house. When everything was unfolding and Twinkle was finding those things I thought about my house because when we first moved in we was finding things all over but they were far from being Christian..lol

Interpreter Of Maladies

One word for this story is WOW! My first impression of reading this was disinterest I honestly almost just gave up on it but as I began to continue to read I notice that there was something strange about Mrs. Das and I was determine to figure it out. I notice even from the beginning of the story there seem to be a sense of unhappiness and bitterness in Mrs. Das, especially they way how she treated her kids. It really shocked me about the parents arguing about taking the little girl to the rest room, and how Mrs. Das dragged little Tina out the car. At the moment I thought that she was some evil step-mother that didn’t like any of the kids and Mr. Das referring to Mrs. Das actually name and not mom to the kids definitely confirmed my suspicion. But as the story began to develop I noticed that even when Tina did refer to Mrs. Das as “mommy” I went back to creating a new hypothesis about Mrs. Das. When I seen that Mrs. Das declined her daughters request to paint her nails  in such a non-caring attitude I just came up with the idea that maybe she was just unhappy with her marriage and family, and as I read I seen that being more true with each page I turned and read. And then when Mrs. Das told her confession to Mr. Kapasi my mouth dropped. I knew that it had to do with her unhappiness but I didn’t know it was to that level of unhappiness. I seen that her telling Mr. Kapasi about her life of deception and her adulterous relationship I notice her desperation of her wanting to get out and wanting help because she opened up to a total stranger, instead of confessing to her husband.

DARKNESS, QUESTIONS, POETRY

I could really relate to a lot of the questions that this essay is addressing. In my baby days of Christianity before I understood the theology of Suffering I would always pose myself and my peers that very question. Why does it say that God is everywhere but when there is calamity and tragedy it seems that either God is not there or how can he allow so much darkness and despair happen to those the bible says he so called loves so dearly? I really wrestled with that question a lot in my high school years of Christianity, but as I began to become more mature in Christ and study the scripture more diligently I seen that even evil and darkness in the world are done by God for an ultimate purpose and plan. It lamest terms even evil has a purpose in Gods eyes. I think the poem got a little deep when the different scenarios and questions came up in the essay about how instead of trying to quickly responding dark areas in society and circumstances with quick religious cliché we should just face our darkness and not allow it to defeat us but to rise up under to darkness and stand on the light of Christ. One point that the essay pointed out that I agreed on was that if we don’t deal with our past pains how can we have a testimony that might help save someone that is facing the same pain you once was going through. I think that if we would just wipe our tears and dance while we are in our storms and not run away we would get stronger and am more efficient and better equipped to handle other obstacles that may seem greater than the one that first consumed us.

Raymond Carver

My first reaction of me reading this passage was an instant sense of interest, the subject the couples are talking about is something me and my friends discuss all the time, and to hear the same subject being brought up in the story immediately struck an interest in my mind. I feel that that is a question many people are still trying to figure out, “what is real love”. As I read and heard the story about Terri and her ex Ed story I was shocked. To hear how a man abused a woman and for that women to still feel as though she was loved by him really shocks and even scares me, because if this woman could say that even in an abusive relationship she feels that she is loved I can only imagine what about the rest of the woman that are stuck in relationships like that, and still feels as though a man loves them. Another thing that struck me was Laura’s response when asked does she feel when Terri was in her abusive relationship would she categorize that as being in love. Laura responded that she had to know Ed and really know the situation??!!! WHAT!!!!! It’s pathetic that people act so ignorantly and can’t call it as they see it. Clearly if a woman is getting abused in the relationship love had been left that type of relationship. God calls men to love our bride just as Christ loved the church, not to beat them like our child and on type of that calling it LOVE?!!?! I feel that Ed has the only sound mind and judgment in declaring that whatever Terri was in was not love, sure he acted very sarcastically to the idea and very insensitive to Terri’s feelings in that situation.

"ACTIVE READING"

I can really relate with how what you read is determined by how you read, it because just as the article stated in the reading “Active reading of Literature” I noticed that I was a passive reader and because of that I really don’t receive the insights and other understandings of the text like other readers would get. I used to really think that interpreting literature and other form of artistic writing was a gift actually, but I realize that it’s not a gift but just the way you read and pay attention to the words. When I read papers, magazine, web pages, and books I have a very nonchalant attitude and very uninterested passive style of reading, and because of this I can never get the deeper meaning, or even understand what the story is about because of my reading strategy. The book article “Active reading of Literature” also gives a lot of different reading techniques to help comprehend and analyze the literature, so that the reader can get a better interpretation of deeper understanding of the text presented to the reader. As I read these techniques I see them as helps and tips to help me to be a comprehensively sound reader.

 I think if I would adhere to some of these techniques I would be a more efficient reader. But honestly I think not being a passive reader is still something hard I’m going to have to beat, because I’m not really big on reading. And reading literature doesn’t spark any sense of active reading in me. But I guess this semester I will try to spark up a sense of active reading in me, and also use those tips and helps to broaden my mind in comprehending literature and poems. Hopefully it works out for me.

Self Profile

My first and earliest form of literature I encounter was honestly the Scriptures. When I was growing up my mom always enforced and forced me to always read a chapter or a narrative of the bible each night. But honestly I was so young I couldn’t even pronounce some of those words, so she brought me a book called "Bedtime Bible Stories", and I kid you not my whole theological and hermeneutical perspective has been founded by those "Bedtime Stories" LOL!!!!! That early exposure of scripture helped me to continue to study and break down the stories that once just made me smile and laugh in disbelief. I noticed how that piece of literature also helped me to grow ethically as a man of the Lord Christ Jesus. I was around the age of maybe 9-10 at my first reading and now I’m nearly 21 and I haven’t lost passion and interest in reading it. Honestly I can say the most significant book I have ever read has been the Bible if that counts as literature.

I thought the essay Prof. Corrigan wrote was kind of funny especially the smart comments about literature I could tell this class is going to be very interesting and something different I never encountered before. I’m ready to see what the world of literature has in store for me from the perspective of Prof. Corrigan. What I think I’m going to enjoy the most is the hands on and outdoor activities I will be taking part of. I like the statement Corrigan made about how literature is not just for “egghead” but is a part of everyday life, I always thought geeks, and overachievers enjoyed literature, but bringing in the perspective that literature is not so inclusive as some make it seems, it made me interests in finding out what is so good about literature.