Footprints in the Sand

God works in truly mysterious ways. This past Monday was our final Into to Lit night class. Professor Hargon decided to discuss the topic of poetry. He asked the class to share some of their favorite poems and one student read "Footprints in the Sand." I had heard this one before and although I had kind of forgotten about it, I would say it is one of my favorites as well. I remember sitting in class and thinking about how powerful the words and message of this poem is in times of trials. Who knew that it would come up a few days later when I needed it most? My family just heard a piece of news that basically rocked our world. It's been hard on all of us and I feel at loss for words at times. My dad came to campus yesterday to talk. During our conversation he brought up the "Footprints in the Sand" poem that he had just read and how it is so applicable to our lives right now. I told him that we had just read that poem in my lit class earlier in the week and knew that it was no coincidence. He was reminded, and was reminding me, that God is carrying us through this low period. I love the picture this poem paints and the comfort it brings, especially now. Just like the person in the poem, it is easy to be doubtful and difficult to understand why things happen, but God is always there to say he is not only right beside me, but carrying me. I know that my Father is holding me and my family and I will see what he has planned through this.

"The Rich Brother" vs. Cain and Abel

This writing assignment compares the two brothers in "The Rich Brother" to Cain and Abel in the Bible. At first I had troubles focusing on a single, manageable claim because I could draw several connections between the pairs of siblings. I finally settled on the idea of jealousy to focus on for this short assignment and I think that I stay true to that issue. I have decided to include this piece for my portfolio because I want to include more evidence to further analyze and develop the claim.

The sibling rivalry in Tobias Wolff’s “The Rich Brother” relates to the similar conflict of Cain and Abel due to jealousy of parental attention. In the Bible, Cain was jealous of his brother because their Father God had favored Abel and not him according to their offerings. “But on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” Notice how Cain became angry because his brother was highly favored above him. Wolff uses a comparable jealousy and anger that Pete held toward his brother: “Mom was in a state every time you burped” (91). The slight sarcasm Pete uses indicates his bitterness for the extra attention his brother received from their mother. The sibling rivalry in “The Rich Brother” dates back to Cain and Abel in Biblical times that accumulated from a jealous grudge for parents’ attention.
 

And the Diagnosis is: Narcissistic Personality Disorder

This was my second essay where I did a psychological analysis of one of the characters, Kyra, from T. C. Boyle's Tortilla Curtain. I really took pride in this piece because it tied in to what I was learning in my introductory psychology class. From a psychological standpoint, I diagnosed Mrs. Mossbacher with narcissistic personality disorder.
A couple of sentences that were commented on as well developed and bringing my ideas together were: "This action assists in confirming Kyra’s narcissistic view of herself that she is more successful than other contending real estate agents" and "Her excessive list reflects her desire to present an over-the-top dinner in order to impress her guests. She strives to have only the best to exaggerate her achievements and therefore expects the admiration and even jealousy of others, implying the narcissistic personality disorder." I also believe that this essay was effectively well organized as I split up my arguments into several paragraphs with fluent topic sentences such as: "Kyra’s concealed inferiority is also displayed by her inability to protect her pet dog from a coyote with a fence."
One improvement that could be made would be staying focused throughout the entire essay as I seem to lose the main thread at times. I just had so many ideas and different psychological concepts that I wanted to correlate to the personality disorder that I tended to cram them in there. An example of sentence that is disconnected from the narcissistic issue is: "Kyra’s mindset exemplifies the scapegoat theory, as described in Exploring Psychology, that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame (Meyers 559)." It was a good point but isn't completely focused on the essay's topic.
Overall, I enjoyed experimenting with a psychological analysis where I could use what I have learned outside of this particular literature class.

Irony in "Tortilla Curtain"

This analysis is one of my favorites so far. I wasn't quite sure about it when I first thought of the idea because I didn't think that I could clearly draw the connection. I received very positive feedback from peers with a suggestion of possibly adding more quotes. But, I tried something more out of my comfort zone by analyzing one of the ironies in this novel and ended up pretty pleased:
In “The Tortilla Curtain,” T.C. Boyle uses the irony of a name to illuminate the unattainableness of the American dream for those who are not American. It is ironic that Boyle chooses the name América for the visionary Mexican girl that sneaks across the boarder into “the land of the plenty”: America. América Rincón, at the age of 17, has a bright future ahead of her as her older husband, Cándido, has promised her a life she has only fantasized about from her small Mexican village. The newlyweds are filled with hope and anticipation until each time they come within reach of fulfilling their dream, it is once again snatched from their grasp. América is so beaten down by the harsh country that she “had to catch her breath to keep from sobbing with the hopelessness of it. ‘I hate it here. God, how I hate it’” (326). Notice how the once hopeful América, has turned hopeless in America where she should have achieved the American dream. In América’s mind, this country was an opportunity to improve her life, not a chance feel dehumanized. In “The Tortilla Curtain” it is ironic that a non-American be named America who is after the American dream but is unable to acquire such a goal.

Adolescent Choices in "A&P"

This was the first essay I wrote for this class. I focused the piece around the theme in John Updike's short story that, "in adolescence, choices are made without the consideration of consequences." I first introduced my ideas to engage the reader, "Have you ever decided to do something in your adolescence to live in the moment, only to realize the consequences later of that choice? Maybe it was the choice to argue with your parents because you thought you were right. Or perhaps it was to break the rules. Or you reacted on your gut feeling to get in a fight over a girl." This intro was meant to help the reader relate to my essay while simultaneously exposing them to the connection in "A&P" that, "such adolescent choices are exemplified by Sammy’s condescending mindset, three girls’ outfit decisions, and a commitment based on impulsiveness."
An example of my coherence through organization is how I break up each point into two paragraphs and connect them with a topic sentence such as, "In addition to the older customer, Sammy also decides to think superiorly by casting judgment on the butcher McMahon." Although I break apart from the standard 5-paragraph essay, I think that I do so in a way that maintains coherence for the reader to follow along.
I develop my ideas by integrating quotes into my essay. One example is, "Lengel’s sad Sunday-school-superintendent stare is the reason that 'Queenie’s blush is no sunburn now' (18). The reassurance that this girl is truly humiliated, and most likely regretting her decision to have given Lengel a reason to make her uncomfortable, is illustrated in the attention drawn to her blushing." I continue to develop the evidence in the quote by explaining the significance directly after.

Actions Explained by Biological Research

This was my first piece of the semester for Intro to Lit which I think went very well. This gave me an idea as to what was expected for the anaysis. I decided to do a "floor 3" anaylsis whcich required taking a bigger picture look at the story as well as an outside source. I related the main character's behavior to a potential lack of full brain development due to his adolescence:

In John Updike’s “A&P,” the teenage protagonist’s actions may be explained by biological research of brain development. According to the article, “Adolescence, Brain Development, and Legal Culpability,” by the American Bar Association, “One of the things that teenagers seem to do is to respond more strongly with gut response than they do with evaluating the consequences of what they’re doing” (2). Such compulsive behavior is demonstrated by Sammy’s quick response to the girls’ hurried exit as he blurts out, “‘I quit’ to Lengel quick enough for them to hear” (18). The way in which Updike has 19-year-old Sammy act is probable and consistent according to research that one’s brain does not reach the biological age of maturity until the early twenties. After Sammy’s, in his initial perspective, heroic gesture, he eventually realizes the consequences of his spontaneity as, “I felt how hard the world was going to be to me here-after” (19). Updike catches the accurate behavior of a teenage boy, according to the biological evidence that the brain of an adolescent has not fully developed, leading to Sammy’s strong gut response in an attempt to impress a girl in a two-piece.