Reflection: Hills Like White Elephants

The recent reading of Hills Like White Elepahnts was very interesting. This short story by Hemingway proved to be a lot more than I initially thought it was. After reading the the short, 2 1/2 page story, I didn't really take anything away from it. To me, it seemed kind of like a pointless and irrational story. It was not until the class after the reading that I began to realize that this story actually contained a very interesting and intellectual combination of symbols and themes. Both the significance of the actual problem that the couple was discussing and the meaning that "white elephants" portrayed really turned the tables and caused a whole new spin to be put on the story. Not only did it now seem more complex, but it also led to a further characterization of the simple actions and dialogue that take place between the two partners. From now on, I will try harder to sift through simple sentences and dialogue in order to uncover the hidden meaning behind stories that are seemingly pointless and/or irrevelant.

Outside Reading: Blood Meridian

For my first outside reading book, I have chosen to read Corma McCarthy's Blood Meridian. After the first couple of chapters, I think that I will enjoy this book more than I thought I would. The western-like cowboys and indians setting really peaked my interest. I have always been a fan of this genre and this story is bound to be a page-turner. Some aspects about this book interest me, however. For example, the description follows a jumping motion, meaning that the setting tends to jump from place to place at various times. Another interesting concept comes through the dialogue. Throughout the whole story, no form of quotation marks or dialogue syntax is used. This adds a thinking element to the stry that really allows the reader to think in depth about what they are reading. All in all, I am looking forward to this story and the many others to come in the future.

English So Far

Well, here we are, three weeks into english. So far, it has been a very insightful and interesting class to participate in. I am looking forward to learning and analyzing some new literature as the year goes on. I think this will allow myself to really expand on my knowledge as far as figuring out how the material I am reading makes sense. I think that this class will hopefully boost my interest in reading. In years past and in other classes, I havent been pushed to read on my own and therefore have never really focused on it for pleasure. Im hoping this will change as I will be able to buy a book and actually spend time reading it. In addition, I think that the new vocabulary I will learn will also stretch my mind in ways that will allow me to present my writing in speech in a much more professional manner. All in all, I am looking forward to the rest of the year and hope to learn many things as class progresses.