How I Met the Standard in Unit 4

I met the standard regarding the contemporary context of a piece of literature in my post "Reflection on the Third Chapter of the Great Gatsby". One example is "The third chapter of the Great Gatsby demonstrates aspects of the Jazz Age very well. One would be the bootlegging and illegal drinking." Now that I have done this, I am done with Lit. 11!

"Incident" Reflection

Incident by Countee Cullen is a piece of Harlem Renaissance. The poem deals with an instance when he experienced racial discrimination. While he was visiting Baltimore a boy yelled a racial slur at him. Because of this he says that “I saw the whole of Baltimore, from May to December: Of all the things that happened there, that’s all that I remember”. I think that this is not only meant to show the harm that racism can cause someone, but also how a bigot can taint a whole community.

"The Negro Speaks of Rivers" Reflection

Langston Hughes “The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is a piece of Harlem Renaissance. In the poem he talks about different rivers he has been to over the course of history. He says that he has “known rivers ancient as the world and older that the flow of human blood in human veins”. He also says that he “looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it”. Considering the fact that he talks about things that he wouldn’t have known because of his age, and that all of the rivers that he talks about, except the Mississippi, are in Africa, I’d say that it is safe to say he is referring to all African-Americans and their ancestors when he talks about himself.

"A Dream Deferred" Reflection

I would consider Langston Hughes’ “A Dream Deferred” to be a piece of psychoanalysis. He asks the question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Asking the reader a question is a common trait of psychoanalysis. I think that this is a pretty relevant poem. People commonly put off their dreams because there is something that seems more important. Essentially, this is long term procrastination.

"Mending Wall" Reflection

“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost is a piece of disillusionment. The neighbor in the story simply accepts the philosophy that “Good fences make good neighbors.” The narrator on the other hand knows that there is really no reason to maintain a wall. Since him and his neighbor both grow trees and don’t have any livestock to keep on their property. Even though the neighbor knows this he continues to follow his philosophy that “Good fences make good neighbors.”

"Richard Corey" Reflection

“Richard Corey” by Edwin Arlington Robinson is definitely a piece of disillusionment. The way that I saw it was that Richard Corey was no longer disillusioned about his own status. He was regarded as “a gentleman from sole to crown”. He was also very wealthy, even “richer than a king”. But he apparently came out of his disillusionment with his status in life and his life in general, so he decided to end it.

Reflection on the Third Chapter of the Great Gatsby

One thing I found interesting was how Gatsby seemed to prefer to watch the party, rather than be a part of it. The narrator talks about how he was “looking from one group to another with approving eyes”. It also mentions “the fact that he was not drinking”. This gives him a pretty mysterious image. Why would someone who throws such large parties want no real participation in the partying?

Another thing I found interesting was how the drunken man in the library was so interested in Gatsby’s books. Fist of all, he is impressed that “They’re real”. He is sure that no one believes him. To convince them he shows them how they “have pages”. The intoxicated are so easily entertained.

The third chapter of the Great Gatsby demonstrates aspects of the Jazz Age very well. One would be the bootlegging and illegal drinking. Gatsby had a bar in his house. When referring to it the narrator says “The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden”. It also talks about the serving of champagne on a few occasions. It says that “champagne was served in glasses the size of finger bowls”.

One thing that could be considered an aspect of the Jazz Age is materialism. People come to Gatsby’s parties because they know that he has great things. He has excessive amounts of alcohol, which was something that most people in this period craved. He also had great food and an orchestra that would perform at his parties.

The Jazz Age

When the choice was between the Jazz Age, disillusionment, the Harlem Renaissance and psychoanalysis, I decided to to go with the Jazz Age. One reason for this is because I figure that it should have some action that will keep me entertained. Another reason that I chose this is because I don't like some some of the other choices. The main one being disillusionment. I don't like disillusionment because it seems to just be a lot of whining by people who happen to have been dealt a few bad hands over the course of their lives.

Unit 4

I'm not sure which standard I've had the most trouble with. For this reason I'll talk about which standard I viewed to be the easiest. The one I thought was the easiest was the standard about relating literary works to their contemporary context and to other works of literature. Being someone who would consider themselves a history person, I really liked trying to meet this standard. In my post called When You Arise in the Morning, I compared Tecumseh's poem with the Psalms of the Old Testament.

Meeting Standards Unit 3, part 2.

I discussed the themes of Realism in my post Realism in the Battle with Mr. Covey, when I say "Descriptions are very important to Realism. When reading a piece of Realism you should not have to paint a picture in your head". I used evidence just now.

Alarm Clock

Born and raised I was, in a very organized home, in a very organized family. I lived my life on a schedule, whether it be that of my parents, or of myself. A family right of passage ceremony took place on each child’s sixth birthday; the day in which they would receive their first alarm clock.

I was a boy that always wanted to be included. I was also the youngest, which meant that I was often not included. On my sixth birthday, I was bursting with excitement for my alarm clock, for this was something that every other member of the family had. After the traditional song, candles, and cake, it was presented to me. It was a gold painted, old fashioned, wind-up clock, and I would have picked it, if I could have picked from all the clocks in the world.

As my birthday crept to a happy close, I wound my clock, setting it to go off at 6:15 (a cautiously early time for my for my 8 o’clock school start). I lay in bed that night with a smile on my face. I welcomed, with great anticipation, the new organizational responsibility. At 6:15 the next morning, I awoke to the pleasant sound of ringing bells.

Ten years later; I am a high school student. I no longer find the ringing bells a pleasant sound to my ears. I now associate them with stress and anxiety. The moment I hear them ring, at exactly 6:15, I want them to stop and let me sleep for another 24 hours, when they will ring again. I don’t know why I continue to wind the clock every night. My mother would wake me whenever I asked her to. But routine is routine.

Four years later; intense issues with insomnia, which came about in my freshman year, have turned me into a college dropout. I have moved back in with my parents, and work a graveyard shift at a large chain store located a few mile from my parents’ house. My shift ends at 4 a.m., and I’m in bed by 4:30. Same as every morning, an hour and forty five minutes later my clock sounds its alarm. 6:15. It is still dark. Same as every night, I swear I set it for 11.

Two years later; I still live at my parents’. I still work the night shift, and have gained no greater rank or pay since the start of my employment. I am entirely to blame, because I give least amount of effort of all the employees. I barely have any within me to give.

The next night; my nocturnal employment is terminated at 2:30 a.m. At 2:45 I collapse into my bed and weep. Not solely for the loss of my job, but for my complete lack of happiness in my life. At 3 a.m. I get the one thing I desire most. Sleep.

6:15 a.m.; I am awoken by the awful sound of the ringing bells of my clock. Rage which I was unaware I had, roars within me! I thrashed from my bed, grabbed the gilded clock and with a shout of anger, hurled it into the wall! The ringing continued. I began to yell and weep uncontrollably. My mother rushed into the room and pleaded with me to tell her what was the matter. In between sobs I told her to listen to the awful ringing of the clock. “What ringing?’ she asked. “That clock hasn’t worked for years”.






Evil and insanity are a large part of Dark Romanticism. Anger is a large part of evil the characters issues with anger is shown when he states that “. Rage which I was unaware I had, roars within me!” More importantly this deals with the insanity side of Dark Romanticism. As you see when the main character’s mother tells him that “That clock hasn’t worked for years”, he has been waking up at 6:15 to ringing in his head that had become accustomed to hearing for the early years of his life. He was so set in his routine that it took control of him and drove him insane.

Realism in Blood Diamond

I think that the movie Blood Diamond is a good modern example of Realism. One social issue being addresses is diamond smuggling from war zones, and financing revolutionary war efforts through the profits. This is a relatively common thing to happen in Africa. Another one of the social issues being addressed, which is also not that uncommon in Africa, is the subject of child soldiers. The children are kidnapped during village raids and seduced into fighting through drugs and brainwashing.



Blood Diamond shows many thing that would be considered very graphic by some. In one scene you see how the Revolutionary United Front coerces children they have kidnapped to fight for them. It starts with all of the children being lined up and told that their parents, family and neighbors are all weak and useless. Then, they are told that only through joining the RUF will they be able to escape a fate similar to that of the weak. They are then shown how to do multiple forms of drugs, and told that through the drugs they are invincible.

Realism in the Battle with Mr. Covey

Descriptions are very important to Realism. When reading a piece of Realism you should not have to paint a picture in your head. The picture should be shown to you. Douglass demonstrates this when he says, "From the crown of my head to my feet, I was covered in blood. My hair was all clotted with dust and blood; my shirt was stiff with blood. My legs and feet were torn in sundry places with briers and thorns, and were also covered with blood".

I think that the social issue that Douglass was trying to address was; how although he and other African-Americans were slaves in practice that they did not have to be slaves in spirit. That although they had to work for their masters, they did not have to humble themselves before them. He illustrates this when he says "However long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact".

I think that the reason that Douglass wrote this was to try and empower slaves throughout the country. To raise their spirits and make them believe that they belonged to no one but themselves. To help them understand that just because they were legally the property of their masters, didn't mean that they had to bend entirely to their wills. That each slave did not have to be "a slave in fact".

Realism in the Story of an Hour

A big part of Realism is being descriptive. leaving nothing for the imagination, and creating a complete picture for the reader. Kate Chopin does this in the Story of an Hour, when she says, "She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams". You don't have to create a picture in your mind. The picture presents itself to you.

I think that the social issue that Chopin is trying to address is; how spouses try to dictate each other's lives. How sometimes, people try to mold the lives of their partners into what they want it to be and disregard what their spouse wants for their own life. Chopin addresses this when she says, "There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature". In the story, the unhealthy Mrs. Mallard, seems to gain a new sense of appreciation for her life upon hearing that her husband is dead and that she can now live for herself.