College Lit: A Look Back

College Lit didn't really end up being like what I expected. To honest, I didn't expect to read as much as we did. I have no idea why I expected that from a literature class, but I did. However, I'm really happy about this, becuase I love to read, and I don't have much of a chance to do it. This class reminded me how much fun it is.

I think the theme of the class was really relevant, too. A lot of us consider ourselves to be grown up, but I don't think most of us are there yet. It helped me realize that it's different for different people. No two people will grow up at exactly the same rate, which is probably a good thing. How sad would it be if all of a sudden a switch just flipped and bam! You were an adult. While it's difficult to grow up, at least we don't have to do it all at once.

Overall, I'm really glad I took this class. I learned a lot about myself and other people and a lot about reading in general. I feel better prepared for reading in college and reading in life. So what do you think? Did it help you? Would you tell an underclassman to take this? Are you glad you did? I am :)

A Grown-Up Picture Book

We talked a little bit about how Marjane grows up in Persepolis, and how this story represents that general theme. But how about the book itself? I think it shows how we have grown up, in one aspect. We we were little, most of us heard bedtime stories or stories at a different time, and I'm guessing most of us loved it- I know I did. As we grew older we learned to read ourselves, and the books had fewer and fewer pictures. Now, I'm guessing, the books we read have no pictures at all, and our old picture books lie dusty in a corner. The last thing we ever expected (although some of us had probably heard about it) was to read a picture book in a college literature class. But that's exactly what we just did, in a way. And I'm thinking that, although some of us didn't realize it, we enjoyed being reminded of that piece of childhood. Oh, I know, graphic novels are a far cry from Winnie the Pooh or Lily's Purple Plastic Purse. But certain things remain the same. We still enjoy learning the faces of the characters we love, and seeing what they do and what that looks like. We love being welcomed into their world, a world that becomes our own. I think that's the important part of any book with pictures, whether it's for a 4-year-old or a 14-year-old: that they make you feel at home in that world and connected in a way that gets lost otherwise.

Light Years and Persepolis

We did some talking in our Light Years group about how much Light Years is like Persepolis. Both Marjane and Maya grew up knowing war. Maya's family seems a little more easygoing though, as opposed to the opposition the Satrapi's often show. They also both grew up living in fear. There were often bombings, and whenever it happened they were worried it was someone they knew. I think it would be very difficult when you saw a person to not know if you'd see them the next day, or if they'd be killed. Whether it was your family, or just someone you knew, it would be hard to have life in in a state of constant uncertainty. They must have found some way to cope with it, but it doesn't seem easy.

Another similarity is that both make an escape, but never fully get away from their homeland and culture. Maya finds refuge at college in Virginia, while Marjane leaves for Austria (most of this is in the second half of the book, for those who haven't read it.) The difference between the two girls is that Maya tries her best to stay distanced from everyone while Marjane works to fit in and be accepted. Although that part is different, they are united in that they are both haunted about events from the past, and worried about those they left behind. Also the same is that they both go back in the end. Neither can stay away forever. I think that says a lot about the love one can have for home and the people there. Nothing seems to be able to stop them from getting back.

Persepolis Final Reflection

I really enjoyed reading a graphic novel as opposed to one with only words. I thought it added so much more room for interpretation and really made it more interesting. It allowed you to see what people were feeling and thinking by reading their expressions, not just what the author tells you they feel. It did make it more difficult though, because you had to really pay attention and notice things. However, overall I think it was really cool because two people could read the same book and get an entirely different picture of the novel, which allows for a lot of good discussion and helps to further the experience.

I definitely enjoyed reading this, for the reasons shared above. I also enjoyed the story itself. I liked that it was written by the person the events happened to, so I felt like she was a more reliable narrator. It was also really cool to read about a different culture and about real things that happened there. It wasn't just something made up for a good story; it was real, and that just leaps off the page.

I would recommend Persepolis for this class (and others). It teaches a lot about life, and about the way we read (and the way we can read). I think it's really valuable to do something different like this, especially when it offers a strong message like Persepolis does.

Goodbye, Janet

1. With this unit, I liked how the book tied in to lots of things and all of our discussions on various aspects. We did a lot with motifs, and gender, etc. I also liked the practice we got reading older texts, since we'll have to do that in college.

2. I didn't really like the faster speed at first, but as we slowed down, that got a lot better. Other than that, I think everything seemed to fit and work out well.

3. I think this book should be taught in College Lit. It fits well with our motif of growing up, and it is a classic that we might have to read in college or at least know something about.

4. I don't really have much to say to the characters. The time we spent was lovely, but it is done (for now). To Charlotte Bronte I would just like to say thanks, because I really enjoyed reading Jane Eyre.

Dear Charlotte Brontë,

Dear Charlotte Brontë,


It has come to my attention that you have composed a novel by the title of Jane Eyre. I have commenced the reading of said novel, and I have a few comments to humbly convey to you.

First and foremost, I would like to say that I find your novel remarkably interesting. It seems to me that books are often filled with far too many useless details. In your novel, however, I have found that the details are truly important. The plot, also, is intricate and very interesting. I was drawn in to Jane's life from the start, and that attention never wavered. You created a vivid world that was enjoyable, though not perfect, as the worlds in books should be. I commend you for your talent and skill.

I also have an inquiry to make. When you were writing, did you intentionally include things like fire, color, windows &c an abnormal number of times, or were those just the things that often came to your head? Please don't misunderstand, I love the inclusion of the aforementioned things, I merely wonder if you intended it to be so. If you did intend to include them, what was your reason? To add meaning, make people ask questions, or another reason?


Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate the efforts you put forth into creating this marvelous book. Well done!


Humbly Yours,

Elise

Jane's Insecurities

One of the things my group discussed when we were talking about our motif of windows, doors, and curtains, is that those things could be a metaphor for Jane's feelings of separation from the world. We guessed that was because she feels insecure. The question to follow, then, would be what those insecurities are any why she has them.

Jane's biggest insecurity seems to be her social status. She is always feeling as though she is in a lower class than those surrounding her. This is what keeps her hiding behind the curtain from Mr. Rochester's friends, and what keeps her from allowing him to see her as an equal. My guess is that this insecurity comes from the constant drilling from Aunt Reed of how Jane was not on the same level as her children. She was a charity case and should not forget it. That incessant repetition is keeping her from doing just that--forgetting.

Jane also seems to be insecure about the way she looks. She talks all the time about how plain she is. She knows she's not beautiful, and most of the time pretends that it's ok. However, when Bessie comes to visit her and tells her how she's not too pretty, she takes offense and shows us that she really does care. Jane feels throughout the book that she is lacking in physical attributes; this hinders her from haveing confidence in herself. It's not the only thing to do that, but it's one thing.

My question for you all is: what else do you think Jane feels insecure about, and why?

Saying Goodbye to Holden Caulfield

Sad? Happy? Bittersweet? I'm not exactly sure, but our time with old Holden is drawing to a close. Most of us are probably very relieved, but I have to admit, I wish we had a little more time with him. Some people think he gets more annoying the more you read, but I'd like to see what happens next. He finally seemed to be understanding things a little more and calming down. I wonder if he kept that up. Salinger must have wanted the reader to create their own ending for Holden, but I'm guessing he had a general idea of what happens next that he wanted to leave the reader with.

For whatever reason, I think Holden's life ends happily. I feel quite certain that he has lots of problems in his time on earth, but we all have those. His life was never worse than an average person, he just dealt with things differently. I think now he knows that he'll be OK and that knowledge will allow him to muddle through and probably even succeed. He always had potential, and I think he knew that, but he kind of suppressed it because he was unsure about the future. Eventually I think he realized that he defines his own future, so he doesn't really need to worry about it. When you stop worrying, you free yourself, in a way, to thrive in life.

So my question for you all is, what do you think would happen next? Doom and gloom? Or happily ever after?

Visions of Teenhood

I think the directors and authors got part of the teenage experience right. The points they made are accurate, but they don't represent everything. The same goes for the characters: while they do seem to be normal teens, they don't embody all the traits. I think part of being a teen is trying on different personas and deciding what you want to be. Not all teens are the same and not every teenage experience is the same. In this way, it's hard for any one character to represent the entire teenage experience, it might even be impossible to do.

As far as a character that gets it right, I'm not sure I've ever seen one. I don’t think it’s possible for any one person to show the wide spectrum of traits that any given teen can have. Thus, it’s really difficult to pick a character because so many portray so many different aspects. One person that comes to mind is Tracy Turnblad from “Hairspray.” She has to deal with things a lot of teens do, like trying to be comfortable with her body type, getting the guy she likes to like her, and trying to make a difference in the world. She ends up doing all three, which is not something most teens do, but it’s something they all want to do. Not every teen has the guts or inclination to put their wants aside and try for something much bigger than ourselves, but we all wish we did.

Visions of Childhood

The first movie that comes to mind when I think about childhood is "The Lion King." Granted, it's about a lion kid, not a human kid, but honestly, once the animals start talking, is there really that much of a difference? The movie seems to be saying that kids can learn a lot from their parents. It also stresses the importance of being loyal and doing what's right, although it takes Simba until adulthood to learn those things. Simba gets to have lots of fun and adventure as a little cub, with a dash of young romance and danger thrown in. However, he has to grow up fast when his father dies. The movie illustrates that what happens in childhood defines what happens in adulthood. The lessons you learn and the struggles you face will all either help or hinder you in later life.

In our short stories in class, childhood is often portrayed as a time where kids are forced act older then they are. Victor has to deal with alcohol abuse. Esme has to work through the difficulties of living in a time of war. Connie is forced to deal with creepy old dudes hitting on her. Cates gets caught in an intense debate between his parents and a practical stranger (and he doesn't get a snakeskin belt, poor kid.) The boy in "Bottle Caps" gets his bottle caps stolen. They are all forced to grow up in those moments and become more than most people would expect from someone at their ages. There are definitely differences between the stories though. Each child has a different level of hardship to deal with. Bottle caps aren't too big of a deal, but alcoholism is. I think the authors pretty much did get it right. Every kid has to cope with various difficulties. It's sad that some kids have to deal with such tragic circumstances, while others seem to live without a care in the world, but that's the way the world works, whether you're 5 years old or 95.

Growing Up

When I was in 6th grade, my family went to Florida for vacation during spring break. I had anticipated it for weeks and I couldn't wait to hop on that plane. We arrived late on a Friday night and spent Saturday sightseeing. On Sunday we drove to Anna Maria Island, where my grandparents had rented a condo. We spent the morning swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. Early in the afternoon, I went inside to get something and didn't get my feet dried off all the way. I took one step onto the linoleum and slipped. On my descent to the floor, I sliced my foot on a screw sticking out of the floor in the doorway. I don't remember a whole lot after that, it was all blood and confusion and tears. After a fairly short debate, my parents decided I needed to go to Urgent Care. We left my sister with my grandparents and drove inland. I had to wait over an hour before they would see me. When I finally got in, they gave me stitches in my foot. It hurt when they gave the shots, but other than that it was too bad. We went back to our hotel in Orlando that night. In the following five days of our trip I went around places like Disney World and Sea World in a wheelchair because I wasn't supposed to walk on my foot. It was really frustrating to not be able to go certain places because my wheelchair wouldn't fit, and I also had to wait for someone to help me move, because I wasn't very adept at moving around on my own. However dismal this situation may seem (or may have seemed to me at the time), it actually helped me to grow up a little. It helped me to sympathize with people who have to be in wheelchairs all the time. I realized I was really lucky that I only had to do that for a week. I also learned the power of optimism. When I heard that I had to be in a wheelchair, I was disappointed, but I tried to remain upbeat. There ended up being a lot of things that actually worked out better than they might have otherwise. I think maybe we all grow up, a little, all the time. The bad things end up being good, some of the good things go bad, but we learn from all of them.

About Me

Here's the cliff notes version of me:

My name is Elise Gehrke, I'm 17, and I live in McFarland. You knew that? Let's try again. My favorite food is cheesecake. My favorite thing to do is sing. (and read things for college lit, but I'm sure that was assumed...) I recently finished applying to college (Stevens Point, Eau Claire, and Madison). My favorite place on earth is Ohio, but I admit that I haven't see much of the world. The first place I'd go, if I could pick anywhere, is France, then I'd see more of Europe, like Germany and Italy. A lot of people think that I'm shy, but I just tend to be quiet until I know people better. So there's me, the 30 second version.