So... after our class today and our review session... I've decision that this final is going to be far too hard. Using an entire fifty points on quotations is ridiculous, and fifty on true and false is awful. Definitions would not be that bad if the list of words was reduced a bit. The fact that he gave us the options for the essay was nice but letting it be worth fifty points is a little wicked... 

I'm just saying...

I found this video about Anansi the spider. Anansi shows up in many African folktales. We read Dadie's The Mirror of Dearth with this character in it. Although these stories are far beyond our time, it is still being taught in our education systems now. And not only at a college or even high school level, elementary school students are exposed and influenced by the stories. By using a spider, a small creature that all children are familiar with, to show a moral in the tales. Teaching students at a young age these morals sets them up for a solid foundation in their futures of right and wrong. This is just one example of the student body showing their understanding of the stories. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSK-1Uu6QTo&feature=related

Emily Dickinson wrote the poem, "The Bustle in the House", and I think it fits in with our discussion of feminist theory.Dickinson was open with her views of feminism and it caused her some grief over the years of her writing. This being a men dominated world, many women were challenged with trying to get their name recognized at all. Emily Dickinson did though. In this poem, she describes  a woman's experience with a death, most likely her husband. The view is seen as from a patriarchal society through using the metaphor of cleaning the house up after the death. By holding the position in the house as if nothing has really changed.  Any other writer, especially a male writer, would have the women mourning so terribly that they can't continue with life. Which is highly unlikely in any culture. most responsibility with family issues, household chores and financial support come from the woman. They balance things so much better then men. So, Dickinson had it right since the start.

The Bustle in a House

The Morning after Death

Is solemnest of industries

Enacted opon Earth –

The Sweeping up the Heart

And putting Love away

We shall not want to use again

Until Eternity – 

 

This is a reading of this poem. Just thought hearing it aloud would help understand her point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRBU3aX4t5k

 I'm going to talk about the first section of the poem, "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot. I'm only going to talk about the first section because I believe it has enough to say and it has a great opening to a very strong and dominate poem. I actually prefer this poem over the one we read for class. It's almost more realistic then the love poem. Anyways, this poem's opening is about these men that stand together and pose as scarecrows. They are dry in every way, attempted humor, voice, looks... everything. It almost has a slow start due to the dryness of their nature. Not only are they dry, but their purpose in life is very dry. What they say and do is completely useless and meaningless. Which, is boring but it grabs your attention because as the reader you want to know if they change. I wanted to know what came of them. Their lives were like hell in many ways. But not actually hell because they were too coward to commit the violent crimes they needed to for admittance to hell. They were stuck in a state of not hell but not heaven. They can't cross the river Styx for the decision. This is why they are called Hallow Men. I just thought the execution of their characters in so little words was captured greatly. The rest of the poem is incredible but I particularly like the introduction.