Herland- A Raisin in the Sun

                  A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, just as Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, portrays aspects of feminism throughout the literature. From the moment the men arrived in Herland sexism was present as the men were struck with shock that women could possibly create a civilization. The men obtained this idea because of their previous perspective on women from back home. The men believed the whole race of females were incapable to live without men in their around to help and protect. This idea is somewhat diminishes throughout the novel as the men begin to adapt to the strong women, however some men cannot understand the women’s “strange” way of life without the accompaniment of men.

                A Raisin in the Sun, although it is not as openly sexist, there are various examples of sexism prevalent throughout the play. For reference, Ruth went to a woman doctor and it was a disgrace, not only to her husband but also to Mama. Mama, while living in a time where there are few women professionals, views women doctors and women of other professions as inferior to men in their knowledge and work. Also Ruth worked a job as taking care of other children because of the women as maternal idea. Sexism appears in much American literature in varied forms because of the American history of this idea and the ever present views it forms on America and around the world.

Herland- Gender Roles

               Gender roles in America have been rigidly cut out for men and women since colonial times and have changed throughout history. However, in Herland the gender norms differ greatly from what the men are accustomed to back home. When the men arrive on the land they are surprised by the fact that only women inhabit the area because of the advancement and civilized society the women alone had developed. Previous to their arrival to Herland the men leave women in their nation whom have domestic roles in the home and strict womanly duties. Duties and norms of women include taking care of the children, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and essential household chores, while the men work in the social sphere to provide for their families.

                In my AP United States History class gender norms and roles are a major topic through American history. From colonial times to present day America gender roles have transformed but also in some ways stay the same. Women have gone through having completely no social or political participation and being owned by their husbands to later earning rights which make them partially equal to men, such as the right to vote and have freedom. However, even today women are not completely equal to men because of certain feminine protective laws, such as protection from the draft and maternal privileges in the work place. The gender roles in Herland are different from any norms in American history and nevertheless present in today’s society.

Herland-Women

            Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, presents many theories of sexism and ideas of male superiority throughout the novel. At the beginning all the men are surprised when arriving to Herland that only woman inhabited the land. The men thought in this way because the land was well maintained and efficient, which they did not expect from women because of their ideas of women being inferior. However, later in the novel most of the men learn to appreciate and respect women for their power and ability, which they never believed women possessed. Beliefs of men superiority has drawn back to colonial times in America and much earlier in countries around the world.

In my AP United States History class throughout all the chapters we have learned about women roles in society, sexism, and women’s rights movements. Throughout history women have been labeled as inferior on many levels. Early on women’s roles consisted of work in the domestic sphere, with jobs of childbearing, cleaning, cooking, and generally taking care of the family while staying at home. Later, as women began to work more social jobs in the working sphere, such as factory workers and teachers, women began to push for equal rights. Women fought for equal pay, the right to vote, and many more equal rights women had the right to obtain. Even today there are many feminist and women’s rights organizations that fight for equality between the sexes.

Herland- Motherhood

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman emphasizes the important aspect of motherhood, as an essential duty women have in their lives. However the women, whom live in this nation, also have strictly different views on the role the woman has in the child’s life. The women in Herland perceive motherhood as the ultimate honor, to bring children to life during their lives. Although, once the women conceive and deliver the children, which can only be done once in a woman’s life, the nurturing and development as the child grows is left to another individual. The nation of women believed the development and the education of the future beings of Herland is too important for an ordinary woman to handle, and this is why specialist teach the children instead of the original mother.

           Herland’s outlook on motherhood drastically varies from the ideas of motherhood today and in the history of American society. Childbearing has always been the main duty of a woman, but it is also seen as an expression of sexuality between a woman and a man. Once life is created, the mother starts the job of nurturing and helping the growth of a child until adulthood. The parents of the child are the ultimate social teachers and educators in the child’s life. The mother child bond is viewed as very important and continues as a social norm. This idea of motherhood varies from those of the women in Herland significantly. 

"The Snake" and American Literature

      “The Snake”, by Theodore Roethke is a poem in which a person observes a snake in the wilderness and wishes they were as the snake were free. The snake is describes as “laying limb… quickened and was gone,” (Roethke) this also describes the deeper meaning of the snake as free, free to do what it wants and go anywhere, freely. Roethke explains in the poem that he rather be in the form of the snake, than living in his human form. However, this does not signify the man literally wants to be a snake, he instead is disclosing that he desires freedom, as an animal possess.

The aspect of freedom connects to American literature, as this topic and theme is distinguished in much American work. The topic of freedom was written through poetry, novels, song, and other works in American literature. The fight freedom in America started in colonial times as America fought for its independence from England in the American Revolution, then it became a controversial matter during the Antebellum period with the enslavement of Africans and African-Americans, and it has continued throughout American history with writings from all the periods. American authors have always used freedom as a focus in their work because it is a relevant topic in many people’s life and has changed the country multiple times.

The Great Gatsby Connection #4

     Looking back on my American Literature project research,  the novel The Great Gatsby by F, Scott Fitzgerald is included in both my definition of American literature and also in a few articles I have researched. In an article found on Ebsco host by Thomas Hischak, The Great Gatsby is mentioned to be one of the successful Hollywood pictures influenced by American literature featured in 2013. This book fits in the American literature category for multiple reasons. First off the author, Fitzgerald was from America and wrote the book in America and secondly the book was a response to the 20s time period in American history, including descriptions of popular events, such as luxorious parties, and the wealthy class division during this time. Although the novel is a correct portrayal of some aspects of the 20s, not all the people smoked cigars, wore flapper dresses, and went to roaring parties weekly. 

     With the movie having premiered this past summer, I had watched the film prior to reading the novel, which might have influenced the way I read and interpreted the book. Others, whom had read the book before watching the movie, explained that they thought the book was fairly hard to follow and understand. However, I thought it was easy to read and I followed the story with ease. Although watching the movie first may be helpful, it confused me often and was hard for me to distinguish characteristics from the book and the movie. I think I would have better enjoyed the book if I had read the book before seeing the movie.  

The Great Gatsby Connection #3

     The Great Gatsby has many aspects of the American dream and the self-made man throughout the novel. Many of the characters in The Great Gatsby live what some call the American dream. The American dream, during this time, is living wealthy luxurious lives with fancy parties and dazzling flapper dresses. Almost all the characters focused on in this book live this lifestyle and portrayed as wealthy. However, not all the characters were born into this kind of fortune. Gatsby is one of these characters, he is a self-made man. Gatsby describes in a life story how he was born into an extremely poor family, whom he did not even consider his own, and from the start work to get away from them and become a better man. He started to work when he came across a captain, whom had the wealth he desired, after many years with his idol the man died and Gatsby earned the wealth he greatly deserved. Although he did receive the money from someone else he is still considered a self—made man because he worked for his money to gain the life he desired.

     In English we learned about the American dream and the self-made man, which we later wrote a developed paper on from personal experiences. In my paper I wrote about the self-made man my great-grandfather had become and the journey it took him to reach this goal. My essay was very similar to The Great Gatsby’s example of a self-made man because my great-grandfather started out poor and through work he also met a man, whom he later bought the business from and became the man he is today. 

History Connection with the Great Gatsby #2

     I am about half way through The Great Gatsby and I have noticed many historical connections, which we have learned or will learn in my AP United States History curriculum. Mr. Gatsby when describing his life story to Nick discussed much about the war. Gatsby fought in World War I and was apparently successful from the coin he shows Nick of appreciation, which he was given for his admiration in war. Another major historical reference, which takes place often in the Gatsby household, are the extravagant popping 20s parties. The 20s are known for their luxuries of the wealthy men and women, swinging flapper dresses with feathers on ladies heads, and outrageous parties. These parties are accurately portrayed by Fitzgerald showing both the participants whom attended and the entertainment, which took place.

     Although we have not learned about these subjects in AP history yet we will in the future. World War I is a huge topic we will learn later and after the war we will soon get to the 20s. However, in the 20s, which was in the prohibition period, and throughout the novel the characters constantly drank. We have learned in history the affects alcohol consumption had on men, women, and the whole society. For example, during the temperance movement women tried to ban alcohol because of the horrible things men would do when under the influence, such as beat their wives, abuse their children, and not go to work. As I finish The Great Gatsby I will look for more connections from both history and English class.

The Great Gatsby: Blog #1

     Before I read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I knew some previous knowledge from others discussing the book and from the commercials for the movie. I was aware that the book was about the luxurious 20s and about extravagant parties the people threw, but I did not realize the deep plot and the aspects of self-made man in the work until I started reading it. In many of the characters descriptions of a self-made is not shown, but in one of the main characters, Gatsby, examples of a self-made man are strongly present.

     So far in my reading many of the wealthy characters, such as Daisy and her husband, did not get wealthy from being a self-made man and they did not work for their praise. Daisy married Tom and became very rich. Tom did not work for his money either because inherited much of his money through his family. Both of these characters are not examples of a self-made man because they did not work for their wealth through self-improvement and determination. However, later in the book I think some characters will appear that have achieved the American dream from work and focus, which are perfect examples of the self-made man.

Scarlet Letter Connection #3

     In AP United State History we have been learning about how a few year after the American Revolution, when American gained their independence from England, people were trying to create an American identity for themselves, by how they lived, what they did, and how they were perceived. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Pyrnne is trying to find her identity also, both for herself and for the society she lives in.
     When Hester was embarrassed and punished by having to wear the horrid, red letter A on her dress, people in society saw her as disguising, sinful, and an embarrassment to God, and they wanted everyone to know how bad she had been. Although Hester could have left her society she was living in and be free from the label "A", she did not want to do so, by doing this she would show weakness, the society would have one against her, and she would be running from her past. Hester, knowing she did wrong, saw the beauty in her past, with her daughter, Pearl, she received from her actions and she did not want her community to make her feel guilty for this. Instead of running away, at first, Hester stayed in Boston and lived with her past.

Scarlet Letter Connection #2

   In the first article of my American Literature research The Scarlet letter was placed as a prime example of notable literature written in the 1850's. The Scarlet Letter fit in with the literature of this time period because it referenced many Puritan beliefs, people, and values and in all told the story of a sinned Puritan woman's life. Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Hester Prynne, the one whom was believed to have committed adultery against her husband, was a victim of the embarrassment and cruelty a women faced during this time if they were convicted of adultery or other sinful acts, in the eyes of the Puritans.
     The Scarlet Letter also displays to readers a taste of American life. Although this exact story may not be true, this same story happened to many women in the early times, many whom were accused of being witches. Women in Puritan society were very restricted on what they could do and if suspected as a witch they would often be punished or sometimes even killed. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a key piece of literature to contribute to the evolution of American Literature and it tells the stories of our past.
     

Scarlet Letter Connections #1

     For my independent reading this quarter I am reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. So far in my reading Hawthorne makes many references to Puritanism and the society they live in. In my AP United States History class we have learned about the Puritans society and their way of life that is also written in this book. Only in the first two chapters I have already made many connections with what I am learning in history.
     In the first chapter a reference is made to Anne Hutchinson, who was a women in the Puritan society in the colonial America, in which she rebelled against church officials and led her own sermons to worship Christ. Hutchinson was a saint to many among the women Puritan society, however she was exiled from the colony for her "wrong" religious duties and was later killed in a Native American attack. Hawthorne also includes references to the Quakers and witchcraft in the literature. In describing the town in which the story takes place the author adds, "people amongst whom religion and law are almost identical," which is a direct relation to a theocratic government.  

Remembering What is Important

Everyone has objects or symbols that are important to them and it always has a deeper meaning than other perceive. No matter what it is or why it is special, it is important to you and it tells a story about your life. Along with other people I have a few significant objects in my life that are very important to me.

                When I turned ten-years-old my great grandmother gave me a tiny silver cross with engraved designs on it. This metal had been held in the hands of my great-great-grandfather and it had been passed down to me. This small cross represents my faith and trust in God. Not only does the cross reveal my Christian faith, but it also shows where my faith came from and how it all got started. My grandma grew up in a strict religious home, but she did not want this for me, she wanted me to choose my religion for myself. My grandma started to bring me to church with her when I was just a baby and I continued until I turned eleven, a year after she gave me the cross. I got to a point where I never wanted to go to church anymore because I felt like it was forced on me. Two years ago I decide to continue going to church, but at a different church with my grandpa. Looking at the shining silver reminds of my journey and struggle to know Christ and it reminds me of my family religious history.

                Going into Kindergarten I received a stuffed dog. It soon became my favorite stuffed animal that I would take with me everywhere.  I received this dog from my grandparents after I got my tonsils out and from then on it never left my side. Into stores and every night by my side the dog followed me around. Even today I still keep it in my room. I never knew why it had a special place in my heart, but from the beginning this stuffed dog was essential.

                When I look back on it I believe the dog was so special to me because it reminded of both my family that gave it to me and also my real dogs themselves. My first dog was named Lucky. He got this name because he always ran away, but always came back. One day he did not come back. Later on we got a new dog named Jack. Jack was my best companion and I loved him dearly. Sadly this summer Jack died unexpectedly from cancer. One day on the side of the road, we found another dog, which we call “Big Dog”. We put signs up everywhere, but no one ever claimed the dog so we decided to keep him. Finally, our last dog that we just got is Sam. Sam is very special to me because he is Jack’s last brother and he was born right after Jack’s death. Both my previous and current pets mean to the world to me and they all are individually represented in my stuffed dog.

                A fairly new symbol to me is my birthstone ring. I received the ring this year for my fifteenth birthday. As one looks at the ring they see a sparkling emerald ring with a silver base, but I see it as more. For several years I have wanted a birthstone ring, but my mother told me to wait that she would buy me one on my fifteenth birthday. I was so excited this year that I would finally receive my very own ring. My mom took me to several places where we looked for the perfect ring for me. It was a memorable bonding experience with my mother as we went store to store searching and we got to spend a lot of time together. Every day when I wear my ring I think about the fun we had together and the importance of family and a mother daughter bond, rather than her just going to pick out a ring for me herself.

                Whatever your significant symbols or objects in your life are, keep them with you and do not forget why they are important to you. These objects are very important to me for many reasons and I hope they stay that way for a long time.

Symbols

Everyone has something that is important to them and it always has a deeper meaning than other perceive. No matter what it is or why it is special, it is important to you and it tells something about your life. Along with other people I have a few significant objects in my life that are very important to me.

                When I was ten-years-old my great grandmother gave me a tiny silver cross with engraved designs on it. This metal was once in the hands of my great-great-grandfather and it had been passed down to me. This small cross represents my faith and trust in God. Not only does the cross reveal my Christian faith, but it also shows where my faith came from and how it all got started. My grandma grew up in a strict religious home, but she did not want this for me, she wanted me to be able to choose my religion for myself, once I was old enough. Grandma started to bring me to church with her when I was just a baby and I continued until I was about eleven, a year after she gave me the cross. I got to a point where I never wanted to go to church anymore because I felt like it was forced on me and if I didn’t go then I was a bad person. Two years ago I decide to continue going to church, but at a different church with my grandpa. Looking at the shining silver reminds of my journey and struggle to know Christ and it also reminds me of my family history.

                Going into Kindergarten I received a stuffed dog. It was my favorite stuffed animal, out of about fifty, that I would take with me everywhere. I know every kid has their own stuffed animal that they are obsessed with, but this one is different.  It was given to me by my grandparents after I got my tonsils out and from then on it never left my side. Into stores and every night by my side the dog followed me around. Even today I still keep it in my room. I never knew why it was so special to me, but from the beginning this stuffed dog was essential.

                When I look back on it I believe the dog was so special to me because it reminded of both my family that gave it to me and also my real dogs themselves. My first dog was named Lucky. He got this name because he always ran away, but always came back. One day he did not come back. Later on we got a new dog named Jack. Jack was my best companion and I loved him dearly. Sadly this summer Jack died unexpectedly from cancer. During Jack’s life we found another lab on the side of the road, and no one every claimed him, we call him Big Dog. Finally, our last dog that we just got is Sam. Sam is very special to me because he is Jack’s last brother and he was coincidently shortly after Jack died. Both my previous and current pets mean to the world to me and they are all individual represented and fall back to my stuffed animal dog.

                A fairly new symbol to me is my birthstone ring. I received the ring this year for my fifteenth birthday. As one looks at the ring they see a sparkling emerald ring with a silver base, but I see it as more. For several years I have wanted a birthstone ring, but my mother told me to wait that she would buy me one on my fifteenth birthday. I was so excited this year that I would finally receive my very own ring. My mom took me to several places where we looked for the perfect ring for me. It was a memorable bonding experience with my mother as we went store to store searching and we got to spend a lot of time together. Every day when I wear my ring I think about the fun we had together and the importance of family and a mother daughter bond, rather than her just going to pick out a ring for me herself.

                Whatever your significant symbols or objects in your life are, keep them with you and do not forget why they are important to you. These objects are very important to me for many reasons and I hope they stay that way for a long time.