Write a short piece that offers a creative way of expressing your reaction to the last four works on death. Obviously one could hone in on death as being a recurring theme, stating merely this “connective” evidence… yet the more intriguing piece of scholarly writing here will dig deeper into these works of literature and attempt to identify how these voices communicate to (you) the reader.
THIS JOURNAL COUNTS AS EXTRA CREDIT AND IS NOT MANDATORY.
I think that some of the past stories that we read which were about death were interesting. It takes the reader out of there safe element, and I think that as readers that is an important characteristic to have. Also it was different from the other literature we read this semester. The themes on these past works were the same which was death but the actual story and morals were all different. “Sea Oak” by George Saunders was a pretty difficult to figure out and it left me as a reader confused, and it seemed to me that there was no moral in this story. But after our discussion in class it appeared as though there might have been some type of moral which was the issue of regret. Also the “American dream” was disused as well which seemed very relevant because it is something that looked at each person as something differently. Some people might have three cars and several properties in their “American dream” while others just want to live free that that is enough of an “American dream” for them. It does not have a fixed meaning the “American dream” is what every person makes of it.
ReplyDeleteI actually liked reading about the topic death. I feel as if as society we tend to ignore the topic. I sometimes feel as if we are ostrich we hide our head under ground ignoring the real facts that death exists. “Sea Oak” by George Saunders was really queer. Like the fact that the death can come back alive and act different. I felt as if the aunt had that quality already in her she just had that in her inner conscience so nobody knew about it. I think the moral in the story was be who you are and never regret your decisions. In class the topic American dream came up. For me American dream is opportunity and achievement. In the story the American dream was money and hope. They hoped things would be better, better life … money. Some people say its having lots of money some say it’s the opportunities. I think the definition of American dream changes as who is looking at it and what perspective. When we look at the aunts I think her American dream was that she couldn’t live her life to the fullest she had to hide her self and her ideas. I personally thought the story was a little weird, but then again what is normal??
ReplyDeleteReading about the topic “Death” was one that I can say was out of my comfort zone. I personally am not driven to read about death is not a topic in which I am greatly interested in. In fact, it is a topic that in its majority is often ignored because of the sorrow and disappointed that it can bring upon a human being. Additionally, it was very different from the previous short stories and poems that we had read in class. The most interesting of all was “Sea Oak” by George Saunders because it is far from reality and adds a bit of humor. Realistically, we all are aware that no one that is dead can come back to life, especially act in a totally different way. Some facts are that we live life thinking that we are going to life forever, not realizing that life is borrowed. Nevertheless, we hid our inner feelings and even sometimes whom we really are just to stay in the “in crowd”. “Sea Oak” was a difficult short story to comprehend but after reading it a couple of times, you gain a greater insight of the moral of the story. There is no reason why one should change ones personality because of those who surround one. We do not want to die regretting the things that we never supposedly got the chance to accomplish. Life is just one and everyone should live it up to their fullest potential. In my opinion, although I captured the moral of the short shorty, the fact that it was a bit confusing made me dislike the story a bit. I like stories that are more straight to the point and less of me figuring it out.
ReplyDeleteFor the past four works we did on death, George Saunders "Sea Oak" stood out to me. The fact that the dead could come back to life and live a different life scares me. Though I found some scenes in the short story to be amusing it was sad at the same time, the way they talk to each other and treat each other. The obsession shown in the short story, in fighting to create a hopeful future that contradicts a messed up past or present. Saunders uses this theme to show us that no one is trapped in a miserable, unfulfilling and unsuccessful life and that there is always a way out we just have to work towards it. In “Sea Oak” the characters are all living in a pretty crappy present without many aspirations or much hope. Another thing that stood out, was the "American Dream" that we all want at some point in life, readers are given the impression that this family in poverty has no dreams other than getting through the day. The narrator doesn’t hate his job, every character in the story abides with something. But the family sticks together and makes do. No one makes plans or dreams of the future. In fact, the family can’t see beyond the present. And us, readers can’t help but believe that their life will improve since they die and come back to life.
ReplyDeleteDeath has been the common theme among the past four readings, as well as a number of the readings throughout the course. What makes this such an interesting topic to read and write about and why does it make so many readers uncomfortable? Perhaps it is the reality of death that takes them out of their comfort zone. It is the finishing line for us as people, and something we cannot escape therefore it scares us. No one would want to say goodbye to their loved ones, but it is inevitable; it will be dealt with eventually so why pay any mind to it now? The story that most strongly relates to this is “To Hell with Dying” by Alice Walker, the characters in the story all feel this way. They try to avoid the death of their neighbor by saying “to hell with dying” and by showering him with affection. This effectively revives him whenever they do. The neighbor is not particularly a saint, he is actually a drunk and chews tobacco, but his neighbors still show love to him. Each time they “revive” him, they cheat death so they will not have to deal with losing a loved one. It is very touching how these neighbors love this man enough to keep bringing him back to life.
ReplyDeleteAs a reader I would say the topic of death is not one of particular interest. However, the last few works approached it in various ways such as comedic or transcendental. Death was a way to shed the confines and restrictions placed on the protagonist of the poem and short stories. I can honestly say that enjoyed reading each piece because of the style and direction they obtained. For example "Sea oak" had a comedic tone when tackling such a somber topic. And despite the comedic tone the author was able to accurately promote a message of living life to the fullest through death.Another approach I enjoyed was "Death,be not proud's" take on death. It is portrayed as a peaceful inevitability and everything will eventually die, even death itself. There is no shame or glory in death, there is just death. Each literary work conveyed its own interpretation of death to the reader and in my opinion those messages resonate strong within readers.
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