Exam questions

1.      The title of a poem or short story often gives the reader an idea of what the subject is about. Choose a poem or short story we have read during this term and discuss how the use of the title is fitting to the poem or short story.

Answer: 

The title of the poem ‘In a Station of the Metro’ by Ezra Pound is essential to the poem. It is the major part of the poem. Without the title the meaning of the poem is lost.

The major part of imagery in the poem is from the title.  If it did not take place in a station of the metro but in a field, or on a street, it would not give the same imagery as the dimness of a metro station. The image of the metro takes the reader underground where it is dark and dismal making the pale faces of the commuters easy to imagine as petals on a black bough. This image of the” petals on a wet, black bough” is lost if the title was not made part of the poem...

2.      Write an essay using the following passage. Identify the story and author

I supposed Laird would tell. I wondered what would happen to me. I had never disobeyed my father before, and I could not understand why I had done it. Flora would not really get away. They would catch up with her in the truck. Or if they did not catch her this morning somebody would see her and telephone us this afternoon or tomorrow. There was no wild country here for her to run to, only farms. What was more, my father had paid for her, we needed the meat to feed the foxes, we needed the foxes to make our living. All I had done was make more work for my father who worked hard enough already. And when my father found out about it he was not going to trust me any more; he would know that I was not entirely on his side. I was on Flora’s side, and that made me no use to anybody, not even to her. Just the same, I did not regret it; when she came running at me and I held the gate open, that was the only thing I could do. 

Answer:

In Alice Munroe’s ‘Girls and Boys’, the horse symbolizes the girl’s need for freedom.  The girl relates to the horse as a captive so when she sees the horse running towards her she just has to set it free.  For the girl it is a moment she is letting herself go, she know it will cause problems but she needs the change. When she lets the horse escape she comes to terms with her place in life. She feels that women do not have an important role, but she accepts it because she has no other choice. She knows she will never be free as a woman in the society as it is. It is the only thing she can do...

 

Onion style headlines

Montreal parking lot, sink hole

Boy eats parents out of house and home...parents are still reeling

Bus stops for moose on way to school

Pope’s staff upset over independence

Beavers to save eco system, “build your own damn dam”

Similarities between 'Araby' & 'Eveline' by James Joyce

The two short stories by James Joyce, Araby and Eveline have many similarities.  In both stories there is a strong feeling of unattainable love, the boy in Araby is madly in love with a girl in his neighbourhood, but never gets the courage to tell her his feelings.  In Eveline, she does not love the man who she was going to elope with, so she changes her mind at the last minute.

The main characters in both stories are alone. The boy in Araby, has friends but doesn’t seem to have them around.  He has family, but they ignore him for the most part.  Eveline has kind memories of her brothers, and only one or two good memories of her father.  She is alone too, her mother is dead so she is the only woman in the house.  She has co-workers but there is no mention of friends.

There is a strong sense or religion in both stories.  The Priest is mention as a character but does not exist as an actual person in either story.  In Araby the priest is dead where in Eveline the photo of the priest is mentioned as a friend of her father who is gone to Melbourne. The notation of the religion shows the families are working class Catholics living in Dublin.

Both father figures are not depicted as supportive. It was a common occurrence for the Uncle in Araby to come home drunk.  Eveline has an abusive father, whom she is trying to escape from.

The characters in Araby and Eveline end up just as unhappy as they start out to be.  The boy learns that his love is one sided, it is a dead end like the street he lives on. At the very end of the evening the boy realizes his love for this girl is one-sided, and changes his mind about buying the gift for her.  Eveline knows she does not love Frank , but she wants to escape her abusive father and the ‘dead end’ life she has.  At the last minute she has a change of heart out of fear or sense of responsibility and runs back to her home, alone.  

Each of the main characters in the stories experiance an epiphany.

 

Heavens above

1.  Looking up from the fog covered city the clouds look very different than they do from high above.  From high above, the clouds look light, fluffy, rippling white and grey. Deep valleys shadowed only by the gleaming sunlight hitting the feathery peaks of the hills.  The heavens even further above, exult glorious hues of pink and silver that caress the edge of the world like the sea as it embraces the ragged coast line below.

 

2.  The city is foggy.  Looking down from above the clouds are white and fluffy. The sky is blue.  The sun is shining above the clouds. It is a good day to fly.

 

3.  The small silver airplane burst through the cloud bank into the bright blue heaven above leaving the fog to the city below.  The beautiful pillowy white clouds inviting, waiting for the next angel to step out and snuggle into them.  Golden rays are cast onto the scene tinting the cloud tops crimson and gold.    

Theme

1.      Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” is a story about a girl and her desire to be free from the conventional role of women.

a.       The lack of freedom is suggested in the description of the farm and the God like control her father has over it.

                                                              i.      “Alive, the foxes inhabited a world my father made for them” (150)

                                                            ii.      Compare the role of the horse’s life to hers- the type of life they have while alive - until their end, (existence of male vs. female horse).

b.      The Girl does not feel her mother’s contribution to the farm is of value.

                                                              i.      The Girl spends her time working on the farm is referred to as useful, everything about the farm even the killing of animals is shed in a positive light.  Everything to do with the house is depicted as dark and dreary.

                                                            ii.      She sees her mother as the person who want to hold her back from what she loves to do “although she knew I hated it (because she knew I hated it) and keep me from working for my father” (152)

c.       The overall view of women the idea that women are valued differently than men is evident throughout the story.

                                                              i.      The girl in the story is not named, not even when her parents are having a conversation about her, but the animals are.

                                                            ii.      She puts value in the men’s work. “work done out of doors, and in my father’s services, was ritualistically important.” (151)

 

2.      Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a story about a family who goes on road trip and ends up getting murdered.

a.       The Misfit is mentioned throughout the story; the grandmother is the misfit in the family. The two reveal a strong connection at the end of the story.

                                                              i.      The grandmother is the main character in the story, but a tolerance to the family, her son ignores her and the children disrespect her.

                                                            ii.      The connection between the misfit and the grandmother is when her son speaks harshly to her. The Misfit has a pang of pity for her because she is being treated by her son as he has been treated by society.

b.      The Grandmother thought of herself as a lady, the way she dressed and talked with people who she thought worthy.

                                                              i.      She discussed issues with Red Sam, but not his wife.

                                                            ii.      She had a long dialogue with the Misfit, even after he killed her son and grandchildren.

c.       The scenery changes along the way during their trip play into the life and death theme.

                                                              i.      “she thought it was going to be a good day for driving, neither too hot nor too cold,” (259).  As they get closer to their doom, “they drove off again into the hot afternoon”(261)

                                                            ii.      The forest is described as beautiful as seen from above then when the grandmother realizes who the Misfit is “Behind them the line of woods gaped like a dark open mouth”(264) very fitting place to murder the family.

Review

Tissues are the issue!

I would strongly agree with all the television advertisements that Scotties® Supreme tissues are the best.  The tissues are, as stated 3 ply making them very strong to handle the worst cold symptoms, runny nose, coughing and sneezing. I love these tissues!

As many products there are pros and cons, the only con is that they do not have lotion on them, which helps sooth a sore nose.  The fact they do not have lotion on them is also a positive reason to buy these tissues, without lotion on them they can be used to clean eye glasses as well. Other pros include softness, strength, and packaging. The Premier Collection tissues are packaged in decorative boxes suited for any room in your house. 

If you are sick with a cold, I would strongly suggest Scotties® Supreme tissues

ET Fanfiction

This is an idea taken from the movie ET

What if Reese’s pieces turned ET into the monster?

Something was hiding in the shed; Elliot knew it was something great.  He placed a row of Reese’s Pieces out for ET.  A long bony finger reached out and slowly picked up the candy.  ET put the candy to his head and made a sucking sound, then placed the candy in what looked to be its mouth. 

Elliot stepped back and watched to see if ET would come out of the shed, he had never seen a finger or hand like the one that picked up the candy.  Suddenly he didn’t feel so brave.  Then he heard a strange noise “Mmmmm”.  Elliot’s eyes widened “Hey buddy, would you like some more?” he said in a small voice.  “Moorree!” ET said quietly slowly pronouncing each letter.  Elliot put more Reese’s Pieces out for ET, it ate them faster, crying out for “More! More! More!”  Elliot fed the last of the candy to ET which made ET violent, it started jumping off the walls in the small shed. 

The power from ET flinging himself around was causing all the garden tools and other stuff to fly off the walls and shelves. The glass windows in the shed door shattered.  Elliot was terrified! He ran into the house, ET ran after him he was closeing in on Elliot. 

Elliot grabbed a kitchen chair on his way through and pulled it behind him hoping to slow ET down, it worked!  Elliot ran down the hall, he was heading to the safety of his room when his little sister Gertie opened her door Elliot pushed past her and slammed the door.  ET hit the door, moaned then all went quiet.

Thinking ET was gone Elliot looked at Gertie, they opened the door ET was gone; there was no sign of it at all.  Gertie whispered “What was that Elliot?”

“I don’t know, but we can’t tell Mom! Come on!”  The two left the room together to see what damage was caused in the kitchen and the shed. “Nothing is messed up!” exclaimed Elliot. Everything ET knocked over was put back in place just like it was never touched.  He was starting to believe he was imagining things when he heard a noise from the front room.  Elliot grabbed a kitchen knife; Gertie grabbed the broom from the closet.  They were ready! 

On the count of three, they jumped through the door, eyes closed, weapons in hand yelling at the top of their lungs.  The scream from the front door was way too familiar, “MOM” the kids yelled in unison.  “What in heaven’s name are you two up to? AND what are you doing with that knife?” She couldn’t believe her eyes “No more late night scary movies and candy when I’m gone anymore!  Now off to bed with the both of you!”  She took the knife from Elliot and the broom from Gertie.  Gertie was talking a mile a minute as she tried to explain about the monster Elliot brought into the house.  Mom told the kids to get to bed and they would not be told again! 

Elliot and Gertie marched off to bed, Gertie stopped at her door and looked up at Elliot, “I know what we saw, and it WAS real wasn’t it Elliot?”  “Goodnight Gertie, don’t worry about it, it’s gone now” Elliot tired to sound grown-up, but he didn’t feel so sure.  That thing was gone, but where?  One thing for sure he wasn’t going to have those Reese’s Pieces ever again, what if that thing came back for more?  For that matter he didn’t care if he ever ate candy again! 

The last thing he thought of before he finally fell asleep was the long bony fingers that picked up the candies; Elliot rolled over pulling the covers close to his chin.  Just before he closed his eyes he thought he saw a shadow move from within his closet

A cold shiver ran down his spine, as he pulled the covers over his head.