FINAL REFLECTION

Final Project Reflection

From this experience I learned that authors can place characters in a various amounts of moods based on one situation. Even though most of this was left for interpretation, I could think of different ways the story seems if you think of it a different way. Such as if you thought that Huck was going from a place of sadness from his mother and that is why he escaped or that he was just a young boy that wanted to explore; it completely changes the novel. My representation of my lens was similar when it came to that both boys were very self centered and naive in the beginning and slowly grew up a bit. They were different, because in most novels you could see the book come out in multiple ways, such as Huck could have been considered very mature for his age and actually made all of those decisions with a lot of previous thought or vice versus for the boys. I think I saw the novels in a different way, because the other novels just scratch the surface of what is going on, but the psychoanalytical lens allowed me to actually view what the characters could have been thinking. I think I missed the bigger picture in some parts, because I was so focused on the in depth thinking. The benefits of using a critical lens is that you get to see a completely different side of the novel. A downside is that you usually miss a lot of other things going on, because you are not focused on catching it. My beliefs didn't really change about this topic. 

SOS Reflecting

Text: Song of Solomon
Lens: Psychoanalytical

Throughout the novel we get to watch Milkman grow up to become a somewhat acceptable adult. Even though that is all he really aspires to be, he is still out of place. One of his biggest "secrets" is his undersized leg. He constantly tries to hide it and therefore actually ends up hiding his feeling coming from a sense of insecurity. In the beginning he is very immature, acting only in ways that would benefit himself and no one else. He generally fits in with the wealthy class, but even then he is seemingly out of place due to his leg and just the insecurity that ends up showing through. Even the kids at his school notice this and decide to pick on him, which doesn't help, because he then goes home and does not act very nice to his sisters or mother. Later on when he is an adult, his personality is still a bit off and you can notice this due to him walking the wrong way in crowds and just not being able to fit in. Even though he learns to be compassionate in the end, it doesn't seem like he knows that until it is too late and his friend actually dies. This development happened late, because he came from a place of immaturity that was actually passed down through his ancestors.

SOS Critical Lens

Text: Song of Solomon
Lens: Psychoanalytical

"A deep reverence for black females and black female network pervades Morrison's novel. She avoids romanticizing or idealizing women's hard circumstances, but every woman, except possibly Hagar, has small moments of triumph. And Morrison loves them and their moments of feistiness and overcoming odds. Granny who looked 'as though she might move the earth if she wanted to' ultimately bests the white nurse. Certainly Granny had to show deference to the white authority figure but she emerges as more aware: she knows what's going on she knows the people."

Since during this time women were not really idolized, they did not have that large of a part in the novel. This is because the novel was focusing on Milkman's problems where in the real days back then the women's problems would be put off to the side or just forgotten about. This type of mindset the author is showing in Milkman is a very self centered one, because he is meant to still be somewhat young and naive. Also since this is his ego and it is showing his hidden desires, the women were not a really large part in that since his main desire at that time was not women. Also there is a lot of emotional conflict going on between the sisters, which Milkman does not like to be a part of so he avoids it.

SOS Close reading

Text: Song of Solomon

Lens: Psychoanalytical

“He didn’t mean it. It happened before he was through. She’d stepped away from him to pick flowers, returned, and at the sound of her footsteps behind him, he’d turned around before he was through. It was becoming a habit—this concentration on things behind him. Almost as though there were no future to be had." 

This quote is showing the anxiety and nervousness Milkman has and the alienation. This sudden jerk shows how he feels a bit out of place in his society and how he always feels like he needs to watch his back. Unlike many children who usually come at the world with open arms, he is very closed off, which could be passed down from his father. He acts as if he is being hunted (which is actually foreshadowing a future event) where most children just act with a false sense of security. This is odd for a child his age, because children are not supposed to feel that type of stress and are not supposed to be scared to go out into the open world and discover something. On another note this is actually showing how he truly feels about his sisters, mom, and women in the book. His conscious could have done that on purpose and shows that he does not really care about the other women, which was not uncommon during that time period. This is showing his ego, because he is at an age where he has not yet fully developed compassion and sympathy where he is very self centered and feels as if that his problems are way greater than anyone elses.

Huck Finn Responding and Reflecting

Text : Huckleberry Finn by William Faulkner.

Critical Lens : Psychoanalytical

In the novel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" a young boy, who had a lot of money was taken away by his drunken father, because of his greed. He tries many ways to get the money from him, but Huck planned in advance and actually "gave away" his money before hand. Then later on he becomes used to living with his father where he actually starts to question whether or not he wants to return to home, where there were rules and school. He then fakes his own death and decides to go on his own adventure so he does not have to go back to the Widow or his father. Along the way he finds the widow's old slave Jim and they bond and decide to continue the adventure together. Throughout Huck shows many different sides of himself, some that are actually surprising to watch. In certain parts he has to find a way to stir up some courage, such as using Tom Sawyer as an excuse while in others like helping a "runaway" slave he feels completely fine and even goes as far as dressing like a girl to find out what is going on in town. Throughout the novel Huck keeps finding different people to play the role of, some where he is helping the local con artists and some where he actually pretends to be Tom Sawyer so he can try to help Jim escape. I think this look for many different people shows that he is still trying to develop his own character and cannot decide which path he wants to go on. This is because Huck is still in the developing mindset where he likes to "try on" different personalities until he finds the one that fits best. I think through this Twain is trying to send the message that it is ok to not be sure of who you are as long as you are still helping others along the way. Also it is showing that even if you're not sure of something you should just go out and try it, because you'll most likely get an adventure out of it in the end.

Huck Finn Critical Lense Expert

Text: Huckleberry Finn by William Faulkner
Critical Lens: Psychoanalytical

"A Sound Heart and Deformed Conscience" by Henry Nash Smith was an interpretation of what Mark Twain was writing in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. On pages 370-371 Smith states that Huckleberry Finn is realizing how he would find ways to justify slavery. "Thus although Huck is obviously remembering the bits of theological jargon from sermons justifying slavery, they have become a part of his vocabulary." Smith also mentions then that Twain was paraphrasing this part when originally it was in direct quotes. This was so Huck could be in more intimate contact with the King and to show them connect on a different level. This allowed Twain to compare the two societies between vernacular values and the dominant culture. This allowed us to see the difference between the world of slavery and the world of freedom through this, because he showed more than one side of it, where throughout the novel it seemed more one sided. Also Jim is actually not in this part of the book, so there could be a different view on slavery. Also Smith mentions that Pa would usually consider himself the more civilized one, but that would only be because he was a white male at the time, but really he is depicted as one of the sloppiest characters within the novel.

Final Blog Entry Matt Khoury

Matt Khoury

AP Literature

Final Project Reflection

1. I learned a lot about the different perspectives authors can create within literature. Although an author might have one opinion, they can create a character that has a near opposite idea on something.
2. There were more differences than similarities between the two books. There is a very strong sense of racism in both books, but I believe Huck Finn had a stronger sense of it than Song of Solomon. Song of Solomon gave a perspective not offered in Huck Finn, which was the perspective of African-Americans after slavery.
3. I found a lot of different undertones throughout both books. You could tell how different characters felt about different situations in the book.
4. I missed a lot of the enjoyment you get from reading. Instead of being taken out of the real world and being immersed in the book, I was just reading it like I had to. It wasn’t all that fun.
5. There are many positives to reading through a critical lens, but there are also a lot of drawbacks. You can read the book multiple times, each time trying to read it from a different perspective, You can understand different perspectives, and you can understand what the author is trying to say. There is one major drawback, however. Reading it objectively takes out the subjectiveness of literature. Literature is supposed to be enjoyed as art, but it is very difficult to do so when you are reading it with a purpose other than enjoying the book.
6. My beliefs didn’t change, but reading through the lenses increased my belief in what I believe, especially after reading Song of Solomon.

Song of Solomon Responding and Reflecting Matt Khoury

Matthew Khoury

AP Literature

Song of Solomon Responding and Reflecting

Over the course of this book, I have noticed a stark difference between two of the main characters, Milkman and Guitar. Throughout the book, you can see how much being African-American means to each character. Milkman has a disconnect from his culture, while Guitar is fully immersed in it. Milkman has this mentality that if it’s not affecting him directly, he shouldn’t care about it. This is due to how Milkman was raised and his privilege plays a key factor into that. Guitar is the opposite and cares about what is happening around him. For example, when news broke out about Emmett Till’s death, Guitar and Milkman had two very different reactions to it. Guitar acted how I would expect him to act and was outraged by the injustice. Milkman, however, did not care at all about Till’s death, and even went as far as to saying fuck Till. Milkman is almost selfish in that aspect and it makes Guitar angry. If I were in his position, I would be too. It is very important that you are proud and conscious of who you are and what you come from.

Song of Solomon Critical Lens Expert Matthew Khoury

Matt Khoury

AP Literature

Song of Solomon Critical Lens Expert

After reading Song of Solomon: The Struggle for Race and Class Consciousness by Dorothea Drummond Mbalia, I discovered a more eloquently crafted article about how I felt about the book. My thoughts were simply calling Milkman sheltered and a jerk, but Mbalia put what I had thought about the main character into a very well written article. Milkman has this sort of disconnect from being African-American due to his privilege. He doesn’t seem to care about anything around him unless it directly affects him. This is exemplified when he is told about the death of Emmett Till. He stumbles in on a radio broadcast of the news, but simply does not care about it. The loss did not affect him personally, so he shows little concern about the whole situation. In fact, when referencing Emmett Till’s death, he is quoted saying, “Yeah, well, fuck Till. I’m the one in trouble.” Mbalia makes an example out of this saying that this statement reflects Milkman’s need to develop a strong racial consciousness. I believe what she is saying to be true and agree completely. Milkman does not care about his people, just about himself. His lack of association with other African-Americans is non-existent and that is toxic. He does not associate with the struggle, so he does not think there is one. His non-existent care for his people makes him look like a jerk.

Matt Khoury Song of Solomon Close Reading

Matt Khoury

AP Literature

Song Of Solomon Close Reading

“ A young Negro boy had been found stomped to death in Sunflower County, Mississippi. There were no questions about who stomped him—his murderers had boasted freely—and there were no questions about the motive. The boy had whistled at some white woman, refused to deny he had slept with others, and was a Northerner visiting the South. His name was Till.” In this passage, Milkman walks in on Guitar and Railroad Tommy listening in to a radio report. The report is that an African-American boy in Sunflower County was killed and his murderers got off free, no questions asked. This event occurred in real life and started national uproar and call for justice. The most striking part of this situation is that the murderers received no jail time for their crime. If this injustice were to occur now, there would certainly be national outcry. During the time this book takes place, however, there is not even any mention of possible charges. It is as if it is excusable to just kill innocent African-Americans. The way Toni Morrison incorporated the real event of Emmett Till fit well in the book and even highlighted the racial climate and power structure during the book’s time period. Tensions between white Americans and African-Americans were high, especially after the death of Till. The power structure is also very apparent in the fact that Emmett Till’s killers weren’t indicted for the crime they committed. This is a clear example of how it was like back then. There was an extreme bias against African-Americans, so white people would generally not be as heavily penalized for the same acts that people of color would get arrested for. A power structure in America was very  apparent back then and it still lingers now. This injustice is dangerous, which is made apparent by Emmett Till’s death.

Final Project Reflection - Bondonno

This project was definitely different than previous projects in many ways. We had to read two different novels, we got to write individual blog entries instead of one or two essays, and we had the responsibility to schedule our own plans for this project. It was different, but was a learning experience and I really think it helped me prepare for college where I would have to read multiple novels and have to plan out the project on my own. I learned a lot about how to best schedule a project, but also how I strongly I hold myself to that schedule. There were definitely ups and downs to this project, but you can't learn if you don't make mistakes. I also learned how to write individual blog entries instead of a concise essay for booth novels; which was harder than I thought. I also learned how to read two novels within a very short time in order to receive all the information I need for my blog entries which was hard because I am a slow reader. However, considering the situation, I think I did fairly well and I am eager as to see how this has prepared me for college. For this project, I analyzed the two novels through the racial/cultural lens and focused on how African Americans were treated, how they reacted to how they were treated either with actions or emotionally, and also how they thought they should have been treated instead. This was interesting to me because I wanted to get more insight into how African Americans and their culture was viewed and treated in the past and how different authors, one White and one African American, would show how they were treated differently and what that meant. Looking into Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, it was interesting to get a view of how slavery and African Americans were viewed and treated and how a child would have felt about it. Although Huckleberry Finn is not an average child, he still has strong opinions about how African Americans should be treated and mostly due to how he was raised to think about the situation. It was equally interesting to see how African Americans were treated and how the reacted or how they thought they should be treated while looking deeper into Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. This novel in contrast to Huck Finn shares the odd story of Macon (Milkman) Dead and his twisted family. Instead of being only from a child's point of view, throughout the novel, we watch Milkman grow up and try to understand his role in society while dealing with political and cultural torment. This was a unique point of view as well because we get to see how Milkman matures and starts thinking about things more seriously than before. For the most part of the book however, he is a middle-aged adult and is trying to understand why African Americans were being treated they way they were and how they should be treated. This gave me insight into how someone's thought process on this subject could have been during this time and helps me realize how much discussions and arguments broke out from one event or situation in the time and howmuch it meant to everyone of all races. The benefits of reading novels with the point of view based on a specific critical lens is that you can really dig deep into what that meant in the story, how they reacted, and what that means today. Reading through both these novels through the racial/cultural lens really helped be obtain a greater picture into how different races and cultures were viewed in the past, how they reacted physically, emotionally, or mentally, and how that effects us today. In the future, I will definitely use critical lenses to analyze novels or passages to gain a deeper meaning into what the novel is trying to portray and this project as a whole has helped me become more prepared for college style projects.

Expert's Opinion on Song of Solomon - Bondonno

The excerpt from Ralph Story, “An Excursion into the Black World: The ‘Seven Days’ in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon” was intriguing. Story explained the writing styles of Morrison and how well she placed each scene to fit historical facts. Story shows how much he admires Morrison for writing with such historical accuracy and reason rather than from a standpoint of revenge. Story writes, “Toni Morrison’s masterwork Song of Solomon (1977), perhaps the greatest novel ever written by an Afro-American… “ in the first sentence to start off the excerpt with a clear admiration for Morrison and the way she writes. Story then goes on to explain some specific examples of what he really liked about her writing in Song of Solomon. “Morrison reaches into the Black historical community and it’s contemporary equivalent to reveal a dissonance which has always characterized the Afro-American world.” Here Story explains how she can allow the book to relate to many African Americans about their past and how she uses that knowledge and understanding to reach out to that community through her book by using historically correct situations or characterizations. I agree with Story about this because I did realize how many of the events in the novel seemed realistic or relevant to how African Americans back then thought about Whites, and how they were treated by Whites. Story also points out that, “The barbershop is the one place in both of Morrison’s novel and actual Black communities where black males speak openly and candidly. In the late 1960’s, black barbershops were also noteworthy for the political discussions which frequently took place in them.” Here Story makes a connection between Morrison’s writing and what happened historically to point out how well she did her research and tried to make her book very historically accurate. She did this to relate to many African Americans and their past, and to connect with them on a deeper level. When the news argument had taken place in a barbershop, I thought that it was an appropriate place to have a casual and heated discussion without fear of a riot. It sounded like a realistic place too that was historically accurate, and now that I know it is, it makes sense and really helped the reader connect to the conversation. Overall, I agreed with Story about how Morrison’s writing style sounded informing, historically accurate, and it allowed the reader to have a deeper understanding and connection to the story.

Reflecting on Song of Solomon from the racial/cultural lens - Bondonno

Song of Solomon was written by Toni Morrison and takes place around the 1930’s - 1960’s. The story starts off by introducing the characters and background of the Dead family. You get to see the perspectives of being an African American during this time but also see what role they play in society and how they feel about their roles. Milkman Dead, considered the main character, grows up throughout the story but for a good chunk of it, he is a middle-aged adult. Milkman gives us insight into how he is treated in society and what he and others think about it. We learn near the middle of the novel that an African American boy was killed by White men for whistling at a White woman. The conversation that happens in a barbershop between Milkman, Guitar, and older African American men gives insight into how people would have taken the news about the killing back then as well. Some men were loud and wanted revenge right away, some were insulted but not surprised of the killing, and some were speechless. This conversation helped the reader know what they would have thought and what they would have done back then in response to the killing of the boy. It is also interesting to see the difference between what would have happened back then and now with the event of the killing. Back then, we understand from the conversation between the men in the barbershop, that the police would do nothing, find them and not convict them of anything, or not even write the event of the story in the newspaper. Compared to now, this event would be all over the newspapers and media outlets, the police would search for the White men who killed the African American boy and definitely convict them of the crime they committed. To see the difference between how the problem would have been dealt with from back then to now is drastic and surprising. This difference gives insight to the reader that times were definitely different back then and allows them to see just how wrong, unfair, and real the problems were between African Americans and Whites.

Historical Lens Responding and reflecting

      The ending of the book can teach us a life lesson. The ending Of the song of solomon can teach us that you can break a bad circle. Milkman's father was not the best person and he was on the road to become just like him. It did take a life shaping event to change his mind about what he was becoming into. This teach us that you do  not have to stick to what is expected of you. If you desire to be someone there is nothing out there that can make you not be that person. Life can shape and reshape you as many times as you let it. You can either become someone that is a positive member of society or someone who is a negative member of society. Milkman in the Song of solomon decided to be a the opposite to what his father was. History is what shapes us and reshapes us. We all have different perspective because of our own history. Our good and bad past is what ultimately makes us who we are. Us as an individual can decide to let our bad past determine who we are. We always have the power to put an end to what don not want to be and draw a starting line to what you would like to become.
      History is full of good and bad intentions. Uncovering the past will leave you will leave you with a bitter task in your mouth or a mouthful of joy. Ambition was the doom of milkman father and guitarman. uncovering the past was what reshaped the life of many family members of milkman. For milkman change was the only thing that  saved him a lifetime of misery. Uncovering the past might not always be the wisest decision. For milkman it was the push that allowed him to make a life changing decision. Ultimately uncovering his family’s past made become a better person. In the case of guitar man the uncovering of the past made him do some bad thing in the name of ambition. I think that ultimately the ambition of guitarman rewrote milkman’s father's story. It was not milkman who became engrossed with the idea of money and power but it was guitarman. I liked how history rewrote itself but still keeping it ultimate goal of ambition.

Reflection Historical lens

    Reading both lenses through the historical lens was an interesting experience. Both books were written at  a time of racial tension. Huckleberry Finn was written at a time when the bridge between blacks and whites was much bigger than in Song of solomon. Both authors were influenced by their time period to make the writing decisions they did. In both books the idea of racism was touch in one way or another. My lens was helpful in both books. Huckleberry Finn in my opinion changed meaning if you take in account the history associated with twain. Twain was changed by abolitionist and slavery supporters. Toni Morrison was influenced by Black nationalism. During the 1970s affirmative action was taking place plus the feminist movement was on its way. I found it fun researching about about how history shaped both books. In mark twains place his early history had a lot to do with his writing. In the case of toni might have been shaped by the big movements that were going around him of equality for females and blacks. Learning more about how the past shaped and reshaped the meaning of many characters and language was what made the historical lens so interesting for me.

      Many people who read Huckleberry Finn might just look at as a racist book. By reading it through the historical hence  we can learn more about the life of the Author and how this might have shaped his writing. If you did not that twain was an abolitionist and his earlier relationship with African slaves his message would perhaps be lost. Because I did not focus on anything else, Many other good messages could have been lost as I read the book. The benefits of reading both books through a lens is that you get to look at the book in a different way. Character, places and dialogue that you might have overlooked, with a lens all those make a difference in the telling of a story. My beliefs were not really changes but the level of knowledge was altered quite a bit. I made it a necessity to know both authors from head to toe. In conclusion reading both books through the historical lens made it a unique reading experience.

Final Reflection

   

      Seen through a Marxist Lens of critical analysis the ideas and themes presented in Song of Solomon and Huck Finn are strikingly different. Using a thematic lens allows readers to truly contrast the author’s differing perspectives on class and race.  

     Huck Finn is primarily a novel about a character oppressed because of his class. Huck escapes the paradigm of poverty by abandoning society for the lawless idyl of a raft drifting down the Mississippi. On his raft there are no haves or have nots creating a (small ) society of perfect equality.
In Song  of Solomon the character of Milkman Dead chooses to escape his sheltered privileged wealthy upper class existence for a search for his own origins. However even then he cant escape the deeds of his past.
This is one of the main differences between the two books Solomon tells the tale of a privileged man in an oppressed community while The Adventures is about an oppressed class in a privileged community. While both manage to escape only Huck is able to truly be free from his past while Milkman is hunted down by Guitar.
The class based analysis of the Marxist lens is very effective at revealing these disparities and thus the differences in the authors and their backgrounds. It therefore ties together to an extent aspects of historical, feminist and racial lens.

Close Reading Huck Finn.... Finally

Text: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by William Faulkner

Critical Lense: Psychoanalytic Lens

“Do you reckon Tom Sawyer would ever go by this thing? Not for pie, he wouldn’t. He’d call it an adventure—that’s what he’d call it; and he’d land on that wreck if it was his last act. And wouldn’t he throw style into it?—wouldn’t he spread himself, nor nothing? Why, you’d think it was Christopher C’lumbus discovering Kingdom-Come. I wish Tom Sawyer was here…” (Twain 69)

“By this time Jim was gone for the raft. I was just a-biling with curiosity; and I says to myself, Tom Sawyer wouldn’t back out now, and so I won’t either; I’m a-going to see what’s going on here.” (Twain 70)

During this part of the novel, Huckleberry Finn is with Jim on the water after they have left the island. They are on their way down the river and Huck Finn spots a shipwreck. Obviously at his age curiosity is controlling most of his actions, but he is just a bit scared to go through with them. This is what causes him to use Tom Sawyer as a bit of an excuse to go through with the actions.

The unconscious thoughts and desires are usually influenced and formed at an early age. Since Huck is around his early teens, like 13, his hidden thoughts and desires are beginning to be finalized. The majority of his thoughts are based around adventures and discovering something. Twain mentions the search for “adventure,” because he is showing how naive Huck Finn is and how he is only looking for things that could give him short-term benefits. This is different from what Jim is thinking, because he’s older and is looking for a long-term plan revolving around safety. This hidden desire for adventure shows how he is still looking for something fun that will take up his time. Even though he should be looking for shelter and somewhere safe to stay, he is more concerned about finding something new and exciting, because that is generally what his age group wants to do.

Huck Finn also mentions that he wants to discover something like “Christopher C’lumbus.” This is a very naive thought, which will not likely happen, because first of all if he comes out with the discovery, then he would get caught. Also he is just young and looking for adventure, so he believes that he can do almost anything.

The different thought process and goals are mainly based around age, because his thoughts are still developing. Since his thoughts and reacting actions are still being developed, he searches for an excuse to perform the actions that he truly desires, such as saying that Tom would do this or that.

Matt Khoury Critical Lens Expert Huck Finn

Matt Khoury

AP Literature

Huckleberry Finn Critical Lens Expert

In the article Morality And Huckleberry Finn by Julius Lester, the idea that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work and should not be read in schools. Reading this article brought up some very important points that cover a multitude of problems in the book. For the most part, I agree with what Lester is saying. The book certainly does have racist themes, but the book was pretty progressive for it’s time. By today’s standards however, it’s still incredibly racist. The use of the word “n-----” is just about as common as the word “the” in the book. It is still shocking to me that this book is still in curriculum. I am very aware that this is one of the greatest American works of literature and makes sense to read during high school because it is a coming of age story, but there are a whole plethora of stories that convey the same message without the racist overtones of the book. I do not share the same experience as Julius Lester, but his article is certainly informing. He states that although Mark Twain was considered progressive for his time, the city he wrote these stories in is still racist to this day. It is truly funny how that works out.

Close Reading into Song of Solomon - Bondonno

“They were listening to the radio. … A young n----- boy had been found stomped to death in Sunflower County, Mississippi. There was no questions about who stomped him - his murderers had boasted freely - and there were no questions about the motive. The boy had whistled at some white woman, refused to deny he had slept with others, and was a Northerner visiting the South. … ‘ It was on the radio! Got to be in the paper!’ ‘They don’t put that kind of stuff in no white paper.’ … ‘Oh, they’ll catch them,’ said Walters. ‘They’ll catch ‘em all right, and give ‘em a big party and a metal.’ ‘They got to catch ‘em.’ ‘So they catch ‘em. You think they’ll get any time? Not on your life!’ “ (Song of Solomon pg.80-82) 

Here, Milkman and Guitar are in the barber shop listening to the radio about how am African American man was visiting the South and simply whistled at a White woman and was killed. This clearly shows how much tension was between African Americans and Whites in this time period. The fact that, a boy was killed for finding interest in a woman who just so happened to be White, should not have happened and it shows how African Americans were always at risk of being arrested, beaten, or even killed for things that do no harm or that are not against the law. I think it is also important to point out their conversation in the barber shop. They first rightly argue about how wrong they think the killing was, but then they have a discussion on whether the killing will be put into the newspapers. This is interesting because, we live in a time, that doesn't even read paper newspapers but rather watch the news on TV or read it online. And with many current events being around African American rights and brutality, it definitely would have been in the news. But back then, it was debatable on whether it would be or not, because the newspapers were run by White people and most White people thought that the killing was just. However, looking at the killing in a different perspective, not about race, it was not and should never be just. They never say if it was in the newspaper or not, but I am guessing that it wasn't because, if it was it would have been mentioned and it probably would have had wrong information or made the killing seem just when it wasn't. They then debate on whether they will arrest the White men who killed the boy. This should not even have to be a debate, but back then, no one was for sure. They first don’t even think that the police will look, and even if they do, they won’t put them in jail. Again, I am not sure if they ever do because it is not mentioned, but I again think that they wouldn't because the police are White and would rarely arrest other White people for doing something to African Americans because most of what they did was considered ok by many Whites. Overall, this excerpt gives us a view of what many people would have thought about African American brutality in that time. We see that some have faith in the government to arrest the White men who wrongfully killed the boy and that they would report about it, but many doubted that they would even look the case over, search for the men, or arrest them even if they did find them. This shows how hard it was to grow up in this time as an African American and how they were treated wrongfully.

"If you wanna fly you gotta give up the shit that weighs you down"

“Some glad morning when this life is o'er, // I'll fly away. // To that home on God's celestial shore,//  I'll fly away.” It was that sorrowful refrain that rang out  at the funeral of Freddie Gray, the young man who was murdered by police in Baltimore in this April. The hymn played is full of the same flight imagery and symbolism that laces Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. This theme defines the novel and is tied into Morrison’s message of hope for the black community.

Much of black folk music is similarly full of stories and images of flight. These ideas inspired slaves, imagining themselves flying away from bondage on earth.  Yet in Morrison’s novel, set way after the fall of slavery, such imagery crops up repeatedly. In the very first couple of pages Mr Smith a black tax collector attempts to fly off of the roof of a building. Of course he failed to break the bonds of gravity. This event takes place at milkman’s birth, his whole life seems to become a road on the path to flight. He wants to be a pilot when he is young and he eventually learns of the story of his grandfather Solomon’s own avian exploits.  At the end of the novel Milkman himself attempts to fly. It is left ambiguous whether or not he succeeds but considering how he has evolved over the course of the novel, from a man who is like his father a bourgeois land owner with no qualms to a caring young man aware of history it is clear that Morrison is trying to present flight, not as a method of escape, but as symbol of ascension, of enlightenment for the black community. “Learn your roots, reject capitalism,” she is saying “and you too can fly into the heavens like Milkman”

         As someone who is obviously not part of the black community I will defer to Morrison’s judgement. If she believes that the route to salvation for her community is through introspection and anti-capitalism than it probably is. It certainly is an appealing stratagem. I hope that one day her vision comes true.

"Go get me my money!"

“For more than an hour Porter held them at bay: cowering, screaming, threatening, urinating, and interspersing all of it with pleas for a woman. He would cry great shoulder-heaving sobs, followed by more screams... ‘'Come down outta there, n****!' Macon's voice was still loud, but it was getting weary.’ 'And you, you baby-dicked baboon' -- he tried to point at Macon -- 'you the worst. You need killin, you really need killin. You know why? ...I know why...Everybody know why.' As he sank deeper into it, the shotgun slipped from his hand, rattled down the roof, and hit the ground with a loud explosion. The shot zipped past a bystander's shoe and blew a hole in the tire of a stripped Dodge parked in the road." ‘Go get my money,' Macon said.’ ‘Me? Freddie asked. 'Suppose he...’ ‘Go get me my money.’ ‘Porter was snoring. Through the blast of the gun and the picking of his pocket he slept like a baby.'"
         This quote says a lot about what one is required to do to achieve success in the America described in Toni Morrison’s novel. Not only is Macon dead forced to become reviled by his own community but also to emulate the racist white ruling class.
       The lack of care for his neighbors that Macon reveals in this passage is astounding. The only reason that Macon seemed to care at all about Porter was getting “His money”. Even after Porter incapacitated himself the first words out of his mouth are an order to his lackey to “Go get me my money”. It is not that Macon doesn't care about Porter. When Freddie told him that Porter was "Drunk Again" He sprinted across town in order extract the cash
       Macon's desire for material wealth has also caused him to emulate the white bourgeoisie that despises him and all others who have the same color of skin.  When he orders him to "come down outta there" he is acting more like a a slave master dictating to his slave than a land owner to his tenant. He even ads in the n-word. adding to the racial tension of the moment. It is illogical for a black man to use a term that specifically demeans people like him unless he doesnt consider himself to be a black man. He has left behind his identity on his search for riches.

All of the tells in Macon’s interactions with Porter really show how much of his identity he has left behind in order to become part of the bourgeois ruling class.

Class consciousness in song of Solomon: An expert's analysis

Since 1923 Marxists have been espousing the concept of Class Consciousness as a solution to capitalism. The theory goes that once the masses truly understand the true nature of their oppression and the true identity of their oppressors they will rise up against them as one and shatter the system that holds them in bondage. This idea was taken on by the radical black liberation movement in the United States and applied to race as well creating the idea of “Race Consciousness” In her critique of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon Dorothea Mbalia takes both of these ideas and cross applies them to the development of the central character in the novel: Macon “Milkman” Dead. Her central Idea being that as the novel goes on the character of Milman becomes more and more class and race conscious. While this may be true in terms character of character development by the end of the novel despite what Ms Mbalia has to say, the black community is no closer to revolution or socialism. Mbalia starts the essay by describing “Milkman” in his pre “conscious” state depicting him as a man full of misogyny and indifferent towards the plight of his own people. As far as misogyny goes she says he is a man who “Shits on women”. This is fairly accurate and she uses examples of his treatment of Hagar to back up the claim. Mbalia then moves onto race consciousness describing a Milkman who is so focused on himself in his privileged wealthy life that the problems faced by his friend, guitar and other members of the black community mean nothing to him. As an example of this she brings up his indifference to Emmett Till’s murder again and again repeatedly citing the time he said “Fuck Till.. what about me”. All together in the first half of her essay Mbalia accurately demonstrates the complete lack of empathy Milkman exhibits towards everyone he meets clearly he is not conscious and yet despite her claims does milkman ever reach a conscious state by the end of the novel? Even if he does his consciousness makes little difference by the end of the novel, when he returns home he finds hagar dead, pilate stricken with grief and guitar full of violent religious zeal. His new found consciousness has brought nothing back to his own community. In fact his actions have lead to death and destruction for many of his closest friends and family members. All together Mbalia’s description of milkman’s character arc as a development of class consciousness sells both the idea and milkman short. It does not examine the motif of flight and is really trying to insert certain marxist ideas into the text while failing to understand much of the socialist symbolism that is already there.

Responding and Reflecting Huck Finn- Matt Khoury

Matt Khoury

Responding and Reflecting

To be completely honest, I wasn’t at all surprised by this book. The racism apparent in this book is obvious, especially for the time. Sure, in our time it is incredibly racist, but during the time it was actually pretty progressive. I am in no way defending the use of the word “n-----”, but that was the norm during that time. The power structure is prevalent throughout the book. This structure is still somewhat prevalent today. Although slavery and extreme racism aren’t the norm anymore, there is still racism in our society today. The most obvious form of racism is verbal, but the biggest problem is institutionalized racism. In this country, there is still a power structure at work. People of Color, such as Latinos and African-Americans, are usually at the bottom, while White people are at the top. This book shows us just how far we’ve come, but it also shows how far we have to go. I think most people have a skewed perception as to what racism is. People look at the racism exemplified in Huck Finn and pin that as the only way you can be racist. Yes, that is the most blatant form of racism, but that is certainly not the most detrimental form racism. The struggle that most people of color face is not justified.

Matt Khoury Close Reading

Matthew Khoury

Close Reading

"Oh, yes, this is a wonderful govment, wonderful.  Why, looky here. There was a free n---- there from Ohio—a mulatter, most as white as a white man.  He had the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat; and there ain't a man in that town that's got as fine clothes as what he had; and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane—the awfulest old gray-headed nabob in the State.  And what do you think?  They said he was a p'fessor in a college, and could talk all kinds of languages, and knowed everything.  And that ain't the wust. They said he could vote when he was at home.  Well, that let me out. Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to?  It was 'lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let that n----- vote, I drawed out.  I says I'll never vote agin.  Them's the very words I said; they all heard me; and the country may rot for all me—I'll never vote agin as long as I live.  And to see the cool way of that n----- —why, he wouldn't a give me the road if I hadn't shoved him out o' the way.  I says to the people, why ain't this n----- put up at auction and sold?—that's what I want to know.  And what do you reckon they said? Why, they said he couldn't be sold till he'd been in the State six months, and he hadn't been there that long yet.  There, now—that's a specimen.  They call that a govment that can't sell a free n---- till he's been in the State six months.  Here's a govment that calls itself a govment, and lets on to be a govment, and thinks it is a govment, and yet's got to set stock-still for six whole months before it can take a hold of a prowling, thieving, infernal, white-shirted free n-----, and—"

In this quote, Huckleberry Finn is listening in on his father’s drunken rant. His  is notorious for being a drunk and rambling in the streets. In this instance, he is ranting about how the government is flawed because freedmen had more money than he did and he was white. He has this sense of entitlement due to the fact that he is white and therefore is more worthy of wealth than the freedman he sees.

The rant that Pap goes on is very reflective of the time period. This belief stems from the power structure of that time. It was often believed during that period of time that African-Americans did not deserve the wealth white people had. The structure that was forced was that white people had power over black people. This power came in all forms; financially, influentially, and educationally. This is why Pap gets angry when he sees the freedman with all the wealth he has. he notes his wealth and compares him to a white man. “a mulatter, most as white as a white man.  He had the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat; and there ain't a man in that town that's got as fine clothes as what he had; and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane—the awfulest old gray-headed nabob in the State.” This anger toward the freedman is because of instilled belief. Pap has this belief that if you are black, you are automatically below him and that you cannot be more wealthy than he is.

Responding and Reflecting Historical lens

“those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” this is what stuck with me while reading the book. This book is a time capsule that allows us to learn an abnormal way of an abolitionist to manifest his thoughts about slavery.131 years after the book was written the book has evolved in message. At the time time it was a book intended to deliver a message. While it can also still teach a message, the book can now teach us about the past. Everything going on around Twain's life had a say in his writing. learning and making hypotheses about how his life affected huckleberry Finn has allowed me to understand twain's writing decisions. The relationship between Jim and Huck may not have been such a rare one. Because, many slaves raised the kids of their masters; parent like bonds was not such a rare occurrence but they were still talked to and treated like slaves. In a way Jim and Huck’s relationship was created to expose that blacks and whites could create that bond. In a way both Huck and Jim had similar backgrounds. Jim was an escape slave and Huck was abused by his father. Both characters came from a dark place. The historical lens not only about the book in general but about individual characters has allowed me to make connections from characters to  their actions. In addition to character development word chose was something that was explained through the historical lens. Now and back in 1884 this book brought much controversy towards its message. History worked as a double bladed sword for this book. in one corner we have the message that twain is trying to bring across and in the other corner we have the heavy weight his word chose had. Word choice and character development was the tools that twain used to deliver a message. Twain being an abolitionist wanted to teach America that they were wrong. He decided to educate americans through a peculiar way. Instead of telling them they were wrong, twain decided to show how blacks and whites could live together through the use of a fictional text.

Experts Historical Lens

Sunup  to sundown the life of a slave showcases the true every day life a slave had to go through. It eliminates any myths about slaves and talks about what really went on behind every slaves life. It defines slavery as what it really is an “economic institution”. According to the author slaves had many different life styles depending on their owners and work positions. The integration of Slave quotes helps solidify his writing one example being “We got to eat what the while folk got to eat”. It is true that every slave story was different and integrating that in his writing allowed by the reader understand the life of a slave a little bit more. His opinion towards slavery was very apparent throughout the text.

“Slavery was an inhumane institution. slaves were suppose to be protected by the law from excessively harsh treatment. Any person found guilty of cruel or inhumane treatment of slaves was fined or sent to jail, but slaveholders paid little to no attention to the laws.Cruel treatment, such as a female slave whose master had left her hanging by her thumbs in St. Louis in 1839. Was not uncommon.”

     I did not know that there were even any laws that aid slaves. This was a real eye opener. Mentioned before in the text slave owners did and said something to simply shut the abolitionist up. Huckleberry finn targets to send a whole new message. While this tries to emphasize a sad and hatred towards slavery huckleberry finn tries to make slavery

By making jim interact with finn with a dad and son relation it tells people “Hey, they are not as different as us. Skin color should not make others inferior to you. Black and white people can live together with no alteration because of their skin color.” The author also included opinions from other historians which in my opinion made the text even that more interesting.As expressed in an earlier blog, Twain had a very good idea of how slaves were treated. While working in the riverboats he had to come across many slaves working in the canal boats. He new that slaves no no more different that a white american. He had to see at the suffering these people endured every day. In a way twain captured a slaves potential if they were not tied to all the social restrictions. It was his interaction with slaves that made twain so sure that both races were the same. The author  talks about the false description of slaves that was given to satisfy abolitionist by slave owners. It talks about different historians opinion of the food and shelter conditions slaves faced. Ultimately both authors wanted to send a abolitionist ideology towards slavery. The difference was that one author used facts about slavery and the other created a fictional story to in essence get the same message across.  

Close reading historical lens

  To understand why Mark twain uses the N-Word so many times, we first have to look at the history of the this word. The n-word derived from the word negro which means black in spanish. In other countries Negro does not have the same weight as it does in America. Americans adopted N-Word as a derogatory word to dehumanize and offend african and african american slaves. The Portuguese being the main slave traders  were the ones who started to give more racist and derogatory definition to negro.The definition that slave traders and slave owners gave to the N-Word was dumb animal. Even at the time when the book was written many people were outraged at the high number of time the N-Word was used throughout the book. At the time like now N-Word was an offensive word.

     Is you think that mark twain used the N-word as a derogatory and  racist word you have to consider that he was an abolitionist. In reality mark twain did not support slavery.

“I hain’t been nowheres,” I says, “only just hunting for the runaway nigger—me and Sid.”

“By and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed.

I went up to my room with a piece of candle, and put it on the table.” Using the N-Word so commonly in the book makes it seem ordinary and makes fun of how americans used the word. In a way it manifest how the N-Word is a dumb and stupid word that suppresses others. Working in  a river boat for a few years mark twain was exposed to a diverse amount of people. He got to interact with slaves and slave owners throughout his journeys. It is known that his characters were real people he met while working in the river boat. The word chose in Huckleberry finn is no more than a manifestation of the absurdity of the what thats word means. In certain pages like in page 295,246 and 244 the N-Word Is used 5 times. In pages 36,193 and 289 the N-Word is used 6 times. These pages all exaggerate the N-word. It is this exaggeration in the use of this word that makes his message come across stronger. If mark twain wanted to make a statement he first wanted to grab the attention of others. The use of the N-Word was used 219 times to make fun of how stupid and inhumane whites were treating slaves. By showcasing how everyday people were using the word mark twain could show them just how stupid and ignorant they sound. The sole definition of this word makes and should make it one of the most taboo words in the english language. All that  Twain is trying to do is show others the true stupidity of slavery itself. Weather you agree with his method is a different story.