Why are they back?

Now that we have read the last act of the play, what do you think the purpose of Act 5 Scene 6 is? This is the passage with Sarah Ironson and Rabbi Chemelwitz. Why are these characters back? What are they trying to say about why people in heaven play cards? What was Kushner's motive for that scene?

Angels in America: Should we trust them?

In the Act II, Scene 2 the Angel and Prior lead a very interesting dialogue. From the scene do you think the Angel is right? Can we trust the Angel? Why or why not?

Angels in America

As we keep reading the play, which I really enjoy, the characters are starting to develop and we know more from the individual scenes. Many of the scenes are funny or very thought provoking. What is your favorite scene from the play that we read so far and why? :)

Louis and Belize

While reading the part in Act Three where Louis and Belize are having their talk about their personal views, why do you think Kushner decided to have them discuss politics at a time like this as opposed to discussing the seemingly intense state of Prior, someone they both hold in high regard? I also questioned why Kushner decided to have Louis elaborate on his political views to the extent that he did when the reader already had a clear sense of his strong character?

Debate Closing Arguments

As I said at the end of class, I thought both sides did a good job of isolating what seems to be the key question of Neilson's article:  Does The Things They Carried offer a moral critique of/comment on war in general and the Vietnam War in particular?  Or does postmodernism somehow make it impossible to take a moral stance?

Please address this question here for your "closing arguments."  There is no limit to how many people from each side can post, and you can feel free to comment upon each other's posts.

O'Brien vs. Neilson 

After finishing the book and reading Neilson's "Trauma as historical amnesia" critique: what do you think about postmodernism as a style to tell war stories? Do you agree with O'Brien or Neilson?

Is it real?

So in "How to tell a true way story," we learned the aspects of a true war story. It is crazy, there is no moral, it embarrasses the person telling, it has no concrete beginning or end, and overall it is confusing. So this weekend we were suppost to read "The Ghost Soldiers." Using what we learned in How to Tell a True War Story do you think that the stories in The Ghost Soldiers is real? Or is O'Brien making it up? And do you think it matters if he makes it up? Is is okay to use the things we learned in How to Tell a True War Story to determine the validity of future stories? (You dont have to answer all of the question.)

Stockings

The soldier Henry Dobbins believes in superstition and he thinks that his girlfriend's pantyhose has a magic power. Why do you think O'Brien decided to write a chapter about this? / what does it tell about war and soldiers?

What is the TRUTH? 

We covered 2/3 of the book and sometimes I still have a problem figuring what the TRUTH really is. The Things They Carried is full of stories that are trues according to Tim O'Brien, but then you turn a page and he tells you that he actually added a lot to the story or just didn't say the whole truth. So, what do you think the TRUTH is? If you want support your answer with textual evidence.

Speaking of Courage

In the last chapter we read, Tim O'Brien tells a story of Norman Bowker. However, at the end of the chapter he writes: "He did not freeze up or lose the Silver Star for valor. That part of the story is my own." Do you think that O'Brien wrote a story about Bowker using his real name or he just made it up and actually the character of Bowker was Tim O'Brien? Explain

Dancing

In the chapter "Spin", we get told about a young Vietnamese girl who is dancing in the midst of her burned down town. Throughout the very short chapter, Azar keeps asking "Why is she dancing?"(129). Why do you think the girl is dancing? What do you think it represents?

Modernism

Do you like the modernist poems we did the presentations on? Is there one in particular that struck you?    Explain

"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong"

In this chapter, we learn that Mark Fossie has a lover named Mary Anne Bell. We find out though that after Mary Anne Bell arrives in Vietnam, her personality becomes much different and their love seems to be dwindling. Why does O'Brian decide to include this in the story? Why is it important?

"Spin"

In the chapter "Spin", O'Brian insists that sometimes war is sometimes less violent and more sweet. Why do you think he says this? If you can, try to use textual evidence to answer the question.

Grass?

In Whitman's sixth poem from Leaves of Grass, he discusses what grass is. He compares it to divinity, to ordinary men, and to a hidden message. He proceeds to talk to the grass as though it is a person. We know he likes to use many metaphors when describing a thing. So what do you think grass is?

Dead Tree

So as we kept reading the chapter 9 tonight, we read about Magdalena called Lena being mad at Milkman, because he told Macon about her relationship with Porter. Before she starts explaining to him why she really brought him to her room she shows him the little Maple. "The leaves should be turning red now. September is almost over. But they´re not; they´re just shriveling and falling down green. You peed on it." I think this part is really important not only because of the dying maple tree, but also because of what Lena says right after that. "You peed on it. And on me." What do you think Lena tries to tell us through the metaphor of dying tree? 

Milkman's Journey

In chapter 10, we learn that Milkman decides to head to Pennsylvania to go look for the gold that was supposedly left in the cave. His intentions on his journey seem to change from greed of gold to self-understanding and his family history when he talks with Circe. Why do you think this intentions changed so quickly and what do you think he will do in order to better understand himself and figure out his family's history?

Song of Solomon Characters

Who is your favorite character in Song of Solomon? Why? What do you like the most about their character? Who is your least favorite character? What did they do that you didn't like/agree with?

First Corinthians

In chapter 9 the novel picks up with First Corinthian's life; after not hearing from her or about her for a good part of the book. I wonder why Morrison chose now to stick First Corinthian's part in. What's your guy's take on this?

Narrator

On pgs 165-172 it is narrated the story of Macon and Pilate with the gold. The story is in third person while the previous stories-within-the-story were in first person. In your opinion why did Morrison make this choice?

The Peacock

In class today we talked a little bit about the peacock and what it symbolizes/it's importance in the novel. I personally think it symbolizes not just one thing, but a few things. What did the peacock seem to symbolize to you and why is it an important part of the novel?

The Seven Days

On page 156, Guitar says "White people are unnatural.  As a race they are unnatural.  And it takes a strong effort of the will to overcome an unnatural enemy".  What do you think he means by this?  Do you think that killing innocent white people took a "strong effort of the will"?  Do you think that the actions of the Seven Days are just considering the equal or even harsher crimes that whites committed to blacks?

Cornell West vs Milkman/ Past vs Future

Today at Cornell West's speech he talked about how we must look back to our past in order to understand the future.  He said that without our past and the people in it who provided us with love, we would simply not be.  Do you see a connection (or contradiction) between what West is saying and the way Milkman sees or deals with his past?  How does Milkman's pessimistic view of his family challenge West's view?

Eggs

In Chapter 5 the "fried egg" conversation between Milkman and Guitar (pgs.115-116) reminded me of when Pilate in Chapter 2 talked about how to make a perfect soft-boiled egg (pgs. 39-40). Do you think that the eggs symbolize something or is it a coincidence?

Chapter Five: WHAT IS GOIN' ON?

So this last week we have to have read chapter 5. There were many things that were extremely strange but one that particularly struck me as a WTF (WTF- Why the Face (As in my face when I read this chapter)) moment was when Milkman was so chill about being murdered. In the first part of the chapter, he is with Guitar and he is so calm. What is goin' on?

The Weary Blue

Following up our discussion in class about this poem, I am kinda curious why some of us think that the narrator is a white guy?

Langston Hughes

I know this was on our homework worksheet but I was curious to find out which Hughes poem was your favorite.

Deposition

What do you think is the point of the deposition? Why does Melville but it at the end?

Captain Delano

I know we have talked about this in class a little, it think it may be useful consolidate our opinions. What do you think about Captain Delano? Do you like his character?