Othello Act 1

I have never read Shakespeare before, honestly because Ive always felt like it was too confusing and I never had the chance to read it in a group of people. The thing that I first think about is how even though this was written 400 something years ago we can still comprehend what is going on. That is amazing to me, and also as we get farther in the play, learning these characters and their attitudes, this amazes me as well. It is weird to think that even 400 something years ago there was still "drama" he said she said stuff, instigators, love battles, I guess its human nature but it's funny.

With othello being African American and Desdemonias father being raciest suprises me as well. I thought that back in the day your parents told you who to marry, or if they didn't approve there was no way you would be able to be together. I think it is kind of cute though that they are trying to show everyone that they really do love each other, not that other people matter, but that they want the approval of her father instead of giving up.

I want to know more about Othello. He seems kind of sketchy at times because their are some who think he is the almighty whatever, and the are some who despise him. I don't know if it is just Iago and Roderigo because they have thier reasons, or if there is another side of Othello that will come out later on in the book, thats what I'm waiting to see.

The Green Mile- 61

In the Green Mile, the man who is writting is the head of a prison. This is written back in the day when the electric chair was still used. He opens up explaining what the green mile is and how nobody wants to walk it. He introduces some of his workers, percy who he doesnt like and Mr. howell who he does. He is most concentrated on this one man, a big black man who they have found out is in jail for raping and killing two little girls. They told the story, and explained the jury, and his first day there, that he was just different. I really like the book so far, I have also seen parts of the movie, but it is still very interesting.

Black for Remembrance- Carlene Thompson

This book was 326 pages long. The story was about a women who lost her child twenty years ago, her daughter Hayley was 5 when she was kidnapped, and not long after her body was found burned. Hayles mom Caroline remarried and had another little girl. As soon as she thinks everythings okay strange things start happening around the town, people start getting killed and she thinks she hears hayleys voice when shes alone. Every time someone dies there is a black rose left that says black for remembrance. I really enjoyed this book because it was easy to get into and it tricked me and had a really good ending.

Incident

This poem relates to both the Harlem Renaissance and Disillusionment. This eight year old African American boy goes to Boston for some excitement."Once riding in old Baltimore, Heart-filled, head-filled with glee" This boy keeps staring him down and calls him a nigger, "And so I smiled, but he poked out His tongue, and called me, "Nigger." This shows their culture, they want people to realize it hurts more then most people think. Especially for a eight year old boy just minding his own business to be called such a name and ruin his whole day. He was also disillusioned by thinking people wouldn't say anything. He didn't realize how harsh the world was.

"I saw the whole of Baltimore From May until December;Of all the things that happened there That's all that I remember. "

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

"I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins."

Langston Hughes express the Harlem Renaissance by expressing African Americans culture. They've seen many things, and have been here along time.They know ancient rivers and pyramids before any one discovered them. "I've known rivers:Ancient, dusky rivers." I feel sad when I read this poem, because the author expresses his feeling with the line, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers." I feel like they had everything, they were happy with themselves where they were, until they became slaves.

A Dream Deferred

I feel that this relates to the Harlem Renaissance. It describes the way African Americans feel about their dreams and their lifestyle. That the white people are holding them back from everything they have, until its gone. "Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet?" This meaning their dream is like a sweet, something they can't wait to taste. As time goes by though the sweet soon becomes old and crust over, like their dream, dying because it's been too long, and they have finally lost hope.

Mending Wall

“Good fences make good neighbours.”

This is a disillusionment to both of the characters in the poem. The two neighbors have built a fence, and one feels it's pointless because they have no cows to get mixed up, all they have is trees. The other neighbor on the other hand keeps saying the phrase his father once told him, "good fences make good neighbours." thinking the idea of separation. I feel the fence is pointless, if they have a big farm and lots of land why do they need a fence? Their pretty separated all ready. I feel though that the neighbour who wants the fence is white, and the other man is black. The white man his whole life has grown up with his father saying stay separated from the blacks, but he doesn't want to tell the man in a mean way. "He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well He says again, “Good fences make good neighbours.” I feel that the white man is disillusioned to think that he needs to have a fence to separate them just because of their race. I also think that the black man is disillusion by trying to persuade him in not having the fence, because in that time of day he should know their "suppose" to be separated.
"There where it is we do not need the wall:

He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, “Good fences make good neighbours.”

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder

If I could put a notion in his head:

“Why do they make good neighbours? Isn’t it

Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.

Before I built a wall I’d ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence."