Final Reflective Letter

Dear Marlen,

Now that the class is nearly over I am sad. I have enjoyed this class very much, even though for the first part I felt that I was struggling. I like that this class isn’t just another blow off English class because that means when I get my final grades and I get an A I will feel good and confident that I achieved that. This class was well worth it, even though it was hard at times.

My favorite book was Middlesex. I am not completely finished with it yet but I still like it. It was slow at first but it really picked up at about page 70. I however did not like Henry and June. It was bizarre and I just felt like I was watching a porno. I was just no prepared for that much sex. It’s not like I haven’t been exposed to other movies that have sexual scenes but that was majority of the movie. I liked learning about queer theory and feminism. Those both opened my eyes to different things that I was never exposed to before in a literature class.

I liked many things about the class. One was that it was the class was mostly discussion. It helped me to see things in others point of view rather than just my own. It helps to know that sometimes other people feel the way I do about the class. I think that by discussing things we really make connections to life and to other literature. The groups work out good because we get to discuss things, like if you didn’t pick up something in the reading someone else may have and they can share that with you. I like that you know our names and we aren’t just students in you class. It’s like you really want to know us and get to know what we are thinking. I like that we do mostly everything online. I think blogs are easy. Having a class webpage is easy for me to read when and what my homework is. Instead of you having to tell us what it is or hand us out papers about it I just read it online. I like that we don’t just do book reports, because those get old.

I would defiantly take another class from you if I had the chance, however I have taken all my required English’s. I feel like I have grown as a person and that this class was very worthwhile. Thanks for a great semester.

Sincerely,

Amanda Emricko

Add a comment December 14, 2009

Poem #31

Monorhyme

My journey has ended

I feel like it was intended

My opinions, thoughts and arguments have been bended

My life has been sort of mended

I am feeling quit splendid

Add a comment December 6, 2009

Poem #27

Rhyme

Learning about queer theory

it makes me a little weary

It is going to be a little weird

but not more than I feared

Add a comment December 6, 2009

Poem #26

Rhyme

As the movie ends

it seems that it defends

Women and all they stand for

And that we can’t ignore

We are just as equal

Hopefully there is not a sequel

Add a comment December 6, 2009

Blog #25

I am going to blog about what I have read in Middlesex so far. I am around page 100. I know that I should be farther but I am ok with this. As much as I like to read I find this book a very slow start. When you get to the part where Desdemona and Lefty are escaping Greece it is sometimes hard to understand. Once you get past that part it gets a lot better. I am at the part where they are coming to America and going to live with their cousin in Detroit. I find it weird that they decided to marry each other considering they are brother and sister. I don’t know how they could hide this from everybody. I also can’t believe their cousin can keep it a secret from her husband. I am eager to get to Calliope’s part. I can’t wait to finish the book. I like that this book explores queer theory and I find that interesting.

I found a song online call Not Looking Back. The chorus lyrics are basically about not looking back and what is done is done. I feel that this reflects Desdemona and Lefty.
I have tried and I’ve failed miserably
I’m not looking back
I’m free to decide
They’ve already wasted time
I’m not looking back

Add a comment December 6, 2009

Blog #24

When I originally took the archetypes quiz at the beginning of the semester I got that I was The Innocent. “The Innocent is the prefallen person who lives–or tries to live–in Edan. The Innocent’s gift to the world is trust, optimism, and belief in things as they are. At the lowest level, belief is preserved by denial; at the highest level, by transcendence.” My original response was that this was shocking, and I still think that. I do not believe myself to be innocent at all. Young maybe in the terms of age but not innocent.  I am optimistic most of the time but that is the only real thing that matches up.When I took the quiz in Awakening the Heros Within I got totally different archetypes.

Although The Innocent was still ranked high being one of the top three it was not number one. My number one was actually The Fool. This to me was probably more shocking than The Innocent. The fool from what I have learned in class is often the smartest person. The goal is enjoyment, pleasure, and aliveness. This so far makes sense and explains me a little bit. Gift is joy, freedom and liberation. This seems more like me. The second one was The  Lover. I didn’t even have to look at lover to know that I would probably match up and I did. The Lover’s goal is bliss, oneness and unity. Fear is loss of love and disconnection. Gift is commitment, passion and ecstasy. I feel that out of the three archetypes The Lover is most like me.

I enjoyed learning about the archetypes overall. I wish we could have talked about them more and class. I feel like I am more familiar with some like the caregiver, the innocent, the fool, and the lover. The ones I still don’t know much about are the sage, the magician, and the seeker. I think for future classes you should do more in-depth things with them.

I choose Stand by Rascal Flatts. I feel that not only the lyrics but the video talks about standing when it is hard to. It shows that one person can go through a lot of archetypes.

Add a comment December 6, 2009

Poem #30

Limerick

There is Cali writing from the womb

Lefty and Desdemona, bride and groom

Brother and Sister they were

And now it is a big blur

And now they are together in a room

Add a comment December 4, 2009

Poem #29

Rhyme

There are so many

I feel like I don’t fit with any

How can I keep track

I think some of them are whack

There are warriors, caregivers, and creators too

and thats only a few

The fool is just plain dumb

and there are still more to come

I could be innocent or a lover or maybe a jester

I guess that is better than a child molester

I guess I can be all of them at some point

I just hope I don’t disappoint

1 comment December 2, 2009

Poem #28

Rhyme

This is not normal

but this is not paranormal

nothing really is

its something like a pop quiz

To me this isn’t queer

it seems very clear

I don’t get why this is so wrong

it just seems like everyone should belong

Add a comment November 19, 2009

Blog #23

We talked about queer theory in class today. My understanding of it is that it is different from the “norm.”  There isn’t anything that I can think that I do that is different from the norm.

This relates to Middlesex because the main character is different from the norm. She is not a boy or a girl. This is a result because her family is different from the norm. Her grandparents are really brother and sister. In today’s society that is not acceptable. In the past people married their cousins but not brothers and sisters. This book involves a lot of queer theory being that the whole family is different from the norm.

I am choosing the song Who’s To Say by Vanessa Carlton. It talks about how people are telling them what to do and how life is. She just wants to figure it out on her on.

Add a comment November 19, 2009