Sonny's BLues

Sonny’s Blues was a pretty good story and I liked it a lot.  Some of the themes are not as hidden as other stories we have read but still really meaningful I think.  The first is the constant theme of darkness and light throughout the whole story.  A lot of the story location itself is dark in the way it comes across with drugs and all other kinds of issues. Also it sounds as if Harlem, where the two brothers grew up was almost a prison.  Sonny, by doing whatever it took to break out took the harder road, though it had cost him.  The narrator in the story is almost still trapped in Harlem it feels, having never left and now raising children of his own there. I think another theme that shines through is that of the two brothers, the narrator who is older and watches out for Sonny.  It almost in a way comes across as Cain and Abel in the way that the mother asks the narrator to be his “brothers keeper.”  I think this could be religiously themed as well because it was said in the biography that the author depicted this kind of issues such as religion in his stories.  IN the end it turns out that Sonny is a very talented musician despite all of his hardships.  In a way, I think this almost represents how one can use your situation to better others.  The story is very sad in the way that it never talks about a happy time, always of death, or sorrow, or goodbyes.  Sonny has gone through even worse and yet he still is able to move people with his “blues” even though the drugs he is on are dwindling his mental health all the time.  It shows how we can turn our situation into something that can be used to strengthen or move someone else in a hard time and possibly bless them with freedom in the way that for Sonny music was the freedom.    

A Grief Observed: Chapters 3-4

The rest of the book is a continuation of the first two chapters though they do take a few different turns and talk about different themes.  One analogy I like in these readings were the concept of the house of cards.  "Your bid will not be serious if nothing much is staked on it."This is talking about how with one blow his whole world, if based on the house of cards can come crashing.  It makes one stop to think, is it really worth rebuilding when, in reality, it could be knocked down in the same way again. 
Another thing I take away from this reading is the way he justifies his questioning of God and whether he is so called "good."  I like the quote where he describes the anguish and pain that he expresses towards God as merely the "pleasure of hitting back." 
Probably my favorite part of the piece is when he starts talking about the pain from not his perspective but hers.  This is something I honestly had not thought about in great detail ever.  The fact that she could still be in pain at the moment and there was no immediate departure to what we would think of as paradise or heaven.  Then he talks about how much greater his pain would increase if he was to have his wishes of her returning to life fulfilled.  The process of dying twice would be unthinkable and how he makes the point of not knowing if she is better of here, as almost it is a selfish inquiry of him. 
Lastly I think Lewis finds a bit of closure in the matter of her death when he talks about the reason for her death stating that God had taken H away because their relationship had reached its "proper perfection." 

I went to the Lakeview, Roselawn and Tiger Flowers cemetery complex for this fieldtrip, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes.

Response to A Grief Observed: 1-2

The first two chapters on A Grief Observed are really fascinating and deal with some important issues.  These would be of death, God, and love.  The initial story and reason C.S. Lewis is writing this is very sad considering he just lost his wife and the way he is so real and portrays the sorrow, grief, anger, and confusion because of this really is amazing.  I like the way it is written in a way that almost seems that the text was being written in a more real setting than having been a story and edited.  Along with the pain he is feeling, he talks about the love him and his wife, “H”, as he called her, shared.   A good quote to describe this is when he describes their love as “no cranny of heart or body remained unsatisfied.” This shows that though their marriage was cut short, they made the most of it and were still really happy. 

A story that we have read this semester that could be applied to this piece is that of “What Do We Talk about When We Talk about Love?” by Raymond Carver. When looking at the two different couples from the story in relation to the couple of Lewis and H one would see on the surface that they would be most similar to that of Nick and Laura.  This is because their love for each other comes across as strong and somewhat flirtatious as C. S. Lewis somewhat describes his  marriage with jokes such as “how many bubbles of mine she pricked.”  Another comparison could be made to the couple in the story that was happy and died of old age.  Now while Lewis and H did not receive the same happy ending, it is a good example of how Lewis almost yearns for her and wishes her the best even when she is gone.  All the old man in the story could worry about was his wife and that he could not see her.  It just shows the kind of strong love that both couples shared. 

The last thing to take away from these chapters is the references to God and religion.  These are not the sugar coated or watered down references to it was “God’s will”, or “He knows better so let it be” but more of a where is god and the emptiness of having the door shut in one’s face. This is a really neat thing that has been incorporated in the text because it shows Lewis’s true weakness.  He is supposed to be an advocate for Christ and an apologist yet he still shows the reality of having denial and doubt and how it can only be used to strengthen our spiritual lives. 

Joel--pieces of imagery

The thing that stands out the most in the book of Joel is chapter 2.  I like the way that the Day of the Lord and His army is described.  “The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.” I like the way this is written because one can feel the darkness and anger God feels toward the people.  Also the way the soldiers themselves are described.   “With the appearance of horses,” puts the image of someone tall and great and very swift with their motions.  When the passage says the sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness it gives the image that there is almost no light upon the earth, which would be a pretty scary scenario when you think about it. 

Another phrase that I think provides a lot of imagery is”even the beasts of the field pant for You.” I like the way this shows how much God wants his people to realize they need Him.  Notice it says for God not necessarily water.  This would be because I guess the beasts have the instinct that God is the ultimate provider or maybe because God can sometimes be describes as Living Water. 

The last phrase I thought was very impactful was the one where God says “And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged.” This is cool in the way that God promises ultimate justice for those who persecuted Israel and Jerusalem.  The way God uses the word vengeance describes that as long as they are faithful they will never be defenseless.  It’s weird because the Israelites do not really deserve to be avenged and yet God is still faithful and shows just how much He loves them through this act. 

Job: beautiful words

There are a few passages that stick out to me in this reading.  The first is found at the end of the book where God talks about the blessing of Judah.  Here it states the mountains with drip sweet wine, the hills flow with milk, and the rivers with water.  I just like the imagery that is used to describe the way God is going to bring forth abundance for His people because they were faithful. 

Another passage that is also near the end is that where God is describing the “valley of decision” as He calls it, and how He protects His people amidst the dark.  The contrast between “roaring” from Zion to then merely “uttering” words from Jerusalem, which ultimately cause the heavens and earth to tremble, shows how powerful God is and the many different ways He can work.  Also even though He is the one bringing the judgment He promises safety and to be a refuge for His people. 

Something that I thought sounded really beautiful the way it was written was the way the Day of the Lord is described.  How it talks about the wonders that will appear in the sky and earth stating that the moon will turn to blood.  My favorite part about this passage is that it shows the way God is just in that He is passing His punishment, but then at the end He still talks about the grace and mercy that can be had of those that cry out to Him.  It seems to be a common theme and shows how forgiving God really is if we are willing to accept it. 

The last passage I thought had some significance was in the passage where God promises deliverance.  “I will make up to you for the years of locusts.  That, to me, seems like a pretty crazy thing to say.  Even though Israel was in the wrong and God used the locusts to destroy the crops and fields, He makes it up to them, almost giving them a better supply and abundance than before.  This can be seen as it says the “Lord has given you the early rain for you vindication.  I like that word vindication.  It’s a pretty strong word to show how Israel is now justified and again, spoken for, by God. 

The Colonel and A Story about the Body

When I first read the assigned stories, I took both, “The Colonel” and “A Story about the Body” to be really confusing and hard to gather any significance or meaning.  It was like one of those stories that was almost frustrating to read because the meaning was so eluding, sometimes questioning if there was even a deeper meaning or if I was totally overthinking the point.  After reading a few times though I began to see some connecting themes.  Even though I’m not sure if this is exactly what the author intended this is what I got from each story.
In “The Colonel” one can easily see that the setting is located in another country, probably during a time of war or struggle within the government.  This is seen as the colonel states how hard the country had become to govern.  Another important point is the statement “as for the rights of anyone.” The most important part of the story that the author wants to convey is that of the human ears in relation to the opening statement, “WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD is true.” The story is trying to be informative about a certain issue dealing with people’s rights and how we choose to listen, representing the ears that have fallen up on the ground, or how we have ignored the cry of those in need, the ears that have fallen pressed to the ground. 

This story was a lot easier to decipher for me.  The main connection that can be made is that of the Japanese painter and the bowl left on the man’s door step.  The way the man treats her in the story is representative of the contents of the bowl.  The bowl itself represents the woman, and the rose petals, her outer beauty that he thought she had before finding the truth about her breasts.  The dead bees are a harsh reminder of how worthless and dead she now feels.  It brings up the question of morally was it right to act in the way that the man did.  It is hard to justify his actions because it almost feels shallow but also I think one should look at the fact that he looked her in the eyes before he walked off, showing a sense of dignity and maybe remorse.   

Short story--Until We Meet Again

“Slow down!” thought Dave to himself as he passed the Highway Patrolman pumping his breaks while not trying to make his speed decrease from ninety to the speed limit of 65 too obvious.  When the patrol car made no attempt to follow them he breathed a sigh of relief, “phew.”

Dave combed the surrounding landscape looking for anything remotely familiar to him.  He had driven this road probably a million times growing up and back then could take each winding turn without any hesitation or regard for the speed limit.  Dave, now almost forty years of age, was having to anticipate the movement of the car across the terrain of the road and yet he still saw no landmarks that he could recall but figured that he would end up there eventually. 

As the time passed Dave was left to think.  It had been just over twenty years since he had been back to the town where he had grown up.  Dave himself sometimes wondered why he had never returned.  This always ended in painful thoughts and the reliving of once buried memories always bringing Dave back to the realization that he never had any intention of returning. Although there were times where he felt guilty, there was nothing drawing him back to the once quaint and quiet town. 

Where most people his age had parents still alive, he had been orphaned when he was just a baby. No other family around to care for him, he was put in the local home for run away or stray children. It is here that he met Steve Philips.  Not a day goes by when Dave does not wake up to the thought of his friend.  Growing up together they shared almost every moment they had with each other simply because they had no one else. Whenever one came up in conversation, the other was always thought of, almost as if they were synonymous with each other. This continued till the two turned seventeen and Dave decided he wanted to enlist in the army. Steve on the other hand saw no life outside of his home.  It was here they departed. 

Dave went on to survive the war but a changed man.  Growing up in a small town, one does not see the world as clearly as they think. More innocent and naïve about life he was not fully prepared for the rough and gritty lifestyle that was required of a soldier. There were times when a superior would get in his face and he wanted to break down right there, but he had set out on this mission and he was determined to make it through.  After the war Dave never made contact with anyone from his hometown, not even Steve.  He didn’t know what they thought happened to him, and he didn’t care.  He had a different outlook on his childhood now.  At one time thinking he was lucky, he now felt that living in such a place was more of a hindrance to a person, even feeling sorry that Steve could have no vision of any other life.

This idea had been planted deep within Dave.  Any sense of guilt that he had was buried, deeper still, becoming but a mere prick that he had learned to ignore.  Eventually he went on to start his own successful business in which he marketed vitamins and protein supplements. Eventually he found the love of his life, a beautiful woman named Dianna.  Dave had all he had ever dreamed of.  Although sadly Dianna was not able to bear any children, the paperwork to adopt an Asian baby from China was already approved. Things seemed to be perfect until Dianna was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was his worst nightmare come true the night she died. He tried everything but there was no amount of money social status that could save her. Even prayer, which he had given up on for many years, felt useless. 

Dave snapped back to reality now as he saw that the town was the next exit on his right.  Although the exit was getting closer the speedometer needle slowly started to rise as the pure emotion of being so close started to flow through him.  As he took the exit he rounded the turn and could see the top of the chapel that Mrs. Withels, the caretaker at the orphanage, took him to every Sunday.  Going over the hill, on his left he saw the baseball field that him and Steve used to play on till it would get late into the evening.  Back then the field was brown and rocks took the place of sand in the infield compared now as the field looked green and a golden brown all the way across.   Continuing down the main road he ended up in what would be similar to a city’s downtown area filled with little shops and home town restaurants. 

This was all very different,  magnificent though to Dave, having expected the town to be run down and empty.  In fact there seemed to be more people bustling about than whenever he was there.  It was time to find what he had come for, the little orphanage in which he had spent so very long in.   He was pretty sure it was the next left and a little ways down the street from there.  Before he could proceed though he noticed what seemed to be a big cement structure to his right.  Immediately parking the car he burst over to it.  It was a memorial to commemorate a man who had died in the war that seemed so very long ago.  As he ran his fingers across the raised metal grooves that spelled his name he started to breakdown.  As his eyes moved across the slab they caught another name, Steve Philips—In loving memory. 

Looking up he saw that he was in front of an industrial shop that read Phillips Tools and Supply.  Thinking there could only be one man with that name in a town this size he entered the store.  A short young man with blonde hair down to his shoulders was standing at the counter.  Turning to face Dave he saw that his name tag read Steve Phillips, but this could not be the boy he had grown up with. 
“Can I help you with something sir?” the boy asked.

Dave, without hesitation, asked who if his father was the one on the plaque outside the door.  The boy replied with a nod. 

Dave didn’t feel like hanging around any longer.  So he went back to his car and started to drive. Where, he did not know or care.  Everything he had ever known had been ripped from him, or he had given it up so easily to the point of having nothing left.  He did not belong here in this world where they thought he was a mere ghost and he felt no reason to try and live in the cold place where he once called home. As he drove he realized it was not the town itself that he hated, but his old life that he dreaded coming to terms with. He fell in love with that which causes every man to fall and it has ended up leaving him alone. 

Sanjeev Character Analysis

Sanjeev is not directly described in the story but it does state that he is from India so I would assume that he is very tall with dark skin color and black hair and brown eyes.  Being single and in his late thirty’s he has acquired quite a savings.  He works as an engineer at a firm in Hartford, Connecticut, recently finding out he could be promoted to vice president.  Sanjeev was recently married to Twinkle after knowing her only four or five months.  Sanjeev appears to be very smart in two ways.  The kind of music he listens to, being classical, shows a taste that is of high class and stature.  The other way is in the story where it states that he graduated from MIT.  Sanjeev has a very methodical and unique personality.  He is outgoing but enjoys his time alone as well.  He definitely is almost OCD about how things are organized and being neat and tidy.  The way he lives and decisions he makes are very thought out, not very free, or whimsical.  He also is not a fan of change.  Once he sees something as such, he almost expects it to be that way from here on out.  I think the things that influence Sanjeev are his Indian culture.  The food he enjoys and cooks, as well as the status he tries to achieve in society and his belief in Hinduism are all examples of this.  IN the beginning of the story he was very confident in who he was, as his life made more sense and seemed to be going smooth.  As it progresses though Sanjeev slowly starts to question key elements in his life such as the love that him and Twinkle supposedly has, wondering if he even had any love to begin with.  One important thing is that he likes making a good impression to all his coworkers and bosses even though he states he never felt like he was noticed or a real part of their group.  Sanjeev wants a steady and long lasting relationship with possible future in the future but it almost seems as Twinkle is just on the rebound or using him as long as his money lasts though she does care for him.