Final Course Assessment Blog

During the past week of class, we have watched a film called the Stone Reader. Throughout this film, the director, Mark Moskowitz is desperately seeking the allusive author, Dow Mossman. Mossman wrote one of Mark's favorite books, The Stones of Summer, and then failed to produce another book. Moskowitz is incredibly interested to find out why such an amazing writer would write a book that received great reviews and then not publish anything else. Moskowitz has very little information to go on and spends two years meeting with people who have been associated with Dow and his book in their pasts. It was very interesting to hear what each of these people had to say about not only Dow, but other authors who have written books and then not produced any other work. Many people in the film claim that it is such an exhausting process that many writers simply wear themselves out and will not think of ever attempting it again. Dow's previous roommate said that sometimes he would watch Dow sit and work on his novel for 20 hours straight. I think it is rather ironic that just as these authors became obsessed with their precious novels, Moskowitz becomes upset with finding Mossman and asking his what happened. Along his journey to Mossman, Moskowitz meets with some pretty amazing people in the literary community. Just to name a few: Robert Gottlieb, the editor of Catch-22, Frank Conroy, and Leslie Fiedler. It was really neat to hear a lot of these people talk about writing and literature with such passion. I could tell it was something that all of them really enjoyed and never planned on giving up. I also liked the suspense the movie created. Maybe it was due to the fact that we viewed the movie over a three day time period, but after every class (especially Wednesday), I could not wait to find out what was going to happen next in Moskowitz journey. I found myself completely caught up in finding Dow Mossman. The movie also made interested in reading The Stones of Summer. However, if many of these men in the movie who read daily could not make it through the novel, I wonder if I would even last a couple of chapters. I found it funny that the place where Moskowitz finally finds Mossman, its the very same place where his life began, his childhood home. Although this has almost nothing to do with the movie, I was also a fan of the scenery in the film. I was so envious in the scenes where he was in Maine because it looked so beautiful, and I have always wanted to go there. Overall the film was very interesting and a lot better than I had initially expected. However, I now have a very daunting impression of pursuing writing as a career.

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking English 215 this year with Mr. Kudera. The range of material we read and analyzed was very diverse, and I feel like I have gotten a lot out of this class. Surprisingly, there was not one novel that I did not like at all. They were all entertaining in there own ways. It was very interesting to compare my high school English classed to a college English course. So many topics that seem to be "taboo" in high school were openly discussed in this class. I really appreciated this because it has always bothered me how entire aspects of literature I read in high school were overlooked simply because they were deemed "inappropriate." Saints at the River by Ron Rash was probably my favorite. I liked how Maggie, the main character, had studied at Clemson University, and that the the story took place so close to where we are. I grew up in a small town, so I could really relate to Maggie's experience when she returns home. My least favorite piece of literature that we read would probably have to be Glenngary, Glen Ross by David Mamet. I cannot really put my finger on what exactly I did not like about it, but it reminded me a lot of Death of a Salesman which I read in high school and was not a huge fan of. Aside from that, I really enjoyed pretty much everything that we read. Mr. Kudera was an excellent teacher who was very knowledgeable about all of the literature we read and the authors. I don't think I would have ever read some of the novels or short stories that we were assigned in this class on my own, so for that reason I am also glad that I took this course. I would recommend it to anyone who is interesting in reading some great books and having insightful discussions about them. It has been a very positive experience a much need break from my typical math and science courses!


MEGHAN MCDONOUGH

"After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town" by Ha Jin Blog

"After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town" was a very anti-capitalism and anti-globalization short story. It all begins when an American man, Mr. Shapiro, opens up a Cowboy Chicken restaurant in China. It is an American chain and many of the Chinese citizens are thrilled about it. A red ribbon ceremony even takes place on opening day. The new American cuisine excites the community. Most of the employees, including the main character, Hongwen, are all Chinese and speak little or no English. Peter, the manager, does all the translating between the boss and the employees. A multitude of things continuously go wrong for the employees of Cowboy Chicken until finally they are "terminated." The whole entire story the employees are brainwashed to believe that they are making so much money and learning the American ways by working in the restaurant. The first sign of trouble occurs when the restaurant tries to open up a buffet. They set a flat rate at nineteen yuan and ninety-five fen in which upon paying this the customers can each as much as they want to. The employees don't understand why the buffet isn't simply twenty yuan. They say, "Why didn't he price the it twenty yuan even." Then Peter tells them, "...this was the American way of pricing a product. You don't add the last straw to collapse the camel." This is another jab at the capitalist-driven American economy and how it is only concerned with duping the customers into paying more than they should. The next disaster that occurs because of greed and the desire to be known and make money is when they try and throw a wedding banquet. The banquet goes smoothly and according to plan until the next morning when 1/3 of the wedding party call and demand that they have food poisoning. Peter is slick and covers it up by claiming the the Chinese stomachs may not be able to handle lactose that was in the deserts. This seems to work for the most part. Next, an angry costumer comes in claiming there was a fly in his chicken. Jinglin and Hongwen threaten this man until he agrees not to sue. This is another action that is driven by greed. One day the employees all follow Peter home and see that he is having a huge Victorian mansion built. This is when they first become skeptical about what is going on at Cowboy Chicken. They decide to follow Peter one day after work again and see that he burns all of the left over chicken. They question him and demand to know why he is wasting all of the food when people are going hungry. He simply replies that it is his job. They remind him that he is one of them. I thought this was interesting because Peter has gone to American and been educated in the American ways. Perhaps this is why he is okay with destroying good chicken. On payday, the employees take a peek to see how much Peter makes. They come to the realization that he is being paid a huge amount more than they are. They try to object and go on strike thinking that they are key components of the company. However, they are replaced within a day with new employees. They had love and pride for Cowboy Chicken. The feeling, however, was not mutual. The American company failed them.

VOCABULARY:
will-o'-the-wisp: also known as Ghost lights, are believed to be a natural phenomenon, such as ignited pockets of swamp gas, that hover and rise over swamps, ignite by natural causes and glow blue or green.
wrangling: having a dispute or argument

(DICTIONARY.COM)

The Lazarus Project, pgs. 249-292

The last section of the assigned reading begins with Brik having to say goodbye to Iuliana. You can tell that he really cares for her a lot. Rora asks Brik when he returns to the hotel, "Did you bang her?" Brik responds and says, "She has a husband." Rora comes right back with the response, "You have a wife." Brik, however, decides to ignore the remark. Brik then goes into detail about his wife's job and explains to Rora that she is a surgeon. Rora talks about his significant other, Azra, who also happened to be a surgeon during the raids in Sarajevo. When Brik is finally faced with the death of Rora, he is very unsure about what exactly he wants to do with his life. He does not know if he wants to return to America and Mary. They also talk about Rambo killing Miller and how brutal it was. This foreshadows Rora's fate when he returns to Sarajevo. I love the quote that Brik says when they return to Sarajevo. He says, "Home is where somebody notices your absence." I thought that this was significant because he is regarding Sarajevo as home as opposed to America. He is also somewhat implying that Mary has not noticed his absence or missed him at all. However, what he calls home still seems to be muddy. It is not here or there. It was also funny how buckling up was also brought up again in the cab on the way to Sarajevo. He asks Brik to buckle whereas all the other drivers along their journey have been very unconcerned. Maybe this is supposed to illustrate that Sarajevo is where Brik belongs and where he will be safe? I was not surprised that Lazarus's story ended how it did, however Rora's death completely shocked me. I was not prepared for him to be shot and this was very. I feel bad for Olga who is left alone, and Brik is also left dazed and confused with no idea what the future may hold for him.The novel ends with Brik saying, "I am going to stay in Sarajevo for a while."

VOCABULARY: 
Miljacka: is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through Sarajevo and East Sarajevo
politsyant: "policeman" 

The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon, pgs. 1-50

I have really enjoyed the first fifty pages of The Lazarus Project. It was very quick read because I enjoyed it. It begins following Lazarus, who is suspected to be a Eastern European Jewish immigrant. He is walking through Lincoln Park in the 1900s, and everyone from the chief of police's maid to the owners of the local grocery store all treat Lazarus as if he is unwelcome and does not belong. At the grocery store the owners exchange suspicious glances with each other making it clear that Lazarus looks out of place: "Good morning, the woman says, haltingly, exchanging glances with her husband--they need to watch him, it is understood." Lazarus does not speak to them knowing that they will interpret his foreign accent. I can already tell there is going to be some critique of capitalism in the novel. When Lazarus goes back to the chief's house, they all assume he is some kind of anarchist and go crazy firing all kinds of guns off. I thought this scene was rather humorous because all of these people come in and start firing their weapons without and legitimate reason. They even end up shooting one another: "Chief Shippy shoots at the young man; blood gushes so hard that the burst of redness blinds Foley, who, being well trained and aware of Chief Shippy's dislike of drafts, is slamming the door shut behind him. Startled by Foley, Chief Shippy shoots at him, too, and then, sensing a body rushing at him, wheels around like an experienced gunfighter and shoots at Henry." I feel like the upper class of the 1900s was again being criticized when the press spins the story in favor of the chief, insinuating that Lazarus was malicious. Then the story shifts to the life of a writer Brik. He is researching the story of Lazarus with the intention of writing a book on it. He came to Chicago from Bosnia a while back. When Brik is first introduced he is at the annual celebration of the Bosnian independence day. I thought it was humorous how he talked about how when they get together, it is the one time of year where they all critique Americans and completely dissociate themselves from them. At the celebration they are all strictly Bosnian. Brik meets a wealthy couple, the Schuettler's. The wife, Susie, is particularly fond of Brik, and he ends up getting a writing grant from them to do his research on Lazarus. Brik is fed up with being supported by his neurosurgeon wife, Mary, so he is ecstatic to do something without a monetary contribution from her. At the celebration Brik runs into an old friend Rora when he snaps a photograph and Brik and Susie "dancing." After somewhat reconnecting with Rora over the next day, Brik decides he is going to bring Rora with him to Ukraine or Moldova to photograph and help him research. I am very intrigued to find out what exactly was in the envelope that Lazarus brought to the police chief. What was his reason for being at the chief's house?

VOCABULARY:
otiose: no practical purpose or result
Moldova: a land-locked country in southeastern Europe
Bosnian independence: Bosnia won independence from Hungary and endured as an independent Christian state for some 260 years. (August 29, 1189)

Saints at the River, pgs. 131-180

Chapter six begins with Maggie in her dark room developing a photo she took at the falls. It is of Herb Kowalsky looking down into the river were his daughter's remains lie. The photograph makes Kowalsky look defeated and shows him wiping away a tear from his eye. The photograph makes quite a splash in the office when Maggie begins to show colleagues. They are all very impressed with how powerful the simple photo of Kowalsky is. Lee says, "Sweet Jesus. That's the father?" You can tell right away that this photo is going to make quite a splash with everyone in Maggie's hometown because of the emotional response it is going to evoke regarding the Kowalsky's and their suffering. Shortly after Maggie shows Allen the photo, the two go to get coffee. When Maggie is crossing the street she is almost hit by a car. This hits close to home for Allen, and we finally hear the background story regarding the death of his wife and daughter. They had been on their way to pick Allen up from the airport. Allen and Maggie's romantic relationship also progresses in Chapter 6. Allen comes over to Maggie's for dinner for a date. On the date, Allen explains that writing this article has given him a second chance to be a good father. He says, "But this situation with Ruth Kowalsky, it's like I've been given another chance to be a good father by helping another man's daughter out of that river." Maggie tries to explain that Luke is not so different, but his good cause is the Tamassee River. Chapter 6 also goes into more detail about when Ben was burned, or more specifically his recovery and life after being burned. He had a difficult time being in public and social situations and their father only made things worse by forcing him to attend all the school dances and baseball games. Ben tells Maggie that she should let things go and forgive their father, but Maggie insists that she is not a big enough person to ever forgive her father. At the beginning of Chapter 7, Maggie receives and email from Luke regarding the picture she took for Allen's article. He says that he expected Hemphill would side with the Kowalskys but was disappointed in Maggie. He says, "A lot of people have devoted a significant part of their lives to saving the Tamassee. You have betrayed every one of those people." This later causes a little tension between Maggie and Hemphill. Chapter 7 also offered some insightful background on Maggie and Luke's relationship when they were younger. When it is time for the town meeting Maggie is surprised to see her father is present. She tells Allen that he is too sick to be here. She is even more perplexed when her father speaks about how dangerous the river is. Ellen Kowalsky speaks to the meeting about her daughter and every one in the meeting is immediately affected by her despair. Right away Luke and the river rats are aware that they have lost the battle. After the meeting Maggie's father approaches her and tries to apologize for Ben being burned that night so long ago. Maggie still can't seem to forgive him.

VOCABULARY:
Caulked: to seal a gap or hole with some substance
Blood Meridian: A western novel by Cormac McCarthy about a gang of scalp hunters who massacred North American tribes.

Orbiting by Bharoti Mukherjee

I really enjoyed the short story "Orbiting." Perhaps it was because it was very accessible and easily understood, but I also thought it was rather entertaining. The family dynamic in the story reminds me of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The parents in the movie are pushing their daughter to become successful and find a "suitable" husband as soon as possible. The parents in the movie respond to the daughter's American boyfriend in a very stand-offish way. Rindy's parents respond in a similar way to Ro and his distinct Afghanistan characteristics. Rindy's father expects Ro to enjoy drinking with the boys and watching sports, but these are both very foreign ideas to Ro. He had to fight for his life just to get out of Afghanistan and safely to America. It is very petty how Rindy's father judges him for not possessing these essential "male" characteristics when Ro has had to become more of a man than he is just to survive. Rindy's father's definition of torture was sitting in an office for thirty something years. Separate culture's definitions of masculinity are contrasted in this way. One line that again contrasts the different cultures and illustrates just how American Rindy is says, "When I think of Abdul, I think of a giant black man with goggles on, running down a court (pg. 65). It is funny how the first thing that comes to Rindy's mind is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer. At the end of the story, Rindy is in complete bliss when she realizes just how much she loves Ro. I am confused as to if this is really love because during the entire story she is referencing an ex-boyfriend, Vic. Vic seems to be the ideal boyfriend that Rindy's parents would love and approve of. Ro on the other hand is a complete 360 compared to Vic. As for the stories name-sake, Orbiting is mentioned at least twice in the play. However, I am unsure as to what the significance is. The first line that alludes to it is when Rindy is introducing Vic to the reader and says, "Who is he initiating now into the wonders of his inner space" (pg. 57). Another instance is on page 73 when Ro says, "For six days I orbit one international airport to another." I'm interested to hear the discussion in class as to what the title's significance is.

VOCABULARY:
Calabrian: A region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian peninsula. It is separated from Sicily by the strait of Messina. 
King Cotton: song in which American military marches to

Glengarry Glen Ross, Act 1 scenes 1-2

As mentioned in class, I had to read a few pages of the play before I could catch on to the rhythm and understand exactly what was going on. The play begins with two men, Levene and Williamson, chatting in a booth at a Chinese restaurant. It sounds to me like they are in the sales business. Levene is begging Williamson to give him the good leads. The use of the word "leads" was a little misleading for me because then I thought that they might be in journalism. Levene is desperate to make the top of the "board," and it sounds as if his job depends on it. He is very temperamental and constantly is losing his cool and then apologizing for saying certain things to Williamson. I am not positive about Williamson's role in all of this. Is he a secretary for the bosses or is he one of the bosses? He often claims he will be fired and that he must do what he is told. However, it seems that the only thing that will sway Williamson is money that Levene does not have. This already hints at the capitalistic theme in the play that was mentioned in class on Monday. The system that the company has seems to me to be a bit flawed. They tell Levene that he must get back on the board, but they only give him second rate leads that are not going to make a sale. The whole entire first scene Levene is arguing for a lead and appears to making progress if he is willing to pay some money to Williamson, but by the end of the scene he still ends up with a lead that is on the "B-list." In the second act it is Moss and Aaronow sitting at the booth in the Chinese restaurant. They start complaining about the Indians who chat it up with them making them believe that they are going to make a sale and then are not interested. Moss says, "They're lonely, something." Once again the only concern is the money and not establishing a relationship with the customer. They talk about the hierarchy that exists in the office. If you sell the most, you get a Cadillac. If you do not sell enough, you get a set of steak knives. Finally, the worst two salesmen get fired. They mention a Jerry Graff who they claim runs a better business than Mitch and Murray. Moss actually suggests that someone should rob them and take their best leads. He plays this out like it is just an idea but Aaronow comes to realize he is serious and has even talked to Jerry Graff about it. Apparently Graff is willing to pay them for stealing the leads for him. Moss reveals that it may be more money than he let on but still plans to give Aaronow the same amount he said at first. He is also making Aaronow actually perform the robbery. Once again, this emphasizes the greed and importance of money.

VOCABULARY:
Lead: the identity of a human or entity potentially interested in purchasing a product or service, and represents the first stage of a sales process
(WIKIPEDIA)