Red Sky in the Morning

Patricia Hampl’s “Red Sky in the Morning” touches something deeper than just the profoundness of love. True, it is unexpected and therefore meaningful that she happened to stumble upon love that beautiful morning, but the essay is meant to portray something more. The adored woman in the story proclaims, “I could tell you stories” leaving that verb full of possibilities to hang in the air. The statement does not mean she is choosing not to tell Hampl her stories. The statement means, “I could tell you stories- if only stories could tell what I have in me to tell.”P18 The English language is constricting in a certain sense in that some experience are just too big, too full to explain. There are just some stories you can’t do justice to because you can’t express the full meaning behind the story with words. Hampl’s purpose in writing this is to show memories are only memories until we tell them, until we make them a reality to someone else by sharing them. Hampl didn’t realize at the time that a story was happening to her and by telling her story she would make it a reality to many others. It is important for us to tell our stories because by telling our stories we are making it possible for others to experience significant events otherwise unknown to them.

Maggie May

“I need to get those papers from the Tech Ed room.” I remember thinking this in the middle of algebra one class, freshman year. Mr. Cira, my teacher, was laid back enough that I knew if I asked for the bathroom pass I could take it and not have to return within the normal allotted “bathroom” time. I grabbed the pass and began my search for the room that would hold the papers needed in order to get a Wisconsin drivers permit. I finally found the Tech Ed room hidden down a short hallway in the back of my rather large high school. I peeked in searching for who would look like a teacher. I met eyes with a boy in a yellow t-shirt who immediately asked me what I was looking for in a rather dismissive way. I was about to say the teacher’s name when a nerdy, middle-aged man came popping forward asking what was it that I needed. I explained to him how I would be taking his drivers Ed class and that I needed a couple papers from him in order to get my permit. He of coursed him self behind a shelf in search of my documents. A beat later I heard an off-key, throaty rendition of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May”. I spun in my spot and witnessed a scene I will never forget. Standing up out of his chair, yellow t-shirt was looking me in the eye, hand over heart, serenading to me. I stood frozen, caught by the sudden admiration and attention. I blushed and giggled and fell in love all at the same time. There was a silence after he sang the first line followed by many laughs and guffaws from the class. I quickly took my papers from the teacher and left, without looking the boy in the face. As I walked back to my algebra one room I was so disoriented from the experience and yet so incredibly in the moment. It was exhilarating and unexpected and stunning. The experience touched something in me, someplace only certain people can feel. I am grateful to always have this memory of that boy, whom I later grew to know. He was young and scraggly and giving me something few people get. I was given, only for a moment, the feeling of love, unexpected and unexplainable love.

Class Discussions (up to 8/28)

Personally I think that this is a lot like the previous blog assignment of what I think of my AP English Class. Technically it is different though and I will treat it as such. I enjoy going to third period every day as long as it is my English class. I enjoy dissecting everything we read even if I didn’t enjoy reading it. I like that I am comfortable in throwing out my interpretations of the book, with the knowledge that I will get feed back. I want to hear what my peers have say. I get satisfaction when I hear some one say “oh I never thought of that” to an idea of mine, but more satisfaction when I think it toward another’s idea. I like that when I don’t understand something completely I can ask to have it repeated and generally I get an obliging reiteration. I am pleased with the fact that everyone participates as much as myself because my view is, after all, if I have to be here, why not try a little. I sometimes wish the notes of discussions posted on edline were a little more detailed, but who am I to talk, I never type them. I am not sure if I like the 5 questions. I think they create great discussions but I am unsure as to whether they really help me. I am really excited for this new way of blogging homework because I can see in depth what others are thinking about the class. I hope other class discussions continue in the same way.

Carlos Fuentes

Carlos Fuentes’ “How I Started to Write” touches on all 5 of the BIG AP English questions. The one he uses most interestingly is Style. The way he portrays his life in the essay is so complex and yet I could imagine him perfectly as this hodge-podge of cultures. We are not meant to be told what he wants to express, but by giving us his personal stories we are shown his purpose. The purpose of this essay to me is “cultures are not isolated, and perish when deprived of contact with what is different and challenging”. In simpler terms he is pointing out that culture is not culture if there is nothing to compare it to. It is not culture if it is not different from other customs and traditions. This purpose however is widespread for other ideas. We as human beings are not who we are, are not unique, if we have no one to compare ourselves with. Fuentes has another purpose though. He is trying to convey the importance of language in order to express culture and history. Through this expression we create our own cultural identity. Fuentes love of Argentinean and Latin poets is because of their expression of what their country was, who it came from. Early in the essay Fuentes speaks of America and what it was in his mind and its reality. America was “ the impression of a country identified with its own highest principles: political democracy, economic well-being, and faith in its human resources…” The reality of America was unemployment and starvation caused by the Dust Bowl. Having read the book “The Grapes of Wrath”, this image is all too real to me. Fuentes lived in America in the time of the writing of Mark Twain and John Steinbeck and came to know the truth of America through these authors. His love and connection with words and language only flourished thereafter.

What I Think of My English Class (so far)

My English class is the one period in the day I look forward to going to. I think the entire class always has something interesting and enlightening to say. My favorite moments are the ones when I hear a peer’s idea and a light bulb goes on in my head and I think “Now why didn’t I think of that?”. I think the topics we contemplate and discuss are not considered important in much of our American culture because most people do not have the education or intelligence level we do. I believe this is the reason the topics are brought up. They are brought to our attention because we are the ones who have the power to change what we believe is wrong. We are all going to one of the finest private high schools in one of the largest cities in the Midwest. We will all go on to top colleges and push ourselves to be the best we can be. But there is more importance to our futures than simply that. Do you honestly think the only reason we are expected to do community service is because it looks good on college applications? Do you think we have core values simply because it makes a comfortable and safe environment for us all to work in? We have these expectations for reasons deeper than that. I believe that in the world we live in, we students are given the greatest possibility for great lives, to achieve great things. We are meant to do more with what University and our parents are giving us than just get into prestigious colleges and land prominent jobs. We are meant to help people who cannot help themselves. We will strive for excellence in our lives and come damn near to achieving it. That is what we are meant to do, but there is more significance to it.
In the book “Nickel and Dimed” the scariest fact I came to understand about living the minimum wage life is you can never pull yourself out of it. You are surviving on your wages, not saving for college. We are already ahead of half of the United State and most of us are only seventeen. The futures ahead of us are promising and hold so much possibility. I think only Spiderman’s uncle could say it better. “With great power comes great responsibility.”