Company of Wolves

The author of "The Company of Wolves" displays her feminist point of view by comparing men to beasts who crave sexual encounter and by explaining women's role in society. The author points out that the women in her story are stereotypical; the young girl is pretty, the mother is a housewife who cooks and cleans. Another issue, which Carter expresses, is discrimination. Women are discriminated against because of their sex and because of their looks every day in America.

In the beginning of the story, Carter introduces the half-wolf-half-human creatures by describing their evil and dangerous deeds. Carter emphasizes these creatures' inability to suppress their desires and sexual appetite. The author also mentions how "the wolves have ways of arriving at your own hearthside. We try and try but sometimes we cannot keep them out". Furthermore, the fact that these creatures become naked before turning into wolves supports the sexual image of these werewolves and adds to their deceptive nature. Carter also describes the wolves as pitiless creatures that readily prey on weak and servile individuals who are meek and vulnerable to danger, such as the servile woman and the pious old man who humbles himself lower to serve God. The first example of a victim is a woman who was making macaroni when she was bitten by the wolf. The second victim, a lonely old man who used to "sing to Jesus all day," demonstrates the inability of Christian faith to protect a human being from these evil creatures.

From the beginning, Carter sends a message to her readers that the only way to fight these evil creatures is not to be the perfect image that society tells us to be, but to be strong and selfish. Then Carter moves on to the story of Little Red and of her visit to her grandmother. In the beginning, this girl is a figure and a symbol of purity and innocence with her blond hair and her young beauty. The author also mentions her commencing sexual maturity, which tells the readers that she is at the uncertain stage of her life during which a girl becomes a woman. Unlike the girl, the grandmother is a figure of an old traditional woman who holds the typical qualities that make her a pious servant of God and an example of a figure who conforms to the expectations of the society. The girl proves to have a different mindset than her grandmother when approached by the wolf. She is introduced to werewolf not as a horrible beast, but as a dashing young man who makes a bet with her that he can reach grandmother's house faster than her with his compass. His winning prize is a kiss from her, and the girl, secretly wanting him to win, takes her time. When the girl reaches the grandmother's house, she immediately senses a difference in the atmosphere – the pillow is perfectly propped up without a hint of indention and the bible is lying closed on the table. She realizes that something is wrong, but she refuses to let her fear get the better of her. It seems she is succumbing to the wolf by taking off her own clothes, but her boldness in approaching the wolf, taking off his clothing for him, and then giving him the kiss is rather surprising. By this point, Angela Carter conveys to the readers that women should not view sexuality as an entirely evil thing that should be hidden under the covers, but something that women should value and use carefully to empower their femininity.

Through this story, readers can see Carter's strong belief in women voicing their desires and beliefs by taking action. The fact that Carter states in the end that "It is Christmas Day, the werewolves' birthday" reveals her view that women should accept the fact that in every man and woman lives a beast.

A Vindication of Rights of Woman

From the beginning of this writing the reader can see that it was written long time ago. Who is saying phrase “My own sex will excuse me”? I think the author is opening in this phrase the idea that there should be an interesting, truly writing about gender. The old-fashioned words as fascinating graces, delicacy of sentiment, slavish dependence and other, are making this text more difficult but still interesting.

The author has a good spirit and strong personality. It is reflecting in every word, she is trying to explain that females are not the weaker gender, how men are presenting women’s personality as a weak elegancy of mind, exquisite sensibility, and sweet docility of manners. The author often uses “the weaker vessel” talking about women. She is using the vessel instead of the gender in order to show the women’s inequality more dramatically.

She is almost swearing to not to be weaker gender, she is saying: “I shall be employed about things, not words!” She is using this phrase in a right case, because all women like to talk even if there is nothing should be discussed. She is trying to become less female by saying this. This writing is “a small female revolution”. She is trying to make men see women more powerful and stronger.

The author usually shows the basic female features as sentiments and overstitched feelings, stifling the natural emotions of the heart. Those words are truly representing the female. The author is talking the facts of that time she wrote this essay. It seems like back in the history. She is talking about women’s rights, using important aspects of human’s life. It is education, marriage. She is saying exactly one phrase that makes the role of female in society more evident. The author is saying, “The only way women can rise in the world is by marriage”. It was just a fact of that time when she lived. She is writing in sarcastic way talking about married woman,”This desire making mere animals of them, when they marry they act as such children may be expected to act”. She is comparing female who wants to marry somebody to children.

The author uses word “masculinity” to represent a role of male in with life stereotypes.

Nobody doesn’t want to see masculine female, therefore, author is trying to tell the reader that there should be not masculine woman, but strong person inside. Females need to be less sensitive. Everybody is thinking about of women as an ideal person. The author shows this idea by saying “female excellence”. She doesn’t say male excellence, because there are some thoughts that male can make mistakes, be wrong, but woman cannot. Males are growing too fast. They are developing new technologies, making business. So, the point that the author makes is in the last paragraph: “let man become more chaste and modest, and if women do not grow wiser in the same ratio, it will be clear that they have weaker understandings”. It’s a really good point. What the author tried to say in this essay is that women cannot always act like a man; they have right to develop, to be perspective and competitive as a man.

Research Plan

Effects of Christianity on Native Alaskans

1. My general research topic is The Russian Orthodox Church in Native Alaskans life.

There are a few questions that I can propose:

• What role the Russian Orthodox Church played in Native Alaskans’ lives?
• Did the Russian Orthodox Church have the good or negative impact on people?

·         What attributes Native Alaskans used in church?

• How many orthodox churches are now in Alaska?
• How many of Native Alaskans are related to the Orthodox Church now?

2. The Russian Orthodox theme is important to me, because I am sort of related to Russian Orthodox. I know about Russian Orthodox only as example in my country. I think it will be great to find out some facts about Russian Orthodox in Native Alaskans’ lives, because I live in Alaska and I want know more about history and it will be interesting to compare Russian Orthodox in Alaska to my country.

These questions are import for people who want to know the life of Native Alaskans. The religion is important aspect of life, so people can find out more about the Native Alaskans knowing their religion. I think my audience can be students, people who moved to Alaska, who want to know more about Alaska history.

3. I have delegated to make a research in the Internet about the Russian Orthodox Church. I need to learn as I can about my general topic. My responsibility is to write about this topic for Research Wikis assignment in our group. I will also help my group mates to figure out what we should add to our topic.  

4. March 31^st: To discuss our research plan within the group in class and also have some information about my particular topic. To make a better research on my topic.

April 2^nd and 3^rd: To write an example of my topic and e-mail group my writing. To e-mail Bria some questions that I would ask at the interview with Native Alaskan woman. To find out if we are going to meet on Sunday. Sunday meeting?

April 4^th: Check when we need to meet in order to discuss the interview that Bria did and write a Research Prospectus.

April 7^th: Group meeting at 9:45 am with Christie about our Wiki. Will be great to listen to some suggestions. Set up the new group meeting.

April 10^th: Probably, the group meeting. Get compiled our writings and do revising.

April 14^th: Annotated Bibliography. Rough Draft of Wikis Project.

April 26^th: Group Research Projects Due

There are also should be new group meetings before April 26^th.

6.   Some questions I may ask on the group conference.

Speech delivered by Premier Benito Mussolini

The speech by Mussolini is an appeal or even a command to the Italian people, to the army. In the first and sixth paragraphs Mussolini emphasizes the people who his is talking to (Blackshirts of Rome, Rome comrades). He is not calling them, for example, confreres or citizens. He emphasizes that those people are like a Rome weapon in this war. Then his words “feel your temperature and break the silence” are so strong, powerful that reader can become scared.

There are many dates which make this speech more concrete and realistic. Because of those dates, reader can even find out some interesting facts about the war. For example, as a reminder for everybody, the war was started from September 1, 1939. Therefore, this text is the speech-command. The phrase by Mussolini: “…we will struggle to the last drop of blood.” is a hyperbole which shows that there is no way to go back. When Benito Mussolini says: “We are not like English”, in this sentence the reader can see how the premier doesn’t like the English people, how he blames the English. Then the simple comparison “we call bread bread and wine wine” shows that the Italian government is acting in a good way and not hiding the facts of the war, while the English government doesn’t say the truth to its people. In that phrase Mussolini appeals to comrades showing that the government acts perfect, it is not lying to its people, so people can be sure that they should fight for their country. Therefore, it is a leader’s speech; there cannot be any bad things to say about government. That is how it is presented. There are only positive moments and incentives to continue the war.

Mussolini admires his Italian army who fights in this war. He calls them as “the authentic, real, great Italian people”.  Another hyperbola in his speech “fight with the courage of lions on land” is a good example of Mussolini’s confidence in power of Italian army. Mussolini is saying: “Rome comrades! Trough you I want to speak...” in order to show all Italian people that he and comrades are acting in the war for their lives, freedom, needs.

Mussolini compares people with “snakes, who remain in the Masonic lodges”. Those people are the Italian enemies. And Mussolini appeals to “crush them without the difficulties”. After that he calls “the Italian people, the Fascist people…” emphasizing the participation of Italy in Fascism, the alliance with Hitler. The premier knows that “the Fascist people will have victory”. He is saying this as a statement, without any doubts.

The last sentence is very long. This sentence is almost like a short story about the Italian future victory. There are many powerful words as sacrifices, battlefields, hardships, dignity, heroism, soldiers that show the picture of the war, its reality. Also Mussolini thinks about the Italian army as heroes by saying “heroism of our soldiers”. And as it should be, the last the strongest phrase that makes soldiers take their weapon and go fight is “Victory, Italy, peace with justice among peoples!” that gives a hope to people that there will be the country with peace and justice…

The Cove

The film “The Cove” is a true story about slaughtering the dolphins in Taiji, Japan. “The Cove” makes everybody think about it after realizing the problem of killing the dolphins. This film has many scenes which are hard to watch. It is not understandable how humans can be so inhuman, self-interested, and amoral. All people in the world see the dolphin as a beautiful creature of the nature that can makes them happy. Dolphins are free, happy and they are smiling to people without knowing that the next day they can be dead.

“The Cove” is the film that was made illegal. People, the activists who were involved in it, risked their freedom to show everybody what is going on in Taiji. They did. The fact that people in Taiji can sit, eating a dolphin’s or whale’s meat, and watch the show with the dolphins is shocking. And all those pictures of dolphins on the ground, on the bridge, the dolphins boats which are situated in the city where thousands of dolphins are being killed every day. The most terrible thing about it is the legalization of the dolphins slaughtering. The film makers know all those facts and they knew what they should show to people in order to make an impact. Watching this film and realizing that those people are acting and I am just sitting down without acting was awful. I think everybody could feel this way. Although, the fact that dolphins are smart and self-aware like people is good, still it didn’t stop anybody to kill them, or at least to think about it.

This film is sad and sensitive. “The Cove” is really similar to the “Trojan horse” result. Those people who wanted to stop the dolphins slaughtering put the hidden cameras in the fake rocks in order to get video and audio of killing dolphins. They also played different roles during their secure operation. They knew that it was illegal but they still wanted to show this disaster in Taiji to the world. It helped. The most terrible scene is the cove with water covered by blood of killed dolphins, the dolphin’s screaming. The film makers showed how people can be inhuman in order to make money. If they wouldn’t risk their lives and freedom to make this film, nobody could know about this disaster in Taiji. Also they were talking about the mercury poisoning though the dolphin’s meat. This meat was used in schools; children ate the dolphin’s meat with mercury in it. It was harmful for people to eat this meat. Why people in Taiji are still killing dolphins? I think the film makers wanted us to think about this question.

The film had some results but not stopped the dolphins slaughtering in Taiji. Therefore, some people were fired and some countries refused to support Japan in dolphins and whales killing. So, the film makers did an impact on this situation.

Japan, in this case, in order to response to this problem can make a film about pigs and cows farming and killing, or about fishing. But those people in Taiji still will be on people’s mind. It will be hard to forget and not think about this film.

Overheard conversation

After my work, I went to Fred Meyer to deposit my paycheck to the Alaska USA Credit Union. It was 5:30 pm, a rush time, so I waited in the line. There were many people, everybody talked about different things. One man talked to his wife about the vacation in May; two ladies were complaining about the noise in their office. I didn’t try to listen to anybody; therefore, I heard one conversation of two young women about a birthday party for their friend Linda. One of them said, “I was talking on the phone with Emily about Linda’s secret birthday party while I was cooking dinner and I accidentally spilled the beans; Emily was mad on me”.

In my mind immediately popped up the picture from that conversation. The first woman’s name was Kelly. She just came from work and started cook dinner. She decided to cook some healthy food. So, her choice was to boil the beans with other vegetables. She started preparing the ingredients; she washed the celery, carrots, pepper, tomatoes, parsley. Then she tried to remember where she put a can with beans. Kelly found out that it was on the top shelf in the kitchen cabinet. She placed the ladder in front of the cabinet and reached the can with beans. When she came down, the phone started ringing. She took a phone. Her friend Emily was calling to ask a couple questions about Linda’s birthday party on Saturday. Meanwhile, Kelly tried to open the can with beans, because she already put all ingredients in the pot with boiling water; it was time to add the beans. Therefore, she was talking with Emily; she was destructed by doing to things in one time. As a result, she accidentally spilled the beans on the floor. She started laughing at herself. Because of this situation, she even forgot that she was talking to Emily all that time. Kelly hung up. It wasn’t really nice, but her floor was covered by beans.

This overheard conversation made sense but in two ways. I could think literally about talking on the phone and spilling the beans, like it usually happened! Although, the part of this conversation, when Kelly told Emily was mad on her, didn’t make sense without the continuation of their conversation. I could guess that she was mad because Kelly hung up or because she didn’t pay attention to what Emily was saying. Another case was if I could understand this conversation and “spilled the beans” as an idiom. It would be a different story and the result of it. Kelly could tell somebody about the secret party, thus she would ruin the surprise. That’s why Emily could be mad on her.

As we can see, the phrase without context can have so many explanations and variations. People can be mad because of not having enough information or not paying attention to the context of conversations. The context can change people’s lives. There are lots of situations when people heard just a phrase that had a different context, if they would hear the whole conversation.

Salvation

Langston Hughes attracts readers beginning from the title of this story. Using “Salvation” as a title, he eventually makes the readers be prepared for an adventure. This word raises curiosity of the readers. Hughes could call his story, for example, “Incident in a church” which is not a good attractive title. “Salvation” implies for an interesting narrative. From the beginning of the story, even from the first sentence, the readers can see that it is a true autobiographical story from author’s childhood. It is nonfiction about the church, or it is related to the church, because using the word “sin” people usually think about God or prayer. Then he uses the entering sentence “It happened like this”, which momentarily prepares us to become a part of author’s past.

This is a narrative story with elements of description and process. There are many cases when the author uses lots of descriptive adjectives to make the picture in our mind more clear and understandable. For instance, “wonderful rhythmical ceremony”, “old women with jet-black faces and braided hair”, “old men with work-gnarled hands”. Also Hughes describes all actions more completely using many verbs in the sentences. Verbs convey the sequence of the events. For example, “aunt came, and knelt at my knees, and cried”. Using those verb forms author makes us feel this story as a process; it is not a quick five-minute action, it continues through the evening. We that it is evening, because of a few phrases: “Now it was really getting late” or “every night for weeks”. Then author in detail describes what happens. He uses a past tense because this situation happened in his childhood long time ago. Putting dialogs in the text, Hughes make us realize that it is a true story with true people. Also there are many questions in the story. Those questions usually are repeated (“Why don’t you come?” or “Won’t you come?”) in order to finally get answers.

In this story we can notice lots of short sentences. It is precise and clear statements, which make a big sense in the text. For instance, “I believed her” from that we can clearly see the author’s feelings, or “Nothing!” which implies the result of expectations.  The sentence “So I got up”, which is even made as a whole short paragraph, separates two parts of the story: the situation in the church and being with understanding what happened. The description of feeling miserable and shame (“I cried, in bed alone, and couldn’t stop”) in the last paragraph, finally, makes the narrative completely understandable and sad. The last sentence which carries the main idea of this incident has a huge sense in everybody’s life, when we think about Jesus. This sentence is a guide for the readers who didn’t understand the main purpose of this story from its beginning.