Sissy

We have yet to study a text similar to Sissy written by George Kellogg (who is actually a female herself.) In this story, the idea and the separation of gender roles are completely broken. Sissy enjoyed doing girly things like sweeping, knitting, and these things make him happy.

When we think of Sissy living in the 21^st century, we view little William as a very strange character. In the story, both girls and boys accepted him. If he grew up going to my high school, he would be made fun of and more than likely beat up by all the guys.

Why he is accepted? I don’t really know the clear answer but have a few suggestions. Is it because the boys used him for doing things they were not taught to do? Such as bake, sew, and knit? Or was it because they were children and didn’t really know better at the time? The answer only Kellogg knows. Whatever it may be, Kellogg created this text for a reason and showed Sissy as of value to both boys and girls. No one bothered him about the way he dressed or the activities he did, they accepted him regardless of these decisions.

Another thing that came to mind when reading this text was the fact that it was in the time period of the women’s rights movement. Was Kellogg trying to show the people of the 19^th century that women can do a mans job and that a man should be able to do the things that women were automatically supposed to do (e.g. sweep, clean, knit, cook).

Gilman and Chopin

As we have moved on to study literature of the early 20^th century where we see more short stories rather than long, we are almost forced to change our reading habits and take a closer look at the text. I really did not realize the need to read more carefully until we discussed The Yellow Wallpaper in class on Tuesday.

When we talked about the idea that the main character may possibly be dead throughout the whole story, I had not noticed this and realized the need to more carefully read and interpret this style of writing. On the very first page of the text we see a number of hints to the fact that she might be dead through out the story. For example, she says “John is a physician, and perhaps – (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind) – perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster.” I failed to recognize that the author might be hinting at the fact that she has passed before the story has even begun.

As we talked about a deeper meaning of The Yellow Wallpaper, we discussed how Gilman is actually writing a “double commentary” on the problems involved in marriage and medical issues. I would not have recognized this without it being pointed out to me or taking a deeper look on the text.

The same is true for the text, Desiree’s Baby. Because the text is so short we must carefully read each and every word and take a deeper meaning into mind. We have to think outside of the box. If I were to skim the text, I would never think to say that it is a story of irony. Because this story is so short and I was aware of the fact that these short stories are full of hidden meaning, it was easier for me to think outside the box and try and figure out what the author is really trying to tell us as readers. Chopin has changed the idea that children are the future to using babies as bad plot devices.

Little Lord Fauntleroy

As I was reading Little Lord Fauntleroy, I was amazed how different Burnett described and explained childhood of a young boy. We haven’t seen anything like it; In fact, Ragged Dick was the opposite of Cedric.

Like many others, I automatically assumed Frances Burnett was a male. Because symbolizes the Revolutionary War and the relationship between Americans and the British in such depth lead me to automatically assume that she was a male.

It makes much sense now that we discovered that Burnett is actually a female. Cedric is acting as a female substitute. If Ragged Dick or Tom Sawyer were to be put into the elegant velvet suit with a frilly-laced collar like Cedric, they wouldn’t know what to.

I feel as though Burnett was trying to write about the perfect boy and how males should act in general. Through Cedric, Burnett is trying to teach boys in America to live with love and loyalty. She is teaching young boys how to treat their mothers and females in general just as Cedric does in the text. We see a good example in chapter two when Cedric sees that his mother is upset. Burnett wrote, “Then suddenly his loving little heart told him that he'd better put both his arms around her neck and kiss her again and again, and keep his soft cheek close to hers; and he did so, and she laid her face on his shoulder and cried bitterly, holding him as if she could never let him go again.”

Another thing that is amusing to me is the fact that Little Lord Fauntleroy swept the nation. Other texts we have studied about the childhood of a young boy have been so different; I feel like Cedric would almost offend boys through the way he dresses and the way he acts. Dick and Tom Sawyer act so masculine and all of a sudden Burnett publishes this text about such a feminine young boy. I really enjoyed this text and reading about the sweet Cedric but I think this is only because I am a girl. I think it is safe to say that females would enjoy having more boys like Cedric around!

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

In Chapter two, we read about Tom and Ben Roger’s whitewashing incident.

“Oh come, now, you don’t mean to let on that you like it?” The brush continued to move.
“Like it? Well I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a touch here and there—criticized the effect again—Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said:
“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”

This episode of whitewashing gives us a preview of Tom’s ingenious character. Tom is able to stay ahead of his acquaintances because is gets them to act in a certain way with his clever communication skills; Tom is a trickster. Throughout the literature we have read so far, we have not really come across someone like Tom. Ragged Dick resembled Tom in some ways but Gerty, Ellen, Sybil, and all the other girls we have read about acted in the same manner as Tom or Ragged Dick.

The end of the scene ends with Twain saying, “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.”

I think we can all relate to this quote as well. I think Twain is also telling people that people desire things just because they are forbidden or risky.

I have really enjoyed the change from the childhoods of boys and girls in the 19^th century. They are depicted very differently and seeing the differences in the two assumptions about girls in boys is pretty entertaining.

Ragged Dick

Through the didactic 19^th century literature we have read so far, boys and girls play very different roles. When we think about Gerty, Ellen, and Sybil, we think about very emotional girls being taught what to do, how to dress, and how to act. In Ragged Dick, the first time we see didactic literature for little boys, we see quite opposite roles. Dick is ragged, he is careless, and he is just living life to the fullest. If Ellen had to spend a night in Dick’s shoes she would probably have a heart attack.

When we look at the previous stories we have read about girls in society, we can recall how much religion was stressed and the importance of a roll model/parent growing up. Dick has heard of The Bible, but he has not read it yet. Dick is trying to trust in himself to live day by day by making just enough money to eat and a little extra to gamble, smoke, or go to a show. When Frank asked Dick if he ever read The Bible, Dick replied, “No, I’ve heard it’s a good look, but I never read one. I aint much on reading. It makes my head ache.”

I also realized that Alger is trying to enforce the rags to riches story. Alger is describing the “American Dream” through Dick. Ragged Dick was written in the mid 19^th century, a time where the middle class was the minority and there was a large separation between the upper and lower classes in society. Through Dick, Alger shows that through honesty, hard work, and ambition, one may achieve the “American Dream,” especially in the city of opportunity along with the luck Dick ran into.

A Whisper in the Dark

For the first half of the assigned reading, I found the story of Sybil and the relationship with her uncle and Guy very unusual. I didn’t know what to expect that could possibly explain relationships. After Guy, Sybil, and Sybil’s Uncle had dinner together, Sybil said to herself “The world seemed all in tune now, and when I went to the drawing room I was moved to play my most stirring marches, sing my blithest songs, hoping to bring one at least of the gentlemen to join me.” We are not really used to hearing about this kind of relationship between cousins or between an uncle and a niece so when Sybil said, “For I wanted to try my power over them both, to see if I could restore the gentler mood of my uncle’s, and assure myself that Guy cared.” I was caught off guard and it made me realize that something must be wrong with Sybil’s perceptions. Because this story is narrated through Sybil’s eyes, we didn’t know every detail.

As we read on to the second half of the story, we find Sybil in an insane asylum. Sybil is gong crazy in this “prison house.” She says things like, “I paced my room in utter darkness—for I was allowed no lamp—night after night I wept bitter tears wrung from me by anguish.” Sybil even says to herself, “I felt that my health was going, my mind growing confused and weak; my thoughts wandered vaguely, memory began to fail, and idiocy or madness seemed my inevitable fate.”

The story keeps getting more unusual and coincidental when Sybil receives letters from the woman that was in the room above her. Sybil comes to find out that it is her mother. Sybil’s mom wrote “I implore you to leave this house before it is too late.” This situation relates back to the reoccurring theme of the relationships we have seen in previous readings such as “The Wide, Wide World” with Ellen and her mother and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” with Eliza and her son. These readings all emphasize the importance of mother child relationships and they all make it a point to keep their children safe and do what is best for them.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Capitola and Gerty both had an awful childhood and an extremely tough time trying to survive. Their stories showed us the good side to American society. There were good and loving strangers that picked these poor kids up and literally saved their lives. In contrast to every text that we have studied and read so far, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is showing us the negative side to American society. It is going against the reoccurring theme of “good” and “hope” by showing us how dark this time period of slavery was.

Although this was a horrible time in American history, there were a few occurrences where “good” people came about and I felt a sense of hope. Eliza had no other option but to run with her boy. Though her master was good to her and she had a great place to be, her master was in debt and was forced to sell Eliza’s only baby boy still alive. Eliza and her boy miraculously made it across the icy river and I felt a sense of hope as she showed up at Mr. and Mrs. Bird’s home. We saw the common theme of good here when Mrs. Bird told Eliza, “Nobody shall hurt you here, poor woman, you are safe; don’t be afraid.”

John Van Trompe is another example of the reoccurring theme of “good.” He spent all of his money so that he could build a secret place in the woods for his slaves. As George came to see Tom right before he was sent away, he said to the trader, “I should think you’d be ashamed to spend all your life buying men and women, and chaining them like cattle! I should think you’d feel mean!”

Again, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is different from anything that we have read so far because it goes against the idea that our society is good. On the other hand, it does show a few different scenarios where hope is present with some “good” people who were trying to put an end to slavery.

The Hidden Hand

In every novel that we have read and discussed so far, there has been a stranger that has been a large influence on the children and how they were brought up. In “The Wide, Wide World” we see Mrs. Fortune with Ellen. In “The Lamplighter” we see Trueman Flint literally save Gerty’s life from Nan Grant and ultimately dying. And finally, in “The Hidden Hand”, we see Major Warfield or “Old Hurricane” bring Capitola to his home and we also see Mrs. Rocke be a mother to Herbert Grayson.

I think a large part of children’s literature in the 19^th century was to show children that there can be rough times in life but it is not the end of the world. Capitola’s parents died and she was sleeping on the streets eating one muffin a day trying to survive. She got so desperate that one morning she had to wake up and dress as a boy in order to get a job that paid a quarter a day. After Old Hurricane heard the story of Capitola’s life from the old nurse, Capitola went to New York to find Capitola. As he got there, he coincidentally ran into Cap and saved her from going to a Juvenile Delinquent facility.

Herbert Grayson is another example of someone that was cared for by someone other than his blood related mother or father. A poor widow, Mrs. Rocke, brought him up and her son, Traverse. Herbert’s mother passed away when he was young and Mrs. Rocke took care of him for ten years until he grew old enough to realize the situation and became embarrassed and ran away.

Throughout many of these books from the 19^th century, we see the reoccurring theme of darkness in a child’s life followed by a stranger saving a child and showing them that life can be good and happy. I can not imagine living in the shoes of Capitola, Herbert, or Gerty. Reading the beginning of all of these novels were extremely depressing and finally they all find light from a stranger that loves and cares for them!

"The Lamplighter"

Girls have always been told what is right and what is wrong from the day one and through out the rest of their lives. There has been a slight change from the 19^th century and today regarding how a girl should be and act.

In the 19^th century and particularly in “The Lamplighter”, girls were told to act a certain way in order to be loved and accepted. In the video that I just watched, Anna said, “You want people to like you for who you are.” Instead of being you, in the 19^th century girls were told to act a certain way in order to be liked. Today, I feel that girls try to be different and stand out with our own attitudes and our own styles. In the nineteenth century, girls were told to act a certain way and be good in order to be accepted. In “The Lamplighter” and in “The Wide, Wide World” girls were taught to make toast and tea and be neat and clean and today I feel that the idea is to be yourself.

Gerty had a much different childhood than any of us have experienced so Gerty’s appearance on Amy Pholer’s TV show would have been quite different. If Amy were to ask Gerty what she would say to someone who says they can’t do something, Gerty probably would have said there is nothing really that can be done. Throughout the story, we commonly find Gerty saying “I can’t” and “I’m an ugly witch” etc…

When Amy asked Anna “What advice would you give girls?” Anna replied by saying, “Just be yourself.”

If Gerty were to be asked the same question, the response would be a little different. Gerty was herself when she was growing up around Nan Grant and was constantly scolded. During this time Gerty tried to be so quite and discrete that she was almost unnoticed. When True took Gerty into his home things changed and Gerty was able to be herself and be accepted.

When Gerty found Emily in the church, Gerty said “But I ain’t good, I’m real bad!” Emily replied by saying, “But you can be good, and then everybody will love you.” These quotes show that being accepted as a young girl in the 19^th century is more about being good.

"The Wide, Wide World"

Reading “The Wide, Wide World” really took me back to my childhood and reminded me of how thankful I am of my wonderful parents and the relationship that I have with them. Parents play a huge part in a child’s life. I remember the days I went to summer camp for two weeks and how home sick I would get the first couple of nights because I missed my parents so much. The role of “a parent” is extremely important. The way parents decide to raise a child influences the rest of a child’s life. As we discussed last week, children are very vulnerable and don’t really understand the world as an adult does; it is “a parents” responsibility to guide a child through life.

As the text points out the different roles of a mother and father, the same was true for my childhood, but quite different. Ellen’s mother was the dearest thing to her life; her mother was someone she loved more than anyone or anything. There was nothing in the world that could replace her mother and the relationship she had. Ellen’s father was not around so much. Ellen loved her father but not like she loved her mother. In the 19^th century, I feel the role of a father was to work and bring home income for the family whereas a mother is to stay home, raise the children, and keep the house in order.

Ellen perceives her mother as the most delicate and loving thing on earth. Ellen would do anything for her mother. Ellen learns from her mother, and wants to be just like her mother. It is Ellen’s duty to make her mother tea and toast everyday and to show Mrs. Montegomery just how much she cares for her; she makes it as perfectly as possible. Captain Montegomery was someone Ellen loved but didn’t have the same kind of relationship with. I believe Ellen perceived the Captain as someone who was intelligent and as someone who was to provide for the family.

"The Child's Part in the Making of American Culture"

One thing that really caught my eye in “The Child’s Part in the Making of American Culture” was the poem at the very end called “To a Picture of My Mother” by the ten-year-old Harriet Appleton. I can relate to this poem because I know that sometimes I wish I could go back to being an infant because they have no worries. They just eat, sleep, and get all the attention in the world. When I first read the poem, I thought that Harriet was referring to herself. As I continued to read on, I find that she is actually talking about a baby infant that is in her mothers lap. Harriet is at envy for the lost position of the “darling little child”. She also mentions that she wishes to “protect and hint that tears, frowns, and cares of growing up are unavoidable.” I think everyone can relate to this poem because some days we have so much on our minds and can become so stressed out that we think about the simple life of an infant, having no worries at all. An infant has so much to learn and can be filled with any ideas. The story mentions children as being “hallow” and how they are vulnerable to be filled with anything that they come across. Children are not even considered “human beings” because they have so much to learn. Because of this, parents sometimes tend to live their lives through their children’s lives.

Introduction

My name is Courtney Bonner and I am from San Antonio, Texas. I am currently a junior in the Neeley School of Business here at TCU and my major is finance with a minor in accounting. I have two brothers, one older than me who has recently graduated from TCU, and the other younger who is a sophomore in high school. I love the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Cowboys, and TCU's football team. I have always been a big fan of sports and I love keeping up with my favorite teams!

The minute my older brother decided to come to TCU I became highly interested in coming here as well. The first time I visited, I fell in love with the people, the school, and the Fort Worth community. I can't really complain about any teachers I have had thus far. A good teacher is one who is personable, interesting, fun, and different. I have enjoyed most all of my classmates as well. I believe a good student is someone who is friendly, encouraging, and willing to get to know others.

I am looking forward to getting to know everyone through this course, in the classroom and through blogging. This is my first time to create a personal blog so I'm excited to see what it brings me! I am also eager to learn more about Major American Writers and read the various stories from these writers. I am enrolled in this class to get my last core credit out of the way but I picked this of all other literature courses because it appealed to me the most. The course description sounded very interesting and I could use a bit more knowledge on major American Writers. I am looking forward to becoming more familiar with writers such as Twain, Alcott, and Cummins.

Other than books and reading assignments from different classes, I also enjoy reading during my leisure time. I am currently reading "The Shack" bye Paul Young and encourage anyone and everyone to read it; it has been a great read so far! Along with most other girls, I also loved all of the "Twilight" books.

In school, I practice mainly business writing simply because of my major and minor. I write a ton of e-mails everyday and send hundreds of text messages every week. My business writing is more formal but it is also short and to the point where as my e-mailing and text messaging is very informal, fun, and abbreviated. Writing has never been my strongest asset but it is definitely something that I have been working on to improve.

My blog is intended to be very relaxed, fun, and free for anyone to comment on! I chose the colors, fonts, and patterns intending to allow others to feel comfortable to read my blogs and comment about anything! I intend to share my feelings about the readings with all my classmates and I am excited to hear everyone else's thoughts as well. This class will be different then the four other courses I am currently enrolled in and I am excited about the relaxed atmosphere and for participating in class discussions. I hope everybody can learn a little something from me and I can't wait to learn from Mrs. Irvin and my classmates!

I have read, understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus.