Farewell blog....

As I finish up this semester's classes and get in all those last minute study sessions, I look back on all the things I have accomplished this semester. Throughout the semester I constantly felt like I wasn't going to make it through. I felt like I was falling behind in every aspect of my life. I was reading these stories and would fall asleep just a few paragraphs in and would have to start all over. (I did this numerous times!) There were so many times I thought about just giving up. I'm not sure why this semester was so tough for me. I really enjoyed all three of my classes and really learned a lot because I enjoyed the content of all my classes. Maybe it was the harsh winter, or the fact that my son was now in school and had homework and sports and all sorts of other stuff. Or maybe it was the fact that I struggled so much financially this winter. I'm not really sure. But, I really learned a lot about myself this semester and what I can do if I set my mind to it. I have found that there really are some books out there that are enjoyable to read. I have found that even though I enjoy my psychology classes, I could never be a psychologist, social worker, counselor, or anything else that involves dealing with individuals who are psychologically disturbed in any way because I HAVE NO PATIENCE!! I have also learned that many of my friends and family members have psychological disorders that have not yet been diagnosed. But I think that the most important thing that I learned about myself is that I CAN DO IT. Even when I felt like there was no hope because I didn't have enough time to finish assignments or because I just didn't feel like doing them, I was still able to do it because I set my mind to it and got it done.

I have really learned so much from both Eng 222 and Eng 223. If you haven't taken Eng 222 I would highly recommend it. I hope you all have a very enjoyable and safe summer.

Modern day America

As I have said before, I am not a reader. However, after reading some of the selections for Eng 222 and 223 I have found that many stories, poems and books were inspired by slavery. Who would have thought that such cruel and horrible acts would be an inspiration for so many writers? While some feel that the "modern age" has ruined America, I think that there are a lot of minority groups, most of all African Americans, that feel differently. It's unfathomable to me that at one time, a person was treated like an animal simply because they had darker skin. What's even worse is that someone could actually be this cruel and sleep at night; not just one person, MANY people.

So that brings up my next question.... what has happened in the past that made society take a step back and look at the way they were treating people? I realize that there were several people throughout history that helped this shift in behavior, including Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King Jr, but there has been a seriously dramatic change in the way that society views people of different races. I, for one, am very glad that we no longer treat people the way that slaves were treated many years ago and reading stories about this makes me sick to my stomach. I can say that I am proud to be an American and hope that this country continues to move forward in the treatment of all human beings!

For Mature Eyes Only

After finding out that "The Great Gatsby" is banned from some high schools and cannot be used in their curriculum, it made me wonder if they had banned any other famous stories. For instance, is "A Streetcar Named Desire" banned? It has some adult content. Would a parent feel that the book was promoting domestic violence? Drinking? Gambling? Prostitution? Rape? Not only that, but Blanche was a compulsive liar. She lied so much she started to believe her lies were actually the truth. I guess I'm not quite sure how this story would be any different from The Great Gatsby. In fact, I feel that it might be a little more controversial. I think that society has gotten too dramatic and too eager to blame their child's problems on anyone but the child himself or the way that you have chosen to raise him. I think if we all just started taking a little more responsibility for our own actions and stopped blaming everything on what we see on tv, we might be in a little better shape. These are both great books and should both be allowed in our schools.

To read or not to read.... The Gatsby Controversy

As a mother, I would definitely allow my high school aged child read The Great Gatsby. Even though it has been banned from many high school libraries, I feel that it is a great read and shows a lot of different lifestyles from that era. I understand that there are some parents who would feel that the topics discussed in the book are to mature for some high school aged children but I feel that it is our responsibility to teach our children right from wrong and what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable. I don't feel that this book is any worse than the things that children, even small children, see on tv. In fact, I think that it is very "PG" compared to most things that are seen on national tv. I think that if a parent had an issue with the content of "The Great Gatsby" they should have the right to refuse to let their child read it and that the child should be given an alternate book to read. In most cases, however, I do not think that most parents would have any issues with their child reading "The Great Gatsby".