Evans, Sara M. "Feminist Studies - Journal Info." Journal Info. Feminist Studies, Inc, 2002. Web. 26 July 2010. . This article was my jumping off point for my essay on The Handmaid's Tale. It also gave me a glimpse into history and perhaps Atwood's feminist inspiration for writing such fiction. The article gives an unofficial time-line from 1960-1970 when the feminist movement burst into a broader arena. With its feminist flavor, the article provides a female philosophy on rape and what may be the male reasoning.
Warner, Judith. "The New York Times Log In." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 26 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 July 2010. .
Now this source truly gave me a more modern perspective of how feminism has slowly evolved. What I mean by slowly is that here in this article the author discusses the presidential campaign. Warner speaks about Clinton and the hurdles that she has overcome to become elected.

For the moment my favorite book happens to be, The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks, which is also my favorite author. I suppose one could say that they are candy for the romantic in all of us. When Sparks creates his characters he truly knows his way around the heartstrings of a woman. His creation of Noah Calhoun lends itself to be that of the poor boy next door, an all around gentlemen with the only misfortune of falling in love with a girl, Allie Nelson, whose family disapproves of their summer romance. They end that summer in a quarrel that was never resolved, until Allie, soon to marry a wealthy lawyer, returns to find what became of Noah. Apparently the smoldering flame between them never faded out, and in discovering that neither one of them were finished with the other, their love affair reignited. Allie is left with a dilemma of choosing a life with her future husband or one with a boy who has her heart.
Sparks writes this story through the eyes of Noah, who is now in a retirement home where he reads from a notebook, a story of his and Allie’s love affair. He visits with her daily to read to her, for she now no longer remembers who he is. Memory: “the ability to recall and remember; to be something remembered”, this word evokes emotions and/or nostalgia, although it is a function of the brain that unfortunately can be lost. (Webster) This is what Noah is hoping to be, “something remembered”, he longs for her to remember their love for each other once more. In a chapter titled Miracles, Noah says, “I begin to read the notebook aloud, so that she can hear it, in the hope that the miracle that has come to dominate my life will once again prevail.” (Sparks)
Of course this form of therapy has not yet been proven, what can be said is that memories can be sparked with music, a face, or event. I know first hand how memory loss can affect an entire family; my grandmother had a mild case of Alzheimer’s, which was difficult to observe a loved one slowly loose who they once were. Alzheimer’s Association lists key facts of how this disease has infected our society, although, it is not an infectious disease it is one that should gain resonance. Alzheimer’s affects 5.3 million people and is the seventh leading cause of death with a mortality rate on the rise. (Alzheimer's Association) I found it endearing that someone would make it their life’s mission to remind someone of their undying love for the other. Such values are lost in marriages/relationships today. Why else would this novel spend over a year on the best sellers list? (Willow Holdings, Inc.)
The Notebook is a love story should be a mold for the meaning of true love, with Noah as the rustic gentlemen and Allie as the privileged southern girl, it may seem how would one fit that mold. Anyone who values kinship will understand that the need to have a bond with one another is knowing that the other person is a witness to the other’s life. That is merely what Noah is trying to prove every time he reads to Allie, that he is her witness that holds her memory. How else will one remember if the memory is not stored or archived by either them or another?
I’ve often pondered whether memory loss can be prevented, as if there were some miracle drug that would rebuild the dying cells of the brain. As I mentioned before music can rekindle a lost knowledge whether good or bad, a psychology professor once told our class to avoid listening to music when misfortune occurs for that memory will flashback when it is heard again. Perhaps there will someday be a cure, but until then memory could be revived or strengthened through knowledge.
To forget is memory loss; to be forgotten is a careless tragedy. I hope with the memories I make today, my loved ones will carry them through to the moment in my life where they will have faded. I feel it is equally important that I create memorable life events with them too. Every time these words on the pages of The Notebook fill my mind, I imagine myself as Allie and how wonderful it must have felt to be loved by such a devoted man.
To be remembered, to be cherished is what most desire for themselves. They certainly don’t expect to loose their memory. When Allie wrote down the events of her and Noah’s love she hadn’t the slightest thought that it would be the one thing to keep Noah from loosing her once again. It is customary for celebrities or well-known people to have a biography, or write their own memoirs to record their existence. Perhaps, it should not be left for those of popularity to have a log of life events. More of us should view life as an adventure and take record of it daily if not archive it in a way to be preserved.
Alzheimer’s as Noah describes, “is a barren disease, as empty and lifeless as a desert. It is a thief of hearts and souls and memories”, I agree with this whole-heartedly. I also believe that true love knows no boundaries and may conquer any obstacle that comes its way. Memory is not only useful for the remembrance of love; many fields of study require a sturdy memory.
Works Cited
"What Is Alzheimer's." Alzheimer's Association | Home. Ed. Alzheimer's Association. 06 Apr. 2010. Web. 16 July 2010. .
Sparks, Nicholas. The Notebook. New York: Warner, 1996. Print.
Trident Reference Publishing. The New international Webster's standard dictionary. [Naples, Fla.]: Trident Reference Pub., 2006.
Willow Holdings, Inc. "The Books." Nicholas Sparks. 2002-2010. 17 July 2010 .

Topic Proposal for The Handmaid's Tale

In The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margret Atwood, is a story that I quite honestly am confused as the history to why this mysterious army has taken over. What has happened in the U.S. to allow this sort of behavior to occur? At first, it sounds as if a cult has begun because of a war, then it seems the time period is not clear, only when Offred recalls the past does one get a sense that it is of the future. Although this was written in the 1980’s, Atwood’s use of satire allows it to be viewed as a modern day occurrence. I want to learn more about how a known feminist writer would conjure up such a world where women are oppressed, why the use of satire to express it?
I plan on focusing my topic on a feminist route with emphasis on the use of satire and its appeal to a reader. This may prove to be difficult, therefore, I may lean more towards one over the other. I suppose I can say, I’m indecisive on how I perceive Atwood’s style of literature, in particular The Handmaid’s Tale. My hope is that I discover that she is a sarcastic feminist, is such a thing may exist. It seems to me she is poking fun, or mocking the story of Rachel and Jacob, the belief that one would die if they did not procreate and that another woman will bare Rachel children. Why have woman defined themselves on their ability to be barren? Is that why the women in the story are banned from owning their intelligence?
I am most intrigued by how a feminist is able write such a story with its vivid character Offred. I have also wondered if Atwood has modeled her personality with that of Moira’s. I hope to discover more about Atwood and what brought her to imagine such a tale. Was she inspired by any headlines of 1985, was it her surroundings that gave her a landscape? I suppose I can focus on the historical reference to Jacob and Rachel’s disillusion. I have found this topic proposal to be more of a journal, a reflection of my thoughts, and I see that feminism/satire were what gripped my enthusiasm, however, it is the reference of Jacob and Rachel that fascinate me the most.

**Image provided by google and video by youtube

This will be my second attempt at ENG102, I don't say it proudly, although, I am glad to have a second chance. This time around I am enjoying the reading, which has helped the writer's block. My main downfall is I've spread myself thin and find it difficult to meet deadlines. While reading both O'Brien and Huze, I have felt more patriotic than before. I plan to dive into The Handmaid's Tale with as much enthusiasm.

Review of "The Things They Carried"

The Things They Carried, On the Rainy River

On the Rainy River is a personal narrative of a man who receives a letter from the U.S. drafting department. He is a scholar with high marks and a promising future who becomes faced with a dilemma of moral obligation versus the call of duty. He is a self proclaimed Liberal. At the arrival of this letter he is out of school for the summer working at a slaughterhouse for swine. He comes from a loving family with good morals and values. He has a fondness of being American.
Time has passed in his response to the letter and he begins having thoughts that teeter between going to war and the consequences of running away from everything. His mind is consumed by his reasons as well as his senses of his summer job. Anxiety takes control when he flees the slaughterhouse to return home and pack, he packs leaving only a vague note for his parents. He drives toward the border of Canada and discovers an inn where an old man took him in, no questions asked. Here with each passing day he uncovers within him the courage to go to war, but finds he is a coward in running from it.
There is a sense of bravery when one enlists in our armed forces, but for those who had no other alternative it is a struggle of personal and public scrutiny. Many had to choose love of country over value of life in order to not be chastised by their fellow man. Most take the journey of self-discovery during their service, but for O'Brien he followed the path of self-doubt before uncovering his destiny. Little boys are brought up to believe they shouldn’t cry and even more so in those days. O’Brien even states, “I tried to swallow it back, I tried to smile, except I was crying. Now, perhaps, you can understand why I’ve never told this story before.” (O’Brien) Even as an adult now he believes a man shouldn’t cry. Even in the field of battle there is a phantom rule that emotions must be kept under control. Anger and frustration are accepted, but fear and doubt have no place on a battlefield. It is do or die, kill or be killed. O’Brien concludes, “I survived, but it’s not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to war.” (O’Brien) Here is a testimony of personal versus societal demands.

My Response to Hamill

The Necessity to Speak by Sam Hamill can release a person from the bonds that tie them, for “writing is a form of human communication expressing ideas regarding the human condition”. (Hamill) One may agree/disagree with his philosophy, but then he/she may still not be willing to come forth with their truth. For some the written word may be a foreign land for which they had no plans to venture. For others there may be a path they turned on that happened to have less of a wind, the fortunate thing with them is they can be easily enticed to scope out a new direction. “Knowledge is the loss of innocence”, the lack of worldly experience is often the price for knowledge. (Hamill)
Alicia Ostriker’s poem Daffodils touches on this sort of sacrifice of purity. A photographer is seen as someone who has an artful eye for beauty, splendor is found but in the most abstract way and looking for innocence “we can’t bear very much reality”. (Hamill) There are those who would rather turn a blind eye to the thought of cruelty than fight for their philosophies on life. Our conscience often bogs down communication; we are not willing to stand up for a cause for it may offend. Hamill says, “Before the first word is written, the writer is a witness who struggles not to flinch, not to look away.”
That statement also held true in Sharon Olds, Rite of Passage, the poem of a mother’s observation of a young son’s birthday. Her vision of these boys gathered to “celebrate her son’s life”, is one of tiny grown-up men. (Olds) These boys “seeing themselves tiny in the other’s pupils”, begins the ceremony in the transition of their progress of aging. Olds as the poet “invents a being, and that being is her child as a man, stands before her world naked and feeling”. (Hamill) Perhaps the mother is exposing her fear of losing her baby to a harsh world.
“We find poetry embarrassing”; perhaps for the reason of becoming belittled stating that one finds it fascinating or worse neurologically stimulating. (Hamill) In The Necessity to Speak, Hamill discusses various avenues of when/how a person may not want to be touched. Many might say that words are not capable of physical touch, but emotionally they tap into the senses. “Touch is a primary language in the discourse of emotions”, said Hamill for “we think poetry is about emotions, poetry in not about”. (Hamill) Poetry comes from a deeper part of one’s soul, a place that many not visit enough.