Julie Borrego
English 48A
Journal for
Washington Irving

"At the foot of these fairy mountains, the voyager may have descried the light smoke curling up from a village, whose shingle roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into fresh green of the nearer landscape."(p.954)
"Irving is much over-rated" (Edgar Allan Poe)

Irving in the quote above from "Rip Van Winkle", is describing the the quaint Dutch village where the story takes place.

















My Ideas:

As I read “Rip Van Winkle” as a child, I was not impressed with it. I did not identify with an old man who fell asleep for twenty years; in fact the old man was creepy to me. The imagery was not appealing to me at the time either. But as I read it again this time I appreciate so much more. First I read it as just a fairy story with great imagery. At this level I loved the idea of the old quaint Dutch village where everyone knows everyone and the beautiful mountains that they lived near. The idea of just sleeping away the hard times is appealing and waking up and life resumes business as usual. Rip Van Winkle reminds me of people who see life through rose-colored glasses. I admire these people who can go through life with out a care in the world, nothing gets them down and life just passes over them. The ghosts in the forest were creepy and intriguing. Then I read it again looking for the political imagery and discovering that this story is so much more than just a fairy story. Irving wrote a clever Allegory regarding American politics during the early 1800’s. I did not like that the only time that the American Indians were mentioned in the story they were portrayed as kidnappers, but Irving added this in his story definitely to prove that he was a loyal American. I feel the next time I read this story again it will have a different impact on me and I will take away something completely different than before.

Julie Borrego
English 48A
Journal for Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A man must consider what a blindman's bluff is this game of conformity" (Norton 1167)

"Emerson has special talents unequalled. The divine in man has had no more easy, methodically distinct expression. His personal influence upon young persons greater than any man's. In his world every man would be a poet, Love would reign, Beauty would take place, Man and Nature would harmonize."(Henry David Thoreau, Journal, Undated 1845-47. )

Summary:
Emerson is speaking of following blindly to a religion that is rooted in old traditions.

My Ideas:
While I read Emerson's biography regarding his sudden change in faith. How because of the loss of his wife made him rethink and question the church altogether. I understand that notion completely. As a young adult I had always questions religion. I was not raised in a religious family, but I was baptized Catholic. When my Grandmother died unexpectedly, whom I was closer to than my own mother I started searching for answers, so I thought I would find them in religion. I researched all types of religions with no real concrete explanations. They said that if I was a good Christian I would be able to see my Grandmother in the end. But I wanted proof, I wanted a something a sign because if I’m going to church on Sunday and dealing with the hypocrisy of the church, by god I wanted truth that I was going to see my Grandmother again.
But my life changed the day my brother Died of AIDS. Watching my brother who no longer looked like himself, take his last breath was one of the most life altering experiences of my life. I asked myself that day how could this happen, why did he suffer so much, where was God now. Now I was on the fence I started even questioning if there was a god altogether instead of just questioning religion. Then most recently, my Husband I have experience something in the last month that has sealed the deal for me. I have asked myself, why have Jehovah, Heavenly Father, and God etc, allowed this to happen. Reading “Self-Reliance” is appropriate for the time in my life now. What I took away from Emerson was that he was spiritual, just not religious and I relate to that theology so much more than having the obligation of going to church every Sunday and feeling like you’re a bad Christian if you miss a day. That putting your faith in something that will let you down is a waste of time. Trust yourself and your own Ideas as the truth. Do not allow an institution to dictate if your thought and ideas are correct.

Julie Borrego
English 48A
Journal for Frederick Douglass

" I have seen Colonel Lloyd make old Barney, a man between fifty and sixty years of age, uncover his bald head, knee down upon the cold damp ground, and receive upon his naked and toile-worn shoulders more than thirty lashes at the time."(Douglass, Norton pg. 2079).

"America is false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future. " (Douglass, Brainyquote.com)

Summary:
Douglass is writing about two slaves, Barney and his son who took care of Colonel Lloyd's horses. How depending on his mood would find fault in the care of his animals, just so he could beat the father and son.

My Ideas:

Because Douglass wrote with a very honest tone, it was hard at times to finish "Narrative of the Life". I was moved to tears when he spoke of the poor slave girl who was asked to watch her masters child and because she was so tired did not wake when the baby did, provoking the Mother of the child to pick up a oak stick and beat the young girl, breaking the the girls breast bone and nose. The young girl died slowly and most likely in excruciating pain.
It is very eye opening as well as to how cruel the Wives of the slave owners were and at time more cruel as Douglass put it.

As for the the beating of Barney, I again was moved to tears again, all I could think about was my own father being beat and having to watch that on a daily bases, or having to watch your own child be beat, and you can not any do any thing but stand by and watch.

I wanted to put the book down many times, but I knew that I needed to read his story. Just like going to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. . You know its going to be the most depressing thing you see, but as a human being sharing this earth with other people, you need to see it.

However depressing his story it is an inspirational story as well and humbling. He was a brave soul who was determined to learn how to read and write(reminds me of Lincoln) and against all odds did learn, not only learned but wrote books and became a activist and public speaker. I was also humbled learning about the their conditions how the children only received one item of clothing and it was to last them the whole year. Because of this many of them had to be naked in the winter or summer. Douglass aslo points out they these were not just infants who had to go naked but children from ages 8-12, this was another form of demoralization by the slave owners.

Reading about other people stories(Or listening to my fathers about being a Migrant Farm Work and how poor he was before they moved to the Bay Area and received an education) always reminds me to be thankful for what I have. What a gift I have been given to be able to go to school and learn, vote etc. I have a warm house over my head with food in my stomach.

Julie Borrego
English 48A
Journal for Poe

"A cadaverousness of complexion; an eye large, liquid and luminous beyon comparison; lips somewhat thin and very pallid,..." "Poe, The Fall of The House of Usher"

“All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry" (Poe)







Summary:

The quote taken from Poe's, The Fall of the House of Usher, has such incredible imagery that it lures you in further into his story. Even though you find you are frightened or even wanting to put the book down, you find yourself wanting to find out why this man is so sickly looking.

My Ideas:

This story is so well written that it does not linger on the edge of campy in anyway, however it is very romanticized with a lot of over the top imagery and a hint of melodrama. However the complexity of the writing makes this a very sophisticated story, with the analogy between Ushers character, his house and society burdens or sins make this story very sophisticated.

I love Poe, the ability to me to make something beautiful out something that is considered taboo is amazing. I I think that is why I am drawn to Poe and other "Gothic" genres such as music and movies. Understandable Poe brought a lot of his own problems on himself with the drinking and opium use, but he was a tortured soul through out his life only finding relief in death.

Julie Borrego
English 48A
Journal for Hawthorne

"Such were the terrors of the black, veil, even when death had bared his visage!" (Hawthorne, "The Minister's Black Veil)


“Our most intimate friend is not he to whom we
show the worst, but the best of our nature.” (Hawthorne)

Summary:

Only in death a person truly understands why the Minister wears his Black Veil, but knowledge does not make the fear subside in fact in intensifies it.

My Ideas:


What I take away from this unexplained and dark story is that the Minister wore his Black veil to make a point that we all wear veils daily. We hide our inner darkest thoughts and sins from others and ourselves. The irony is that the Minister by wearing his veil; he was being the most honest to himself and others revealing actually who he was. By doing this it feared those who should have loved him unconditionally leaving him alone. His veil made people fear looking at him because they saw who they truly were with their phony persona stripped away, all they were left with is their inner most thoughts and sins. Evan though he was a minister and his veil was to be a type of religious symbol, I do not feel that the message was religious. I feel that he refused to remove his veil because he insited on being honest about who he truely was to himself, first and others second.