I really enjoyed reading this book, it was one of my favorite pieces of literature we read throughout this semester, allthough it was very disturbing. I think Dorothy Allison as a writer is very good. She is very descriptive and has the ability to allow the reader picture what they are reading in their minds. I think this quality is very important for a writer to possess. It allows for a distinct connection between both the author and reader.
I have never read anything before that was like this book, which made it difficult to read and believe. It's sad to say that as fiction as this book is, situations like this are still going on in the world today. We discussed today in class how books written by women authors about male violence are negatively critiqued. This I find to be very unfortunate because, as women writing these stories, women are the ones being victimized. I think it would be very odd for a male author to write about a situation similar to this.

When it comes to analyzing poetry I am not very good at it. I more just like to read it and enjoy and not have to pick it all apart and try to figure out all sorts of meanings to each line. The James Dickey poems were interesting, not my favorite, but they were good. I liked the poem "The Heaven of Animals" and it really is the first one that stands out to me when I think of all the poems. When we were discussing in class the themes that Dickey brings into his poems, I mentioned "eternal life after death." I feel that this poem portrays this theme because it talks about the animals in their heavenly place. When I think of Heaven, I think of eternity. I also thought it was interesting that Dickey is describing the "Heaven of Animals" because I know for myself, as a child and I guess even still to a point today, wonder where animals go when they die, do they go to Heaven? In Dickey's eyes they do, and they expereince all the same things as we would when we die and go to Heaven, Eternal life and a place of happiness.

Flannery O'Connor's Revelation piece was really interesting to me and I enjoyed it even more after the discussion questions we did today in class. I have found that by doing the discussion questions really helps and broadens my ideas and thinkings of many of the pieces we have read throughout the year.
Our discussion today made me think of my church service and the message that was spoken about this past Sunday. I could make a lot of comparisons, which was really neat. My Pastor spoke about change and how God doesn't care ab0ut your status in your community or your material possesions, but rather your heart and soul, and what you have done with the life He has given you. He also discussed how God doesn't seperate people of different race or color, but that everyone is equal because we are all sons and daighters of God.
O'Connor also touched upon this theme in her piece and I thought it was interesting to see how Mrs. Turpin's perpective of the "white-trash" people changed when she had her Revelation.

I enjoyed the presentations a lot today. I thought everyone did a great job. I had a comment about the group who showed the film Driving Miss Daisy. In the scene where Miss Daisy accuses the black man of stealing, she calls her son to come over and see for himself. But while he is there, Miss Daisy is complaining about how they just go into the cupboards and eat what they want (or something along those lines), while her son, who doesn't even live there anymore, is doing that exact thing! He's standing at the refrigerator stuffing his face while his mother, who doesn't even notice his actions, continues to blame blacks for stealing her food. I think this was a part where Miss Daisy portrays discrete predjudices, which was mentioned a lot in this groups presentations.

I found this really interesting article about Flannery O'Connor which talks about her being raised in the South by a very Catholic family. Her works reflect her highly religious character. In the pieces we have read, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and "The Displaced Person" the theme of religion was obviously present, however, it was slightly discrete.
Flannery O'Connor is definetly a different writer than many we have dealt with thus far. I can't decide how I would rate her. She is an interesting writer, but at some points seems to just lose me. Hopefully, after completing "Revelation" I will have a more established opinion of her.

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/flannery.htm

The film we are watching in class, A Streetcar Named Desire, is much different than what I had pictured in my own mind while reading the play.
I had pictured Blanche as looking much older and with dark hair, because of how she portrays herself in the written play. I think she doesn't look old at all. I actually thought Stella looked a lot older than Blanche in the film.
Stella was what I had pictured. Laid back and quiet.
I also didn't picture Stanley to look and act like he does in the film. He is very masculine (the tight shirts showing his muscles) and his deep voice make him a powerful and tough character.
We talked about these things in class today, but I just thought it was interesting to see how the director used and altered the written play to make the film work. I enjoy seeing these differences.
Also, I wanted to just say how it's funny, maybe I am not the only one, but when the characters say a certain line that has come directly out of the written play I say it in my mind and know exactly where the line is in the book. I just thought that was interesting.

Streetcar named Desire is really appealing to me. While reading this play, the characters, Stella and Blanche, made me think of the relationship I have with one of my sisters. My sister is most like Blanche, who needs constant attention and needs to be reminded of her appearance because she is noticing she is aging. She seems to be jealous of her younger sister Stella because she has a house, a husband, and a life outside of the plantation they grew up on. I really am enjoying this play and I am anxious to see how it is portrayed in the film version.