"How to Write About Africa"

"How to Write About Africa" was a hilarious article. The authors sarcastic sense of humor made the subject much lighter, while still being able to convey his message. The idea he brings forward, that Africa is always portrayed as in need and suffering, is one I have thought about a lot. In 2012, when the KONY video went viral, a man spoke at Model UN on the African response to this video. I had seen the 30 minute KONY video and had found it inspiring and a great cause, but after learning about how the African people felt about it, I had to think again. Many people responded saying they didn't need the help and the problems caused by Josef Kony were greatly exaggerated in the video. I have never been to Africa so I don't know the truth about the video, but it was hard not to trust the words of the African people. I think as American people, we always see African in a sad and struggling light, like the author sarcastically suggested that when writing about Africa we must overlook all the natural beauty and the beauty of all the different cultures represented in one nation. The author is able to point out different flaws in literature about Africa by telling the reader what to and what not to do. Basically, everything he says not to do is pointing out what they should do and vice versa. One line that stood out to me a lot was, "animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters." I've never realized how true this is. While watching apocalypse now, I think I was the saddest when they brought the puppy into the scene. Even though its Vietnam and not Africa, it's still a similar concept. It also reminded me of the Lion King and how the animals in it are so heroic and brave, but I have never seen a movie about actual African people where this is the case.

Chapter 9 Sound and Sense (paired poems)

"My Number" and "I had heard it's a fight" are two poems that deal with the topic of death in different manners. Billy Collins' poem, "My Number" personifies death as human like. He goes through different actions that a human would do like, "breathing," "reaching," "scattering," etc. His relationship with death seems much more casual; the speaker knows that death will come, its human, but he doesnt really want it to come. The speaker in Collins' poem can be seen as cowardly. Rather than confronting death and fighting it, he hopes that death is too busy with other people to notice him. Instead of using his last bit of energy to fight off death, he hopes to "[talk his] way out of this." The speaker also seems distracted by death. He writes all about the things death has done, like "scattering cancer cells," instead of writing a poem about his life. While the speaker spends a lot of his time thinking about what death is like he is distracted from his own life.  In Edwin Denby's poem, "I had heard it's a fight" the speakers relationship with death is much more strained. He seems to be less familiar with the idea, but ready to fight it. Denby seems to have learned a lesson that Collins hasnt yet, and that is not to pay too much attention to death. Denby describes an incident where he let death come a little too close, but like a schoolboy drinking for the first time, quickly put it to an end. He uses the words "crazy" and "quick" to show how important it is to lead a meaningful life in his last two lines. Unlike Collins, he doesnt see death as devious, but something that will just happen. While Denby seems to be less scared of death, I thought that Collins poem was enjoyable also. Collins is able to make it kind of comical, despite his clearly negative view.

Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness

I watched Apocalypse Now before reading the last part of Heart of Darkness and I was able to some similarities and some differences. The most notable difference was that the first hour and a half of the movie was pure violence. It became hard to pay attention because of all the blood and gore. Also, another small difference was the way Kurtz looked. In the movie, while its clear he isnt sane, he doesnt seem unhealthy or sick. Maybe I was missing something, but in the book they seem to describe him as sickly and kind of scrawny. The first scene where we really meet Kurtz he's being carried out on a stretcher and I didn't see that side of him in the film. One scene that matched up perfectly was the skulls that Kurtz placed to intimidate people, which was seen in both the movie and book. Another difference is that the relationship between Kurtz and Marlow or captain willard in the movie is much more indirect and quiet. Right away in the book, Marlow threatens Kurtz, but in the movie I did not see this. The way the Kurtz's territory is in the movie was very similar to the description in the book. Another difference is that Captain Willard's mission is to kill Kurtz, while Marlow just has to find him. This expands the story in the book because Kurtz and Marlow develop a different bond on the steamer back home and Kurtz actually trusts Marlow with some papers. I thought it was really interesting how they kept small details from Heart of Darkness, like Kurtz saying, "the horror." While first watching the movie, it was hard to see how to two lined up because the beginning plots seem very different. In the movie, Willard is pretty much presented to us as crazy as the beginning, but I never got that from Marlow in the book. However, the biggest similarties are seen within the themes of the two, like imperialism.

"My Son the Man" Chapter 8 Sound and Sense

The poem "My Son the Man" by Sharon Olds tells the story of a mother realizing her son is becoming a man. The poem starts with the speaker reliving her sons childhood. She begins to feel nostalgic as she remembers how she would, "zip him up and toss him up and catch his weight" (6-7). Throughout the poem, the speaker refers to Houdini's great escape. She sees the way her son begins to grow as the way Houdini would expand his body when trying to get himself out of the chains. She talks about a fear of men however, I was unable to decide what she meant by this. I can't understand where her fear of men would come from? Later on she gives an almost violent description of child birth and how it was "not what [she] had in mind when he pressed up through me like a/sealed trunk through the ice of the hudson" (9-11). By using the Houdini allusion, she compares growing up to a dangerous and voluntary act, and also an admirable one. She sees her son growing up as a learning experience because she says, “he looks at me the way Houdini studied a box to learn the way out” (14-15). While this mother is sad about her son growing up, I don’t think she feels any anger.  At the end of the poem it seems that some of her son’s feelings are revealed. She writes that he, “smiled and let himself be manacled” this shows that while her son may be ready to grow up, he will let himself stay with his mother for a little while longer. The smirk may seems michevious, but I think its just that he knows he’s doing something for his mother. 

The Secret Sharer

 At the beginning of the story, the captain was a very weak man and was able to find confidence and authority in his “double.” The biggest way in which the narrator changes is in his ability to command the ship more firmly.  Although this had become somewhat noticeable in part 1 (when the captain gives his first order), it becomes much more apparent. The captain orders the men of the boat to land extremely close to shore so that Lagatt is able to swim back. This is a very risky move by the captain and could be putting the ship in danger. Before, he could hardly give a typical order. Now, he is going above the authority of a normal captain by asking them to risk the safety of the ship. Also, the captain gains some confidence in the second part. While showing other men around, he shows off all of his rooms and acts very highly. He does this to show that no one is there and that he isn’t hiding anyone. He also plays games with some of the men on his ship and people from another ship. Previously, it seemed that the captain was lacking in social skills and any sort of relationship with his men. Although that relationship still does not really exist, he still steps out of his comfort zone with them more than he ever had. Lastly (I am somewhat unsure if this is significant or not), I found it strange that the captain was willing to let his double go. I thought his attachment was too great for him to create a plan to allow Legatt to leave. His obsession may have died down a little towards the end; although I am not sure I interpreted this correctly.