Annotation- Quilt

Quilt is defined in the Oxford English dictionary as a warm bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric and kept in place by lines of stitching, typically applied in a decorative design. In the short story, “Everyday Use”, the argument between Dee and her family over the family’s quilt arises as the stories climax becomes more effective in the story. Quilting has decreased on the level of difficulty in the past years. When this story took place quilting was still being done by hand. When making a quilt you usually have a quilt pattern, to follow this quilt pattern correctly you must have a quarter inch seam. Having sewing machines today, we take it for granted on how easy it is to make a perfect quilt. Growing up in a southern home, I have seen quilts made and past down in the family. Being someone that sews and knows how much it takes to make a quilt. The story connects a great deal to my life, there is a quilt in my family that has been pasted down many generations and for my generation it has been pasted to me. This quilt has so much history, my great-great-grandmother made this quilt by hand. I can easily put myself in Maggie’s shoes being someone that really knows how much meaning something such as a quilt is really worth. The Johnson family’s quilt showed so much passion for their heritage and the worth of their family. These quilts most like made from scratch meaning that the maker made their own pattern and we know from the story that the fabric was from t-shirt material. Dee’s lack of knowledge or careless attitude makes her blind to the worth of each quilt. I remember a quote my sewing teacher once said, “A quilt is a treasure which follows its owner everywhere.” In the Johnson Family’s case, the quilts are a treasure that have followed their family and have made it through the hard times they have had to face. Quilting and quilts are a great source of our countries history and heritage. Something I find very interesting about the patterns of quilts is if you ever have been through the mountains of North Carolina, you will find that almost every barn has a quilting pattern on it to represent their family and its heritage. Quilting is such a greater artifact of history then most realize. As we discussed in class there is meaning to every type of pattern. Next time, you see a quilt, take a closer look at it and you will see the work or history of that quilt.  

http://www.aprairiehomequilts.com/quilting-resources/quilting-quotes.html

http://oxforddictionaries.com/search?searchType=dictionary&isWritersAndEditors=true&searchUri=All&q=Quilt&_searchBtn=Search&contentVersion=US

http://quilting.about.com/od/stepbystepquilting/a/make_a_quilt.htm

Proverbs 31 – Reflective Posts – The Woman

One of the readings assigned in class this week was Proverbs thirty-one from the Bible. When I read this chapter, I read the translation from “The Message” version, this translation breaks down scriptures in a normal conversation of the twenty-first century. This particular chapter was about how the woman is to be the wife, the mother, and how she should be treated by her husband. This chapter brings me back to how my grandmothers viewed the duties of a wife and how they are no longer similar to the twenty-first century’s typical wife. The verse that enlightens me the most is verse fifteen, it says, “She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day.”  The woman in the early twentieth century believed very highly in how the woman of the household is described in this verse. I remember growing up hearing stories of how my grandmothers’ occupations were to run their households and care for their children daily. The word woman is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “An adult female human being; the counterpart of man.” Today, the woman is presented as someone that cares for her family by supporting the household by working outside the home and running the household on busy schedule. Verse 18, “She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day”. Relates to the women of the twenty-first century by showing how much they feel that work is important. Growing up in a household with a mother that played the role as a mother, wife, and the woman of the twenty-first century; I feel as if the women of this time work harder than the women in the early twentieth century. I saw that stress she went through juggling three kid’s schedules, work and being a great wife to her husband. The woman is such a value to a family and a man. The last verses are such an inspiration for how a woman should be treated by her children and husband. "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! In Raisin in the Sun, I believe Walter really lived by these verses. He valued the opinion of his mother and wife in act three more than he ever did before. All he wanted to do is give his family the life they wanted. In verse ten through eleven, I believe describes Walter’s view of the women of his household. Verse 10 through 11 states, “A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+31&version=MSG

http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/229884?rskey=N1B9ch&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid

Creative Post- Comparison Between School Today and School in the 50s

The two photographs above are the comparison and contrast between what school was like in the fifties and school in two-thousand and twelve. The first photograph was taken during the "The Little Rock Nine" at Central High School; Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. As a class this week we have been discussing the issue of segregation in the fifties. This photograph was when the brown vs. board of education decision was taken place. “The Little Rock School Board proceeded with desegregation of local schools, starting with Central High School. Nine Black students attended Central High School that year. Little Rock schools were not fully integrated until 1972.” These facts were located on the National Geographic blog, “My Wonderful World”. This is just some of the facts on this situations the black children had to face during the decision of Brown vs. Board was being introduce the American Society of that time.  With my creative blog, I wanted to give a comparison to school is the fifties and school today. The main comparison was that boys and girls attend school together. The education system had the same about of grade levels as now. College was available for students to attend. All school is segregated. Some of the differences between schools today and in the fifties are that students agree with being all equal, the public school is chosen for you by what district you live in, all students are provided the same rights, and another difference would be that teachers are hired from all races. Looking at the comparisons and differences, we can see that our generation has a very peaceful environment in our schools. I believe we can sometimes take it for granted. History has made our country become unified as one. This not only includes our education system but all different aspects of life. We have study this time in the United States, growing up taking history classes and reading history books. But have we ever put ourselves in their shoes and realize how much students faced back in the days. Black students were hated for their color and White students had to act on what their parents believed. When comparing and contrasting these two pictures, I think about how much life would be different now if the de-segregation of schools never happen. Some of us would have our best friends, some of us would have not been offered the education we are getting, or some of us would have never been able to interact with others at all. 

Annotation - Saccharine

Saccharine is defined in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as,” a: of, relating to, or resembling that of sugar b: yielding or containing sugar c: overly or sickishly sweet d: ingratiatingly or affectedly agreeable or friendly e: overly sentimental.” This word is used by Linda and Willy in the Second Act of “Death of a Salesman”. Willy is leaving to go see Howard, his boss, to talk to him about getting a promotion. She hands him his handkerchief after he has forgotten and says, “And your saccharine?” and he replies, “Yeah my saccharine.”  The definitions provided from the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary were all very similar to Linda’s character. This word clearly defines the role Linda plays in this family. She is the sweet, caring, affectedly agreeable, and over sentimental for her family. Author Miller tries to show us readers that Linda cares too about her sons living the American Dream. She was a loving wife that let her husband and sons take advantage of her. This line was significant because it not only shows the love she had for Willy but also the way he didn’t realize how much she cared for him. This line gives us the imagery of her asking for some sugar or a kiss but is that the only thing she is asking for?  Previous to this line she was telling Willy about how Happy and Biff wanted to meet him for dinner that night. That makes me want to assume that Author Miller wanted more than just a kiss out of this statement. Did he want us readers to feel the emotion that Linda had for her sons to save their father?  At the time she says this in the play you do not assume that she will stand up to Biff as she does in the end of Act three.  This statement clearly gave some falling action to the resolution of the climax of the play. During the resolution of the play, Linda’s character through this word is shown to be no more as she repeats “I can’t cry, I can’t cry”  When you decipher Linda’s character to a greater level you will find that there was more to her than just a mother and wife. Who do you think Author Miller intentionally wanted to be the main character?