Response to http://jess-gonzalez.blogspot.com/ Question #5

5.Why did the main character resent working on another man's house?

The main character in "Carpenter" dislikes his job because he feels that he is a slave for someone. The character notes that all of the men that hire him and his brother are all wealthy. one man is paying $40,000 for a bathroom, another man wants to add room to his garage for his new motorcycle, and the other is an architect that is adding a three story addition to his home. The character also mentions that they are being hired to do the work that these men don't want to do, like removing a sewer pipe. The fact that the character is doing something that others don't want to do makes the character feel like he is a slave. These people that hire them are of a higher class economically. In the end, this character probably had self-esteem issues if all he was worried about was the type of men he was working for...

10 questions

"little league haiku" in Running after antelope:

1. What affect does the imagery at the beginning have on the story?
2. What is the allusion the author is trying to make when comparing the offense to the defense?
3. Why is it significant that the defense has no coach, and the fact that they make calls at the last minute?
4. Why would the author call himself the "Monster Man" (pg 5) to symbolize himself?
5. What is the significance of the author thriving off of surprising the other team, and having the other team fear their defense?
6. Why does the author refer to the defense as "standing around quietly, minds empty, like twelve-year-old desperadoes waiting for a train."
7. What literary device is used in the following quote, and how does it affect the story? "I was in love with the air, the smell of the grass, the warm light in the cottonwood trees at the edge of the field."
8. What is the significance of mentioning that Bruce Seymour has reached puberty?
9. What is the significance of the author yelling "the wind brings dry leaves, enough to build a fire." when the quarterback starts his count?
10. What does the following quote imply about the author? " It didn't really work out like I thought it would. I'm ready to move on, if you are."

Creative/Literary nonfiction

"Our New Idiot" by Melissa Delbridge... Melissa works for a cafe, Melissa has a coworker named Hardy. Hardy wad viewed as the village idiot. When it came to collecting tips, Hardy would take the nickel rather than take the quarter. When Melissa asks him why he does that, hardy replies with "if I ever take the quarter, even just one time, you'll all quit doing it." and Melissa ended her story by mentioning that they need to find a new village idiot...

I liked this short story because I feel that Hardy made Melissa feel bad for judging him..

A full moon

I just finished taking a very difficult math test, my head is throbbing and my neck feels stiff.. I am irritated with quite a few people because they continuously texted me while I was trying to take my test. Now I am walking out to my car, the moon looks so big and bright. Brighter than usual, the moon is shinning so bright that I can see tiny dark spots on it. Lauryn Hill's "can't take my eyes off of you" is playing through my headphones, and despite the fact that I was very mad a few minutes ago, I can't stand to be upset while there is wonderful music playing and the moon looks so beautiful....

a winter walk

Poor, little, old Mrs. Rosa, diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 57. Unfortunately her family was unable to pay for the medication. In order to help Mrs. Rosa with her illness, her family decided to move her into a tiny shack deep inside a forest. Mrs. Rosa’s family thought as long as Mrs. Rosa was isolated, she wouldn’t suffer as much. There Mrs. Rosa was, in her dark, cold shack. She passed time by holding conversations with the voices. Mrs. Rosa told the voices of her family and what they had done. The voices started off by telling Mrs. Rosa that her family didn’t care for her, then they told her that no one cared for her, then they began to yell at her; they yelled that she was worthless and no one would ever love her. The sound of the voices were like nails against a chalkboard, and in need of help, Mrs. Rosa ran out of her home. Mrs. Rosa could not escape the voices, and she felt like she was running around in circles. The voices grew louder and violent, the trees scowled and swayed in ways to hurt Mrs. Rosa as she passed, and the snowflakes whirled around her with the intention of smothering her. After her legs grew tired from her endless journey to escape the voices, Mrs. Rosa sat on the floor and rested against a rock and took her last breath. The voices finally stopped, and Mrs. Rosa was at peace. The following morning Mrs. Rosa’s family found her corpse frozen against a rock a few feet away from the city her family lived in.      

Be Be Your Love by Rachael Yamagata

If I could take you away
Pretend I was queen
What would you say
Would you think I'm unreal
'Cause everybody's got their way I should feel

Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real
Want to be your everything

Everything...

Everything's falling, and I am included in that
Oh, how I try to be just okay
Yeah, but all I ever really wanted
Was a little piece of you

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real

Everything will be alright
If you just stay the night
Please, sir, don't you walk away, don't you walk away, don't you walk away
Please, sir, don't you walk away, don't you walk away, don't you walk away

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real

I want to be your love, love, love

Rhinoceros or Berenger?

When I was in high school, I had a English teacher, who happened to be pregnant at this time. There was some sort of miscommunication between her and most of the students in the class. There was a large amount of low grades in the class, and she was unhappy with it. She asked our class what she was doing wrong. There was a pause, then a girl started to scold and criticize our teacher. Soon after others followed along, criticizing our instructor... A small group of students (including myself) did not give in, we did not join the rhinoceros'. Instead we remained Berengers...