These stories were generally pretty depressing, and I definitely think this was a big theme with Pancake. However, I also agree with what Andre Dubus III writes in “A New Afterword”. He writes that one of Pancake’s central themes is “…his characters’ constant striving for goodness up against the seductive pull of the darkness within them,” (184). As far as I can tell, Pancake really captures the Appalachian environment with stories that seem to describe the people of Appalachia in normal situations.
My favorite story by Pancake is “Time and Again”. I like how Pancake adds an element of mystery right in the first paragraph. “…I write everybody I know about my boy. Some of my letters always come back, and the folks who write back say nobody knows where he got off to,” (83). We soon learn that the main character drives a snowplow and in this story he picks up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker mentions that he has heard that a lot of hitchhikers have gotten killed in the same county that they are in, but the main character doesn’t really say anything. Finally, near the end of the story, Pancake adds some more suspense. “I grip the wrench. ‘Look under the seat for my flashlight, boy.’ He bends forward, grabbing under the seat, and his head is turned from me. But I am way too tired now, and I don’t want to clean the seat,” (87). I liked how Pancake creates the possibility that the man in the snowplow is the killer, but Pancake never really reveals anything definite. I think that this makes the story better in some ways because it is unexpected. Much of the conversation and other parts of the story have to do with death or something almost as dark and negative. When the hitchhiker mentions all the dead hitchhikers in the county, I thought it was almost definite that this hitchhiker was going to be killed as well. However, in the end, he unknowingly escapes his demise.
I think that the story that I liked the least in this book was “The Way It Has To Be”. In my opinion this story is the most depressing of all of them. The story starts off with disappointment on the first page. Alena left West Virginia to see cowboys out west, but she still has not seen any. She and Harvey then go to a hotel, where Harvey urges her to drink, but she feels sick. After a heated conversation, Harvey ends up pointing a gun at her. After she throws up from fear, Harvey decides to get drunk and leaves. Even after this, there is more depression. Her mother basically rejects her, and then Harvey comes back. The last line of the story is, “…and his hand brushed against the revolver as he reached for another cigarette,” (131). Just like “Time and Again” Pancake leaves the possibility open that there may be a death occurring. On the other hand, Pancake lets the hitchhiker escape in that story, while in this story; the possibility that Alena will be killed is certainly open.
I found most of Pancake’s stories to be pretty depressing, but I have to admit, most of them were very interesting and provided what I imagine to be a relatively accurate glimpse, with some fictional suspense thrown in, into the lives of people from Appalachia.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Reflection on Whistlin’ and Crowin’ Women of Appalachia
I have never read a literacy narrative before. In fact, I never had even heard of a literacy narrative before this book. I do not mean any offense to the author, Katherine Kelleher Sohn, but it was not incredibly exciting. However, she does provide an extremely in-depth look at the literacy practices of these three women. I found it to be incredible that Lucy actually kept going to school, even when her husband Matt forced her to leave her books in the car and she was not allowed to study at home.
I thought that it was good of Ms. Sohn to try to disprove some of the stereotypes of Appalachia when she wrote these literacy narratives down. The way that she uses actual people to show that there are women in Appalachia that are trying to become educated is a very persuasive argument against both female stereotypes and Appalachian stereotypes. All of the stories are very inspiring with some parts that are just amazing. For instance, in the chart on pages 30-31, I found that Jean went to college twenty years after leaving high school. I do not think that I would be able to go to elementary, middle and high school for thirteen years and then go back to school twenty years later to spend at least another four years in college.
The literacy narrative that I did for class was not nearly as in depth as what Ms. Sohn did for her literacy narratives. I think that it would have been very interesting if it were at all possible to interview one of our subjects’ family members. I think that the reactions of family members to their wives or daughters or sisters going to college helped to portray how people react to such a “radical” idea. Even though they were all from the same area, the people in the women’s families reacted in dramatically different ways. Lucy’s husband abused her, while Judith’s daughters used Judith as a role model for their future. In my high school, most students were generally expected to go to college and their families almost always supported them. The copyright year on this book is 2006 and, frankly, it is difficult to imagine that there are still people in this country that are against the education of women. I think that it is important that women are given equal chances of education as men without the fear of abuse.
This study was very informative, but one thing that I did notice was that men were not included in this study. I think that it would be interesting to see how men in Appalachia use literacy in the workplace. It would also be interesting to see if the wives or girlfriends are more supportive of men going back to school. I think that this would not only be just as interesting, but it would also make the study a lot more complete. Another possible angle would have been to see if there were any husbands and wives that went back to school together. It would have been interesting to see if there were any families that were going to school at the same time to get an education.
I thought that it was good of Ms. Sohn to try to disprove some of the stereotypes of Appalachia when she wrote these literacy narratives down. The way that she uses actual people to show that there are women in Appalachia that are trying to become educated is a very persuasive argument against both female stereotypes and Appalachian stereotypes. All of the stories are very inspiring with some parts that are just amazing. For instance, in the chart on pages 30-31, I found that Jean went to college twenty years after leaving high school. I do not think that I would be able to go to elementary, middle and high school for thirteen years and then go back to school twenty years later to spend at least another four years in college.
The literacy narrative that I did for class was not nearly as in depth as what Ms. Sohn did for her literacy narratives. I think that it would have been very interesting if it were at all possible to interview one of our subjects’ family members. I think that the reactions of family members to their wives or daughters or sisters going to college helped to portray how people react to such a “radical” idea. Even though they were all from the same area, the people in the women’s families reacted in dramatically different ways. Lucy’s husband abused her, while Judith’s daughters used Judith as a role model for their future. In my high school, most students were generally expected to go to college and their families almost always supported them. The copyright year on this book is 2006 and, frankly, it is difficult to imagine that there are still people in this country that are against the education of women. I think that it is important that women are given equal chances of education as men without the fear of abuse.
This study was very informative, but one thing that I did notice was that men were not included in this study. I think that it would be interesting to see how men in Appalachia use literacy in the workplace. It would also be interesting to see if the wives or girlfriends are more supportive of men going back to school. I think that this would not only be just as interesting, but it would also make the study a lot more complete. Another possible angle would have been to see if there were any husbands and wives that went back to school together. It would have been interesting to see if there were any families that were going to school at the same time to get an education.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Reflection on Dancing Outlaw
I really do not know what to think of this film. We were told that we would never be the same after watching it and after seeing Jesco get so mad about his sunglasses, I don’t think that I will ever be the same. However, I also found something serious about this film. It almost reinforced the idea that all people from Appalachia are like Jesco. It certainly did not do much to disprove existing stereotypes of people from Appalachia. I think that in order to really understand and make an informed opinion about Appalachia, one must go there. One should not base their opinions on one film when there is so much more information. I thought that this was a good film, though, with some interesting parts. I especially liked the tap dancing parts. I think that if anyone were looking for an interesting Appalachian film, I would recommend this first.
In this film, Jesco and his family are shown living in trailers and driving old cars, basically living an impoverished lifestyle. This does not provide an example of an Appalachian that is well off. Of course as a resident of one of the richest towns in the country, Greenwich, CT, my view may be a little skewed. There are probably people living in other parts of the country like this that I do not know about. The filmmakers also show one of Jesco’s female relations tearing up their yard in a truck for fun at a family party. I have been to many family parties, with some unusual aunts, uncles, and cousins, but I have never seen anything quite like what was happening at Jesco’s party. This scene could further strengthen any ideas that people from Appalachia are different then people in the rest of the country.
Some of the things that Jesco says in the film also serve to distance him from normality. For instance when he is complaining about sloppy eggs: “And I took the butcher knife and put it up to her neck. I said if you want to live to see tomorrow, you better start fryin' them eggs a little bit better then what you a fryin' em - I'm tired of eatin' sloppy, slimy eggs!” This seems like a slight overreaction, but maybe this is normal in Appalachia. This quote, like the one when he talks about forgetting his sunglasses, makes it seem like the people of Appalachia are different from other Americans.
In the end, however, the viewer must remember that this film only portrays one man of Appalachia. I think that the filmmakers assume that most people that watch this film know that not all people that live in Appalachia act like Jesco. They also assume that viewers know that if one were to go to Appalachia, it is certainly possible that he or she will meet someone similar to Jesco. I think that the only way to make a fair judgment on the stereotypes of Appalachia is to live in or at least visit Appalachia and be immersed in the culture.
In this film, Jesco and his family are shown living in trailers and driving old cars, basically living an impoverished lifestyle. This does not provide an example of an Appalachian that is well off. Of course as a resident of one of the richest towns in the country, Greenwich, CT, my view may be a little skewed. There are probably people living in other parts of the country like this that I do not know about. The filmmakers also show one of Jesco’s female relations tearing up their yard in a truck for fun at a family party. I have been to many family parties, with some unusual aunts, uncles, and cousins, but I have never seen anything quite like what was happening at Jesco’s party. This scene could further strengthen any ideas that people from Appalachia are different then people in the rest of the country.
Some of the things that Jesco says in the film also serve to distance him from normality. For instance when he is complaining about sloppy eggs: “And I took the butcher knife and put it up to her neck. I said if you want to live to see tomorrow, you better start fryin' them eggs a little bit better then what you a fryin' em - I'm tired of eatin' sloppy, slimy eggs!” This seems like a slight overreaction, but maybe this is normal in Appalachia. This quote, like the one when he talks about forgetting his sunglasses, makes it seem like the people of Appalachia are different from other Americans.
In the end, however, the viewer must remember that this film only portrays one man of Appalachia. I think that the filmmakers assume that most people that watch this film know that not all people that live in Appalachia act like Jesco. They also assume that viewers know that if one were to go to Appalachia, it is certainly possible that he or she will meet someone similar to Jesco. I think that the only way to make a fair judgment on the stereotypes of Appalachia is to live in or at least visit Appalachia and be immersed in the culture.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Literacy Narrative
Literacy Narrative of Marion Levine
Interviewed on 10/18/07
Marion defined literacy as I expect most college students would define literacy: “Literacy is the ability to read and write.” She then continued to define a literate person as someone who can do these two things and an illiterate person who cannot do either. Again, I imagine that most college students would answer this similarly.
As a college student Marion can at least adequately do both of these. She likes to read. Her parents read to her when she was younger and she learned to read when she was three. Marion remembers reading Dr. Seuss and Disney books. She has started reading more since coming to college, but this is mostly for class. When she reads outside of class, it is usually magazines or things on the Internet. Marion believes that writing is ok, but she rarely writes for personal reasons. She does not keep a journal. When she writes essays for class, she does not make much of an outline. Even without an outline, Marion usually finishes an essay within a few hours. Like many college students she procrastinates sometimes, but she really does not have a problem with procrastination. During her first months of college, she has only used the writing center once. Marion considers herself computer literate, which means that she can instant message and email, and most likely has a Facebook or Myspace page.
Marion’s parents expect her to make good grades and eventually graduate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. When she decided to attend UNCW, her parents were supportive. Additionally, most of her friends attend college. Marion wants to major in theater. She chose to attend college in hopes of getting a better job. I think that these views and reasons are very similar to many college students.
There are four people in her family: her parents, herself, and a younger sister. Her father has a law degree and she said her mother has two years of college. Marion’s parents both read horror and science fiction novels. Her father also reads articles on the Internet. She considers her parents to be ok with technology.
Marion seems like a university student that has a typical view of literacy. She also seems that she has the same level of computer literacy that most college students have. I learned a lot from the experience of writing someone’s literacy narrative. It was interesting to be in a conversation with someone that I had never met, and we basically only talked about her literacy practices. When we were first told about the literacy narrative assignment, I was somewhat apprehensive. It seemed like it was going to be very awkward. However, after the conversation was started, it was a lot easier to ask questions about literacy. I received a lot of interesting answers and if I had gone as in-depth as the author of Whistlin’ and Crowin’, Katherine Kelleher Sohn, I think that there would have been a lot more interesting answers.
Interviewed on 10/18/07
Marion defined literacy as I expect most college students would define literacy: “Literacy is the ability to read and write.” She then continued to define a literate person as someone who can do these two things and an illiterate person who cannot do either. Again, I imagine that most college students would answer this similarly.
As a college student Marion can at least adequately do both of these. She likes to read. Her parents read to her when she was younger and she learned to read when she was three. Marion remembers reading Dr. Seuss and Disney books. She has started reading more since coming to college, but this is mostly for class. When she reads outside of class, it is usually magazines or things on the Internet. Marion believes that writing is ok, but she rarely writes for personal reasons. She does not keep a journal. When she writes essays for class, she does not make much of an outline. Even without an outline, Marion usually finishes an essay within a few hours. Like many college students she procrastinates sometimes, but she really does not have a problem with procrastination. During her first months of college, she has only used the writing center once. Marion considers herself computer literate, which means that she can instant message and email, and most likely has a Facebook or Myspace page.
Marion’s parents expect her to make good grades and eventually graduate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. When she decided to attend UNCW, her parents were supportive. Additionally, most of her friends attend college. Marion wants to major in theater. She chose to attend college in hopes of getting a better job. I think that these views and reasons are very similar to many college students.
There are four people in her family: her parents, herself, and a younger sister. Her father has a law degree and she said her mother has two years of college. Marion’s parents both read horror and science fiction novels. Her father also reads articles on the Internet. She considers her parents to be ok with technology.
Marion seems like a university student that has a typical view of literacy. She also seems that she has the same level of computer literacy that most college students have. I learned a lot from the experience of writing someone’s literacy narrative. It was interesting to be in a conversation with someone that I had never met, and we basically only talked about her literacy practices. When we were first told about the literacy narrative assignment, I was somewhat apprehensive. It seemed like it was going to be very awkward. However, after the conversation was started, it was a lot easier to ask questions about literacy. I received a lot of interesting answers and if I had gone as in-depth as the author of Whistlin’ and Crowin’, Katherine Kelleher Sohn, I think that there would have been a lot more interesting answers.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Discussion of Appalachian Stereotypes
I used to think that the people of Appalachia were basically all hillbillies and just a backwards group of people. Most of the stereotypes of Appalachians have come from media, like television shows and movies. These stereotypes can include, but are not limited to: illiteracy, a very distinguishable accent, poverty, intermarriage, and basically just a culture that is behind the rest of the nation. It is unfortunate that they are subject to such descriptions, but sometimes these descriptions are almost accurate.
When I was growing up, I believed that the Appalachian area was always a little behind, especially because I was growing up right near New York City. I felt that I was near one of the more important cultural centers of the world. Also, when my family and me went on vacation, we never went to any central states, like Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. We always went somewhere either near a large city or to a popular tourist destination. Maybe this is just my lack of understanding of the Appalachian region, but I do not know any really popular tourist destinations in Appalachia. This helped to further any understanding of the region. My only source for opinions and views on the area were from popular culture, especially movies like October Sky. I saw this film multiple times during middle school, and soon, I began to almost believe that everyone that lived in Appalachia had worked in a coal mine during some part of his or her life. I also started to believe that many people of Appalachia were opposed to cultural advancement because of the way Homer Hickam, a future rocket scientist, was treated by not only his father but many other people around the town.
I am not going to say that this Appalachian Literature class has shown me that most of these stereotypes are not true, but it has shown me some examples of contributions that Appalachians have made to our culture today. However, the research that I did for the Appalachian stereotypes essay has shown me that some of the stereotypes are at least partially true. For instance, some towns in Appalachia are among the poorest of the nation. This, in turn, means that many children and teenagers that could be going to school have to work in order to make money and miss out on their education.
I think the most effective way of getting rid of stereotypes about a certain people or region is education. I really do not know a specific way to do this, except maybe offer a elective English class in high school like the Appalachian literature class that is offered here at UNCW.
When I was growing up, I believed that the Appalachian area was always a little behind, especially because I was growing up right near New York City. I felt that I was near one of the more important cultural centers of the world. Also, when my family and me went on vacation, we never went to any central states, like Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. We always went somewhere either near a large city or to a popular tourist destination. Maybe this is just my lack of understanding of the Appalachian region, but I do not know any really popular tourist destinations in Appalachia. This helped to further any understanding of the region. My only source for opinions and views on the area were from popular culture, especially movies like October Sky. I saw this film multiple times during middle school, and soon, I began to almost believe that everyone that lived in Appalachia had worked in a coal mine during some part of his or her life. I also started to believe that many people of Appalachia were opposed to cultural advancement because of the way Homer Hickam, a future rocket scientist, was treated by not only his father but many other people around the town.
I am not going to say that this Appalachian Literature class has shown me that most of these stereotypes are not true, but it has shown me some examples of contributions that Appalachians have made to our culture today. However, the research that I did for the Appalachian stereotypes essay has shown me that some of the stereotypes are at least partially true. For instance, some towns in Appalachia are among the poorest of the nation. This, in turn, means that many children and teenagers that could be going to school have to work in order to make money and miss out on their education.
I think the most effective way of getting rid of stereotypes about a certain people or region is education. I really do not know a specific way to do this, except maybe offer a elective English class in high school like the Appalachian literature class that is offered here at UNCW.
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