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David & David Podcast #2

Posted by Rebecca Snyder in College English · Pahomov/Rhymer · C Band on
Ames, Solace. “REVIEW: Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway.” Dear Author, 5 Dec. 2013, dearauthor.com/book-reviews/review-garden-of-eden-by-ernest-hemingway/.
This article was an insightful analysis of the novel. The author is a write herself who reflects of Hemingway's style, as well as the overarching themes in the book. She touches into the ideas around gender roles that play into the relationship between David, Catherine, and Marita. She also makes a valid point that it's hard to catch on to all of what's going on in the novel because of Hemingway's style, the reader can't always tell where they're making love, etc. As far as discussing the Marxist lens, she talks about how Catherine uses her abundance of money as a hold over David. She talks about how the book is hers since she funds it, and this comes into their relationship as a clash between social classes. 

Young, Philip. “Ernest Hemingway.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 16 Aug. 2018,www.britannica.com/biography/Ernest-Hemingwa
I found that this source was very helpful in understanding the way that Hemingway's life went and noticed some things from is real life that could have influenced his writing in the Garden of Eden. One of the first things I noticed was the similarities in the profession which he and David shared, writers. Similarly to him he also struggled in his upcoming to a writer, "Hemingway renewed his efforts at writing, for a while worked at odd jobs in Chicago". Which makes it clear that having a job and money is something that is essentially important for all. Additionally, Hemmingway went through a hard rejection and loss of his wife and child which I think would impact him to see sex as a thing of the devil in the novel. 

The central focus of the article is to highlight the fact that authors essentially come in to each piece with an unrealistic/ bias interpretation of specific things, given the socio economic background. This helps the listener understand that because Hemingway at the time of writing the novel was wealthy had an unrealistic grasp of the impoverished two main characters. "Marxist literary theory suggests that all literature is a product of the class and financial conditions in which it was created. " Because of this article the listener can understand the apparent bias towards a wealthier style of living and he rejects the beauty of a lower lifestyle. 

This Is How We View It: Act 3

Posted by Lilly Roman in College English · Giknis · C Band on
Screen Shot 2019-01-09 at 9.16.39 PM
Screen Shot 2019-01-09 at 9.16.39 PM

“To be or not to be” Act 3, Scene 1, line 58

Hamlet loses his cool with Ophilia regarding his love for her. Act 3, Scene 1, around line 100

Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet. Act 3, Scene 1, lines 150-190

Claudius reacts to knowing the Hamlet knew that he kid the former King. Act 3, Scene 3, lines 1-50

Hamlet won’t kill Claudius until he is actively sinning. Act 3, Scene 3, end

Hamlet’s treatment of his mother. Act 3, Scene 4, lines 1-20

Hamlet kills Polonius. Act 3, Scene 4, lines 22-29.

He hides Polonius’ body and won’t say where it is. Act 3, Scene 4, end


Podcast 2: Giggling and Gabbing- Literacy Lenses

Posted by Cynthia To in College English · Pahomov/Rhymer · B Band on

Olivia: Concepcion, Theresa. "Supporting #MeToo shouldn't mean dismissing Junot Diaz's rape trauma." The Washington Post, The Washington Post, 25 May, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/05/25/supporting-metoo-shouldnt-mean-dismissing-junot-diazs-rape-trauma/?utm_term=.d19cb3b2f339 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

      This article was about how Junot Diaz was raped as a child and accused of sexual misconduct by several women later in life, and that his trauma may have affected his life. She doesn't claim that it excuses his actions, however. This had me thinking about how his view on women, which may be skewed, evidenced by his actions, may have been manifested in the female characters in his book. He writes a lot about sex from the women's perspective in the book and how this has negatively affected their lives. He may avoid writing about how it affects Oscar because it could remind him of his childhood.

Eric: Vitzthum, Virginia. “Junot Díaz's Pro-Woman Agenda.” ELLE, ELLE, 9 Oct. 2017, www.elle.com/culture/books/reviews/a14353/junot-diaz-interview/.


In an interview with Junot Diaz, Elle magazine asks Diaz about his book, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" Diaz talks about how he wanted to relate his ideas of feminism and masculinity into the book and how they affect the relationships that Oscar has. In the interview, Diaz explains firstly how Oscar was written to not have emotions in a way or at least he doesn't try to show these emotions to other characters too often because men are asked not to be vulnerable. He states that men are expected to cheat in a lot of relationships and this has become a societal norm. Diaz describes that he always tries to incorporate some sort of concern in his book about racism, genocide and in Oscar Wao's case: sexism. Diaz is an activist and leans more towards the left side of the political spectrum. "If you have a book that represents a bunch of sexist, rapist lunatics and they all end up being awesome and wonderful and winning everything and the book is clearly affectionate to them, then this might be problematic. On the other hand, if a book has some pretty average guys, and their way of thinking about the world, about women, and their habits around intimacy and relationships don't produce positive results for them or for the women in their lives, that that is not problematic." This quote demonstrates Diaz outlook on not only modern-day literature but on how he believes that male characters need to have some growth with their sexuality or sexual behavior in order to show their growth as a character. This article helps shed light on how Diaz views sexism and relationships after writing Oscar Wao.

Cynthia: Lee, Sarah. “Junot Diaz: a life in books.” The Guardian, Date Published Fri 31 Aug 2012, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/31/life-in-books-junot-diaz

In this article, the writer talks about how all of the books that Junot Diaz have published relates to his life living in the Dominican Republic and in the States. This has provided insight into both the novel and the feminist lens by Junot Diaz had been rape when he was eight. This relates to why he writes about how women are sexually assaulted in his novel. This allows him to reflected himself in that situation and also give closure to himself. Each of the characters relates to Diaz in a certain way, especially Yunior with appearance and experiences. This is a quote that Junot Diaz mentions in an interview is "I'm of African descent and my sister looks completely black, but I didn't look black. I was the super-nerdy kid who was also willing to fight. I love comics and SF but am hopeless with technology. I am still better with a pick or shovel, even with my bad back, than I am with computers."


​      In Giggling and Gabbing's second podcast, we discuss chapters 3, 4, and 5 of "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz. This week in our book club, we had a really thoughtful conversation about the feminist lens between all the women that were mentioned. We decided that women are the losers no matter what they look like and the men are the winner because of their power. We decided this because the narrator mentions how the women have no say, but to follow the men. Hope you giggle while we gab about Oscar Wao. Link to the podcast below

Eye of the Tiger Podcast #2

Posted by Sarah Berg in College English · Pahomov/Rhymer · C Band on

Sarah Berg


  1. Marxist

  2. The White Tiger

  3. “The Poverty of Indian Ideology.” Jacobin, jacobinmag.com/2013/12/the-poverty-of-indian-ideology. Accessed 7 Jan. 2019.

  1. This article by Yahya Chaudhry is a review of The Indian Ideology by Perry Anderson. It describes how despite corruption, poverty, and violence, Indian intellectuals continue to spout exceptionalism and deem their country an example of democracy, and that meanwhile, Westerners largely ignore the religious divide in the country. Chaudhry summarizes Anderson’s argument as “India’s secular democracy, which is eagerly marketed as the world’s largest and most diverse, but in reality is soiled and riven by chauvinistic politics, religious parties, a calcified caste system, and the ongoing catastrophe of Kashmir.” Anderson selects the leaders of Gandhi and Nehru as examples of Indian leadership that fed into this problem. He argues that Mohandas Gandhi valued religion over politics and democracy, so much so that he defended the caste system. He helped Hinduism dominate India’s political world rather than focusing on secular anti-colonialism when forming a national Indian identity. Anderson paints him as a hypocrite for championing liberal ideas but not acting on them due to his extreme passiveness. Anderson points to Nehru as a privileged leader who bowed to Gandhi’s authority. He worked to persecute Muslims and socialists. These arguments are incredibly relevant to The White Tiger because the novel centers on the themes of India’s corruption and attempts of appearing as a democracy while silencing oppressed voices and relying on a strict caste system. The main character, Balram, struggles with transitioning from a lower caste to working a respected job for members of the higher caste, and recounts his experiences interacting with members of both castes. He also is largely critical of the Indian government and its masquerade as a democracy.




Colin Taylor-McGrane


  1. Marxist Lens

  2. White Tiger

  3. Goodman, Peter S. “Investors Are in Retreat, and the Poorest Countries Are Paying for It.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/business/federal-reserve-india-interest-rates.html.

  4. This article is talking about how in developing countries such as India, many wealthy investors are moving their money to developed nations such as the United States, causing massive inflation in India widening the economic inequality there. The relation between this article and the story is the fact that the much of the narration in the story reflects upon the differences between the rich and poor people in India. This article gives insight into how the wealthy elite members of Indian society are in many ways responsible for the growing income inequality plaguing the nation.


Ariana Flores


1. The Marxist Lens

2. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

3. Slater, Joanna. “India's Pollution Refugees: People Are Fleeing Delhi Because of the Toxic Air.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 16 Nov. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/indias-pollution-refugees-people-are-fleeing-delhi-because-of-the-smoggy-air/2018/11/15/26dc1250-e1f1-11e8-a1c9-6afe99dddd92_story.html?utm_term=.eff17f61dbb5.

4. This article brings to light the dire state that New Delhi's air quality has come to and emphasizes the idea that not everyone has the money to buy air purifiers or facemasks to make it through the “pollution season”. This emphasizes the advantages of the upper class in The White Tiger because they contribute to the air pollution where their automobiles, but they are not the ones who feel the effects of those negative contributions. There is a world beyond the tinted window, but the wealthy choose not to look into alternative energy resources. Although workers may die off, they are replaceable, which perpetuating the cycle of servanthood.

The Club of Eden

Posted by Kimberly Gucciardi-Kriegh in College English · Pahomov/Rhymer · B Band on
Kimberly's Articles

McCormack, Aidan. “The Truth Can Get a Little Hairy: Reflections on Body Hair, Feminism and Trans* Identity.” The Body Is Not An Apology, 21 Dec. 2018, thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/hairy-truth-trans-identity/. 

“Portrayal of Women in Literature.” Romanticism: Background, Main Features, Romantic Authors from Crossref-It.info, crossref-it.info/articles/322/portrayal-of-women-in-literature.

The first article is a personal statement from a transgender man regarding his relationship with his gender and his hair/physical appearance. I chose this article to explore how Catherine's perception of her gender and sexuality affects her relationship with David. I'm not sure if this really works with the feminist lens since it is more about gender but I think it will add a lot to our discussions.

I also included a second link which discusses the depiction of women in text throughout history. We can think about the relationship with the author and Catherine and how he chooses to give her basically no personality or interests. This was inspired by the question from OWL, "what does the work say about women's creativity?" Looking back in history and exploring the relationship between Hemingway and Catherine will create a commentary on the feminist lens. 

Amelia’s Article:

Gerdeman, Dina. “Why Employers Favor Men.” HBS Working Knowledge, Harvard Business School, 11 Sept. 2017, hbswk.hbs.edu/item/why-employers-favor-men

This article written by Dina Gerdeman from Harvard Business Center unpacks the struggles women experience in the workforce. The overall reasoning the article centers on is that employers prefer men not because they are prejudiced against women, but because they have the perception that men perform better on certain assignments. This piece references the published book "When Gender Discrimination Is Not About Gender" by Kathrine B. Coffman and Christine L. Exley, assistant professors at Harvard Business School. Gerdeman also includes direct quotes from both authors which sharpen the idea of statistical discrimination versus taste-based discrimination. This connects well to Ernest Hemingway's novel The Garden of Eden because in the marriage, only David, the husband, has a career as an author of two books. Even twenty chapters into the novel, the readers know nothing about Catherine's life, let alone her career. It is constantly brought up that David writes books for a reason which bring in the money for the house, yet Catherine constantly mentions how rich they are. Do males have a better chance at finding a life career than women? Does this affect who brings in the income in the marriage?

Alex Rivera

Manders, Kerry. “Beyond the Narrow Expectations of Gender.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/lens/beyond-the-narrow-expectations-of-gender.html.

I believe that this would be a good source for our group to use because it describes the categories people are placed in and the amount of room they are given with gender roles and sexuality. This is written from the point of view of people who have and are going through this. this will help my group explain to the reader more to get an understanding throughout the book, because even throughout the book we found ourselves coming into our book group confused and Catherine wanting to be a boy sometimes and a girl the next, saying she didn't want to kiss Marita and she does and likes it and what that difference between Catherine kissing Marita and David kissing Marita. This article brings up the fact of non-binary people not being accepted because it's hard to understand for people who are not and so its looked at as wrong. This helps with our lens because it shows feminism in a different way exceptionally the 1st wave of feminism back then when this book was written.

Christina Santana

Bayley, Mireia Pavón. The Devilish Ways of Catherine Bourne: Breaking Heteronormative Gender Roles in The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway. Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona, June 2016, ddd.uab.cat/pub/tfg/2016/169521/TFG_mireiapavon.pdf.  

This analytical essay unpacks the ways in which Catherine, one of the main characters in Ernest Hemmingway’s The Garden of Eden breaks the sterotype for Heteronormative Gender Roles. In the article, the author speaks about how Catherine’s androgynous appearance, gender fluidity, and exploration of her sexuality are parts of her attempt to break free from the concept of normality and heteronormative rules. She writes that “The aim of this paper is to prove that her [Catherine] behavior does not breed from mental illness but rather from frustration and a will to break with the binary terms of gender because she is unable to feel fulfilled in a traditional wife role.” This is an interesting idea because it presents an argument that the reader might not have focused on, and it provides reasoning as to why Catherine allows Marita to be the “wife of the day” in their essentially polygamous relationship with David. Overall, this article gives context and analytical reasoning in support of the gender roles and exploration of sexual identity in The Garden of Eden.



The Hydrangea Effect

Posted by Imani Murray in College English · Giknis · C Band on
​Lily, Imani, Kiah, Zoey 

What we talked about :

In the book "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. We focused on literal and Figurative language. As the podcast begins we started talking about the background of the book and a basic introduction to the main characters. We start focusing on the one character Sophia who shows us that she is very strong and won't take abuse from anyone as Celie does. Zoey brings a quote up that talks about a metaphor that Celie said. She compared herself to a tree. In most of her letters that she writes is metaphors because she may get in trouble for writing the letters. As the talk continues we start to talk about Celie and Netties relationship. When they were separated Nettie said she would write Celie but never did. The last thing that we hit to talk about is"Mr.Blank." We want to know why he doesn't have a name. We felt like it's because she wanted to have her name instead of his. 


Evidence used :

Pg 1-96 

" all my life I had to fight... I never thought that I would have to fight in my own home."
"I make myself wood"

Video :

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/embed/VVge4xeMM1g&sa=D&ust=1546962087634000&usg=AFQjCNGA9jG0G97ebfNnY9RAXsG0H-t8ZQ

Audio Silence (1984): Literal and Figurative

Posted by David Roberts in College English · Giknis · B Band on

Group members: David, James, Kwan, Ayala, Eric

images
images
In today's podcast, Audio Silence discusses the book 1984 written by George Orwell. 1984 takes place in a totalitarian society governed by the Party and Big Brother. The Party rules with an iron fist, watching everyone all the time. One of the ways they accomplish this rock solid rule is by altering the past. In this podcast, we share and discuss some literal and figurative examples of the main character's investigation into this altered past.

Sources cited:
- pg 80 "The point was that at both...the confessions were lies."
- pg 100 "Winston came across to...he did not remember the statue."
- pg 98 "What appealed to him about it was not so much its beauty as the air it seemed to possess of belonging to an age quite different from the present one."

https://www.soundtrap.com/play/xN-r6ewgT9OfXWm7Lyh4mA/english-1984-pod-cast/

Mask Off

Posted by Lauryn Lewis in College English · Giknis · C Band on
Lauryn, Lauren, Zaire

Title of Podcast: Mask Off
Title of Episode: Recovering the Undercover

What We Talked About: 
In this episode we talked about figurative speech and how that has affected us as the readers. The book we are currently reading is called "The Bluest Eye". One of the main things we focused on was the meaning behind marigolds and what they actually represented in the book. The author mentioned that no marigolds rose that season because Pecola happened to get pregnant by her Father which was a sin. The idea of plants, seeds, and growth played a big role in this reading because it focused on becoming a woman, pregnancy, and how sins committed in the world would turn into God punishing everyone about them.

"We had dropped our seeds in our own little plot of black dirt just as Pecola's father had dropped his seeds in his own plot of black dirt. Our innocence and faith were no more productive than his lust or despair. What is clear now is that of all of that hope, fear, lust, love, and grief, nothing remains but Pecola and the unyielding earth. Cholly Breedlove is dead; our innocence too. The seeds shriveled and died; her baby too."

"Quiet as it's kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941."

(All page numbers are not in the book.)


Introducing Hamlet: Act 1&2

Posted by Lilly Roman in College English · Giknis · C Band on
Screen Shot 2019-01-09 at 9.16.39 PM
Screen Shot 2019-01-09 at 9.16.39 PM
Evidence/Topics Discussed
 Act 1 Scene 2 > Claudius & Gertrude's Hasty marriage, Hamlet's unhappiness
 Act 1 Scene 3 > Laertes and Polonius warn Ophelia
 Act 1 Scene 4 > Hamlet meets and talks with the Ghost of King Hamlet
 Act 1 Scene 5 > King Hamlet's Death. Hamlet swears vengeance
 Act 2 Scene 1 > Hamlet appears to be insane. Polonius assume he is going through Ophelia withdrawl
 Act 2 Scene 2 > Polonius is spying on Hamlet while Hamlet plans to uses a play to trip a guilty reaction from Claudius

Little Sister Podcast by Kamil, William and James(in spirit)

Posted by Kamil Kielar in College English · Giknis · C Band on

Episode 1: The Literal and the Figurative


This episode is about the novel 1984 by George Orwell. We begin the podcast by discussing the history of the creation of the novel and the inspiration for the novel. We continue by giveing a short summary about the sections of the novel we have read so far. Once all the context for the discussion is given, we begin by focusing on the character of Julia. We talk about her intentions and reasons for the commiting the actions she does. Moving on to the main character we begin a comparison of the two seeing how they are contradictory characters yet end up together in a relationship of sorts. Then we continue to talk about the language of the novel and how they are limited in their speech. The language of newspeak has a very limited vocabulary and character are never really able to truly express themselves. Lastly we end off the discussion by talking about the big oxymorons which are shown throughout the novel.


Evidence


  • “The eyes follow you about when you move” (1)

  • “The black mustachioed face gazed down from every commanding corner” (2)

  • “You had to live in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized” (3)

  • “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. WAR IS PEACE. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” (16)

  • “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (19)

  • Memory holes (39)

  • “I love you” (110)

  • Renting Mr. Charrington's room (142)

  • Julia brings luxuries that only the inner party gets access to (144)

  • Winston and Julia discuss Brotherhood (157)

Screen Shot 2019-01-08 at 12.12.33 AM
Screen Shot 2019-01-08 at 12.12.33 AM
Podcast

Kurt's Krew: What's a Cat's Cradle?

Posted by Gregory Tasik in College English · Giknis · B Band on
kurtskrewlogo
kurtskrewlogo
​

This episode was a mish mash of all your initial thoughts on Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.  Our episode focuses on the larger themes at play in the book. We discuss religion's role in the story and the interplay between truth and lies. We also attempt to decipher Vonnegut’s wild and unique writing style, which is as complex as a cat’s cradle. Thanks for listening!


  • “Call me Jonah. No Sam.” (page 1)

  • “All of the true things I am about to tell you are lies” (5)

  • “Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand this book either” (6)

  • “That people were still superstitious instead of scientific” (24)

  • “I’m sorry to hear member of the Laboratory family…. They’re the very antithesis of magic” (36)

  • “It’s a cat’s cradle…… One of the olders games there is” (165)


Uptop Books Water for Elephants Podcast #1

Posted by Naima DeBrest in College English · Giknis · C Band on
College English Water for Elephants Book Club Logo
College English Water for Elephants Book Club Logo
​
  1. The name of your podcast
Uptop Books 

  1. The names of the group members
Naima DeBrest, Kyianna Thomas, Lauren Matthews

  1. The title of the episode
Episode 1: Literal and Figurative 

  1. The podcast logo
Above the video 

  1. A brief blurb (a paragraph) about your episode 
    (make sure this includes the title/author of the book)
The book that we are reading is Water for Elephant by Sara Gruen. It as written in 2006 but it takes place in 1932. It chronicles the life of a young man named Jacob who leaves veterinary school and joins the circus. As the story goes on a love triangle arises and tensions in the foundation of the circusare revealed. For this podcast we will be talking about pages 1-104. 
  1. A list of the evidence used (with page numbers) for listeners to locate as desired
“I used to carry water for the elephants,” says McGuinty. I drop my fork and look up. He is positively dripping with self-satisfaction, just waiting for the girls to fawn over him. “You did not,” I say. There is a beat of silence."

“Here,” he says, pointing at a pair of buckets. “Use these.” “But what about Walter?” I ask, reading the name from the side of one of them. “Oh, I know Walter. He’ll understand. Got a razor?”

. “Auggie says you’re a vet.” At the sound of his name, August spins around. “No,” I say. “Imean, not exactly.” “He’s being modest,” says August. 
  1. A streamable link to your podcast recording that is publicly accessible (10ish minutes)
    (YouTube might be the easiest option here)

The Immortalists - Podcast #1

Posted by Lauren Nicolella in College English · Giknis · B Band on
IMG_8611
IMG_8611
HOCUS POCUS

Podcast #1: Literal and Figurative 

Group Members: Lauren, Dayanna, Taylor, Chloe & Jayla

We are doing a podcast on the Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. Our first episode of our podcast goes into the basic plot of the Immortalists, while explaining some brief information about the author Chloe Benjamin. We go into depth about how the writing is able to convey very vivid images, and in each section we have read up to so far showcase the times in which they are set in. The four main characters are discussed more in depth, and we explore the way siblings Simon and Klara are perceived after their lives are explained in full. The two older siblings are mentioned along with some predictions, as that is what is apart of our next reading. 

References to book:
-pg. 19
-pg. 157
-pg. 33

The Jash: Episode 1

Posted by Hamidou Doumbia in College English · Giknis · C Band on
​

 It’s catchy and fun it’s not boring.   
The Jash
by: Sydney Rogers, Israt Jahan, Avi Cantor, Hamidou Doumbia

Episode 1:
In this episode Sydney, Avi, Jahan, and Hamidou will discuss the recent events that take place in Khaled Hosseini's award winning and best seller book, "The Kite Runner". We discuss the relationship between the main character and his best friend and explore the complications of a young friendship in Afghanistan. We give a quick summary of what we've read so far and discuss different points of view that are introduced. 
Evidence:
Chapter 1-10
-"One day last summer, my friend Rahim Khan called from Pakistan" (1).
-“They danced high above the trees on the west end of the park, over the windmills, floating side by side like a pair of eyes looking down on San Francisco, the city I now call home, And suddenly Hassan’s voice whispered in my head: For you, a thousand times over. Hassan the harelipped kite runner” (1-2).

-“I can still see his tiny low-set ears and that longed stub of a chin, a meaty appendage that looked like it was added as a mere afterthought. And the cleft lip, just left of midline, where the Chinese doll maker’s instrument may have slipped, or perhaps he had simple grown tired and careless” (3). 

“-Hassan never denied me anything. And he was deadly with his slingshot. Hassan’s father, Ali, could ever get” (4).

Link:
https://www.wevideo.com/view/1279335543

Purple Table Talk- Episode 1- Aysha, Mindy, Autumn, Sharron, and Alan

Posted by Aysha Siddiquee in College English · Giknis · B Band on
                                                    Citations


Pg 8, 9
Pg 20 
Pg 118

A quick introduction of the book and characters. Where we learn about Celie's relationship with men but also having interest in women. In this podcast we discussed the psychological stability of Celie due to her previous encounters with men leading to her fear of them. Specifically we focused on figurative language presented through the characters personal encounters and obstacles. 

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Screen Shot 2019-01-07 at 10.18.26 AM

Literary Dynamite --- Podcast #1

Posted by Weston Matthews in College English · Giknis · B Band on
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Screen Shot 2019-01-05 at 7.05.14 PM
Members: Tai Bailey, Wes Matthews, Waverly O'Neal, Lei Zheng

Podcast: Literary Dynamite Episode 1: Go Figure!


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zuyXhg5zg22m5r4M22DGGLJ7szNWNsz9/view?usp=sharing


Yaa Gyasi’s 2016 historical fiction work Homegoing is a tale of two alienated Asante sisters, one who becomes enslaved and one who marries a slave trader, and the collaterally damaged generations that follow them. In following the stories of these characters, Gyasi makes visceral statements about the unbending truths of colonization, slavery, and the dehumanizing effects of these systems. In this episode of our podcast, we dive in depth to types of figurative and literal languages and images in the book and how they affect the storytelling. We talk about nuanced epithets, metaphors, connections. Observing that certain images and constructs appear in motifs, we investigate both their literal and hidden figurative meanings.


Types of figurative language: simile, metaphor, conceit, allusions, hyperbole, personification, metonymy


Mango -- image of vitality, exuberance → used to describe Effia and Esi


Desperation ---> described as the “fruit of longing”


The word “fire” is used both figuratively and literally ---> Effia has a “fire” inside of her (passion) but was also born on the night of a huge fire that ravaged her family’s yams.


Words used to describe women are minimizing: meek, servile, obedient

Words used to describe men are aggrandizing: big, strong, warrior


Black stone ---- gift to Esi and Effia from mother ----> black stone may represent the importance of ancestors and hope → Esi refuses to lose it throughout her course of enslavement


Storytelling is a big aspect of social identity. In the book, some important stories are told in order for characters to impart an important point (Fiifi with the birds, page 53) or simply just for entertainment (Anansi, page 30)


Benzini Bros

Posted by Emily Pugliese in College English · Giknis · B Band on
Screenshot 2019-01-06 at 3.42.13 PM
Screenshot 2019-01-06 at 3.42.13 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTdOGI3WEjo

Water for Elephants BY Sara Gruen
Emily, Shoy, Meeghan, Tony and Raymond

  • Recap and First impressions

    • impressions of the love triangle

    • Also impressions of old Jacob vs  young Jacob

    • The reason for Jacob going to the circus

    • First impression of camel and the rest of the circus

    • Prostitution

    • Impressions of auggies different sides or personalities

Pg 94 “he continues to stare into her face… Marlena’s eyes grow wide. She tries to step backward, but he catches her chin with his hand.”


  • Literary Elements and techniques

    • Setting, plot, characterization, themes and conflicts

      • Takes place on the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth

      • Pg. 28 “you done jumped the FLying Squadron of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth”

        • Conflict: Age, animal cruelty

  • Figurative Stuff

    • Symbols, language choices and motifs etc.

      • Irony was used a lot throughout the book to make light of intense situations. Examples consist of feeding Rex and Jacob meeting him for the first time. “He’s just a widdle kitty cat” pg. 85. Pg 111. “The sky the sky, the same as it always was” Pg. 115 “You should take it up, it’s good for your health”

      • Pg 13 Ghost haunting him

Rosie, and what she represents? Does her present represent something.”the elephant in the room?”

The JSHow: Episode 1

Posted by Harlem Satterfield in College English · Giknis · C Band on
Official JSHow Podcast Logo
Official JSHow Podcast Logo
The JSHow
by Jacobo Pastor, Shana Bergmann, and Harlem Satterfield

Episode 1: And a Bottle of Rum

Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island is filled to the brim with secrets and discoveries. Even in the first few chapters, there's plenty of plot and story to enjoy. Join Jacobo, Shana, and Harlem as talk about the book's literal and figurative aspects as well as their experiences with it.

Evidence Used
Chapters 1-4, including pg. 4 and pg. 13

Link to Podcast
https://youtu.be/V9NSu8-rdSA