OKSO

Contrary to the situation indicated by the size of the Task Lisk back in August, English 222 was a success! I had a great month including my trip to Cortes Island as well as my Residence Advisor Orientation. Now that we are all "trained"/"oriented" and the residents have moved in, we're gearing up to start courses. Most courses are canceled tomorrow, but I have to attend welcome events for my faculties, an information fair, and my history night course. I will post a recap of the history course tomorrow night and possibly some strategies for the coming year.

ENGL 222 - Updated Task List

The things I have left to do for this course (I probably forgot something).
1. Reorganize my binder
2. Term Paper
3. Read The Jade Peony
4. Jade Peony Journal
5. Final Journal
6. Final Exam Preparation (Read all short items, finish all plays/novels)
7. Final Exam
Other than the term paper, I'm starting to feel a little bit better.

The Stone Diaries - Reading Journal

Shields uses the technique of an alternating point of view throughout The Stone Diaries. The chapter entitled “Sorrow,” comprised of a relatively omniscient introduction followed by several accounts from different characters, all written in first-person (but from different people), is particularly exemplary of this element. Interestingly, the accounts come not only from prominent characters, such as Daisy's children and best friends, but also minor characters like her housekeeper and the grandson of the “Old Jew” who witnessed her birth. In fact, the section entitled “Cora-Mae Milltown” offers further insight into events that have already been described earlier in the book by other sources, as well as an interesting perspective on motherhood. Cora-Mae begins her theory “the poor motherless thing (p.253),” which right away attributes Daisy's middle-aged depression to her growing up without a mother. Interestingly, Cora-Mae seems particularly transfixed on the importance of a child growing up with her biological mother, as Daisy had maternal-type figures during her childhood: Clarentine Flett until she was eleven, and then, in a way, Core-Mae. Cora-Mae mentions her maternal role in Daisy's life towards the end of her “Theory,” but is somewhat dismissive of it, probably because she's not Daisy's biological mother and because she has her own children: “I'm all she's got. I'm not even half a mama, but I'm all the mama she's ever going to get (p.255).” Cora-Mae even uses Daisy's motherless childhood as an excuse for unorthodox behavior: “I'd say to myself, remember this poor child is motherless, and there's not one thing worse in this world than being motherless (p.255).” Another significant point in Cora-Mae's vision of motherhood comes when she mentions her own daughter Lucille: “Her mama's no more than a little bitty story in her life now … But you can't make it go away. Your mama's inside you.” (p.255) This notion that a mother can be dismissed or forgotten, but always remains with a person, suggests that by Cora-Mae's definition of a mother (biological), Daisy is an incomplete person.

Memories of You - Reading Journal

In Wendy Lill's Memories of You, there is possibility for an interesting comparison between the discussions and disagreements between Elizabeth and Rose, and those taking place in the past between Betty and Louise. By juxtaposing Betty, in her role as a daughter, struggling through her relationship with mother, and Elizabeth, in her role as a mother, struggling through her relationship with her daughter, Lill offers a wide portrayal of her split subject. The different instances in which Elizabeth/Betty discusses her writing with Louise or Rose make for a significant comparison of a mother's attitude toward her daughter's work and that of a daughter towards her mother's. When Louise and Betty discuss Betty's journals, Louise demonstrates an inability to fathom the use of imagination or deviation from the realistic truth: “But I don't remember that (pointing to notebook). And I don't believe you even thought that (p.18).” While Louise believes that one should write what happened, Betty defends her imagination, saying “It came out of my heart (p.17).”
Similarly, Rose and Elizabeth's discussion of the writer-in-residence position offered to Elizabeth demonstrates Rose's sense of hardened realism and Elizabeth's openness to ambiguous possibility. While Elizabeth talks about how it would be amusing “to be taken seriously as a writer after so long (p.45),” Rose counters with “More like pathetic. I bet it has to do with you being a Canadian (p.45).” It is important to note that with both Rose and Louise, they speak based on their own notion of what is realistic or practical, which is skewed by the extremely contrasting lifestyles they lead.

English 222

The things I have left to do for this course (I probably forgot something).
1. Reorganize my binder
2. Memories of You Journal
3. Read Stone Diaries
4. Stone Diaries Journal
5. Read The Jade Peony
6. Jade Peony Journal
7. Final Journal
8. Term Paper
9. Final Exam Preparation (Read all short items, finish all plays/novels)
10. Final Exam
I have a lot left to do in this course, and less than a week. I'm disappointed that I let myself fall behind.