Human Stain

The book starts of by introducing the affair between Coleman Silk, a seventy-one year old college dean professor, and a thirty-four year-old cleaning lady. Then it mentions Clinton's affair. It seems like the narrator is drawing parallel between Coleman Silk's affair and Clinton's affair. Silk and Clinton both are so much older and have higher social status than the cleaning lady and Lewinsky. Clinton was impeached by Congress but did not lose his job while Coleman lost his job because of his so-called "racist behavior". The similarities between Clinton and Coleman drew my attention. Coleman seems pretty mysterious and has a lot of secrets to be discovered.

Gatsby characters

Most of the characters in the first two chapters are high-class, wealthy people. They are rich, snobbish and superficial. The conversation between them at the party in New York City in chapter 2 shows how conceited some of them are and how much they care about money and social status. The female character like Myrtle or Daisy are been considered as inferior to men and they are weak and powerless in someways. In chapter one, Daisy said that she wish her daughter can be a pretty little fool, which implies her helplessness and disappointment of women's status in the society. In chapter two, when Myrtle was drunk and began to talk about Daisy, Tom got angry and broke her nose. It reflects the fact that men have more power the women in that society.

Swimming

Swimming in a pool is usually relaxing and an enjoyment, but it may also be a torture when there is no enough space in the pool and people around start kicking and punching each other accidentally. In order to go to the beach trips or do anything involving water, I had to experience this nightmare, the swimming test at summer school. After waiting in the huge line for a long time, it was finally my term. I thought the swimming test was a piece of cake as it was only one lap and swimming is the only sports I was good at. I was so confident about how fast and easily I was going to finish this one lap until I started swimming. Somebody kicked me at my head as I just swam for one step, but that was just the beginning.  Since nobody was wearing goggles, everyone kept swimming into others and punching at others’ face blindly and unintentionally. People around me kept running into and kicking me as I kept swallowing the chlorinated water. At the same time, I was kicking and running into others as well. It seemed more like a parking lot than a swimming pool, and there was traffic everywhere. Luckily I didn’t swallow all the water in the pool after the rough one lap. I dragged my tired body out of the chlorinated water and tapped the people who were still in line on their shoulders with a painful smile on my face.

A Clean, Well-lighted Place

In the end of the story, the young waiter is happy as he can go back to home by making the old man leave the cafe, however, the old man and the old waiter feel sad and disappointed to go back to home alone. Unlike the young waiter, the old man and the old waiter have no youth or people around them. "Nothing is with thee", the old waiter understands the how lonely it is inside of the old man as he feels the emptiness or "nada". Like the old man, the old waiter sees the clean,well-lighted cafe is a shelter for him, where he does not have to be alone. The young waiter will not understand the feelings of the old man and the old waiter as he is still young and is surrounded by his loved ones. 

Steller---Isolation

The topic of my Steller story is isolation, a common theme of "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, “Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck and"Barn Burning" by William Faulkner. The main characters of  these three stories, Paul, Elise and Sartories are all isolating themselves from the people or the society around them. Paul, a lonely teenager, does not fit any where, not even his family. He lies and keeps his inner voice away from his appearance. No one really understands his inner world. Even his father would be ashamed of him. He is been isolated from his surrounding. Elisa, a "strong" and passionate woman, been cooped up in gardening and separated from the outside world. She believes that a woman is capable of doing what a man can do and she is eager to live a life as the tinker. Her talent is submerged in the patriarchal society, where the women and men do no have equal social rights. No one really appreciates her intelligence. This strong woman cries like an old woman as she can't change the reality that she is been isolated. Sartories struggles between morality and his family. He morally disagrees with what his father has done, but his heart tells him that he should protect his family,his father no matter happens. Like Paul and Elisa, no one understands Sartories neither. His moral justice isolated himself from others. The three characters are all experiencing isolation from the surrounding. 

My steller:

https://steller.co/stories/362745502636181058

Sources of pictures:

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/guest-writers/tip-handling-isolation-that-comes-from-chronic-illness/

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/189328/extreme-isolation-overused-in-new-york-prisons/

http://pinkporchlife.com/health/beingisolated/

http://www.pinterest.com/

The Chrysanthemums

In The Chrysanthemums, Elisa Allen, wife of Henry, is a housewife and gardening is her main job of her daily life. "Her face was lean and strong"(352)"Her face was eager and mature and heasome;even her work with the scissors was over-eager, over-powerful"(352). According to Steinbeck's description of Elisa Allen, not like the stereotype of housewife, she seems as strong and powerful as a man, but still very obedient to her husband. Elisa Allen is a really passionate and strong woman, who wants to escape from the typical housewife's life of woman. She wishes she could live a life like the tinker. She is tired of her ordinary life of planting and she is eager to show to men that a woman is able to do what a man can do.

Oct 12 2014

Poor Paul

Nothing can please Paul except for money. Paul, a teenager from middle class family, believes that money can "save" his life. He does not fit in anywhere, not in school or even his own family. He is always lying and he never really shows his real feelings to others. He wants to escape from the society surrounding him. Paul is truly lonely inside as he even thinks that his father would be ashamed of him. After stealing a huge amount of money, he enjoys the luxurious life he always dreams about, however, the happiness that money gives to him seems ephemeral. He ends up committing suicide and escapes from the world he does not seem to fit in.