Category: Virtual Coffeehouse (Page 5 of 6)

What I did over the summer was really a bold move because before the summer started, I never left my house because of the pandemic because I was so scared. My friends came to get me one summer night to hang out and do whatever. Ever since that night, I’ve been out almost every weekend with them and then out with my family. That’s what really surprised me throughout the summer. I’ve been cooped up in my house for 4 months and the fact that I took a chance and left my house really surprised me. Of course, I take proper precautions when I go out, I have my mask on at all times, I don’t go in large crowds… I don’t even like being around people, to begin with. I have wipes and hand sanitizer on me at all times and I wash my hands more times than I should. I’m still a little scared because of how often I do leave my house because I have my little sister and mom to come home to. I don’t want them to be around me until I correctly degerm myself. Nonetheless, I am grateful that I took that chance and left my house because I honestly would’ve gone crazy sitting in my house for the whole summer.

My favorite story out of the three is “The Black Cat” because of the mystery it holds, for me at least. It was giving me Law and Order: Special Victims Unit vibes because of the way he killed his wife. Don’t get me wrong I did enjoy the other stories but it didn’t capture my attention like Edgar Allen Poe’s story did. I truly enjoy it, I read it more times than usual. It was also giving me serial killer vibes because he harmed an animal and everyone knows the signs of becoming a serial killer is to harm or kill a small animal and work your way up. I watch a lot of serial killer documentaries and horror movies. REPLY

One thing I did this summer was take a smalls girls trip to Atlanta, GA. This was something that i needed. Being stuck at home for months and seeing and feeling the despair of the country and the uncertainty of our present weighed heavy on me. This trip stood out because I got time to myself away from regular life. I got to reset and map out a new plan for myself. I learned about starting my own small business and even brained storm ideas for raising donations for a non profit fund to support the needs of women shelters across the city. This summer opened my eyes to the need of my community, and challenged me to push my self to want better for myself. So that i can be successful and so that i could put myself in a position to help others.

The story that has interested me the most so far is the “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. This story really intrigued me because it really made me think about how some groups people view traditions and customs, even today. Some hold their ideals so near that no matter the advancement of technology or the change in times, they still maintain the teachings and practices of their ancestors that have been passed down from generations before.

The story is ironic in the sense that they make a sacrifice every year in order to ensure prosperity and abundance. Though the people made minor changes throughout the years they dare not change and evolve from the worst part of the tradition. The intentional stoning of an unwilling participant once their luck run out and they’re chosen. I thought that was a strange tradition because in order to gain the people had to murder a real person they knew in a brutal painful manner.

I think like most people this summer, mine did not go quite as expected. However, the ability to enjoy the summer months, despite a season of unpredictability, was still present. The opportunity arose to find new avenues to enjoy the hotter months and stay active, while adhering to measures put in place to reduce the spread of the pandemic. While I didn’t find myself on any rooftop bars or mingling among large groups of people, I did pick up my longboard and take my dog out for some much needed exercise while she pulled me along. My boyfriend and I took my dog also out on kayaks for a fresh air and lake day combination. It wasn’t the summer that had been planned when the world was in a better state late last year, but I’m happy to say I still made the most of it.

For the various readings we’ve done thus far into the semester, I’ve been most intrigued by “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe. The one caveat that I should add in saying I was “intrigued,” by it, is that I actually detest the story. What I detest most about it is the macabre themes of animal cruelty, spousal abuse and substance addiction. On that same note, the story paints a fascinating portrayal of a psychological downturn. The narrator is somberly self-aware. His transformation from gentle and conscientious into paranoid and malevolent retells of a common human struggle, especially one exacerbated by “fiend-intemperance,” as the narrator tells it. His conflict of self-loathing that causes him to inflict suffering onto the beings that show him love and mercy contradicts who he once was; a boy with a love so deep for others that it was reputable. His story is one that marks the very human experience of doing ill while knowing what is right. It is quintessential goth and asks the reader to explore the capacity of action and thought in man.

One thing that made me feel good this summer is that I got to spend quality time with my siblings. I am usually extremely busy during the summer because I work more than usual and I take classes as well which means that I would barely get to see them but because of COVID 19 I am not working so I get to spend every day with them so far.

The story that I found the most intriguing to read so far is “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe because it is a story about alcoholism. We can clearly see a change in his personality throughout the plot. He becomes more irritable day after day until he commits an act of perversity which is when he hangs his cat. One event that took me by surprise was when he kills his wife with an axe which was very gruesome. I enjoyed reading this story because it keeps you interested in what will happen next.

Although I was mainly quarantined during the summer, being heavily aware of this pandemic. One thing I kept to myself in order to get through this unsatisfying summer were my goals, I looked back at it over and over again to gain motivation. Other than that, video games was a hobbie for me as it sort of helped get through things, that sums up my whole summer.

Out of the three stories we’ve read, I found “The Black Cat” by Edger Allen Poe the most captivating for me as the theme showed violence. I liked the beginning till the middle and the end. The narrator was known for loving his wife and animals as they had a great relationship but he was an alcoholic which then led to his violent mood swings as he then abused his wife and cat. I was actually hoping for a change of events throughout the ending as in the narrator seeking for help but instead he goes his way and kills his wife over the cat that was driving him insane as she tried to prevent it. In general, death was what the narrator was seeking for instead of help as it seemed, he isn’t thinking nor cares. Alcoholism took over him, triggered him by making him go from this lovely and caring person to a killer.

Diana Castillo

One thing that I did this summer that surprised me was being able to visit my family in Georgia. It was unknown of when I would be seeing them due to this virus and the fact that I was entering my third trimester of pregnancy made it near impossible due to severe anxiety I have been getting with just simply leaving my home. After successfully going on the trip and being as safe as possible in these conditions, it made me feel good to know that I hadn’t gotten sick or contracted anything. It pays to be extra germaphobic in these times. Overall, I am super thankful for the opportunity and wish I could do it again.

Out of the three stories we have read as a class, my favorite is the first one, The Black Cat by Edger Allen Poe. It is my favorite because of the genre. Ever since I was in high school, I enjoyed reading gothic literature because it has more depth to the overall story.I think the message is a little on the darker side but has a lot of meaning. The past will always come back to haunt you and is near impossible to escape. I think the story did a really good job of captivating the darkness of the human mind. I see this especially as the narrator built up the character. He spoke of the deep struggles of a man in a cell on the verge of death due to horrible acts committed. The narrator showed no emotion and lacked empathy throughout, thus making the story that much more terrifying. As he displayed the life of this man, you could really imagine the destruction he cause with abuse to himself with alcohol. He used it as an excuse for the murder and abuse he caused his family before ending it all tragically.

Quarantine was pretty rough, I was out of a job and well paying bills was pretty tough. One thing that did happen over quarantine was that my friends from high school and I got back in touch. We played video games throughout most of quarantine and well they were fun times.

The three stories we read were all pretty interesting, it’s too bad i had already read “The Black Cat” and “The Lottery” in high school. “The Lottery” was the one that really captured my interest. It shows us how human nature works. It really shows with Mrs. Hutchinson’s character. She’s all about the lottery before she was picked, even though she was late. The moment she was picked it all changed, she was pretty much against it and said it wasn’t fair.

The other thing i liked about this story was the twist at the end. From the title and the way the story was going, one would think it’s about and actual lottery where the winner gets something good. Not in this one though, the end could really throw one off and leave them in a state of awe.

This summer I really didn’t do anything much other than working due to the whole covid situation but I did have the interesting job of being a temperature checker at work. I work with Amazon so daily temperature checks are necessary and it felt good doing something that helps to protect me and my fellow coworkers.

From the three stories we have read so far I have to say that “The lottery” by Shirley Jackson was the one I liked the best. The reason why I say this is because the story takes a surprising twist the story takes that I didn’t expect . This story gives “the calm before the storm” a new meaning from the way the twist was thrown in there as one would not expect the reward from the lottery would be stoning done by your fellow neighbors. The story shows the theme of tradition in a horrible way as persons have been taking part in “the lottery” for over seventy-seven years without wondering if it’s a stupid tradition that they are following blindly. It also seems like the narrator is scarred by the events by the way they go into details and describe even the smallest. It’s almost as if the events took place yesterday from the way it was detailed.

This summer was such a rollercoaster but now that it is over I did many fun and interesting things even though a lot was happening around us. I tried to maintain myself busy with different activities or just unnecessary shopping. One interesting thing I did this summer was moving from Brooklyn to Long island. The excitement of moving and to begin a new life got me very excited and full of fun emotions which by the way it was the first time since january. I got to decorate, buy, and do a lot of fixing which I didn’t mind because it kept me occupied.

The story that got most of my attention would be the Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe the different meanings and themes and chaos is interesting and the way that the main character acts got my attention. The story did drag my attention from the beginning when the narrator expresses his childhood and paragraph after paragraph all that happiness began downfalling to this bipolar/angry character. The story gives the readers suspense and questionable thoughts of why the main character acts the way he does. He’s passion for animals began to be abusive due to his alcoholism issues and anger issues which caused him to kill Pluto and lose the house. The main character explained that everytime he had the panic attacks “demons” would take over his body and attack. Those scenes grab my attention and I wanted to continue reading and finding out what was causing his temperament changes. The story is sure one of my favorite because it showed how someone with a happy life and zero issues could later on experiences choas and emotions changes.