Daily Archives: March 21, 2014

Midterm exam preparation

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1) The Cottagette

2) By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

“I want to marry you, Malda, –because I love you—because you are young and strong and beautiful—because you are wild and sweet and—fragrant, and—elusive, like the wild flowers you love. Because you are so truly an artist in your special way, seeing beauty and giving it to others. I love you because of all of this, because you are rational and highminded and capable of friendship, –and in spite of your cooking!”

3) I chose this passage because I believe Ford was trying to express his love to Malda. He was trying to genuinely show Malda that he truly loves her, not only for cooking but because she is a bright, smart, caring, intelligent, and loving woman. That he loves every part of her, and would kindly support her, on pursuing her dreams. That he sincerely loves her as a person for her wonderful personality and would do anything for her.

4) I believe this passage connects to larger issues in society today, by showing us women that not all men are the same. I believe Gilman wrote this story, to express to us women that true love still does exist in this world, and that us women should not settle for less than we deserve. Furthermore, that there is a man out there who will love you wholly, for who you really are. I think she also tries to prove to us that women don’t always have to cook and clean in order to keep a man. There is more to a woman, than just the way she cooks or cleans. Women have talent, and intelligence just as well as men do. And at the end of the day, a man will not only remember you for your cooking and cleaning, but more for your understanding, intellect, and ambition to pursue your dreams in life.

Midterm exam preparation

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1) Quicksand

2) By: Nella Larsen

“Helga’s essentially likable and charming personality was smudged out. She had felt this for a long time. Now she faced with determination that other truth which she had refused to formulate in her thoughts, the fact that she was utterly unfitted for teaching, even for mere existence, in Naxos.”

3) In this passage, I believe Helga was going through many emotions and feelings at this very moment. Helga first went into Naxos with the ambition and determination to help teach and motivate the younger generation but did not accomplish anything she had originally set out to do. She had finally felt like a complete failure, that there was no point of her existence anymore. Helga was completely disappointed in herself and even felt that she was not fit for teaching anymore. All the joy and life in her personality was entirely gone, like a person left with no soul. She no longer had the ambition or want to teach anymore, especially in Naxos. Helga felt that the excellent community and school she was thought she was teaching at was no longer a school. She felt like the life had died out everything as well as her own self. The school and community had basically become a machine with no individualism or innovations left.

4) I believe this passage has a lot to do with the theme of the book, because I feel like this was the start of Helga’s want and need to her moving out of that area. I believe this is where she began to start doing her own soul searching trying to find herself. I think Helga was confused and wasn’t sure of what she wanted to do with herself anymore which led to her moving to many different locations with the same outcome and no further progress.