Category Archives: Project #2

Gallery, Project #2

Project 2 Part 2

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WordItOut-word-cloud-817348

For Part 2 of the project i made a word cloud that represented the entire story. I did the entire story because the words that most come up would be a good representation of what the story would be about and who would it go around. The word cloud shows that Sethe is what the story is focused on and it will mostly go around what is happening in her life and all the choices that she makes. The word cloud also tells us which characters are also important and can find what kind of relationship they have with Sethe and the story they have with her. As readers get to read the book and know what meanings such as “baby” and “Beloved” mean they can see the importance they have in the book.

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Project #2

Project 2 Part 1

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In the novel “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, each character faces their own hardship and struggles to get to the point where they are at. There are many moments in the story that can impact the story in a major way, it would change how each character would live. One of these moments that would majorly impact how the story would be written is when the schoolteacher comes into the Garner house after Mr. Garner had passed away.

After the schoolteacher comes into the Garner house, he brings his two nephews with him and soon after they steal Sethe’s milk. We learn of that when Sethe is talking about it with Paul D years after it had happen.

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The milk would be there and I would be there with it.” “Men don’t know nothing much,” said Paul D, tucking his pouch back into his vest pocket, “but they do know a suckling can’t be away from its mother for long.” “Then they know what it’s like to send your children off when your breasts are full.” “We was talking ’bout a tree, Sethe.” “After I left you, those boys came in there and took my milk. That’s what they came in there for. Held me down and took it. I told Mrs. Garner on em. She had that lump and couldn’t speak but her eyes rolled out tears. Them boys found out I told on em. Schoolteacher made one open up my back, and when it closed it made a tree. It grows there still.” “They used cowhide on you?” “And they took my milk.” “They beat you and you was pregnant?” “And they took my milk!”

In this scene Sethe is talking to Paul D while she is making dough and Sethe starts talking about how important it was for her to give milk to her daughter Denver. Then she goes back into time to explain to Paul D what had happen to her when the schoolteacher came into the Garner house with his nephews. Sethe tells Paul D that she was taken to a barn with the schoolteacher and the two nephews where they held her down and raped her there.

This scene is important because it starts a big spiral of misfortune for Sethe for many years to come. After this happens to Sethe, she starts to lose many things that are important to her and this kind of thing that happen to her in such an early age would have effect on her and those around her. This would not have happened if the schoolteacher did not come into the Garner house and took advantage of the fact that he was in control over those that lived there.

Soon after this happen another impactful scene would appear in front of Sethe. The schoolteacher tried to take Sethe and her children to be taken as slaves. Sethe would respond to this by trying to kill her children, so that they would not have to live being a slave.

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Right off it was clear, to schoolteacher especially, that there was nothing there to claim. The three (now four—because she’d had the one coming when she cut) pickaninnies they had hoped were alive and well enough to take back to Kentucky, take back and raise properly to do the work Sweet Home desperately needed, were not.”

In this scene Sethe was able to see the schoolteacher before the schoolteacher saw her and quickly gather her children into the barn. In the barn Sethe decided that it was better for her children to die then face the life of living as slaves. The schoolteacher finds Sethe in the barn after she had killed one of her children, while the other three had escaped and he quickly notices what Sethe had done. The schoolteacher could not take Sethe as a slave after noticing what she had done to her children because she was sick.

This scene is important because after experiencing being raped by the schoolteacher’s nephew Sethe yet again was faced with another hardship. To have to pick whether you like your children live as slaves or kill them so that they wouldn’t have to experience it, that is something that not one person would want to do. Sethe having to make this choice just tells how much her children were part of her life and the value they represent. If the schoolteacher never came into the Garner house, Sethe would have been living with her children in a peaceful life instead of having to make the choice of whether killing her children or letting them live as slaves.

After having to live with all this that happen to Sethe, the moment when she learned that her husband Halle, whom lived with her at the Garners did not abandon was an emotional moment for her.

“There is also my husband squatting by the churn smearing the butter as well as its clabber all over his face because the milk they took is on his mind [. . . ] I don’t want to know or have to remember that. I have other things to do: worry , for example, about tomorrow , about Denver, about Beloved , about age and sickness not to speak of love.”

In this scene Paul D tells Sethe about her husband Halle who she thought abandon her when they lived at the Garner house. Sethe learns that Halle did not abandon her, but that Halle went crazy because he was in the barn when Sethe was raped by the schoolteacher’s nephews.

This scene is important because Sethe thought the entire time that her husband abandoned her. Sethe was worried about Halle a lot because she did not know what had happen to her since she never got to see him. When she learned that he went crazy because of what he saw, she could come to the fact that Halle did not survive after seeing what had happen to her and did not blame him anymore for not being able to save their children. It also let a lot of burden off her mind because she did not have to think about what condition Halle was in anymore. Sethe also realizes that instead of letting out her emotions, she had been living with them all the time all stuffed up inside of her.

If the schoolteacher had never came into the Garner house after Mr. Garner had passed away these moments would have never happen to Sethe. Not getting her milk stolen would have never scarred or would have it have made Halle go crazy. Sethe would also never would have been presented with the choice of killing her children or letting them be sold as slaves. The schoolteacher not coming into the house would have changed a lot of what the story would have become.

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Project #2

My Cover Letter for Beloved by Keith Smith

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My Cover Letter by Keith Smith

 

I really feel I have come a long way in looking at Fiction in a whole new way. Especially when I read “Beloved”. This was a book that did not hold my interest but because it was mandatory, I was able to really understand the author’s theme. In my Part 1, I was able to write a 1400 word essay talking about Halle’s not being in the barn and how it affected the entire story. I put in that essay a totally different way to tell the story. Halle would become a main character instead of a remembrance. His part would be great but at the same time probably would have not changed many parts of the story (Beloved’s death and Paul D.). I had to use some creativity which I am not very good at. I feel that was a plus. Creativity was the main ingredient in Part 2 of Project 2. I was also able to focus on my topic of Freedom. I had to search far and wide for a song or poem that really put my views in perspective. When I found what I was looking for, I had to learn a new skill of applying it to my Project. I have never used Powerpoint before and it took a while to mesh things together. I am really proud of how it turned out.

What was most challenging or frustrating was trying to find specific quotes to back up my first part of my project. A timeline book is very easy to dish out the quotes because I know where they would be at. But this book was all over the place in time, and I got fed up with reading the entire book over (or most of it) and not finding what I needed. In fact you may have done this but I don’t remember, but give the students a heads up on what to look for, like changing the storyline, and applying quotes to back them up. I did not know to do this until after I read the book. That was probably my fault though. Another thing that was very hard for me was trying to put a presentation together and it took almost the whole day to get it right. But the good thing is that now I know how to put a presentation together. I have always spoken well to sell something, or make somebody understand. But to be creative and put together creativity is definitely something I do not do well. I remember in my other class I needed to make a widget from LEGO, and it took weeks. But give me instruction I can do it right the first time. This is why I can ace Math and Software Programming because it is a science. The other thing about how I roll is that if I go to a class and the teacher teaches ( no matter what subject) I learn . My GPA is 3.87 over three years and the only classes I did not get an A in was because the teachers did not teach. Just figure it out was the themes in those classes, and I couldn’t. Please don’t personalize this it is not for you. What I learned on Wednesdays from you was really cool stuff. But Sunday Night/ Monday I had no clue what I was doing. Personally I think if you were in classes those days I would have learned a lot. That is because you are a great teacher.

 

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Project #2

Project 2 Part 2 Beloved Presentation by Keith Smith

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Project 2 Beloved by Keith Smith Project-2-Beloved-by-Keith-SmithProject 2 Beloved by Keith Smith

I am going to E-mail you my presentation of Project Two. It is too large for Open Lab (34 Mb)

Project 2 Beloved by Keith Smith

I chose the topic Freedom for the meanings of not only the song, but also the book. It is also my theme of what would have happened if Halle and Seethe would have gotten away. I am going to the book and talk about what would have happened if Halle had hidden somewhere other than the loft of the barn. He would not have seen Seethe being molested by the two Nephews. She may have told him later when they left, and maybe his protective nature would have been stronger. So my version is that they escape together. In the book she sends the kids ahead and I think that would still happen.  I will explain the story of what happens after that later on. First though I want to talk about the theme of the song. It is quite clear Freedom in the song means death to avoid the persecutions of slavery and abuse. I personally feel it is better to be with the Lord instead of being with the abusive masters and other whites during that time. This is also the belief that Seethe had, as she tried to kill her children so that they would not be exposed to the cruelty of what she knew. In my presentation I show how my storyline evolves beginning with the abuse of slaves, the desire to leave, and the actual escape. Reunited with Halle’s mother Baby Suggs, they feel free and life becomes a joy. Until the schoolteacher tracks them down. As Halle tries to stop them, he is probably subdued and Seethe who is very scared runs to the shed with her children. She goes crazy and tries to kill them (to give them Freedom). Stamp Paid and Baby Suggs are able to stop her but not before she kills the infant (Beloved). As the story goes she is whisked off to jail. 18 years later Halle is never heard from again. Thus enters Paul D. who wants to settle down, and takes Seethe and Denver under his wing. They begin to enjoy life together and live happy and free putting behind their remembrances of pain and suffering. I cannot change the way the rest of the book goes. But I can remember another retelling of Freedom. Sixo who got caught with Paul D. in their escape, chose to antagonize the schoolteacher and his posse. They tie him up and set fire to the wood around him, but as he burns he sings because he knows his seed will live on, and he is ready to be with his Lord. More upset than ever the men in the posse decide to shoot him just to shut him up. The song really sounds like a joyous song, that really shows the true feelings of how African American who were persecuted really wanted to die before going back to the abuse and discrimination that the white man dealt thinking it was justified       and they deserved it.

 

 

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Project #2, Uncategorized

Project #2 part 2

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I chose this picture as part 2  because it symbolizes the tobacco tin box where Paul D’s heart is contained in. It also symbolizes the pain Paul D went through at Sweet Home when the School Teacher took over, as well as afterwards when he was sold to a new master after trying to escape sweet home.  Although it took awhile before Paul D was able to open up, he explains the bid in his mouth, as well as the prison he was in. Georgia had to be the worst experience  Paul D has ever been through. He wasn’t used to that sort of treatment because back in sweet home, when Mr.Garner was alive, he treated his slaves good. These moments changed Paul D, he wasn’t able to adapt to things after that. Paul D wouldn’t let himself get attached.  In that tobacco tin is where Paul D hid his memories and emotion, he wouldn’t let himself feel.

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Project #2

Project 2 Part 1-Curating Beloved By Keith Smith

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‘Project 2           Curating Beloved

 

 

I believe that what Paul D. told Seethe about Halle and how he ended up seeing him, was a big part of the story. When Seethe told Paul what had happened in the barn, how she was violated, held down and was taken of her milk, I believe that is when Paul put things together. He had already known that Halle was hiding in the loft as what was explained in his remembrance of all of them trying to leave Sweet Home. And he was able to understand after he was caught why Halle had lost his senility.  My belief is that if Halle was not hiding in the loft, that this story would have been a whole different tale. I am not saying that Beloved would not been present but I will show a story that effected not only Baby Suggs, Seethe, and her two Boys. But will still show Paul D.’s presence 18 years later. And I will also stay with Beloved being killed, and coming back in the story.

When Denver was 10, Baby Suggs had passed, with no hope of ever seeing her youngest child, Halle. She was tired and broken in spirit, when Seethe showed up with the last of her grandkids, who were already there. I feel if Halle had made it, she would have not given up on her spirited preaching in the clearing. When he and Seethe arrived at 124, she might have already told him what happened in the barn, he might have felt shame. He would have not known that the schoolteacher would be looking for them, and that would probably be the first place to look. Let us assume that they would have not left before schoolteacher’s arrival. I feel that Halle would have done whatever he could to not allow the schoolteacher to take his wife and children back. He probably would have been beaten or killed protecting them, and Seethe would have ran to the shed to kill the children anyway. My point is that Baby Suggs would have been decimated to see her last child put down, and probably would not have been in mental shape to save the two boys from the wounds that their mother had inflicted upon them. Beloved would still be dead. My point here is to say that these were other ways that the story could have gone. Halle could be killed; Baby Suggs would be happy or crushed. Nobody would have died or the three children could be dead. And who knows how the town would have reacted in Beloved’s death or Halle’s death.

Again let us go back to Paul D.’s remembrance of their futile escape. With Sixo shot and burned and Halle’s disappearance. If Halle had waited with Seethe, they could have gotten away like the children and the nephews would not have violated her. So even if they were caught, I doubt that the barn scene would not have happened as the men were trying to get their slaves back. Sweet home would have not been as painful for Seethe, and she might have remained there to be a breeder for more slaves. So let us discuss how this could have played out. They might have gotten away as the children did. They might have been caught as the story goes, and Halle and Paul D could have been sold away. Seethe would have her baby, and more opportunity to have more. Because I understood the story as the schoolteacher kinda done with the Sweet Home thing, that was his plan at that point; sell the men and breed the woman. Seethe would have not carried the anger of her husband not being there. And I don’t know if the schoolteacher would have gone after the children that got away, and Beloved would be alive; probably with a different name.

So now I would like to point out a good way in which the story goes. Halle and Seethe get away. They realize that they are being hunted, so they grab the kids and leave 124 which is not safe. Halle gets a job and goes to work every day. Somehow they get caught by the schoolteacher or bounty hunters, and it gets worse. Halle is at his job, and Seethe is confronted, so she either kills the children or they get sold. Halle is taken back to Sweet Home with Seethe, and the children are either dead or gone. As Beloved and her brother get older they go back to Sweet Home and burn it down and kill the schoolteacher and the nephews. They save Halle and Seethe and Paul D. and become fugitives for the rest of their life.

But let us go back to the story where Paul D. shows up 18 years later. He would have found out then that Halle was killed trying to protect his family. Baby Suggs is gone, Denver is eighteen, and the house is occupied by Beloved’s ghost. He would have felt stronger in his conviction to take care of his friend’s family. He might even felt responsible for getting caught and not being able to help out Halle and his family. So he takes it upon himself to better their lives at 124, scares the spirit in the home away and moves them to a better place. Beloved still shows up and he his conviction is stronger than the spirit’s influence. Maybe he gets the church women together and drives Beloved away.

I was not able to use quotes in the story because I found it very hard to find them because the story keeps jumping back and forth and I found myself reading the story over and over. My interpretation of those quotes is what is important here. Halle was a very good man and would have done anything for his mother, family, and his brothers, and most of all for his children. If I were to write a story about the hardships of slavery and discrimination I certainly would not talk about a selfish ghost that has no importance in the story. I would write about the camaraderie of the persecuted people, such as Stamp Paid. I would write about the hardships the tolls it took and the reason it needed to change. I would write about the families divided yet held together by the bond of blood. What was touched upon in this story was even after the Civil War there were many unnecessary brutalities and murders just because of color. And I feel that this needs to be touched on. Even today there are many hate crimes and the stories of slavery and discrimination will show people that enough harm has been committed and whatever reason for them is very sad.

The whole point that I am trying to make is that Halle would have tried to stop his wife’s violation or died trying. That’s how it really was back then. If they had to escape he would have made sure that his wife and children would have had a chance to get away. A man who had gotten away with them, would have protected them with his dying breath. Because Seethe was a woman that had undergone horrible acts probably would have taken her children’s life so that they would not experience the horrors that she was put through. Baby Suggs would have probably not let them stay there because she knew the convictions of the white man, and would have probably used her connections to get them safely away. I really felt that Paul D. was the rock of this story as he and Halle had been put through so much, and was able to hold his head high. In fact as the story went he was going to be there for Seethe, which further illustrates that Halle would have been twice the man. And reading a story about how the persecuted persevered would be more uplifting. Take movies like “Radio”, “Red Tails”, “Men of Honor”, and “Glory” about black American struggles in the U.S. Not a selfish ghost story that was horrible reading. I’m just saying. Keith Smith

 

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Project #2

PROJECT 2 COVER LETTER

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This project, like the last one was pretty challenging to do. Although we didn’t have to recreate the story, we pretty much had to think hard and look back into the story to reach the goal of this project.

What I’m really proud about in Part 1 of this project is the ability to use the 5 Step Method Professor Rosen taught us. It made organizing my essay much easier and to me, it played well. For Part 2, although it may seem simple, I’m proud of the haiku/picture symbolism. I thought pretty hard on how I would create it. I wanted something simple yet creative. In other words, I wanted to do something that no one did so far.

For Part 1, the hardest thing to do was to choose the quotes to back up my thesis statement. To others, this may seem like an easy task however, for someone who forgets the exact location of passages he reads, it’s pretty hard. I had to think hard and remember where in the story did they mention something that can back up my thesis. I even had to go back and skim through several chapters. For Part 2, the hardest thing to do was the haiku. 17 syllables is too little for such a large pivotal scene. I made about 10+ haikus about this before making my decision (with some help from my friends) to choose the haiku that can be seen in my project.

One big and useful skill I learned and acquired from this project is the implementation of the 5-Step Method for using quotes. I feel that it is something that I should remember and that it is something that I would use in the future. As I said earlier, it made organizing my essay much easier.

If I could change my project in any way, it would be to expand on Part 1. I feel that more events that related to my project could’ve been added. Thing is since I forget where events in the story occurred, it hindered me from being able to do this.

If I could change any part of Project #2, it would be similar to Project #1. The task would be to choose a pivotal scene and to change the story in a way so that your pivotal scene never occurred and the events that followed would be different. Pretty much recreate the story in a different timeline.

As I mentioned before, you may think for Part 1, “Oh he could add this and that…” however when reading a book of this caliber, I tend to forget the locations of some events so that limited me on what I could put. Other than that, this project was a good learning experience and was pretty challenging.

Part1: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/rosens2015fiction/2015/05/05/project-2-part-1-2/

Part2: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/rosens2015fiction/2015/05/05/project-2-part-2-4/

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Project #2

Project #2 Cover Letter

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The story “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison proved to be quite interesting.  I enjoyed reading the novel and was not surprised by the conclusion.  It was easy to relate to Sethe not thinking rationally about having her dead daughter who reincarnated live with her.  I can relate because many times we make mistakes and hope for a chance to fix those mistakes.   To Sethe this was her chance to make things right with her daughter and make her understand she killed her because she loved her.  For Part 1 of the project, deciding a pivotal moment in the novel was not difficult.  I am very proud of the fact that I was able to identify a pivotal moment and use interesting information to back up the main quote and the supporting quotes that I used.

Part 2 of project #2 was most challenging for me.  Although the story inspired me in many ways I had difficulty thinking of creative ways to depict that.  I choose to use concrete poetry.  I spent many hours trying to figure out how to do this creative method.   After figuring out how to convert my pivotal quote into a symbol, I spent some time trying to draw.  Finally, I drew a hat which represented the hat Schoolteacher wore when he came to take Sethe and her children back to Sweet Home and slavery.  I am not an artist, but I did my best.  I have definitely acquired a new skill.  I am now able to make concrete poetry.  I have also learn to use the five step method which I plan to use whenever I write similar essays.

The part of my project that I would change is the hat and the words.  I would try to draw a better hat and make it bigger and use a larger font size for the words of the quote.  I made a colored version of the hat but had difficulty pasting it in my post. I was not overly excited about the creative part of project #2.  This is because I am not a very creative person when comes to making images.  Therefore the part of project #2 assignment that I would change or eliminate is the creative aspect which is part 2.

As a writer I am intrigued by Toni Morrison’s method of writing.  I loved her creativity, the level of suspense and her use of flashbacks.  Whenever a flashback appeared in the story I became excited.  This is because each flashback gave an explanation and clarify what, why, where, when and how present day events were happening.

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Gallery, Project #2, Uncategorized

Sethe’s Worst Fear

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concrete-poetry-hat4-1024x576

This image of a hat is a representation of what can be described as the trigger that set Sethe in motion and led her to gather her children and take them to the woodshed where she felt they would be safe.   In the woodshed the most pivotal moment in the novel occurred.  She managed to kill her first daughter on whose headstone the word, “Beloved,” the only word Sethe could afford was inscribed.

It was by chance that Sethe was squatting in the garden and manage to see Schoolteacher’s hat hovering above the garden fence before he saw her.   She knew his presence there, at the house at 124 Bluestone meant only one thing, a return to slavery for her and her children.  Sethe had experienced slavery and knew its harsh realities.  She knew what it was like to be beaten, treated and classified as an animal and not able to love anything or anyone for fear they could be separated and killed or sold at any time.   Noticing the hat before the wearer saw her gave her a head start that changed the course of her life and that of her family.   Her mind and body worked at high speed, pushing, shoving and dragging her children into the woodshed.  Then she lost all rationality, “no, no, nonono,” she repeated as she made the decision that death was safer than slavery for her and her children.  That was the worse decision of her life.  This is because after that unfortunate day, not only did she have to live with her conscience she also had to live in a house haunted by the baby, endured being shunned by the towns people and the loss of her two sons who ran away from her.   Her worst suffering came when Beloved the reincarnation of the dead baby returned for revenge.

 

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