Response to Rhanita Oneal Blog Post of February 26, 2009

Hello Ms. Oneal. I liked your insightful commentary about Theme for English B and Mother to Son. You hit it directly on the head about how the instructor stated when giving the assignment to the students for them to "let the assignment come out of you, then it will be true". I also believe that this poem is also backing up Hughes' beliefs in the essay that he wrote, The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. I totally agree with Hughes in that you should not have to conform to a standard when creating art or writing literature. You should be who you are because that will make it more genuine. Mother to Son, another poem by Langston Hughes was about a mother trying to impart some knowledge to her son in helping him to become a man. Which was alot harder to be back then with the hardships our people went through. I believe that because of the generation that this young man listened to his mother because she was a big influence on his life (contrary to what other people think) and that he became that man she would have been proud of. You are doing well with your blog posts. I know that you are tired (as am I) but the mountaintop is almost there, homegirl. Hang in there!

Response to Joe Grinage Blog Post#10

Very insightful and creative blogsite. I enjoyed reading your blog post. While reading it, I pictured those zoot suits you were talking about with everyone dancing all night long to the sounds of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, or Bessie Smith. They celebrated back in those times the way I believe that you and I would like to have celebrated. Not having to worrying about guns or getting killed, everyone was out to have a good time. There were some bad apples in the bunch but it seemed to be alot more contained back then. Nice picture dude keep up the good work!

In the early 1940's, Langson Hughes creeated a character named Jess B. Semple. This character represented the black man of that age and told stories and stated social commentary that was quite funny. One of his commentaries was named Semple on Indian Blood which talked bout my race and how we claim to having Indian blood running through our veins (which we do claim). I have been known to claim this as my maternal great grandmother was fullblooded Cherokee Indian. She had long beautiful black hair that my grandma told me she liked to brush. Anyway in the story Semple states that we use this claim of Indian blood as a reason for our getting into fights. This lecture also talks about women and how we want them to act and look (old fashioned and modern at the same time). Talked about Creole women and how beautiful but crazy they are. States a pretty woman will get a man into trouble. Also states that everyone should take other people as they are-the world would be alot simpler. Last Whipping is a story about love of family, respect for your elders, and caring for the people who care for you. Simple tells us about his Aunt Lucy, who raised him after his mother died, who is forced to whip Jesse for stealing one of her prized pullet hens—a hen that Jesse gave to a girl for a Sunday School picnic. When Simple hears that he’s going to be whipped, he resists because he’s a man, going on seventeen and big as an ox. But when his Aunt begins to cry, saying things like she thinks she’s failed in raising Jesse to be good, Jesse submits to the whipping and promises to behave himself. He tells us that “from that day to this, I have tried to behave myself.” He then stated, "That was his last whipping!" Very funny story indeed. Semple was a unique character that dealt with racism using honesty, humor, and determination.

Readings for 3/3/09

The readings for 3/3/09 first dealt with the history of jazz and blues. Jazz and Blues are intertwined and blues is like the grandfather of jazz. Blues originated in New Orleans, Mississippi Delta, and Memphis, TN while jazz originated in New Orleans. Blues involved a compelling rythmic sound between that relied on patterns of call and response between singer singer and audience or singer and instrument. Jazz was primarily instrumental music that was impacted by the voice.Jazz and blues both dealt with the dim circumstances of life. Both genres of music involved improvisation of music on your instrument. The music is not as structured as say classical music where you read and play what is on the sheet music but inolves the feelings of the musician towards the music and how he allows himself to get caught up and absorbed in the rhythm and rich beats of the song. The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes is a poem about a musician playing the song Weary Blues all night. The song was very relaxed and low key. Some of the lyrics in the song was that "I got the weary blues, and can't be satisfied, I ain't happy no mo, and I wish that I had died". After playing the song all night the musician went up to his room and went to bed and slept very heavy like a man that's dead. The Blues I'm Playing by Langston Hughes is a story about Oceola and her benefactor Mrs. Ellsworth. Oceola was being taken care of by Mrs. Ellsworth because of her musical talent. Mrs. Ellsworth sponsored piano lessons and trips to Europe for Oceola so she could further develop her musical talent but Oceola kept going back to what pleased her the most which was playing jazz which frustrated Mrs. Ellsworth. Also Oceola had a boyfriend, Pete that Mrs. Ellsworth didn't approve of because she believed that it took some of Oceola's focus away from her music. In the end Oceola chose decided that she would juggle her impending nuptials to her boyfriend and her musical career but Mrs. Ellsworth wanted her to shoot for the stars as far as her music career could go without outside distractions. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) by Duke Ellington (1931) was a wondefully written jazz song. The song has a fast beat that makes you want to pat your feet and sing along with it. If you watch TV you have seen the song being used in commercials for years.

Readings for 2/26/09

Readings for 2/26/09: Interesting piece about Langston Hughes it was supposed to be his biography but there was never any talk about whether or not he ever got married. I heard rumors that he was gay but don't know the validity of that assessment. Langston Hughes helped define the spirit of an age. Hughes has two other relatives that have made a mark on history his grandmother's first husband died at Harpers Ferry in a slave revolt, his maternal grandfather was prominent in Kansas politics during Reconstruction, and his brother was one of the famous Black Americans from the 19th century as a congressman from Virginia and the founding dean of the Law School of Howard University. He lived a life traveling and experiencing different cultures. In Mexico and abroad in Europe. The Negro Speaks of Rivers is a poem about the black man's soul that has grown across the ages from the time in Africa building huts to the time on the Nile building a pyramid. How it heard the Mississippi River sing when a young Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans and decided that one day he would end slavery. The poem Harlem speaks of a dream that is postponed and how does it spoil because of it being postponed or does it explode like a stick of dynamite. This dream they are referring to is the civil rights of the black man. Theme for English B speaks of how a colored student in an all white class is writing a page and wonders if his page will be colored that he writes because of his race. He likes the same things that white people do (Bach) but ponders this question. Also speaks of how the white instructor does not want to be a part of the African American student and the student does not want to be a part of the white instructor either but it is something they can't control because they are both American.

Readings for 2/24/09

The readings for February 24th were very ordinary after reading Their Eyes Were Watching GOD. A Black Man Talks of Reaping is a poem about a man that is a former slave that seems bitter because of the work he has performed through the years of his life but yet does not have any spoils from it. He is especially bitter because his children is feeding off of the fruits of his labor. Sonnet to a Negro in Harlem is a lighter poem that is describing Alain Locke's "New Negro" that has shed his subservience and bent posture for that of walking upright, proud, angry at the past inflictions to his race, and bound and determined to carve for himself a niche in this new world. Plum Bun is about a fair skinned child that becomes a woman that is ashamed of her black heritage and decides to call herself white in the world so she can enjoy the same privileges that they do. A lesson is learned and she realizes that she should not deny her heritage. People like Angela from Plum Bun saddens me because they exist even today. They are not proud of where they come from, they try to assimilate white people and desperately wish they were one of them when they come from this marvelous race of African Americans. I could never deny my race. I am ashamed at some of the things that we are doing today but that is the same with all races. All races have some members that are not making the most of their lives that only want to prey on the weak.

Their Eyes Were Watching GOD

Upon hearing that a movie was made about Their Eyes Were Watching GOD which was written by Zora Neale Hurston the first thought I had was which actress could portray Janie if she was as beautiful as the novel described her to be. I was anxious to see. When I saw Halle Berry (at the peak of her beauty) I knew they made the right choice. She did a wonderful job portraying Janie. She brought to life Janie's stunning beauty, her connection with nature, her gentle spirit, and her charisma that drawed men towards her. After reading the novel I didn't think that highly of Janie but after seeing the movie I felt better about her.

The metaphors in this movie that were more obvious were the one with nature (flower blloming)that symbolized Janie's development from a girl to becoming a woman. Another one was where she and Tea Cake were dancing and the lady placed some food in her hand and a red substance that looked like blood was sliding down her hand. To me this symbolized the tragedy that befell Tea Cake.

There were several differences between the movie and the novel: Logan Killicks spoiling Janie in the novel whereas she was working in the movie, Tea Cake never abused her in the movie but he did in the novel, Tea Cake gambling Janie's money away and not recovering it in the movie versus him having a "party" and recovering it in the novel, the trial was described in the novel whereas there was not even a brief mention of it in the movie. Also in the movie, there was no mention or appearance by Mrs. Turner and her light skinned brother that she was trying to get Janie to meet.There were other differences but they are too numerous too mention. The reasons for these differences is because of time considerations. This movie could have easily been a mini-series.

I believe that the message that Zora Neale Hurston wanted to share with her audience is that you should live your life to the fullest without regrets instead of playing it safe like her grandmother wanted her to by marrying the very old Logan Killicks in a loveless marriage or by marrying Joe Starks because he could take care of her. What she is telling us is that we should marry for love and live our life to the fullest.