Randy Jarrell's Poetry

Randall Jarrell sounds like a man committed to his love of literature. His biography doesn’t mention the reason he was raised by his grandparents; I wonder if there were any happenings which led to his dedication and subject matter, of painful realism and change. Evidently his time spent in the air force presented some ideas for many of his poems. My brother-in-law, an avid lover of wartime aircraft and pilots, would love to have met him to hear his stories. I will introduce him to his poetry.

“Losses” and “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” are both poems which would have come from his time in the air force. Even though I don’t understand everything he is saying in his lyrics, I understand he is speaking of missions and flying. I think he is speaking of the swiftness of change among troops. Men go out on missions; some come back and some do not. They don’t have time to mourn. They have to quickly replace them and move on. Even though someone may physically die in a crash, they have already died psychologically in situations before. The missions just became a routine; something they had to do regardless of the toil it may have taken upon their emotions and senses. The five lines about the gunner, although short in nature, represents the reality and gruesomeness of wartime. This would have been a very dangerous assignment, with only some sort of glass between one and the ammunition of the planes seeking them out. The horror of the death of such a soldier is graphically described in the line talking of washing him out of the turret; after being hit by a torpedo in a gunner nothing would be left except bits and pieces to be washed out.

The poem “A Girl in a Library” was harder for me to understand. I was looking forward to reading this as I see my daughter as being this girl. She loves books and could find a lifetime of enjoyment and fulfillment spending her time there. I think he is talking of the many thoughts and dreams one could read about in the many books in a library. One could get lost and live a life of others’ experiences from the writings in the books on the shelves.

Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing"

Tillie Olsen was a writer representing the everyday person. How many stories have been written about a woman performing the daily task of ironing? Not many! Even though the plot of this story did not center on that task, it was mentioned several times speaking of the necessity and importance of it in a woman’s daily routine as other menial tasks consuming the hours in any given day.

I thought this to be a very touching story from a mother’s point of view. One might look at the mother and think, how could she treat her daughter in such a way. I would have thought that way myself several years ago. However, after working in an elementary school for eleven years and experiencing many different family styles and circumstances, I have come to realize that sometimes all people can do is the best they can do.

As this story begins, it tells of school administration trying to schedule a conference time with the parent. We are faced with this issue quite often, parents not seeming to have the time to deal with their children’s education. It seems negligent to me when the children don’t receive the help at home with practice and assignments they need. But I have had to get past the judgmental feelings I have of them. Sometimes parents aren’t able to find the time or don’t understand the need for it, as the mother in this story seems to feel.

This story represents the more common family. Even though it was written in 1956, it would describe many families today. This single parent family may have been in the minority then, but today it would represent the multitude. Many young mothers are left to raise the children as the father’s find themselves looking for others things and not taking on the responsibility. Many mothers also face having to leave their children in day care situations that are not acceptable. The laws today for child caregivers are more stringent today than in the days of the story, but one always run the risk of having someone who just doesn’t treat their child in an acceptable manner. The description of the child’s time at home alone was the hardest for me. My heart would literally break in two to find my child in the situation described of Emily.

I can’t imagine being in the situation this young mother found herself in. She truly loved her daughter but had to make decisions as to what she felt was best for both of them. The outcome did not seem as if it could be good but, in the end, the daughter seemed to have found her niche.

Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"

Wow what a story! I can’t say I enjoyed this reading but it was catching. I would have to say, however, this is the kind of story I read a lot of: James Patterson and Ted Dekker who write about psychotic, evil people. I like to read something with a mystery to try and figure out what is going to happen next. I can see where the perspective of antitheses used by O’Connor in response to her “sacramental view of life” is evident in this story. Life, which is considered to be sacred and valued given by God, is taken so quickly without as much as a thought by the villains in this story. The characters are exposed to the evil of “the Misfit” and his gang. Even though they were aware of this man’s persona and never thought they would be confronted by it, they found themselves right in the middle of their presence. No amount of pleading or encouragement of being able to be a “good man” by the grandmother made any difference to the misfit.

I was completely appalled as most people would be at the manner in which the men murdered the family. They seemed to never have had any chance against these men, and to kill the children in such a manner. They were even asked politely if they would go into the woods with them, naïve to the evil in which they were surrounded by. However, it just proves the wickedness that exists in this world, even during the early years in which this piece of literature was written.

I did find O’Connor’s use of “victim and assailant” idea in this story as she also used in Wise Blood. The Misfit tells how he grew up being told by his father of “being a different breed of dog” and continues with the different activities he had fulfilled in his life: gospel singer being one of them. He states he can’t remember why he was sent to the penitentiary but from that point on was “buried alive”. He sounds to have possibly been a “good man” caught up in the wrong circumstances but then treated as a criminal from that point on. The idea of if you are going to be treated as one, you might as well act like one. He seemed to be unhappy in his way of life as he stated in the end “it’s no real pleasure in life” he just didn’t know any other way to live. He had been labeled as a bad boy and a criminal and that is how he saw himself.

Some of her use of irony is shown by the grandmother trying to get the family to change their trip so as not to run into this escapee. As with most of us, she probably didn’t really think they would but was using the idea to get her way. Then, by a simple mistake of her own, they found themselves on this wrong dirt road eventually face to face with the dreaded man. The other characters did not seem to comprehend the plight they were in either by the display of disrespectfulness by Bailey toward his mother and the comments by Wesley and June Star toward the men calling one a “pig”, those whose hands their lives were in.

James Baldwin's "Sonny Blues"

James Baldwin’s Sonny is another character which captured my compassion. While written during the early 60s, his lifestyle captured what was yet to come for a lot of people. While Baldwin used a Negro character living in Harlem for this story, a modern version could be written by someone of almost any race in the United States. Baldwin seemed to anticipate the current state of society as he wrote of the “complex fate” and the idea that the concerns and conditions of the blacks during the time would soon become the same for whites and other races in the present America. Drugs, poverty, and poor living conditions are not isolated to one single race in today’s world; they cross over all ethical and cultural boundaries without consideration for anyone.

This is a story of two brothers, though raised in the same home by the same two parents, whose lives have taken them in completely different directions. The narrator is leading the all-American life: having secured a good job as a school teacher with a wife and a family. Sonny, the younger brother, has taken the more daring, searching lifestyle which has now led him to a serious encounter with the law. How many times does this happen within families with no explanation as to the difference in the siblings; each living their lives aware of the other but not wanting to be accountable or coupled to the other.

I found it interesting the description of the students in the algebra class and their apathetic outlook on education. It reminds me of so many today, not understanding the importance of securing a good education and positive outlook in preparation for the life which is without question ahead of them.

The story was very interesting and kept my attention to the end. The conversation and recollection of the past between the two and the unveiling of feelings and emotions they had experienced throughout their lives was humbling. It helps one remember we can never know why and how someone acts until we truly try to understand their lives and the paths they have taken to get where they currently are.

Eudora Welty "Powerhouse"

Powerhouse, to me, by his description, represents something for everyone. He seems to possess an array of physical characteristics and presentational qualities. He appears to be a performer for the people, not a “show-off”, but drawing the audience in, even if it’s just for that moment in time. This is an element Eudora Welty is known to include in her writings: the appropriate location of the appropriate action. She writes with great description and expression. Powerhouse is a character connecting with the audience as he performs at the moment at any given location before he moves on to the next location. However, it seems in this instance, he is performing before an audience who doesn’t seem to care for his presentation. But, nonetheless, he and his band give it their all just as they would for an encouraging and participating group of people.

As the band breaks for intermission after playing the dreaded requested waltz of the white audience, Powerhouse and his crew leave for an establishment for their break. As they leave, they are confronted by a group of Negros, his true followers. He then seems to go into full performer mode. He begins to tell what he believes an account of his wife’s death, but with emotion and sensation. The crowd stands in awe, then presenting their gift, or offering, to this man they see as a god. They present a man who had pulled drowned white victims from a creek after their boat sank. Powerhouse acknowledges him and continues telling his story, as if a prize to the man.

I have to declare I really did not understand this short story. I can appreciate the entertainment from the writing but I would not be able to explain to someone the author’s purpose or the true plot of it. I was not able to know the true situation with Gypsy and what happened with her. I will be looking to the blogs for enlightenment from others.

Richard Wright's "Native Son"

It is easy to detect some of Wright’s own personal thoughts in his writing of Native Son. The comparison of growing up without a father, exposure to racial prejudice, and his involvement with the Communist Party are very evident within the story. I can understand why this story would have brought him much attention and acclamation. Thus far in our readings, I believe it to be the most interesting and intriguing for me personally. As I tried to determine where the story was going as I read, the ending was not what I would have predicted. With our assignment being only an excerpt from the novel, I plan on reading the entire book.

Bigger Thomas is an attention-grabbing character to say the least. It was easy to feel compassion for the young man as he was thrown into quite a different world from what he had experienced thus far. I believe he represents the intuitive side of most of us, always looking to seek more but not quite understanding how to handle it when we get it. It equates to successful celebrities today. Many grew up without so much, and once they become successful with the millions earned today, they find themselves making poor choices and ending up either in trouble or losing their fortunes. I believe Bigger, even though he seemed to be on the defensive at times, let himself get caught up in the moment with Mary physically which caused his downfall.

Throughout the story, he is a victim of circumstances of temptation presented by those more fortunate. He seems to be treated very well by Mr. and Mrs. Dalton and Peggy, but then Mary comes onto the scene. It is easy to understand his confusion as to how to handle himself in the situation. I felt anger at Mary and Jan as I read the account of the evening out. I felt they were toying with Bigger and using him for their own entertainment. I think in their minds they felt they may have wanted to do good through the Communist party; however, many join these organizations just to be able to appear interested in others’ wellbeing simply for appearance sake. Bigger represented man today in his plight to please employers and others by doing what we believe we must to maintain our jobs and place in society. Many times we are expected to perform tasks which, although they may not be illegal, they are immoral.

Mary’s demise was not only a surprise to the reader but I am sure to her as well. She was out for a fun night on the town at the expense of the new “negro”. She let bad choices get the better of her and, as many young people do, they don’t realize how one can cause such destruction.

I do plan on reading the rest of the story to discover what happened to Bigger following Mary’s death.

John Steinbeck's "Flight"

John Steinbeck’s Flight was taxing for me to read. I can detect his use of locale and storytelling ability within it; however, I believe the length and drama it took to tell the story made it tiring for me. I am not a fan of western movies or dramas and that is the sense of the story I obtained from its reading. There was not much action and the end seemed inevitable.

The family is described as disadvantaged, but the mother a strong figure. To have raised three boys on her own for the past ten years and maintain the small farm would necessitate a tough female; however, I would wonder what caused the laziness and immaturity described in Pepe. The boys must have had different fathers in the way in which Steinbeck described them: the two small ones as blacks but no race given for Pepe. I would have liked to have understood a little more about the family or if any of this information had any significance on the story. The story’s direction leads the reader through the necessary maturation of Pepe: as demanded by an unfortunate incident.

Other than the need for medicine, I did not feel the story revealed to the reader the mother’s reason for sending Pepe alone to Monterey, evidently something he had never done before. He quickly gains confidence in his newfound responsibility stating “You may send me often alone. I am a man.” Mama seemed to have her concerns but sent him on his errand with thorough instructions. She felt sure he would be safe at the home of Mrs. Rodriguez even though there must have been expectation of drinking wine as this was the first thing she asked when she realized there was a problem with his being home unexpected. Maybe she thought whatever experience he would have encountered at that home would have led him into his manhood.

I understand his need to run but I never understood what he was running towards. I didn’t understand what haven he was trying to find; if he was running from the law or someone connected to the man he knifed. The escape was very prolonged, but descriptive. I found it ironic he suffered as he did when if he had not run, if death had come upon him in another manner, it might have been quicker, but maybe not as courageous. It seemed inevitable he was not going to survive.

It was a sad story from a parental point of view. I cannot imagine sending my child off knowing she was being hunted and never to return, possibly not ever knowing of her plight. Again, ironic the item the father left for Pepe, possibly to protect him through life, caused his demise leading to his untimely death.