Catalina Gargollo Literary Engagements Blog

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r_0yHyMzQ_oJiTBgh7iL2ovCL8w7d4c5gAxbM8-Efa0/edit?usp=sharing

I think Beneatha represents a character who is universally connected to humanity. I feel that a lot of humans in general experience some of the things she does. For example, young women aspire to be in a specific career, yet they are shattered by problems like gender discrimination in the family as well as a lack of financial resources. This is something generally universal across humanity because society has mostly treated women as inferior. Also, this is universal to humanity because most people struggle financially as the extremely affluent only make up 1% of the national wealth. Similarly, a lot of people like Beneatha are probably shunned for being a realist - for being someone who doesn’t necessarily believe in God or connect to the supernatural. Many people are kicked out of their homes for not sharing the same religious views. In some ways, atheism is inevitable in our modern world because of our focus on rationality and logos and simply rejecting the notion of a God. ...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1drZJWN6RNuSe8-WIPqk8HwBjbX3k48SrL25mF_qdcJA/edit?usp=sharing

          One specific example of the pressing social issue of racial discrimination in A Raisin in the Sun is institutionalized racism. In Act II, for example, Mama reveals to the family that she has purchased a home with Mr. Younger's insurance check, and she receives a surprised reaction from the Youngers:           WALTER. (Bitterly) So that's the peace and comfort you went out and bought for us today!           MAMA. (Raising her eyes to meet his finally) Son—I just tried to find the nicest place for the              least amount of money for my family.           RUTH. (Trying to recover from the shock) Well—well—'course I ain't one never been 'fraid of            no crackers, mind you—but—well, wasn't there no other houses nowhere?           MAMA. Them houses they put up for colored in th...

One clear social issue covered in Act One of A Raisin in the Sun  is financial status. While the family isn't helplessly homeless, we do discover that the Youngers have a less than comfortable living situation through the scene descriptions and the character dialogue. They compare themselves to "rich snobby whites" and discuss their dreams made possible through investment. Evidence for their inadequate physical environment is emphasized in the setting description that illustrates their apartment is so small that living room "must also serve as a dining room" (24). Their tendency to discuss money matters at early hours also reveals their hopes of achieving wealth, status, and the American dream. When Ruth asks Mama Younger what she plans to do with her inheritance check, Mama scolds, "Now don't you start child. It's too early in the morning to be talking about money. It ain't Christian" (41). This issue is important to me because it revolves...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ihb1KVExPmL-TvKJxpxzBvFvhUqXzmeo5xjYgbpmtIk/edit?usp=sharing

1. The prompt really helped me think about the literary canon, especially the Western one. Especially in my other classes such as history and sociology we are talking about the reasons Eurocentrism is seriously problematic. Europeans had the power to choose the canon and rewrite history so that it reflects a Western centered outlook. However, the prompt was confusing to me because it seemed double. I had no trouble arguing about why my poem deserves to be part of the Western canon, but I felt it was too much in one essay to have to both argue this AND define another canon at the same time. It made me feel troubled and it caused me anxiety around the structure and organization of my essay because many questions were asked at once. But other than that I really enjoyed the prompt. I am passionate about combating Eurocentrism and highlighting the problems of the modern west. 2. The reading blogs and idea drafts were my main aids in helping me formulate my thesis and my essay. Writing is r...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OdvLBukzmNKVIGWIEMZAaEGVV7G0r3ib1GFrDDIzAjg/edit?usp=sharing

Given the title, Wineberg's main argument is that historical thinking is not just about all the facts we can obtain to become more educated. We can be able to state a bunch of facts and statistics, but this is not history, this is not thinking because we are not even considering where we are getting this information from. Rather, historical thinking is a skill and active process. Historical thinking involves critical analysis of the sources we use to obtain our information. In this sense, we are actively thinking by examining the authority of sources that make historical claims. We can feed ourselves with knowledge, but we can see how these facts are significant when we discover how sources were written, constructed, and came to be. Wineberg is making a general claim about the evaluation sources in general, but most examples come from those of historical events because history depends a lot upon accuracy, reality, truth, and claims because we need evidence to prove events that we w...