Reflections and Women's Roles: The Count and the Cousin & Lucy Nelson/The Boy Girl

Both of these stories each brought up different reactions for me of what women's roles were then and what they are now. I am so glad that times have changed! So so so glad! There are great differences. One is that cousins cannot marry each other (a plus, I'd say). Another is the aspirations that young women have today: my goals go farther than marriage and don't even really include marriage, necessarily. Also, the story of the Count and the Cousin, though amusing, was frustrating to read at points because of what Adelaide did (or, rather, did not do). She just sat around, letting her father, cousin and Count Pfeifenhammer lead her through her life and all she can do for herself is take on European styles and wooers. Well, until the end when she shouts at Charles about being un-patriotic...bla bla bla. But I think that would be her father talking through her. Ummm...anyway, my point is that I am glad that times have changed--women are more independant and free thinkers (I mean, I think so).

The story of Lucy Nelson was very exciting in the beginning because I could picture myself doing everything Lucy did. I was a tom-boy when I was younger--growing up in a neighborhood full of boys and actually becoming a kind of head-honcho among them (cool!). I felt so sad for Lucy when she was punished for not being girly enough. When she was forced to wear boy clothes, i thought 'big deal' , because clothing and gender roles have changed significantly. It was very sad to see that her brothers beat on her because she now dressed like them--that was the only difference! OH! and the ending! I did not like it at all. so frustrating! She grew to like all of the things that were befitting of a female... how could she truly love needlework when she could no longer romp outside exploring nature. I would just feel so trapped and smothered. Lucy was a great character, but the ending really got me.

The end of "The Count and the Cousin"

Alright. The maid comes into Adelaide's room and tells her that Count Pfeiffenhammer is waiting in the drawing room with urgent news. Interested, she wanders downstairs to discover that the Count needs to leave for his home in Germany to follow through with an arranged marriage that has been in place since he was 6 months old. She collapses in tears, but her father supports her and tells her it's for the best and how she was a silly girl to even consider marrying a foreigner. three weeks pass and Adelaide is still distraught. Her cousin...what's his name...Horace is meeting with Charles (the "Count") telling him what is going on with Adelaide. He never went to Germany, but is just laying low. He trims his moustache so he looks a little more American, but still European-looking. One day he surprises Adelaide (who is completely bewildered, angry and then completely enamoured) and tells her he is a fake and is really an American (her father is thrilled) and loves her and wants to marry her. She realizes he is the same man with just a different heritage than she thought previously. She agrees whole-heartedly on one condition: he keeps the moustache and they vacation in Europe twice a year. Of course, he agrees and they live happily ever after until Adelaide becomes bored and has an affair with the bellhop at a hotel they stay at in Spain for their March holiday--she becomes pregnant, Charles thinks it's his and then when he finds out, he shaves his moustache and she leaves him. How's that?

Reaction to Sympathy by Emma Lazarus

This poem sure is a puzzler. Hmm... I am sure we could all keep thinking (or rather wondering) about this one until our eyes cross and our temples bruise from pensive, tapping fingers. However, what I believe is being said at the end of the poem is people (and perhaps especially women) should support each other in their struggles. Also, I am looking at the poem and seeing how the last half is in quotation marks and I am wondering if it is the author speaking between the " " or someone else... I am thinking it might actually be someone else. And maybe on the second-to-last line where it says "This woman my soul's need can understand," is that other person telling the world that a woman like Emma Lazarus can sympathise with others and it is a great help. Or perhaps it's just saying that perhaps women can sympathise more readily with the struggle of others. You know what? I really don't know what this poem is trying to say and I feel like I am typing in circles! I'd be interested in reading what others have to say about this poem. Alright. I'm done.

Activities from Class Wiki Board: Native American Works

The Rough Faced Girl: a journal entry from the sister of the Invisible Being

I remember when our mother first brought my brother into this world and was so astounded by his spirit. Never had her eyes lit up so brightly or her smiles been so sweet. When she discovered that only she, our father and myself could see him, she grew sad because he would not have a normal life; no young braves to play with or maidens to court. She grew so sad that even the trees let their branches droop with her sadness as she walked by. Finally, one day she grew so sad that she placed my brother in my arms and left for the spirit of the world. That is when I decided that my brother would not have a miserable and lonely life; he would make friends with the spirits and have all of the weapons of a brave, but better, and he would have a wife. This last decision was the most difficult to figure out how to find one, but when he grew older, he simply said that he would wait for a maiden who could see him. When he was of age, I announced that any maiden who could see my brother, The Invisible Being, would be his bride.

What a mess! Since then, I have had nothing, but vain, conceited, and self-righteous women coming to my wigwam. None could ever hope to see my brother! I am beginning to wonder if she will ever be found. I can only hope!


Rabbit and Fox

Well, the medicine man was obviously Rabbit. I believe that he decided to turn into a medicine man because he knew Fox would respect a person of that stature, trust him and believe what he said. Also, it helped Rabbit to turn into the medicine man because of the feathers many used to wear holding spiritual energy--his ears could blend in well.

Paragraph response to The Origins of the Buffalo Dance

I am blown away by this story. I remember listening to a story tape by Odds Bodkin when I was little and this story was on the tape along with many other Native American myths. The music from the story tape was in my head when I was reading this story. Hunter's Daughter is a very interesting character and I struggled with deciding what I thought of her. In the beginning, she was very likable because she was generous and caring towards her father and tribe. It was very big of her to offer herself as a bride to the buffalo in exchange for the health of her community. However, when Hunter's Daughter wavered at following through on her commitment to wed the Buffalo Warrior, I was thinking 'come on--you were the one who suggested it in the first place, now follow through!' . Though I am sure I would definitely react in a similar manner if I were in her moccasins. In the end, I was content with all of the characters and the agreements that they came to that served all alike. The idea of a young maiden sining a piece of bone into her living father is beautiful--not to mention unexpected. Now I want to go and find the Odds Bodkin tape of Native American tales so I can hear this story again. Very good selection!

Response to Dance of the Dead

I have never heard a similar story such as this one before, though I like it a lot. All of these tales are so interesting and make me want to sit in a wigwam/tipi/hut beside a fire on cold nights and watch the story teller move his/her hands when telling these stories. Really interesting tale. I think that the old man could not see the dead dancing because, as the story said, he was not allowed to--he would see them when he actually died, I think. However, I believe that he could hear the dead singing and dancing because he, himself, was close to death. His spirit was already beginning to drift over to the next world and then--snapped back to the land of the living when he looked out from his basket.

Response to "Alluwee Brown, and the Tragic End of Unlearned 'Jim'"

Well, on the web I found zipp-oh on William Trenton Canup besides the fact that he was the author of “Alluwee Brown, and the Tragic End of Unlearned ‘Jim’”. I thought he told a very interesting story (certainly kept me reading) and I quite liked it. From our discussion on Friday morning, I continued to think about who Jim was…Indian, mix or white. I think that Jim is a white man who came from the states to the nation. He has “manly blue eyes”…to me that says he is probably a white man and not a Native American. Alluwee wasn’t really given much depth and I saw her as a beautiful, but shallow character in the story for she seemed a bit aloof with Jim—probably because of her schooling. It was frustrating for me to read that Alluwee reached a point where she no longer looked up to Jim, but appeared to regard him as inferior in knowledge—poor Jim. The end was tragic, as the title rightly states, but I am glad that Jim dies in the arms of Alluwee and not outside by himself. Too bad I can’t find info on William Trenton Canup because it would be very interesting to hear more about his life and when this story might have taken place in relationship to his life’s happenings. Good story.

"Very Short on Law and Order" found poetry

I decided to do some found poems for “Very Short on Law and Order”. For those who are unfamiliar with found poems; I took words that were all found in the story and arranged them into poems... there are three here.

***********This is the fate of Reynolds and Red—they were hung until dead. (hey, that kind of rhymes!)

Bring two of them,
Whiskered and foolish,
The black will flourish,
When their careless hearts,
Do not hit the ground
Of the hangman’s tree.

Instead, the devil,
Will open his merciless jail
And, with a flourish,
Of rotgut and fire,
Escort his friends down,
To their whooping
Sundown.

They were called anything
But good.

************This one is about Beaver Tom and his whiskey dilemma…

Gone—all—all—all
Gone.

What if I die,
What if I…gone.
All gone, gone, gone.

Where am I,
Am I crazy,
I shiver and shake
For…for what,
I remember not.

I need to lay down.
Get me off this horse.

I need it bad.
Whiskey.
Strong, beautiful stuff…
Give me as much as I can stand.
No, more.
I am hot and stolen.
This is horrid
No way to pull through.

Whiskey. Gone—all—all—all
And now Beaver Tom.
I shook hands with the devil,
Strong and beautiful.

************Short, Short, Short poem…

Horse thieving.

In this business,
A man is made a monkey
In the jungle of trails, lies, and half-dead hearts
Rambling off where morning,
Yesterday, and black, black night
Are all one and the same.