Having Our Say Essay

In order to analyze each section thoroughly, I have divided my paper into many sections. My sections will include the summary of the book by Harper Lee followed by a theme analysis.

Perhaps because they had “learned so much from life, from poverty, from their mothers and grandmothers” and because they had “been early awakened and made observant by coming at a tender age from an old country to a new” (Cather 127).  These girls show the readers how beneficial hard work and poverty can be to a person.  They were made strong because of the obstacles that they had overcome, and they were beautiful for this.  Jim is able to put their abstract pleasantness into words by equating them with poetry.  Somehow, the unique environment that these girls grew up under has made them into the poetry that they are.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster is a book that explains there is more to literature than just a few words on a paper or a few pages in a book. Thomas Foster’s book portrays a relatable message to a wide based audience. This book is relatable for two reasons, the way it is written and the examples it uses. The book is written in a conversational manner, as if the reader was in a group discussion about books and writing. As for the examples, they are informative, descriptive, relative, and entertaining.

The party in government is made up of ___________ and has direct impact on governmental policy; it is largely independent of ___________________.

This is the same for Little Women ,except the sisters display good behavior in almost every way. They grew up in a supportive household, and although they didn’t have their father there, their mother was good enough to make them kind and caring of other people. For example, in the first chapter the three sisters and Jo are debating on what they should all do for their mother for Christmas, and end up deciding on pretending they’re getting things for themselves, but surprise her with presents. This shows that how you’re treated as a kid really has an effect on the kind of person you are and what you’ll do for others.

An example of how her family values each other is her description of the conventions and norms of her family. They are thoroughly supportive of one another, attending every graduation, baby shower, birthday, and house warming party. Her father and siblings have burial plots together so that they are never separated. Life is lived with everyone being connected and concerned for not only each person’s well-being, but happiness as well. She says her “relatives form an alliance that represents a genuine and enduring love of family…”

Blanche was a school teacher in Mississippi, but when she got fired for having intimate relationships with underaged boys, she moved in with her sister. Her sister, Stella is married to Stanley, who abuses her and yet she still does not leave him. Stella and Stanley have a toxic relationship, where they both have a mutual dislike for each other, but because of societal norms at the time, were unable to leave each other. Both female characters are victims to Stanley’s abuse and hurt ego. I personally do not like any of the characters, I do not get a good “feel” about them. They are all hurt in one way or another and do not know the correct way to express themselves. However, these character do remind me of how the society in third world countries expect families to be. In third world countries, men are the head of the households, and any women living under the roof is expected to follow their orders.

Literature is important to allow readers to escape reality within the pages of a book, and also to preserve the past by reading about personal experiences and understanding the norms of different time periods. It is beneficial to provide a new world for the reader, but it shows our history and how it has changed over the years. Many fiction writers hint at real-world experiences or topics and it is up to the reader to interpret the theme of the literature. Authors write to preserve our past and to show a common theme as well as open the door to allow the reader to delve into the words on the page.

immeasurable difficulties and tragedies. One such family was the family of Henry and Rosie Ise. Their

I do think this is a very nice act of the Delany family, letting the poor come into their house to be fed like that. I wonder how much food they gave out throughout the years they lived at Saint Aug’s. This is just another example of the love the Delanys have shown towards others in the world. I predict that later in their lives, they would give their hands to white people who were in trouble, too. (78 words)

this book was to show the reader how to look at literature through a wide eye. To see

Kennedy, X.J. and Dana Gioia. Literature: an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. New York: Pearson Longman, 2010.

There are different forms and examples of exemplary and classic literature which have been deemed as significant works that are highly esteemed worldwide. These examples of literature would awe the world with how much literary skill they entailed when they were composed and written: attention to details as to formation of characters, the most crafty of plots, the most eloquent speeches and lines, the most astounding of twists of scenes, and most of all, the most universal and meaningful of themes. The theme of any literary work is what makes it great as it should be able to encompass the immense diversity of the world and as it would be able to transcend the boundaries of religion, age, race, gender, etc. Two examples of this great and

“A & P.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 10th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 16-20.