Looking Beyond: The Velveteen Rabbit I never had the opportunity to read “The Velveteen Rabbit” as a child, but from what I was informed, it was a classic work of children’s literature by Margery Williams. Over the weekend, I finally leafed through the pages of this wonderful magical tale and I must acknowledge that it has subtle messages for adults and children alike. The wisdom of the fable gives emphasis on being real – which is an indispensable virtue in our life – but can only, be achieved through genuine unconditional love. I read this story to my not so little children, and it took them back to the memories of their toy or blanket that had a profound impact on their lives. In retrospect, they had amazing recollections of the toys that
The poem “Cozy Apologia” by Rita Dove, explores the idea of love, and modern routine, while alluding to the disastrous hurricane Floyd of 1999. This poem was written for her husband, Fred, as mentioned after the title of the poem. In the first stanza of this poem, Rita Dove uses imagery to display her immense love for her husband. Dove writes, “This lamp, the wind-still rain, the glossy blue/ My pen exudes” (Dove 2-3). The imagery in these two lines represent items and things that remind Dove of her husband. She says everything makes her think of him, and in these two lines we can see that even just a lamp, or the ink from her pen bring her thoughts of her husband. Her true love for Fred is shown through this. The second stanza, Rita Dove starts to explain how a hurricane brought back memories of her teenage relationships.
Of Nightingales That Weep Chapter 1 This chapter is about Takiko and her first family home. It tells a lot about her family. They talk about the war in this chapter also. Takiko’s mother decides that she will remarry after her father dies.
“The Queen Bee in the Corner Office” by Olga Khazan is an article many working women can relate to. From various jobs I have had, it is safe to say every working woman has at least encountered a “Queen Bee”. From high school we know a queen bee usually consists of being the prettiest girl in school; wearing the trendiest clothes; knowing all the hot gossip; and having the hottest boyfriend. According to Khazan (2017), in a work setting, the queen bee consists of three characteristics; the aggressive bitch, passive-aggressive bitch, and the tuned out, indifferent bitch. The aggressive bitch is a high ranking woman at a firm who usually verbally assaults anyone. A passive-aggressive bitch tends to be two-faced and has her “subtle,semi-rude emails”
Inside Toyland, written by Christine L. Williams, is a look into toy stores and the race, class, and gender issues. Williams worked about six weeks at two toy stores, Diamond Toys and Toy Warehouse, long enough to be able to detect patterns in store operations and the interactions between the workers and the costumers. She wanted to attempt to describe and analyze the rules that govern giant toy stores. Her main goal was to understand how shopping was socially organized and how it might be transformed to enhance the lives of workers. During the twentieth century, toy stores became bigger and helped suburbanization and deregulation. Specialty toy stores existed but sold mainly to adults, not to children. Men used to be the workers at toy stores until it changed and became feminized, racially mixed, part time, and temporary. As box stores came and conquered the land, toy stores started catering to children and offering larger selections at low prices. The box stores became powerful in the flip-flop of the power going from manufacturers to the retailers. Now, the retail giants determine what they will sell and at what price they will sell it.
Phoenix’s journey is a little long just by walking alone in the middle of the
Yinka Shonibare’s five-part image narration Diary of a Victorian Dandy exhibited in the London Underground invites public transit users to partake in the daily lifestyle of a black Victorian dandy. The irony inherent in the presence of a black dandy as the work’s centerpiece dismisses the functionality of British restrictions set in the Victorian Era by delving into the notions of race and social class. Specifically, by emphasizing the black dandy’s superiority over his white counterparts and introducing a harmonic interplay between lower and upper-tier social classes, Shonibare makes evident to public viewers that Victorian norms favouring upper-class society were not static and could have been transcended in both a racial and social context.
The Real Valley of the Dolls, by Tom Robbin is a humerous story that actually raises interesting questions of the past and present sexuality of man. Robbins and two of his friends, Alexa and Jon, take the reader on a trip to a place called North canyon, somewhere between Winnemucca and Las Vegas, which to reach you have to travel down the loneliest highway in the world, Highway 50. It is a short story that mixes both humour and the sexuality of past and present civilizations.
Ann Rinaldi has written many books for young teenagers, she is an Award winning author who writes stories of American history and makes them become real to the readers. She has written many other books such as A Break with Charity, A Ride into Morning, and Cast two Shadows, etc. She was born in New York City on August 27, 1934. In 1979, at the age of 45, she finished her first book.
Nine patriarchs found a town. Four women flee a life. Only one paradise is attained. Toni Morrison's novel Paradise revolves around the concept of "paradise," and those who believe they have it and those who actually do. Morrison uses a town and a former convent, each with its own religious center, to tell her tale about finding solace in an oppressive world. Whether fleeing inter- and intra-racial conflict or emotional hurt, the characters travel a path of self-isolation and eventual redemption. In her novel Paradise, Toni Morrison uses the town of Ruby and four broken women to demonstrate how "paradise" can not be achieved through isolation, but rather only through understanding and acceptance.
The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow is the story of one woman whose genius is undermined by those surrounding her. Gertie Nevels, a tall, big-boned woman raised in the Appalacian region of Kentucky is creative, self-sufficient, strong, and resourceful. In her native home, Gertie creates for herself an atmosphere where she is able to survive any situation and has everything under control. As Wilton Eckley states in “From Kentucky to Detroit“, a chapter in his novel, Harriette Arnow, “Certainly while the family is living in Kentucky, she [Gertie] is self-sufficient and has no fear that she will be unable to get along if Clovis is called to join all the other younger men of the community in the service” (87). In fact, she is able to make her dream of moving into a larger farm and expand her comforts and resources, along with providing better for her family without the help of her husband; however, when she is forced to move to Detroit, she is out of her element. Throughout her life, she has molded herself to be able to do any task that is stereotypical of males or females. Even though initially she finds it hard to live the “city life” that is typical of Detroit, she is able to adapt her mind to be able to tolerate- and eventually accept- her new surroundings. Although Gertie Nevels shows obvious genius, because of her geographic disposition and gender, she is unable to use her abilities to the fullest extent.
The Flowers By Alice Walker Written in the 1970's The Flowers is set in the deep south of America and is about Myop, a small 10-year old African American girl who explores the grounds in which she lives. Walker explores how Myop reacts in different situations. She writes from a third person perspective of Myop's exploration. In the first two paragraph Walker clearly emphasises Myop's purity and young innocence.
In Fourth grade, my class read one of the most compelling books of my life, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This book is a heart warming story about a china rabbit doll who makes an astounding journey through the arms of many caretakers. A book written by Kate Dicamillo gives a breathtaking theme of how strong love can be, but also how it can be taken for granted and dragged through the dirt. It demonstrates to young readers that love is not only a romantic item but also a strong connection between two people who care for eachother. The overall theme of the book can be summarized by a single quote: "If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless." Edward reminds older readers that love can still be coming for them. An overall message from the book emphasizes how bitterness can change your life. Words of praise chants such as: "This charming book is destined to be read aloud, shared, and savored by young and old alike. It has an old-fashioned
Although The Tale of Peter Rabbit is not a ‘modern’ picturebook, and was written to a different concept of childhood than Voices in the Park, it certainly falls within Bader’s description. Susan Hill has described the events of the book as reflecting ‘the world of the Victorian nursery… Naughtiness may be understood...
The Time of the Doves is a Spanish novel written by Mercè Rodoreda. It illustrates the life of a young woman, Natalia, and is set in the turbulent years during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. The novel traces the somewhat ordinary and harsh life of a Natalia, also nicknamed “Colometa”, through the difficult years of famine and depression, as a young mother and unskilled laborer in Catalonia. Natalia faces many hardships throughout the book that range from martial issues to the problems caused by the war. Rodoreda’s novel shows the impact the war had on civilians and in particular, women. She shows that women can survive without a man even under intense circumstances.
John Updike's novel, Rabbit, Run, is about a man named Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom. Rabbit is a brainless guy whose career as a high school basketball star peaked at age 18. In his wife's view, he was, before their early, hasty marriage, already drifting downhill.