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For this week’s blog post it was about Poetry, as well as how literary devices help the author share the overall message of their work. For this week we had numerous poems in three categories stories about women, social commentary, and depression. After reading the poems listed in each section, I did notice some overall themes and ideas in similar poems. For example, in the category of depression, I noticed the theme of sadness as majority of these poems and stories dealt with death, suicide, etc. but what was interesting to notice was also the similarities of talking about drugs, usage. In addition to, for the Literary devices in the poem category of depression the example of “We Ball” by artist Meek Mill, one of the lines read “ When they killed my n Snupe I seen my young n in the casket he ain’t even have no blood in him..” ..” I seen Chino shut the casket on the coffin.. killed his only big brother and we lost him..” This literary device that was shown was mood. Mood is a piece of writing that in a general atmosphere or emotional complexion, essentially the feelings the work evokes in the reader, it influences the mood by the settings, the imagery even by word choice. Another example was in the example, “I feel like Dying” by artist Lil Wayne, one of the lines read, “ Yeah, yeah, so get lifted yup! Haha.. I am sittin’ on the clouds, I got smoke comin’ from my feet.. I can play basketball with the moon, I got the whole world at my feet..” I decided to chose these lyrics from the selected reading because these portray the literary device of imagery, imagery refers to the descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance such as visual imagery like artist Lil Wayne portrayed in the song,” I feel like Dying”, we see visual imagery in the line “sittin’ on the clouds” he creates this sort of image into the listeners head and creates a kind of scenario that follows and goes along with the song the artist is telling.

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For this weeks lecture we learned about Female voices within the musical industry of rap. We got to explore a few different artist’s songs such as Lolita Shante Gooden, Shari Anita Watson, Eve Jeffers as well as Lauryn Hill. For this weeks blog post I am going to be referring to the song Mystery of Iniquity a song by Lauryn Hill. This song starts off with the hook “ It’s the mystery of inequity..” This phrase found in the Bible under Thessalonians, which future explains the secret power of lawlessness as well as the overall discrimination and immoral unrest behavior that is at motion currently. She starts off the song with a real and eye catching statement. She goes onto the next line, reading “said it’s the misery of inequity..”which represents the sad and miserable history that are involved in the American legal system. Continuing the hook by stating, “When it all.. All falls down.. Telling you all.. It all fails down..” Which represents the American system of consumerism as it is approaching a time of where it will collapse within. She goes on to say the overall corruption of the power in charge as the crooked in the legal system. Throughout the song, this is a prominent theme. As a female artist, she is using her platform for the better and using her voice to showcase what truly is going on in the world as to our legal system and what the people higher in power are doing in order to maintain their image and not get any consequences for the actions they do, as they are above the law.

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In regards to the two short stories for this weeks blog post, being the reading and text of “Good Kidd M.A.A.D City” by Kendrick Lamar and the reading and text of Flower Boy by artist Tyler the Creator. Both of these stories are essential to the story telling of the coming of age as well as the hero’s journey. The lens that I used when reading through the story was the lens of reader response, reading this text for personal meaning and to obtain a better understanding of the overall work of their own individual album and how it is more complex than just music as it essentially tells a story in both albums, the reader sees just what these individuals go through and see their struggles within the songs they are hearing. In the album, “Good Kidd M.A.A.D City” the theme that would best identify this album would be the hero’s journey and the overall struggle he had to endure to be who he is today the famous rapper he is. We see how his teenage life was and the horrible things that occurred such as laced blunts, you see the harsh reality for many of our teenagers today, but it showed how at the end to never give up because he is where he is today because of his past. As to the album, “Flower Boy” throughout this work the theme of coming of age as well as the overall him questioning his sexuality and the feelings he is currently going through as growing up he questions his sexuality a lot throughout the album as well as the pressure In a society. The characters and conflicts that we see in both of these two readings are very much relevant especially in today’s society as we see these being a major influence both the hero’s journey and the coming of age as well as questioning your personal sexuality as this is a very common thing especially in today’s time era, we are all growing up and trying to figure our selves out as a individual and we see this crisis in a way predominately in teenage years.

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The theme that I am choosing to write about based off the book “ The last Poets” by author Christine Otten, is the theme of racism essentially generational racism. Generational racism is something that is taught from generations to generations being passed on from each family member to the next this is a never ending cycle that only terrorizing the people that are the victims. This is caused because of the lack of knowledge and overall hate of a certain race group. And for this case in the book, there were most African Americans who had to suffer and endure a harsh and cruel life living in New York. For example, based off the novel, there were many parts in this book that will bluntly showcase this form of racism as it is the most common form, eschpeially back in the time era they were. Such as when Omar was shinning Dora’s fathers shoes he talked to him just like he would any other black kid with little to no respect and just seen as just a worker nothing more and nothing less. Even though being only about 11 years old, the father demanding he shine his shoes and even used his form of authority and sense of power onto Omar as he is expected to behave and listen to his superior of the white man. He was expected to do what he was told and if he did not I am sure Dora’s father would have not liked that outcome. In a way Dora’s father felt like he had a certain control over him in regards to authority and to power over Omar because he is expected to comply and follow what the white man says. As well I would like to add when Omar and Dora were getting closer and slowly becoming friends, I did notice how everything they hung out she would always want to stray him apart and take him somewhere secluded so no one would see them, no one to judge her for being with a black boy, and no one to attack her for doing so. If only her father knew what she was doing I am sure he would have been furious but instead she kept her new friend a secret to hide who he truly was. Even when Omar came to the bar just before her father yelled at him to come work and clean his shoes, he stood there just beside her and she said nothing to him not a word and even had her eyes strictly on the ground. She was afraid of what her father would say, afraid of the outcome of him knowing that she had a black friend. And after that day they never take again. Generational racism is something that is taught and at a young age you are expected to listen and obey what your parents tell you and if this is what they are teaching these young kids they are slowly going to follow their footsteps by being racist too. Although Dora was not really racist to Omar per say but she still acted like she did not know him when her father was around she got quiet and said nothing to him even after them getting close and her even saying let’s run away together.

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Setting and Conflict: Character Felipe

The setting within a story is a very important aspect that helps the story telling and the overall way the story is configured and allows the reader to see first hand just what may influence a character such as their environment, the people around them, family, peers, etc. all of these come and play unimportant role and allows the reader the reader to get a better understanding of just how the individual functions as well. For this portion of the story, it really mainly focused on this character named Felipe. Showcasing the broken home he grew up in and currently living through with his mother. Being a single mother things are hard for her, and now her son Felipe is associated and involved with a gang in New York, doing bad and just messing around with the wrong people. Some conflicts he faces there in New York are tons of fighting, being apart of a gang and even a murder. Doing these things will lead him to the wrong path and possibly end up In jail, his mother and him then set out to California for a fresh start to just get away from everything. In the story when he arrives in California he describes the smell, the way everything looks, and the colors just absorbing everything at his new environment. Showing him that there is good in this world, essentially showing him a new life he can obtain. He only stays there for a bit then goes back to New York, continually messing around with the same people as before and back into the gang stronger than ever he takes on a task that will c change his life forever, he helped his friend who killed this boy on the street. Leading him to get arrested and spend time in jail for this action. Overall, based off this section of reading of the story we just see how truly chaotic it is and the back and forth of the bad here in New York as opposed to the good in California, and we get to see his individual struggle as well as his inner problems slowly appearing. Because of the lack of self identity and the continual need of gratification, Felipe just does what others do and lets others actions affect and change his view of life.

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The character that I chose to closely examine and analysis for this weeks assignment was the character of Dora. I chose this character because the book brings her up in the middle of the story, she is only 10 a little girl, we see her basically left alone at a bar with her two parents drunk not knowing or caring where she goes or more or less what she does. Dora was expressed as "she was small and skinny.. She was so pale that you could almost see through her." (Otten 57). One day they Jerome and Dora meet at a bar, he goes to look for work shining shoes and she is there with her parents. They meet each other and run off to her secret hang out right across the street. Once arrived she starts moving very fast in a sexual way and Jerome is taken by it but continues and they meet up regularly about 4 times until one day he comes back to the regular spot and Doras not there, he goes into the bar searching for her and only to see her right next to her dad, he is awake and not passed out this time. Jerome explains in the book " She sat with her shoulders hunched up and her eyes glued to the floor, like she was trying to hide inside her own body.. "(Otten 64) Showing in great detail the self embarrassment that Dora is feeling and currently going through. We see the perspective or POV of third person as we see why Dora is the way she is, because of the way her father treats her. The story goes on to state that her father plays with her sexually and leads the readers to think that he does more when they are in private. After Jerome saw her dad do that to her he left and never saw her again. But all she wanted was to get away with Jerome and start something better, this 10 year old girl did not want to be home, she did not like her parents at all and wanted to be free. Dora in the story was a very kind and pure soul just so many horrible things have happened to her and she is only 10.

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The character that I chose to closely examine and analysis for this weeks assignment was the character of Dora. I chose this character because the book brings her up in the middle of the story, she is only 10 a little girl, we see her basically left alone at a bar with her two parents drunk not knowing or caring where she goes or more or less what she does. Dora was expressed as "she was small and skinny.. She was so pale that you could almost see through her." (Otten 57). One day they Jerome and Dora meet at a bar, he goes to look for work shining shoes and she is there with her parents. They meet each other and run off to her secret hang out right across the street. Once arrived she starts moving very fast in a sexual way and Jerome is taken by it but continues and they meet up regularly about 4 times until one day he comes back to the regular spot and Doras not there, he goes into the bar searching for her and only to see her right next to her dad, he is awake and not passed out this time. Jerome explains in the book " She sat with her shoulders hunched up and her eyes glued to the floor, like she was trying to hide inside her own body.. "(Otten 64) Showing in great detail the self embarrassment that Dora is feeling and currently going through. We see the perspective or POV of third person as we see why Dora is the way she is, because of the way her father treats her. The story goes on to state that her father plays with her sexually and leads the readers to think that he does more when they are in private. After Jerome saw her dad do that to her he left and never saw her again. But all she wanted was to get away with Jerome and start something better, this 10 year old girl did not want to be home, she did not like her parents at all and wanted to be free. Dora in the story was a very kind and pure soul just so many horrible things have happened to her and she is only 10.

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I included one of my favorite songs, the artist is named Cuco. His music helps me when I feel stressed or overwhelmed with school or even life, the music and the lyrics just helps me calm down in a way. The music makes me feel calm and relaxed. Just wanted to share :)

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Introduction:
Hello class! My name is Victoria Desales I am a junior here at CSU Stanislaus and I'm majoring in sociology. I am very excited for this class to be able to learn more about literature and further expand on my knowledge about this certain subject. Very hopeful for this class and excited for this new semester.

A little bit about me is I am 20 years old, and go to school full time as well as working full time at fast food kfc to be exact. Started working there when I was 16 and stay there for a scholarship that allows me to go to school. Really all I do is work and once school starts again I just do school and work. Most of my time is consumed by those two things but some hobbies I do like to do include crosswords, I can do those for hours and not get bored, as well I like being with my dog going on walks and taking him out. I have never really had a dog before and my boyfriend and I decided to get one together and it was the best decision we have made, never knew how much I can love something before and our dog has really helped us go outside more and get more active which is good too. Our dog is a German Shepard and lab mixed he is fully black with some specs of white on his neck and tail, he is only 5 months old but is so huge and growing every single day. Overall those are the things and hobbies I enjoy doing when I have free time, as well as hanging out with family and friends as much as I can because in my opinion family is the most important thing you have and should cherish all the moments spent together. As of right now, my plans are to finish school no longer how it will take me I am too close to not finish, at times it does get hard trying to balance it all but at the end it will be all worth it, all the overnighters and sleepless nights staying up studying everything will be worth it when I walk the stage and see my parents faces all their sacrifices they made for me to be able to have the opportunity to be able to attend college all they went thru won't be for nothing because I will be the first to graduate college I am determined to and won't stop until I do achieve that.