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This course has opened my eyes to an entirely new way to analyze and understand stories. Based on the perspective, speaker, temporal setting, many themes and ideas can be instilled into these stories. Stories I believe are one of the greatest ways to enlighten someone on an idea. A story allows for examples to be made and the reader to thoroughly analyze said examples. After reading “The Last Poets” in this class, it taught me many things, but one very interesting point being the importance of the speaker. Based on if it was Dunn speaking, Omar, Felipe, etc. they told new and unique stories all with their own depth. Details that could only be described through their point of view allows for the story to come alive and give the deserved respect of the story that took place. Based on whose story is being told can also allow the reader to connect and understand the speaker better. In the Last Poets, many of their experiences I never would have been able to connect with, but after seeing the fine details of how they existed in those moments allowed for me to visualize myself in the story and to have fuller grasp of what they must’ve felt like.

I believe that it is important to tell stories for the reason of conveying meaning, but also so that others can tell their own stories too. I used to believe that themes only pertained to a particular story, but after seeing how a Hero’s Journey template could be compared to Tyler the Creator for example, it made me realize how present story elements are in all types of literature around us. Stories inspire individuals like Tyler the Creator to talk about their own story, and spread that inspiration. It allows for readers to see that we are all more connected than they may think.

I also believe that it is important for those wide variety of stories to be told. After analyzing poetry, it allowed me to see that poetry truly is beautiful in how many pieces of writing it encompasses. By reading different styles of literature such as rap, it allows for the reader to understand different styles of literature can teach in different ways. Whereas a book may teach through example, poems seem to teach more through communication and soulful diction. By telling stories in new and differing ways, it allows for a reader to have a more diverse understanding of communication and ideas.

I included this image to demonstrate how literature/stories allow for individuals to share their experiences and ideas.

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I chose to focus on the theme of depression this week and the topic of mental hardships influencing the theme of depression.

Beginning with the song by Meek Mill, “We Ball”, it encompasses the internal thoughts of the speaker in regards to the death of their close friend, Snupe. He uses figurative language such dark imagery when describing the murder of Snupe in the line, “They hit your homie and they knocked the soul out him”. This tone of aggression is contrasted by the lines before where he states, “I just want to see my niggas flossin’, Hundred Bands everytime I walk in.” This light imagery represents the hope he has for his friends around him as he wants to see them happy and succeed. This poem however lends itself more heavily to the dark imagery side as throughout it shows the mental struggle of the speaker. The speaker turns to the reliance on drugs to calm their mental depression as seen in the lines, “Taking perkys, man I fill my cup.” and “Prolly the reason why I keep taking these drugs quicker”. Throughout this poem the brutality that caused the death of his friend deepens his sad emotional state. However, it is seen through other literary devices such as metaphors, “Selling dog food tryna feed my pups.” This metaphor of puppies and dog food represents the selling of drugs, and resorting to illegal activities in order to feed his family/loved ones around him in a chaotic “dog’s” world. Having the strain of his family relying on him, they feel suppressed by the society pushing hardships onto their loved ones, such as the brutality upon Snupe. This in turn fulfills the author's purpose very well in representing their reasoning for their depression. This poem portrays many examples of the hardships one can have mentally and the thoughts that would be correlated with them.

Another poem that greatly exemplifies the topic of depression derived from mental hardships is the poem “All Falls Down” by Kanye West. In the first four lines of the poem it is seen the lines have repetition in an AB AB pattern. The repetition of the words “all falls down” over and over exemplifies the major theme throughout the poem. The hopeless tone of things falling apart and giving up as a result is connected to the depression topic. The hopelessness is met with a bit of comedy. The sense that someone is laughing as they are crying is seen in the lines, “That major that she majored in doesn't make no money, but she won’t drop out, her parents will look at her funny.” Here we see the sense of failure and things falling apart as the woman in the poem drops out a few lines later. There is also symbolism throughout the poem as seen in the line, “She had hair so long that it looked like weave, then she cut if all off now she looks like Eve and she is dealing with some issues that you can’t believe.” Here hair is a symbol for the hardships that she is forced to deal with. As her hair grows out, her problems develop. Time goes by and as problems develop, she desperately wants to get rid of the hardships as she cuts off all her hair. It is then seen that the rhythm of the poem changes up right after as the speaker repeats the lines of “all falls down”. This change in rhythm and the inconspicuous “and well” alludes to the fact that the hope of change was in vain as the sentence falls off. The theme of hopelessness seen earlier is exaggerated in these lines as this ending portrays a nonexistent opportunity for change. This example of a woman’s life falling apart or not going to plan greatly sets up the theme of depression. By vividly describing the hardships while utilizing a hopeless tone it allows the reader to understand this poem’s purpose is to connect how hardships in one’s life can lead to mental distress.

It is also important to note that in either poem, the authors utilize relatable examples so that the reader is able to recognize these events affect the mental state of many individuals in society. Examples such as losing a loved one, struggles proving, and struggling with one's education/future allow for these short stories to be more lifelike when placing them into real work context. For me personally, I have gone through mental hardships with the last year in particular. The example of choosing the wrong major and its importance of forging a path for the future resonates with me as I decided after many long and hard months that I wanted to change my career goals. Questions echoed throughout my mind whether or not I was making a mistake. The poem “All Fall Down” I feel like hit closer to home per se as the rhythmic nature wasn’t formal, but instead real and humane. This is a significant benefit to poems as the stories they tell allow for the reader to truly connect to the stories in which the author describes. Another example that I believe greatly correlates with the theme of depression is the poem by Simonne Stellenboom “Monsters at Home”. It is based on the idea internally is where the scariest monsters can linger and with it, the scariest thoughts. These internal struggles are a significant contributor to the mental stress many go through, and I believe that poems are a great platform for these range of themes to thrive in fulfilling their purpose and meaning.

I chose this image as it represents the internal conflicts that reside in many of us.

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Coming of Age Story in Tyler the Creator’s Flower Boy Album

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Coming of Age Story in Tyler the Creator’s Flower Boy Album

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While reading through the lyrics of Tyler the Creator’s Flower Boy album, there were many aspects of the “Coming of Age Story” that were apparent in his lyrics. A significant theme and part of his album is his character growth where he begins to analyze himself and his sexuality more than he had before. There are also key moments in his lyrics where he signifies growth, change, and knowledge. He is portrayed as a protagonist who is learning about himself and the world around him as he matures psychologically, all of which is portrayed through his internal thoughts and dialogue.

Beginning with one of the five stages involved in a “Coming of Age Story”, he demonstrates how he has shifted from a state of naivete into a state of knowledge. He writes about himself being cooler, fans, the AC turning on, and TNT. This represents his identity and the incorporation of his fans. He recognizes the truth that his famous personality is fueled by his fans and he gives recognition to his fans here. Without their support, ‘Tyler the Creator’ would cease to exist. This signifies his knowledgeable state where he recognizes the truth to his identity. He also shows signs of another one of the five stages being the state of inexperience and experience. He writes about how his pool is dangerous, if one doesn’t stop swimming in it they will drown and this is the pool he’s swimming in. This goes hand in hand with the lines prior when he says that if he is pulled over, he plays it cool. This signifies that he has experience in a world of danger and instilled conflict. This nod to man vs. society conflict shows that he recognizes the impact that him being black has on cops and police brutality/racial profiling in the temporal setting that is the 21st century. The pool represents this dangerous world where he has learned to live and survive due to his past experiences.

There was also one line in particular that stood out that connected to current-day outside world conflict and his passions/beliefs. In one line, he asks how many riots will there have to be until Black Lives Matter? This not only demonstrates the conflict that is going on currently in the world, but also his position in the world. He is tired and fed up with how much external conflict continues to go on without any change. This encompasses the Coming of Age character as his wants don’t align with how the world operates and acts. This also develops his character as we begin to see his perspective on the world and how his presence/voice is heard in such. His opinion on the matter is shared with many around the world and is respectable that he put it into his music that would be heard by millions.

Tyler the Creator demonstrates himself as a dynamic character with a significant theme seen in the title of the album as well as throughout his songs. He metaphorically compares himself to a tree in which his leaves took a while to bloom, but he bloomed nonetheless. He also refers to himself as a flower boy. This connection to growth, blooming, and a garden represents his maturing self understanding who he is more clearly as he is being rebirthed. This correlates with the questioning of his sexuality and understanding the layers of his character as he is developing. Another symbol that demonstrates his sexuality, but also his loss of innocence is when he says to not kill a rose before it could bloom. This represents the conflict he likely faced when learning about his sexuality

and change in himself. The killing of the rose is the conflict and how it could negatively impact him as he is developing, but this conflict was significant in his development into a reborn tree with his newfound self. This all comes together under the theme that sometimes conflict is necessary in order to develop

one’s character.

Another critical aspect similar in both the Coming of Age story and Flower Boy was how Tyler the Creator wrote about testing his boundaries. He wrote about telling kids they could be who they are, whether that be by dying their hair, using cologne/perfume, or manicuring their nails. This extends off of Tyler’s development and understanding of himself as a character where he is now comfortable enough to be himself, push his actions with what he feels comfortable with, and gain freedom from doing so in the world he was maybe

hesitant or afraid of partaking in earlier.

Overall, Tyler the Creator’s Flower Boy is a great representation of a protagonist’s Coming of Age Story. Prior to learning about the format of the Coming of Age Story, I had notice similarities between work’s character development but had never thought too much of it. Now noticing how it can be applied and instilled

into various works of storytelling, made me think about my own life and other stories I have read prior. It made me realize that my own life has had plentiful aspects of the Coming of Age Story, most notably in the last year when I have had a conflict with what career path I wanted to go down and who I wanted to become. I had epiphanies, conflicts, hard truths, and maturing into a state of realism where I realized what path was best for me. I also was able to see how it affected one of my favorite fictional characters, Holden Caulfield, from

Catcher in the Rye. With Holden, he experiences many internal conflicts which pushed him to understand himself, his situation, and experience many of the five stages. Overall, it made me realize that in many cases for one to grow, they experience conflict in order to understand themselves and the world around them.

I chose this picture as it reminded me of the lyrics “Rooted from the bottom, bloomed into a tree” which represents the major theme in Tyler the Creator’s album Flower Boy in which he develops his character.

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Theme - Character Development & Sacrifice/Conflict

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Theme - Character Development & Sacrifice/Conflict

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While there are many prevalent themes in The Last Poets, I believe that one of the most significant ties into the focus around external and internal conflict. One can develop character through conflict and sacrifice they experience, and this theme is supported by a plethora of examples through Omar’s upbringing.

During Reggie’s reminiscent narrative of his and Omar’s teenage life, we see “Up comes the police… Hank steps forward and sticks his fist in the air. “Black power! Black power!... They arrested him and threw him in the paddy wagon” (86) This act of defiance is significant in Omar’s development into his powerful and outspoken self as he builds a connection to the black power movement against oppression. While everyone else steps back, he takes the initiative to be the brave one going forward, but not without a cost. While Omar is engaging in this external conflict of man vs. society, he sacrifices his own safety as police/black relations have never been without violence. By engaging in this act, he start to build upon this layer of his character who wants to make imminent change in the world around him, and I believe this is why Cristine Otten puts this part of Omar’s childhood into the story as this sacrifice of safety and engagement into conflict is what propels Omar into the Poet in which he becomes.

There is also an example from Omar’s youth where he makes the decision to leave his family/friends in Akron, leave his job at Firestone, and take a leap of faith moving to New York in an attempt to become part of the Last Poets. When Omar arrives in New York with no money left, “This rasta brother obviously thought… who’d let himself be robbed blind… well, he had nothing to steal, but this dude with the weird hat didn’t know that.” (303) Instead of playing the guys tricky game, Omar stole the money and ran as fast as he could. He got away, but I believe that the reason the author focuses on this scene is to show the lengths at which Omar went to follow his dream of becoming a Last Poet. He quite literally had nothing to his name when he got to New York, and he was willing to do anything, even steal, in order to continue towards his goals of New York. He sacrificed his stability and relationships in Akron to pursue this risky choice in New York.

Through the childhood point of view of Omar, we are able to see how these early conflicts built the foundation for the character in which he becomes into his adulthood. This proud and outspoken poet who wasn’t afraid to speak up to authority, a character that was not afraid to dive into conflict with society, and his fate in order to become the person he desired to be. I believe that Christine Otten included these conflicts as well to allow for readers to relate to their own development. For me personally, my high school program was very difficult for me. I finished the program but not without making sacrifices. I wasn’t able to spend as much time with my family and friends as I had before joining, but this sacrifice wasn’t in vain. By overcoming doubts, my man vs. internal conflict, I had about finishing the program, I grew as a person as I learned the value of sacrifice and hard work. This was an aspect I related to personally and I believe that this theme allows for many others to relate to it in their own way. Whether it be sacrificing free time by getting a job to help out one’s parents, or enduring oppressive social culture that Omar and Felipe faced in their respective settings, it is definitely a lesson that many people can become enlightened on when comparing it to their own outside world.

A sacrifice I thought of in a comparable novel is in Catcher In the Rye, when Holden Caulfield sacrifices his strongly held beliefs about the perils of adulthood. By opening his eyes and looking at the other side, he had a better understanding of what adulthood could be like, becoming more knowledgeable and open minded growing his character. The resolve from conflict/sacrifice can be growth, better understanding, and a more dynamic character.

This image reminds me of the theme I chose as it depicts a woman emotional while seeing a boat leave. It reminds me of one of my mom’s friends who came to America from Vietnam alone with their brother’s and sister as the parents couldn’t come with, but wanted to give them a better life. The parents sacrificed breaking the law and their safety so that the children could grow from their sacrifices and this ultimately became a significant part of the children's development.

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Felipe is a character where setting plays an important role on his character, personality, and conflicts he experiences in his life. Beginning with the impact that geographical setting plays, due to his relocating nature of his mother he spends and grows in multiple ways when in New York or California. One of the most significant differences I noticed between the two locations was the sheer amount of conflict in New York, and the lack of in California. It is seen on page 259 through the first person point of view of Felipe that it was a very plain, forgettable experience. “When I think back on the year and a half in California I see only disjointed images.” (260) While in California, Felipe lives a polarizing life where he becomes Vice President, goes out without getting in trouble, all of which runs perpendicular to his life in New York. In New York, the conflict derived from the geographic setting takes effect on Felipe’s personality. As seen through this perspective of Felipe, the reader could infer he may even prefer a louder lifestyle, one with more impact. Compared to a dull, forgetful experience in California, Felipe is seen associated with murder, joining gangs alongside Jose when he joins the Frenchmen, creating associations such as the Young Lords, and a overall more aggressive personality. It is through these experiences where Felipe is able to develop as a more round/dynamic character. This is in part due to his immediate surroundings in these respective locations. He has exposure to the gange lifestyle through his friends such as Jose, and this is where external conflicts are derived from their setting where man vs. society is seen in Felipe’s life. Whereas before his gang affiliations related to man vs. man conflict with muggings, rival gangs, etc. it transversed into larger operations when he was part of Young Lords when they sought to fight the inequality in their city by organizing and operating health clinics/childcare centers as seen on page 282. 
Organizations still today fight a very much similar battle against society. As greed will likely always be instilled into our societies, there will always be those who suffer, and those who need help as well as opposing forces to counteract. This effect that the setting of New York has on Felipe drives him to put himself out there more, taking actions that have more malleable consequences, something we don’t see occur in California. This is further supported by Felipe’s drive to run for city council, and to have a larger impact on his own setting and the conflicts that are derived from such. One could then derive the argument that when one experiences more conflict, this allows for a more drastic change in character development, as well as their obviously warping future. It is seen in day to day life that when conflict is present, the effects the conflict has on the individuals can determine a large array of routes they could then travel. As seen in the novel as well as its continuation into the 21st century, conflict can have very negative effects and this is seen through the increasing number of black individuals who are in prison, or have been imprisoned because of these conflicts that exist in particular settings. It is seen that Felipe exhibits apparent signs of desiring that conflict as seen on page 253 through Felipe’s first person point of view internal thoughts, “I wanted to hold her and say that Little Bobby just had bad luck...I’d just saved Jose’s life and that I couldn’t go to California”. Felipe is fueled by the chaotic surroundings, the unknowingness of the future, the need for excitement, and this is derived from the temporal setting he is faced with as a black man in the 60’s, as well as his geographical location in the hustle and bustle of New York. 
 
I can’t relate to much of the experiences that Felipe went through, but I can begin to understand how geographical setting played a role in my life, such as it did in his. I’ve never left Modesto, but a change from my Junior High to High School played a large role in my character development due to the conflicts I experienced. My junior high and elementary schools were very close to my home, I had the same friends, and the same feelings. When I went to high school, it was the first time I had to make new friends, experience a new culture on another side of town, as well as a new level of school rigor. This drastically changed my personality and overall views on life. Looking back, the people I was around and the lifestyle that was rubbed off on me wasn’t for the better. Similar to Felipe however, these conflicts and change in setting was essential for my overall character to develop. Without the experiences derived from my high school setting I wouldn’t have learned from a lot of mistakes early on. This growth mindset I also developed allowed me to develop a more intricate world view. Whereas my beliefs prior were based on very similar settings, being exposed to a new crowd, place, and ideas allowed me to come into my own as a more knowledgeable individual. 
 
The impact that setting has on Felipe reminded me of the presence of setting inducing conflict seen in The Great Gatsby with Nick Carraway. He is an outsider who comes into a rich man’s world with Jay Gatbsy as his neighbor and Tom Buchanon. The geographical setting of East and West Egg as well as the temporal setting of the roaring twenties allows for much of man vs. man conflict to erupt. It brings out the worst in Tom and Daisy Buchanon and with Nick as a spectator he is appalled by the actions committed after Gatbsy is murdered due to Tom’s lies. This is a prime example of how geographical as well as temporal setting can affect one’s personality. 
 
This photo depicts Nick Carraway's house and represents how Nick comes to Long Island as an outsider and allows the reader to see how the conflict of the people nearby is particular to this new, drastic and rich setting.

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A character who I believe has shown a lot of development so far in the novel is Jerome, who also goes by Jeronimo and Omar throughout his life. Jerome is a very round character as he shows complex sides, and a range of emotions all which represent his human experiences. A clear example of his range of emotions is seen on pages 97-98 when he decides to shoot Cooper with his .38. Through a third person narration, we see a mix of frustration and anger as the quote suggests, “There was pressure on his temples, like a belt tightening around his head...The pumping of his heart. The heat of his blood.” (97) This scene is also through Jerome’s point of view, and I believe the author intended for the reader to only know Jerome's thoughts in this scene as Don Cooper walked out because this scene is meant to represent hardships, regrets Jerome faced in his youth. This rough youth is also familiar to many children and adolescents his age and even younger who grow up or experience hardships in this cruel world. These polarizing emotions Jerome exhibits are met with care and love as seen on pages 101 when he interrogates boys who come to take Sandra Saint-Clare and the rest of his sisters on dates. He has also demonstrated he is a dynamic character as he is constantly showing progression, and change throughout the story. One instance that comes to mind is on page 124 where he is haunted by the memory of shooting Nona’s boyfriend, Don Cooper. In this dream which represents his regret for his actions, it is seen through third person that he struggles to respond to them when Nona says hello. This is a symbol for Jerome throughout the story as he is constantly trying to find his voice and also shows how he recognized his actions have impact and learns from his mistakes. Jerome is the protagonist, meaning he moves the story along with his character development.

One of the key aspects of Jerome however that I’ve noticed is the idea of him finding his voice, personality, and building his character. The most apparent example is seen with his speech impediment and stutter as a child. I connect with him as I have found trouble speaking as my nerves have always caused me to speak quickly, lose track of my thoughts, and sometimes stutter over my words. Comparably to him, this caused me to resort to creative writing and thoughts. I found comfort writing down my thoughts when I felt like I couldn’t get them out verbally. This is a side of Jerome I find admirable as he pushes past the barriers that were set for him, and he tried to develop his voice in lyrical poems. I also believe that this search through the route of music has allowed him to search for his character as seen on pages 135 when he wants to join the Last Poets. He also builds upon his character as he stands up to his father who beats him and his mother in the chapter “The Hatchet'' as well as when he stands up for his business of shoeshine at Roxy’s when he beats up Eric Webb on page 141. As a reader we learn a lot about Jerome through the sections when it is about Jerome in third person, but we also learn about other sides of Jerome in sections through the first person point of view of other characters such as Reggie when he talks about Jerome on page 86. He describes Jerome as fearless when he screams ‘Black Power’ to the police. This shows the admiration other characters had for Jerome and also represents the character development of Jerome as he feels connected to the Black Panthers.

While reading about Jerome’s emotional clash in his youth, it reminded me of Holden Caulfield in the Catcher in the Rye who also experiences internal emotional struggles throughout his youth and college years. This struggle results in many chaotic actions that take a toll on Holden’s health, which is very similar to the chaotic events that took place throughout the early life of Jerome in which we are told. Overall, Jerome is one of the most fascinating characters I have read about and have connected with. I am looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop. Thank you for reading.

This photo reminded me of the emotional struggle Jerome faced after the event at Hi-De-Ho Lounge.

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Hey everyone! My name is Dylan Rosenow and I am a first year here at Stan State. I graduated from Modesto High School and came to CSU Stan as a pre-nursing major. I have always wanted to help people so my dream is to work at a pediatric hospital.

A little about me… In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends, family, girlfriend, and my new puppy Mochi! Fun fact, Mochi has an instagram! @hotcocoamochi I love teaching her tricks and she has already learned how to shake, high five, skate, and currently in the process of peekaboo. I also love to play video games as I grew up playing Mario games and nowadays I find myself playing games like Overwatch, CSGO, and Rocket League. I also like to go skating and I love the beach.

Funny story, I am colorblind and that has resulted in some precarious situations. One time when I was a little kid playing basketball, I became disorientated on exactly which way I should go to shoot. Unfortunately, in a flash, I catch a rebound being the tall nine year old I was. I then look around frantically as to what I should do because the nerves began to set in for a new player like me. I see a player down at the end of the court. They screamed, “PASS PASS”. Desperately, I chucked the ball down the court and then I heard the crowd go silent. My teammates gasp as the ball is then lightly laid up into our net. My teammates look at me with questioning eyes as they say, “Dylan are you colorblind?!” To their amazement, I say yes as my eyes shift to the floor. To no one’s amazement, that was the last year I ever played basketball! I apologize for the length of this story, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.

English has always been one of my favorite subjects because it is so full of stories. I am a big fan of shows, movies, books, and Youtube. My favorite book of all time is The Great Gatsby and I am so glad I was forced to read in high school because it had so many elements that I admired with my favorite themes being the green light at the end of the dock and the glasses on the billboard. One of my all time favorite movie series is by the fantastic Studio Ghibli. Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and of course Totoro (hence the background). The art style, captivating characters, and above all else the beautiful storytelling always grabs my attention. It truly amazes me how creative authors and I am so glad that writing exists because without the wide variety of creative outlets, we wouldn’t be able to appreciate all the great wonders that have been published throughout the years.

I look forward to participating in this class with you all through this blog. I think it will be a lot of fun! Cheers and good luck during this semester and your future endeavors!