Buedden Comp II Commonplace Book. by Rebecca Buedden

"Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid

rebecca_buedden — 2014-06-15 20:34:13 UTC

This image of a housewife cooking reminds me of the story "Girl," because this is one of the domestic behaviors her mother emphasizes when telling her how she should behave. This image can also be seen as a stereotypical symbol for a woman's role especially back in those days. Her mother seems to be very worried about her not becoming a respectable/acceptable woman of society.

"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin

rebecca_buedden — 2014-06-15 20:45:34 UTC

The URL attached to this post shows an accurate illustration of the short story by Kate Chopin. The drawing emphasizes the open window as a symbol of Mrs. Mallard's new found freedom and independence in the world. It also makes it seem like now that her husband is gone she is free to explore the world and do whatever her heart truly desires without the institution of a marriage or her husband to hold her back.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

rebecca_buedden — 2014-06-15 22:07:53 UTC

As a tale about inner struggle and captivity of mind, Gilman's story of a woman struggling with mental illness demonstrates the importance of treatment and support of loved ones through such confusing times. The woman in the story is the only one who isn't in denial of her illness and desperately yearns to get better for her sake and the sake of her practical husband. This image captures her fixation on the wallpaper in the room she often is confined to and how she personified the wallpaper as a creepy thing that she herself is stuck inside. The wallpaper symbolizes her struggle within her mind and how she became a prisoner of her disease.

Trifles by Susan Glaspell

rebecca_buedden — 2014-06-15 23:12:16 UTC

Hale: "Well women are used to worrying over trifles."
This statement made by Mr. Hale in the play, Trifles, shows the patriarchy and dominance of men in the early 1900s. By saying this, Mr. Hale implies the incompetence of women to focus on the important things instead of silly little details. He displays an attitude of superiority through voicing his belief in women's stereotypical roles and daily duties of things with little importance.

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

rebecca_buedden — 2014-06-15 23:43:05 UTC

This doll represents the character Nora in Ibsen's play. The symbolism of her as a doll really unveils the differences between gender at the time. Her husband often refers to her as his doll and treats her as something to dress up and make pretty to show everyone else. She is also his doll in a sense of the control he has over her.

The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-03 21:18:13 UTC

This toy ship reminds me of the one the children see in the toy store in this story. They see how something as simple as a toy can be expensive and is seen more of a privilege of the white kids. Through visiting this toy store their "lesson" becomes about the major differences in economic status as well as the race associated with it.

Negro by Langston Hughes

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-03 21:25:08 UTC

"I am a Negro:
Black as the night is black,
Black like the depths of my Africa."

This quote from the poem shows how African Americans are always associated with the color black and often seen as a negative thing, not just because of the color of their skin. Langston Hughes demonstrates how his people are compared to the black of the night and the darkness that it entails. Most people may see darkness as an absence of light and also relate it to evil or impurity.

Harlem by Langston Hughes

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-03 21:33:43 UTC

This raisin is a symbol of a dream deferred like Hughes mentions in the poem. He ponders what happens to dreams that are ignored or neglected much like the dreams of many African Americans in that era. He uses the simile of a dried up raisin in the sun to explain the neglect of such dreams.

Brownies by ZZ Packer

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-03 21:50:10 UTC

This picture accurately represents the setting of the story. It takes place at a girl scout camp when an all black troop encounters a white troop which they see as "invaders." The story shows the common theme of racial segregation and prejudice towards both races as the black troop prepares to teach the other group a "lesson" for possibly saying a racial slur.

Everyday Use by Alice Walker

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-03 22:01:16 UTC

This quilt represents one just like the sisters fought over in the story. It also can be seen as symbolic to the theme or tradition and custom. It shows how things made in the family are often passed down to younger generations and Dee wants them although her mother has been saving them for her less successful sister, Maggie.

Battle Royal by Ralph Ellison

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-03 22:19:27 UTC

In the story the main character is a black man who successfully overcomes the oppression of his time and is seen as a leader figure. The title itself shows how being successful can offer more opportunity as the character is asked to give a speech and participate in the Battle Royal

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-17 04:46:35 UTC

This picture is actually a poster of the play. I chose it because it illustrates a lot of symbolism that is seen within the play. First off it looks as if the man in the picture is about to walk off the edge of the earth. In the play he commits suicide in the end because he realizes its the only way for his family to better succeed. His realization of the truth- he is not a good salesman and has not provided well for his family- "pushes" him over the edge. The flower can also be seen as a symbol of how he could've flourished and grown had he stopped living in the past and made a better future for him and his family.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

rebecca_buedden — 2014-07-17 04:53:19 UTC

I chose this picture for this story because it helps visualize the things they carried that weren't tangible- such as love, courage, responsibility, anger, resentment, fear, and many other things. It could also represent the many emotional aspects that come with fighting in a war just like how Cross blamed himself for one of his men getting killed. The violence and haunting memories will be something they carry for the rest of their lives.